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Stare Master
Group: Community Supporter
Last Login: Today @ 12:31 PM
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Brian, I disagree. Yes Shinseki tried to change the Army, but I believe that in the next few years the changes he tried to implement will be abandoned almost entirely. The Army appears set to move toward real transformation that will make it a better force for the 21st Century. Most of the changes that will survive the next few years are those that were begun prior to his tenure, IMO.
Sh0t, the Crusader issue was not an artillery or no artillery debate. Crusader was a hugely expensive, had to deploy artillery piece. It was probably an excellent system for what it was intended, helping counter a Soviet invasion of West Germany. But with the fall of the Soviet Union and the requirements of a post cold war era it was a complete waste.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS
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OIF Veteran
 
Group: Past PNET Supporter
Last Login: 11/16/2008 11:01 AM
Posts: 3,697,
Visits: 24,626
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quote:
Originally posted by 509Trooper
Brian, I disagree. Yes Shinseki tried to change the Army, but I believe that in the next few years the changes he tried to implement will be abandoned almost entirely. The Army appears set to move toward real transformation that will make it a better force for the 21st Century. Most of the changes that will survive the next few years are those that were begun prior to his tenure, IMO.
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Trooper
Group: Community Supporter
Last Login: 11/4/2007 1:54 PM
Posts: 660,
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quote:
Originally posted by 509Trooper
Shinseki tried to change the Army, but I believe that in the next few years the changes he tried to implement will be abandoned almost entirely. The Army appears set to move toward real transformation that will make it a better force for the 21st Century. Most of the changes that will survive the next few years are those that were begun prior to his tenure, IMO.
Barry, you may be right, nevertheless, it will be interesting. Now, so long as we can get the airlift and sealift we need to put our footprint where and when it needs to be placed........
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Seasoned Vet
Group: Past PNET Supporter
Last Login: 9/7/2005 7:22 PM
Posts: 6,666,
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quote:
Consider the past comments of John Hillen (a Defense advisor to the Bush 2000 campaign):
"General Shinseki's [had] two challenges. He's [tried] to change an army in peacetime. A peacetime army is, for the most part, nothing more than a large complex bureaucracy that is heavily engaged every day in very martial tasks. But it is a bureaucracy. The most popular book in the army right now is the reissue of an old novel called Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer. The protagonist is the bold warrior who is operating in wartime and has the virtues of warfare. He's innovative; he's bold; he's audacious. The antagonist is the classic manipulative bureaucrat. And their story is the story of the struggle for the soul of the army. It's the innovative, bold wartime army versus the bureaucratic peacetime army, which is static, defensive, protecting its turf, and doing none of the things that allow people to succeed on the battlefield. So that's one challenge--managing bold innovative change in a peacetime environment.
How dare this John Hillen imply that Gen. Shinseki is like the virtuous warrior protagonist Sam Damon.[ !][!][bs]
No Shinseki was like the career minded politician antagonist in the book. No integrity, no flexibility, and rule with an iron fist.[thdown]
The changes that Shinseki implemented during his tenure were mostly to the Army's detriment IMO. Many of these will have to be reversed rather quickly. Probably the largest negative impact he had on the Army was the hundreds of Colonels and Generals he selected for promotion during his 4 years. Gen. Schoomaker will definitely need to 'take out the trash' at the 5 sided wind tunnel for some time to come.
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