Task Force Hawk deployed to Albania in April 1999 as part of Operation Allied Force. Originally, the task force was to deploy to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. However, the government of Macedonia would not allow combat operations to be conducted from its territory. The United States subsequently obtained approval from the government of Albania to use its territory to base Task Force Hawk and conduct combat operations. (See fig. 1.) Albania did not have any previously established U.S. military base camps as Macedonia did and was not viewed as having a stable security environment. According to Army officials, the size of the Task Force had to be increased to provide more engineering capability to build operating facilities and provide force protection. The task force was a unique Army organization. It was comprised of 1 attack helicopter battalion with 24 Apache attack helicopters; 1 Corps aviation brigade with 31 support helicopters; 1 Multiple Launch Rocket System battalion with 27 launchers; a ground maneuver element for force protection; and other headquarters and support forces. (See fig. 2 for a picture of an Apache helicopter.) It ultimately totaled about 5,100 personnel. Its planned mission was to conduct deep attacks against Serbian military and militia forces operating in Kosovo using Apache helicopters and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems. The task force deployed to Albania and trained for the mission but was not ordered into combat. Ultimately, its focus changed to using its radar systems to locate enemy forces for targeting by other aircraft. Additionally, the task force assumed responsibility for the protection of all U.S. forces operating out of Tirana Airfield, its staging base, which included Air Force personnel providing humanitarian assistance to Kosovo refugees. Concerned about the combat readiness of Apache helicopters and their experience in Task Force Hawk, the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing on July 1, 1999. That hearing focused on pilot shortages, the lack of pilot proficiency, and unit combat training. In addition, it discussed equipment that was not fully fielded at the time of the operation, such as aircraft survivability equipment and communication equipment. Our work was designed to address other matters associated with Task Force Hawk and how the services plan to address them for future operations. Doctrine is the fundamental principle by which the military services guide their actions in support of national objectives. It provides guidance for planning and conducting military operations. In the Army, doctrine is communicated in a variety of ways, including manuals, handbooks, and training. Joint doctrine, which applies to the coordinated use of two or more of the military services, is similarly communicated. Doctrine provides commanders with a framework for conducting operations while allowing flexibility to adapt operations to specific circumstances. According to Army and Joint Staff doctrine officials, the concept of operation that was planned to be used by Task Force Hawk, the use of Apache helicopters for a deep attack mission as part of an air campaign, fell within established Army and joint doctrine. Typically, attack helicopters are used in conjunction with Army ground forces to engage massed formations of enemy armor. They were used in this manner in the Gulf War. In the Kosovo air campaign, Task Force Hawk’s planned deep attacks differed in that they were intended to be part of an air campaign, not an Army led combined arms land campaign. Additionally, the aircraft’s planned attacks principally would have engaged widely dispersed and camouflaged enemy ground forces instead of massed formations. According to Army doctrine officials, doctrine is broad and flexible enough to allow a combatant commander to employ his assets in the manner that was planned for the task force. However, Army officials agree that this planned usage differed from the employment typically envisaged in Army doctrine. Furthermore, Army officials said that the Task Force Hawk experience was not something the Army routinely trained for and was considered to be an atypical operation. Although Task Force Hawk’s mission and operations were consistent with both Army and joint doctrine in the broadest sense, changes to doctrine at both the Army and joint levels are being made that will address some of the operation’s lessons learned. A total of 19 Army doctrine publications will be developed or modified to better address the experience gained from Task Force Hawk. Examples of new or revised doctrine include a new handbook on deep operations; an update to the Army’s keystone warfighting doctrinal publication on conducting campaigns, major operations, battles, engagements, and operations other than war; and an update to the Army aviation brigade field manual that expands the role of aviation brigades and task forces with a heavier emphasis on tactics, techniques, and procedures for task force, combined arms, and joint operations. Modifications to Army doctrine are being made as part of the on-going established process for reviewing and revising doctrinal publications. A total of five joint doctrine publications will be developed or modified based at least in part on the Task Force Hawk experience. A new joint publication is being developed to cover the role of the Joint Force Land Component Commander, detailing his role and responsibilities in a “supported” and “supporting” role. (See our discussion of this role in the Joint Operations section of this report.) Updates to four remaining joint publications, including close air support and fire support, will be made during the normal 21-month joint doctrine publication and review cycle. The Army has a large effort underway to collect and resolve lessons learned pertaining to Task Force Hawk. A total of 146 Task Force Hawk lessons learned were collected at three different sources. The U.S. Army Europe developed 64 lessons and forwarded them to the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans for remedial action. The Army’s Training and Doctrine Command developed a listing of 76 lessons and has assigned them to their different proponent schools for remedial action. Hundreds of joint action items were collected at the European Command on Operation Allied Force and forwarded to the Joint Warfighting Center. Of these items, six were specifically associated with Task Force Hawk and were sent to the Joint Staff for remedial action. We analyzed the 146 Task Force Hawk lessons and determined that a number of them submitted by different organizations were the same. Of the 76 lessons raised by the Training and Doctrine Command, 38 were similar to those submitted by U.S. Army Europe. Of the six European Command lessons, we determined that one was similar to an issue submitted by U.S. Army Europe. Deleting the 39 duplicates resulted in a total of 107 unique lessons submitted for remedial action. We categorized the 107 lessons into five broad themes that in our judgment characterize the type of needed remedial action. The five themes are as follows. The need for revisions to Army and joint doctrine, as discussed earlier. We identified 19 such lessons. See appendix I. Improvements in command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) equipment or procedures. We identified 20 such lessons. See appendix II. Areas needing additional training. We identified 30 such lessons. See appendix III. The need for additional capability in areas other than C4I. We identified 24 such lessons. See appendix IV. Potential force structure changes. We identified 14 such lessons. See appendix V. We determined the status of each of the 107 lessons learned as of January 2001. We did not evaluate the merit of the actions proposed or completed. We placed them into one of two status categories: Recommended for closure: We placed 47 items in this category. However, there are varying degrees of closure within this category. First, there are items that specifically have had actions completed, such as procuring night vision goggles for Apache pilots. According to Army officials, the goggles have been procured and fielded. Twenty-three of the 47 lessons fell into this subgroup. Second, there are lessons that have had actions taken, but will require a long lead-time for implementation, such as the procurement of survival radios and a deployable flight mission rehearsal system for aviation units. For example, while approval for the survival radios has been obtained, they will not begin fielding until fiscal year 2003. In addition, the Army has recommended an interim fix for a mission rehearsal system, but it is costly. The far-term solution is the joint mission planning system, which will not be fielded until 2007. Fifteen of the 47 lessons fell into this subgroup. Finally, there are items that Army officials are recommending for closure because, upon further review, they determined the lessons should not have been submitted or events have overtaken the initial lesson and they are no longer applicable. The remaining nine lessons fell into this subgroup. Lessons learned that were recommended for closure are indicated as such in appendixes I-V. In progress: We placed 60 lessons in this category. These items are still considered open issues by the Army officials tracking Task Force Hawk lessons learned and they have been assigned to responsible bodies for resolution. Seventeen of the 60 in progress lessons reside with the Department of the Army—Headquarters, 10 with the Joint Staff or Joint Forces Command, 27 with the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, and 6 with U.S. Army Europe. Many issues remain open because they require efforts that are being incorporated into much larger overall Army projects, such as transformation or Flight School XXI, that will require a much longer time frame to implement. Other lessons learned remain open because efforts to address them are just beginning. Lessons learned where solutions are in progress are indicated as such in appendixes I-V. Figure 3 shows the 107 lessons learned issues by category and by status grouping. The Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe has emphasized the need to capitalize on the lessons learned from Kosovo and to focus on partnership with the Air Force. He is personally involved with the lessons learned process and considers the process and follow-up a personal commitment to U.S. Army Europe soldiers. During our visit to U.S. Air Forces in Europe, we were told that their commanding general has also placed a high priority on working together with the Army to address the lessons learned in conducting joint operations.