Ill Informed Blog Post at AM on Advisors

[Ski]

Since Riley is a FORSCOM post and 1/1 is a FORSCOM unit, FORSCOM gets to write the task list.

The tast list was just revised two weeks ago at a conference...it is going to be MUCH shorter from what I have heard. There was a roughly 65% growth in training tasks from OIF II to OIF whatever it is today (8-10?) and a lot of people were getting pissed off - the list kept growing and it almost never shortened. A lot of tasks were part of normal METL training anyway, so those were eliminated.

[Ken White]

Since Riley is a FORSCOM post and 1/1 is a FORSCOM unit, FORSCOM gets to write the task list.

That tells me what is happening as did Hacksaw (so I knew that); my question was why is it happening. The fact that the 1st ID, a nominal FORSCOM organization is doing the training is not remotely germane to the development of the task list for elements bound for a theater, those are a GCC call and FORSCOM has no business complicating the issue by adding their thoughts (and CYA concerns). Doctrinally, FORSCOM just has no business sticking their nose into it (nor much reason for existing IMO and based on long experience with them -- but that's another thread)

The tast list was just revised two weeks ago at a conference...it is going to be MUCH shorter from what I have heard. There was a roughly 65% growth in training tasks from OIF II to OIF whatever it is today (8-10?) and a lot of people were getting pissed off - the list kept growing and it almost never shortened. A lot of tasks were part of normal METL training anyway, so those were eliminated.

Bureaucracy in action. My sympathy to all involved -- and that's not a snark, it's a serious dose of real sympathy...

Edited to add: Since 1/1 is doing the training, they have every right to tamper with the task list but FORSCOM should have auth dir coord w/CentCom for that adjustment. Oh, wait...

[Ski]

Ken

FORSCOM became the force provider for ALL Army units a few years ago, and that's why they are so involved in the process. Doesn't matter what kind of unit - outside of the SOF community.

That task list is not just FORSOM, it also eminates from CENTCOM, ARCENT/3rdArmy, HQDA and TRADOC. All of that kluged together has made for an exceptionally painful DMETL.

The best quote of the conference was from an 06 from HQDA :"Are we really this ####ing stupid?" Uh, yes, we are.

[Ken White]

Thanks for the expansion. Er, that is thank you . The apparent facts of the expansion don't fill me with glee...

Ken

FORSCOM became the force provider for ALL Army units a few years ago, and that's why they are so involved in the process. Doesn't matter what kind of unit - outside of the SOF community.

They've always been the big Daddy for everyone that wasn't totally stovepiped -- that's not new. What apparently is new is that a 4-button Hq is getting down in the weeds; even under the weeds for either justification, covering or meddling purposes Whatever happened to delegating authority? Trusting subordinates? Deconfliction of tangled responsibilities?

All of Which leads to your very apt quote:

The best quote of the conference was from an 06 from HQDA :"Are we really this ####ing stupid?" Uh, yes, we are.

Sigh, again. This is all a plot to make my gray hair go away so I look like Tom and Steve...

[wm]

Thanks for the expansion. Er, that is thank you . The apparent facts of the expansion don't fill me with glee...They've always been the big Daddy for everyone that wasn't totally stovepiped -- that's not new. What apparently is new is that a 4-button Hq is getting down in the weeds; even under the weeds for either justification, covering or meddling purposes Whatever happened to delegating authority? Trusting subordinates? Deconfliction of tangled responsibilities?

All of Which leads to your very apt quote:Sigh, again. This is all a plot to make my gray hair go away so I look like Tom and Steve...

My ages past experience with Farcecom was always that their 4 button needed to meddle in what were more properly the affairs of division and bde commanders. But that was back in the days when Fort McPherson held sway over the CONUS portions of REFORGER and chopped on every OPLAN/CONPLAN TPFDDL.

[Ken White]

Reforger TPFDs were always a political monster for a lot of reasons. However, it wasn't the 4-buttons (well, not most of them anyway; Palastra was a busy guy...) that were the meddlers -- it was the huge number of civilians on the staff, a number of whom saw Job Security as their primary mission. Obviously that's gotten worse. So much for cutting Hq size...

[Ski]

The biggest problem with FORSCOM is that they continually look to overextend their authority - my MACOM has gotten into serious knock down drag out JAG infested fights over some issues. Add in what Ken has said - they have a Corps worth of retired 05's who are more concerned about doing business the way it's all been instead of letting the young guys run the show. It's awfully painful doing business with them because all these retired 05's think they have more collective knowledge on war than Alexander the Great, Napolean and Genghis Khan. The GS 14-15 positions down there should be nuked from orbit, just to be sure.

FORSCOM also delegates to 1st Army a lot...and that is the textbook example of a command that has become a wasteland of personnel...some of the people there...I have to stop.