Frank Antenori was the "Team Sergeant" of an an American Special Forces "A Team" which deployed to the Kurdish area of Northern Iraq during Gulf War II. He wrote a book about his experiences titled Roughneck One Nine. Of possible interest to this thread is that the "A Team" went to war mounted in light, unarmored trucks. However they carried an amazing amount and variety of weaponry and electronics in their unarmored light trucks. They practiced relentlessly on firing ranges with all of their weaponry from pistols to very expensive missiles.
They were so confident in their weapons and equipment that prior to going overseas they determined in the event of making contact with Iraqi conventional forces that they would not run. Instead they would stand and fight (an "Alamo") and "pile them up". And indeed they did so. In an incredible fight against enemy tanks, motorized infantry and artillery. Now the "A Team" had incredible close air support. This, of course, counts for a lot. But just the same their battlefield accomplishment against a much larger and heavier force commands, in my opinion, respect.
Indeed it seems that the days of a conventional force successfully standing against and fighting a much smaller, Western military formation (supported by aircraft) are over. On the other hand if we look at what Islamic insurgent infantry (@ 3,000 in number and armed in the main with WWII technology and drawn from a part time militia) did to the IDF in southern Lebanon we may see the future of ground conflict between the West and the holy warriors of Islam. (See Drudge for links to Israeli papers wherein this campaign is still discussed by IDF veterans.)
It may be that Western infantry may at first have to fight essentially vehicle based battles against enemy conventional formations. These initial engagements may thenbe followed by extended foot engagements against enemy insurgent infantry.
Regards
Richard W
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