Posted on 10/13/2012 1:53:44 PM PDT by Timber Rattler
This is the most stunning and forceful letter I have read from the Afghanistan war. It was written in 2010 from Afghanistan by Colonel Harry Tunnell, the Brigade Commander of 5/2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
After this letter, Colonel Tunnell was investigated and the normal smear campaign unfolded. Having been embedded with his Brigade in 2010, it became obvious that they were put into a no-win situation, with troops spread over several provinces in Afghanistan.
(Excerpt) Read more at michaelyon-online.com ...
posted multiple times already, and, while some good points are made, there is far more to this story
And this (former) commander of the Stryker Brigade should know. Hence, his letter to the Secretary of the Army, which was supposedly sent under an "open door" policy but yet he was attacked and punished because of it.
We have a muslim in the White House, and useful idiots supporting him, thereby enabling our men and women in uniform to be killed.
Well, the rot has obviously extended much deeper into the Pentagon, which is more concerned with COIN, political correctness, and the feelings of the enemy, rather than winning the war.
No, he wasn't. You saying this shows how untrustworthy a source the article is.
It says "Open Door Policy" in the letter's subject line, for crying out loud.
Yes. I also consider Michael Yon to be an untrustworthy source.
I also know the story behind COL Tunnell's command of 5-2 SBCT since I was on his Brigade staff in Afghanistan, and I was there for the subsequent change of command and 180-degree change that had to be made to that screwed-up unit.
No wonder we're losing in Afghanistan.
I will spell it out for you.
You don’t know what you’re talking about.
I hope that’s clear enough.
Refute the letter then, General Know-It-All.
Having talked to Future Snake eater in the past...knowing what he has done under the call of duty...and being an E-8...and a fellow comrade in arms...I ask you:
What is your combat experience? Where have you served? What is your expertise? Did you serve with the Strykers?
'Cause from where I sit...I see a guy who served with the Col in question...and I've known PLENTY of screwed up COL's who tried to say their problem was HQ...when it was them...and I also see a guy (that's you) calling someone a know-it-all when he himself seems to act like HE knows something other than what a letter says...like he has experience.
So...maybe YOU should elaborate...
Already did, but you don’t know how to use the search feature, so you missed the post. As I stated earlier, Tunnell makes some valid points in the letter, but it’s little more than justification for his failure as a commander. Yon’s “analysis” that this letter led to Tunnell being “smeared” is laughable and shows just how far he’s fallen.
I honestly don’t care what you think about me, but I don’t want people to think that this article was written by anything other than people with a rucksack full of axes to grind (Tunnell) or a “reporter” who doesn’t do the slightest due diligence on his stories (Yon).
Well, I guess that makes you both part of the problem then.
From 15-g in the letter, “The most frequently ignored fact is that the average farmer in southern Afghanistan will appreciate far more what Mullah Omar is proposing than what we are with COIN...”
What I’ve been saying all along. Starting under the Bush adminstration, the policy there was determined by a bunch of policy wonks with a western worldview and no ability or inclination to understand or take seriously those who don’t share it. It’s only gotten worse under the Obama adminstration, who have added even more political correctness. Unless we completely change our goals, strategey and tactics we will lose, and may as well get out ASAP.
Any veteran freeper knows that the search function sucks balls, and you can't search for a article you don't know exists. So, why don't you re-post your brilliant rebuttal? Please include the reasons for your slander of Yon. I'm sure it will be a surprise to many here.
Interesting read for AQ tacticians visiting FR.
One of the truly great things about FR, is that the place is full of people who have in depth knowledge and personal experience about almost every topic under discussion. Of course, this feature is of no use if someone launches into a discussion with a very limited understanding of the topic and cannot recognize when other posters are gently trying to point out that they might want to become better informed on a particular topic.
Future Snake Eater has tried to do this with this discussion. If you had followed the numerous posts on this topic and followed the comments, you would understand that he knows what he is talking about. I checked with other members of this brigade and they verified FSE’s account. It all matched with the rumors that I had heard, but its always dangerous to spread what you hear from the rumor mill.
Tunnell makes many valid points about our strategic, operational, and tactical approach in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the command climate that he established in this brigade negated every good idea that he had about how to fight this war. As for Yon, the days of his outstanding reporting from the ocmbat zone are long gone, he’s just recycling old grudges in hopes of pulling in a little income to support his bizarre lifestyle in Bangkok.
As you gain experience here on FR, you will hopefully learn how to sort the knowledgeable and insightful posts from the nonsense of those who believe everything they see on the internet. Listen, read, learn. Good luck to you.
I typed in "Stunning Letter" under "Title" and it came right up. Weird.
No need to be a smart ass. Now that I know the name of the article, I can look for it myself.
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