This 2016 study, written for the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), analyzes General Douglas MacArthur’s 1944 campaign along the northwest New Guinea coast as a model of modern military doctrine. Review Summary
: The author argues that MacArthur used "operational art"—the linking of tactical actions in time, space, and purpose—not just to serve the national strategy, but to manipulate it. Strategy, Operational Art and MacArthur in the ...
The work you are likely referring to is the monograph titled by Major James N. Putnam III . This 2016 study, written for the School of
: The monograph highlights the difference between Strategy (policy-level) and Operational Art (the link between tactics and strategy). Putnam III
: While not the sole focus, the work builds on the "island hopping" strategy MacArthur and Nimitz used to bypass fortified Japanese positions to reach the mainland.