Things I think you might see:
- a comprehensive approach that considers the linkages between the various wars and tensions within the CENTCOM AOR, and effort spent to coordinate with the adjacent GCCs and the Inter-Agency where boundaries matter.
- a great deal of energy spent on persuading Iraq's and Afghanistan's neighbors that they have clear and enduring interests in assisting those two states to succeed, and that the United States succeeds as well - and as such they should be more involved and proactive in ensuring they do.
- a staff that is more focused on a CDR's articulated guidance to support the Iraq and Afghanistan commands.
-guidance passed to those two commands that is not constraining, but empowers and creates unity of effort from a regional perspective
-more energy directed back toward informing and leveraging the whole of government, and on keeping civilian leadership focused on future risks - again with a regional perspective
-regional actions that match a regional and broader U.S. narrative
- a command that lets the commands in Iraq and Afghanistan focus on their campaigns and not on fighting higher
Things I think you will not see:
- micro-management of either Iraq or Afghanistan
- the sacrifice of U.S. regional interests to ensure a legacy associated with Iraq
- a command that does not play well with others - be they GCCs, or the Inter-Agency
- a command that does not consider the strains placed on the force providers and institutions, and as such absolves itself from all risk to the services, or to FP goals outside the CENTCOM AOR.
- a staff that does not enable subordinate commands
It has been my observation that the commanders who excel at any level are those who identify what are the things that only they can do by virtue of position and in some cases by personality – and focus their efforts as such. The broader the responsibilities, the more things that compete for your attention – as such, the art is knowing what is important, and why. They are also ones who consider the broader picture, and can empathize with those below, adjacent and above them. I think at that level you really need some strategic vision as the moves we make today will be with us for some time to come.
Best, Rob
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