Are we still a nation at war?

2018-08-12T10:07:55-04:00

A soldier asked the commanding BG a variant of this question and was immediately shut down. I found it interesting and can’t stop thinking about it.

With the slowing of major activity in Afghanistan and rebuilding in Iraq, are we technically at war? If you believe so, with whom?

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Aug 12 at 2018 10:10 AM

2018-08-12T10:10:47-04:00

Don't think wars have stop since we first started fighting in them.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 12 at 2018 10:12 AM

2018-08-12T10:12:17-04:00

The enemy is still there. Isis is still there just in a low-level capacity. It's kind of like if you stop taking the penicillin before the prescription ends, infection gets resistant to it. Iraq is still following it back into Anarchy and some places. It's kind of like not taking your penicillin for full duration of the prescription and cutting it off early as soon as the infection goes away but then the remaining virus gets resistant to treatment. in addition to this, corruption in Iraq and Afghanistan. All the games we made her lost because the central government is too weak in the corruption continues. Something so this would happen in Vietnam.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Aug 12 at 2018 10:21 AM

2018-08-12T10:21:12-04:00

As long as we have Americans in harms way, we are at war.

Response by Maj William W. 'Bill' Price made Aug 12 at 2018 10:52 AM

2018-08-12T10:52:31-04:00

It is an interesting question, CPT Private RallyPoint Member. A simple answer is no (since Congress has not declared war). But questions of war are not usually simple, are they?
I think we find ourselves in a state of conflict analogous to The Barbary Wars in the early 19th century. Congress never voted on a formal declaration of war, but did authorize President Jefferson to "cause to be done all such other acts of precaution or hostility as the state of war will justify". This sounds (to me, at least) very similar to the Congressional language since 9/11. But I also think we are involved in a "fourth-generation war"... where technology provides the capability for a small group of belligerents to effect a level of violence usually associated with nation-states. While the US has adapted and is adapting to this challenge, doctrine, training, and strategy are still catching up. If we are at war, I think it is with Iran and perhaps Saudi Arabia (to the extent Wahhabism is their foreign policy and they aren't fighting with the Iranians). It would not surprise me if Russia and China are involved as well (at least co-laterally). Lastly, I do think we remain at risk for repeated fourth-generation style attacks in the US and elsewhere. And the feared blow is sufficient casus belli/casus foederis to justify our current approach IMHO. While Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq may be winding/wound down, I expect things will flare up elsewhere. And sooner rather than later.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 12 at 2018 11:52 AM

2018-08-12T11:52:03-04:00

The question should have been Have other nations (non-State actors) declared war on the US?

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Aug 12 at 2018 12:44 PM

2018-08-12T12:44:59-04:00

I don't think that there is a single civilization on the planet that is not constantly at war on some front. If it isn't a war against physical enemies outside of its border there are always enemies within the walls attempting to bring the country down. If it isn't actual people there is always some ideological virus attempting to spread among the people. If it isn't a belief system (e.g. religious or political or economical) there is always some chink in the armor that may weaken the economic system, government, or country as a whole to bring it to its knees. I think that it is best to believe that we are always at war; at war with those that would do us harm, the ideas that seek to destroy what we are and stand for, and the inevitable failures of the human condition and our controls.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 12 at 2018 1:23 PM

2018-08-12T13:23:12-04:00

Yes. ISIS, Taliban, and the US are using their militaries to further their imperialist designs.

Response by SSG Lyle O'Rorke made Aug 12 at 2018 1:53 PM

2018-08-12T13:53:16-04:00

As stated by others. We are not technically at war and haven’t been since WWII. We may be in combat and conflict just not an actual war.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 12 at 2018 3:01 PM

2018-08-12T15:01:42-04:00

Yes.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Aug 12 at 2018 3:04 PM

2018-08-12T15:04:01-04:00

CPT Private RallyPoint Member, to think that the United States is not involved in military conflict currently (maybe not declared war) is simply naive. Ask the survivors of the KIA or those wounded in action if we’re at war. I think you know the response you’ll receive.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 12 at 2018 6:09 PM

2018-08-12T18:09:06-04:00

CPT Private RallyPoint Member Yes. As long as our troops are in danger, we are at war. We need to keep our readiness high, since there are trouble spots that can flare up at any time.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 12 at 2018 8:29 PM

2018-08-12T20:29:19-04:00

It's a three sided answer.

For us in the military, yes. Especially being in Afghanistan now, I'm getting notices of our fallen before the mainstream pushes it. We're very much at war.

Politicians, we are if it's something they're supportive of or demand to push for just as the annual NDAA that's been completed and signed the fastest since I first enlisted. Most politicians are stuck in their rhetoric that they think "Mission Accomplishment" from President Bush was enough.

The civilian population is a hit or miss. The further from a military town, the less likely they'll know we're still there, fighting and sometimes dying.

Response by SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM made Aug 14 at 2018 10:44 AM

2018-08-14T10:44:36-04:00

FACE IT we are at WAR with ourselves. Government makes WAR to survive