If the US Army is considering creating a COIN centric force, then by default its admitting that "meddling in a whole bunch of murky local conflicts" is exactly what it plans on doing. In the cold war...
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If the US Army is considering creating a COIN centric force, then by default its admitting that "meddling in a whole bunch of murky local conflicts" is exactly what it plans on doing. In the cold war...
People always point out how we lost COIN knowledge after Vietnam. I think this was a matter of trading off for the bigger threat. The threat of the Soviets invading W. Europe was world changing....
1) I'll assume you know more than I do regarding Vietnam. It seemed to me as if the military was never allowed to go "all the way" in developing a strategy for that war? Perhaps no one in the...
1) I'm not going to argue Summer's main thesis, but are you saying the civilian leadership did do an adequate job in Vietnam?
2) The American people handle war when its going good and start crying...
I think you're half right. The Vietnam era civilian leadership definitely didn't fight to win the war. Johnson didn't want to redirect resources from the so called "Great Society." I think the...
Yes! This was what I was trying to describe from the start. I guess using "SOC" in the title threw everyone off. It wouldn't do any sort of FID, or humanitarian assistance. It would be for the...
This is what I was talking about from the start. If I wrote "SOF" somewhere in the discussion then I'm sorry for the confusion. Ultimately it would be a cav sqdn or mechanized infantry bn. It...
The unit would be a Ranger unit but mechanized. And the purpose would the same as why we have airborne Ranger units. The 82nd can seize airfields and pretty much do anything a Ranger unit can do,...
So there's no selection, but the unit trains for missions usually thought of as being SO? Can any Marine be sent to one of these units, or is there some sort of selection process?
Don't mistake European weakness and decadence for wisdom. For 500 years the Europeans were intervening across the globe and then became "smarter" after they tore each other to shreds in WWII. The...
Indeed...
This may be your experience, but in mine, no one wanted to do FID or COIN? Frankly, If the Army ever develops an "Advisor Division" or such, I would not envy the people serving in it in any way. I,...
What makes these units "Special Operations Capable?" Is there a selection process and/or advanced training they go through?
I think you're correct that this mission has traditionally been the responsibility of the State dept, but if nation building becomes part of America's foreign policy goals, then this will have to...
Yes, but in the future we will face trade offs as far as procurement, and are currently facing trade offs in terms of training. So when it comes between the F-22 and more COIN capabilities, or...
Absolutely, and I think its worth having this discussion. For one thing, if one makes the argument that we should be heavy in COIN capabilities, then they're basically saying we don't/won't face a...
Thank you, I need to think about how I'd word the question[s]? I should be back soon?
I always viewed SWJ (and the forum) as a place for practitioners of war, and those concerned with war, to trade ideas for use in combat. I'm interested in knowing if anyone learned anything here that...
"While the selective use of examples by MW adherents has sought to prove them as opposing or differing styles, they are better explained as complimentary." (William F. Owen)
I think this statement...
Racist! Nazi! Xenophobe!
I just thought I'd introduce you to the political rhetoric of immigration politics in America. :D
After reading some of the Baltic State's defense plans, I've come to the conclusion that they have a military to support the US and NATO, and generally hope the Russians will not destroy too much...
I've been to Latvia and have thought about the best way to defend it against Russia. I'm not sure of the terrain in Estonia, but Latvia is very flat. There are some forests, but Russia would...
a.) Countries like the Baltic States could probably use some armour if their Russian populations try to break away, but for actual war against Russia, they'd be useless.
b.) During OIF I my...
I can't understand why the Georgians would try to fight Russia using tanks? The Georgian Army should be a Army of 6 man cells, with the best shoulder fired weapons money can buy. I didn't hear...
I'm not sure that it would even be possible to "throw in the towel." The Army is having trouble meeting its goals for man power as it is, do you really think we could recruit the 150,000 troops that...