URBAN OPERATIONS: Meeting the Challenge

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The face of war has evolved since man took up arms to defend his home and family, his possessions, and his way of life. Cities have been the battlegrounds as armies have sought to defend on familiar, complex terrain and adversaries have fought to dislodge them. Until the turn of the last century, largescale combat in urban areas was the exception rather than the rule because the tactics of the time relied on open terrain in which leaders could observe and maneuver their forces. Today, the face of war is in many ways the city streets. The terrorist is in urban areas, and we are going after him in cities, towns, and villages.

World War I saw heavy fighting in built-up areas across …