[CGVet58]

hello LS,

a thoughtful and intelligent assessment, which I agree with. My comments/additions follow:

The main reason I agree with your analysis; it reflects the flexibility that our Armed Forces have. This flexibility is based on many things (in no specific order of importance); our battle doctrine and training, military intelligence, dominance of the air and of the C3 theaters, and the tremendous moral imperative that we have to rid the world of such a brutal regime AND to eradicate any current or potential WMD within Iraq. The last factor - remove the regime to liberate those poor souls, then remove the WMD threat - I do(!) place in order of precedence... by far, the most important goal for the United States and the Coalition should be to completely destroy Saddam and any and ALL military/paramilitary/fedayeen personnel that have been used against their own people.

I also appreciate that a fellow citizen can understand the flexibility issue, which is more than I can say for our media (can you believe those CENTCOM briefings??? the press there are asking what I call "guided missile" questions... the wording, the tactical positioning of the questions, the noticeable lack of questions exploring the successes of the campaign-to-date; all focus or infer that we are somehow failing at this mission).

History and experience teaches us that despite the training a military force undergoes, the terrible truth is that War is a lesson that must be relearned by each generation. This is just as true on the national as well as the personal level. (In this context...) the beginning of a war is always marked by a certain measure of alarm and naivete, of a lack of battle-hardening, among the troops, the public and the press.

But history also shows that the naivete quickly dissipates both in the national consciousness and in the combat experience of the troops on the frontline. In short, the shrill voices of the Helen Thomases and Hillary Clintons of the world are soon drowned out and made irrelevant by the Ernie Pyles that arise from within such times as these. I think it's already starting to happen.

Speaking of Ernie Pyle... in WWII he was what we call today, an "embedded" journalist - and we remember Ernie today as a journalist who was able to effectively bridge the gap between the soldier's lot on the frontlines and world's understanding of it. Those 500 or so embedded journalists currently on the front lines with our fellow Americans and our Allies are (imho) the beginning of the end for the leftist, anti-American media. I would say they are the Dan Rather's of tomorrow, but that would be holding them to a shallow standard. These young Turks will in time become the leaders of their profession, though... and what will seperate them from the Rather's and Brokaws will be the first-hand experience they're getting in seeing our noble Sons and Daughters fight.

Again, thanks for your analysis. God Bless America.

Juan Rosario, Lieutenant(jg), United States Coast Guard(ret)

[My back yard]

I would say they are the Dan Rather's of tomorrow, but that would be holding them to a shallow standard. These young Turks will in time become the leaders of their profession, though... and what will seperate them from the Rather's and Brokaws will be the first-hand experience they're getting in seeing our noble Sons and Daughters fight

Interesting as I have been making a personal observation of how the left-wing divides from right-wing when it comes especially to supporting the president, in general, and this war, specifically. Those who have served stand firmly on the right, even those who voted for Gore or others. Like the term "Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal", I believe you are right; after the war we might need a new term.

[happygrl]

Thanks for your tutoring and comments, especially the following:

Those 500 or so embedded journalists currently on the front lines with our fellow Americans and our Allies are (imho) the beginning of the end for the leftist, anti-American media.

This is one of the legs of our culture which MUST be remade. You have identified the opportunity this war affords for doing so. I believe we living through a momentous time in the history of our country, one as fraught with both potential and disaster as the Civil War era. President Bush will shape the future as few presidents have. Nothing short of Providence (which gave us Lincoln in his time) has made this possible.

From the daughter of an AF officer (ret.) and the sister of a "Coastie."