Lessons Remembered

Too often, the American people are told from pundits and experts that as a nation and a military, the US and coalition partners are fighting a new kind of war. In reality, it is new only to those that have not studied history and fail to understand the counterinsurgency lessons learned on battlefields stretching from the Philippines to Vietnam. America has a long history of successful counterinsurgency operations, and though it is very difficult to apply tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) from the past directly to a modern conflict. In reality very little throughout, the history of warfare is truly revolutionary or new. The teachings and writings of Sun Szu, Clausewitz, Boot and Caldwell are just as relevant and applicable today as they were when written. Only the weapons and equipment employed by modern armies are truly transformational or revolutionary, and only a foolish military planner discards the sound operational and strategic lessons from the past. The basic tenets of counterinsurgency operations have changed very little over the past 100 years and it is these operational and strategic lessons that can be applied by US and coalition partners in support of current operations in Afghanistan.