"Changing the Army for Counterinsurgency Operations"

Brigadier General Nigel Aylwin-Foster, "Military Review", Nov-Dec 05

A Brit General goes into detail about what the US Army should be doing to have a better chance to win in Iraq, as well as do better in counterinsurgency (COIN) and stability/reconstruction (S&R) ops in general. General Aylwin-Foster worked with the Americans, and while respecting the American Army system, says it's too oriented towards conventional, Cold War-style offense, making it hard to reorient to a "hearts and minds" mode. Everything from the Soldier's Creed, to the prediliction towards a quick, often hi-tech solution, is examined. Harshest criticism yet published in a US Army professional journal, especially from a coalition partner.

"In spite of COIN and S&R operations having occupied the majority of the Army's operational time since the Cold War, and their being an inevitable consequence of the (Global War on Terror), these roles have not been considered core Army activities... the Army has consistently seen itself more or less exclusively as a conventional warfighting organization, and prepared for operations accordingly."

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