15 More things I would change about US Military Policy…

Fifteen is half of thirty and since thirty and twenty equal fifty I thought I would go half of the remaining distance to fifty changes here.

1. I would like to see a divided career option where recruits serve a year or two in the service, go into a civilian college with a commitment to follow-up with two or three years in the Foreign Service, Peace Corps or CIA in fields of endeavor related to building civilian ties. After this the next two years would be served in a special unit for political, civic and counter-insurgency operations.

2. It would be great if the military would support a handful of special recruiters to work with the home school community and become aware of its issues. It would be great if it was great. Getting it right would be vital in this case.

3.   There should be a unit for setting up full-scale radio, television and internet communications in the local language as soon as territory is seized.

4. I wish that whenever we are fighting overseas there would be programs to help the relatively small number of Armed Services personnel who would like to stay  and establish homes and businesses. Supporting the expat communities in the modern context will be hard.

5. I wish that each branch had a set of officers who specialized in setting up purchasing for units from the local hinterland of each major base and using those purchasing “weaknesses” as traps for enemy infiltrators and ways to recruit legal paramilitary support groups.

6. I wish that remote operated micro blimps were standard company issue equipment for marine infantry and infantry equipment.

7. I wish spray on antiseptic bandages sufficient even to assist civilians were standard issue to all infantry.

8.  I wish that the military sponsored both open and invitational seminars and papers competitions on how cultural changes in this country affect military readiness.

9.  I wish the absentee ballots of services personnel would be rushed back in impressive style showing speed and efficiency.

10.   I wish parade drills and dry firing artillery was standard in every base of substantial size in near combat zones in areas where as many locals as could be made safe could view  these things.

11.  I wish our military encouraged American expats who were seeking to produce local products with local  labor to supply local US bases over the longer course of most wars.

12.  It would  be great if the US military could escape from implementing policies that are destructive to our national integrity for as long as we have to live in a situation where such policies are promoted.

13. It would be great if Port and Border security were more impressively coordinated matters.

14. It would be great if we could secure assets for those  struggling in any area we leave and develop a real policy for long-term engagement.

15.  I wish all military policing units had more preparation for dealing with complex foreign community locations.