The Doctrine Gap

By Charlie

Over at Abu Muqawama, a comment on the current doctrine that is being taught at CGSC:

I'm a European exchange student in the US Army Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth and it strikes me that the focus of this academic year is still very much, if not entirely, on force-on-force conventional warfare (Fulda gap style). I had expected an immersion in COIN and 4GW related doctrine but I still need to see the first course or excercice [sic] where we have a look in the recent COIN FM. I'm more than a little disappointed with regard to this. Especially since most of my fellow American students have such extensive experience in the COIN/4GWF area. This experience is simply not beeing [sic] used by the school. I would suggest Def Sec Gates to have a hard look at his own institutions before critisizing [sic] others.

In 2005, Army intel officers in the basic course still had to memorize the task/org of Warsaw Pact tank divisions. It took 2 weeks. Think about that.

January 23, 2008 08:09 AM Strategery

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Comments

Is TRADOC still writing the standards?

If so, why is it still in existence?

SSG Jeff (USAR) · January 23, 2008 09:22 AM

At least it makes 'em better at boardgames, right.

I think these are predictable, but hugely destructive symptoms of an institutionalized bureaucracy. Humans are very bad at adapting when they are shielded from competition. You would think the constant casualties would make them scramble to change institutions, but apparently more incentive is needed. It is not the teachers themselves who are feeling the pain of not adapting. It's the soldier in the field who lacks good commanders and appropriate tactics who sheds his blood for the failures of a government bureaucracy.

The military must come up with better mechanisms to reward success and punish failure -- blood is too expensive and doesn't even seem to cause institutional improvements. Apparently the Jihadis do not provide enough incentive to prod people in the safety of a bureaucracy out of their comfort zones.

conservative of progress · January 24, 2008 03:21 AM

I am a graduate of the Marine Corps' equivalent. Small wars manual was re-written as a class project. Our big exercise was a humanitarian response to a flu outbreak vice the Fulda gap...We also had to take a year of formal Arabic as part of the cultural awareness portions.

Go Army....

Love

USMC Major.

s · January 24, 2008 06:24 AM