LTC Al West Responds to FR Article

Personal Correspondence | 13 November 2003 | Jeff Head

[Jeff Head]

I recently wrote an article an published on FreeRepublic entitled Colonel West...you've got my back anytime.

That article haas received a lot of attention and became a very good thread with people inside and outside the military analyzing and commneting on the episode in Iraq where this fine Lt. Colonel acted on his own volition in a time-sensitive, combat environment to extract information from an enemy spy within the coalition fomred and supported Iraqi Police Force.

The method of intimidation Colonel West used to extract the information has become the center of controversy and is leading to military legal proceedings against the Colone...despite the fact that the information panned out, other enemies conspirators were caught and an enemy ambush against American forces was averted.

It has been my own position that while Colonel West's actions may have violated general rules concerning enemy detainees or prisoners, his dicretion and initiative in accomplishing his mission (securing and pacifying the area of operation) while minimizing American casualties should be applauded and should lead to subtle changes in the rules to ensure that such successful initiative and disretion is not punished in the future.

Colonel West did not harm the prisoner and had no intention of doing so.

Having been given Colonel West's military email in the course of discussing that initial article on FreeRepublic, I emailed him informing him of the article and of the strong support he has amongst the public. I presumed (as it turned out correctly) that he was receiving hundreds of emails a day and that I would probably not hear from him.

To my surprise, I did hear from him and have now carried on an exchange of emails with him regarding his circumstances and plans. He has given me permission to post the email he responded to me with in the hopes that people will understand his position, his plans and his feelings regarding this episode.

Here is that email:

Mr Head,

You honor me greatly and your words have made this ordeal a bit more palatable. I am humbled by the support and care of the Americanpeople and tell them all I love my Land and my Army.

However, my road has ended and I accept that and will gladly take the reward and commendation of a hug from my wife and daughters.

Please remember our family in your prayers and God bless you and all of America!

Regards,

LTC Al West

Lt. Colonel Al West is a great leader who exhibits that rare quality of being willing to take great personal risk in the accomplishment of his mission and the protection of the troops under his commmand in doing so. He also has been and remains willing to take personal accountability for the risks.

At almost any other time in history we would call that type of action in a combat zone "service above and beyond the call of duty".

He deserves our support and our prayers. I pray that he will not be marked by this incident, that he will be allowed to retain his full military honor and retirement and that he will write his story for all Americans to read. I have encouraged him to do so.

[lilylangtree]

Salute to Col. West!

[gatorbait]

He used discretion in a very time-sensitive (meaning urgent) combat situation to do that...and minimized US casualties in the process. He did so at personal risk to himself and his career.

George Catlett Marshall once told young officers tha tto truly know leadership,they had to lay their commissions on the line for the men whom they lead ,and , frankly whom they also served .LTC West,you ,sir,have a friend in Louisiana.

With dumb luck, legal skill and courage, this too will pass.

[snopercod]

Thanks for that story - it sounds real familiar. May I ask if any subsequent employer every recognized what you did and complimented you?

After I left the utility, I went "job shopping" to to Arizona where I helped to build a couple of power plants. At Cholla #4 in Joseph City, I checked out the control system for the condenstate pumps.

These two pumps were about 6' tall centrifugal pumps driven by 400HP electric motors, all mounted down in a 40' concrete hole out in the yard. They needed to be down there to obtain the proper suction pressure off of the cooling towers. They had sump pumps in the hole to pump off any rain water, or water from leaking plumbing or whatever.

Considering the critical nature of the sump pumps, they were supposed to be redundant, but the control power for both pumps was off of one circuit. I pointed out to my boss that if somebody turned off that one circuit, both pumps would be inoperative.

About a week after my boss told me "Don't worry about it", somebody turned off that circuit to do maintenance of some kind, and both of these huge pumps were under water after a hard rain.

I think they had to send the 400HP motors back to the factory do dry them out.

This stuff has been the story of my life. I'm still waiting for anyone to thank me for the millions I saved them.

Then of course, there is the story of how I may have saved a space shuttle mission and got reprimanded for it instead of thanked. But that's another story.

[Gunrunner2]

Appreciate the ping.

A good and great man of honor and dignity.

The Army will be much less without him, but his men and the familes of the men he saved will be greater for having been associated with him.

God bless.

[Billthedrill]

Colonel West, I hope you read this. For every one of these postings I assure you there are a hundred on this forum who agree wholeheartedly with my personal thanks for your service and my sympathy and my anger for what your actions in Iraq have done to your career. It is in the nature of terrorism that its victims always have to fight back with one hand tied behind their backs; often for the most sordid of reasons the demand turns into both hands, not out of a desire for fairness or decency but out of a deliberate preference for failure and defeat. At some point down the chain of command the answer to this must eventually be "no," and that often has unpleasant consequences, as the purveyers of such rules fully intend. Civilian control of the military has its drawbacks as well as its strengths, notable among those that to the dishonorable everything is negotiable, including the lives and welfare of the men and women who it was your duty to look after. I salute you for being the man of conscience who refused to look the other way.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Has anyone heard a statement from Lt. Col West that he is resigning?

Perhaps he is being allowed to finish his 20 years. (?)

I hope he isn't giving up his retirement.

God Bless this man and his family.

We stand behind him and his family. Hate to see the military lose a good soldier.

[TruthNtegrity]

You have FReepmail. I don't want to detract from LTC West's problems but would like to continue our discussion.

[HardStarboard]

I know this is a trivial comparison, but the treatment of Col. West is akin to denying the "MVP" to a football player who scored the winning touchdown because he was offside in the first quarter.

In another way its a bit like disciplining General George Patton in WWII because he slapped a shell-shocked soldier. The Nazi's couldn't believe that we would do that to our most effective General.

The old saying "there's the Right Way and then there is the Army Way" seems operative here.

Godspeed Col. West, there are thousands of us that know you exemplify the true meaning of leadership!

[Endeavor]

Ping: Here's some follow-up to the West situation. -- E

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Believe the LTC West should be put in charge of interviewing those of the deck of cards that have been captured. Recommend that you pick up a copy of the current issue of The American Spectator. Reportedly those captured have been less than forthcoming.

[Calpernia]

I'll ask him and post back to you.

[Soaring Feather]

Best thing to do Flurry, ignore them.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Normally I'll fight but they just say the same drivel over and over about UCMJ being some sort of holy grail that can not be deviated from. So If I ignore them they go away.

[PhilDragoo]

Just what are those REMF girls thinking!

I called Army public affairs in Washington and gave the long version to a live person.

Thousands of us called the Department of Defense in 1997 when Sara Lister said R. Lee Ermey and the Marines were "too extreme".

I called and faxed and emailed my senators and congressman and the White House.

I signed the petition.

Does the Commander In Chief know he will not have a second term if he allows the mission to be coopted by politically correct pantywaists?

The only rule of engagement is victory: kill the bad guys and break their toys.

The rest is so much Tailhook crap.

There is still an America today because Americans in uniform like Lt. Col. Allen B. West did what was necessary to survive.

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Failure to survive will substantially decrease your chances of winning.

And when it comes to winning, Patton trumps Pat Schroeder:

Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country. Men, all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans, love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big league ball players, the toughest boxers ... Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in Hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. Because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans. Now, an army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap. The biggest bastards who wrote that stuff about individuality for the Saturday Evening Post, don't know anything more about real battle than they do about fornicating. Now we have the finest food and equipment, the best spirit, and the best men in the world. You know ... My God, I actually pity those poor bastards we're going up against. My God, I do. We're not just going to shoot the bastards, we're going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel. Now some of you boys, I know, are wondering whether or not you'll chicken out under fire. Don't worry about it. I can assure you that you'll all do your duty. The Nazis are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood, shoot them in the belly. When you put your hand into a bunch of goo, that a moment before was your best friends face, you'll know what to do. Now there's another thing I want you to remember. I don't want to get any messages saying that we are holding our position. We're not holding anything, we'll let the Hun do that. We are advancing constantly, and we're not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy. We're going to hold onto him by the nose, and we're going to kick him in the ass. We're going to kick the hell out of him all the time, and we're going to go through him like crap through a goose. Now, there's one thing that you men will be able to say when you get back home, and you may thank God for it. Thirty years from now when you're sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee, and he asks you, What did you do in the great World War Two? You won't have to say, Well, I shoveled shit in Louisiana. Alright now, you sons of bitches, you know how I feel. I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys into battle anytime, anywhere. That's all.

General George S. Patton, Jr.

[SAMWolf]

Patton trumps Pat Schroeder

AMEN!!

[MeekOneGOP]

Here you go ! ...

George Patton
http://mrgrumman.home.comcast.net/Patton-Bast.wav

[Travis McGee]

Hoo-Yah! Go Gettum! GRRRR!!!!!

[MEG33]

George Patton bump!

[BOBTHENAILER]

The only rule of engagement is victory: kill the bad guys and break their toys.

Patton like words from Dragoo.

[BOBTHENAILER]

He deserves our support and our prayers. I pray that he will not be marked by this incident, that he will be allowed to retain his full military honor and retirement and that he will write his story for all Americans to read. I have encouraged him to do so.

Couldn't agree more with your thoughts and prayers for this fine man and his family, mine are with them in droves.

Great job in spreading the encouragement through the internet.