Bold Alligator 2012 Reading Program

Team,
The message below captures my intent with Bold Alligator 2012 (BA 12) as well as establishes the personal reading program I will complete over the coming year to refresh my knowledge and build on my understanding of amphibious operations history, doctrine, and tactics. While not mandatory, I believe this reading list forms the basis of a strong professional reading program, regardless of the level of your participation in BA 12, and so I encourage you to read some or all of my recommendations below and discuss your observations with me here.
You can read the message below or download a copy here.
All the best, JCHjr

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UNCLAS PERSONAL FOR COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICERS, OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE, AND COMMAND MASTER CHIEFS FROM ADM HARVEY
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A LARGE-SCALE OPERATION TO EXERCISE THE NAVY-MARINE CORPS' ABILITY TO CONDUCT PROMPT AND SUSTAINED AMPHIBIOUS EXPEDITIONARY OPERATIONS FROM THE SEA, A FUNDAMENTAL CORE COMPETENCY FOR US, HAS NOT OCCURRED IN THE LAST TEN YEARS BECAUSE OF OUR FOCUS ON OPERATIONS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS CORE COMPETENCY NOR THE FACT THAT THIS COMPETENCY IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE A UNIQUE CAPABILITY DELIVERED BY THE NAVY/MARINE CORPS TEAM.

2. TO THAT END, I HAVE DIRECTED THAT EXERCISE BOLD ALLIGATOR SERVE AS OUR PRIMARY OPERATIONAL ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE FOR THIS YEAR TO CULMINATE IN BOLD ALLIGATOR 2012 (BA 12), WHICH WILL BE THE LARGEST PAGE 02 RUCBCLF0050 UNCLAS PERSONAL FOR COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICE AMPHIBIOUS EXERCISE CONDUCTED BY THE FLEET IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXERCISE IS TO REVISIT NAVY/MARINE CORPS AMPHIBIOUS EXPEDITIONARY TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES AND REINVIGORATE OUR CULTURE OF CONDUCTING COMBINED NAVY/MARINE CORPS OPERATIONS FROM THE SEA. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT BA 12 WILL BE A MAJOR FLEET EXERCISE, NOT SIMPLY ANOTHER ARG/MEU EVENT.

3. AS WE BEGIN PLANNING FOR BA 12, IT IS APPARENT TO ME THAT OUR COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE, WHICH CERTAINLY INCLUDES MY KNOWLEDGE, OF AMPHIBIOUS EXPEDITIONARY OPERATIONS HAS ERODED OVER TIME. TO ENSURE I AM FULLY READY FOR BA 12, I HAVE ESTABLISHED A PERSONAL READING PROGRAM THAT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AS WELL FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT AND THAT OF YOUR UNIT. THIS READING LIST IS VOLUNTARY, AND WILL NOT BE MADE MANDATORY, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE IT CAN FORM THE BASIS OF A STRONG PROFESSIONAL READING PROGRAM, REGARDLESS OF THE LEVEL OF YOUR PARTICIPATION IN BA 12. MY READING PROGRAM CONTAINS FOUR BOOKS THAT CAN BE READ WITHIN A YEAR WITH ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED READINGS FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC AREAS OF AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS, TO INCLUDE DOCTRINE AND TACTICS.

3.A. CORE LIST: CURRENT DOCTRINE AND AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS IN A MODERN ENVIRONMENT

3.A.1. JOINT PUBLICATION 3-02 (JP 3-02) AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS (10 AUG 2009) JP 3-02 IS THE CURRENT DOCTRINE FOR AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS. THIS DOCTRINE PROVIDES THE FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR READING SUBSEQUENT BOOKS ON AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS AND THEIR HISTORY. READERS SHOULD CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

3.A.1.A. ASK YOURSELF HOW YOUR UNIT, COMMAND OR SPECIALTY FITS INTO THE FRAMEWORK OF AN AMPHIBIOUS OPERATION. FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR MARITIME INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENTS? HOW WOULD AN AMPHIBIOUS TASK FORCE TIE INTO A CARRIER STRIKE GROUP AND EXECUTE COMPOSITE WARFARE?
3.A.1.B. READ WITH AN EYE TOWARDS HOW THIS DOCTRINE FITS IN WITH OVERALL JFMCC/FLEET DOCTRINE AS CONTAINED IN JP 3-32 COMMAND AND CONTROL FOR JOINT MARITIME OPERATIONS AND NWP 3-32 MARITIME OPERATIONS AT THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL OF WAR.

3.A.2. THE 1982 FALKLANDS CONFLICT BETWEEN THE UK AND ARGENTINA FEATURED AN AMPHIBIOUS OPERATION CARRIED OUT BY A MODERN MARITIME FORCE UNDER A SIGNIFICANT THREAT FROM CONVENTIONAL AIR-DELIVERED ORDNANCE WITHOUT AIR SUPERIORITY IN THE AOA. WHILE TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVANCED SINCE 1982, MANY OF THE WARFIGHTING ISSUES WE FACE TODAY ARE SIMILIAR IN NATURE TO WHAT THE UK FORCES FACED WHILE PROJECTING FORCES ASHORE AT THE END OF A LONG AND COMPLEX LOGISTICAL PIPELINE IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. BELOW ARE MEMOIRS BY THE THREE CRITICAL UK MARITIME COMMANDERS IN THIS CONFLICT - READ THESE THREE BOOKS AND COMPARE THE PERSPECTIVES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM EACH. ADDITIONALLY, READ WITH AN EYE TOWARDS HOW A U.S. MARITIME FORCE WOULD ORGANIZE AND OPERATE AGAINST AN UPDATED THREAT THAT WAS AS RELATIVELY DANGEROUS TO OUR FORCE AS THE ARGENTINEANS WERE TO THE BRITISH IN 1982.

3.A.2.A. WOODWARD, SANDY. ONE HUNDRED DAYS: THE MEMOIRS OF THE FALKLANDS BATTLE GROUP COMMANDER.
3.A.2.B. CLAPP, MICHAEL, AND SOUTHBY-TAYLOUR, EWEN AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT FALKLANDS: THE BATTLE OF SAN CARLOS WATER
3.A.2.C. THOMPSON, JULIAN. NO PICNIC: 3 COMMANDO BRIGADE IN THE FALKLANDS.

3.B. SECONDARY SELECTIONS: THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF BOOKS WILL BROADEN READERS UNDERSTANDING OF SPECIFIC AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS AREAS.

3.B.1. DIVERSE AMPHIBIOUS DOCTRINE AND OPERATIONS: WWII ACTUALLY SAW THE DEVELOPMENT OF THREE GENERAL MODELS FOR U.S. AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS: THE U.S. MARINES AND NAVY IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC; THE U.S. ARMY AND NAVY IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC; AND THE ALLIED COALITION IN EUROPE. OUR CURRENT DOCTRINE DERIVES MAINLY FROM THE USMC-USN CAMPAIGNS IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC. HOWEVER, THE U.S. ARMY CONDUCTED MORE AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS IN WWII THAN DID THE MARINES. TOGETHER WITH THE NAVY, THE ARMY DEVELOPED APPROACHES AND TECHNIQUES IN THEIR THEATERS THAT ARE NOT CAPTURED IN CURRENT DOCTRINE, BUT ARE CERTAINLY WORTH REVIEWING CLOSELY AND CONSIDERING, IN UPDATED FORM, THEIR APPLICABILITY TODAY. THE FOLLOWING BOOKS PROVIDE A GOOD BACKGROUND OF THESE UNIQUE APPROACHES TO AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS:

3.B.1.A. ISELY, JETER A., AND PHILIP A. CROWL. THE U.S. MARINES AND AMPHIBIOUS WAR: ITS THEORY, AND ITS PRACTICE IN THE PACIFIC.
3.B.1.B. YUNG, CHRISTOPHER D. GATORS OF NEPTUNE: NAVAL AMPHIBIOUS PLANNING FOR THE NORMANDY INVASION.
3.B.1.C. BARBEY, DANIEL E., VICE ADMIRAL USN (RET). MACARTHURS AMPHIBIOUS NAVY: SEVENTH AMPHIBIOUS FORCE OPERATIONS, 1943-1945.

3.B.2. THE FOLLOWING TWO BOOKS PROVIDE BASIC LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS OF AMPHIBIOUS TACTICS IN THE DIFFERENT THEATERS IN WWII.

3.B.2.A. ROTTMAN, GORDON L. U.S. WORLD WAR II AMPHIBIOUS TACTICS: MEDITERRANEAN & EUROPEAN THEATERS.
3.B.2.B. ROTTMAN, GORDON L. U.S. WORLD WAR II AMPHIBIOUS TACTICS: ARMY & MARINE CORPS, PACIFIC THEATER.

3.B.3. ANALYZING AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS: THE FOLLOWING BOOKS PROVIDE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS, USING BROAD SETS OF CASE STUDIES TO DERIVE THEIR CONCLUSIONS.

3.B.3.A. EVANS, MICHAEL. AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS: THE PROJECTION OF SEA POWER ASHORE.
3.B.3.B. GATCHEL, THEODORE L. AT THE WATER'S EDGE: DEFENDING AGAINST THE MODERN AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT.
3.B.3.C. GATCHEL, THEODORE L. EAGLES AND ALLIGATORS; AN EXAMINATION OF THE COMMAND RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAVE EXISTED BETWEEN AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND AMPHIBIOUS FORCES DURING AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS (NAVAL WAR COLLEGE STRATEGIC RESEARCH DEPARTMENT RESEARCH MEMORANDUM 1-97).

3.B.4. OVERVIEW HISTORIES. THE FOLLOWING BOOKS PROVIDE BROAD HISTORIES OF AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS AND AMPHIBIOUS DOCTRINAL DEVELOPMENT.

3.B.4.A. MESSINA, BARRY P. DEVELOPMENT OF U.S. JOINT AND AMPHIBIOUS DOCTRINE, 1898-1945. (CENTER FOR NAVAL ANALYSES, SEPT 1994).
3.B.4.B. BARTLETT, MERRILL L. ASSAULT FROM THE SEA: ESSAYS ON THE HISTORY OF AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE.
3.B.4.C. ALEXANDER, JOSEPH H., AND MERRILL L. BARTLETT. SEA SOLDIERS IN THE COLD WAR: AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE, 1945-1991.

4. UNDERSTANDING AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS HISTORY, DOCTRINE, AND TACTICS IS IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US - NOT JUST TO THOSE SERVING IN AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS OR THOSE IN THE SURFACE FORCE. EFFECTIVELY EXECUTING AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS INVOLVES OUR ENTIRE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS TEAM. OVER THE COMING YEAR, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ, TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU READ AND THEN TO APPLY WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED TO THE TASK AT HAND AS WE PREPARE FOR AND EXECUTE BA 12.
5. ADMIRAL J. C. HARVEY JR., COMMANDER, U.S. FLEET FORCES COMMAND
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