A French soldier shared daily life with two American Army units. He tells his story to a French newspaper. Here is the translation. It is impressive, to say the least of it. This is seen on Ace of Spades, overnight open thread 12/20/14
We are blessed with an amazing American fighting force composed of incredible people from a truly exceptional tradition and culture. In the one area where we collectively have direct involvement and control with them we fail miserably. Why do we give them such embarrassing, inadequate and insulting leadership? We don't deserve them, and they still sacrifice everything for us.
That video, indirectly, confirms my opinion of French soldiers. The author recognized real strength and individualism morphed in to teamwork when the author saw it and lived with it.
They are good men. It is their leadership that are idiots and surrender monkeys. Been true for over 50 years now...the soldiers that fought at Dien Bien Phu fought with extreme courage and did so on a fools mission designed by their superiors in Hanoi and Paris.
I note that the French soldier/author cited the orderly & aggressive progression of chain of command when an officer is killed or wounded and out of the fray. I was promoted to sergeant after only 13 months in service and felt puzzled by that...perhaps because I knew that slot was only available because another sergeant had been killed. The US military system fills its needs smoothly, and I was forced to rise to that occasion...even if IMO I was not ready. I just had to step up. My squad was made up of whites, blacks, a Mexican, and Puerto Ricans...and I don't recall that being any kind of problem. When under pressure, "color" becomes a distinction no one can afford.
Loss of direction due to any one individual's incapacitation, mortal or not, cannot be afforded either. It is a recipe for being over-run if it happens. The author of this piece seems to get that...and admire it. I do to...and it also always, to this day, amazes me.
I've said before I admired USMC Gen Krulak's concept of embedding small units with local nationals, even if unpopular with the "command" of those days, because it worked. The "Strategic Hamlet" concept posed & implemented by LBJ's Robert Komer, ensconced in his nice WH office, on the other hand was just oblivious and blind to the nature of the culture at hand. Gen Krulak's ideas are widely emulated today.
In a hat tip to one of the regulars here (AllenS)...his unit was notorious for reacting to any set back by attacking and attacking harder...even when surrounded. It is why that brigade (173rd Airborne) was nick-named "the Herd"...I always imagined a stampeding herd of buffalo/bison...an unstoppable force of nature. I confess I was/am in awe of them then and now. When Turkey refused to permit our 4th ID to move in to northern Iraq from Turkish soil, at the last minute, it as the 173rd (out of Italy then & now), a brigade not a division, that parachuted in to join up with the Kurds and other in the north. As I said, an unstoppable force of nature.
7 comments:
We are blessed with an amazing American fighting force composed of incredible people from a truly exceptional tradition and culture. In the one area where we collectively have direct involvement and control with them we fail miserably. Why do we give them such embarrassing, inadequate and insulting leadership? We don't deserve them, and they still sacrifice everything for us.
That was great, thanks Chip. I needed that. Sometimes I get so discouraged about the state of things, for a variety of reasons.
There are so many forces at work that can make the story you linked not true. I'm glad to see they aren't prevailing.
That video, indirectly, confirms my opinion of French soldiers. The author recognized real strength and individualism morphed in to teamwork when the author saw it and lived with it.
They are good men. It is their leadership that are idiots and surrender monkeys. Been true for over 50 years now...the soldiers that fought at Dien Bien Phu fought with extreme courage and did so on a fools mission designed by their superiors in Hanoi and Paris.
Excellent piece.
Too bad the Left doesn't see our guys (and girls) that way.
I note that the French soldier/author cited the orderly & aggressive progression of chain of command when an officer is killed or wounded and out of the fray. I was promoted to sergeant after only 13 months in service and felt puzzled by that...perhaps because I knew that slot was only available because another sergeant had been killed. The US military system fills its needs smoothly, and I was forced to rise to that occasion...even if IMO I was not ready. I just had to step up. My squad was made up of whites, blacks, a Mexican, and Puerto Ricans...and I don't recall that being any kind of problem. When under pressure, "color" becomes a distinction no one can afford.
Loss of direction due to any one individual's incapacitation, mortal or not, cannot be afforded either. It is a recipe for being over-run if it happens. The author of this piece seems to get that...and admire it. I do to...and it also always, to this day, amazes me.
I've said before I admired USMC Gen Krulak's concept of embedding small units with local nationals, even if unpopular with the "command" of those days, because it worked. The "Strategic Hamlet" concept posed & implemented by LBJ's Robert Komer, ensconced in his nice WH office, on the other hand was just oblivious and blind to the nature of the culture at hand. Gen Krulak's ideas are widely emulated today.
In a hat tip to one of the regulars here (AllenS)...his unit was notorious for reacting to any set back by attacking and attacking harder...even when surrounded. It is why that brigade (173rd Airborne) was nick-named "the Herd"...I always imagined a stampeding herd of buffalo/bison...an unstoppable force of nature. I confess I was/am in awe of them then and now. When Turkey refused to permit our 4th ID to move in to northern Iraq from Turkish soil, at the last minute, it as the 173rd (out of Italy then & now), a brigade not a division, that parachuted in to join up with the Kurds and other in the north. As I said, an unstoppable force of nature.
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