Dear Friends,
It seems to me that the idea President Obama put forward, a civilian national security force, as he describes it, is interestingly worded. It did remind me of an idea I have had kicking around for some time.
The US military could add another branch of service. It would be for policing duties in other countries. They would be available for UN sponsored security missions. They would go in after the Army or Marines have cleared a town or village. They would be trained in cultural awareness, some rudimentary language skills for the territory they are deployed in and in all types of police duties. A volunteer force they would fill a hole in American military might.
Take Afghanistan for example. Instead of moving in an American Army fire base to hold a town… move in a platoon of American Peace Keepers (APKs). They would set up a police station. Then rent housing from the people of the town. They would hire cleaning staff to clean the police station and their rentals. Pay to set up telephone service to the town police station. Then let anyone who needs it, use the phone for free, within reason. Lastly they would hire a number of the village men to be deputies. The APK would immediately fire anyone who had been caught taking a bribe or otherwise being corrupt. Once they had set up shop the regular Army could be removed to safe areas for rest and refit. Eventually the deputies will grow to be marshals and take over policing duties for the town. Freeing up the APK to set up shop in another town or redeployment to another theater.
APK would take the tactic of Take Hold and Build to the next level. Like adding another dimension to the battlefield in an insurgency, one that you control. The Army would be released to do what they do best and the people left in charge after the Army leaves will be dependable. This would utilize the military in the most effective and efficient way possible. Why train everyone to take land in the face of enemy fire when you don’t have to? Why teach every soldier cultural awareness if you don’t have to? Teach those that have the aptitude for it, how to take territory from a stubbornly dug in defense, and teach others to be effective and honest international police?
One draw for potential recruits would be that the training would qualify someone to do high level police duties in the USA or anywhere. People who have that bent to them like a challenge. They not only don’t mind confrontation they seek it. This would give people who have the temperament for it a chance to shine.
I would hope they would be like Andy Griffith and suffer the occasional honest fool but deplore the dishonest rogue. Be light handed in dealing with the people in their charge and fair in everything they do. If they establish a reputation of integrity and generosity, then actually live up to it, it will give them an aura of protection. People, no matter their religion, respect fair dealings and love (if not like) people who are generous. The reputation of the APK should be paramount to it.
It is something to think about. Maybe not a whole branch of service but an arm of the Army or the Marines. One thing is clear… the Militaries of the worlds most powerful democratic republics should think about insurgencies. They are easy to get started when the conditions are right and easy to get funded. So the likelihood of them cropping up in the future is good. Therefore, so is the likelihood of fighting one, even if your governors are poltroons and cower from a fight… In fact that makes it even more likely.
