Iraq – Lessons Learned in Iraq Show Up in Army Classes

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Washington Post – Thomas Ricks writes a fundamental change overtaking the Army is on display in classrooms across Fort Leavenworth. After decades of being told that their job was to close in on and destroy the enemy, officers are being taught that sometimes the best thing might be not to attack but to co-opt the enemy, perhaps by employing him, or encouraging him to desert, or by drawing him into local or national politics???It is a new focus devoted to one overarching topic: counterinsurgency, putting down an armed and political campaign against a government, the U.S. military’s imperative in Iraq.
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US Marines – Words Can Be Deadly: Language Training, the Neglected Survival Skill

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Marine Corps Gazette – As the Marine Corps progresses through the 21st century, it is time to make some institutional changes regarding the education of all Marines. While we all can be proud of the speed and skill demonstrated during major combat operations both in Afghanistan and Iraq, as we have seen, when fighting fourth-generation wars, the defeat of an enemyís military forces alone no longer guarantees victory. Indeed, it may only create the opportunity for victory, which can be squandered if follow-on planning and forces are not able to take rapid advantage of initial success. The chief educational deficiency that needs to be addressed Corps-wide is the appalling lack of either opportunity for, or meaningful incentive to, study foreign languages and cultures.

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US Navy – Reports inconclusive about effects of sonar on whales

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Virginian Pilot – It’s been over a year since more than 30 whales beached themselves on the Outer Banks, and local residents and scientists alike wonder whether Navy sonar contributed to the deaths???
Two preliminary reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Associationís Fisheries division offer some insight but donít draw firm conclusions.
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US Navy – Command will give sailors a larger role on the ground

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Virginian Pilot – In a move to bring sailors closer to combat and to assume duties from the fatigued Army and Marines, the Navy formally established the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command at a ceremony Friday at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base.
The new command pulls together Seabees, cargo handlers, ordnance disposal experts and maritime security forces under one structure. It will also create a new riverine force for patrolling inland waterways in countries plagued by terrorists, drug runners and pirates.
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