The 80th Infantry Division in World War II: Education, Training, and the Application of Operational Art

The military history of the 80th Infantry Division in World War II provides important insights for modern US Army leaders as they prepare for combat with a peer or near-peer adversary. The 80th Infantry Division entered combat operations in Europe following two years of maneuver training under the same key leaders, all educated at the US Armys premier schools during the interwar period. Schooling and training exposed 80th Infantry Divisions leaders to modern operational art in all but name. Despite this unusually stable, robust, and lengthy period of training time prior to entering combat, the 80th Infantry Division struggled to apply phasing and transitions to maintain tempo and manage risk to prevent culmination at Argentan and while crossing the Moselle River. The 80th Infantry Divisions initial struggles and subsequent successes in both battles provide insights for modern US Army leaders with respect to the writing, application, and training of Army tactical doctrine, and the risks associated with modularity as a mindset.