Marine Corps Topics of Interest

This paper broadly analyzes contemporary MOOTW missions and evaluates their relevance for the military in the future. First, it looks historically to determine the roots of MOOTW and how it differs from earlier, related, concepts such as Low Intensity conflict and Unconventional Warfare. The missions encompassed in MOOTW are not new but follow a long history in the US military, described herein. Several differing concepts of future threats are reviewed to determine the continued applicability of MOOTW. Within a wide variety of future threat environments, MOOTW missions should still be able to contribute to enhancing national security. However, the ability of MOOTW responses to counter the threat does not, alone, justify using the military. The paper next examines which MOOTW missions can or should be carried out by the military.

Joint doctrine regarding MOOTW misleads joint force commanders as to the nature of the principles of MOOTW, overemphasizing the weight to be given American casualties and underemphasizing the true cost of “collateral damage.” Using historic (Vietnam) and contemporary (Afghanistan and Iraq) examples of how conventional thinking can undercut efforts in unconventional wars, this paper criticizes current joint doctrine regarding MOOTW and suggests how it may be improved to better contribute to the GWOT.