Bush wants increase in size of army

[Tubbs]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061220/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

I don't know if this is a good thing, or a bad thing, or how its going to play itself out.


Here's another link, this one is Fox news.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,237739,00.html

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

I don't know if this is a good thing, or a bad thing, or how its going to play itself out.

The devil will be in the details, however it is not necessarily the size but the right mix of forces as well as adjustments in other agencies to meet properly identified threats and potential plausible requirements. The military is only one part of the equation in the complexities of exercising national power to protect and advance our national interests and other than in time of threats to vital national interests should not normally be the lead agent. IMHO we did not use the right mix of what we had available when this adventure started, nor did we exercise the all the appropriate tools at our disposal primarily because of political agendas and ignorance. We have the right resources but we never seem to have the political or popular will to use them because as a nation we are basically dumber than farm dirt when it comes to looking outside of our own borders or into the minds of others who just don't seem to understand "our values or way of life".

[The Reaper]

Lets review:

Humans are more important than Hardware.

Quality is better than Quantity.

Special Operations Forces cannot be mass produced.

Competent Special Operations Forces cannot be created after emergencies occur.


And it is never a bad time to remember these, perhaps before we undertake a military operation:

Understand the operational environment

Recognize political implications

Facilitate interagency activities

Engage the threat discriminately

Consider long-term effects

Ensure legitimacy and credibility of Special Operations

Anticipate and control psychological effects

Apply capabilities indirectly

Develop multiple options

Ensure long-term sustainment

Provide sufficient intelligence

Balance security and synchronization

[Warrior-Mentor]

Am working to get these [with a purple flavor] into JP-1 as the "Joint Operational Imperatives"

We'll see how far it flies...

[The Reaper]

Good plan. I think all services should read and heed them.

Lots easier to keep 12 divisions and 600,000 troops, than it is to get bigger and train-up while you are in the middle of fighting a war.

TR