Where Are the Joint Theorists?

When studying military theory, the examination of an actual conflict gives one the opportunity to analyze existing thought to see if it is still appropriate. The Gulf War was the largest conflict for the United States since Vietnam. In this paper, the author will briefly examine the war from the viewpoint of air, land, sea, and space operations, and discuss how these operations reflected the teachings of the major military theoreticians. Of more interest, however, is the integrated direction of the war from a national and theater level. The author discusses this in greater detail and proposes the idea that the conduct of joint warfare is not based on theory as much as on doctrine.