The Art of Deception, An Integral Part of the CINCs Campaign Plan.

The art of deception must be an integral part of the CINCs planning process. The purpose of this study is to provide an understanding of what deception is, how it has been applied in the past, and how it might be applied to future campaign planning. I believe that deception is a valuable and viable tool available to the commander to manage risk. This risk management is accomplished by utilizing deception as a force multiplier and as a means to achieve surprise. As such, deception should be an integral part of the commanders planning and not in addition to it. This study will analyze deception operations from three distinct time periods Biblical, WW II, DESERT STORM and then apply the developed principles to a future campaign in order to demonstrate its continued validity. The paper concludes, that the principles and techniques developed and practiced in the past remain valid today. That despite technology and media coverage, that may seem to obviate it, deception is still an effective tool. Accordingly, it recommends continued development, training, and command emphasis of the art of deception in campaign planning.