As America finds itself answering to the needs of the world, the costs associated with less-than-vital military operations have become a growing subject of debate. One inevitable part of this debate is the issue of combat casualties and the widely held perception that the American public, and consequently, US political leadership, is excessively sensitive to suffering combat casualties. This monograph examines the question of whether this sensitivity should alter political and military decision-making. Since the issue of casualty sensitivity may only be a perception with no factual basis, the monograph begins by documenting the public reality of this uniquely American characteristic. However, the existence of a national sensitivity toward combat casualties does not necessarily mean this sensitivity has any effect on national decision-making. The monograph, therefore, examines past studies to document the effect of war casualties on public support and political popularity. The issue of casualties is discussed in relation to national security strategies and military decision-making. This discussion includes how national strategists often erroneously use the risk of casualties to support or block political strategies and decisions. For the military, this discussion includes the risk of allowing shifting political pressures to override the harsh realities of combat. Finally, the factors that restrain America's way of war are discussed. The monograph studies the issue of enemy war casualties and collateral damage and what role they should have on national and military decision-making. The monograph concludes by providing guidance for how political and military leaders can properly integrate the issue of combat into their decision making.

ADA 331295 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.)