Of Matters Military


Book Description

The organisational structure of the Indian army is like a steep pyramid. Supersession is inevitable and hits hard. The book highlights the need to diligently follow well-evolved norms for the continued sustenance of the army.




Of Matters Military


Book Description

The issue of nationalism and anti-nationalism has always been the subject of intense debate. To deride their own country and culture has become the hallmark of India’s intelligentsia. Why does India breed so many traitors? Is treachery a part of our DNA? An attempt has also been made to analyse reasons for our disunity, caste-ridden elections and degradation of the national institutions. Pakistan was born on anti-India plank and shedding of anti-India posture would amount to questioning the very logic of its creation. After tracing its saga of treachery, the book recommends that balkanization is the only cure for cancer-afflicted Pakistan. Advocates of cultural and cricketing ties with Pakistan are belittling the sacrifices of those battling militancy. It asserts that the demilitarisation of Siachen is a seditious proposition. The book exposes the true agenda of unscrupulous pseudo-intelligentsia that resorts to highly slanderous campaigns to spawn dissensions and tarnish the image of the country. Finally, the book exposes the Non-Functional Upgradation to be a bureaucratic scam of gargantuan proportions.




Cultural Heritage, Ethics and the Military


Book Description

Examines the ethical dilemma of whether, and how, archaeologists and other experts should work with the military to protect cultural property in times of conflict. The world reacted with horror to the images of the looting of the National Museum in Iraq in 2003 - closely followed by other museums and then, largely unchecked, or archaeological sites across the country. This outcome had been predicted by many archaeologists, with some offering to work directly with the military to identify museums and sites to be avoided and protected. However, this work has since been heavily criticised by others working in the field, who claim that such collaboration lended a legitimacy to the invasion. It has therefore served to focus on the broader issue of whether archaeologists and other cultural heritage experts should ever work with the military, and, if so, under what guidelines and strictures. The essays in this book, drawn from a series of international conferences and seminars on the debate, provide an historical background to the ethical issues facing cultural heritage experts, and place them in a wider context. How do medical and religious experts justify their close working relationships with the military? Is all contact with those engaged in conflict wrong? Does working with the military really constitute tacit agreement with military and political goals, or can it be seen as contributing to the winning of a peace rather than success in war? Are guidelines required to help define roles and responsibilities? And can conflict situations be seen as simply an extension of protecting cultural property on military training bases? The book opens and addresses these and other questions as matters of crucial debate. Contributors: Peter Stone, Margaret M. Miles, Fritz Allhoff, Andrew Chandler, Oliver Urquhart Irvine, Barney White-Spunner, René Teijgeler, Katharyn Hanson, Martin Brown, Laurie Rush, Francis Scardera, Caleb Adebayo Folorunso, Derek Suchard, Joanne Farchakh Bajjaly, John Curtis, Jon Price, Mike Rowlands, Iain Shearer




Of Matters Military


Book Description

Imported defence systems are like crutches that can provide only temporary sustenance but not enduring muscle strength. Dependence on imports makes a nation hostage to the policies of the exporting nations and captive to the dictates of unscrupulous foreign vendors. Therefore, 'Make in India' is a highly overdue clarion call and a mission statement. The book identifies reasons for the dismal state of the Indian defence industry and suggests corrective measures. It recommends the integration of the private sector and support to MSMEs. The need for an ecosystem to foster innovations has also been emphasised. As the defence industry is characterised by rapid obsolescence, regular infusion of the latest defence technologies is essential. FDI is not just a question of getting funds but accesses the latest know-how as well. Similarly, the powerful leverage of offsets can be used to obtain technologies that industrially advanced nations are unwilling to sell. Finally, the book suggests the establishment of a Defence and Aerospace Commission to oversee all functions pertaining to armament production, acquisitions and exports.




Of Matters Military


Book Description

Regular introspection is the key to the continued good health of an organisation. Complacency breeds degeneration. Hence, issues that affect the wellbeing of the forces must be debated objectively to evolve timely corrective measures. The military is a social organisation, consisting of living human beings who yearn for empathy, love and respect of their countrymen. When mistreated, soldiers wonder if the nation understands their trials and tribulations. The organisational structure of the Indian army is like a steep pyramid. Supersession is inevitable and hits hard. On analysing this sensitive issue, the book recommends that the officers who are superseded must be handled with due compassion. The tower of the Indian army is built on the twin pillars of committed leadership and motivated soldiers. Both are intrinsically linked and are mutually contingent. The book highlights the need to diligently follow well-evolved norms for the continued sustenance of the army. Finally, whereas the welfare of ex-servicemen is the hallmark of all great nations, it is equally important for the veterans to help in nation-building programmes.




Of Matters Military: Donning the Cap


Book Description

Command of an Engineer Group and Centre is a unique privilege. No other appointment, tenable by a Brigadier, matches its sphere of authority and responsibilities. An Engineer Centre conducts recruits' training, promotion courses and trade-upgradation courses for the whole group. A lesser known function of the Centre is to act as the conscience-keeper of the Group and a guardian of regimental traditions. The Centre is considered as the cradle that promotes camaraderie and fosters esprit-de-corps. It is also the repository of the group history including the battle honours. My tenure as Commandant of the Bombay Sappers was highly satisfying. We raised the standard of military training to exceptional heights. Visiting military dignitaries were astonished to see our methodology and advised others to adopt the same. Besides, a large number of infrastructural facilities were created or upgraded for the troops. The entire credit for what we managed to achieve goes to the remarkable team that I had the privilege to command. This book recounts momentous events and activities of my tenure at the helm of affairs in the Centre.




Military Power


Book Description

In war, do mass and materiel matter most? Will states with the largest, best equipped, information-technology-rich militaries invariably win? The prevailing answer today among both scholars and policymakers is yes. But this is to overlook force employment, or the doctrine and tactics by which materiel is actually used. In a landmark reconception of battle and war, this book provides a systematic account of how force employment interacts with materiel to produce real combat outcomes. Stephen Biddle argues that force employment is central to modern war, becoming increasingly important since 1900 as the key to surviving ever more lethal weaponry. Technological change produces opposite effects depending on how forces are employed; to focus only on materiel is thus to risk major error--with serious consequences for both policy and scholarship. In clear, fluent prose, Biddle provides a systematic account of force employment's role and shows how this account holds up under rigorous, multimethod testing. The results challenge a wide variety of standard views, from current expectations for a revolution in military affairs to mainstream scholarship in international relations and orthodox interpretations of modern military history. Military Power will have a resounding impact on both scholarship in the field and on policy debates over the future of warfare, the size of the military, and the makeup of the defense budget.




On Roman Military Matters


Book Description

A 5th Century training manual for the organization, weapons and tactics of the Roman Legions. Vegetius's "De Re Militari" was the only major work of Roman military science to survive from classical times. It was widely studied in the Middle Ages and was a key source for Medieval warfare and siege tactics.




Inclusion in the American Military


Book Description

The U.S. military can be thought of as a microcosm of American society, bringing in people from diverse backgrounds and history to defend one nation. Military leaders must address the same issues and concerns as those found in the civilian world, including exclusion, segregation, and discrimination. In some cases, the military has led the nation by creating policies of inclusion before civilian laws required them to do so. In other causes, the military has lagged behind the larger society. The goal of this book is to provide an overview of the ways in which diversity has been addressed in the military by providing information about particular forms of diversity including race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexuality. Subject matter experts provide their insights into the roles that each of these groups have played in the U.S. armed services as well as the laws, rules, and regulations regarding their participation. Ultimately, the authors utilize this information as a way to better understand military diversity and the unique ways that individuals incorporate the military into their sense identity.




Of Matters Military


Book Description