Right now in the middle of a war-zone there is a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army Infantry, he is most likely doing work that one might consider extremely hazardous, and chances are he'll get shot at at least once today. In Fort Drum New York, there is a Staff Sergeant whose sole job in the army is the ensure that a training area is functional, he will most likely do some paperwork, then go to sleep in his own bed after close of business. Those two individuals despite wildly different jobs get the same base pay. The only difference in pay would be hostile fire pay which is a whopping $225 a month (at leas that's what it was when I was in). They get the same BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing), BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsidies) and get access to the same medical dental and housing benefits. In fact the guy whose in the rear may actually have more opportunity for early advancement than the infantryman that's been deployed 3 or four times.
Which is one of the many reasons why opening the doors to women in Combat Arms doesn't really make any sense. If it were truly about opportunity, you would think that they would offer women careers with MORE opportunity for career development, or possible follow on civilian careers not less. If the move really was about equality don't you think we'd want to open a job that actually has a civilian equivalent? Maybe a Medic, or Police Officer, or a Dentist? But those jobs are already open to women. Indeed pretty much every job that you can actually translate to the civilian world is open to women, so WHY the Combat Arms?
Well it's said that promotion is faster in Combat Arms, specifically the Infantry. This is true, to a point. In the officer ranks you're usually going to move to O-3 (Captain) in roughly 5 years, which is quite speedy, however there the rapid career progression abruptly stops, and from O-4 (Major) on, the competition is so fierce it is often a marvel that officers aren't regularly trying to off one another so they get the desired posting and best OERs (Officer Evaluation Reviews) If your OERs don't make you look like you walk on water, it's a death knell in you career. Even an OER that says you did your job and did it well is not enough to get you promoted. You have to shine, and keep shining, all the way to the day you decide to take off your uniform. There is also one slight detail they never tell you about leadership in the military; at any point an 18-24 year old nowhere near you can screw up, and torpedo your career.
For a lot of good reasons, the Infantry go to the field a lot. Going to the field looks good on the OER. It looks good that you're training, and units will often face "graded" FTX's (Field Training Exercises), much like a giant practical exam. This matters to much that some commanders, if they could get away with it, would just deploy their unit to training areas and leave them there. But that is just the tip of the iceberg with Combat Arms, because there is one, obvious, but painful secret to Combat Arms, at some point, even if you do everything correctly, you will have to order someone to their death. A leader's job in the military is not to kill the enemy, but rather to manuver the troops to the correct position so that they can kill the enemy. To do that you will have to knowingly trip ambushes, send patrols into areas you know the enemy is strong, sometimes even make the call to deny MEDEVAC because the situation is too hot.
There's another thing that you never see in a Hollywood movie about combat, there is no privacy. None. In the sleeping areas of COP Kamalayah it would not be uncommon to see a man strip naked, preform minor personal hygiene (in this case just run a baby wipe over certain areas) then put on a new set of underwear, and a new t-shirt. Spartan conditions wouldn't be adequate to describe living on the front lines, and there are front lines, despite what the news might tell you. The Forward Operating Base is usually pretty secure, and despite constant attacks you're not likely to be injured or die in such attacks. At a COP, its another story. There's no bunkers, aside from the ones designed to shoot back out of. These small outposts are usually no bigger than one or two buildings, and as the attacks on COP Keating or COP Restrepo show, VERY vulnerable.
It must also be pointed out that the statement "women have been in combat . . ." is extremely misleading. Yes women have been shot at, and returned fire very effectively. They can react to ambushes, and have proven that they can man turrets, and kill the enemy if attacked. that is quite a different thing than going out and actively LOOKING for the enemy. The Infantry's main job is to find the enemy, wherever they maybe, engage them, often in ranges less than 50 meters, and kill them. This means going away from where the "safe" FOB, or COP is and walking, running and sometimes repelling to where the enemy is. To anyone not familiar with this, to describe this as a Herculean effort would not be an unfair assessment.
I doubt any of this will be made evident to the American people until many years and perhaps another war after implementation. Even so, as with all assessments about warfare, one must always look at the facts and approach any decision with he utmost care. Combat is not some hypothetical thought experiment, but the very real consequence of national politics. There is no politician in the world that can shape combat into some pristine sporting event, its a very brutal test of individual, and unit mettle, resolve, skill, and sheer luck. Failure of anyone of a number of minute factors mean the difference between going home with an interesting story, an interesting scar or in a body bag.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Out on your ass
The March edition of Esquire magazine will feature an interview that is supposedly with the SEAL that shot Bin Laden and there were a few eye raising moments in the article. Perhaps the most important moment to my mind is the part he talks about getting out (actually forced out) following a 17 year career. While I can't verify this article, I would point out that this actually highlights some of the pitfalls of the coming reductions in the force that will cause incredible pain in the military community.
It's known as getting "RIF'd" the process where in numbers are looked at and Officers and NCO's with little warning are given notice that they are in an MOS that is over strength and thus will be cut from the force. There is no appeals process, and there is little time with which to plan the drastic change in your life and lifestyle. Some are lucky to get three months. Some get considerably less. One day you're showing up to PT and conducting business as normal, the next you're scrambling to build a resume, look for a job, and a place to move, while also trying to clear post. Very few are able to land on their feet right away.
Anything short of 20 years, even if it's only short by one or two years, is a total loss, and the only hope you have is to hope that somehow you can get VA disability that might pay some of the bills in the interim. While there are jobs for certain MOS' namely those that work in Commo, or Medical fields, there are some jobs like Calvary Scout, Artillery Crew Member, Tank Mechanic, or Special forces to name a few that have no real civilian equivalent. Even MPs who one might think might have an automatic in with federal state or local law enforcement fare little better, and that is when the economy is going well. After six years as an Army medic, the only job I could find was at a Walmart.
My story also highlights another problem with the coming RIF. See when I got out I was still young enough that I could bounce back, and going to college would not have been overly stressful change in lifestyle. I also luckily had the Post 9-11 GI Bill, even if it is plagued with systemic problems. I had no wife, no children, and could get an apartment. Imagine if I had lived in base housing had a wife two kids, and a dog, with 2 cars. There is almost no way I could have gone from that to living in an apartment complex with other students, working a job and going to school. Sadly that's just the reality that faces many service members. This is not getting laid off from a manufacturing job, or a job that I can just find another even if far removed, it is a complete change in lifestyle.
When the force is looking to cut numbers anything can be an excuse to let someone go. Failed a hearing test (common in artillery crews), bad OER/NCOER, or sometimes there is no given reason at all, your number was just called. The real shame of it is that the leadership that the Army desperately needs, are often lost in these draw downs, the mid level officers and NCOs usually the first to get cut, are also the ones with experience vital to the smooth function of a military. After over a decade at war these are the most combat experienced Soldiers and Marines. Sadly it doesn't matter how many deployments, how many medals, or how much you've invested in your career, when they pull your number that's it.
I would like to say that there is some hope, that perhaps this draw down will be taken with lessons learned from earlier draw downs, but signals from Washington seem to negate any real hope of that. When the Secretary of Defense and the Service Chiefs of Staff are warning of a hallow force, I tend to think that "Draconian" is the only way to describe the coming RIF. What lessons learned will be forgotten, only to have to be relearned later on down the road in the cost of lives. The painful and even cruel lessons Afghanistan and Iraq taught the military may be lost entirely only to have to be repeated later.
Perhaps the most disappointing thing of all is that for anyone that has put in over 10 years, getting RIF'd is the ultimate let down. At that point you are almost certainly committed to doing your full career, short of injury. Regardless of the reason you are discharged, short of medical retirement, that investment of years of your life, and quite literally blood sweat and tears is just gone. No one who has not served will appreciate your shadow box full of medals badges and memories, even if you tell them of the multiple deployments it will only come as a curiosity, not any real interest. You are suddenly left to the mercy of people who neither know, nor care what you've done on their behalf.
Being RIF'd is something that the military has learned to live with. We don't like it, and it bothers us intensely that we live with a code of honor only to have that code betrayed by numbers that have nothing to do with us. It's cold, its harsh and it's the polar opposite of the values we're taught since day 1 of basic. It's a dark thought in the back of every service member's mind that one day we might be forced out on our ass. Whatever happens with the looming sequester, Service Members must be ready, and have a back up plan in place should their number come up.
It's known as getting "RIF'd" the process where in numbers are looked at and Officers and NCO's with little warning are given notice that they are in an MOS that is over strength and thus will be cut from the force. There is no appeals process, and there is little time with which to plan the drastic change in your life and lifestyle. Some are lucky to get three months. Some get considerably less. One day you're showing up to PT and conducting business as normal, the next you're scrambling to build a resume, look for a job, and a place to move, while also trying to clear post. Very few are able to land on their feet right away.
Anything short of 20 years, even if it's only short by one or two years, is a total loss, and the only hope you have is to hope that somehow you can get VA disability that might pay some of the bills in the interim. While there are jobs for certain MOS' namely those that work in Commo, or Medical fields, there are some jobs like Calvary Scout, Artillery Crew Member, Tank Mechanic, or Special forces to name a few that have no real civilian equivalent. Even MPs who one might think might have an automatic in with federal state or local law enforcement fare little better, and that is when the economy is going well. After six years as an Army medic, the only job I could find was at a Walmart.
My story also highlights another problem with the coming RIF. See when I got out I was still young enough that I could bounce back, and going to college would not have been overly stressful change in lifestyle. I also luckily had the Post 9-11 GI Bill, even if it is plagued with systemic problems. I had no wife, no children, and could get an apartment. Imagine if I had lived in base housing had a wife two kids, and a dog, with 2 cars. There is almost no way I could have gone from that to living in an apartment complex with other students, working a job and going to school. Sadly that's just the reality that faces many service members. This is not getting laid off from a manufacturing job, or a job that I can just find another even if far removed, it is a complete change in lifestyle.
When the force is looking to cut numbers anything can be an excuse to let someone go. Failed a hearing test (common in artillery crews), bad OER/NCOER, or sometimes there is no given reason at all, your number was just called. The real shame of it is that the leadership that the Army desperately needs, are often lost in these draw downs, the mid level officers and NCOs usually the first to get cut, are also the ones with experience vital to the smooth function of a military. After over a decade at war these are the most combat experienced Soldiers and Marines. Sadly it doesn't matter how many deployments, how many medals, or how much you've invested in your career, when they pull your number that's it.
I would like to say that there is some hope, that perhaps this draw down will be taken with lessons learned from earlier draw downs, but signals from Washington seem to negate any real hope of that. When the Secretary of Defense and the Service Chiefs of Staff are warning of a hallow force, I tend to think that "Draconian" is the only way to describe the coming RIF. What lessons learned will be forgotten, only to have to be relearned later on down the road in the cost of lives. The painful and even cruel lessons Afghanistan and Iraq taught the military may be lost entirely only to have to be repeated later.
Perhaps the most disappointing thing of all is that for anyone that has put in over 10 years, getting RIF'd is the ultimate let down. At that point you are almost certainly committed to doing your full career, short of injury. Regardless of the reason you are discharged, short of medical retirement, that investment of years of your life, and quite literally blood sweat and tears is just gone. No one who has not served will appreciate your shadow box full of medals badges and memories, even if you tell them of the multiple deployments it will only come as a curiosity, not any real interest. You are suddenly left to the mercy of people who neither know, nor care what you've done on their behalf.
Being RIF'd is something that the military has learned to live with. We don't like it, and it bothers us intensely that we live with a code of honor only to have that code betrayed by numbers that have nothing to do with us. It's cold, its harsh and it's the polar opposite of the values we're taught since day 1 of basic. It's a dark thought in the back of every service member's mind that one day we might be forced out on our ass. Whatever happens with the looming sequester, Service Members must be ready, and have a back up plan in place should their number come up.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
To Succeed you have to Secede?
The State of Virginia, long one of the most powerful states in the union, is sussing out the possibility of printing their own money independent of the US Treasury, which might seem strange if things were a-ok. But they're not. Its often joked about, and many people laugh about the die hards of the Deep South that still call the Civil War the "War of Northern Aggression" (which they're actually justified in calling seeing as only two major battles were actually fought in the North). But no one seriously thinks that the Union could break apart again. Or do they?
It is becoming ever more clear that some states, not all of which are in the South, are getting fed up with having to deal with the insanity that often comes out of Washington DC. There are some states that have a balanced budget, or even budget surpluses, and are tired of supporting other states that can't seem to get their act together. The corruption in Washington and the myriad of lobbyists make it so that most Americans truly feel that the Federal government doesn't represent them. To say that the average American fees that their tax dollars are being wasted is an understatement.
So could the States start to break away? It is arguable that there are some states like Texas that actually could break away, and do alright for themselves as a small country. Virgina is another state. California, theoretically could too if it got it's budgetary house in order (which it won't as long as they elect people like Jerry Brown). Every State has it's own internal economy, road system, and defined borders. They each have their own governments, tax system, and police forces. Perhaps more importantly every state has their own military (the National Guard) that they could use to defend themselves if they need too. Most of our states are bigger that most countries so yes it could happen.
Some States like Illinois, or New York might actually break apart internally, if things came down to it. Chicago and New York City may see themselves as the center of their prospective states, but the rest of the people living in those states absolutely hate how their tax dollars get sucked up by the big cities that then export laws that the rest of the state doesn't agree with. The corruption in Chicago has long been a running joke, and a black eye for Illinois, which might explain why Springfield, despite being the capitol, is not where state business actually gets done. Likewise, while Andrew Cuomo might actually be popular within the five Burroughs, go to a place Like Bath or Buffalo, and you'd be amazed at just how opposed they are to just about everything Albany does. Sadly as NYC happens to be the largest city in the country let alone the state, it's pretty clear that NYC can simply out vote the rest of the state. Were we to see a break-up of the union, in an "every state for themselves" type of break up, it is possible that NYC and Chicago could be isolated from the states they once called home.
Of course at this point all this is hypothetical. The idea of the Union actually breaking up is abhorrent to most Americans, so for the time being this is just elaborate saber rattling. It is important to note that words, and idle threats have become official policy before. Our own history should show, we are an agreeable people who will try to negotiate right up until the point that we simply can't stand it anymore, then we will act. The Deceleration of Independence, is a boldly worded document, that describes the feelings on the individual rights of man, and how the usurpation of a government should not be tolerated. When one reads the charges against the King, one can not help drawing parallels to today. The people feel like they aren't being represented, they feel the tax burden is too high, and is feeding a system that has no desire to actually spend this money wisely.
We should be aware, not as a reason for paranoia, but as a wake up, that such rumblings are being made by more and more people. Rather than dismiss this and say "that'll never happen" we had best take a long look in the mirror and ask "Could it happen, and if so why?" I do not ascribe to conspiracy of shadow governments, and Roswell aliens, but I do believe that there are people who are plain and abusive in how they use their political powers. Tyranny almost never starts off with grand gestures, indeed it almost always starts off simply with good intentions. A look in the mirror, is a very good idea, lest we too quickly travel down that road.
It is becoming ever more clear that some states, not all of which are in the South, are getting fed up with having to deal with the insanity that often comes out of Washington DC. There are some states that have a balanced budget, or even budget surpluses, and are tired of supporting other states that can't seem to get their act together. The corruption in Washington and the myriad of lobbyists make it so that most Americans truly feel that the Federal government doesn't represent them. To say that the average American fees that their tax dollars are being wasted is an understatement.
So could the States start to break away? It is arguable that there are some states like Texas that actually could break away, and do alright for themselves as a small country. Virgina is another state. California, theoretically could too if it got it's budgetary house in order (which it won't as long as they elect people like Jerry Brown). Every State has it's own internal economy, road system, and defined borders. They each have their own governments, tax system, and police forces. Perhaps more importantly every state has their own military (the National Guard) that they could use to defend themselves if they need too. Most of our states are bigger that most countries so yes it could happen.
Some States like Illinois, or New York might actually break apart internally, if things came down to it. Chicago and New York City may see themselves as the center of their prospective states, but the rest of the people living in those states absolutely hate how their tax dollars get sucked up by the big cities that then export laws that the rest of the state doesn't agree with. The corruption in Chicago has long been a running joke, and a black eye for Illinois, which might explain why Springfield, despite being the capitol, is not where state business actually gets done. Likewise, while Andrew Cuomo might actually be popular within the five Burroughs, go to a place Like Bath or Buffalo, and you'd be amazed at just how opposed they are to just about everything Albany does. Sadly as NYC happens to be the largest city in the country let alone the state, it's pretty clear that NYC can simply out vote the rest of the state. Were we to see a break-up of the union, in an "every state for themselves" type of break up, it is possible that NYC and Chicago could be isolated from the states they once called home.
Of course at this point all this is hypothetical. The idea of the Union actually breaking up is abhorrent to most Americans, so for the time being this is just elaborate saber rattling. It is important to note that words, and idle threats have become official policy before. Our own history should show, we are an agreeable people who will try to negotiate right up until the point that we simply can't stand it anymore, then we will act. The Deceleration of Independence, is a boldly worded document, that describes the feelings on the individual rights of man, and how the usurpation of a government should not be tolerated. When one reads the charges against the King, one can not help drawing parallels to today. The people feel like they aren't being represented, they feel the tax burden is too high, and is feeding a system that has no desire to actually spend this money wisely.
We should be aware, not as a reason for paranoia, but as a wake up, that such rumblings are being made by more and more people. Rather than dismiss this and say "that'll never happen" we had best take a long look in the mirror and ask "Could it happen, and if so why?" I do not ascribe to conspiracy of shadow governments, and Roswell aliens, but I do believe that there are people who are plain and abusive in how they use their political powers. Tyranny almost never starts off with grand gestures, indeed it almost always starts off simply with good intentions. A look in the mirror, is a very good idea, lest we too quickly travel down that road.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
They See Me Dronin
Just recently the UN announced that they would be investigating the US Drone program, as potentially a war crime. Now before you get up in arms either agreeing or disagreeing with this this IS the same body that keeps putting places like Syria and North Korea on “human rights” commissions. Also you have to keep in mind that even if the UN DOES find that it’s a war crime, and even if they DO send it to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, we are not bound to that court by treaty or any other obligation in any legal sense, and even if all of Europe and the rest of the people that have a mild distaste for America were to try to actually prosecute any American for war crimes. . . well they’d have to get through the United States Military first.
Sadly though, it has taken the bloated, stinking carcass that is the UN to raise this question; is our Drone program going too far? Remember that when President Bush started putting Hellfire missiles on the Predator drones, it was seen as a logical step, and at the time was used for purely tactical missions. We’re watching Route X-ray to see if anyone emplaces IEDs, hey, there’s some guys putting some in now. . . gee wouldn’t it be nice if we could do something about that. From there, there were drone strikes against high valued targets, but usually with over watch. Remember when we bagged Abu Musab al Zarqawi? He was a legitimate target at the time, and pretty much everyone that was in Iraq at the time would agree he was a very bad boy. It’s actually hard to argue a rationale for NOT killing him. But the problem is in killing him; we also killed his wife and a few kids. How do you balance that? Well the guy WAS running around sending car bombs (and pretty big ones) into Shi’a holy sites causing the Shi’a to predictably try to slaughter all Sunni.
The Drone program and air power in
general always has that tricky little problem.
Yes we can use it to kill people we can’t get any ground pounders to in
a timely manner, but regardless of how “surgical” we are the fact remains 500
pounds of explosives, will kill anyone in the vicinity regardless of if they’re
good bad or ugly. What the program has
become though has been much more strategic.
We’re not just aiming for people in our battle space, we’re hitting
people all over the world. It’s not just
observing the bad boys and waiting for them to do bad things, its hitting them
where they live, white literally. In the
process we’re also killing everyone they happen to be with. Doesn’t matter if it’s a goat farmer and his
family that are being forced at gun point to provide sanctuary, they’re getting
killed right along with the bad guys we meant to kill.
There’s also another problem with this program. The “kill list”. Put simply there is a list of people that are- no questions asked- GOING to be killed if we ever find them. That’s not unusual in a lot of ways. We all remember the “deck of cards” that we were issued in the initial phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The whole idea was to eliminate the Baathist chain of command and *hopefully* eliminate organized resistance. We learned quickly that it doesn’t work quite like that in the 21st century, but the idea is sound except for one major glaring difference. We were trying to capture these guys. Even Uday and Qusay were given the opportunity to surrender before the 101st and Delta brought down the house around them.
Keep in mind that this isn’t just happening in Afghanistan. We had two drones flying over Libya when our Consulate was being attacked. We seem to be racking up quite a body count in Yemen, and we are apparently killing Al Qaeda’s #3 guy almost every other week in Pakistan. We’ve had these drones shot at or shot down in or near Iran. We’ve even seen what MIGHT be drone action in Mali. So this once tactical program has ballooned almost out of control. Right now in the United States Air Force there are more drone pilots than actual-at the stick, flying an honest to God airplane- Pilots, and no one seems to question how that happened or if this is actually a good thing.
Remember how I said Iran shot down a drone? Well does “interfered with the programing, and hacked into it” count as “shot down”? The worst part was this was supposed to be a super-secret squirrel stealth drone. Maybe the words “Stealth Technology” and “Iran” in the same sentence ought to make you sweat. Could a pilot in the cockpit have made a difference? We’ll never know, but it’s kind of hard to affect the plane if you’re not physically touching it.
And then there’s WHO we’re targeting. You think that there are as many honest to God terrorists in the world as we’ve managed to kill with our drone program? What about Anwar al-Aulaqi? He was a US Citizen. Yes he was a very bad boy who MAY have had a hand in 9/11, yes he CERTAINLY had a hand in egging on Major Nidal Hassan to do what he did (maybe even Nasser Abdo, though that one is a bit fuzzy) but he also happened to be a US citizen. When we killed him, he wasn’t directly shooting at our troops, or actively engaging in what we might call “acts of terror”. He was calling for Jihad, and encouraging his fellow Muslims to kill Americans. Now that’s a strong case for all sorts of legal action, but you can also make an honest legal argument that he was within (very narrowly) his 1st Amendment Rights. Much as we would like to we don’t blow up a Klu Klux Klan rally when they call for the killing of all blacks. Neo-Nazis, Black Panthers, Communists, Occupy Wall Street. . . all have called for violent action against one group of people or another at one point. We didn’t launch missiles at them. If we owe American Citizens more than a missile to the face, then what do we owe non-Americans?
So is the program guilty of War Crimes? Well that’s actually not as easy to answer as you might think. You see the wonderful Geneva Convention, gives us a lot of really nice rules for civilized warfare. Don’t kill the enemy when they’re drinking tea, don’t eat their women or rape their dogs, and definitely don’t chuck their babies into mosh pits, but the funny thing about all those rules, is they apply only to UNIFORMED enemies. In fact you have a grand total of three days once conflict begins, to put on something even approaching a uniform. It doesn’t matter if it’s wrapping yourself in a giant flag toga, as long as it’s clear you’re on one side or another, you’re protected. All those rights and protections go out the window when the enemy doesn’t wear uniforms.
There’s also another problem with the “War Crimes” argument. Essentially the ICC and the UN have cried wolf so many times that even if the US is actually committing what might legally constitute a war crime, there’s literally no credibility left. When faced with actual genocidal rampages like in Darfur, or Somalia they’re mum, but when the US conducts legitimate military operations, and people get caught in the cross fire, tragic as it may be, they scream like they’ve just found Nazis hiding out. Even if the targeting is morally questionable, the tactics a professional affront, and the whole damn thing stinks to high heaven, the UN has absolutely NO room to point fingers.
As much as I could care less about the ICC or the UN, We owe it to ourselves, as a nation, and more importantly as men and women who have put on the uniform and sworn to protect and defend the Constitution, and bare true faith and allegiance to the same, to ask ourselves if this program HAS gone too far. Where do we draw the line? What’s the risk, what’s the reward? Should we talk about how much we rely on these things, and where might this lead if played out to its conclusion? I’m not suggesting this could go full Skynet, but we ought to think about this strongly. The soldier on the ground is taught time and again DO NOT FIRE if there are women and children in the way. Always wait for a clear shot. Shouldn’t our Drones do the same thing? I want you to sit down and actually think about this. Figure out what you believe, for or against. Ask your elected officials. Write letters call their offices, go visit even. The fact that it’s take the UN to step in to make us gut check ourselves tells you we’re not really examining how we prosecute this war.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Training Like You're Fighting a War
At some point it came out near certain military bases that the military used live animals to train their Medics and Corpsmen. The resulting response was immediate and visceral. Animal cruelty, was tossed around and the military quietly stopped training Medics and Corpsman in this fashion. That would have been the end of this story until the causalities in Iraq and Afghanistan reached an unparalleled high and the military just as quietly re-instituted the program. The official title was TC3 Trauma/Critical Casualty Care, and it was initially a two week course with a day long live tissue lab. Live tissue, in this case was Goats, thus the course was euphemistically dubbed the Goat Lab.
I went through this course when I was training up for the Surge, and at the time it was considered absolutely vital I know how to do things that in the civilian world only MDs are allowed to do. Chest tubes, Chrics, Trachs, we even did the "Black Hawk Down" bleed, replicating the injury to the femoral artery that killed Cpl Jamie Smith. All of this training was considered vital. It was considered so vital, that knowing the sensitivity of what we were doing, we were not allowed to speak of it. We were told that if we told anyone, wives girlfriends sweet hearts, even the Infantry we supported, word of the program might get out and it would be shut down.
I am here to tell you I learned things there that did in fact save at least two lives. Despite my year working in the Carl R Darnall Army Medical Center ER, and the many, many, cases I worked on, and despite a previous deployment to Iraq, I learned things that I simply did not know. Things which had I been cut off for any reason might have become even more vital. I learned the importance of plugging the wound, and not being gentle when someone is hemorrhaging. I learned how to manage a casualty that had multiple issues, and I learned just how quickly medications act. The problem is that the Goat Lab came if you ask me too late in my career. I think there is perhaps one life that I might have saved on my first tour if I had known what I knew after I went to the Goat Lab.
There in lies the problem with training for war. You see the Goat Lab makes people squirm, but it will save lives. There are other forms of training, such as SERE (Survival Evade Resist Escape) school where they literally put the candidates through hell, and yet the lessons learned there have saved lives. Case in point Captain Scott O'Grady, who survived for nearly 6 days, sometimes with the enemy just feet away from him. Had he not gone through the course it is not only possible, but almost a certainty that Captain O'Grady would have received a swift execution, and his body might never have been recovered.
When I was in Basic Training, I remember going to the Rodger Young range where I would literally have live ammunition fired over my head. The event took place at night, and a Drill Sergeant was accompanying each platoon to ensure that they were preforming the proper crawl, and that no idiot stuck their head up. You were lead along a WWI style trench which bordered a swamp, then a the Drill Sergeant would say "Ready? GO! GO! GO!" and just like that you went up and over and started high crawling towards where the towers were that were shooting at you. You want to talk about scary? The dead of night, it's pitch black and LIVE tracers are whizzing over your head. To make things more interesting they also had a series of "no mans land" like obstacles you had to navigate around.
Why did I need this training? Most civilians would argue that the training was not even remotely safe, so why did I need it? For one very simple reason; How would you react under real fire, if you've never seen anything remotely like it? There are "shoot houses" were soldiers will clear a room with live rounds. There are even training evolutions where Navy SEALs will use live ammo to clear a room with one of their comrades playing "hostage". Why would this be necessary? Because you have to trust the men you go into combat with. If you watch Act of Valor, there are a few scenes where they use live, honest to God, REAL bullets, with the SEALs and camera crew just feet away. They do this because they train on it like they're fighting an actual war.
Unfortunately one of the greatest divides in how the military is viewed by the civilian world has to do with just these sorts of training. It is not understood by most why you will do a gazillion pushups with a Drill Sergeant screaming in your ear if you "flag" you buddy. People don't get why NCOs will absolutely lose it if one of their soldiers falls asleep on guard. People will not understand why things like the Goat Lab, and SERE School, just to name a few are so necessary. When you look at the things you have to go through to get a Ranger tab, a lot of people ask why all this pain for one dinky little piece of cloth, and utterly miss the point of why this training is the way it is.
In war, when the bullets start flying, it's too late to learn those lessons you should have learned. Not knowing something like how to stop a femoral artery from bleeding out, will cost someone their life. Not knowing what live ammo coming at you feels like will cause someone to panic at exactly the wrong moment. The training evolutions that American service members go through are often harder than the actual combat they face, and the results are one of the most lethally effective fighting forces in the world. Unfortunately, you simply can not express this in any meaningful way to those who do not understand warfare, thus a lot of really important training opportunities are missed out on by the troops that really should have it, namely that private fresh out of Boot.
With the looming sequestration, each service will have to ask themselves what training programs are vital and which can go by the wayside. You can bet that TC3 will probably be one of those programs that is scaled back. The Rodger Young range is probably another that will go, more out of political pressure, when some dumb kid stands up (and it has happened) someone will question the necessity, and just like that it will go away. Live fire will be scaled back because there isn't enough money for ammo, so a lot of really good training troops might need won't be had. My greatest fear is that the training budget may be cut back so much that the Airborne are doing "jumps" out of a deuce and a half. That the Infantry are saying "bang bang" and attacking trees outside their motor pool because there isn't enough money in the budget for an FTX (Field Training Exercise). Perhaps worst of all I fear we will go to war thinking our military is as capable as it is today, only to see our troops get slaughtered live on national TV because they have no idea how to fight an actual war.
I went through this course when I was training up for the Surge, and at the time it was considered absolutely vital I know how to do things that in the civilian world only MDs are allowed to do. Chest tubes, Chrics, Trachs, we even did the "Black Hawk Down" bleed, replicating the injury to the femoral artery that killed Cpl Jamie Smith. All of this training was considered vital. It was considered so vital, that knowing the sensitivity of what we were doing, we were not allowed to speak of it. We were told that if we told anyone, wives girlfriends sweet hearts, even the Infantry we supported, word of the program might get out and it would be shut down.
I am here to tell you I learned things there that did in fact save at least two lives. Despite my year working in the Carl R Darnall Army Medical Center ER, and the many, many, cases I worked on, and despite a previous deployment to Iraq, I learned things that I simply did not know. Things which had I been cut off for any reason might have become even more vital. I learned the importance of plugging the wound, and not being gentle when someone is hemorrhaging. I learned how to manage a casualty that had multiple issues, and I learned just how quickly medications act. The problem is that the Goat Lab came if you ask me too late in my career. I think there is perhaps one life that I might have saved on my first tour if I had known what I knew after I went to the Goat Lab.
There in lies the problem with training for war. You see the Goat Lab makes people squirm, but it will save lives. There are other forms of training, such as SERE (Survival Evade Resist Escape) school where they literally put the candidates through hell, and yet the lessons learned there have saved lives. Case in point Captain Scott O'Grady, who survived for nearly 6 days, sometimes with the enemy just feet away from him. Had he not gone through the course it is not only possible, but almost a certainty that Captain O'Grady would have received a swift execution, and his body might never have been recovered.
When I was in Basic Training, I remember going to the Rodger Young range where I would literally have live ammunition fired over my head. The event took place at night, and a Drill Sergeant was accompanying each platoon to ensure that they were preforming the proper crawl, and that no idiot stuck their head up. You were lead along a WWI style trench which bordered a swamp, then a the Drill Sergeant would say "Ready? GO! GO! GO!" and just like that you went up and over and started high crawling towards where the towers were that were shooting at you. You want to talk about scary? The dead of night, it's pitch black and LIVE tracers are whizzing over your head. To make things more interesting they also had a series of "no mans land" like obstacles you had to navigate around.
Why did I need this training? Most civilians would argue that the training was not even remotely safe, so why did I need it? For one very simple reason; How would you react under real fire, if you've never seen anything remotely like it? There are "shoot houses" were soldiers will clear a room with live rounds. There are even training evolutions where Navy SEALs will use live ammo to clear a room with one of their comrades playing "hostage". Why would this be necessary? Because you have to trust the men you go into combat with. If you watch Act of Valor, there are a few scenes where they use live, honest to God, REAL bullets, with the SEALs and camera crew just feet away. They do this because they train on it like they're fighting an actual war.
Unfortunately one of the greatest divides in how the military is viewed by the civilian world has to do with just these sorts of training. It is not understood by most why you will do a gazillion pushups with a Drill Sergeant screaming in your ear if you "flag" you buddy. People don't get why NCOs will absolutely lose it if one of their soldiers falls asleep on guard. People will not understand why things like the Goat Lab, and SERE School, just to name a few are so necessary. When you look at the things you have to go through to get a Ranger tab, a lot of people ask why all this pain for one dinky little piece of cloth, and utterly miss the point of why this training is the way it is.
In war, when the bullets start flying, it's too late to learn those lessons you should have learned. Not knowing something like how to stop a femoral artery from bleeding out, will cost someone their life. Not knowing what live ammo coming at you feels like will cause someone to panic at exactly the wrong moment. The training evolutions that American service members go through are often harder than the actual combat they face, and the results are one of the most lethally effective fighting forces in the world. Unfortunately, you simply can not express this in any meaningful way to those who do not understand warfare, thus a lot of really important training opportunities are missed out on by the troops that really should have it, namely that private fresh out of Boot.
With the looming sequestration, each service will have to ask themselves what training programs are vital and which can go by the wayside. You can bet that TC3 will probably be one of those programs that is scaled back. The Rodger Young range is probably another that will go, more out of political pressure, when some dumb kid stands up (and it has happened) someone will question the necessity, and just like that it will go away. Live fire will be scaled back because there isn't enough money for ammo, so a lot of really good training troops might need won't be had. My greatest fear is that the training budget may be cut back so much that the Airborne are doing "jumps" out of a deuce and a half. That the Infantry are saying "bang bang" and attacking trees outside their motor pool because there isn't enough money in the budget for an FTX (Field Training Exercise). Perhaps worst of all I fear we will go to war thinking our military is as capable as it is today, only to see our troops get slaughtered live on national TV because they have no idea how to fight an actual war.
Friday, January 25, 2013
The First Time
I was sitting in OP South, a small bunker on top of the COP, pulling yet another in a series of endless 6 hour guard shifts. Sitting on a metal chair, sweating my brains out, occasionally reporting to the SOG (Sergeant of the Guard) that nothing was happening and we were still awake. It was night, and the guy next to me had run out of things to say a long time ago, so we took turns, alternately standing and sitting in the chair, a pair of NODs was sitting on the north face, with the 240 Bravo machine gun. It was perhaps one of the most boring things an individual can do, but it's also the only thing that will keep theses small 30-60 man outposts from being overrun. Suddenly the drone of generators was broken with a soft *thump* *thump* *thump*
"What was that." ask Island. Being on my second tour, I knew what that sound meant, as a second the slight whistle, soft and hard to hear over the generators. This was the sound of incoming mortar rounds. The sound you don't hear until they're upon you.
"INCOMING!" I yelled as the first one hit.
BOOM BOOM BOOM. the explosions were creating bright flashes in the pitch black night.
I was at the "windows" of the bunker, hugging the wall so only me head stuck out, looking for the source of the indirect fire.
"Incoming fire. . . " the small radio said, I knew there was more but I couldn't hear it over the sound of the rounds hitting.
"where's it coming from" I screamed at Island.
BOOM
"I think over there" he said as another one hit close and he ducked. He pointed North towards a large open field which we had perfect line of sight on.
"CALL IT IN!" I screamed
BOOM
My ears were ringing. I didn't bother grabbing the NODs, I just got behind the 240. I hadn't fired one since basic.
"SOG! OP SOUTH! WE THINK WE SEE WHERE ITS COMING FROM!" Island shouted into the radio.
BOOM
The shelling had stopped. My ears were ringing. I looked at Island, who was looking a little shaken. Experiencing incoming fire in an open air bunker is an experience that can rattle the best of men. That's when I saw tail lights in the field. They went to the road, and were headed north.
"Hey I got something!" I shouted "White truck headed north. Ask them if I can engage." At this point I knew I was probably going to fire a 240 in combat which was breaking some big no-no's where medics were concerned, but I couldn't help it the incoming had shot my adrenalin level through the roof.
"SOG, OP South, We've got a white truck headed north on the road next to the block. Can we engage?"
"OP South, Light em up."
That's all I needed to hear. I took aim on the tail lights squeezed the trigger, and it didn't fire. I was perplexed for a minuet until I realized the safety was on. I pushed the little button. The gun was hot. My finger squeezed around the trigger again but this time I stopped myself
"what if I'm wrong" A stab of uncertainty filled me
"SHOOT!" the SOG was at the door of the bunker. His glasses slightly askew, he was only wearing a T-shirt and PT shorts with boots.
I shook myself and fired a quick burst.
BRRRRAAAAT Then the gun simply stopped firing. It was jammed.
"F**K! It's Jammed!"
"Move." The SOG said simply. He got behind the Gun, and I grabbed my own weapon and aimed.
POW POW POW
I fired at where the tail lights were rapidly disappearing. The SOG pulled the Gun back, the ejection port was sitting right on the sand bags and that's why it had jammed. He fired three more bursts as the truck disappeared from sight. The three of us sat there for a moment. I realized I was holding my breath and started breathing again. Island and the SOG were breathing heavily.
"You guys OK?" asked the SOG
"Yeah, sure" said Island
"I'm-I'm good." I said. Whether it was firing the 240, firing my own weapon, or the incoming I was a little shaky. I set my weapon down on the sandbags, leaned back and let out a deep breath. As I took off my K-pot, to scratch my head, the SOG nodded at both of us.
"good work. I've got to do a BDA (Battle Damage Assessment), If you guys need anything let me know."
"Rodger Sergeant" Island said.
The SOG walked away calmly, and down the ladder to the rest of the COP. Island sat in the metal chair, and we looked at each other for a second.
"That was my first time"
"Doc, we've been hit before," he said
"No, man that was my first time firing my weapon at someone."
he looked at me intensely for a moment, before giving my a toothy grin "Congratulations Doc, you just popped your cherry!"
I laughed, a short burst of nervous laughter. The rest of the shift was uneventful, and just two short hours later we were relieved. I went down to where my cot was, and laid on it for hours, stating at the ceiling. Questions filled my head, questions I probably wouldn't get answers to. Something had changed though. I just didn't know what yet, besides the fact that finally on my second tour in Iraq, I had fired my weapon in combat, such as it was. Whatever else I might be, no one could argue I was not a Soldier now.
Eventually I went to sleep, knowing I would, sadly get more opportunities to fire my weapon. And I did.
"What was that." ask Island. Being on my second tour, I knew what that sound meant, as a second the slight whistle, soft and hard to hear over the generators. This was the sound of incoming mortar rounds. The sound you don't hear until they're upon you.
"INCOMING!" I yelled as the first one hit.
BOOM BOOM BOOM. the explosions were creating bright flashes in the pitch black night.
I was at the "windows" of the bunker, hugging the wall so only me head stuck out, looking for the source of the indirect fire.
"Incoming fire. . . " the small radio said, I knew there was more but I couldn't hear it over the sound of the rounds hitting.
"where's it coming from" I screamed at Island.
BOOM
"I think over there" he said as another one hit close and he ducked. He pointed North towards a large open field which we had perfect line of sight on.
"CALL IT IN!" I screamed
BOOM
My ears were ringing. I didn't bother grabbing the NODs, I just got behind the 240. I hadn't fired one since basic.
"SOG! OP SOUTH! WE THINK WE SEE WHERE ITS COMING FROM!" Island shouted into the radio.
BOOM
The shelling had stopped. My ears were ringing. I looked at Island, who was looking a little shaken. Experiencing incoming fire in an open air bunker is an experience that can rattle the best of men. That's when I saw tail lights in the field. They went to the road, and were headed north.
"Hey I got something!" I shouted "White truck headed north. Ask them if I can engage." At this point I knew I was probably going to fire a 240 in combat which was breaking some big no-no's where medics were concerned, but I couldn't help it the incoming had shot my adrenalin level through the roof.
"SOG, OP South, We've got a white truck headed north on the road next to the block. Can we engage?"
"OP South, Light em up."
That's all I needed to hear. I took aim on the tail lights squeezed the trigger, and it didn't fire. I was perplexed for a minuet until I realized the safety was on. I pushed the little button. The gun was hot. My finger squeezed around the trigger again but this time I stopped myself
"what if I'm wrong" A stab of uncertainty filled me
"SHOOT!" the SOG was at the door of the bunker. His glasses slightly askew, he was only wearing a T-shirt and PT shorts with boots.
I shook myself and fired a quick burst.
BRRRRAAAAT Then the gun simply stopped firing. It was jammed.
"F**K! It's Jammed!"
"Move." The SOG said simply. He got behind the Gun, and I grabbed my own weapon and aimed.
POW POW POW
I fired at where the tail lights were rapidly disappearing. The SOG pulled the Gun back, the ejection port was sitting right on the sand bags and that's why it had jammed. He fired three more bursts as the truck disappeared from sight. The three of us sat there for a moment. I realized I was holding my breath and started breathing again. Island and the SOG were breathing heavily.
"You guys OK?" asked the SOG
"Yeah, sure" said Island
"I'm-I'm good." I said. Whether it was firing the 240, firing my own weapon, or the incoming I was a little shaky. I set my weapon down on the sandbags, leaned back and let out a deep breath. As I took off my K-pot, to scratch my head, the SOG nodded at both of us.
"good work. I've got to do a BDA (Battle Damage Assessment), If you guys need anything let me know."
"Rodger Sergeant" Island said.
The SOG walked away calmly, and down the ladder to the rest of the COP. Island sat in the metal chair, and we looked at each other for a second.
"That was my first time"
"Doc, we've been hit before," he said
"No, man that was my first time firing my weapon at someone."
he looked at me intensely for a moment, before giving my a toothy grin "Congratulations Doc, you just popped your cherry!"
I laughed, a short burst of nervous laughter. The rest of the shift was uneventful, and just two short hours later we were relieved. I went down to where my cot was, and laid on it for hours, stating at the ceiling. Questions filled my head, questions I probably wouldn't get answers to. Something had changed though. I just didn't know what yet, besides the fact that finally on my second tour in Iraq, I had fired my weapon in combat, such as it was. Whatever else I might be, no one could argue I was not a Soldier now.
Eventually I went to sleep, knowing I would, sadly get more opportunities to fire my weapon. And I did.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
What Difference Does It Make?
Before I begin I want to thank the Senate and the House for all the hard work they did wasting five hours of my life. Their accomplishments are truly inspiring to idiots everywhere in how to sound dopey on national TV. I know I personally didn’t mind wasting five hours of my life, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me the amount of fellacio performed on national TV is quite frankly Jaw Dropping (get it). I’m sure I could waste five minutes making a completely pointless statement about stoves, or how these idiots all want see Hillary 2016, in fact for the first part of the hearing I thought it was a campaign event.
There were only three senators that I thought actually asked any serious questions, or made any serious statements, and Dick Durbin wins the cake for being a complete cake eater, by bringing up the Iraq war as somehow excusing the failures of the State department ignoring the very real concerns of the Ambassador Stevens. The house side was all over the place too. From constant mentions of Columbia (Look! A Latin Paradise now. It only took a decade and an half), to funding (Hey, we need more money and you guys are dicks for cutting our budget) it ranged all over the place. Hearing the Rep from Texas was pretty humorous; I thought he might blow a blood vessel.
By far though, I thought Senators Johnson, McCain, and Paul. Senator Paul, probably had the most memorable line. He said: “Had I been president at the time, and I found that you had not read the cables... I would have relieved you of your post”. Apparently that got Senator Boxer butt hurt, and most of America started saying Paul 2016, kind of tells you a lot there. He was also asking about weapons moving to Turkey, and other nations which clearly caught Secretary Clinton off guard. I think he was alluding to arming Syrian rebels, but to be honest even if he had info she couldn’t have responded in five minutes.
“With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans…Was it because of a protest or was it because a guy goes out for a walk one night and decided to go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?”
Wow. Please take a moment to appreciate that. Go ahead. Done? Read it again. Yeah. WOW. First off it makes a huge damn difference. Aside from the fact that Hashmish didn’t just decide “hey its nice out lets go kill Americans,” that this was a coordinated assault, THIS IS WHAT THE OFFICIAL LINE WAS. That it was at least *partially* our fault for allowing a poorly made privately funded B film about how bad Islam is to be released incensing Muslims the world around. If we were a little more tolerant in our attitudes this wouldn’t have happened. As Joe Biden kept saying “Osama’s dead and Al Qaeda is on the run”. Right. Well actually this proves that’s not even close to true. I get that there was an election going on, but it took till the second presidential debate for the President or the administration to really acknowledge that it WASN’T the video that sparked this attack. You don’t think the American people might need to know this? All they had to do was say “we don’t know exactly what happened, but as soon as we do, we’ll let you know.” I don’t care about Ambassador Rice, or who told her to say things that were clearly not true. This is what the President, through a spokesperson, and even in official speeches told the American people.
Next, it also makes a huge difference because this WILL happen again, unless we’re clear on what the hell we’re doing with our people, why, and how. We also need to be damn clear that in this Republic, we don’t hide the truth. It doesn’t matter it the errors are of omission, innocent or intentional, if you tell the American people something about their sons and daughters in harm’s way you had better damn well tell the truth. Why do you think the backlash about the Iraq War was so bad? Because people felt they were lied to (they weren’t, the CIA was still recovering from getting their HUMINT slashed in the Clinton administration, and saw intel that made them shit their pants). Let me be clear a US AMBASSADOR WAS KILLED. The Administration owes it to the American people to explain how this happened.
There’s actually a lot that came out in the House hearing that raised my ire. For one when Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida asked WHY people hadn’t been fired over their poor leadership, the Secretary said that bad leadership is NOT a reason you can fire someone. This kind of explains a lot which anyone that has dealing with State will explain why they always seem to have their head up their 4th point of contact, preferring form over function. Really they ought to have been thrown out on the street. Those people cited in the official review board, ARE STILL GETTING PAID. . . yeah.
Rep Jim Duncan put it best “Madame Secretary, you let the consulate become a death trap, and that's diplomatic malpractice... you're still in your job. At what point in time can our government... fire someone!” Good question. You’d think heads would have rolled. They didn’t.
There is one other Representative I want to highlight, Rep Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a US Air Force Pilot, who asked why there was no military assets scrambled. He questioned how well this lead from behind approach was working (it’s not IMO) but he said something that really struck me, to the effect of if you’re in trouble your country will move heaven and earth to rescue you. When I was in Iraq, there were a few times I was sure I’d get killed, but I knew that if I got in trouble my Platoon, Company, Battalion and Brigade would literally tare our sector apart to come to my aid. We do this for the lowest private to the highest general. We ought to do it for every American Citizen. The thought that Americans may have been left to fight off such an attack without hope for back up, ought to trouble you.
Now I want you to think about something. 7 hours. I want you to think about that. 7 whole hours, from the initial attack that killed the ambassador to the final action at the CIA annex, and from at least one report, that was not sporadic, that was pretty well constant, though heaviest right at the beginning and the end. I don’t care what Secretaries Panetta, or Clinton say, if your Ambassador is killed, you punch out Marines, Rangers, Specters, whatever’s in the area, you get them on station, as soon as you get word. They’re not called QUICK Reaction Forces because QRF sounds sexy. Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith were already dead, but Woods and Doherty might have been saved.
If we are “leading from behind” now, it’s obvious that there need to be more Airborne Officers punched out to the Government. As Mel Gibson said in We Were Soldiers, in the Airborne, the Officer is always the first out of the plane, because “to follow your instincts and to inspire your men, by your example you have to be with them. Where the metal meets the meat.” It’s becoming ever more clear we don’t have a freaking clue what’s going on in the Middle East, and Africa. I get that we’ve stuck our noses and other body parts into places they don’t belong in the past. There is a fine line between being reticent to get involved in every little brushfire, and being completely clueless as to what’s going on. So yes, Secretary Clinton, it DOES matter, it DOES make a difference. Lead, Follow or get out of the way!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The Second Amendment and the Wiemar Republic.
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free
state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be
infringed."
- II Amendment to the US Constitution
There isn't a lot of ambiguity to my eyes in this statement, but in this day in age where there are a lot of "grey" areas, I can see where some might get it confused. Its actually rather black and white, the idea that a Government derives its powers from the governed, was still a very new idea when it was written. The idea of a populist uprising against a tyrannical government was spreading, but the idea was still somewhat unproven. Almost every case that involved and armed uprising of individuals of lower station up to that point, usually ended with the words "mass slaughter". Indeed France proved that even when populations rise up, they can create tyrannies equal or even greater to the tyrannies they rose up to defeat.
The word hunting, or deer, or magazine is not mentioned anywhere in this statement. The Founders left some ambiguity in the Constitution deliberately because they knew things would change, but both the First and Second Amendments are devoid of such ambiguity. The Militia is not the National Guard, or even any State run armed force. It is a group of civilians, from a population or community that come together and train. Believe it or not you can actually classify the Boy Scouts of America as a Militia. These Militias, may be supportive of the Government, or even openly hostile, but in both capacities they serve as both a check, and a support structure for, the powers of the Government.
If there were a major disaster the BSA could roundly be counted on to help maintain community integrity, and assist in disaster relief efforts. They do not do this relief effort armed, but if the situation were truly dire enough they could. Sadly the more important function of these random (and sometimes not so random) associations, that become what we recognize as a Militia, is as a potential check against the day that the United States Government becomes too corrupt, or tyrannical to be called a Republic. Republics go bad. We have seen this with Rome. We've seen this with France. We've seen this with Germany. To think America is somehow immune to the trappings of power is foolhardy in the extreme.
I don't need to go too far to show how easily Republics fall. See if this sounds familiar. Large economic crisis, stock market crash, high unemployment, hostile foreign landscape, suddenly a popular figure emerges to show people that there is a reason that they're suffering, and it's not their fault. He leads calls for new government works programs, and his message of change spread throughout the country, giving the people new hope. It was the greedy capitalists who had betrayed them, but there was a way to make things right again. You might think I am referring to Barrack Obama. I'm not, that would be Adolf Hitler and the Wiemar Republic. It should fill you with a moment of pause to know that the exact same patterns we now face have been faced before, and others, no less human than us have made terrible mistakes in the name of security and economic prosperity. It should give you reason to guard jealously any power you have, lest the State feel that you somehow don't really need all those freedoms.
Imagine if Adolf Hitler had at his fingertips the sheer power and raw martial might of the United States in its current form. What would stop whole races from ceasing to exists? Once he had total power, nothing. It would be almost impossible to stop a tyrant once they had full power, so it would be important to block any potential power grabs as early as possible. It would not even need to progress to full flung insurgency if steps were taken early enough. Simply saying "no" when the tax collector comes for his share, and backing up those words with the ability to fight him off, would prevent a dictator from ever gaining control no matter how much they might desire it. Any nation's military when so vastly outnumbered and potentially firing on their own people would not be able to function very long.
See, it's not about President Obama being Hitler part II (though some people like to believe so). Its about what the US President could do if he or she were so inclined. The important question is "What If?" President Obama may want to restrict guns for truly noble reasons, he may believe in his heart that he is doing what is best for the country. But what if he, or someone else is not? What if someone elected after him has less scruples? Hand any man ultimate power, and they'll be tempted to fix just one thing, but it never stops there. It's never just one thing. There's never a silver bullet that cures everything, and often the "cures" come with problems of their own. President Obama is human. I'm human. I make mistakes, I often overlook the means because the goal is so important. If you examine your own life you'd probably find that you do the same thing. What's to stop you from doing something truly terrible? Only certain knowledge that if you cross some invisible line, people will stop you, be that other governments, your own people, or even your own family.
Like it or not we do need AR-15's and AK-47's. Like it or not, we do need "high capacity" magazines. Like it or not we do need nearly unlimited supplies of ammunition (as much to train as to actually fight). When they say "Freedom isn't free" it's not some trite phrase, to make you remember soldiers in some far flung battlefield, its as much to remind you that Freedoms always carry with them a price. That Freedom devoid of Responsibility is anarchy. That not paying attention to your Freedoms, and not minding your Responsibilities, or confusing Freedoms with Privileges has a cost. Sandy Hook, sadly is the cost when we are negligent in our responsibility, but what we have now is far preferable to what we could have should we so divorce ourselves from our freedoms.
- II Amendment to the US Constitution
There isn't a lot of ambiguity to my eyes in this statement, but in this day in age where there are a lot of "grey" areas, I can see where some might get it confused. Its actually rather black and white, the idea that a Government derives its powers from the governed, was still a very new idea when it was written. The idea of a populist uprising against a tyrannical government was spreading, but the idea was still somewhat unproven. Almost every case that involved and armed uprising of individuals of lower station up to that point, usually ended with the words "mass slaughter". Indeed France proved that even when populations rise up, they can create tyrannies equal or even greater to the tyrannies they rose up to defeat.
The word hunting, or deer, or magazine is not mentioned anywhere in this statement. The Founders left some ambiguity in the Constitution deliberately because they knew things would change, but both the First and Second Amendments are devoid of such ambiguity. The Militia is not the National Guard, or even any State run armed force. It is a group of civilians, from a population or community that come together and train. Believe it or not you can actually classify the Boy Scouts of America as a Militia. These Militias, may be supportive of the Government, or even openly hostile, but in both capacities they serve as both a check, and a support structure for, the powers of the Government.
If there were a major disaster the BSA could roundly be counted on to help maintain community integrity, and assist in disaster relief efforts. They do not do this relief effort armed, but if the situation were truly dire enough they could. Sadly the more important function of these random (and sometimes not so random) associations, that become what we recognize as a Militia, is as a potential check against the day that the United States Government becomes too corrupt, or tyrannical to be called a Republic. Republics go bad. We have seen this with Rome. We've seen this with France. We've seen this with Germany. To think America is somehow immune to the trappings of power is foolhardy in the extreme.
I don't need to go too far to show how easily Republics fall. See if this sounds familiar. Large economic crisis, stock market crash, high unemployment, hostile foreign landscape, suddenly a popular figure emerges to show people that there is a reason that they're suffering, and it's not their fault. He leads calls for new government works programs, and his message of change spread throughout the country, giving the people new hope. It was the greedy capitalists who had betrayed them, but there was a way to make things right again. You might think I am referring to Barrack Obama. I'm not, that would be Adolf Hitler and the Wiemar Republic. It should fill you with a moment of pause to know that the exact same patterns we now face have been faced before, and others, no less human than us have made terrible mistakes in the name of security and economic prosperity. It should give you reason to guard jealously any power you have, lest the State feel that you somehow don't really need all those freedoms.
Imagine if Adolf Hitler had at his fingertips the sheer power and raw martial might of the United States in its current form. What would stop whole races from ceasing to exists? Once he had total power, nothing. It would be almost impossible to stop a tyrant once they had full power, so it would be important to block any potential power grabs as early as possible. It would not even need to progress to full flung insurgency if steps were taken early enough. Simply saying "no" when the tax collector comes for his share, and backing up those words with the ability to fight him off, would prevent a dictator from ever gaining control no matter how much they might desire it. Any nation's military when so vastly outnumbered and potentially firing on their own people would not be able to function very long.
See, it's not about President Obama being Hitler part II (though some people like to believe so). Its about what the US President could do if he or she were so inclined. The important question is "What If?" President Obama may want to restrict guns for truly noble reasons, he may believe in his heart that he is doing what is best for the country. But what if he, or someone else is not? What if someone elected after him has less scruples? Hand any man ultimate power, and they'll be tempted to fix just one thing, but it never stops there. It's never just one thing. There's never a silver bullet that cures everything, and often the "cures" come with problems of their own. President Obama is human. I'm human. I make mistakes, I often overlook the means because the goal is so important. If you examine your own life you'd probably find that you do the same thing. What's to stop you from doing something truly terrible? Only certain knowledge that if you cross some invisible line, people will stop you, be that other governments, your own people, or even your own family.
Like it or not we do need AR-15's and AK-47's. Like it or not, we do need "high capacity" magazines. Like it or not we do need nearly unlimited supplies of ammunition (as much to train as to actually fight). When they say "Freedom isn't free" it's not some trite phrase, to make you remember soldiers in some far flung battlefield, its as much to remind you that Freedoms always carry with them a price. That Freedom devoid of Responsibility is anarchy. That not paying attention to your Freedoms, and not minding your Responsibilities, or confusing Freedoms with Privileges has a cost. Sandy Hook, sadly is the cost when we are negligent in our responsibility, but what we have now is far preferable to what we could have should we so divorce ourselves from our freedoms.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Top Talk
Top Talk, an online pod cast of two E-8's (one retired, one AD) giving advise. I called in and we talked about suicides. I highly recomend you listen.
Listen to internet radio with Top Talk Radio on Blog Talk Radio
Friday, January 11, 2013
The Catch 22 that is PTSD
Not a day goes by that my Twitter or Facebook feed is not bombarded by news related to PTSD. I have heard a lot of people from Navy SEALs to Infantry privates committing suicide, and the rate somehow seems to be getting worse than ever before. Despite the fact that everyone is trying to say there is no stigma around seeking treatment there still is. Even admitting I was diagnosed with PTSD at one point, to anyone and the looks I'm given are different. I've seen PTSD used as an excuse for crime, and for bad behavior, I have seen it used as an excuse to ostracize veterans.
Even mentioning you are a veteran it is assumed that you have PTSD. It's a stigma that hangs over you. If you didn't feel isolated before, letting people see that you have PTSD will make you even more so. You're either a victim, or a savage who was a willing participant. Any mention of the War will bring up debates that you just don't want to have, always invariably leading to the question of how many people you killed. I am asked to tell my tales, then when they are either more gruesome than they had been lead to believe, or don't match the political narrative, I am interrupted, or the person asking just wants to change the subject, not understanding the personal toll that even recounting the price recounting the story cost.
My treatment options are also the classic Catch 22. I can either sit there and talk about how watching young men turned into hamburger makes me feel (bad) or how I feel being about the ignorance of the "Call of Duty" crowd (pissed off). Or I could sit there and take a ton of medications that make me feel like I'm living my life in a weird purgatory like dream. Even the "alternative" method of Yoga and meditation does me no good, because I do not have the patients for such things. I'd like to say that I've found my own way, and it has a lot to do with how I use social networks to keep in touch with fellow veterans, but even that has its limits. You can not go and have a beer with facebook when the world makes no sense.
It doesn't help that on rare occasions crimes are committed and the national media outlets laser in on the fact that the perpetrator was a veteran. Three times in mass shooting incidents, the media reported prematurely that the shooter was a veteran, or in the military. Turns out that in only one of those cases they were correct, doesn't matter, the idea that veterans might be the ones to do these things, is embedded. Even the words "military-style" when describing the actions, clothes etc. is erroneous, and lays the seeds of the idea that all veterans are a danger.
PTSD is a Damned if you Do Damned if you Don't, a classic circular argument that is impossible to deal with when all the options and talk about it are bad. People only care so long as They don't have to get involved directly. I could tell them what I feel, and it might tug at their heart strings for a time, but could they really manage to care? If I told you that there are nights I wake up sweating because I heard something that sounded like an RPG wizing through the night, would you really care if you didn't know the same feeling? Would you really care about me if you knew how petty you seem when you complain about trivial things? When you gossip, when you talk about celebrities who are hallow and vapid, I try hard not to think of young men and women who have lived a life of consequence that are far more deserving of adoration.
So I keep my mouth shut. I don't seek treatment. I find my own way. I don't like talking about my issues with the uninformed or the unknowing because I know they'll treat me exactly how I don't want to be treated. I keep silent as much as possible because I know that no one will care, no one that is but my fellow veterans. This is my Catch 22. I'm damned to suffer no matter what I do, and there's no real way to avoid that. This is one of the hidden costs American freedoms have.
Even mentioning you are a veteran it is assumed that you have PTSD. It's a stigma that hangs over you. If you didn't feel isolated before, letting people see that you have PTSD will make you even more so. You're either a victim, or a savage who was a willing participant. Any mention of the War will bring up debates that you just don't want to have, always invariably leading to the question of how many people you killed. I am asked to tell my tales, then when they are either more gruesome than they had been lead to believe, or don't match the political narrative, I am interrupted, or the person asking just wants to change the subject, not understanding the personal toll that even recounting the price recounting the story cost.
My treatment options are also the classic Catch 22. I can either sit there and talk about how watching young men turned into hamburger makes me feel (bad) or how I feel being about the ignorance of the "Call of Duty" crowd (pissed off). Or I could sit there and take a ton of medications that make me feel like I'm living my life in a weird purgatory like dream. Even the "alternative" method of Yoga and meditation does me no good, because I do not have the patients for such things. I'd like to say that I've found my own way, and it has a lot to do with how I use social networks to keep in touch with fellow veterans, but even that has its limits. You can not go and have a beer with facebook when the world makes no sense.
It doesn't help that on rare occasions crimes are committed and the national media outlets laser in on the fact that the perpetrator was a veteran. Three times in mass shooting incidents, the media reported prematurely that the shooter was a veteran, or in the military. Turns out that in only one of those cases they were correct, doesn't matter, the idea that veterans might be the ones to do these things, is embedded. Even the words "military-style" when describing the actions, clothes etc. is erroneous, and lays the seeds of the idea that all veterans are a danger.
PTSD is a Damned if you Do Damned if you Don't, a classic circular argument that is impossible to deal with when all the options and talk about it are bad. People only care so long as They don't have to get involved directly. I could tell them what I feel, and it might tug at their heart strings for a time, but could they really manage to care? If I told you that there are nights I wake up sweating because I heard something that sounded like an RPG wizing through the night, would you really care if you didn't know the same feeling? Would you really care about me if you knew how petty you seem when you complain about trivial things? When you gossip, when you talk about celebrities who are hallow and vapid, I try hard not to think of young men and women who have lived a life of consequence that are far more deserving of adoration.
So I keep my mouth shut. I don't seek treatment. I find my own way. I don't like talking about my issues with the uninformed or the unknowing because I know they'll treat me exactly how I don't want to be treated. I keep silent as much as possible because I know that no one will care, no one that is but my fellow veterans. This is my Catch 22. I'm damned to suffer no matter what I do, and there's no real way to avoid that. This is one of the hidden costs American freedoms have.
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