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The New U.S. Military Recruit: ‘A Ph.D Who Could Win a Bar Fight’

For the U.S. Military, the challenges of the 21st century require a literal changing of the guard. And according to Adm. Eric Olson (ret.), a former Navy SEAL, the blueprint for the future comes straight from our past

WHAT WAR HASN’T BEEN

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In the seven decades since the last World War, warfare has been overwhelmingly characterized by proxy conflicts, regional wars and “submilitary” violence. What war hasn’t been—for American forces—is sustained state-vs.-state combat. But Americans still tend to talk about our military’s ability to fight and win as if we face only nation-states. And we incorrectly assume that a military prepared to defeat big enemies is inherently ready to conduct a broad range of actions only nation-states. And we incorrectly assume that a military prepared to defeat big enemies is inherently ready to conduct a broad range of actions in smaller, more complex campaigns.

This thinking is flawed and outdated; we are oversimplifying and wishing away the complexities of a chaotic, cyber-empowered and highly globalized world. Technology continues to cause disruption; armed, unmanned vehicles will be constants on the battlefields of the future. And violent conflict is increasingly taking place in what experts call the “gray zone.”

Read More- The Wall Street Journal

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