The Operational Arch

Latest Episodes:

A Departure from Centers of Gravity w Dr. Ben Zweibelson Jul 15, 2023

Show notes

Season 1 episode 12 of the Operational Arch is part two of our conversation with guest Dr. Ben Zweibelson where he talks all things Center of Gravity. Ben argues that Centers of Gravity insufficiently prepare us to understand the emergent systems spawned when two opposing forces collide, and offers some alternative constructs we might use to make sense of increasingly complex systems.

Dr. Zweibelson is the Director for the U.S. Space Command’s (USSPACECOM) Strategic Initiatives Group (SIG). Previously, Ben was the lead design educator/facilitator for U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) through the Joint Special Operations University. A retired U.S. Army Infantry officer and veteran of multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ben has an undergraduate degree (BA in Fine Arts) in Graphic Design from the University of Connecticut, three different master’s degrees (Louisiana State University, Air Command and Staff College, US Army School of Advanced Military Studies) and a doctorate in Philosophy from Lancaster University (UK). Ben is also the author of the recently released book "Understanding the Military Design Movement: War, Change, and Innovation."

Through the month of July '23, use code SMA35 to get 20% off physical and digital copies of his book "Understanding the Military Design Movement." https://www.routledge.com/Understanding-the-Military-Design-Movement-War-Change-and-Innovation/Zweibelson/p/book/9781032481784

Links to Dr. Zweibelson's Publications:

- Understanding the Military Design Movement: War, Change, and Innovation https://a.co/d/eotFjmb

- "Rhizomes: In Paradox to ‘Centers of Gravity’ and Centralized Hierarchies in War" https://aodnetwork.ca/rhizomes-in-paradox-to-centers-of-gravity-and-centralized-hierarchies-in-war/

- Part 1 and Part 2 of the "Looking to the Future" section in JAMS Vol 13, no. 2 https://www.usmcu.edu/Outreach/Marine-Corps-University-Press/MCU-Journal/JAMS-vol-14-no-1/

MAJs Josh Bedingfield, Kesley Kurtz, and Dan Warner are the hosts for this episode. You can contact them at operationalarch@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

School of Advanced Military Studies: https://armyuniversity.edu/CGSC/SAMS/SAMS Twitter: https://twitter.com/us_sams

Intro and Outro Music: "On and On" by Christian Bedingfield

Center of Gravity Analysis w Dr. Ben Zweibelson Jul 01, 2023

Show notes

Season 1 episode 11 of the Operational Arch is part one of our conversation with guest Dr. Ben Zweibelson where he talks all things Center of Gravity. Ben offers a deconstruction of COGs by taking a look at the models the concept is born from, and why those models might explain why COG analysis may be becoming less relevant as the systems around us become increasingly complex.

Links to Dr. Zweibelson's Publications:

- Understanding the Military Design Movement: War, Change, and Innovation https://a.co/d/eotFjmb

- "Rhizomes: In Paradox to ‘Centers of Gravity’ and Centralized Hierarchies in War" https://aodnetwork.ca/rhizomes-in-paradox-to-centers-of-gravity-and-centralized-hierarchies-in-war/

- Part 1 and Part 2 of the "Looking to the Future" section in JAMS Vol 13, no. 2 https://www.usmcu.edu/Outreach/Marine-Corps-University-Press/MCU-Journal/JAMS-vol-14-no-1/

MAJs Josh Bedingfield, Kesley Kurtz, and Dan Warner are the hosts for this episode. You can contact them at operationalarch@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

School of Advanced Military Studies: https://armyuniversity.edu/CGSC/SAMS/SAMS Twitter: https://twitter.com/us_sams

Intro and Outro Music: "On and On" by Christian Bedingfield

Boyd and Warden's Systems Approach w Dr. Jim Greer Jun 15, 2023

Show notes

Season 1 episode 10 of the Operational Arch is part two of our conversation with guest Dr. Jim Greer as he takes us on a deep dive into John Boyd and his Patterns of Conflict. We continue our conversation on how we should engage Boyd, and explores how John Warden's Five Rings theory collates with Boyd's theories. Boyd and Warden's theories remain complimentary in that they take a systems approach to understanding warfare, and may well be last pair of military theorists whose ideas substantively impacted how the U.S. Army conducts operations.

Dr. Greer is currently a professor at the Advanced Military Studies Program. He served thirty years in the US Army, commanded at all levels from platoon through Brigade, is a prior director of SAMS, and is a veteran of six combat tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and the Balkans. Dr. Greer retired as a COL and holds a Doctorate in Education from Walden University.

Link to Boyd's Patterns of Conflict slide deck: http://www.projectwhitehorse.com/pdfs/boyd/patterns%20of%20conflict.pdf

MAJs Kesley Kurtz and Josh Bedingfield are the hosts for this episode. You can contact them at operationalarch@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

School of Advanced Military Studies: https://armyuniversity.edu/CGSC/SAMS/SAMS Twitter: https://twitter.com/us_sams Intro and Outro Music: "On and On" by Christian Bedingfield

John Boyd's Patterns of Conflict w Dr. Jim Greer Jun 03, 2023

Show notes

Season 1 episode 9 of the Operational Arch is part one of our conversation with guest Dr. Jim Greer as he takes us on a deep dive into John Boyd and his Patterns of Conflict. He explains how we tend to get caught up in Boyd's OODA loop, often at the expense of Boyd's other insights into the nature and character of conflict. He explores the concept of the OODA loop as a point of departure and offers a perspective we should think about and employ Boyd's theories in a more complete way to help make sense of complexity and find advantage.

Link to Boyd's Patterns of Conflict slide deck: http://www.projectwhitehorse.com/pdfs/boyd/patterns%20of%20conflict.pdf

MAJs Kesley Kurtz and Josh Bedingfield are the hosts for this episode. You can contact them at operationalarch@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

School of Advanced Military Studies: https://armyuniversity.edu/CGSC/SAMS/SAMS Twitter: https://twitter.com/us_sams Intro and Outro Music: "On and On" by Christian Bedingfield

The Role of Practice in Operational Art w COL Andrew Morgado and Dr. Bruce Stanley May 16, 2023

Show notes

Season 1 Episode 8 of the Operational Arch is the final episode in our limited series exploring the pillars of operational art. Our guests this week are COL Andrew Morgado, the Director of the School of Advanced Military Studies, and Dr. Bruce Stanley, the Director of the Advanced Military Studies Program. They explore the relationship between practice and experience, how history, doctrine, and theory inform the practitioner, and how operational art remains ever the same even as our understanding of it changes in light of our experiences. Moreover, they offer an inside look on what the future of SAMS holds and some insight into what they are looking for in future students of the program. Below is a list of sources that provide some further reading for topics discussed in this episode.

Norman Maclean's "Young Men and Fire:" https://a.co/d/ehMQT03

MAJs Ksley Kurtz and Josh Bedingfield are the hosts for this episode. You can contact them at operationalarch@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

School of Advanced Military Studies: https://armyuniversity.edu/CGSC/SAMS/SAMS Twitter: https://twitter.com/us_sams Intro and Outro Music: "On and On" by Christian Bedingfield

The Role of Doctrine in Operational Art w COL (Ret.) Rich Creed May 01, 2023

Show notes

Season 1 Episode 7 of the Operational Arch is the third episode in our limited series exploring the pillars of operational art. We peel back the unique role doctrine plays in conducting operational art and training operational artists. Our guest, COL (Ret.) Rich Creed, discusses how history and theory informs doctrine, which theorists and history were key in developing "Multi-Domain Operations," the U.S. Army's new operating concept, and why a common language is so important when dealing with complex problems. COL (Ret.) Creed is the Director of the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, or CADD, at Fort Leavenworth. While serving, COL Creed was an armor officer and commanded at the company, battalion, and brigade levels. He is a 2002 graduate of the Advanced Military Studies Program at SAMS, and a 2011 graduate of the US Army War College. **Disclaimer: We experienced some technical difficulties while recording this episode and the audio is not as clean as we would like, or our audience expects. We published the episode in the best form possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Below is a list of sources that provide some further reading for topics discussed on this episode.

Combined Arms Directorate: https://usacac.army.mil/organizations/mccoe/cadd

Army Publishing Directorate: https://armypubs.army.mil/default.aspx

"Deep Operations: Theoretical Approaches to Fighting Deep," https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/images/LSCO%20DeepOps%20book%20interactive%20with%20cover%20spread%2012Nov21.pdf.

MAJs Josh Bedingfield and Dan Warner are the hosts for this episode. You can contact them at operationalarch@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

School of Advanced Military Studies: https://armyuniversity.edu/CGSC/SAMS/SAMS Twitter: https://twitter.com/us_sams Intro and Outro Music: "On and On" by Christian Bedingfield

The Human Dimension of War w LTC Nate Finney Apr 15, 2023

Show notes

Season 1 Episode 6 of the Operational Arch inspects the human dimension of the U.S. Army's multi-domain operating concept. Our guest, LTC Nate Finney, frames the discussion against the complex INDOPACOM operational environment and offers techniques on how planners and leaders should think about the human dimension to create relative advantage. LTC Finney is the creator and co-founder of The Strategy Bridge, a founder of the Military Writers Guild, and a founding member of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum. He is the co-editor and author of Redefining the Modern Military: The Intersection of Profession and Ethics and the editor and an author of On Strategy: A Primer. He regularly contributes to the Project on International Peace & Security, Military Strategy Magazine, the Military Writers Guild, and the Council on Foreign Relations. LTC Finney is a graduate of the SAMS ASP3 program and recently earned his PhD in history from Duke University. LTC Finney also holds masters degrees in History from Duke University and Public Administration from Harvard University and the University of Kansas.

MAJs Kelsey Kurtz, Josh Bedingfield, and Dan Warner are the hosts for this episode. You can contact them at operationalarch@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

On Strategy: A Primer https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/on-strategy-a-primer.pdf

Redefining the Modern Military: The Intersection of Profession and Ethics https://www.amazon.com/Redefining-Modern-Military-Intersection-Profession/dp/1682473635

School of Advanced Military Studies: https://armyuniversity.edu/CGSC/SAMS/SAMS Twitter: https://twitter.com/us_sams Intro and Outro Music: "On and On" by Christian Bedingfield

Irregular Warfare and the Operational Level of War w/ the Irregular Warfare Center's COL (Ret.) Derek Jones Apr 01, 2023

Show notes

Season 1 Episode 5 of the Operational Arch focuses on how irregular warfare fits into the operational level of war and operational art. Our guest, COL (Ret.) Derek Jones, representing the Irregular Warfare Center, discusses how irregular warfare is just one aspect of an irregular approach to campaigning and provides insights on how to perceive and frame irregular operations across the range of military operations. COL Jones is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer, special plans officer for the Irregular Warfare Center, Chief Strategy Officer of Valens Global, a 2009 graduate of the Advanced Military Studies Program at SAMS, and 2017 graduate of the U.S. Army War College. He is a well-respected subject matter expert in irregular and unconventional warfare with decades of operational experience spanning the globe. Derek holds four master's degrees from the U.S. Army CGSC, American Military University, SAMS, and the U.S. Army War College.

MAJs Josh Bedingfield and Jonathan Janos. You can contact them at operationalarch@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

Irregular Warfare Center: https://irregularwarfarecenter.org

School of Advanced Military Studies: https://armyuniversity.edu/CGSC/SAMS/SAMS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/us_sams
Intro and Outro Music: "On and On" by Christian Bedingfield

The Role of Theory in Operational Art w/ Dr. Scott Gorman Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

Season 1 Episode 4 of the Operational Arch is the second in a limited series examining the pillars of operational art. In this episode, we dive into the role theory plays in conducting operational art and training operational artists. Our guest, Dr. Scott Gorman, provides insights on how planners can leverage theory to understand how the world works and frame options to achieve desired endstates. Dr. Gorman is the Director of the Advanced Strategic Leadership Studies Program (ASLSP) at the School of Advanced Military Studies. He is a retired USAF Colonel, a career pilot, whose last assignment before retiring from active duty was Commandant and Dean, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. He holds a B.S. in Engineering from the USAF Academy, an M.A. in Russian History from Indiana University, an M.M.A.S. from the School of Advanced Military Studies, and a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

MAJs Josh Bedingfield, Dan Warner, and Kelsey Kurtz are the hosts for this episode. You can contact them at operationalarch@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

School of Advanced Military Studies: https://armyuniversity.edu/CGSC/SAMS/SAMS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/us_sams
Intro and Outro Music: "On and On" by Christian Bedingfield

The Role of History in Operational Art w/ Dr. Dean Nowowiejski Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

Season 1 Episode 3 of the Operational Arch is the first in a limited series examining the pillars of operational art. In this episode, we dive into the role history plays in conducting operational art and training operational artists. Our guest, Dr. Dean Nowowiejski, discusses the U.S. Army's interesting relationship with history, how leaders can become historically minded, and the value history plays in planning and executing current and future operations. Dr. Nowowiejski is the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Ike Skelton Distinguished Chair for the Art of War and director of the Art of War Scholars program. He is an alumni of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as an Armor officer for over thirty years, retiring as a Colonel in 2009. He is a 1995 graduate of SAMS, a 2001 graduate of the U.S. Army War college, holds a PhD in history from Princeton, and is the author of “Success Against the Odds: The American Army in Germany, 1918-1923.”

MAJs Josh Bedingfield, Dan Warner, and Kelsey Kurtz are the hosts for this episode. You can contact them at operationalarch@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

School of Advanced Military Studies: https://armyuniversity.edu/CGSC/SAMS/SAMS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/us_sams Intro and Outro
Music: "On and On" by Christian Bedingfield

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