Better Late

This was Saturday...

The SEALS look a lot better at 50 than I did.  Hell, the SEALS look a lot better than I EVAH did!

―:☺:―

The wind continues to howl here on The High Plains o' New Mexico.  SN1 and I managed an outdoor Happy Hour yesterday and did the UCR HH thangs, which included burning a couple o' cigars.  The wind wasn't all that bad at the time and Weather Underground sez it's about the same today as far as speed goes.  But I think the direction must have changed, or sumthin', because my lawn chairs were next door when I woke up this morning and it certainly SEEMS worse than yesterday.  The Bottom Line is... no al fresco Happy Hour TODAY, Gentle Reader.  Which is a shame, coz it's still in the mid-60s.

Defense Strategy

The President of the Air Force Association weighs in...

AFA members, Congressional staff members, civic leaders, DOCA members, yesterday the President, Secretary of Defense, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (then later the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense Policy, and Vice Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff) rolled out the new defense strategy.  You can find it at:  http://www.defense.gov/news/Defense_Strategic_Guidance.pdf

I listened to the presentations and read the piece carefully.  Initially, I was critical of the work.  First it is not a “strategy” in the classic sense of the word (ends, ways, and means).  You cannot have a strategy without detailing the resources and none were listed.  Secondly it seemed to be just a compendium of thoughts on the strategic environment and a listing of missions of the armed forces.  The latter seemed to be in priority order, but that is an assumption on my part and was not overtly stated.  There was a lot of talk about process vice the tough choices.  And finally, there were lots of words on what the Armed Forces will do and few words on what the Armed Forces won’t be doing – given a $450B budget cut.  Like others, I could be critical about what was “not included.” 

However, as I read the piece for the second time (and understanding that this is a public document … not a classified one which would be at the SECRET or higher level), I found much in it to commend it to you.

First, it recognizes the nation is at a turning point after a decade at war.  We have a broader range of challenges than just the focus on the past wars.  The force of the future will be smaller and leaner, but will be agile, flexible, ready, and technologically advanced.  The department will avoid a “hollow force.”  DOD will reorient the force towards the Asia-Pacific region.  This puts a premium on Air, Space, and naval forces.  As I was quoted recently [see:  http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/planes-cut/] – 100% of the Pacific is covered by air and space.

In the primary mission of US Armed Forces section, I was pleased to see that the mission to project power despite anti-access/area denial challenges was listed.  Despite the fact that the authors did not mention one of the most important elements of power projection [Air Superiority], the idea that the Pentagon should look to the future shoots holes in the concept of “next-war-itis” and is long overdue.  I found the concept of deterring and defeating aggression to be refreshing: 
“Even when US forces are committed to a large-scale operation in one region, they will be capable of denying the objectives of – or imposing unacceptable cost on – an opportunistic aggressor in a second region.” 

This puts a premium on those forces that can rapidly shift from one theater to another – predominantly Airpower.

I found the articulation of the concept of conducting long term occupation and stability operations to take into account the realities of what we have seen over the past ten years – where we projected vulnerability – with over 46,000 wounded and more than 6,200 dead.  The piece says:  “ … US forces will no longer be sized to conduct large-scale, prolonged stability operations.”  In my words, we should take advantage of the inherent strengths of Airpower – speed, range, flexibility, technology – and limit the exposure of our forces to our enemies.

I liked the focus on the Guard and Reserves – both of which have carried a heavy load over the past decade.

And I thought the focus on science, technology, innovation, and the industrial base to be important to discuss in any strategy document.  I also thought the concept mentioned in the paper about “reversibility” to be an important one in dealing with risk.  We have not, in recent history, done well in predicting who, where, and when we will fight.

I might differ on the margins about things like the listing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, while leaving out Hamas (and others); talking about operating “effectively” in Cyberspace and Space [these are mediums in which we should dominate]; and suggesting that we can achieve our nuclear deterrence goals with a smaller nuclear force [depends on what the goals are].  But on balance, the document is welcomed relief to the past and recognition that the US has broad, enduring, and overarching goals … and challenges.

Finally, I have to back away and comment on the totality of the challenge facing the Department of Defense.  Yes … we’re in a budget crisis.  And … yes we need to cut government spending.  However, during the Kennedy Administration this nation spent 50% of the federal budget on defense.  It’s less than 20% today.  Then we spent 9.5% of our GDP on Defense; today it’s 3.4% and getting lower.  The question we must ask is:  Should we balance the budget on the back of defense spending?  We have proven over time that a weak America invites aggression.  I’m reminded of the famous quote from President Reagan:  “Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.”

Last comment:  Documents like these don’t always drive resource decisions.  Many times, the Services are given dollar bogeys in a “salami-slice” fashion … without regard for the strategy.  We should all watch the budget rollout to see if the resources match the “strategy.”

Let me ask you to read the document and tell me what you think.

For your consideration.
 
Mike
 Michael M. Dunn
 President/CEO
 Air Force Association
 
“The only thing more expensive than a first-rate Air Force is … a second-rate Air Force.”  --  Senate staff member

I know that was long but there was no way to link it, given the message arrived as an e-mail and not as an article in the Usual USAF Source.  Speaking of the Usual Source... there are three discrete blurbs on this subject in today's report (01-06-2012), all with links to official statements on the subject of the new strategy.

Slow

An update... Last week I posted a lil blurb and a photo about the last military flight out of Iraq and there was some discussion in comments about the troops on that aircraft... like "did they make it home for Christmas?"  Well, one of the guys or gals on that plane dropped by EIP last evening and left this comment:

said...

You will be happy to know, though we were delayed in Kuwait for a couple days, everyone on that last flight made it safely home for Christmas. Thank you all and I hope you had a very Merry Christmas.

 Welcome home, Sir or Madam... and thank you.

―:☺:―

It sure is a slow week... the Usual USAF Source is taking the week off, there aren't any new political cartoons at Townhall today, the Guardian didn't publish their favorite vids last Friday, and blog traffic is down.  But there's this, which you've prolly already seen since there were over a million Facebook shares and it was on Red Eye:

I think the ending is cool... poetic justice if there ever was such a thang.

We're Out

The occasion was all over the news yesterday and today... Hell, Fox News even sent Geraldo to Kuwait to cover the withdrawal, an event I took a pass on.  I can't think of one single, solitary reason to lend my eyes to anything featuring that guy.  Period.  That said, I did see several smaller pieces here and there, one o' them being this one from the Usual USAF Source:

Sixty-two airmen and 55 soldiers flew aboard a C-17 from Imam Ali Base in southern Iraq to Kuwait, Dec. 17, 2011. This was the final US military flight from Iraq as part of the phased pullout of US troops, which concluded on the following day. Here, the airmen and soldiers aboard the C-17 prior to its takeoff.  Air Force photo by MSgt. Cecilio Ricardo

Last US Military Flight Leaves Iraq: Iraqi-Kuwaiti theater—Sixty-two airmen and 55 soldiers assigned to Camp Adder, known to the Iraqis as the Imam Ali Base, on the outskirts of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq, boarded a C-17 from Travis AFB, Calif., on Dec. 17 for a flight back to Kuwait. It was the last flight from the last US military base on the last night of Operation New Dawn, said Maj. Gen. Anthony Rock, 321st Air Expeditionary Wing commander, who flew from Kuwait back to Iraq to thank the troops for their service and make the historic flight back with them. The Daily Report was aboard for both legs. "This is a very historic night. I encourage all of you to look at the airmen to your left and to your right and shake their hands," said Maj. Gen. Russell Handy, the senior Air Force leader in Iraq, who also made the flight back to greet the troops. Handy told the airmen to remember the hundreds of thousands who served before them and the 4,500 Americans who gave their lives in Iraq. "We buy a lot of equipment in the Air Force, but it's really all about the people. If there was ever an operation that was about the people, it's what we did here in Iraq. Thanks for your service and everything you've done," he said. Camp Adder transitioned back to the Iraqis on Dec. 16.

—Amy McCullough

Thanks for your service, indeed.  There are NO words to express the debt o' gratitude we owe these fine young people.  The old ones, too.

Seventy Years Ago Today

My Pearl Harbor Day post, parts of which I've published every year since 2006.

Pearl Harbor Day

Sixty-eight years ago today... "a date which will live in infamy"... the nation was shocked out of its complacency and determination to stay out of the conflict engulfing the rest of the civilized world by the horrific Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.  Here's an excerpt from President Roosevelt's speech to congress on the following day:

The men who fought back at Pearl Harbor formed the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association about ten years after the war and they used to hold a reunion in Hawaii every five years... until 2006, when they held their last reunion there.  I published this post to mark that occasion (note that the link to the news article is dead now):

Pearl Harbor Day

The USS Arizona - Then and Now (U.S. Navy photographs)

It’s said — quite often and by many, many people — that 9/11/2001 “changed everything.” And it is indeed true for the current generations of Americans. But I’ll submit that 12/07/1941 “changed everything” to a degree it is impossible for us who were not alive and going about our business on that Sunday in December, 1941 to realize. Those of us whose parents were members of The Greatest Generation understand my point. A smaller subset, those of us whose parents fought in World War II, understand the point a little bit better, perhaps. We have the benefit of hearing the first-person narratives of that day in December 1941, and stories from the long, long days that followed…from the dark and despair of the war’s first year to the signing of the Japanese surrender on the decks of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay not quite four years later. And a lot in between.

They are leaving us. The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association is holding their last meeting (dead link) today.

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - With their number quickly dwindling, survivors of Pearl Harbor will gather Thursday one last time to honor those killed by the Japanese 65 years ago, and to mark a day that lives in infamy.

This will be their last visit to this watery grave to share stories, exchange smiles, find peace and salute their fallen friends. This, they say, will be their final farewell.

"This will be one to remember," said Mal Middlesworth, president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. "It's going to be something that we'll cherish forever."

The survivors have met here every five years for four decades, but they're now in their 80s or 90s and are not counting on a 70th reunion. They have made every effort to report for one final roll call.

Their last meeting. I know All Things Must Pass, but it saddens me so. We owe them so much, and our thank-yous seem inadequate compared to the sacrifices they made.

But: We shall continue, we shall honor their sacrifices, we will remember, and we shall rededicate ourselves to the task that faces this generation…the one that began on 9/11/2001. The Greatest Generation expects it from us.

The 2006 news article may not be available any longer, but the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association is still alive and kicking.  They are few now, but thank God some of those heroes are still around.  It won't be too much longer until they're all gone and as I said above: "It saddens me so."

Veterans Day 2011

VETERANS DAY, 2011

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Today, our Nation comes together to honor our veterans and commemorate the legacy of profound service and sacrifice they have upheld in pursuit of a more perfect Union. Through their steadfast defense of America’s ideals, our service members have ensured our country still stands strong, our founding principles still shine, and nations around the world know the blessings of freedom. As we offer our sincere appreciation and respect to our veterans, to their families, to those who are still in harm’s way, and to those we have laid to rest, let us rededicate ourselves to serving them as well as they have served the United States of America.

Our men and women in uniform are bearers of a proud military tradition that has been dutifully passed forward—from generation to generation—for more than two centuries. In times of war and peace alike, our veterans have served with courage and distinction in the face of tremendous adversity, demonstrating an unfaltering commitment to America and our people. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the country they loved. The selflessness of our service members is unmatched, and they remind us that there are few things more fundamentally American than doing our utmost to make a difference in the lives of others.

Just as our veterans stood watch on freedom’s frontier, so have they safeguarded the prosperity of our Nation in our neighborhoods, our businesses, and our homes. As teachers and engineers, doctors and parents, these patriots have made contributions to civilian life that serve as a testament to their dedication to the welfare of our country. We owe them a debt of honor, and it is our moral obligation to ensure they receive our support for as long as they live as proud veterans of the United States Armed Forces. This year, as our troops in Iraq complete their mission, we will honor them and all who serve by working tirelessly to give them the care, the benefits, and the opportunities they have earned.

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to our veterans, to the fallen, and to their families. To honor their contributions to our Nation, let us strive with renewed determination to keep the promises we have made to all who have answered our country’s call. As we fulfill our obligations to them, we keep faith with the patriots who have risked their lives to preserve our Union, and with the ideals of service and sacrifice upon which our Republic was founded.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our Nation’s veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2011, as Veterans Day. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and private prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I call on all Americans, including civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, and communities to support this day with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

Thanks to all who served and those still serving.  God Bless you all.  And to our friends and allies throughout the British Commonwealth -- we remember and honor your fallen on this Remembrance Day.  Thank you.

Who'd a Thunk It?

From the Usual USAF Source...

‘Support your local Hells Angels’ graffiti on military vehicle in Iraq

Gangs in the Military: Gang recruitment of active duty military personnel "constitutes a significant criminal threat to the US military," according to the FBI's 2011 national gang threat assessment. "Members of nearly every major street gang, as well as some prison gangs and [outlaw motorcycle gangs], have been reported on both domestic and international military installations," states the report. "Through transfers and deployments, military-affiliated gang members expand their culture and operations to new regions nationwide and worldwide, undermining security and law enforcement efforts to combat crime." The FBI has identified 53 US gangs with ties to the US military. While gang members have been in every military branch, they are most prevalent in the Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve, according to the report. Five of the 53 gangs have members who have served in, or been affiliated with, the Air Force, according to the assessment.

One wonders how accurate the FBI information is.  As near as I can tell, the estimates are just that: estimates, based upon the response to an FBI survey given by law enforcement officers and prison officials.  One would think gang membership would be grounds for immediate discharge but I suppose it ain't quite as simple as that.  The sub-section of the report dealing with gangs in the military is pretty short, actually.  Short, but scary.

Linkage

It's only been TWO YEARS between posts (Counting?  Who's counting?) but there's new stuff up at SN1's blog.  Buck is using his blog as a medium for publishing some of his course work at the Army Command & General Staff College... and it's some interesting stuff.  Really.  Here's an excerpt from his post on leadership:

Leaders lead from the front of the organization. Physically, you must get "eyes-on" with the majority of your troops on a regular basis. Leadership by emails, orders from behind the desk or memos from "on-high" accomplish nothing, but create needless space between you and your organization. Set the example in all aspects of your job. Know your "core business" better than anyone else. Get to know your people and their workspaces. Know your place in the "big picture" and be able to explain it to anyone. Understand not only the mission of your unit, but how your people make that mission happen, what tools they use and what systems or other units they depend on to make the mission happen. Know all these things and ensure your people and processes are all geared toward accomplishing the units’ mission. Set clear expectations for everyone’s performance...especially yours!

Buck mentions one of my pet peeves in civilian life: the manager who managed via e-mail and memo.  I was fortunate not to have run into any of these guys, which is to say report to one, during my civilian career.  But I sure knew a lot of the asshats.  I also knew more than my share of managers, as opposed to leaders.  That's one of the best things about the military: you learn the difference between the two.  

Don't Mess With Texas

Here's new meaning for that phrase...from the Usual USAF Source:

The Texas Air National Guard's 149th Fighter Wing's flagship F-16 returning to Lackland Air Force Base after being painted to honor the 65th anniversary of the unit's affiliation with the Air National Guard, Sept. 29, 2011. (Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Phil Fountain/Released) (click for high-res)

From a Lackland AFB news release:

10/1/2011 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Members of the Texas Air National Guard's 149th Fighter Wing have begun a year-long remembrance leading up to the unit's the 65th anniversary in the Air National Guard with a new design for the wing's flagship aircraft.

Known as the Lone Star Gunfighters, the 149th Fighter Wing's specialty logo directly ties the unit's connection to the state of Texas and western tradition in South Texas.

[...]

The graphical depictions were created by Senior Master Sgt. Penny Laflam and Staff Sgt. Chris Hamilton, both members of the 149th Maintenance Group. The final version of the aircraft paint design required approval of the group commander, wing commander, and National Guard Bureau, where it was reviewed against aircraft marking regulations.

So... the design "was reviewed against aircraft marking regulations," eh?  I'm not one to let a nit slide by without picking at it, so here's today's quiz, Gentle Reader... what's wrong with this picture?

Well, let me be clear: what's incongruous about the markings?  Nits aside, the paint job is pretty cool.  But not as cool as what the Squids are doing to celebrate the centennial of naval aviation; those paint jobs are cool.  (See blog-bud Glenn's header for an example.)  (OMG.  I said sumthin' good about the bleedin' NAVY... I must not be fully caffeinated yet.)

Green... More and Less

First... Jerry Holbert, from the usual source:

I liked that more for the light bulb than the Green jobs thang. 

And then there's this, a love note I received overnight from Gen. Mike Dunn:

AFA members, Congressional staff members, civic leaders, DOCA members, there is much news on activities in Washington – especially about the budget.  What strikes me is that to decipher much of it, one has to be almost an insider to understand the numbers.  Here is the simple version:

President Obama has directed the Department of Defense to cut $450B+ over 10 years starting with its FY13 budget.  [This will cut the base defense budget – and was part of the 2 Aug deficit reduction agreement with Congress.]  It looks like the cut will be laid into the budget on a more or less flat line basis, e.g. $45B per year.  The Air Force portion of that is not yet fully known, but if trends continue, it will be $11B - $13B per year – perhaps more.  Once again, this does not include wartime spending – which is still off-budget.

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is tasked to come up with $1.5 Trillion in cuts over 10 years.  If it fails, then an automatic cut kicks in which will cut $1.2 Trillion in spending.  Half of this must come from “national security” accounts – DOD, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy, and a bit from the State Department.  I estimate DOD’s share would be about $450B+.  This is in addition to the $450B+ in the paragraph above.

A few observations.  First, the $1.5 Trillion to be cut is only a cut in the growth in spending.  The federal budget is expected to grow – during the next 10 years – by about $12 Trillion by some estimates.  Thus a cut in the growth in government of $1.5 Trillion is only a cut of 12%.  At the end of 10 years, if nothing else is done, the US debt will still grow from about $15 Trillion to $25.5 Trillion.

Secondly, to take almost a trillion dollars out of defense spending in the next 10 years would call for draconian cuts.  It would gut many programs; throw tens of thousands of troops out of work; cause major force reductions; and necessitate closing bases.  Our allies would begin to question our commitments in both conventional and extended deterrence realms.  And … according to some experts result in a “new isolationism.”  I do not need to remind this group that defending our nation is job one for any government.  In fact, the Preamble to the Constitution says:  “… provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare … “ – and not the other way around.  And … base defense spending in the 2012 request amounts to 3.5% of GDP – almost a record post-WWII low.  In the aggregate, the defense budget is clearly an affordable investment.

Finally, DOD base defense funding in the FY12 request was $553B.  [The Senate Appropriations Committee has marked it to $513B.]  The Administration request for HHS was $893B – 1/3 of a Trillion more.  This gap is projected to double by 2014.  It is interesting to note that HHS spending was $47B in 1977 – just one-twentieth of what it is today.

For your consideration.

Mike


Michael M. Dunn
President/CEO
Air Force Association

I don't normally post these things in their entirety but this brief piece needs to be complete for the point to be made effectively.  I didn't know that half of the Select Committee failure mode "trigger cuts" were coming out of "national defense accounts," to include DHS and other agencies.  I thought ALL of the half of that 1.5 trillion were coming out of DoD's hide, based on the way the media are reporting this.  But you can bet DoD will bear the brunt of the cuts if the Select Committee fails its task.  The other thang that amazed me is the amount of money Health and Human Services gets.  I know all of THAT money ain't goin' into cancer research.

Related:  The Army announced an 8.6% troop reduction (50,000 heads) yesterday.

The House Armed Services Committee released analysis detailing the effect of the "trigger cuts" on the armed services.  That's some pretty scary stuff... but then again, it was meant to be.

Scary Stuff

Three items from the Usual USAF Source that should concern every American... the first is from this past Tuesday:

Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.)

Gutting US Military Capability: The Air Force is flying "at the ragged edge." The Marine Corps is not equipped to handle a contingency if it were to arise in the Pacific theater. And, the Army doesn't even have enough resources to fulfill some of its "most basic needs," warned Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), House Armed Services Committee chairman Monday. "These problems will rapidly intensify as projected budget cuts start to take their toll," said McKeon during a speech at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. "Even more dangerous is the sword that is hanging over the Congressional super committee," he added. The newly formed committee has until Thanksgiving to come up with $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion in savings or an automatic cut will kick in that will decimate the US military, said McKeon. "Fifty percent of the mandatory cuts associated with the [automatic] trigger are from the Defense Department. Fifty percent. That's a deeply unbalanced number with defense accounting for less than 20 percent of federal spending," he said. "If enacted, the trigger would not just cut our military, it would close it for business."

—Amy McCullough

And these two items from yesterday's AFA Daily Report:

Carter Goes Before SASC to Discuss Nomination: Ash Carter, current Pentagon acquisition executive, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday he'd be willing to consider relocating and re-stationing overseas-based US military forces, including moving some back the United States, if he becomes deputy defense secretary. This would include addressing the proposed realignment of US troops on Guam and Okinawa, Japan, he told committee members during his nomination hearing for the Pentagon's No. 2 post. He also said he'd work with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to find across-the-board savings for the Defense Department, including potential cuts to military personnel accounts and healthcare. Carter said the Pentagon would submit a plan to Congress this year outlining areas where DOD could absorb cuts so that the new Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction could take it under advisement. If that panel fails to reach a consensus and, instead, the Budget Control Act of 2011's automatic cuts kick in, Carter said those cuts would "devastate" the military. "Just the scale of it alone would lead us to have to consider truly draconian things—abandoning major weapons systems, furloughing civilian employees, and abruptly curtailing training because we couldn't pay for fuel, and so forth," he explained. (See also Carter's response to advance questions.)

Passionate about Defense: The Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said the fiscal situation faced by the Defense Department is so dire that he may even consider voting for a tax increase for the first time in his political career. "I have never voted for a tax increase. I don't ever plan on voting for a tax increase," Rep. Buck McKeon (Calif.) told an audience during his speech Monday at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. "But if it came down that I had only two choices: one was to make a tax increase, one was to cut defense over and above what we already are, I would go to strengthen defense." The six Republicans on the new Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction likely will press for cuts and stand against a tax increase, while the six Democrats on the panel likely will argue that one is not possible without the other. The challenge will be reaching a compromise before the automatic cuts outlined in the Budget Control Act of 2011 kick in and the Pentagon's budget is slashed beyond repair, said McKeon. (See also the joint committee's new website.)

—Amy McCullough

I don't think Rep. McKeon or Mr. Carter are being the least bit hyperbolic with their statements.  It is to worry, especially now that Obama wants the Joint Select Committee to fund his latest round of Stimu-less.   "Interesting times," as the frickin' Chinese say.

Thievery

I saw this over at Lex's place last evening and had to re-post it...

What an amazing story.

I'd Be SERIOUSLY Remiss...

...if I didn't mention this (from the Usual USAF Source):

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus reviews troops at his retirement ceremony and official farewell on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Aug. 31, 2011. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley 

Petraeus Retires: Army Gen. David Petraeus, one of the most well known faces of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, retired Wednesday after 37 years of uniformed service. "You've run the race well, swifter and surer than the rest, and you now stand among the giants, not just in our time, but of all time, joining the likes of Grant and Pershing and Marshall and Eisenhower as one of the great battle captains of American history," said Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, during the retirement ceremony at Fort Myer, Va. The Army four-star was instrumental in developing the US counterinsurgency strategy that turned the tide of the war in Iraq. He led the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq, Multinational Forces-Iraq, US Central Command, and NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Now a civilian, Petraeus will be taking over at the CIA, having received the Senate's nod in June to lead the intelligence organization. (AFPS release by Jim Garamone)

Well, Gen. Petraeus retired from the Army, so we won't go into the Happy Trails bits.  He begins his new gig as DCI next week... and I think The Agency will be in the best of hands.

Apropos o' not much, the general most certainly wins the award for most ribbons, medals, badges, braid, gold leaf, and assorted other gewgaws on the uniform.  At some point in time the US military will quit taking its uniform cues from tinpot dictators of all stripes, most notably South American.  I hope.

An Interesting and Provocative Essay

That would be "An Empty Regard," by William Deresiewicz, in yesterday's NYT.  The essay is about about the "cult of uniform" in America and has some interesting points.  A few excerpts...

NO symbol is more sacred in American life right now than the military uniform. The cross is divisive; the flag has been put to partisan struggle. But the uniform commands nearly automatic and universal reverence. In Congress as on television, generals are treated with awed respect, service members spoken of as if they were saints. Liberals are especially careful to make the right noises: obeisance to the uniform having become the shibboleth of patriotism, as anti-Communism used to be. Across the political spectrum, throughout the media, in private and public life, the pieties and ritual declarations are second nature now: “warriors,” “heroes,” “mission”; “our young men and women in uniform,” “our brave young men and women,” “our finest young people.” So common has this kind of language become, we scarcely notice it anymore. 

[...]

As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have dragged on, other purposes have come into play. The greater the sacrifice that has fallen on one small group of people, the members of the military and their families, the more we have gone from supporting our troops to putting them on a pedestal. In the Second World War, everybody fought. Soldiers were not remote figures to most of us; they were us. Now, instead of sharing the burden, we sentimentalize it. It’s a lot easier to idealize the people who are fighting than it is to send your kid to join them. This is also a form of service, I suppose: lip service. 

[...]

The irony is that our soldiers are the last people who are likely to call themselves heroes and are apparently very uncomfortable with this kind of talk. The military understands itself as a group endeavor. As the West Point professor Elizabeth D. Samet recently noted, service members feel uneasy when strangers approach them to — as the well-meaning but oddly impersonal ritual goes — thank them for their service, thereby turning them into paradoxically anonymous celebrities. It was wrong to demonize our service members in Vietnam; to canonize them now is wrong as well. Both distortions make us forget that what they are are human beings. 

About his last... I'm glad someone finally came out and said it.  Ms. Samet is right... I speak only for myself here but have no doubt my sentiment is not uncommon... that we who served, and currently serve, are more than slightly embarrassed by all this "thank you for your service" stuff.  I know those expressions of thanks and gratitude are well-meant and I really DO appreciate them.  Being a member of the Vietnam generation, I much prefer being embarrassed and at a loss for words in these circumstances than being totally ignored (or worse yet: spat upon), as was the case back in the '60s and '70s.  But forgive me if I shuffle my feet, look down at the ground, and simply murmur "thanks for that" when you offer YOUR thanks.  I, and thousands like me, simply did my duty as we saw fit to do.  Thanks are not required... it was an honor to serve.

But we digress.  I hope you go and read Mr. Deresiewicz' article because he makes some very valid, interesting, and provocative points.  His missive made me think.

Now let's pick a nit.  Here's the illustration that accompanied the article:

WTF is up with THAT?  I find this illustration insulting and offensive to the MAX.  Corporal stripes... brass... where "US" ought to go?  Seemingly random ribbons placed in a haphazard and decidedly NON-military fashion?  And Naval Aviator wings... improperly placed on an ARMY uniform?  At least I think this is supposed to be an Army uniform, but something about it isn't quite right. 

Was the NYT trying to piss off the military with this illustration?  They certainly succeeded, if so.  There are ample photos and graphics extant of real individuals wearing real military uniforms, which could have been cropped to preserve an individual's anonymity.  But, no... the NYT had to go and publish this fucking travesty of an illustration.  But, Hey!  It's the Times, ain't it?  I really shouldn't expect accuracy and respect out of those asshats.

Heroes

From the AFA Daily Report:

Air Force Special Operations Command recently released the names and pictures of the three airmen who were killed along with 22 other special operators, seven Afghans, and a civilian interpreter Aug. 6, 2011, when a CH-47 Chinook was shot down in the Maiden Wardak province in eastern Afghanistan. They are: pararescueman TSgt. John W. Brown, pararescueman TSgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, and combat controller SSgt. Andrew W. Harvell. All three airmen were assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Field, N.C.

The SEALs who were KIA received the lion's share of media attention when that helo went down in Afghanistan nearly two weeks ago, and we mean no disrespect by noting that fact.   The initial media reports I read and saw mentioned the dead SEALs and noted "other special operations personnel" had perished, as well.  Those other Special Operators included TSgts Brown and Zerbe and SSgt Harvell, all members of Air Force Special Operations Command.

The Air Force deploys its Special Operators alongside combat teams in contact with the enemy, most notably its combat controllers.  But it's the pararescuemen (PJs) that are arguably the toughest of all USAF Special Operators, mainly because they're the ones who fly low and slow into hot zones to rescue downed pilots and evacuate wounded soldiers and Marines, often under heavy fire.  There are a lot of USAF pilots and naval aviators from the Vietnam era who owe their lives to PJs, and there are probably just as many soldiers and Marines who are thankful today for the combat controllers who call in the Warthogs (or other fast-movers) to take out jihadis in close contact.

RIP, Sergeants Brown, Zerbe, and Harvell.  Salute.

More here, including high-res photos of TSgt Zerbe, TSgt Brown, and SSgt Harvell.

Omigawd! Omigawd! Omigawd!

Those of you who read Lex daily have prolly already seen this, those of you who don't, haven't (I have an immediate grasp of the obvious, and that's one of my better points).

I'm bettin' Young Kaci is more fun than a National Park in real life.

H/T to Lex commenter Atomic Veteran for the link.

Linkage

There are a lot of tributes and eulogies in the blogosphere to the 22 SEALs, aircrew, and other warriors that lost their lives in Afghanistan this weekend.  But you will read none better than this, from our favorite former Naval Aviator... and here are a few grafs from that excellent post:

I never knew an admiral I respected more as a man than a second class petty officer SEAL.

I believed that if I had played the game the way it was meant to be played, and caught a few lucky breaks, I might have made flag rank. I know that I do not have now, and never did have, what it takes to be a Navy SEAL.

The selection process is rigorous, the training syllabus withering. You may think you have what it makes to be a member of the teams. But if the instructional staff has doubts about your intelligence, your dedication, your ability to work as a member of a team, your physical stamina and endurance, you are done. There is no court of secondary appeal. And when they have decided that you do not have what it takes to make the grade, to fight alongside their beloved brothers in arms, you will leave thinking it was your decision. You will ring the bell and be grateful.

For those few who make the cut, those who get to wear the Budweiser, the real challenges are yet to come. The challenge now is not to make the cut, it is not to grasp the intricacies of advanced training. The challenge is to go to places so utterly foreign, and fight foes so thoroughly implacable that to take the mission is to willingly part with all that you have, and all that you love, and place everything in the balance in a desperate gamble.

You will be expensively and thoroughly trained, of course. You will have practiced until your motions seem involuntary. You will have in your company men who know, trust and love you in their own rough way. You will have certain knowledge of the justice of your cause, and the depravity of your enemy. But you will also know that fate plays its own games as you feel the beat of your own heart in your breast, knowing – as young men should never have to know – that when you’re on a mission, the next beat is not promised. Knowing that the fog of war is ineluctable, no matter your training, experience and skill.

Knowing that things can and will go wrong.

There's more... a lot more... and every single word is worth the short click it takes to get ya there.  Lex also posted a link to the Navy SEAL Foundation.

Jointness

We were disparaging when last we spoke of our elder brothers-in-arms (the Sea Service bein' SO much older than us Air Pups), so we shall attempt to make amends today by posting a photo of airmen giving a lift to some deserving sea-sojers Marines and a big-ass piece of their kit, said photo taken by a U.S. Navy Mass Communications Specialist, Second Class.

Marines unload a Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from an Air Force Reserve Command C-5B Galaxy transport at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, July 14, 2011. (Navy photo by Mass Comm. Spc. 2nd Class Timothy Wilson)

I remember being a second class airman once upon a time in the way-back, which was a step up from being third class but not as good as first class, of course.  I was pretty happy once I became a first class airman and that was a good thing... coz it took me for-frickin'-ever to make Staff Sergeant.  Or so it seemed.  But we digress.

Ain't that pic impressive?  The fast movers get all the glory in the military aviation world but it's the trash haulers that supply the logistics that enable the fast movers to do what they do.  And there's not a trash hauler more impressive than a C-5.  Those things are just awesome when ya get up close and personal with 'em.

The pic is from the (other) usual source.

Another Stoopid Re-Run

I got a nice e-mail yesterday from Ginger Cucolo, to wit:

To all,

If you are receiving this note, you contributed in some way to my project for researching the history of Military Identification Tags.

Dog Tags: The History, Personal Stories, Cultural Impact, and Future of Military Identification has now been completed. For this, I want to thank you.

Ginger went on to note her book is available at Amazon and through her book's web site, if'n you're interested.  I participated in her project by filling out a questionnaire, which came to me as a result of this post:

Sunday, January 21, 2007

A Lightweight Post for a Sunday

Via Kris, another one of those quiz thingies. This time, it’s “What Book Are You?”

You're Siddhartha!
by Hermann Hesse

You simply don't know what to believe, but you're willing to try anything once. Western values, Eastern values, hedonism and minimalism, you've spent some time in every camp. But you still don't have any idea what camp you belong in. This makes you an individualist of the highest order, but also really lonely. It's time to chill out under a tree. And realize that at least you believe in ferries.
Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

This one is closer than most, aside from the fact the test results say I’m really lonely. Au contraire. I’m alone, true, but I am not lonely. Big difference. Boy-Howdy is it ever true when they say “you've spent some time in every camp. But you still don't have any idea what camp you belong in.” That statement really nails it! And I do believe in ferries, having been on quite a few. The book selection is interesting in one other aspect: check out this photo of my USAF-issued dog tag (click for larger). I’m Buddhist, by an official act of the US Gub’mint. The story behind that lil bit of trivia goes like this…

Once upon a time while I was still on active duty it came to pass, via directive, that all personnel had to have Official ID tags in their possession, at all times. Those of us who had lost their ID tags were ordered to report to the CBPO and get re-issued. So, I took my ol’ self down to the personnel shop, found the ID-tag foundry and presented my ID card to the airman in charge. He looked at it in a bored manner and asked “What’s your religion?” “No preference,” sez I. “No go,” sez he, “You have to choose a religion…pick one from this list…” and he shoves a list of about 25 religious denominations across the desk to me. I scan it quickly, and he’s right: there are no “No preference” or “Agnostic” categories. So I said “I’m Buddhist.” The airman didn't bat an eye and proceeded to pound out my dog tags. Ten minutes later I walked out of the personnel shop with my newly-minted dog tags and a brand-new religion. The Second Mrs. Pennington was most impressed when I got home, she being a closet Buddhist and all.

Siddhartha, indeed.

This is the third time I've run this post; I last published it in March of 2009.  A couple o' you Gentle Readers commented back then to let me know "No Pref" was an option on your dog tags, which caused me to doubt my memory.  I swear the story is true and I'm backed up by The Second Mrs. Pennington, who made one of her rare appearances in comments to that post to validate the story (and my religion, such as it is) in her left-handed way.  So, there.

I never mentioned this in previous iterations of this chestnut, but if ya look closely at the photo you'll see another war-relic: my P-38.  I've carried that puppy on my key chain ever since 1968, or so.  I use it, too.

Sayonara, Mr. Gates

Today is the SecDef's last day on the job.  From the Usual Source:

Gates Bids Farewell to Troops: On the eve of his last day in office, Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued a farewell message to troops. "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve and to lead you for the past four and a half years," wrote Gates, who is stepping down Thursday after heading the Pentagon since December 2006. He continued: "[Y]our dedication, courage and skill have kept America safe even while bringing the war in Iraq to a successful conclusion and, I believe, at last turning the tide in Afghanistan. Your countrymen owe you their freedom and their security." He closed: "My admiration and affection for you is without limit, and I will think about you and your families and pray for you every day for the rest of my life." The Senate has confirmed CIA Director Leon Panetta to succeed Gates. Panetta is scheduled to assume his new post on Friday. (Gates biography)

I have some issues with the way Mr. Gates did his job, first among them his leading the charge in cancelling the F-22.  But as for his overall performance?  He was as good as we've had in that position in my lifetime and better than most.

Happy Trails, Mr. Secretary.