THE 5 STEPS TO MAKING A GCC FORCE!

So, last night I ended with the promise of painting the picture of how the GCC could actually develop a viable multinational, joint fighting force.

Does that sound like a tall order?

You bet it is.

It’s a tall order even for modern, Western nations who have attempting to perfect the “Joint” business of military operations for decades now.

Does that mean it’s nearly impossible for the GCC nations to achieve this mystical goal?

Not impossible, but just about as close as they can possibly get.  

Having said that, let’s get down to how it might be achieved.

With an issue as complicated as this one, the process will have to be approached in a phased manner both in terms of time and expectations.

STEP 1:

Limit Expectations:

What strategic vision is truly the “joint vision” of the nation’s wishing to achieve this goal?

If Saudi is the only visionary allowed to develop what the military endstate should be, then the process will fail from the very beginning.

Yes, it may take time to fail, but never doubt the fact that it will fail.

So, the issue of “limiting expectations” applies to guess whom…..yep… Saudi.

Saudi must insure this endeavor is the product of “joint vision” and developing that “Joint Vision” is honestly the most difficult of all the task.

The most difficult not only because of the “joint” requirement, but because without this goal being achieved, the process fails regardless of the amount of money spent.

STEP 2:

Share the growth:

If five years from now, the Saudi slice of this vision is miles ahead of the other “partners”, then “joint” will no longer be achievable.

Here is the challenge for Saudi and here is the lesson they have struggled to learn in the past…..Peninsula Shield is the glaring example.

The process of procurement, training and exercising is the most advanced with Saudi and the natural, unintended tendency will be to move forward at a pace the others are not prepared to keep up with.

Come exercise time, as scripted as they may be, if the Saudi slice of the force sticks out, the honor factor of being a “partner” will vanish.

Now, the natural tendency, as of today, in the region is to look far better than you really are and that is truly how most of the modern militaries in the world quietly see exercises the GCC takes part in.

If the first team that drives, flies or walks by, looks somewhat formidable and then the rest seem clean  but fake, then the “jointness” is gone.

In the review stands sits the leaders of the 2^nd / 3^rd place forces and in their minds they only worry of looking fake or worse, silly!

Sound crazy?

I can assure you it’s what takes place.

So, what needs to take place is the Saudi contingent remaining vigilant to the issue of out shinning the “Joint Partners”.

This vigilance must take place at every level….procurement.. training… exercise and evaluation.

Break this code and yes…….. the vision falls apart!

STEP 3:

Integrity:

 Ok, here comes so of the ugliest comments that must be made if anyone in the GCC wants to truly be successful in this project.

Kickbacks… graft… corruption, “what’s in it for me?..... How do I get rich / powerful / influential / based on what my country is spending BILLIONS on”?

Those are the statements that must be eliminated.

Those are the mindsets that must be swept to the side.

These are the personalities that cannot be allowed to take part in this journey!

How difficult is that to achieve?

So hard, so impossible that even the modern Western military industrial complex is virtually controlled by the same curse.

Can those who are empowered to achieve this goal, be trusted?

Can people of honor be found to champion this quest?

And if honorable managers / leaders / can be found, can their leaders be trusted?

When billions and billions of dollars are placed on the table, how strong can honor remain?

Is it realistic to have an expectation of “honor”?

In the end, what will need to happen is a controlled acceptance of corruption / graft / kickbacks, greed and lust for power.

Each of the GCC members will have to fine their team of champions and these teams will have to understand the limits of what they can allow to take place.

Achievable?

Yes.

It works in the Western Military Industrial arena every day of the year.

Can it work in the GCC?

If it doesn't ……failure!

STEP 4:

Standardization:

If you thought the previous steps were mountains to climb, here comes one that has no history of success in the region.

Standardization; what does it mean?

Equipment?

Yes!

Training?

Yes! 

Planning?

Yes!

Rank and structure?

Yes!

When NATO took on the task of “standardization”, it failed on several occasions and honestly it only was achieved after the US set the “standards” and told everyone else they had to follow.

What is purchased by one GCC member interacts how with what the other members buy?

Can one supply operation support multiple multinational units?

Can training for one nation fit the training of the others?

Can standardized  plans be written to achieve the goals of  multiple countries?

Can one exercise truly evaluate the capabilities of a “joint” force?

Can anyone guess what is need to make this standardization a reality?

Yep… Steps 1,2,3

With a huge emphasis on step 3!!!

STEP 5:

Evaluations:

After Billions and Billions have been spent; after countless governmental press releases on the tremendous achievements that have been made, how do the leaders and more importantly the people of the GCC nations truly know……believe…. The vision has been achieved?

Unfortunately, history tells us the only way this is achieved is in conflict.

So, does that mean that no matter what “evaluation” takes place, none of the leadership will ever really know…..believe the whole thing works?

Is there any chance of ending this dream with a true vision of hope?

Yes.

Parades are for building boosting the pride of the citizens.

They are often used as a way to send a “message” to one’s enemies!

Parades and scripted exercises are for “show”; true evaluations are for go or no go!

Those of us who have lived in the realm of down and dirty evaluations; evaluation that at some point put forces and leaders in a “ no win situation”, we understand the stark reality of true evaluations.

Has this been historically lacking in the GCC region?

Yes.

Why?

Yep.. steps. 1,2,3 and 4..but mostly 3!!

As I said earlier; those who sit in the reviewing stand; they know just how fictitious most of their evaluations are.

They fully understand the difference between a parade and an evaluation.

Most foreign assisted training and exercises in the region are parades, complicated parades, but parades never the less!

The GCC will need a true system of evaluations; evaluations that place the pressure of failure on leaders and leaders who understand this pressure early on in the procurement and training process.

Leaders who are not chosen given their family bloodline, but leaders who are chosen for their passion to keep their nation and the nations of their Allies safe.

Can these leaders come from the pool of historical “bloodlines”?

Yes, and as a matter of fact many do.

I had the honor of working with one in Saudi years ago.

Can these leaders demand an evaluation system that truly test their skills, that pushes them past the point of failure in order to give them the taste, the fear of such failure that insures they will not allow it to happen in reality?

Yes.

How?

Close the doors….limit who knows the results and push the capabilities with a evaluation process that had nothing to do with procurement or training.

Short answer….keep the contractors at the gate and test the mettle of the future forces with honorable, professional and most importantly “joint” evaluators.

It’s a team fight and a team must win or lose together.

After that is achieved, the synergy will be the armor that surrounds their capabilities.

So, there you have it.

Is that the answer from soup to nuts?

Probably not, but it is the structure of success.

Can Saudi and the rest of the GCC pull this off?

I will tell you this; Saudi cannot reach this goal on their own!

Synergy is the brass ring of this ride they appear to be  about to  embark on.

Synergy is the “endstate”…

Synergy is what they have lacked for centuries.

Follow five steps…follow with dogged determination and when the evaluation dust settles, it just may be synergy standing in front of them!

Time will tell and the odds are stacked against them.