Hi TP. Marine embassy guards are on permanent duty, are trained superbly, are the creme de la creme of the Marine Corps, and, therefore are shielded from much of the effects of the overcommitment of the operating forces. In addition, you will be hard pressed to find a Marine, sailor, soldier, or airman complaining when they are sent overseas. It is a motivating experience to be called away from Christmas dinner, as I have, to be told to pack up and be ready to ship out in three days. Wives and civilians don't often understand it, but warriors take to this like a duck to water. They will not complain to an outsider.
If you want a true picture of morale, ask the wife of this selfsame serviceman. You will find that the stress caused by the overextension of the operating forces contributes greatly to the breakup of the family and the general destabilization of the force. My second greatest strength came from knowing that my wife, now of 40 years, would keep the home fires burning and the kids churched, clean and respectful, regardless of how long I was gone. When we can concentrate on the job rather than destabilized family situations, we are much more effective.
After you get an earful from the wives, look at the mid-level leadership in the platoons, companies and battalions. It takes six months to train a platoon leader to the point that he is technically able to lead a platoon. However, this lieutenant's chances for success are diminished if he does not have a salty, second or third enlistment staff sergeant as platoon sergeant, and three second enlistment sergeants as squad leaders. Absent these experienced, talented and dedicated men, troops will die that do not need to die. The dynamics are far from simple.
Civilians have a simplified view of military life. To illustrate, let us use the "point man" as an example. You will find literally hundreds of thousands of Vietnam veterans who have taken point on patrol. A good point man is one that will not let his unit get surprised or ambushed...one that will not step on a mine while looking up and will not get shot while looking down...a 17 or 18 year old that knows instinctively when to caution his patrol leader, yet understands that success is borne of aggressiveness when challenged in battle.
TP, how long do you think it would take to train such a point man?...this patrol?...this platoon?...this company? Should these men not have the opportunity to complete their training at Camp Pendleton or Camp LeJeune before being ripped out and flown off to some continent where we have no dog in the fight?...where the measurement of victory is unclear?...where fighting men are not allowed to protect themselves by the McManamaras, the Carters, and the Albrights, the Clintons, as when our Marines were not allowed to take the defensive posture warranted by the tactical situation in Lebanon for fear of offending the locals...at sickening loss of life...just as when the Cole had to take a passive posture and not arm the defensive weapons on the deck, providing the only two armed guards with pistols and only two rounds each that they could not even load unless given authorization....this kind of stultifying BS goes on constantly in civilian industry, as Dilbert can attest, where the measurement is stock price. Having such clueless management from our civilian handlers at the top results in unbelievable misuse of the operating forces with an increased churning of people, who have less opportunity to adequately train for the job...and more telegrams to wives and mothers that begin..."I regret to inform you", and end..."You have the thanks of a grateful nation in the sharing of your bereavement at the loss of your husband/son/daughter..."
I haven't even addressed the use of Defense Dept weapons procurement dollars to fund State Dept overseas ventures, thereby guaranteeing that equipment readiness failures will drive commanders, leaders, pilots and ship drivers mad, trying to do with less and less...until they give up in disgust and leave the service.
TP, imagine you are working under these conditions and trying to feel that what you do is appreciated by the Commander in Chief and the nation...It is not going to happen...
It is not just who is President...Carter was a Naval Academy alumnus of mine and a submarine officer...technically qualified, but he had no clue how to effectively lead the country. Reagan had no technical qualifications, but was a patriot that was honest and sincere in his goal to restore the armed forces to supreme power. The success of Desert Storm in the nineties was borne of the support of President Reagan in the eighties. Clinton has no technical qualifications, has tons of negatives from his youth, but is thought to be motivational and inspirational. Problem is that he will say what you want to hear...that he respects you...while his operatives are cutting you off at the knees by overuse and a lack of financial and moral support. Al Gore is cut from the same cloth.
Dub'ya for all his technical inadequacies, understands what it takes to be successful...and is committed that this nation will not slowly drift into the dustbin of history.
I have run off and left my audience...a cardinal sin of public speaking...If anyone is still here, you can leave now...if you want to argue or discuss anything here, you are invited to PM or publicly post to me. These issues are too important for the American people not to understand.
jj |
