Good night!
Tomorrow . . .
Blogging will be from 1pm to 5pm central time. So you'll have a reason to be in front of your computer at work on a Friday afternoon.
Also in the morning if time.
Also, by way of explanation: An anonymous reader has asked I stop using technical terms like phase, stage, etc. and instead describe the battle in a narrative fashion, and not to try to figure out what the planners envisaged. Also to stop quoting Mao.
Response: No more Mao. You're right. His thoughts are old. I still think them relevant though. To discuss guerrilla warfare, you have to start somewhere and that's what I pulled off the bookshelf. It is a good book. And you have to understand guerrilla warfare before you can start to think about Netwar.
As far as the first point, sorry, but I will continue trying to see the battle from both a planning and an executing mindset. That's just what I do.
posted by Chester at 11/11/2004 10:23:00 PM
6 Comments:
What's wrong with quoting Mao? I'm no fan of the chairman, but presumably, he did know a thing or two when it comes to guerrilla warfare; and though the technology of war has changed, it hasn't changed so much that it's no longer relevant. I thought your earlier citation of Mao on the importance of bases was very illuminating.
Chester should continue to post in technical terms. That is what makes him unique in the blogasphgere. He actually have training in the field.
I am guessing Chester was a junior officer (01/02), but the USMC trains it's people to act at a rank much higher than they might ever have to, and in my biased opinion, at a higher level than the other services train their personnel.
Now, I am not saying there are not competent and talented people in the other services, there are. But I am stating as far as training and expectations: That is what the Corps is famous for.....
It would help if there were definitions for these technical terms, especially for those of us with no military background. This could be posted as a blog, and a permanent link to it provided on the right side.
Chester,
I appreciate your detailed and accurate posts. The technical terms you use add clarity to a little understood field. I have learned more from reading your blog these past 2 weeks than I have from reading CNN, BBC, and all those other MSM sources. My thanks & complements to you, sir.
The name's Rob.
I'm not a military professional. I'm definitely a layperson. I found your quotations of Mao to be quite informative, and I've not even noticed your use of jargon. Seems to me that phrases like "Phase" or "Stage" have the same meanings in jargon as they do in colloquial use. So, from this layperson's perspective keep it up. Throw in some Sun Tsu, if you like. ;-)
If there is some piece of jargon that is particularly arcane, please post/link to a definition. But, so far you've been terrific. I really appreciate your analysis, as does my older brother (retired 101st Airborne Ranger)
Rob
Do you think they are recording the locations of found weapons caches , so they can perform follow-up investigations or round-ups when the people return to the city?
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