Description
This article analyses the social scientific thought of General Donn Starry and Colonel Mike Malone in the early 1980s. They worked with James G. Miller and his Living System Theory to reform the army’s organizational structure so it could fight wars in Central Europe and the Middle East in maneuver warfare. They used biological metaphors in their strategic thought rather than reaching for more mechanical ones. This was a direct opposition to Robert McNamara and their experiences as veterans of the Vietnam War. This investigation assesses how systems thinking and American social sciences shaped the army’s doctrine writers and their thinking about US grand strategy. Their work had grand strategic implications because the US army could fight in regions and win against a numerically larger foe in future wars.
