Expectation of Valor: Planning the Iraq War

Finalist, 2024 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards
Selected as one of Military.com's Best Military Books of 2024.

“Expectation of Valor is a master class in operational planning and high-level staff work. It is a must-read for field grade officers and planners of all services. It also will reward any reader interested in the mechanics of large-scale conflict.” ― ARMY Magazine

Given the length of time the United States spent in Iraq, there is a perception that there was no consideration before the war of what should be done after coalition forces arrived in Baghdad and removed Saddam Hussein. However as this unofficial history reveals, there was a great deal of planning to address how to achieve the policy objectives for Iraq set by the Bush administration. Kevin Benson—director of plans for the United States Third Army, the ground forces command headquarters for GEN Franks’ Central Command, at the start of the war—details the development of the invasion plan and its subsequent execution from D-Day in March 2003 until the change of command of operations in Iraq and the departure of Third Army in June 2003.

He addresses the persistent trope that “the Army did no planning” for “Phase IV,” revealing that extensive plans were proposed, and were met with very little interest in Washington. The book covers the difficulties encountered in dealing with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, from getting his approval on the number of forces requested to conducting the campaign to find the “smoking gun” of WMD; the instructions given to Army, Marine and coalition forces; and the daily secure video teleconferences with Central Command and the Pentagon, and the rather remarkable conversations and guidance that came from these meetings.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Cold War, Hot Wars, Peace Dividends
2. Planning the Invasion to D-Day
3. Build up to D-Day
4. Planning While Fighting March 2003
5. April In Iraq
6. Off Ramps and Phase IV
7. Building the Coalition May 2003
8. A Bad Feeling
9. Concluding Thoughts

Kevin Benson served in the U.S. Army as a commander and general staff officer for 30 years. He was the Director of Plans for the Third U.S. Army and the Combined Forces Land Component Command at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, from July 2002 to July 2003. His final assignment in the U.S. Army was Director, School of Advanced Military Studies, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He writes for professional journals and websites ranging from Parameters, Military Review, and ARMY magazine to Strategy Bridge and the Modern War Institute. Kevin also reviews books for ARMY magazine.