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History > Army Irregular Warfare Center (AIWC)
History of the AIWC
The Counterinsurgency Center was established in July 2006 as a combined
effort between the Army and the Marine Corps. Department of Defence
Directive 3000.07, Irregular Warfare, (December 2008)
1. established the need to improve
proficiency for IW and to maintain IW capabilities and capacities. The
Army established the
Army Irregular Warfare Fusion Center (AIWFC) in 2010.
It was decided to align the Counterinsurgency Center with the Army
Irregular Warfare Fusion Center (AIWFC). In early 2013 the AIWC
consolidated the legacy websites of the Counterinsurgency Center and the
SFA Proponent Office.This provided a necessary shift in focus from
COIN-centric to a broader IW focus in an effort to preclude the future
force's lack of preparedness for IW. Some of the responsibilities of the
AIWC is support to the warfighter, doctrine development, and strategy
development. In early 2013 the AIWC consolidated the legacy websites of
the Counterinsurgency Center and the SFA Proponent Office into the IW
center website.
What Does the AIWC Do?
The AIWC provides a monthly (now quarterly)
newsletter providing updates on IW related topics, publications,
training opportunities, and educational venues. In addition, the AIWC
provides seminars on counterinsurgency and security force assistance. The
AIWC played a major role in the re-write of FM 3--24, Insurgencies and
Countering Insurgencies published in 2014. Periodically the AIWC will
provide
webcasts on various topics to include insurgencies, counterinsurgency,
advising, security force assistance, partnering, irregular warfare, and
other related topics. The AIWC publishes
fact sheets that provide information on IW. The AIWC also maintains
the
Counterinsurgency Knowledge Center with readings, briefings on COIN,
doctrine, and other focus areas.
Counterinsurgency Lessons Learned
In November 2011 the US Army Counterinsurgency Center (later merged into
the AIWC) published a document entitled Counterinsurgency Lessons
Learned. This Adobe Acrobat PDF file is available
here.
Definition of Irregular Warfare
There are many definitions associated with Irregular Warfare. The AIWC
published a paper in March 2013 citing the many definitions (and sources).
You can view the information paper
here.
Irregular Warfare Activities
There are many different versions of what an Irregular Warfare activity
is. The AIWC and DoDD 3000.07 lists five of them: UW, FID, CT, COIN, and
Stability Operations. 2.
Army Closes AIWC in October 2014
The Army decided to close the Army Irregular Warfare Center effective
October 2014. Read more on this troubling development in
Army Closes Army Irregular Warfare Center (AIWC), SecurityInfoNet
Blog, September 11, 2014.
Websites about IW
Army Irregular Warfare Center (AIWC)
http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/AIWFC/index.asp
Army Irregular Warfare Center (AIWC) Facebook
www.facebook.com/pages/Army-Irregular-Warfare-Fusion-Center/137325941926
Publications on Irregular Warfare
www.specialforcestraining.info/docs/iw-pubs.htm
News Articles and Reports on Irregular Warfare (IW)
www.specialforcestraining.info/docs/iw-news.htm
Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups, U.S. Naval War College
www.usnwc.edu/ciwag/
Center on Terrorism & Irregular Warfare (CTIW)
www.nps.edu/Academics/Centers/CTIW/
Small Wars Center and Irregular Warfare Integration Division (SWC/IWID),
Capabilities Deveopment Directorate DC, CD&I.
www.mccdc.marines.mil/Units/SWCIWID.aspx
Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center, Office of Naval Intelligence
www.oni.navy.mil/commands/Kennedy.html
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Endnotes
1. A newer version of DoD Directive Number 3000.07,
Irregular Warfare was published on August 28, 2014 and can be
found at the link below.
www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/300007p.pdf
2. For the listing of IW activities see AIWFC
Newsletter, 27 March 2012 at this
link.
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