Posted on 08/19/2007 5:35:20 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
When they're ALLOWED to fight, they fight well. I think there's a major feeling of frustration (I know there is for me), because the timing of departure is pretty bad. Yesterday all of our forces for the surge finally arrived. And now the Brits are leaving Basra, so how many U.S. troops intended for the surge will have to backfill the departing British troops?
I have witnessed/experienced a few British officer snobs who looked down their noses at me but I've had U.S. Army cake eaters do the same.
Same with us my friend.........hobbled by a congress riding the ass end of the best built spear in the world. Even the best of the best can’t consult a committee for unity of command and span of control issues under fire.
Stay safe !
Hi mate!
I’m glad that you’ve had a good experience with British troops. Despite all the current controversy, I think it highly likely that British forces will retain a presence in Iraq until the US leaves. The UK government is still refusing to put an artificial timetable on withdrawal and has repeatedly reiterated that UK forces will only leave when their job is done. The key problem seems to be that the British don’t have enough troops on the ground in Iraq (5500 to control a city/ provinces with a couple of million people in them.) The British army appears to be fully stretched between Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s a shame that other countries haven’t been more forthcoming in offering troops to help out.
Platoon daddy......
I’m the Colour sergeant. I tell both the platoon commander and other soldiers where they’re going wrong!!!
I was an instructor at Sandhurst some years back, and yes, it was a pleasure then and its a pleasure now.
Officers don’t usually stay long in my platoon if my opinion is not sought after!!!
“I have witnessed/experienced a few British officer snobs who looked down their noses at me but I’ve had U.S. Army cake eaters do the same.”
Officers by their very nature look down on the private rank and file. However, a good officer may still look down his nose at us, but will know when to ask his more experienced NCOs advice when he makes decisions in the heat of battle.
To be honest with you, there have been officers I have respect for, but wouldn’t be on the top of my invite list to social occasions....
“Maybe our expectations were too high?”
I had mixed feelings about our ‘berets in the street’ policy. Strategies and tactics have to change. We were the worlds best at COIN (and still are!), we’ve been doing it since WW2 (only 1 year since WW2 that we haven’t been in a conflict) and always changed our strategies and tactics to suit the envirionment and insurgent.
Although we don’t operate in the way that most people on here are led to believe i.e. that we spend most of the time in base, which was pretty much a US COIN tactic up until recently, I don’t believe in a ‘softly, softly’ approach. We should be knocking on doors and taking the fight to the ‘undesirables’ which was the initial stance, rather than being reactive.
All the reports i’ve read on this matter are crap. I’ve even read posts on here from people claiming that they’ve travelled to Basra and seen British soldiers in base refusing to patrol, even though the evidence proves to the contrary. I’ve heard and seen the conscientius objectors...sorry, objector...but not once had we had one of our soldiers refuse to patrol, which is more than I can say for soldiers from other countries army that are there... no names!!!
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