We Cannot or We Have Forgotten How to Fight

Fox Fan Central ^ | 02212007 | Col. David Hunt

[7thson]

This has to be said, written about, yelled about, cried about and fixed, or we can all start learning to pray on rugs.

We cannot fight. Specifically, we cannot fight a global war — against anything really — but we especially don’t seem to be able to fight one against terrorism.

We, that is, the United States of America, are the greatest country with the smartest, bravest, most compassionate people on the planet. The problem is we have forgotten how to fight. We have elected presidents simply because they are not someone else, and we have elections in which we argue about a war that happened 40 years ago, but hardly touched the one we are in right now. We send soldiers into war without the right gear and claim it’s OK, even as they die.

[7thson]

I found this from O'Reilly's site at FNC. I like Col. Hunt and he paints a grim picture. No one is spared from his broad brush.

[ClaireSolt]

I have seen him a lot, but I don't like him much. He doesn't seem very smart, and he is too intense and opinionated, for my taste. I don't trust him.

[evad]

No one is spared from his broad brush.

Yes..unfortunately, so broad as to leave the facts indistinguishable.

I suppose he's entitled to his opinion but I happen to disagree with most it.

[sgtbono2002]

When we drwaw back from Iraq ,it is my hope that every American military person is withdrawn from everywhere in the world and returned to this country. Our bases closed and equipment brought home. Let the world protect itself ,while we do the same. Cut off all Foreign aid at the same time and stop paying for the UN.

[panaxanax]

Whether you like him or not, he's absolutely right about everything in his article.

[Misterioso]

I think he has got it right. It's going to be ugly when our circuits begin to blow and we can't fix 'em.

[org.whodat]

When we draw back from Iraq ,it is my hope that every American military person is withdrawn from everywhere in the world and returned to this country. Our bases closed and equipment brought home.

I hate to say it but I agree with you. It seems everyone of the last three or four conflicts have the same result. We drag immigrants back to this country by the thousands and the tax payer supports them for years.

[Misterioso]

Could you be a little more specific regarding your disagreement?

[Steel Wolf]

Whether you like him or not, he's absolutely right about everything in his article.

There's a lot of harsh truth in his article, and not a lot of cheerleading. You can't be surprised when such an essay receives a cool reception at FR these days.

[7thson]

When I first saw him back in 2001/2002, he was a fresh air - telling it like it is and brash. Over the last year, he has come down hard on the Bush Administration and Rummy in particular. He main loyalty seems to be to the enlisted man.

[metesky]

I agree. He seems too much like he wants to be Field Marshall David "Monty" Hunt.

[mr_hammer]

This article is simply too good. Finally, he has said what many of us have been thinking to ourselves. Anyone who disagrees does not know anyone in the military whom they correspond with on a regular basis.

[Monterrosa-24]

"...absolutely right about everything..."

I have to disagree. Our soldiers in Iraq are very well-equiped. The price per soldier equipment is astronomical. The men have individual weapons with optical sights, night vision devices, body armor that has saved many lives, scrambled radio signals, friendly force battle tracking devices to avoid fratricide, and the equipment is always being tweaked and improved.

The much criticized M4 version of the M16 is light, short, and handy and still blows the enemy's brains out at 300 meters. The likelihood of a hit at 300 meters is greater now than in the M-1 era due to the optics.

[Recon Dad]

And your problem is what? !!!!!!!!

Everything he says is on the money. I have found a certain group on FR that the minute you mention George Bush jump on your case at the first sign of criticism.
Just have a son fighting with their hands tied by pure PC BS and you'll be screaming too.

[mr_hammer]

"You can't be surprised when such an essay receives a cool reception at FR these days."

...yes, quite a few trols have infiltrated the ranks of FR. If you have any questions about there leanings, just go to their home page. No date listed as to when they join or their values and certainly if you go to their postings they are arguing the liberal point of view. Especially the Rudybots of late.

[7thson]

We have elected presidents simply because they are not someone else, and we have elections in which we argue about a war that happened 40 years ago, but hardly touched the one we are in right now. We send soldiers into war without the right gear and claim it’s OK, even as they die. Is this false?

We cannot even figure out why we go to war. Was it WMD that weren’t even there? Was it a noble act to get Saddam out of power, which we did (but probably would not have gone to war just to do that)? I think if someone paid attention, they know the reason. In my opinion, this administration has let the media define the reason. And people believe that reason.

We promote generals and admirals with no combat experience and absolute zero leadership skills, who only knew how to use PowerPoint slides, and required those slides from combat soldiers before they were allowed to go into combat. We allow some of the deadliest, most competent warriors on the planet — United States Navy SEALS — to sit on their ultra-conditioned butts in a war zone without using them for even one damn day. Is this true? This is shades of Hackworth and his railing against the perfumed princes.

We allow a country we completely control (Afghanistan) to become the single largest provider of raw heroin, while the country we live in (USA) continues to be the largest users of that same heroin. Is this true?

We allow victories achieved by our great soldiers to turn into Civil War at best — and complete chaos at worst. We lose $12 billion, because we don’t know how to distribute money — so we put it on trucks, and give to people without checking on them and what they are doing with it. We deny for years that a country (Iran) is actively killing our soldiers. We prosecute our soldiers and Marines for shooting a bad guy too many times. We create rules that stop our soldiers from not just protecting themselves, which would be bad enough, but even worse, prevent them from fighting — or maybe that’s not worse, but equally criminal. Is this true?

We have not captured the men directly responsible for 9/11. We have not captured these murderers because we allow others to create safe havens where terrorists can hide and make their videotapes. Is this true?

There is more but can you address the above? What else is he wrong about?

[OKSooner]

"We have elected presidents simply because they are not someone else"

I like Colonel Hunt.

[mr_hammer]

"I have to disagree. Our soldiers in Iraq are very well-equiped. The price per soldier equipment is astronomical. The men have individual weapons with optical sights, night vision devices, body armor that has saved many lives, scrambled radio signals, friendly force battle tracking devices to avoid fratricide, and the equipment is always being tweaked and improved."

It's not the equipment, it's the rules of engagement!

[7thson]

Yo Recon Dad - I am just throwing this out for discussion. In fact, some of the things he says I agree with. The only point of his I have issues with is the WMD thing but that's another story. I do not have a problem with what he says. I am on your side.

[Mr.Unique]

I agree. The lesson from this war is that the American people don't have the balls to do the right thing. If that is the case, our only choice is to bring everyone home.