ABSTRACT
The past, it is sometimes said, is the prologue of the future, and nowhere is that observation more applicable than in the area of military forces. War is an ancient institution, and it has evolved and changed over time, but it retains significant continuities in how and why it is fought. Doctrinebeliefs about the best ways to accomplish military ends-is persistent, and much of the doctrine employed today is rooted in the cumulative worldview that existed during the Cold War. The past is thus relevant to the future.
