Validation of Valor

Blasted Fools.com ^ | October 16, 2013 | Richard Cameron

[Noremac]

Just yesterday I heard the story of retired Army Captain William Swenson and his late in coming award of the Medal of Honor, earned in a tense combat mission, in Afghanistan in 2009, judged by many, to be one of the most, if not the most intense ever in that region. Because the outline of the story were gripping, I hunted down a handful of write-ups on the Battle of Ganjgal, and in the process, not only uncovered details that have only sparsely been alluded to, but a rare clip of raw video of one segment of the event as it unfolded.

One of my initial reactions in reading about the ceremony presenting the medal at the White House, was disdain that a counterfeit Commander In Chief was once again posturing as a champion of America and the armed forces. I resigned myself to see it not as Obama, but as the office of the Presidency conferring the award.

Nothing illustrates my reluctance to see our military be exploited in global conflicts where the national interest is not obvious and the objectives of the mission are not clearly defined, more than a situation like this, where soldiers are given a combat assignment and deployed with a ball and chain shacked to their ankles. Politically dictated rules of engagement are absurd in tribal enclaves where resisting opposition troops is a community effort, rendering everyone but the smallest children as enemy combatants.

Despite Obama exploiting Captain Swenson's better late than never recognition – the circumstances behind the delay carry some damaging disclosures with regard to how our soldiers were hampered in their duties by external political control of their mission. None of these will be unfamiliar to veterans of military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[ConorMacNessa]

God Bless this Valiant Warrior! Our troops in the trenches are as good as they have ever been - unfortunately, I can't say the same about certain elements among the "Top Brass."

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[frog in a pot]

Thank you for this.

[rktman]

They are still hampered in the performance of their duties. Sad state of affairs when the ROE are so restrictive that it costs our folks their lives. Disgusting the way politics have gotten in the way of honorable actions. PC gets our troops killed. All we need now is a wally cronkite to tell the American people all is lost and there’s no way we can win this war on terror. Oh dang. I forgot. The won said we’ve already won it. Makes me want to puke.

[Noremac]

I heard an excellent report on this of all places, are you ready for this? NPR!!!!! Yes, I go to the ‘no-go’ zones for ideas for stories. Actually, they have re-invented themselves along the lines of old school ‘hard news’, so with the filter I apply to everything, Left, Right, Center - I find a lot of stimulating fodder for Blasted Fools.

Anyway, I immediately knew I had to dig into this story in more depth and mine some added insight. I found some awesome leaders of men and more that convinced me that until a legitimate national interest, defined mission and outcome and traditional rules of engagement exist, we have no business setting these guys and gals up for failure. Dog Wagging, denied!

- RC