Smart War

[liable]

<p>[Unheralded</a> military successes - Los Angeles Times](<a href=“Unheralded military successes”>Unheralded military successes)</p>

<p>Smart war, as opposed to neocon war.</p>

<p>

When I visited Arauca province in northeastern Colombia in February 2003, it was considered the most dangerous part of the country. Attacks by narco-terrorists using improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, and cylinder and car bombs occurred every few hours. U.S. Army Special Forces members, who were in the province to train Colombian army troops, left their base only in full battle-rattle – that is, in body armor with guns at the ready – just like in Iraq. The town of Arauca was a ratty sprawl of tacky storefronts with awnings made of black plastic, the kind used for garbage bags. Attacks on the pipeline carrying Colombian oil to the Caribbean coast were unrelenting.</p>

<p>By last year, though, there had been dramatic change: Proper cafes were open, storefronts were painted, crowds flooded the streets – at night too.</p>

<p>Four years ago, I had journeyed through Arauca’s streets inside a convoy of Humvees armed with light-medium machine guns. In the middle of town, I’d stayed put in my Humvee. More recently, I rode in the open back of a pickup with a handful of U.S. and Colombian soldiers armed with nothing more substantial than Beretta pistols, and motorcycle escorts with a few assault rifles. In town, I walked the streets with Army Capt. Troy Terrebonne of Houston, who told me, “Wherever you want to go, we can go, on foot. It’s safe here.” The last IED attack in the town had been 18 months earlier.

</p>

[RaptorDad2013]

<p>This is an almost word-for-word excerpt from Kaplan’s “Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts” book (listed at the end of the piece). It’s a great read, but an even better one if read after his previous book, “Imperial Grunts.” </p>

<p>It’s not so much “smart” vs. “neocon” but sure does give you some great insights into the complexities of our military and how/where/why they operate today. An “ah ha!” moment for me was learning we have military missions/special op’s going in more than 170 countries around the world. Both books are readily available. In my opinion, Kaplan’s best attribute is simplifying the complexity of our military/diplomatic foreign policy and is an eye-opener for anyone who gets their world view from the evening news and/or front page of their local newspaper.</p>