The Army is rightly concerned about junior officer retention – the combat captains and iron majors who actually lead men in combat and communicate strategy to trigger pullers are the service’s seed corn for the future. Some of them are looking at their third or even fourth pump overseas since 9/11 and weighing that service against a life of comparative ease and familial comfort in the civil sector. Because while Anglo-American style capitalism may well be “red in tooth in claw,” the red is only a metaphor over here.
But this story in the Washington Post is just a little bit disingenuous:
One of the Army’s most prominent younger officers, whose writings have influenced the conduct of the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq, said he has decided to leave the service to study strategic issues full time at a new Washington think tank.
Lt. Col. John Nagl, 41, is a co-author of the Army’s new manual on counterinsurgency operations, which has been used heavily by U.S. forces carrying out the strategy of moving off big bases, living among the population and making the protection of civilians their top priority.
This isn’t a case of junior officers voting with their feet: Nagle is retiring at 20 years. And while this may be a loss for the Army – whose appetite for senior officers to push PowerPoint briefs to place-conscious generals yields to no other service – he’s putting his powerful intellect to the service of his country in a different venue, with a potentially more immediate impact on the national debate.
So: Thanks for your service, colonel.
Lex, I think your’s is the better take.
LTC Nagl is an outstanding leader, officer, and military anlayst. I suspect he will have more impact and exposure wherever he goes and whatever he does, next.
LTC Nagl stood out. Army officers who stand get retired young. By going outside the institutional Army, he may actually have a lasting positive impact. My two cents…, and thank you for the opportunity to post to your excellent site!
Dadmanly and DaveO, just an observation, the both of you would make lousy politicians. You took a few words and said a great deal!
LTC Nagl, Sir, you are saying a GREAT DEAL!
Thank you, to all of you for your service to this GREAT NATION. Thank you, to all of you for your willingness to share your wisdom with us.
As always,
Grumpy
While the article’s main subject does not illustrate the issue of “brain drain” properly, that does not mean it doesn’t exist. Both of my husband’s brothers graduated from West Point within the past 10 years.
Of the older one’s friends, I’d say that less than 20% remain on active duty today. Of the younger’s friends, less than 25%. It’s frightening and maddening.
When MacGyver went to Iraq, there were guys in his unit who were on their 5th deployment since 9/11 (3 year long+ deployments and 2 shorter deployments). It is exhausting.
And it’s not only exhausting the servicemembers. It’s exhausting the families as well.
I just happened to come across the book he co-authored at the local Barnes & Noble today. A fairly hefty tome for an Army Field Manual. If I had the $15 asking price on me, I would have bought it.
I’m somewhere near the middle of his book. Good reading.
Would that someone had called me young when I retired at the good LTCs age. However, in all my ancient records and video of events at that time, I can find nary a word used to describe meself other than “old fart”, “…ass….” and all possible conjugations of that particular word, and even “senile”. Of course, I blame it on the fact that I bought the beer for all the participants at these auspicious occasions and I was the only sober one in the bunch.
I even have my farewell gift on me bulkhead at home. A bullwhip with a nameplate that says “Flog ‘em til they drop”. And I certainly associate myself with that sentiment.
LTC Nash (and Monk Warrior, Father Lex also) will find that there is quite a battle to present the correct perceptions of a military Man in our society today. So the fact that he is (they are) leaving the service just means you will be going forth to fight domestic enemies of the United States, instead of foreign ones. And it is a target rich environment, gents.
Press on. Both of you.
Subsunk
Subsunk wrote : “…leaving the service just means you will be going forth to fight domestic enemies of the United States, instead of foreign ones. And it is a target rich environment, gents.”
Amen, and hallelujah . Truer words… and all like that.
“Press on. Both of you.”
Good advice that.
P.S: What’s happened to Casca, the eternal mercenary?
With senitments like the last two comments-is there a wonder that there is a civil-military divide in the US. The people at home are not the enemy-despite all those who say they are.
Plenty of good guys left the Navy in the 80′s and the Navy lived through it-but it also meant some real mean guys got positions of power.
Which is what Nose and I were talking about the other day.
The problem is that I’ll bet LTC Nagl looked around and said what’s in it for me if I stay? Very little probably-and the wost part is the Army did not have the tools to make it worth his while.
The problem is that I’ll bet LTC Nagl looked around and said what’s in it for me if I stay? Very little probably-and the wost part is the Army did not have the tools to make it worth his while.
The voice of experience, Skippy?
FbL, Plenty of good guys left the Army in the late 60s and early 70s …the so-called hollow army was the result. I like to think that I might have been one of them, but thats for others to say. I can only surmise in the LTC Nagl situation that he stood back evaluated the situation and said hey, what the f**k, I did my twenty, made some heavyweight civilian contacts so why go for the stars… and put myself in a position have some useless s**t-bag elected official question my honor or publication my patriotism… and yes Skippy, as in my time, the Army did not have the tools or the desire to make it otherwise…unfortunately it is their loss. Best
Thanks for the info/perspectivef, Snake. I hope I didn’t sound too flippant. I was mostly just wondering if Skippy had felt that way when he left the Navy.
Even if the tools were availbable to get the good Colonol to stick around, and the negative WIFM Skippy points out, could be too that his smarts, talent, and charisma combined to ruffle a few elephant feathers, and as such, why bother to subject himself to the star-chamber that is a flag selection board.
Lee – I think you have broken the code.
There exists a long growing schism between the traditional, conventional and Clausewitzian Army officers, and the newer breed, intellectual and highly educated, Counter Insurgency officers who are now finally gaining success in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Reading the tealeaves, LTC Nagl made a logical best choice. Indeed, a like officer, the brilliant and successful COIN warrior COL McMaster has been incredibly passed over for Flag Rank, two years in a row.
Likewise, LTC Paul Yingling, a like-thinking and successful combat officer (who incidently was taken to task by some on this blog last year) had earlier raised the flag on the Army’s internal struggles. (If Yingling is not gone by now, he soon will be, despite his talent.)
Unfortunately, power and politics often trumps talent and warfighting capabilities. I believe LTC Nagl was indirectly forced into his decision by the old guard, status quo establishment – the same establishment that made the initial years of mistakes in Iraq, until Gen Petraeus and officers like LTC Nagl – with their better understanding of COIN warfare – finally began to make a real difference. It’s a shame the best have to leave while some lesser others remain.
fliterman – Fortunately, his intellectual wisdom will still be available to our fighting forces. It’ll just cost us a hell of a lot more to get it now.
< --- finds himself in the unusual position of generally agreeing with fliterman
Though it was a work of fiction, Anton Myrer’s “Once An Eagle” thoroughly details the difference between a “real soldier” and one who is a but a politician in uniform. The only difference is the time frame… and I think that it has been ever so. It’s life.
I thought we read here recently that Petraus chaired a recent Army promotion board, which presumably would have shifted advantage to the skilled warfighters/COIN school, no?
Currently working my way through Nagl’s book also.
Twenty years is a long time. I’m still troubled that, during wartime, we’re letting so many people out of the military, but that’s the logical consequence of our peacetime personnel policies, under which our military still operates. Given that this is “The Long War,” that may even make sense.
With a little luck, soon-to-be “Mister” Nagl will soon find himself appointed to a position where his former “superior officers” answer to him. Something where the word “Secretary” (and not with a small “s”) is in the job title.
For some insight into his thinking you might find his review of Brian Turner’s war poetry book, Here Bullet useful, also he has a new wife and baby.
Consul,
That’s one reason I keep beating on ya for your department’s barriers to entry
@Chap,
They’re not barriers so much as a very rigorous screening process. There are a Hell of a lot more applicants every year than there is funding for new hires. They can be very choosy, so they are.