Posted on 04/14/2006 5:09:29 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
April 13, 2006
Grumbles From the Griped
Future of Warfare
Hatched by Dafydd
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Literally, the first means a soldier (of any rank) has one and only one commanding officer above him; but when combined with unity of effort, it implies not only bottom to top heirarchy but top to bottom. That is, at each level, the soldier makes only the little decisions and leaves the big decisions to his CO.
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This has more or less been standard military doctrine for centuries, from Julius Caesar through Washington, Napoleon, Eisenhower, and Westmoreland.
However, in the modern era with modern communications and intelligence technology, this doctrine sometimes leads to soldiers being "over-officered," as in Vietnam --
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And Finally
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One of Secretary Rumsfeld's reforms is, without question, to bend this doctrine without actually breaking it. Thus, rather than have one fellow ultimately directing every operation in Afghanistan and Iraq, Rumsfeld wants units to operate more or less independently and on their own initiative -- while keeping in contact with the other units around them and bearing in mind the ultimate goals. Rumsfeld believes that the lieutenant, captain, or major on the ground -- or in many cases, the first or master sergeant -- is in a better position to respond quickly and appropriately to situations that can literally change by the minute.
I'm sure the Powell Doctrine is what MG Batiste means by the principle of "enough forces."
The Powell Doctrine simply asserts that when a nation is engaging in war, every resource and tool should be used to achieve overwhelming force against the enemy. This may oppose the principle of proportionality, but there are grounds to suppose that principles of Just War may not be violated. [Emphasis in original]
Again, Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bush reject this doctrine as outdated with today's warfare/statecraft challenges... hence, though we used a half a million troops to drive Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait in the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), we used a scant 200,000 troops to take over the entire country of Iraq -- though it would have been about 220,000 if the 4ID had been able to traverse Turkey and invade Iraq from the north.
NPR only talks to generals when it satisfies their aganda.
Defund NPR. Enough from the back-sass generals.
Those DemonRat Generals might as well be working for Bin Laden or Saddam. What a bunch of traitors.
As a 20 year retiree of the U.S. Navy (Fast Attack Submarines, Special Projects) and an enlisted puke, even I understand that the civilians (President, SecDef) make policy, it is the military's job to carry out that policy, provided that the orders are lawful. How stupid (more likely egotistical) are these idiot generals?
One guesses the MSM knows they can't get to Bush, so this is their alternative.
These fifth columnists must really be stupid if they think they'd have their jobs for long if we lose this war. They'd be among the first to have their throats cut.
Who are these "Generals?" As a former enlisted man, I am stunned, why not take the stars off and hand them in and then speak? Remember Gen Johnson (CSA) during Vietnam? The greatest moral failure...
Maj Gen Charles H Swannack Jr, Army- CG of the 82d Abn Div. Affairs with a woman not his wife "allegations" led to retirement.
Maj Gen John Riggs, Army- Improper conduct (contracting) Retirement
Maj Gen John Batiste, Army- Paul Wolfowitz top military aid, couldn't speak his mind? Getting third star but slipped away...President of Steel Company...money not war
Gen Anthony Zinni, Marines- Oh, USS Cole got hit where? Who approved that plan to port?
Lt Gen Gregory Newbold, Marines- "I'm looking forward to a job that doesn't have the intensity and lack the quality of life that this one has." What about the enlisted guys? Remember "the combat power of the Taliban has been eviscerated".
Maj Gen Paul Eaton, Army- David Hackworth wrote a critical column on Gen Eaton's leadership dealing with Rangers. He was not the man to train the Iraqi Army and had no idea of what he was doing. Look what that Iraqi Battalion did in its first firefight, guess that was SecDefs fault.
Thanks for that info!
Very interesting post...as my 1sg hubby said..these guys have an axe to grind about something....now I see what they were...
At the same time, the Executive Branch has claimed a previously unrecognized authority to mistreat prisoners in its custody in ways that plainly constitute torture in a pattern that has now been documented in U.S. facilities located in several countries around the world.
Over 100 of these captives have reportedly died while being tortured by Executive Branch interrogators and many more have been broken and humiliated. In the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, investigators who documented the pattern of torture estimated that more than 90 percent of the victims were innocent of any charges.
According to the 2000 Democrat party Presidential nominee,apparently Bush has his own "interrogators" now, who are killing, breaking, and humiliating our barbarian raghead enemy.
Algore won the popular vote in 200 and tried to steal the Presidency
The "New York Times" and "Newsweek" are not monolithic faceless alien oracles.
They are run by the the likes of the leftist homosexual on the right, ARTHUR SULZBERGER JR, and the socialist crook on the left, DONALD GRAHAM, Chair and CEO of Newsweek and Washington Post, son of CATHERINE GRAHAM MEYER, former owner of the Washington Post.
Every day these 2 enemies of the state unleash a horde of minor league propagandists on the American psyche in a blatant attempt to topple any GOP government that is elected by the American people.
They do not care if innocent civilians or soldiers die as a result and national security be damned.
2006 is the year they will be stopped.
They will no longer be able to hide unde a cloak of annonymity.
They will be exposed and their names equated with treacherous acts.
They and their komrades will be surveilled and brought up on charges.
OFFICERS
Chairman Emeritus: Arthur Ochs "Punch" Sulzberger, age 71, $1,397,200 pay (prior to title change)
Chairman; Publisher, The New York Times: Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., age 46, $960,200 pay (prior to promotion)
VC and SVP: Michael Golden, age 48
President and CEO: Russell T. Lewis, age 50, $882,235 pay (prior to promotion)
SVP Operations and Acting CFO: John M. O'Brien, age 54
SVP and Deputy COO: David L. Gorham, $796,000 pay
This is the face of the enemy.
His name is Donald Newhouse, billionaire democrat and managing director of the Associated Press, a leftist propaganda organ comitted to undermining the GOP at any cost, including the security of the nation.
Make no mistake about it.
The attempt to discredit the secretay of the WOT is being perpetrated by the individuals listed above and their allies.
They must pay for their crimes and must be arrested after the next attack on the homeland.
Good comments.....I'm glad they left.
I'll bet Zuni is trying to follow Wesley Clark.
Have you ever met or been around Rumsfeld? How do you know I or anyone else would hate him from the get-go?
The troops hate his guts? Really? Do you have personal experience with all the troops, or a small circle of them?
I'm not being a wise guy, I really want to know. I have experience working for a hard charging Army Colonel who made bitter, bitter enemies, but accomplished a huge amount, more than anyone else could have in that position.
It has been my experience that people who come in and turn things upside down and don't rule by democratic consensus, generally incite a great deal of animosity.
On the other hand, people who come into a situation and go with the flow, don't rock the boat, and who may be incompetent, lazy or whatever, do not usually engender the type of hatred the go-getters do. But they don't get anything done either.
bttt
"They only need the military advice when it satisfies their agenda."
SHOCKING!!
Next, you'll shock us by saying that the President feels entitled to decide what's in the national interest.
Or horrors, that they dare have an 'agenda' that defends America's sovereignty.
"It has been my experience that people who come in and turn things upside down and don't rule by democratic consensus, generally incite a great deal of animosity."
YOU ARE CORRECT, SIR!
Rummy doesnt suffer fools lightly, that is why he is (a) A good CEO-type and (b) not well-like by clueless press corps and ego-driven generals who got their feathers ruffled by his style.
7-10 POS clinton generals. They're a pimple on the ass of time against the thousand+ living retired general officers who aren't raising hell.
"I continue to believe this is a politcizing, and meant to get back at GWB and Rummy for less then honorable reasons."
Also, another example of why many of us feel that liberals should not serve in our all volunteer military. They probably caused problems while on active duty because their loyalty is to the Democratic Party and not our country. After they retire, it obvious where their loyalties are.
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