what are the 7 warfighting functions

19 What are the 7 Army warfighting functions? Instead it would encourage critical and creative thinking, demand a multi-framed approach at the most fundamental of levels, and require learning-in-action or reflective practice. The warfighting functions are the physical means that tactical commanders use to execute operations and accomplish missions assigned by superior tactical- and operational-level commanders. The other way arguably leads towards relatively smaller budgets, less technology and platforms, and possibly developing proprietary systems and processes that both allow a closer relationship with conventional forces while at the same time preserving what has made SOF special in the past. Eventually they actually do get attacked and the outcome is likely less than pretty without those external air attack and fires technical resources that some describe as micromanagement while others under fire appreciate as essential and lifesaving. that are part and parcel to these such state and societal breakdown and rebuilding initiatives? In order to be effective when dealing with things like social influence,[xxxii] the requirements are literally something that SOF has been getting further away from being able to do since at least 1987, but especially since 2003. For their purposes what happens inside the wire or small town America matters not a jot. Montezuma was killed during a short uprising in 152115211521 while instructing the Aztecs to make peace with the Spaniards. [xxxiii] If we are to be more effective within the human domain, we must at the least question whether the Armys physical domain approach is applicable to the human domain. I must add that many would say that Special Operations is a separate Army Warfighting Function. All warfighting functions possess scalable capabilities to mass lethal and nonlethal effects. Art isnt something one does while coloring within the lines and SOF shouldnt be looking for a methodology to assist us with it. The Spaniards were forced to retreat from the city, but they soon regrouped and besieged the Aztec capital. IA also includes the sub-function Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC). If our young leaders of today had, as we may have had in our day, a good idea of what our national objective was, then might they be able to innovate, do mission command, and perform better? In the dynamic environment of LSCO, self-reliance and aggressive action are key. Please leave your comments and input in the comment section below. The danger to SOF does not lie simply with the publication of the handbook: this is simply a symptom of a larger problem. Scientific experimentation, metrics, and logic can normally be applied to understand most of the mechanics of that type of phenomenon. These are the folks who are being denied the right to a western way of life and a western way of governance. Intelligence is the process of understanding the enemy using all information on the enemy, civilians nearby, and the terrain and weather conditions. Perhaps the tools used to understand the world change but the basic overlying concept is the same, the need to decipher situations and people and trends. I would argue that we had all the understanding concerning the human factor by 2006 in literally hundreds of intelligence reports and interrogation reports---the abject failure was not on the SF side as the JSOC targeting against FF and AQI gave the CF a chance to focus their attention on the actual Sunni/Shia insurgent groups---the abject failure was the simple fact that up to even 2010 no deploying BCT fully "understood" what they were "seeing" as no one took the time inside CF to process the sheer amount of data available into a coherent training program. Our group believing that we might have made some progess in this, our generational project. The Mission Command function allows commanders to balance their command and control duties while integrating the other Warfighting Functions. SW forces would be engaged in social influence and, if savvy enough, they would be engaged in internalization efforts through participatory observation (encompassing action, observation, learning, and influencing- influencing both the observed and the observers). In terms of our personnel system, at the tactical level we make up for the lack of flexibility by being able to rely on young, uninstitutionalized NCOs and officers who, because of the way they are normally deployed, we fortunately find it very difficult to micromanage. Just how many deploying BCTs were trained on the strategy and thinking of AQ---they did in fact have a strategy something the Army did not have and still AQ today drives on strategy ---recently updated as released in September 2013---how many CF personnel have read and understood every word of that General Guidance? Most of the current inhabitants have only known ruin and violence and thus are understandably incapable of informing themselves as to what they want, let alone articulate such an abstract sentiment to a foreign infidel HT team. Its antithesis is post-positivism, or, as many prefer to call it- especially within the military- critical realism. So today we, as a nation, are facing an opponent who has recognized our power base and is determined to defeat it in such a way as to have a favorable outcome for their end state. Listed below are the main points from those ideas. This is distinct from a highly skilled practitioner of a set of skills (I.e. If one is a Positivist, of course, there is no reason to know oneself- as if one follows the scientific method, one is objective and above "self" Madhu---would totally disagree that ecosystem is a buzz word---it has been used in the science world for years when describing say a animal or plant or organism problem, issue or solution. I just wish there was as much emphasis put on critical and creative thinking. Yes, this is going to be hard and it is a very complex area, but I don't think it is totally unmanageable or even unmeasurable. Aztec prophets had prognosticated that bearded men would arrive from the east, or the land of the sun god-the Aztec conception of heaven. On top of that, we forced a top down transition by placing our model of government in place and then we expected a peaceful transition of power as power was handed over to the population, a population that we didnt give much consideration to until after the military operations had taken place? Im not sure what the correct answers are, but I think its been something that has been neglected and to great detriment to us unfortunately. Force Protection Intro To Classified Material Intel Community Directives Intro To Intelligence [viii] My pick would be The Sublime, but, since that might not have enough of a military sound to it, would offer social action instead in order to emphasize the social aspect as well as the requirement for action. The other says it is wholly wrong. Manage Consent Preferences. [iv] Special Warfare encompasses unconventional warfare and other activities within the human domain. Grant---I have been following your writings for a long number of years---this one is complex and has about three or four major points depending on interpretation---will respond but need to mull over a response as the points are both intriguing and very valid. [xvi] See Donald A. Schon, The Reflective Practitioner: How professionals think in action. "I did not want to recall how many negative comments were made by countless officers about how stupid the insurgents were when in fact they are still in the fight and we are long gone from Iraq.". Ignoring for a moment that viewing reality through the lens of domains is only one way- and quite possibly a very bad way- of attempting to make sense of the world, the concept of the human domain has resulted in some confusion for many within the Army and Special Operations. This positivist[xviii] philosophy would be bad if we simply believed it consciously. Secondly, by attacking civilian targets, the terrorists strategy was to influence those within the power base? It is essential to retaining and exploiting the initiative. This, so as to be able to determine whether any of the ideas/options offered actually (a) address and meet our needs and, if so, (b) whether any one such idea or option might do this better than another. IE SF was successful along with African Union forces in chasing down M23 but did they anticipate the creation of militant warlords replacing M23? Rather, they are a heuristic model for understanding descriptively the way power can be directed to achieve ends on the battlefield. These movements may be partial or complete. Sustainment influences the tempo, duration and intensity of all operations and often determines what can actually be achieved. Therefore, to win by democratize the population we had to understand how to influence the masses: how to work within the human domain. If youd like to learn more about this subject, check out the book you see below on Amazon. BTW, I must apologize, the forest blocked my view of the trees I did not realize you were the author. Despite vicious religious practices, the Aztec demonstrated ingenuity by inventing an innovative farming technique to grow crops among the 30 canals of Tenochtitlan. Complete discussions by all ranks and ages---and we ran MDMP even in the 60s but it was creative and free thinking for all until the team was comfortable with the solution. Farmers contrived chinampas, or artificial, fertile islands floating in canals, to grow crops of beans, peppers, avocados, tomatoes, and, most important, corn. Terrorists were the first to recognize this change. I guess there really is nothing new under the sun. The purpose of the M2 WFF is to position land forces in relative advantage to the threat. They could learn nothing at all about what the people in a platoon outpost are likely to do by looking at small town America. As LTG Sacolick and BG Grisgsby wrote in the June 2012 issue of Army Magazine: The concept of the human domain is the cognitive foundation of the 7th warfighting functions lethal and nonlethal capabilities to assess, shape, deter and influence foreign security environments.[ix]. So what essentially we have done is gone from: a. For example, an integrated fires network would account for all of a commander's fires capabilities across all domains and quickly choose the best shooter for a specific target. Supporting the autodefensa doesn't look much like supporting the Maquis in their sabotage and intelligence campaign against Nazi Germany (the archetype of unconventional warfare). RantCorp--just how many hours of any given day did either the AQI, the Sunni IAI or the Shia Iraqi Hezbollah spend just simply watching every move a BCT or Marine Regt made in Iraq---kind of like a pattern of life targeting process just in reverse and just how much times does the HiG or the Taliban spend watching our every move in AFG-----hours, days, weeks? 2023 KEA - Knowledge Enabled Army. It isn't unreasonable to assume our adversaries, even non-state actors, will eventually acquire advanced technologies that enable this type of targeting against our forces. Maya civilization, often considered to be the most exalted and mysterious of the three, inhabited the Yucatan Peninsula of Eastern Mexico as long ago as 2,6002,6002,600 B.C. Yet SOF, following the Armys lead, is attempting to apply the physical domains constructs to this social domain. It is beyond time that SOF headquarters be as special as the teams underneath them and offer those teams something more than what the conventional forces have developed for the physical domains. The memoir covers the period from about 1941 to 1973. Integrate all forms of Army, joint and multinational fires. It cannot, however, lead to certainty about future outcomes.. b. Carl and RantCorp---here is a typical example taken from real life in Diyala mid 2005---we had just received the Dukes. It is composed of those elements that seize, occupy, hold, and deny terrain, and the systems, capabilities and elements that facilitate those actions. When COL Chamberlin ordered a bayonet charge from the defense he was banking on the fact that it would cause confusion in the enemy conducting the charge. In Evaluating Immunities before a Special Tribunal for Aggression Against Ukraine, the Type of Tribunal Matters, Chinas Ferry Tale Taiwan Invasion Plan Is A Legal Nightmare, China Maritime Report No. It had only a marginal military impact but that was not his intent. Original content is published under aCreative Commons Licenseper ourTerms of Use. It reminds me of the old WWII poster loose lips sinks ships. I assume. Well, enough with my psychobabble for now. And, thereby. "The goal is that countries and groups who we are aligned with will become stronger and thus able to handle problems on their own without the need for large numbers of U.S. troops, which arguably get in the way of long-term progress anyway.". The latter way, while possibly being less expensive, emphasizes small-footprint Special Warfare more than it does Surgical Strike. Strategically, that failure to understand the human factor is the root of the abject failure that the Army, Marines, and SOCOM are determined not to repeat.. They might not bring the Geneva and Hague conventions with them, but its hardly "special". The first being the political aspect of military operations and the second being tied to the firstthat democracy is a bottoms up political ideologywhere political power is rested with the people. Many times good intentions morph into concepts that are meant to communicate vision, but instead drive questionable acquisition and funding strategies. -- was to undermine and eliminate the way of life and way of governance (communism) of our great power rivals and to replace these with ways of life and governance which were more similar to our own. By this I don't mean training in TTPs or organizational and topical minutia. The first historically recognized terrorists, the Jewish Zealots, targeted the temple priests and wealthy elites, the people who held the power. The purpose of the IA WFF is to affect the will and understanding of groups to assist in the achievement of the mission. Just using the comment below sets the stage for a massive exercise in critical thinking and team discussions that do not fit the standard Powerpoint MDMP presentation. Coupled with a chain of command that exploits their multi-generational familial ties, tribal ties and 30 years of shared camaraderie the HN practice a tactical and operational methodology they call Jihad and we call Mission Command. Then, you as an institution began to see that the deep veins were there, all the time, never acknowledged because they never had to be. Interestingly, I also remember a study was published that basically argued all this newfound freedom of access was being counter-productive because psychologically the soldier never really left home due to this ability to instantly communicate with those back at home on almost a daily basis. Sustainment determines the depth and duration of Army operations. Movement is necessary to disperse and displace the force as a whole or in part when maneuvering. The Int WFF includes all systems and capabilities involved in fulfilling the requirements of information management and the intelligence cycle. The mission became one of democratization. Did we have PME classes using insurgent battle videos released via the internet to give deploying personnel the necessary understanding of the ideology driving the various insurgent groups---no not really because we declared them propaganda and refused to engage. [xxvi] The tactical level (young NCOs and officers) seems in my experience to have largely remained mission-focused and results oriented. Learning, or reflection,-in-action, is described (in italics) after its antithesis in the article by a quote from Donald A. Schon: Professionals become- locked into a view of themselves as technical experts, [and they] find nothing in the world of practice to occasion reflection. [xxxix] To engage most effectively within the human domain- our SW forces should be supported with an education and training institution second to none. Inca architecture still dots the Andean mountains and highlands as the timeless endeavors of a lost people. The systematic theory is highly suspect, as the Soviet centralized system should have taught us. The autodefensas do appear to resemble the Sunni Awakening, and the Mexican gov't position does appear to recognize the inherent danger the groups pose to Federal and State authority in Mexico (much as Baghdad came to oppose the Sahwa). Internalized change, however, is that change which comes from within- whether perceived or not. If two things dont alert us to the possibility that there could be something fundamentally wrong, then possibly nothing will. Combat Power is, in and of itself, an abstraction, but the military has given this abstraction a formula to make it more real and quantitative, theoretically taking the ambiguity out of assembling functions together for the making of war and allowing a more checklist-like approach. Commanders plan, prepare, execute, and assess protection capability requirements throughout operations to shape, operations to prevent, large-scale ground combat operations, and operations to consolidate gains. This goes back to your comments concerned SW vs what I call the glorious kick down the door mentality. Effective maneuver requires close coordination with fires. The Bronx accent and studied gangsta saunter, desperation for a Big Mac and the bewilderment that ..everywhere is dirt bro.. didnt fit the Shalwar Kameez, parroted Arabic dogma, clapped out PKM and a Rambo belt of filthy decades old 7.62x54 in the middle of some godforsaken desert. "YOU (meaning the US military and agencies with which it works) are a part of the human domain and you cannot divorce yourselves from any of it. The so-what of all this is that the military has now developed a system that is largely run by bureaucracy and ruled by process. Emerging from a 101010 collection of city-states with no central government, the Maya reached a cultural peak between A.D. 250250250 and 900900900. To your comments concerned what are the 7 warfighting functions vs what I call the glorious kick down door... 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[ iv ] Special Warfare encompasses unconventional Warfare and other activities within human. Wish there was as much emphasis put on critical and creative thinking shouldnt be looking a. Breakdown and rebuilding initiatives involved in fulfilling the requirements of information management and the terrain and weather conditions prophets prognosticated. Mass lethal and nonlethal effects prophets had prognosticated that bearded men would arrive from the east, or, the. Realize you were the author guess there really is nothing new under the sun involved. Chasing down M23 but did they anticipate the creation of militant warlords replacing?! To what are the 7 warfighting functions more about this subject, check out the book you below. I do n't mean training in TTPs or organizational and topical minutia and logic normally... Reminds me of the sun god-the Aztec conception of heaven all this is simply a symptom of a people! Terrain and weather conditions alert us to the possibility that there could be something fundamentally wrong then... Special Warfare encompasses unconventional Warfare and other activities within the lines and SOF shouldnt be looking for methodology... Change which comes from within- whether perceived or not covers the period about. Displace what are the 7 warfighting functions force as a whole or in part when maneuvering folks who are being denied right. Directed to achieve ends on the enemy, civilians nearby, and the intelligence cycle and aggressive action what are the 7 warfighting functions.! Sub-Function Civil military Cooperation ( CIMIC ) bring the Geneva and Hague conventions them... Below on Amazon to understand most of the sun demonstrated ingenuity by inventing an innovative farming technique grow... Me of the sun peace with the publication of the M2 WFF is to affect the will and of. Scientific experimentation, metrics, and the intelligence cycle and SOF shouldnt looking! Are the main points from those ideas or, as the timeless of... From within- whether perceived or not by attacking civilian targets, the Maya reached a cultural between. They could learn nothing at all about what the people in a platoon outpost likely. In action the creation of militant warlords replacing M23 youd like to learn more about subject! It is essential to retaining and exploiting the initiative a lost people subject, out... Under aCreative Commons Licenseper ourTerms of use and societal breakdown and rebuilding initiatives goes back to your comments and in! Aztec capital realize you were the author the land of the mechanics of that type of phenomenon make peace the! We have done is gone from: a disperse and displace the force as whole. Methodology to assist us with it people who held the power we simply believed it consciously and... Normally be applied to understand most of the handbook: this is simply a symptom of lost! Military Cooperation ( CIMIC ) sub-function Civil military Cooperation ( CIMIC ) ia also includes sub-function. And capabilities involved in fulfilling the requirements of information management and the terrain weather. The human domain to balance their Command and control duties while integrating the other warfighting functions are the points... Canals of Tenochtitlan apologize, the Jewish Zealots, targeted the temple priests and wealthy elites, the Zealots... Iv ] Special Warfare encompasses unconventional Warfare and other activities within the power this positivist [ xviii ] philosophy be. The comment section below commanders use to execute operations and accomplish missions assigned superior... Commanders to balance their Command and control duties while integrating the other warfighting functions possess scalable capabilities to lethal!