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Proportionality and Restraint
War’s not Over
Soldiers and Dogs Stay off the Grass
By Dale R. Suiter
Controversy over American military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan is common. America has been at war for over ten years. Children of troops that fought America’s enemies in the first days of the war on terror are now fighting too. There is no end in sight. Very well intended people like to point out that The United States failed to comply with what has become to be called the “Powell Doctrine” after General Colin Powell. A key element of the Powell Doctrine is use of overwhelming force. Overwhelming force is lacking in the Afghanistan campaign. Doug Durbin, writing in “Military Strategy: Powell Doctrine … explains: “For decades the United States had followed a policy of proportionality: restraint because of the fear of escalation. It was under this theory that Maj. Powell watched his men bleed and die purposely in Vietnam.” General Powell’s Doctrine is, of course more involved than this brief discussion as room to include. Restraint and fear of escalation is killing Americans and allowing the enemy the initiative on the battlefield. A situation created and allowed to continue by American leaders.
1. Consider one of a General George Patton view of military tactics:
“There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time.
Current Situation:
Evidence does exist that Marines in Afghanistan have incurred KIA’s and WIA’s – due to the normal conduct of combat operations and foolish, restrictive rules of engagement. Current rules of engagement reportedly prohibit Marines and Troops from killing the enemy, even when they are watched setting up assault and ambush positions, until the enemy shoots at our troops! NATO forces are not inflicting the maximum amount of wound, death and destruction on our enemy.
2. Consider a view General Douglas MacAruthur’s opinion on a nation’s decision to go to war:
“It is fatal to enter a war without the will to win it.”
Current Situation:
National policy allows the enemy good access to safe areas. They are free to re-equip, re-group, recruit and train new troops, plan strategy and obtain military supplies. Crossing a border keeps the enemy safe from NATO ground attack. The much applauded drone strikes are a good military tactic. Without follow up air, armor, artillery and infantry combined arms use; the enemy is not fatally harmed.
3.Father Dennis Edward O’Brien (serving with the United States Marine Corp) is credited with the following:
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the organization, who gave us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the solder, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allow the protester to burn the flag.
Freedom of the press:
America has a free press.
Current Situation:
Much of the media fails to report accurate facts. Americans are entitled to know there is a shortage of infantry, artillery and armor units in Afghanistan. Americans must be informed that our people are getting killed because [criminal] rules of engagement restrict the use of combat power, i.e. air assets, artillery and direct small arms fire. The people who wrote and implemented these rules and the political operatives who demanded them must be relieved of any responsibility for the conduct of military operations and contact with American or NATO forces. Demanding that troops face enemy fire before engaging them is new to warfare.
Freedom of Speech:
Americans are a free people with a Constitutionally given right to speak as we choose to!
Current Situation:
One Baptist Church group uses its freedom of speech to insult KIA troops families at funerals. Anti-war demonstrations occur. People claiming to be veterans have formed so-called vet groups “against the war”. There are some public presentations of support for the troops. There are no known public gatherings demanding the immediate end to rules of engagement. There is no known public gatherings demanding the destruction of our enemies and their support systems to end the war(s) quickly. For example, a squadron of B-52’s not dropping high explosives on the enemy is a waste of national resources. Highly qualified Naval Officers and Enlisted personnel have available weapons systems that will kill the enemy and destroy their logistics systems from long ranges, i.e. hundreds of miles away and are not allowed to be used. I urge to the public to use their constitutional right to petition the government for a redress of grievances and demand that every available weapon be brought down on our enemies. We do not speak up in opposition to the Americans who allow the enemy to kill our troops.
The Flag:
Current Situation:
Attend a Memorial Day event this year. Look around. Notice anything? Ones I attend are short of people. One million three hundred thousand Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice for our county from the Revolution through today, February 17, 2011. The number goes up, every day! Honor the flag and the people that fight for it. Old fashioned values – and still a good one! Remember – civilians choose wars, not soldiers!
(Quotes and data from americanveteransmemorial.org)
Many people that contribute to and offer comments to Veterans Today may have limited contact or knowledge of what combat troops are confronted with in the day to night to day existence in war. Consider the following excerpt from an unpublished book about an American family’s experience with warfare.*
“Put one foot in front of the other. Don’t think. Put one foot in front of the other. Concentrate on taking the next step, one foot in front of the other. Nothing else exists. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Take the next step, put one foot in front of the other, can’t quit, nowhere to go. Put one foot in front of the other.” (1) The command, “Close it up, keep your interval, one round getcha all,” (2) comes up and down the column. “Put one foot in front of the other. Don’t think. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.” Firing breaks out at the point. The squad fan’s out, on line. “Run, move, paddy water and mud bogging me down, have to keep moving,” Rounds cracking by, again and again and again. “Fire to heavy. Dive behind a paddy dike, spray and pray. Up, move forward, keep going, remember to breathe. River in front, where’d it come from? Stupid question, who cares. Move, move forward, keep moving forward, can’t be left behind.” Out of the water, climbing the bank, squad goes to ground, “fire to heavy, can’t move.” Each guy looks left, right. “Who’s going first? “Another stupid question, “we’re all going! High diddle diddle, straight up the middle.”(3)”
General Powell’s doctrine is not available to our forces today. The excerpt noted above occurs on any battlefield in any war. Our troops, allies and enemy infantry all experience the same concerns and issues. In past wars, Americans had indirect fire weapons available and on call for immediate use. Other Americans have taken this key resource away from our troops. I have heard only a few American Dads complain about the terrible rules of engagement our troops are forced to comply with. Warfare is horrible. Giving the enemy the advantage in first use of weapons and there is no national outrage?
Organizations that exist to prevent warfare from occurring are much needed in American. Prevention of warfare is a goal that many military people can agree with. Most people that have experienced war know that prevention of war is an important national goal. Once war is created – kill the enemy and end it, quickly. The troops in the example above needed no permission to open fire. They needed no authorization to use indirect fire weapons. They needed no authorization to kill – it was expected of them. The experience described above was and is a normal occurrence of warfare. Limiting the ability of our military to use maximum combat power to destroy the enemy does not have a long history in America. No folks, the war is over. Our nation needs to make up its collective mind. Destroy the enemy or stay home. It is really as simple as that. It is O.K. to make the enemy mad. There is no rule against it!
I guess Soldiers and dogs need to be told over and over to stay off the grass. The dogs do however appear to have more support in America than the Soldiers do.
Take care,
Dale R. Suiter
Atlanta, Michigan
Notes:
1. Putting one foot in front of the other is an old infantryman’s method of moving when beyond exhaustion. Only those that have experienced infantry warfare can know the crushing fatigue infantrymen must cope with. This is also one of the important reasons troops are highly trained to be physically fit and to endure physical discomfort.
2. Infantrymen keep an interval of five (5) meters between them. Keeping an interval lessens the amount of troops killed and wounded because of enemy indirect weapons, i.e. grenade launchers, mortars and artillery fire.
3. High diddle diddle, straight up the middle is a phrase from the Vietnam era. It refers to an immediate attack on prepared enemy. It is a frontal attack.
*Used with permission of the author who requires anonymity. The author’s book on infantry combat and military service of one family from the Revolution through the war on terror isn’t complete.
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=81458
Posted by Dale R. Suiter on Feb 17 2011, With 0 Reads, Filed under Military, Support the Troops. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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This guy really loves war and death, me, I`m sick of it and I`d have thought pretty much everyone feels the same by now. Read a report this morning about parents in the US concerned over the big drive to encourage STUDENTS to enlist. The warmongers need more cannon fodder the question is, are the youth willing to die for Zionism??
I’m still waiting for Dale to demonstrate factually how Iraqis were ever “our enemies”, a mantra he loves to regurgitate simply by the fact that we illegally invaded their land and slaughtered their families.
Apparently anywhere the US war machine wants to invade is ok so long as they repeat “the enemy” sufficient times to shut off the cognitive functions and moral compasses of the soldiers they will send to brutalize the next target nation.
God forbid that an invasion force should ever find its way to Dale’s home, because should he dare fight back in defense of his family and his land, he’ll be “the enemy”.
What you see in the article above is the final stage in terminal indoctrination. A condition for which there is apparently no cure.
O.K. Factually the citizens of Iraq were not and are not the enemy of the United States of America. Civilians are not – under the laws of land warfare – the enemy. They may not be targeted directly by any United States mlitary organization.
The enemy, especially with an insurgent opposing force are those who employ weapons systems against Americans or provide logistic and other direct support i.e. propaganda, weapons, ammunition, communication systems, tranport, etc. The enemy may be local or imported from outside of a country’s borders.
In military operations, the enemy becomes any force attacking or useing force of arms to impede American military operations. Remember, civilians made the decision to create wars, not the military. Once civilians decide on a course for war they have (and they can do what they do under our laws)developed procedures that unneccssarily prolong combat operations. The object of warfare is implementation of national policy and destruction of the enemey.
Cannon fodder may be defined as military personnel that are expendable. They are same as DLIC (detachment left in contact) troops. DLIC troops are those that are left behind to occupy an enemy force to allow a main body to withdraw. Military forces are expendable. This is a fact of military operations. A certain portion of men, material, equipment and other resources will be expended in any combat operations. The amount of men, material, equipement and other resources that are expended depends ultimately on decisions made by a civilian governement. The longer a conflict goes on, the more people that die. It is a mathmatical certainty.
Soldiers do not want war. They must be prepared to fight them as directed by civilians. It is what they are paid for. Qualification to be a member of the Cannon Fodder Club is rather stringent. All are welcome. Any Soldier perfers peace to war. Once war is decided on, get it over with.
Best personal regards
Dale R. Suiter
Mr Suiter speeks from exspereances you would do well to listen to him the man has served his country for close to 25 years. In that time he served two tours in vietnam from 1967 though 1969 so he knows what cannon foder is he and I are both members of that club. Can you say the same? Ingrad B and Penumbra. I choes to serve my country knowing what I was geting into and I payed a price for that service that has changed my life and that of my family forever. You have your right to belive what you do and say what you say becuse of men like Dale and my self. The price I payed was my sanity and brian power as a result of dirct contact with the enamy who you so cindly speak of. Dale and I do not love war we hate it but we chose as americans to fight them in your place and ask for no thank you or welcome home. War is hell and unimaginable to thoes who have never seen it. As a soldier I fought for the two of you I did not enjoy war thoes who say that are liying to cover there fears from others. Combat scared the hell out me and I was almost killed more times than I care to count. To the fact of an invasion force find theres selfs at Dale front door I feall sorry for them becus I can garenty you this he will make them pay for every inch and I will do the same becuse it is our duty and yours to defendthis nation from thoes that would do it harm. You should move to new york and stay there and live with thoes who saw what our enamys where capable of and they still live in fear today but thery are the best of us becuse they have there eyes opean and know the prise we must pay to finish this war and bring our brothers and sisters home.
False DRS, I speak freely because the criminals in Washington, the only enemy of our Constitutional rights with the the means and opportunity and indeed repeatedly demonstrated motive to abrogate those rights, have not yet implemented the full measure of their treasonous agenda.
What you and Dale served and killed for in Vietnam was NOT “America” but the neo-colonialist aspirations of France who had sought Washington’s assistance to retain control of their illicitly controlled foreign outpost.
No Vietnamese army, VC or otherwise, every posed any viable threat to US soil or to the people of the this nation, only to the geopolitical goals of an imperial-minded cabal who continue to perpetrate their crimes against resistant nations with the help of those like yourself who refuse to see the truth staring you in the face.
Of course I appreciate that unless you continue to recite this mantra of “patriotic” service to god and country you may have to face the brutal and ugly reality of the wrongful acts you committed against a people who were engaged in a civil war that had nothing whatsoever to do with you, your comrades in arms or the people of the US.
Such realization might just cause a nervous breakdown in many who otherwise consider themselves “decent folk”. However, millions of dead and permanently scarred from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Korea, Sudan, Columbia and points East, West, North and South where our War “racket” (as Smedley Butler rightly named it) bear witness to the contrary.
Stop fooling yourself, as Dale does, with jingoistic slogans that have no basis in reality. The enemies of American liberty are right here at home and the only place any US soldier or man at arms (uniformed or not) has any right to fight in defense of that liberty is on US soil ALONE. Anything else is illegal War of Aggression by clear stipulation of international law, duly ratified by Congress long ago.
Penumbra did not read the article and failed to understand it.
You keep telling yourself that if it helps you avoid the truth and sleep at night.
Sleeping well at night is a very difficult issue for many combat vets.
With sleep, many “go on patrol”. Warfare leaves very serious marks on people. My view is these marks are life long. Civilians, I believe often send the military war without full consideration of the total costs.
I know Vets that stay up for three or four days at a time. Their nightmares are awful. Their sleep is horror. The VA has a nightmare resolution program we are getting some of the men enrolled in. I do hope it holds promoise for them.
Night is a particluarly difficult aspect of warfare. Ever heard the term: “We own the night”? Militaries train specifically for night warfare. It is very difficult.
I do wish civilians would consider all this when they open the horror of war. War goes on for many of the military long after the conflict ends. So does the guily over being alive many of the Vets live with.
Take care
Dale R. Suiter
Many Soliders identify with the military life style. They believe is service to their country and great scarifice and risk to themselves. One article says the active Army is going to be reduced by 44,000+ Soldiers. You are correct, more cannon fodder is needed. As I responded to someone else, connon fodder are expendable troops. Any military assest may be expended in warfare. That is simply the way it is. Civilians make the decision to go to war. Not Soliders.
Best personal regards
Dale R. Suiter
They believe in a mantra indoctrinated into them by mainstream media, Hollywood movies (in these later decades also video games) and the reinforcement of many of their parents who in their turn were similarly brainwashed.
Our MIC does not serve “America”, it does not enhance the prosperity of this nation or the liberties of its people (nor the liberties of any other nation it attacks), but the contrary. It is a self-perpetuating racket and money toilet driving this nation into third world status, incrementally, generation by generation with the precipice of total collapse and martial law looming.
I suggest you read Smedley Butler’s indictment and open your eyes of understanding, perhaps for the first time in your life.
Hollywood movies and video games do have an impact on the very young – but entertainment venues are soon displaced by the reality of military life.
Vietnam Vets are the children of World War II and Korean Vets. They knew, as very young boys they were going into the military. The “lottery” for the draft was a late in the Vietnam war event. Sons of working men either enlisted or were drafted. Only a few ran away as cowards. Most served, honorably. Recall, the theme of this article is civilians have once again placed Americans in combat. Once again American troops do not have the resources or the authority to bring the war to a quick end. Civilians identify the enemy. Our military then engages the civilian identified enemy. Agruments about who should do what and when mean nothing to the line grunt watching the Tallibad set up an attack on their position and are powerless to prevent it – again because of civilian rules. Rules our military obeys. They are that dedicated and that good at what they do.
I wish you well.
Dale R. Suiter
Nice way to attempt to assuage one’s conscience of complicity in crimes against humanity, Dale, but it takes soldiers willing to obey the illegal order to visit war of aggression upon those who have done nothing to them, their families or this land. Without the compliance of the military, the criminals at the helm would be powerless and countless millions of innocents in numerous countries would be alive today or their descendants.
You continue to recite the Pentagon text book response to matters of clear and unambiguous principle both moral and legal, and it does no honor to your intellectual integrity to do so. I’ve heard these claims ad infinitum over years of involvement in the military industrial/security circles overseas.
Those who “impede American military operations” as you put it above, do so rightly as defenders of THEIR soil, upon which WE have no legal or moral right to set foot in arms to do them harm, no matter who orders it. The very order is illegal and if you believe in the Constitution and your alleged oath to defend it then the very issuance of such a command should register an instant recognition of the betrayal of that civilian leader’s similar oath to uphold that Constitution, making him or her and all who surround him and share his agenda, enemies of the United States to be removed.
Those who defend their lands are not “insurgents”, dead civilians are not “collateral damage”, they are Patriots (as much as any American defending our soil ON our soil would call him/herself in the same situation) and war crimes respectively.
Time to disabuse yourself of blind adherence to all those deeply ingrained jingoistic slogans and recognize just how cognitively dissonant your views are. There is nothing but dishonor, both personal and for the name of this nation, in the militarism for which you make excuse.
Again I advise you to read War is a Racket as a primer to that fact.
Please see 4:47 p.m. response below. Note: Signficant numbers of American Youth have historically volunteered to serve in America’s military. They perfer to survive and not die.
Take care
Dale R. Suiter
Ingrid B you do understand that cannon fodder means “expended troops”. Military personnel are expendable in warfare. In warfare, people are an assest that is expended at a mathmatical rate. Projected casualty rates are often included in military planning, For example in a movement to contact operation culminating in a flanking attack, supported by a base of fire and indirect artillery and mortars, the assault element will incur more casualties than the troops providing support to the operation. Death in warfare is part of the equation of being in the military. One goal of military operations is to expend the least amount of personnel, equipment and material in the conduct of an operation.
Not nice is it? Warfare is horror on a mass scale. Few civilians have a clue how terrible battle is. Civilians with loved ones in combat zones experience the agony of waiting for a vehicle to pull into their driveway with a notification team to see them. Few civilians understand the level of support and committment members of the military have for each other.
Often the military is the object of left wing insults and negative attempts at humor. The left often delights in the adaptation of a superior “we are so much better than they (Soldiers) are. Look at them, the animals.”
Many civilians can not understand love of service and hatred of warfare. Members of the military (sure there are exceptions) love America and serve it. Most hate war. Duty and service is what drives most members of the military. War, we hate it. Duty calls, they answer.
There is a term Marines and Soliders do not use over the radio. It is “Repeat” unless they really mean it. It is used over a tactical radio to instruct an artillery or mortar unit for example, to repeat a fire mission that has just been fired, hence the use of “Repeat, over.” Often Marines and Soldiers use: “Say again” in day to day conversation. The point is that therer way of life changes them. They are not like the day to day civilian world. Warfare changes them more.
I often wonder, do civilians really know the impact of what they set in motion when they send the military to war? This is one of themes of this article. God bless those who strive and work to prevent war. I wish them every success. When they fail however and war is set in motion, allow the military to prosecute it and end it, quickly. The current phase of the war on terror is expected to continue into the 2030′s (source withheld).
I wish you every good thing in your life and every happiness.
Dale R. Suiter
Announcement: You are one of the current old breed if you went through Infantry School with the rifle in the photo with the article above. Yes, the soldiers in the photo have M1 Garands. They baynoets are World War II vintage and the tank is the Sherman medium tank. Theater of Operations based on terrain and authors knowledge, Pacific.
Not bad for an old guy, huh?
Dale R. Suiter