Dr. Robert S. Cameron's To Fight or Not to Fight? Organizational and Doctrinal Trends in Mounted Maneuver Reconnaissance from the Interwar Years to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM provides a narrative analysis of US Army reconnaissance, scout, and cavalry evolution from the post-World War I era through the Iraqi conflict. It outlines key developments in the concepts governing reconnaissance units from the armored cavalry regiment down to the maneuver battalion scout platoon. These changes are placed in the context of national defense policy decisions and major Army initiatives. The title derives from the almost cyclic shifts between reconnaissance organizations oriented on information collection and those designed for a broader mission set. The text focuses on doctrinal and organizational changes, but training, materiel development, and the impact of combat operations constitute important supporting themes. This study also traces the transition from horse to vehicular reconnaissance, later bolstered by air cavalry and more recently with a variety of sensors and unmanned systems. The chronicle of this transition highlights another persistent theme: the impact of technology on reconnaissance. It addresses an issue with which scouts in today's high-tech world continue to grapple: finding the correct balance between man and machine for effective reconnaissance. The trend analysis included in these pages shows how mounted reconnaissance arrived at its current state. The author provides a clear depiction of past evolution to guide future reconnaissance development. Given the ongoing changes today within the Army generally and the reconnaissance community in particular, such an analysis has immediate relevance. The insights and information provided help to determine those capabilities scouts need on future battlefields and how best to acquire them. In this sense, this book is part of a larger effort by the Armor Branch to shape future mounted maneuver reconnaissance in a sensible and effective manner. However, it is clear from this text that developing the right doctrine, organization, and platform to ensure our reconnaissance Soldiers are configured for success in ever-changing operational environments is a complex process. To Fight or Not to Fight? is a must read for those responsible for designing reconnaissance organizations, writing the related doctrine, establishing the materiel requirements, and training scouts. It is also recommended for those serving in reconnaissance organizations who every day discover new trails for others to follow. Much has been written about cavalry and reconnaissance, but this literature generally focuses on a specific era, platform, combat operation, or personal account of service. Missing from this body of literature is an overarching analysis of American cavalry and reconnaissance development. This book fills that void, providing a single source reference for a critical dimension of mounted maneuver history. These pages should resonate with anyone who has served in or supported a cavalry, reconnaissance, or scout unit. They remind us of the importance of what the horse cavalry once called "mental mobility."

In August and September 1862 Confederate armies were on the move northward. Robert E. Lee was invading Maryland, Earl Van Dorn and Sterling Price were moving into Tennessee, and Braxton Bragg and Edmund Kirby Smith were advancing into Kentucky. James McPherson, in his acclaimed Battle Cry of Freedom, cites this period as the first of the four major turning points of the American Civil War. The Confederate counteroffensive defeated Union hopes to end the war in 1862. However, by mid-October, hard on the heels of the broad Confederate advance the Union forces had regained the strategic and operational advantage, cited by McPherson as the second turning point of the war. Union victories at Antietam in the east and Perryville in the west carried significant weight in determining the final outcome of the conflict. While vast literature surrounds the former battle Perryville has been somewhat neglected. This work seeks to alleviate that lacuna. The US Army has used Civil War and other battlefields as "outdoor classrooms" to educate and train its officers. Since 1983 the Combat Studies Institute has produced a series of staff ride guides to assist units and classes in this training. The most recent volume in that series, Dr. Robert Cameron's Staff Ride Handbook for the Battle of Perryville, 8 October 1862, is a valuable study that examines the key considerations in planning and executing the September-October campaign and battle. Modern tacticians and operational planners will find themes that still resonate. Cameron demonstrates that Civil War leaders met their challenging responsibilities with planning, discipline, ingenuity, leadership, and persistence-themes that are well worth continued reflection by today's officers.

CMH Pub 30-23-1. Army Historical Series. Captures the multifaceted development of the Armored Force from its inauspicious beginnings in World War 1 to its fully mature, operational status at the close of World War 2. Provides an excellent case study in force transformation. Gives attention to training maneuvers conducted in the interwar period. Source material includes reports, memorandums, and correspondence of the majors, lieutenant colonels, and colonels associated with armored development since World War I. First published in 2008.

Reprint of 2005 publication. Examines the key considerations in planning and executing the September-October campaign and battle. Modern tacticians and operational planners will find themes that still resonate. Cameron demonstrates that Civil War leaders met their challenging responsibilities with planning, discipline, ingenuity, leadership, and persistence-themes that are well worth continued reflection by today's officers.

Provides a narrative analysis of US Army reconnaissance, scout, and cavalry evolution from the post-World War I era through the Iraqi conflict. It outlines key developments in the concepts governing reconnaissance units from the armored cavalry regiment down to the maneuver battalion scout platoon. These changes are placed in the context of national defense policy decisions and major Army initiatives. The title derives from the almost cyclic shifts between reconnaissance organizations oriented on information collection and those designed for a broader mission set. The text focuses on doctrinal and organizational changes, but training, materiel development, and the impact of combat operations constitute important supporting themes. This study also traces the transition from horse to vehicular reconnaissance, later bolstered by air cavalry and more recently with a variety of sensors and unmanned systems. Originally published by Combat Studies Institute in 2010, this book is profusely illustrated throughout.

This handbook serves to facilitate military staff rides to Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site in Kentucky. Perryville does not face the threat of encroaching development. Following the course of the requires no special arrangements with property owners. It includes information concerning the nature of Civil War armies, the 1862 Kentucky campaign, maps, and more specialized material detailing the Armies of the Ohio and the Mississippi. This guide offers a general sense of the flow of the battle of Perryville, punctuated by select snapshots of specific units and events for study and discussion. The battle provides an excellent vehicle for studying brigade and below operations.