Small Change of Soldiering? Peace Operations as Preparation for Future Wars

<p>This paper examines the effects of peace operations on the warfighting capability of U.S. Army combat forces. It focuses upon operations in the Sinai Somalia Haiti Macedonia and Bosnia and relies upon survey data unit status reports interviews historical accounts after action reports and other sources. If properly exploited peace operations can provide valuable preparation for future wars. Such operations exercise a broad set of capabilities--particularly in the areas of command and control planning logistics deployment intelligence and small unit tasks--that are essential to effectiveness across the range of military operations. Their strongest potential contribution to readiness lies in the cultivation of human factors such as self-discipline initiative decision-making ability leadership skills unit cohesion and endurance. Moreover their contribution to endurance appears to be duplicated by no other form of peacetime training. A view nevertheless persists that peace operations detract from the Army's primary mission. This view is rooted in a paradigm of readiness that assumed its present form during General William E. DePuy's tenure at U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. The paper assesses the strengths and weaknesses of this paradigm and suggests an alternative that better accounts for human and other factors integral to readiness.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>