Summary:  Building a unadaptive military from enthusastic and innovative American young people requires work. It does not happen by accident. DoD’s success at that — proven by our similar mistakes in Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan, two generations distant — is a measure of infernal success. Here General Screwtape explains the mechanics. “Do remember you are there …
Attritionist Letter #13: Thinkers need not apply Read More »
Summary:  How does the dead hand of excessive burocracy and outmoded doctrine retain its grip on the US officer corps? The services recruit young energetic, often idealistic men and women. Here we see how they become careerists. Contents Boyd asks a young officer “the question” Introduction from the Marine Corps Gazette’s Editor Letter #12: Succumbing …
Attritionist Letter #12: Succumbing to enticements (career advice for the successful) Read More »
Summary:  Technology allow leaders to reshape an organization according to their vision of the future — or of the past. Our military has the most advanced technology on the planet, so they balance this by adopting extremely antiquated forms of organization. We have the weapons to fight invaders from space, organized to fight the Wehrmacht. Contents …
Attritionist Letter #11: Artillery leads the way – to the past! Read More »
Summary:  We lavishly fund our military services (although these sums are in turn dwarfed by the demands of the profitless but growing American Empire). But decent pay and expensive machines does not create a powerful force. That comes from the people we recruit and train, especially the leaders.  It’s the single most important task of our …
Attritionist Letter #10: Commanders today are too busy to develop subordinates! Read More »
Summary:  Enlisted Marines and their junior officers often find the USMC system byzantine, even irrational. In fact there are deep reasons for its procedures, a hidden rationality seldom explicitly discussed. In letter #9 General Wormwood explains these things to his nephew, using logistics as an example. Contents Introduction from the Marine Corps Gazette’s Editor Letter …
