The Rise and Demise of the "Three Block War"

Canadian Military Journal (A DND/Canadian Forces publication) ^ | 2009-10-15 | A. Walter Dorn and Michael Varey

[AndyJackson]

I am embarassed at not seeing that.

[ASOC]

One of the key points made, IMO, in the article was
“(Marine) Personnel cannot and should not be expected to serve as humanitarian workers, peacekeepers, and warfighters all at the same time, and within a small area.”

Each are different tasks, require different skills, training and mindsets. These tasks use support in ways incompatable with the allied tasks as envisioned in the 3 block war.

That said - if the US is to persist in the idiotic notion of “Nation building” than some model is needed.

At the risk of sounding completely cold hearted (and I am in this) let the ‘warring tribes’ sort it out - if you feel bad about the results, then ensure both sides are armed at equatable levels. Giving one or the other the warring parties rifles is better than having US personnel die for something that is of (literally) no import to our Nation.

Once the tribal issue set is sorted out, see if any of the remnants can be salvaged.

The Taliban Mafia filled a power vacuum, the US could have stepped in earlier, I suppose, to assist, perhaps saving a lot of our people and treasure. OTOH we could have ‘carpet bombed’ the poppy fields with some herbicide and killed the source of funding (and power) of the Taliban Mafia.

[lack-of-trust]

I don’t think the author understands what Krulac was saying about the “3 Block War”

something like 80% of the worlds population lives within 100 miles of the coast with most living in an urban environment.

His goal was to focus the Marine Corps training on the types of missions most likely to be recieved from the civilian leadership.

When a Marine Expeditionary Force marches up the gangway on the ships for a cruise, they don’t (didn’t.. pre WOT) know if, when they next left the ship, it would be for Liberty, disaster relief, peackeeping or amphibous assault.

[tanuki]

Thanks for your thoughtful post. Yes, I agree, if we cannot stay out of other people’s fights then we should enable them to carry on without us. We cannot always be the arbiter of good behavior in this world and if they cannot police themselves, oh well.

Incidentally, there was just such a project to eradicate opium in Afghanistan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/948102.stm

Imagine, rupturing the finances of the Taliban, the Pakistani ISI and the Iranian Pasdaran. How different this world would be.

[dljordan]

“I am embarassed at not seeing that.”

That’s alright. I was a little obscure but I agree with you.

[fanfan]

Thanks for the ping, Clive.

[Squantos]

Dunno.....max effective range of small arms or number of troops expected to take and HOLD 3 blocks etc .....just don’t know.

.......looking it up now.

[Squantos]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Block_War

No jewels there. Just a leadership concept reinforced......NCO’s already know what to do IMO even at the lowest level of strategic corporals.