"What We Need: Extravagance and Shortage in America's Military"
by Barrett Tillman, St Paul, Minnesota, Zenith Press (MBI), St Paul, Minnesota, 2007; 254 pp.
go
Every now and then MBI tries to publish a serious book. Not sure how well distributed this one was, another "surface find" at my local Public Library. About half of it is just repeating things most of us already know; The Air Force is failing to manage the future need for Airlift (Some interesting details I had not known); The F-22 and similar programs are unaffordable, yada, yada.
And there was a significant amount of coverage on the subtle problems that there really should be no excuses for five years into a major conflict. A shortage of (Small arms) range time and Ammunition?
Plus a plea for the NRA to be recognized (Encouraged?) to play it's original role in pre-training manpower in individual marksmanship skills. Kind of a contrast to the high level issues in other parts of the book, I agree, we need to revitalize the NRA and the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
OK; Say Two and a half stars.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Somali Pirates
Are back in the news;
At least two things at work here, the cost shifting of "capitalism", the well documented destruction of the US Flag Merchant Marine. These VERY expensive capital assets (Merchant Ships) are crewed by the minimum number of third world Mariners, there simply is no slack in the labor force to stand security watches.
And the Europeans have a cow at the suggestion they (Merchant ships) be armed anyways. Sheesh folks, put a couple of squads with Machine guns on any ship transiting the area (Enough for 24/7 watch standing). Let the Europeans do it, it's a lot closer to them than us.
High seas Piracy has ALWAYS been a Capital Crime. Any "catch and release" program, they'll just go get new boats. The FAILED governance of Somalia is NOT our problem.
("our" = The developed, trading world community)
At least two things at work here, the cost shifting of "capitalism", the well documented destruction of the US Flag Merchant Marine. These VERY expensive capital assets (Merchant Ships) are crewed by the minimum number of third world Mariners, there simply is no slack in the labor force to stand security watches.
And the Europeans have a cow at the suggestion they (Merchant ships) be armed anyways. Sheesh folks, put a couple of squads with Machine guns on any ship transiting the area (Enough for 24/7 watch standing). Let the Europeans do it, it's a lot closer to them than us.
High seas Piracy has ALWAYS been a Capital Crime. Any "catch and release" program, they'll just go get new boats. The FAILED governance of Somalia is NOT our problem.
("our" = The developed, trading world community)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Five Books
This is something in the nature of a background post. Long ago and far away, I was er, chastised for having the audacity to suggest that entry level enlisted Military Intelligence specialists (96B, now 35F)should actually read five (Only five...) Non-Fiction books as an introduction to the field. Way too ambitious, I remember one of them was Military Misfortunes by Cohen & Gooch.
And every now and then I peruse the recommended "Professional" Reading lists; Most are WAY to ambitious.
So this is a "Package" of five books that are all in one way or another directly relevant to my "Skills Knowledge and Abilities"; At one point, I really hoped to get a job where I would have a desk where it would have been appropriate to display them. The goal being to "Impress" people, but I am so tired of the clueless people I deal with regularly, I would settle for "Intimidated" at this point. Credit to the "professional help" I received at the VA for clarifying my position on this issue.
Charles Perrow. "Normal Accidents." A very interesting work on the Sociology of Organizations.
Robert Serber. "The Los Alamos Primer: The First Lectures on How to Build an Atomic Bomb" University of California Press, 1992. I walked into Borders and plucked this one off the shelf. Let's be realistic about this technology transfer issue, even if according to wikipedia the physics in this particular title is obsolete.
David M. Glantz. "Companion to Colossus Reborn." The data appendix to his basic work, the latest word (In English) on the subject.
Christopher Bassford. "Clausewitz in English" A really cool book of Military Intellectual History. Anyone in the target audience should recognize the title. I found it surprisingly readable and accessible.
Roger Morris. "The Devil's Butcher Shop: The New Mexico Prison Uprising" All about one of the worst prison riots in American History, February, 1980 (No, I wasn't there at the time, but I did work there in 1991-92). There are worse places than the Sunni Triangle, and most of the members of my "target audience" will find this absolutely engrossing.
Extra Credit:
Ralph Peters. "Fighting for the Future" Stackpole, 1999. Unfortunately, the original (Thermal Paper) receipt for the purchase (Pre 9/11) faded to illegibility. See page 70.
"The Bully of Bentonville"
Evidence on why the American Economy is a shambles....
And every now and then I peruse the recommended "Professional" Reading lists; Most are WAY to ambitious.
So this is a "Package" of five books that are all in one way or another directly relevant to my "Skills Knowledge and Abilities"; At one point, I really hoped to get a job where I would have a desk where it would have been appropriate to display them. The goal being to "Impress" people, but I am so tired of the clueless people I deal with regularly, I would settle for "Intimidated" at this point. Credit to the "professional help" I received at the VA for clarifying my position on this issue.
Charles Perrow. "Normal Accidents." A very interesting work on the Sociology of Organizations.
Robert Serber. "The Los Alamos Primer: The First Lectures on How to Build an Atomic Bomb" University of California Press, 1992. I walked into Borders and plucked this one off the shelf. Let's be realistic about this technology transfer issue, even if according to wikipedia the physics in this particular title is obsolete.
David M. Glantz. "Companion to Colossus Reborn." The data appendix to his basic work, the latest word (In English) on the subject.
Christopher Bassford. "Clausewitz in English" A really cool book of Military Intellectual History. Anyone in the target audience should recognize the title. I found it surprisingly readable and accessible.
Roger Morris. "The Devil's Butcher Shop: The New Mexico Prison Uprising" All about one of the worst prison riots in American History, February, 1980 (No, I wasn't there at the time, but I did work there in 1991-92). There are worse places than the Sunni Triangle, and most of the members of my "target audience" will find this absolutely engrossing.
Extra Credit:
Ralph Peters. "Fighting for the Future" Stackpole, 1999. Unfortunately, the original (Thermal Paper) receipt for the purchase (Pre 9/11) faded to illegibility. See page 70.
"The Bully of Bentonville"
Evidence on why the American Economy is a shambles....
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Syrian Border Operations
OK, call me clueless (I should have written this two weeks ago...)
But, the whole point to having CIA Paramilitaries and Delta is "Plausible Deniability"; Otherwise, we could use Rangers, who cost a LOT less to train/maintain.
Do I have to spell it out? What Black Helicopters? Unidentified Black Helicopters dropped unidentified individuals who left NOTHING but standard (Eastern Block preferably) Brass behind? Gee, we know nothing; Are you saying there were some people we both don't like (You do want off the supporters of state terrorism list someday don't you?) there, and someone did a mischef to them. No, not us. We don't have any Black Helicopters.
Sheesh. But the basic point is the first paragraph. And they SHOULD be operating on the ground along the Afghan/Pakistan border (They have been intensively training in the relevant languages for the last four years, haven't they? And if not, whoever FAILED to demand that should lose their career).
But what do I know.
But, the whole point to having CIA Paramilitaries and Delta is "Plausible Deniability"; Otherwise, we could use Rangers, who cost a LOT less to train/maintain.
Do I have to spell it out? What Black Helicopters? Unidentified Black Helicopters dropped unidentified individuals who left NOTHING but standard (Eastern Block preferably) Brass behind? Gee, we know nothing; Are you saying there were some people we both don't like (You do want off the supporters of state terrorism list someday don't you?) there, and someone did a mischef to them. No, not us. We don't have any Black Helicopters.
Sheesh. But the basic point is the first paragraph. And they SHOULD be operating on the ground along the Afghan/Pakistan border (They have been intensively training in the relevant languages for the last four years, haven't they? And if not, whoever FAILED to demand that should lose their career).
But what do I know.
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