Topic: West: U.S. Must Understand 21st-Century Combat

[jpatrickham]

By Rep. Allen West

Special to Roll Call

Nov. 2, 2011, Midnight
 

"Today’s paradigm of battle and combat operations is completely different from what I experienced in 1982 when I was commissioned as a young lieutenant in the U.S. Army. At that time, the battlefield was much simpler.

In broad strokes, there was the Soviet Union on one side and the United States on the other. We were familiar with their tactics and equipment, and they with ours. Both sides wore uniforms, and every now and then we would stage war games on border control missions.

That paradigm has completely disappeared, leaving in its place an asymmetrical battlefield with non-uniformed, non-state belligerents using unconventional weapons and tactics. If the United States is going to be successful in protecting its citizens and interests, it must quickly understand and adapt to this new battlefield and be prepared for success and victory.

While America may lack an appropriate strategic level perspective, we will never lose at the tactical level on the ground because the United States has the best soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen the world has ever known. But without the correct strategic and operational goals and objectives, we will find ourselves on the proverbial hamster wheel. No matter how much effort we exert on the wheel, we will not make forward progress.

To begin with, we must correctly identify our enemy. It is frankly naive to say we are at war with “terror” because a nation cannot be at war with a tactic. Imagine, if during World War II, the United States went to war against the “blitzkrieg” or the “kamikaze.”

Further, we cannot narrowly define the enemy as simply al-Qaida or the Taliban. It is just as ridiculous to say we declared war against the 12th German Panzer Division or the 55th Japanese Infantry Regiment in World War II or the 7th Guards Tank Division during the Cold War."

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_52/allen_west_united_states_must_understand_21st_century_combat-209937-1.html

[Libertas]

1. Deny the enemy sanctuary.
2. Cut off the enemy’s flow of men, material and resources.
3. Win the information war
4. Cordon off the enemy and reduce his sphere of influence.

 

Sure would be a lot easier to accomplish without Dem's running interference for our enemies!!!

[Damn_Lucky]

5. Glass lined parking lot.

[AlanS]

5. Glass lined parking lot.

The best start.

[jpatrickham]

1. Deny the enemy sanctuary.
2. Cut off the enemy’s flow of men, material and resources.
3. Win the information war
4. Cordon off the enemy and reduce his sphere of influence.

 

Sure would be a lot easier to accomplish without Dem's running interference for our enemies!!!

"Sure would be a lot easier to accomplish without Dem's running interference for our enemies!!!"

If this Nation ever has to go to War against Islam, and it will, why stop there?

[Libertas]

You won't get an argument from me!