Adapting to the Utterly Unpredictable, the Entirely Unknown
Adapting to the Utterly Unpredictable, the Entirely Unknown
Book Review by Frank G. Hoffman
Download the Full Review: Adapting to the Utterly Unpredictable, the Entirely Unknown
James A. Russell, Innovation, Transformation, and War, Counterinsurgency Operations in Anbar and Ninewa Provinces, Iraq, 2005-2007, Stanford, CA: Stanford Security Studies, 2011, 288 pgs, $24.95.
The most respected military historian of our day, Michael Howard, commented years ago that the one aspect of military affairs he believed needed to be studied above all others was “the capacity to adapt oneself to the utterly unpredictable, the entirely unknown.” For a generation we ignored his advice, and instead pursued techno-centric illusions and conceptual dark holes with little payoff.
Reinforcing that advice, now retired Army General Dave Fastabend once encouraged the U.S. Army to seek one operational advantage in the future–to strive to “be superior in the art of learning and adaptation.” The last decade of the Long War has borne out both these arguments and also demonstratively shown how far we still need to go despite the development of counterinsurgency (COIN) and stability operations doctrine in the Army and Marine Corps.
Download the Full Review: Adapting to the Utterly Unpredictable, the Entirely Unknown
Mr. Hoffman is a retired Marine Reservist and frequent contributor to Small Wars Journal.
