Quote Originally Posted by Tom Odom View Post
On the flattening of the intelligence architecture to allow for smaller units, I would agree and it was an 8 year struggle to get us where we are now with CoISTs. The intel system has all the issues you cite and is in my opinion very unlikely to change as stovepipes are a form of system ricebowls.
However, this came first. I agree with everything you wrote there -- and would only add those rice bowls have needed breaking since before the Korean War. That Stove piping kills own troops all too often...
On the training issue, agree somewhat at the shooter level--but with the caveat we got where we are now via heavy use of STX lanes at the CTCs to meet the needs of small units. Where the changes really occurred were in the mindset at battalion and brigade and those changes really did not start having noticeable effects until late 2005 and into 2006.
Three points if I may:

- If we trained new accessions decently, the STX lanes would be, as they should be, practice and not initial exposure. I know that's being worked on but it's long overdue and I fear more shortcuts or band aids. The US Army has pathetic fire discipline and the Marines are little better -- both for the most part, some units work at it but it's spotty. Joe has to think and he has to KNOW what to do because the myth that his Leaders will tell him what to do is not always possible. It is never desirable.

- Changing the mindset of 30 year old Officer OR NCOs is difficult; they're too set in their ways and will resist change consciously and unconsciously, overtly and subtly. We have to train new Privates and new Lieutenants properly (and we do not now do that) or the 'system' will not change (and those rice bowls above won't get broken -- and if we are to survive in near our current state, they'd better be...).

- Remark above applies to Bn and Bde Cdrs. Most are good guys and good leaders and commanders. Almost all of them are smart folks. Their Staffs are far too large but that's the fault of the General's who cannot resist micromanaging and want answers to unnecessary questions. At those rarified air level, change is resisted; after all the system worked for them...

We do not educate our NCOs well nor IMO do we do a great job with the Officers. I'm firmly convinced that the many great Officers and the great NCOs I've known have managed to be great in spite of the system. That's not right; the system should make good people better. Point is that it should not take seven years of war to adapt. If we get thrown into a major combat operation an excessive number of Americans will die due to that lack of flexibility. Said lack is due to a marginal training system that has been in business for the last 34 years and has been slowly stultifying the Army for that time. Fortunately, great people have overcome that to get us as good as we are. Unfortunately, the effort they had to expend to do that taught micromanagement and the time thus wasted precluded them from developing better tactical, operational and strategic perspectives. They had to concentrate on things they should have been able to trust subordinates to do...

Unless we fix our very dysfunctional personnel systems and processes and significantly improve initial entry training, Officer and Enlisted, we're going to remain little better than mediocre and thus only slightly better than most of our opponents. When we ran across the occasional opponent who was better (and we have done that several times) we usually outnumbered or out produced them.

All that's been good enough in the past -- I'm not at all sure it will be in the future.