ARTICLE: Diversity and Freaks (pdf), Capt. Gabe Mounce, USAF, Defense AT&L, May-June 2008
Here's the part about Tom:
Here’s another case in point. The military analyst Thomas P.M. Barnett, in The Pentagon’s New Map, advocates a military structure that is divided into two forces: the Leviathan force and the Sys Admin force. The Leviathan force would be what we currently think of as a military. It goes in fast, strikes hard, then gets out. The Sys Admin force, on the other hand, would be the force that operates by doing what the United States is currently trying to do in Iraq—win the peace. This force would be made up of social scientists, computer geeks, cultural experts, and linguists, all working to stabilize and build up a country. The Army recently began using such units, known as human terrain teams, to great effect in Iraq.
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Comments (3)
I've just finished Michael Yon's book, "Moment of Truth in Iraq." It's fabulous. I've read most of Michael's stuff on the net, but this is all new info and it knits the story of our mistakes and how COIN is now working. It has given me a better understanding of how and why COIN must be done the way it is. So many bright, talented officers and non-coms are improvising the Sys-Admin on the fly. Sometimes literally shifting from kinetic combat ops to Sys-Admin ops in the same day.
This is a book that should be read by anyone who wants to know how the Islamists can be beaten.
Posted by Jimmy J. | May 5, 2008 4:54 PM
After reading the article Tom posted, this Human Terrain Team sparked my curiousity so I searched it up and found this article at the official Multi-National Force - Iraq website from October of 2007 http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14634&Itemid=110
Very cool documentation of Barnett's belief that this experience in Iraq will transform our forces more than anything else probably could. It also provides evidence of something I have had my doubts about ... that the Sys Admin force could also really be comprised of US volunteers.
One of many broad ranging topics is this key point ... "The team breaks down the complexities of Islam and explains it to brigade leaders so that knowledge can be useful in forging U.S.-Iraqi cooperation." Worth a read.
Posted by VoteWithTroops | May 5, 2008 10:58 PM
:) That article, Jimmy, reminded me instantly of a scene in HBO's The Wire, where the good cop (McNulty) is trying to explain why the bad cop's (Herc) method are all wrong. He says you have to know everyone in the neighbourhood, so they'll trust you and tell you who the bad guys are and where to find them. Herc just wants to kick down doors and bust heads till someone squeals. Needless to say, Herc screws up and McNulty was right.
Posted by Brian Smith | May 7, 2008 9:20 PM