TO THE EDITORS Congratulations on publishing, in the Winter 2006 AAJ , the article by Captain Daimien Patterson entitled Army Force Structure - What has gone wrong? As a staff officer serving with HQ 1st Division, I am simultaneously impressed that Captain Patterson wants to sack me: ‘we don’t need a Division Headquarters’[1], while he also provides some excellent critical thinking on the future of our Army. This type of critical thinking should be encouraged at all levels within Army, especially if we are …

Abstract The New Zealand Army has not had experience in high-intensity urban warfighting for over sixty years. However, as Afghanistan and Iraq illustrate, stability and support operations (SASO) in a complex human environment can be just as daunting as the actual warfighting stage. It is within this enivornment that the New Zealand Army has been repeatedly successful. Analysis of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) in the province of Bamyan Central, Afghanistan, reveals the New Zealand …

Abstract This article briefly discusses Combat Service Support (CSS) operations in a complex warfighting environment, based on the author’s recent experiences while serving in Iraq. The article places an emphasis on urban operations, using operational observations, and shares his insights for developing CSS capability to meet the requirements of current and future land warfare. This article has been titled ‘Urban Combat Service Support (CSS) Operations in a Counterinsurgency Conflict’. It could be titled, …

Abstract The role of infantry in contemporary deployments is proving to be in tasks other than combat, such as the Stability and Support Operations underway in Iraq. The author argues that, in addition to close combat skills, infantry soldiers require a range of wider capabilities. These include security of assets and installations, close protection and escorting of diplomatic and civilian personnel, and the softer skills of tact and discretion that help minimise the ‘footprint’ of deployments. …

Abstract This article examines the complexity of the conflict in Iraq as the backdrop for a practical approach to effects-based operations. The author proposes an adaptive approach embracing complexity, the goal being to develop a philosophy for the Australian Army that maintains the edge in complex warfighting. Introduction The conflict in Iraq demonstrates the complexity of the modern battlespace. This article examines the complexity of that conflict as the backdrop for a practical approach to …

Abstract This article explores the implementation of ‘mission command’ in the complex operational environment of Al Muthanna Province, sourthern Iraq, by the commander of the Al Muthanna Task Group 1, using his experience as a case study. The author discusses the role of the leader in preparing, enabling and executing a mission command mind-set with a bias for action ‘amongst the people’ by implementing at all levels clear intent, trust and accountability. The essential thing is action. Action has three …

Abstract The decision by the Australian Government to purchase the M1A1 Abrams main battle tank, although widely misunderstood by analysts and media alike, complements exactly the Australian Defence Force’s concept of combined-arms teams in complex environments. Much of the poorly informed commentary about the decision drew inspiration from myths about the role and utility of armour in the Australian context. Here, the author dispels those myths with a careful study of the importance of the firepower, …

Abstract The author examines some of the profound drivers of Australian defence and strategic logic by seeking the divide between imagination and reality. The nature of strategic debates in Australia has recently been vigorous, with the decades-old orthodoxy being contested in light of new and emergent threats such as terrorism. The imagination of the nation, of the people, and of the Department of Defence all shape threat perception; the author argues that this has led to over-estimating the dangers …

Abstract This paper sets the scene for the 2006 Chief of Army’s Exercise on mission command and the importance of systems thinking. The paper describes a US perspective and outlines various key developmental positions over the past twenty years within the US Army. Today’s Army must create adaptable doctrine, force structures and equipment through its institutions and encourage all elements to adapt as necessary to changing mission needs. The Army and its soldiers must learn and adapt much more rapidly …

Abstract Counterterrorist operations are a visible sign of government efforts to ensure the safety and security of their citizens. Yet, when a nation hasn’t suffered direct attack and its general population may not feel itself at war, such operations can be easily misunderstood and may generate significant backlash, especially in the all-pervasive media. This article explores the challenges of counterterrorist operations and offers some insights and suggestions to mitigating the risks. The 9/11 terrorist …