Compass Points - Turn Around
Rethink and move in a better direction
Compass Points - Turn Around
Rethink and move in a better direction
September 6, 2024
.
Is there any evidence that a military force can turn around? Can military leaders ever actually survey world events, look out into the future, and then reconsider former decisions? It is one thing to advocate for new thinking, new ideas, and new directions, but does it ever really happen?
It happens regularly. Smart leaders update their decisions all the time. World events are always changing. Changes in events require adjustments in thinking. The economist John Maynard Keynes, the great statesman, Winston Churchill, and many others are attributed to some version of the quote, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?”
Perhaps the famous quote should be attributed to Dutch military leaders. More than a dozen years ago, Dutch military leaders decided that the Dutch did not need to have their own armor to deter and defeat its enemies. The expense of tanks was too great. Since 2011, the Dutch military has not had its own tanks.
.
================
.
The Dutch government today announced plans to reintroduce a tank battalion, having controversially withdrawn its last such armored fighting vehicles in 2011. The move is part of a raft of additional investment in the Dutch Armed Forces, mainly in response to Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, and it also includes anti-submarine warfare frigates, plus six additional F-35 stealth fighters and an undisclosed number of NH90 helicopters.
The latest Dutch Defense White Paper, published today, says that the additional investment, for a total of around $26.6 billion, is needed “because, after a long period of peace in Europe, the Netherlands must actively contribute to deterring adversaries in order to prevent armed conflict.”
While the White Paper points to rising tensions in the Middle East and China’s increasing efforts to bend international rules in its favor, it is, above all, Russia’s war in Ukraine that has driven the budget increase and new equipment — including tanks.
“Russia’s unbridled aggression in Ukraine shows that an attack on the NATO alliance is no longer inconceivable,” the White Paper states, quoting Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans. “Such an attack would have a major impact on the security and prosperity of the Netherlands. Together with our allies, we must therefore make every effort to prevent such an attack.”
An important part of the strengthened Dutch Armed Forces will be the future tank battalion, expected to be equipped with German-made Leopard 2s and reported to come with an annual cost of up to around $350 million, according to the NRC Handelsblad newspaper. This battalion will help meet what the White Paper describes as a need for “heavier combat capabilities for land operations.”
-- The War Zone
.
================
.
The Dutch military leadership today peers out at the world and sees tensions in the Middle East and growing threats from China and Russia. These are many of the same threats facing the US. The US needs to adjust to a changing world and the Marine Corps needs to adjust also.
In the latest of a series of powerful articles calling for changes in the Marine Corps, author and Marine, Gary Anderson, writes that it is time for the Marine Corps to reverse the decline in capabilities, "Military Reform: Reversing the Decline."
.
=============
.
To change course and prepare the Marine Corps for future conflict, Congress must act now. Eight administrations of both parties have lived through the unintended consequences of the Goldwater-Nichols act and bi-partisan solutions are now possible.
It took Vietnam to drive the last great U.S. effort at military reform, we cannot let Afghanistan and related military failure be locked in the attic like a crazy uncle. Like a termite infestation or dry rot, ignoring the problems much longer could lead to a collapse of the whole edifice and our nation’s interests and force in readiness, the Marine Corps, depend on it.
-- Real Clear Defense
.
=============
.
"When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?”
Smart leaders update their decisions all the time. Back in 2011 when the Dutch divested their tanks, the world was different than it is today. Back in 2019 when the US Marines began to divest all or some of their tanks, cannon artillery, aviation, combat engineering, snipers, MPs and more, the world was very different. The world continues to change. It is time for the Marine Corps, like the Dutch, to update its units, equipment, and capabilities.
The Dutch are turning around their military. The Marine Corps needs to turn around also. Compass Points salutes the Dutch for updating their military to face the challenges today and tomorrow. Compass Points also salutes all those, like author and Marine, Gary Anderson, who are urging the Marine Corps to rethink the recent years and update Marine capabilities today. The good news is the Dutch show that military forces can be turned around.
.
- - - - -
.
The War Zone - 09/05/2024
Dutch Decide To Bring Back Main Battle Tanks
By Thomas Newdick
https://news.yahoo.com/news/dutch-decide-bring-back-main-171232320.html
.
- - - - -
.
Real Clear Defense - 09/05/2024
Military Reform: Reversing the Decline
By Gary Anderson
The best leaders I knew were always reevaluating the circumstances and crafting solutions. The best ones applied the right solutions and the lesser gifted ones applied ineffective ones. The worst applied change for change’s sake based on their flawed assessments and poor judgement and were often handicapped by their own ego, insecurity and arrogance. This held true across my experience in sports, academics, personal relationships, the Marine Corps, private industry, city government, academia and technological consulting.
A great example is when both Sweden and Finland saw that the paradigm shift had occurred in Europe and asked to join NATO. The rational analyst recognized that there is no NATO threat to Russia. There is a Russian threat to their neighbors because the dictatorial leadership realizes their own citizens are wondering why others are successful, free and prosperous.
Data is not knowledge and knowledge is not wisdom. Kudos to the Dutch military for their independent and precise analysis of what will deter Russian military adventurism. It is said that during one of the Allied WWII conferences the question of how the Pope might view a situation arose to which Stalin replied in an irritated fashion: “ How many Divisions does the Pope have?”
Many here recall when General Louis Wilson became the 26th Commandant. “Marines get in step behind me, and do so smartly.” He couldn’t have been facing a greater set of challenges if he wanted them, face them he did. Don’t want to be a Marine any more? There’s the door, expeditious discharge. Lazy and fat Marines? PT at lunch instead of burgers and beers at the O Club. He reminded everyone of what it meant to be a Marine and the importance of being different, difficult, unyielding and strong.
If the Dutch military can admit to a mistake and reconstitute their armor capability perhaps current USMC management could fly over to The Hague and ask for a tour. Don’t hold your breath, the word salad from the 39th CMC’s planning guidance was rather devoid of anything that resembled war fighting and truly addressing the issues with readiness and reconstituting the MAGTF so the Corps can meet Title X mandates.
It boils down to leadership willing to admit there is a “crazy uncle locked in the attic” and maybe let him down for breakfast because just maybe he isn’t as crazy as the family claim.
The Connecting File Substack has a post from yesterday, (worth the time to read it) it features CWO5 Cannon Cargile recalling how General Alford, then Lt.Colonel Alford, arrived as Battalion Commander of 3/6 only to find it a complete shambles of a unit. The post makes clear that leadership at all levels makes an enormous difference, 3/6 went from the worst to the best, it started at the top and flowed down to the fire team level, each Marine taking on their own responsibilities and ensuring that the unit could rely on them. Fast forward, we have a managerial class hell bent on relying on consultants to craft tactics and strategy, babble mindlessly at Congress and determined to keep the crazy uncle locked in the attic. That is not working out too well, Uncle Crazy is very rambunctious and noisy, people can hear him shouting “FD Howdy Doody is a sham, don’t buy what their are trying to sell out of the oldest standing structure in Washington DC!”
For sure kudos to the Dutch for seeing the battlefield having dramatically changed, but as we see in the Ukraine conflict, very much remaining the same. The Dutch military have adjusted accordingly. Indeed time is wasting, turn around General Smith, the world isn’t sleeping, the next crisis or conflict won’t ask if the SIF or MLR are valuable or ready, the conditions likely will ask for a ARG/MEU to appear over the horizon with a complete MAGTF capability. Yes, General, that’s Chowder Society II up the attic, and they won’t stop making noise until you let them down into the living room.