ARCIC continues to explore innovation

As U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command continues to build the future force, it must also continue to develop the leaders responsible for designing and building tomorrow's Army, often referred to as Force 2025 and Beyond.

Through a continuing partnership with academia, TRADOC's Army Capabilities Integration Center provided another opportunity for leader development during the third event in the ARCIC Distinguished Speaker Series held Jan. 23 on Fort Eustis, Virginia.

The event featured Professor Emeritus Dr. Williamson Murray from The Ohio State University, who discussed examples of innovation throughout the interwar period of 1920 to 1940.

"There is no historian, no scholar who I've relied on more than Williamson Murray in terms of how to think about our job, in particular, how we try to anticipate the demands of future armed conflict and then prepare future forces to fight and win," said Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, ARCIC's director.

Murray began the discussion with key definitions of three elements: innovation, adaptation and improvisation.

Innovation, he said, is a process of change during peacetime where military institutions face considerable difficulties because of the constant changes in technology and in the international environment. The advantage to innovation is that there is plenty of time, whereas the opposite is true with adaptation. Although some say innovation and adaptation are one in the same, Murray disagrees.

"it's different in the sense that in wartime, in terms of adapting to the conditions of combat, you have relatively little time to adapt," Murray explained. "Not only that, you confront the very difficult problem that your opponent is adapting at the same time."

Improvisation, the third element, presents a major problem because of the inability to predict the future -- the political context, the nature of the enemy, the conditions of war and popular opinion -- are not predictable.

"Therefore, how well military organizations are able to improvise when caught by surprise is an essential element," Murray said.

The remainder of Murray's discussion, although focused primarily on naval innovation, was woven with detailed examples that illustrated the service's successes in technological, operational and tactical innovation.

Capt. Erikson McCleary, a current fellow of the Army's Maj. Gen. James Wright MBA Program at the College of William and Mary, said it was interesting to hear the discussion from a naval aspect, and the examples provided an even better understanding of the facts provided.

"I was very impressed," McCleary said. "He is a very knowledgeable man who was able to add a lot of anecdotes to emphasize certain facts you wouldn't normally understand without the stories."

As he brought the discussion to a close, Murray provided five key historical takeaways:

1. The fundamental nature of war will not change

2. Friction, uncertainty and ambiguity will dominate

3. Strategy matters

4. The enemy always gets a vote: Understanding the "other" is critical

5. It is crucial for senior leaders to provide strategic as well as operational advice to civilian leaders

After several questions from the audience, McMaster thanked Murray for providing invaluable advice on the approach to force development within the Army.

"Your scholarship has helped us understand the distinguishing characteristics of successful military innovation," McMaster said. "You have, more than any other scholar, given us what we need to ask the right questions and think thoroughly about future war."

This discussion and previous discussions from the ARCIC Distinguished Speaker Series can be found at http://www.arcic.army.mil/LPD/distinguished-speaker-series-archive.aspx

Related Links:

ARCIC Distinguished Speaker Series

U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command