The administrative requirements for the Final Essay are the same as the two other submitted written assessments (with the exception of length
requirement), and are listed in the F100 Appendix A, Assessment Plan.
All students should review ST 22-2 for writing standards and use the Writing Resource Center (contact information on Blackboard) .
You will reflect on the course’s case studies and will apply today’s Force Management process to a historical capability gap. Specifically, the essay will
address the historical studies of the Army coming out of Vietnam to the Army going into Desert Storm.
You are highly encouraged to reflect and associate the F100 lessons to the readings about the Army’s transformation during this time.
Final Essay Topic: Throughout F100, you have studied the changes the Army went through after Vietnam that allowed the success of Desert Storm. For the
final essay, you are to identify a historical capability gap from the case study timeframe. This may be a capability gap identified in the reading or a different
capability gap that was not addressed. Apply the Force Management model to this capability gap. Your capability gap must address organizational and
materiel change.
Your essay must understanding of the FM model in the following areas:
-what created the capability gap? (strategic and operational requirements)
-why are the chosen solution(s) the correct solutions? (JCIDS, DAS, FD)
-how are the effects, or risks, of the solution managed, or mitigated, through the FM process? (FD, FI, DAS),
-how is prioritization implemented? (PPBE, JCIDS, strategic requirement), and
-how is the solution officially codified and integrated into the force? (FD, FI).*
The purpose of this paper is for you to demonstrate your ability to apply the FM model. To apply the FM model, you must understand the purpose behind the
different processes. This starts with a comparative analysis of what occurred in the historical timeframe and the current process. Then, you must apply the
concepts of today to what occurred in the past. What is the “so what” of the differences? How would things be different today? What would or would not have
changed with what occurred in the past, or, what would today’s process do to preclude or create issues? The questions listed above are given to assist in
formulating the organization of your essay.
Review the ELOs associated with this course before beginning your essay. Your paper must demonstrate your understanding of each ELO, how the applicable
processes work, and how they provide capabilities to commanders. You will demonstrate this understanding through a comparative analysis (You can also
look at the applicable lesson advance sheets for more specific information on each ELO requirement.)
ELO-CC-8.1: Describe how strategic guidance leads to identifying requirements and solutions to provide capabilities.
ELO-CC-8.2: Develop solutions across DOTMLPF-P.
ELO-CC-8.3: Explain how the Army allocates resources to support solutions.
ELO-CC-8.4: Employ force integration to provide capability to combatant commanders.
F111 Final Essay
This essay (4-6 pages) is due after the completion of F110. The final essay is a comparative analysis. You will compare the processes used to change the
Army during the post-Vietnam timeframe to the processes used today. Use one of the Big 5 from your readings as the basis to conduct the comparison.
JCIDS, DAS, PPBE, TAA, TAP, etc. did not exist during the post-Vietnam era. So how did the Army make decisions and how is that different than today? Why
does it matter? This is not a history paper of what happened in the past, nor is it a paper that acts like the current processes were used in the past. It is a
comparative analysis. How did the Army decide what strategic changes needed to take place? How was it different than what happens today? What is your
analysis of this difference/these differences? The preceding is an example for looking at strategic guidance. Ensure you address each of the ELOs. You must
address materiel and organizational change in your essay. Ensure you do not simply regurgitate today’s process; that is not a comparative analysis between
two different things.
As will all essays, you must cite properly. Papers turned in without citations are academically unacceptable