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/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:27:46 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Important for shaping the future leadership of the Army and for capturing and holding the lessons hard-learned this time around. And for many of you who don't realize the importance of this message... you're probably reading it and going, "D-uh, no brainer, what's the big deal?" Let's go into that, shall we? Photo by Sgt. David Turner April 29, 2008 First Lt. Michael Falk, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, currently attached to 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., rescues a chick while poultry farmers load 6,000 of them onto trucks in Hawr Rajab, April 27. The chicks were purchased... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:30:08 -0600 Check your mailbox, Rick. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74466 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74466 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:15:55 -0600 at my place. Bottom line: We at Navy don't get it.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74444 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74444 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:23:21 -0600 Good morning, I am an Army Major currently attending Intermediate Level Education (ILE), what used to be known as Command and General Staff College (CGSC). I came across your posting about GEN Casey's message and wanted to share a little bit more information about how the Army is changing. In addition to recognizing officers who are capable in the current fight with promotion, another key aspect of changing the service culture is education. The Army has started changing this also. For example, my history class this morning is a 2 hour class on the history of counterinsurgency (COIN) operations from the Peninsular War in Spain (1808-1814) to the USMC experience in Latin America in the 1920s and 1930s. Yesterday, we had a two hour question and answer session with one of the primary authors of the new FM 3-24, Counterinsurgency. Our Operational Law classes and Ethics classes have focused on our responsibilities and duties during COIN operations. In short, the Army is starting to take its lessons learned, think about them, and distribute them out to the force throught its education system. Previously, the Army did everything in its power to avoid COIN and thinking about COIN. This effort by the Army will help to ensure that the steep learning curve that we went through in Iraq from 2003-2007 doesn't get repeated, because the lessons will have been taught to the next generation of officers. For the obligatory note, nothing in this post reflects the official opinion or views of the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. The opinions and thoughts in this post are my thoughts alone. Sincerely, Scott T. Kastelic MAJ, FA Foreign Area Officer ILE Class 08-004/Staff Group 30B Fort Belvoir, VA http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74441 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74441 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:05:12 -0600 Neo I don't think so ..... Cheers http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74439 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74439 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:06:56 -0600 BillT, If you're with the CAFTT in Iraq, I need you to email me, asap, ci_pi@yahoo.com. Questions abound. Rick Hoppe http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74437 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74437 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:11:22 -0600 He’s just one step ahead of you. JMH is a tanker. It's safer *behind* him -- unless you're on the range...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74433 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74433 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:28:31 -0600 Heinricks, To the contrary, I don’t think Anon missed anything. He’s just one step ahead of you. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74428 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74428 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:08:49 -0600 Anon missed something: the Ranger is picking up the chicks. Cheers http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74427 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74427 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:03:18 -0600 Brick, transformation isn't just equipment -- read Alberts and Hayes on the way that equipment is meant to push decisionmaking to the edge of the organization, i.e. to exactly those who are in contact with locals and know the conditions in their AO. It was the institutional Clinton generals who fought Rummy tooth and nail on this, backed by a whole lot of O6s with no imagination or insight. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74423 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74423 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:20:07 -0600 John of Argghhh! My dad retired as a full bull after 32 years and three wars and said that he knew the dark prince (note that I refuse to capitalize that) when he was a lowly captain... he thought that he was a jerk then and was no better when he was in NATO... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74419 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74419 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:05:17 -0600 Hey, I haven't had a uniform on in thirty-five years (and even then the hat was a Dixie cup) and I recognize the importance. Thanks, John, for clarifying some of the terminology. You do realize that, according to Murphy's Law as applied to military science, this means the next one will be mass tank battles, don't you? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74418 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74418 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:57:37 -0600 Anon - *that* will probably be the best comment of the thread... congrats! Master Roper - as someone who worked for the Prince of Darkness, you'll find me in violent agreement on that issue. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74413 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74413 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:48:41 -0600 Hey, we send the troops there to fight, not pick up chicks! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74411 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74411 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:44:44 -0600 Then there are those of us who wished Wes Clark retired as a Major or Lt. Col. Oh well, an army career is not for everyone, and not for some of those that made it a career! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74409 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74409 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:23:39 -0600 I have been worrying about the peacetime-garrison-politico mentality taking hold for almost two years. Everyone knew the war was winding down. The question was how and what would be left...Watching the bird Colonels moving to position themselves for a post war star was sickening. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74406 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74406 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:58:32 -0600 As soon as Rumsfeld came into office he started beating the drum for "Transformation." Even before 9/11. He wanted Boyd's Army, lighter, faster to deploy. I've seen a lot of the FCS stuff (and I saw the original FCS proposal) and it's very impressive. But it's equipment. Here it turns out that Transformation really IS vital, but it's mostly changing the way we think. Changing our assumptions. Our culture. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74403 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74403 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:40:45 -0600 I think the AF still has to work on that. Never fails. Just when the Army has it's Great D'uh Moment, here I am working for the Coalition *Air Force* Transition Team. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74398 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74398 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:45:59 -0600 That is about time! I seriously cannot believe how long it took for our troops to get those opportunities. My AF Bro was just explaining to me about how he didn't end up taking a certain job because it was a "dead end". I think the AF still has to work on that. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74385 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74385 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:42:40 -0600 they were the embedded ones there,not the so-called media.Embedded in local culture, actually living with Mosul families to see what they needed.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74384 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74384 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:37:41 -0600 ...who coulda/shoulda been Colonel or General retired, by my books. Nope. They would've stuck me with being a political analyst on the Evening Snooze. Would've been nice to make CW5, though.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74383 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74383 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:15:31 -0600 Great to see! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74382 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/this_is_importa_1.html#comment-74382 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:02:55 -0600