On one hand, he’s basically right - insofar as the fact that most senior officers in the Armed Forces today came up through a system which rewards bureaucrats who play it safe over other qualities - there’d be no General Patton or Sherman in today’s Army.
What’s needed is fighting spirit. But you’re not going to find too much of that among people who, typically, hold several post-graduate degrees. People who end up with those sorts of “credentials” are, typically, uniquely unsuited to fight wars, particularly in the present environment.
I agree, and there is no doubt that Lt. Col. Paul Yingling is high profile and well on the way to getting some stars for himself so would be difficult to intimidate...
Where’s “Patton” when you need him? Do we need wartime consiglieri? </humor>
“What’s needed is fighting spirit. But you’re not going to find too much of that among people who, typically, hold several post-graduate degrees. People who end up with those sorts of “credentials” are, typically, uniquely unsuited to fight wars, particularly in the present environment.”
Not true.
We need more officers with these credentials to be able to think through and anticipate the secondary, tertiary and quarternary effects of actions taken in this environment.
We also need officers who understand the true nature of the Enemy’s IO capability and ways which we can counter that that and in fact prosecute an aggressive offensive IO campaign against them.
This is NOT how most our current crop fo SR. GO/FOs think. It is a completely NEW paradigm for them and they are very uncomfortable here. We are also hobbled by the laws under which we operate in this arena as well.
WE officers in the O4/O5/O6 realm know waht to do, and how to do it - we are just not ENABLED to do it because of our leadership’s old way of thinking.
Patton (who because he had a good movie made about him and people don't actually read a lot of military history, is a TAD overrated on FR) was a widely-read intellectual who spoke multiple languages.
Quality education doesn't remove any "fighting spirit."
In this case it is the entire American culture which is the problem. We have lost the Warrior Spirit due to feminism, liberalism, and socialism that permeates our society. The true warriors in uniform are essentially out there all alone, hamstrung by silly feel good rules of engagement intended to satisfy the wimp American sheeple that no longer have the guts to fight and win.
The spirit of rugged individualism and self reliance hardly exists in our society. The downfall of our great Country and culture started in the 60s and is accelerating to oblivion.
Create a great day!