Western Warfare Essay

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| | | | Using examples from H100, explain Geoffrey Parker’s concept of the “Western way of war.” How does the “Western way of war” influence current US actions in Afghanistan and Iraq? Many argue that Western warfare is irrelevant in today’s environment, however, Geoffrey Parker’s five principles of Western war remain influential in the U.S conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In describing Western warfare, Parker states that the concept rests the five principles of technology, discipline, aggressive military tradition, the ability to finance wars, and innovation. In applying the principles to our current conflicts, all five are relevant and impact our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Examples that support the relevance and influence of Parker’s principles during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) are the rapid acquisition of the Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) model and troop surges in both conflicts. During the early phases of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S Forces entered combat operations using Vietnam and Cold War era equipment that proved to be insufficient in the operational environment. To overcome these equipment shortfalls, our national industrial base used advanced technology and research to develop and manufacture new vehicles, uniforms, and weaponry to increase our combat effectiveness. For instance, when coalition forces experienced a significant increase in casualties and deaths as a result of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), the Department of Defense (DOD) called upon America’s industrial base to develop and manufacture the MRAP. The reaction was overwhelming and resulted in

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