From the Cold War to ISIL: One Marine's Journey. Jason Q. Bohm. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2019.
Jason Bohm as a Colonel in 2013 (Marine TV)
Richard Branson, CEO and founder of Virgin Airlines once quipped, “However tight things are you still need to have the big picture at the forefront of your mind.”[1] In this spirit, Jason Bohm pens a reflective journey of U.S. international policy, military deployments, and strategy through a tightly described individual perspective that favors international realism and an appreciation for counsel from field commanders and diplomats. U.S. involvement in Middle East affairs is not a new concept, but Bohm’s account of shifting sands describes an evolution of strategic guidance over three decades. His narrative is national level policy (big picture) realized and explained through ground-level work (tight things) by an individual whose job it is to enact national policy decisions. As a personal account there is a significant “from my fighting hole” position that ambles through the life and development of the author. As the author tries to make sense of complex strategic perspectives, it’s possible he has not considered other perspectives that may challenge his views.
Most autobiographies stay within the view of the observer and are limited by their local experience. This book is different in that the author also connects his experience to a grand scale of national level guidance. Similar to corporate strategy and goals, national strategies are articulated through national policy documents. The National Military Strategy is one such policy, which establishes the big picture of the military. “The National Military Strategy is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's strategic framework to inform the prioritization of force employment, force development, and force design for the Joint Force.”[2] Bohm describes thirty years of Middle East policy through two lenses: national policy and his personal experiences. The two perspectives are linked as he describes his role in a bigger picture and several iterations of the U.S. policy. Linking back to Richard Branson, imagine if executives had the ability to map their journey to factors and policies that influenced the priorities of their industry? That’s what Bohm has done. From apprentice to senior military executive, his story connects his perceptions to the big picture or priorities of U.S. military policy.
Perceptions of American interests, national security, and external threats have evolved since the fall of the Soviet Union. The United States viewed external influences primarily through the lens of a bi-polar system defined by the United States and the United Soviet Socialist Republic. That view has changed to something protracted and ambiguous. The author tries to make sense of this transformation while painting rich descriptions of the environment, conversations, social ticks, and his perceptions of others, which mature as he rises develops more experience. His position is informed by institutional loyalty and reinforced through the care and concern of his troops. The tone is humble, self-deprecating, and values experience as an opportunity to grow and learn. It is a history lesson of the last 30-plus years through the eyes of a developing U.S. marine, enhanced and connected through retrospection of the military and national architecture that compelled his deployments and growth. As he develops, so too has the world environment and U.S. national security views. Unlike Glenn Beck’s book It IS About Islam: Exposing the Truth About ISIS, Al Qaeda, Iran, and the Caliphate, Bohm navigates the emergence of the Caliphate in an open-minded, non-xenophobic account. Respectful of competing narratives, Bohm understands and describes how emerging threats occupied power vacuums while the U.S. and USSR bi-polar conflict and their presence abroad faded.
The book has broad appeal to a wide variety of potential readers. Brigadier General Bohm weaves a narrative of history, politics, international relations, and military readiness accessible to a breadth of readers. A civilian could appreciate what it is like to be a U.S. marine through Bohm's words. A military scholar could appreciate the evolution of doctrine and national security policies over time. A cultural anthropologist could better understand the artifacts, values, and underlying assumptions of the military and national security environments Bohm describes.[3] Current events? History? Statecraft? Great power conflict? Counterinsurgency? Middle East tensions with Western countries? These and many other connected topics are covered in this widely appealing book. The Sheriff of Ramadi: Navy Seals and the Winning of al-Anbar by Dick Couch speaks of localized interaction with the emergence of the Islamic State. Bohm differs by providing a wider timeline and a broader context. He also goes into greater detail explaining U.S. Strategic guidance, and references the national policy documents that shape the tactical and operational maneuvers.
Some of the big-picture tie-ins include the using lessons learned from World War II, Korea, and the Vietnam War as historic learning points that inform how strategic military leaders develop playbooks for future wars. The author leans heavily on the formative moments in military history to explain how and why leaders have emphasized certain mindsets for preparing men and women for combat. Bohm refers to the Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1 (MCDP 1) Warfighting as an ethos guide for Marine Corps culture.[4] Throughout, the narrative connects to a relationship with books and guidance—strategic documents, MCDP1 Warfighting, and First to Fight, to name a few. History is a great teacher for what may happen in the future and Bohm leverages historical impact on strategic framing. This broad perspective is a reminder that work articulated as strategy often has a basis in past experience. The texts and writings that shape leaders explained by Bohm are popular professional military education readings that are handled with reverence. Bohm doesn't critique or judge as he connects the dots between history, emerging threats, and the realities of those asked to execute missions and prepare for the world that is articulated by strategists and interpreted by Secretaries and Combatant Commanders. His vignettes are tactical and operational, yet his retrospective illustrates how they matter within the strategic level. While the book could have been strengthened by a more candid challenge to policy, the relatable narrative makes it an enjoyable, low threat read.
Bohm connects the cooperation of other military branches to his view as a marine and how they jointly or collectively solve problems. Attributing key leaders--especially senior military commanders—the book also reminds the reader world events such as terrorist attacks on Khobar Towers and September 11, 2001 and how they informed future Global War on Terrorism plans. He explains the Human Resources and personnel management process that determine how service members are selected for high profile duties and professional development opportunities. His description of extra duties include the deeply personal description of family notification following a line of duty casualty similar to how Kevin Bacon’s HBO film Taking Chance illuminated the role of marine Lieutenant Colonel Mike Strobl as a Casualty Assistance Calls Officer.[5] The personalized details Bohm uses are real and deep and offer profound insight into the emotional and mental perspectives of individuals, which personalizes the historic vignettes.
The unique contribution of From the Cold War to ISIL is the humble, reflective account of history, current events, policy and doctrine through the vehicle of one marine’s journey. The lived experience of his career is connected to the relationship of guiding documents, publications, joint, combined and multinational command structures. The fresh approach of history, an individual’s personal development, interrelation to external forces, published guidance and a balance of tactical, operational, and strategic insight make this tome a lesson in individual sensemaking and sense-giving within the greater role of national security. While the story is Brigadier General Jason Bohm’s, the lessons can be appreciated by anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how localized tactical formations find a place in the greater network of national interests.
Jason Bohm’s personalized accounts weaved into US National Strategy and Marine Corps guidance beautifully describes the sentiment articulated by Virgin Airlines CEO, Richard Branson as he extolled the virtue of connecting to the big picture. From the Cold War to ISIL does that. Books of the same time period covered either focus on broad strategic accounts or personal, individual, perspectives. This book sharply connects the two. While it is a marine’s story, his story is less about him and more about strategy and how his experience provides a voice to that strategy.
D.G. Luccio is a Marine Corps officer, an Assistant Professor of Strategy at the National Defense University, and is pursuing his Doctorate of Education from the George Washington University’s Executive Leadership Program. The views expressed are the author’s alone and do not represent the official position of the National Defense University, the U.S. Marine Corps, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
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Header Image: United States Marines carrying M16A4 rifles with fixed OKC-3S bayonets in Fallujah, Iraq November 2004. (Kevin Whiteman/Wikimedia)
Notes:
[1] R. Branson. Losing My Virginity: The Autobiography (2002, p492). London. Virgin Books
[3] E.H. Schein & P. Schein, Organizational Culture and Leadership (5th Edition), 2017. Johnson Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
[4] C.C. Krulak, Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1, Warfighting (Washington, DC: Headquarters, 1997)