Posted on Jan 13, 2014
Thomas Ricks' "The Generals" - any opinions?
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Any opinions on Thomas Ricks' "The Generals" published in 2012?<br><br>"...a private who loses a rifle suffers far greater consequences than a general who loses a war." - COL(R) Paul Yingling<br><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/newsroom/img/2012/10/24/failure1/mag-article-large.jpg?mcf0ub"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/11/general-failure/309148/4/">General Failure</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">Looking back on the troubled wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, many observers are content to lay blame on the Bush administration. But inept leadership by American generals was also responsible for the fa...</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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General Officers
General Officers
Posted 11 y ago
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I am nearly to the end of it now, and it is a fascinating study. I'm actually listening to it as an audiobook, so it is hard to keep the arguments straight, but the one general problem (more of a skepticism really) is that it treats generalship in isolation. It's not as if the quality of generals alone determines the culture of the Force. It also feels like a system of relief for poor command without ending careers is unrealistic.
Overall, it is intriguing and thought-provoking.
Overall, it is intriguing and thought-provoking.
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I had the same thoughts Sir, initially. However, I have come to understand my second time through that it is kind of implied that the command climate and approach to leadership filtered down the echelons and was echoed by subordinate commands. I also considered the last thing you said, and partially agree, although it seems more realistic when you consider that most relief was due to a need for fresh leadership vice fixing poor leadership. In either case, I found it refreshing that we made some of the same observations.
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I was in Afghanistan for 2001 and 2003. The problem I noticed was that some cadre were caught in the JRTC rotation problem. Except we never got that mid exercise pause-ex to receive our lessons learned and fix the problems we saw. We kept muddling our way, waiting for that break so we could sit down, hash out the problems and correct our course of action prior to end-ex. Except pause-ex never happened and the AAR was back at home station after a year in the sand.
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Yeah, our higher leadership up there could use a refresher course on winning our conflicts. Also, I've seen generals get in trouble by getting involved with the opposite sex and they still, even thou they were forced to early retirement, kept their ranks which I thought was a bunch of BS.
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