Retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers talks about Sec. Rumsfeld ["the pundits get it wrong"]

U.S. Department of Defense ^ | Nov. 9, 2006 | Gen. Richard B. Myers

[68skylark]

I was wondering that either we don't have enough ground troops or don't have the right mix and is that a result of Rumsfelds being too air oriented or for some other reason?

You could be right, although my take is somewhat different -- our main error was in greatly underestimating how barbaric the culture really is in the Middle East.

That doesn't mean we should pull out -- not at all. We still need to grapple with the problems in this part of the world. But it means that any gains we make will be small and time-consuming.

[verity]

Michael:

I concur with your assessment regarding 4ID. BTW.. it is ironic that the 4ID never made it to the 1st Gulf War [because it's round-out Brigade did not pass muster].

[church16]

Yeah, I'm sort of familar with deployments... read my bio. Oh, by the way, I'm heading over for my third tour early next year. I certainly don't put myself in the same shoes as an 11B or 19B Army type on his third tour, but I worked with them every day and they were doing quite well (reference reenlistment rates of Iraq veterans).

While we're on the that piece of cake known as WWII, that shorter duration in combat resulted in 240,000 KIA, about 800,000 WIA. Which averages well over 20,000 KIA per month.

Iraq is no picnic, but lets be real on the lethality of things when talking about deployments. One other little factoid, Tarawa cost us over 1000 Marines in 24 hours. Iraq is not in the same league as the canrnage of WWII, but with instant media you do see the horror of war immediately. We may lose our stomach for it, but I can assure you our enemies will not.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

I liked Rummy. He was a no bs type of guy and demanded results. In time we will see his genius....i hope.

here's some of his best stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmLToYe8nRo

[uncbob]

Know all about those WWII numbers

I was referring to the term "duration"

[uncbob]

We may lose our stomach for it, but I can assure you our enemies will not.

I know all about losing stomach etc
I was alive in 74 when the Vietnam disaster occurred I know it is fashionable to blame it on the MSM etc but it wouldn't have gotten to that point if LBJ and NIXON didn't fight half assed wars
I know this is no where near Vietnam scope but the MSM has the people believing it And with the MSM acting as a propaganda arm of the DNC and for the Muslims Bush couldn't have fought the war unPCed even if he had the stones to do it

[uncbob]

Bush couldn't have fought the war unPCed even if he had the stones to do it

I take that back

If he wasn't a compassionate conservative and said screw the media and went to the American public time and again it probably could be done

But won't

Gauls me he sends troops to die and won't stand up and fight here at home
Goes and visits bases etc etc
That crap wears thin when you don't walk the walk

[cibco]

My father spent 30 months in the Pacific. No R&R. He was drafted in early 1941 before Pearl Harbor.

[bnelson44]

He needs to write this as an OPED in the NYTimes

[iopscusa]

I support the IRAQI 2 engagement even with the current state of affairs and also think the lack of the 4th ID via Turkey was the crucial missing link to containing the insurgency. By the time Colin Powell had fumbled the ball and loss access thru Turkey, the battle was unstoppable. Colin P. had managed to screw IRAQ for the 2nd time...

[John Carey]

Very nicely said....

[big'ol_freeper]

While Powell certainly screwed the pooch diplomatically, it was Rumsfeld who disregarded his ground commanders' warnings concerning the necessary force levels to execute operations and controll Iraq completely. He ignored and violated the Weinberger Doctrine (number4): 4. The relationship between the objectives and the size and composition of the forces committed should be continually reassessed and adjusted if necessary.

[Terpfen]

I think you've got it backwards. Rumsfeld didn't buy into AF propaganda, he simply believed that the two military operations he was ordered to orchestrate required less ground troops than popularly believed. In both cases, he was right; Afghanistan fell in a couple of weeks because we prioritized lending the Northern Alliance our air support, and in Iraq, well... you know the story there.

Regarding the terrorists fighting in Iraq now, that's more the fault of Paul Bremer's disbanding of the Iraqi Army than Rumsfeld's supposed lack of ground troops.

[big'ol_freeper]

I would disagree totally. Rumfeld's writings before he became Sec Def indicate his buy in to the AF's propaganda and he was completely wrong about troop levels in Iraq as the operation does not stop with the capitulation of the defeated regime. An additional division would have allowed the CINC in theater to prevent the insurgency from developing.

[brazzaville]

Good afternoon.
"Vietnam introduced the combat tour idea, and its a good one."

I disagree, at least as it was applied in Vietnam.

One dangerous byproduct of the one year tour was the short timer attitude.

Another was the regular loss of veteran NCOs and officers. Vietnam was a junior NCO and officer fought war. Keeping people who make it past the seasoning period is difficult when your squad leaders regularly leave every few months.

It was even worse with officers, because so many spent 6 months in the field getting their tickets punched then moved on to the next position required for promotion.

I like the idea of having units rotate in and out together but they would have to use prepositioned equipment for that to be cost effective, and it would help if the unit's parent organizations maintained a permanent presence in country and brigade or smaller units take part in the rotation.

Since I don't trust the DemocRATs to not lose the war for us, I don't think rotation will be an issue much longer, or it will not be possible because there flatly won't be enough troops.

Michael Frazier

[windchime]

Big fan here, too. Secretary Rumsfeld's address at KSU is available here:

http://ome.ksu.edu/lectures/landon/past.html

Real Media is available now. They indicate text will be available later.

[danamco]

Retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers talks about Sec. Rumsfeld ["the pundits get it wrong"]

Classy Act!

He never lowered himself to the level of bashing the former administration for "raping" the DOD, which he rightfully could have done!!

Go Rummie, GO!!!

[Terpfen]

An additional division would have allowed the CINC in theater to prevent the insurgency from developing.

You'll want to talk to the Turkish Parliament about that one, not Donald Rumsfeld.

[Seaplaner]

Scty Rumsfeld is indeed a great asset (to use military parlance) to our Country.

I hate to see him go

He is now faced with that whacko kangaroo lawsuit from Germany, and whatever surprises Hillary Rodham's buddies in the Congress might cook up for him.(The left continually tries to make it illegal to disagree with them.)

I know of no one in Congress who is anywhere near an intellectual match for Scty. Rumsfeld, and Congress knows it as well.

As they say in the Navy...Wishing you fair winds and following seas Secty Rumsfeld.

.

[FreedomCalls]

His fatal flaw was buying into Air Force propaganda that wars can be won solely by application of devastating strategic air power.

That's not a myth and is still true. The problem is that we never used "devastating strategic air power" in Iraq.