Back to the Basics: U.S. Military Strategy Must Win the Global Commons

Back to the Basics: U.S. Military Strategy Must Win the Global Commons

It’s time to get specific about dreaming up and wargaming real-world scenarios and designing capabilities around them.

In other words, a global maritime power like the United States must guard North America while preserving its command of the maritime commons that connects North America to embattled zones. Applying that Corbettian logic to the Baltic Sea, Taiwan Strait, and other contested areas would furnish strategists and planners a north star for their efforts.

The masters of strategy agree: let’s get back to basics.

James Holmes is J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College. The views voiced here are his alone.

This article first appeared in November 2018 and is being reprinted for reader interest.

Image: Flickr