The Innate Insurgent Advantage

The role of training, planning, and technological change is examined in helping turn around coalition and American efforts in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Despite the wealth of historical, doctrinal, and experiential knowledge available to help mitigate casualties and restore security in these operations, the United States and its coalition partners failed to adequately plan or to train and equip their individual forces until years after the start of the conflict. The evidence suggests that these forces made great strides in reversing what had been virtual lost causes to effect meaningful victories and gradual withdrawal throughout the region. Boyd reviews methods, training, and decisions that helped make moderate successes possible after particularly dark days.