The Col. Gentile collection and debate

[Mark O'Neill]

Good Armies will need to be able to operate against both combined arms armour formations and Insurgents in the same town at the same time. This is mostly a training and leadership challenge. At the very worst it requires the fairly simple encompassing of a few simple contradictions and dualities. ( and as Ursamajor correctly points out.)[*]I think their may be merit in considering the idea that a lot of the complexity we have ascribed to the current operating environment is not complexity at all, but a need to view something as complex to excuse our own lack of understanding.[*]I would venture that the first step in this process may be recovering the solid, proven and effective doctrines of military force and learning to apply them I the context of avoiding civilian casualties. Take away the civilians and you take away the need for most of the complexity.[/LIST]

William, I am trying to ascertain what you are offering.

Isn't (1) 'Three Block War' stated differently?

Regarding (2) - by definition, complexity is relative, so I am not sure what we gain by the 'realisation' that lack of understanding makes something complex to the beholder; and

Regarding (3) - are you implying that we have a choice as to where the enemy will choose to fight us? (ie - we can choose 'no civilians'). As Gray said in '40 Maxims' , The enemy too has a vote..

That said, I agree with the point that you make up front, which essentially seems to suggest that the future does not confront us with an 'either / or' proposition by the likely requirement to be prepared to do both, proficiently.

regards,

Mark

PS apologies for stuffing up the quotation - something I edited obviously affected the list you had formatted.