STRAIGHT TALK FOR GI JOE

NY Post ^ | 7/18/2003 | Ralph Peters

[dirtboy]

July 18, 2003 -- SOLDIERS complain. God knows, I did when I was a private. Fighting men have been bitching since the first semi-organized bands of cave-dwelling warriors went at each other with sticks, rocks and beer bottles.

You have to take what you hear with a grain of salt.

[dirtboy]

Interesting take from Peters, who has been the best overall war analyst, IMO.

[Support Free Republic]

A Recall AND a Fundraiser? I'm toast.

Let's get this over with FAST. Please contribute!

[babyface00]

Does this Peters guy know what he's talking about? I didn't read a lot of facts, just a lot of accusations and a bit of smearing.

[MEG33]

They really don't like Rumsfield!I have no idea what the troop needs are but dashed hopes hurt.Yes the 3rdID will do the job and do it well but I think they deserve to come home soon.(I like Peters,too)

[IGOTMINE]

On military matters Peters knows what he is about. I've read comments by him, however, about how the Bush presidency is hurting women, etc. etc.

[dirtboy]

Does this Peters guy know what he's talking about? I didn't read a lot of facts, just a lot of accusations and a bit of smearing.

He has been pretty dead-on so far with his war and military analysis. He's not a anti-war nut by any means - he instead says that things in Iraq are actually going fairly well. Here is a brief bio on Peters:

Ralph Peters retired from the US Army shortly after his promotion to lieutenant colonel so he could pursue a writing career. A contributor to Parameters since the 1980s, he is also the author of 12 books, including Fighting for the Future: Will America Triumph?, a collection of essays on strategy; eight novels with strategic or military themes; and, under a pen name, a series of critically acclaimed historical novels.

[dirtboy]

Oh, and I pulled that bio from an article that Peters wrote for Parameters, the quarterly magazine for the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA.

[HiJinx]

You, the taxpayer, are being cheated outrageously in the name of an ideologically driven crusade to reduce the size of government. This is corporate welfare that has nothing to do with the welfare of our troops. And guess what? Most of those contractors disappear when the bullets start flying.

That may be true for some, but I resent this accusation. We have contract personnel in theater who've come pretty close to taking rounds, and who are sleeping with the rats every bloody night...when they can get to sleep.

When Ralph Peters was a Captain, he went to his advanced course in the building next door to where I work. Nobody liked him. He has made his name grousing about the Army in general and Military Intelligence -- his branch -- in particular. As far as I'm concerned, he can take his pot shots and shove 'em where a Bird Colonel ought to be planting a size 12 boot just about now.

[MEG33]

Of all the armchair military guys ,he got things better.He thought we needed more troops if I recall. The Army really dislikes Rumsfield.(Brass,Pentagon),and now because of false going home info,the soldiers are not trusting him.

[HiJinx]

Did you hear General Abizaid, the new CentCom Commander, tell the press that all of the 3rd ID would be out of theater by the end of September? He said that yesterday in a news conference...he expects to have the plans finalized by the end of next week.

OBTW, this will be only the second conflict in 100 years where US soldiers had a definite timetable for rotation out of a combat zone.

[MEG33]

Wow..good info.He still didn't make a fool out of himself with bad predictions and gloom and doom that some commentators did.Army doesn't like the new shake ups at all.It'll take years.

[HiJinx]

this will be only

Sorry, that should probably say that if the press has it's way, this would only be the second conflict with a definitive employment timetable.

[MEG33]

That's the mistake..false hope.I was surprised at the bad mouthing to the press but I know it's best to not have plans dashed .The September time is still of course contingent on replacememts.

[eyespysomething]

in WWII weren't they in theater, in 'major combat' for 4+ years?

Why are they surprised at 1 year?

Of course, I can say that: I'm here at home. I hope it's not hypocritical.

[mystery-ak]

I have to agree with Peters...now is not the time to downsize...as far as Rummy, I like him, but there are a lot of things I disagree with..which I will not go into.

[MEG33]

The problem was telling them they would be going home earlier and then changing it.

[eyespysomething]

Yes, that has to be hard.

Shouldn't they just tell them nothing? I don't know the protocol.

Those guys who complained on ABCNews need to be, something, court-marshalled? Once again, I don't know the protocol.

[MEG33]

I didn't hear it but it upset my daughter.It's officers who can't complain to the press and badmouth their superiors,I believe.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

This is bound to pi** off some of the Freepers, but here goes from an old Navy vet.

1. One never says in public, for the record the things these guys said about their chain of command. Nor should their dependents.

2. The was a saying when I was on active duty, "If the Navy wanted you to have a wife they would issue you one." What is the point. Sailors that have dependents back home act differently than sailors that didn't. (I am sure that this holds for other services.) And I am not sure that the change was for the best.

Most field operations inherently have uncertainties built into them. The person in command has to have the ability to change the mission parameters in light of the situation in the field. Invariably, the married personnel would bitch when announced dates were changed.

3. The goal is to accomplish the mission. If the mission changes, the goal still is to accomplish the mission.

4. My hat is off the them all.

[MEG33]

Your statements are not unlike those an army wife has posted.God bless our armed forces!