http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/08/coin_at_the_company_and_platoon_level/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:41:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/08/coin_at_the_company_and_platoon_level/#comment-141072 Jeremy Gwinn Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:26:47 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/08/coin_at_the_company_and_platoon_level/#comment-141072 My infantrymen, and many others, performed these tasks successfully (CA,PSYOP,HUMINT,etc.) in Iraq to the same extent that I suggested on <a href="http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2007/08/organizing-for-counterinsurgen/" rel="nofollow">Small Wars Journal</a>. There is certainly a threshold of expertise beyond which the special assets are needed, but below that threshold, us guys in the maneuver units must be able to do the job in COIN. The debate is where that threshold lies, but for James Joyner to say "the tasks in question simply require too much expertise to be handled by amateurs" is oversimplified. Ideally, the infantry units would have these MOS-trained Soldiers assigned, but we can't just sit and wait for that to happen. We might not get it right 100% of the time, but we will still be better off than if we fail to adapt. My infantrymen, and many others, performed these tasks successfully (CA,PSYOP,HUMINT,etc.) in Iraq to the same extent that I suggested on Small Wars Journal. There is certainly a threshold of expertise beyond which the special assets are needed, but below that threshold, us guys in the maneuver units must be able to do the job in COIN. The debate is where that threshold lies, but for James Joyner to say "the tasks in question simply require too much expertise to be handled by amateurs" is oversimplified.
Ideally, the infantry units would have these MOS-trained Soldiers assigned, but we can't just sit and wait for that to happen. We might not get it right 100% of the time, but we will still be better off than if we fail to adapt.

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