Target Centermass

Category: Gunner’s Favorites

  • Good Luck, Billy-boy

    I mentioned back in July that a good old buddy of mine had gone back in the Guard. Now he’s about to get his boots dusty.

    I first met William Hartman in the fall of 1990. He was fresh off of three years of active duty as an infantryman and starting at Texas A&M when he enlisted in my unit. We’ve been friends ever since.

    Here’s a pic of us in transition training at Ft. Hood in May 1993 as the Texas Guard moved from the M60-A3 to the M1. Bill, by then an ROTC cadet and SMP (Simultaneous Military Personnel, or “Dot” for their cirle rank insignia), is on the right and yours truly is on the left.

    On an M1 at Hood in May 93

    Since those days, Bill graduated and received his commission. After becoming a tank platoon leader, he talked me into transferring into his new unit and serving as his gunner. We crewed together until I left the Guard in ’99. Shortly after that, Bill moved laterally to a scout platoon leader position.

    A few years later, I crewed with him once again as one of his groomsmen. Not long afterward, 1LT Hartman resigned his commission, devoting himself to his civilian life and family and, to be honest, bored with the idea of the eventual staff-officer position that was looming. Staff work just isn’t his style.

    Civilian Bill, doing well in sales and enjoying family life with a beautiful wife and three young children. But there’s always the news.

    The stories can eat at a former soldier. The guilt can gnaw. Believe me, I know.

    Last May, Bill informed me that he was back in the Guard. Rather than go through all the hoops required to get his commission back, he went in as a sergeant based on his last enlisted rank of E-5 as a cadet.

    A voicemail from Germany this week told me where he is now headed.

    My friend Bill, along with a large contingent of the Texas Army National Guard, is going to Iraq.

    But Bill isn’t going quietly into that sandy night. A quick search found this story about the deployment, and SGT Hartman is mentioned and quoted extensively. No real surprise, knowing ol’ Billy-boy.

    For any athletes, constant practice and teamwork can make the difference between winning and losing a big game. But for the soldiers of the 36th Infantry Division’s 56th Brigade Combat Team, the intense combat training that they are performing here in preparation for their deployment to Iraq is no game, because losing can mean the difference between life and death.

    The call-up of about 3,000 Texas citizen-soldiers for duty in southwest Asia to support Operation Iraqi Freedom is the largest mobilization in the state’s history since World War II.

    After half a century, the 36th Infantry Division, formally the 49th Armored Division, was reactivated to help transform the Texas Army National Guard into a more mobile and lethal fighting force that will see a new generation of soldiers wearing the “T-Patch” committed to helping fight the global war on terrorism and carry on the proud legacy established by their predecessors.

    ….

    Some of the Guardsmen had to learn to re-think how to perform their mission and adapt to fighting the guerilla-style tactics the insurgents use.

    Sgt. William J. Hartman, an M1A1 Abrams main battle tank crewman, said that he and his fellow soldiers have a steep learning curve that they must overcome in just a few short months before they are sent overseas.

    Hartman explained that tankers are trained in armored warfare and are accustomed to fighting fast and striking the enemy from a distance in their tank. He said that reverting from an armored role to an infantry role presented a challenge in a number of different areas.

    “We as tankers have a comfort zone in that we are used to operating as a team inside a 63-ton vehicle that is our own little protective capsule,” Hartman explained.

    Hartman emphasized that they will have to think outside of the box and learn to adapt to infantry tactics because they are going to operate in an urban environment. That places a greater emphasis on the level of focus into the training that they perform.

    “We all believe in what we are doing and why we are here,” Hartman said. “When it comes to the training, our Soldiers know the importance of it and they want to get damn good at it, because we have a real-world mission ahead of us. Our lives and the lives of others depend on how well we learn our jobs and how we execute it.”

    But that’s not enough for Bill. The story can also be found here. And here. And here. And here. He even got face time, specifically the picture below (Bill is the one on the left), in the last two links, including this ridiculously large version.

    SGT Billy-boy -- still acting the officer

    My friend Bill is going to Iraq. I can’t believe he’s going to war without me.

    Good luck, Billy-boy, and be sharp — it’s a younger man’s game. Happy hunting, my dear friend.

  • Muslim Link to Anti-Semitism Rise in Europe

    In today’s world, the gist of this story should seem all too obvious, but it is good to hear it blatantly stated by a U.S. State Department source.

    A rise in the number of Muslims in Western Europe has intensified longstanding anti-Jewish sentiment in the region and acts such as desecrating synagogues are likely to increase, the State Department said.

    Since 2000 in Europe, vandalism such as graffiti, fire bombings of Jewish schools and the desecration of cemeteries and synagogues has surged and attacks against Jews “increased markedly,” the department said in a report, which was mandated by Congress.

    “This was a one-time report that calls attention to a new phenomenon. While there is not an explosion of anti-Semitism, it’s a concern that there is a rise of acts by Muslim minorities in Europe,” said a State Department official, who asked not to be named.

    “Unfortunately, the old-fashioned anti-Semitism of skinheads and the like has not gone away and people are also using Israeli and U.S. policies as an excuse to promote their anti-Semitism,” he added.

    Other causes contributing to the rise in anti-Semitism include Israel’s policy toward Palestinians and the invasion of Iraq, led by the Jewish state’s benefactor, the United States.

    Coming just after the State Department official’s quote about Israeli and U.S. policies, Reuters demonstrates confusion between the terms causes and excuses.

    Most European governments regard anti-Semitism as a serious problem and have taken measures, such as introducing legislation and bolstering law enforcement, to combat the trend, the report said.

    But the Bush administration, which has been criticized particularly among Arabs for favoring Israel in its conflict with the Palestinians, predicted new, disaffected Muslim immigrants to Europe will direct their anger against Jews.

    “In Western Europe, traditional far-right groups still account for a significant proportion of the attacks against Jews and Jewish properties (but) disadvantaged and disaffected Muslim youths increasingly were responsible for most of the other incidents,” the report said.

    “The trend appears likely to persist as the number of Muslims in Europe continues to grow while their level of education and economic prospects remain limited,” it added.

    The stories of the problems Europe is facing from its growing Muslim populations are become more and more disturbing. Here and here are looks at difficulties in Sweden.

    Sweden is one of the worst hit countries in Europe of Muslim immigration and Political Correctness. Now, the police themselves have publicly admitted that they no longer control one of Sweden’s major cities. I have made some exclusive translations from Swedish media. They show the future of Eurabia unless Europeans wake up.

    I’ve seen the future of Eurabia, and it’s called ‘Sweden.’ Malmø is Sweden’s third largest city, after Stockholm and Gothenburg. Once-peaceful Sweden, home of ABBA, IKEA and the Nobel Prize, is increasingly looking like the Middle East on a bad day.

    Here is a lengthy look today at several places in Europe, including Germany, Britain, France and the Netherlands.

    The Netherlands, like much of Europe, has made the mistake of long ignoring parallel societies growing in the poor, immigrant neighborhoods. “When you’re not integrated, don’t speak the language, don’t have a job, are living in half ruins–we must not overlook that there is a breeding ground for real violence,” says von der Fuhr. It all leaves young Muslims, even those born in Europe, vulnerable to what he calls “garbage can” Islam.

    We are certainly in a global war for the future direction of civilization, and Europe is shaping up to be one of the battlefields of the future if decisive steps are not soon initiated.

  • The Age-Old Problem During, Between and After Wars

    War is mainly a catalogue of blunders.

    —Winston Churchill

    The above quote is most assuredly true and unavoidable. War is a series of traps, a string of opportunities for error. Perhaps the most difficult pitfall to avoid actually begins before combat commences. In fact, it begins immediately in the aftermath of the previous conflict, be it a small engagement or a worldwide conflagration of hostility, and continues on into the next conflict. Put simply, the mistake I write of is the misuse or neglect of possible lessons to be learned. I’ll leave it to Cyril Falls to put it more eloquently:

    Those who study warfare only in the light of history think of the next war in terms of the last. But those who neglect history deprive themselves of a yardstick by which theory can be measured.

    The obvious mistake is to misinterpret or neglect the abundant information available, be it from failures or successes. An example of this would be the successful torpedo-plane attack on Taranto in early World War II. The Japanese chose to learn from the British air success against a shallow, sheltered harbor, while the Americans learned little or nothing from the sinking of three Italian battleships. Result: five American battleships sunk at Pearl Harbor, less than thirteen months later.

    The more subtle trap is to fall into the thinking that the next war will be fought in the manner of the previous one. This leads to limitations on both strategic and tactical thinking and their subsequent effect on training and preparation. Drawing from WWII again, an easily identified example is that of the French. Having seen the trench warfare, relatively stable fronts and bloody results of attacks against fortified positions, the French relied too heavily on this experience with their dependence on the fixed fortifications of the Maginot Line. Result: the capitulation of France to Nazi Germany in just six weeks.

    During my time in the National Guard, I saw first-hand this type of thinking, at both a strategic and tactical level. Even into the latter ’90s, much of the US armor training was based on the planned defense-and-counterattack of the anticipated massive tank showdown with the Soviets in Europe. On a small-scale level, my platoon was going through a move-to-contact engagement on the tank simulators at Ft. Knox (I’m talking about the old platoon-to-battalion level SimNet, which may or may not still be in use). The exercise was late in the day and the platoon reacted poorly to the eventual enemy attack. Overnight, the platoon leadership planned for the same exercise, anticipating the meeting with the OpFor to be in the same location. Sure enough, as the engagement was rerun the following morning, the enemy were in the same location and were decimated. We had made a mistake and been rewarded for it — wrong lesson learned.

    Military history is replete with examples of both lessons that were failed to be grasped and lessons that were learned too rigidly. How best to avoid this trap? Learn the lessons of the previous conflict but don’t allow them to exclusively dictate doctrine or tactics. Innovate while anticipating innovation. Despite the above case of Pearl Harbor, along with my own examples and many more throughout our history, the modern American military has generally been pretty good about this, overcoming the potential pitfalls with flexibility and innovation. One of my old lieutenants liked to say, “We train in chaos.” (He also, in his fair share, was fond of saying, “I’ll get the next pitcher.” He’s still a dear friend.) This has been noticed by our foes as well, as a Soviet military document apparently held the following gem:

    One of the serious problems in planning against American doctrine that the Americans do not read their manuals nor do they feel any obligations to follow their doctrine.

    So far in the war against Islamist terror, this potential trap has played to our advantage. In Afghanistan, the Taliban felt secure without a build-up for a repeat of the Soviet engagement. In Iraq, Saddam and his military seemed paralyzed when the ground onslaught took off without a lengthy air campaign, as was expected from the first Gulf War. In both, the US used innovation and adaptation to overcome the enemy without allowing them the luxury of benefitting from their acquired experience.

    A trio of historical examples are driving today’s war — Viet Nam in general, Tet specifically, and Mogadishu. The Islamists are hoping that a slow bleed or a sudden hemorrhage will cripple the will of the American public.

    Which is stronger — the will of the American people to succeed or their fear of the failures of our history? The hopes of our current enemy based on our past or the future imaginative actions of the American military?

    I anticipate having children someday. They and their children will live in the world that results from the answer to that.

  • A Veterans Day Message

    In Flanders fields the poppies blow...I was asked today and have often wondered something about Veterans Day — who is it truly meant to honor? Memorial Day is easy — that is a day to remember and pay homage to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the uniform (though everyday we wake up free should be such a day). I knew the origins of today’s holiday, with Nov. 11 (the anniversary of the end of World War I in 1918) formerly being set aside as Armistice Day to honor those who served in that great conflict. In 1954, the name of the holiday was changed to include the veterans of WWII and Korea. Obviously, Veterans Day is a tribute to veterans, but my question was if it was truly meant for combat veterans or those like myself who only served in peacetime?

    Well, according to the FAQ on the government’s official Veterans Day site, the answer is as follows:

    Q. What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

    A. Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.
    While those who died are also remembered on Veterans Day, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty.

    In light of this confirmation, I would like to thank all who served before me, all who served with me, all who served after me and all who currently serve and sacrifice.

    Why the picture of the flowers on my posts about Veterans Day? That’s a pic of poppies from Flanders Field in Belgium, and the significance of that particular flower and its relation to Veterans (formerly Armistice) Day stem from the poem “In Flanders Fields” by WWI Canadian army physician John McCrae. The poem and its history can be found here (hattip to Damian Brooks at Babbling Brooks).

  • Target Centermass Texas Chili

    I’ve got a treat for you.

    My girlfriend’s family has a rather unique tradition — chili on Halloween. Her family has moved to Amarillo, so I’ll be cooking Sunday for the gf and then assisting her in handing out candy during movies (any movie recommendations would be appreciated). Anyway, I had to dig up my chili recipe tonight and, by some chance, I’ve noticed that elgato, one of my blog inspirations and a fellow Texan, today posted a recipe for fajitas. With all this, apparently I’m being guided to give y’all my recipe for chili.

    First, I have to admit that this recipe is a) excellent and b) modified from the recipe found in the book Texas Cowboy Cooking, which I heartily recommend and have repeatedly given as a Christmas gift. Here goes:

    Ingredients:
    4 lbs chili-ground beef
    1 large onion, finely chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 tsp cumin
    4 tbs chili powder
    1 tsp oregano
    2 16-oz cans crushed tomatoes
    2.5 cups water (beer can be substituted for some or all)
    2 each of large green bell, red and yellow peppers, chopped
    3-5 fresh jalapenos, chopped
    2-3 tbs brown sugar
    salt, black pepper, tabasco

    Preparation:
    Brown chili meat, onion and garlic.

    Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, and water and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1/2 hour. Skim off some fat (to taste and heart condition) as it cooks off the chili.

    Add peppers and brown sugar and simmer for 1/2 hour.

    Add salt, black pepper, tabasco to taste and simmer another 1/2 hour.

    Serve alone, or with rice, bread or Fritos.

  • World Series: the Curse Continues

    Another MLB World Series complete, and still the Curse reigns.

    No, not that silly Bambino thing. I’m talking about the Curse of Keith.

    49th AD Lone StarI lived in the St. Louis area until 1980 when, at the age of twelve, my family moved to Texas. St. Louis is a baseball-mad city and, as a little league first baseman, my childhood hero was an easy choice — the Cardinals’ all-star and MVP Keith Hernandez. Keith was a very good hitter, but his true strength was in the field. He practically redefined the position, making it no longer the place to park aging sluggers. It was sometimes wondered whether he generated more runs with his bat or saved more with his glove. Though I had moved near Houston, my loyalty remained with Keith and the Redbirds. I went nuts in 1982 when the Cards knocked off the Milwaukee Brewers to take the World Series. Keith had a dinger and eight RBIs in the seven-game series.

    And then the unthinkable happened. June 15, 1983, barely into the defense of their title, the Cardinals traded Keith to the lowly New York Mets. Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey were acquired, but the real issue was an ongoing personality clash between Keith and Cards manager Whitey Herzog. The Curse of Keith had begun.

    Having lost my geographic ties to the Cardinals, my loyalty followed Keith to New York. I watched as the Mets, perennial cellar-dwellers, used the lefty first-bagger as a cornerstone in their rebuilding. They added another key veteran when they acquired catcher Gary Carter from the Montreal Expos, and developed some key young talent in outfielder Darryl Strawberry and pitching ace Dwight Gooden. With this nucleus intact, the Mets were able to dominate the 1986 regular season, win a dramatic playoff series over the Houston Astros, and take the title from the supposedly-cursed Boston Red Sox.

    In the 86 years since the Bambino thing began, the Bosox only lost four World Series. In the 22 seasons since the Curse of Keith began, my boyhood hero won another ring while the Cards have already failed in three trips to the series.

    Keith’s career faded in the late ’80s as his knees slowly succumbed to wear and tear. Never known for his speed, Keith finished two stolen bases short of 100 for his career, a personal goal his legs wouldn’t let him reach.

    Over the years, the Curse of Keith still haunts the Cardinals. My allegiance slowly switched to the Astros, but I still think Keith Hernandez is the greatest defensive first baseman and one of the greatest all-around at his position to ever play the game. To this day, I still believe he should be in the Hall of Fame for his batting but especially for his fielding and eleven consecutive Gold Gloves. Oh yeah, also for his Seinfeld appearance.

  • Farewell, 49th Lone Star

    49th AD Lone StarEvery unit patch I wore on the left arm of my BDUs is now officially a memory.

    During my nine-year enlistment in the Army National Guard, I wore two unit patches on my BDUs (granted, it should’ve been three, but my time officially drilling as a member of the D.C. Guard was so brief I never received the Capitol Guardians patch). When I signed up in 1990, the Texas Guard had seven M60-A3 battalions, five in the 49th Lone Star Armored Division and two joined with the New Jersey Guard in the 50th AD. My unit, HHC 7/112th AR, was part of the 50th.

    In 1993, the Texas Guard upgraded to M1s but also, as part of the general post-Cold War reduction in force, was reduced to five battalions, all part of the 49th AD. My unit served temporarily as HHC 5/112 before becoming HHC 4/112 AR. Shortly after my return from D.C., I transferred to a line company to become a gunner on an old buddy’s tank. I served out the remainder of my time, including an extended enlistment, in D Co, 5/112 AR. I left the Guard in April 1999. Immediately after that year’s annual training period, D Co was done away with as part of an across-the-board restructuring of armored battalions. My last unit was no more.

    Now, albeit well past the actual occurence, I’ve recently found out that the 49th AD is also no more.

    “We are transforming our Army to better meet the demands of the 21st century,” said Acting Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee. “Today’s re-flagging from the 49th Armored Division to the 36th Infantry Division is representative of these changes.”

    Brownlee and Texas Gov. Rick Perry attended the unit’s re-flagging ceremony, resulting in the National Guards’ loss of all armored divisions. The Guard Soldiers stood reverently as their commanders changed colors July 18 on Camp Mabry’s parade field in Austin, Texas.

    “Transformation is not new to our Army or the Texas National Guard,” said Maj. Gen. Michael H. Taylor, commander of the 36th Inf. Div. “We’ve transformed many times in the past 200 years, especially since World War II. Our job is to stand ready, leave our family and our jobs, augment the active forces to serve our nation. It’s what we do.”

    The 49th was organized after World War II. Since then, it has supported the Berlin crisis, operations in Bosnia, Operation Nobel Eagle and Operation Enduring Freedom.

    The 36th “Texas Division” was originally established at Camp Bowie, Fort Worth, Texas, prior to World War I with units formed from Texas and Oklahoma. The patch is a “T” in front of an arrowhead.

    “It is a patch worn by thousands before you who stood steadfast for freedom, who placed themselves in harms way for liberty and life,” said Perry.

    The 36th Soldiers fought in World War I and it was the first American combat division to land in Europe during World War II. The unit was deactivated in 1968 as part of the Department of the Army program to reduce the number of division-size units.

    “Tough days lie ahead,” Perry said. “The work of freedom is a tough duty. But we must keep our eyes on the goal and remember the reason that you set out.”

    By next year, about 4,000 36th Inf. Div. Soldiers will be in Iraq.

    “Places change, soldiering stays the same,” said Taylor.

    Yes, the 36th ID has a great and storied history. Yes, I may still go back and, if so, I’ll be proud to wear the patch of the 36th. Still, I’ll miss the 49th AD. Farewell, Lone Star.

  • Edwards: No Military Draft if Dems Win

    As it should be, national defense is an issue in the 2004 presidential election. Unfortunately, it is not being discussed but, rather, manipulated in a seemingly concerted effort.

    Vice presidential candidate John Edwards promised a West Virginia mother on Wednesday that if the Democratic ticket is elected in November the military draft would not be revived.

    During a question-and-answer session, the mother of a 23-year-old who recently graduated from West Virginia University asked Edwards whether the draft would be reinstated.

    “There will be no draft when John Kerry is president,” Edwards said, a statement that drew a standing ovation.

    The current force is all-volunteer, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said he opposes reinstating the draft. But the Pentagon has taken several steps that have drawn criticism.

    In June, the Pentagon recalled to active duty 5,674 members of the Individual Ready Reserve, soldiers who have served specified tours of duty but have years remaining in their enlistment contracts.

    Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, has complained about the extent of the Bush administration’s use of Reserves and National Guardsmen and a device called “stop loss,” which prevents soldiers from leaving when typical obligations end. “They have effectively used a stop-loss policy as a backdoor draft,” Kerry said.

    First, tie this to the (incorrect) allegation of a backdoor draft during Kerry’s DNC acceptance speech.

    Second, tie this to an email campaign started from a “Soapbox Alert” on Congress.org, a soapbox alert that has been subsequently removed and has been replaced with the message “The Soapbox Alert you’ve requested is no longer available.”

    Luckily, a discussion forum I’m a member of was subjected to repeated postings of this “alert” and threads are still available. The alert read as follows:

    Pending Draft Legislation Targeted for Spring 2005
    The Draft will Start in June 2005

    There is pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills: S 89 and HR 163) which will time the program’s initiation so the draft can begin at early as Spring 2005 — just after the 2004 presidential election. The administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public’s attention is on the elections, so our action on this is needed immediately.

    $28 million has been added to the 2004 Selective Service System (SSS) budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as early as June 15, 2005. Selective Service must report to Bush on March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation. Please see website: www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the sss annual performance plan – fiscal year 2004.

    The pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide.. Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts and influential members of congress are suggesting that if Rumsfeld’s prediction of a “long, hard slog” in Iraq and Afghanistan [and a permanent state of war on “terrorism”] proves accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to draft.

    Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and HR 163 forward this year, http://www.hslda.org/legislation/na…s89/default.asp entitled the Universal National Service Act of 2003, “to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18–26] in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.” These active bills currently sit in the committee on armed services.

    Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era.

    College and Canada will not be options. In December 2001, Canada and the U.S. signed a “smart border declaration,” which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, John Manley, and U.S. Homeland Security director, Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30-point plan which implements, among other things, a “pre-clearance agreement” of people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their current semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

    Even those voters who currently support US actions abroad may still object to this move, knowing their own children or grandchildren will not have a say about whether to fight. Not that it should make a difference, but this plan, among other things, eliminates higher education as a
    shelter and includes women in the draft.

    The public has a right to air their opinions about such an important decision.

    Please send this on to all the friends, parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and cousins that you know. Let your children know too — it’s their future, and they can be a powerful voice for change!

    Please also contact your representatives to ask them why they aren’t telling their constituents about these bills — and contact newspapers and other media outlets to ask them why they’re not covering this important story.

    I looked into this and quickly was able to set up a pat response anytime this was posted: both pieces of legislation, while legitimate, were introduced in 2003 by Democrats (e.g. Rangel, McDermott, Conyers, Hollings). That President Bush is so brilliant as to be able to manipulate the Dems into submitting legislation supporting his secret plans is simply astounding.

    Okay, enough of fighting the stupidity campaign with facts. Now, let’s look at Edwards’ promise.

    This is simply a promise that never should be made. If unforeseen events demand a draft, the president would either have to break the promise or live up to it, cutting short our ability to respond.

    Nobody wants a draft. The all-volunteer military is far more effective in its current form than it would be with a bunch of conscripts. However, it cannot and should not be promised that there will not arise a need for conscripts. Contrary to apparently popular perception, the draft wasn’t a public raping used exclusively in the Viet Nam campaign. No, the draft has a long history of being used by this country in time of need, back to the Civil War and even in WWII, despite the popular notions that these were wars fought by idealistic volunteers.

    We are the United States of America. We have several advantages in our global position, militarily speaking, among which are the following:

    • Nuclear capability, anytime, anywhere
    • Technological superiority
    • Relatively sizable population

    It is my opinion that none of these advantages should ever be taken off the table. Our military is for this nation’s defense; I can honestly never see a reason to broadcast to a potential enemy that we, by policy, limit ourselves in any fashion.

    I honestly do not think that the Kerry-Edwards ticket takes our national defense and the fight against Islamist terror seriously. I have spoken before, repeatedly, about wrestling with the idea of re-enlisting since 9/11. I state now that (barring disaster), this will not happen if Kerry wins the presidency.

    It’s that simple. Short of disaster, I will not again volunteer to serve while John Kerry is Commander-in-Chief.

    At least I’m wise enough to hedge and allow for necessity; Edwards isn’t.

  • Rather’s Dangerous Game

    With its firm stance supported only by weak defenses, CBS is walking a high-wire with Dan Rather’s assertions that the Bush-Killian documents are valid. These defenses are repeatedly rapidly overwhelmed by the research of the conservative side of the blogosphere, and this has led me to re-evaluate the situation.

    Short of serious substantiation, CBS has two choices: first, crawdad on its assertions and confess its egregious errors in both methodology and mission; second, lay low and continue to deny, hoping it blows over or the rest of the mainstream media rides in to the rescue.

    This brings to mind the French at Dien Bien Phu.

    From Summons of the Trumpet by Dave Richard Palmer:

    The French and the Viet Minh fought the climactic battle at an unimportant and unimposing village high in jungle-covered hills near the Laotian border — Dien Bien Phu. (Memories of that battle would return fourteen years later to haunt and distract American leaders at a crucial moment.) In January 1954, Viet Minh General Vo Nguyen Giap surrounded a large French force at Dien Bien Phu, isolating it from all support except that dropped by parachute. Through February and into March the French held on doggedly. But they were doomed without help — and by March they knew it. Desparately, Paris asked Washington to intervene.

    Is CBS setting up MSM’s own Dien Bien Phu, with the bloggers in the role of the surrounding forces? It would certainly seem that the rehashing of the old AWOL stories would be the equivalent of “an unimportant and unimposing village” in this election year. The stakes on the confrontation? Nothing short of the credibility of the entirety of the old media. If the bloggers retreat into the jungle and let Rather escape, then the current situation continues. If critical mass of the story is reached with the public, MSM goes into a crisis. Will the other branches of the old media play it neutral and see how things play out, or will they do their actual job and seriously look at Rather’s claims? Their credibility may hinge on it, as the Swiftboat Vets story has shown that MSM no longer has exclusive claim to the public’s attention.

    CBS and Rather are potentially setting up their own Dien Bien Phu. Will the rest of the old media support them or do what’s right and what’s their role in society — investigate and cover the story?

  • Discerning the Kerry Doctrine

    I’ve gone through John Kerry’s acceptance speech, sifting out anything related to defense and the war against terror. In analyzing his own words, I’m hoping to gather an idea of how Kerry hopes to lead our military and our country as president and commander-in-chief.

    I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war.
    ….
    I will have a secretary of Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders.
    ….
    My fellow Americans, this is the most important election of our lifetime. The stakes are high. We are a nation at war, a global war on terror against an enemy unlike any we have ever known before.
    ….
    And in this journey, I am accompanied by an extraordinary band of brothers led by that American hero, a patriot named Max Cleland. Our band of brothers doesn’t march together because of who we are as veterans, but because of what we learned as soldiers. We fought for this nation because we loved it and we came back with the deep belief that every day is extra. We may be a little older now, we may be a little grayer, but we still know how to fight for our country.

    Nothing yet except window dressing, but I included the above portion because it is related. Also, note the backhanded slams on the Bush administration, especially the opening salvo implying that Bush lied about Iraq, which could only serve to undermine our efforts there. Also, regarding the SecDef listening to military leaders, I would suspect that Rumsfeld has listened; he just hasn’t always agreed. The Army wanted the Crusader artillery program kept intact, but Rummy decided it was not needed in the foreseeable future and would provide no advantage in any conflicts currently on the horizon.

    Now we get to the heart of Kerry’s defense statements.

    Remember the hours after Sept. 11, when we came together as one to answer the attack against our homeland. We drew strength when our firefighters ran up the stairs and risked their lives, so that others might live. When rescuers rushed into smoke and fire at the Pentagon (news – web sites). When the men and women of Flight 93 sacrificed themselves to save our nation’s Capitol. When flags were hanging from front porches all across America, and strangers became friends. It was the worst day we have ever seen, but it brought out the best in all of us.

    I am proud that after Sept. 11 all our people rallied to President Bush’s call for unity to meet the danger. There were no Democrats. There were no Republicans. There were only Americans. How we wish it had stayed that way.

    Bush laid out his plans for combating terrorism before Congress. The Dems and Reps were generally in agreement then. His strategy and focus has not changed, and he has held true to one course. If we are divided now, it is because others have sought to venture in another direction.

    Now I know there are those who criticize me for seeing complexities and I do because some issues just aren’t all that simple. Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn’t make it so.

    Saying there are not weapons of mass destruction, unfortunately, does not make it so, either. How many more must be found?

    Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesn’t make it so. And proclaiming mission accomplished certainly doesn’t make it so.

    How about not proclaiming the mission accomplished but instead saying it continues? Enough of the politics, can we get to ideas? As you said, we are a nation at war.

    As President, I will ask hard questions and demand hard evidence. I will immediately reform the intelligence system so policy is guided by facts, and facts are never distorted by politics.

    Generally agree here. Much needs to be done to repair our intelligence services. However, Kerry helped weaken them and now, with the implication without evidence that the facts were politically manipulated, he politicized the intelligence community needlessly.

    And as President, I will bring back this nation’s time-honored tradition: the United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to.

    How “time-honored” is this tradition? It seems we were itching for 1812, raced into the Spanish-American, could’ve dodged our duty in Korea and Viet Nam, left Grenada alone, and skipped the Balkans.

    I know what kids go through when they are carrying an M-16 in a dangerous place and they can’t tell friend from foe. I know what they go through when they’re out on patrol at night and they don’t know what’s coming around the next bend. I know what it’s like to write letters home telling your family that everything’s all right when you’re not sure that’s true.

    As President, I will wage this war with the lessons I learned in war. Before you go to battle, you have to be able to look a parent in the eye and truthfully say: “I tried everything possible to avoid sending your son or daughter into harm’s way. But we had no choice. We had to protect the American people, fundamental American values from a threat that was real and imminent.”

    So lesson one, this is the only justification for going to war.

    A strategy of waiting for danger to become imminent, of letting trouble fester? Wasn’t that what we did in the 1990s, allowing things such a the USS Cole and 9/11 to develop? Isn’t this in conflict with the conclusions of the 9/11 commission?

    And on my first day in office, I will send a message to every man and woman in our armed forces: You will never be asked to fight a war without a plan to win the peace.

    And it has to be a fool-proof plan, because the party out of power reserves the right to savage the administration over any setbacks or struggles, right?

    I know what we have to do in Iraq. We need a president who has the credibility to bring our allies to our side and share the burden, reduce the cost to American taxpayers, and reduce the risk to American soldiers. That’s the right way to get the job done and bring our troops home.

    Here is the reality: that won’t happen until we have a president who restores America’s respect and leadership – so we don’t have to go it alone in the world.

    And we need to rebuild our alliances, so we can get the terrorists before they get us.

    I agree that alliances are useful, and we currently have built a coalition that is in the field in both the Afghan and Iraqi theaters of the war on terror. So it comes down to quibbling about who the members of the coalition are. Maybe a strategy should be in reconsidering the value of some of our old “allies” and examining their motivations.

    I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as President. Let there be no mistake: I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response.

    But what about not waiting for an attack? The war has started, it is decidedly to our advantage to choose the battlefield as we see fit.

    I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security. And I will build a stronger American military.

    We will add 40,000 active duty troops, not in Iraq, but to strengthen American forces that are now overstretched, overextended, and under pressure. We will double our special forces to conduct anti-terrorist operations. We will provide our troops with the newest weapons and technology to save their lives and win the battle. And we will end the backdoor draft of National Guard and reservists.

    To all who serve in our armed forces today, I say, help is on the way.

    I agree with more troops. As a former Guardsman, I disagree that using the reserve components is a “backdoor draft” (a term, by the way, actually meant to refer to the application of stop-loss on personnel whose military commitment has expired). For the Guard or Reserve called up, it is certainly a hardship and a danger, but it is also a duty and a possibility to be known about from day one of joining the service.

    As President, I will fight a smarter, more effective war on terror. We will deploy every tool in our arsenal: our economic as well as our military might; our principles as well as our firepower.

    Words. What would Kerry do differently, unless by every tool he is wanting to utilize nukes? We are already operating through military missions, covert ops, economic pressures and inducements.

    In these dangerous days there is a right way and a wrong way to be strong. Strength is more than tough words. After decades of experience in national security, I know the reach of our power and I know the power of our ideals.

    We need to make America once again a beacon in the world. We need to be looked up to and not just feared.

    We need to lead a global effort against nuclear proliferation to keep the most dangerous weapons in the world out of the most dangerous hands in the world.

    We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances. And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: You will lose and we will win. The future doesn’t belong to fear; it belongs to freedom.

    And the front lines of this battle are not just far away they’re right here on our shores, at our airports, and potentially in any town or city. Today, our national security begins with homeland security. The 9/11 Commission has given us a path to follow, endorsed by Democrats, Republicans, and the 9/11 families. As president, I will not evade or equivocate; I will immediately implement the recommendations of that commission. We shouldn’t be letting 95 percent of container ships come into our ports without ever being physically inspected. We shouldn’t be leaving our nuclear and chemical plants without enough protection. And we shouldn’t be opening firehouses in Baghdad and closing them down in the United States of America.

    Obviously we need to work on our security, especially if we are going to cease to take the battle to the terrorists.

    You don’t value families if you force them to take up a collection to buy body armor for a son or daughter in the service

    Political weapon that is apparently unsupported (thanks to Michelle Malkin).

    And our energy plan for a stronger America will invest in new technologies and alternative fuels and the cars of the future – so that no young American in uniform will ever be held hostage to our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

    I agree that we can look to alternative sources of energy; we can also look to alternative sources of oil, especially when we know there are untapped reserves here in the U.S.

    Okay, that’s it, every bit of Kerry’s acceptance speech related to defense, Iraq and his plans for the future of the war against terror. So, what have we learned about the Kerry Doctrine?

    • The president must go to war honestly, based only on confirmed facts, and only after all means of avoidance have been exhausted.
    • The military should be expanded, both in men and advanced equipment, and the intelligence services should be revamped.
    • Old alliances should be restored. How this is to be done when it seems apparent that France and Germany are trying to position themselves as the guiding strengths of the EU and trying to position the EU as a rival to the U.S. is unsaid. Also unstated is the problem of the growing Muslim populations and their militancy in Old Europe, which would hinder the Europeans’ willingness to be full partners with America in the struggle against Islamic fascism. Heck, also unsaid: any reference to the radical Islamist movement.
    • Definitely fight if attacked, and have the infrastructure ready to put out the fires and police the wreckage.
    • Get our troops out by getting others in the struggle. See above for the complications of guaranteeing the assistance of other nations.
    • Try to wean the whole world off the petroleum bottle.

    Well, there you have the Kerry Doctrine. Fight when needed, add troops and first responders, improve intelligence, and try to get others to take our place in the war.

    Funny, I’m not getting warm fuzzies about our security future.