New Labels in The Long War

There is a debate going on within the US military, and especially within the US Army and it has to do with how much emphasis the US Army should put into counter-insurgency (COIN) doctrine, TTP (tactics, techniques and procedures),♠ equipment and training, vs the doctrine, TTP, equipment and training to fight a "conventional" war.

Thus there has evolved a new set of terms:

• coindinistas—those who believe the Army needs to have a strong focus on counter-insurgency and that it is a sufficiently specialized activity that it requires its own doctrine, TTP, equipment and training,
• cointras—who believe there is something to this COIN action, but believe that a well trained soldier can adapt and do well in any situation, and now,
• coin-fused—which says it all

A discussion of this whole issue, and the introduction of the term "coin-fused," can be seen here.  This is the Tom Ricks blog, Mr Ricks being the former defense reporter for The Washington Post.  Some of those debating in the blog comments are Colonel Gian Gentile, currently teaching history at West Point, and Reporter Carl Prine, who is credited with inventing the first two terms.

An interesting, fun, and important debate.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Not everything is doctrine, thus TTP. But, in the US Army every activity is covered one way or the other.