The U.S. Army needs warrior thinkers

OPINION:

Challenges in the U.S. Army are not new. The military branch has faced internal adversity since its founding in 1775.

Gen. George Washington experienced the near collapse of the Continental Army at Valley Forge, but he persevered and guided his soldiers through it. During the Civil War, after much frustration with other generals’ failures, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assumed command and relentlessly led the Union to victory.

In World War I, Gen. John Pershing took an Army of raw recruits and galvanized it for war. Gen. George Marshall transformed a hollow, pre-World War II Army into one of the greatest fighting forces in history. Gen. Creighton Abrams set the Army on a path toward reform and greatness in the post-Vietnam era.

All were thinking warriors who solved problems.

Today’s U.S. Army also faces challenges, with the top three leadership positions in flux. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll resigned last week after a strained relationship with the Pentagon’s chief, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, over general officer removals and promotion interventions.

In April, Mr. Hegseth ushered out Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. His former senior military adviser and current vice chief, Gen. Christopher C. LaNeve, now fills both roles.

The other four-star positions have also experienced disruption. Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. forces in Europe and tasked with gleaning lessons from the conflict in Ukraine, resigned after facing Mr. Hegseth’s disfavor for his role in the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.

The Army’s Transformation and Training Command leader, Gen. David Hodne, who was charged with adapting the Army for the future, was also removed. Both were widely regarded as outstanding warrior thinkers whom Mr. Driscoll believed were needed to transform and prepare the Army for large-scale combat operations.

Indeed, the Army’s challenge today is to prepare for the full spectrum of warfare, from counterinsurgency to large-scale combat operations. During the two decades of the former, critical combat skills and capabilities required for conventional conflicts languished.

Meanwhile, the wars in Ukraine and Iran highlight the changing nature of conflict, especially from drones that pose a significant threat.

That was especially concerning for Mr. Driscoll as he struggled to transform the Army to meet the challenges of a transparent battlefield where units can be spotted and attacked quickly.

The issue between the two secretaries was how the Army should transform and what emphasis it should receive apart from cultural themes. Evidently, Mr. Driscoll focused less on “warrior ethos” and ending “wokeness” — deficiencies Mr. Hegseth has emphasized.

As is the case with many disputes, it is likely not an “either/or” proposition but rather one that is “and/both.”

Apparently, the two leaders could not resolve their differences, leaving Mr. Driscoll to resign honorably. His acting replacement is Adam Telle, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, although chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell is reportedly Mr. Hegseth’s preference to fill the position permanently.

Mr. Driscoll’s departure is ill-timed. Now, more than ever before, the Army needs steady yet visionary leadership to maintain its focus on what must be done to prepare for future wars. Certainly, the acting chief of staff, Gen. LaNeve, is correct in asserting that the Army must “get back to the basics.”

No truer proposition exists, as demonstrated by the counterinsurgency operations era, when the combined-arms skills needed for the full spectrum of warfare were deprioritized.

Still, “the basics” is more than restoring the ethos of leaders and soldiers. It also involves establishing an Army structure, combat systems and the right mix of new technology for the overall fighting force. Hence, the need for thoughtful warfighters.

That is challenging when the Army’s top leadership is unsettled. Fortunately, many fine-thinking warriors are fully prepared to lead the Army. Moreover, well-qualified and experienced civilians are available to serve as secretary. The difficulty is filling those positions in a bitter political environment with the best people who can be confirmed.

President Trump plays an important role in resetting the Army by prioritizing warrior thinkers to drive transformation. He should consider the wisdom of Sir William Francis Butler: “The nation that will insist on drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking done by cowards.”

That is why warrior thinkers are especially needed now to focus keenly on transformation for future war and victory.

• L. Scott Lingamfelter is a retired U.S. Army colonel and combat veteran, a 1973 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and author of “Desert Redleg: Artillery Warfare in the First Gulf War.” He is authoring a new book about future war.