Trained & Experienced

Can we really get two armies for the price of one? It’s being tried:

What the army is seeking to confirm is the usefulness of combat experience, which so many troops now have, to enabling them to quickly relearn the skills needed for conventional war. In practice, much of what a soldier does in conventional, or irregular, warfare, is the same. Shooting accurately, carefully planning raids or patrols, attention to detail and discipline are all used in both forms of combat. There are different tactics, but these are learned more quickly by troops who have been in combat. Being a combat veteran makes a big difference, and the coming series of conventional war exercises at the training centers will measure how much.

The army also wants to measure how quickly the commanders can switch from conventional, or irregular warfare, and back again.

If this works, instead of the “hollowed-out” Army so many (uninformed) people are screaming about, we’ll have the most lethal, experienced, and adaptable force in history.