Videos
(Click on Picture)

Recruitment


Go Rangers!


3rd ID Drill Team


82nd AD


Delta Insight


US Army Civil Affairs

Found a good "US Army" link? Let Us Know!

Buy some authentic, US Army Approved Gear

I really hate the new slogan. What was wrong with "Be All That You Can Be?" Anyway, here's the new main recruiting page for the Army. And BTW, what's up with those berets?

The United States Army Homepage This is an EXCELLENT, user-friendly site packed with information. Good job guys! Also located somewhere on this site is the United States Army Reserve homepage. Still in school? Check out the Army ROTC website. The U.S. Army National Guard website is almost as nice as the Reg. Army site.

Ranger Handbook, full and by Chapters. Ranger_Handbook.ZIP Right Click on file at left, and Save Target to your hard drive. Extract files and you will have a folder with this web page and all the materials linked to it. Enjoy. Pdf files: Full Ranger Handbook.

Fear and Loathing in the Barracks--And the Heart of Leadership. by Ingraham, Larry H., "Parameters" December 1988. pp. 75-80. US Army: The smart guys have taken the United States Army about as far as we can go with respect to weapon systems that bust up things and hurt people. The next advance in creating a more effective army will be done with people. People require leadership. That’s what worries me, and lots of others. The Army is now in the throes of a blizzard of memos, manuals, and pamphlets on leadership. But they miss the point. What gets left out is the heart of leadership, which cannot be taught from the platform. To make you understand what I’m talking about, I have to tell you a story told to me by some wise old NCOs who understood the heart of leadership, and how we lost it...

ArmyLink, Official web site of Army Public Affairs Not really as easy to use or as comprehensive as the Air Force "Link" site, but still a good place to check out.

The Army Publishing Directorate is the Army's leader in publishing and distributing information products, employing advanced technologies to ensure responsive support worldwide. Our primary mission is supplying official authenticated information to enhance the readiness of the total force. Alternate Access Options: In the event that the APD Web site is unavailable, you may access Army electronic publications and forms files, and the STARPUBS On-Line Ordering System from either the Army Knowledge On-Line portal (https://akocomm.us.army.mil/usapa) or the Army Home page (http://www.army.mil/usapa/index.html). Please retain and bookmark the alternate URLs in the event you need to access APDs services in the future and cannot connect to this site.

UNITED STATES ARMY BAND Download more than military marches.

TRADOC - US Army Training and Doctrine Command This is where you can access, read online or download all of those FM's, TM's and other army publications - but you may need a password (available here) for certain "sensitive" papers.

The U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM) lineage can be traced back over 50 years to the Army Industrial Hygiene Laboratory. That organization was established at the beginning of World War II and was under the direct jurisdiction of The Army Surgeon General. It was originally located at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, with a staff of three and an annual budget not to exceed three thousand dollars. Its mission was to conduct occupational health surveys of Army-operated industrial plants, arsenals, and depots. Its current mission is to provide worldwide technical support for implementing preventive medicine, public health, and health promotion/wellness services into all aspects of America's Army and the Army Community anticipating and rapidly responding to operational needs and adaptable to a changing world environment. The web page contains an AVALANCHE of information on medical health and disease prevention.

US Army Research Institute of Chemical Defense Mission: To develop medical countermeasures to chemical warfare agents and to train medical personnel in the medical management of chemical casualties. Vision: To be a laboratory confident of its place in the world, a clearly recognized leader in medical chemical defense research and training in the medical management of chemical casualties, a lab that continues to advance quality medical products and information capable of alleviating the suffering caused by chemical weapons, a lab that is a desired place of work for all.

US ARMY Insignia Home Page Examples of the changes in the Army's insignia through history. Starting with the early and simple methods of distinguishing between officers and soldiers and bringing you to the modern and complicated methods of identifying rank, branch, and personal service. I will begin with the rank badges of each period, eventually planning to make these the most complete Army insignia displays possible. You are asked to check back, from time to time, and watch the progress.

United States Army Europe (USAREUR) Got a service member in Europe? Here's a great (official) site to keep up on what's happening "over there." (Including Bosnia and Kosovo) Lots of support info, as well.

United States Army Cadet Command Headquarters Actually BETTER than the ROTC site.

US Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District Home "The people of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continue to provide vital services to the Army and the nation. You are deployed across the nation and around the world, working hard every day to do what is right. You are a critical part of the Army, from quality of life and readiness on the installations to transformation of the force for the future, helping to shape the Army for success. You are especially important to the well-being of the nation, and the livelihood of most Americans, through developing, managing, protecting and improving our nation's water resources. You are striving to bring synergy between development and environment, seeking the best economic, environmental and social solutions. You are doing the tough jobs. The nation will continue to look to you when it needs the best. Please use this document, and the strategic campaign plan published separately, and help me to achieve our vision and strategic goals." Portland District will execute the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Vision, Corps Plus Strategy and the Northwestern Division's Campaign plan by commitment to investigate, plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain environmentally sound flood control, navigation and hydroelectric projects within our boundaries. We are committed to: improve and maintain navigation, prevent and reduce flood damage, provide electrical power, regulate activities in wetlands and navigable waterways, provide stewardship of the region's natural resources, and promote wise public use of those natural resources. We will accomplish this through a quality management process. See also US Army Corps of Engineers - Northwestern Division

U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command OUR MISSION: To provide ground combat, automotive, marine, and armaments technologies and systems and to generate, provide and sustain mobility, lethality, and survivability FOR OUR SOLDIERS, OTHER SERVICES AND OUR ALLIES.

Medal of Honor Citations U.S. Army Center of Military History - Full-text Listings of Medal of Honor Citations. The President, in the name of Congress, has awarded more than 3,400 Medals of Honor to our nation's bravest Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen since the decoration's creation in 1861. For years, the citations highlighting these acts of bravery and heroism resided in dusty archives and only sporadically were printed. In 1973, the U.S. Senate ordered the citations compiled and printed as Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973). This book was later updated and reprinted in 1979. The breakdown of these is a duplicate of that in the congressional compilation. Likewise, some minor misspelling and other errors are duplicated from the official government volume. These likely were the result of the original transcriptions. The following is an index of the full-text files by war.

The US Army Ranger Association works closely with the 75th Ranger Regiment and the Ranger Training Brigade in order to give meaningful support to the active duty Rangers. USARA cooperates with the Ranger Veteran associations of the Ranger Battalions of WWII, Merrill's Marauders, the Ranger Infantry Companies (Airborne) of the Korean War, the LRRP, LRP, Rangers, and Ranger Advisors of the Vietnam War, and other recognized Special Operations associations. USARA conducts national and regional events, with the Annual Ranger Muster being the highlight of the year.

U.S. Army Forces Command is the largest major command in the Department of the Army and comprises the Army component of U.S. Atlantic Command. FORSCOM supervises the training of more than 760,000 active and reserve soldiers to provide a strategic, power-projection ground force capable of responding rapidly and successfully to crises worldwide.

U.S. Army Pacific Command Explains the role of the Army in the Pacific. Lots of history.

US Army - CID Command Welcome to the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command's public website. This site is maintained to provide the general public with information as to who we are and what we do. As the Army's primary criminal investigative organization, the "CID" is responsible for the conduct of criminal investigations in which the Army is, or may be, a party of interest. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Virginia and operating throughout the world, the CID conducts criminal investigations that range from death to fraud, on and off military reservations, and, when appropriate, with local, state and other federal investigative agencies. We support the Army through the deployment, in peace and conflict, of highly trained soldier and government service special agents and support personnel, the operation of a certified forensic laboratory, a protective services unit, computer crimes specialists, polygraph services, criminal intelligence collection and analysis, and a variety of other services normally associated with law enforcement activities.

Army Women's Museum, Fort Lee, Virginia The mission of the Army Women's Museum is to collect, preserve, research, exhibit and interpret historically significant properties related to service of women across all branches and organizations of the United States Army from inception to present day. A secondary purpose of the museum will be to support military training and education of women through its exhibitions, publications, educational programs, and all outreach activities.

Parameters is a refereed journal of ideas and issues. It provides a forum for mature thought on the art and science of land warfare, joint and combined matters, national and international security affairs, military strategy, military leadership and management, military history, ethics, and other topics of significant and current interest to the US Army and the Department of Defense. It serves as a vehicle for continuing the education and professional development of graduates of the US Army War College (USAWC) and other senior military officers, as well as members of government and academia concerned with national security affairs.

Army Quartermaster Museum Since 1957 the Quartermaster Museum has preserved the history and heritage of the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, the Army's oldest logistic branch. For more than two centuries Quartermaster soldiers have fed, clothed and equipped the United States Army. The Museum receives over 70,000 visitors a year, including over 17,000 Quartermaster soldiers who get history training.

United States Army Aviation Museum The United States Army Aviation Museum maintains a collection of over 160 military aircraft, including one of the largest collections of military helicopters in the world. The public galleries represent the Army's involvement in military aviation from the beginning days with the Wright brothers and early combat aircraft of World War I, up to the highly technological machines flown by Army Aviators today. The Army Aviation Museum, located at the "Home of Army Aviation," Fort Rucker, Alabama, is situated between the South Alabama cities of Enterprise, Ozark, Daleville and Dothan. Visitors should be prepared to produce adequate identification upon entering the Fort Rucker installation.

US Army Research Institute (For behavioral & Social Sciences) ARI is the U.S. Army’s personnel performance and training research laboratory. ARI scientists conduct research in the broad areas of personnel, leadership, training, and organizational Psychology.

US Army Attack Helicopters Not an "official site" but way too cool to leave out.

US Army Chemical School MISSION: To protect the force and allow the Army to fight and win against an NBC threat. Develop doctrine, equipment and training for NBC defense which serve as a deterrent to ANY adversary possessing weapons of mass destruction. Provide the Army with the combat multipliers of smoke, obscurant, and flame capabilities. VISION: America's Armed Forces trained and ready for the 21st Century, protecting our nation and its forces against nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. America's Army, employing smoke and obscurants to protect the force, shape the battlespace, and disrupt enemy operations.

Carlisle Barracks - Army War College This site is not always up. Be patient, keep trying. You'll eventually be rewarded.

US Army Corps of Engineers Home Page

Army Research Laboratory See how the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) plays a key role in the Department of Defense and Army research and development programs. View public documents which chronicle our most recent research initiatives - press releases and technical publications.

Army Research Office The U.S. Army Research Office (ARO) mission is to seed scientific and far reaching technological discoveries that enhance Army capabilities. Basic research proposals from educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private industry are competitively selected and funded. ARO's research mission represents the most long-range Army view for changes in its technology. It is the only Army organization that transcends all of its mission areas: commander-fire support; close combat; air defense; combat support; combat service support; solider support; command, control, and communications. In all respects, the ARO program is the designated organization for the entire spectrum of Army activities extending from research to development to acquisition. ARO priorities fully integrate Army-wide, long-range planning for research, development, and acquisition.

Association of the United States Army Since 1950, the Association of the United States Army has worked to support all aspects of national security while advancing the interests of America's Army and the men and women who serve. AUSA is a private, non-profit educational organization that supports America's Army - Active, National Guard, Reserve, Civilians, Retirees and family members.

America's Military Mortgage The VA Loan process can now be handled ONLINE!

Army/Air Force Exchange WebSite. The "Walmart" of the military.

Space-A Travel Information This information provides AMC space available travel information. It applies to uniformed service members (active and retired), family members, and Department of Defense (DoD) employees authorized space available travel (IAW DoD 4515.13-R, Air Transportation Eligibility). It implements AMCPD 24-2, Policy for Passenger Travel Aboard AMC Missions.

Military Brats Online is in its 7th year of serving the Military Brat community. MBO was launched in December of 1995, and was the first web site devoted to linking Military Brats with their heritage and each other. Military Brats Online is a part of the Military Brats Network, is a free resource designed to re-connect Military Brats with each other and their heritage.

THE OVERSEAS BRATS WEBSITE Overseas Brats is an organization and magazine for those associated with American Overseas schools designed to serve the needs of thousands of "Overseas Brats." Join us now and get involved with a dynamic organization and publication and a unique group of Americans – with a special heritage – who are renewing old friendships and making new friends at reunions and Overseas Brats functions. We'd like to get to know you, hear about your experiences, and help with your quest!

The Stars and Stripes Newspaper - Online The first paper called The Stars and Stripes was a product of the Civil War, put out by four Union soldiers in 1861. As the hometown newspaper for service members, government civilians and their families in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Pacific, Stars and Stripes offers the same type of national and international news, sports and opinion columns found in newspapers in the United States. The European and Pacific editions also strive to keep readers informed about issues in their host countries, local communities and commands.

United States Army in World War II Reader's Guide This pamphlet contains a brief analytical description of each volume in the United States Army in World War II series published to date or to be published in the near future. These sketches have, in most cases, been prepared by the author at the request of the Chief Historian in his capacity as General Editor of the series. Each synopsis is followed by a list of "key topics" found in the volume and in most cases their chapter location.

The American Political Culture and Strategic Planning by FREDERICK M. DOWNEY and STEVEN METZ; From Parameters, September 1988, pp. 34-42. The job of the military strategist is not an easy one. In addition to dealing with dangerous enemies, unreliable or vulnerable allies, and inadequate resources, he must also confront the distractions of politics. However much the strategist might prefer to ignore it, both the objectives of strategy and the context of strategy formulation are political. Simultaneously balancing the dictates of politics and the need to deter or defeat an enemy is perhaps the core dilemma of strategy formulation...

Thinking About Small Wars by RICHARD SZAFRANSKI; From Parameters, September 1990, pp. 39-49. This article is intended to be the intellectual and literary equivalent of a raid. It has a limited objective, its duration is expected to be short, and it resides on the lower end of the continuum of disputations (a spectrum running from single, great ideas all the way to tedious, encyclopedic arguments). Like its subject, it will be a low-intensity essay. Its objective? To focus thinking on armed interventions and small wars in a way unencumbered by current formal doctrinal debates. We are entering an era when the likelihood for armed interventions to protect our nation's interests by affecting the affairs of other organized groups or states could increase. It matters little whether we call this class of armed intervention low-intensity conflict, or contingency and limited objective warfare, or some other name. What does matter is that our armed forces are prepared to fight...

The Origins of the American Military Coup of 2012 by CHARLES J. DUNLAP, JR.; From Parameters, Winter 1992-93, pp. 2-20.: The letter that follows takes us on a darkly imagined excursion into the future. A military coup has taken place in the United States--the year is 2012--and General Thomas E. T. Brutus, Commander-in-Chief of the Unified Armed Forces of the United States, now occupies the White House as permanent Military Plenipotentiary. His position has been ratified by a national referendum, though scattered disorders still prevail and arrests for acts of sedition are underway. A senior retired officer of the Unified Armed Forces, known here simply as Prisoner 222305759, is one of those arrested, having been convicted by court-martial for opposing the coup. Prior to his execution, he is able to smuggle out of prison a letter to an old War College classmate discussing the "Origins of the American Military Coup of 2012." In it, he argues that the coup was the outgrowth of trends visible as far back as 1992. These trends were the massive diversion of military forces to civilian uses, the monolithic unification of the armed forces, and the insularity of the military community. His letter survives and is here presented verbatim. It goes without saying (I hope) that the coup scenario above is purely a literary device intended to dramatize my concern over certain contemporary developments affecting the armed forces, and is emphatically not a prediction. -- The Author 

Combatting Terrorism by Colin S. Gray; From Parameters, Autumn 1993, pp. 17-23.: The bombing of the World Trade Center in New York on 26 February 1993 brought home to Americans the notion that terrorism is not a foreign phenomenon; truly it is “one world” for terror. Overall, the new security environment after the Cold War--which puts us into an inter­war period today--is characterized by both pluses and minuses regarding terrorism. Just as no good deed seems to go unpunished, so no benign event or trend in world politics goes unbalanced by a significant downside. For example, the evil empire of the former Soviet Union and its client regimes in Eastern Europe no longer provide safe havens, financial support, or training facilities for terrorists. The bad news is that the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet empire has liberated many national and ethnic groups to pursue tribal animosities with a new vigor. Also, the arrival of great-power peace in Europe translates into a buyer’s market for weaponry of virtually all kinds. Wishful thinkers in 1991 referred to a New World Order. There are people who like to talk about some notional global community or international society. The facts are, however, that we have no New World Order, there is no global community, and in key respects international society is a do-gooder’s daydream. Far from witnessing the end of history in this decade, we are seeing the triumph of history. The Third Balkan War that is still in its growth phase is an illustration of the unhappy trend.

The New Warrior Class by Ralph Peters; From Parameters, Summer 1994, pp. 16-26.: The soldiers of the United States Army are brilliantly prepared to defeat other soldiers. Unfortunately, the enemies we are likely to face through the rest of this decade and beyond will not be "soldiers," with the disciplined modernity that term conveys in Euro-America, but "warriors"--erratic primitives of shifting allegiance, habituated to violence, with no stake in civil order. Unlike soldiers, warriors do not play by our rules, do not respect treaties, and do not obey orders they do not like. Warriors have always been around, but with the rise of professional soldieries their importance was eclipsed. Now, thanks to a unique confluence of breaking empire, overcultivated Western consciences, and a worldwide cultural crisis,[1] the warrior is back, as brutal as ever and distinctly better-armed... 

Freedom and the Soldier by ALISTAIR COOKE; From Parameters, Summer 1995, pp. 66-72.: The word freedom has a positive, an irreducible, meaning for Americans as much as anybody, but it has become, especially in our lifetime, a buzzword, like establishment, fascist, liberal, identity, conservative, reactionary, or alienated. "Freedom" is a word passionately invoked by politicians, fuzzily distorted by every special interest, claimed as an unqualified right by pornographers, leftists, and sentimentalists, freely used by everybody, and defined by very few. In treating the topic of freedom and the soldier, I shall avoid the favorite pastime of civilian commentators: telling the military where they went wrong. Although in a democracy we keep to the famous and sensible belief that war is too important to be left to the generals, I have seen enough of civilians running policy in wartime to know that nobody is more bloodthirsty, more exhilarated by the "game" of war, than presidential assistants who are new to it. They give force to C. E. Montague's celebrated line: "Hell hath no fury like a noncombatant..." 

Military Intervention: A Checklist of Key Considerations by JOHN M. COLLINS; From Parameters, Winter 1995, pp. 53-58.: Whether, where, when, and how to intervene militarily pose problems that call for subjective judgments. Secretary Weinberger prescribed "six major tests to be applied when we are weighing the use of US combat forces abroad": the presence of "vital" US or allied interests; clear intent to win; precise objectives and ways to accomplish them; "reasonable" assurance of public support; military action as a last resort; continual reassessment and adjustments as events unfold. The considerations identified below, unlike Weinberger's preconditions, recognize that there are no immutable and universally applicable rules for decisions about interventions. Each case is unique. The following checklists therefore pose questions rather than answers...

What Will It Take to Deter the United States? by RICHARD K. BETTS; From Parameters, Winter 1995, pp. 70-79.: Americans have gotten used to thinking about deterrence, but usually in terms of what it takes us to deter an adversary. Few Americans like to think about being deterred by others. It offends their sense of righteousness: good guys deter, bad guys are deterred. It offends their sense of honor: wimps or bullies are cowed by threats, not brave souls like we are. But the logic of deterrence has no moral content. Deterrence should work against anyone, anytime, and anywhere that the costs of the action being deterred outweigh the gains.

The Fate of the State by Martin van Creveld; From Parameters, Spring 1996, pp. 4-18.: In this article the state of the state will be discussed under five headings. Part I looks at the state's declining ability to fight other states. Part II outlines the rise and fall of the welfare state. Part III examines the effects of modern technology, economics, and the media. Part IV focuses on the state's ability to maintain public order. Finally, Part V is an attempt to tie all the threads together and to see where we are headed...

Military Doctrine and Counterinsurgency: A British Perspective by GAVIN BULLOCH; From Parameters, Summer 1996, pp. 4-16.: The experience of numerous "small wars" has provided the British army with a unique insight into this demanding form of conflict. Service in Northern Ireland has given the present generation of soldiers their main firsthand source of basic experience at the tactical level, but this also tends to constrain military thinking on the subject because of the national context and political connotations. There are of course many lessons to be learned because of the similarities between the campaign in Northern Ireland, which is designated as Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA)[1] and those counterinsurgency campaigns which may be conducted elsewhere. But there are also significant differences. Tactics such as jungle patrolling and convoy anti-ambush drills--which from the perspective of Northern Ireland seem to be relics of a colonial past--may be very relevant in a different operational setting...

Consequence Management: Domestic Response to Weapons of Mass Destruction by Chris Seiple; From Parameters, Autumn 1997, pp. 119-34.: It is no longer a matter of if--but rather when--a weapon of mass destruction will be used against the people and institutions of the United States. The sarin gas attack that killed 12 people in a Tokyo subway in 1995 established the precedent, a dubious distinction that almost fell to the United States two years earlier. Only the unanticipated power of the explosion that rocked the World Trade Center in 1993, vaporizing the cyanide that had been packed with the explosive, prevented the gas from spreading throughout the area. The FBI presently is tracking several groups within the United States that have acquired, or show an inclination to use, some type of weapon of mass destruction. The seemingly inevitable attempt by foreign or domestic terrorists to use such weapons inside the United States requires a candid discussion about how we as a nation are preparing to manage the consequences of such an incident...

The Strategic Importance of the World Food Supply by Leif Roderick Rosenberger; From Parameters, Spring 1997, pp. 84-105.: The place is Rome, Italy, between 13 and 17 November 1996. Thousands of policymakers, bureaucrats, and environmentalists from 196 countries have descended on this historic city for a World Food Summit; they are polarized between the pessimists (latter-day Malthusians) and the optimists, whether technologists or those dedicated to modifying the behavior of food producers and consumers. Each group believes itself to represent realism. Many of the attendees are alarmed about clear signs that the world is running out of food, characterized by images of people starving in Somalia in 1992. They're quick to tell you that the famine in Somalia is merely representative of the ongoing food crises in Africa and parts of South Asia. They remind you that as recently as 1983 and 1984 a million Ethiopians died in another terrible famine... 

Analysis of the US-Mexican Border: A Strategic Literature Yet to Come by Russell W. Ramsey: The US national security community bases its policies and strategies on the legitimacy of sovereignty, the philosophical centerpiece of the nation-state since the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia. The national security planner and the strategist who would visualize the massive flow of illegal immigration and the related narcotrafficking problem at the US border with Mexico through the eyes of the contemporary strategic literature is in for a rude surprise. The US-Mexican border literature is not strategic in nature; it is little more than an inventory of problems... 

Terrorists, WMD, and the US Army Reserve by CHARLES L. MERCIER, JR.; From Parameters, Autumn 1997, pp. 98-118.: Knowing that there are those who wish us significant harm and that they have both the ability and the will use weapons of mass destruction to cause that harm, we clearly have a problem. Weapons of mass destruction have been within the technological grasp of terrorist groups for some time; they were not employed until a Japanese religious cult crossed that invisible barrier in March 1995.[3] While the cult's target--the Tokyo subway system--was what a terrorist might call "appropriate," Tokyo was fortunate that the cult's agent was impure and dissemination techniques were primitive. Unfortunately, fanaticism is not synonymous with stupidity, so we can expect the next attack with a weapon of mass destruction to be considerably more deadly.

Domestic Operations: The Canadian Approach by Sean M. Maloney; From Parameters, Autumn 1997, pp. 135-52.: The application of military force by a democratic government within the confines of its borders, and in some cases against its citizenry, has long been a controversial and politically sensitive topic. Though that is not a new type of operation for either the American or the Canadian military establishments, the nature of the threats each is being asked to confront has evolved. The threats now include (in addition to natural disasters and minor urban unrest) cult groups armed with weapons of mass destruction, agents of narco-parastates in Latin and South America, organized and armed urban unrest, and the violent potential of private paramilitary groups. It is safe to assert that threats to North American domestic security will increase in nature, scope, and number in the next century. This in turn will presumably prompt more debate on and calls for an increase in the military's role in containing and neutralizing those threats.

The Battle of Grozny: Deadly Classroom for Urban Combat by TIMOTHY L. THOMAS; From Parameters, Summer 1999, pp. 87-102.: The battle for Grozny, the capital of the small Russian Republic of Chechnya, took place in January 1995. It pitted a hastily assembled and unprepared Russian force against a Chechen force of regulars and guerrillas equipped with Russian weapons and a belief in their cause. The Chechens held their own for three weeks but eventually lost the city to the Russian armed forces in late January (the Chechens retook the city in August 1996). Both sides learned or relearned many lessons of urban combat, most of them the hard way.[1] This article examines the most important of those lessons, the interesting and perhaps surprising conclusions drawn by the Russians about modern urban warfare, and their implications for US soldiers and urban warfare theory. 

Urban Warfare and the Urban Warfighter of 2025 by ROBERT F. HAHN II and BONNIE JEZIOR; From Parameters, Summer 1999, pp. 74-86.:Panama City, Kuwait City, Mogadishu, Port-au-Prince, Grozny, Sarajevo, Kinshasa, Baghdad. For the past decade, newspaper headlines have proclaimed the news of wars and peacekeeping operations in distant cities, while TV screens have flashed vivid depictions of brutal combat in city streets around the world. Images of dead American soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu and beheaded Russian soldiers in Chechnya have provided a marked contrast to the almost sterile video of precision-guided munitions finding their mark against tanks arrayed in the open desert or entering the windows of enemy buildings. However, of all the words and images transmitted over the past 10 years, those depicting the aggressive street fighting that took place in Mogadishu, Somalia, in October 1993 have come to epitomize the current genre of urban warfare literature.[1] After the Somalia intervention was over, cities were declared dangerous and foreboding places where it is nearly impossible to conduct the American way of war. The only solution in the future seems to be to avoid entering cities at all costs.

How the Guard and Reserve Will Fight in 2025 by David T. Fautua; From Parameters, Spring 1999, pp. 127-49.: Lately it has become an article of faith that the passage from the current "Army of Excellence" to the "Army After Next" of 2025 will not occur unless all three components--the Active Army component (AC), Army National Guard (ARNG), and Army Reserve (USAR)--arrive together as an integrated force.[1] Yet while guidepost-concepts like "seamless Army" and "total force" capture our best intentions, it remains uncertain if such high hopes will become reality. Embedded mistrust among the three components, for example, is likely to resurface and impede future initiatives as Army budgets decline.[2] Nevertheless, the wisdom for transitioning into the 21st century as an integrated team is self-evident, making it imperative to find sensible ways to achieve that. This article takes up the challenge by examining two general areas. The first section examines a prevailing attitudinal belief-system, herein labeled the "pyramid mentality," which is undermining trust relationships between the AC and Reserve Components (RC) and will continue to do so if not corrected. The second section examines six ongoing pilot programs designed to bring the Active, Guard, and Reserve closer together and then explores them further for better routes toward a "seamless Army" by the year 2025. 

The Human Terrain of Urban Operations by Ralph Peters; From Parameters, Spring 2000, pp. 4-12.: Tasked with urban operations, soldiers think of buildings. The initial mental image is of physical forms--skyscrapers or huts, airports and harbors, size, construction density, streets, sewers, and so on. Planners certainly are interested in the population's attitudes and allegiances, but cities are more likely to be classified by their differences in construction than by the variety of their populations. This focus on "terrain" leads to the assumption that military operations would be more challenging in a Munich than in a Mogadishu. But the latter "primitive" city brutally foiled an international intervention launched with humanitarian intent, while "complex" Munich whimpered into submission at the end of the fiercest war in history. The difference lay not in the level of physical development, but in the human architecture. While the physical characteristics of the assaulted or occupied city are of great importance, the key variable is the population. At its most obvious, the issue is simply whether the citizenry is hostile, indifferent, or welcoming. Too often, the evaluation of the flesh-and-blood terrain, of the human high-ground, ends there. Yet few populations are ever exclusively hostile, or truly indifferent, or unreservedly welcoming. Man's complexity is richer than any architectural detail. It is, finally, the people, armed and dangerous, watching for exploitable opportunities, or begging to be protected, who will determine the success or failure of the intervention.

Back to the Future with Asymmetric Warfare by VINCENT J. GOULDING, JR.; From Parameters, Winter 2000-01, pp. 21-30.: The term du jour for future military operations is "asymmetric warfare"; ironically, it's a concept as old as warfare itself. For centuries, even millennia, weaker opponents have sought to neutralize their enemy's technological or numerical superiority by fighting in ways or on battlefields that nullify it. It is the human dimension of man's oldest profession, and the latest example of this anything-but-recent phenomenon is the Russian debacle in Chechnya. When the Chechens decided to use military means to achieve their independence, they did not hesitate for an instant to make their very own capital city the battleground. Once forced to abandon Grozny, these hard-nosed "fighters" focused their efforts on other towns and villages in the region, some outside their own borders. Russian failures in Grozny and other less well-known urban battles over the past five years attest to the effectiveness of this particular strategy--effective, but not new. The "take-away" from the fighting in the northern Caucasus is that it is the skill of soldiers of all ranks, not the peculiar nature of the terrain they are operating on, that decides the outcome of military operations. City streets do not win or lose battles. 

When Terror Strikes, Who Should Respond? by Aaron Weiss; From Parameters, Autumn 2001, pp. 117-33.: During the past decade, concerns about possible terrorist acts involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD) led Congress and the President to adopt a comprehensive counterterrorism plan focused on preventing a chemical, biological, or nuclear attack and enhancing domestic preparedness. The agency of choice for domestic consequence management has been the Department of Defense. Of the $1.4 billion appropriated in the FY 2000 budget specifically for WMD response, over half went to DOD.[1] Overreliance on the military for domestic WMD protection, however, may diminish the military's warfighting capability and holds the potential for infringement of individual rights...

Caution: Children at War by P. W. Singer; From Parameters, Winter 2001-02, pp. 40-56.: After less than two weeks of training, the strike force of 150 British paratroopers deployed to the target zone, a ramshackle camp located in the jungles of Sierra Leone. At H-Hour, the assault group raced out from three RAF Chinook CH-47s, while three other helicopters laid down curtains of covering fire. At the same time, Special Air Service (SAS) snipers, who had waited for nearly a week in the surrounding swamps, opened up. Much of the force had to wade through chest-deep water and then hack through 150 meters of jungle while under fire, but they persevered to the objective: a collection of low huts where six hostages were held. The hostages were hurried into waiting choppers and the operation was quickly over. The fighting had been brief but "brutal."[1] Estimates of enemy dead ranged from 25 to 150. This British rescue assault, code-named Operation Barras, took place in September 2000, but received little attention in the United States. It merits mention not because it was a textbook operation lasting just 20 minutes, but rather because of the nature of the enemy: the "West Side Boys," a rogue militia primarily made up of children. In fact, the very reason for Operation Barras was that 16 days earlier, the "Boys" had seized a patrol from the British Royal Irish Regiment, deployed on military training duties. The soldiers had been surrounded and then captured when their squad commander was unwilling to fire on "children armed with AKs."[2] Operation Barras was one of the first Western engagements with this new, troubling feature of global violence. It illustrates a reality of contemporary conflict for which the US military is ill-prepared. 

The Concept and Practice of Jihad in Islam by MICHAEL G. KNAPP; From Parameters, Spring 2003, pp. 82-94.: The word “jihad” means “struggle” or “striving” (in the way of God) or to work for a noble cause with determination; it does not mean “holy war” (war in Arabic is harb and holy is muqadassa). Unlike its medieval Christian counterpart term, “crusade” (“war for the cross”), however, the term jihad for Muslims has retained its religious and military connotation into modern times. The word jihad has appeared widely in the Western news media following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, but the true meaning of this term in the Islamic world (it is sometimes called the “sixth pillar” of the faith) is still not well understood by non-Muslims. In war, the first essential is to know your adversary—how he thinks and why he thinks that way, and what his strategy and objectives are—so that you can attempt to frustrate his plans and protect the lives of your fellow citizens. Understanding how radical Muslims see jihad and are employing it asymmetrically against us can provide us with that kind of perspective. This article will trace the development of jihad through early Islamic history into the present day, and will focus on how jihad in concept and practice has been appropriated and distorted by Muslim extremists as part of their violent campaign against the West and their own governments. Jihad as a centerpiece of radical thought is illustrated by examining the doctrines of prominent extremist groups such as Hamas and Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Misuse of the term by prominent extremist leaders, such as by Osama bin Laden and others in the quote above, is also addressed.

Back to the Street without Joy: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Vietnam and Other Small Wars by ROBERT M. CASSIDY; From Parameters, Summer 2004, pp. 73-83.: Since the US Army and its coalition partners are currently prosecuting counter-guerrilla wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is useful to revisit the lessons from Vietnam and other counterinsurgencies because they are germane to the wars of today and tomorrow. Capturing all or many of these lessons is beyond the scope of this article and is most likely beyond the scope of a single-volume book. However, this article aims to distill some of the more relevant counterinsurgency lessons from the American military’s experiences during Vietnam and before. A bigger goal of this article, however, is to highlight some salient studies for professional reading as the US Army starts to inculcate a mindset that embraces the challenges of counterinsurgency and to develop a culture that learns from past lessons in counterinsurgency. This analysis also offers a brief explanation of US military culture and the hitherto embedded cultural obstacles to learning how to fight guerrillas. To simplify and clarify at the outset, the terms counterinsurgency, counter-guerrilla warfare, small war, and asymmetric conflict are used interchangeably. It is a form of warfare in which enemies of the regime or occupying force aim to undermine the regime by employing classical guerrilla tactics.

Speak No Evil: Targeting a Population’s Neutrality to Defeat an Insurgency by Christopher M. Ford; From Parameters, Summer 2005, pp. 51-66.: Operation Iraqi Freedom was predicated partially on a presumption of widespread popular support among the Iraqi people for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. The theory held that a relatively small military force could topple the Ba’athist regime with swift attacks aimed at key targets. Then, using momentum secured by liberating an oppressed people, a temporary government comprised of expatriate technocrats could step in to rule the country until a government could be elected. Shortly thereafter, the reasoning held, the country would achieve stability and the United States could dramatically reduce troop levels. This vision was largely deflated shortly after coalition troops dashed north, securing vast swaths of Iraq and quickly destroying remnant military forces. Despite stunning military success, the victory failed to simultaneously produce the anticipated wellspring of support. Within three months of the fall of Baghdad, this notion was completely discredited as Iraq found itself in the grip of a nationwide wave of violence. The violence has continued, remaining remarkably consistent despite periodic surges and depressions of attacks. During this time, the coalition flooded the country with hundreds of thousands of troops and billions of dollars in reconstruction aid.3 Despite significant troop numbers, large sums of money, and a great deal of personal commitment by all forces over the past two years, one thing has remained predictably constant: the population’s neutrality. The recent national elections in January present the most marked aberration from the population’s general ambivalence; yet it remains to be seen whether this represents the genesis of a paradigm shift. Using Iraq as a model, this article seeks to examine the relationship between the people and the insurgency, with the ultimate questions being: What role does the civilian population play in the insurgency, and how can this situation be influenced to achieve success? The article examines the traditional military doctrines of insurgency and finds that: (1) though unique, the Iraqi insurgency is following a predictable pattern of development; (2) the civilian population plays a determinative role in the success or failure of the insurgency; and (3) the civilian population can be more effectively influenced though a more selective and efficient application of civil-military operations.

A Brief History of the U.S. Army in World War II

Defense of the Americas: 7 December 1941--2 September 1945

Philippine Islands: 7 December 1941--10 May 1942

East Indies: 1 January--22 July 1942

Aleutian Islands: 3 June 1942--24 August 1943

Guadalcanal: 7 August 1942--21 February 1943

Northern Solomons: 22 February 1943--21 November 1944

Bismarcks

Papua: 23 July 1942--23 January 1943

New Guinea: 24 January 1943--31 December 1944

Leyte: 17 October 1944--1 July 1945

Luzon: 15 December 1944--4 July 1945

Southern Philippines: 27 February--4 July 1945

Central Pacific: 7 December 1941--6 December 1943 (Gilberts: Makin, etc.)

Eastern Mandates: 31 January--14 June 1944 (Marshalls: Kwajalein, Eniwetok, etc.)

Western Pacific: 15 June 1944--2 September 1945 (Marianas [Guam, Saipan, Tinian] and Palaus [Angaur, Peleliu])

Ryukyus: 26 March--2 July 1945 (Okinawa)

Burma, 1942: 7 December 1941--26 May 1942

India-Burma: 2 April 1942--28 January 1945

Central Burma: 29 January--15 July 1945

China Defensive: 4 July 1942--4 May 1945

China Offensive: 5 May--2 September 1945

Egypt-Libya: 11 June 1942--12 February 1943

Algeria-French Morocco: 8 November 1942--11 November 1942

Tunisia: 17 November 1942--13 May 1943

Sicily 9 July--17 August 1943

Naples-Foggia: 9 September 1943--21 January 1944

Anzio: 22 January--24 May 1944

Rome-Arno: 22 January--9 September 1944

North Apennines: 10 September 1944-4 April 1945

Po Valley: 5 April-8 May 1945

Normandy: 6 June--24 July 1944

Northern France: 25 July--14 September 1944 [CMH]

Southern France: 15 August--14 September 1944 [CMH]

Ardennes-Alsace [CMH]

Rhineland [CMH]

Central Europe: 22 March--11 May 1945 [CMH]

Mobilization -- 50th Anniversary of World War II Pamphlet [CMH]

The Women's Army Corps: A Commemoration of World War II Service

The Army Nurse Corps: A Commemoration of World War II Service

Dwight David Eisenhower: The Centennial [CMH]

Papuan Campaign: The Buna-Sanananda Operation (16 November 1942--23 January 1943) The Capture of Makin (20-24 November 1943) [CMH]

Merrill's Marauders (February-May 1944) [CMH]

The Admiralties: Operations of the 1st Cavalry Division (29 February--18 May 1944) [CMH]

Guam: Operations of the 77th Division (21 July--10 August 1944) [CMH]

To Bizerte With the II Corps (23 April 1943--13 May 1943) [CMH]

Salerno: American Operations from the Beaches to the Volturno (9 September--6 October 1943) [CMH]

Volturno: From the Volturno to the Winter Line (6 October--15 November 1943) [CMH]

Fifth Army at the Winter Line (15 November 1943--15 January 1944) [CMH]

Anzio Beachhead (22 January-25 May 1944)

Omaha Beachhead (6 June-13 June 1944)

Utah Beach to Cherbourg [CMH]

St-Lo (7 July - 19 July 1944) [CMH]

Small Unit Actions [CMH]

Rangers: Selected Combat Operations in World War II, Dr. Michael J. King [Leavenworth Papers No. 11]

Seek, Strike, and Destroy: U.S. Army Tank Destroyer Doctrine in World War II, Dr. Christopher R. Gabel [Leavenworth Papers No. 12]

The Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation: Soviet Breakthrough and Pursuit in the Arctic, October 1944, Major James F. Gebhardt [Leavenworth Papers No. 17]

Desert Warfare: German Experiences in World War II, Maj. Gen. Alfred Toppe

The 9th Australian Division Versus the Africa Corps: an Infantry Division Against Tobruk, Libya, 1941, Colonel Ward A. Miller

Busting the Bocage: American Combined Arms Operation in France, 6 June 1931 - July 1944

The 101st Airborne Division's Defense of Bastogne, Col. Ralph M. Mitchell

The 4th Armored Division in the Encirclement of Nancy, Dr. Christopher R. Gabel

The Lorraine Campaign: An Overview, September-December 1944, Dr. Christopher Gabel

Merrill's Marauders: Combined Operations in Northern Burma in 1944, Dr. Gary J. Bjorge

Defending the Driniumor: Covering Force Operations in New Guinea, 1944, Edward J. Drea

Japan's Battle of Okinawa, April-June 1945, Thomas M. Huber

Pastel: Deception in the Invasion of Japan, Dr. Thomas M. Huber

Unconditional Surrender, Demobilization, and the Atomic Bomb, Dr. Michael D. Pearlman

World War II: The Defensive Phase [CMH] (an extract fromAmerican Military History [CMH])

Grand Strategy and the Washington High Command [CMH] (an extract from American Military History)

World War II: The War Against Germany and Italy [CMH] (an extract from American Military History [CMH])

Highlights of Mobilization, World War II, 1938-1942 [CMH]

Command Decisions [CMH]

US Army in Northern Ireland, 1941-1945 [CMH]

Neptune: Training for the Mounting and Operation, and the Artificial Ports [CMH]

Bastogne: The First Eight Days [CMH]

WAAC-WAC, 1942-1944 [CMH]

Airborne Troops in Ground Operations [CMH]

U.S. Army Special Operations in World War II [CMH]

Minority Groups in World War II [CMH] (extracted from Selective Service and Victory: The 4th Report of the Director of Selective Service)

Road Builders: Black Engineers in World War II [CMH]

Manhattan District WAC Detachment - The Role of Women in the Development of the Atomic Bomb [CMH]

The German Campaigns in the Balkans

German Anti-guerrilla Operations in the Balkans (1941-1944)

U.S. Army Home Page

US Army Center for Military History

U.S. Army Military History Institute

• Documents Repository
• Historic Documents Online

U.S. Army War College

U.S. Army Combat Studies Institute

History Department, U.S. Military Academy

Army Historical Foundation

Army Institute of Heraldry

"Soldiers" [official magazine of the US Army]

Army song ("The Caissons Go Rolling Along")

Purchase Links:  Food & Seeds    Gear    Medical    Tools   
                              Weapons & Ammo      Computer/Internet

US Military Gear:  Air Force    Army    Marines    Navy   
Also:  Coast Guard    Law Enforcement (Working on it)

(Purchasable Item links based on bug-out/preparation lists)

Please Read The Website Disclaimer!
Copyright 1986-2012, The Survival & Self-Reliance Studies Institute (SSRsi), All Rights Reserved
Site conceptualized, designed, created & maintained by MEG Raven
Snail Mail: SSRsi, PO Box 2572 Dillon, CO. 80435-2572