Quote Originally Posted by Bill Moore View Post
Ken White has mentioned this several times, and I think this author provides accurate supporting fires that our current structure for developing effective strategies is deeply flawed.

http://www.ndu.edu/press/war-and-its-aftermath.html#
Could not disagree with that statement more (not the Ken White part, but). Mr Moore, if that is your definition of “adequate supporting fires” then I have this vision of you providing a box of rocks to a private and ordering him to go prep a combat LZ. Throwing PC rocks at the current command structure LZ is not adequate prep fire for solving the "strategic" issue.
LTC Melton’s article is fundamentally flawed. To blame bad strategy on the current Joint Goldwater Nichols Command structure is the PC way of avoiding the issue. Bad strategy comes from bad generals and bad generals exercise bad strategy when they practice service sub-optimization to the detriment of combat operations. Service sub-optimization is one of the major reasons for the establishment of the current joint command structure. My opinion is that Melton has not done his research…he can START by reading “Victory on the Potomac” after he puts down “Unrestricted Warfare”. Bad Strategy comes from bad generals and no one is willing to admit it in the US Military. How many different generals touched Iraq from the invasion until the surge…Franks, Sanchez, Abazaid, Fallon, Casey, Chiarelli…that is just a start on that list without even including Afghanistan. How many of those generals have been held accountable for things like Abu Ghraib, catch and release, and an occupation strategy that allow a full and bloody insurgency to grow and almost succeed. General Chiarelli is the current Army Chief of Staff for “crying-out-load”.
The general officer corps fought Goldwater-Nichols and never studied it nor embraced its purpose. Instead they continue to wiggle in their service loyalties that undermines and dominates their own combat command structure. In order to be Chief of Staff you need to be PC…and Combat Command is nothing more that a stepping stone to service chief. Being a good strategist has been left to the individual general and college professors. Fixing that issue does not start with the command structure; it starts with the general officers.
Give me a break! ….JMM99, I am with you…Cheers and where is the beer?