We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:46:26 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Since LTG Caldwell is in charge of how the Army develops doctrine and conducts collective training... we probably ought to have an interest in his thoughts on the subject. And rather than filter them for you, I'm providing the text of his remarks - this is the final draft version, there were some slight differences in delivery, none affecting the meaning, just reflecting LTG Caldwell's interaction with the audience. Later this week, I'll have a post up of the Blogger's Roundtable interview with LTG Caldwell's Deputy Commander, Colonel Abrams - and we'll see how the General's vision is getting out... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:43:05 -0600 just a thought, spoken as a former educator. Some of the qualities of adaptive leadership he discusses cannot precisely be taught - instead, they have to be nurtured and encouraged, often from a very early age. Unfortunately, a public school system that measures success primarily according to the results of multiple choice tests does not support adaptive learning, critical thinking... none of that. An Army that wants to encourage this kind of leadership may at first find itself highly frustrated with the output of the educational pipeline. The educational system tends to overemphasize analytical intelligence that is too often conditioned not to actually think - instead, it reacts according to the (very limiting) desire to receive approval or status (ie, good grades based on tests that are designed to reward folks who know how to memorize). The sort of learners he describes make use of different aspects of intelligence. They thrive in experiential learning situations, where they can fall on their faces a few times and learn to fly by the seat of their pants. They re-code themselves to respond to situations as much as to expectations. They tend to be non-traditional learners, or at least learners with life experiences that can cancel out some of the school learning that warped them (as a former teacher - sorry! I'm so sorry.) Analytical intelligence is of course helpful, but it ain't gonna get you the whole way. Some of the densest people in class can often be the ones who get the best grades. Life - adaptive learning at its best - tends to require a broader set of skills. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html#comment-67082 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html#comment-67082 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:17:32 -0600 John, very interesting speech. It appears that LTG Caldwell is trying to "walk the talk" and "talk the walk". This is important, it is the very essence of "leadership". What is a leader? A leader is not a person just making decisions and ordering other people to carry them out! From the beginning, please understand these are character issues. They're in his public and private lives. They can not be split. He does his homework about the situation on the ground. Then he makes his decisions from both a tactical and a strategic points of view. Once he arrives on the ground, he gathers a small cadre of leaders, who really know how to communicate. There is one cardinal rule, "NEVER TEACH A PRINCIPLE BY PRECEPT, UNTIL IT IS AFTER IT HAS BEEN TAUGHT BY EXAMPLE! THE LEADER MUST BE THE EXAMPLE HIMSELF!" This will bond the force together both vertically and horizontally. This will help create the loyalty within the force and up and down the chain of command. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html#comment-67059 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html#comment-67059 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:03:32 -0600 Experts from other Government agencies like Dept of State, the Treasury, Agriculture and Commerce… we need to bring in experts from USAID. The better we can interact, cooperate and incorporate these non-military entities into our plans and operations, the more successful we will be. Many of the students in this room may not become Soldiers, but they may work for one of these many organizations. We may see you and work with you in some distant land in the future. There is one thing that I see wrong and that these organizations are slow and not geared to working "under fire" where speed is the essence. Their bureaucracy and methods seems geared towards extremely low or no conflict. I may be wrong, but, from my point of view, we need like huge numbers of SeeBees and Engineers who could be ordered in a minute to pave a street, fix a sewer, put up power lines, replace a water main, all under threat or combat, working day and night. Didn't the SeeBees put up an airfield over night on one of those once held japanese islands in the middle of WWII in the pacific? That is the kind of effort and capability I believe we need to develop for counter insurgency. Of course, that will cost money, but I like the military doing it because they have order and discipline to do it, can't give up because it's "too hot" in the zone and actually realize that getting it done saves lives in the long run, including their buddies'. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html#comment-67054 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html#comment-67054 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:23:01 -0600 Curse you for being right about the KU MU game. Much sadness. Our home was full of visiting Bush family for the holiday. So I am exhausted from cooking etc. But still hope to soon visit with you and Beth!! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html#comment-67052 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/11/ltg_caldwells_s.html#comment-67052 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:43:54 -0600