Replies

This article contradicts itself. Hack says the Army is too heavy becuase we need to move by ship...well tell me how did thd USMC get there...BY SHIP! If the Army moved around the globe on ships with the Navy for 6 months we would be "flexible" too. And as for equipment we basically use the same stuff, same M1, same artillery, same HUMVEEs. Sure the LAV is lighter than the Bradley, but other than that it's about the same. BTW, I didn't notice any M1s on the ground with the USMC.

Finally, tell me, who can drop 10,000 troops in 48 hours any where in the world, ONLY THE US ARMY (with a little help from our friends at the Air force).

With all due respect, as a proud member of the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean Conflict, instructing Women Recruits in Classroom Subjects at Parris Island, I know full well the training of the Corps - and THE SPIRIT of the Warriors!!

I lived aboard at the time of their greatest buildup - 35,000 souls on board, and saw the men's training up close - and oh, and their so different attitude!

I have also been part of the Navy - the Air Force - and had a son in the Army.
You describe logistics, transport and materiel - the arms, ammunition and equipment -
I describe the hearts, without equal, of the individuals...

Great points, but right from the start, you guys were designed for major land battles, we were designed for the beachhead. It is all in design, not ability.

Paratroops are nice to sieze things, but armor is too heavy to air drop, it needs a ship. If Army doctrine changes to include Naval deployments, it would still be called a Marine force.

From a strict definition, there is no difference between a Marine Force and an Army Force. The only difference is in the method of deployment. Training can make the man and the unit. While I am proud to have served in the Marines, I have no doubt that the Army Rangers/Airborne are some bad boys!

Rangers have some great reputations as do Marines. What gave the Army the bad reputations are the lack of preparedness in Korea and Japan after WWII, the outright retreat of U.S. Army units because of poor deployment of forces in North Korea before China intervention, the 'average GI' in Vietnam Stereotype caused by the draft and those who just didn't care if they served or not, and the introduction of women into the combat arena. Marines never had this problem.

I will relate something I saw personnaly in Hawaii. I was attached to a RECON unit for an overnight deployment to hump a PRC-47 for them. We humped all night, then paused before calling in Naval guns in the morning on spot.

They cancelled the gunfire, and we just waited for extraction, when we saw an Army Battalion come in by CH-47, all at once! It was quite a site.

After they all disembarked, I saw them line up and form on the dirt road we were near, I was surprised to hear the personal conversations. Every time I ever got off a bird, we got rightto work, and no one talked. these guys were waiting to go somewhere, though, so I just passed it off.

Their C.O. told them to take their packs off and sit down a spell, and man, they almost took off all their clothes! These guys stripped off shirts, packs, boots and even turned on radios.

I was an Air Winger, that means I wasn't a grunt, but a radio/radar operator, and we were more lax than regular Marines, but what I saw shocked me. These guys were on a party, not a deployment.

They milled around for about 20 minutes, and then their C.O. told them to saddle up. I thought I was shocked before, but what I saw next was the worst thing I cold ever imagine: 50% of the troops all started to complain that they just sat down and started griping about having to move out.

I was stunned. I asked the RECON guys if they ever saw this, and they all looked at me and said yes, it is common for Army Troops to respond to their officers like this, in fact they saw it all the time whenever they were near the Army.

I will never forget that. This unit was from Schofield Barracks on Oahu, and I sincerly hope it was an isolated incident.

Finally, tell me, who can drop 10,000 troops in 48 hours any where in the world, ONLY THE US ARMY (with a little help from our friends at the Air force).

Hackworth is rapidly REALLY earning the nickname of "Hack". Not only is he full of Hillary about the Marines being first in VN (the Army only beat them by either 4 or 6 YEARS,depending on how you count it),but notice how he stays strangly silent about the Ranger Batallions and the 10th Mountain Division. Why doesn't he criticize the AF for not having ships,or the Marines for not having airborne troops? As far as that goes,why doesn't he bitch about not being able to get orange juice out of apples?

This article contradicts itself. Hack says the Army is too heavy becuase we need to move by ship...well tell me how did thd USMC get there...BY SHIP!

I agree, I love to read Hack, and I agree with his premis that the Army needs to dump Clinton's PC influence and get back the warrior spirit.

But He is trying to hard in this article. The first regular unit deployed came from the Army's 10th Mountain Division.

That part about WW2 bothered me. No disrespect to the USMC, but island warfare should be their speciality. It would be shocking if they didn't take the lead in pacific theater. Just like the Army's Mountain Division should excell in Afghanistan, because they are specifically trained for that enviroment.