This author doesn't have a freakin' clue. Edson's Raiders and Carlson's Raiders were USMC special ops during WWII.
In all, there were 4 raider battalions.
To the best of my knowledge, there hasn't been a MC special ops unit since WWII.
Posted on 06/17/2015 6:36:52 AM PDT by huldah1776
Army General Nicholson should be stripped of his rank. He has no honor. It’s too late for Gen. Kearney, but he also should be publically chastised.
Far too many cowards wearing stars.
General Nicholson needs to be court martialed, stripped of rank, and dishonorably discharged after a decade in Levenworth. Instead, he is probably headed to great things in an Obama Administration or a leftist think tank.
Agreed, but....
As a retired field grade officer I understand the complex problems many officer personnel encounter-that they serve at the pleasure of the president and the secretaries of the DOD and more senior flag officers above themselves-lots of pressure to do what they are told in order to be relevant career wise. They fail basic leadership 101- to break problems down into multiple easily defined and solvable problems, the bottom line being that they serve no one but the US Constitution-to protect and defend it from all enemies foreign and domestic, and to obey the laws (that congress passes and the administration enacts).
Having served 23 years of enlisted & commissioned active duty (’83-’06), I can say with certainty that no training I ever encountered said what I summarized in a short paragraph. That is the travesty- the senior officers in the armed services (and all divisions of administration) are so bound in careerism and approval they forget what they signed up for (there are exceptions, however these seldom rise past O-8 (MajGen/RrAdm upper half).
We need a congress that would reinforce the basic premise of service and demand saturation of those basic principle-but alas, we first need a congress that obeys their oaths of office first....
Hmm, I find myself thinking of how in our form of government ( the necessary evil to protect essential and fundamental natural rights of all men)all power resides in the people themselves. Alas.
Major, USA Ret
Concur with your assessment of Congress, but that does not absolve flag officers from their sworn duty to support and defend the Constitution as well as their sacred duty of defending those that serve under them. When a general officer is quick to throw his men into the lions den, it erodes good order and discipline. The two Army officers I mentioned are guilty of precisely that. Marine Corps officers have done the same, specifically one of my beloved Commandants is guilty of this as well. Any leader that crushes those that are loyal to them, fails to engender loyalty, in himself and his corps.
A prime example of what we are discussing is the most recent spokesman for the Pentagon (RADM Kirby), he is one that is worthy of contempt and a coward, first for placing his career aspirations above what is right for the country and second for failing to name our enemy. He embodies the political nature of the modern flag officer and the cancer that is infesting both the officer corps and has pervaded Congress.
They are all worthy of the damnation that is coming.
RJ
Major, USMC (ret)
We’ve all heard or read Gen. Mattis’ quote “I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you [Marine Corps verbiage] with me, I’ll kill you all”
Although I have not had the privilege of speaking with the General and asking him about a couple of issues with which I disagree, I do appreciate his motivating the boots.
As for Nicholson, apologizing at that point probably did more damage in earning the respect of those to whom he was speaking than anything else and we know that is what Petreaus’ COIN strategy was all about.
General Mattis ranks up there with Chesty. God love them both!
I believe that it is telling that over 10 years after going to War in Afghanistan and Iraq, not a single flag/general officer level officer has resigned and made public comments on the reason for his resignation. Not a single one.
Most have disagreed with Administration policies privately, and some have retired as a result, but all have supported their civilian masters at the expense of their soldiers, Marines, airmen, and sailors. They must do so when in uniform, therefore the only course open to those who disagree is to resign and make their position known publicly. I wonder why none have done so?
Moreover, the Judge Advocate General corps of each service have become in disturbing ways a parallel chain of command whom have overruled commanders, led witch hunts against combat leaders who made instant judgments under fire, and served as political officers in much the ways of the Red Army and their Political Commissars.
The military of today is in serious trouble. Perhaps a new Chowder Society will be required.
Nicholson involved here as well:
I see I am not the only one who thought “Red” only I was going to apply it to the executive branch, the judicial branch (Licensed to Lie by Sidney Powell), and can’t exclude the legislative branch.
I see the demoralization and betrayal of our military revealed in suicide rates, especially Special Ops after Extortion 17 and Benghazi, but “what difference does it make?”
Should have been her campaign logo: “Making a difference!”
hmmm....
IZMIR, Turkey - U.S. Lt. Gen. John Nicholson has assumed command of NATO’s Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey following a change of command ceremony held at the Headquarters on Thursday, 23 October.
http://www.aco.nato.int/change-of-command-at-natos-allied-land-command.aspx
Still being promoted. Wonder if he’ll be the next Petraeus.
The context is the formal organization of Special Operations forces with the Department of Defense in the post World War II period. the USMC chose not to commit forces to Special Operations force structure until recently.
F Co, was F Company, 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion. Since 2014, this battalion is now designated as the 2d Marine Raider Battalion, linking to the tradition of the Marine Raiders organizations of World War II.
Back when, I was TAD to H&S, 3rd Force Recon when they were at Camp Ono on Oki, for a month, for some crypto stuff.
(This was back when crypto was still mechanical. We would pound out traffic on drums...)
Force Recon was used to seed the first SOC battalions, but I don’t know if they had been reconstituted back int he MEF level Recon element.
rjsimmon: Right on! I’m glad that you outted Kirby as a career-promotion shithead. And a wimp to boot.
Now the Marines are seriously compromised by bad leadership. Remember JCS Head is Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Chicken of ISIS. What a pathetic creature.
As a journalist I had the privilege to interview or just talk with such American heroes as Lyman Lemnitzer, Maxwell Taylor, Adm John McCain (CINCOMPAC, VN), Adm. Dan Galley (U-505 and one of the famous five Admirals brothers), Gen. Chappie James, Col. Bud Day (a friend), Adm. Jeremiah Denton (a friend), and some great guys on the ground in So. Vietnam and Cambodia.
Today all I see are career-concerned, Obama asskissing wimps and cowards.
We buried my father-in-law, a retired Lt. Col. , in October. You will know how much I admired his professionalism as an officer and a gentleman by listing his last battle in WW2 - Iwo Jima, 75th JASCO, US ARMY, PH.
Active Duty ping.
Mattis was one of the best, but sadly, even he succumbed to political pressure and betrayed the Haditha 9 Marines and Col. Chessani when they were being prosecuted/persecuted by NCIS, the media, Congressman John Murtha et al..
“I believe that it is telling that over 10 years after going to War in Afghanistan and Iraq, not a single flag/general officer level officer has resigned”
None KIA either, AFAIK.
One general officer has been KIA, killed by Green on Blue by Afghan soldiers. Several general officers were killed on 9/11 at the Pentagon.
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