Desert Shield and Desert Storm Implications for Future U.S. Force Requirements (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
April 19, 1991 |
| Report Number |
91-361 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
John M. Collins, Office of Senior Specialists |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Desert Shield and Desert Storm were spectacular successes by almost any standards. Postmortem specialists who attempt to extract 'lessons learned' from that experience nevertheless would be well advised to proceed cautiously, because campaigns against Iraq unfolded under conditions that may not again pertain. This preliminary assessment summarizes U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps performance during the recent war, then relates it to past experience and potential threats in ways that might help decision makers determine the most suitable characteristics of U .S. armed forces for the rest of this decade. [â¦] Finally, the study is skeptical of contentions that Desert Shield and Desert Storm 'proved' the permanent ascendancy of any strategy, tactics, or armed service. Requisite forces and formulas might be quite different at future times and in dissimilar places.
