Asymmetric: Myth in United States Military Doctrine

Publisher Marketing: The word asymmetric and theory of it is embedded in US joint and services doctrine, professional magazines, and countless other military publications. As such, the term is used with ever-increasing frequency in military jargon. A problem is derived from this: definitions of the term vary widely across and within the services. This creates a larger problem when service members attempt to apply or react to asymmetry in their profession. This study examines whether US service personnel have an appreciation for the doctrinal term asymmetric or asymmetry. This central question requires a review of joint and services doctrine as well as contemporary professional works on the topic. From this, the study compares the results of an inter-service survey to determine if service members have appreciation for asymmetry in military operations. Service members 19 appreciation for the term asymmetric is as broad as the definitions provided by US military doctrine. Personnel most associate asymmetry with the accepted English definition--imbalanced or not equal. This is not in accordance with the characteristics that doctrine provides. Without an appreciation of asymmetric methodology, US doctrine at all levels should abandon the word or make significant efforts to refine and train this doctrinal term and important concept.