The United States Military in Limited War - 9780786472314

In military parlance, 'limited wars' are also known as 'operations other than war' (OOTW). In this study, Dougherty (The Citadel) concentrates on eight successful and less-successful OOTWs the US was involved in during the period, including conflicts in Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, Somalia, and Lebanon. Success or failure is determined based on the operation's ability to achieve the immediate US objective. The author seeks to determine if a relationship exists between adherence to the principles of OOTW, as set out in the Army's 1993 Operational Field Manual, and the operation's outcome. He concludes that the balanced application of the principles of OOTW is a reliable predictor of an operation's outcome, making the OOTW principles, as set out in the 1993 Field Manual, a useful planning tool for military commanders and staff, in spite of the fact that the current 2003 version of the Field Manual omits those principles or dilutes them as 'considerations.' The book includes b&w historical and modern photos. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)