Planning for and Applying Military Force: an Examination of Terms

Despite common opinion, doctrine never stands still. Concepts are redefined, added to, and subtracted from, over time. Often the changes result in improvements, but occasionally they do not. As Joint doctrine is currently undergoing some potentially major revisions, Lieutenant General (USMC, Ret.) Paul Van Riper, an experienced warfighter and accomplished forward-thinker, asks the doctrine community to take a step back from the process of change and take a hard look at the differences between the original concepts and the proposed revisions. If, after doing so, the proposed revisions clearly amount to a step forward, then we should proceed. Otherwise, we might question the value of implementing the proposed changes. In any case, pausing for sober reflection even in periods of comprehensive change is a healthy habit.