Winds of Change.NET: Competence & Rumsfeld's Memo

October 23, 2003

Competence & Rumsfeld's Memo

by Armed Liberal at October 23, 2003 6:58 AM

Just in time for Rumsfeld's famous memo to hit the press, Parameters, the magazine of the US Army War college, publishes this article - "Strategic Leader Readiness and Competencies for Asymmetric Warfare." (pdf, requires free Acrobat reader)

I'm still absorbing it, but let me toss out a few quotes to get the discussion started:

Both current and past senior civilian defense officials reportedly have grown increasingly frustrated with the conventional mindset of many strategic level military officers. In their view, too many senior leaders are too cautious, lacking the "fresh thinking, creativity, and ingenuity" to engage in the "out-of-the-box" thinking required to fully understand the new asymmetric threats and challenges posed by the global war on terrorism.

and

This article seeks to identify the adaptive linkages that exist between strategic leader competencies and the mental readiness for asymmetric and more conventional warfare. Fortunately, the writings of Sun Tzu and Clausewitz seem to offer a framework to help guide the needed adaptation in strategic leader thinking with regard to asymmetric approaches to warfare. An identification of these characteristics in the writings of both Sun Tzu and Clausewitz offers the opportunity to adapt their concepts to the present and anticipated challenges of asymmetric approaches to warfare. However, it is also important to recognize that while "asymmetry is important to strategy . . . not everything is asymmetry."

Take a look, as I think I'll be commenting on this and the Rumsfeld memo in more depth in the next little while.

To get a glimpse of how I feel about this, go read this old post on risk.

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Comments

#1 from Reform Blog at 9:06 am on Oct 23, 2003

It is pretty hard to agree with anything Rumsfield has to say. On a positive note, he may help our diets as we become bulimic thinking about him and his "Competence"

#2 from lucklucky at 1:37 pm on Oct 23, 2003

I hope Rumsfeld in State Department after next presidential election :)
Guess u (Reform Blog) know nothing about whats going on. If State Department "Chamberlain" and CIA approach of the last 20 years wins we all (including me in Europe)are heading for a disaster.

#3 from bluebloodletter at 6:46 am on Mar 02, 2005

This is a really sick thing that he did, I don't know how he can claim to be a Christian. He needs to be criminally prosecuted. This is evil, and only making the situation worse. It also shows short-sightedness, however one feels about this "War" on terrorism, the moral high ground is indespensable, and now it is lost.

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