The Army after Next: The First Postindustrial Army (Stanford Studies in Jewish History & Culture) [Paperback]

Thomas Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2008 | Series: Stanford Studies in Jewish History & Culture

Sure to be found controversial by some, compelling by all, this is the only available book-length examination of the way the U.S. Army and Department of Defense have tried to create the capabilities promised by the high-tech Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). Of more immediate concern, it is also the only in-depth account of the effect RMA and transformation concepts had on the American operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many of the problems in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Adams argues, arose from the DoD's implacable desire to implement RMA-driven transformation concepts-whether they were appropriate or not. What we need to do, he maintains, is to fight the war we have, not the war we want. Over the last several decades, military theorists and others began to believe that new technologies were generating a "revolution in military affairs" (RMA), capabilities so revolutionary that they would redefine warfare. Spurred by these beliefs, and led by President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Department of Defense (DoD) set out to transform the U.S. armed forces by adopting RMA concepts-and spending billions to make the hypothetical capabilities real. The entire structure of the armed forces changed as a result. This vision, however, was totally dependent on a set of unproven suppositions and often nonexistent capabilities, especially a network of information technologies. Moreover, the services, the media, Congress, and industry each had its own agenda, all of which continue to come into play in the development of RMA strategies. The interplay of politics, technology and military reality offers a fascinating narrative.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Army after Next is spot on and Tom Adams is something of a prophet....a well-documented, well-reasoned, and well-written piece of work by a highly experienced practitioner. This book should be mandatory reading for citizens as well as decision-policy-and opinion makers. At base, The Army after Next deals with the issue of security—our security. Too few of us have paid much attention. Pay attention now."—Parameters

"Written by national security consultant Thomas K. Adams, a veteran of thirty-four years of military service primarily in intelligence and special operations, The Army After Next: The First Post-Industrial Army is an in-depth examination of how the US Army and the Department of Defense have tried to hone the capabilities promised by the ongoing high-tech 'revolution in military affairs' A sobering, critical wake-up call, accessible to readers of all backgrounds but especially recommended reading for career military officers and strategists." —The Midwest Book Review

Book Description

Over the last several decades, military theorists and others began to believe that new technologies were generating a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), capabilities so revolutionary that they would redefine warfare. This vision, however, was totally dependent on a set of unproven suppositions and often nonexistent capabilities, especially a network of information technologies.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press (April 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804759685
• ISBN-13: 978-0804759687
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,998,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Adams' most recent experience has been in counterterrorism and targeting, specializing in terrorist training methods and sensitive site exploitation by US forces in SW Asia. He offers a unique and extensive background in asymmetric warfare and complex contingencies at strategic, operational and tactical levels from Africa and Asia to South America. Nearly thirty years of academic and practical experience makes him an authority in complex, undeveloped and poorly understood environments. Strong record in use of all-source intelligence to identify and satisfy intelligence gaps. This includes working with non-military agencies and organizations. Strong senior level briefing background with the proven ability to clearly articulate complex counterterrorism and national security policy issues at CINC and senior civilian levels. Principal author of the 2008 US Special Forces Advisor Guide, he is also author of two well-reviewed books and numerous articles on military issues.

PhD, Conflict Theory, Syracuse University, 1990
MA, International Relations, Syracuse University, 1987
MSSc, Social Psychology, University College, 1980
BS, Political Science, State Univerity of New York (Rochester), 1976

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a hard slog but worth the effort, July 24, 2008

By 

Daniel Ford (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Army after Next: The First Postindustrial Army (Stanford Studies in Jewish History & Culture) (Paperback)

The "army after next", aka the Objective Force, is where US Army honchos of 2000 wanted to go. Whether they'll ever get there is another question, what with John Nagl's Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife and other counter-insurgency texts telling us that we need an entirely different army than the "transformational" one envisioned before 9/11. Nevertheless, this is an important read. It's also a difficult one, though leavened by Mr Adams's good humor toward the army that he clearly loves. If his book is a hard slog, the blame goes mostly to the acronym-happy bureaucrats who inhabit the Pentagon. I've been studying "war in the modern world" for two years now, and this is the first clear indication (that I've found, anyhow) as to how the 21st-century army is supposed to fight. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Written by national security consultant Thomas K. Adams, a veteran of thirty-four years of military service, July 11, 2008

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Army after Next: The First Postindustrial Army (Stanford Studies in Jewish History & Culture) (Paperback)

Written by national security consultant Thomas K. Adams, a veteran of thirty-four years of military service primarily in intelligence and special operations, The Army After Next: The First Postindustrial Army is an in-depth examination of how the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense have tried to hone the capabilities promised by the ongoing high-tech "revolution in military affairs", or RMA. Specifically, the RMA is characterized by technological innovation, operational concepts or doctrines, and organizational adaptation. Special attention is paid to the effect that the RMA has had on the American operations in Afghanistan and Iraq; Adams warns that some of the problems in both nations originate in the Department of Defense's inflexible demand to utilize RMA-driven concepts and transformational operations, whether they were appropriate for the given venue or not. Though the RMA has altered the structure of the armed forces, its vision is all too often dependent on unproven or even uncontrollable assumptions or capabilities beyond what is immediately available (such as the lack of a suitable information technology network). Above all, Adams warns that America must be willing to fight the war it has, not the war it wants to have. A sobering, critical wake-up call, accessible to readers of all backgrounds but especially recommended reading for career military officers and strategists.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Future That Didn't Happen, February 15, 2012

By 

Al Hence - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Army after Next: The First Postindustrial Army (Stanford Studies in Jewish History & Culture) (Paperback)

This is a marvelous tour through the struggles of the US military to come to grips with the technological revolution of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It contrasts the visionary attempt to create a "science fiction Army" with legions of robots and equipment so versitile that it fit all environments and all types of conflict (short of an all-out war of national survival) against the sad collision with reality that was the war(s) in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the end, after spending (by authors estimate) about $110 billion we ended up with the Stryker armored vehicle (a "better-than-average armored truck") and a force that bore no resemblance to the original intent. A sad-funny story enjoyably told with good humor.