Posted on Sep 13, 2021
Losing Small Wars: Why US Military Culture Leads to Defeat | Small Wars Journal
10.2K
34
11
11
11
0
How Mission Command is against the current US military culture of micro management form the top - and how that has lead us to defeat. Excellent Article and read!!!!
Losing Small Wars: Why US Military Culture Leads to Defeat | Small Wars Journal
Posted from smallwarsjournal.com
Leadership Development
Leadership
Senior Leaders
Mission Command
Doctrine
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
4
4
0
3
3
0
Hate the idea of "an eye in the sky" dictating COA in ground fight. May have slept through that instruction those (many) years ago but, as an Advisor of CIDG/Regional Forces in the Central Highlands, I didn't merit that level of upper brass attention. Had that been the case, I probably would have over-used the phrase, "You're coming in broken!" Don't know how practical the ideas expressed in this article are in terms of implementation. A major shift, for sure, and then what. Chaos is chaos. Interesting that the German high command's major complaint about fighting Americans was that they (we) didn't follow our own doctrine meaning, of course, that we were highly unpredictable on the battlefield. This is a great, thought provoking article and I appreciate your posting it, LTC Eric Udouj .
(3)
(0)
2
2
0
I have to go fuzzy here. Did we have precise missions? We did in the first Oil War. Kick Saddam out of Kuwait--PERIOD!! However we didn't clear the cobwebs and it gave us the next messes we got into.
I can't get into what I don't see. But I have seen Officers sticking their nose into what every squad in their company/troop does. I seen some senior NCOs do it as well. And to be honest, I did too for a while when I got to be Plt. Daddy. But then I saw my SLs doing their jobs as I taught them, decided I could kick back, listen to the war on the radio, and have some java. Life got real good.
To me, Presidents are the problem. Too afraid of losing people I guess. LBJ was even said to have ordered what ordnance went on which aircraft. Carter was a micro manager. I think Cheney ran the first 7 years of the wars. I am sure that Obama micro managed and his staff also stuck their noses in too much. I think Trump only tried to take credit after that first mission that he ordered backfired on him. He was only erratic from then on . I don't even want to mention his family.
So, hopefully Biden will just give the generals the clear mission and leave the rest of the work to them.
I can't get into what I don't see. But I have seen Officers sticking their nose into what every squad in their company/troop does. I seen some senior NCOs do it as well. And to be honest, I did too for a while when I got to be Plt. Daddy. But then I saw my SLs doing their jobs as I taught them, decided I could kick back, listen to the war on the radio, and have some java. Life got real good.
To me, Presidents are the problem. Too afraid of losing people I guess. LBJ was even said to have ordered what ordnance went on which aircraft. Carter was a micro manager. I think Cheney ran the first 7 years of the wars. I am sure that Obama micro managed and his staff also stuck their noses in too much. I think Trump only tried to take credit after that first mission that he ordered backfired on him. He was only erratic from then on . I don't even want to mention his family.
So, hopefully Biden will just give the generals the clear mission and leave the rest of the work to them.
(2)
(0)
SSG Edward Tilton
Leaving no one behind has been a problem for almost a century. The enemy knows that several US casualties will bring the US Forces to a halt while wounded are evacuated. I know it sounds wrong but it is part of their tactics.
(1)
(0)
LTC Eric Udouj
I think we have seen Biden's way of war..... micromanage from the top down to the BDE/BN If his mission was clear - and he had allowed the warriors to carry it out - we would not be a nation in defeat right now and have lost 13 warriors and not even completed the mission that was tasked for the NEO. Bush waited to long to get involved - and should have long before the Surge... and he left Afghanistan under funded and in mission wash with no real objectives. Obama micromanaged his war fighters, and 2d guessed them openly and put cronies in that stunk up everything as the military hollowed out Trump fired his SECDEFs - and he allowed the warriors to wage war... but he should have retired alot of the senior leadership and he did not. Those days are gone - and this article was great in pointing out how it has to change.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google