The Next President
By Townie 76
When we think of developing a National Security Strategy we normally think of a document that outlines the Strategic Objectives of the United States in terms of the military. I would submit, that regardless of who is elected, the next President must take a more holistic approach to defining the National Strategic Objectives of the United States.
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For Liberty!
By Lt Col P
Happy Independence Day!
This is the greatest day to be an American, the day where we revisit the magnificent promise of liberty made in 1776 and secured countless times since, and celebrate the blessings of the singular nation we call home.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
(Them was fighting words!)
So enjoy the cook-outs, the fireworks, the beer, and maybe the guns too. (Guns first, please, then beer.) Forget about the naysayers, and just have a good day. Here's to the glory of the United States, and damnation to our enemies!
First Post
By Townie 76
First, I want to thank John for asking me to join this blog. Over the last couple of months, I have enjoyed reading OPFOR and learning what others think. It is my hope, that any comments I post, will be viewed as getting those in the profession of arms to think, and not to blindly accept what the group think of the day.
Second, can anyone connected tell me when the Navy began having a "dress" uniform that is Khaki in color. Link takes you to a photo of Admiral Mullen at a Pentagon Press Briefing?
http://www.defenselink.mil/dodcmsshare/homepagephoto/2008-07/hires_080702-N-0696M-029.JPG
For King and Country?
By John
For some reason, the British Empire has piqued my interest as of late.... particularly the Empire between WWI and WWII. Couldn't help but to wonder, would the world be better off if the British still owned 25% of the globe?
I'm thinking yes, yes it would.
But I'm also a huge proponent of freedom and liberty for all the peoples of the world. Such is the ideological hypocrisy I must deal with.
PS- Can anyone recommend a good book on the British Empire during the 20th century?
Colombian Rescue
By Slab
Some years ago, while still pressing up the hill of science, I studied the guerilla war raging in Colombia. At the time, there was a great deal of concern over whether the FARC could be beaten by Colombia's military. I read a number of sources that professed concerns over the Colombian military's professionalism and abilities.
Those concerns have been put to bed. The Colombian military is most definitely playing in the big leagues.
Like Laughing Wolf of Blackfive, my hat is off to the men who carried out one of the finest special operations in recent history.
LtCol P says... Indeed, that is one of the slickest ops in history. And remarks by the Colombian Defense Minister that intelligence agents had infiltrated the terrorists' high command is a neat piece of IO too-- if it's true, it's a real victory, and if it's not, then it's all too believable. Should cause a nice little stir amongst conspiracy-addled and purge-addicted communists.
The New Thunderbirds
By Slab
I can't wait to hear the howls of outrage from the blue suiters.
Pizza for Patriots!
By Charlie
Awesomely Awesome with Awesome Sauce:
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. - Less than a week after a retired Air Force sergeant's son cooked up the idea, volunteers on Friday formed a pizza-packing assembly line at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria's warehouse on the city's north side. Filling boxes with frozen pies and dry ice, the pizzas are intended to bring a slice of home to soldiers thousands of miles away in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sgt. Mark Evans planned to send 300 of his favorite pies to the front lines, but the response to the Pizzas 4 Patriots program was overwhelming, and a new goal of sending 3,000 pizzas, all by July 4, was set.Roughly 2,000 pizzas were shipped Thursday, which should be enough to feed at least 8,000 soldiers.
"I am totally in shock. I am overwhelmed. I can't believe this is coming together. Two thousand pizzas. I'm just, I'm in shock," Evans said.
This is pretty cool. A Happy 4th to all of the troops overseas. You are in our thoughts as Independence Day Approaches.
Guard Border MIssion Wraps Up
By Charlie
Jump Start Jumps TOC:
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has told the governors that the military was just a temporary boost during crackdowns that have brought a 20 percent drop in migrant apprehensions the past year--an indicator that overall illegal traffic is down."OJS has succeeded," Chertoff wrote recently to the four governors. "Although there is more to accomplish, the administration has made great progress toward securing our borders and combating the threats of criminals and terrorists exploiting our borders."
The Guard touts a list of achievements, including:
* building 38 miles of new border fence,
* building 90 miles of vehicle barriers and
* assisting in 174,317 apprehensions.
"In our view, we have had a raging success. We think we made a difference," said National Guard Bureau spokesman Randal Noller.
Meanwhile, from news agency that I apparently have to pay to quote from, the border state governors are very concerned about the end of OJS, and according to the news agency, the governors of Arizona and California both sent a letter to Washington to request an extension of the operation, even going so far as to call the planned withdrawal "irresponsible."
I would like to remind the state governors that it is fully within their power to deploy their state national guard assets in accordance with US Title 32 for "providing trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise required by state law. " The "as otherwise required" clause in the mission could easily relate to a border security role, but I think the wrinkle here is who will pay for it. All in all, OJS was a successful, bread and butter National Guard mission, and big ups to everyone that participated.
New GI Bill
By John
The new GI Bill passed and the benefits simply rock. See Military.com for full details, but here's a delish sampling:
The new bill goes well beyond helping to pay for tuition; many veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001, will get full tuition and fees, a new monthly housing stipend, and a $1,000 a year stipend for books and supplies. The new bill also gives Reserve and Guard members who have been activated for more than 90 days since 9/11 access to the same GI Bill benefits.
The old Montgomery GI Bill required servicemembers to pay 1200 bucks (plus an optional $600 kicker) to receive benefits. The new Webb Bill comes free of charge. So, as a hard-charging, masters-hungry young airman, I had been paying into the Montgomery Bill for the past ten months. Today I called the base education office to see if anything could be done for recoupment.
BEO: Hello, Base Education Office how may we help you?
Me: Yeah hi, I've got a question about the new GI bill.
BEO: Go ahead.
Me: Well I've paid out $1,000 for a service that is now free. And I haven't used any of the benefits yet.
BEO: Right.
Me: ....
BEO: ....
Me: So uh, can I have my money back?
BEO: We're not sure.
Me: Aren't you guys supposed to be the experts here?
BEO: Yeah, but we got most of our information off the internet.
Still a few kinks to work out of the knot, it seems.
And I have a chunk of hard earned dosh floating somewhere in the vaults of the Veterans Administration. I wouldn't mind having it back, but then again... 'tis the gommument. I ain't holding my breath.
Warrior Wisdom
By Richard S. Lowry
Cononel Eddie S. Ray, USMC, is a Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom veteran, recipient of the Navy Cross and a leader among leaders.
“The best leadership is done by walking around.” -- Colonel Eddie S. Ray
New Blood!
By John
Welcome to our new full-timer, Townie 76 (it's a VMI thing) --aka Col Hank. His bio, now linked at the About Us page.
Townie 76 aka COL Hank was born in Lexington, Virginia and graduated VMI in 1976. He entered the Army in November 1976 as an Armor Officer. He left the Army in 1984 and joined the Virginia Army National Guard where he remained until 1998 when he returned to Active Duty as a Title 10 Active Guard and Reserve Officer. He retired from the Army on 31 July 2006 and was recalled to active duty the next day where he is now beginning his third year as a recalled retiree. COL Hank has served in various Command and Staff assignments in his thirty two years of service, to include assignment in Korea, Germany, Kosovo, Iraq, and Kuwait. He currently is the Command Historian and Chief of the Red Team for United States Army Central (USARCENT aka as Third Army).
Army just won't let the guy retire. Anyway, needed to get a full bird Colonel on board to keep our twin O-5s in check... and to bring balance to the force (Marines were running the show for the past year). We'll have an OPFOR email address up for him shortly (hopefully) and maybe finally get archive pages linked for our newbie AND poor Bullnav... who has been more than patient with my slacking.
Welcome Colonel!
Totten in the Balkans
By Charlie
Michael Totten, doing what I think is the dream job -travel writer -reports from the Balkans:
Albanian pro-Americanism resembles that of both Poland and Iraqi Kurdistan. The unspeakably oppressive communist regime pushed Albanians strongly into the U.S.-led Western camp, and the humanitarian rescue of Albanians in Kosovo from Slobodan Milosevic's tyrannical despotism bolstered that sentiment even more.More kids tugged at me and wanted their pictures taken. It was overwhelming, and more than a little bit startling.
Yup, that's pretty much how it is there. It may surprise many folks here at home, but Americans are not universally loathed abroad.
The Future of Jointness?
By Charlie
Two articles recently caught my eye that appeared to counter the idea of "jointness." "Jointness" is the idea that all of the services can work together, under a unified command structure, to accomplish a mission.
Quoth FM 101-5-1:
joint force (JP 1-02) - A general term applied to a force composed of significant elements, assigned or attached, of two or more Military Departments, operating under a single commander authorized to exercise operational control. See FMs 100-5, 100-15, 100-20, and JP 0-2.
The first article is by Charles Dunlap, entitled "Take Closer Look At Air Force's Nuclear Blunder." In the article, MG Dunlap lays out his view of the Air Force's handling of the nuclear mission. He says the following:
STRATCOM is the heir to the fabled Strategic Air Command, which was legendary for its draconian discipline and obsession with all things nuclear within the Air Force. In 1992 "Air" was dropped from the title when the command added Navy forces and converted itself into a joint-service organization.Even so, STRATCOM remained wedded exclusively to its nuclear mission - until, that is, the arrival in 2004 of the highly respected Marine general (and now vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) James E. Cartwright.
Almost immediately, Gen. Cartwright set out to redirect STRATCOM away from a nuclear-only focus to missions seemingly more relevant to a post-9/11 world. Writing in Joint Force Quarterly in 2006, he acknowledged his command's "legacy" nuclear responsibilities, but emphasized the addition of seven new "distinct global missions." As brilliant as it appeared at the time, diffusing the command's concentration away from the nuclear mission now warrants re-evaluation.
The Strategic Air Command (SAC) , according to the infallible Wikipedia: "was both a major command and a "specified command" in the U.S. Air Force and was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based bomber aircraft and land-based ballistic missile strategic nuclear arsenal from 1946-92." MG Dunlap argues that the Air Force handled the mission better when it was exclusively an Air Force -not a joint- mission.
The next article that caught my eye was (brace yourself) the Army's TF Odin from the NYT: At Odds With Air Force, Army Adds Its Own Aviation Unit. I'm not sure how true this one is, as it quotes several (of course) anonymous "officers." It does, however, paint a decidedly partisan picture of inter-service rivalry:
But now in Iraq, the Army has quietly decided to try going it alone for the important surveillance mission, organizing an all-Army surveillance unit that represents a new move by the service toward self-sufficiency, and away from joint operations.
Later in the piece, they threw out this whopper which leads me to lend less credibility to the article:
Army and Marine Corps officers in Afghanistan have complained that Air Force pilots flying attack missions in support of ground operations do not come in as low as their Navy and Marine counterparts.
The "joint" environment seems to be where the entire DOD is heading. I think these types of articles are more growing pains than (to quote the NYT) moves "away from joint operations."
More on Heller vs. DC
By John
From the VMI eagle himself, Colonel Foresman, comes the constitutionalist angle.
Col H -
Yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court in the Heller case was not surprising. Though I find it odd that I am in agreement with Antonio Scalia—whose whole jurisprudence is based on a concept of original intent. But this was not an ordinary case as it was about not only guns but what are the essential elements of the Bill of Rights.
There was time when I ascribed to the prevailing liberal view that the fundamental freedoms encased in the Bill of Rights were sacrosanct but that the 2nd Amendment was a collective right. Fortunately for me, being historian and great admirer of James Madison, I undertook some study of Madison’s authorship of the Bill of Rights. First, Madison was greatly influenced by the work of George Mason, another Virginian, who authored Virginia’s Bill of Rights. He was also greatly influenced by the thinking of and the written works of the Anti-Federalists. My study left me with the conclusion, which I share with Lawrence Tribe, liberal Law Professor at Harvard, that fundamental rights include the right to bear arms, and that to be effective the Bill of Rights must receive strict scrutiny in their abridgement.
Among the great surprises of my research was the realization that if Madison’s words has been adopted and ratified by the States, many of the questions which bedeviled the Supreme Court over the years would have less contentious. The second realization was that given an opportunity Congress, even in its first session, would meddle with plain English and make what we know as the Bill of Rights hard to comprehend.
For the sake of education, I am providing Madison’s original submissions; you will note that Madison’s submissions are broken into eight categories with some of the proposed amendments being additions to the preamble, some restrictions upon the actions of Congress, some being restrictions upon the Federal Courts, and the addition of an additional article to the Constitution
Here is a link: to the information. I have highlighted some portions in bold that supports my conclusion Madison had it right and as usual Congress screwed it up.
Amendments Offered in Congress by James Madison June 8, 1789First. That there be prefixed to the Constitution a declaration, that all power is originally vested in, and consequently derived from, the people.
That Government is instituted and ought to be exercised for the benefit of the people; which consists in the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the right of acquiring and using property, and generally of pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.
That the people have an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform or change their Government, whenever it be found adverse or inadequate to the purposes of its institution.
Secondly. That in article 1st, section 2, clause 3, these words be struck out, to wit: "The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each State shall have at least one Representative, and until such enumeration shall be made;" and that in place thereof be inserted these words, to wit: "After the first actual enumeration, there shall be one Representative for every thirty thousand, until the number amounts to ——, after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that the number shall never be less than ——, nor more than ——, but each State shall, after the first enumeration, have at least two Representatives; and prior thereto."
Thirdly. That in article 1st, section 6, clause 1, there be added to the end of the first sentence, these words, to wit: "But no law varying the compensation last ascertained shall operate before the next ensuing election of Representatives."
Fourthly. That in article 1st, section 9, between clauses 3 and 4, be inserted these clauses, to wit: The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed.
The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable.
The people shall not be restrained from peaceably assembling and consulting for their common good; nor from applying to the Legislature by petitions, or remonstrances, for redress of their grievances.
The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed and well regulated militia being the best security of a free country: but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person.
No soldiers shall in time of peace be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner; nor at any time, but in a manner warranted by law.
No person shall be subject, except in cases of impeachment, to more than one punishment or one trial for the same offence; nor shall be compelled to be a witness against himself; nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor be obliged to relinquish his property, where it may be necessary for public use, without a just compensation.
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
The rights of the people to be secured in their persons, their houses, their papers, and their other property, from all unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated by warrants issued without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, or not particularly describing the places to be searched, or the persons or things to be seized.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, to be informed of the cause and nature of the accusation, to be confronted with his accusers, and the witnesses against him; to have a compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence.
The exceptions here or elsewhere in the Constitution, made in favor of particular rights, shall not be so construed as to diminish the just importance of other rights retained by the people, or as to enlarge the powers delegated by the Constitution; but either as actual limitations of such powers, or as inserted merely for greater caution.
Fifthly. That in article 1st, section 10, between clauses 1 and 2, be inserted this clause, to wit:
No State shall violate the equal rights of conscience, or the freedom of the press, or the trial by jury in criminal cases.
Sixthly. That, in article 3d, section 2, be annexed to the end of clause 2d, these words, to wit:
But no appeal to such court shall be allowed where the value in controversy shall not amount to —— dollars: nor shall any fact triable by jury, according to the course of common law, be otherwise re-examinable than may consist with the principles of common law.
Seventhly. That in article 3d, section 2, the third clause be struck out, and in its place be inserted the clauses following, to wit:
The trial of all crimes (except in cases of impeachments, and cases arising in the land or naval forces, or the militia when on actual service, in time of war or public danger) shall be by an impartial jury of freeholders of the vicinage, with the requisite of unanimity for conviction, of the right of challenge, and other accustomed requisites; and in all crimes punishable with loss of life or member, presentment or indictment by a grand jury shall be an essential preliminary, provided that in cases of crimes committed within any county which may be in possession of an enemy, or in which a general insurrection may prevail, the trial may by law be authorized in some other county of the same State, as near as may be to the seat of the offence.
In cases of crimes committed not within any county, the trial may by law be in such county as the laws shall have prescribed. In suits at common law, between man and man, the trial by jury, as one of the best securities to the rights of the people, ought to remain inviolate.
Eighthly. That immediately after article 6th, be inserted, as article 7th, the clauses following, to wit:
The powers delegated by this Constitution are appropriated to the departments to which they are respectively distributed: so that the Legislative Department shall never exercise the powers vested in the Executive or Judicial, nor the Executive exercise the powers vested in the Legislative or Judicial, nor the Judicial exercise the powers vested in the Legislative or Executive Departments.
The powers not delegated by this Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively.
Ninthly. That article 7th be numbered as article 8th.
What find interesting about Madison’s draft of what became the 2nd Amendment is that he clearly lays the right out up front, explains why it is important, and lastly recognizes there are those who are opposed based on religious grounds from bearing arms. The consistent theme of Madison’s draft is that the rights of individuals, who actions, beliefs, and causes, are outside the bounds of the norms of society, should not be abridged.
Madison, more than any of the other founders, was the champion of the common man from the unconstrained power of government. It is for this reason he is not only my favorite of the founders, but the founder who most contributed to giving us the democracy, good or bad, we enjoy today.
Combat Hunter
By Lt Col P
Good article in USAToday about the Combat Hunter program, bringing Marines together with big game hunters and urban cops to teach them how to recognize signs in the environment that show where the bad guys have trod.
Faced with an alarming increase in sniper attacks in Iraq, Marine commanders in late 2006 began looking for ways to turn the tables on an elusive enemy. Among the experts they consulted: a renowned African big game hunter and a former big city cop.The result is the combat hunter program, an experiment in training Marines to fight insurgents by making the Marines as wily as the enemy they face. The training combines outdoor skills culled from hunting and tracking with the street smarts developed by police and Marines who grew up in cities.
"The motto we … try to instill in these guys is Marines are always the hunter, never the hunted," says Ivan Carter, the safari guide and hunter — born Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe — who helped the Marines develop the program.
A couple of interesting names pop up in there. Ivan Carter, seen on Tracks Across Africa with Craig Boddington (Col, USMCR ret.); and Patrick Lang, former head of DOD HumInt. Lang, unless I'm very much mistaken, is a member of the VMI Class of '62. But I digress. The program has had some success:
Lt. Patrick Zuber, whose platoon was the first unit to get combat hunter training in a pilot program last year, said the training made Marines better able to sniff out trouble before it happened.The combat hunter Marines were able to spot patterns on streets that had formerly only appeared noisy, chaotic and strange. In one instance, Zuber's Marines were manning a series of checkpoints outside Fallujah, a city west of Baghdad. They received reports of a man illegally charging residents to enter the city, so the Marines carefully watched the throngs of cars and pedestrians that appeared every day. They noticed a man who moved among the crowds and regularly talked to people trying to enter the city.
After the man was detained, Marines discovered he was carrying a list of people who he had been charging and the amounts they owed. Marines determined he was working for the Iraqi police.
Let me toss this out. I see shades of the much feared and hated-- but very effective-- former South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Unit, Koevoet, in the sense of trying to deveolp a capability to identify an enemy force by its passing, then ruthlessly follow it up by foot, vehicle and aircraft. Anyone else see that, or am I way off base?
