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The Perfect Officer

The Perfect Officer: Military Brass Throughout History by Henrik Bering, Hoover Institution.

“The perfect officer” - as William Pitt once referred to John Moore - is clearly the elusive ideal every military organization strives for and wishes to produce: How have various armies set about the task, what are the obstacles, and how come there aren’t more of him around?”

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Criminal Insurgencies in Mexico and the Americas

Criminal (Cartel & Gang) Insurgencies in Mexico and the Americas: What you need to know, not what you want to hear. Dr. Robert J. Bunker testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere at the Hearing Has Merida Evolved? Part One: The Evolution of Drug Cartels and the Threat to Mexico’s Governance.

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15 September SWJ Roundup

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Afghanistan

US Blames Pakistan-Based Group for Kabul Attack - NYT

Taliban Offshoot Blamed for Assault on US Embassy - LAT

US: Kabul Siege a Propaganda Victory for Taliban - VOA

US: Embassy Attack a Propaganda Win for Militants - AP

Criticism, Concerns Arise in Wake of Kabul Attack - S&S

US Officials Downplay Taliban Attack on Embassy - WP

Allen: Kabul Attack Shows Enemy Desperation - AFPS

At Least 25 Dead in Kabul Attacks - BBC

Fear in Kabul After 20-Hour Taliban Siege - Reuters

Image War Raged During Kabul Attack - NYT

NATO, Taliban Get Into Twitter Duel After Kabul Attacks - S&S

Afghan Ambush Heroics Go Unrecognized - MCT

US Fraud-Fighting Effort in Afghanistan Criticized - AP

Time to Head Home - WT opinion

Pakistan

Afghan Attacks Show Pakistani-Based Militants' Role - Reuters

Panetta: US Will Pursue Pakistan-Based Militants - AP

US Warns Pakistan After Suspected Haqqani Attack - Reuters

Islamabad Fends Off US Warning on Militants - Reuters

Oxfam in Pakistan Flooding Plea - BBC

Libya

US: Libya 'In the Hands of its People' - VOA

As Influence of Islamists Rises, Hard Questions for Libya - NYT

US Envoy Feltman 'Encouraged by Command' - BBC

US Shows Flag in Tripoli, Pledges Support - Reuters

Islamists Emerge in Force in New Libya - WP

Senior US Diplomat in Tripoli Says Islamists Not a Threat - NYT

Gadhafi Heartland Digs in Against Revolution - AP

Libyan Veteran Prepares Assault on Pro-Gaddafi Bastion - Reuters

Libya Seeks Arms Against Gaddafi - BBC

For the US, Libya is No Iraq - LAT

US: Weapons Proliferation 'Key Concern' in Libya - AP

UN Resolution Would Create UN Mission in Libya - AP

Cameron and Sarkozy Visit Libya - BBC

UK, French Leaders Visit Libya - Reuters

Cameron and Sarkozy Visit Tripoli - AP

Britain Seeks Easing of UN Sanctions on Libya - Reuters

Venezuela Oppose Rebels in Libya's UN Seat - AP

Red Cross: At Least 13 Mass Graves Found in Libya - AP

Iraq

Deadly Attacks Hit Security Forces and Civilians Across Iraq - NYT

Iraq Violence Kills More than 20 - WP

Killing of 22 Shiites Underscores Iraq's Insecurity - McClatchy

As Iraq Pullback Nears, US Still at War in South - AP

Possible F-16 Buy Highlights Iraq’s Progress - AFPS

Next Year in Iraq - WP editorial

‘Mission Accomplished’ - WT opinion

Israel / Palestinians

Palestinians Poised to Ask for UN Membership - WT

Palestinians Say UN Gamble on Statehood Worth the Risks - NYT

Western Envoys Try Mediation Ahead of Palestinian UN Bid - VOA

US Moves to Avert Showdown Over Palestinian Statehood - VOA

Mid-East Shuttle Diplomacy Ahead of Palestinian UN Bid - BBC

Diplomatic Flurry Ahead of Palestinian UN Bid - AP

Tensions Flair Over Palestinian Bid - WP

Donor Aid: Palestinian State-Building Drive Threatened - Reuters

In Would-Be Palestinian State, a Dose of Reality - Reuters

EU's Ashton Extends Mediation Trip to Middle East - Reuters

Some US Pro-Israel Groups Defend Aid to Palestinians - Reuters

Israel Clears Out Embassy Staff in Jordan - AP

5 Israeli Arabs Arrested for Plotting Attacks - AP

Yes to Palestine - LAT opinion

Can Israel Survive Without a Palestinian State? - NYT opinion

Egypt

Egypt Presidential Hopefuls Want Early Poll Date - Reuters

Egypt Parties Want Mubarak Allies Barred From Vote - Reuters

Yemen

US: Yemen Aiding Counter-Terrorism Efforts - LAT

12 Al-Qaida Linked Militants Killed Southern Yemen - AP

Bomb Blasts in Yemen City of Aden - BBC

Clashes Kill 12 in 'Liberated' Southern Yemen City - Reuters

Blasts Hit Two Yemeni Security Offices in Southern City - Reuters

Clashes in Southern Yemen Underscore Nation’s Turmoil - AP

Syria

Syria Defies Arab League, Fires on Villages - VOA

Syrian Troops 'in New Crackdown' - BBC

Armored Syrian Forces Storm Towns Near Turkey Border - Reuters

Activist’s Death Stokes Debate in Syria - WP

EU Sanctions on Syria Oil and Gas Come with Loopholes - LAT

Iran

Iran Says No Decision on Releasing US Hikers - VOA

Iran’s Judiciary Delays US Hikers’ Release - WP

US Men to Be Freed Soon With Iraqi Help - Reuters

US 'Hopeful' Iran Sets Course to Free 2 Americans - AP

Alarmed West Dismisses Iran Nuclear 'Charm Offensive' - Reuters

US Rejects Iran 'Charm Offensive' in Nuke Dispute - AP

Belarus Suspected of Helping Iran Skirt Sanctions - Reuters

Middle East / North Africa

Qatar Shows Faith in Europe -NYT

Jordanians Debate Role of Press - NYT

Bahrain Protesters Clash With Security Forces - AP

Tunisia to Plead for Release of Citizens at Gitmo - AP

Latest Developments in Arab World's Unrest - AP

Al Qaeda

US Official: African al-Qaeda Groups Collaborate - WP

US Department of Defense

MOH Recipient Meyer Says Hero Status Doesn't Change Identity - S&S

Panetta Seeks to Reassure Defense Industry on Budget Cuts - Bloomberg

Pentagon Buying F-18s as Hedge Against F-35 Delays - Bloomberg

Centcom to Eliminate at Least 1,000 Jobs - TT

Air Force Base Will Be First With All-Electric Vehicle Fleet - S&S

Northcom C-130s Aid Wildfire Suppression Efforts - AFPS

United States

Poll: Americans Trust Military; Congress, Not So Much - WP

State Department Releases Annual Report on Religious Freedom - VOA

NASA Shows ‘Monster Rocket’ Design - WP

NASA Unveils New Rocket Design - NYT

Future NASA Rocket Most Powerful Ever Built - AP

NASA Backs New Astronaut Vehicle - BBC

NASA Unveils Plan for New Space Vehicle - LAT

More Veterans use PTSD as Defense in Criminal Cases - LAT

Africa

Africom Cmdr.: 'I'd Like More Special Operations Forces Now' - S&S

Africom Welcomes China’s Growing Role as Arms Supplier - ND

African Islamist Groups Seen as US Threat - Reuters

West Africa Pirates Hijack Tanker and 23 Crew Members - NYT

23 Sailors Kidnapped in Tanker Attack in W. Africa - AP

Radical Sect Attacks Nigeria Army Patrol - AP

Darfuri al-Haj Adam Youssef Named Sudan VP - BBC

Angola Plane Crash Kills Generals - BBC

S. Africa: ‘Hate Speech’ Malema Denounces 'Racist' Courts - BBC

Americas

Mexico: Web Users Targeted in Drug Wars - WP

Mexico Police Kill 4 Gunmen, Rescue Kidnap Victims - AP

Ex-Spy Chief of Colombia Is Sentenced to Prison - NYT

Colombia Imprisons Ex-Spy Chief - BBC

Former Colombian Spy Chief Sentenced to 25 Years - AP

Ill Chavez Upbeat as Venezuela Campaign Opens - Reuters

Venezuela Gov't in Contact With Carlos the Jackal - AP

Cuba Hits Back at Richardson Over Failed Visit - AP

Anti-UN Protest Erupts in Haiti - BBC

Protesters in Haiti Demand Ouster of UN Troops - AP

Ex-Guatemala President Fights Extradition to US - Reuters

Asia Pacific

Survey: Americans Say Asia More Important Than EU - Reuters

US to North Korea: Cease Nuclear Activity - AP

Japan Grants North Korea Defectors Temporary Refuge - AP

A Look at Life in North Korea's Remote Northeast - AP

China Sentences 4 Uighur Men to Death Over Attacks - AP

Vietnam Rejects US Report on Religious Freedom - AP

4 Killed as Rival Rebels Clash in Philippines - AP

5 Soldiers Killed in Thailand's Violent South - AP

Indonesia Seeks 12-Year Term for Militant Suspect - AP

US Urges Burma to Make 'Genuine' Reforms - Reuters

Burma Sentences Journalist to 10 More Years - AP

Europe

Germany: Airmen Killer’s Anti-US Views Reflected on Internet - S&S

UK Academic Wins Compensation Over Terror Arrest - AP

Wife of Stockholm Suicide Bomber Arrested in UK - AP

Russia Again at Odds With West Over Election Monitors - NYT

Russia Oligarch Prokhorov Enters Politics - LAT

Russia's Kremlin-Friendly Business Party in Chaos - AP

Europe May Be Looking for a New 'Mr. Euro' - NYT

Germany, France Vow to Keep Greece in the Euro Fold - LAT

China Ties Aiding Europe to Its Own Trade Goals - NYT

Italian Lower House Finalizes Austerity Package - NYT

Eurozone Leaders Reassure Greece - BBC

EU Warned of Credit Crunch Threat, French Banks Hit - Reuters

Denmark Poised to Shift Left in National Election - AP

Belarus’s Games - WP opinion

South Asia

Kashmir Boys Held for Bomb Email - BBC

Sri Lanka Monks Raze Muslim Shrine - BBC

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AADPP 3 Operations - Unified Land Operations (Abridged)

AADPP 3 Operations: Unified Land Operations (Abridged), 14 September 2011. Hot off the press via the Combined Holistic Arms School of advanced Maneuver (CHASaM).

From the introduction:

Because the bad people decoded the earlier version, we had to immolate the “Red Team” and come up with all new rules. So we all worked really, really hard to come up with something that would mix up the bad people and put the not so bad people to sleep. That’s why we had to write this in secret and print it with invisible ink that you can only see with your decoder lenses.

Don’t let any bad people read this.

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DOD Releases Unified Command Plan 2011 Change 1

The Department of Defense has issued a change to the Unified Command Plan (UCP), a strategic document that establishes the missions, responsibilities, and geographic areas of responsibility (AORs) for commanders of combatant commands. The Unified Command Plan 2011 Change 1, signed by President Obama on Sept. 12 captures administrative changes required to reflect the disestablishment of U.S. Joint Forces Command and several secretary of defense-directed efficiencies initiatives.

Every two years, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is required to review the missions, responsibilities, and geographical boundaries of each combatant command and recommend to the President, through the secretary of defense, any changes that may be necessary.

As in past years, this review process included the combatant commanders, service chiefs, and DoD leadership.

Significant changes made by UCP 2011 Change 1 include:

- Removing language that refers to U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), which was disestablished on Aug. 31, 2011.

- Removing language for geographic combatant command standing joint force headquarters, which are approved for disestablishment by the end of fiscal 2012.

- Adding responsibility for global standing joint force headquarters to U.S. Transportation Command. These assets will transfer as the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command from USJFCOM.

- Transferring the Joint Warfare Analysis Center missions to U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). Joint Warfare Analysis Center was previously a subordinate command to USJFCOM.

- Removing language and responsibilities for information operations, military deception, and operations security from USSTRATCOM. These missions will transfer to the Joint Staff.

The UCP 2011 continues to support U.S. defense security commitments around the world while improving military responsiveness to emerging crises. A map of the combatant commanders' areas of responsibilities can be found at http://www.defense.gov/ucc/ .

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14 September SWJ Roundup

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Afghanistan

Taliban Stage Brazen Assaults Against Western Targets in Kabul - VOA

Militants in Kabul Launch Attack on US Embassy - NYT

Taliban Attacks US Embassy in Kabul - WP

Last of US Embassy Attackers Killed - LAT

Troops End 20-hour Kabul Attack - BBC

Afghan Police: Kabul Attack Over, Assailants Dead - AP

Kabul Siege Ends After 20 Hours - Reuters

Taliban Attacks US Embassy in Kabul - WT

Insurgents Attack US Embassy in Kabul; No US Injuries - S&S

Kabul: Taliban Attack US Embassy and NATO HQ - TT

Taliban Attack US Embassy, Other Kabul Buildings - AP

Insurgents Target Western Power in Kabul Attack - LAT

US Ambassador: Haqqani Group Behind Kabul Attack - AP

Effort in Afghanistan Undeterred, Official Says - AFPS

Explaining Afghanistan: US Marines Find It Hard - AP

Kabul Battle Filmed From Inside NATO HQ - TT video

Videos From Kabul During Attacks on Western Targets - NYT video

What War? - WP editorial

Pakistan

Gunmen Attack School Van in Pakistan; 5 Dead - AP

Libya

Islamists Take Aim at Libya Rebels' Secular Leaders - LAT

Tripoli's New Normal: Bickering Politicians - Reuters

Residents Flee Libya's Bani Walid - VOA

Libya's Siege Town: Sniper Nests and Empty Shops - AP

Civilians Pour Out of Besieged Pro-Gaddafi Town - Reuters

Misrata Hospital Copes with Libya's War Wounded - VOA

Senior US Diplomat Holds Talks in Tripoli - Reuters

US Military Team Assesses Risk of Reopening Embassy - NYT

NATO Reaffirms Commitment to Libyan People - AFPS

Gaddafi Son Appeals for Ousted Tribe - TT

Iraq

Baghdad Assailed Over Attack in Anbar - NYT

Suspect Questioned in Killings of Iraqi Pilgrims - AP

Car Bomb Kills 13 Outside Iraqi Restaurant - AP

Car Bomb Kills at Least 15 in Southern Iraq - Reuters

Israel / Palestinians

Fatah Official Says Palestinians Will Seek Full UN Recognition - VOA

Palestinians Said to Favor General Assembly Vote - NYT

US Moves to Avert Showdown Over Palestinian Statehood - VOA

US Scrambles to Avert Palestinian Vote at UN - NYT

Turkish Leader Urges Vote for Palestinian Statehood - VOA

Turkish PM Pushes Palestine State - BBC

Turkey Backs Palestinian State - TT

Former President Carter Backs Palestinian UN Bid - AP

Israel Circles Wagons Ahead of Palestinian Vote - Reuters

US Envoys Hale, Ross to Head Back to Mideast - Reuters

UN Experts Say Israel's Blockade of Gaza Illegal - Reuters

Israel and the Arab Street - WP opinion

Keep the Peace Between Israel and Egypt - LAT opinion

Egypt

Egypt's Ex-Spy Chief Testifies in Mubarak Trial - AP

Yemen

UN Accuses Yemen of Using Deadly Force in Protests - NYT

UN Warns of Yemen Civil War Risk - BBC

UN Human Rights Officials Demand Probe of Yemen Violations - VOA

UN Calls on Yemen to Halt Attacks on Civilians - Reuters

7 Killed in Yemen Airstrikes North of Capital - AP

Yemeni Leader Stalls in Stepping Down - AP

Syria

Russia Resists Syria Sanctions, Assad Forces Kill 22 - Reuters

Armored Syrian Forces Thrust Into Region Near Turkey - Reuters

Arab League: End Syria Bloodshed - BBC

Arab States Call for End to Violence in Syria - Reuters

Syrian Troops Attack Funeral After US Envoy Visits - AP

Iran

Ahmadinejad Begins Annual Media Blitz - NYT

Iran Letter Shows 'Charm Offensive' - AP

Iran’s Judiciary Clouds Fate of American Hikers - NYT

Iran Judiciary Denies US Men's Release Is Imminent - Reuters

Iran Denies Decision on US Hikers - BBC

Iran Judiciary: Bail for 2 Americans Under Study - AP

Middle East / North Africa

Erdogan Presents Turkey as Model for Arabs - AP

Turkish PM Throws Weight Behind Arab Cause - Reuters

Job Purges Fuel Bahrainis’ Ire - AP

Latest Developments in Arab World's Unrest - AP

Al Qaeda

Intel Chiefs: Al Qaeda Offshoots More Menacing - WT

Petraeus: Al-Qaeda Aims to Carry Out Small Attacks - WP

Vickers: al-Qaeda Could Collapse in Two Years - WP

Cyber Warfare

Computer-based Attacks Threat of Future, General Says - WT

US Department of Defense

Senate Defense Bill Includes Deeper Cuts than House Version - S&S

Overseas Troop Reduction 'On the Table' During Budget Talks - S&S

Senate Panel Would Freeze FY 2012 Defense Spending - WP

Alexander Cites Need for Greater Cyber Defenses - AFPS

Look Inside National Guard Unit Known for Valor, Dysfunction - LAT

United States

NY: Inside the Brutal World of the Bloods Gang - TT

Nation’s Food Anti-Terror Plans Costly, Unwieldy - AP

US Cites Eight Countries for Religion Curbs - VOA

Veterans Affairs' Funeral Policy Inflames Veterans Groups - S&S

Ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty - LAT opinion

Africa

Nigeria Pursues al-Qaida Affiliated Terrorists Behind UN Bombing - VOA

Nigeria’s Boko Haram's Attacks Attract Speculation - LAT

Suspected Sect Members Charged in Nigeria Bombings -AP

Nigeria Oil Delta Agency Under Scrutiny for Fraud - AP

Rwandan President Visits France, Meets Sarkozy - VOA

Kenya Denies Blame for Slum Fire - BBC

Somalia's Al Shabaab Says Not Behind Kidnap of Briton - Reuters

Americas

Venezuela's Chavez to Run Again in October 2012 - Reuters

Ex-Argentine Leader Menem Cleared of Arms Smuggling - BBC

Argentine Ex-Leader Acquitted of Arms Trafficking - AP

New Chief US Envoy to Cuba Takes Up Sensitive Post - AP

Richardson to Leave Cuba Bitter, With No Prisoner - AP

Richardson 'Disappointed' After Cuba Mission Flops - Reuters

Cuban Evangelicals Hole Up in Church, Police Watch - AP

Asia Pacific

US to North Korea: Cease Nuclear Activity - AP

Nine North Korean Defectors Rescued Off Japan - NYT

Nine North Korean Refugees Sail to Japan - BBC

Japan Weighs Request of Rare N. Korean Defectors - AP

Japan PM in Nuclear Restart Call - BBC

China Dissident Writer Free After 5 Years in Jail - AP

Indonesia's Ahmadiyah Sect Fears Religious Violence - VOA

US Envoy Says Burma Sanctions Will Remain - AP

Europe

3 EU States Insist on Control of National Borders - AP

Serbia, EU Extol Advantages of Possible Alliance - AP

Serbia Issues Warning Over Kosovo Border Plan - Reuters

German Leader Faces Key Choices on Rescuing Euro - NYT

Weighing a Greek Departure from the Eurozone - LAT

Greece, Europe Struggle to Contain Debt Crisis - AP

2nd Day of Trial Wednesday for Frankfurt Shooting Suspect - S&S

Frankfurt Shooter Radicalized Long Before Attack - AP

Danish Cartoonist Back Home After Possible Threat - AP

Sweden: Former Terror Suspect Detained for Murder Plot - AP

French Prosecutor to Probe Claim of Africa Cash to Chirac - AP

Spain Revives Rape Case Against Saudi Prince - NYT

South Asia

Indian Police Say Terror Chief Killed In Kashmir - NYT

Kashmir Police: Rebel Leader Killed in Gunbattle - AP

UN Rights Panel Gets Sri Lanka 'War Crimes' Report - Reuters

US Official Wants Sri Lanka War Crimes Probed - AP

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Team Red, White, and Blue: A Way Ahead for Veterans and our Nation

Mike, we’re convinced that by the 2025-2030 time period our OIF/OEF veterans will be leaders in national politics, business, finance, and local communities. Right now, we just want to give these men and women a bit of a push reintegrating back into society so they can process their experiences and move forward. Basically, that’s our purpose. For the American people, we’re asking them to donate their time instead of simply giving money or placing a yellow ribbon bumper sticker on their car.

-MAJ Mike Erwin, founder of Team Red, White, and Blue

The ten year anniversary of 9/11 was bittersweet for many of the Small Wars Community.

Personally, I had to stop watching the dedication in NYC. For every family there, all I could think about was the hundreds of thousands of families in both Iraq and Afghanistan whose lives were torn apart by our invasions and subsequent blotched occupations.

Most surprisingly, I was shocked by the fact that SWJ had zero submissions for publication to commemorate the attacks.

“Are we still traumatized?” I wondered considering the military community. A majority of us had spent the last decade at war and may not have had the time to process the why. The reckless driving around Fort Bragg did nothing to diminish my concerns. In heightened bureaucratic concern, I suppose the command at Bragg will react with reactionary policies to deal with these concerns instead of addressing the causative issues.

I wrote 9/12/2011- The Next Decade to commemorate and challenge our thoughts and perceived beliefs. Honestly, I tailored my last essay as a means of showing what we're asked to do overseas. This was a narrow focus. In my drafts, I thought about asking people to consider the craziness of it all. I decided to leave that out (for now) the tragedy of effects to both Iraqi and Afghani families in order to let the narrative speak for itself. Ultimately, my biggest fear remains that normal Americans simply do not care about the impact/effect on our actions overseas on those families.

What do we do now? Where do we go now?

In my favorite documentary of the last decade, 180 Degrees South, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, founders of Patagonia and North Face, proclaim, “Conquerors of the useless, that’s what we were. You learn that what is important is how you got there not what you accomplished.” Their journey hit me point-blank as a slug to the chest.

A week before the anniversary, I travelled back to the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. This trip was my first since graduation, ten years prior. I was there to spend some time with my friends now serving as professors charged with shaping the next generation of Army officers. Additionally, I sought to share with Taylor, my seven year old daughter, a bit of the sacrifice of why Daddy had to be gone so much during her early childhood.

So, that is where I found myself of the Labor Day weekend of 2011. Over the last year, my friends told me that I needed to meet Mike Erwin and spend some time understanding the movement that he was sparking.

We started our march along the “Beat Navy” tunnel. Taylor’s “Go Army, Beat Navy” enthusiasm echoed the disappointing sentiment of many Army fans over Navy during the past decade.

As we emerged, I remarked that I recognized BG Ted Martin, the new Commandant of USMA, whom I had worked with it in 2005 when he was in charge of JIED. Sarah, my girlfriend (hopefully soon-to-be fiancée) asked if we should knock on his door and say hello.

“Sarah, we can’t do that. It would be inappropriate. He is important now,” I replied.

We continued our march along the Plain. Cadets were moving from class to class in their focused, direct wayward path unchanged for decades. As they greeted us with the daily remarks, I turned my attention to the values inculcated into our lives at a young age- duty, honor, country, honesty, and character.

It reminded me of where I started.

Taylor, Sarah, and I continued along our march shadowed in full by the ghosts of Eisenhower, Patton, and MacArthur cautiously watching our steps.

In Grant Hall, Taylor ordered her hot chocolate, Sarah ordered two coffees for her and I, and Mike Erwin stumbled in between teaching two classes to say hello.

Sarah took Taylor for a walk to absorb a bit more of the history of West Point. Mike sat down at a table for him and I to talk. At the time, he was preparing for an ultra-marathon during the 9/11 anniversary which he eventually completed.

He sat down, and we talked.

He reminded me of Rye Barcott, another intelligence officer focused on big ideas.

He told me,

I believe him.

And so begins our journey describing what others are doing in the aftermath of 9/11.

What are you going to do?

Sadr City 2008: a new model for urban combat?

RAND recently published a short study of the 2008 battle for Sadr City. This study is the first of what RAND intends to be a deep dive into the lessons learned from that battle.

RAND’s authors assert that “the coalition victory in the Battle of Sadr City offers important lessons for the prosecution of future urban operations” and that the battle “has doctrinal, organizational, materiel, and training implications for both the U.S. Army and the joint force.” The current conventional wisdom holds that irregular adversaries can still use complex urban terrain to prevail in the “finder vs. hider” matchup, especially when the finders are Western expeditionary forces playing an “away game” in the irregular adversary’s city.

The tactics, techniques, and procedures used against the Jaish al-Mahdi (JAM) militia in March through May 2008 in Sadr City are offered up as a way to dismiss this conventional wisdom. Unlike Grozny in 1999-2000 or Fallujah in 2004, coalition operations in Sadr City employed scalpels not sledgehammers and succeeded in carefully carving out JAM without either laying waste to the city or requiring the civilian population to evacuate. Even more impressive, a single task-organized U.S. Army brigade (3-4 BCT) completed this mission in an objective area half the size of Manhattan Island but with three times Manhattan’s population density.

The RAND report describes how the battle staff integrated available ISR assets; made use of heavy armor, snipers, and guided munitions; and cleverly used engineers for mobility and counter-mobility applications. The authors also noted how 3-4 BCT quickly adjusted from counterinsurgency to high-intensity operations then back to COIN over the span of a few months.

U.S. force planners and doctrine writers should assume that U.S. ground forces will find themselves squaring off against irregular adversaries in urban terrain, the adversary’s preferred habitat. The issue for planners will be whether Sadr City actually is a useful model for this scenario. Skeptics might note that the ground maneuver element enjoyed a very rich abundance of ISR support, other specialized enablers, and the support of indigenous security forces, assets that one should not assume will be present for future contingencies. And if they are not, where would that leave the Sadr City model?

After reading the report for yourself, please comment whether you think there is a “Sadr City model” for operations in urban terrain and if so, whether it has useful applications for future contingencies.