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Old 10-25-2006, 05:01 AM
MARINEVET MARINEVET is offline
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Default Afghanistan Sitrep Of Sorts

MARINEVET SITREP

No?relax?not gonna be a real SITREP?involved in too many of those these days, anyway!

First a quick update on how I got over here?mostly about last year leading up to this assignment, etc.

I left the employ of Onslow County Local Government (County HR Dir) late last summer. It was time. Was going to kick back and relax, but some folks found out I was thinking about retiring (again) and had job offers even before I left the County.

Altho several interesting positions were made available, I ended up splitting my time between BlackwaterUSA and Texas A&M (TEEX/NERRTC). I advised both that I didn?t want to work more than 100 days a year. My time with BWUSA found me traveling back and forth to the UAE ?working on stuff??mostly SOF issues. TEEX/NEERTC effort geared towards WMD/Natural Disaster EmergMgt. Enjoyed them both.

During all this, however, a long-time Army friend of mine made me an offer I couldn?t refuse?asking me to come over to Afghanistan to become a member of his Advisory Team?the G3 Operations ?Mentor? (read Advisor) to the 205th Afghan National Army (ANA) Corps, which has the cog for the Southern AO in The ?Stan. When a buddy asks you to come lend a hand?that?s what you do. SO?that?s how I got here?Jul06.

THE REAL SKINNY?boots on the deck NOVEMBER SIERRA SCOOP

This is without a doubt, the most fouled up goat rope I have ever seen in my 45 years of service aligned with the Military! Sad, but true! THIS is THE WAR we should be fighting. We COULD be WINNING this one!

At first, and just as in Iraq, we kicked the crap out of the Talibs here, ane were on a roll. Our American Forces were superb?totally defeated the Talibs and other AGE (Anti-Govt Elements) on the field of battle. But also, as in Iraq, we didn?t keep the pressure on the way we should have?allowed political fervor to define the effort?caved to whims of various factions in our and other nations?etc. All that allowed for a resurgence of the Talib effort. My comments will not, however, become politically oriented?too much at stake for that?just too bad others in our Nation/around the globe can?t put such BS aside and come together on defeating an Enemy who has every intention of wiping us from the face of the Earth?no hype?I?m living and working with folks (very fine Muslim folks) who are, at this time, even more at risk than we are, but should they become subverted, WE are next?make no mistake about it!

There are very few American troops in The ?Stan at this time. You?ve probably read a lot about the ?tide turning??the ?NATO involvement??etc. Well, one of the main reasons the tide is turning is BECAUSE of the NATO involvement and pulling back of U.S. Forces. NATO ?buy in? is good, but that said, MOST of their forces are Second String, at best, and more like Third String ?scrubs? as the norm. They are not properly trained, equipped, and do NOT have the aggressive Warrior Spirit of our Military?! There is little continuity and/or cohesion in the current effort. I'm sure we?ll discuss more on the NATO issue later, but this is a major flaw in the effort.

Combine the foregoing with some of the poorest senior Officer (Col/GenOff) leadership I?ve ever seen, and we?re in trouble, Sports Fans.


Here?s what would WIN it for us over here:

Clean house in Kabul w/re to much of the Senior Officer leadership?bring some real war fighters in here!

GOD BLESS the National Guard, but dang it, they are NOT the force that should be over here training the ANA?and yet?they ARE the main U.S. Force here doing the training! Just NOT up to the job. In something this critical, we must not confuse EFFORT with RESULTS?! We have THE BEST Active Duty Military in the World?get them over here and get them involved. We were WINNING with them here?the Talibs would not come out and play when our AcDu Army and Marine Corps forces were engaged. There are many things (even over here) that our Guard folks can be doing and doing well. When considering the ?gutting? our Force Structure took awhile back, we must remember that the Guard (and Reserve) forces have literally saved our bacon in Iraq/other GWOT efforts.

Our SF folks should be here in large numbers doing what they do best. Altho limited, the SF/SOF folks reap huge dividends here.

IF we had one (1) U.S. Army Air Assault Division and one (1) U.S. Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) here, with additional rotor wing assets to augment their already robust r/w status, I GUARAN-DAMN-TEE you we would bring the Talibs/AGE to their bloodied knees in less than a year.

Oh yeah?couple other minor points?the ?new? Combat Leadership would have to be afforded full latitude to ?take the gloves off and let the dogs out??to be able to pursue the bad guys into Pakistan or wherever?can?t allow bad guys to play paddy cakes back and forth across borders!

I have briefed the above to some folks in the highest of Military Authority. Nothing I?m sharing here is ?classified??some folks are not happy with me because of my candor?tuff rocks?all they can do is cut my hair (bald head) and send me to Camp Lejeune?which?is HOME?! These senior folks (talking about 2/3/4-Stars & former Cabinet Officers) know me and they know I?m not some idle hand-wringing naysayer?they (now) know that the situation is very critical, and IF WE (we?re the only ones who have the wherewithal as a single entity) don?t ?do something soon??as in getting our collective heads out of our backsides, this flail is gonna come down like a house of cards. I am working back-channel with some heavy hitters...hoping for a miracle!

More later about life here?etc. Just wanted to set the stage with this SITREP.

Will try to attach a flick or two...me w/ANA folks/etc.

Semper Fi From the Sands of Kandahar,

WVM
Col USMC (Ret)
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Old 10-25-2006, 05:42 AM
DMZ-LT DMZ-LT is offline
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Thanks for the insights. Looking good in that uniform Sir !
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Old 10-25-2006, 05:49 AM
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Wayne, I've known you too long not to believe what your saying. I take your Sitrep the same as I would the Burning Bush. (No pun intended).

I sure hope someone is listening to you in the right places. To hear that this could have been basically over awhile back is disturbing to me. I've talked to some young firepissers that have been to Afghan and are now at Weapons on PI and I hear much of the same.

Be careful, keep up the good work, and let the brass hats know what's going on. Hell, what are they going to do, send you to Vietnam?

Semper Fi ol' friend,

Airborne!

Pack
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Old 10-25-2006, 07:50 AM
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COL - now that's a report. The old school thinking is right on. The new concepts of fighting a war are not going to work. We've got to get ugly and use the force we have available as you've outlined. The whole idea here is to eliminate those who are doing harm to others in one fashion or another.

I agree you have a tough battle ahead of you getting those in control to loosen the reins of authority. They are worried about the feedback or backlash coming from the media.

Another big drawback on your behalf will be the upcoming and ongoing Elections. These folks who want to run for government are not worthy in most cases. They are fence swingers and come and go like the tides. You can't really depend or get them to make the tough decisions.

Standing your ground and speaking your mind this is the only right thing to do. Many have done this and regrettably the end game remains the same. VN had its supporters but we had many more detractors. Seems even now the tide is ebbing.

We will not stop our efforts to support our troops. We will not leave any behind and we sure as hell can't cut and run after asking these men to step over the line.

COL - I give you high marks and praise from one of your generation. I'm sure many of our Patriotfiles members agrees with me on this and many more issues. Note: We are here for support and anything else you think we can do to help out.
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Old 10-26-2006, 07:46 PM
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Default Re: Afghanistan Sitrep Of Sorts

Quote:
Originally posted by MARINEVET MARINEVET SITREP

1) This is without a doubt, the most fouled up goat rope I have ever seen in my 45 years of service aligned with the Military! Sad, but true! THIS is THE WAR we should be fighting. We COULD be WINNING this one!

2) ?just too bad others in our Nation/around the globe can?t put such BS aside and come together on defeating an Enemy who has every intention of wiping us from the face of the Earth?no hype ?I?m living and working with folks (very fine Muslim folks) who are, at this time, even more at risk than we are, but should they become subverted, WE are next?make no mistake about it!

3 ) Combine the foregoing with some of the poorest senior Officer (Col/GenOff) leadership I?ve ever seen, and we?re in trouble, Sports Fans.


Here?s what would WIN it for us over here:

Clean house in Kabul w/re to much of the Senior Officer leadership?bring some real war fighters in here!

4) GOD BLESS the National Guard, but dang it, they are NOT the force that should be over here training the ANA?and yet?they ARE the main U.S. Force here doing the training!

Our SF folks should be here in large numbers doing what they do best. Altho limited, the SF/SOF folks reap huge dividends here.

IF we had one (1) U.S. Army Air Assault Division and one (1) U.S. Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) here, with additional rotor wing assets to augment their already robust r/w status, I GUARAN-DAMN-TEE you we would bring the Talibs/AGE to their bloodied knees in less than a year.

5) Oh yeah?couple other minor points?the ?new? Combat Leadership would have to be afforded full latitude to ?take the gloves off and let the dogs out??to be able to pursue the bad guys into Pakistan or wherever?can?t allow bad guys to play paddy cakes back and forth across borders!

I have briefed the above to some folks in the highest of Military Authority. Nothing I?m sharing here is ?classified??some folks are not happy with me because of my candor?tuff rocks?

Semper Fi From the Sands of Kandahar,

WVM
Col USMC (Ret)
My turn, colonel ... g8t flick !

do this by the bullets:

1) worst in 45 years ... thats bad.

2) how do you think they could wipe us off the face of the earth ? They ain't gotta a Navy or Air Force to get here quickly in a classic invasion ...

Would ruining our Economy set the stage for them wiping us out? I could envision that if we had a terrible Economic downspin (like, no food for people at home) then we Americans would riot our own selves off the planet without help. You mean they would have their boots on the ground, going city to city, town to town ... planting WMDs and shooting ... or what ... ? What I'm asking is what it would look like ... the mechanics of it, particularly if it is said that "THEY" are already here in the states, then what difference does it make if our forces are THERE ...

3) our senior leadership or the Afghan senior military AND civilian leadership ?

4) re National Guard ... I woulda thought that with their experiences in Iraq that they would have it all together as trainers .... what do you see as their deficiency ?

agreed on your SF/SOF and mobile units ... maybe they shouldve kept Nam that way as well.

5) Pakistan .... .... ah, hell yah ... of course. And if we really are at risk of being wiped off the earth then I'd say that politics don't matter.

Well ... we are back in interesting end times again.

I hope your hootch is ok ... and candor is the only way.

Beau
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Old 10-27-2006, 07:29 AM
Beau Beau is offline
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Default oh ... and PS

How tall are you ?
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Old 10-27-2006, 09:40 AM
MARINEVET MARINEVET is offline
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Boats & Beau:

Hope you don't mind me answering both of you on the same post...just much easier to do it this way over here.

Boats:

Thx...just doing what I can to make a positive difference. Even tho I'm not satisfied with what's going on over here, please don't read that I'm discouraged or not motivated...this gig has me fired up...hell...I run a lot of the youngsters into the ground over here...! I know that "our part" (that which our Team is doing) is going great guns...most professional...most of the ANA folks key on our every word...do their best to satisfy our desires...etc. Will talk more about the ANA Warriors in another post.

Beau:

To answer your last question first...STILL 5' 10" tall (haven't noticed any lessening in height yet but some folks say that'll happen)...WEIGHT has gone up a little over here...nearing 190...about 6-8 pound gain...dang chow at the KBR-run mess hall is SUPERB...MORE on that later, too!

Will try to answer your questions/concerns:

1 & 4. They go together. YUP Beau, the WORST leadership...have been in a few USMC outfits that weren't as good as some others...that was a result of LEADERSHIP...but the "worst" leaders I suffered under in the past were better than most of the "good" ones I've seen over here...forget about the "bad" ones!!!! ARE there some really good folks over here in leadership positions...sure, and doing a great job. There's a Guard COL here (who served 28 years in the Regulars) doing a great job. Some other officers and senior NCOs too. A lot of the "Sojers" are trying hard but just don't have adequate training/experience. A lot have NOT been to Iraq. Guard outfits, by and large, don't seem to be cycling back and forth to Iraq as are USMCR outfits.

Let me also say this about the Guard...I'm a big supporter of the Guard and Reserve folks. I used to be hard on some of them when they'd complain about coming on AcDu...telling them they were happy to "play Soldier" (Marine/Airman/Sailor/Coastie) when they wanted...took the money...etc...but we always came to an understanding. That said, our G&R Forces were never designed or intended to be employed the way they are now...so such service as they are providing us is greatly appreciated by this Ol' Jarhead. And...our Guard outfit in J-Ville NC is TOP NOTCH...the only outfit in past few years to defeat the OPFOR at Ft. Irwin...!

2. Not enuff room here to discuss how I think the bad guys of the world are gonna get us, but it won't be a classic invasion thing...it WILL involve ECONOMIC-based issues...other politically laced issues...maybe a disasterous "sneak attack" of sorts on key infrastructure...etc. Far too much to discuss here, but I'll fly you an interesting "attack scenario" via Email...PM me with your current address.... I'm not just talking about the Islamic Radicals...they may end up merely being pawns (tools) for others who DO and/or will soon have the capability to gain our attention thru various attack scenarios.

3. Our "senior leadership in Afghanistan"...both the Civilian and Military...woefully lacking. Can't provide specifics over this forum. Suffice it to say, it's not just U.S. leadership I'm talking about...ALL LEADERSHIP...! The NATO piece really leaves me cold. It's not cohesive...quite fragmented...working against one another in some ways...etc. Fighting in one provice on way, another way in another province...pure BS! The corruption in the Afghan Government (society) is impossible to imagine UNTIL you get over here on the ground. I had a pretty good idea what it would be like given my rather broad experience base in dealing with folks around the Globe over my 34+ years of Active Service, but even I wasn't prepared for what's going on over here...!

4. Discussed above.

5. Pakistan is a most critical piece in the ENTIRE GWOT...not just Afghanistan. Very mixed emotions on them...the position they're in...the way they crack down on Talibs at one turn, and then on the next, the only "turn" involved is them turning their heads to Taliban activities/staging areas/etc. We MUST be able to cross their border to pursue Talibs.

Will make a separate post on hooch...living conditions...have NEVER lived so well in a combat zone...! Offset somewhat by incoming rockets (107/122mm), IEDs, occasional pot shots at our moving vehicles...but hey...beats the crap outta the way we lived in Vietnam...!

More than enuff above to bore folks to death at one sitting....

Gonna try to attach another flick...one of our "morning commute" from where we live over here on KAF towards where we work over at Camp Shir Zai, the ANA 205th Corps camp...going outward bound with some Canadian LAV-25s.

Semper Fi to all From the Sands of Kandahar
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Old 10-27-2006, 11:47 AM
Beau Beau is offline
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we can "talk" ... will send you my email by pm ... re: "interesting "attack scenario" via Email...PM me with your current address.... I'm not just talking about the Islamic Radicals...they may end up merely being pawns (tools) for others ..."

Yah, i'd like dat ... know how to prepare, and what to pass on to significants ...

Living here in Earthquake Country and having been underground on a Train during a major Earfquake ... and i currently work near "icons" (buildings and bridges) of Americana that probably are on the target list ... I pack an extra cell phone battery, water, dry food, always carry a flashlight, a knife (if I don't lose them in bar knife fights), dry food, tissue paper ... and other things ... my cell phone address book has various police fire dept numbers ... and a boat skippers number ... and very, very important, a TOY WHISTLE: be prepared ... I would not gather with masses of others.

Ok ... 5' 10' not shrunk yet and looking trim ... cool.

That piccie ... pretty dreary and dry ... glad you have email, phone contact with family (how times have changed) but still, a year there is a long time away.

I'll catch yah by pm with an addy in a bit ...

Oh ... note: the last thing on my mind after the regular Army was the irregular National Guard but as I mentioned before, I joined for a bit ... needed the Sheckles ... but back then, after hanging around the Armory all weekend, I bailed ... good waste of days. I bet some units are better than others though.

Garcia
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Old 10-28-2006, 06:15 PM
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Found your sitrep Sir . Very interesting . On your recommend
for top US units I thought 10th Mountain Division and 3rd Marines were there ?

There seems to be a great deal of very active thinking on the GWOT that did not seem to be in Vietnam . Excelllent !

Semper Fidelis ,

mcgrunt
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Old 10-29-2006, 06:43 AM
MARINEVET MARINEVET is offline
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Sgt McGrunt:

Only a portion of 10th Mountain and very few Marine Elements...need more U.S. Army (AcDu) and Marines! Really need the rotor wing acft. It's dark out now, and I should be hearing all kinds of rotor wash sounds out on the flight line as birds come and go...being our "eyes in the sky"...I mean hell, we own the nite and should be out there all nite, every nite...rule should be you step outside your hooch after thus and such an hour (darkness works for me) and you'll get nailed to the deck by a stream of chaingun fire from an Apache or a Cobra gunship! We gotta be nice to folks in some ways, and brutal to some in other ways! For the most part, however, folks over here look upon "nice" as being "weak."

Had a buncha stuff turn to crap today...still working on trying to unscrew it as 2000 rolls into view. So much for those who say "contractors" don't put in a full day's work...will be 16 hours straight before I hit the rack and say goodnite to Chesty!

Semper Fi from the Sands of Kandahar,
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