In some ways, I'd like to see the draft brought back with ZERO exemptions. Rich people would be a lot more careful about the wars they start if it were their kids being sent to fight.
Because of your comment about officers being in the rear. I was a 43-year-old National Guard captain who engaged in direct fire combat - even threw hand grenades, once - in 2007-08. My cavalry squadron lost our XO (a major) to an IED in Kapisa Province in June, 2009. Maybe you should learn more.
I didn't read his comment as saying officers were in the rear but only that the protected sons of the establishment, if they serve, most often serve in rear echelons.
I do not think he is saying you should not opine, but rather that you should educate yourself before you do. In this case about the nature of the conflict. ICBW but my impression is that in Afghanistan and especially in Iraq there was not a rear guard in the traditional sense. I do not think modern warfare is conducted that way rather the emphasis is on small, highly trained, highly skilled and well-equipped units. Their leadership, at least their immediate leadership, is indeed present. Maybe the support services are at a base and could be considered rear guard but the notion of massive, standing armies on the field has not been used of late. Maybe because Congress has not declared war in a long time.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, there really was no rear echelon. Even soldiers who never went outside the wire were exposed to mortars, bombs and snipers. When I worked for Medical Command we kept a running list of medics (non-combat specialty) who were killed, and it became very long.
I have only read about it. But at least I do that and that is my understanding. Sorry if I did not express that well. You have my admiration, respect, and thanks for your service.
I can, do, and have made that argument regarding the Ukraine. Personally I find Cuba a more useful point than a Mexican hypothetical. But back to counter-insurgencies. Regarding Vietnam, didn't the US step in for France and when France stepped in was what is now known as Vietnam, North and South, not a unified colony then known as Indochina? Which would make France's opposition guerrillas or insurgents? That is certainly how it was peddled. Gotta keep those dominoes from falling. Korea was a Japanese colony until the end of WWII when it was divided by the Allies. The Korean War started 4 years later when the newly created North Korea, aided by thd USSR crossed the 38th parallel and South Korea, aided by the US, responded. Part of the rationale was to stop world domination by the USSR. Sound familiar? But given that both were waged by newly established and dependent governments I think both can fairly be categorized as insurgencies. And both were absolutely proxy wars, as is the current Ukraine war. See the commonality? Newly recognized or created nations with governments in infancy, utilized for the purposes of more powerful benefactors.
And, to a point, you are correct: Bill Clinton, Joe Biden and Donald Trump all avoided military service by lying. And! the American public didnтАЩt care that they were dishonest, lying cowards.
I deployed to Afghanistan four times - three times as a volunteer. I was MEDEVACED out at the end of my final deployment, after I went into A Fib. I had three uncles who went to Vietnam: one was Infantry, one was a helicopter mechanic and one was a clerk / typist: he came home a little early, when the US pulled out of Vietnam in 1973. By the way, I graduated from North Georgia College, тАЬThe Senior Military College of Georgia,тАЭ and was a Distinguished Military Graduate / Regular Army officer (as well as an Airborne Combat Engineer during the mid-1980тАЩs) and I took a course on Vietnam and wrote a paper at the FA CaptainтАЩs Career Course (Active Component) on the Tet Offensive. How deep into the weeds do you want to get? I made war fighting my profession for years. Having given you some of my CV (background) thereтАЩs a lot to discuss about Afghanistan. Did the West make mistakes there? Yes. Was there corruption? Yes. But, was Afghanistan denied to Russia, China and other terrorist organizations while we were there? YES. I canтАЩt begin to tell you about all the Afghans we helped - and we changed lives for the better. Afghans had a thirst for improving their lives and for education that you canтАЩt imagine unless you went there to witness it. I read yesterday that terrorist organizations are again a threat in Afghanistan, and it is naive to think that we can quit, give up, leave, and hope for the best and assume that things will scab over and Unicorns and rainbows will propagate.
And how about the miles of red tape Ex-soldiers have to go through to get medical attention when theyтАЩre discharged? How many veterans are homeless? PTSD? Since WWI the country never properly took care of their veterans post war. Why do we even need organizations like Wounded Warriors? IтАЩm from a family where all the men served, but I see why these incentives have to appeal to recruits.
Alison, failing to take care of our veterans dates all the way back to the Revolutionary War, and it was one of the reasons the Confederation failed and that George Washington was moved to accept the Presidency. We need another hero now, desperately.
In some ways, I'd like to see the draft brought back with ZERO exemptions. Rich people would be a lot more careful about the wars they start if it were their kids being sent to fight.
DING DING DING
You ever been in the US Military?
Because of your comment about officers being in the rear. I was a 43-year-old National Guard captain who engaged in direct fire combat - even threw hand grenades, once - in 2007-08. My cavalry squadron lost our XO (a major) to an IED in Kapisa Province in June, 2009. Maybe you should learn more.
Thank you for your service.
God bless you. Thank you for what you and your squadron did.
I didn't read his comment as saying officers were in the rear but only that the protected sons of the establishment, if they serve, most often serve in rear echelons.
I do not think he is saying you should not opine, but rather that you should educate yourself before you do. In this case about the nature of the conflict. ICBW but my impression is that in Afghanistan and especially in Iraq there was not a rear guard in the traditional sense. I do not think modern warfare is conducted that way rather the emphasis is on small, highly trained, highly skilled and well-equipped units. Their leadership, at least their immediate leadership, is indeed present. Maybe the support services are at a base and could be considered rear guard but the notion of massive, standing armies on the field has not been used of late. Maybe because Congress has not declared war in a long time.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, there really was no rear echelon. Even soldiers who never went outside the wire were exposed to mortars, bombs and snipers. When I worked for Medical Command we kept a running list of medics (non-combat specialty) who were killed, and it became very long.
I have only read about it. But at least I do that and that is my understanding. Sorry if I did not express that well. You have my admiration, respect, and thanks for your service.
Has there been a conflict post WWII that you do not define as a counter-insurgency?
I can, do, and have made that argument regarding the Ukraine. Personally I find Cuba a more useful point than a Mexican hypothetical. But back to counter-insurgencies. Regarding Vietnam, didn't the US step in for France and when France stepped in was what is now known as Vietnam, North and South, not a unified colony then known as Indochina? Which would make France's opposition guerrillas or insurgents? That is certainly how it was peddled. Gotta keep those dominoes from falling. Korea was a Japanese colony until the end of WWII when it was divided by the Allies. The Korean War started 4 years later when the newly created North Korea, aided by thd USSR crossed the 38th parallel and South Korea, aided by the US, responded. Part of the rationale was to stop world domination by the USSR. Sound familiar? But given that both were waged by newly established and dependent governments I think both can fairly be categorized as insurgencies. And both were absolutely proxy wars, as is the current Ukraine war. See the commonality? Newly recognized or created nations with governments in infancy, utilized for the purposes of more powerful benefactors.
You might be confusing our military with that of another country, say England in the 19th century.
A lot of West Pointers end up in combat, Buddy. I know: I was in for 26 total years, and served with a lot of West Pointers.
And, to a point, you are correct: Bill Clinton, Joe Biden and Donald Trump all avoided military service by lying. And! the American public didnтАЩt care that they were dishonest, lying cowards.
I deployed to Afghanistan four times - three times as a volunteer. I was MEDEVACED out at the end of my final deployment, after I went into A Fib. I had three uncles who went to Vietnam: one was Infantry, one was a helicopter mechanic and one was a clerk / typist: he came home a little early, when the US pulled out of Vietnam in 1973. By the way, I graduated from North Georgia College, тАЬThe Senior Military College of Georgia,тАЭ and was a Distinguished Military Graduate / Regular Army officer (as well as an Airborne Combat Engineer during the mid-1980тАЩs) and I took a course on Vietnam and wrote a paper at the FA CaptainтАЩs Career Course (Active Component) on the Tet Offensive. How deep into the weeds do you want to get? I made war fighting my profession for years. Having given you some of my CV (background) thereтАЩs a lot to discuss about Afghanistan. Did the West make mistakes there? Yes. Was there corruption? Yes. But, was Afghanistan denied to Russia, China and other terrorist organizations while we were there? YES. I canтАЩt begin to tell you about all the Afghans we helped - and we changed lives for the better. Afghans had a thirst for improving their lives and for education that you canтАЩt imagine unless you went there to witness it. I read yesterday that terrorist organizations are again a threat in Afghanistan, and it is naive to think that we can quit, give up, leave, and hope for the best and assume that things will scab over and Unicorns and rainbows will propagate.
And how about the miles of red tape Ex-soldiers have to go through to get medical attention when theyтАЩre discharged? How many veterans are homeless? PTSD? Since WWI the country never properly took care of their veterans post war. Why do we even need organizations like Wounded Warriors? IтАЩm from a family where all the men served, but I see why these incentives have to appeal to recruits.
Alison, failing to take care of our veterans dates all the way back to the Revolutionary War, and it was one of the reasons the Confederation failed and that George Washington was moved to accept the Presidency. We need another hero now, desperately.