Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

General Wayne Downing dead
Intel source | 7/18/2007 | Self

Posted on 07/17/2007 11:08:40 PM PDT by ASA Vet

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last
Gen. Downing was a personal friend of one of our Freepers, and was very well known in the SOCOM & MI communities
1 posted on 07/17/2007 11:08:40 PM PDT by ASA Vet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: backhoe; CholeraJoe; Criminal Number 18F; DevSix; DJ Taylor; Future Snake Eater; GarySpFc; ...

Joint SOCOM and MI Ping


2 posted on 07/17/2007 11:16:19 PM PDT by ASA Vet (http://www.rinorepublic.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

General Downing, thank you for your many contributions. RIP


3 posted on 07/17/2007 11:23:29 PM PDT by jws3sticks (Hillary can take a very long walk on a very short pier, anytime, and the sooner the better!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

Bump and RIP for a Patriot.


4 posted on 07/17/2007 11:36:35 PM PDT by FlyVet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The soldier stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

“Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?”

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
“No, Lord, I guess I ain’t.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can’t always be a saint.

I’ve had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I’ve been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn’t mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I’ve wept unmanly tears.

I know I don’t deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you’ve a place for me here, Lord,
It needn’t be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don’t, I’ll understand.”

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

“Step forward now, you soldier,
You’ve borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,
You’ve done your time in Hell.”

Author unknown.


5 posted on 07/17/2007 11:37:38 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (Indianhead Division: Second To None!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
“Step forward now, you soldier,
You’ve borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,
You’ve done your time in Hell.”

Dang blurry monitor!

6 posted on 07/17/2007 11:41:59 PM PDT by SuziQ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

Prayers for his family, and may God bless General Downing.


7 posted on 07/17/2007 11:44:15 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

May the General rest in peace. Prayers for his family.


8 posted on 07/18/2007 12:04:10 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~~~Jihad Fever -- Catch It !~~~ (Backup tag: "Live Fred or Die"))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

After my day with any of the above mentioned units, but he sounds like a heck of a warrior.

God Bless, General, and thank you for your service.


9 posted on 07/18/2007 1:28:13 AM PDT by LegendHasIt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jws3sticks

Hooyah General from a SPECWAR vet.


10 posted on 07/18/2007 1:50:15 AM PDT by comex
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet
I don't really know much about Gen Downing, but I remember his name from the The Downing Report he wrote for the DoD during Clinton's administration.

Gen Downing was commissioned to write a report about the Khobar Towers terrorist attack.

One of the reasons that Gen Ron Fogleman, then the Air Force Chief of Staff, resigned was because he vehemently disagreed with Gen Downing's assestment and the repercutions thereof.

Gen Downing found great fault in Gen Schwalier - who took the fall and was disgraced. Many Generals, in all branches of the service, were outraged. It came to light that Gen Schwalier had taken security measures that incredible at the time - to include measures that ticked off the Saudis.

Moreover, Gen Downing gave recommendations that the military should have invested in more high tech security equipment - equipment that Gen Downing had a large financial interest in as a contractor.

Here is but one link to one story on the net - there are many others:

_________________________________________________________________________________

“The station chief’s analysis was that ‘the primary threat was Riyadh but other areas were possibilities as well,’” Schwalier said. “When I asked what else I should be doing in light of this new input, the station chief response was (I remember it well), ‘just keep doing what you are doing&’

“Contrary to what the intelligence community may have suggested, I was never advised of a specific terrorist threat to Khobar Towers,” Schwalier told me.

On his own initiative, Schwalier had posted roof top guards at the housing complex several months before the attack. Khobar Towers was the only U.S. military housing in Saudi Arabia to have such tight security. Those guards managed to clear half of the building in the three to five minutes between the time they first saw a suspicious truck ram into the rear gate and the explosion. Without Schwalier’s foresight, and their alert reaction, the death toll would undoubtedly have been much higher. As often happens in Washington, Schwalier was not rewarded for his actions, but punished. A hasty investigation, chaired by General Wayne A. Downing, a retired Army officer and former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, blasted Schwalier for having failed to “adequately protect his forces from a terrorist attack.”

________________________________________________________________________________

As a former Brig Gen told me (he is since retired), "The Clinton Administration wanted a fall guy, and Gen Downing provided them with one - Gen Schwalier. The truth is Schwalier went above and beyond to protect his folks, and was cut off at the knees. That is one reason Gen Fogleman resigned - in disgust."

Like I said, I don't know much else about Gen Downing. I know he made 4-star and served his nation greatly. But, that report he authored didn't set well with many people. He could have done a better job in my opinion - and perhaps it could have served as a wake up call to Islamic Fascism years prior to 911.

11 posted on 07/18/2007 3:33:47 AM PDT by SkyPilot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

Farewell to a soldier’s soldier. May God welcome His servant.


12 posted on 07/18/2007 3:34:45 AM PDT by T'wit (Visitors: you come here expecting a turkey shoot, and then you find out that you are the turkey.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

Prayers for his eternal rest, and for the comfort and consolation of his friends and family.


13 posted on 07/18/2007 3:35:57 AM PDT by BlessedBeGod
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

RIP General, Sir.

You led us well.

NSDQ


14 posted on 07/18/2007 4:23:21 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain And Proud of It! Those who support the troops will pray for them to WIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

haven’t seen this reported anywhere else.


15 posted on 07/18/2007 4:35:06 AM PDT by lmc12
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

Hand Salute....................two


16 posted on 07/18/2007 4:38:24 AM PDT by bmwcyle (Satan is working both sides of the street in World Socialism and World Courts.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SkyPilot
Khobar Towers was a disgrace. It was a disgrace because of grossly negligent leadership that allowed an enemy within 30 METERS of a using barracks. Absolutely undeniably negligent.

Just to set aside any doubt about Gen Downing, he was our overall JSOC commander when we went into Panama. That was during GHW Bush's presidency, so the man got his stars under Reagan and Bush. Clinton was FORCED to use Downing, because of his stellar reputation and because Downing was the acknowledged expert on security. Downing led from the front, and was with us in Panama when it was hot, he grieved with us over the fallen, and he didn't play pantywaist army games handing out awards like candy. He expected his Special Forces to be brave. You pretty much had to be dead to get a "V" out of Wayne Downing. He was tough as nails.

At Khobar Towers the enemy packed a truck with the equivalent of about 30000 pounds of TNT and got within mere meters of our barracks DURING A THREATCON CHARLEY period of time! Some leader was negligent. There is no doubt. Who every approved walls being no further away than 30 meters in an anti-American culture? Who didn't have watchers available around the perimeter of an American compound? Who hadn't extended the perimeter by the use of barriers and the blocking of roads during a threatcon Charley? Absolutely unbelievable.

Whoever had approved such a security plan in an anti-American culture had to be either crazy or grossly negligent. The same with anyone who perpetuated it.

30 METERS -- That's about the length of an average American house and garage. Unbelievable.

Finally, Downing was in charge of a security firm because he was an expert in SECURITY.

17 posted on 07/18/2007 4:45:59 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain And Proud of It! Those who support the troops will pray for them to WIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ASA Vet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WDrbbtaO0E


18 posted on 07/18/2007 5:17:18 AM PDT by Dick Bachert
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SuziQ

Mine is blurry, too. Better notify the monitor.


19 posted on 07/18/2007 5:23:01 AM PDT by Sacajaweau ("The Cracker" will be renamed "The Crapper")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SuziQ

The poem is a nice sentiment, but it represents a false and hideously tame view of hell and the what’s required to enter into the Kingdom of God.

The General appears to have been an outstanding patriot and I thank God for such as him.


20 posted on 07/18/2007 5:38:40 AM PDT by Manfred the Wonder Dawg (Test ALL things, hold to that which is True.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson