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05/21/2006

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J.

Excellent discussion. I have seen Bobby over at "Bobby's World" talk about EBO also in a bit more depth. It struck me as strategic planning "metrics and measures" applied to warfare, a nice methodology for Pentagon planners but if (1) you don't pick the right metrics and measures and (2) you don't adjust one's practices based on trends pointing out your strategy isn't working; then strategic planning or EBO isn't going to help.

I saw an article noting that Columbia's drug trade is booming and increasing despite continued US funds and support to the military. Where's their "EBO"?

Kingdaddy

...And the Taliban is mounting a counteroffensive. In other words, they seem neither shocked nor awed.

Sonny

Kingdaddy,

Thanks for the links to FX-Based. I might respond to your comments in the near future. Nice swipe at my Sun Tzu quote. There's quite a bit of wisdom in that quote. Alas, the English word "position" does not quite convey the concept of "xing", which is means both our physical position and our condition. A closer translation would be "shape" or "form", but that's still lacking. Defeating or surpassing our opponents can be useful, but only if it improves our position, our xing. Beating opponents does us no good if it leaves us in a worse position than before.

EBO's are not exclusive to airpower. Please read this article from The New Yorker, detailing the effects-based campaign led by Col McMaster in Tal Afar. http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060410fa_fact2

An effects-based approach to operations is, at the very least, worthy of some consideration. It's an approach that goes beyond the mere enunciation of the layers of strategy.

Why EBO needs it own acronym? When has the US military shied away from assigning an acronym to a concept or object? Why do we call a "business trip" a TDY, a move a PCS, we work in AOCs and TOCs, move trough LOCs, have DEROS when we go overseas, follow our TTPs, write CONOPS, eat MREs, drop GBUs, load LGBs, submit RFIs, strike JDPIs or DMPIs, build a MAAP, work as an IWO or CCO, fly an ATO, ask the SIDO, make sure we have CSAR, go to SERE training, brief the CFACC, call the ASOC, the list goes on...Conversations would take forever if we did not use acronyms.

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