Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

The soft hat in fact is probably the right way. You're applying force when and where it is necessary but you're not showing off your entire arsenal everywhere. That pisses people off... and you don't want a supply of pissed off people.

Good point. Very good point.

As my old man used to say:

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt.

What post? I see no post...

I'm just thinking about it still, like with "shock and awe" Why did the U.S. do that? What was its purpose? I don't care who you are but like with the C 130 model of aircraft that can pick up anything and intercept any signal from a satellite or a cell phone. And it strikes me to know with common sense that insurgents are not using cell phones, they are using courier on bikes, or walking with messages, technology that has been around since the dawn of man, paper, and legs. Makes that big expensive airplane, with a highly skilled crew basically useless.

Along with the smart munitions, on the news during the invasion, I believe they were a bit overrated. Why? There was so much emphasis on these things, to me, a bomb is a bomb, if it is guided, and then it is a very accurate bomb. This created the illusion that civilians in one room are safe and sound when a warplane takes out their insurgent neighbors next door. Insurgents can counter this, by moving AMONG the people, thus making it impossible to brink U.S. firepower to bear.

I will openly admit, honorable Gates telling the Brits there are not doing a good job, while some aspects of U.S. counter terror and insurgency doctrine Cleary showing our enemies the idea, that we are full of ourselves, and just plane arrogant. Am I blaming the U.S. troops? Heck no, I thank them, am I critizing our counter insurgency doctrine? Yes, some of it just does not make much logical sense.

If you ask me we could learn a thing or two from the British, they have been in the business much longer than we have.

Originally Posted by LeEnfield

Well if we are wasting the Americans time would it not be best if we with drew and left it all to them

Naaa, most of us here respect you. Personally I respect ALL military, don't much matter to me what country your from. If you want a handshake, salute and a beer come on over.

Yeah it's a stupid comment made by some spook.

What we all seem to have overlooked here is that the Storyline says "US claims..... Blah, blah, blah". Whereas when we read the actual article it was not the US, but Robert Gates, some "swivel chair cowboy" from the pentagon.

I'll bet it's a long time since he's been showered in dust from a close bullet strike.

Originally Posted by senojekips

What we all seem to have overlooked here is that the Storyline says "US claims..... Blah, blah, blah". Whereas when we read the actual article it was not the US, but Robert Gates, some "swivel chair cowboy" from the pentagon.

I'll bet it's a long time since he's been showered in dust from a close bullet strike.

Hell yes! Great point, brother.

Who gave this permission to speak for those of us that were there? I'd like to see his service docket and 214. Dillweed.

I'd rep you for this post if I could. Thanks for keeping us grounded.

I got $5 that says my 214 looks better than his, and mine is vintage 1999.
I hate it it when those who aren't there talk crap about those that are there

Originally Posted by AZ_Infantry

Some of the finest and bravest men I've ever been privileged to know were officers.

You have a lot of assumptions, my young friend. I do not mean that as an insult in any way - yours is a prodigy of typifying and stereotyping.

The officers in the US Military, while joked about amongst us non-coms considerably, are the leaders that drive the most powerful military in the world. That says something. Not all are respected, but neither are all enlisted men respected. The officer is the leader of men the average age of 21, and theirs is not the cake walk it might appear to be on the surface. "Out there, fighting [your] ass off" is the same job we all do, regardless of rank.

And if you think going into a hot area makes you brave, well my friend, you'll learn that being a REAL man isn't about standing up John Wayne style as millions of bullets fly over your head from never-emptying magazines shouting, "Follow Me!" Going to war doesn't make you brave. It just makes you a target.

I am not suggesting you succumb to your father's wishes for your life, but should you decide against OCS, do so for the right reasons. NOT for artificial reasons brought about by media hype and Hollywierd story lines.

No insults taken. And I don't want to be anything like John Wayne, and I hate people that glorify the war and the combat and all they talk about is killing. I agree wholeheartedly with everything you say. I just want to do my part so that when i'm old I can look back on my life and say I actually did something that I can be proud of. I don't like fighting, but I will if I have to.

Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

Hell even a Private fresh out of boot camp outranks him.
Whatever, he's here to learn isn't he?
Everyone can have false assumptions. I know I did. But you enter and you change (mostly for the better).
Justin, take the words of these fine men here to heart. Learn from the forum and you will have a better understanding of the services.
And like 03 said, you have to earn your right to say a lot of things. I've served but still there are many things I don't believe I have the right to say. For example if someone's been to Iraq and has an opinion about it, I shut up and listen because he or she has earned the right to talk about it while I have not. I'm trying to fix this, but trying isn't doing so until I make it (if I do manage to do so in time) I'll zip it and listen when a Iraq or Afghanistan Vet talks.
And applying that to life in general, that line from Jarhead, "No speech is free. You pay for every word you say." I think the movie's pretty inaccurate at some points... but don't take my word for it. I wasn't there. But that one line I thought was golden.

Here's something interesting I thought up of...
before you join, watch "A Few Good Men." Then a year after you've joined, watch "A Few Good Men." You'll see how you have changed over the course of a year.

Ok, I will. And I'm fine with what he said. He has every right to sound harsh. He's right, I haven't earned my right to badmouth anyone, and you're right, a private does outrank me. But i'll try my hardest when I get in.