Australia: catch all

[Ken White]

Abu M's commentary is not an April Fool's comment...

It's just a little too cute...

Fortunately, most Strynes will ignore him. They tend to ignore all Pommy condescension. As they should.

[Mark O'Neill]

There is one current Wallaby who was born in Fiji, Radike Samo..

It is a bit like asking 'Why are all the kickers in the NFL Australian...' (well, the good ones, anyway...)


He was pretty much right about the rest of it......

But he forgot to mention that after FM3-XX / MCWFP 3-33.XX Counterdingo operations is published (after a celeb launch hosted by Eliot Cohen and featuring the re-formation of the CNAS COIN expert band with Ricks on backing vocals) we will studiously ignore it... until we next send a bright up-and -coming grad student to SAMS / Quantico who will come back with a 'new' idea that will look something like it and subsequently inform our conceptual force development for the next decade. After some 'unique' grammar laundering to make it look Australian.

Move along... no cultural cringe to see here...

[KingJaja]

I'm not an expert on Australia - US relationships, but apart from needlessly provoking China, what exactly is the point of this deployment?

I know China is the only justification for massive expenditures by the US Navy and Airforce, but China isn't exactly the Soviet Union. Australia's economy is heavily dependent on the Chinese and will continue to be in the foreseeable future. Thousands of Chinese students study in Australia etc.

What message are the Australians and Americans trying to send to the Chinese and is it a pointless message?

[Ken White]

Move along... no cultural cringe to see here...

I'm also not an expert or even mildly knowledgeable about Australia - US relationships but my limited experience with Australians leads me to suggest to an Australian, no less, that cultural cringe with reference to Australians is perhaps an oxymoron...

P.S.
I cannot believe you guys are wasting time and money on SAMS...

[Mark O'Neill]

P.S.
I cannot believe you guys are wasting time and money on SAMS...

Ken, Hence my point about cringe...

It is often discussed here in Australia how we as a society have continually sought 'affirmation' or 'inspiration' from others. To some extent that has also been true of our military thinking. Until 1942 ,we looked to the UK for this, since then , more so the US. A good example of this trait was our wholesale embrace of the 'Pentomic' Division rubbish in the 60s...

[Ken White]

...the 'Pentomic' Division rubbish in the 60s...

It wasn't totally rubbish. As a plank owner in the very first Pentomic Airborne Infantry Combat Group (later to be a Battle Group), it wasn't nearly as bad as painted. The concept was not properly applicable to Mechanized or Armored organizations (a minor reason for its demise) as the US Army understood Armor. However, it was a good fit for Parachute units * and an acceptable one for other walking Infantry -- the difference being the relative quality of troops at the time.

The concept suffered from being designed and activated in the Mid '50s to use equipment that did not become available until the mid 60s. That was after the experiment was ended and we had reverted to Regiments (to be falsely renamed Brigades and which had no need for much of the equipment designed for a different type of organization...). That reversion and the demise of the concept was principally due to vociferous opposition from the Colonels of the US Army who, mostly, were not physically capable of keeping up with the required foot mobility nor tactically flexible enough to employ the units to best advantage and who really objected to being told to command a 14-15 hundred man unit instead of a 3-4,000 man regiment with three or more subordinate Lieutenant Colonels. Then Colonel Frederick C. Weyand, Commander of the 1st BG, 6th Infantry and later to be CofS, Army was one of the major players in that; he had a lot of help. There were other issues. CSS for a fairly important one, Division Staffs (pretty mujch unchanged from the old triangular Div Hq organization) unwilling to tolerate the flexibility and independence required of the Battle Groups was another...

The bottom line is that if one is going to radically restructure one's force, one should lay the foundation for proper personnel support and rules, equipment and logistics BEFORE activating the new units.

Oh -- and better training is always a plus...

* Both US Airborne Divisions were reasonably successful in their employment of the concept, due primarily to much younger leaders at all levels than was the US Army norm at the time. Even they suffered from the equipment, CSS and Colonel attitude issues though. Those who then said and now say that there is no need for parachute units (but who have not yet figured out another way to move a few thousand troops over hostile territory to a very distant objective or operating area) saw that and an insured that the airborne elements were drug into the mainstream Army 'system' and that time in service and time in grade became prime promotion criteria, competence was not an issue...

[Bill Moore]

http://asiancentury.dpmc.gov.au/white-paper

Within only a few years, Asia will not only be the world’s largest producer of goods and services, it will also be the world’s largest consumer of them. It is already the most populous region in the world. In the future, it will also be home to the majority of the world’s middle class.

The Asian century is an Australian opportunity. As the global centre of gravity shifts to our region, the tyranny of distance is being replaced by the prospects of proximity. Australia is located in the right place at the right time—in the Asian region in the Asian century.

Recommend reading the Executive Summary and Chapter 8 at a minimum if you are interested in strategic and defense views in the Asia-Pacific.

[davidbfpo]

Good catch Bill M., as this White paper was only unveiled on Friday afternoon by Julia Gillard, the Australian Prime Minister.

I rely on the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, for awareness on Australian and Pacific matters. From their pre-release comment:

This White Paper will be a signature foreign policy document for Prime Minister Gillard. If it hits the mark, it could come to be seen as a milestone for Australia's relations with Asia. Or it could be just another quickly forgotten government report.

Link:http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/...er-launch.aspx

So a few selected sentences from their commentary:

The language of the speech and the White Paper is lofty and inspirational. The PM's speech is titled 'History asks great nations great questions', and the White Paper itself calls the Asian century 'a truly transformative period in our history' and 'a transformation as profound as any that have defined Australia throughout our history'.

...there is very little sense of the risks of the Asian century.

The PM's description of Asia's explosive growth and the opportunities it offers was never accompanied by any warnings about the potential downsides, particularly the fact that Australia's relative influence in the region will decline as the region's developing economies continue their explosive growth

The commentary:http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/...pressions.aspx

[Ray]

New initiative to allow all Australian children to learn Mandarin, Hindi, Japanese or Bahasa

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/wor...#ixzz2AgHXDSAp

[davidbfpo]

Yes, another reading & film list, this one by Australia's top soldier in 2012. It is rather long at 121 pgs., partly as there are two long reprinted essays at the start, from a 'Digger' from 1965 and USMC General Paul Riper from 2006.

Link:http://www.army.gov.au/Our-future/DA...ding-List.ashx

From the preface:

As Chief of Army my first priority is to ensure the Army’s soldiers are fully prepared to meet the challenges presented by current and future operations.

This is best achieved through appropriate force structures, equipment and
maintaining our combat skills through robust training in foundation warfighting.
This requires physical strength and fitness. Just as important, a capacity to engage in a dialogue about the future operating environment and the future of Army is also essential; this is intellectual fitness.

Intellectual fitness may be achieved in a number of ways including participation in robust debate, being open to new ideas, being creative, thinking critically and having a desire to challenge the status quo. We must question our assumptions and form opinions that will stand up to rigorous scrutiny. This is enabled by a knowledge base built on experience and study.

This reading list has been designed to provide all ranks with a guide to publications relevant to the study of the profession of arms. Many of the publications listed are historical in nature, the study of history being important in broadening perspectives and in providing a start point to understand and shape the future. As in previous reading lists this edition is divided into themes varying from culture and conflict to strategy and doctrine. A novel addition is a feature films section.

This list provides a tool to help meet the challenging needs of our profession. Take time to read, enjoy it while you are doing so, and take pride in the fact that you are improving yourself as a member of our noble profession.

In a search I found Jedburgh had posted in 2009 An Australian COIN reading list, but the link no longer works, perhaps this list has replaced it?

I have skimmed the two essays, the recommended website list and the films - of which a good number I have seen.

The only big error is that this website is absent!

[davidbfpo]

Hat tip to Kaur for locating a working link:http://web.archive.org/web/200911221...ocs/WP_135.pdf

[davidbfpo]

The December 2014 siege of a Sydney city centre cafe has probably disappeared from the view of readers here, but there has been a long coroner's inquest and it issued its final report yesterday. Key points being:

That said, Barnes identified deficiencies in the response, among them:

• The “contain and negotiate” police response to the siege failed.
• Commanders underestimated the threat Monis posed.
• There was some confusion around the lines of command.
• Negotiators had received little, if any, specialist training about how to deal with terrorists and did not explore options to communicate with Monis.
• The consultant psychiatrist made erroneous and unrealistic assessments of what was occurring in the stronghold, and permitted to go beyond his area of expertise to give advice about Islamic terrorism
• Commanders dismissal of a deliberate action strategy was based on flawed advice.

Link:https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/may/24/sydney-lindt-cafe-siege-inquest-coroner-delivers-his-findings-live?


The actual report (495 pgs) and no I have not read it:http://www.lindtinquest.justice.nsw....mendations.pdf

[SWJ Blog]

'Land, Kill and Leave': How Australian Special Forces Helped Lose the War in Afghanistan

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[SWJ Blog]

Australia’s Special Forces Deserve Respect, Not Cheap Shots

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[Windows97]

...I grew up with. This espionage thriller serial ranks with Smiley's People in quality, conception and class. It's a slow burner to be sure, unlike US TV series (the amazing and, unfortunately, short-lived Rubicon being the exception), and it's all the better for it. Touching on themes such as cyber security, Australian defence policy (nice faux debate over the Soryu class SSK), civil liberties vs the all encompassing surveillance state and Chinese cultural influence in Australia the mini-series never feels overly convoluted. The characters are all, bar one, pretty well fleshed out and well rounded. In all honestly I only watched it because Anna Torv happens to be in it...but I'm glad I did. Like the equally, if not so grounded / believable Norwegian drama Okkupert (roll on Series 2!), this one looks at contemporary issues with verve and, given the themes, some courage.

Enjoy!

Advert for Secret City:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcaNPvJ4yus