Anyway, we had another ramp ceremony today. Could recognize it coming, as the C-17 again was parked in its unusual place, and the base was again quiet. What was surprising was how big it was. Several of the allies marched out. Very large group of Soldiers there for the ceremony.
We have a new policy taking effect. It's a uniform change. The powers that be have decided we need to visibly show our solidarity with the Afghan people. (snort) How best might we do this? Our Soldiers fighting and dying alongside theirs is apparently not a powerful enough image... What to do? What to do?
The solution? We are all adding a lapel pin to our uniform. It will be worn at all times (with notable exceptions) so the Afghans will see that we support them. The pin is a "friendship" style pin with the American and Afghan flags. It'll be worn on the right breast pocket.
The exceptions? Well, we can't wear it outside the wire (you know, where the Afghans are... the ones who are supposed to see the pin.) Since it's a pin, we can't wear it while working on aircraft (meaning it's now a nuisance to pin on, take off, pin on, take off, constantly throughout the day.)
What it comes down to is that we're wearing a new pin to show friendship with the Afghans, but the Afghans will never see it. We'll see it, but since it's going to be an incredible pain in the tuckus, most of us could do without it.
Not sure what this is supposed to achieve. My cynical side suspects there was a warehouse of 10,000 pins that just got unloaded on us. However, let's take TPTB at their word. In a briefing the other day, we were told how the Taliban and al-Qaeda are making the locals cooperate with them and threaten to kill/rape/maim/kidnap (these guys are just a cornucopia of options) anyone cooperating with the Americans. I can see the Afghans now... "Whom should I help? The Taliban are threatening to kill my sons and rape my wife and daughter... but... the Americans... they're wearing such beautiful pins (or so I hear). I think I'll help the Americans!"
A buddy and I were talking the other night, and I said something that he said, "That's good... write that down." Well, thank you... What I said was, "I remember studying how we used to fight wars to win... now we seem to fight to please."
Whether it's wearing a pin (can't resist - which pinhead came up with that?), or asking "Mother-may-I?" before we defend our country, or tying our military's hands behind its back so we don't offend anyone with the brutality of war... we don't fight to win. We fight to please someone. What a ridiculous way to do it.
Common variation of a theme heard around post - "If only they let us fight the way we could..." The American military has an awesome firepower... but we often hamper it with restrictions and rules. This is quite counterproductive, especially against enemies who have no such rules.
The enemy knows we follow these rules, and use it to their advantage. They know we don't leave anyone behind on the battlefield... so, they stage a small attack, wait for the Medevacs, and fire at them (Geneva Convention, Newsweek?). They know we won't attack civilians, so they hide amongst them. They know we won't attack mosques, so they hide in there.
What a stupid way to fight a war.
What really tears at me are the stories I hear... from people who are "reliable sources" and know what's what. I wish I could share them... can't. Not now, but... maybe one day. OPSEC gets in the way, but... truly tragic. When "fighting to please" replaces "fighting to win"... you neither win nor please.
3 comments:
We are with you Reid. If we stopped "pussy footing" around, got in there, fought to win, we would get this over and done with in a short time. The Afghans could then resume normal life, and soldiers etc return home. Rid the world of these terriorists no matter what it takes and do it quickly - this goes for where ever in the world they stage terriorist acts. The longer it takes the worse things get, the more sympathy they get from idiots and thus more innocent people get killed. PAY THEM AT THEIR OWN GAME. There will be people who will object, but once the war is won quickly it will then be too late for complaints.
Les & Colleen
Reid, situations like this make me think of the story of the Emperor's new clothes. The "suits" come up with a plan, they want it to work, therefore, it will. Except it doesn't...but everyone is supposed to pretend that it does. And the one who points out that it isn't working is the little boy who says the Emperor is naked.
The down side of course to utilizing all of the massive firepower the US has available in Afghanistan would be the corespondign increase in civilian casulties becasue the bad guys are hiding, or just living, among them. and generally speaking, killing civilians on a massive scale is not the way to get a peopel to support you. Especially not a people so versed in the concept of revenge as the Afghans.
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