America's Splendid Little Wars

• Author: Major Keith A. Parrella
• Pages: 08

184 MILITARY LAW REVIEW [Vol. 187

AMERICA'S SPLENDID LITTLE WARS1

REVIEWED BY MAJOR KEITH A. PARRELLA2

It was the sort of war-neither small nor splendid but short-in which the United States performed at its best to achieve its objective and, most important, minimize casualties.3

Last year marked the sixtieth anniversary for many of the great battles of World War II. Our nation rightfully celebrates veterans of battles such as Iwo Jima and Okinawa for the incredible sacrifices they made while facing a determined and disciplined enemy. The U.S. flag being raised atop Mount Suribachi4 remains an icon of the American fighting spirit. America's Splendid Little Wars reminds readers about the sacrifices made by U.S. service members since 1975, a period of military operations that are less familiar than the larger and costlier wars of the twentieth century, but are no less significant for those who fought in them.5 Although the book is brief and might leave readers desiring more information, Huchthausen nonetheless provides a fascinating account of America's recent conflicts. More importantly for the author, the book accomplishes its goal of reminding readers that these recent conflicts were "neither splendid nor small."6

America's Splendid Little Wars provides a chronological, historical account of America's military intervention in over a dozen conflicts since the fall of Saigon in 1975.7 The book provides a brief historical snapshot of the actual military operations during this era, succinctly describes the events leading up to and the underlying motivation for each intervention, and analyzes lessons learned for future operations.8

Huchthausen traces the evolution of the American military from what was arguably its lowest point of the twentieth century-the years immediately after the prolonged Vietnam War-to its current state as the world's preeminent military superpower. According to the author, each conflict presented an important, and often costly, illustration of the changing threats facing our nation and the corresponding strategic changes required to respond appropriately and effectively.9

The book begins in the aftermath of the Vietnam War when the spread of Communism was still perceived as a viable threat to the United States, and the U.S. military sought to prove that it was still able to deliver a potent blow to an adversary anywhere in the world.10

America's first opportunity to prove its military prowess came in 1975. In May 1975, Khmer Rouge guerrillas hijacked the SS Mayaguez while it sailed through international waters off the coast of Cambodia.11

Although the mission to rescue the crew succeeded, the number of U.S. casualties exceeded the number of crew members finally rescued.12 The mission also suffered from vague intelligence and confused dissemination of information from civilian to military leaders.13 Despite

the heavy price in casualties, Huchthausen considers this mission to have been a success because it began the process of America reasserting its military might.14

In addition to the Mayaguez incident, the book also classifies U.S. military operations in Grenada, Libya, Panama, the first Gulf War, and the rescue of the Kurds in Northern Iraq as successful operations.15 On the other hand, it labels the attempted Iran hostage rescue, U.S. military operations in Lebanon, Somalia, and the interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo as failures.16 Huchthausen surmises that what distinguished success from failure in these operations was the presence of sound policy objectives, not military execution.17 Simply stated, military intervention with concrete policy objectives generally produced better results for the United States.18

Huchthausen validates his thesis by providing a detailed description of the respective policy objectives, or lack thereof, for each mission. He effectively contrasts missions with ambiguous objectives, such as Lebanon,19 with those missions where the United States had a clear, concise objective supported by a vital national interest, such as the first Gulf War.20 In addition, he briefly, yet accurately, reveals the impact of

the media on the formation of U.S. foreign policy.21 For example, Huchthausen discusses how media reports of starving children in Somalia and genocide in Bosnia swayed public opinion and led the United States to enter those conflicts without a clear national interest or a viable chance of success.22 As Huchthausen explains, during the past twenty-five years, "moral outrage and popular sentiment at times interfered with the creation of sound U.S. foreign policy and military strategy."23

Fortunately, America's Splendid Little Wars does more than just recite history. Whether readers wear combat boots or loafers to work, the book sets forth important lessons. First, it explores how U.S. military experiences in the last quarter of the twentieth century influence our current military-friendly culture. The armed forces have escaped the dark days of the Vietnam War and its aftermath, and military service has regained a favorable place within American society.24 The military has demonstrated that it can deliver decisive and overwhelming force to destroy an adversary anywhere in the world quickly and with minimal U.S. losses.25 In addition, America's Splendid Little Wars facilitates an improved understanding of current American foreign policy with respect to military and humanitarian intervention. It explains policies such as the Goldwater-Nichols Act26 and the Powell Doctrine,27 which improved the way the Department of Defense prepared for and executed missions

against a changing, complex threat. Finally, America's Splendid Little Wars offers numerous lessons for today's professional military officer. For example, Huchthausen uses the conflicts to demonstrate the benefits of improved coordination of joint operations, comparing the poor coordination of the Iran hostage rescue mission in 1980 to the smooth execution of joint forces during the bombing of Libya in 1986 and the invasion of Panama in 1989.28 Huchthausen also provides an interesting history of special operations forces before examining their employment during the failed Iran hostage rescue attempt.29 Missions like Iran and Somalia reveal the risks of not properly integrating special operations forces with conventional...