Comments on: Oscar Mike http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/07/01/oscar-mike/ The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:07:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: blackeagle603 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/07/01/oscar-mike/comment-page-1/#comment-380956 blackeagle603 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:34:38 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=10367#comment-380956 "The Village" redux. Godspeed Marines. “The Village” redux. Godspeed Marines.

]]> By: olga http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/07/01/oscar-mike/comment-page-1/#comment-380876 olga Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:32:17 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=10367#comment-380876 I'll keep your Corporal in my prayers I’ll keep your Corporal in my prayers

]]> By: Steve http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/07/01/oscar-mike/comment-page-1/#comment-380859 Steve Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:35:12 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=10367#comment-380859 It's a helluva read. Those guys went into Afghanistan shortly after 9/11, convinced tribal warlords (1) to trust them and (2) to join together to fight the Taliban. They lived, fought, and in several cases died with the Northern Alliance soldiers. Calling in airstrikes from horseback using laser designators etc. Balls. The good guys prevailed but it was close. We helped the people win their war thereby earning their trust and respect then ignoring these successful tactics turned right around and invaded Iraq with the old Viet Nam divide and conquer routine. Meanwhile we effectively turned our back on AF and allowed the Taliban to regroup - big mistake. Sounds like you were there in a CAS role. If you're willing to share I'm sure there are many hanging out here that appreciate your reflections. It’s a helluva read. Those guys went into Afghanistan shortly after 9/11, convinced tribal warlords (1) to trust them and (2) to join together to fight the Taliban. They lived, fought, and in several cases died with the Northern Alliance soldiers. Calling in airstrikes from horseback using laser designators etc. Balls. The good guys prevailed but it was close. We helped the people win their war thereby earning their trust and respect then ignoring these successful tactics turned right around and invaded Iraq with the old Viet Nam divide and conquer routine. Meanwhile we effectively turned our back on AF and allowed the Taliban to regroup – big mistake.

Sounds like you were there in a CAS role. If you’re willing to share I’m sure there are many hanging out here that appreciate your reflections.

]]> By: George V http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/07/01/oscar-mike/comment-page-1/#comment-380847 George V Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:43:10 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=10367#comment-380847 >> "you’ll find LOTS of calls for the use of poison gas to keep the cas. down..." As opposed to today where there are calls to just abandon the battle without consideration of consequences. Sounds like we *were* a different country. George V. >> “you’ll find LOTS of calls for the use of poison gas to keep the cas. down…”

As opposed to today where there are calls to just abandon the battle without consideration of consequences.

Sounds like we *were* a different country.

George V.

]]> By: virgil xenophon http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/07/01/oscar-mike/comment-page-1/#comment-380845 virgil xenophon Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:35:54 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=10367#comment-380845 Mike M/ Agree. Even in WWII, the "Good War," towards the end people were war-weary and very adverse to high casualties--especially those in the Pacific where horrendous rates at Iwo, Tarawa, Okinawa, etc., really soured the public. If you go into the old West-Coast newspaper morgues of the time and read the letters-to-the-editor comments, you'll find LOTS of calls for the use of poison gas to keep the cas. down, i.e., why even bother to invade, just bathe the whole island in gas?--that sort of thing. So you're right, Mike M, we never really did. If we grumbled during the "good war" when WOULD there ever come a time for this frenetic, impatient society to support even longer conflicts with even more nebulous and open-ended goals? Mike M/

Agree. Even in WWII, the “Good War,” towards the end people were war-weary and very adverse to high casualties–especially those in the Pacific where horrendous rates at Iwo, Tarawa, Okinawa, etc., really soured the public. If you go into the old West-Coast newspaper morgues of the time and read the letters-to-the-editor comments, you’ll find LOTS of calls for the use of poison gas to keep the cas. down, i.e., why even bother to invade, just bathe the whole island in gas?–that sort of thing.

So you’re right, Mike M, we never really did. If we grumbled during the “good war” when WOULD there ever come a time for this frenetic, impatient society to support even longer conflicts with even more nebulous and open-ended goals?

]]> By: Mike M. http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/07/01/oscar-mike/comment-page-1/#comment-380826 Mike M. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:26:50 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=10367#comment-380826 We don't have the stomach for it. Never did. We don’t have the stomach for it. Never did.

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