"Operation Earnest Will", was the United States/ Kuwaiti Tanker Escort Mission, conducted in the Persian Gulf in 1987-1988, is one example of Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW). It was a joint military operation in support of U.S. vital interests that provides a model for the study of MOOTW. This is a study on how the operational commander of Operation Earnest Will used the six principles of MOOTW and accomplished U.S. national security objectives. The six principles are: objective, unity of effort, security, restraint, perseverance and legitimacy.