The term "fires" is not new within the US Army. But after years of confining fires to solely its lethal component, the Army broke with tradition. Subsequently, the Army released its new Operations manual, FM 3-0 (2008), articulating the newest operational concept, full spectrum operations. Full spectrum operations expanded previous concepts, such as Airland Battle doctrine, and sought to represent the current operating environment. FM 3-0 represented a fundamental change in the Army's approach to warfighting. Leaders must seek to employ elements of fires, lethal and nonlethal, proportional to mission and informed through the variables contained within the operating environment. FM 3-0 went even further tasking the Fires Cell with integrating and synchronizing the effects of lethal and nonlethal fires with the effects of other warfighting functions. By screening the current operating environment, this monograph examines how traditional fires cell organizations involved in current operations have adapted to achieve integration and synchronization of fires. From that examination, best practices are identified in order to anticipate future fires cell requirements necessary to achieve FM 3-0's imperatives. Commensurate with those imperatives, this paper explores what the US Army can learn from the current operating environment that can be applied to future operational level fires cells functionality? FM 3-0 makes mention of the term nonlethal fires and tasks the fires cell with its integration using the targeting process, but does not define the term. A clear definition of nonlethal fires is necessary to proceed. This monograph extrapolates a definition of nonlethal fires and uses the essentials from FM 3-0, integration and synchronization of nonlethal fires, as screening criteria to make recommendations as to the way ahead for future Army operational fires cells. The document argues that the accepted definition of nonlethal is too simplistic and should be expanded to i This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
