Are Marines a Better Fit for Afghanistan
Abstract
In October 2007, the Commandant of the Marine Corps General James Conway proposed to the new Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs that his Marines take a larger role in the counterinsurgency fight in Afghanistan. This plan, leaked to the New York Times, immediately drew criticism from those who characterized the plan as a "power grab," Within weeks, retired general officers generals "who spoke on condition of anonymity," and others who viewed the proposal through the lens of perceived service equities generated a list of reasons why the plan should be rejected. This clouded the issue for Defense Department decision makers. Instead had these same pundits closely examined the mission and the requirements, applied the feasibility, acceptability, and suitability (FAS) test, and eliminated arguments which were based on service parochialism, the U.S. may have saved months in implementing this simple plan to achieve our Nation's goals This paper briefly details the history of the issue. spells out the proposal. and applies the FAS check. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how quickly "the simplest thing becomes difficult" and present a methodology to apply to future decision making where service interests cloud the issue.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA482245
Entities
People
- William M. Tart
Organizations
- United States Army War College