Army Preps for Massive, Great Power Land War

[rangerrebew]

Army Preps for Massive, Great Power Land War
[Kris Osborn]
Kris Osborn
Yesterday at 10:42 AM

After more than a decade of counterinsurgency warfare, the Army is now emphasizing major force-on-force mechanized warfare against "near-peer" adversaries such as Russia or China.

The Army’s “live-fire” combat exercises involve large-scale battalion-on-battalion war scenarios wherein mechanized forces often clash with make-shift, “near-peer” enemies using new technologies, drones, tanks, artillery, missiles and armored vehicles.

http://www.scout.com/military/warrior/story/1681659-army-preps-for-massive-great-power-land-war

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The Army is expanding its training and “live-fire” weapons focus to include a renewed ability to fight a massive, enemy force in an effort to transition from its decade-and-a-half of tested combat experience with dismounted infantry and counterinsurgency.

[Timber Rattler]

I have lots of buddies current active duty, and they're telling me that all of these training exercises are nothing but debacles that are being covered up but declared successes nevertheless.  Lost equipment, confused command and control, and even soldiers getting killed in stupid accidents that could have been avoided.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/03/us/texas-floods/

http://clarksvillenow.com/local/101st-releases-name-soldier-killed-training-accident-fort-polk/

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/05/12/army-identifies-soldier-killed-in-training-accident-at-fort-polk.html

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/navy-seal-instructor-removed-training-after-trainee-death-n574246

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-navy-seal-training-deaths-20160512-story.html

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2016/05/17/soldier-hits-apache-live-ammo-fort-irwin-training-mishap/84507270/

https://www.facebook.com/usawtfm/photos/a.391474713605.169598.242181938605/10154272754643606/?type=3&theater

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/03/04/soldier-dies-from-fort-irwin-training-exercise.html

http://www.denverpost.com/2015/10/01/fort-carson-ids-soldier-killed-in-california-stryker-training-crash/

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/military/article25870141.html

And then there was this young soldier, who was a good friend of one of my buddies...his senseless death led my buddy to leave the Army last summer in disgust:

http://kfoxtv.com/archive/update-fort-bliss-soldier-killed-in-training-exercise-identified

[geronl]

We have the Pink Battalion and the Amazon Warrior Brigades standing ready to defend Lichtenstein from any threat

[geronl]

I have lots of buddies current active duty, and they're telling me that all of these training exercises are nothing but debacles that are being covered up but declared successes nevertheless.  Lost equipment, confused command and control, and even soldiers getting killed in stupid accidents that could have been avoided.

I can believe it. The video of the airdropped humvees crashing into the ground is probably not uncommon.

[Smokin Joe]

If you are going to have debacles, training is the place to have them. Preferably without casualties. But the result of that should be that the problems get fixed, and if no one is owning up to the problems, then the fixes won't happen.

[RetBobbyMI]

Outside of the National Training Center in California, the Army hasn't really practice large scale force on force maneuvers since the 80's.  That was why the 1st Gulf war was largely successful, although one could argue it took them forever and a day to amass the required forces, materiel and supplies.  Since the 1st Gulf war, nearly 26 years ago, the Army is DRASTICALLY different.  It is smaller. It has mostly the same old equipment, MAYBE with some technology upgrades. The soldiers of today have not experienced anything on this scale unless they are a very senior General and a veteran of the Gulf war as a very very junior officer of NCO.  And now with the LBGTs who knows how macho the Army can be.

[geronl]

Outside of the National Training Center in California, the Army hasn't really practice large scale force on force maneuvers since the 80's.  That was why the 1st Gulf war was largely successful, although one could argue it took them forever and a day to amass the required forces, materiel and supplies.  Since the 1st Gulf war, nearly 26 years ago, the Army is DRASTICALLY different.

With drones, we probably could have done better finding and taking out those SCUD launchers...

[RetBobbyMI]

With drones, we probably could have done better finding and taking out those SCUD launchers...

Oh, if I could only tell you things about that on a public forum.  What I can say is that in the 1st Gulf war we had forces that trained to fight a Russian invasion of Europe.  They didn't have much in the way of drones or UAVs that they have now.  Also Iraq at that time had a very good camouflage and deception program, probably better than the US.  US forces thought they were invincible, and for the most part, they were.  But over the course of fighting small scale battles in Afghanistan and Iraq for 25 years, the Army has lost much of its large scale fighting ability. 

[thackney]

Outside of the National Training Center in California, the Army hasn't really practice large scale force on force maneuvers since the 80's.

Wouldn't Operation Jade Helm 15 involving 1,200 troops across 7 states be described as large scale?

[Chieftain]

Sounds like someone finally decided to dust off and update the old Cold War plans for Operation REFORGER, (Return of Forces to Germany) which was the primary Allied plan to counter a massive Soviet tank thrust through the Fulda Gap into Europe.  We had lots of pre-positioned equipment lagered in Germany as well as the ability to move massive amounts of men and equipment from the States and deliver it to the Continent ready to roll. 

On a side note, time to dust off your old copy of Tom Clancy's "Red Storm Rising"....

 

[RetBobbyMI]

Wouldn't Operation Jade Helm 15 involving 1,200 troops across 7 states be described as large scale?

That would stop squat!

[rangerrebew]

Wouldn't Operation Jade Helm 15 involving 1,200 troops across 7 states be described as large scale?

Remember Ethiopia trying to stop panzer  divisions with horses and spears?

[Chieftain]

Remember Ethiopia trying to stop panzer  divisions with horses and spears?

A lot of European and Russian armies tried the same thing against Napoleon's guns, and we all know how that turned out.  Let's not forget Picket's Charge either...