Posted on 09/18/2013 5:57:15 AM PDT by shortstop
In the military, after an engagement with the enemy, it used to be customary to compile an “after-action report.”
It was an assessment of how things went. What the enemy did, what we did, what were the outcomes, and what could we have done better.
In the wake of the attack at the Washington Navy Yard, there will no doubt be an after-action report. Probably there will be several.
One of them should look at the actions of uniformed military personnel during the attack.
I got thinking of that the night of the murders when a Navy captain – the O-6 equivalent of an Army, Air Force or Marine colonel – appeared on several networks recounting what had happened. He told all about hiding in his office. In one interview he said he was going to recommend that the sailor who barricaded the door be given a medal.
I thought about it some more yesterday when the list of victims was released. A dozen sterling people, good Americans and well-loved family members. They were all civilians, and they were all middle-aged or elderly. These were grandparents.
And they were gunned down by a scumbag.
They were defenseless.
And undefended.
Which is where I’d like to make an observation.
In a building that is the workplace for some 1,000 uniformed members of the American armed forces, how does one guy with a shotgun take it over and butcher innocent civilians?How is it that any number of sailors didn’t rush the guy and break his neck?
How is it that the captain was leading the retreat to the USS Shelter In Place while grandpa was getting blown away?
How could naval officers of the United States go on national television and talk about running away? In addition to the captain’s report about conditions under his desk, a Navy commander told about running out of the building, then standing next to a man as the man was gravely wounded, and then running away some more.
Like Admiral Farragut said at Mobile Bay, “Run and hide, run and hide!”
I’m not being critical, and it’s not my place to say anything, but I don’t think we should give medals for hiding in the office and turning off the lights.
That’s what kindergartners and office workers do.
Servicemen stand and fight.
Doesn’t the Navy have something called “repel boarders?”
Sheltering in place is part and parcel of current security thinking, and it certainly has a useful role. But it seems unwise to make it a military tactic.
In this situation, a screw up had a shotgun. He opened fire on a cafeteria of civilians in a building that held something near 1,000 sailors.
As we saw on television, the commander ran and the captain hid, but was there not an officer or petty officer anywhere about that had the presence of mind – and the warrior mentality – to shout, “Follow me, men?”
It would seem that anyone seeing the gunman would recognize that he had a shotgun. It would seem that someone would realize that a shotgun probably holds six rounds, maybe as many as nine. Either way, it has a limited number of rounds and a slow reload.
And it seems like with that many GIs around, infused with the ethic of the American fighting man, some of them would try to take out that enemy.
With their bare hands, if need be.
In a similar situation onetime, an American Sunday school teacher used the phrase: “Let’s roll.”
Certainly there would be danger in such an assault against the attacker. No doubt some sailors would be shot in the effort. But the battle would be won, the threat would be eliminated, and the building would be secured.
And some of those civilians would be saved.
Certainly it was far safer for the individual to hide in an office. But the safety of the individual is not the priority of military service, the defense of the whole is. Men and women in the military are routinely asked to endanger themselves to protect others, to protect government property and to accomplish a mission.
It’s what they do.
But it’s apparently not what they did on Monday.
That was probably because of training to shelter in place – training that should be rethought.
It is possible that two Navy men did try to stop the gunman. On the morning of the incident, authorities were looking for two men – one white in a khaki uniform and one black in fatigues – who were seen on surveillance cameras with guns. Though not identified or explained, these men were determined to be uninvolved. Apparently they were individual sailors who retrieved personal or military weapons and were looking for the gunman.
After Columbine, we recognized that our law-enforcement tactics were wrong, and we changed them. Perhaps after the Navy Yard, we will recognize that some of our victim tactics are wrong, at least for certain types of victims, and they need to be changed as well.
Kindergartners and clerks should continue to hole up and hide, but fighters should think about fighting.
And, surprisingly, in the wake of the Navy Yard attack, it seems that none of them did.
Here’s our after-action report.
A scumbag with limited armament took command of a naval building and rendered some 1,000 sailors combat ineffective. He met no resistance from the military personnel on scene, was unfettered in his attack upon elderly civilians, and was only stopped when outside civilian personnel intervened violently.
The commander left a wounded man on the ground and the captain hid in his office.
Somehow, I don’t think that’s what John Paul Jones meant when he said, “I have not yet begun to fight.”
That’s part of it. The other part is an apparent absence of personal courage.
WTF?
The greatest military in the world has the equivalent of “school crossing guards” at the front gate?
I shiver to think about what a hardcore band of 8-10 well trained, well armed terrorists could do at an unarmed facility such as this.
Adapt. IMPROVISE. Overcome. Not “run like a bitch”.
The warrior spirit was essentially destroyed by Bill and Hillary Clinton do to political correctness.
Back in the 80s, when I pulled Staff Duty Officer, I carried a .45. They gave me three rounds. The magazine was not to be placed into the pistol unless there was an emergency.
The military has had other concerns. First, people should be well-trained in handling a weapon. Take a look at how often our Soldiers qualify on their weapons. Ammunition and range time cost money. Most people are astounded to know that modern Soldiers fire fewer rounds per year in qualifying than the old Cavalry Troopers did. There are simulators, but I don’t think they are programmed for office situations. Our Soldiers have to be properly trained. Our society has become, according to my Dad, “A bunch of scared old ladies”. If you are taught since childhood to be meek, then you will be meek when you are older.
Weapons and ammunition have rarely been stored together in non-combat areas. There are genuine concerns with accidents, stealing and having the weapons taken away and used on others.
I knew we were in trouble when the memo came down saying that it wasn’t fair to evaluate Soldiers on their yearly efficiency report based on their performance in combat. What should you evaluate them on?
I am sure the terrorist jihadis are thinking about this flaw as we type.
I did 28 years in the Army. Delta is not the Army. They call them “Special Operations” for a reason. Ask your son how many people were in Delta. Then, ask him if they were used like Infantry. Ask him what the average rank and age is in Spec Op units. The Marines trained in hand-to-hand combat. The Army went running. The Army produced good long-distance runners. The Army became a cross country team with all the teamwork found in cross country running. I recommended martial arts training for the Army and the runners won the argument.
I believe you may qualify as being ignorant on this subject. I know something about it.
Sure. I am ignorant. That doesn’t mean you didn’t make an ignorant remark. All Specials Forces guys will be surprised to find out you have removed them from the Army.
What were you a motor pool or supply Sgt?
My remark is based on experience. What are your remarks based on? I had dual specialties. I was an Armor and an Infantry Officer. What were you?
What I wrote was not insulting to anyone who has been in the Army. It’s the truth. Ask anyone who has been in the Army.
You thought I was a Marine and I was insulting the Army. Not hardly. Now, you’re trying to obscure your own words. It isn’t working.
Soldier at post gate: Im sorry General but you cant bring that side arm on post. I will have to confisicate it, sir.
Patton: WHAT !!! (The rest of the remarks of Gen George Patten censored due to the family friendly rules of FR)
And, without maintenance and supply, the Army comes to a standstill. General Donn Starry had it right when he commanded TRADOC (that’s the head training guy) and he wrote, “Maintenance, supply and then training”.
Ahh so you were a supply Sgt.
BTW I have passed on to the Rangers and the Airborne Corps that they can cease hand to hand combat training on your edict. They can all sleep in tomorrow.
You have a direct line to the XVIII Corps? Why, you are a real hero. Go milk your chickens.
GUN FREE ZONE = DEATH ZONE
“The Marines teach their people to fight. The other branches have physical fitness.”
DING DING DING Winnahhhh
The Navy Yard is full of desk jockies and civilian contractors. Their idea of a defense is locked doors and passwords
Pelosi would say, “Just talk to the guy”
” - - - surely they could have unlocked the arms room and gone on the attack - - - “
US Military Officer “Shirley” was ordered to “shelter in place” like all of the other US Military wusses.
Fortunately, the Mighty US Park Police sprinted to save the “very secure,” and thoroughly wussified Washington Naval Yard personnel.
Card Checks, profiling, and high-tech gizmos aside, essential to a VERY SECURE system is a “good guy with a gun.”
Will our sorry Federal politicians discard the PC wussyness that they have written into LAW?
Immediate repealing of impeached Bill “Zipper-Boy” Clinton’s 1993 Exec. Order to disarm US Military personell inside buildings would be a very good first step.
BTW, what do all these massacres have in common?
They were all committed in “gun-free” buildings.
Since this was a support facility, that offered access to the public in some areas, the security was right up front, for anyone to see...
For ships of the line...I believe we still have deployable commands that have internal security forces that act in what we used to call SAT/BAF teams...
When in port, the crews remaining onboard, on duty...We used to have a SAT team (Security Alert Force), in the event of the Quarterdeck or other part of the ship becoming compromised, this “small” team would with a phone call, or duress signal would make its way very discretely to the armory, pick up their assigned weapons, and proceed to the effected area to take care of the problem...
A short time later, if needed, the BAF (Backup Alert Force would make its way to the armory onboard the ship to take up their weapons and backup the SAT team, and other vital areas until the all clear was given...
Depending upon the command and type of facility or ship, the details were handled by that specific command...Who better to know your home turf than those who live onboard, or who are onboard for their duty (rotation)...
This facility relied on civilian police as the BAF, and the gate guards for the SAT...
Not a good system, IMO...One easily exploited by someone determined to wreak havoc on the subject of their attentions...
So if arming a select group of qualified individuals at every facility in the DoD is necessary, you only have to take the lessons from the Fleet to implement something very simple and effective to quickly respond to such attacks...
Just what I recall from my experience in the service...
Something that has changed obviously since I left...
And that change cost people their lives...
What you are talking about requires clear thinking by clear headed thinkers who will have already made a predetermined decision about the “what ifs” and the “when this occurs”, I will respond by doing “this and this”.
I am sorry to inform you that these instincts have been bred out of American society as a whole. Independent thinkers are now a scourge on our country in the eyes of DHS executive levels and are to be kept from acting in emergency situations at all costs.
I do believe that the other “two shooters” were such type people but they had the good sense to get rid of their weapons when they realized the shooter had already been taken down.
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