http://apathetic-usa.com/

PLEASE post link.

I sense ire on your part. I have to tell you that intel in AF is shaky at best. We don’t have the humint resources, and the other methods are pretty ineffective. What good is electronic surveillance if messages go by hand courier?

Absolutely, I am . . . to say it in polite company, disenchanted. Human intelligence, or not, electronic surveillance, or not. How often does this sort of thing happen?

I have more questions than answers. Why did it take so long for support to arrive? OK, drop in some troops, but support should be no less than five minutes away. It is about planning. It is not just about having intelligence on the enemy but the intelligence of those who planned the action.

Yep, what was expected was not the reality. There was more resistance than expected. How often does that happen? How difficult is it to plan for contigencies? Why weren’t contigencies planned for?

One of the first lessons I learned when I became an officer was that no plan survives first contact with the opposing force. After that it is all improvise, adapt and overcome if you are going to suceed.

Agreed. Yet, the plan was incomplete. Being an officer I am certain you understand the concept of using overwhelming force to attack. What was known, and what is known, is not always fact, especially in Afghanistan. This is a ‘lesson learned.’ Why forget it?

I suspect an answer will be limited resources. Horse hockey. A single troop is a resource that I do not want to loose.

I feel that I am repeating myself, and I am not taking issue with you. Simply put, a better plan that encompasses lessons learned, demostrates that the planners are intelligent.

These mean exemplify that sediment exactly!

On December 12th, 2008 at 7:10 pm, zyzzyg said:
These guys are heroes and the idiots who planned the mission should be court marshalled. There should have been an air strike of imbalanced and exaggerated proportions to eliminate, if not to soften the target.

This mission had what kind of intelligence? No more politeness. No more concern about collateral damage. Are we fighting a war or performing surgery.

I sense ire on your part. I have to tell you that intel in AF is shaky at best. We don’t have the humint resources, and the other methods are pretty ineffective. What good is electronic surveillance if messages go by hand courier?

One of the first lessons I learned when I became an officer was that no plan survives first contact with the opposing force. After that it is all improvise, adapt and overcome if you are going to suceed.

On that basis, these troopers are “Numbah 1.” The AAR’s will flow and assign blame. No doubt some Speedy 4 will get nailed and ArCOMs will flow for E5 and above. It always is thus (except in my unit, of course!) I am very judicious in awards, because I do not want to cheapen the value of any recognition given. I don’t even let Bronze Stars slide by when an AAM is more appropriate….old meanie that I am.

R/

CW4

I have been in a l.o.n.g. time and seen the highs and lows in the US Armed Forces. I have seen the bad times when we did not have people or money, and our senior leadership was floundering.

I feel good about the people I have trained and the people in the mid levels now, for they know the price and cost of freedom. We live it every day. We see it (thankfully less more recently) in ceremonies at Arlington and other Fields of Stone.

When I travel in uniform, I am inundated with “thank you”s and “God Bless You”s. I am humbled by it, and honored that I am allowed to serve the people of the greatest nation on Earth. I only hope that I continue to remain worthy and that I will not fail in thought, action or deed.

Sir W.S. Churchill (my political hero) once said: “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

This must be our mantra as Americans (although not in France, hopefully.)

I know the people who work for me will do their part. I know I speak for my people, and many others in the Armed Forces in asking only for your support and prayers. We will not let you down.

V/R

KGP

This mission had what kind of intelligence? No more politeness. No more concern about collateral damage. Are we fighting a war or performing surgery.

God Bless all of them.