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Thread: Inspiration needed - SWJ town square scene

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    Groundskeeping Dept. SWCAdmin's Avatar
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    Lightbulb Inspiration needed - SWJ town square scene

    So we've often imagined ourselves as the open, unclass, neutral ground akin to a market in a town square at a little Swiss crossroads amongst all the mountain peaks of the various silos of excellence and juggernauts of cloistered brilliance. Now we are very fortunate to have an illustrator who is going to turn that image into a reality.

    Now calling for what sort of things should be pictured in there.

    We're not really sure if we'll make it very busy with TONS of stuff, a la Where's Waldo?, or we'll distill significantly. But for now, free thinking hats on.

    What are the images that depict the essence of small wars and Small Wars Journal? Today and historical.

    Examples: (don't bother trying to categorize, I just threw a couple out to make sure we're thinking broadly and uncategorized)

    • People - Teddy Roosevelt and his rough riders, Petraeus & Crocker, Clausewitz
    • Activities - voting, MEDCAP, Predator strike
    • Places / Things - 9/11, Saddam's statue, Gitmo, Algiers
    • Misc squishy things - justice, 3 block war

    We'll be watching this list and culling the ideas for development with the artist. Please fire away.

  2. #2
    Council Member slapout9's Avatar
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    John Wayne with his Green Beret!

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    Council Member jcustis's Avatar
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    -a silhouette of a commander at the end of a handset, running from a radio on a RTO's back
    -a silhouette of a corpsman/medic administering aid to a child
    -a silhouette or photo of a Marine/soldier playing soccer with LN children, while other troops are conspicuous in the background as overwatch.
    Last edited by jcustis; 06-22-2010 at 05:07 PM.

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    Moderator Steve Blair's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcustis View Post
    -a silhouette of a commander at the end of a handset, running from a radio on a RTO's back
    -a silhouette of a corpsman/medic administering aid to a child
    -a silhouette or photo of a Marine/soldier playing soccer with LN children, while other troops are conspicuous in the background as overwatch.
    I also like the TR idea. Somewhere in the corner you need a copy of the original Small Wars Manual, and maybe a shadow of Old Bill (the mounted trooper done by Remington to show the continuing role of cavalry in the US's small wars).

    And Slap, what about a SF guy based loosely on Larry Thorne? Might better capture the international aspect of SW.
    "On the plains and mountains of the American West, the United States Army had once learned everything there was to learn about hit-and-run tactics and guerrilla warfare."
    T.R. Fehrenbach This Kind of War

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    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default Some quick thoughts

    A 'terp' helping the infidel, a map upside down and something that shows how weird the real world is. Maybe a Russian-made chopper, in US markings?
    davidbfpo

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    Council Member Polarbear1605's Avatar
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    Default Ordeal of Samar

    samar2.jpgHow about the cover from the book "The Ordeal of Samar" ...file attached

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    Council Member slapout9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcustis View Post
    -a silhouette of a commander at the end of a handset, running from a radio on a RTO's back
    Having been an RTO for a Platoon leader and Company Commander (carried all my gear plus a PRICK 77) I can strongly identify with this one

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    Council Member Kiwigrunt's Avatar
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    A confused wounded UN soldier with an unloaded rifle pointing at his ROE card or COIN manual while locals with cell phones try to penetrate his body armour with spears to finish him off.

    With a jet flying overhead…..and a donkey and a Hummer in the distance…and a man in a three piece suite with a briefcase standing with his back to it all, lecturing the commander.
    Nothing that results in human progress is achieved with unanimous consent. (Christopher Columbus)

    All great truth passes through three stages: first it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
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    ONWARD

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    Council Member M-A Lagrange's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kiwigrunt View Post
    A confused wounded UN soldier with an unloaded rifle pointing at his ROE card or COIN manual while locals with cell phones try to penetrate his body armour with spears to finish him off.

    With a jet flying overhead…..and a donkey and a Hummer in the distance…and a man in a three piece suite with a briefcase standing with his back to it all, lecturing the commander.
    A confused wounded UN soldier with a stick trying to contain local militia armed with cell phones and AK or RPG and to calm them down by distributing candies.

    With an MI8 flying over and a old APC tracked by donkeys and a man in a three piece suite with a briefcase lecturing the commander who is drinking tea and watching cricket in a parade uniform from a powerfull country as swaziland...

    That would be more accurate

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    Council Member Red Rat's Avatar
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    A TV news crew or at least locals shooting footage on their '4G' mobiles!

    Not sure how we could illustrate IEDs - perhaps a C-IED team?

    Getting Picassoesque perhaps something showing the use and abuse of religious faith in small wars (and large ones too)? A skyline with Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist temples or one building with aspects of all 4 (or more)?
    RR

    "War is an option of difficulties"

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    Council Member William F. Owen's Avatar
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    A sniper scope image with the cross hairs resting on the head of an armed rebel/insurgent - who is kissing his wife and child "good-bye." - literally!
    Kill the bad guy. Not his family.

    Sorry if that's a bit full on for the all "Oprah Winfrey Way of War" folk so here's a picture to make you feel "fluffy".

    Infinity Journal "I don't care if this works in practice. I want to see it work in theory!"

    - The job of the British Army out here is to kill or capture Communist Terrorists in Malaya.
    - If we can double the ratio of kills per contact, we will soon put an end to the shooting in Malaya.
    Sir Gerald Templer, foreword to the "Conduct of Anti-Terrorist Operations in Malaya," 1958 Edition

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    Council Member Red Rat's Avatar
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    Has George Michael left 'Wham' and joined the IDF?
    RR

    "War is an option of difficulties"

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    Council Member Bob's World's Avatar
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    Interesting. Comes back to the question of "what is a small war"?

    Grenada, the Falkland Island campaign were both small wars, but very conventional.

    Iraq and Afghanistan both large wars, but with a mix of activities. As was WWII and WWI for that matter (uh oh, getting into the equally messy reality that Asymmetric Warfare is nothing new either.}

    You could have scenes of Armor and Artillery units rolling up guideons and disbanding; while officers from the same units then migrate to Leavenworth to write manuals on Counterinsurgency and Irregular Warfare, et al.

    I guess as good of definition as any is that a small war is one where the populace at home has no real stake as to if the conflict is won or lost, and goes on about its life with business as usual before, during and after; win, lose or draw. Sadly, we can all draw dozens of images of how to picture that.

    (and after writing this, realize that once again I have determined that the critical perception is that of the affected populace. "size" is determined by how important the populace thinks the war is, not by number of troops engaged, area covered, casualties incurred, tactics employed, etc, though all contribute to that perception.)

    Next post will be from back in Kabul, packing up the computer and getting ready to head out.
    Last edited by Bob's World; 06-23-2010 at 11:24 AM.
    Robert C. Jones
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    (Understanding is more important than Knowledge)

    "The modern COIN mindset is when one arrogantly goes to some foreign land and attempts to make those who live there a lesser version of one's self. The FID mindset is when one humbly goes to some foreign land and seeks first to understand, and then to help in some small way for those who live there to be the best version of their own self." Colonel Robert C. Jones, US Army Special Forces (Retired)

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    Groundskeeping Dept. SWCAdmin's Avatar
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    Good stuff. Thanks, all. Keep 'em coming!

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    Council Member William F. Owen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Red Rat View Post
    Has George Michael left 'Wham' and joined the IDF?
    It's now OK to be gay in the IDF - actually has been for quite some time.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
    Interesting. Comes back to the question of "what is a small war"?
    Small Wars is IMO, a very useful term. - as used in the 1906 covering letter to the Imperial General Staff, by C.E. Callwell!
    Small war is warfare against irregulars/rebels.
    The Falklands was in no way a Small War. May have been over some small Islands, but it was definitely all arms formation combat operations between regular armies.
    Infinity Journal "I don't care if this works in practice. I want to see it work in theory!"

    - The job of the British Army out here is to kill or capture Communist Terrorists in Malaya.
    - If we can double the ratio of kills per contact, we will soon put an end to the shooting in Malaya.
    Sir Gerald Templer, foreword to the "Conduct of Anti-Terrorist Operations in Malaya," 1958 Edition

  16. #16
    Council Member Fuchs's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by William F. Owen View Post
    The Falklands was in no way a Small War. May have been over some small Islands, but it was definitely all arms formation combat operations between regular armies.
    There weren't enough tanks/AFV present to really call it "all arms".
    The UK had iirc a half dozen CVR(T) and the Argentinians had iirc a similar number French-made 4x4 armoured cars that were iirc unable to move up the icy hills during battle.

  17. #17
    i pwnd ur ooda loop selil's Avatar
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    Default How about this?

    I'm kind of partial to it.
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    Council Member Bob's World's Avatar
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    The scotch and the Oreos are proven commodities, will be happy to join you for both.

    As to the book, I'm not so sure. I'm mentally composing a piece tentatively titled: "Zombie COIN - Why FM 3-24 has no Soul"

    ("Soul" being an understanding of insurgency itself. Ok, couldn't help myself, still sitting at the airport...)
    Robert C. Jones
    Intellectus Supra Scientia
    (Understanding is more important than Knowledge)

    "The modern COIN mindset is when one arrogantly goes to some foreign land and attempts to make those who live there a lesser version of one's self. The FID mindset is when one humbly goes to some foreign land and seeks first to understand, and then to help in some small way for those who live there to be the best version of their own self." Colonel Robert C. Jones, US Army Special Forces (Retired)

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    Council Member slapout9's Avatar
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    Default This Guy Was Inspirational

    Don't know how to put this on a T-Shirt but it is inspirational.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FVrpiG7haE

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    How about the "I give a #### about your chai!" Guy:
    http://www.cnas.org/blogs/abumuqawam...t-mission.html
    To me he sums up the whole deal.

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