Some added news on the Training and Mentoring mission
in Afghanistan.LINK"...Approximately 3,300 soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, from Fort Bragg, N.C., along with approximately 700 additional training and support personnel will deploy to Afghanistan...
My spies tell me the Div and Bde will handle the trainup at Bragg...
From the Washington Post, by Scott Wilson Which Way in Afghanistan? Ask Colombia For Directions.
The parallels between Colombia and Afghanistan are hardly perfect. And a lot suggests that succeeding in Afghanistan will be harder and take longer. Afghanistan is a pre-modern society, while Colombia's population, even in the countryside, is well-educated, and the country boasts one of the most innovative business classes in South America. It is the land of García Márquez, Botero and Shakira, not the graveyard of empires.
Sapere Aude
He was doing great until he hit three traffic bumps at high speed.
Disarming Afghans and disarming the Paramilitary Groups in Colombia are two very different things...
LINK. Check # 101 and # 204.
A tradition of central government versus no such tradition.
Having said that, it is a better example than Iraq...
Not to sidetrack, but has anyone questioned the wisdom of having a regular unit fall in on the "ETT" mission? It is awkward enough having a junior Major with no real training advise a BN commander with a lifetime of experience, how about a Lt. or a junior CPT? What do we hope to get out of this?
Not stated who's advising what nor do we yet know
who or what those 700 added persons to the Bde happen to be. The most important thing that will happen is that Joe and the NCOs will react with and show the Host nation troops how to behave. Example is better than advice.
Not to mention that time and experience do not equal competence...
Not that, in Afghanistan, there will be that many with a lifetime of military experience -- fighting experience isn't the same thing.
For some of the probabilities
look at the SFA: Mosul Case Study that Rob Thornton, Marc Tyrrell, and I posted on the Journal (SWJ). (I should note that Rob was kind enough to include us as co-authors mainly for our single chapters and snide comments)
Although Mosul in 2006 - 7 was hardly representative of Iraq as a whole, then or later, there were lessons to be adapted that were useful later. More adaptation to differing conditions in Afghanistan suggests how regular trops might be best used in the mission - much of it in a partnering role.
Cheers
JohnT
The same as
myself a SFC advising those many levels above my pay grade. Brings me to that thread somewhere floating around SWJ about wearing sterile uniforms. This would be one of those occasions. Rank has no play in it, competence does, minus those select individuals who have to hear it from someone of higher rank.....Originally Posted by AndrewMcJames
Many here have worn on me over the past months, have gotten me to see the light. Truth be told I see nothing wrong with GPF doing this. As usual I have a but. When will someone put together a standard POI, develop levels of training, but then again is our system all that effective? How do we ensure year to year as units rotate, training is not affected. Kinda like when instructors switch, one teaches you one thing, two wants it done differently, then one comes back to evaluate you and wonders WTF?
ODB
Exchange with an Iraqi soldier during FID:
Why did you not clear your corner?
Because we are on a base and it is secure.
Surferbeetle
You just had to say that word..... I had abstained from using that word for at least a good month. Even at work, my new word that I scream daily is "PLANNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
ODB
Exchange with an Iraqi soldier during FID:
Why did you not clear your corner?
Because we are on a base and it is secure.
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