Wednesday, April 02, 2008
John Nagl on the way forward
John Nagl writes up a nice op-ed in today's NY Times, on the way forward in Iraq.
Labels: Iraq, Warfighting
Comments:
Shame that JFK and LBJ never learned what Ike and Nixon did at the beginning of the Vietnam War when our troops were there only as advisors and the VN were doing just fine.
That should have a big part of the planning that goes on now IMNSHO.
That should have a big part of the planning that goes on now IMNSHO.
--Cross Posted at Abu Muqawama--
Abu Muqawama said in response to the article:
“The only problem with Nagl's idea is he has yet to figure out how an adviser corps can be built in 48 different states and 200 congressional districts, providing jobs for 10,000 Americans and thus eternally immune to budget cuts.”
Problem Already Solved!
Big Army has already crossed that bridge unintentionally. Ask any veteran of the hundred plus ETTs trained by Nagl at Riley from the Army National Guard’s of 54 states and territories.
Better yet! Give the ETT train up mission to one or more of the Guard’s underutilized Division HQ’s, throw in a heaping helping of Full-Time manning, sprinkle liberally with MILCON for Camp Wherever, and add a dash of new equipment fielding and training sets.
Now, let Big Army try to pry THAT away from those voters back home.
Seriously, Phase IV Ops are just Domestic Ops “over there”. Plus, you get all of that civilian acquired experience you’re trying to build in an advisor’s corps for free.
Training the locals to be bullet launchers is easy. However, it takes real aptitude to nurture the institutions that provide social and political stability. That skill set just does not flourish in 82nd or 101st.
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Abu Muqawama said in response to the article:
“The only problem with Nagl's idea is he has yet to figure out how an adviser corps can be built in 48 different states and 200 congressional districts, providing jobs for 10,000 Americans and thus eternally immune to budget cuts.”
Problem Already Solved!
Big Army has already crossed that bridge unintentionally. Ask any veteran of the hundred plus ETTs trained by Nagl at Riley from the Army National Guard’s of 54 states and territories.
Better yet! Give the ETT train up mission to one or more of the Guard’s underutilized Division HQ’s, throw in a heaping helping of Full-Time manning, sprinkle liberally with MILCON for Camp Wherever, and add a dash of new equipment fielding and training sets.
Now, let Big Army try to pry THAT away from those voters back home.
Seriously, Phase IV Ops are just Domestic Ops “over there”. Plus, you get all of that civilian acquired experience you’re trying to build in an advisor’s corps for free.
Training the locals to be bullet launchers is easy. However, it takes real aptitude to nurture the institutions that provide social and political stability. That skill set just does not flourish in 82nd or 101st.
# posted by 
: 10:36 PM
: 10:36 PM
