Urban Operations: Capturing Trends in Urban Warfare

Urban Operations: War, Crime, and Conflict is an important text. Not because it is the first book to address urban warfare;  it isn’t. And not because it is the last word on urban warfare; again, it isn’t. It does, however, explore contemporary issues in urban operations.  The text captures insights from some of the savviest practitioners and scholars of the full range today’s urban challenges from large-scale combat operations (LSCO), through crime wars in urban spaces.

The contributors here include veterans of urban battles, academic specialists studying urban conflict, and specialists in crime and insurgencies. Many of these specialists, including myself, a retired urban cop (sheriff’s lieutenant),  participate in the California National Guard’s 40th Infantry Division Urban Operations Planners Course (UOPC). 

These contributors include: Major Jayson Geroux, Royal Canadian Regiment; Col. (CA) John Spencer, Modern Warfare Institute and 40 ID; Lt Col Andrew Craig, Royal Engineers; Dr. Anthony King, Professor of War Studies, Warwick University, Dr. Jacob Stoil, Associate Professor of Military History at the US Army School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS); and Sahr Muhammedally, U.S. Defense Security Cooperation University.

This blend of operational and academic experience bridges the reality of operations with academic and theoretical rigor.