Humanitarian Aid: Winning the Terror War

[Rob Thornton]

What I do like is that LawVol as USAF guy is advocating the use of USAF resources in ways other then what we traditionally asociate their position as. Probably not going to get major aquisition changes, based on where the priorities fall. However, getting the services to think outside regular military lines of operation is pretty significant.

We could leverage that to provide the things we cold not get on the outside. For example if its a lift & distribution issue, maybe we don't have to tap USN shipping and USAF lift for all of it, but only those parts that are critical to the military LOO.

I think with AFRICOM, SOCOM, and maybe even PACOM (anything but Iraq and Afghan) we're going to be hard pressed to free up forces and equipment for the forseeable future. So what are the bare bones military capabilities that can be used to facilitate and energize commercial shipping, air, NGOs, OGAs, HN or Regional Fores, maybe even PMCs used in a limited role so that conflict prevention actions like Humanitarian assistance get done? It might be mostly C2, or providing some critical capability that cannot be found except for inside the US Military. Consider the USAFs role in establishing and sustaining and expeditionary air field? A relatively small service commitment which no other service can provide could make all the difference.

Lets face it, our service resources are only so deep and our priorities for where those resources are at or supporting are fairly well defined. We have to find ways to use what is not commited to shape our other commitments so that they are not so painful down the road. This may mean an economy of force commitment, or the application of things that we are not using in roles that are compatible, but not really what they were intended for. The USN Mercy has answered the call numerous times, but if we did not have good facilities in Iraq, and quick air evac to Landstuhl, she'd be sitting in the Gulf. How many other assets across the services can be used to help shape other AORs? How large is the disonnect between the FS & other OGAs, COCOMS and Services in identifying and resourcing limited needs that could pay big dividends? Are we suffering from constrained thinking? Why? Is it Title Tenitus?

[goesh]

I always liked the idea of refurbishing some old Carriers and filling the guts with pre-packaged pallets of rice and wheat, water purification gear, cooking oil, ponchos and space blankets, first aid kids and other assorted things - A skeleton crew of Naval personnel at the helm with no offensive/defensive capabilities required, with civilian volunteers and contract personnel and some choppers on deck, ready to go with emergency rations that could be dropped off quickly within a matter of days any place on the world's coast lines and inward a couple hundred miles. The concept of solving the problem never seems to work out because political turf wars and reams of regulations invariably cause people to suffer and die. Perhaps a theoretical shift is needed to one of helping with Humanitarian problems only and not pretending to be able to solve the problems.

[Rob Thornton]

Hey Goesh,
Funny you should mention it, but a friend of mine proposed about a year ago when the Navy was going out to turn a carrier into a reef, that we should consider an alternative to making combat vehicles conform to C-130 standards that they'd never meet and that there would never be enough air frames to move and sustain a BCT of armored vehicles in favor of ....

You guessed it - taking these retiring nuclear carriers and refitting them with the types of access and ramps that could download to theater sea lift such as the HSV catamarans that can move a company team set at a time. Out fit the carrier with the types of C4ISR and maint. bays to keep your equipment to the -10 standards and you have significant strategic mobility that delivers a BCT set of men and equipment in tact vs. trying to scrape frames from everywhere and find airports with a big enough capacity on both end, plus all the LOG involved with builidng an air bridge. A carrier is a pretty fast moving animal.

Hell, the Army could run the boats (or the Merchant Marine - or even a contractor).
The thing is we often turn down options without even considering them because it does not fit our perception of how something should be. Consider how something like that would free up cargo air for more flexibility.