The incredibly revolutionary idea of running an American military operation WITHOUT over-missioning by a factor of at least 5 is under a real-war test in Iraq.
Two results are already apparent:
1) The 4th Mechanized Infantry Division may, indeed, be finest high-tech military machine ever built. But, like Rumsfeld PREDICTED about such "heavy metal" formations, by the time it gets deployed to a trouble spot, it will have missed the main action-including the decisive field battles, which are currently underway. The days of taking on the Werhmacht in highway-rich western Europe, and against intelligent, educated, heavily-armed corps and armys, are long past. The future of the American military is ultra light, highly mobile and readily deployable units with overwhelming firepower and cutting-edge training. The Rumsfeld Doctrine has already ENDED a lot of general's careers. It is only just beginning to clean out the old "peacetime" military. Throughout American history, we have done that many times. But this time we didn't have to suffer a Kasserene or an Argonne Campaign, with it's shocking casualties, to do it.
2) Say what you will about the action in Iraq-and a lot of retired officers are saying a lot of worthless crap about it, but the KIA's are lower than virtually anyone could have predicted, while the damage to the enemy, inflicted by small, mobile, deep penetration forces, working closely with air assets (and, very soon, artillery) has exceeded all expectations. Even street fighting, long the bain of military planners of ALL stripes, seems also to have been revolutionized.
From a technical, military science standpoint, the world has, once again, changed. This is just the beginning. The future holds increased robotics, and even more effective long-range targeting and destruction. We WILL have to fight the large, spread-out Islamic world over the next 20 years. And we WILL wind up killing a lot of Moslems-whether we like it or not. This war shows the early, successful steps in making that routine and relatively inexpensive. Wait until you see the NEXT one... |
