conflict, and unity of effort and command. essons Encountered: Learning from They stand alongside the lessons of other wars the Long War began as two questions and remind future senior officers that those from General Martin E. Dempsey, 18th who fail to learn from past mistakes are bound Excerpts from LChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: What to repeat them. were the costs and benefits of the campaigns LESSONS ENCOUNTERED in Iraq and Afghanistan, and what were the LESSONS strategic lessons of these campaigns? The R Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University was tasked to answer these questions. The editors com- The Institute for National Strategic Studies posed a volume that assesses the war and (INSS) conducts research in support of the Henry Kissinger has reminded us that “the study of history offers no manual the Long Learning War from LESSONS ENCOUNTERED ENCOUNTERED analyzes the costs, using the Institute’s con- academic and leader development programs of instruction that can be applied automatically; history teaches by analogy, siderable in-house talent and the dedication at the National Defense University (NDU) in shedding light on the likely consequences of comparable situations.” At the of the NDU Press team. The audience for Washington, DC. It provides strategic sup- strategic level, there are no cookie-cutter lessons that can be pressed onto ev- Learning from the Long War this volume is senior officers, their staffs, and port to the Secretary of Defense, Chairman ery batch of future situational dough. The only safe posture is to know many the students in joint professional military of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and unified com- historical cases and to be constantly reexamining the strategic context, ques- education courses—the future leaders of the batant commands. INSS also interacts with tioning assumptions, and testing the appropriateness of analogies. Armed Forces. Other national security pro- other U.S. Government agencies, other edu- fessionals should find it of great value as well. cational institutions, and the broader nation- al security community. It includes the Center R The volume begins with an introduction that for Strategic Research, Center for Technology addresses the difficulty of learning strategic and National Security Policy, Center for the At times during the Long War, civil-military tension was compounded unnec- lessons and a preview of the major lessons Study of Chinese Military Affairs, Center for essarily. Civilian decisionmakers can benefit from a better understanding of identified in the study. It then moves on to an the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction, the complexity of military strategy and the military’s need for clear planning analysis of the campaigns in Afghanistan and Center for Complex Operations, and NDU guidance. Senior military officers for their part require a deep understanding Iraq from their initiation to the onset of the Press. of the policy/interagency process, an appreciation for the perspectives of civil- U.S. Surges. The study then turns to the Surg- ian counterparts, and a willingness to embrace, and not resist, the complexi- es themselves as tests of assessment and ad- ties and challenges inherent in our system of civilian control. aptation. The next part focuses on decision- R making, implementation, and unity of effort. The volume then turns to the all-important Jacket designed by Chris Dunham R issue of raising and mentoring indigenous se- U.S. Government Printing Office curity forces, the basis for the U.S. exit strate- gy in both campaigns. Capping the study is a Four-star generals and admirals are masters of Service and joint warfighting, Collins and Hooker chapter on legal issues that range from deten- Cover photo: U.S. Army Soldiers with Echo but at the most senior levels, other attributes are necessary. These include in- th nd tion to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Company, 5 Cavalry Regiment, 172 In- teragency acumen; media savvy; a detailed understanding of congressional fantry Brigade, prepare to clear building The final chapter analyzes costs and benefits, relations; a strong grasp of the defense planning, programming, and budget- during combined training exercise with Iraqi dissects decisionmaking in both campaigns, ing system; and skill in multinational environments. soldiers near Bahbahani, Iraq, June 6, 2009 and summarizes the lessons encountered. (DOD/Kim Smith) Supporting the volume are three annexes: one on the human and financial costs of the R Long War and two detailed timelines for his- tories of Afghanistan and Iraq and the U.S. A lesson here for future senior officers is that there is no substitute for lifelong campaigns in those countries. learning. The study of history, a broad grasp of all the instruments of national power with their strengths and weaknesses, confidence and a decisive charac- The lessons encountered in Afghanistan and NDU Press ter, and a fair portion of prudence and humility are all helpful when dealing Iraq at the strategic level inform our under- 260 Fifth Avenue with future commitments and challenges. Edited by Richard D. Hooker, Jr., and Joseph J. Collins standing of national security decisionmaking, intelligence, the character of contemporary Fort Lesley J. McNair Washington, DC Continued on back flap LESSONS ENCOUNTERED LESSONS ENCOUNTERED Learning from the Long War Edited by Richard D. Hooker, Jr., and Joseph J. Collins National Defense University Press Washington, D.C. September 2015 Published in the United States by National Defense University Press. Portions of this book may be quoted or reprinted without permission, provided that a stan- dard source credit line is included. NDU Press would appreciate a courtesy copy of reprints or reviews. Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Depart- ment of State, Department of Defense, or any other agency of the Federal Govern- ment. Cleared for public release; distribution unlimited. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lessons encountered : learning from the long war / edited by Richard D. Hooker, Jr., and Joseph J. Collins. pages cm Includes bibliographical references. 1. National security—United States—History—21st century. 2. United States— Military policy—History—21st century. 3. Afghan War, 2001- 4. Iraq War, 2003- 2011. 5. United States—Armed Forces—Operations other than war—History—21st century. 6. United States—History, Military—21st century—Case studies. 7. Strategy. I. Hooker, Richard D., editor of compilation. II. Collins, Joseph J., editor of compilation. UA23.L484 2015 355'.033073—dc23 2015030056 National Defense University Press 260 Fifth Avenue (Building 64) Suite 2500 Fort Lesley J. McNair Washington, DC 20319 NDU Press publications are sold by the U.S. Government Printing Office. For order- ing information, call (202) 512-1800 or write to the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 20402. For GPO publications online, access its Web site at: http://bookstore.gpo.gov. Book design by Chris Dunham, U.S. Government Printing Office Cover photo: U.S. Army Soldiers with Echo Company, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, prepare to clear building during combined training exercise with Iraqi soldiers near Bahbahani, Iraq, June 6, 2009 (DOD/Kim Smith) Human nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good. Let us therefore study the incidents in this [war] as philosophy to learn wisdom from and none of them as wrongs to be avenged. —Abraham Lincoln, November 10, 1864 Source: United Nations Source: United Nations Contents Acknowledgments ...................................................................... xi Introduction .............................................................................. 1 Richard D. Hooker, Jr., and Joseph J. Collins Chapter 1 Initial Planning and Execution in Afghanistan and Iraq .............21 Joseph J. Collins Chapter 2 Strategic Assessment and Adaptation: The Surges in Iraq and Afghanistan ..................................................................89 Frank G. Hoffman and G. Alexander Crowther Chapter 3 National-Level Coordination and Implementation: How System Attributes Trumped Leadership ............................... 165 Christopher J. Lamb with Megan Franco Chapter 4 Raising and Mentoring Security Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq ................................................................................... 277 T.X. Hammes ix Chapter 5 9/11 and After: Legal Issues, Lessons, and Irregular Conflict ..... 345 Nicholas Rostow and Harvey Rishikof Chapter 6 Reflections on Lessons Encountered ........................................ 401 Richard D. Hooker, Jr., and Joseph J. Collins Annexes A. The Human and Financial Costs of Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq .......................................... 421 Sara Thannhauser and Christoff Luehrs B. Afghanistan Timeline ............................................................ 441 C. Iraq Timeline ........................................................................ 455 About the Contributors ........................................................... 467 x Acknowledgments his volume was a great team effort that enabled us to accomplish a 2-year project in only 10 months. The first acknowledgment goes to the nearly one dozen