The current operational environments have transformed the way the U.S. military faces counterinsurgency operations on two very different fronts. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps are embedding themselves into combat operations, which involve force units operating to operate very differing roles. At any given time units will be working side by side with local civilians, and in a matter of moments they could be battling some of the same individuals.

This dual role fight has forced a shift in the way we fight. Given lessons learned in Vietnam, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps have taken to teaching counterinsurgency as doctrine. Long gone are the days of tank-on-tank formations as soldiers walk the streets and rebuild critical infrastructure. Much success has been directly attributed to the lessons learned and implementing past successes and failures into future operations.

Given the hybrid warfare that has dictated combat operations, the rules of engagement and role of American and allied forces have forced them to become the eyes and ears and decision makers that typically have been reserved to higher command. Soldiers and Marines as a system have become the most important tactical tool on the ground. And within the electronic environment and the incorporation, the HUMINT (human intel) that is gathered on the ground is critical to success.

In this podcast Col Fred Stein (Ret) talks about the challenges of future combat operations, current operations and the integration of electronic sensory and units on the ground.