Expeditionary Economics: A Future Resource for Military Planners?

When major combat operations come to a close, decisive action is paramount. Without deliberate action in subsequent stability operations, there is risk of marginalizing previous victories. Expeditionary economic theory offers a solution for bringing stability to post-conflict regions. Economic growth and expansion is its primary objective. Stability operations require flexible military capabilities that can proactively respond to complex environments. Expeditionary economics offers useful principles for military planners to consider when developing solutions to complex problems. These principles are evident in historical military campaigns and operations. This study examines the nature and development of expeditionary economic theory. Furthermore, it examines the historical cases of postwar Japan, Vietnam, and the Balkans for examples of the principles found in expeditionary economics. The findings suggest that applying the principles of expeditionary economics in post-conflict environments is vital for achieving strategic aims. This is especially useful when the preponderance of military involvement transitions from major combat to stability operations. However, current military doctrine already accounts for this and must not be discarded in pursuit of economic growth to accomplish strategic aims. The paper concludes that there is no need to adopt any new doctrine with separate military organizations to accomplish this.