FM 3-0 Operations: The Effects of Humanitarian Operations on US Army Doctrine

Abstract

Over the last decade, US Army doctrine has broadened its scope and increased the prominence of operations other than war (OOTW) concepts. The culmination of this process is the publication of FM 3-0 Operations and it focus on 'full spectrum operations'. Full spectrum operations include offense, defense, stability, and support - the latter two encompassing operations other than war (OOTW). This article examines how the operations of the early 1990s and the Army's own lessons learned process helped OOTW make their way to the forefront of Army doctrine. This occurred despite the Army leadership's inclination to focus more on fighting coventional wars.