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Home Front: WoT
Hagel Apologizes for Swenson's MOH Delay
2013-10-17
AP - article noted General Odierno praised him for complaining about the lack of support, which got two officers disciplined.
Posted by:Bobby

#10  Good idea. When coming under fire, instead of consulting their law books, they could just scream out in terror, "SHOOT THE BASTARDS!!!" Which they will do. Probably every time...
Posted by: tu3031   2013-10-17 21:09  

#9  Maybe combat units should have embedded JAGs - at least the grunts wouldn't have to call them up to get an opinion about whether to shoot back or not.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2013-10-17 20:00  

#8  Good for Odierno. I expect he's got his retirement home set up. He's still on active duty, isn't he?
Listening to the MOH cite mention lots of supporting fires and air assets. Wonder how much of that was padding.
Got to feel bad for the guys who got busted, though. Their informal rules, formally enforced, probably imply that a dead US soldier for lack of fire support is not as bad as a dead civilian due to fire support.
Swenson bitched. Who would have expected that?
Still like to know who withheld fire support when the SEALs' Chinook was ambushed. Probably got an ARCOM.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey   2013-10-17 14:59  

#7  Jimminey Christmas! Jag officers in ops briefings? Oh boy thank you Obama.

At least I never had to worry about that crap. Sure at certain times the ROE were a bit strange but I never had to worry about debating tactics with a lawyer...most of my work contained instructions such as "avoid contact at all cost" or "leave no witnesses if contact is made"
At some point someone has to remember that war is a kill or be killed operation and in some areas such as SE Asia, and Central Africa, the enemy combatants can be a pregnant woman with a grenade or a 6-year old with an old Soviet pistol.
Posted by: Bill Clinton   2013-10-17 11:26  

#6  Listening [from the contractor peanut gallery] to a no-time-in-grade JAG Major from Kandahar inject his opinions and 'command guidance'

I can count about a half-dozen times when a target opportunity was lost or denied thanks to a JAG decision or worse, waiting on a decision.
Posted by: Pappy   2013-10-17 10:43  

#5  Sounds to me like a whole lot of JAGs need to be introduced to a noble old military tradition. Question from an old squid - do they call it "blanket party" in the Army?
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo)   2013-10-17 09:54  

#4  Inadvertent deletion from #3:

Please add 'wet nosed and arrogant'....to no-TIG.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-10-17 09:52  

#3  Listening [from the contractor peanut gallery] to a no-time-in-grade JAG Major from Kandahar inject his opinions and 'command guidance' into a Brigade Commander's S-3 operations briefing..... one of the most interesting, as well as sad moments of my working career.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-10-17 09:50  

#2  ...but what about the JAGs who insisted on their interpretation of the ROEs which was in violation of Art. 99 of the UCMJ?
Posted by: Procopius2k   2013-10-17 08:56  

#1  At least he's an officer. Imagine a noob butterbar trying to tell a SFC MOH what to do.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey   2013-10-17 06:50  

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