Richard Reeves: Soldiers Can't Speak Freely

The Hartford Courant ^ | July 29, 2003 | Richard Reeves

[BillyBonebrake]

I'm with the kid in Fallujah, the Army private in the Third Infantry Division, who said Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ought to resign. Rummy and his crowd led and misled those soldiers out there to occupy a country we can defeat but not control.

Rumsfeld, who should never have been given an army to play with, is either nuts or incompetent. I tend toward the former. He and President Bush overreached in sending 16 of the Army's 33 combat-ready divisions to win an easy war and now have to leave them out there to occupy the desert - something they are not well-trained to do - until we withdraw or find someone to take our place.

Now, there's a problem. We mocked and bullied most of our allies in the run-up to war - we didn't need the wusses of Old Europe and old everyplace else - and now we are begging the people we ignored, the United Nations and our own North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to come bail us out.

We can't really win this game. In that way, we are repeating the mistakes we made in Vietnam all those years ago. This is quite a different war in quite a different place, but there is this similarity: The Vietnamese and the Iraqis have been there forever and will be there forever, but we will leave sooner or later.

[dwilli]

I was there in 1971. It was pretty good duty after spending
time in SE Asia. The Marine Barracks were fairly modern in 1971.

One of the barracks had Marines living below and a SEAL team
detachment living above. Also only had one club on the base.
Made for some interesting events.

[mark502inf]

if you include the Marines

There are only about 8,600 marines left in Iraq; most of the MEF got out of there pretty rapidly--as you probably know, the marines are not organized or intended for long duration operations.

The ones left are mostly down south away from the Sunni triangle & most of the action, so you don't hear much about them.

[dwilli]

The one thing we can't have is a MEU or MEF doing the type of policing/patrolling the Army is having to do. Throwing rocks at this type of combat forces would be a bloodbath.

Marines are not taught to be compassionate with people hell-bent on hurting/killing them or their comrades.

[an amused spectator]

I read and re-read this one and for the life of me I cannot figure out the point he's trying to make. Help me out, Freepers.

Certainly. It's a "Spit On The Troops, 2003" hitpiece.

The liberal media can't come right out and call American soldiers "babykillers" (well, most of the liberal media can't), so they've opted for the strategy of gutting military morale and calling the competence of the American military leadership into question.

This strategy necessarily paints the American soldier as either a chump (for believing his "lying" leaders) or a victim of his "incompetent" leaders.

[mark502inf]

The one thing we can't have is a MEU or MEF doing the type of policing/patrolling the Army is having to do. Throwing rocks at this type of combat forces would be a bloodbath.

Despite the "killer", trigger-happy reputation that you have apparently bought into, the marines are a disciplined, professional force. With the occasional exception you have in any organization that includes humans, they will follow orders, adhere to the rules of engagement, and use appropriate restraint.

[xtorpedoman]

As much as it pains a sailor to admit it, Marines are just plain alright.

[Howlin]

You've got them.

[dwilli]

Mef/MEB/MEU's are fast moving aggressive lead forces. Fleet Marines are not trained experts in crowd control,
investigation, diplomatic relations or nation building.

The incursion into Bagdad would have been much bloodier had
the city been located by the sea and a massive amphib landing had been used for insertion of combat troops instead of by convoy.

The same would have been true if Paratroopers had dropped into Bagdad. Airbourne's first thought upon touching terra firma is not how to win the hearts and soul of the locals.

I served with both FMFPAC and FMFLANT. I saw very little combat but did experience the mission mentality and emotion
involved.

[MamaB]

Well, baloney, Anyone who has ever had a family member or friend in the military, knows that they are not free to talk about everything. And, in time of war, letters and talk is censored. That is the way it has always been and will always be. Get over it already!

[cyncooper]

Well, I just saw Paul Gigot, just back from Iraq, on Brit Hume's program and he said things are going very well over in Iraq, that people are going about their daily lives and the political system is getting put together and up and running, electricity and water supplies getting steadily better and the vast majority of Iraqis are very, very happy we are there.