Trump Enforces the ‘Red Line’ on Chemical Weapons by David Ignatius, Washington Post

Even for a president who advertised his coldblooded pragmatism, the moral dimensions of leadership find a way of penetrating the Oval Office. In the case of President Trump, the emotional distance seems to have been shattered by simple, indelible images of suffering children in Idlib, Syria.

“When you kill innocent children, innocent babies — babies! — little babies . . . that crosses many, many lines. Beyond a red line, many, many lines,” Trump said Wednesday, his voice high and stretched, after pictures surfaced of lifeless infants choked to death by poison gas.

The recognition: The Syria slaughter “is now my responsibility.” And the admission: “I do change.”

With that conviction, Trump took military action Thursday night, ordering retaliatory missile attacks on a Syrian air base…

Read on.

Small Wars Journal Admin Note # 2017-2

First up, thanks for the recommendations and offers generated by the first Admin Note. Much more to come in subsequent notes with specifics on areas I could use assistance / expertise / advice.

Results (finalists) of SWJ/MWG writing contest will be posted early Monday (10 April) morning and will include title, author and a short description for each of the 23 articles that made the cut. There were 67 submissions - thanks to all who entered.

I’ll start posting the winning articles on Tuesday and plan on posting 1 or 2 a day until all 23 are published.

For all those having problems in creating new accounts at SWJ and its Small Wars Council - please be patient, I’m searching for a solution. SWJ switched out to a different email platform and that seemed to fix the problem - for about a week. Truly, thanks for your patience and I hope to have a solution soon.

Interested in writing book reviews? I get offers every week from publishers who would like to provide review copies of soon to be published books. You write the review, the publisher will provide the book and SWJ will publish your take on the book. Let me know - dave@smallwarsjournal.com

Much, much more to follow…

Dave Dilegge

Small Wars Journal Admin Note # 2017-1

Leading, Not Sending

Keith Nightingale

The Normandy invasion was perhaps the riskiest and most important operation civilization has ever undertaken.  The leaders knew it and their troop commanders were exquisitely sensitive to the point-they could not fail.  They had to succeed.  One of those leaders understood the core of commanding in combat.

The youngest brigadier general in the army, Jim Gavin, was the newly appointed assault force commander for the 82d Airborne Division-one of the key spearhead Airborne divisions to land in Normandy before the main force and to hold until relieved.  Prior to this, he had joined the 505 PIR at Ft Benning as a Captain and followed it through to command the entire Regiment in Sicily and Salerno.  He had a well-earned reputation as an effective combat commander.  Most importantly, he had the deep love and respect of his soldiers.  He truly was a leader worthy of the led.

On a cold, wet day in England, he demonstrated the essential necessary quality of any first tier combat commander.  In so doing, he further cemented his soldiers and provided the undefinable will, purpose and resolve that would see each through the coming conflict in one of the most confused and risky battlefields in which they ever would fight.

General Gavin had been appointed by the division commander, MG Ridgway, a formidable soldier in his own right, as the assault force commander for the entire division.  General Ridgway would follow in the morning-approximately six hours after the initial parachute insertion.  To this point, the actual objective area was withheld from the general troop body. 

The troops knew they were going to France.  But Where, When and How remained a mystery and subject of scuttlebutt.  Until this day - less than two weeks before the assault. 

It was important to both Gavin and Ridgway that the troops hear from their leadership-top down-on what their fate would be.  It would not be passed by paper, mimeographs and telegrams.  The human leadership would lead.

Gavin’s plan was simple and borne by his previous experience.  Soldiers want to see the man who will spend their souls.  He had spent his time in combat up front at the toughest places at the toughest times.  To his soldier’s, he was a force of nature and one of them.  Where he led, they would assuredly follow.  He would talk to them-face to face-just as he had done at Biazza Ridge, across the many hot and dusty roads and villages of the grinding combat of Sicily and the tense beachhead at Salerno with German armor staring them down. He was one of them and would communicate as he had always done when it truly counted-face to face and close.

Each regiment, on schedule, assembled in an open area.  Treated to the cool and misty English weather, the battalions stood close together in parade formation.  He arrived in his jeep and parked close to the troop center of mass.  He mounted the hood of the jeep and commanded all to gather around him. 

In a minute, 1,000 plus Airborne soldiers were gathered around as closely packed as humans could be.  They had the studied anxiety and interest of veterans and knew now, with this man, the answers to their key questions.  All else would follow.  Those that were there described it as a moment as quiet as a thousand held breaths could bring.

Looking at the sea of faces, he said in a clear parade ground voice that easily carried to the furthest ranks;

“I am not sending you to Normandy.  I am leading you there.”

With this simplest yet most eloquent statement, each of his soldiers knew they wanted to go, who they wanted to go with and that they would win.  That is a gift beyond price for any leader and for his men.  The many would be one and we would win.

Colors in Concrete

Keith Nightingale

The city is crumbles, chunks, and powdered concrete

Twisted girders shadow streets, moving with the sun

Window frames yawn and vacantly stare

Wires, once high, now drape and line the avenues

Geometric lanes of death and mutual assured destruction

The wind blows furtively, pushing waves of plastic, dust and paper in its path

Forms lie prostrate, liquid red ochre oozing in the dust

Dogs find wary solace in shrouded corners, casting fearful inquisitive eyes

Sounds echo from the myriad machines of death called infantry

Temporarily playing

Permanently dying

Working. Working. Working through the streets

Brass and links create a discordant concert on the pavement

Shadows stalk shadows and echo responses

Concrete powders.  Pavement erupts and steel finds new space

Man’s work becomes nature’s garden

Refuse piles protect and nurture

Men move, but seeds stay 

Blown on winds beyond control of a bullet’s grasp--

Nature’s hope despite human actions

The shadows and uniforms ebb and flow in fiery energy

Nature’s ancient seeds remain docile, silent, and unyielding

Generationally experienced in the whims of man

Ultimate conquerors riding on images of suppliance

Rain and blood nurture

Liquid iron, rain, and sunshine unleash powers beyond the greatest energies the combatants could ever muster

The tiny grows and thrives in the combatant climate as if energized by the extra rations brought to bear

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, green emerges as color--  becomes noticeable to both sides

Hope and wishes of equal fervor

A future where none now exists

The seeds of soldiers

Small Wars Journal Admin Note # 2017-1

Over the next week SWJ will be posting a series of administrative notes concerning issues important to the Journal and its readership. The most pressing near-term items will be addressed; the writing contest and the tech sign-up problems are but two examples. Mid- and long-term issues will also be discussed in these notes. In particular will be a call to form a core team to take SWJ into the future. There is no SWJ ‘staff’, for several years now I've been the staff and am looking for the right (and passionate) help (volunteer at first) on many areas - administrative, technical, editing, author outreach, book reviewers, marketing and fundraising, intern management, and the list goes on. One very important task will focus on organizing 0ver 13 years of SWJ articles and blog posts for ease of access for our future warriors. Again, 'right' means a passion for Small Wars / Irregular Warfare.

I’ve been doing this since 1998 with the debut of the MOUT Homepage, which became the Urban Operations Journal, which became the Small Wars Journal. I turn 62 next month and want to shape SWJ for a turnover to a dedicated crew in 2-3 years. Much more on this in the notes.

This week I’ll be posting several Journal articles and blog posts, ease into restarting the 24/7 news coverage, and be contacting the 20 writing contest authors whose papers made the final cut out of the original 67 submissions. For authors who have not received an email from me rejecting your article SWJ plans on publishing them beginning next week. More on this in subsequent admin notes. Admin note #2 will be posted on Thursday.

Thanks,

Dave Dilegge