The discussion over shortfalls in weapons and equipment stockpiles tends to focus on the two opposite poles of a spectrum. At one end, there are precision-guided munitions, jets, and other sophisticated equipment whose production is bottlenecked even in the best of times. At the opposite pole is ammunition, drones, and other equipment that can be cranked out at scale, provided the industrial capacity exists in the first place.
Yes, and there were tens of thousands of US contractors at any one time in Iraq, mostly logistics. A lot of truckers, maintenance and so on.
A minority were security aka Blackwater, also Gardai, a lot of other contractors. There’s nothing wrong with this at all, in fact they’re cost effective and far more importantly… expeditionary wars with mercantile motives should be fought by mercenaries, not National Forces, certainly not Patriotic motivated soldiers.
American interests that seem to benefit only choice Americans should be fought by mercenaries, the motives must be aligned.
Private gain should only ask and pay for private risk. That has been understood since the ancients, it was forgotten by the Bushes and Clintons, Obama to a far lesser extent. Veterans who were motivated by Patriotism however remember.
Yup. It's crossing over to civilians in combat support roles instead of just combat service support that will be the tough part. Only SOF really does that, and only at a small scale - even when the will is there, it will be a challenge integrating them into combat units.
I deployed as a civilian - not civilian employee, but civilian - into a 250N (networking) warrant slot in a unit in Iraq in 07/08. I was put under orders, SRPed at Benning, did ranges and TSIRT in Kuwait and got my crud, and then rolled into theater. Why? I was a LNO from the program office back at home and the G6 was comfortable with me taking the position, so he cut the drug deals to make it happen.
I'm an insulin dependent diabetic so they would never have deployed me and I wouldn't be in the service, but in drug deal land, people just sign forms and someone throws a mini-fridge into a CONEX, and I carry my requirements into theater in a big soup thermos.
Your narrative misses the bigger view that the entire US military is built to fight a colonial wars preferably through proxies, always about 2nd and 3rd tier opponents. It does not a stockpile of stuff but fast logistics. That’s why special operations are always highlighted as the most important and most glorious of the parts of military - not artillery or tank drivers.
Its logistics and procurement must enable profits of MICs. It’s the nature of the beast.
Yes, and there were tens of thousands of US contractors at any one time in Iraq, mostly logistics. A lot of truckers, maintenance and so on.
A minority were security aka Blackwater, also Gardai, a lot of other contractors. There’s nothing wrong with this at all, in fact they’re cost effective and far more importantly… expeditionary wars with mercantile motives should be fought by mercenaries, not National Forces, certainly not Patriotic motivated soldiers.
American interests that seem to benefit only choice Americans should be fought by mercenaries, the motives must be aligned.
Private gain should only ask and pay for private risk. That has been understood since the ancients, it was forgotten by the Bushes and Clintons, Obama to a far lesser extent. Veterans who were motivated by Patriotism however remember.
Yup. It's crossing over to civilians in combat support roles instead of just combat service support that will be the tough part. Only SOF really does that, and only at a small scale - even when the will is there, it will be a challenge integrating them into combat units.
Maybe but I kinda watched them do it…. The crossover being the enemy casting their vote.
In a word; Combat.
Combat the Crossover .
Another case being the Japanese attack on Wake Island. Contractors fought because they were present. Bravely too.
I'm not just talking about contractors being inevitably caught in the crossfire though, I mean commanders putting them in combat roles.
They already do and have for the entire 21st century at GOFO level.
I deployed as a civilian - not civilian employee, but civilian - into a 250N (networking) warrant slot in a unit in Iraq in 07/08. I was put under orders, SRPed at Benning, did ranges and TSIRT in Kuwait and got my crud, and then rolled into theater. Why? I was a LNO from the program office back at home and the G6 was comfortable with me taking the position, so he cut the drug deals to make it happen.
I'm an insulin dependent diabetic so they would never have deployed me and I wouldn't be in the service, but in drug deal land, people just sign forms and someone throws a mini-fridge into a CONEX, and I carry my requirements into theater in a big soup thermos.
Your narrative misses the bigger view that the entire US military is built to fight a colonial wars preferably through proxies, always about 2nd and 3rd tier opponents. It does not a stockpile of stuff but fast logistics. That’s why special operations are always highlighted as the most important and most glorious of the parts of military - not artillery or tank drivers.
Its logistics and procurement must enable profits of MICs. It’s the nature of the beast.