The United States has the most expensive and seemingly unstoppable military in the world. Yet, since World War II the nation’s military success rate has been meager. The Korean War was a draw, while Vietnam, Mogadishu, Afghanistan, and Iraq were clear losses. Successes include Iraq in 1991, the Balkans (Croatia and Kosovo), Panama, the initial takedowns of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, and Libya. What differentiates the failures from the successes? Failures have been marked by the introduction of large numbers of conventional American ground troops, while successes have been characterized by the use of airpower, special operations forces, robust intelligence and sensor platforms, and the use of indigenous ground troops. Phillip S. Meilinger’s new book advocates strategies that limit risks in war as well as achieve measurable goals. Instead of large numbers of conventional ground troops, the author argues in favor of a focus on asymmetric capabilities—a combination of airpower, special operation forces, intelligence, and indigenous ground troops—to achieve the desired political outcomes.
A propos de l’auteur
PHILLIP S. MEILINGER served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force as a command pilot, staff officer and educator, before retiring as a colonel. He flew C-130 and HC-130 aircraft in Europe and the Pacific, served as an action officer on the Air Staff in the Pentagon, taught at the Air Force Academy and the Naval War College, and was Dean of the School of Advanced Airpower Studies at Air University.
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