Anthony M. Coston

Is U.s. Army Rear Area and Base Security Doctrine Sound for Sustaining Operations on the Noncontiguous Nonlinear Battlefield? Anthony M. Coston

This monograph reviews existing and emergent Joint and Army doctrine; assesses the current and emergent threats to sustainment operations based on the Contemporary Operating Environment (COE) and transformation to the Interim and Objective Force; and explores historical case studies of Russian nonlinear and noncontiguous operations in Afghanistan and Chechnya. The monograph analyzes these findings against the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Doctrinal Literature Programs'; characteristics of sound doctrine - effective, acceptable, well researched, enduring, flexible, comprehensible, consistent, and concise - to determine if U. S. Army rear area and base security doctrine is sound for sustaining operations on the noncontiguous nonlinear battlefield. The monograph recommends several changes to doctrine definitions, concepts, and capabilities. First, it recommends changing the doctrine definitions for threat levels and rear area concepts. These proposed definitions are based on the area utility, hazard severity, and threat probability and assist commanders in prioritizing and allocating resources. Second, it recommends improvements to doctrine concepts including preemption and an operational level force protection doctrine to counter asymmetric threats. Finally, it recommends enabling support organizations with an organic, flexible force protection and preemptive capability.