Doctrinal Failure During Operation ANACONDA
Publicly, Operation ANACONDA was a decisive victory during the early months of the war in Afghanistan. General Tommy Franks (Ret) (2004) stated in his book American Soldier, that the operation was an “absolute and unqualified success” (pg. 379). Generally believed to be the catalyst for the Taliban’s reluctance to attack coalition forces in large numbers for over a year, in reality, it was a disaster. The saviors of this operation were the men and women fighting on the ground and in the air of Shahi Kot Valley between Kowst and Gardez. Operation ANACONDA was a doctrinal failure of joint functions due to an inadequate command and control element, poor coordination of joint fires, and a lack of…show more content… The establishment of a joint command and control early in the planning process was necessary because the operation consisted of units from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and other coalition forces. Coordination did not take place according to doctrine resulting in unnecessary setbacks. Joint fires from Army rotary-wing and Air Force fixed-wing aircraft experienced unnecessary delays due to differing request procedures. A single controlling element for close air support negates these issues. Per Joint Publication 3-0, “Sustainment determines the depth to which the joint force can conduct decisive operations” (JCS, 2017). Had the sustainment for coalition forces failed in the middle of the operation, this operation would not be viewed a tactical success as it is today.
References
Fleri, E., Howard, E., Hukill, J., & Searle, T. R. (2003). Operation Anaconda Case Study. Maxwell AFB: College of Aerospace Doctrine.
Franks, T. (2004). American Soldier. New York: Regan Books.
Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]. (2017). Joint operations. Retrieved from http://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/jp3_0_20170117.pdf
Kugler, R. L., Baranick, M., & Binnendijk, H. (2009). Operation ANACONDA Lessons for Joint Operations. Fort Lesley J. McNair: Center for Technology and National Security
