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Wow, what a governance eye opener.
I think it was a pre 9/11 SOCOM commander who said some thing like that his job was to command nothing and to influence everything. For the life of me I can't find the article. (Found it, it was General Shelton - I pretty much paraphased him here)
He went on to explain that his job was to build relationships with the service and operational commanders and educate them on SOF capabilities. SOF shouldn't have authority in a theater; they should have so well educated theater, service, and operational commanders that when ever a problem that can better be solved by an SOF capability arises an SOF unit is used.
Education and relationships creates flexibility, legislated governance creates problems and resentment. Is the reason SF hasn't been used to head up the COIN so well because SF failed to build relationships and educate well?
I've paraphrased him here, and it's only my PoV from the private sector...I'd be interested in an educated PoV.
Scimitar
__________________
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal to your tasks."
-- Phillip Brooks
"A man's reach should exceed his grasp"
-- Robert Browning
"Hooah! Pushing thru the shit til Daisies grow, Sir"
-- Me
"Malo mori quam foedari"
"Death before Dishonour"
-- Family Coat-of-Arms Maxim
"Mārohirohi! Kia Kaha!"
"Be strong! Drive-on!"
-- Māori saying
Last edited by Scimitar; 12-14-2009 at 01:27.
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