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Saturday, September 20, 2003


"Why no plan survives contact with the enemy (that's why he's called The Enemy)"
I found in my referrer logs a blog called, "argghhh." Don't ask me why, I dunno. Anyway, there's a post that explains why military people have the saying, "No plan survives contact with the enemy." As FM-6, Military Command, points out,

Battle is chaotic-unexpected problems occur. The most important factor contributing to this chaos is the actions of enemies actively trying to accomplish their missions by defeating friendly forces.
Or, as Clausewitz pointed out, the enemy is an agent who acts, not merely reacts. Or as the FM teaches, "Military operations are struggles between independent human wills. Commanders face thinking, uncooperative, and adaptive enemies."

It would be well for the swivel-chair hussars of the media and other commentati to remember that, the next time they start carping about how the American plan is being stymied. The plan always gets stymied! That's what makes this war. Planning and adaptation are non-stop.

by Donald Sensing, 9/20/2003 09:48:18 AM. Permalink |  





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