Wednesday, February 09, 2005
captain's comments
Captain Louis "Lou" Colbus (U.S. Navy, retired) emails me with comments he received from fellow Captain David Eugene "Gene" Mosman.
In Lou's words, Capt. Gene Mosman is "one of the most profound thinkers and thorough researchers I know. Very well read and most articulate, he has written some of the best articles on today's military. He is my shipmate and family friend who has taught me so much about ships, sailors, and today's programs and policies."
Capt. Mosman writes:
"Louie,
Great article by your friend.
Although not as eloquent as W. Thomas Smith Jr, his point below* was what I was addressing back on January 21 in a letter** to the editors of the RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH in which I ridiculed [U.S. Senator Joseph R.] Biden's inane comments RE: [Defense Secretary Donald H.] Rumsfield and the Iraqi Army standup - comments Biden had expressed during [Secretary of State Condoleeza] Rice's confirmation hearings. I find myself in very good company on the point. And hope the new Iraqi Army, at least in one respect, will not find themselves like ourselves from time-to-time (see Petronius Arbiter*** below).
With great esteem,
Gino
* "This doesn't even begin to address the years of training and experience it takes to develop seasoned captains, majors, and lieutenant colonels, even more so, full-bird colonels and generals. Fact is, it would take years - perhaps decades - to build a ground combat force like the U.S. Army or Marines."
-- W. Thomas Smith, Jr. (NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE, February 7, 2005)
** Letter to the Editor of the RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH, January 21, 2005
General Joe" Biden has spoken - highly critically so. 'The US Secretary of Defense is an idiot.' Why? Because a viable Iraqi fighting army has not been reconstituted as fast as General Joe thinks possible.
Let then a hypothetical problem be posed to General Joe so that the citizens may ascertain for themselves - by his answers - his fitness for greater responsibilities.
The problem: All U.S. Armed Forces commissioned officers and all senior non-commissioned officers simultaneously resign. It is now up to General Joe to rebuild a new U.S. Armed Force capable of defending the U.S. from 9/11-type terrorists and other traditional military threats.
The question: How much time will General Joe need to find, recruit, educate, and train (ready for combat) his new forces - paying close attention of course to his new military leaders, i.e., the new officer corp and senior non-commmissioned officers?
-- D.E. Mosman
*** "We trained hard, but it seemed that everytime we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization." -- Petronius Arbiter (210 B.C.)
MY NOTE: Though I see where Capt. Mosman has commented on occasion in the WALL STREET JOURNAL, I'm not sure if his letter (above) was actually published in the RTD... Lets hope so. It's a good one. If not, well, it certainly got ink here :-)
Also, there is a centuries-old controversy about whether or not Petronius actually did say that (see above), but it is indeed applicable to much of what we are witnessing today.
In Lou's words, Capt. Gene Mosman is "one of the most profound thinkers and thorough researchers I know. Very well read and most articulate, he has written some of the best articles on today's military. He is my shipmate and family friend who has taught me so much about ships, sailors, and today's programs and policies."
Capt. Mosman writes:
"Louie,
Great article by your friend.
Although not as eloquent as W. Thomas Smith Jr, his point below* was what I was addressing back on January 21 in a letter** to the editors of the RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH in which I ridiculed [U.S. Senator Joseph R.] Biden's inane comments RE: [Defense Secretary Donald H.] Rumsfield and the Iraqi Army standup - comments Biden had expressed during [Secretary of State Condoleeza] Rice's confirmation hearings. I find myself in very good company on the point. And hope the new Iraqi Army, at least in one respect, will not find themselves like ourselves from time-to-time (see Petronius Arbiter*** below).
With great esteem,
Gino
* "This doesn't even begin to address the years of training and experience it takes to develop seasoned captains, majors, and lieutenant colonels, even more so, full-bird colonels and generals. Fact is, it would take years - perhaps decades - to build a ground combat force like the U.S. Army or Marines."
-- W. Thomas Smith, Jr. (NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE, February 7, 2005)
** Letter to the Editor of the RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH, January 21, 2005
General Joe" Biden has spoken - highly critically so. 'The US Secretary of Defense is an idiot.' Why? Because a viable Iraqi fighting army has not been reconstituted as fast as General Joe thinks possible.
Let then a hypothetical problem be posed to General Joe so that the citizens may ascertain for themselves - by his answers - his fitness for greater responsibilities.
The problem: All U.S. Armed Forces commissioned officers and all senior non-commissioned officers simultaneously resign. It is now up to General Joe to rebuild a new U.S. Armed Force capable of defending the U.S. from 9/11-type terrorists and other traditional military threats.
The question: How much time will General Joe need to find, recruit, educate, and train (ready for combat) his new forces - paying close attention of course to his new military leaders, i.e., the new officer corp and senior non-commmissioned officers?
-- D.E. Mosman
*** "We trained hard, but it seemed that everytime we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization." -- Petronius Arbiter (210 B.C.)
MY NOTE: Though I see where Capt. Mosman has commented on occasion in the WALL STREET JOURNAL, I'm not sure if his letter (above) was actually published in the RTD... Lets hope so. It's a good one. If not, well, it certainly got ink here :-)
Also, there is a centuries-old controversy about whether or not Petronius actually did say that (see above), but it is indeed applicable to much of what we are witnessing today.
# posted by W. Thomas Smith, Jr. @ 8:34 PM 
