From: Jon Shoop (shoop19@brick.net)
Date: Tue Oct 19 2004 - 09:39:25 PDT
Interesting observations.......the info I get from the field in Irac reveals
a much different story....
I might explain...my contacts are with Blackwater Spec Ops types that I know
personally as well as high and low ranking members of the US Army and USMC,
on the ground and in the fight.
My guys in Irac explain they are killing by the score, these insurgents and
their tactics are getting more disparate. The US is staying away from body
counts for a good reason, but I think here in the US we would be very
suprised to know just how many armed insurgents we are killing.
We are finding and diffusing more bombs than the media would like you to
know about....we are sitting in wait and killing the scum when they come to
a position we have gained Intel on previously.
Cell Jamming, informants, and other tools are being used. The insurgents are
getting pinched tighter every day.
As for shortages....I have read memos from WWII battlefield commanders
complaining of shortages as well...I think you can never be prepared totally
or satisfied with the supply chain. Its a never ending story......its
history...and it's known to repeat itself...
Jon
Optimistic, to say the least.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Grammont" <islander@midmaine.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 10:40 AM
Subject: Re: [MV] mil veh war story
> Cliff,
>
> >And how many of you believe the picture painted in this article? How
> >many think that what the news portraits is the full story? And how many
> >believe that there is more to this story?
>
> There is more to the story. Leaked memo from GEN Sanchez (from last
> year) was just uncovered that shows a long list of equipment shortages
> and complaints, yet the very next day Bush said at a press conference
> that our guys had everything they needed in field.
>
> As far as I know this is the first POSSIBLE case of a mutiny of a US unit
> in combat since Vietnam (I can't think of something specific there, but I
> am sure there must have been). The Army is going to make an example of
> this unit, even if their refusal to follow orders was justified. No
> matter what the truth of the matter is, this is a VERY SIGNIFICANT event
> and people should sit up and take notice.
>
> It doesn't take a genius to figure out that high stress levels, extended
> tours, conflicting missions, prematurely ended offensives, inadequate
> manpower, inadequate training for anit-insurgent ops, a lack of
> translators, daily casualties, underperforming friendly Iraqi units,
> inadequate funding on the ground, and an enemy that appears to be getting
> more organized and sophisticated by the day (not less) is going to lead
> to morale problems. And I'm usually labeled an optimist...
>
> >Its against my good Commander-in-Chief who IS doing THE best job.
>
> I'm a business owner and entrepreneur. Last year we fired a CEO, who
> incidentally was making almost as much money as Bush (direct payroll that
> is), for poor leadership. He assured us he was doing "the best" and
> nobody could be expected to do better in this lousy economy. But after a
> year of watching him closely we decided change was needed. And whadda ya
> know... one year later and instead of losing millions we are profitable
> again, yet the economy is as bad as it was last year. Just because
> someone says they are doing the "best job" doesn't mean that they are.
>
> I the edited words of a LT COL friend of mine at the Pentagon "I can't
> believe how badly we are fudging things up over there".
>
> Steve
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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