ADP 1-01 DOCTRINE PRIMER

Army Doctrine Publications (ADPs) #1-01

by Luc Boudreaux

Doctrine is dynamic and changing based on lessons learned in current operations and training, adaptive enemies, and changes in force structure, technology, and social values. This publication provides the basic information necessary to understand Army doctrine and the ways it changes. It clarifies why various constructs exist and how they all fit together. It is a guide for professionals about the language of the profession. Starting with Baron von Steuben’s Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, doctrine in various forms has guided the Army through peacetime and war. Lessons learned from world wars and other operations shaped and codified how Army forces operated. (Army forces refers to Army organizations whose role is to conduct operations in the field. The Army refers to the Army as an institution.) In the early 1900s, Army doctrine consisted of fewer than 40 field service regulations and drill manuals. Over time, doctrine grew to over 500 field manuals. Although they provided tactics and procedures, these publications lacked a clear hierarchy that served to both categorize and prioritize information. Leaders sometimes struggled to determine what was truly important for all professionals and what was important only to a branch or functional area. Additionally, as doctrine evolved, it saw a prolific growth of terms and expressions used. This growth sometimes obscured the relationship of terms and expressions such that Soldiers and their leaders did not clearly understand them. In 2011, the Army instituted Doctrine 2015 to bring clarity to doctrine. Doctrine 2015 restructures and reformats information. It identifies and distills overarching doctrine into Army doctrine publications (known as ADPs) and Army doctrine reference publications (known as ADRPs), while parsing details into field manuals (known as FMs) and Army techniques publications (known as ATPs); each publication type targets a more narrowly focused topic providing a clear hierarchy and reducing the number of publications. The need to quickly transition to Doctrine 2015 did not afford time for deeply examining some underlying issues. The Army repackaged existing doctrine emphasizing important information while deferring the larger question of why the information was important to Army forces.

43 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2014

Reviews

[J.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it very helpful in understanding how to read doctrine and conceptualize the hierarchy. Probably should have read this earlier.

[Austin Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was impressed by the approachability of this book. It laid out the purpose of doctrine for the Army by comparing it to medical guidelines or legal case law. It is a subject that military members must study and utilize in order to properly perform their tasks.