Force Protection Doctrine: an Operational Necessity

Given the current world order with the U.S. as the only superpower, our level of global commitment remains high and as such the U.S. can expect its armed forces to be engaged in multiple MOOTWs worldwide now and for the foreseeable future. As we have seen in Beirut, Khobar Towers, and even in Somalia, these operations can be just as deadly as full-scale war. Force protection for all future military operations must therefore be seriously considered as a critical function at the operational level, not just as independent efforts at the tactical level as we have seen in the past. We must develope a joint force protection doctrine which is focused at the operational level and geared for MOOTWs. This doctrine should include the intelligence infrastructure necessary to best serve the CINCs. It should also include physical security precautions as well as education and training procedures. We will never be able to predict nor thwart every potential attack against U.S. forces conducting MOOTW. However, it is apparent that our approach to force protection has to change, by first establishing an operational focus. We owe it to our troops and our country.