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2006-08-05 Home Front: WoT

West Point Military Academy scraps Vietnam for Iraq

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Posted by trailing wife 2006-08-05 19:56|| || Front Page|| [11139 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 These cadets are getting IED detection training, live fire exercises in the field, and a lot of discussion about professional ethics and behavior -- plus some who are close to graduating are spending time with GEN(ret) Tommy Franks talking about leadership in combat.

The rising seniors chose as their class ring insignia a '911' in which the '11' is formed by the Twin Towers of the WTC.

It's not a game. Most graduates have a good chance of seeing or directly supporting combat, and they know it. And came and stayed anyway. We owe them a lot.

Posted by USMAer 2006-08-05 20:33|| 2006-08-05 20:33|| Front Page Top

#2 We owe them all we have

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-08-05 20:55|| 2006-08-05 20:55|| Front Page Top

#3 The lessons of Vietnam could be even more brutal. A SF LTC told us this one:

Way behind enemy lines, his small band of Hmong had just come back from a long mission and were exhausted, when they get an emergency mission: a major flight of US aircraft will be flying over a significant SAM battery in three hours. Unless that SAM battery is destroyed, those aircraft will be chopped to ribbons.

They grabbed whatever weapons they could and literally had to run through the jungle to get to the SAM site. En route, they chanced across an NVA soldier out by himself, and captured him.

Here was the problem. They couldn't leave anyone to guard him, or take him to their secret base; and they couldn't take him with them.

What would you do?

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-08-05 21:31|| 2006-08-05 21:31|| Front Page Top

#4 The victim was no longer a threat, so no follow-up shots should have been fired

Wrong, he still had an IED strapped to his chest, he was still a threat.

Posted by 49 Pan 2006-08-05 21:39|| 2006-08-05 21:39|| Front Page Top

#5 Personally, I think the scenario played out about right. Often, there is not the luxury of time to do what these soldiers did. Such a delay might result in the deaths of your own soldiers. The lessons of the Pacific island campaign of WW II should not be forgotten--don't do too much "navel" inspection and don't fret too much about moral ambiguties in heated combat. Winning the war has a way of sorting things. Heard the other day that Faleuja is one of the safer places to be in Iraq. Might have something to do with the Marines pacifying this city in the second battle of Faleuja.

Posted by JohnQC 2006-08-05 22:54|| 2006-08-05 22:54|| Front Page Top

#6 Well, I'd rather go straight to jail than let my squad get blown to bits by a wounded bomber...

Posted by gb506 2006-08-05 22:55|| 2006-08-05 22:55|| Front Page Top

#7 Also, don't approach a dead bomber. Somebody with a remote detonator may be watching.

Posted by ed 2006-08-05 22:58|| 2006-08-05 22:58|| Front Page Top

23:44 Redneck Jim
23:13 Bobby
23:11 ed
23:06 Bobby
23:05 Legolas
23:04 JohnQC
22:58 ed
22:55 gb506
22:54 JohnQC
22:50 JosephMendiola
22:50 Snease Shaiting3550
22:47 JosephMendiola
22:40 ed
22:39 JosephMendiola
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22:02 Brett
21:58 Brett
21:49 49 Pan
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21:47 49 Pan
21:43 Lone Ranger