The Operational Arch

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

Apr 1, 2023
Retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer COL (Ret.) Derek Jones discusses irregular warfare and operational art. Topics include framing irregular operations, defining irregular warfare, enhancing partner forces, building resistance forces, and historical anecdotes in strategic adaptation.
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INSIGHT

Irregular Warfare Is Broader Than COIN

  • Irregular warfare is broader than population-centric COIN and includes many nonmilitary tools across domains.
  • Definitions matter because how DOD frames IW shapes training, resourcing, and interagency roles.
ANECDOTE

IWC Grew From A Fellowship Program

  • The Irregular Warfare Center evolved from the Combating Terrorism Fellowship Program and decades of alumni networks.
  • Congress formalized the center and funding across interagency, academia, and industry in recent NDAs.
ADVICE

Make Strategy Actionable, Not Theoretical

  • Use real-world problems and cross-agency brainstorming to produce actionable strategies.
  • Constrain creative design outputs so bureaucracies can resource and implement them.
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