U.S. Army Full Spectrum Operations in the Philippine Islands, 1898-1941

The U.S. Army's involvement in the Philippine Archipelago 1898-1941 demonstrated the validity of the main tenants of current full spectrum operations (offensive, defensive, stability, and civil support operations), and the likelihood of more than one occurring simultaneously and over a long duration of time. The U.S. Army has operated across the spectrum of conflict, stable peace to general war, since 1775 but did not officially define it until February 2008 and has given priority of resources, effort, training, and doctrine to the most threatening elements of full spectrum doctrine: offensive and defensive operations. In past conflicts and campaigns such as the Philippine Islands, the U.S. Army has conducted stability and civil support operations out of necessity but has never desired to focus resources and time to maintain proficiency. The current operating environment has forced the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army to recognize that the spectrum of conflict is continuous and all elements of full spectrum operations must be viewed as equally important. Some will argue this is a misuse of history or a revisionist viewpoint, and involves doctrine and terminology that were not used or understood during the period of the past studied. These opinions miss the examples present in the U.S. Army's operations in the Philippines 1898-1941 that are relevant and complimentary to current full spectrum doctrine.