"The US Marines can take people ...... turn them into Marines in 16 weeks." - Bob Schieffer

CBS "Face the Nation" ^ | 2/26/2006 | Bob Schieffer

[Jonah Johansen]

SCHIEFFER: ...my friend Mark Shields, who is an ex-Marine, pointed out on "The Lehrer NewsHour" the other night, he pointed out that the US Marines can take people from all over this country, from all walks of life, and turn them into Marines in 16 weeks. Why can't the Iraqis get these people trained up?

Mr. HADLEY: Well, the Iraqis can train the soldiers to be in the units. But of course, the ability of the unit to work and fight alone without any support is a function of a lot more than just the young men and women in the ranks. It is a question of transportation...

[Jonah Johansen]

UN-REFUTABLE, UNDENIABLE, ABSOLUTE, DOCUMENTED, PROOF of Bob Schieffer and Mark Shields DISHONESTY.

There are only two logical posiibilities,

1. Both men are so absolutely stupid that they actually beleive, either a US Marine with 16 weeks of training is fully capable of independently carrying out comabt operations without the help of officers or other marines with more experience or it is just as difficult to train the typical Marine, as train a non-english speaking iliterate Iraqi villager.

or the other logical possibility

2. Both men are fully aware of the absurdity of their premise and are knowingly and delibertly trying to deceive their listners. To put forth a question based on a premise you know to be false is dishonest, plain and simple.

Bob Schieffer's question is logically identical to -

"Seantor Kennedy, "How can you critiscise the Vice-Presidents delay in reporting the accidental wounding of his hunting companion; when you took much longer to report the deliberate drowning of your pregnant mistress?"

[CyberAnt]

So .. the implication is .. after 16 weeks they stop being people ..??

Good grief!

[massgopguy]

I'm 48. Grant me a waiver.

[GOP_Party_Animal]

Right. The US Marines have a command structure and 225+ years of tradition. Iraq has none of that. What fools these MSM goons are.

[Dilbert56]

Scheiffer is no improvement over Rather. Iraq needs an Army, not just foot soldiers. As someone who doesn't have his head up his ass pointed out, we send high school grads for four years to West Point and then they're only lieutenants.

[ElectricStrawberry]

Why can't the Iraqis get these people trained up?

That's a pretty dumb question coming from a person that doesn't know what an NCO Corps is and how long it takes to generate one. Ya can't just take a bunch of green Marines right outta bootcamp and throw 'em into battle all by themselves and expect them to perform like a Marine unit.....without the experience of their NCO Corps.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Mark Shields, who is an ex-Marine

Emphasis on the ex. Schieffer got that part right. Shields is a mental eunuch.

[Windsong]

Back in 91, on my way down to take the ASVAB, I asked my recruiter about the Marines and how "elite" they are compared to the Rangers. He said "well, we don't brainwash our recruits". I replied "Brainwash? What do you mean?" He said "Yes. You get out of Marine boot camp and you'll do anything they tell you to do. Anything.".

[jazusamo]

It's not so much the questions these morons ask, it's the context and tone of the questions. They infer they know the answer before the reply and our military leaders are all dummies. These people are supposed to be on America's side, not the enemies.

[Vaquero]

the man...the mission.

[LS]

This was a statement made earlier in the year by some conservative---forget who---and it is ridiculous. We are not trying to make Iraqis into soldiers (or Marines, and there is a difference). In essence, what we are doing is turning them into AMERICAN soldiers and Marines---with the same values, organization, discipline, concern for human life, and so on, that make American soldiers better than anyone else.

My forthcoming book, "America's Victories: Why Americans Win Wars and Will Win the War on Terror," (May) covers this in detail in one chapter. Our troops have 200 years' worth of culture behind them, so it's NOT six weeks or sixteen weeks but 200 years!

[SkyDancer]

My dad says "NO WAY" Even during WWII when troops were needed it took three months at the minimum to train a marine.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Your recruiter was and most likely still is an idiot.

[Garvin]

In 16 weeks you'll get a Marine Private not combat hardened Marine.

Retired GySgt of Marines!

[Waverunner]

And it takes an entire career with 70 yrs of journalistic tradition to generate the crap on CBS

[caisson71]

And HAMAS can take someone right off the street and make him/her a successful suicide bomber with a couple of hours training. What does that prove? I vote for the first option - both men are stupid.

[colorado tanker]

Good point. During WWII, when experienced officers and NCO's were spread very thin, units would spend months and sometimes years training AFTER basic training. Look how long the 82nd trained before Normandy.

[the Marshal]

The recruiter is the last Marine NCO you want to ask a question.

As he's a little older than I am, I've always wondered how a little glorp like Shields got into - much less survived - the old Old Corps.

The difference is that Marines are Americans trained by Americans - you can take Marines out of America, but you can never take America out of Marines.
Add in the fact that the Corps cleanses you of fear and weakness (what bootcamp is all about)..... something you'll never get out of those raised under the Thief of Baghdad.

Slaves make lousy soldiers.

[GOP_Party_Animal]

And it takes an entire career with 70 yrs of journalistic tradition to generate the crap on CBS

LOL. Yeah, in the 40's and 50's the press was still generating worthwhile news. Now they've matured to producing smelly piles.

[GOP_Party_Animal]

Slaves make lousy soldiers.

Victor Davis Hanson would agree.