Posted on 06/27/2010 5:31:46 AM PDT by John W
WASHINGTON — Since 2001, a dozen commanders have cycled through the top jobs in Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S. Central Command, which oversees both wars. Three of those commanders — including the recently dismissed Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal — have been fired or resigned under pressure.
History has judged many others harshly, and only two, Gen. David H. Petraeus and Gen. Ray Odierno, are widely praised as having mastered the complex mixture of skills that running America's wars demands.
For the military, this record of mediocrity raises a vexing question: What is wrong with the system that produces top generals?
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
“Franks did not anticipate an insurgency with the ferocity that was experienced (no one else did either).”
I don’t really see it as a military commander’s job to foresee the political fallout of a massive victory on his part. He’s there to accomplish what the presiident told him to do—defeat the Iraqi military in this case. It’s up to the president to determine the consequences. As far as no one foreseeing the insurgency that followed, I think a lot of people were aware of the danger, but their advice was ignored.
What is wrong with the system that produces top generals?
Well, for one it is my understanding the The Army War College *recently* STOPPED making Sun Tzu's, The Art of War, mandatory reading and study. For decades and decades this Book was SOP, but *someone* decided it might somehow offend *someone* (hint-hint).
And the thing is the tenets of Sun Tzu have never been wrong -- ever, not in 2,500 years. Go back in history and the winning side always followed what Sun Tzu had written - without even knowing it.
Sun Tzu's most basic tenet of winning is this:
If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.
(but) If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.
And IMHO right now 'we' are in scenario #2. We don't 'know ourselves' and we sure as hell don't 'know the enemy'. As in; You can't win the 'hearts an minds' of people stuck in the year 1132. They understand one thing -- Military Strength and dead bodies. Things like 'negotiating' is a sign of weakness.
Or inane actions like trying to make nice-nice with some crazed midget porn addict in NK, or trying to 'talk sense' with a whack job in Iran who awaits the 12th Imam and world wide destruction.
So given today's climate (no pun) I suggest EVERYONE read The Art of War, and study it. Every Library was a copy. Or buy one for about $12.00 on Amazon. And a B&N "Classic Edition" is only $22.00 (that's what I have). And it's even available on line for FREE(1)
(1) If you have the ink & printing paper download and print it out. Its only 13 short chapters
Since 2001, a dozen commanders have cycled through the top jobs in Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S. Central Command, which oversees both wars. Three of those commanders -- including the recently dismissed Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal -- have been fired or resigned under pressure. History has judged many others harshly, and only two, Gen. David H. Petraeus and Gen. Ray Odierno, are widely praised as having mastered the complex mixture of skills that running America's wars demands. For the military, this record of mediocrity raises a vexing question: What is wrong with the system that produces top generals?What a ludicrous story. Probably on the next page some op-ed bitches that it's the longest war in US history. Imagine that, a dozen commanders in three commands over a period of seven years! Oh, the scandal! In WWII Omar Bradley didn't think the reports of the German movements (which was the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge) amounted to much, and lost Eisenhower's confidence as a result -- yet had his fifth star by the time he retired. Thanks John W.
Obama will replace the fighting generals with little fascist puppets who will have no hesitation in acting AGAINST Israel and patriotic America
Its the Barry Soetoro purge
“” If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril. “”
And IMHO right now ‘we’ are in scenario #2. We don’t ‘know ourselves’ and we sure as hell don’t ‘know the enemy’. As in; You can’t win the ‘hearts an minds’ of people stuck in the year 1132. They understand one thing — Military Strength and dead bodies. Things like ‘negotiating’ is a sign of weakness.
Or inane actions like trying to make nice-nice with some crazed midget porn addict in NK, or trying to ‘talk sense’ with a whack job in Iran who awaits the 12th Imam and world wide destruction.
Good post!
You-said-it BUMP!
There is nothing wrong with our military academies.
What is really wrong is the political system that allows unvetted creatures to pass through unguarded electoral gates.
Secondarily wrong is the fact that far too many Americans are careless when it comes to voting.
Yes, but he did win the Kandahar Battle against junk food.
Bradly was a very rational General.
The Bulge was not a rational, smart move for the German Army.
But Hitler ordered it.
In the battle, and follow up it did for the Allies what they wanted. Contact and physical destruction of German personnel and equipment.
McCrystal wanted a naive, non knowing reporter from a light weight publication who’s editors and readers neither care nor know much about mil operations.
He wanted dumb reporters.
Why?
Well one reason was his getting caught/admitted lying about his Tilman fabrication.
And yet McCrystal was vain. Getting out all that low rent fluff crap about him listening to Mp3 audio books and have low body fat meals and crapping little square bricks of bio degradable scat.
A point that is lost on or ignored by many: Obama has been Commander in Chief for eighteen months, and in Afghanistan he is already on his third commander.
He was looking for someone to win, I don't think that is true today.
I retired from US Army in 1993 as a LTC. My son is currently serving and is a Command Sergeant Major. I only mention these things for perspective purposes.
There are many things wrong in the US Army. But almost all that is wrong is simply a reflection of American society at large. PC BS has already been mentioned. I certainly agree with that. McChrystal’s risk-averse, don’t hurt any body’s feelings is a perfect example of he mind set. Then, of course, there has been erosion of basic societal values courtesy of nonjudgementalism.
Sometime in the early 80s Army leadership decided it wanted to be thought of as managers—no different than managers of private sector endeavors. Of course, the military is a completely different animal than almost any private sector job out there. Except, perhaps, policeman and fireman.
I think one of the biggest things that has happened is loss among the political elite of a will to fight and win. The WOT has been onging for at least 40 years. Rather than squashing it right from the gitgo it was treated as background noise. That is until 9-11. Oh boy did we get angry. But we had no idea how to channel that anger into a rapid and decisive smackdown of the perpetrators. We even had Americans saying it was America’s fault. Here we almost 10 years after 9-11 and we still don’t have a clue what we’re doing.
Powell had one thing right. Once the decision is made to go to war it must be fought ferociously and with every resource necessary for a rapid and decisive conclusion. Our army has the tools to do just that. But the politicians won’t let it and what passes for Army leadership does not have the courage to tell the politicians it will not send soldiers to war unless there is a commitment to swift and decisive victory.
This death by small cuts nonsense wears down any soldier’s determination and along with that unit effectiveness.
Not mentioned in this article is that Obama replaced the existing commander with McChrystal in the first place. A purely political move, IMO, that is not usually done with a new president. If there is ‘rapid turnover’ at the top, it seems to be Obama’s fault.
What we really need is some deep selection promotions where these young bucks with testosterone sloshing around in them are promoted to senior ranks.
It’s really amazing to me how someone can be a good soldier (from what I have read, he was a “soldier’s soldier” - he was not afraid to interact with the troops and the soldiers loved him for it), but still be “out there” on their politics...
Nothing. Been this way in every real war. It's war itself that shows who can be a wartime commander. How many did Lincoln go through before he found one that worked?
That's why there's a promotion system.
Admiration and thanks for your service and that of your son's. All the military, past and present, connected with Free Republic is our PRIDE AND JOY!
Leni
Thanks for your kind words. Several years back when my son was stationed at Fr Bragg I was in the post hospital. My daughter-in-law was getting a prescription filled. It broke my heart to see so many male and female soldiers disfigured and missing limbs. And to what purpose?
The clowns, politicians and military leadership, should be made to pay a price for their treachery. Hell, it’s Vietnam all over again.
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