Strategic Privates

Strategic Privates exist, every unit has them, and they can determine an entire course of events.

Strategic Privates are soldiers whose acts or words influence policy, command philosophy, or standard operating procedure far beyond their rank or position. They are not always privates, but they typically are lower ranking soldiers. If CNN comes around, they seem to easily find the strategic private who will do or say something stupid or off command message.

In New Orleans, CNN won a lawsuit (I think it was dismissed) for the right to take photos of corpses and to access stricken areas of the city. After prevailing on this against the administration, CNN was later told by a Strategic Private that the military has its own rules and the military would not allow CNN the access it desired. An LTC later clarified and CNN was allowed its access. The LTC said something like “There are lots of ‘Joes’ out there and this one didn’t get the message.” No doubt that at least for a short time command devoted its scarce and precious time to clearing up the confusion sown by that Strategic Private.

Lindy England at Abu Ghraib is a good example of a Strategic Private, assuming that she was acting on her own and not according to direction. The soldier who asked Donald Rumsfeld about armor for HMMWVs was another Strategic Private. Richard Reid, that mope who tried to explode his shoes on the airplane, could be considered a Strategic Private. Remember Mathias Rust? The 19 year old German flew his Cessna into Red Square, thereby allowing Gorbachev an excuse to purge hardliners who were blamed for the security breach, and setting the stage for the end of the Soviet Union; the ultimate Strategic Private. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena_Rust

Watch for them. They’re out there. You’ve probably got one in your unit or your business. Despite your best efforts, the Strategic Private will find his or her way to the front, or to the reporters, and will take control of events away from the leaders.