Not Just Infantry with Tanks: Who We Should Be and Why the Army Needs Us to Be It

摘要

After a dozen years of war that often required us to think and act in a manner not directly in line with our culture and role in the Army, we have a reduced understanding of who we are and what we should be doing. It is critical that our leadership refine the definition of our force to ensure it is both correct and relevant and clearly distinguishes us, in a positive manner, from other branches. The definition proposed here is but one of many possibilities, but we need to pick a side and run with it or face the slow and continual loss of our identity. There are many among us who agree we have an identity problem but address it in a completely different light. The authors of "Ideas on Cavalry" (ARMOR, October-December 2013) and "Keeping the Sabers Sharp: Maintaining Relevance in the Modern Era" (ARMOR, November-December 2012) are good examples of this. Their articles provide telling counterpoints to the ones given here, and all points of view should be taken into consideration. The key is to define ourselves.