SWJ Briefs COIN Community

**SWJED** · 10-31-2008

Yesterday, at the invitation of the USA / USMC Counterinsurgency Center, Small Wars Journal participated in their monthly online integration meeting. The purpose of these meetings is to update the counterinsurgency community of interest on the latest developments in COIN education and training across the force, coordinate actions between the field, schoolhouse, and centers and exchange best practices. Participants included organizations throughout the Department of Defense - CONUS and “in country”.

We were asked to address one question - how can SWJ assist the COIN community? This 8-slide brief outlines our thoughts on this subject.

**slapout9** · 10-31-2008

Originally Posted by SWJED

Yesterday, at the invitation of the USA / USMC Counterinsurgency Center, Small Wars Journal participated in their monthly online integration meeting. The purpose of these meetings is to update the counterinsurgency community of interest on the latest developments in COIN education and training across the force, coordinate actions between the field, schoolhouse, and centers and exchange best practices. Participants included organizations throughout the Department of Defense - CONUS and “in country”.

We were asked to address one question - how can SWJ assist the COIN community? This 8-slide brief outlines our thoughts on this subject.

Dave, you forgot we have a great attitude to

**John T. Fishel** · 10-31-2008

Hooah! Ooorah! Sierra Hotel! Bravo Zulu!

Well done

**Entropy** · 10-31-2008

Originally Posted by John T. Fishel

Hooah! Ooorah! Sierra Hotel! Bravo Zulu!

Well done

Agreed! Very nice!

**Rob Thornton** · 10-31-2008

Sacred cows make the best burgers. SWJ offers somewhere to slaughter them or decide to continue to milk them.

should become a SWJ signature line.

Very well done gents. Best, Rob

**Steve Blair** · 10-31-2008

Good capture of the points! It's definitely important to keep links going between those close in and those who are further back and may have a different perspective.

**Hacksaw** · 10-31-2008

Now that I no longer work with the COIN Center on a daily basis, it won't be self-serving to note...

it is worth applauding the COIN Center for encouraging the larger "corporate" DoD community of Interest to expand beyond its own "echo chamber". So well done to the b@st@rds that fired me!

Live well and row

**Ron Humphrey** · 10-31-2008

Our beautiful personalities

Excellent Presentation.

**Old Eagle** · 10-31-2008

And we're cheap. I mean extremely cost effective.

**Cavguy** · 10-31-2008

Originally Posted by Rob Thornton

should become a SWJ signature line.

Very well done gents. Best, Rob

There's actually a midly entertaining book by that title.

Thanks all for the props!

**Rank amateur** · 10-31-2008

Originally Posted by Rob Thornton

Sacred cows make the best burgers.

As one who has gone after a sacred cow or three, it's worth pointing out that the cow isn't always the one who becomes hamburger.

**Hacksaw** · 10-31-2008

and the bus that you got thrown under when the sacred cow survived, tenderized your hindquarters in addition to doing interesting things to your internal organs.

Note to self: Never say again in the earshot of the 101 AASLT CDR, that operational-level maneuver is a great thing, but the only thing dumber than a "true" air assault - was an opposed airborne operations

hurts more when the bus moves back and forth - and then they switch drivers for more of the same

**120mm** · 11-02-2008

As a regular attender of the monthly VTCs, I am heartened in how the SWJ/SWC has been worked into the COIN Center.

As the greater military bureaucracy tends to destroy that which it attempts to merge with, intellectual distance is necessary to keep the concept of COIN alive. And the SWJ/SWC can be a necessary part of that process.