I think the Obama Administration has a focus on what I call the "Deep Battle."
Back in the 1980's the US military was focused on the Soviet Union and the potential for an invasion of Europe. The classic scenario used was that of the Fulda Gap. Thousands of Russian tanks pouring through this slice of terrain and fanning out in an all out assault. For the infantryman on the front lines the decision as to what target to engage is pretty simple, it is the closest tank--which is more dangerous to your survival. It was up to the people at Corps, and Army levels to fight the "Deep Battle." This is to engage the enemy while they are still in their assembly areas before they can bring their firepower to bear on your own friendly forces fighting the good fight in the front lines. Long range artillery, missiles and aircraft would be used to conduct the deep battle.
One of the policy agenda items that Obama has taken on is national healthcare. While costs continue to get worse it is still not a crisis. While some argue that we have the best healthcare in the world (for a select few I think) there is this looming crisis in years to come. If not addressed in the near term those health care Tanks/costs will be at our door step eventually and will likely overwhelm us. They are fighting a deep battle.
The latest Quadrennial Homeland Security Review was recently released. Claire Rubin has noticed that there isn't much being said about the document--but she did find a conservative think tank's comment Night of the Living Dead Which I at lease like the title!
In that posting they castigate the administration for bringing climate change into the review of homeland security threats. Here again I think it is the Obama Administration is calling attention to what we will face in the future when climate change destabilizes portions of the world when there are huge population shifts due to people needing to move from where they have traditionally lived. The point is made that the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review is not supposed to be a far reaching document, only focused on the closest tanks that now threaten us--shoe, vest and underwear bombers and the like (almost sounds like they should open a Men's Warehouse for Terrorists). Get 50% off your suicide bomb vest this coming Presidents Day sale!
Disaster mitigation is another "Deep Battle" that needs to be fought. I have not heard the same passion for that topic coming out of the administration as of yet. But we will continue to respond to all manner of disasters as they pop up coming at us over the hill. The only way to minimize the damage disasters can do is to mitigate, or in the case of climate change use adaptation to reduce the hazard before it can impact us so severely.
In reality you need two strategies. One is for the close fight, NIMS, ICS, plans, trained forces that are well exercised and a network of local, state and federal assets for responding. Then ideally, the deep battle that is fought not just by the feds, but by state and local jurisdictions remaking their critical infrastructure and protecting people and where they live by eliminating hazards or reducing their impacts.
Top
Back in the 1980's the US military was focused on the Soviet Union and the potential for an invasion of Europe. The classic scenario used was that of the Fulda Gap. Thousands of Russian tanks pouring through this slice of terrain and fanning out in an all out assault. For the infantryman on the front lines the decision as to what target to engage is pretty simple, it is the closest tank--which is more dangerous to your survival. It was up to the people at Corps, and Army levels to fight the "Deep Battle." This is to engage the enemy while they are still in their assembly areas before they can bring their firepower to bear on your own friendly forces fighting the good fight in the front lines. Long range artillery, missiles and aircraft would be used to conduct the deep battle.
One of the policy agenda items that Obama has taken on is national healthcare. While costs continue to get worse it is still not a crisis. While some argue that we have the best healthcare in the world (for a select few I think) there is this looming crisis in years to come. If not addressed in the near term those health care Tanks/costs will be at our door step eventually and will likely overwhelm us. They are fighting a deep battle.
The latest Quadrennial Homeland Security Review was recently released. Claire Rubin has noticed that there isn't much being said about the document--but she did find a conservative think tank's comment Night of the Living Dead Which I at lease like the title!
In that posting they castigate the administration for bringing climate change into the review of homeland security threats. Here again I think it is the Obama Administration is calling attention to what we will face in the future when climate change destabilizes portions of the world when there are huge population shifts due to people needing to move from where they have traditionally lived. The point is made that the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review is not supposed to be a far reaching document, only focused on the closest tanks that now threaten us--shoe, vest and underwear bombers and the like (almost sounds like they should open a Men's Warehouse for Terrorists). Get 50% off your suicide bomb vest this coming Presidents Day sale!
Disaster mitigation is another "Deep Battle" that needs to be fought. I have not heard the same passion for that topic coming out of the administration as of yet. But we will continue to respond to all manner of disasters as they pop up coming at us over the hill. The only way to minimize the damage disasters can do is to mitigate, or in the case of climate change use adaptation to reduce the hazard before it can impact us so severely.
In reality you need two strategies. One is for the close fight, NIMS, ICS, plans, trained forces that are well exercised and a network of local, state and federal assets for responding. Then ideally, the deep battle that is fought not just by the feds, but by state and local jurisdictions remaking their critical infrastructure and protecting people and where they live by eliminating hazards or reducing their impacts.
