General Petraeus: collection

[Sargent]

Is this what we really want? Is this good for the Army?

A Coin Cabal? There certainly are some indicators that that is what our Army has become. Consider the elevation of relatively lower ranking officers who are members of this Cabal to rock-star status.

We think with these latest moves that Yingling's recommendations are being adopted. However, I see these moves as reinforcing what Yingling railed against in his important piece: a crony dominated system of officer promotions. That may be an extreme view but we should at least look at these latest developments with trepadation and caution before we start falling all over ourselves with high-fives and self-congratulations.

gentile

Here's the distinction I would draw...

I don't think there is any value in promoting any officer who believes that COIN is the Holy Grail -- same would apply to the unquestioning belief in any doctrine of warfare. However, I do think that there is something particularly challenging about the Iraqi and Afghani battlefields. For an armed force steeped in a firepower intensive model of conventional warfare, the ability of an officer to adapt to the more nuanced situation in which the question is not how to kill the guy, but instead whether to kill or befriend the guy, suggests qualities that might be useful for executive leadership. And these are the very officers who are going to have more than one trick in their repertoire, who can both fight and nurture as necessary, and who will best serve the institution in any form war will take while they're at the helm.

However, I don't think that you need Gen. Petraeus to participate in order to find those people.

Cheers,
Jill

[Ron Humphrey]

Here's the distinction I would draw...

I don't think there is any value in promoting any officer who believes that COIN is the Holy Grail -- same would apply to the unquestioning belief in any doctrine of warfare. However, I do think that there is something particularly challenging about the Iraqi and Afghani battlefields. For an armed force steeped in a firepower intensive model of conventional warfare, the ability of an officer to adapt to the more nuanced situation in which the question is not how to kill the guy, but instead whether to kill or befriend the guy, suggests qualities that might be useful for executive leadership. And these are the very officers who are going to have more than one trick in their repertoire, who can both fight and nurture as necessary, and who will best serve the institution in any form war will take while they're at the helm.

However, I don't think that you need Gen. Petraeus to participate in order to find those people.

Cheers,
Jill

I agree with you that it doesn't require any particular individual it just requires a certain type of process.

I simply meant in regard to this topic I don't see why he would be a bad choice.