Strategy Source: NWC Faculty edited by Dr. Coty Keller

US Naval War College

StrategySource: NWC Faculty edited by Dr. Coty Keller

TSDM-8


“Future joint force commanders will not make grand strategy, but they must fully understand the ends it seeks to achieve. They will have a role in suggesting how the Joint Force might be used and the means necessary for the effective use of joint forces to protect the interests of the United States.”

- Source: Joint Forces Command, The Joint Operating Environment 2010, p. 11.

Relevance?


What is Your Definition of Strategy?


Thoughts on Strategy“the art of the general”

Strategy is the use of engagements for the object of war.– Carl von Clausewitz

He who attempts to defend everything defends nothing.– Frederick the Great

Strategy is the art of controlling and utilizing the resources of a nation.– Edward Mead Earle

Strategy is the product of the dialogue between policy and national power.– Colin Gray


Core Questions for the Strategist

Where do we want to go or what are the desired ends?

How do we achieve our ends or what are the ways?

What resources are available or what are the available means?

What type of risk is the country willing to assume?


STRATEGYSTRATEGYSTRATEGYSTRATEGY

RISK RISK RISK RISK

ENDSENDS

MEANSMEANSMEANSMEANS

RESOURCE

RESOURCE

CONSTRAINTS

CONSTRAINTS

SECURITY

SECURITY

ENVIRONMENT

ENVIRONMENT

WaysWaysWaysWays

Bartlett Donut


Intensity of Interests

Vital– If unfulfilled, will have immediate consequences for core

interests

Important– If unfulfilled, will result in damage that will eventually

affect core national interests

Peripheral– If unfilled, will result in damage that is unlikely to affect

core national interests


Link Ends, Ways, and Means

National Objectives(Ends)

Strategic Concepts(Ways)

National Power(Means)


Identifying Ends

Enduring National Interests– Ensure the security of the state and its people– Establish a stable and secure region

Democratic National Interests– Promote the prosperity of the people– Encourage human security– Advance democratic institutions

Product of national decision-makers– Guarantee environmental security– Promote democracy– Establish free trade zones


The Afghanistan Strategy(ENDS)

“Our overarching goal remains the same: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to prevent its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future.”

• To meet that goal, we will pursue the following objectives within Afghanistan:

• We must deny al Qaeda a safe haven.

• We must reverse the Taliban's momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government.

• And we must strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan's security forces and government so that they can take lead responsibility for Afghanistan's future.


Specifying Ways

How do we achieve our ends?

Strategic concepts– An end-to-end stream of activities that defines how

elements, systems, organizations and tactics combine to accomplish national objectives or tasks.

How something might be done

Consider Feasibility, Suitability, and Acceptability

The Afghanistan Strategy(WAYS)

• First, we will pursue a military strategy that will break the Taliban's momentum and increase Afghanistan's capacity over the next 18 months.

- Target insurgents and protect key population centers (Marja)

- Build ANSF: Karzai’s goal is for ANSF take the lead within 3-5 years

- Work with allies (NATO)

• Second, we will work with our partners, the United Nations, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security.

• Third, we will act with the full recognition that our success in Afghanistan is inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/12/01/new-way-forward-presidents-address


Committing Means

“In my era, even if commanders produced good strategies at their level (and I believe we did), with good ends and reasonable ways to achieve them, we still had no idea whether or not the administration and the Congress would come through with the means.” – General Tony Zinni, former commander of US forces in

the Near East, Central Asia, and East Africa

Elements of National Power

MILITARY INFORMATION DIPLOMATIC LEGAL INTELLIGENCE FINANCE ECONOMIC

TOOLS OF NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY

Coercion/ Compellence/Deterrence

Military OperationsOther Than War/Peace Support Operations

War

Homeland Security

Nuclear Warfare

Conventional Warfare

Forcible Entry

Strikes/Raids

Unconventional Warfare

Show of Force/Freedom of Navigation OperationsDeploy Carrier

Battle Group

Blockade

Upgrade Alert Status

Overseas Presence

Arms Control

Peace Enforcement/Peacekeeping

Non-CombatantEvacuation Ops (NEO)

Humanitarian Assistance

Sct’y Assistance/Mil-Mil Contacts

Nation Building

Military Assistanceto Civil Authorities

Public Diplomacy

Public Policy Statements

Public Affairs/Press Releases

Diplomatic Demarches

Print, Electronic and Film

Information Operations

Diplomatic Recognition

Representation

Negotiation

Psychological Ops

Military Deception

Computer NetworkOperations

Electronic Warfare

Public Affairs

Advocacy

Signaling

Intimidation

Coalition Building

Consensus Building

Restrict DiplomaticActivities

Recall Ambassador

Embassy Draw Down/NEO/Total Evacuation

Coordination withInternational Organi-zations and NGOs

Review Decisions ofNational/MultinationalLegal Organizations

Treaty Compliance

Knowledge

Analyzed Information

Exchange ofIntelligence Informationwith Other States/Multinational Orgns

Fiscal Policy

International Monetary Fund /World Bank

Debt Forgiveness

Taxes in Support ofElements of Power

Borrowing forExpenditures

Subsidy in Support of National Policy

Trade Policy

Trade Promotion

Trade Sanctions

Trade Alliances

Economic Development

Foreign Aid

Technology Controls

Regulation

Operations Security

UN SecurityCouncil Resolutions

CustomaryInternational Law

Extradition

Stationing andOverflight Rights

International LawEnforcement

Freeze/SeizeMonetary Assets

Monetary Policy

Exchange Rates

Embargoes

Environmental

Activity

Collection of Information

External Training

Covert/ParamilitaryActivity

Break DiplomaticRelations


The Afghanistan Strategy(MEANS)

• 30,000 additional U.S. forces (Total: 98,000 by August 2010)

• ISAF includes 43 nations

• ANSF: • Current Goal: 134 K (ANA) and 109 K (ANP) by Oct 2010

• “Civilian Surge”

• Partners, including the UN

• Pakistan


What are the Levels of Strategy?

Grand Strategy

Military Strategy

Theater Strategy

Service Strategy


Grand Strategy

The art and science of developing and employing the instruments of national power in a synchronized and integrated fashion to achieve objectives.

Strategy is about how leadership can use the power available to the state to exercise control over people, places, things, and events to achieve objectives in accordance with national interests and policies.


Instruments of National Power

Diplomatic

Informational

Military

Economic

“DIME”

US Naval War College 19

SECDEF in Kansas

"We must focus our energies beyond the guns and steel of the military, beyond just our brave soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen," he said. "We must also focus our energies on the other elements of national power that will be so crucial in the years to come.“

One priority is money, Gates said. He called for "a dramatic increase in spending on the civilian instruments of national security: diplomacy, strategic communications, foreign assistance, civic action and economic reconstruction and development.“

SECDEF, Kansas State (26 Nov 2007)


Importance of Theater Strategy

“Since regional problems now dominate security issues, the primary contribution towards attaining U.S. national, defense, and military strategy by the Department of Defense (DoD) is at the theater level through the combatant commander’s theater strategy.”

Lt Col Clarence Bouchet, p. 1


Theater StrategyConcepts and courses of action directed

toward securing the objectives of national and multinational policies and strategies through the synchronized and integrated employment of military forces and other instruments of national power. JP 5-0


Theater Security Cooperation

Activity Examples

Military contacts

National assistance– FID, HA/DR

Combined training

Combined exercises

Multinational education

Arms control and treaty monitoring


Levels of Strategy

Grand Strategy

Military Strategy

Theater Strategy

Service Strategy– Advances specific strategic concepts

Strategic Level

Operational Level

Tactical Level

National Policy

Theater Strategy

Campaigns

Major Operations

Battles

Engagements

Small Unit and Crew Action


Risk

Force Management Risks– Sustain people, equipment and infrastructure

Operational Risks– Ability of the force to accomplish mission

Future Challenges Risks– Investments to deal effectively with military challenges in the future

Institutional Risks– Remedying inefficient processes that jeopardize the ability to use

resources efficiently

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COCOM StrategiesCOCOM

Strategies

Strategy Guidance Plans

COMBATANTCOMMANDERS

CJCS

SECDEF/CJCS

PRESIDENT

SECDEF

COCOMContingency

Plans

COCOMContingency

Plans

COCOMCampaign

Plans

COCOMCampaign

Plans

National Security Strategy

National Security Strategy

National Defense and MilitaryStrategies

National Defense and MilitaryStrategies

*Approved by the President

Contingency Planning Guidance*

Contingency Planning Guidance*

Joint Strategic Capabilities PlanJoint Strategic Capabilities Plan

Nuclear Weapons

EmploymentGuidance

Nuclear Weapons

EmploymentGuidance

Guidance for Employment of the ForceCampaign Planning Guidance

Campaign Planning Guidance

SecDef Plan IPRs------------

SecDef-directedactivities and

IA collaboration

SecDef Plan IPRs------------

SecDef-directedactivities and

IA collaboration

Deliberative document. Draft working papers, not subject to FOIA release. UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

26

Consolidating Strategic Planning Process & Documents

UNCLASSIFIED

National Military Strategy (NMS)National Military Strategy (NMS)

National Defense Strategy (NDS)National Defense Strategy (NDS)

National Security Strategy (NSS)National Security Strategy (NSS)

EmployEmploythe Force the Force

ManageManagethe Forcethe Force

DevelopDevelopthe Forcethe Force

Guidance for Development Guidance for Development of the Force (GDF) / (Now DPPG)of the Force (GDF) / (Now DPPG)

CJCS Risk AssessmentCJCS Risk Assessment

Joint Strategic CapabilitiesJoint Strategic Capabilities Plan (JSCP)Plan (JSCP)

Guidance for Employment Guidance for Employment of the Force (GEF)of the Force (GEF)

Global Force Mgmt (GFM) Guidance DocumentGlobal Force Mgmt (GFM) Guidance Document

Unified Command PlanUnified Command Plan

ContingencyPlanning Guidance

SecurityCooperation

Guidance

GlobalPosture

Guidance

NuclearWeaponsPlanningGuidance

Science & Technology Guidance

Analytic Agenda Guidance

Joint Concepts &

Experiment. Guidance

GlobalForce Mgmt

Guidance

StrategicPlanning Guidance

Transfor-mation

Planning Guidance

GlobalPosture

Guidance

Human Capital

Strategy


“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Winston Churchill

Assessment


Evaluating Grand Strategy

Are the desired ends appropriate?

What assumptions are made about the security environment?

What are the strategic priorities?

How are tools of national power balanced?

What are the means required?

What impact will there be on resources?

What are the perceived mismatches?

What are the risks?

What are the challenges associated with selling the strategy?

STRATEGYSTRATEGYSTRATEGYSTRATEGY

RISK RISK RISK RISK

ENDSENDS

MEANSMEANSMEANSMEANS

RESOURCE

RESOURCE

CONSTRAINTS

CONSTRAINTS

SECURITY

SECURITY

ENVIRONMENT

ENVIRONMENT

WaysWaysWaysWays


Is Strategy a “Lost Art”? Here’s One Man’s Opinion

• American strategy — strategy, the idea that in war the ways and means to carry it out should be employed considering alternatives and with the least cost of blood and treasure to achieve policy goals — is dead. The slayer of American strategy is counterinsurgency tactics. Thanks to the American Army’s embrace of counterinsurgency, what we are left with is a strategy of tactics.

• Counterinsurgency has defined a new American Way of War. More than that, the doctrine of counterinsurgency has become the language and grammar of the current American war in Afghanistan. American Generals and politicians speak in the language of counterinsurgency tactics. Phrases like “protecting” or “shielding the Afghan people,” or “clear, hold, build” are all drawn from the tactics of counterinsurgency.

- Source: COL Gian Gentile, “The Death of American Strategy,” Infinity Journal, Issue 3, Summer 2011

Do you agree? Why is strategy important/relevant?


Key TakeawaysStrategy is a function of the interrelationship among ends, ways,

means, and the security environment. Potential mismatches create risks. If the risks resulting from an ends-ways-means mismatch cannot be managed, ends must be reevaluated and scaled back, means must be increased, or the strategy must be adjusted.

The strategy maker can never ignore fiscal constraints. Indeed, political reality sometimes dictates that budgetary limits will constitute the primary influence on the development of strategy and force structure. Additionally, bureaucratic and organizational imperatives play a major role in force structure choices.


Key Takeaways (Cont)Strategy is designed to secure national interests and to attain

the objectives of national policy by the application of national tools, including the military. Strategy is dynamic, changing as the factors that influence it change. As strategic requirements evolve, the strategy must also change.

In practice, strategic decisions must always compete with the demands of domestic politics or what Samuel Huntington has called "structural decisions." These are choices "made in the currency of domestic politics." For the military, the most important structural decision concerns the "size and distribution of funds made available to the armed forces....