Posted on 12/18/2004 8:06:53 PM PST by Trueblackman
THE PASSION OF DONALD RUMSFELD
I remember during my enlistment in the United States , as newly appointed Non-Commission Officer, I was giving a not to nice dressing down to a young subordinate for not carrying out an order I gave to him. My divisional Senior Chief Petty Officer came over and took me behind the island of U.S.S. George Washington and gave me a piece of advice that I remember to this day, he stated to me that you need to remember “When you point at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you.” Thank you Senior Chief for that wise piece of advice and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle need to heed that piece of advice, before you try to hang Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld out to dry, you better take a long look in the mirror.
It is not Donald Rumsfeld fault that Humvees in the Iraqi Operations Theater are not armored, it is the fault of Congress that those vehicles lack the basic armor they need, and Congress needs to come clean with the American People.
In the 1990’s military planners stated clearly to Congress that the days of heavy armored battles were over and that our military would be fight rapid response force that responded to regional conflicts in the foreseeable future. Planners believe that coupling overwhelming airpower with rapid vehicles like the Humvee, Stalker and Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) would get the job done since they could be transported in aircraft like the C-17 and C-130 versus heavier armor like the M-1 Abrams or M-2 Bradley Fighting Machine that requires heavy sealift or railway transport. You see the military planners of the 1990’s believe that a one size fits all approach to military warfare after conflicts like Bosnia and Kosovo, was the best approach to future military operations.
The fact of the matter is that an armored Humvee would stand next to no chance against 155 mm shell (a favorite weapon of the terrorists forces, next to RPG) that are being used as IED in Iraq, for that much a 70 ton fully armored M-1 Abrams Tank might have a few problems itself, if a terrorist were to explode a 155 mm shell just below the road’s surface.
Members of Congress can try to run down Donald Rumsfeld all they like for the lack of armor on Humvees in Iraq, but the fact of the matter remains the Humvee is not an armored vehicle, it is a transport first and a light attack vehicle second when armed with a TOW Missile, but to even shoot a TOW the Humvee must remain stationary, while the missile is guide to it target.
The armchair generals in Congress can pound on their chest and demand all the answers they like, but an armored up Humvee would not stand a chance against one let alone several RPG rounds(this is a favorite tactic of the terrorists with in Iraq) unless they start producing a 30 ton version which is highly unlikely. The Humvee is employed in Iraq because of the narrow streets and roadways in cities and towns of Iraq and the fact that it is one of the most versatile vehicles within the theater, try backing up an Abrams Tank in a narrow alleyway.
I remember one time complain to the Asst Commander of Atlantic Fleet during a fleet calling in he held aboard my ship in 1997 about the lack of spare parts and broke tools I had to deal with daily. The Admiral looked at me and stated that “We go to Congress and the President and ask for what we can need and sometimes it is sometimes we don’t always get what we want.”
So a piece of advice to all you Congressional Armchair Generals and Military Chickenhawks, who were all for the cutting and slashing military budgets on the pretext of paying the dividends for peace and waste resources on conflicts in the Balkans to appease the our sometime allies within the European Union back in the 1990’s, when I severed “Remember before you point at Donald Rumsfeld and demand his head, some of us out here were at one time demanding the same for you, since you vote on military budgets.”
Rumsfeld was right you go to war with the military you have and not the one you would like and I remember many days during my enlistment of going to Walmart or Kmart to find tools because someone in Congress or the White House thought the dividends for peace went right through my back pocket.
I remember one time complain to the Asst Commander of Atlantic Fleet during a fleet calling in he held aboard my ship in 1997 about the lack of spare parts and broke tools I had to deal with daily. The Admiral looked at me and stated that “We go to Congress and the President and ask for what we can need and sometimes it is not always what we get.”
Merry Christmas.
I always loved that one.
You forgot to blame Clinton
BTTT
Well said.
No I am not going to blame Clinton on this one, because Congress had a part in this too.
BTTT back at ya.
Thanks
You are right on the money .. and the Heritage Foundation's report explains it all in detail. Rush was talking about it Friday. It was stunning! The very same congresspeople throwing such a tizzy were IN CONGRESS WHEN ALL THAT CUTTING WAS GOING ON - AND THEY SAID NOTHING!
Time for them to shut up! American History will hopefully pay Rumsfeld the respect he has earned.
.
RUMSFELD, I'm sure, understands that...
MEL's -PASSION- was sparked by -WE WERE SOLDIERS-
http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=39081
Sacrifices:
One human,
One Supernatural & human
.
And do they ever know their butts are hanging in the wind on this one. The frantic attempts by McCain, Lott, Hagel and the rest of the RINOs to throw Rumsfeld under the bus tell you all you need to know about how exposed they feel.
Actually it was largely a Republican congress. they appropriate the $$ for the military. They are the ones who saw its slipage in the 90's and now blame clinton and rumsfeld. Even the talking point folks on the talking head shows want to pin all the blame on Clinton and not the republican congresses of the 90's.
Thanks! Liked what you had to say for Rummy. :o)
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours!
I felt that this needed to stated and I wrote it.
Yes, it really did need to be said.
I wrote this and hope to see it in print nationally because too many of these RINO's are demanding Rummy's head are the same ones that under cut the military in the 1990's.
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