oops, got one long thread mixed up w/ another one..however this post from COIN comes Home truly belongs here...so here it is.
Reed
Quote Originally Posted by Ken White View Post
One of the big problems in the US Armed forces is that inclination to 'proactivity' -- do something even if it's wrong. That attitude insures that quite often, it will be wrong...

My point is still that my questions MUST be asked and honestly answered before any implementation of your model is begun.

That and the fact that in our last three reasonably large sized wars, the principle of FID, propping up a failing state and defeating an insurgency were not the issues that caused us to enter the nations involved.
It also points to a need for a better structured process for (get ready now) STABO. (yes I know, the word is as despised as OOTW, but I am a product of the '90s) Violence and wars in particular leave a vacuum in there wake, and simply leaving that vacuum to fill itself up can lead to larger conflicts or repeats of conflicts (WWI and WWII or DS/DS and OIF are examples so is OIF I and OIF II-whatever OIF we are on now). So there is a need to train and plan for "waging the peace" (sorry again) but I wonder if the DOD is the best organization to orchestrate that planning. I still like the idea of DoS military liaisons and some sort of post conflict expeditionary (I am going to heck after this post) unit, heavy on CA, Medical and MP support. Trying to shoehorn those assets into the BCT's only dilutes the BCT's fighting ability and dilutes the effectiveness of the non-combat assets.
In response to Nagle's original article, saying that the need is there, does not mean that wedging that ability into the existing structure is the best bet. Some wider range thinking outside of the DoD is needed.
Reed