Talk:Force multiplication

"Creating Local Forces" section in need of update
This section originally contained a link to A-team, which is about the show. Following the link there to The_A-Team_(military), the term apparently doesn't even refer to a Special Forces squad anymore. Either reference to the A-team needs to be removed from this article, or the The A-team article needs to have the pertinent historical info added to it, or both. 007bistromath (talk) 03:40, 13 July 2008 (UTC)

General improvements
Deemphasized deception, which, while important, seemed, in the earlier version, to be the main kind of multiplication. Added more doctrinal references, with potential contributions from others. Proposed merging force multiplier into this article.

I have a red link to "swarm tactics", and need to find out if they are represented in any other article, perhaps as a subheading. Howard C. Berkowitz (talk) 14:51, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

Ready for review?

 * Also merged "force multiplier" into this article


 * There's now a full swarming article, I suspect B class itself. This is probably ready for B-class review -- or better; hope springs eternal. Howard C. Berkowitz (talk) 22:58, 24 November 2007 (UTC)

Psychological factors
Some good ideas were added on effectiveness and morale, including the more controversial issue of volunteers being more effective than draftees. Psychological warfare is definitely a force multiplier, but I hesitate to put a detailed discussion of it in the same place as the psychology of one's own forces. Any suggestions on sources would be valuable.

Unfortunately, some of what I believe to be true about these is hard to source properly. For example, I am in frequent communication with active-duty and just-returned active-duty soldiers, US and Canadian, and many make the point that they would be hesitant to serve with draftees. They hesitate because they aren't sure that the draftee will be as motivated or skilled as they are. OTOH, draftees and reservists may bring their own special value. Draftees, at times, have reminded regulars of relevant civilian values. Reservists may bring extremely useful skills from civilian life that aren't associated with their military assignment -- I know of a few cases, in fairly technical units such as Engineers or Ordnance, where a reservist with a skill such as master-level welding was able to create field improvisations beyond the capabilities of the unit. Medical personnel are a two-way conduit of civilian ideas to the military, and vice versa.

Howard C. Berkowitz (talk) 15:34, 4 January 2008 (UTC)


 * The article categorically states that "A volunteer military is, soldier for soldier, significantly more effective than a conscription force." This statement is not sourced, naturally because it is impossible to corroborate. Conscripts served in huge numbers even in Napoleon's own infantry. Just because a person is drafted doesn't mean that they are opposed to military service or unpatriotic. And volunteers have different reasons for joining -- they're not all raring to enter combat. I will delete the controversial sentence if someone doesn't come up with a defense. 23:03, 10 May 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.170.61.39 (talk)

Technology
I have to be extremely skeptical of the breezy claim made in the Technology section of this article. Never before have I heard the claim that the use of poison gas at Ypres had the potential for such a breakthrough. On the contrary: EVERY history book I have read that covered the use of poison gas in WWI agreed: the use of gas was inhumane, but NOT strategically useful. There were too many problems with it, such as the inability to control where the gas goes once it is deployed.

Under such circumstances, I find it very disappointing that an allegedly B-class article has such a claim. Even more disappointing is that there is NO substantiation for it. 68.166.38.116 (talk) 16:52, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

origins of the term
When did the phrase "force multiplier" enter the language? Obviously, Og the caveman realised that a rock could do more damage than his fists, but (I assume) he did not think "I just developed force multiplication." For some reason, I want to F W Lanchester coined it, but have no references. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.91.64.121 (talk) 01:00, 17 October 2010 (UTC)

Sun Tzu
I am not particularly good as writing things such as this otherwise i'd do it myself but surely in page about military doctrines and use of force multipliers there has to be a mention of Sun Tzu's famous works? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.197.73.37 (talk) 00:28, 9 November 2011 (UTC)

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