Couple of points:

1) I think that there is alot of underestimation of the quality of folks in the junior enlisted ranks. There are many, especially in the cohorts that enlisted after 9/11, who have an ability to understand other cultures, and the interaction of politics and foreign policy. Gone are the days, if they ever existed, where the military was made up of individuals with no other prospects in society.

2) The strategic corporal is not a pipe dream, it is a necessity. It is not a cliche to say that this war and future wars are fought heavily in the media. With instantaneous communication, the corporal must understand the broader consequences of his actions, or we will lose the media war.