Casey: Conventional warfare training a must

[unhappycamper]

Casey: Conventional warfare training a must
By John Milburn - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Sep 9, 2008 5:53:10 EDT

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Army units spending 18 months or more at home are being asked to spend at least of a portion of that time honing conventional warfare tactics.

Gen. George Casey said Monday the directive was designed to keep the force in balance and not become too focused on counterinsurgency, typified by the fights in Iraq and Afghanistan for the past seven years.

“We can’t sustain this forever, but we are at a point now where I am comfortable, if we had to change gears pretty quickly, we’d be able to,” Casey said.

The Army’s top general said there are those who think the force has lost its conventional skills and worry events in the world could catch it flatfooted. However, he said older officers who trained for fights with the former Soviet Union understand the need to be proficient in counterinsurgency and stability operations. It’s the younger officers, Casey said, who worry that they haven’t fired their tanks enough, for example.

A new operations manual elevated stability, or nation building, operations as a key Army function. Next month, a stability manual will provide more details, though soldiers have been doing those missions to get Iraq and Afghanistan functioning. Humanitarian efforts by the National Guard along the Gulf Coast after storms fall into this category, as well.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/ap_casey_leavenworth_090808/%2e