Misplaced excitement

Reading this morning about the commencement of airstrikes targeting ISIS in Syria, we must be critical of the misplaced excitement.

Prosecution of military operations has been dragged down to a new level by this administration.  Publicly declaring (even debating) what will or won't be done, when and where, is contrary to essential military tenets.  Secrecy, swiftness and violence of action are necessary for victory.  But, of course, one has to assume the current administration actually seeks victory.

The initial tally of less than 200 airstrikes in Iraq, each reportedly personally approved by POTUS, is neither inspiring nor representative of the pursuit of victory.  POTUS has no military experience to draw upon in making  operational or tactical decisions.  More importantly, however, is the fact that it is not the job of POTUS to make these decisions.  Our history all too dramatically reveals such a process to be a failure.

Since the current POTUS has a significant void in relevant management and leadership experience, we shouldn't be surprised when he does first what he did last.  Academic discussion, opinion shaping through organizing, floating ideas.  These are the not the hallmarks of a great leader.  But these actions, the best we can expect from POTUS, are what have occurred.

After much, far too much, academic discussion, opinion shaping through organizing, and floating of ideas, this administration enabled ISIS to disperse its command, control, and communications capabilities; distribute its logistic stockpiles; hide its weapons; and otherwise relocate or conceal what once would have been primary target sets.

Assuming the current military actions will follow the model the administration recently embraced in Iraq, the results (no matter how they may be described by the administration) are no more than misplaced excitement.