“Patton (who 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)...”
Overrated? Patton’s 3rd Army out performed every other European Theater army in WWII. His approach to combat is sorely needed today - “Audacity, audacity, always audacity.”
I believe the officer in question in this thread is saying that unlike Patton, today’s flag rank generals are not willing to take calculated risks necessary to adapt to the skills, tactics, and strategies of the enemy. After this much time in Iraq we know that our soldiers have the heart and the desire to do what is necessary, the senior leadersip needs to catch up and help them get the job done.
It's impossible to claim someone is overratedm without people misinterpreting that into you saying they're terrible.
There's an element on FR that seem to blindly worship Patton as an infallible military genius who was the greatest general of all time, seemingly, because their only knowledge of either Patton, or military history in general, is the film.
Part of the problem is that the enemy in Iraq is fighting a guerilla war. Patton didn’t face this issue, at least not in this magnitude.