Operation Allied Force: A Lesson on Strategy, Risk, and Tactical Execution

In the post - Cold War period the United States has waged war in pursuit of results that are not critical to the nation's strategic goals. This essay connects strategic decision making to tactical execution and highlights the cost of intervention and the impact of strategic decisions from the perspective of military commanders at the tactical level. Differences of opinion among commanders and varying assumptions about risk and the impact of risk on the mission are explored; from the observed effects of these disconnects in Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, recommendations for the future can be formulated with the goal of ensuring that assumptions are shared among at all command levels.