That said, I know that the moment Resident Obama acknowledges anything like war with ISIL the Pentagon brass will go whole hog and get the US ass-deep in warriors and support on the scene.
Once when I was young I believed in "military discipline". After watching the brass in the Pentagon I know DoD is the least disciplined of the oversized executive branches.
I remember when the words from the "Platoon Leaders Handbook" were gospel, particularly "everything that my unit does or fails to do is my responsibility."
I caught hell when I flunked my first platoon ARTEP. Didn't matter that I was assigned that platoon the day the ARTEP began. Had the powers that be had a freakin' brain, they would have tested me with my original platoon, one that I had been in charge of for four months.
But noooo, they couldn't do that. After a couple of weeks of taking crap, I told my BC, "ok, I get it. Now let me do my job and stay the hell out of my way." Hate to say it, but I was a PITA throughout the remainder of my 8 years in the Army. I would take 3 more platoons successfully through their ARTEPs, brought back my battery from the brink (as XO) when the BC went daft (or schizoid, take your pick), was Battalion S-4 as a 1LT, etc.
I was fried on OERs by superiors that were micromanagers, did great with superiors that expected imagination and independence from their subordinates.
Thanks for your service, apologies for the rant. Most of the Sam Damons are gone (not that I was one), replaced by Courtney Massengales.