Counterinsurgency Paradigm Shift

The increased use of asymmetric, insurgent, and hybrid warfare by non-state actors requires that the United States military continue to retain the capability to conduct counterinsurgency. However, there are indications that the U.S. Army and the rest of the military may be moving away from that capability to concentrate on "the big fight". It would be a mistake to assume that our Special Forces Groups will concentrate special warfare and special operations and still be able to handle any and all counterinsurgency requirements in the future. Our conventional forces need to be able to conduct combined arms maneuver but also counterinsurgency. A graduate of West Point and veteran of the Afghan and Iraqi conflict provides us with his thoughts on the importance of counterinsurgency doctrine and training within the conventional forces and recommends how to attain / retain the coin capability within the conventional forces. Read "The Counterinsurgency Paradigm Shift", War on the Rocks, November 20, 2014.