Why can't we just wipe ISIL off the map

CPT Bruce Rodgers — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 21:09:31 -0500

Now, I was just a junior officer that had a military education limited to CAS3 but I'm quite confident that with a brigade of armor we could put a serious hurt on these butt wipes

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Nov 14 at 2015 9:11 PM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 21:11:43 -0500

CPT Bruce Rodgers I am with you call the armor and artillery with the infantry, I bet we would get the Job done, with also the DOD backing us.

Response by CPT Bruce Rodgers made Nov 14 at 2015 9:26 PM

CPT Bruce Rodgers — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 21:26:17 -0500

Maybe I'm jaded, but I'm sure 1-7 Cav could get the job done

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 14 at 2015 9:31 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 21:31:57 -0500

General MacArthur said it best. "But once war is forced upon us, there is no other alternative than to apply every available means to bring it to a swift end." Lack of political commitment is loosing this war leading us down the same road of appeasement that crippled our progress in Korea and led to the loss of Vietnam.

"We could hold in Korea by constant maneuver and in an approximate area where our supply line advantages were in balance with the supply line disadvantages of the enemy, but we could hope at best for only an indecisive campaign with its terrible and constant attrition upon our forces if the enemy utilized its full military potential. I have constantly called for the new political decisions essential to a solution.
Efforts have been made to distort my position. It has been said, in effect, that I was a warmonger. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes. … But once war is forced upon us, there is no other alternative than to apply every available means to bring it to a swift end.
War's very object is victory, not prolonged indecision. In war there is no substitute for victory.
There are some who, for varying reasons, would appease Red China. They are blind to history's clear lesson, for history teaches with unmistakable emphasis that appeasement but begets new and bloodier war. It points to no single instance where this end has justified that means, where appeasement has led to more than a sham peace. Like blackmail, it lays the basis for new and successively greater demands until, as in blackmail, violence becomes the only other alternative."
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/douglasmacarthurfarewelladdress.htm

General Douglas MacArthur: Farewell Address to Congress

Full text and audio and video of Douglas MacArthur's Farewell Address to Congress

Response by CPT Bruce Rodgers made Nov 14 at 2015 9:41 PM

CPT Bruce Rodgers — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 21:41:36 -0500

They have no air assets, they are driving around in Toyota trucks, they can't operate the equipment they have captured, I don't see a problem, I'm talking about the group in Iraq and Syria. I think if we destroy that the tentacles in Europe will die

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 14 at 2015 10:26 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 22:26:54 -0500

The air campaign is not going to win this war without us on the ground. The last thing I want is another war but I fear it's the only way to wipe them out. We are ready. Just need the go-ahead.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Nov 14 at 2015 11:29 PM

COL Jon Thompson — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 23:29:27 -0500

OIF showed the limitations of that. We had the "thunder run" to Baghdad and everyone thought it was over. Then we started fighting both the Sunni and Shi'a insurgents and things became more complicated. Yes, we have the firepower to kill them but we would also kill lots of non-combatants along with them. That limits our air attacks now because no one wants collateral damage. ISIS would use that as a PSYOP weapon against us and it would probably help recruiting.

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Nov 15 at 2015 12:07 AM

MAJ Alvin B. — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 00:07:33 -0500

This is a pretty good article on ISIS and the challenges we face.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-really-wants/384980/?utm_source=SFFB

What ISIS Really Wants

The Islamic State is no mere collection of psychopaths. It is a religious group with carefully considered beliefs, among them that it is a key agent of the coming apocalypse. Here’s what that means for its strategy—and for how to stop it.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 15 at 2015 12:58 AM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 00:58:15 -0500

Don't stop there!!!

Response by 1SG Steven Stankovich made Nov 15 at 2015 2:12 AM

1SG Steven Stankovich — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 02:12:51 -0500

I think that one of the problems that you encounter when trying to come up with solid courses of action on how to effectively engage and destroy ISIS is positive identification of ISIS. While there are currently ISIS "ground pounders" that serve as fine targets for traditional, kinetic warfare, and that is where our air campaign and "limited boots on the ground" personnel are engaged. These targets however do not make up ISIS in its entirety. Once these targets are destroyed, ISIS is still going to be there. ISIS is a decentralized organization that is based on many ideological principles that cannot be "quantifiably destroyed" using kinetic warfare. Can we make a dent? Yes. Can we make a statement? Yes. However, to achieve total victory, I believe it will take more than just "boots on the ground." ISIS has groups, cells, and individual personnel loyal to its core scattered all over the globe. These numbers grow by the day. They are not linked directly back to "ISIS HQs" wherever that is. They have been self-radicalized or radicalized over time through numerous means including the internet. ISIS is a worldwide threat that requires a worldwide response to effectively eradicate it, its followers, and its message. How do we do that? I don't know, that is above my paygrade, however "boots on the ground" is just a small part (in my humble opinion).

Response by Capt Walter Miller made Nov 15 at 2015 7:56 AM

Capt Walter Miller — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 07:56:39 -0500

Take a knock to the head guys -- conventional military force is of almost no use - even counter productive in fighting this type of conflict.

We dropped TWICE AS MANY BOMBS ON VIET NAM AS WE DID GERMANY.

How did that work?

Walt

Response by MAJ Bryan Zeski made Nov 15 at 2015 7:56 AM

MAJ Bryan Zeski — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 07:56:51 -0500

I disagree. Sure, we can go roll over all the deserts of the world with tanks and Strykers and every piece of equipment we have - at the end of the day, we'd have killed thousands of "bad guys" and the threat would be diminished... in that one area we were currently at. They will spring back up behind us as soon as we call the area "clear." Unless we intend to have permanent patrolling outposts in every Arab region of the world, brute force is not going to eliminate the threat of ISIS. Hell, even doing that wouldn't eliminate it - they would simply move to another place.

We're so inclined to use boots on the ground because it seems to be all we know. Defeating ISIS will not come from brute force, but from combined actions across the planet to reduce ISIS recruiting efforts through economic and political means.

Response by MSgt John Carroll made Nov 15 at 2015 8:09 AM

MSgt John Carroll — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 08:09:33 -0500

I do not believe we can eliminate them. Let's just ignore Iraq and Syria for a minute. Are we willing to go back to a full ground war in Afghanistan? The Taliban is fighting ISIL in Afghanistan near J-bad, and they haven't been able to drive ISIL out. If they can't drive ISIL out, I doubt we can.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 16 at 2015 10:48 AM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 10:48:25 -0500

(sac on) you racist!!!! not all Muslim is ISIL!!(sac off) but all ISIL is Muslim. :)

Response by PO3 Sherry Thornburg made Nov 16 at 2015 10:58 AM

PO3 Sherry Thornburg — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 10:58:28 -0500

they don't wear uniforms and hide behind civilians. That pretty much explains it. You can't tell who they are until they strike.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 16 at 2015 12:25 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 12:25:43 -0500

I think armor is not the way to go. Better to roll with a brigade of combat aviation and a Stryker Regiment.
Tell them that their mission is to kill every last member of ISIS and that they will not redeploy until that mission is completed. I bet they are casing their colors and loading gear back aboard ships about six months later.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 20 at 2015 4:23 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 04:23:17 -0500

because ISIS/ISIL/Daesh are not the main driver of the issue. Sunni arabs in the fake countries of Syria/Iraq. what their own country. that the main driving force behind ISIL/ISIS/Daesh. if you take that issue off the table. A wedge will form between the Sunni arabs in the Fake countries and Daesh/ISIL/ISIS.

If not and your only goal is to defeat ISIL/Daesh/ISIS. that easy. they only have a very limited military. but then some thing will fill the void. as you haven't address the main issue. Sunni Arab nationalism in those two fake countries of syria/iraq.

armylife oldman fatboy style!!!!!!!

Response by SGT Dana Williams made Nov 22 at 2015 12:03 PM

SGT Dana Williams — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 12:03:41 -0500

A lack of political will.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 24 at 2015 12:26 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 00:26:07 -0500

You don't want to hear my solution. If I typed it out I'd be the down vote king of all time.

Response by SPC Rory J. Mattheisen made Dec 24 at 2015 4:24 PM

SPC Rory J. Mattheisen — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 16:24:07 -0500

We can, but we would have to stop doing business they way we do. We wrote the book on guerrilla warfare, yet we still try to combat it the same way the Brits did when we took our nation from them.