Comments on: Counterinsurgency Manual Flies Off the Shelf http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2006/12/counterinsurgency_manual_flies.html Secrecy News from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:38:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Matt Rowe http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2006/12/counterinsurgency_manual_flies.html/comment-page-1#comment-691 Matt Rowe Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:29:39 +0000 http://fasweb.beacontec.com/blog/secrecy/2006/12/counterinsurgency_manual_flies_off_the_shelf.html#comment-691 Actually, the strategic principles apply to all insurgencies. What has to be done in each case is a more specific plan based upon local socio-economic and other considerations. Actually, the strategic principles apply to all insurgencies. What has to be done in each case is a more specific plan based upon local socio-economic and other considerations.

]]> By: BC http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2006/12/counterinsurgency_manual_flies.html/comment-page-1#comment-690 BC Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:28:47 +0000 http://fasweb.beacontec.com/blog/secrecy/2006/12/counterinsurgency_manual_flies_off_the_shelf.html#comment-690 <ul> "If you understand the basis of doctrine, then you know that our doctrine is geared to be used anywhere our Army might deploy."</ul> says Colonel Boylan. Up to a point. But their doctrine doesn't seem to be working very well in Iraq or Afghanistan at the moment, simply because the troops aren't trained to put it into practice. There isn't much point in developing clever doctrine if HQ staffs and regimental officers are incapable of translating it to effective war-fighting. In any event, there must be country-specific doctrine. No matter what the clever wordsmiths of the War Colleges and the Pentagon might come up with (and so much of it is ancient motherhood in this case), nobody can construct an all-embracing set of principles to cover (for example) contingencies in Fiji and Iceland. “If you understand the basis of doctrine, then you know that our doctrine is geared to be used anywhere our Army might deploy.”

says Colonel Boylan.

Up to a point. But their doctrine doesn’t seem to be working very well in Iraq or Afghanistan at the moment, simply because the troops aren’t trained to put it into practice.

There isn’t much point in developing clever doctrine if HQ staffs and regimental officers are incapable of translating it to effective war-fighting.

In any event, there must be country-specific doctrine. No matter what the clever wordsmiths of the War Colleges and the Pentagon might come up with (and so much of it is ancient motherhood in this case), nobody can construct an all-embracing set of principles to cover (for example) contingencies in Fiji and Iceland.

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