Losing Our (Military) Religion

MAJ Montgomery Granger — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 15:39:28 -0400

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Our problem of late has been appearing weak and being weak.

A Marine, Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, of Temecula, Calif., was killed in Iraq at new U.S.-only Fire Base Bell, a Marine Corps outpost just several hundred meters from a larger and apparently more secure Iraqi run base, has drawn the deadly interest of the Islamic State.

Fire Base Bell is nothing more than a fish barrel for the Islamic State's target practice.

In 2016, there is simply no excuse for these kinds of casualties. We have superiority in EVERY CATEGORY of war operations, yet we can't seem to keep our personnel safe. It is a failure on every level.

It is not acceptable to simply say, "War is hell," "these things happen," or "we're doing the best we can.” None of those things will give any comfort to the family, friends, colleagues and commanders of the deceased.

No, we must do more to protect ourselves in an effort to accomplish the mission, whatever the mission is.

In a combat zone the number one concern is security – for all operations and all branches of the military. If you are not secure, you are not safe, and therefore not effective. If you are not effective you might as well be dead because you cannot accomplish the mission.

The current Administration’s strategy of drones, bombs and Special Operations (and I INCLUDE United States Marines in the category of special operators) is insane. This "zero footprint," "no boots on the ground" philosophy is red meat for our enemies. It means that every American killed or injured is a war prize of untold value.

The truth is that by March 2016, the U.S. has disclosed about 5,000 troops are in Iraq, but officially there are only 3,870. There are about 1,000 more than that, off the books apparently, in northern Iraq who planned to assist Iraqi troops in an attempt to take back Mosul from the Islamic State. Fire Base Bell is part of the proposed offensive, which recently was initiated by Iraq.

Were it not for the recent attacks on Fire Base Bell would we even know about it, or the extra 1,000-plus Marines?

The bad news? Iraqi soldiers have fled in the face of possible counterattack by Islamic State fighters, exposing supporting Marines to take on the bad guys alone or retreat back to Fish Barrel – uh, I mean Fire Base - Bell.

Recent reports state that the President has given a directive to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter that he wants to defeat the Islamic State “before the end of his term.” Why? Because he would “like to not leave this to my successor. “

How about defeating the enemy because they are EVIL and DANGEROUS?

How about ending the Global War on Terror because it is the RIGHT THING TO DO and would KEEP AMERICANS SAFE?

How about following military doctrine and use OVERWHELMING FORCE to defeat them?

Instead we get drones, bombs and Special Operations. Six Air Force dead earlier this year while on “routine security patrol” outside an air base in Afghanistan. Why? One motorcycle borne improvised explosive device kills all six at once. Why? Eleven U.S. personnel were huddled together, in the open, in a war zone. Why?

The religion of arms, if you will, has many edicts, policies, regulations, Standard Operating Procedures and Rules of Engagement. We fight and live or die by these things, chapter and verse.

What is immensely frustrating is the constant downplay by the current administration over how dangerous the enemy is, or even WHO the enemy is. Recent reports have the CIA-supplied Syrian rebels shooting at the Defense Department-armed Syrian militias! Wait, WHAT?! This is WAY beyond SNAFU, this is military blasphemy.

Also, by calling the Islamic State “ISIL,” or “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” – Levant being a reference to Syria, or a fundamentalist form of Wahabi Sunni Muslim beliefs - we are legitimizing their claim of religious foundation by using “ISIL,” instead of simply calling them the Islamic State.

In using political double-speak to describe our non-enemy the White House has successfully confused the public and emboldened the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations. Recent terror attacks by a Taliban off-shoot targeting Christians at Easter in Pakistan, and another by the Islamic State at the international airport and on a commuter train in Brussels, Belgium, sadly confirm this, along with the death of Staff Sgt. Cardin at Fire Base Bell.

Recently, American citizen Mohamad Jamal Kweis, from Virginia, joined the Islamic State, went to the Iraqi city of Mosul, the enemy stronghold in northern Iraq, and then fled because conditions and the promise of glorious jihad was severely overstated by the bad guys.

So, Islamo-Disneyland turned out to be a shuttered Wallyworld. My guess is that the sex slaves were all spoken for.

But curiously enough, Mohamad Jamal Kweis, who talked about why he joined and then why he defected from the Islamic State made not one mention of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which according to President Barack Obama is the top recruiting tool for the terrorist organization.

Not one mention of Gitmo. Curious.

Because of civilian (read “Pentagon”) incompetence in the understanding and appreciation of effective military operations, instead of being driven by an overall goal or objective, the strategy (or lack thereof) changes with the political wind.

Currently, the rationale for ending the Global War on Terror is simply to end the trouble before the President leaves office, or not. He’s never too passionate about our struggle against terrorism except when making sure after each Islamist terror attack we don’t go blaming Islam, the religion of peace.

It seems as though to this administration that the military are merely tools in a shed run by those who haven’t a clue how to use them, but nevertheless always seem to want to drive a nail into a two-by-four with a screwdriver. And, like released Gitmo detainees, it is costing American lives.

Response by SSG Ed Mikus made Mar 30 at 2016 3:41 PM

SSG Ed Mikus — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 15:41:02 -0400

I blame Congress just as much.

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made Mar 30 at 2016 3:50 PM

CSM Michael J. Uhlig — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 15:50:23 -0400

Sir, I was so fired up about this incident and the press release immediately following his death....."Marine killed by lucky shot" how dare you diminish the efforts or tarnish the personal courage of this Marine! Are you trying to make the family feel better by saying it was a lucky shot? Many of those in the fight have been fighting for decades....I can only pray that the family of Staff Sergeant Louis F. Cardin can rest easy knowing this Marine was a Warrior, and died facing his enemy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAhrItN0Ub0

Marine's death escalates fight against ISIS

ISIS fighters have attacked U.S. troops in northern Iraq twice in the past three days. San Diego's News Source - 10News, KGTV, delivers the latest breaking...

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Mar 30 at 2016 5:38 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 17:38:36 -0400

Our military use to be number one, now their lucky if their number four. Too much control by congress.

Response by Pamela Stein made Mar 30 at 2016 8:03 PM

Pamela Stein — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 20:03:30 -0400

We cannot get rid of this Administration fast enough. For the first time in my life, I fear that the American Military is not capable of defending our Nation or our National interests. That's certainly no reflection upon them, I place the blame squarely at the top of the Command chain. It's truly scary what's been done to our service members.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 30 at 2016 9:32 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 21:32:26 -0400

This is just a rehash of the same arguments, some verbatum, that you used in that other Command Post thread you made about "Obama's Bloody Hands". Your premise and conclusions were faulty then, and remain so.

Response by SFC Marcus Belt made Mar 31 at 2016 1:55 AM

SFC Marcus Belt — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 01:55:35 -0400

Sir, the issue is not ISIS/ISIL/Da'esh...the issue is two failed states and a power vacuum. Da'esh does NOT pose a conventional threat to our Homeland, and we CANNOT defeat an ideology through kinetic means.

And not to quibble, but a Marine artilleryman is NOT SOF.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 31 at 2016 12:43 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 12:43:01 -0400

Allow me to submit a thought about ISIS and how we should deal with them.
ISIS represents an ideology, the supremacy and dominion of their brand of Islam over other sects and by extension, all mankind. The way you defeat an idea is by putting the lie to that idea, and/or proving that your ideas are better.
While that is a generational endeavor, what we can do that we seemingly are not is deny that idea from spreading and infecting more people that ISIS can utilize as fighters.
You see, ISIS is very dependent on being able to secure a steady stream of canon fodder, young (mostly) men willing to fight and die for the cause. There just isn't enough locally available recruits to sustain their ambitions and burn rate. They get more through coercion, illusions of concubines and jihad and glorious martyrdom, and appealing to seething masses in the Muslim community that do not benefit from the largesse of the local strongman and self-segregate in the ghettos of Europe, South Asia, and North Africa.
In order to get those recruits, ISIS is heavily dependent on the internet. An internet that we have the capability to attack. Turn off the message, and recruits dry up. Plain and simple. The only real down side is that we lose out on a valuable information stream for targeting the messengers, but that is a small price to pay.
Next, ISIS is heavily dependent on cell phones to communicate and coordinate routine business as well as military operations. We have aircraft and "other" means with the capability to turn them off, permanently, by electronic means. I could really GAF if that inconveniences every day Syrians, Libyans, or Iraqis. When legitimate people are in charge again, you can rebuild your cellular infrastructure and buy new iPhones. One thing I am quite sure that ISIS lacks is the technical ability to defeat such an action nor the know-how to fix things once disabled. They are thugs, not technical wizards. Anyone with any knowledge of electronics makes IEDs.

Eventually, we or someone else will need to get dirty and bloody clearing out the die-hards. But in the meantime, we can take some actions that cost us little and pose next to no risk to great effect.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Mar 31 at 2016 1:41 PM

CPT Pedro Meza — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 13:41:58 -0400

Just to let you know that today is March 31, so your are early for April Fools, because you have a hook of "our military religion, but instead you rag on the military (Service members) that are doing what you won't do and the President. Bait and Switch. Early April Fools.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 31 at 2016 4:48 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 16:48:16 -0400

I see this saying "we should do better, the Executive branch has failed." Yet, I don't see a solution as is befitting the way we do it in the military. And those soft ass replies of "fire Obama! Put him in jail! Replace him! It's those soft dems!" Don't fly. No one know what the "best"case scenario looks like with this, nor how to get there. I'm not saying that they've got it right, I genuinely don't think they do, but tossing out fluff pieces against your opposing political party aren't the solution. You do better and come up with a real solution. Or at least demand one from these slick tongued idiots pandering for our votes.

Response by SSgt Thomas L. made Apr 1 at 2016 8:03 AM

SSgt Thomas L. — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 08:03:18 -0400

You know what keeps our troops safe? Keeping them home.