Marine colonel loses his post Brass tight-lipped on reason for rare battlefield removal

San Fransisco Chronicle ^ | April 5, 2003 | Thomas E. Ricks

[delacoert]

The Marine Corps relieved one of its top commanders in Iraq on Friday, an extremely unusual action, especially for a unit engaged in combat.

Col. Joe W. Dowdy has been the officer in charge of the 1st Marine Regiment, one of the three major Marine Corps ground units fighting toward Baghdad. His regiment is reported to have been used to pin down Republican Guard units in the city of Kut while the other two major units, the 5th and 7th Marines, crossed the Tigris River on Thursday and raced toward Baghdad. Those units encountered heavy ground fighting Friday on the outskirts of the capital and had at least three M1 tanks disabled by Iraqi fire.

[delacoert]

Search on title didn't see it posted previously. I think there's some military insider speculation that supports some of the posted speculation in other FR threads.

The key to the situation, some officers suggested, is likely Mattis' views of how forcefully a unit should act in combat.

[sit-rep]

What's you guys take on this? The guy was too soft as the article implies??

[Blood of Tyrants]

Since it is his first time in combat, I would guess that he simply doesn't have what it takes to be a combat commander.

[Texas Chrystal]

This is pure speculation on my part, but wasn't a Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, 38 one of the soldiers recovered when Pvt Jessica Lynch was rescued? Could he be a relation of the recently removed Col. Dowdy?

I have no idea, but this is very thought provoking.

[xJones]

No one alive was recovered when Jessica Lynch was found in that hospital. They found 2 dead bodies in the hospital and graves outside.

Allan Millett, a military historian at Ohio State University and a retired colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, said that "relieving a regimental commander for cause is unusual, in combat or not."

The Marine Corps is being very quiet (and properly so in war time) but whatever Dowdy did, it must have been a bad one. His career is shot, and he's been disgraced.

[xJones]

Pardon, that should be that no other living American besides Jessica Lynch was found during her rescue.

[Texas Chrystal]

Yes, I should have been more clear in my post. What I should have said is Master Sgt. Robert Dowdy is one of the bodies recovered from the hospital where Pvt Jessica Lynch was rescued.

[Spaulding]

I believe this was the Colonel in command when Bob Arnot did his 45 minute play-by-play on MSNBC. While Arnot's walking down the road to invite an Iraqi family to safety showed Arnot's empathy, and perhaps naivity, their proximity to APC's and a tank would seem to be putting our troops at risk. If I recall correctly, there was a bit of a skirmish when Arnot tried to take the family along when the Colonel decided (or was ordered) to move on. The Colonel may have been seen not to control the embedded reporter.

[Ecliptic]

There was a story a day or 2 ago about a Master Sgt Dowdy...but it related about how he shot an Iraqi holding a child.....

[heckler]

Hackworth was on Larry King last night. He said esentially the same thing. To much force, not politically correct.

[TRY ONE]

Sorry, but when I saw the SF Chronicle reporting this, I thought "don't ask, don't tell".....

[sit-rep]

I sure hope this is not the case... What a bummer. The guy probably did not even know what the embed was up to. He should have kicked him out.

[stylin19a]

my take on it has been, this Col., on the air( With Bob Arnot, during the skirmish), gave his name, rank, unit and location. He did it a couple of times. I couldn't believe he did that. Whether that was the reason he was relieved, I don't know.

[Ecliptic]

If you are in command, you want everyone under you to be working just as hard as they can to accomplish the mission at hand......If I were a full Bird, I could have cussed the General's XO, stole the General's jeep and used his Phone card without his knowledge...but as long as I was 100% on top of getting my men to do what the General wanted, then I would stay in command.....He may have actually kicked me as hard as he could, but I would stay in command.....

Getting your subordiantes to go at your tempo and having your agenda is essential especially in combat...

Therefore, it appears to me that the Col. was not producing anywhere near what he was suppose to and that was why he was relieved.......The Col. may have already shown signs of lack of leadership and that is why he got the blocking job instead of one of the other 2 attacking jobs....

But remember, this does not make him a bad Marine or person...lack of official info may just be Marines trying to take care of their own....

[harpseal]

My take is Col. Dowdy screwed the pooch big time. It had to be something big or he would not have been relieved under combat conditions.

[Minty]

"This is pure speculation on my part, but wasn't a Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, 38 one of the soldiers recovered when Pvt Jessica Lynch was rescued? Could he be a relation of the recently removed Col. Dowdy? "

Speculating, that would make more sense. Maybe he went a little out of his way for something not exactly in the plans and they are afraid of what he may be willing topull in the field. But again we will not know for sure what is going on behind the scenes until this is all over.

[UncleJeff]

My bet is he balked at using his troops as cannon bait. The Full Bird wanted a fix on some artillery and wanted Dowdy to troll his troops to draw fire. Since his troops had been in almost continuous contact for days I suspect he showed insufficient enthusiasm for the task.

[UncleJeff]

Correction, the General, Dowdy wears a bird.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Hack is on crack and veered to the left.

[VaBthang4]

Nah...
That wouldnt be enough.


Semper Fi