Last Day at Infantry Conference

Last day at the Infantry conference.  The day started with Lieutenant General and former Ambassador Dell Dailey’s presentation.  When I saw him last night, it was the first time in 31 years.  31 years.  Thirty-one years since service together in 2^nd Battalion 21^st Infantry, 24^th Infantry Division, Ft Stewart, GA.  Heard more presentations from 4 star Generals to Command Sergeant Major.  They engaged an audience wearing camouflage I never wore.  The audience lives in a different Army galaxy.

It’s a galaxy, not a universe, that is complete unto itself.  Rotating and spinning away to its own forces.  The Army draws soldiers from America and returns them to America.  But, while on Army time, it’s the Army stars, sun and moon soldiers see.  It’s Army earth, fire, water, and air as basic elements.  Soldiers are the band of brothers.  Families serve too.  The Army is life – or it was for me.  Which is why I call my present time – life after Army. 

Several things shouted out to me at this conference.  I’ve been to a lot of technology, concepts and business conferences in 17 years.  This was all of that, but more fraternity than anything else.  Here is what I heard:

 The Army is at war.  Has been since 9-11.  It’s still at it strongly.  The Army is focused, fighting, and adapting to the complexity of every changing situation.  The soldiers’ combat experience makes for an incredibly competent, confident – not cocky – force.  Unlike Vietnam, this time, the Army didn’t kill off its NCO corps. 

It’s awesome to recall all the lessons I learned as a field grade officer about the Big Army on the major muscle movements to organize, man, equip, train, deploy, engage and redeploy 50 or so brigades a year – year after year.  The U.S. Army – and our national defense of all services – is superbly organized for war.  Our organization – planning and understanding of what to do, how – is the best, ever, in the world.  The lessons learned to organize for war were learned step by step – the hard way.

Our Allies are learning the ‘how to’ for global power projection.  They have a different scale, but they are learning valuable lessons on organizing for war.  The Romans would be proud.  Even the British Empire would learn new lessons.  Although, the old Imperial Brits would smile knowingly at the partnership the new Iraqi and Afghanistan forces have with Americans – which will change history.

Meanwhile, the Army leadership is preparing, already,  for a different, new war – whatever it might be – wherever.  Truly, America, has global interests and reach – since we divided the whole world into our operational areas of interest.  As I keep writing – Imperial responsibilities without imperial ambitions.

Our lack of ambition was accentuated by a 4 star General ending his presentation with talk from the Book of Galatians – alluding to the moral purpose of the American Army.

The platoon of old generals – too many of my old bosses are in their 70s now – asked questions that were more like speeches.  They were colorful and incisive as well as amusing.  

Listening to officers and NCOs talk about very recent experiences in OIF and OEF, I was very surprised and pleased to hear a Brigade Commander describe his operations using concepts I put into words in 2000-02.  No brag, fact.  He talked about “see first, understand first, act first and finish decisively with Infantry.”  My concept team put my idea of “see first, understand first, decide first, act first, strike more often (this was dropped), finish decisively with Infantry” in our Future Concept Systems presentation to the US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) in October 2000.  I don’t get residuals or credit – which is okay.  But, I know what I put together – when – and have the artifacts.  I wish I had thought of the term – Quality of Firsts.  I didn’t, but still very pleasing to contribute.

 So, endeth my last day with the Infantry.  Not in the Infantry, just sharing air, space and time with younger Infantrymen.  I sure know what I would be doing if I were younger.  Lord, I loved being a soldier.  Absolutely loved it.  It’s the most compelling reason to ever want to be young again – to soldier anew in these days.