Women in Combat

[The Comrade]

"The Tet Offensive, while not a physical victory on the ground, was a huge psychological victory, and that's exactly the outcome the North gambled on."

this single line completely invalidates your argument.

[Gnostic]

In what way?

That more subtle tactics used by a far smaller enemy can be successful against a superior force?

I don't believe the Tet Offensive was intended to produce a positive military outcome on the ground in the short term by the North. What they did intend to accomplish however was very successful. That was the point...the US military and it's tactics are not as "effective" as posited, and that was just one example why.

[The Comrade]

how was it effective? it was repelled and crushed. you even admitted it was only a psychological victory, and only effective towards civilians to boot. yet you continue to tow this line that the US Military isn't the most advanced, powerful, etc?

do you not see the contradiction here?

[exploited]

The US military is very effective, it has just been given a series of more or less impossible tasks, which it is not really designed to handle. That being said, such logic only carries so far. All indicators show that future conflict will revolve around civil insurrection, assymetrical warfare, etc. At some point along the way, the US military is going to have to make some drastic changes, otherwise it really will be considered ineffective.

Hopefully this is just a transition period, and future military planners will adjust the makeup and composition of forces accordingly. It will be less about overwhelming firepower, more about rapid response, selective violence and being able to understand local realities. Big changes ahead.

[dontworrybehappy]

[Revenant]

timewarp to 2006 arguments

[dontworrybehappy]

[The Comrade]

[Precocity]

[Davethulhu]