Arguing the OE, Episode 14: Identifying the Center of Gravity, Eikmeier Method

The center of gravity in joint doctrine is a much-contested planning construct.  Dale Eikmeier, a professor at the U.S. Army Command & General Staff Officers Course, has devoted much time and effort to thinking and writing about the center of gravity, or COG.  His approach to identifying the COG is popular with many students and teachers, and it is fully consistent with doctrine.  Hence, it provides students in the College and officers in the field and at home station a quick, coherent approach to implementing the COG into military planning.  In later episodes, we will tackle other approaches to the COG, to include those of other faculty members at Fort Leavenworth as well as prominent military thinkers such as Strange and Iron, Vego, Echevarria, Schneider and Izzo, Beyerchen, Strachan, and Naveh.  
For a survey of different faculty members take on the COG (to include views that contest the concept's utility, Google "Addressing the Fog of COG:  Perspectives on the Center of Gravity in U.S. Military Doctrine (Combat Studies Institute, 2012)."