Peeling The Onion: The Iraqi Center Of Gravity In Desert Storm

Peeling The Onion: The Iraqi Center Of Gravity In Desert Storm
Author :
Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages : 86
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781782896609
ISBN-13 : 1782896600
Rating : 4/5 (09 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Peeling The Onion: The Iraqi Center Of Gravity In Desert Storm by : Major Collin A. Agee

Download or read book Peeling The Onion: The Iraqi Center Of Gravity In Desert Storm written by Major Collin A. Agee and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This monograph examines the concept “center of gravity” as applied by coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm. Center of gravity is an integral part of operational art and figures prominently in current U.S. doctrine. It begins by tracing the concept’s inception in Clausewitz’s On War, finding several competing definitions in various sections of that landmark work. Current U.S. doctrine reveals that time has done little to alleviate the confusion. The U.S. Army definition of center of gravity as a strength is significantly and irreconcilably different from the Marine Corps’ treatment as a weakness. The Air Force offers yet another slant. Given those inconsistent definitions, it is little wonder that various participants and analysts suggest differing centers of gravity during Desert Storm. From various sources, the monograph compiles a list of a dozen contenders for the title “Iraqi Center of Gravity.” It next examines coalition planning and actual combat action in search of a de facto center of gravity, concluding that the Republican Guard was the true Iraqi center. The monograph then suggests The Onion Model as a unifying representation of the concept. Adding the terms Protectors, Connectors and Sustainers to the Center of Gravity, it graphically portrays the relationship of the other eleven contenders to the true center of gravity. The study concludes that the center of gravity remains a valuable, if misused, concept. In Desert Storm, this misapplication of doctrine was overcome by an abundance of combat power; the center was hit because everything was attacked. In the future, U.S. forces may not enjoy the same luxury of time and resources. A future doctrine based on overwhelming force must be tempered by the Law of War’s requirements for military necessity, proportionality, and avoidance of unnecessary suffering.


Peeling The Onion: The Iraqi Center Of Gravity In Desert Storm Related Books

Peeling The Onion: The Iraqi Center Of Gravity In Desert Storm
Language: en
Pages: 86
Authors: Major Collin A. Agee
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2014-08-15 - Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This monograph examines the concept “center of gravity” as applied by coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm. Center of gravity is an integral part
Joint Operational Warfare
Language: en
Pages: 1496
Authors: Milan N. Vego
Categories: Health & Fitness
Type: BOOK - Published: 2009 - Publisher: Government Printing Office

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Smallholder farmers and pastoralists fulfil an invaluable yet undervalued role in conserving biodiversity. They act as guardians of locally adapted livestock br
A Military History of the Modern Middle East
Language: en
Pages: 630
Authors: James Brian McNabb
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2017-03-09 - Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This timely study synthesizes past history with the major military events and dynamics of the 20th- and 21st-century Middle East, helping readers understand the
From Storm to Freedom
Language: en
Pages: 362
Authors: John R Ballard
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2010-04-15 - Publisher: Naval Institute Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From Storm to Freedom analyzes and assesses the strategic interaction between Iraq and the United States from 1990 to 2009, from the perspective of a single, if
Clausewitz and America
Language: en
Pages: 680
Authors: Stuart Kinross
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2009-10-16 - Publisher: Routledge

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book demonstrates how Clausewitzian thought influenced American strategic thinking between the Vietnam War and the current conflict in Iraq. Carl von Claus