Posted on Mar 18, 2016
What lessons learned did the Army implement after the PFC Jessica Lynch POW event?
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Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
POW/MIA
Lessons Learned
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 9
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This one hits kind of close to home because I am an alumni of 5/52 ADA from OIF 1. I was brand new to the BN then, so I "only" knew one of the KIAs from 507th Maintenance Co. (SGT Donald Walters, RIP).
Our BN Commander was shaken after that, as was the BDE Commander we were attached to.
The issue was that our Battalion became a "zero-defects" organization, in the worst possible way.
The lessons learned were lessons we have to re-learn every time we start a new major conflict: be good at basic Soldier skills. Don't be complacent. Never forget that we're going into someone else's neighborhood looking for a fight.
We will have to re-learn these lessons again the next time.
Our BN Commander was shaken after that, as was the BDE Commander we were attached to.
The issue was that our Battalion became a "zero-defects" organization, in the worst possible way.
The lessons learned were lessons we have to re-learn every time we start a new major conflict: be good at basic Soldier skills. Don't be complacent. Never forget that we're going into someone else's neighborhood looking for a fight.
We will have to re-learn these lessons again the next time.
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Hopefully that we shouldn't reward being captured and detained by enemy combatants with the Bronze Star Medal.
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SFC Timothy Bourgeois
Unfortunately the Bronze Star isn't as respected of an award it once was. My last time time in the stan every E 6 in the TOC received one while the soldiers out on missions got ARCOMS
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CPO Greg Frazho
And that's the problem, Staff Sgt. It's become the new combat zone good conduct medal, instead of it's original intent: recognizing valor. And it started by Lynch getting the BSM and a bunch of sub captains getting the BSM. Not good, particularly for junior service members' morale. As I've said many times before, I'd rather have an Achievement Medal or Commendation Medal with a combat 'V', than a BSM without one.
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CPO (Join to see)
CPO Greg Frazho - There are two types BSM Meritorious and BSM with Valor. The Army has issued this since Vietnam had nothing to do with Lynch E-7 and above, if there is no "V" it was not earned under fire period. The Navy stopped letting other Branch (Army) issue the BSM-M too Navy and Marines that serve in Combat zones like Army, they issue a DMSM vice BSM. This started in 2009, because to many Navy personnel were issued BSM-M for just doing a Joint Job in a Combat Zone on the FOB's. I was blown up twice and received a CAB for taking contact with Enemy and received a DMSM, vice the BSM-"V" because time it would take for Navy to concur.
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Train both sexes to survive in combat. Give up the notion that women don't fight in combat.
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CPO (Join to see)
No disrespect and yes it was a women but anyone of them could have got caught. Think it goes to training and muscle memory and being able to act when in contact. Was part of a unit that went in on 0 day with a Task Force that went forward with I MEF GCE Ground Combat Element. We did drills all the time even on the move up to Baghdad and we had 12 females out of a 200 person Task Force. The issue is NCO's and training and doing drills all the time for all elements Combat Support and Combat Service Support. The Marines had women with them also some in combat engineer support roles and they did same thing drills, drills and more drills. from what I saw and was part of the Marines had shit together when it came to Combat Support Units and Service Support units and believe the Army took things for granted. We did some work with a Army support unit and they did not understand setting up and manning fighting positions. They did not know how to setup gun line and intersecting and interlocking fire. Would say yes to the training but that should have already been part of the unit SOP's women or not. Do not think this unit was ready for combat and they said they were that is the units problem not a Army issue of women in combat environment because all commanders new women were there and new they would send them in harms way.
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