The Best Trained, Most Professional Military...Just Lost Two Wars?

[TheCurmudgeon]

However, the issue isn't really what might occur but our response...What we have learned in the last few years we also learned in the Indian Wars, in the Philippines, in the Caribbean and Central America and in Viet Nam:

- Small wars should be kept small. Commitment of major forces, the GPF, is inherently and by definition enlarging.

- Humanitarian interventions should be of the shortest possible duration to preclude any semblance of occupation or of overwhelming local mores and practices.

Agree with all of the above.

- "Stabilization" is a myth. We have never stabilized anything. We have imposed or, more often, tried and failed to impose our will on others. That's not stabilizing, that's simply interfering for our nominal and theoretical advantage -- and it universally fails.

Disagree to a point. I think there are examples of successful "Stabilization"; for example, Bosnia. In that case we (along with others) imposed our will on the local population in order to reduce the threat to the neighboring countries. But I agree successful cases are limited. I would add that the odds of them failing increase the farther afield we go from simply keeping the peace. The more we try to "change the world" the more likely we are to fail. Stabilization can also take the form of Containment which does not necessarily require direct military action but may require military and civilian presence. The current situation in around Syria is an example of this type of situation. We cannot fix them but we can keep their problems from spilling over to other countries ... or at least try to stop that.

Oh -- we also learned that our 'doctrine' has lost its way and our overall state of training and military education is marginal.

Perhaps part of our problem is that we are trying to do too much in realms that we have limited capabilities. As a result, we have to throw out doctrine and dilute training and education. Just a thought.

My intent would be to, for the most part, remove this burden from the U.S. Army and move it over to State where it belongs. Yes, there would still be a contribution of forces as well as logistical support but I believe it is a better solution than continuing to expect the Army to do things that are beyond their capabilities.