Having been an RTO for a Platoon leader and Company Commander (carried all my gear plus a PRICK 77) I can strongly identify with this oneOriginally Posted by jcustis
Having been an RTO for a Platoon leader and Company Commander (carried all my gear plus a PRICK 77) I can strongly identify with this one
A confused wounded UN soldier with an unloaded rifle pointing at his ROE card or COIN manual while locals with cell phones try to penetrate his body armour with spears to finish him off.
With a jet flying overhead…..and a donkey and a Hummer in the distance
Nothing that results in human progress is achieved with unanimous consent. (Christopher Columbus)
All great truth passes through three stages: first it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
(Arthur Schopenhauer)
ONWARD
A confused wounded UN soldier with a stick trying to contain local militia armed with cell phones and AK or RPG and to calm them down by distributing candies.A confused wounded UN soldier with an unloaded rifle pointing at his ROE card or COIN manual while locals with cell phones try to penetrate his body armour with spears to finish him off.
With a jet flying overhead…..and a donkey and a Hummer in the distance
With an MI8 flying over and a old APC tracked by donkeys and a man in a three piece suite with a briefcase lecturing the commander who is drinking tea and watching cricket in a parade uniform from a powerfull country as swaziland...
That would be more accurate
A TV news crew or at least locals shooting footage on their '4G' mobiles!
Not sure how we could illustrate IEDs - perhaps a C-IED team?
Getting Picassoesque perhaps something showing the use and abuse of religious faith in small wars (and large ones too)? A skyline with Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist temples or one building with aspects of all 4 (or more)?
RR
"War is an option of difficulties"
A sniper scope image with the cross hairs resting on the head of an armed rebel/insurgent - who is kissing his wife and child "good-bye." - literally!
Kill the bad guy. Not his family.
Sorry if that's a bit full on for the all "Oprah Winfrey Way of War" folk so here's a picture to make you feel "fluffy".
Infinity Journal "I don't care if this works in practice. I want to see it work in theory!"
- The job of the British Army out here is to kill or capture Communist Terrorists in Malaya.
- If we can double the ratio of kills per contact, we will soon put an end to the shooting in Malaya.
Sir Gerald Templer, foreword to the "Conduct of Anti-Terrorist Operations in Malaya," 1958 Edition
Has George Michael left 'Wham' and joined the IDF?
RR
"War is an option of difficulties"
Interesting. Comes back to the question of "what is a small war"?
Grenada, the Falkland Island campaign were both small wars, but very conventional.
Iraq and Afghanistan both large wars, but with a mix of activities. As was WWII and WWI for that matter (uh oh, getting into the equally messy reality that Asymmetric Warfare is nothing new either.}
You could have scenes of Armor and Artillery units rolling up guideons and disbanding; while officers from the same units then migrate to Leavenworth to write manuals on Counterinsurgency and Irregular Warfare, et al.
I guess as good of definition as any is that a small war is one where the populace at home has no real stake as to if the conflict is won or lost, and goes on about its life with business as usual before, during and after; win, lose or draw. Sadly, we can all draw dozens of images of how to picture that.
(and after writing this, realize that once again I have determined that the critical perception is that of the affected populace. "size" is determined by how important the populace thinks the war is, not by number of troops engaged, area covered, casualties incurred, tactics employed, etc, though all contribute to that perception.)
Next post will be from back in Kabul, packing up the computer and getting ready to head out.
Last edited by Bob's World; 06-23-2010 at 11:24 AM.
Robert C. Jones
Intellectus Supra Scientia
(Understanding is more important than Knowledge)
"The modern COIN mindset is when one arrogantly goes to some foreign land and attempts to make those who live there a lesser version of one's self. The FID mindset is when one humbly goes to some foreign land and seeks first to understand, and then to help in some small way for those who live there to be the best version of their own self." Colonel Robert C. Jones, US Army Special Forces (Retired)
Good stuff. Thanks, all. Keep 'em coming!
It's now OK to be gay in the IDF - actually has been for quite some time.Has George Michael left 'Wham' and joined the IDF?
Small Wars is IMO, a very useful term. - as used in the 1906 covering letter to the Imperial General Staff, by C.E. Callwell!
Small war is warfare against irregulars/rebels.
The Falklands was in no way a Small War. May have been over some small Islands, but it was definitely all arms formation combat operations between regular armies.
Infinity Journal "I don't care if this works in practice. I want to see it work in theory!"
- The job of the British Army out here is to kill or capture Communist Terrorists in Malaya.
- If we can double the ratio of kills per contact, we will soon put an end to the shooting in Malaya.
Sir Gerald Templer, foreword to the "Conduct of Anti-Terrorist Operations in Malaya," 1958 Edition
Good one - the image for "small wars" could be a soldier fighting in a ditch somewhere with the image of the nation behind him, watching TV or shopping at the mall.
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