The Influence of Foreign Wars on U.S. Domestic Military Policy: The Case of the Yom Kippur War

This book explores how the US military learned from Israel's victory in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and applied those lessons to doctrinal and equipment changes. It relies on Paul Senges' model of learning organizations and examines the reactions of the Army, Air Force, and Navy to the war. The book offers a valuable examination of how militaries can use foreign conflicts to make organizational changes. However, it also highlights the need for military organizations to embrace learning structures to be successful in the future.

Format: Hardback
Length: 118 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

This book delves into a significant instance of military learning, where the United States military undertook a systematic examination of Israel's victorious outcome in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and applied its lessons to significant doctrinal and equipment changes. The book heavily relies on Paul Senges' model of learning organizations, as outlined in his seminal work, "The Fifth Dimension." Using Senges' model, the book explores the reactions of the Departments of the Army, Air Force, and Navy to the Yom Kippur War and their approaches to incorporating or disregarding the lessons learned from the conflict within their respective forces. The book employs source documents, including personal memoirs, doctrinal publications, and individual reflections, to provide a comprehensive examination of how militaries can leverage foreign conflicts to effect meaningful organizational transformations.

The Yom Kippur War, particularly the Israeli experience in that conflict, served as a valuable battle laboratory for the American military to develop new warfighting concepts and evaluate new weapons acquisitions. In its conclusion, the book offers a cautionary tale that emphasizes the need for military organizations to embrace learning structures if they are to succeed in the future. Learning and change do not occur automatically within military organizations; rather, they require proactive efforts and a commitment to continuous improvement. By adopting learning structures, military organizations can enhance their adaptability, responsiveness, and effectiveness in addressing the complex challenges of modern warfare.

Weight: 354g
Dimension: 227 x 161 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781498568111