26 - Don Vandergriff

2/27/2015

Aaron

3/3/2015 03:40:59 am

Gentlemen:

I think you're falling for the canard that tanks 'aren't useful'...mobile protected firepower is always useful. Tanks aren't for just tank on tank fights. That's a narrative of the light infantry. Proven wrong in Vietnam, and allies and the USMC used tanks in Afghanistan.

Thanks, Aaron

Jon (host)

3/3/2015 11:45:57 pm

That's a great comment, Aaron, and gives us something to think about. We appreciate you chiming in.

Pete

3/3/2015 11:58:25 pm

Aaron, I appreciate your comment. I disagree with you, but we cover these topics to generate these discussions. Tanks are not always useful.
If there is an opposing force that is similar to the Taliban, or ALQ, then a tank reaches the limits of its effectiveness in a short amount of time. At some point the host nation's government has to transition to power. Our deployed tankers have to park their tanks and focus on other aspects of the fight. From my perspective, these modern conflicts are not won with by line units. It's won by focusing on winning socially, politically, culturally, and through religion. If these aspects aren't trained with the same level of rigor as our mighty tanks (and I do mean they are mighty, that's not me being cheeky) then those tankers will retain some effectiveness later in conflict zones.

Aaron

3/4/2015 10:11:21 pm

Pete, when has armored capability not proven useful historically? I'm not talking about a specific platform, but mobile protected firepower. When has that capability not proven useful? It's a myth that won't die. Vietnam was only suitable for infantry? The 11ACR was probably the most effective fighting formation in Vietnam. I would argue that training forces is easy, we can do it in a few months. The problem lies in the education of officers, or specifically a lack of education in breadth and depth concerning the various forms of warfare. Training won't prepare the mind of the commander on what he ought to think about in the next fight, only military history and theory can do that (Van Riper, Michael Howard). It was command leadership that failed during the initial years of the war, with many commanders having no clue on how to prosecute the fight or when/where force is most necessary.

Mistress Arkansas link

1/29/2021 12:42:45 pm

Hello mate nice post

26 - Don Vandergriff

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