Ray Odierno.

This is coolbert:

A headline that is somewhat misleading.

More correct to say: Fifty thousand GROUND TROOPS NEEDED TO DEFEAT THE ISLAMIC STATE!!

"Odierno: 50,000 Troops Needed To Defeat the Islamic State"

"It will take around 50,000 troops to destroy the Islamic State, according to the Army’s recently retired chief [CoS], but they don’t necessarily all have to be American."

NOT NECESSASRILY SO ALL AMERICAN BUT PREDOMINANTLY SO I WELL CAN IMAGINE.

"That’s the assessment retired Army Gen. Ray Odierno gave Wednesday at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy’s Washington Forum. He added that U.S. troops would have to direct these forces."

We are talking here about A COALITION OF GROUND TROOPS BUT COMMANDED BY AN AMERICAN GENERAL! Unity of command a MUST!

Two years ago it was going to take three years to defeat the Islamic State.

A year ago it was going to take three to five years to defeat the Islamic State.

NOW it is going to be required to have 50,000 ground troops in coalition to defeat the Islamic State.

Ground troops consisting of the correct combination of combined arms. Infantry, armor, artillery, army aviation and perhaps even air defense firing in a ground support role.

Bombardment by air force and naval assets continuing unabated.

Keep in mind the observation of Eisenhower that COALITION FORCES RARELY IF EVER FIGHT WELL! Conflicting aims and discord often the rule among partners and not allowing for concentrated and focused energy.

When General Odierno speaks we should all listen closely and ponder? I say yes!

coolbert.