A Book Review Of General McChrystal's 'My Share Of The Task'

The McChrystal Way of War -- Gary Hart, National Interest

UNLIKE TOLSTOY’S families, uninteresting books are uninteresting in their own way; interesting books all operate on several levels. Retired U.S. Army general Stanley McChrystal’s My Share of the Task operates on three levels: first, the level of military memoir; second, as a detailed, even intimate, inside perspective on the concurrent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and third, and perhaps most important historically, as an account of the U.S. military’s transition from traditional wars between nation-states to the unconventional and irregular insurgency warfare of the early twenty-first century.

More than one of the endorsers whose words appear on the book’s back cover compare My Share of the Task favorably to Ulysses Grant’s historic memoir. And, at least on the third level of this book, they are right in doing so. This is a scrupulous, though unvarnished, account of a military life as an heir to an army family, a West Point graduate in June 1976, and ultimately as a four-star general officer in command of the NATO-sponsored International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan beginning in June 2009. McChrystal’s impressive career spanned one of the most complex periods of U.S. military history and operates, intentionally or not, as a guide through that history. As he says in the book’s foreword: “The Army I knew as a child, the one I experienced as a young officer, and the one I left in 2010 were as different as the times they resided in.”

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Ret. General McChrystal: Women Will Serve In Special Operations Units

 

McChrystal: Women Will Serve In Special-Forces Units Including SEALs, Rangers -- The Hill 

Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal predicted Sunday that women will eventually become part of special operations units like the Navy SEALs and Army Rangers, saying that including female servicemembers could improve the elite groups’ operations. McChrystal, the former U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he supported the move from the Pentagon this week to lift the ban on women serving in combat.

“I think you’ll see them probably in all of those units,” said McChrystal, who once was an Army Ranger himself.  

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My Comment: His response makes a lot of sense.

Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal: I Regret Not Finishing The Job In Afghanistan

McChrystal: I Regret Not Finishing The Job In Afghanistan -- CBS News

(CBS News) Amid news that the White House is pushing for a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal said today on "Face the Nation" he regrets that he didn't get to finish the job there.

"I have regrets that some of the things I was responsible for, I didn't finish," he said, referring to his forced resignation in 2010 over a Rolling Stone article that quoted members of his team making disparaging remarks about President Obama. "I didn't finish the job in Afghanistan. I let down a lot of people that worked for me, 150,000 troops worked for me, the Afghan people, many of them believed deeply in me."

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My Comment: I doubt that anyone can "finish the job" in Afghanistan. As to his legacy, he will be remembered for being the General who implemented effective counter-insurgency doctrine in Iraq, and being an example for future officers on why one must be very careful on what you say when there are journalists present in the room.

Ret. General McChrystal: Leadership Lessons From Afghanistan

General Stanley McChrystal: Leadership Lessons From Afghanistan -- Dan Schawbel, Forbes

General Stanley McChrystal retired in July 2010 as a four-star general in the U.S. Army. His last assignment was as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force and as the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He had previously served as the direc­tor of the Joint Staff and as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command. He is currently a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and the cofounder of the McChrystal Group, a leadership consulting firm. He and his wife of thirty-five years, Annie, live in Virginia.

I interviewed General McChrystal on his new book, My Share of the Task: A Memoir (Penguin Portfolio). In the interview, he talks about his experiences in Afghanistan, his biggest achievement and disappointment, what he learned about leadership from the battle field and his best career advice.

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My Comment: I know about his history .... but this is sound advice from the retired General.

Ret. General Stanley McChrystal Unleashed

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Q. And A. With Former U.S. Commander In Afghanistan -- New York Times 

WASHINGTON — As the Obama administration weighs how many troops to keep in Afghanistan after 2014, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal cautioned that the United States still needs to keep forces there to help stabilize the country and urged a continued effort to advise the Afghan military that appears to be more extensive than the White House has in mind. “If we allow Afghanistan to become completely unstable, Pakistan’s stability is really difficult,” the former American commander in Afghanistan said in a recent interview. “So I think there’s a geostrategic argument for it.”

General McChrystal offered his analysis of Afghanistan in the interview, which coincided with the release of his book “My Share of the Task: A Memoir,” published by Portfolio/Penguin.

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More News On Ret. General Stanley McChrystal 

Stanley McChrystal on the intersection of politics and the military (video) -- Washington Post
Gen. McChrystal's Book Offers 4-Star Leadership Lessons -- CNBC
McChrystal’s Share of the Task: The former NATO commander in Afghanistan talks about his new memoir. -- Eliana Johnson, NRO
Stanley McChrystal Talks Gun Control, Afghan Experiences on "Daily Show" -- NBC
McChrystal backs ‘serious’ gun laws -- Washington Post
McChrystal Wants “Serious Look” at New Gun Controls -- Time
McChrystal: US Forces in Afghanistan Past 2014 -- Military.com
The General Who Ran US Drones Admits They Cause 'Visceral Resentment' Toward America -- Business Insider
General McChrystal on drones: 'They are hated on a visceral level' -- Nextgov
General Stanley McChrystal questions US drone warfare -- Digital Journal
Even Stanley McChrystal Realizes How Much the World Hates Our Drones -- The Atlantic
Stanley McChrystal criticises reliance on drones as strikes hit Pakistan -- New York Daily News
McChrystal: I ‘Cheerfully’ Offered Obama My Resignation -- CBS/AP

The Tale Of Two Generals And Their Impact On Two Wars And Future Wars

Photo: General McChrystal and General petraeus. army.mil

Book Review: ‘The Insurgents’ By Fred Kaplan And ‘My Share of the Task’ By Stanley A. McChrystal -- Greg Jaffe, Washington Post

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s epiphany came in the summer of 2006 as he accompanied his Army Rangers on a raid into Ramadi, an Iraqi city transformed by insurgents into a sprawling car-bomb factory.

McChrystal had honed his commandos into incredibly lethal hunters. Each day, terabytes of surveillance videos, phone call intercepts and seized documents poured into his headquarters. Analysts picked through the intelligence, cross-checking it with tips from interrogators. Each night, the commandos pounced.

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My Comment: Both Generals implemented war policies that had to assist the political desire in Washington and in the capitals of our allies to assist in 'nation building'. But has this policy of winning the 'hearts and minds' work .... sighhh .... I would have to say no. Billions spent, scores of lives lost .... and the conflicts are still ongoing. And now .... the doctrine is dead .... as the last two paragraphs of this book review reveal ....

.... The brief counterinsurgency renaissance that Petraeus and McChrystal inspired is finished. The Obama administration sealed its demise last year when it ordered the Army to stop using the doctrine in its planning for future conflicts. Meanwhile, the president has ramped up the lethal targeting machine that McChrystal built in Iraq. Today, McChrystal’s commandos are fighting an endless and secret war in far-flung locales such as Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia.

This is the new American way of war. And McChrystal will be remembered as the general who reluctantly created it.

Former U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Details Tensions With The White House On Policy

Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, left, and General McChrystal, center, confer with President Barack Obama in the White House, 7 December 2009. Wikipedia

General Details Pentagon Tensions With Obama on Afghanistan -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — In a memoir, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the former American commander in Afghanistan, writes that tensions between the White House and the Pentagon were evident in the Obama administration from its opening months in office.

The beginning of President Obama’s first term “saw the emergence of an unfortunate deficit of trust between the White House and the Department of Defense, largely arising from the decision-making process on Afghanistan,” General McChrystal writes. “The effects were costly.”

The book by General McChrystal, who was fired from his post in 2010 after an article in Rolling Stone quoted him and his staff making dismissive comments about the White House, is likely to disappoint readers who are looking for a vivid blow-by-blow account of infighting within the administration.

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My Comment: I would wager that those stress levels are even higher today as budget cuts and mission pivots to Asia and elsewhere becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Retired General Stanley McChrystal Admits That He Was Shocked By The Rolling Stone Article That Led To His Firing

Barack Obama meets with Stanley A. McChrystal in the Oval Office 2009-05-19. Wikipedia

Exclusive: McChrystal Was Shocked By Controversy Over Rolling Stone Article -- Josh Rogin, The Cable/Foreign Policy

Stanley McChrystal, the retired general and former head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, was shocked by the Rolling Stone article that led to his firing, he reveals in a soon-to-be-published memoir.

"Sir, we have a problem," McChrystal aide Charlie Flynn told McChrystal upon waking him up at 2:00 in the morning one night in Afghanistan. "The Rolling Stone article is out and it's really bad."

"'How in the world could that story have been a problem?' I thought, stunned," McChrystal wrote in the memoir, which is set to be released Jan. 7. (The Cable obtained a copy of the book independently from a local bookstore and was not a party to a publisher's embargo on the information contained within.)

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My Comment: He was shocked ?!?!?! When I read the Rolling Stone .... even I knew that he was gone .... the only thing that I did not know was .... was he going to be fired right away, told to resign, or be transferred to some outpost in Alaska.

Stanley McChrystal: Listen, Learn ... Then Lead (Video)

From TED: Four-star general Stanley McChrystal shares what he learned about leadership over his decades in the military. How can you build a sense of shared purpose among people of many ages and skill sets? By listening and learning -- and addressing the possibility of failure.

Thoughts From General McChrystal

Hat Tip: Armchair Generalist

Gen. McChrystal Retires After 34 Years In The Army

MCCHRYSTAL ADDRESS - U.S. Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal addresses the audience during his retirement ceremony on Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., July 23, 2010. McChrystal retired from the U.S. Army after 34 years of service to his nation during both peace and war time. U.S. Army photo by D. Myles Cullen

Casual Send-Off For An Army Maverick -- Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON—Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former top commander in Afghanistan, retired from the military Friday evening at a ceremony that replaced the pomp of military honors with a certain informality long cultivated by the general.

In a nod to the way he spent much of his career on the front lines of two wars, Gen. McChrystal eschewed the Army dress blues. He instead chose to wear his fatigues—as did the ceremonial Old Guard.

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More News On The Retirement Of General McChrystal

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal retires from Army -- L.A. Times
Gen. McChrystal Retires After 34 Years in D.C. Ceremony -- FOX News
Gen. McChrystal's retirement ceremony marked by laughter, regret -- Washington Post
McChrystal Ends Service With Regret and a Laugh -- New York Times
Dismissed Gen. McChrystal gets hero's send-off -- Reuters
McChrystal Retires Amid Praise for Career -- U.S. Department of Defense
McChrystal Bids Farewell To Army Life -- NPR
With top brass there, McChrystal says goodbye -- Politico
Army Says Farewell To General McChrystal -- The Danger Room
McChrystal: Service Did Not End Like I'd Imagined -- ABC News

Why Is Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal Positive On Afghanistan?

In a report sent to the White House in September, Gen Stanley McChrystal, who commands US and Nato force in Afghanistan, warned that “increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan is likely to exacerbate regional tensions and encourage Pakistani counter measures.” Photo from DAWN.

U.S. General Offers Upbeat Views on Afghan War -- New York Times

ISTANBUL — The senior commander of American and allied forces in Afghanistan offered a guarded but unexpectedly upbeat assessment of the war effort on Thursday, saying that while the situation remained dangerous it was no longer getting worse.

“I still will tell you that I believe the situation in Afghanistan is serious,” said the commander, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.

“I do not say now that I think it’s deteriorating,” he added. “And I said that last summer, and I believed that that was correct. I feel differently now. I am not prepared to say that we have turned the corner. So I’m saying that the situation is serious, but I think we have made significant progress in setting the conditions in 2009, and beginning some progress and that we’ll make real progress in 2010.”

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More News On Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's "Upbeat" Assessment On Afghanistan

McChrystal: Afghan Security Deterioration Over, But No Win Yet -- Voice of America
U.S. commander in Afghanistan says situation likely to improve -- Washington Post
US war commander sees progress in Afghanistan -- Washington Post/AP
U.S. commander sees Afghan progress -- Reuters
Gen. McChrystal Says Afghanistan Has Stopped 'Deteriorating' -- NPR
Afghan security better, says US commander McChrystal -- BBC

My Comment: Lets see .... allied casualties are at record levels. The Taliban have shadow governments in each of Afghanistan's provinces. Afghan forces are not meeting the expectations of US/NATO commanders. Afghan Government is still corrupt. Drug trade growing. NATO partners like Canada and Great Britain are preparing to leave next year.

Hmmmm .... the General must know something that I do not.

What Congress Should Ask McChrystal

The new American commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, right, in Kabul, the country’s capital, on Monday. General McChrystal has ordered a review of the military mission. Omar Sobhani/Reuters

From The Danger Room:

Top American and International Security Assistance Force commander General Stanley McChrystal is getting set to testify before the Senate and the House this week. Here are some of the questions we’d ask, if we were Congresscritters. Tack on your own questions in the comments.

* You’ve said the primary mission of ISAF forces should be to secure the population. So why are 9,000 of the 30,000 surge troops headed to largely rural Helmand province? Why are Marines now assaulting the largely abandoned city of Now Zad?

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My Comment: My bet is that most of the questions that will be asked will be on the draw-down date .... and how rigid is the Administration and the military on that date.

This Is Someone Who Was Told To Toe The Line

President Barack Obama meets with Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, aboard Air Force One in Copenhagen, Denmark on Oct. 2, 2009.

McChrystal Calls Obama 'Thoughtful,' Won't Criticize Delay -- The Hill

Gen. Stanley McChrystal told lawmakers that President Obama had engaged in a "thoughtful process" on Afghanistan and refused to criticize the president for delaying his decision to send more troops.

Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), who was in the briefing in Kabul, spilled the details to the Washington Post:

"He believed that the mission was accomplishable," Price said after meeting the general and other top U.S. officials in Kabul. Some of the lawmakers pressed McChrystal on Obama's lengthy decision-making, but the general described it as a "thoughtful process and wouldn't go any further," Price said. "I was a little surprised he didn't voice frustration with the delay."

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My Comment: General McChrystal has made the decision to follow the Commander in Chief .... regardless of where it may lead.

Pentagon Disputes Claim That Taliban Is Winning in Afghanistan

Gen. Stanley McChrystal (Reuters)

From FOX News:

The Wall Street Journal paraphrased Gen. Stanley McChrystal as saying the Taliban has gained the upper hand. The article was titled, "Taliban Now Winning," though McChrystal was not explicitly quoted saying those words in the story.

The Pentagon pushed back hard Monday against an article that suggested the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan believes the Taliban is winning.

The Wall Street Journal article paraphrased Gen. Stanley McChrystal as saying the Taliban has gained the upper hand. The article was titled, "Taliban Now Winning," though McChrystal was not explicitly quoted saying those words in the story.

Pentagon spokesmen called the interpretation of McChrystal's remarks "inaccurate" and "disappointing."

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My Comment: The Pentagon is in damage control. As a soldier fighting in Afghanistan, or a family member with a love one fighting in Afghanistan .... you do not want to hear your top commander saying that the enemy is winning.

The Pentagon Press office has been using General McChrystal's interview with USA Today as more reflective of his mindset on where we are in the war in Afghanistan ....

"I wouldn't say we are winning or losing or stalemated," McChrystal told USA Today. The U.S. commander said in that interview that the insurgency has "momentum" which coalition forces are working to reverse.

Hmmmmm .... if you are not winning a counter-insurgency war .... you are losing it. And it is clear that Gen. McChrystal is saying that we are not winning.

Q & A with Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal On The Campaign In Afghanistan

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal (Photo from Army Times)

From The L.A. Times:

You have said that in Afghanistan protecting the population is the top priority. What does that mean you stop doing?

It means we put as much of our effort as we can to establish security for the population and we stay there so those other critical parts, governance and development, can happen.

Obviously everything comes at a cost. So it means we don't have as many forces to maneuver in the country. So we have to rigorously prioritize and then some things come later.

Is the lonely fire base in the mountains fighting Taliban a thing of the past? Are you pulling out to get . . .

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My Comment: This is (unfortunately) a very short interview. But it gives a small indication of the battle that is ahead for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan.