It is nearly impossible to read any recent military article or listen to speeches by military leaders and not find the phrase by, with, and through used to describe America's contemporary approach to military operations. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford, and United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) Commander General Joseph Votel all have used the phrase. The April 2018 issue of Joint Forces Quarterly had an entire section on the approach in Central Command. By, with, and through is not a new concept, but its meaning has changed significantly over the three decades since its first appearance in military literature. Once exclusively the purview of unconventional warfare and special operations forces, by, with, and through has gone mainstream, but it is not yet found in joint doctrine for conventional warfare. The evolution of the phrase and its individual elements has increased the lack of clarity because of inconsistencies in messaging and understanding of the definitions, responsibilities, progression, and ultimate goal of the approach.
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