For this assignment, you will watch a video of GEN Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.’s press briefing following the conclusion of operations during the Gulf War.  In this video, he explains the Coalition Forces’ war plan and how it was executed.  After initially watching the video, your assignment is to write a short paper about how an individual Armed Service utilized one of the Principles of War in the operation.  You are strongly advised to watch the video at least twice to ensure you fully understand what took place.

For this assignment, you may pick any of the Armed Services under the US Department of Defense or the Saudi Forces:

• US Army
• US Air Force
• US Navy
• US Marine Corps
• Saudi Forces

You will then pick one of the nine Principles of War, and explain how your chosen Service utilized that Principle in combat operations, according to GEN Schwarzkopf’s briefing:

• Objective
• Simplicity
• Unity of Command
• The Offensive
• Maneuver
• Mass
• Economy of Force
• Surprise
• Security

Here is a link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKi3NwLFkX4

Length and Content:

Your paper must be two pages long–no shorter, no longer.  You must use Times New Roman, 12-point font, with 1? margins all around.

Page one: you must define the Principle of War you have chosen and explain it in detail.  You must demonstrate that you thoroughly understand the Principle.  In order to do this, you must explain the definition, what it means, and why it is so important that we consider it a timeless Principle of War (in other words, you must explain why this concept is always important at all times–not just in the Gulf War).  If you have not filled an entire page, you have likely not explained the concept in enough detail.

Page two: You must explain how your chosen Service implemented your chosen Principle in the Gulf War.  Again, a full page of text is required to adequately demonstrate your understanding.  You must put the Principle in context within the overall war plan by explaining what the Service did, the impact that action had, how it was critical to helping the Coalition Forces prevail in the operation, and what would have happened had the Service not used that Principle.  You MUST indicate at what point in the video (in minutes and seconds elapsed) GEN Schwarzkopf begins describing the events about which you are writing (for example, “GEN Schwarzkopf began discussing this part of the operation at the 11 minute 27 second point in the video.”).

Grading:

This assignment is worth 10 points (10% of your overall grade).  Here is how your grade will be determined:

• Grammar (spelling, punctuation, proper sentence and paragraph structure, etc.) – 25%
• Defining the Principle of War – 35%
• Explaining how the Service implemented that Principle in the conflict – 40%

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: In keeping with my guidance that you should not include concepts in your assignments which you do not understand, if you use a military-specific term (e.g., an acronym, an operational concept, etc.) which you do not define, you will automatically lose 10% off your grade for every term you do not demonstrate your understanding.  For example, if GEN Schwarzkopf mentions the idea of “sweeping around their flank,” and you write that in your report, but you do not explain what a flank is, you will lose 10%.  Therefore, do not just echo back what the general says in the video without proving that you understand what he means.