Joint doctrine, which places the engineer staff element under the J-4, is seriously flawed. Recent operations are replete with examples where this doctrinal concept was either altered or ignored altogether. In those cases where it was reluctantly followed, success occurred "in spite of" established doctrine, not "because of" it. In a downsizing military, war fighters must maximize all potential combat enhancers and multipliers. In both war and military operations other than war (MOOTW), engineers are constantly in demand, never in abundant supply, and habitually overworked. Our doctrine must evolve within the context of our rapidly changing global threat. To simulate that change, we must encourage the combatant commanders and our sister services to enter the debate.
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Robert L. Davis is Associate Professor and the Director of the Spanish Language Program at the University of Oregon and Assistant Director of the Spanish Summer Language School at Middlebury College. He teaches courses in Spanish language, historical linguistics, and teaching methodology. His interests include language pedagogy and materials development, in particular the development of language skills within content-based instruction. He has written an advanced oral skills textbook and articles on language pedagogy, materials development, and language program direction.
