It’s good to hear that the DoD is paying close attention to what we are trying to do here in “the Sphere” and inviting our fearless leaders to conferences and seminars. The Pentagon needs to listen-up and carefully think about what people around the world are saying and writing as some of these voices will surely be a great help for the U.S. Armed Forces “to get it right” in future assignments around the globe, especially in Africa.

I’d much rather see an American G.I. carrying a pick and shovel to help people rebuild than to see him or her carrying a weapon to kill. Any true professional soldier would feel the same way. Guaranteed!

I agree that Barnett’s piece in Esquire can come off sounding overly dramatic – that’s his tone, and Esquire is emphasizing that aspect of his writing, I’m sure. But he’s a very influential thinker with a great deal of pull within the Pentagon. I was at a DoD event about two years ago, filled with senior officers, and every attendee had been given a copy of Barnett’s first book.

(And for my readers who wonder what the hell I was doing at a DoD event, one of the positives of the American military establishment is that they frequently invite long-haired left-wingers like me to unclassified events to share our opinions on issues like African security…)

Looking forward to reading the sources you suggest on AFRICOM. I suspect our disagreement is less bitter than you think. I quite like the approach of combining diplomatic, aid and military presence in transition countries – I just worry that in situations like Somalia we are putting the wrong foot forward and getting into bed with the wrong partners.

As always, thanks for reading and engaging, Bill.

I did a bit of research on this subject after scanning the Esquire magazine piece on June 18th and came across an interesting document from the U.S. Army War College that explains in detail what brought this new military command into being. Barnett’s piece for Esqure magazine in contrast was like reading a cheap dimestore novel (no offense meant, it’s just the way that the Esquire article came across for me). Perhaps I need to read it again now that you have presented this guy’s credentials as an experienced advisor to the Pentagon on defense strategies and foreign expedition military ops.

Some excellent resources on AFRICOM can be found at the South African CSIS Africa Policy Forum and the Council on Foreign Relations websites. Here are the details in case you and your readers are interested:

CSIS Africa Policy Forum (South Africa)
AFRICOM: The U.S. Military Consolidates Its Efforts

Council on Foreign Relations
The Pentagon’s New Africa Command by Stephanie Hanson
May 3, 2007

CFR Podcast: Interview with AFRICOM transition team commander Rear Admiral Robert T. Moeller and U.S. State Department ambassador Robert G. Loftis
The New ‘Africa Command’ by Michael Moran
Feb 09, 2007

U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute – Key Strategic Issues List
African Command: The Newest Combatant Command by Lt. Col. Paul P. Cale

Semper Fi, Marine! You are an ex-Marine, aren’t you?

As to the point of how AIDS affects the effectiveness of militaries, a good article for that is Stefan Elbe’s “HIV/AIDS and the Changing Landscape of War in Africa” in the Fall 2002 issue of “International Security.”