America Needs a New National Strategy for Irregular Warfare

David Maxwell

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In 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed National Security Decision Directive 32 (NSDD-32), which outlined a comprehensive strategy for countering Soviet expansionism and influence worldwide. This directive provided clear guidance on employing all elements of national power – diplomatic, informational, military, and economic – to advance U.S. interests and counter Soviet aggression.

Today, the United States faces a similarly complex global security environment, with challenges ranging from great power or strategic competition to transnational terrorism.

To effectively navigate these challenges, the U.S. needs a new national strategy for irregular warfare (IW) that builds on the legacy of NSDD-32 while adapting to 21st century realities.

The need for a comprehensive IW strategy has become increasingly apparent in recent years. In their recent article, Thomas Marks and David Ucko lament that there is struggle for an IW strategy. The revisionist powers of China and Russia are employing their own forms of political warfare and hybrid approaches through the “Little Green Men” and “Unrestricted Warfare.” The rogue and revolutionary powers of Iran and North Korea conduct their own unique forms of unconventional and political warfare. These adversaries are adept at operating in the “gray zone” between peace and open conflict, using a range of irregular approaches to advance their interests while avoiding direct military confrontation with the United States.