America’s Army Decimated Seven Ways From Hell – Or Bush Failure To The 10th Power

What the Bush administration has done to the military should make the “Greatest Generation” weep for their children, their grandchildren and their nation.

The threat that called our nation and the “Greatest Generation” to war on December the 7, 1941 was a clear act of war by a nation state and the response of the United States and the President on December 8, 1941 was an equally clear declaration of war.  The President mobilized the nation in response to a clear and present danger and he mobilized them in the most appropriate manner.

The threat that called our nation to action on September 11, 2001 was equally clear but it was NOT an act of war.  It was a simple, horrific, and deadly act of terrorism and it was not an act by a nation state but an act by a sinister and thoroughly evil terrorist group.  On September 12, 2001 the President mobilized the nation in response to a clear and present danger and he mobilized them in the most INappropriate manner.  The threat that called our nation to action on September 11, 2001 was one of terrorism that called for an appropriate anti-terrorist response.  The President was not up to this historic challenge.  He either failed to recognize or simply ignored the fact that acts of war, as we generally understand them, are acts committed by political entities which are usually associated with nation states and terrorist acts, as we generally understand them, are acts committed by terrorist and criminal elements not usually associated with nation states.

The President, instead of calling our nation to action against terrorism, lied and misled the nation into an ill-conceived and misguided war.  The actions by George W. Bush of failing to be engaged in Palestine, declaring a previously none existent “Axis of Evil”, making blatantly false accusations against Arab nations, and declaring a war on terrorism and finally by invading a sovereign, though militant and belligerent, Arab nation did nothing help to legitimize a terrorist organization in the eyes of many in the Muslim world.  This resulted in the rallying of many Muslims to the side of al Qaeda and the radical Muslim community.  That gross intentional act has wrought horrific results on our nations military.

Armies, Air Forces, and Navies are generally designed to fight wars; they are not designed to combat terrorism and terrorist acts.  That is a simple fact.  Military forces can be configured to fight different types of wars to include conventional wars such as World War II or guerilla wars as in the case of the Vietnam War and they can be configured to fight certain other limited combat even anti-terrorist operations but that does not change their basic purpose and function.  The American military was not and is not designed to be a primary anti-terrorist force nor is it a very effective force for such purposes.  That is not to say that they cannot be used as a “tool” in the fight against terrorism because in very specific circumstances they can be most effective.  However, it is my belief that anyone who would say otherwise is perpetuating a lie that only gives the American public a false sense of security.  The Iraq war itself is proof positive of this fact.

After the invasion of Iraq the major conflict of armies was over in a matter of weeks with a resounding, total and complete American victory.  “Mission Accomplished”.  That part was true by the way.  The American Army did exactly what it was designed and trained to do and did it with exceptional skill but, remember that it was after this total victory that the carnage began.  Simply put the 2,264 American deaths and 16, 653 wounded and maimed clearly demonstrates that our army was not designed or trained to deal with terrorism.  These soldiers were not killed and wounded by enemy soldiers in combat but by terrorists and criminals committing terrorist acts within a country on the verge of civil war.  This is further amplified by the fact that we incurred these casualties as a result of our equipment, i.e. vehicles and body armor, not being designed to withstand the “improvised” explosives used by terrorists in terrorist attacks.  It is critical that one understand that the troops serving in Iraq, though exceptionally professional soldier and in many cases “Rangers” are not anti-terrorist troops.  They are simply GI’s, “Mud Puppies”, “Jar Heads”, and “Dog Faces”.  Regular soldiers trained to fight wars.

To this point I have mostly talked about the obvious repercussions to this misguided and mislabeled “war on terrorism” but now let’s talk about the other types of decimation being wreaked on our armed forces.  In a conventional war the active forces are the first in and then the reserves are activated and brought into the conflict.  Virtually always during a major conflict a draft is implemented bringing in huge numbers of additional soldiers from every walk of life.  While all of this is occurring the military industrial complex goes into action to produce the needed equipment for fighting the war.  And through all of this the families love and support all of the soldiers because they all have a steak in the conflict and their flesh is on the front lines.  This is an example of the simple use of overwhelming force to bring about a quick and complete victory.  When the war is over the reserves and guard go home and the active force continues their mission.  Such is the clean neat conventional war.

As we all know this is not the way it is going in Iraq and in the fight against terrorism.  The Bush administration has not mobilized the nation in this fashion because they understand, but would never admit, that you cannot fight a “war on terrorism” and they have no intention of ever admitting that you can’t do this.  They understand that the problem with terrorism and Iraq is that they are two totally separate things.  Terrorism is most probably a never ending world wide police action.  That is not a defeatist statement but a simple statement of fact and human nature.  Iraq on the other hand is a war created by the Bush administration through a preemptive invasion and for questionable reasons and not for reasons of the national interest.  As a result of this folly the American army is now stuck in the middle of what has become essentially a civil war created by the George W. Bush and the neocons.

The war in Iraq has gone on longer than any American conflict or war in over 150 years.  Longer than World War I, longer than World War II, longer than the Korean War and longer than the Vietnam War.  It has gone on for nearly 4 years and our relatively small active duty, guard, and reserve forces are simply being worn out for what is in reality a civil war and they are simultaneously being decimated by terrorists.  This problem is further compounded by the fact that all of our forces are now voluntary and the pool of replacements is sorely limited.  (In case you haven’t noticed recruitment is way down.)  Additionally this means that we do not “all” have a steak in this Iraq war because not all of us have our flesh on the line in the conflict.

I believe that at last count a total of one member of the Congress had a family member in Iraq.  The nation has not been mobilized but our volunteer army has.  The reality is that the vast overwhelming majority of the American military forces are made up of soldiers, sailors, and airmen from poor and middle class families.  These are soldiers who joined not to be professional soldiers, but to pay for college or gain a skill to make a living and get ahead in the world.  These are the soldiers who are fighting and dying and being wounded and maimed for America and there is little or no relief in sight for these men and women.  And the reason that there is no relief in sight for these soldiers is because creating a faux national mobilization by encouraging people to put a yellow magnetic ribbon on the back of their SUV’s does not mean the nation has been mobilized or that their flesh is on the line.

On top of this human toll a heartless Bush administration continues to short change the military for the sake of tax cuts.  The military equipment our soldiers need is being worn out and when this Iraq war is over it will cost us, our children, and our grandchildren billions upon billions of dollars to replace and repair what Bush has wrought.

This to me is failure to the 10th power.  As a retired soldier, who after Vietnam saw the devastation wrought on our military by another misguided administration, and like many other professional soldiers, chose to stayed on to help build a military force that is the finest in the world am sickened by what George W. Bush has done.  America deserves far better and our brave soldiers certainly deserve better.

Let me summarize with this.  There is a difference between choosing the well worn and easy way when you are afraid and taking the path less worn and showing courage in the face of fear or doubt.  George W. Bush has chosen the well worn path.  George W. Bush did not serve during Vietnam and he is not serving now.  Soldiers know that when you have to search for the records somethin’ ain’t right.  It’s kinda like the clerk with the Silver Star; you know he got it but he didn’t get it with a weapon in his hand.

I believe this quote best fits Mr. Bush and based on their records most if not all of his administration.

“It is when power is wedded to chronic fear that it becomes formidable.”   Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983), The Passionate State of Mind, 1954.

How much of my brothers’ blood must be spilled for this shallow, weak man?

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.