Doc,
military strength and readiness had been the backbone of our national defense from the 50s to the early 90s.
it was a strategy of deterrence and it worked.
the concept is to be so strong and prepared that nobody would dare attack. high troop morale is an essential part of this. it is attained by strong leadership providing challenging training and first class equipment.
as we have weakened our armed forces over the past decade...the attacks began and are increasing in severity. there is a direct relationship between military strength and the willingness of an enemy to attack.
morale is very important. the iraqi army had poor leadership at the top, worse training and lousy equipment...once they got to the battlefield, entire units quickly surrendered.
our special operations units have training funds and first class equipment...they have a high state of preparedness and morale is strong...but they are but a small part of our overall force strength.
our regular forces are hurting badly. i have heard stories of some units removing every other light bulb to save money. some regular air force units do not have sufficient funds to provide fuel for pilots to fly the established monthly minimums to stay proficient.
we have had droves of small unit commanders and sergeants leaving the service because they do not want to lead poorly trained and equipped men into combat. they were frustrated by the lack of training funds and leadership at the top. their stories have been published in time, newsweek and other media. Hackworth, North and others have been interviewed over and over explaining the problem.
the military has witnessed the previous terrorist attacks...even as they tried to cope and formulate a defensive strategy, funds continued to be chopped from the military budget.
the current situation is this...
we have been attacked...
Americans now want swift and massive retribution...
we do not have an armed force capable of a large reaction. we cannot do even 1/2 of another kuwait...we do not have the men and equipment for it.
a year or two ago, i suggested that you go to a military base, talk to a line pilot, rifle company commander or a platoon sergeant...ask them if they were getting sufficient training...ask them if they are ready to respond to an attack. ask them if they are well equipped to defend America. then tell your congressmen about your findings.
if you want to hear others complain about clinton's military policies ask those who are affected by them.
if you want to see the results of his military policies, turn on your tv.
but you have a point...perhaps i should spread it around a bit further and blame the entire liberal left wing political machine that chose him to be their leader. you know...the folks that denied our soldiers training ammunition and increased spending on gay art.
i am angry that we are not in a position to adequately defend ourselves...i am angry that Americans have died in a massive attack. i am pissed about the readiness level of training and equipment in our armed forces. i am disheartened that we have allowed our troop strength and morale to fall so low.
i have been in close and violent combat. i have witnessed and participated in the slaughter of men in battle. i have seen American soldiers killed by chinese rifles and russian PT76 tanks up close and personal...i have seen innocent civilians killed by stray fire...(so called collateral damage)...i have studied our military history and every major battle. in my travels, i have walked many of the battlefields. i have paid my dues, i have earned the right to tell it like i see it and i will.
now you too have witnessed the utter destruction of human life that occurs in a war...the mayhem, the blood, the terror, the fear.
if you are not angry yet, you will be soon...this is going to affect you deeply and personally in your pocketbook when the markets reopen.
we need to look at where we are and how we got there. we need to see the mistakes...then we need to move forward.
training and ammunition funds are not going to be an issue any longer. corrective action will have already begun. training and preparation for battle are intense at every level right now. fortunately our troops have very high confidence in our current leadership...morale will improve as fast as readiness. but it will take time to correct deficiencies in overall strength and major system readiness.
three members of my immediate family are on active duty right now. one Marine and 2 Air Force pilots. my son called me last night and asked me if i thought he should enlist. i spoke with several Special Forces retirees last night...to a man they will volunteer for recall to active duty if the call goes out. America has survived by being strong and willing to fight. there are 10s of thousands of fighting American families and we need them all.
Americans will face the threat and the danger. they will fight and they will die if necessary to preserve freedom. we saw that yesterday with the massive response to the battlefield by the firemen, police and EMTs.
this is going to be a long and protracted war...the geography alone will make it so. iraq, iran, syria, palestine, libya, n korea, and afghanistan all harbor terrorists. terrorist actions in s america are another whole story.
we are in a huge fight...the very foundations of our society are threatened. make no mistake about it...we need well equipped, well trained, and well led soldiers for this fight and lots of them.
unclewest |
