Life events and the twisted thoughts they cause.

 
Hi Kids, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We're about six hours away from 2005 in the Central Time Zone as I write this. The fireworks are going off left and right as my neighbors try to blow things up. I have my scanner on listening to the cops -- so far we don't have any drunks or fights yet. This is only the beginning.

Our cops have started one cool thing this year -- if you drink, you call the cops and they will take you home, no questions asked and no fear of arrest. The next day, the taxi service will take you back to your car for no charge! That is so great! I wish more places would do this! Less carnage on the roads just because someone has too much to drink. Cudos to the police department! If any police officers read this, run this by your bosses! Great PR and safer roads -- you can't lose.

One thing I can say, I am glad that it's New Year's Day -- that means that the holidays are over! Although that means I have to go back to work, I don't have to deal with all this forced happiness.

It's been Christmas since Halloween around here. Out came the Christmas decorations and the Christmas music on November 1st. Then come the ads that say "You can have the happiest holidays ever -- BUY SOMETHING!"

Eariler this month, I rang the bell for the Salvation Army for a day. Besides freezing various parts of my anatomy off, I once again got a picture of who has the true spirit. All day (outside the local K-Mart) people came in and out -- most leaving with presents and more stuff. Those that arrived in Lexus's, or Mercedes' or Lincoln's...etc. walked right by, most taking the doors farthest from where I stood. Folks that drove in using old cars, wearing dirty clothes and buying the least expensive presents, were the ones that donated the most money. There was one guy, who is mentally challenged, who "works" at the K-Mart -- he pushes the carts from the parking lot to the store and helps old ladies with their bags. The guy has nothing, he lives in a shelter when he isn't staying under an overpass, and yet everytime he got a tip, he threw it into the pot. Once I told him that he didn't have to do that, it would be okay if he kept some of his money he earned. He told me "There are people out there that need this more than I do." Merry Christmas, dude.

One "lady" dropped a dollar in the pot and I wished her a Merry Christmas! She said, "No, it's Happy Holidays." Geez, now it's not PC to wish someone a Merry Christmas or anything else. Of course, there is a point to that -- Christ wasn't born in winter. Hey, the holy land is on the same latitude as the US. It's cold there in the winter. Ain't gonna be no shepards guarding their flocks at night when it's so darn cold! Yep, the whole "Christmas" thing is a replacement for an old Pagan Winter Celebration. Oh well, like Valentine's day, it's another excuse to BUY SOMETHING! BE HAPPY -- BUY SOMETHING!

Not only that, but you have to deal with your family! I don't know about yours, but my family is kind of screwy -- okay, it's real screwy! I didn't have to deal with my family face to face (thank goodness for the telephone) most likely, if we had a face-to-face, then there would have been a fight! ;-)

But you turn on the TV, listen to the Radio, all you hear is BUY SOMETHING visit your family and have a great time but BUY SOMETHING! Next year, let's make it not PC to haggle people who hate the holidays with all that "it's the most wonderful time of the year" crap. I will be most happy, BAH HUMBUG!

The best thing about the holidays for me is when they are over. However, that means I have one week left of "winter break" (you can't have a break that mentions a religious holiday -- not PC -- it might offend someone) then I have to get back to dealing with another group of future leaders that are more interested in what's going to be on the test instead of wanting to learn something. But that's another topic for another day.

In the meantime, BE HAPPY BUY SOMETHING and let's hope that 2005 is a more peaceful year than 2004 was. Blog out!

posted by Eric at 4:15 PM

 
Hi Kids -- it's the morning, so it's time to get sick!

When we last were together, I promised that I would talk about some of the things we might have to do in Iraq that would make us more effective. Some of the things we won't like. At the moment we are in the process of making the same mistakes we made way back when in Vietnam, and if we don't rectify them, I am afraid we are doomed to repeat history.

A couple of days ago, NPR interviewed a retired Marine general in the aftermath of the suicide (homicide if you watch Fox News) bomb attack at the dining area in The Green Zone. This general gave what he thought was a good solution to making sure things like that happen less often. What caught my ear was him saying the same things I heard 20 years ago when I was working with Army types on training and recruiting videos.

These guys were Majors and Lt. Colonels who were 1st and 2nd Lt.'s in Vietnam. Some were academy grads. Several evenings, after the days exercises were done, we would be sitting around the command tent in the field telling war stories. They were telling, I was listening. I sat amazed while these men talked about what they went through in Southeast Asia. And as I listened, I gained a healthy respect for anyone who went over there to do the job their country told them to do. (This will be the subject for another day.) Let's say that ANYONE that went over there and did their job deserves the thanks of every American.

One night, the subject turned to what went wrong. I, as a child, remembered the evening newscast talking about Vietnam and the protests etc. -- as I grew older, I realized that we were not getting the entire picture about what was going on over there. (Again, another subject for another day). But I asked these veterans of Vietnam, "What went wrong from your perspective?" Not counting the media, the hippies or anything like that -- as a junior officer, what was your biggest problem?" The answer surprised me and was echoed by the retired Marine general -- "The tours were too short."

In WWI, WWII and even Korea, tours were two to three years or the duration plus six months. Sure you would get some leave, but you were "in country" for a long time. In Vietnam, the tour was one year and a wake up. In other words, just about the time a soldier finally "got it" how to survive in that war zone, he was finished with his tour and was sent home. Granted, some volunteered to come back for more than one tour, but those were the exceptions.

By it's very nature, training stateside runs about a year behind what is happening in the field. Soldiers come out of training, get a little "Welcome to Iraq" A.I.T. and then are sent in to do their job. The enemy, on the other hand, has months and years to observe and learn where our defenses can be penetrated. Then they just wait. The retired general said that was how the suicide bomber got in the door in Iraq. The bomb was already there, snuck in, in pieces, waiting for the bomber who strolled through the door wearing an Iraqi army uniform.

The security guy (probably a newbie) saw the uniform and let the bomber in the door. The parallel to Vietnam, was a newbie, if he survived, didn't "get it" for anywhere from four to six months in country -- getting how to spot boobie traps, how to spot enemies among civilians, how to handle jungle fire fights without being lead by the nose by their Sergant. So for six months, you had a good soldier under your command. When his tour was up, he was gone and another newbie took his place and the process started over. In those other wars I mentioned, the soldiers were veterans who already had learned how to fight and win, and stayed there until the war was won.

In Iraq, we are rotating forces in and out after a year to 18 months. All of the knowledge gleaned from their experience, leaves with them. Sure, they write reports, but there's nothing like facing the enemy to learn from the enemy. In their place are brought (essentially) green troops facing an enemy who knows the terrian, and has learned some new tricks that the new troops weren't trained for. So we have more troops harmed in the beginning of the tour, then the numbers trail off as the troops "get it". Then these guys are rotated out and more green troops take their place and the process starts over again.

What does the general, and those long ago Majors and Colonels recommend? Keeping the experienced troops in country until the job is finished! That's great for the survivability of the forces in country, lousy for their families left behind, and even worse for the civilian leaders of the military. However -- from what I have heard, talked about and seen -- from a military stand point -- it makes sense. Armored HUMVEES makes great sense too -- but one doesn't need as much armor if the eyes in front of that HUMVEE knows what a roadside bomb (or IED) looks like in the first place.

Will the extended tours happen? Probably not. Moral would plummet among the troops, especially among the National Guard and Reserves if they were ordered to stay in Iraq for the duration. And the civilian leaders would really take a pounding in the polls -- I don't see the American people standing for that for too long. But for the safety of the troops, and the quicker success of the Iraq mission, that may be something the civilian leaders would have to consider in the future.

One other thing, the retired Marine general stated that it will take about 10 years to get the new Iraqi Army ready to take on the roll of internal and external security. Until then, we'll have to bear the brunt of the work. That's 10 years of Iraqi losses that maybe their people won't want to sustain. It won't be easy but it still has to be done. Blog Out!

posted by Eric at 10:37 PM