Theater leaders discuss different methods of war

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chris Vadnais
  • Air Force Print News
HONOLULU (AFPN) --  Representatives from all the geographic combatant commanders met here June 15 to discuss new ways of affecting change on an adversary involving less force than standard operations, and, in some cases, little or no force at all.

U.S. Pacific Command’s Standing Joint Force Headquarters served as host to the theater effects-based operations workshop for defense leaders.

Rather than engaging in traditional kinetic warfare, effects-based operations, or EBO, are designed to creatively achieve strategic objectives. EBO involves using a range of diplomatic, information, military and economic courses of action to achieve strategic military goals. Supporters say employing EBO can save time, money and resources.

“EBO is not a process,” said the workshop’s keynote speaker, Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, commander of Kenney Headquarters and 13th Air Force.

“We don’t want to turn it into a tactic, technique or procedure. It’s not an organization. It’s not a framework. It’s not a system. It’s not service-specific,” he said. “It’s really a methodology or a way of thinking that needs to supplement tried-and-true practices of military force application.”

This methodology is not new. General Deptula is a proponent of effects-based operations because of the successes he has seen them achieve.

“He is really both an architect and an advocate,” said Navy Captain Timothy Smith, director of PACOM’s Standing Joint Force Headquarters.

“As one of the principal planners for the air campaign in Desert Storm -- where we started to apply some of these effects-based operations -- he understands it from that tactical level,” he said.