CAC Stands Up Irregular Warfare Cell (w/ Saved Round)
Well, since the powers to be decided – very, very, unwisely IMHO – to do away with the Joint Irregular Warfare Center as part of the disestablishment of US Joint Forces Command, I personally think this a bit of good news. That said, all those Joint IW tasks performed by the JIWC; and considered critical by OSD, the Joint Staff, and the Services won’t be covered by a Service organization – nor should they. But at least the IW effort stays alive at the Combined Arms Center, at the USMC Center for Irregular Warfare and similar service-level entities.
Here’s the news out of TRADOC: CAC Stands Up Irregular Warfare Cell by Colonel Chad Clark, Leavenworth Lamp. BLUF: “Irregular warfare is not so irregular. In fact, it is so prevalent and our Army has been engaged in irregular conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan for so long that Soldiers in non-Special Forces units have become proficient in key irregular warfare and counterinsurgency warfighting tasks. Since the end of the Vietnam War, irregular warfare has been the exclusive domain of special operations forces, but now knowledge of irregular warfare tactics has become important for all soldiers.”
As an endnote – IW is not exclusively COIN ala Iraq and Afghanistan — it includes counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, and stability operations. And further – as full disclosure – I proudly worked for the JIWC up until my day-job “went away” – but that aside, my opinion on this matter is not based on that unfortunate turn of events. I think my work here at SWJ speaks volumes in regards to my passion for this subject.
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As a saved round here is a collection of IW-related quotes I began assembling last August when Secretary Gates announced the disestablishment of USJFCOM. “Senior Defense Department Officials Commentary On Irregular Warfare Related Issues” is a collection of quotes (with links) by the “powers to be” via speeches as well as articles published by or reported on a particular DOD official.
