As a student of history with an interest in how things work and why, I find myself questioning a lot of things. It seems that we private citizens have all this freedom to choose and purchase our own gear and learn the best tactics, yet people are so lazy that they just default to what the military is doing/using without even questioning if there is a better way. Sadly, our country hasn’t won a major land war in over 75 years despite all our technology. So, I fail to see why the US military is a shining example of a premiere fighting force. The way I see it, Technology is like an amphetamine. When used in targeted applications and doses, it helps. But it is very easy to become addicted and eventually rely on it. The US military is displaying nothing short of an addiction to technology. Fighting a low-tech insurgency for over two decades has inflated the US militaries fixation on technology usage and has led to the virtual automation of our entire military to the point they no longer feel the need to teach actual fighting skills.
Even with all our technology, we still have not legitimately won a land-based war against a near peer threat since World War 2. In fact, we have been stuck trying to fight “Gentleman Wars” using principles based in 1st Generation Warfare (Company-Division maneuvers like in the Revolutionary and Civil War) and 2nd Generation Warfare (Fireteam-Company maneuvers like in WW2) while the rest of the world had advanced to 3rd Generation Warfare (Blitzkrieg style relying on speed to penetrate static defenses) and 4th Generation Warfare (Insurgencies and Guerilla/Partisan warfare). In order to fight in 3rd Generation warfare, you have to have a truly Light Infantry capable of maneuvering independently and quickly on the battlefield. This independence and speed, as well as surprise is the reason the US invasion of Iraq fails to meet the definition of 3rd Generation Warfare. Units were not independent and it took months to complete the invasion which the enemy was warned about months in advance. To get a real example, Germany invaded and took several countries using surprise and speed to maneuver forces to the enemies’ rear and take out their command and control. The tactics of the US infantry is not only stuck in 2nd Generation Warfare, but it is heavily dependent on gear and technology, which requires computer and/or satellite connection. Even planes and helicopters are navigated and operated using screens instead of analog and gimble instruments. These instruments rely on Firewalls alone for security and are simply software that needs updates to stay precise and accurate. All it would take is a major power trying their hand at cyberwarfare to disable our heavily mechanized and airplane/helicopter-dependent military. The military is even highly vulnerable at the squad tactical level as well. In an attempt to “take back the night” from near-peer threats after struggling against low tech foe, the Army invested tens of millions of dollars into a thermal night sight that requires a localized wi-fi signal. It doesn’t stop there for the infantry squad. Recon is done with drones instead of human eyes. Basic field navigation, Range estimation and pace count has been replaced by GPS and Rangefinders. Snipers and designated marksmen use software to do equations in the field for shot corrections. Talk about “connected” by every which way from Sunday. I see this as a stunning vulnerability to any power that has ANY experience with breaching firewalls and cyber systems. But despite having all our technology, a “technologically inferior” insurgency managed to not only attrite us, but utterly humiliate us in front of the world. So not only is the US military so dependent on technology just to maneuver and travel, but also to fight. Instead of using this technology to supplement/credit an already robust fighting force, they have used it as the foundation. This is the shiniest example of a country basking in an illusion that they will never face a near-peer threat again. It is like dousing yourself in gasoline just to keep mosquitos from biting you. Pretty much everything the military currently uses can be enjoyed by the private civilian. Some militias actually believe that having a high technology reliance such as cell phones for communicating, apps for shooting corrections, drones for recon, “Smart” Gun Sights and Night Optics, GPS, etc. will put them at a better level of preparedness. I highly disagree because all it will take is a tactical EMP, a cyber-attack, or a simple lack of batteries/power source to tactically handicap them. It would be smart for not only the armed citizen, but also the military to begin investing in “low tech” skills and how to actually fight in 3rd or 4th generation warfare. I propose that we get back to the basics. Learn to navigate just using a map and compass. Learn how to track and estimate range accurately and maintain a pace count. Develop your physical fitness and practice abstaining from food and limiting water intake in order to lower the drain on logistics and extend the life of supplies. Learn to shoot iron sights and make hits count instead of using accuracy and effect by volume. Learn to operate at night without night optics. Learn to act individually or as a team to plan, coordinate, and carry out objectives in a non-permissive environment. Learn to fight in a way that will challenge any modern adversary by fighting in a way that will leave no technological trace. From there you can start integrating technology as a supplement, but never as a replacement. Think of and use technology as an emergency/survival item instead of an everyday item. I know that I am at risk of receiving a lot of hate from loyalists and blind patriots, but as a veteran myself, I feel obligated to point out where we have failed and tell the truth about how I feel about the current fighting doctrine of the US. Because honestly, I am pretty disappointed by it. We can do better, and those reading this can open a book and get out in the field and practice these “low-tech” skills in their free time. I don’t hate technology, but I certainly see how it has affected our country in a negative way. I’m just a concerned veteran and citizen hoping people invest in things that can’t be hacked. In an age where the technology outweighs the fighting load, knowledge and experience in the low tech options still weighs nothing. Comments are closed.
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