The importance of learning from past counterinsurgency operations helps us prepare for the wars of today and tomorrow. While the tactics of some insurgents have changed, the basic principles of insurgency and counterinsurgency have remained. In comparing the operations conducted in Vietnam and Iraq we can see that lessons learned and unlearned are of value to us in the military. The transformation of today's military calls for faster striking ability and the military man or woman that is able to adapt to each situation. The manuals are available for us to study how to conduct combat operations in all areas of war and operations other than war. The history we review today however, prepares us for the unexpected, which will occur as we fight the Global War on Terrorism.

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