Worst Enemy: The Reluctant Transformation of the American Military

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09-06-2010
gute

Worst Enemy: The Reluctant Transformation of the American Military

Just finished Worst Enemy by John Arquilla - interesting read, but unrealistic.

Arquilla's main points in the book:

- Army goes from brigade combat teams to battalion size "swarming" structure, deactivate the 82nd, Army active strength 100,000 with a much larger reserve and NG.

- Navy gets rid of its carriers and has 1,000 ships that are networked and can swarm an enemy. Navy has strength of 100,000 and Marine Corps drops to 30,000.

- Air Force goes away from strategic bombing to concentrating on CAS. USAF does not militarize space, use of blimps and end strength of 100,000 with a larger reserve.

- use of non-lethal weapons when possible.

- do good works around the world to better our image.

- repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but do not place openly gay service members in some units (probably talkin about the infantry, etc)

- bring back the draft

I don't know much about the arthor other then he worked for the Rand Corporation and was an advisor to Donald Rumsfeld. I find his ideas interesting, but wishful thinking. I would think a division of paratroopers would be a great swarming force - seem to work on D-day. I agree with downsizing the active military and increasing the size of the reserves and NG. I'm open to a draft, but for the Guard. Keep Don't Ask, Don't Tell just the way it is.
09-06-2010
Fuchs

Swarming and similar concepts do not cut it unless combined with a compact, dense old-fashioned fist.

How could a navy have only 100 men / ship?

What's a draft good for with such small armed services in a country of 310 million and a somewhat militarised society (only 1/1000 of population being active soldiers in the concept)?
09-06-2010
Brett Patron

Quote:

Originally Posted by gute

Just finished Worst Enemy by John Arquilla - interesting read, but unrealistic.

Arquilla's main points in the book:

- bring back the draft

I don't know much about the arthor other then he worked for the Rand Corporation and was an advisor to Donald Rumsfeld. I find his ideas interesting, but wishful thinking. I would think a division of paratroopers would be a great swarming force - seem to work on D-day. I agree with downsizing the active military and increasing the size of the reserves and NG. I'm open to a draft, but for the Guard. Keep Don't Ask, Don't Tell just the way it is.

Why does the draft have to be for DOD? Why not use it for Homeland Security?
09-06-2010
Brett Patron

Quote:

Originally Posted by gute

Just finished Worst Enemy by John Arquilla - interesting read, but unrealistic.

Arquilla's main points in the book:

- Army goes from brigade combat teams to battalion size "swarming" structure, deactivate the 82nd, Army active strength 100,000 with a much larger reserve and NG.

- Navy gets rid of its carriers and has 1,000 ships that are networked and can swarm an enemy. Navy has strength of 100,000 and Marine Corps drops to 30,000.

- Air Force goes away from strategic bombing to concentrating on CAS. USAF does not militarize space, use of blimps and end strength of 100,000 with a larger reserve.

I am always amused when reform plans talk numbers of people and not capabilities. It never accounts for the "tail" - only implies the teeth. For example, a 100K navy does not mean 100 pax per ship.

How about somebody talk about eliminating all the social science programs in the military first before chopping combat power?

Also, you'd think with a smaller force you would be more EXclusive not INclusive (since you can afford to be picky). Seems counterintuitive to eliminate DADT (and by that i'm sure they mean open up things not go back to the way it was) and then say "but you can only do 'x' ". Open up a smaller military to openly gay/lesbian folks (and Lord knows what else) but limit where they may serve? Not sure how that circle gets squared.
09-06-2010
Fuchs

Easily. By picking the best personnel, not picking the best hetero personnel only.

This might be the same, but in that case you'd need no DADT if you know how to pick the best personnel and do so.
09-06-2010
Global Scout

out in left field

Our general purpose forces should not be redesigned to become a swarming force. First there is no need to do so, second if we do so we lose the ability to conduct major decisive attacks, and third we can already conduct swarming if we so desire.

Depending upon how you interpret Desert Storm and OIF 1 we conducted swarming attacks initially, and then used the big fist to punch through and execute decisive attacks. Also it is very hard to conduct a swarming attack in many locations without an aircraft carrier for our CAS aircraft to launch from?

Haven't read the book, but if those are his main arguments I see no reason to engage in such fantasy, and hope that the military remains reluctant to transform along these lines. Our enemies have tried swarmng attacks against us for years only to be slaughtered by our superior fire power and fighting organizations. We don't need to replicate the war of the flea to be successful.
09-06-2010
Xenophon

His idea of a small army that can rapidly expand through use of reserves and NG isn't crazy. It's doable if the other branches are robust enough to keep threats away from CONUS while an Army is built up. An expanded Marine Corps, Navy, and an Air Force focused on maintaining air superiority could do that. But since he wants to cut everyone else as well, he took the crazy train right off the tracks. And we already do "good deeds" around the world.

DADT is rapidly becoming a relic. End it. With no qualifications.
09-07-2010
IntelTrooper

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xenophon

DADT is rapidly becoming a relic. End it. With no qualifications.

Like.
09-07-2010
Infanteer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xenophon

DADT is rapidly becoming a relic. End it. With no qualifications.

Coming from a military with no descrimination of sexual orientation or gender in any MOS, I will agree with you.
09-07-2010
Ken White

The Arquila book was discussed here earlier...

LINK.

There are a couple of other Threads in which the book and its proposals as well as swarm tactics generally were discussed but for some reason, the Search feature on the site is acting strangely for me this morning. Anyone interested may be able to turn them up...
09-07-2010
Entropy

Quote:

- Air Force goes away from strategic bombing to concentrating on CAS. USAF does not militarize space, use of blimps and end strength of 100,000 with a larger reserve.

Hard to take stuff like that seriously. We only have one platform dedicated to strategic bombing - the 20 aircraft in the B-2 fleet (or is it 19 now, I think one crashed). Pretty much everything else with the exception of the F-15 and F-22 is a CAS aircraft actually doing CAS in Iraq/Afghanistan.

Militarize space? It's already militarized, depending on one's definition of "militarize." Blimps are a good idea, but come with big limitations.

Quote:

Navy gets rid of its carriers and has 1,000 ships that are networked and can swarm an enemy. Navy has strength of 100,000 and Marine Corps drops to 30,000.

As noted one can't have 1000 ships and only 100k personnel unless the intent is to have a fleet of patrol boats, which would be bad.

In all it doesn't sound very well thought-out.