Wonderful questions and real life answers from the General. He spoke in plain English. If the Ukrainians don’t take a break and resupply their armament AND resupply their body and mind these advances won’t amount to a hill of beans. They must treat their POWs according to the Geneva convention. Revenge cannot be a part of the program.
Gen. Hertling's description of how to create an army from a mob reminds me very much of my experience (50 Years or so) of being a professional musician in an orchestra. I have sat in most every position in highly rated ensembles--- as a section leader, as an assistant, as a section member, as a solo player, and done my share of conducting. Morale, support, and mutual trust are as crucial to an orchestra as they are to an army, and I have also been in situations where all have been missing and while about the most you can expect from the office management is to stay out of the way (musically speaking) this fish truly rots from the head --- it is the Music Director who makes the final personnel decisions, largely chooses the repertoire, the soloists, and the guest conductors, who sets the tone of concentration (or lack thereof) in the rehearsals, if necessary protects the institution's artistic integrity from the attack of the bean-counters in the business office (bureaucracy is eternal and omnipresent!) , and over time either molds the group into a winner or presides over its descent into mediocrity or worse. While for the most part lives are not at stake in the situation (unless you count the instances of frustration leading to depression, alcoholism, broken families, etc. all of which I have seen and some of which I have been through myself) but for those who truly care about the art --- and no one becomes adept at it without investing many years in training and experience --- the feelings in failure to meet a reasonable standard of performance are not that different from those due to a serious preventable loss.
Problem is YOUR truth isn’t necessarily truth at all - just truth as you see it. And, yes, it’s evident you’d be a lousy recruiter - but not because you think you’d be spewing truth. It’s your nastiness and hate that comes through. Don’t want the soldiers you’d attract.
Charlie, I didn't read the whole conversation but the abridged part in your daily. Which I read every day.
I am a Member, an American (Boston) of Russian descent and I can tell you that the Russian State since Communism has been rancid with corrupt and unskilled leadership. I am sorry for my people, who will suffer the most from this artificial intrusion, and so I donate and do what I can. Hertling is excellent and should be the Chief of Staff. Thank you for this. I served America although I did not see
combat, I was active in other areas. Sometimes my Country makes me sick.
This is off topic from today's morningshots but... In 2022 more than eight prominent Russian businessmen / oligarchs plus some family members died from unnatural causes. One (Ravil Maganov) recently fell out of a hospital window. I don't know if one or more of the deceased oligarchs may be named sources in documents that were improperly stored at MAL. But it is worth considering how the improperly stored documents may have been used, duplicated, and disclosed by those with the ability to access the documents while improperly stored at MAL.
Funny thing is, the very same systemic rot that Hertling discusses in the episode is alive and well inside of our own military, it's just that our corruption involves classism and a faux-meritocracy instead of straight up kleptocracy. Worse for us, whereas officers in the Russian military are effectively worthless placeholders, officers in the American military have real responsibilities.
Examples of said corruption of the meritocracy via classism and poor evaluation metrics:
1) You need a degree to be an officer most of the time, so we're automatically constricting our officer candidate pool to wealthier American households who can afford to send their kids to colleges with ROTC programs or get them into service academies, so already the starting pool of officers is tainted by classism year group to year group. Believe me, there are FAR many enlisted service members who would make better junior officers than the fucking high school kids going into the service academies with no military experience whatsoever and a "meh" attitude about service.
2) Officers are automatically promoted through the rank of O-3 (Captain). There is no sorting whatsoever of good officers versus bad officers at the tactical and operational levels because they get auto-promoted every two years until Captain and only then do they really start to get evaluated for operational competency. This leaves operational units being led by a pool of poorly-evaluated and poorly-recruited junior officers, which is why units increasingly rely on platoon sergeants and their NCOs (sergeants) to actually get shit done. It's because the junior officers have no fucking idea what they're doing and get auto-promoted whether they're good or not.
3) Even when officers start getting evaluated competitively, it's based on the worst imaginable metrics possible. It usually centers around that officer's ability to get his boss's priorities done (a field grade officer is the boss, O-5 or higher). If the O-3 can get the O-5's command priorities done over the course of 2-3 years, the officer gets a good review (a "fitness report"). It doesn't matter if this officer is good or bad at his/her job, it just matters that the officer can get his boss's priorities done--because that's what determines if the boss gets another promotion at his next top-down command evaluation so that he/she can go on to being an O-6.
4) When Captains get promoted to Major (O-4), if they look like they're being idle and not being active, they don't get promoted to O-5 (Lt Colonel). So what they do is come up with a "bullet list" of shit they want to accomplish while they are at the command, such that when those things get accomplished by the end of their tour, they can go to the promotion board and waive around a bullet list of bullshit they "accomplished" while serving as a commanding officer or executive officer. Half of the time, 90% of their accomplishment list is actually a massive waste of time and money and man-hours diverting the resources of the unit into pursuing trivial bullshit that doesn't really do anything for units on an operational basis.
In a nutshell, we recruit junior officers from some very decadent households, promote them for nothing through the rank of Captain, then continue promoting them based on how much they can divert a command's mission away from lethality and toward some nebulous bullshit that'll make the commander look good on his next evaluation, and then we sit around and wonder how our leadership got so bad that it bungles countless operational and strategic level initiatives during a 20-year war that they couldn't win when we gave DOD a blank check across 4 administrations. It's because our military leadership pipeline is a fucking joke, that's why. The worst part is that when they fuck up their jobs nothing happens to them beyond promotion. Imagine if Putin was promoting his officers for losing districts in Kharkiv Oblast and that's *exactly* how our military functions. I gotta remind myself every time I get introduced to an officer as a "bronze star recipient" that these guys basically get those given to them like candy for end-of-tour awards that result in zero operational progress.
Thank you for giving the highlights of your conversation with the General. The only question I have is what more can we and our allies do to help Ukraine defeat the Russian army. Secondly, where along the vast lines have the Ukrainian forces met their stiffest resistance.?
I do like the point that Ukraine isn't a great army, they are just a less bad army.
In some ways the same can be applied to the Ukraine government. At this point they are just less corrupt. The problem is war time always breeds profiteers. So as we give aid to Ukraine we need to keep that in mind. I don't think we did that in Afghanistan.
When I hear Mark Hertling speak, I think of the striking contrast between Hertling and the former guy. Yes, I know, using the former guy as a benchmark for comparison can make anyone look good. But in terms of leadership ability, substance, competence, character, dignity, knowledge of world history and foreign affairs, respect for knowledge and expertise...Hertling demonstrates key statesman attributes. If only Hertling had the will to serve in highest public office. But I understand Hertling does not want to become a politician. I cannot blame him for that.
Since we can't comment on Josh Baro's piece on Graham unless we are paid subscribers there and the Graham proposed fifteen week abortion, I would feel the need to point out that most women don't even know that they are pregnant at fifteen weeks.
Further, most testing for birth defect issues really only become available between fifteen and Twenty weeks.
It will not be long before we see contraception bans done right after the first candlelight dinner. Maybe before!
Here's what struck me. In referring to Russia's failings: "it is so debased by their political leaders." The MAGA folks want the exact same thing for all of American governance. Clearly a winning recipe!
This is fascinating to read. Very good insights into a world I know little about. I have strong memories of visiting Gettysburg battlefield. There are numerous plaques which describe how the Confederate Army got to a certain place, and then ran out of ammunition and could not be supplied. Very vivid example of how important logistics is.
Wonderful questions and real life answers from the General. He spoke in plain English. If the Ukrainians don’t take a break and resupply their armament AND resupply their body and mind these advances won’t amount to a hill of beans. They must treat their POWs according to the Geneva convention. Revenge cannot be a part of the program.
May God Bless Ukraine.
Luke O ‘Brien
Foster City, CA
Gen. Hertling's description of how to create an army from a mob reminds me very much of my experience (50 Years or so) of being a professional musician in an orchestra. I have sat in most every position in highly rated ensembles--- as a section leader, as an assistant, as a section member, as a solo player, and done my share of conducting. Morale, support, and mutual trust are as crucial to an orchestra as they are to an army, and I have also been in situations where all have been missing and while about the most you can expect from the office management is to stay out of the way (musically speaking) this fish truly rots from the head --- it is the Music Director who makes the final personnel decisions, largely chooses the repertoire, the soloists, and the guest conductors, who sets the tone of concentration (or lack thereof) in the rehearsals, if necessary protects the institution's artistic integrity from the attack of the bean-counters in the business office (bureaucracy is eternal and omnipresent!) , and over time either molds the group into a winner or presides over its descent into mediocrity or worse. While for the most part lives are not at stake in the situation (unless you count the instances of frustration leading to depression, alcoholism, broken families, etc. all of which I have seen and some of which I have been through myself) but for those who truly care about the art --- and no one becomes adept at it without investing many years in training and experience --- the feelings in failure to meet a reasonable standard of performance are not that different from those due to a serious preventable loss.
Charlie's Podcast with General Hertling was incredibly informative. Geeat job!
Problem is YOUR truth isn’t necessarily truth at all - just truth as you see it. And, yes, it’s evident you’d be a lousy recruiter - but not because you think you’d be spewing truth. It’s your nastiness and hate that comes through. Don’t want the soldiers you’d attract.
I have not been able to follow through on the bullet point, "I'd like to report a homicide." What was that about?
Charlie, I didn't read the whole conversation but the abridged part in your daily. Which I read every day.
I am a Member, an American (Boston) of Russian descent and I can tell you that the Russian State since Communism has been rancid with corrupt and unskilled leadership. I am sorry for my people, who will suffer the most from this artificial intrusion, and so I donate and do what I can. Hertling is excellent and should be the Chief of Staff. Thank you for this. I served America although I did not see
combat, I was active in other areas. Sometimes my Country makes me sick.
This is off topic from today's morningshots but... In 2022 more than eight prominent Russian businessmen / oligarchs plus some family members died from unnatural causes. One (Ravil Maganov) recently fell out of a hospital window. I don't know if one or more of the deceased oligarchs may be named sources in documents that were improperly stored at MAL. But it is worth considering how the improperly stored documents may have been used, duplicated, and disclosed by those with the ability to access the documents while improperly stored at MAL.
Funny thing is, the very same systemic rot that Hertling discusses in the episode is alive and well inside of our own military, it's just that our corruption involves classism and a faux-meritocracy instead of straight up kleptocracy. Worse for us, whereas officers in the Russian military are effectively worthless placeholders, officers in the American military have real responsibilities.
Examples of said corruption of the meritocracy via classism and poor evaluation metrics:
1) You need a degree to be an officer most of the time, so we're automatically constricting our officer candidate pool to wealthier American households who can afford to send their kids to colleges with ROTC programs or get them into service academies, so already the starting pool of officers is tainted by classism year group to year group. Believe me, there are FAR many enlisted service members who would make better junior officers than the fucking high school kids going into the service academies with no military experience whatsoever and a "meh" attitude about service.
2) Officers are automatically promoted through the rank of O-3 (Captain). There is no sorting whatsoever of good officers versus bad officers at the tactical and operational levels because they get auto-promoted every two years until Captain and only then do they really start to get evaluated for operational competency. This leaves operational units being led by a pool of poorly-evaluated and poorly-recruited junior officers, which is why units increasingly rely on platoon sergeants and their NCOs (sergeants) to actually get shit done. It's because the junior officers have no fucking idea what they're doing and get auto-promoted whether they're good or not.
3) Even when officers start getting evaluated competitively, it's based on the worst imaginable metrics possible. It usually centers around that officer's ability to get his boss's priorities done (a field grade officer is the boss, O-5 or higher). If the O-3 can get the O-5's command priorities done over the course of 2-3 years, the officer gets a good review (a "fitness report"). It doesn't matter if this officer is good or bad at his/her job, it just matters that the officer can get his boss's priorities done--because that's what determines if the boss gets another promotion at his next top-down command evaluation so that he/she can go on to being an O-6.
4) When Captains get promoted to Major (O-4), if they look like they're being idle and not being active, they don't get promoted to O-5 (Lt Colonel). So what they do is come up with a "bullet list" of shit they want to accomplish while they are at the command, such that when those things get accomplished by the end of their tour, they can go to the promotion board and waive around a bullet list of bullshit they "accomplished" while serving as a commanding officer or executive officer. Half of the time, 90% of their accomplishment list is actually a massive waste of time and money and man-hours diverting the resources of the unit into pursuing trivial bullshit that doesn't really do anything for units on an operational basis.
In a nutshell, we recruit junior officers from some very decadent households, promote them for nothing through the rank of Captain, then continue promoting them based on how much they can divert a command's mission away from lethality and toward some nebulous bullshit that'll make the commander look good on his next evaluation, and then we sit around and wonder how our leadership got so bad that it bungles countless operational and strategic level initiatives during a 20-year war that they couldn't win when we gave DOD a blank check across 4 administrations. It's because our military leadership pipeline is a fucking joke, that's why. The worst part is that when they fuck up their jobs nothing happens to them beyond promotion. Imagine if Putin was promoting his officers for losing districts in Kharkiv Oblast and that's *exactly* how our military functions. I gotta remind myself every time I get introduced to an officer as a "bronze star recipient" that these guys basically get those given to them like candy for end-of-tour awards that result in zero operational progress.
Thank you for giving the highlights of your conversation with the General. The only question I have is what more can we and our allies do to help Ukraine defeat the Russian army. Secondly, where along the vast lines have the Ukrainian forces met their stiffest resistance.?
I do like the point that Ukraine isn't a great army, they are just a less bad army.
In some ways the same can be applied to the Ukraine government. At this point they are just less corrupt. The problem is war time always breeds profiteers. So as we give aid to Ukraine we need to keep that in mind. I don't think we did that in Afghanistan.
Just some thoughts with my morning coffee
When I hear Mark Hertling speak, I think of the striking contrast between Hertling and the former guy. Yes, I know, using the former guy as a benchmark for comparison can make anyone look good. But in terms of leadership ability, substance, competence, character, dignity, knowledge of world history and foreign affairs, respect for knowledge and expertise...Hertling demonstrates key statesman attributes. If only Hertling had the will to serve in highest public office. But I understand Hertling does not want to become a politician. I cannot blame him for that.
Since we can't comment on Josh Baro's piece on Graham unless we are paid subscribers there and the Graham proposed fifteen week abortion, I would feel the need to point out that most women don't even know that they are pregnant at fifteen weeks.
Further, most testing for birth defect issues really only become available between fifteen and Twenty weeks.
It will not be long before we see contraception bans done right after the first candlelight dinner. Maybe before!
Here's what struck me. In referring to Russia's failings: "it is so debased by their political leaders." The MAGA folks want the exact same thing for all of American governance. Clearly a winning recipe!
Fortunately, the one we have doesn't have nukes... or at least we think he doesn't.
This is fascinating to read. Very good insights into a world I know little about. I have strong memories of visiting Gettysburg battlefield. There are numerous plaques which describe how the Confederate Army got to a certain place, and then ran out of ammunition and could not be supplied. Very vivid example of how important logistics is.
Excellent! Thanks Charlie! I always learn so much because of you.