Fighting Power and the Maintenance of Combat Strength: The Imperative Allies of Technology.

The publication of FM 100-5, Operations, in 1976 represented the end of an era in U.S. Army doctrine. To fight outnumbered and win became the philosophy behind the Armys new doctrine. The 1982 version of FM 100-5 incorporated the air-land battle concept into Army doctrine as a means of exploiting the technological superiority of new equipment as a means of striking deep into second echelon forces of the Warsaw Pact. Unfortunately the 1976 and 1982 versions of FM 100-5 omitted any reference to the human dimension of combat--the importance of the individual soldier, and the fighting power he must generate to insure our success. Likewise, the maintenance of combat strength is omitted from new Army doctrine. This essay examines the combat multiplier effect which can be derived from fighting power and the maintenance of combat strength is omitted from new Army doctrine. This essay examines the combat multiplier effect which can be derived from fighting power and the maintenance of combat strength from a historical perspective, using as a vehicle for this examination data from the Germany Armys experience in World War II. This essay explains why fighting power and the maintenance of combat strength are imperative allies of technology and why they are too important not to be included in future editions of FM 100-5. Author