Friday, December 19, 2014

A French Soldier's View of US Soldiers in Afghanistan

Anyone with a passing knowledge of Kipling knows the lines from Chant Pagan: 'If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white/remember it's ruin to run from a fight./ So take open order, lie down, sit tight/ And wait for supports like a soldier./ This, in fact, is the basic philosophy of both British and Continental soldiers. 'In the absence of orders, take a defensive position.' Indeed, virtually every army in the world. The American soldier and Marine, however, are imbued from early in their training with the ethos: In the Absence of Orders: Attack! Where other forces, for good or ill, will wait for precise orders and plans to respond to an attack or any other 'incident', the American force will simply go, counting on firepower and SOP to carry the day.

15 comments:

LL said...

That may be a view from another service, but it's not true.

If attacked, US troops will call in fire support whether that is from tube artillery or from air assets on-call. That's doctrinal. They may also maneuver to counter the threat.

Anonymous said...

There are some good comments at the end of the article.

LL is correct, given the situation.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like propaganda to me. I wouldn't be surprised if that was actually written by an American, even if it was originally published in French.

To compare the current crop of US "warriors" to those who fought in REAL wars like WWII and Korea is laughable. Those older wars entailed fighting against enemies that could fight back with comparable or even greater firepower. That required ten thousand times more courage and skill than fighting the Taliban.

Moreover, while America has never been perfect, Americans in the mid-1900s had little reason to doubt that they were fighting on the side of the "good guys." Today the evil nature of the US government is plain for all to see: support of dictatorships around the globe, unprovoked invasions, cruel torture of prisoners (many of whom are later proven to be innocent), air strikes with little regard for collateral damage, intrusive surveillance that would make even the Stasi blush, and the creation of a militarized police state within our own borders.

There is NO excuse for serving such an organization today, when the Internet grants us access to knowledge far beyond what was accessible to the older generation. If I sign up to join Uncle Scam's imperial legions today, I'm signing up to serve the very same people who hate our freedom, have destroyed the Constitution, gassed children at Waco (and burned them, possibly intentionlly), and have the blood of MILLIONS of foreigners on their hands. This is the cold, hard truth.

We in the freedom movement need to stop drinking the government Kool-Aid and quit sucking up to the military. The military is the enforcement arm of the US government. It makes not a lick of sense to hate or distrust the US ruling elite while genuflecting before their willing enforcers.

Liberty or Death said...

That is very true LL, however, having done QRF, you don't always have that luxury. A sudden hard assault from guntrucks and dismounts can throw off the ambush turning the momentum to our favor giving time to extract those caught in the ambush zone. I think that's the perspective he was writing from anyway. One thing I find humorous is the foreign military guys always tend to comment on our physical size. Yes, they chuckle softly at our pudgy Soldiers, but the number of heavily muscled guys astounds them. Considering our so called scrawny guys are their average build, we pretty much dwarf all but a very few of them. Those rare ones that are big are dwarfed by "that guy" that is just simply huge. Every unit has one, you know, the guy who warms up curling 90 pound dumb bells in each hand. I can pick one up... lol.

Anonymous said...

I would think a French soldier would be the authority on U. S. combat tactics. They have been so successful in the past. (Humor).
Damn frog.
Semper Fi

Anonymous said...

Court Rules Mental Health Gun Ban Unconstitutional

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2014/12/19/sixth-circuit-mental-health-gun-ban-is-unconstitutional/

Anonymous said...

Rochambeau and Lafayette gave us the nod.

Anonymous said...

Anon 1014, you are full of shit talking about something you know nothing about. I know this because I was there importing them as a close air support pilot.
If you think our " current crop of warriors" as you put it has less skill than infantry in ww2 and Korea then you are an idiot. Every field commander in either of those wars would have given their right arm for these young men you disparage without knowledge. Their skill level in small unit tactics is superb, far better than we entered any previous war with.
You further show your ignorance with the " air strikes without regard to collateral damage" comment. The ROE in the current conflict is the most restrictve that has ever been employed, restrictive to the point that it has hindered the entire effort. Thousands of our men have died because we have tied our own hands far more tightly than even Vietnam.
In short, you sound like an emotional fool to those in the know. One of the most important skills for a patriot and warrior is to correctly identify friend from foe. You have some more study to do.

Anonymous said...

(Quote)
I would think a French soldier would be the authority on U. S. combat tactics. They have been so successful in the past. (Humor).
Damn frog.
Semper Fi
(End quote)

Yes, they did have quite a few successes in the past. A little affair called "The battle of Yorktown" comes to mind?

http://exiledonline.com/war-nerd-glory-to-the-french/

Anonymous said...

I feel obliged to defend the French just a bit. Their modern reputation for cowardice is somewhat unearned, and mostly comes from them getting steamrolled by the Wehrmacht in 1940 in a matter of weeks.

First, I doubt there was a country anywhere in 1940 that wouldn't have been steamrolled by the Wehrmacht -- including the USA. France had the misfortune of sharing a contiguous land border with them. The English Channel was the only thing that saved the Brits from the same fate.

Second, the French suffered enormous casualties less than a full generation prior during the first World War. They were still not demographically recovered from it when the second World War broke out.

Without the help of those Frogs we'd probably still be British subjects today.

Anonymous said...

Anon at 12:43,

You haven't really explained how I'm wrong. Your argument, if it can even be called that, seems to consist mainly of personal attacks mixed with a few unsupported claims.

So you say today's soldiers are more skilled than those who fought WWII, Korea, etc. How do you figure? Do you have any more experience in those wars than I do? I suppose you think the Taliban are a more formidable enemy than WWII Germany? LOL

Yes, I know about America's "Shock & Awe" rules of engagement, including the "signature strikes" with drones. The civilian body count tells me all I need to know about that. And if US troops are so skilled, then why do they need any air support at all against enemies like the Taliban? The Taliban doesn't have any air support. Older generations of US GIs had to contend against enemies who were as well equipped as they were.

Anyway, the truth may hurt, but it remains the truth. You must really love Obama, Bush, and the rest of the ruling political class if you signed up to obey their orders and live or die at their command.

As a member of the freedom movement, I have identified the enemy: those who seek to take away our freedom and who are trampling the Bill of Rights every day. I'll let you figure out who that is, but here's a hint: it ain't the Taliban.

Anonymous said...

Anon@12:43PM: That is very comforting, sir. Now riddle me this: What will these super-soldiers do when they get their marching orders to invade my home town with their MRAPS, shoot my family, confiscate my firearms, and haul any survivors to the nearest FEMA camp? Do these "best-of-the-best" understand their Constitutional Oath? Or, will their debt-financed salaries take precedent over any consideration for my fundamental rights?
I was in the Green Machine('69-'71) and also did seven years as an active reservist. The people I served with never lost sight of their obligation to their country(read the PEOPLE). So heap all the praise you want on today's CALL TO DUTY warrior caste. They probably deserve it. But be ready to think the unthinkable when your heroes turn on you because their CIC, Hillary or Jeb, has told them it's for the "greater good".

AJ said...

Good propaganda. Mind you, I have two kids in the service.

Cameraman said...

In Regards to The Discussion on The WWII and Korean Vets. My Father and Uncles Fought against the Japanese, and Germans..They had Old equipment
and Little Food..Compared to My brothers and Others that were in Southeast Asia..The Spirit of the American Fighting Man is what Got them Through all the really tough times..fast forward to today, they are the best Fighting force in the World, and by any measure the best at what we do, however the Politicians have always tied their Hands with ROE and is Far worse than WWII or Korea or Vie Nam..again From what I know and see Many will do as they are told, but not all...


Semper Fi

Anonymous said...

Restrictive ROE seem to exist to prolong the battle, which inevitably leads to more civilian casualties, as well as more military casualties on both sides.

Delay is bad. Finish the fight and get back to farming.

JMHO, as no friend of extensive non-contiguous empire.