The new geopolitical reality forces us to rethink the training and strategies of the armies in the West. This is how it is in the United States. “Some things we used to do, we’re going to have to stop doing,” says Admiral Frank Bradleywho heads the army’s Special Operations Command, in statements collected by Business Insider.
During a speech at an event in Tampa, Florida, the soldier recalled his beginnings in the navy. As a young sailor, he and his companions measured the depth of water using a rope weighted with a block of lead, recording their measurements on pieces of Plexiglas with grease pencils, but as methods and technology evolved, .
“The time to prepare and train is limited, so we are not going to simply add new things to the schedule of our Special Forces formations or any other formations. We have to creatively rearrange parts of that calendar to make room for the new activities we need to do.“, explains the admiral in his statements.
As the publication states, the Pentagon is trying to transform the training, technology and acquisition processes that were defined. But this is not so simple: some programs require high-level approval for modification, and “some apparently outdated practices may still be valuable to troops,” which means that cuts must be made judiciously.
Outdated methods
Many of the war methods and planning assumptions that the United States relied on in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are no longer applicable, the general reports. Frank Donovanhead of the United States Southern Command, in statements consulted by the same media outlet.
“In Iraq and Afghanistan we had more vehicles, more forward operating bases, more dining rooms, more logistics, unlimited communications, a relatively good climate, clear skies, no trees, all of that,” says the expert. “It has been a long time since we fought under enemy fire. Human strength and ability to withstand adverse conditions will continue to be essential,” he added.
“Our management teams have to carry out this prioritization exercise on a daily basis on how to prioritize the most important resource, the most valuable capital they have: intellectual capital. Where are people investing their time and attention to develop and prepare for the next mission?” he concluded.
