McGregor Briefing to Danzig????

[Ken White]

I like the thrust; agree that Divisions need to go and that BCTs do not have enough maneuver strength. The organizations he proposes are sound -- more so than the current versions -- and the concept will work.

He's correct on one item -- the laws (down with DOPMA!!! Revisit Goldwater-Nichols) will have to be changed and longer tenure for the CofS,A and CMC will be needed or else the bureaucracy will in fact wait them out. Problem also is that powerful Congress critters will oppose this citing it's their business ('raise Armies') and for other, more, uh, personal and concrete reasons...

Of course, the Navy and thus the Marines are the Executive's bailiwick so the fix could be applied to the Corps which would force the Army to keep up...

Added: Rifleman makes a good point on the three division statutory requiremnt but I think the executive could finesse that on raw strength grounds.

The existing power structure will also be opposed for a variety of reasons, mid grade Officers will object, the troops will grumble and the government employee unions will see problems. That said, something along this line is really needed...

I disagree with him on some organizational issues:

1. He desires 16 AC CM"' and only 2 ARNG CM"' -- bad ratio. Nine and nine would be better IMO.

2. He posits 11 IC"' (+12 MarC"') AC apparently all light and triple capable; parachute, airmobile or various vehicle mountings. I'd add four more but do strongly agree that the capability to provide those 11 (or 15), all multi capable exists and needs to be accomplished.

3. He suggests 20 RC IC"' apparently all w/ LAV/Stryker. Not sure I understand the rationale for that -- and I am not a Stryker fan. Sorry, Rob, I know it's a good vehicle and state of the art; I just think the need has been known for long enough that we should be a little further advanced in vehicle choices -- but I acknowledge we are where we are. In any event, I suspect the AC will want /need some...

I also think his exemplary scenario is not ideal but that's just me. He did not address the flaws in Goldwater-Nichols but I know that's a separate issue -- it will have an effect on his recommendations, though...

Other than that, I think he's outdone "Breaking the Phalanx," a great idea that Pete Schoomaker got partly done -- as much as the bureaucracy would allow. Well done, BZ and 25,000 Attaboys...

I also note his cavalry background is quite obvious. Not a problem IMO, that's one parochial slant I agree with.

Lastly and importantly, I have long contended that we needed better trained and more capable units; purpose designed equipment and a better personnel structure that flattened the rank structure and that emphasized tactical and operational decision making and flexibility. Further, that we got a wake up call with the Tehran Embassy seizure and our great but failed attempt -- due to a lack of all the foregoing items and that we failed for 20 plus years to rectify those shortfalls -- and are STILL failing. Colonel Macgregor summed all that up beautifully and far better than I have ever been able to:

"Mobile dispersed warfare demands the tactics of infiltration be elevated to the operational level of war."

Exactly. I'd also say the obvious future requires it...