Timid.

This is coolbert:

The word TIMID as used in military circles has a very perjorative meaning.

Timid in the military context suggests a lack of offensive spirit, a general absence of elan [spirited action], passivity, hesitation, indecision, vacillation, etc. ALL BAD!!

TO BE NOT timid in the military context is to be offensive minded and audacious, possessing elan, maintaining the initiative, aggressive, active, decisive, etc. ALL GOOD!!

The word timid is used consistently and regularly by the great military "theoreticians". Timid is used uniformly in a negative fashion by the "greats".

From Clausewitz ["On War"]:

"a retarding principle, is the natural timidity and want of resolution in the human mind, a kind of power of gravity in the moral world, but which is produced not by attractive, but by repellent forces, that is to say, by dread of danger and responsibility."

[Clausewitz is speaking here about the inability of persons in command to ACT when ACTION is required in warfare. An INABILITY due to inherent timidity. "dread of danger and responsibility".]

"To some, Daun's campaigns are models of prudence and skill. To others, they are nothing but examples of timidity and want of resolution."

[Daun was the Austrian commander who faced Frederick of Prussia during the Seven Years War. Daun seems to have been unable to bring his superior power to bear against Frederick out of healthy respect for the battlefield capability of Frederick and the Prussian Army. Sort of like the various Union commanders when facing Lee in the American Civil War.]

"Such was the case of Napoleon, who never pursued great aims in a timid or half-hearted way out of caution."

[Clausewitz of course had the greatest admiration for Napoleon and his audacious campaigns that won stupendous victories.]

From Jomini ["The Art of War"]:

"The timid would have regarded them as rash, even to madness, others would have seen a thousand difficulties of execution, and all would have concurred in rejecting them."

["them" in this case is the maneuvers of Napoleon. Measured audacity of an unconventional nature. Would have not been adopted by the much more timid peers of Napoleon as being too "risky".]

Even amongst moderns, the use of the word timid suggests a lack of vigor where a more intrepid and bold approach might have been employed.

Jellicoe at Jutland was criticized during the latter phases of the battle as being "timid".

[Jellicoe adopted the conservative course of action and broke off contact with the German when he "seemed" to have the upper hand.]

Mac Arthur described the World War Two [WW2[ campaign of the Allied forces in the European Theatre of Operations [ETO] as being timid.

And - - this extraction from a current U.S. Marine Corps Power Point production:

"Boldness rules over timidity; but it is not reckless."

[again, audacity, but in a measured sense!!]

coolbert.