As foreign military leaders (especially those in China) scrutinize American military performance in the last decade, there is a debate over how to replicate it for themselves. The American achievement has been striking. They defeated a seemingly intractable Islamic terrorist campaign in Iraq, and are inflicting the same kind of damage on the Taliban in Afghanistan. In doing this, the U.S. troops are suffering casualties at a third of the rate of previous wars, and with fewer troops in combat (to accomplish similar tasks from past wars.)
It's not just the fighting prowess that is envied, but the ability to quickly solve tactical and technical problems, and rapidly adapt new technology and tactics to battlefield needs.
At the same time foreign militaries try to figure out why we are so good, our own reporters continue to figure out how our doomed fiasco was turned into a qualified victory by a gamble that reversed our certain defeat.
Amazing. I'll say it again, when it comes to military matters our press corps--with few exceptions--couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel.
