More body-bag bait?

WND ^ | January 20, 2004 | David H. Hackworth

[joesnuffy]

More body-bag bait?

Posted: January 20, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2004 David H. Hackworth

The 81st Brigade is rated as a combat-ready fighting outfit. But when it came time for this federally activated Washington state National Guard unit to ship out to Iraq, the high brass ruled that it was nowhere near ready to rock 'n' roll down where the bullets fly and people die. The brigade's foxholes, in one of the most vicious contemporary killing fields in the world, were filled instead by regular units from the combat-worn 82nd Airborne.

Wait a minute! Isn't the 81st one of the U.S. Army's 13 "enhanced" National Guard brigades? Haven't millions of dollars and platoons of our best-and-brightest regular officers and noncoms been detailed to these special brigades for almost a decade in yet another ill-conceived Pentagon scheme to try to turn part-time citizen soldiers – who drill an average of 40 days a year – into full-time centurions?

When the 81st deployed last year for annual training, its skipper reported that the brigade was all-the-way combat-ready-to-go, with 100 percent personnel. Except that when it was activated last November to play hardball down where the body bags are filled, the brigade's strength and deployment status had mysteriously plummeted to the low 80s.

Brigade soldiers report that at least another 10 percent of their comrades are now not deployable overseas because of past injuries, bad teeth, failure to qualify with their individual weapons – even after three trips to the firing range and with scores "improved" by instructors – or the inability of some of the brigade soldiers to wear a flak jacket or a helmet, let alone pack a 7-pound rifle.

One company had every senior sergeant fall out during a two-mile run, and in another line unit, troopers had to be "carried off on stretchers" halfway through a training exercise. Yet these unfit soldiers – who'd be guerrilla bait on the actual battlefield – are still on the good-to-go-to-Iraq list.

All of which sounds like another case of virtual reality: books being cooked with Ghost Soldiers who show up only on paper and readiness stats sharpened with a pencil rather than actual sweat on training fields. A drill that's sadly – and dangerously – become all too standard in many regular, Reserve and Guard units.

Most of the soldiers in the 81st are good troopers. But it's impossible to take a conventional Guard combat unit, which trains no more than a month and a half a year, and expect it to be fighting fit after a mere few months of accelerated combat training. Desert Storm and the pre-emptive war in Iraq proved that even our regulars could have used more training before crossing the Line of Departure.

But strong and experienced leadership, from squad level up to those sporting stars, is also crucial to success in combat. So while the 81st Brigade general is no doubt a smart guy – he's got a master's degree in criminology, apparently a key asset for commanding a 4,600-strong armor-motorized brigade these days – it's relevant that he's never commanded a combat unit on active duty. Unfortunately, Brig. Gen. Oscar B. Hilman's active-duty experience was more than 30 years ago as an enlisted finance clerk and a medic. Resume-wise, he probably weighs in on a good day at a tad below a regular lieutenant.

Would you like this man to lead your kid through the Sunni Triangle's bloody maze? Would you allow a doctor who practiced only a few months a year and had never slit open a belly to take out your son's or daughter's appendix?

Reserve and Guard soldiers make up about 30 percent of the casualties in Iraq. They probably were rushed to the Middle East before they were ready for Freddy because a bunch of Pentagon clowns didn't get that quality wins fights, not quantity.

SecDef Donald Rumsfeld, reputedly a hard-nosed efficiency expert, needs to determine whether Pentagon pork to states such as Washington is worth putting fine kids in the middle of a red-hot frying pan when they're far from ready. He should also ask why a regular parachute unit is now doing double combat duty because the 81st wasn't up to snuff.

Hopefully, Rummy will conclude that one regular Army brigade is better and more cost-effective than 10 so-called enhanced brigades.

Col. David H. Hackworth, author of his new best-selling "Steel My Soldiers' Hearts," "Price of Honor" and "About Face," has seen duty or reported as a sailor, soldier and military correspondent in nearly a dozen wars and conflicts – from the end of World War II to the recent fights against international terrorism.

[joesnuffy]

No doubt Hack is a shameless self promoter at times...but he does give a sh*t about the troops..and thats the bottom line here....nothing else- imo

[r9etb]

but he does give a sh*t about the troops..and thats the bottom line here....nothing else- imo

I disagree. He gives a sh*t about Hackworth, and makes his living by appearing to be for the troops.

[dixierat22]

I "trained" some NG types back in the '70s and was NOT impressed. They were sloppy with their weapons and discipline was really poor. Sounds as tho things haven't changed much.

[2banana]

Hackworth better watch it, he is walking a fine line. The stories I could tell (and what he could tell) of what I have seen on active duty would make your head spin. Also, many NG units are performing at levels at or above active duty units (for example, Special Forces, MP and air force units in Afghanistan).

Also, if every NG guard performed as good as their active counterparts, would Hackworth be writing a column about disbanding the active duty military? Of course not - they both have different roles to fill.

[RebelBanker]

Typical active-army rant against the National Guard and Army Reserve. In the Pentagon, there are truly vicious fights for money between active and reserve component units. As part of this, there are constant criticisms against RC units that they are "not ready." My old National Guard light infantry battalion went to the Joint Readiness Training Center and placed in the top third in its evaluations - better than many active Army units.

[RebelBanker]

The difference between the '70's and now is as different in the Guard as it is in the active forces. Back then, the Army Guard was still overrun with people who joined to get out of going to Vietnam.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

I remember being in the Guard back in 90-91 and being called up for Desert Storm. All of this is familiar. Lower level officers and higher ranking NCOs got sacked weekly. The war was three weeks over before we were declared ready to deploy overseas, and then after another two months of equipment maintenance, we were deactivated.

Hack is kind of loopy and loves to promote himself, but on this matter, he's right, there's no way a Reserve or Guard combat unit can deploy overseas without at least a few months of real training(and weeding out the deadweight) before deploying for a warzone. Non-combat units are different, but trying to put a bunch of part-time grunts or tankers in the frontline without refresher training is asking for a lot of body bags.

[OldFriend]

Hack cares only about Hack. He is advising Clark, along with a few other malcontent Pentagon types such as General Zinni.

[BCrago66]

Hack is emulating his hero Lord Haw-Haw.

[niteowl77]

Hmmm...

[91B]

There are two other NG brigades deploying to theater (30th from NC and one from Arkansas). 30th brigade is supposed to be going up into the Sunni Triangle arond Kirkuk or Tikrit. Hack may be right about this particular unit (IIRC they were supposed to go to Baghdad), but critics should be careful not to paint all NG units with too broad a brush.

[Khurkris]

Filter Hack by about 40% and you'll come close to the truth.

"No Inspection ready unit ever passed in combat, No combat ready unit ever passed an inspection"...or something like that.

[mfulstone]

better than many active Army units.

How true! In exercises, most guard and reserves kick butt on the regulars. Been there many times - I retired from the ANG in '93.

[mfulstone]

Hack has a case of the redass against this war. Probably because he wasn't invited...

[mystery-ak]

Another Guard bashing thread.....I can't vouch for all Guard units, but I will by hubby's....He's been extended now for the third time, this last time, hand-picked by Rummy himself.....IM SICK OF THESE THREADS.....Mike will be gone over 15mos when his tour is over...and is proud of his service, never complaining and doing an excellent job. His unit has outperformed Regular Army Chinook Co's and has been so recognized.

[mystery-ak]

This is what some think of the Guard and Reserves.

[ohioWfan]

Yeah.......but I don't give a rip what Hack thinks of what 'our boys' are worth to this country's fight for freedom.

(And I don't think Mike and Eric felt particularly 'rushed' to get in theatre, do you? LOL!)

[mystery-ak]

I was disappointed of a few comments though...if it wasn't for *our* guys, the military machine in Iraq would come to a standstill.