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Post by Yan Taylor on Mar 5, 2014 13:44:25 GMT -6
US Infantry Platoon 2014 Devised by Lt. Col Chuck (US Army Retired) Now get this to the Pentagon or Fort Leavenworth or even West Point and put your case forward.
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Post by tubman13 on Mar 5, 2014 14:22:51 GMT -6
Questions, questions, questions. Montrose, QC, Fred, Alfakilo, Carl, and any one else who would care to answer. This applies more to now than 1876, but would be relevant then as well. The question is about the mechanics, services types such as me, engineers, personal staff, computer geeks, etc. as well as farriers, blacksmiths, saddler, band members back in 1876. It applies to NG and Reserve as well as newbes. Bare in mind I and my ilk performed in our career field at UTA's. What do you do for these guys on annual, semi annual, or quarterly basis to get them up to speed and to be combat ready on an ongoing basis? Do we in fact trim support staff and focus on our fighting core? Do we continually cross train?
As we all know our civilian, govt. is bloated, is the military as well? Not so much by numbers, but by career field, over staffing? How do we cut, yet perform better? Lastly, is the draft a bad idea?
I am somewhat a fan of universal service.
Regards, Tom
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Post by quincannon on Mar 5, 2014 16:19:25 GMT -6
I am probably going to piecemeal my answers in no particular order, but rather in the order I digest each part
The first thing you do is change the culture in the Army from a place to learn a skill, an Army of One, Army Strong etc. with your recruiting poster some bright face young person in a spotless uniform to an Army of warriors because the skill they wish is to be a warrior. It should be sold by using that famous picture from World War II of a scruffy, fifteen day old bearded GI walking down a road rifle, and I think a broken down rocket launcher (it has been a while) on his shoulder freezing his ass off, the caption reading "I'm the 82nd Airborne and this is as far as the bastards are going " Montrose and BC are more than likely familiar with this vignette from the Bulge and maybe Ian can find the picture
The little kiddies that come in the door attracted by that one, will include 50% board certified nut cases, but the other 50% are the ones you want. They are the keepers.
The next thing you do is judge your officers by the Larteguy passage in the Centurions, and all those darling little officers whose greatest concern is the Colonels piles hit the bricks. Upon request I will post it all for those that have never read it
Once you get that sorted out you train, you train, you train, and when you get so tired of training that you could puke, you put on your rucksack, pick up your rifle and you train some more.
With a soon to be 450 K strength cap the draft is a very bad, very expensive, readiness robbing idea. If you see the obvious benefit of selective service, instilling discipline and some skills in our young early on then you do two things. Kick some mommy and daddy ass and make them do their jobs, and two establish a civilian run on military lines program like the Civilian Conservation Corps. The military is no place for social experimentation in the 21st Century and a draft is less than helpful, a thing of the bygone days of mass mobilization armies, and should be considered an absolute last resort, up to the time the Taliban lands at Phillips Crab House in Ocean City.
When you realize that the joint services have more general and flag officers today than they did in World War II Tom you have answered your own question.
Ian: I did not mention a weapons squad of two LMG's and two medium range AT weapons (12 men) and you forgot the assistant platoon leader (officer)
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Post by tubman13 on Mar 5, 2014 16:56:03 GMT -6
The next thing you do is judge your officers by the Larteguy passage in the Centurions, and all those darling little officers whose greatest concern is the Colonels piles hit the bricks. Upon request I will post it all for those that have never read it Call this a request!
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Post by quincannon on Mar 5, 2014 17:10:33 GMT -6
"I'd like to have two armies. One for display with lovely guns, tanks, little soldiers, staffs, distinguished and doddering Generals and dear little Regimental Officers who would be deeply concerned over their General's bowel movements or their Colonel's piles An army that would be shown for a modest fee on every fairground in the country.
"The other would be the real one, comprised entirely of young enthusiasts in camouflage uniforms who would not be put on display but from whom impossible efforts would be demanded and to whom all sorts of tricks would be taught. That's the army in which I should like to fight"
Jean Larteguy --- "The Centurions"
In the first paragraph Larteguy was speaking about the French Army of the late 1950's early 60's that was largely made up of conscripts. In the second he was addressing primarily the Colonial, Metropolitan Paratroops, and the Legion, whom he referred to in two great books as The Centurions and The Praetorians.
There was another Frenchman who wrote a landmark book on what modern armies ought to be named Roger Trinquier. The book is called Modern Warfare and I consider myself lucky enough to have a copy.
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Post by Yan Taylor on Mar 6, 2014 8:08:13 GMT -6
Chuck the assistant Platoon Leader was the Platoon Sergeant, unless you want two Lieutenants (1st & 2nd) per Platoon. You will have to break it down a bit better , as I have already given you one LMG per fire team in the shape of the M249 SAW, I could update your fire team to be armed with three M4 Carbines instead and one M16 with a M320 Grenade Launcher attached.
I could include two M240s and two AT4 Anti-Tank Launchers in your 12 man support Squad.
If you want me to do a good job, you could send me a breakdown of your ideal Platoon and I will do a proper job and E-Mail it to you, you could even frame the bugger it will look so good.
Ian.
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Post by quincannon on Mar 6, 2014 8:51:58 GMT -6
Yes two officers. No I want two light machine guns in the weapons squad and a SAW like weapon in each rifle squad fire team. I will document it this coming week.
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