In the not-too-distant future, an American military commander is
preparing to take charge of counterinsurgency operations in the
Narabad Province of remote and mountainous Khanastan, an
impoverished region scarred by war and ruled by diverse religious
and tribal communities. As part of his preparations, he enters a
stunningly real conflict-mapping simulation that allows him to see
the results of his on-the-ground decisions within hours.
What he learns shocks him.
His initial efforts to take control of the situation--by
establishing a secure forward operating base, pressuring the local
population to support his soldiers, providing armed escorts to
government leaders, and taking the fight to the enemy--lead to
chaos, increasing the danger to his troops and making the
insurgents more numerous and deadly. He consults with his two
mentors, a battlehardened war fighter and a provocative devil's
advocate, then rewinds the scenario and tries again. And again. But
whatever he does falls short of effective counterinsurgency,
leading to more violence and to consequences he never expected. He
grows frustrated, unsure if he and his soldiers can do anything at
all to defeat the enemy and claim victory. It's only when he
discards obsolete strategies and old measures of success and
formulates a nontraditional--and more cold-blooded--approach that
his efforts gain traction and the insurgency starts to weaken. He
begins to see that effective counterinsurgency demands a new way of
thinking. And a new way of fighting.
In the tradition of military classics such as "The Defence of
Duffer's Drift," this powerful parable illustrates the urgent need
for military leaders to rethink how they fight contemporary
conflicts. It reads like a thriller, with a cast of vivid
characters, even as it puts forward a bold approach to effective
counterinsurgency operations and makes a compelling case for
change.
- A journey through the mind of a commander as he learns and
adapts in a complex, deadly environment.
- One of the world's premier practitioners challenges
conventional wisdom about counterinsurgency, using a parable to
help leaders develop the mental agility to be successful.
- A fictional commander participates in virtual reality combat
situations that illustrate the chaos, complexity, and uncertainty
of modern conflict-and he fails repeatedly, learning and adapting
with each set of experiences.
- This highly practical parable avoids checklists and formulas;
it teaches leaders how to think and how to develop the mental
courage to learn, adapt, and make decisions in the face of a deadly
and resilient enemy.
- An innovative tool for developing in peacetime the mental
agility and adaptability our leaders need to be successful in
combat.
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