I had heard that. About a week or so after she’d been rescued, there was a news conference during which a journalist asked what had happened to her. The guy (not Rumsfield) responded that investigations were ongoing and he had no info, etc.
The next day Lee Rodgers (KSFO) was griping about the question, basically saying that the journalists should quit asking stupid questions and let her recuperate in peace. Then a retired Army officer called in. He claimed that his active-duty son told him that the Army knew everything that had happened during her capture within 48 hours of her rescue. They knew everything, and it was promptly classified. All of it.
He claimed that the Army wouldn’t be talking, she wouldn’t be talking, and nobody else would be talking about it either.
But then again, it WAS just some old anonymous guy calling up a radio show with a comment. I wondered how it would play out. Especially since in the meantime it has reported that she “couldn’t remember” any details about being captured and detained.
I haven’t heard anything else until reading this. Not that I need all the gory details…
Reading Hackworth is always a guessing game, of sorts. Is he suggesting that his old buddies the Viet Cong armed with RPG's would be a better model for our millitary than our high tech, heavily armed, Rumsfeld doctrine forces of today? Did he overlook the minor little fact that Iraqi LOST this war in a matter of three weeks? And that was done with an almost unprecidentedly low rate of colateral damage and non combatat deaths via a planned and deliberate policy of avoiding civilian casualties as often as was possible? Could it be that ANYTHING ANYONE EVER DID regarding the military is suspect in his eyes, because he wasn't asked to consult? Hackworth, the Egowarrior!
By what, AK47 rounds and rocks??
He throws in just enough credible "pearls" to differentiate himself from Ritter and to keep folks from mumbling "whatever has happened to good ole Hack?".
He's an aging military has-been still dressing in macho special-ops black turtlenecks.
We have the marvelous opportunity to read his articles regularly only because he's handy for the lib media to have around to stick it to the USA.
Leni
But even casual analysis would show that if this thin-skinned wheeled vehicle had been used in Iraq instead of the Abrams tank, the much-hyped "Shock and Awe" would've been for naught, and the spinners would be working overtime to explain the debacle.Hackworth for "Shock and Awe"?
Yes, you read it, right here. Shock and Awe was not "for naught."
Good thing we didn't deploy Strykers. Shock and Awe wouldn't otherwise have worked. Thanks, Hack, for letting us know, finally, that it worked.
cc: Rummy
I do believe, however, the story of Private Lynch is the story of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Gender Neutral Military.
A bunch of goof ball mechanics who can fix things were driving around in the desert with no back up or support and found themselves facing real trouble in a real bad way.
Their weapons training hours were likely to be limited to the absolute minimum, so it is unlikely they knew how to effectively use their equipment even if it worked as designed.
Ditto their tactics and combat readiness training courses.
When trouble started moments of extreme panic were likely interspersed with moments of outrageous and in some cases foolhardy and counterproductive heroism.
The fact anyone lived to tell a tale is a testimony to the arbitrary and capricious nature of warfare.
At the end of the day, the Pentagon said they would deliver victory in Iraq at the lowest possible cost and they have done so.
For what it is worth.
Best regards,
He HAS earned the right...and I truly believe that he has the interests of the soldier's at heart.
...and I will give him the highest praise that this old, slightly beaten up, Vietnam survivor can give him.
I would return to do battle with him as my C.O.....anytime.
redrock