Operational Theme or Full-Spectrum Operation?
by Colonel Richard Pedersen, Small Wars Journal
IW: Operational Theme or Full-Spectrum Operation? (Full PDF Article)
Irregular warfare needs to be an element of full spectrum operations co-equal to offense, defense, stability, and civil support operations. DOD Directive 3000.07 (Dec '08) states that irregular warfare is a strategically important as traditional warfare. It explicitly calls for the integration of irregular warfare concepts and capabilities across all activities including doctrine. FM 3-0 ('08), the Army's overarching doctrinal guidance and direction for conducting operations, frames irregular warfare as an operational theme comprised of counterinsurgency, foreign internal defense, unconventional warfare, support to insurgencies, and combating terrorism. From about 1975 to 2001, irregular warfare was pretty much the exclusive responsibility of special operating forces. The current reality is that for the past eight years virtually the entire conventional Army and Marine Corps have been leading and conducting irregular warfare in various forms of security force assistance, counterinsurgency, combating terrorism, or foreign internal defense. This trend is likely to continue into the near and distant future. It is therefore critical to determine whether the Army's operational concept is broad enough to effectively describe operations in the near and distant future and whether it is flexible enough to effectively frame irregular warfare.
IW: Operational Theme or Full-Spectrum Operation? (Full PDF Article)
