Feral Jundi

Monday, April 20, 2009

Leadership: Leadership, Petraeus Style

Filed under: Leadership — Tags: , , — Matt @ 8:16 PM

   This is a new category for FJ, and I figured leadership deserves it’s own category at the least.  I was tempted to put adaptive leadership up on the board under Jundism, but I think I want to let the stuff incubate in the old thought machine  for a little longer before I do that.  A lot of this stuff is just re-worked concepts with a different title, but I will give it some thought.  I love it all though, and whatever Petraeus is doing, is definitely worth emulating. By the way, I have outlined the paragraphs that caught my eye, and see if you can see a pattern here with what we have been hitting on here at FJ? –Matt

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Leadership, Petraeus style

By Paula D. Broadwell 

April 21, 2009

WITH A FALTERING economy, soaring unemployment, and overseas military commitments consuming more each day than the gross domestic product of many small nations, the United States urgently needs adaptive and transformational leaders. In paying tribute to Harvard veterans at a Kennedy School Forum tonight, General David H. Petraeus will underline the importance of adaptive leaders in today’s complex national security environment.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has called Petraeus the “preeminent soldier, scholar, and statesman” of his generation – roles that he transitions among as the commander of US Central Command.

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Military News: Turning Tables, U.S. Troops Ambush Taliban With Swift and Lethal Results

Filed under: Afghanistan,Military News — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 6:44 PM

   It sounds like these guys got some payback out there, and good for them.  What I really liked about this story, was the idea of getting back to basics with ambushes.  For scenarios like this, most every lesson we have learned about the basics of ambushing, were learned time and time again in wars past.  So it was cool to see them apply those lessons, and throw in today’s high tech stuff to get the job done.  The knife kill was interesting as well, and you don’t hear of too many of those in this war. –Matt

 

Edit:  Check out Tim’s article on the subject here. 

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Turning Tables, U.S. Troops Ambush Taliban With Swift and Lethal Results

By C. J. CHIVERS

April 17, 2009

KORANGAL OUTPOST, Afghanistan — Only the lead insurgents were disciplined as they walked along the ridge. They moved carefully, with weapons ready and at least five yards between each man, the soldiers who surprised them said.

Behind them, a knot of Taliban fighters walked in a denser group, some with rifles slung on their shoulders — “pretty much exactly the way we tell soldiers not to do it,” said Specialist Robert Soto, the radio operator for the American patrol.

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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Somalia: William Lind on Piracy, and Letter of Marque in the News

Filed under: Maritime Security,Somalia — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 9:15 AM

Everything old, is new again!  lol

    This article is from last month, but it is still pretty good.  It has pissed off some folks though, because some say Lind’s assessment is too dated or simplistic for today’s complex world.  But hey, Lind is just using history to help answer today’s questions and this is the 4th Gen. Warfare master talking here.  I also posted a Google search for Letter of Marque, and surprisingly the concept has some legs. –Matt

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A Barometer of Order

William Lind | March 04, 2009

      On the surface, the antics of Somali pirates and the comic opera response of the maritime powers is worthy of a re-visit by Gilbert and Sullivan.  Despite the presence off Somalia of the largest concentration of international warships since World War II, Somali pirates go on their merry ways, taking ships and holding them for ransoms.  While they seldom make their captives walk the plank and most prefer the green flag of Islam to the Jolly Roger, they are pirates in the full sense of the word, owing allegiance to no state.  Pirates might be justified in claiming they were the original Fourth Generation warriors.

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Saturday, April 18, 2009

Training: Grey Group Training

Filed under: Gear Review,Industry Talk,Training,Weapons Stuff — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 10:51 PM

   Hey guys, I want to give a heads up to a quality vendor and outstanding training resource.  Grey Group Training has it all, and I highly advise checking them out.

    They will help to facilitate the training that you need, and can hook you up with the best (TigerSwan, Larry Vickers, LMS Defense, etc.).  Their pro-shop is impressive too, and stocked with  quality gear (Arc’teryx, Tactical Tailor, Blue Force Gear, etc.).   They ship APO as well.

    All of this tactical goodness will help you out big time, and I can’t stress enough how important it is to have solid training and good gear for going out on contracts.  The best part is that Grey Group Training is one stop shopping for the security contractor, military professional, and law enforcement officer. –Matt

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Grey Group Training Pro Shop

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Mexico: Hitmen’s Bloody Reign All About Logic, Trafficker Says

Filed under: Crime,Mexico — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 9:30 PM

   An interesting look into the world of the Los Zetas and how they conduct business down south.  Thanks to Doug for sending me this one. –Matt  

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Mexico 

Hitmen’s bloody reign all about logic, trafficker says

By Karl Penhaul

April 15, 2009

Editor’s note: Journalist Karl Penhaul spent several weeks tracking the gangs of the Mexican underworld, the corrupt officials who support them and the cops trying to halt the violence. This is the first of three exclusive reports.

CAMARGO, Mexico (CNN) — There are no welcome signs on the approach to Camargo.

It’s a hardscrabble Mexican border town and home turf for “Los Zetas,” a gang of hitmen and corrupt former special forces cops on the bankroll of the Gulf Cartel.

Local journalists explained if we went there we’d be getting “tangled up in the hooves of the horse.” They said Zeta gunmen recently smashed one reporter’s fingers with a hammer as a warning to the media to stay away.

The plaza was deserted — for a few minutes at least. Then the throb of engines broke the Sunday morning peace. Scores of pickup trucks with heavily tinted windows began circling. Occasionally a window would crack open. We were clearly being watched.

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