These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.
~excerpt from Sun Tzu’s Art of War

Wouldn’t it be nice if our enemies would report in kind their numbers, troop movements and intentions.

“Starting next month, we will be able to remove 10,000 of our troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and we will bring home a total of 33,000 troops by next summer, fully recovering the surge I announced at West Point. After this initial reduction, our troops will continue coming home at a steady pace as Afghan Security forces move into the lead. Our mission will change from combat to support. By 2014 this process of transition will be complete, and the Afghan people will be responsible for their own security.”
~President’s speech to the nation (and our enemies), July 22, 2011

The leader of Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai, is a loathesome creature who is part of the problem and fully aware, as is anyone else that wants to be honest with themselves, that his country will quickly revert back to the days of Taliban control after our troops are removed from this moonscape wasteland.

Don’t fight a battle if you don’t gain anything by winning.
~ Erwin Rommel, German Field Marshal in World War II

The Taliban and al-Qaida need only sit back and wait out our withdrawal as so eloquently outlined by Barack Obama. They are a patient enemy and in no hurry and will quickly have the country of Afghanistan back in their grip soon after the United States departs.

In the future, when embarking on a military solution, it is imperative that our political leadership understand when our country and people are threatened by an unrelenting force of evil it then becomes necessary to unleash “hell and damnation” upon those that would do us harm and allow our armed forces to fully deploy their might to crush our enemies at all costs.

“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won’t.”
~ General George S. Patton

If our politicians are unwilling and lack the “guts” to commit to this strategy then they have no business sending our military men and women into harm’s way. When our military might has to tip-toe around Rules of Engagement our troops bear the brunt of this policy with unnecessary casualties, prolonged war and a fleeting victory.

In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.
~excerpt from Sun Tzu’s Art of War

Where in the annals of military history has it ever been appropriate to notify the enemy of our intentions? It seems to be the modern-day modus operandi of the political establishment. Whatever happened to “loose lips sink ships”, a reference to too much talk tips off the enemy in their favor. At this point it appears to be a futile thought to expect any political philosophy that would allow our military to achieve a victory before withdrawal.

It should now be perfectly clear that Pakistan is no ally in our pursuit of terrorists. I actually posted an article in 2008 – Pakistan Fiend or Foe – that bears re-reading. That is not a misprint, I meant fiend not friend.

“From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.”
~President George W. Bush
Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People

September 20, 2001

Any thought process that even remotely suggests that Pakistan is a friend or ally should be quickly quashed. If I hear any more claims that they are even remotely
loyal or faithful partners of America I may have to issue my own fatwah condemning this rhetorical nonsense. Furthermore, given our country’s present economical situation the amount of financial aid that our government gives to Pakistan is obscene and should offend each and every American. There should no longer be any question that money handed over to this country is obviously being used to aid and abet our enemies. Not so you say – convince me otherwise.

Obama’s one mistake may have been a missed opportunity by having bin Laden killed. With the presidential campaign coming into full swing a live Osama bin Laden would have been a great campaign prop. Obama could occasionally rattle his cage and bin Laden would spew out some hateful message to the world and we would all be reminded that he is safely locked away. Then there would be the long drawn out pathetic circus trial that would bring out a myriad of once obscure characters vying for the inevitable spotlight. I must admit that the President made the right choice in having this pathetic excuse for a human being exterminated and resting as bottom-feed.

So it’s time to celebrate the demise of this monster. It’s not a pretty picture or pleasant thought when one tries to envision some guy scrubbing down Osama’s nasty ass before placing him in a burial shroud. Hopefully he got a five star belly flop when his wretched carcass hit the water during the burial at sea.

In a world where athletes and entertainers are characterized as heroes Richard Winters was a super hero. He was the inspiration behind the book and miniseries “Band of Brothers.” Winters did not create the world that was handed to him during WWII but persevered along with the other brave men that he led into combat and helped change the outcome of it.

He and his men parachuted behind enemy lines prior to the troops landing on Omaha and Utah beaches during D-Day, June 6, 1944. Assigned to Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne, Winters led a small group of men against a German artillery position and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroic action during that battle. There is an ongoing effort to have that medal upgraded to the Medal of Honor. His unit went on to fight in the Battle of the Bulge and later secured the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s mountain retreat. Major Winters was discharged from the Army in 1946 but recalled to active duty during the Korean War.

Richard Winters led an exemplary life that gave meaning and honor to those fallen soldiers he served with. He chose to live a life of modesty and requested that news of his death be withheld until after his funeral.

When our days run their course and a man like Dick Winters leaves us, time and providence remind us that human beings can do giant things. Dick Winters volunteered to go to war, leading paratroopers into unknown, yet certain, dangers. He led by both command and example; his wartime philosophy was simple — “Follow me.” When the world needed heroes, he served in a company of heroes. In a historic time, he was both a humble witness and an honorable warrior. In the decades since, he cherished the peace he had earned with humility and integrity.
~Tom Hanks, Actor and co-producer,”Band of Brothers”

Richard “Dick” Winters personified the generation of Americans who selflessly fought and died for their country in World War II. Dick Winters was at the vanguard of representing ‘The Greatest Generation. He would not have wanted this credit. He would have simply asked all of us to never forget how his generation served this nation and the world in WWII.
~Steven Spielberg, co-producer,”Band of Brothers”

Every American should seek to emulate his quiet greatness and be very thankful for the world that he and his men along with the others of his generation allowed us to inherit.

I salute you Sir.

Read the “Rolling Stone” interview.

What a way to take the focus off of a pesky oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

While General McChrystal has spent most of his life defending freedom of speech he does not, as a member of the armed forces, have the right to exercise it without paying a heavy price. McChrystal’s callous interview is indefensible.

Like any military man preparing for war, McChrystal has been trained to tolerate stress, pain, heat and cold among other states of duress. The training that was omitted was tolerating incompetent, civilian leadership. It would appear that this should be required training for all Generals and Admirals.

Had the U.S. fought World War II like we fight modern day wars we would still be fighting the Japanese and Germans or possibly speaking a combination of both. The Rules of Engagement (ROE) in Iraq and now Afghanistan are reprehensible. In WWII there was one rule – WIN! Overwhelming force and power was used extensively, there were no apologies or hand wringing in the use of both. A politically correct war that takes into account Rules of Engagement that aids and abets our enemy takes a greater toll on a warrior than a regular all-out war where success is measured by defeating and eliminating your foes resulting in a victory. If Ghengis Khan were alive today he would rule the world over these present day panty waist politicians.

Every military member knows they are expendable, it’s a harsh reality and indicative of the theory that no one is irreplaceable. If one member is taken out for whatever reason there is another to take their place. That theory includes Generals. It is imperative in order to complete the mission. There was only one inevitable and acceptable outcome from the breach of discipline that McChrystal displayed and that was to resign.

The military persevered through the Clinton years under the perception of a President that spent his life having little use for the armed forces and the same Obama mentality of placing greater emphasis on “spreading the wealth.” The military survived Clinton and it will survive Obama. The United States cannot maintain and survive a perpetually protracted involvement in Afghanistan. The Soviet Empire tried and failed. There is little doubt that whenever all foreign forces eventually leave this pathetic country it will maintain its status as a barren, poverty-stricken wasteland vulnerable to the whims of the Taliban and there is nothing that any other country is going to do to change that.

No longer will McChrystal be remembered for having to wage a politically correct war in Afghanistan but will leave a legacy of having the poor judgement of agreeing to an interview with “Rolling Stone” magazine and unceremoniously being relieved of command. Was this infamous interview by General Stanley McChrystal a brilliant, calculated, strategic manuever? The military has been given an impossible assignment. It would appear that General McChrystal fabricated his own exit strategy out of an impossible task.

In a travesty of honor the Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has announced that the 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship will be named after John Murtha, Congressman and former Marine who died February 2010. This is a ship that will be used to transport Marines for amphibious assault operations. The Secretary of the Navy has made an egregious error in judgement.

Murtha accused U.S. Marines of killing Iraqi civilians “in cold blood” in Haditha, Iraq. He claimed that the Marines had “overreacted because of the pressure on them and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood.” “There’s no question in my mind about what happened here,” declared Murtha. “There was no gunfire [from the Iraqis]. They [the American Marines] killed four people in a taxi and then in addition to that, they went into the rooms and killed them.” He further alleged that the U.S. military was trying to “cover up” what had occurred in Haditha.

“One woman, as I understand it, in talking to officials in the Marine Corps, was kneeling over a child pleading for mercy and they shot her in cold blood. That’s the thing that’s so disturbing. And even more disturbing is the fact that we know that the Iraqis knew about it because they made payments to the Iraqis for accidental deaths or salacious deaths whatever you want to call it. And in addition to that, they had … there has to have been a cover-up of this thing.”
~John Murtha’s unsubstantiated remarks to ABC

Murtha’s caustic and disdainful statements regarding the Haditha Marines is shameful. For this former Marine to make disparaging remarks toward Marines in combat is to discredit himself from any good he may have done in his life. It bears reminding that all of the accused Marines were exonerated except one. Murtha never apologized and appeared shameless to the day he died.

There are so many others that are actually deserving of having a United States Naval Ship bear their name. Here are the names of just a few that are shining examples of courage, valor and honor. Captain John McKenna, who received the Silver Star for coming to the aid of a fallen Marine in Fallujah only to be mortally wounded himself. Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, 19, and Cpl. Jonathan Yale, 21 were standing guard at an outpost in Ramadi when they fired on a truck with 2,000 pounds of exposives racing toward the compund, both were killed after the vehicle exploded. They were both awarded the Navy Cross. Sgt. Jeffrey Lynn Kirk was awarded the Silver Star for valor while clearing a house of insurgents in Fallujah and later succumbed to his wounds from that fight. These Marines were cut down in the prime of their lives. There are many more. They never castigated their brothers in arms. The naming of this ship after John Murtha is a direct insult to those that paid the ultimate price for upholding our freedom and liberty.

The airport in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that bears the Murtha name built with millions of dollars of taxpayer money should be more than enough of a monument to the amount of pork barrel spending he represented. No Navy ship should ever bear the name of this man. No sailor or Marine should have to serve aboard a ship that has the stern stained with Murtha’s name.

I’m not one to make a habit of speaking ill of the dead. I make an exception in the case of John Murtha. The only lasting object that should bear his name is the headstone where he lies buried.

Once again the military must bear the brunt of a politically correct whim in social experimentation. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the opening salvo of this debate.

Those that make the rules will never be personally affected in their lifetime by a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. That includes senior military leadership that agree as “yes men” to go along with this repeal. There has always been a disconnect between high-ranking officers and the junior enlisted ranks or at the very least a perception of disconnect on the part of these younger service members who are always on the receiving end of higher echelon decisions. Openly gay troops add one more dimension and challenge to unit morale.

Both Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen agreed that it will take input and feedback from all service members past and present to be brought into this debate. It is therefore vital that current service members as well as former service members be included in any discussion or review that moves the process forward in repealing this policy. Those that have never served, including those members of congress that have no military background, have absolutlely no legitimate or credible perspective and would provide nothing more than baseless, unsubstantiated opinions. Those non-service members need to refrain from providing input on this subject. Quite simply, they have nothing to offer in the way of expertise on this matter.

The military is once again navigating unchartered territory. They don’t know the full ramifications of repealing this ban. But, as always, our Armed Forces will accept their marching orders and move on.

Three Navy SEALs now face various charges after apprehending Abed to include dereliction of duty, willfully failing to safeguard a detainee, making a false official statement, and assault.

Back in June 2005 Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and his team mates faced a politically correct conundrum when three goat herders compromised their position on a barren mountain top in Afghanistan during a secret operation to capture a high-ranking Taliban leader . The goat herders were set free only to notify local Taliban that quickly pursued the SEALs and eventually resulted in the deaths of 19 warriors.

The problem lies with the lily-livered, spineless political leadership of this country that has a problem calling war – war. A leadership that sees fit to impose restricting rules of engagement on our troops that aids and abets our enemies. These ROE’s burden and hinder our warriors’ ability to overpower and annihalate enemy combatants.

Citizens of America must pause and reflect on which side our country’s leadership stands and supports. This warped and perverted PC mindset has allowed this war to go on for many years now. It is a sick political correctness that urges one’s stomach contents to creep up into the back of the throat.

There appears to be no tolerance for military success when brave men risk their lives and are then punished over a bloody lip. Once upon a time it was acceptable to crush and destroy our enemies, now we coddle and pamper them. Abed is using a ploy right out of the Taliban terrorist handbook. Get captured and immediately accuse your captors of abuse. He knows that there are enough panty-waist sympathizers in America to give him credibility including the Commander-in-Chief.

This Abed character needs to point himself east, get down on his knees and thank his Allah that all he has is a bloody lip.

By all accounts this Army psychiatrist was reportedly a marginal performer who recently transferred to Fort Hood after serving six years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he received poor performance evaluations. This coward voiced criticism to the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. There is also web postings attributed to him espousing the glory of suicide bombers. Loser.

Now that he has been reported to have survived his gunshot wounds we will no doubt have to endure a legal circus covered in excrutiating detail and spin by the main stream news media. The defense of this man is almost predictable. It may go something like this. As an Army psychiatrist he listened to other people’s combat experiences until he developed his own form of faux-PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.) This led to a breakdown and thus the shooting rampage. Bottom line: there is no defense of this criminal act.

Actually, he was a coward whose time had come. After years of somehow avoiding duty in a combat zone he was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan at the end of the month.

He lived a coward’s life and will die a coward’s death and does not deserve understanding or compassion.

I reserve my compassion for the victims and their families.

*POLITICALLY CORRECT ALERT*
There was no use of or reference to Muslims (except for now) in this post.

Yet with his deficient military acumen Barack Obama is now in the position of having to make a wartime tactical decision. His decision is not only being based on whether the military needs additional troops but if public opinion and Democratic support deems them necessary. Holding a wet finger in the air to see which way poll numbers are blowing is not the path to victory in Afghanistan.

General McChrystal has asked for 40,000 additional troops. This is not an arbitrary number he picked out of the air. It’s the number he has determined necessary to achieve the goal of mission accomplishment. Good military strategy has already determined what kind of forces will be used and where they need to be positioned.

Since when does a nation limit combat troops when attempting to achieve victory? If the goal is important enough to commit military forces then make it overwhelming force. Our warriors should be allowed to provide overpowering suppression that leads to triumph over our nation’s enemies. Hesitation and delay puts undue stress and risk on military forces already engaged in the fight.

The men and women that we put in harm’s way deserve better.

Now the Obama administration is pausing to contemplate “the right strategy.” Shouldn’t it be victory at any cost when it comes to the safety and security of the United States? After all, troops have already been committed.

America has not had an unequivocal wartime victory since World War II. Oh! Wait a minute you might say, “What about the first Gulf War?” Well, we had to go back there again didn’t we?

As General Patton said, “the purpose of war is not to die for your country, it’s to make the other son of a bitch die for his country.” In the case of the Taliban and Al Queda we don’t have enough of these son of a bitches dead yet. For the President of the United States to hesitate or even hint that maybe we need to hold off on sending more troops against the recommendation of General McChrystal borders on irresponsibility for the sake of politics.

Meanwhile, troops currently in Afghanistan are left to burden the load while the Commander-in-Chief ponders his political dilemma and tries to make up his mind on what to do. Such a quandary. To some, maybe. A decisive and bold leader would except the advice of his appointed General and make the decision to send more troops with one order – WIN! Then get out of the way, leave the military alone and let them do what they are fully capable of doing – fighting and winning the war.

As long as the White House Administration continues to subject our warriors with restraining Rules of Engagement and restrict the number of troops to some arbitrary number then those that we place into battle will be reduced to training aids for the enemy. At that point it’s time to pack up the war toys and bring our military home. Obama will then have to shoulder the defeat that he chose.