At this crossroad of the ways of war, the professional in a responsible nation, seeks to work out... more At this crossroad of the ways of war, the professional in a responsible nation, seeks to work out ways to deal with the accidental and malicious
Counter Insurgency is a misnomer. War is not a continuation of politics, it is part and parcel o... more Counter Insurgency is a misnomer. War is not a continuation of politics, it is part and parcel of politics, down to bank robberies and traffic tickets. The Logical Lines of Operation in Field Manuals is a good list of issues in any election.
The "Truth" is a highly subjective concept subject to different interpretation based on the obser... more The "Truth" is a highly subjective concept subject to different interpretation based on the observer's objectivity, or lack thereof.
Whatever is touted as the Truth or the Facts, Liars and True Believers emphsize that which is their weakest virtue as their strongest viture, and blame others with their own strongest vices.
The difference between a liar and most advertisers is they know they are lying. True Believers do not.
Application of Six Sigma and Pareto's Law to the Roles, Rules, and Tools that promote survival of... more Application of Six Sigma and Pareto's Law to the Roles, Rules, and Tools that promote survival of the Family as portrayed in war time propaganda.
Rationality is a clumsy way of thinking.
The Animal World shows a great deal of operational sop... more Rationality is a clumsy way of thinking. The Animal World shows a great deal of operational sophistication in feeding, breeding and staying alive that would require years of training for humans.
The Law of the Inverse Attribution Reflex aka LIAR holds that the Liar brags of his weakest virtu... more The Law of the Inverse Attribution Reflex aka LIAR holds that the Liar brags of his weakest virtue, and blames others with his strongest vice. This expands to demonizing that which they fear, such as women, children and those who think
The shifting relationships between the physical, emotional, social, military, political, scientif... more The shifting relationships between the physical, emotional, social, military, political, scientific and biological centers of gravity within a polity at, about, or after a war is rarely predictable and subject to the laws of the unintended consequence.
This is a major upgrade of the 1st Edition. This includes the nuts and bolts and general paramete... more This is a major upgrade of the 1st Edition. This includes the nuts and bolts and general parameters of raising and facing military forces with some sense of how to end it. Without some sense of sense, war becomes more senseless than it is.
The start of a war has very little resemblance to how it is fought and how it ends. This article... more The start of a war has very little resemblance to how it is fought and how it ends. This article discusses the relationships between personality types, tactical imperatives, development of forces, terrain, and the irrationality that makes good people dedicate their genius, inventiveness, honor and courage to prevail against foes with the same problems.
An abstract and eclectic view of the nuts and bolts of war and/or battle with a bias towards huma... more An abstract and eclectic view of the nuts and bolts of war and/or battle with a bias towards human nature at its worst and/or best. Includes the psychology and sociology of war, as well as the rare connection between what started it all and how it ended
An abstract way of looking at the nuts and bolts of war, battle and what comes after. The blood... more An abstract way of looking at the nuts and bolts of war, battle and what comes after. The bloody shift between steady ranks of farmers to the chase and race of the hunter on a battlefield never before so lethal. What starts a war and what ends it are rarely in the same ball game.
The US Army is presently undergoing a post combat reconstitution to better face the increase in t... more The US Army is presently undergoing a post combat reconstitution to better face the increase in the size and sophistication of emerging threats. This includes the reconstitution of the levels of command known as Theater, Corps, and Division. This will require a substantial revision of training as has been the mission of the 75th Training Command for fifty years.
The present debacle now engulfing Syria is the direct result of a military policy of the US Army ... more The present debacle now engulfing Syria is the direct result of a military policy of the US Army which rotated combat experience out of the battle, and rotated inexperienced commanders and units into an eclectic battlefield. This is called Transformation and the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA)
The Syrian refugees on the move are a source of culture, commerce, construction and more civiliza... more The Syrian refugees on the move are a source of culture, commerce, construction and more civilization than burden. There is room for millions, even in Texas
A summary of the fundamentals of the Karpman Drama Triangle to the bloody nonsense going on in th... more A summary of the fundamentals of the Karpman Drama Triangle to the bloody nonsense going on in the world. Originally written in 2006, sent to Stratfor by email, purloined by WikiLeaks where it resides on line.
Presumably WikiLeaks deemed it nefarious enough to post
Galleys were rowed by two methods, stand and dip, or Voga culling which allowed galleys to maneuv... more Galleys were rowed by two methods, stand and dip, or Voga culling which allowed galleys to maneuver in tight quarters. The Vale Cento is a model rendered in PoserPro used to explore naval warfare. It is a 40 oared monoreme of about 86 tons, a crew of 45, and armed with a tension trebuchet and a Greek fire projection system. The latter uses gravity fed water fountain technology to mix and project a burning ball of fire.
Galleys were rowed by two methods, stand and dip, or Voga culling which allowed galleys to maneuv... more Galleys were rowed by two methods, stand and dip, or Voga culling which allowed galleys to maneuver in tight quarters. The Vale Cento is a model rendered in PoserPro used to explore naval warfare. It is a 40 oared monoreme of about 86 tons, a crew of 45, and armed with a tension trebuchet and a Greek fire projection system. The latter uses gravity fed water fountain technology to mix and project a burning ball of fire.
A summary from an old soldier's POV of how the US Army has been actively destroying its own capac... more A summary from an old soldier's POV of how the US Army has been actively destroying its own capacity to fight the war in front instead of the fictional ones created in the fevered imaginations of the other side of the Potomac.
After Vietnam Congress mandated that all Service and Component had to have real contingency missions or not get paid, this lead to the alignment of all components of all the services to work together on real contingencies. This led to revolution in combat awareness on real problems. This was called the CAPSTONE program based on the Capstone alignment to somewhere over there.
After Capstone there was (Capstone) mission systems engineered performance skills, knowledge and attitudes broken down into a unit's MISSION ESSENTIAL TASK LIST (METL) which consisted of TASK, CONDITION & STANDARD. This focus was task based and worked best in concurrent mission related training. This resulted in a quantum leap in competence..forward
The Capstone alignment included a chain of command from squad leader through companies, battalions, brigades, divisions, corps, armies, army groups and theaters with real Generals in charge.
At present, there are no contingency plans outside the A ring, no chains of commands with real generals as the Theater, Army, and Corps have been eliminated. The Corps was the center of logistics, maneuver and firepower which now no longer exists in any coherent way.
Training has reverted to Pre-Vietnam "subject matter" sequential programs with little time spent on collective and concurrent training.
Worst, this conversion from a 21st Century army to a 19th Century army before the Main blew up was papered over in a serious deception program that:
1. Decried that the Reserves then with real missions over there, were a strategic asset that needed to be made operational which were removed from real missions to act as a strategic personnel reserve.
2. The name "Capstone" as in mission was buzzified and neutered.
3. The Chain of Command from Theater to Rifle Squad was deemed a "stove pipe" and the General officer stripped out in favor of some temporary incidental headquarters.
Now that the make believe war didn't gell in the real world, the Army is returning to a situation not seen since before the Maine blew up.
The penchant for prediction of the direction of the next war predictably produces the FUBAR, unle... more The penchant for prediction of the direction of the next war predictably produces the FUBAR, unless X, the unknown is always a factor. A summary of the FUBARs of the last 155 years.
At this crossroad of the ways of war, the professional in a responsible nation, seeks to work out... more At this crossroad of the ways of war, the professional in a responsible nation, seeks to work out ways to deal with the accidental and malicious
Counter Insurgency is a misnomer. War is not a continuation of politics, it is part and parcel o... more Counter Insurgency is a misnomer. War is not a continuation of politics, it is part and parcel of politics, down to bank robberies and traffic tickets. The Logical Lines of Operation in Field Manuals is a good list of issues in any election.
The "Truth" is a highly subjective concept subject to different interpretation based on the obser... more The "Truth" is a highly subjective concept subject to different interpretation based on the observer's objectivity, or lack thereof.
Whatever is touted as the Truth or the Facts, Liars and True Believers emphsize that which is their weakest virtue as their strongest viture, and blame others with their own strongest vices.
The difference between a liar and most advertisers is they know they are lying. True Believers do not.
Application of Six Sigma and Pareto's Law to the Roles, Rules, and Tools that promote survival of... more Application of Six Sigma and Pareto's Law to the Roles, Rules, and Tools that promote survival of the Family as portrayed in war time propaganda.
Rationality is a clumsy way of thinking.
The Animal World shows a great deal of operational sop... more Rationality is a clumsy way of thinking. The Animal World shows a great deal of operational sophistication in feeding, breeding and staying alive that would require years of training for humans.
The Law of the Inverse Attribution Reflex aka LIAR holds that the Liar brags of his weakest virtu... more The Law of the Inverse Attribution Reflex aka LIAR holds that the Liar brags of his weakest virtue, and blames others with his strongest vice. This expands to demonizing that which they fear, such as women, children and those who think
The shifting relationships between the physical, emotional, social, military, political, scientif... more The shifting relationships between the physical, emotional, social, military, political, scientific and biological centers of gravity within a polity at, about, or after a war is rarely predictable and subject to the laws of the unintended consequence.
This is a major upgrade of the 1st Edition. This includes the nuts and bolts and general paramete... more This is a major upgrade of the 1st Edition. This includes the nuts and bolts and general parameters of raising and facing military forces with some sense of how to end it. Without some sense of sense, war becomes more senseless than it is.
The start of a war has very little resemblance to how it is fought and how it ends. This article... more The start of a war has very little resemblance to how it is fought and how it ends. This article discusses the relationships between personality types, tactical imperatives, development of forces, terrain, and the irrationality that makes good people dedicate their genius, inventiveness, honor and courage to prevail against foes with the same problems.
An abstract and eclectic view of the nuts and bolts of war and/or battle with a bias towards huma... more An abstract and eclectic view of the nuts and bolts of war and/or battle with a bias towards human nature at its worst and/or best. Includes the psychology and sociology of war, as well as the rare connection between what started it all and how it ended
An abstract way of looking at the nuts and bolts of war, battle and what comes after. The blood... more An abstract way of looking at the nuts and bolts of war, battle and what comes after. The bloody shift between steady ranks of farmers to the chase and race of the hunter on a battlefield never before so lethal. What starts a war and what ends it are rarely in the same ball game.
The US Army is presently undergoing a post combat reconstitution to better face the increase in t... more The US Army is presently undergoing a post combat reconstitution to better face the increase in the size and sophistication of emerging threats. This includes the reconstitution of the levels of command known as Theater, Corps, and Division. This will require a substantial revision of training as has been the mission of the 75th Training Command for fifty years.
The present debacle now engulfing Syria is the direct result of a military policy of the US Army ... more The present debacle now engulfing Syria is the direct result of a military policy of the US Army which rotated combat experience out of the battle, and rotated inexperienced commanders and units into an eclectic battlefield. This is called Transformation and the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA)
The Syrian refugees on the move are a source of culture, commerce, construction and more civiliza... more The Syrian refugees on the move are a source of culture, commerce, construction and more civilization than burden. There is room for millions, even in Texas
A summary of the fundamentals of the Karpman Drama Triangle to the bloody nonsense going on in th... more A summary of the fundamentals of the Karpman Drama Triangle to the bloody nonsense going on in the world. Originally written in 2006, sent to Stratfor by email, purloined by WikiLeaks where it resides on line.
Presumably WikiLeaks deemed it nefarious enough to post
Galleys were rowed by two methods, stand and dip, or Voga culling which allowed galleys to maneuv... more Galleys were rowed by two methods, stand and dip, or Voga culling which allowed galleys to maneuver in tight quarters. The Vale Cento is a model rendered in PoserPro used to explore naval warfare. It is a 40 oared monoreme of about 86 tons, a crew of 45, and armed with a tension trebuchet and a Greek fire projection system. The latter uses gravity fed water fountain technology to mix and project a burning ball of fire.
Galleys were rowed by two methods, stand and dip, or Voga culling which allowed galleys to maneuv... more Galleys were rowed by two methods, stand and dip, or Voga culling which allowed galleys to maneuver in tight quarters. The Vale Cento is a model rendered in PoserPro used to explore naval warfare. It is a 40 oared monoreme of about 86 tons, a crew of 45, and armed with a tension trebuchet and a Greek fire projection system. The latter uses gravity fed water fountain technology to mix and project a burning ball of fire.
A summary from an old soldier's POV of how the US Army has been actively destroying its own capac... more A summary from an old soldier's POV of how the US Army has been actively destroying its own capacity to fight the war in front instead of the fictional ones created in the fevered imaginations of the other side of the Potomac.
After Vietnam Congress mandated that all Service and Component had to have real contingency missions or not get paid, this lead to the alignment of all components of all the services to work together on real contingencies. This led to revolution in combat awareness on real problems. This was called the CAPSTONE program based on the Capstone alignment to somewhere over there.
After Capstone there was (Capstone) mission systems engineered performance skills, knowledge and attitudes broken down into a unit's MISSION ESSENTIAL TASK LIST (METL) which consisted of TASK, CONDITION & STANDARD. This focus was task based and worked best in concurrent mission related training. This resulted in a quantum leap in competence..forward
The Capstone alignment included a chain of command from squad leader through companies, battalions, brigades, divisions, corps, armies, army groups and theaters with real Generals in charge.
At present, there are no contingency plans outside the A ring, no chains of commands with real generals as the Theater, Army, and Corps have been eliminated. The Corps was the center of logistics, maneuver and firepower which now no longer exists in any coherent way.
Training has reverted to Pre-Vietnam "subject matter" sequential programs with little time spent on collective and concurrent training.
Worst, this conversion from a 21st Century army to a 19th Century army before the Main blew up was papered over in a serious deception program that:
1. Decried that the Reserves then with real missions over there, were a strategic asset that needed to be made operational which were removed from real missions to act as a strategic personnel reserve.
2. The name "Capstone" as in mission was buzzified and neutered.
3. The Chain of Command from Theater to Rifle Squad was deemed a "stove pipe" and the General officer stripped out in favor of some temporary incidental headquarters.
Now that the make believe war didn't gell in the real world, the Army is returning to a situation not seen since before the Maine blew up.
The penchant for prediction of the direction of the next war predictably produces the FUBAR, unle... more The penchant for prediction of the direction of the next war predictably produces the FUBAR, unless X, the unknown is always a factor. A summary of the FUBARs of the last 155 years.
There is no better arena in which to observe the values, beliefs, behavior, and norms (VBBN) of c... more There is no better arena in which to observe the values, beliefs, behavior, and norms (VBBN) of culture than in the realm of the formal meal, be it Lunch, Supper, or Dinner (I never knew which was supper). It is here than the games of King of the Hill are played, and the Headspace Adjustment of the players is displayed. It can be said that the decorations, jewelry, exotic textiles, and do's of hair and all the finery of pomp and circumstance are at the center of human adventure. The formal meal is traditionally the center of life for the nuclear family, the extended family, and greater family such as clan and tribe. Its extension into corporate and military life replicated the social role with often significant political and economic life. In the latter business sense, all the rules of a medieval dining hall remain. As place and importance in life, the current score in King of the Hill as played out in accordance with the collective and individual's headspace adjustment is played out in the placement on a dais or main table. The quarterly sales meeting at the local pricey hotel is the place where the current ranking is displayed for one and all. The Culture Trooper can gain pre-meal intelligence on the current or last standing of who is one what hill, and some clues as to the headspace adjustment by studying pictures taken of recent events, plus the advice of a friendly player. The pre-meal cocktail or coffee warm up is useful in the same sense by breaking out the Suck Up Clusters (SUC) that mark the existence of competing, winning and losing clusters of people bound together by a sense of togetherness or search for approval by and of the main players in the cluster. SUC detection is one of human's earliest developed social skill which is developed by age six and evolves to a matter of life or death (socially) in the mid teens. The geometric array at the school bus stop and seating order on the school bus is learned early in life. It continues in corporate life, and it takes a well balanced person to operate independently of them. A quick sketch on the back of an envelope, or cocktail napkin, supplemented by digital photography can be used as order of battle (OB) files. The body languages of deference and domination are strongly influenced by culture, but such standard mannerisms as the Look Down the Nose at Lessers maneuver is widely used. The hand steeple is a similar mark of dominance. Those who fetch and carry are active seekers of approval from the favored few. While often lampooned in
Plots, conspiracies, oil drilling, research labs, infantry companies and movie crews all can achi... more Plots, conspiracies, oil drilling, research labs, infantry companies and movie crews all can achieve an objective through collective action, but vary considerably on the amount of central direction to do it. Whether facing one or running one, it is important to understand the differences. Plots imply considerable formal planning covering a large number of details on the part of at least one of the participants, with decisions reached collectively or through manipulation. Most successful plots depend upon a supreme manipulator who can keep the inner secrets to him/herself like a
It's the Body Language and the Buzzwords that trigger the Village's responses, as they resonate w... more It's the Body Language and the Buzzwords that trigger the Village's responses, as they resonate with the survival strategy of Food/Family, Roles, Rules and Tools to ensure individual and village survival.
The usual domination of the US Left by Moscow has been supplemented, it appears, by Candidate Tru... more The usual domination of the US Left by Moscow has been supplemented, it appears, by Candidate Trump supporting long standing Russian geopolitical objective including the dissolution of NATO. This puts a Russian presence on both flanks of the American electorate
There is a malignant growth in the Pentagon of several generations and many administrations that ... more There is a malignant growth in the Pentagon of several generations and many administrations that has effectively neutralized the combat power of at least the Army. And weakened the links between it and the other services, to the point that after its most successful land operation in its history, failed to defeat a fractious but rabid irregular foe, and failed to stand up effective governance in Iraq and Afghanistan. Something it had done successfully in Japan and Germany. And the entire misadventure has been managed by fake officers not confirmed by the Senate as Officers of the United States. The fact that these fake officers have not been confirmed by the Senate breaks the Constitutional limits and controls over the military, judiciary, and executive personnel in critical positions considered expressions of the sovereignty of these United States. All such " Officers of the United States " include ambassadors, consuls, cabinet members, federal judges, and all military officers down to Butter Bar. As such, each Officers' word is law, enforceable in court as such. The survival imperatives of Civil Servants vs military officers differ dramatically between the Job Description vs the Efficiency Report (OER) on file. The Personnel File, once called the 201 File, contains the list of assignments and schools together with associated OER. One slip, and late in one's career it can end under the Up or Out policy. This hits usually in the Second Decade of service with odds as low as fifty percent for survival, depending upon the current SWAG. Been there, done that. The Officer's career assignments are determined on a competitive and centrally controlled process. The end result is the selection of officers in senior grades, usually O-6 (Colonel and Navy Captain) who has the expected preparation and performance.
The purpose of life is to live, for the individual and the family. That depends upon Feeding and ... more The purpose of life is to live, for the individual and the family. That depends upon Feeding and Breeding, neither of which is much good without bringing home the bacon as in Pork. Pork can be real, fake, or someone else's but power can be built on any by leveraging the dramatic triangle of rescuer, victim and protector in the face of a real or imagined villlain
There are too many holes in the history of the original Knights Templar aka " The Temple " to acc... more There are too many holes in the history of the original Knights Templar aka " The Temple " to account for their combat effectiveness or of their operations planning and training. We have detailed instruction in the Rule for the order, but those do not deal with combat operations, and given the theoretical time usage of the Rule, there would be not enough time to train for the operations they were so good sat. There are records of the details of the training of Byzantine troops which, to the modern eye, are consistent with training rigor required for combat excellence. That must include individual and collective tasks, plus those of command and control. Just the formation of shield walls, and the opening of them to allow cavalry to make passages of line out and in return, is the highest order of collective competence. This done at Arsuf by Richard I, by the Knights that counter attacks Saladin's encircling forces, and drove him from the field. There is also a popular perception that the Templars were uptight and religious today emulated with pomp and circumstance of which I have enjoyed. But as a combat veteran and long serving solder of 33 years, those don't fit. The Anal Retentive is the default standing army preferred personality type, but which in combat tend to freeze in indecision or stick to a stupid one regardless. Likewise the default Anal Retentive is obsessed with neatness, while the original Templars were filthy in accordance with the notion that filthy is faithful piety. Something that many monks followed.
Convert Or Die is a waste of a good axe. Those who convert are unreliable, and the rest are worth... more Convert Or Die is a waste of a good axe. Those who convert are unreliable, and the rest are worth more sold as slaves. Those who must die are those whose death sets an example, one will do. Better convert or Cut a Deal. Machiavelli: Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge. Machiavelli, The Prince Machiavelli also warns that one must kill all of those in need, executed all at once by one of their own, whose body is displayed as an apology once done. Chicago style. The act of conversion (or surrender) must be credible and readily recognized by the capturing force. In WW2, the Germans would surrender only with a duly signed certificate and delivered with specific places, times and manner of surrender.
One of the speakers in a recent Army War College Strategy Conference, Session II made a comment t... more One of the speakers in a recent Army War College Strategy Conference, Session II made a comment to the effect that the US Constitution by its checks and balances makes the development of a "national strategy" difficult. As a simple matter of fact, a national strategy consensus of sufficient detail to pass through the operational design process has never happened in the US, and very few times elsewhere. At best, national strategies are wish lists subject to the winds of war.
The pattern of total submission to ISIS version of Islam and the execution of all others is a pur... more The pattern of total submission to ISIS version of Islam and the execution of all others is a purely Western notion, the worst examples being the Holocaust and Stalin's purges. The default manner of dealing with minorities ethnic groups by Islam from the time of the Rashidun Caliphs, through the Ottoman Sultans was flexible and accommodating of various groups' values closest to family, village and tribe.
The Ideal Warmonger is one who fights when necessary to advance the cause of his polity (nation, ... more The Ideal Warmonger is one who fights when necessary to advance the cause of his polity (nation, tribe, family) in ways that support the process of survival. This is fundamentally, the feeding and breeding of same in ways the nurture and protects the future, children who can cope as in sustained survival of children at puberty at a ratio of 2.1 per couple. Failure to do so means the polity dies or dies out. The operative term is protection as in against those who would destroy the ability of the polity to survive. This is the psychological aspect of nurturing and protecting against threats, often called villains. The process of protection has defensive and offensive sides one of which is directed at the villains own ability to survive. Hence one man's hero is another's villain. Victory in any such conflict occurs when both hero and villain benefit from the arrangements post combat. And believe it so. The current imbroglio in the Muddled East is largely due to the inability for the combatants to get to a mutually satisfactory post combat arrangement.
Uploads
Papers by Gordon Fowkes
Whatever is touted as the Truth or the Facts, Liars and True Believers emphsize that which is their weakest virtue as their strongest viture, and blame others with their own strongest vices.
The difference between a liar and most advertisers is they know they are lying. True Believers do not.
The Animal World shows a great deal of operational sophistication in feeding, breeding and staying alive that would require years of training for humans.
Presumably WikiLeaks deemed it nefarious enough to post
After Vietnam Congress mandated that all Service and Component had to have real contingency missions or not get paid, this lead to the alignment of all components of all the services to work together on real contingencies. This led to revolution in combat awareness on real problems. This was called the CAPSTONE program based on the Capstone alignment to somewhere over there.
After Capstone there was (Capstone) mission systems engineered performance skills, knowledge and attitudes broken down into a unit's MISSION ESSENTIAL TASK LIST (METL) which consisted of TASK, CONDITION & STANDARD. This focus was task based and worked best in concurrent mission related training. This resulted in a quantum leap in competence..forward
The Capstone alignment included a chain of command from squad leader through companies, battalions, brigades, divisions, corps, armies, army groups and theaters with real Generals in charge.
At present, there are no contingency plans outside the A ring, no chains of commands with real generals as the Theater, Army, and Corps have been eliminated. The Corps was the center of logistics, maneuver and firepower which now no longer exists in any coherent way.
Training has reverted to Pre-Vietnam "subject matter" sequential programs with little time spent on collective and concurrent training.
Worst, this conversion from a 21st Century army to a 19th Century army before the Main blew up was papered over in a serious deception program that:
1. Decried that the Reserves then with real missions over there, were a strategic asset that needed to be made operational which were removed from real missions to act as a strategic personnel reserve.
2. The name "Capstone" as in mission was buzzified and neutered.
3. The Chain of Command from Theater to Rifle Squad was deemed a "stove pipe" and the General officer stripped out in favor of some temporary incidental headquarters.
Now that the make believe war didn't gell in the real world, the Army is returning to a situation not seen since before the Maine blew up.
Whatever is touted as the Truth or the Facts, Liars and True Believers emphsize that which is their weakest virtue as their strongest viture, and blame others with their own strongest vices.
The difference between a liar and most advertisers is they know they are lying. True Believers do not.
The Animal World shows a great deal of operational sophistication in feeding, breeding and staying alive that would require years of training for humans.
Presumably WikiLeaks deemed it nefarious enough to post
After Vietnam Congress mandated that all Service and Component had to have real contingency missions or not get paid, this lead to the alignment of all components of all the services to work together on real contingencies. This led to revolution in combat awareness on real problems. This was called the CAPSTONE program based on the Capstone alignment to somewhere over there.
After Capstone there was (Capstone) mission systems engineered performance skills, knowledge and attitudes broken down into a unit's MISSION ESSENTIAL TASK LIST (METL) which consisted of TASK, CONDITION & STANDARD. This focus was task based and worked best in concurrent mission related training. This resulted in a quantum leap in competence..forward
The Capstone alignment included a chain of command from squad leader through companies, battalions, brigades, divisions, corps, armies, army groups and theaters with real Generals in charge.
At present, there are no contingency plans outside the A ring, no chains of commands with real generals as the Theater, Army, and Corps have been eliminated. The Corps was the center of logistics, maneuver and firepower which now no longer exists in any coherent way.
Training has reverted to Pre-Vietnam "subject matter" sequential programs with little time spent on collective and concurrent training.
Worst, this conversion from a 21st Century army to a 19th Century army before the Main blew up was papered over in a serious deception program that:
1. Decried that the Reserves then with real missions over there, were a strategic asset that needed to be made operational which were removed from real missions to act as a strategic personnel reserve.
2. The name "Capstone" as in mission was buzzified and neutered.
3. The Chain of Command from Theater to Rifle Squad was deemed a "stove pipe" and the General officer stripped out in favor of some temporary incidental headquarters.
Now that the make believe war didn't gell in the real world, the Army is returning to a situation not seen since before the Maine blew up.
the effect that the US Constitution by its checks and balances makes the development of a "national
strategy" difficult. As a simple matter of fact, a national strategy consensus of sufficient detail to pass through the operational design process has never happened in the US, and very few times elsewhere. At best, national strategies are wish lists subject to the winds of war.