Posted on 06/01/2004 12:04:45 PM PDT by Happy2BMe
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Shock waves in Seoul as U.S. to shift 12,000 more troops to Iraq |
SEOUL – First the Pentagon told the ministry of national defense it plans to transfer a brigade of 3,600 troops from South Korea to Iraq this summer. Now, the Pentagon is telling South Korean officials it wants to scale back the number of U.S. troops in South Korea from 37,000 to 25,000.
The news took the government here by surprise. A Blue House official, talking anonymously to South Korean reporters, barely masked the government's concern: "The realignment should not undermine our national security."
In and out of the government, the realization has now dawned that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had been deadly serious when he spread the word during his visit here last November that the U.S. had a new concept of flexible defense.
Sigh.
Why should this make the average American very uneasy. If this Idiot in NK attacks I am pretty sure he won't be using conventional weapons, what good are ground troops.
"Before increasing the force, the army needs to rationalize it. My understanding of the Marine Corps is that they're already there, so I would support right now an increase in their allotted strength. But the army has some work to do."
What are you smoking? The Marines don't have cooks?? Obviously you've never been in the military.
This is the way it works - if battlefield commanders request troops they get them. Period. They don't have to rationalize the request to civillian pundits and idiots.
You may be interested in this Marince Corps website:
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/C7D87CA8061F6BB485256B480038A5F8
"The Marine is always a basic rifleman and my cooks can go from one job to the other in the snap of a finger."
Medal's Marines test their mettle everyday as they provide security for a portion of the perimeter of the airfield. "The whole time we've been out here, we've been sleeping in our holes," said Lance Cpl. Mel Helmi, a BLT 3/6 cook. "We sleep for four or five hours then we wake up and start filling sand bags and making other improvements to our fighting positions."
In addition to providing hot soups and beverages to coalition forces and manning their perimeter in southern Afghanistan, these Marines have also engaged the enemy in a firefight.
Helmi described the enemy contact. He was 'walking the line,' keeping everyone awake when he saw a couple tracers fly past him. "At first, I thought that it was some insect, similar to fireflies. Then I saw more of them coming 'down range' not more than five feet from me." As his Marines quickly assessed what was happening, he recalls now that he hadn't seen anyone move so fast since boot camp. "It seemed that within 10 seconds, everyone was ready with their boots, their Kevlar - everything, pointing down range." He said the real difference between Marine cooks and any other cook in the world is, "When it's time for us to pull trigger, hey, we can 'pull trigger.'""
It was pretty obvious to the world that NONE of the folks in that captured maintenence crew was a "basic rifleman."
And no, I haven't been in the military, but I read a LOT. You might enjoy The March Up : Taking Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division by Ray L. Smith and Bing West.
"if battlefield commanders request troops they get them. Period. They don't have to rationalize the request to civillian pundits and idiots. "
True. But, we're not talking about whether specific commanders get additional troops, we're talking about the overall size of the armed forces. The service chiefs must justify their recommendations to the SecDef, the President, and the Congress. And all of those people are ultimately accountable to the voters. As I have said, I think increases in force strength might very well be warranted, but the army clearly hasn't yet convinced Rumsfield.
"It was pretty obvious to the world that NONE of the folks in that captured maintenence crew was a "basic rifleman."
Which maintenance crew are you talking about? The one that Lynch was in? The majority of that rear echelon crew fought like hell and several acted with valor, especially Spc. Miller, who killed alot of Iraqis after exposing himself to get to a good firing position.
Btw, every Army soldier is a trained basic rifleman. Women Marines are what they are, women.
Yeah, I'm talking about the maintenence crew Lynch was in-- and I may have overstated the case by saying that "none" was a "basic rifleman". It was clear, though, that many were not capable fighters, and should NEVER have been there. You don't throw a kid who can't swim into the water, and you don't send people who can't fight into a war zone-- it's just flat wrong. In my view, the only non-fighters who have any business that close to the front are the medical personnel and the chaplains.
It's high time for Japan to re-emerge as a full member of the family of nations, admit to the need for, yes, a full-fledged military and serve to assist the US in checking and balancing the threats gathering in Peking.
How do you suggest that the Army and Marines resupply and maintain men and machines of war?
From the beginning of warfare, rear echelon units have been cutoff, raided, and overrun. It's part of warfare that is inevitable. It is especially part of maneuver warfare. It happened in the Ardenne and Bastogne and it happens now.
as my grandmother used to say, "no es lo mismo llamar al demonio que verlo llegar"
("it's one thing to call the devil; another to see him coming")
" It's high time for Japan to re-emerge as a full member of the family of nations, admit to the need for, yes, a full-fledged military and serve to assist the US in checking and balancing the threats gathering in Peking."
Precisely!
When Kim Il lobbed ICBM over mainland Japan the lights went on in Tokyo.
Japan must begin to rearm to meet the military might of China once China fully absorbs the trillions of new revenue from the West (USA). And there can be no doubt in Japan that it will eventually be ground zero for China - especially if there is nothing militarily in the way blocking said conquest.
S. Korea has played us long enough and is now financially able to maintain it's own edge over N.K. militarily.
Also, by not offering up troops in the war on terror in Iraq, S. K. has cut themselves off for the foreseeable future of any increases or possibly status quo in US troops stationed there for their border defense.
Lots of trees shakin'
"How do you suggest that the Army and Marines resupply and maintain men and machines of war?
From the beginning of warfare, rear echelon units have been cutoff, raided, and overrun. It's part of warfare that is inevitable. It is especially part of maneuver warfare. It happened in the Ardenne and Bastogne and it happens now."
Do I sound like a general? :D Generals study logistics. I don't know, but I do know that the Marines travel much lighter than the army. And, I expect that it matters a lot the facts of the specific case-- like, do we control the air? What is the terrain like? Stuff like that. Regardless, though, no one who is not mentally and physically trained and prepared to fight (other than chaplains and medical folks) should be put in a position where they may have to fight. And, nobody with an unnecessary job should be there AT ALL-- and the assessment of "necessary" needs to be pretty damn stringent. The position of "cook" following the infantry on a sprint to Baghdad just doesn't cut it, in my view.
I'm sure Kim DingDong Il will be happy to let them continue their anti-american demonstrations....right after soylent green snacks.
Naturally that has nothing to do with the truth. S Korea didn't have to do anything wrt Iraq but it did.
Huh?
"I read your same post once again for the 10th time and thought of the similarities between the Korean young and ours. The "academia" is at work everywhere, eh? "
I caught it on the first reading - I have visited the country of your birth a few times in recent years, and have found like people everywhere, when you get to know them on a personal level, Koreans are warm and caring of their friends and family - even those living nearby by under an oppresive government.
It appears that many here do not realize that the South Koreans are not at war with the North Koreans, it is the present government of North Korea that is the problem.
BTW - Just saw today where there has been direct talks between North and South Generals for the first time regarding seting up common radio freqs and a phone hotline to try and work through some of the latest problems on the water - a great sign that things are happening.
Thank you for replying, RS.
I know you took some heat on this thread for voicing logic in the midst of the "Nuke'em all" group heat. You were not defending any particular race, let alone Koreans, but nicely injected objective opinion, aka, common sense, concerning the situations involving the East. A cool head you are.
Some young Koreans, unfortunately, have become very spoiled and don't realize what sacrifice the Americans and other nation's young have paid to ensure their freedom. I cringe and pure anger eats me up whenever I see anti-US demonstration going on there. Of course, there are huge PRO-US demonstrations held there and are completely ignored by the media.
You nailed it; the people of the South are not at war with the North's. People want to reunite with their families and live in peace. Though, the current anti-US "movement" in SK disturbs me deeply. I condemn every one of those ungrateful bastards who conveniently forgot that it was mostly the American blood that was shed over there to ensure their freedom.
There has been refreshing yet alarming talks between the two military "powers" of the two sides. They agreed to suspend the little "arguments" over the waters and such, as you mentioned. Good sign, but the military AND the elected officials should all be involved.
Thanks again, I appreciate your thoughtful and perceptive comments.
PS: Wish they would send their "elite" troops to Iraq without delay.
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