Americas Defense Meltdown - IT Acquisition Advisory Council

104 • A Traveler’s Perspective on Third and Fourth Generation WarLORD DORN: At all times, a battalion has a basic load, a “stash” of ammunition andother supplies. Under ordinary conditions, it is responsible for making sure that loadis full. Under extraordinary conditions, keeping it full is the responsibility of thesupporting logistics battalions.ME: Does this not contradict the expectation that Islandian combat battalions live offthe land, at least as far as food is concerned?LORD DORN: No. Every battalion has a supply of iron rations – the equivalent ofyour “Meals Ready to Eat” (MREs) – as part of its basic load. In heavy combat or otherdemanding situations, it feeds off its iron rations. Otherwise, it cooks. Our experienceis that what Marines prepare for themselves with the food they buy locally is far betterthan food supplied by a central military commissariat. Also, Marines who are buyingfood and drink locally often find information comes with it.ME: How does your doctrine of maneuver warfare relate to the foot-mobile natureof your infantry?LORD DORN: Unlike the foot infantry in many other modern militaries, ours is reallyfoot mobile – it can move fast without vehicles. What is gained by vehicle mobilityis often lost again in fueling and maintaining the vehicles. And we have vehiclesourselves, when the terrain allows – bicycles, which need no fuel and impose only avery small maintenance requirement.ME: Aren’t there some situations where motor vehicles would improve your mobility?LORD DORN: Certainly. Where that is the case, we commandeer them, paying fortheir use, of course.ME: And you have some armor.LORD DORN: Yes, light armor, all wheeled. The purpose is operational mobility, not tacticalinvulnerability. The idea that an armored vehicle can be an impregnable rolling fortis not the way we think. Guerrillas have blown up plenty of M-1 and Merkava tanks.ME: Plus 18 artillery battalions.LORD DORN: Fire support, not artillery. Only three of those battalions are artillery,towed howitzers. The modern battlefield simply does not offer many targets formassed artillery.