Assessing the Prospects and Limitations of Military Operations Other Than War

Since the end of the Cold War and the Gulf War, the US military has been increasingly tasked for operations short of war, in what has come to be labeled Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW). While the MOOTW concept has been incorporated into extant US military doctrine, specific missions attributed to MOOTW remain controversial, such as peace operations (Somalia, Haiti, and Bosnia) or humanitarian operations (Somalia, Rwanda). This paper broadly analyzes contemporary MOOTW missions and evaluates their relevance for the military in the future. First, it looks historically to determine the roots of MOOTW and how it differs from earlier, related, concepts such as Low-Intensity-Conflict and Unconventional Warfare. The missions encompassed in MOOTW are not new but follow a long history in the US military, described herein. Several differing concepts of future threats are reviewed to determine the continued applicability of MOOTW. Within a wide variety of future threat environments, MOOTW missions should still be able to contribute to enhancing national security. However, the ability of MOOTW responses to counter the threat does not, alone, justify using the military. The paper next examines which MOOTW missions can or should be carried out by the military. Many of the missions in MOOTW are likely to involve combating organized violence; hence those missions are appropriate for the military. For those that do not involve combat, there are several rationale: the miltiary provides exclusive expertise, has appropriate resources, or performing those missions contributes to justifying military budgets and personnel designed for other threats or conflicts. These rationales are not sufficient to justify using the military in some MOOTW missions. The conclusion of the paper expands that discussion with suggestions for other organizations or mechanisms to address those mission areas without reliance on the military.