The Bradley and How It Got That Way: Technology, Institutions and the Problem of Mechanized Infantry in the United States Army (Contributions in Military Studies) Book

Historically,little scholarly attention has been given to the mechanized infantry of the U.S. Army. Fittingly, its distinctive weapon, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, is one of the military's most controversial pieces of equipment. This study traces mechanized infantry from its roots in the early armored operations of World War I, through its fruition in World War II, to its drastic transformation in response to the threat of a nuclear, biological, and chemical battlefield. The U.S. Army's doctrinal migration from the idea of specialized "armored infantry" to that of more generalized "mechanized infantry" led to problematic consequences in training and equipping the force. Haworth explores these issues, specifically by examining the origins and outcome of the Bradley controversy, along with its implications for Army institutional cultures, force designs, and doctrines.Read More