Quote Originally Posted by Ken White View Post
I totally agree but many -- perhaps too many -- seem to do so...Change that to:

'The US Army rarely takes time to do sensible and adequate reconnaissance.'

and I'd agree...True dat. Just a thought -- doing so can often lead one to forego the define portion and therefor try to 'shape' something one doesn't fully understand.

Simply put one should understand as much about a problem as is possible before one attempts to solve it. The Clausewitzian quote appropriate is "The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish . . . the kind of war on which they are embarking." That's macro. One could use the US invasion of Iraq as a prime if large example.

On a micro , tactical and operational, level, our impatience and unwillingness to do thorough reconnaissance does untold damage constantly. That is, regrettably, the US Army way.
As usual, good points Ken. I guess that's what we're all trying to figure out- how do we describe "describe?"