Commanding the Contested Zones
By Bridagier General Robert E. Schmidle, USMC, and Lieutenant Colonel Frank G. Hoffman, USMCR (Ret.)
Lessons learned in Afghanistan and Iraq established the need for improving our capability to conduct wide-ranging netted operations that present more uncertainty to an adaptive and elusive enemy.
The U.S. military currently enjoys "command of the commons," to use one academic's phrase. 1 This translates into an unparalleled capacity to leverage the oceans, space, and air—and the corresponding ability to negate their use by our antagonists. It is a crucial element of our overwhelming military superiority. While we dominate the commons, however, recent combat operations suggest a shift toward more complex contested zones, including the dense urban jungles and congested littorals, where the majority of the world's population and economic activity are centered. 2
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