Through learning and enhanced capacity to learn faster than its adversaries, a military organization increases its chances for success within an increasing complex and chaotic environment. The complex and chaotic nature of military conflicts requires a reliable strategy for success. Based on systems theory, non-linearity, and chaos, the concept of learning organization confronts the complexity of military operations with great efficiency and effectiveness. This monograph recommends the key to surviving and prospering within the spectrum of military operations is to internalize and practice the five learning disciplines. Dr. Peter Senge introduces in his book The Fifth Discipline, five learning disciplines known as the discipline of systems thinking, personal mastery, shared vision, mental models, and team learning. From Dr. Senge's concept of learning organization, this study proposes that the internalization and practice of these disciplines by a military organization facilitates the bringing about a military learning organization. A military learning organization is an organization composed of people who are able to enhance their capacity to learn and create a desired result. To merely adapt in a military conflict is not enough to achieve success. A military organization must both achieve adaptive and generative learning to survive and prosper in a complex and chaotic military operations. Adaptive and generative learning are achieved through the internalization and practice of the five learning disciplines. By presenting learning organization concept as the key to military success, this study examines the influential effects of the five disciplines on military outcomes using a historical example. The monograph uses the Philippine War of 1899-1902 to illustrate the effects of the five disciplines when internalized and practiced. This case study argues that adaptive and generative learning resulting from the effects of the five discipline increased the potential for success within a highly complex and chaotic nature of conventional, unconventional, and support and stability operations (SASO) spectrum of military operations. Using the five learning disciplines as an analytical framework, a cognitive explanation to how the American-Philippine Expeditionary Force (APEF) accomplished its mission of pacifying the Philippines. An analysis of the APEF's experience reveals a struggle to bring about a military learning organization. It was a struggle that ended in success due to the harmonious interplay of the five learning disciplines manifested in the thinking and interactions of individuals and the APEF organization. The study concludes that a military learning organization is the key to achieving desired outcomes in all spectrums of military operations in the 21st century. A military learning organization, once realized, is able to create the outcomes it truly desires.

ADA 383682 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)