Transforming the Force: THE 11TH AIR ASSAULT DIVISION (TEST) FROM 1963 to1965

By: Graves, Thomas

In his monograph, originally written in 2000 for the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) entitled, "Transforming the Force: The 11th Air Assault Division (Test) from 1963-1965," then-Major Thomas Graves-currently serving as a Brigadier General-traced the history behind the development of air assault doctrine, tactics, and procedures that would later be used with great effect during the Vietnam War. The Howze Board and the development of the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) served as a great paradigm for how the U.S. Army could examine new concepts involving emerging technologies and put them in practice throughout the Army. It was the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) that would later become the 1st Cavalry Division and utilize the new tactics immediately in combat, most notably in their first major battle in the Ia Drang Valley in 1965.At the time Major Graves wrote "Transforming the Force," the Army was similarly exploring new doctrine and tactics in the 1990s, trying to capture the most effective use of a number of emerging technologies such as the Internet, satellite-based communications, precision munitions, and other capabilities-all lumped together under the rubric of the impending Revolution of Military Affairs. Before attending SAMS and writing "Transforming the Force," then-Captain Graves served as the Deputy Brigade S3 for the Army Warfighting Experiment, Force XXI, at Fort Hood, Texas. It was his experiences at Fort Hood that piqued his intellectual curiosity to investigate how the Army had previously integrated other emergingtechnologies.viiiCurrently, the Army is undergoing another period of change with a host of emerging technologies that must be studied in order to determine if they can be applied to battle effectively and efficiently. The so-called third offset with autonomous intelligence, laser technologies, mobile protection, robotics, and other capabilities are prime for further experimentation before the Army fully invests in the development of units that capitalize on these technologies.This 2017 revision of now-Brigadier General Graves' monograph serves as a tremendous lesson in how senior leaders dealt with innovation in order to create wholesale change in the methods that the Army would use extensively in battle. I believe it will provide the reader with much to consider as we move into the future of the post-Afghanistan and Iraq era and begin to examine the emerging threats from near-peer or peer competitors as well as continue our nation's fight against international terrorism. I hope that the reader enjoys it as much as I have.DOUGLAS C. LOVELACE, JR.DirectorStrategic Studies Institute andU.S. Army War College Press

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1974406296
• ISBN13: 9781974406296
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 74 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.5" x 11.0"