Hackworth: Uncle Sam Wants Your Kids - Now! (Negativity Alert!)

Military.com ^ | December 7, 2004 | David Hacworth

[The Loan Arranger]

We'll soon have 150,000 U.S. troops stuck in the ever-expanding Iraqi quagmire, a number that will probably grow even larger before Iraq holds elections presently scheduled for the end of January '05.

Maintaining such a force is a logistical and personnel nightmare for every grunt in Iraq. And according to several Pentagon number crunchers, it's also driving the top brass bonkers.

Meanwhile the insurgents continue cutting our supply lines and whacking our fighting platoons and supporters, who attrit daily as soldiers and Marines fall to enemy shots, sickness or accidents. Empty platoons lose fights, so these casualties have to be replaced ASAP.

[The Loan Arranger]

I fear Col. Hackworth has gone over to the dark side. Please explain to me how wrong I am....and why.

[Texas_Jarhead]

No argument from me on that point.

[LasVegasMac]

Please explain to me how wrong I am....and why.

I do not think you are wrong about the Hack.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$............

LVM

[thegreatbeast]

Oh shut up, Hack! Shut up.

[Steel Wolf]

I fear Col. Hackworth has gone over to the dark side. Please explain to me how wrong I am....and why.

You're not wrong. Hack's been off his game for well over a decade, now. He's great as far as soldier advocacy issues, because he does seem to care about troops and what they're going through. The problem is he's just clueless as to what warfighting has become, and his insights on operational matters have been wrong since the 1991 Gulf War. Now he's riding his fame into the dirt, and making a joke out of himself.

[SittinYonder]

Hack does a good job of standing up for veterans getting benefits due to them or for soldiers getting the equipment they need, but that's the extent of his usefullness, IMO. He was mostly OK going into Afghanistan, but he sounded like any other Dem hack (pun intended) prior to, during and after Operation Iraqi Freedom. I knew he'd gone off the edge when our local liberal newspaper - in an effort to be more military-friendly - picked up his column.

[RegT]

I think Hackworth wants more appearances on Larry King Live.

[Racehorse]

We'll soon have 150,000 U.S. troops stuck in the ever-expanding Iraqi quagmire . . .

Ah, Hack, life is a quagmire . . .

[MarineBrat]

Sorry, Hack is a true hero that deserves to be heard. No one should be telling him to shut up. That is ten times as bad as a Kerry supporter telling a SwiftBoater to shut up.

Hogwash! Oh, and welcome to Free Republic!

[af_vet_rr]

He's nuts. Things are really bad over there, no doubt about that, but the Iraqi government is just now getting its feet on the ground. Recent large-scale operations involving both American and Iraqi forces should have been sending the wake-up signal that we're closer to the light at the end of the tunnel.

Once we bring more and more Iraqi units online, we'll be able to draw-down American units and/or rotate them out. Keeping the Iraqi units alive long enough to train has been a serious problem.

I'm still amazed that Iraqis keep volunteering for the police/National Guard.

[Prime Choice]

Benedict Arnold and John Kerry were decorated war veterans as well. Doesn't mean they're infallible and can't be called on the carpet for their asinine conduct.

Same goes for Hack.

[The Loan Arranger]

I have several of those awards, does that make me infallible, also? I'll answer my own question; of course not! Col. Hackworth didn't fight the Vietnam war alone, now did he? He and John Kerry had some assistance from several million other servicemembers, as I recall. Hell, Kerry couldn't even be bothered to stay for a third of a tour. Many people did several tours in Southeast Asia, not several months! Award inflation at the officer level in Vietnam makes my look with a wary eye at all these 'Audie Murphys' of Indochina.

[Petronski]

Hackworth went over to the darkside years ago. You are not wrong.

[Racehorse]

I'll take Hack's opinion over any of the good folks here... Hack has proven military insight, and just because you don't like what he has to say, doesn't mean he isn't right.

Hackworth had proven military insight . . . once upon a time.

The old dog knows only one trick and he keeps playing it and playing it and playing it.   Go right ahead and take Hackworth's opinion to heart, he only really has that one . . . General Officers and Politicians are incompetent fools who never learn . . . and I'm sure you'll never be at risk of being wrong.

[Porterville]

I don't mind Hackworth's opinion, what bugs me is that he acts like such a pu$$y when he gives it.

[Terpfen]

No one's telling Hack to shut up--if you can, please point out the post which said so. People are saying Hack has gone wrong since the Gulf War--not that he should shut up and go away. They are disagreeing with his opinion, but not advocating his silence.

Welcome to FR.