Comments for Military History Blog http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com Blogging about the Battlefield since 2005 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:19:50 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Interview with David H. Jones by Troy Sergent http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com/2008/11/22/interview-with-david-h-jones/#comment-550 Troy Sergent Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:19:50 +0000 http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com/?p=140#comment-550 An extremely interesting post. An extremely interesting post.

]]> Comment on Reinventing the Army by kristalsoldier http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com/position_papers/reinventing-the-army/#comment-547 kristalsoldier Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:10:31 +0000 http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com/?page_id=112#comment-547 Nice piece. One question though - you keep referring to 'victory' and 'defeat'. Now while these notions of victory and defeat may have worked and may still be applied to conflicts between nation-states, you also at one point in your narrative refer to "operations in “Third World” countries, known at the time as “low-intensity combat". Perhaps what you need to consider is not only combat in low-intensity conditions (or "third world" countries), but also against lethal agents who bear no relation to nation-states (you have referred to this as the GWOT). In these conditions, how do you propose to consider, evaluate, compute, understand 'victory' and 'defeat'? One other point of interest: I agree with you about these so-called 'transformations'. However, there was something quite unnerving about the 'transformation' that the Late Admiral Cebrowski was attempting to articulate before his sudden demise. As per my reading, this 'transformation' is one which attempted to (or perhaps hidden within the depths of the Pentagon still attempts to) change what we have traditionally understood as 'war', which is a 'modern' concept, genealogically traceable to at least the 17th Century. This latest 'transformation' is unnerving because while it comes garbed in the usual technophilic jargon, its kernel is all about reiterating that the object of war (which was traditionally the compelling of an enemy to one's political will) no longer is attainable. I would be eager to learn of your thoughts on this. Best, KS Nice piece. One question though – you keep referring to ‘victory’ and ‘defeat’. Now while these notions of victory and defeat may have worked and may still be applied to conflicts between nation-states, you also at one point in your narrative refer to “operations in “Third World” countries, known at the time as “low-intensity combat”. Perhaps what you need to consider is not only combat in low-intensity conditions (or “third world” countries), but also against lethal agents who bear no relation to nation-states (you have referred to this as the GWOT). In these conditions, how do you propose to consider, evaluate, compute, understand ‘victory’ and ‘defeat’?

One other point of interest: I agree with you about these so-called ‘transformations’. However, there was something quite unnerving about the ‘transformation’ that the Late Admiral Cebrowski was attempting to articulate before his sudden demise. As per my reading, this ‘transformation’ is one which attempted to (or perhaps hidden within the depths of the Pentagon still attempts to) change what we have traditionally understood as ‘war’, which is a ‘modern’ concept, genealogically traceable to at least the 17th Century. This latest ‘transformation’ is unnerving because while it comes garbed in the usual technophilic jargon, its kernel is all about reiterating that the object of war (which was traditionally the compelling of an enemy to one’s political will) no longer is attainable.

I would be eager to learn of your thoughts on this.

Best,
KS

]]> Comment on Little girl’s Christmas wish granted by military http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/little-girls-christmas-wish-granted/#comment-546 military Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:32:12 +0000 http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com/?p=144#comment-546 On the other hand, it brings to mind all of the kids who won't get to spend any time with a parent because they're off fighting a war that most people seem to have forgotten is even going on. (that'd be for two reasons, people don't seem to care anymore and the media is absolutely not covering it like the ought to) On the other hand, it brings to mind all of the kids who won’t get to spend any time with a parent because they’re off fighting a war that most people seem to have forgotten is even going on.

(that’d be for two reasons, people don’t seem to care anymore and the media is absolutely not covering it like the ought to)

]]> Comment on Commemorating the Roman Soldier by Roman http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/commemorating-the-roman-soldier/#comment-545 Roman Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:50:49 +0000 http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com/?p=95#comment-545 I find the dedication of Roman Soldiers amazing looking back on the past. Today people might sign up for a few years and seeing how most soldiers devoted a much larger percentage of their life (20 years+) is truly admirable. I find the dedication of Roman Soldiers amazing looking back on the past. Today people might sign up for a few years and seeing how most soldiers devoted a much larger percentage of their life (20 years+) is truly admirable.

]]> Comment on Interview with David H. Jones by David H. Jones, author of Two Brothers – One North, One South, on tour November 2008 | TLC Book Tours http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com/2008/11/22/interview-with-david-h-jones/#comment-544 David H. Jones, author of Two Brothers – One North, One South, on tour November 2008 | TLC Book Tours Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:41:31 +0000 http://militaryhistoryblog.wordpress.com/?p=140#comment-544 [...] Monday, November 17th – Military History Blog (review and interview) [...] [...] Monday, November 17th – Military History Blog (review and interview) [...]

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