Cavguy, great post. I figure the COIN tactics are designed to separate the insurgent fish from the sea, allowing him to be destroyed by kinetic or political means - and the combination thereof, in whatever percentage you like - eventually eliminates the insurgency. And I agree that it is a matter more of training leaders and troops to be comfortable in different environments, rather than providing an equipment/force structure that is optimized for this mission or that.

JWolfsberger, I looked at the TO&E, but mechanized divisions in the Cold War had indigenous armor - in Fred Franks' into the storm, he says the difference in tanks between an armored division (he had 1st and 3rd, + 1st Cav) and 1st Infantry (Mechanized) was 50-75 tanks. 1st Inf had a large indigenous tank force. Without it, they couldn't have done the breach. Forced entry ops would require chopping tank assets to the SBCT, unless you were going to ditch the self-contained BCT idea for the operation and work as a division.

I'll probably let this go just because I know I'm moving out of my depth here.

And finally, Stan, you're gonna have to travel to collect. Free beer offerings don't come without hidden costs.

Matt