Rolling to war with too few troops

MSNBC ^ | 03/28/03 | Col. Jack Jacobs (Ret)

[TSgt]

Poor military planning placed soldiers at risk

DOHA, Qatar, March 28 — Since the war began little more than a week ago, military leaders have gone to great pains to assure the public that the campaign in Iraq is unfolding as planned. Repeated waves of bombing hit Baghdad regularly, destroying key military targets with little collateral damage, and ground troops have made perhaps the fastest ground advance in U.S. military history toward the capital. But it is difficult to understand the tactical or strategic philosophy behind the incredibly small number of troops employed so far in this campaign.

[TSgt]

I'm not big on these retired military analysts but I have a bad feeling about how the war effort is going and what is about to happen around and in Baghdad. Saddam's holding back and I think the today's announcement of an additional 160,000 Guard and Reserve activations coupled with the 4th Infantry's delay to battle gives me an uneasy feeling.

I pray I’m wrong.

[optik_b]

Did you see this quote from Lt. General William Wallace:

"The enemy we're fighting is different from the one we'd war-gamed against, because of the paramilitary forces. We knew they were here, but we did not know how they would fight."

[TSgt]

Yep,

Not sure if that is a O'$h!t alert or not but it don't be sounding good...

[Hermann the Cherusker]

This article gets the hand-wringing alert of the day.

Article Summary: Despite the enormous success of the campaign, we're about to lose after just 7 days!

[68skylark]

I've been following mobilizations closely, and I have not heard the figure you cite (of 160,000 new Guard and Reserve troops to be mobilized).

I've heard that 120,000 troops have received their deployment orders. And from what I understand a lot of these troops are active-duty troops. Or they are Guard and Reserve troops who have already been put on active duty weeks (or months) ago and have now been "validated" for overseas deployment.

If you have information about new Guard and Reserve call ups that you are able to share on this public forum, I'd like to know about it, and I'm sure others would also.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I notice he is a retired Col. I think he is gloating a little over what he perceives to be a poorly planned campaign being conducted by Generals. I am sick of ArmChair Generals (Colonels) second guessing in the middle of the campaign. Save it til it's over Col. He has no more info than the general public but he has decided we're losing too. Let's call Peta Jennings and see what his expertise tells him. GIMME A BREAK.

[KeyWest]

A classic indicator of too few troops would be high casualties. Not happening.

[mondonico]

Gen. William Wallace was one of the Clinton administration officials who was responsible for sharing sensitive military data with the Red Chinese military. http://www.wlhoward.com/bulletins/tib500.htm

[the_doc]

See my post at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/878355/posts?page=53#53

[UB355]

As of now I have stopped watching any ex military analysis.
This morning Friday March 28th around 10:45 AM EST Fox was interviewing a retired Marine by the name of Alex Vernon who clearly stated the number of Apache helicopters connected with 101st Airbourne. Totally irresponsible on the part of Fox News. This coverage using the gaggle of retired military on the part of Fox and others is way out of line and totally unproductive. I'm pi**ed and have e-mailed Fox News to complain.

[Grampa Dave]

THIS JUST IN: "Americans who only watch ABCNNBCBS and only read the Compost, NY Slimes, Reuters or AP, are at risk for developing depression, shingles, and other DSM V symptoms and signs.

Rx : FREE REPUBLIC 1x q6h or prn" Rx : FREE REPUBLIC 1x q6h or prn"

[CasearianDaoist]

You are wrong. All of these units recieved deplyment orders months ago - they are just deploying now. More shameless Liberal spin. This campaign is going wonderfully. It's all nonsense.

[LS]

I don't. I have a feeling that JUST LIKE 1991, we are all being set up for the real attack, which will be unbelievably swift.

I'm stunned at the people who have forgotten "Hey diddle diddle, right up the middle" with Schwartzkopf, and the REPEATED refernces to an "amphibious invasion from the east." Then at the last minute, there was the "Hail Mary" and everyone was stunned.

Folks, with every minute that passes, I'm more convinced that the II Marine Exped. Force and 101st Air, which are virtually unaccounted for coming out of the WEST, are going to give Saddam and these pundits a REAL BAD DAY.

[Maigret]

Isn't it great that our military has to deal with the attacks of the fifth column along with all the other fronts? Can you imagine how much pain these idiot pundits are causing the families of those over there? Rumsfeld, Myers, Franks, et al, know what they are doing yet like Afghanistan they have to fight the attacks from the liberal media that come disguised as hang wringing worry. The media and these old military 'commentators' make me sick.

[wideawake]

Yes. This article is shocking: one officer is Monday morning quarterbacking another officer's strategy. Wow, that never happens.

The calling in of the 4ID is not some desperation move by a failing command - the 4ID was scheduled to have been deployed months ago!

Our troops wargamed for city fighting - which may still happen.

[TSgt]

I'll apologize in advance for not having anything other than a radio broadcast for confirmation but I heard it on 700 WLW this morning while on my way into work. They positioned it as 160,000 additional Guard and Reserve activations however it was only if CENTCOM requests it.

I can't understand why the Pentagon would be considering a larger mobilization if CENTCOM hadn't mentioned needing additional troops.

Not trying to look down on the fine efforts of our troops thus far, I'm just saying that I personally have a bad feeling about what we might be facing and how we may or may not have planned for battle in terms of troop strength and enemy ferocity.

[Grampa Dave]

Even the DNC is about ready to drop their Perfumed Princess pretending to be a Perfumed General!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/877952/posts

So much for the Democrats' hope that retired General Wesley Clark was going to be their Colin Powell. "He's more Benedict Arnold than anything else, if you believe the mail we've been getting here," says the Democratic National Committee staffer who, only a month ago was touting Clark as his party's answer to the military star power aligned with Republicans.

"Any cachet he might have had he's pretty much pissed away on TV," says the staffer.

Since the outbreak of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Clark has been on CNN, bemoaning the Pentagon and Gen. Tommy Franks's strategy in the opening days of taking down Saddam. And while several other senior retired military men have made critical comments about the ongoing fighting -- Ret. Gen. Barry McCaffrey, another former Clinton-era official, has been quick to criticize during his stints on MSNBC -- Clark has by far been the most vocal.

"It just looks really bad that he's knocking the troops and the way we're executing this war," says the DNC staffer. "He's taking hits everywhere, on TV, in the newspapers, on talk radio. People are furious at him. We can't fundraise off performances like this. The only presidential candidate that would probably want to be seen with him is Howard Dean."

[oyez]

I understand the Ft. Hood os a hellofa' place to train for the fighting the 4th would be in for.

[oyez]

I understand the Ft. Hood os a hellofa' place to train for the fighting the 4th would be in for.

[af_vet_rr]

If it weren't for the militias, the towns in the rear would have fallen fast and the people probably would have rebelled. If Turkey hadn't screwed us over, we'd have to large divisions hitting Baghdad. That's really the only major mistakes that were made (and Turkey couldn't really be called a mistake, more of a backstabbing), and it is quickly being ratified. More Iraqis civilians are going to die because of the militias prolonging things or forcing them to fight, but that's not our fault and shouldn't be a concern.