Will work for conventional threat doctrine

Check out "United States is Restarting WWII To Accommodate Demand".  Although it is satire, the article might be onto something.

For the last few weeks at Majors' School, there have been amazingly few Godwin references despite a rapid approach to WWII in our history studies.  However, our tactics studies over the last two weeks have been centered on how to plan tactical campaigns around a hypothetical, "conventional military" threat (as opposed to terrorists or insurgents, this refers to linear-type formations with lots of tanks and airplanes).  This is commonly known as the "Military Decision Making Process," or MDMP.  Strangely, however -- perhaps disappointingly -- the designers of this school apparently think that we as Majors are somehow inculcated with the precise knowledge of this imaginary enemy's doctrine, tactics, and capability.

Some 20 years ago, we studied the old Soviet Union's tactics in depth.  My first unit in the Army back then was the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, a storied unit that guarded Germany's "Fulda Gap" against the coming Soviet hordes (successfully, mind you).  As a new soldier, I was inundated with all manner of classified and unclassified knowledge about the inner workings of the Red Army's formations.  One of my sons was even born in Fulda.

So here we are, winding down over a decade of "asymmetric" warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan, and our Army leaders say we need to focus on our "core competencies" (read: linear warfare) and away from counterinsurgency training in our formations.  Fine enough -- even though the Soviet Union is no more, many of our enemies still employ their doctrines, equipment, and tactics.  Iraq did in 2003, China and "Best Korea" still do, Russia of course still does (but their military is purely defensive), and smaller belligerents still do as well.  So why don't we get at least some training on their doctrines?

I'm not really sure, and neither are our instructors.

Maybe we should restart WWII, just so we can use some MDMP training on a real enemy.  Any takers?

And that is the last I will think about anything military until next week.  Happy Thanksgiving!

NOT A TANK

(click on pic for link to story)

Just because it's armored, doesn't mean it is a tank.  Even laymen know that.

For the unknowing laypersons, these would be tanks:

Any questions?

in God we trust

Aren't you glad things are so good in our country that Congress has time to pass meaningless resolutions?  This week, the House debated for 35 minutes on the resolution until deciding once again that "In God we Trust" is our national motto -- despite the fact that it's already been done.  Twice.  So, since everything and everyone in our country is so happy and peaceful and well-fed and employed, our elected officials figured they needed to officially acknowledge the big man upstairs.  The bill apparently was in response to a speech Obama gave a year ago, where he flubbed the national motto and declared it , "E pluribus unum."

Never mind that both mottoes appear on the dollar bill, and the correct one is permanently etched in just about all our money.  Maybe Congress would do better by finally replacing our dollar bill with coins -- thus not only saving $5.6 billion, but also finally modernizing our monetary system like the rest of the industrialized world.  Even though we've been debating the issue on and off for at least 25 years, the euro never had a 1-note, and most European nations did away with theirs well in advance of that.  Coins last practically forever, while dollar bills are only in circulation for about 18 months.  Has anyone actually used the presidential $1 coins?  I've never even held one, although they've been in circulation for a few years now.

$1 coin doubters in our country cite the fact that the Treasury has almost $2 billion in 1-dollar coins just sitting in storage, because no one uses them.  Well, duh -- what did you expect when you keep making the bills?  Of course no one will like them, given the choice.  I don't know what genius bureaucrat thought it was a good idea to try and keep both in circulation, but I'm sure he has a nice, healthy government pension -- while our government continues its free-fall into crushing debt that could be alleviated, at least a little, by the switch.

And while we're at it, we should stop making pennies all together, and seriously consider nickels as well -- they both cost more to make than they're worth, and continue to waste taxpayer dollars...er, cents.  We should do it because it's the right thing to do -- not keep putting it off just because some mid-West grandmothers like to send dollar bills in the mail.

The fact we are even debating the topic in this country is about as stupid and cheesy as my favorite 80's Christian glam-metal band, Stryper.  Which of course is a good reason to embed this really cheesy (and related only in title) music video:

I'm sure I had a good time watching those guys in concert 25 years ago -- but what was I thinking?