As I have stated before, one of the main problems plagueing our military today is the vast preponderance of rear echelon people making the decisions. However, there is a second problem for which the rear echelon people are to blame. Our infantry is not trained to fight against irregular infantry, such as we are facing now in Iraq and Afghanistan. Against a mechanized opponent, we are unbeatable. Like the Macedonian phalanx of the ancient world, we will steamroll over anyone stupid and/or crazy enough to stand against us. Unfortunately, the opponents we now face are more akin to the horse-archers of the Eurasian Steppes, and the phalanx was completely useless against such foes. Alexander the Great conquered these people, but without the use of the phalanx. He defeated them with troops that were armed and equipped in a similar fashion, mostly recruits from just south of the Steppes, who fought in basically the same way as their neighbors to the north. To use a familiar cliche', he learned to fight fire with fire, defeating an unfamilar opponent by using similar troops to fight on a level playing field.
This is what must be done with our forces now. What we need are light infantry unit to combat the insurgents on equal terms. Using standoff weaponry is a really bad fucking idea in the Middle East. Collateral damage is a problem to begin with, but in the Islamic sphere of influence, it not only causes the occupying force to lose the support of the indigenous population, it actually creates more insurgent fighters. In the Middle East, vengeance is a sacred duty, so every time a woman or child is killed by a bomb or stray bullet, the male relatives will be forced to seek vengeance. In effect, for every two or three insurgents killed by a "smart bomb" or a "surgical strike", at least twice as many fighters will be created by the collateral damage associated with the technology. This shit is not going to work.
The most effective solution is to train light infantry to counter the irregular fighters, with a minimum of collatteral losses. A group of well-trained foot soldiers can eliminate opponents with a great deal more precision than a 500-pound bomb! We have many groups trained in irregular fighting tactics, but they are not light infantry, and they are far too valuable to be used for day-to -day fighting. They are Special Forces, not infantry. They are extremely well trained, the best of the best, and while this makes them the sharpest tip of our spear, it also makes their numbers too small to be used in such a broad capacity. They kick ass, but they should be used for special occaisions only, not grunt work.
Light infantry is the bread-and-butter of our opponents in the east. Hit-and-run tactics are really their best suit. Close-range fighting is their specialty. They are stealthy, accurate, and far more dangerous than the leaders of the west give them credit for. They practice Maneuver Warfare. This is the fighting style that caused a stalemate in Korea and a withdrawal in Vietnam. It is what drove the Russians out of Afghanistan, and is currently kicking their asses in Chechnya. It is what got the Israelis to leave Lebanon in the first place, and what will undoubtedly cause them a great many problems in their current endeavors. If not dealt with effectively, it will cause us many more problems in both Afghanistan and Iraq. I am not criticizing our gents in uniform, they are doing magnificently with the training they were given. Unfortunately, the training they were given is not doing them any favors. Our infantry tactics have changed very little since WW2, and we are not fighting Industrialized armies anymore. We are engaged in a guerilla war, and our troops need to be trained how to handle it effectively. If they are not, more people will die. People dying is part of war, I understand that entirely. But people dying because politicians and other rear echelon people are too stubborn, or too fucking lazy, to adjust to a new situation, is
not okay. In a war, soldiers die. That's the way things are. But they shouldn't have to die because some stodgy old general doesn't want things to change at all. Our military needs to adapt to the new threat, because ignoring it is not just ill-advised: It's criminal.
Allah hoo'mah ah'nah. (May God be with us.)
Salaam Aleykum, Bitches!
