Rebuttal to the Commentary by Lieutenant-Colonel C.R. Shelley, in Volume 2, Number 2, May 1999 on "Some Thoughts on the Army for the 21st Century".(The stand-up table: commentary, opinion and rebuttal)

Rebuttal to the Commentary by Lieutenant-Colonel C.R. Shelley, in Volume 2, Number 2, May 1999 on "Some Thoughts on the Army for the 21st Century" written by Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Cessford in Volume 2, Number 1, February 1999.

Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Cessford of the Directorate of Land Strategic Concepts writes:

It was another difficult day at the LWWL (Land Warfare Writ Large) Corner Hardware store. Customers continued to pound the counter, demanding a bushel of infantrymen, a gross of reconnaissance vehicles or a parcel of logisticians. Sighing to myself, I reflected on how many times I had thought to specialize, providing only one or two specific capabilities. Wouldn't life be easy then! Unfortunately, my customers expected, indeed demanded, an inventory that would allow them to meet most potential needs for home repair or good works abroad. Like all small hardware stores, I had to maintain a reasonable "general-purpose" inventory, ready for everything from ice storm repair and flood relief to building fences between angry (even downright hostile) neighbours on the other side of town. Heck, it was just like running a Big Home Depot but without the profit or pleasure!

Just then I noticed the large flashing sign from the "A-Fore Fortune Telling and Tarot Card Shoppe." Every now and then, the local seer would provide the locals the most current …