In Geopolitics Today - Wednesday, July 7th
US Army in the Era of Great Power Competition and US Leaves Afghan Base in the Dark of Night
US Army in the Era of Great Power Competition
As the United States shifts its security posture from one centred around global counter-terrorism operations to one focusing on great power competition, the way its Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force branches operate will have to dramatically change.
The Modern War Institute at West Point — a research institute within the US Department of Military — has published a report analysing the role of the US Army’s brigade combat teams in today’s operating environment alongside the capabilities of the United States’ rivals, China and Russia. The report aims to reconcile realities that great power conflict will bring to US practices in training, reform, and modernization.
Part 1 of the report examines trends in contemporary conflict to challenge typical assumptions associated with newer, great power–oriented strategic thinking. Part 2 then uses these trends as a lens through which to analyse the military capabilities and doctrine of both Chinese and Russian forces. Part 3 then applies this analysis to American combat manoeuvre brigades. Their analysis shows that Chinese and Russian ways of war will require the US to use combat brigades in shaping operations, and their research goes on to suggest ways in which the US Army can adapt to these realities.
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US Leaves Afghan Base in the Dark of Night
The United States has withdrawn its forces Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield after almost twenty years of operation. That the US is in the middle of a full withdrawal from the country is hardly surprising, but the manner of this particular part of the withdrawal operations has caught the attention of the public.
The exit is reported to have been abrupt, in the middle of the night, and is said to have been followed by a full shutdown of the bases’ electricity. Worse still, the local Afghan commander was not informed of the operation, and is said to have discovered the departure more than two hours after they left.
Among the 3.5 million items said to be left behind at the base — most of which are phones, doorknobs, windows, and so on — were thousands of civilian vehicles and hundreds of armoured vehicles. Unfortunately for the Afghan forces taking over the base, it was also reported that many of these vehicles were missing the keys necessary to start them. There have also been statements which suggest that the US forces also left behind small weapons and ammunition, while taking all heavy weapons with them.
Footage shows glimpses of what the US forces have left behind.
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