We have the best-trained troops in the world, BUT
for years now, we have asked our troops to do things that they weren't trained for!
Our military SHOULD be trained for the "see the hill, take the hill" mentality. But we have been asking them to do so much more. For one thing, we have been asking them to be DIPLOMATS. Now, granted, in the past they have been some of the diplomats we could ask for - not because they were asked, but because of who they were as individuals. But we have been asking them to "win hearts and minds" while also asking them to kill innocents. We can only expect them to do what they have been trained to do - "see the hill, take the hill". We cannot expect them to override the preconceptions set by Politicians - especially when the Politicians always override their promises.
Our soldiers have also been asked to perform as Police Officers. They are not. If you want to know the difference between a soldier and a Police officer, put them in the same room and talk to them. Their objectives are different, their techniques are different, their attitudes (by necessity) are different. A soldier is different from a policeman. It is a completely different mindset.
We have also asked our soldiers to be trainers. That is still another different mindset. A good Soldier or a good Policeman can help by serving as an example, but that is different from being a Trainer. A Trainer has to understand the situations, the individual's needs in order to learn, and so much more. Only after addressing these needs and preparing the students properly can they "hand them over" so that they can actually understand and learn from the examples with which they are presented.
So far, I think that our troops have risen to these challenges admirably. But I think part of the problem with it taking so long is because we are asking so much of our troops that they are NOT supposed to do!
Just my 2 cents.
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