Creating Time and Space: Depth, Simultaneity, and Tempo in Counterinsurgency.

摘要

Counterinsurgency and unconventional war have dominated both the intellectual focus and the operational employment of the U.S. Army for the last decade, and are expected to remain a prevalent challenge for the foreseeable future. One of the primary debates surrounding this environment of unconventional warfare is how well the U.S. Army's doctrine supports, guides, and informs Army leaders to succeed in these operations. The purpose of this study was to support the relevance of current doctrine by demonstrating its applicability, when properly employed, in past counterinsurgencies. The study used select elements of operational art, namely depth, tempo, and simultaneity, as a rubric for application of operational art in two campaigns of the Vietnam War. The study found that full employment of these tenets, in planning and operations significantly increased the operational effects of the Cambodian campaign, while the campaign in Laos suffered limited success. In summation, a deeper understanding of the doctrinal tenets, and their relevance in comparison to the environment and the enemy, will continue to guide U.S. Army leaders in both conventional and unconventional operations.