This historical study treats the development of the Army's first doctrine for the post-Cold War. Raised to new prominence in the modernization and reform of the United States Army of the 1970s-1980s, Army operational doctrine was rendered obsolescent in the early 1990s by the Cold War's end and by the advanced military technological capabilities demonstrated in the Persian Gulf War. The new doctrine formulated under General Frederick Franks, Commanding General of the Army Training and Doctrine Command, sprang from the assumptions of a new strategic era. In the process of rethinking war fighting, a new dynamics of battle emerged, and a new operational doctrine was formulated. This study is intended to present a critical documented record of that important event in late-20th century American Army history. Treated are: its listurical antecedents, strategic context, study and formulation, finished results, propagation, and the mecloanics of the effort. This monograph is additionally intended to provided, in its ideational detail, a case-study of the intellectual and institutional processes involved, for use by future doctrine planners.

Army doctrine and the strategic shift - Doctrine and its levels - Doctrine and the American Army - AirLand Battle Doctrine - Revolution and War, 1989-1991 - AirLand Operations - Preliminary Revision -- Rethinking War Fighting - Directive for Change - Franks, VII Corps and the Gulf War - Organizing a Writing Team - A Consensus-Building Campaign - A Precis - Views of the Army's Senior Leaders - Issues and Planning -- A New Dynamics of Battle - Digesting Theory and Practice - Franks and the Changing Dynamics of Battle - Desert Storm Lessons - Developing Battle Dynamics - Battle Laboratories - The Way Ahead -- Crystallizing a Post-Cold War Doctrine - Distilling Ideas - Emerging Doctrine - The Army thinks it over - Crystallizing the Doctrine - Final Formulation -- Doctrine for a new time - Full Dimension Operations - Fundamentals of Army Operations - Force Projection - Joint and Combined Operations - Offense and Defense - Logistics - Operations other than War - Combat Environment - Implementing the Doctrine -- An Assessment - Ideas of 1993 - Doctrine Writing: the TRADOC Paradigm - Doctrine and Strategic Circumstance - Toward the 21st Century Force.