Fighting the Other War

the "Other war"

Running head: FIGHTING THE "OTHER WAR"

Fighting the “Other war”; Counter insurgency in Iraq

MSG(P) Kirk A. Hines

United States Army Sergeants Major Academy

Class #35

SGM Greg Taylor

June 1, 2008

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the "Other war"

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Abstract

The United States is engaged in a counterinsurgency (COIN) in Iraq, many of the mistakes that

are being made, are the same errors the U.S. Army committed over 43 years ago in Vietnam. The

Army as an institution is not adept at fighting the current war, but rather, fighting the last war

using tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) that historically worked, and integrating them

into the current conflict. In Vietnam the leadership employed a doctrine of attrition that was illsuited to fighting the insurgency, and in many cases, was completely counterproductive and

assisted the insurgency in recruitment of new insurgents. The Army Leadership in Iraq has

shown a concern that the current doctrine is not working and is attempting to emplace new TTP’s

directed at COIN warfare. In March 2008 the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

(TRADOC) published Field Manual (FM) 3.0, Operations, which outlined in detail a doctrine, if

implemented, eventually could defeat the insurgency in Iraq. Unfortunately, history has shown

that the U.S. Army is incapable of implementing doctrinal change and learning on such short

notice.

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“This is another type of war new in its intensity, ancient in its origins — war by guerrillas,

subversives, insurgents, assassins; war by ambush instead of by combat; by infiltration, instead

of aggression, seeking victory by eroding and exhausting the enemy instead of engaging him...it

requires in those situations where we must counter it. ..a whole new kind of strategy, a wholly

different kind of force, and therefore a new and wholly different kind of military training.”

John F. Kennedy, 1962

The Vietnam War was a struggle of epic...