It is hilarious to hear any of Hackworth's military predictions.
It is unquestionable that Hackworth was a brave grunt. However, being a brave grunt does not mean you know Sh*t from Shinola when it come to the military Big Picture.
The cover story for Newsweek magazine for the week of January 21, 1991 was “We Will Win, But…” by “America’s Most Decorated War Hero”.
Here are quotes from Hackworth’s January 21, 1991 Newsweek cover story article:
“Casualties won’t be 200 Americans dead a week, as in Vietnam. They will be more than 200 dead an hour in the first round.”
“The aircraft arranged in the Gulf are the wrong mix of aircraft”
“The Iraqis should give a good account of themselves in air attacks.”
“The Abrams M-1A1 tank is a fuel guzzler and a real liability in a road-less terrain”
“For the most part, from rifleman to battalion commander, these dedicated (American) soldiers and Marines have never seen war. And in my judgment they haven’t yet been made hard enough physically and mentally to survive the horror of potential combat with Iraq’s veteran Army.”
As it turned out, the Iraqi Army in the Gulf War was totally routed at a cost of 137 U.S. dead for the entire war.
The Iraqi Army also folded like a deck of cards in the Iraq War.
So, if you are lurking, Colonel Hackworth:
Sh*t
Shinola