Corps’ dramatic changes require discourse, not information operations
By Col. Jeffrey Dinsmore
Feb 8, 02:26 PM
"The redesign of our Corps, we are told, is irrevocable. But questions continue to plague any critically thinking Marine," writes Col. Jeffery Dinsmore. (Cpl. Patrick King/Marine Corps)
In February 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell gave an impassioned United Nations speech outlining the evidence of Iraq’s development and possession of chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction.
The storm clouds of war were gathering. Also that month, all Marine Corps Training and Education Command officers were assembled in the Quantico, Virginia, theater. As a young captain, we were there to listen to a different speech, one by a recently retired general we revered.
Gen. Tony Zinni said he initially had planned to talk about leadership training and education. But upon further consideration, he decided to refocus his remarks to “The duty of a retired general.”
He proceeded to outline his growing alarm at the haste that the U.S. was rushing to war with Iraq. He first expressed concerns about Powell’s evidence of weapons of mass destruction. He spelled out the problems with Central Command’s planning efforts that had produced an invasion plan with too few ground force formations. He then forecast a lengthy stability operation that would result in years of wasted U.S. time, treasure and lives.
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/opinion/commentary/2023/02/08/corps-dramatic-changes-require-discourse-not-information-operations/
