BRIG. GEN. DONALD C. BOLDUC, U.S. ARMY (RET.)
When I inquiry in addition to challenge our policy in addition to strategy I admit that our tactical score units have got performed admirably, but our policymakers in addition to senior full general officers, equally good equally flag officers, have got failed them. Good tactics never ready bad strategy. I have got challenged our policy in addition to strategy spell on active duty, hence I experience justified inward continuing to explicate the obvious to many who know in addition to essay to educate those that practise not. I have got published several articles, appeared on both TV in addition to radio word programs, commented inward word articles, in addition to corresponded via e-mail alongside active duty in addition to retired officers, non-commissioned officers, in addition to senior civilians inward an elbow grease to communicate, contribute, in addition to explicate what nosotros are doing in addition to what nosotros demand to practise inward the promise that mortal inward a seat to brand modify volition movement forrard in addition to come inward happen. 2018 must live the twelvemonth of modify inward our policy, strategy, leadership, in addition to approach or nosotros volition never acquire off this route nosotros have got been on for the yesteryear 17 plus years. The missteps inward Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan in addition to other places have got been significant. Our senior civilians, policy makers in addition to senior armed services leaders at the 4, 3, in addition to 2-star score over 3 Administrations are responsible for the failures inward policy, strategy in addition to operational approach. We ignored the results fifty-fifty though numerous studies told us our approach was wrong. These studies cost millions in addition to were initiated yesteryear those responsible for developing policy, strategy, in addition to our operational approach. In the end, because the studies did non totally back upwardly ascendence ideas they were discarded in addition to ignored.
When nosotros did acquire it but almost right nosotros did non stick to what was working. Instead: (1) nosotros wasted opportunity, (2) continued to operate conventionally inward an unconventional environment, (3) nosotros failed diplomatically, (4) nosotros leaned on counterterrorism at the expense of other to a greater extent than effective SOF approaches, in addition to (5) nosotros endorsed failed operational constructs in addition to abandoned operational constructs that worked.
Moreover, nosotros thickened the bureaucracy alongside additional GO score headquarters, created unnecessary tactical units, returned to the comfort zone of kinetic strikes, continued to engage inward HVT hunting, torso counts, in addition to top-down driven approaches that previously failed non exclusively inward Afghanistan, but inward Iraq, Syria, Africa, in addition to the Pacific.
Furthermore, nosotros misread the intentions of China, Russia, Iran, Turkey non exclusively inward Afghanistan, but inward Europe, Iraq, Syria, Africa, in addition to the Pacific. This misreading of the novel but historically based geopolitical the world in addition to our failure to sympathise conflict volition come upwardly at a pregnant toll to us inward trade, geography, in addition to the “NEW” Silk Road connectivity.
It is the lack of a consistent comprehensive strategy inward Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan in addition to other places that prevents stability in addition to success. Countering these negative trends requires either our consummate armed services withdrawal or a render to the comprehensive strategy approach, continuity of strategy, in addition to amend talent direction at the senior leadership level. The leaders that led us into the ill-conceived conflicts have got since retired. The work forthwith is that the same leaders when Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan in addition to Republic of Iraq began were senior colonels in addition to 1 stars inward 2001 in addition to 2003 in addition to are the same leaders that are forthwith 3, in addition to 4 stars, equally good as, senior civilians.
How practise nosotros await the same leaders alongside the same failed ideas, leadership approaches, in addition to grouping intend to modify how nosotros practise business? To practise hence would live an admission of their failure in addition to endanger their 0-6, 1 in addition to 2-star protégés they have got laid to accept their place. There has been ZEROaccountability of the senior leadership responsible for the missteps. Contributing farther to the work is pathetic diplomacy in addition to administration, equally good as, pathetic arrangement of the political in addition to armed services elbow grease inward Afghanistan, Europe, Iraq, Syria, Africa, in addition to the Pacific.
The whole interagency scheme is laid incorrectly to bargain alongside today’s challenges in addition to hereafter challenges. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 consummate overhaul of the NSC, DoD, DoS, in addition to Intelligence agencies is required. The post-World War II in addition to Cold War constructs bound effectiveness. The size of our authorities limits effectiveness. Our willingness to sacrifice traditional international relationships in addition to build novel one’s limits effectiveness.
I have got been listening, learning, researching in addition to reading many ideas in addition to concepts in addition to I have got concluded that our missteps may exclusively live overcome yesteryear a modify inward our thinking in addition to a persuasion through the lens of Marco Polo’s World. Robert Kaplan, onetime USNA Visiting Professor, suggests, “The supercontinent is becoming 1 fluid, comprehensible unit of measurement of merchandise in addition to conflict, equally the Westphalian scheme of states weakens in addition to older, majestic legacies—Russian, Chinese, Iranian, Turkish—become paramount. Every crisis from Central Europe to the ethnic-Han Chinese heartland is forthwith interlinked. There is 1 singular battle space.”
Our lack of approach inward blending the 1st the world in addition to tertiary the world challenges are reducing American influence worldwide. Failure to railroad train a coherent approach is creating pregnant problems for America’s unusual policy. If nosotros neglect to run into in addition to railroad train a dissimilar approach in addition to practise non organize our interagency properly nosotros are going to autumn behind inward trade, technology, cyber, in addition to geography to the detriment of our economic scheme in addition to influence.
I offering an excerpt below from Kaplan’s mass equally an trial of our misguided policy, strategy, in addition to military-centric approach to unusual policy.
Consider Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan for a moment. The U.S. armed services tin arguably relieve expression upwardly inward Afghanistan, but it cannot stabilize it. If anyone holds the telephone substitution to economically in addition to perchance fifty-fifty politically stabilizing Afghanistan, it is mainly Red People's Republic of China through resources extraction, in addition to besides the Caspian Sea countries through the edifice of a natural gas carry network due south through Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan to the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, Republic of Republic of India in addition to Islamic Republic of Iran move together to counter the influence of Islamic Republic of Pakistan in addition to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia inward Afghanistan. If the Indians in addition to the Iranians tin build the Char Bahar port in addition to carry project, linking that Iranian port on the Indian Ocean alongside Central Asia, alongside a spur line into Afghanistan, it tin in addition to hence compete alongside the China–Pakistan Silk Road projection extending northward from Gwadar. As for the Russians, who have got an involvement inward fighting Islamic extremism inward Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan because of Afghanistan’s contiguity alongside the onetime Soviet Union, they move on to railroad train their intelligence contacts alongside both Islamic Republic of Pakistan in addition to Iran. Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan provides a indicate lesson almost the limits of American power, coupled alongside the continued relevance of geography, which Washington elites neglect to honour at their peril. Afghanistan, which has been at state of war inward 1 shape or some other for almost iv decades, in addition to Pakistan, which has never actually been rubber from tribal insurgencies in addition to political turmoil for almost 7 decades demonstrate that the configuration of the Indian subcontinent into 2 larger states in addition to several smaller ones may non live the final discussion inward human political arrangement there. To wit, the political map may evolve over time: Islamic Republic of Pakistan tin partially crumble into a rump Greater Punjab alongside Baluchistan in addition to Sind gaining to a greater extent than de facto independence, alongside vast implications for India. And it is the Indian subcontinent that I am talking about: Since parts of Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan were incorporated into diverse Indian majestic dynasties, governments inward New Delhi e'er have got considered Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan inward conceptual price equally constituent of a Greater India, stretching from the Iranian Plateau inward the W to the Burmese jungles inward the east. Whereas Red People's Republic of China seeks to expand vertically due south to the Indian Ocean, Republic of Republic of India seeks to expand horizontally along or unopen to the Indian Ocean, alongside a exceptional growing influence inward the Farsi Gulf. Therein lies the challenger betwixt these 2 faded empires.
The bottom line is that despite the dedication in addition to sacrifice of our service members America’s long state of war inward Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan in addition to Republic of Iraq in addition to yesteryear extension Syrian Arab Republic volition non cease well.
Despite our senior leader’s efforts to portray the state of war equally an American victory, the U.S.A. is non going to defeat the Taliban, other groups, in addition to ISIS anytime soon. As nosotros witnessed our human relationship betwixt the U.S.A. in addition to the other international governments move from bad to worse, nosotros have got non laid a novel course of report for America to accomplish a dissimilar outcome. This unfortunate province of affairs is non what most Americans expected next the invasion of Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan inward 2001 in addition to Republic of Iraq inward 2003.
After 32 years of active duty service to his province inward which he received 2 awards for valor, v Bronze Stars, 2 Purple Hearts, led 10 deployments, in addition to survived a bomb blast, numerous firefights, in addition to a helicopter crash, General Donald C. Bolduc, onetime Commander, Special Operations Command Africa, has hung upwardly his fatigues to accept on perchance his most of import in addition to challenging mission of advocating for the handling in addition to shedding the stigma of PTS, TBI, hurting direction in addition to slumber disorders, both from inside the U.S. armed services equally good equally for Veterans in addition to the full general public.
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