The Ethic of the Combat Officer

SFA Commo Sgt's Comment: This article is not necessarily the view of SFA Chapter IX nor the Chapter officers. It was sent throughout the Veteran's Net, reportedly from an anonymous General Officer.

Warrior leaders of General Patton's or General LeMay's stature are no longer wanted. The fundamental job of the military, kill bad people and break their things, has become seriously hampered critically now, by rules of engagement whose guiding logic is political, not successful, combat. If the US military is ever defeated, it will be because it is running the best Day Care centers in the world.

We used to go to the Officers Club or NCO Club Stag Bar on Friday evenings to have a drink, smoke, and swap lies with our comrades. Having a drink with friends is now frowned on. Smoking causes cancer and might harm you. Bars are seen as sexist. Our personnel have quit patronizing their clubs, because what happens in the club is now fodder for a performance report. In fact, we don't have separate clubs for the ranks any longer; instead we have something called All Ranks Clubs or Community Clubs. They're open to men and women of all ranks. But no one is there. I wonder why.

The latest brilliant thought out of Washington is that operators flying remotely pilotless vehicles (RPVs, or drones) in combat areas from their workstations inside air conditioned trailers at duty stations in Nevada or Arizona should draw the same combat pay as real-world pilots actually aboard aircraft in hostile environments. More politically correct logic. Now they're saying these same RPV operators are subject to the same stress levels as combat pilots actually flying in combat.

Is that idiotic comment actually intended to be a statement of fact?

Where are people like the dynamic leaders of the past: Robin Olds, Doolittle, Patton, Ike, Boyington, Nimitz, etc.? They're identified and forced out. This Administration doesn't want those kinds of leaders. Division Commanders don't run Divisions and Corps Commanders don't run Corps. Can you imagine someone today looking for a LEADER to execute the Doolittle Raid, and suggesting that it be given to an educated, daredevil boozer -- whose chief attributes where he had the respect of his men, an awesome ability to fly, and the organizational skills to put it together. Add to the foregoing an incredible level of courage. If so, I would tell them they were either a liar or dumber than a brick.

We've lost the war on rugged individualism and that, unfortunately, is what fighting forces want to follow; not because they have to, but because they respect true leaders. We've all run across the kind of leader that made us proud to follow him because you wanted to be like him and make a difference.

We'd better wake up! We're asking our young men and women to go to really crappy places; some with unbearable climates, never have a drink, and adhere to ridiculous regulations that require you to tuck your shirt into your PT uniform on the way to the porta-potty at night, in a blinding dust storm, because it's the uniform.

The people we're sending to combat are some of the brightest I've met but they're looking for a little sanity, which they will only find on the outside, if we don't get a damn clue. You can't continue asking people to live for months or years at a time acting like nuns and priests. Even they get to have a beer once in a while.

Who are we afraid of offending? The people that already hate us enough to strap a C-4 to their own bodies and walk into a crowd of us? Think about it. I'm massively proud of our young men and women who continue to serve. I'm also very in tune with what they're considering for the future and I've got news for whoever sits in the White House, Congress, and our so-called executive level military leaders much talent has and will continue to hemorrhage from our services, because our warriors are tired of fighting on two fronts - one with our enemies, the other with the lack of sensible direction from this Administration. Take it or leave it....that's just the way it is, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Since Barack Obama has been in the White House, high-ranking military officers have been removed from their positions at a rate that is absolutely unprecedented. Things have gotten so bad that a number of retired generals are now publicly speaking out about the 'purge' of the US military they believe is taking place.

Dozens of highly decorated military leaders have been dismissed from their positions over the past few years. Why is this happening? What is going on right now is absolutely insane, especially during a time of peace. There is ongoing a deliberate attempt to reshape the military, and remove those who don't adhere to proper 'viewpoints'. Officers that question or won't cooperate are identified, and gotten out of the way.

Throughout world history, whatever comes next after a military purge is never good. If this continues, what is the US military going to look like in a few years? Perhaps you're reading this and you think that 'purge' is too strong a word for what's taking place. If so, just consider the following quotes from some highly decorated retired officers:

- Retired Army Major General Patrick Brady (Medal of Honor)There is no doubt Obama is intent on emasculating the military, and will fire anyone who disagrees with him.

-Retired Army Lt. General William G. Jerry Boykin. Over the past three years, the number of four-star generals to be relieved of duty, and not relieved for cause, has been unprecedented.

-Retired Navy Captain Joseph John. More than 137 Navy Captains have been forced out or given bad evaluation reports so they will never make flag rank, because of their failure to comply to certain views.

SFA Commo Sgt's Comment: Late breaking is the news that Maj. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard, who as the Army’s deputy commander for operations in the Middle East over-seeing the training of Iraqi forces, was formally reprimanded in February after a three-year investigation by the Army’s inspector general....for perceptions of misconduct, apparently. Some of SFA Chapter IX's membership know MG Pittard and know him to be a good leader and good man. Many in the El Paso community want him to retire and come back to serve the community in any number of positions.

A high Pentagon official who has asked to remain nameless told me Even young officers down through the ranks have been told not to talk about Obama or the politics of the White House. They're purging everyone, and if you want to keep your job, keep your mouth shut. This trend appears to be accelerating.

Obama, who is now on his fourth Secretary of Defense, is intentionally weakening and gutting our military, and reducing us as a superpower. Anyone in the ranks who disagrees or speaks out is being identified and forced out. Coincidence? Every dictatorial regime on the planet has done this as soon as they gained power.

SFA Commo Sgt's Comment: Well, Vietnam era POW and Senator John McCain apparently thinks the military is headed downhill - based on the article titled "McCain: Military's low morale should spur Congress to act." How many of us would or could recommended that our children or grandchildren consider a military career?