Time Mag Declares: America's Broken-Down Army...

TIME MAG DECLARES: America's Broken-Down Army...

www.time.com

For most Americans, the Iraq war is both distant and never ending. For Private Matthew Zeimer, it was neither. Shortly after midnight on Feb. 2, Zeimer had his first taste of combat as he scrambled to the roof of the 3rd Infantry Division's Combat Outpost Grant in central Ramadi. Under cover of darkness, Sunni insurgents were attacking his new post from nearby buildings. Amid the smoke, noise and confusion, a blast suddenly ripped through the 3-ft. concrete wall shielding Zeimer and a fellow soldier, killing them both. Zeimer had been in Iraq for a week. He had been at his first combat post for two hours.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 5-4-2007 by UM_Gazz]

If the report is true, the state of out armed forces is totally unacceptable as compared to pre-Iraq war standards and more so 1991 Gulf war standards. I happen to know that they are letting in convicted felons in the National Guard that appear to be semi-retarded! Is there anything that can be done other than a draft?!... ..to improve the operational readiness to our armed forces? Too bad the US Congress rather add in pork to the emergency “war” spending bill like peanut storage and spinach treatment crap. How long can America survive as a nation with crap like this happening? End of rant…..

BlueRidge

www.time.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Does Time Magazine think that any nation can wage war without taking a toll on both personnel and matériel?

Do they think that it's possible to fully prepare troops for combat before sending them into combat?

Probably, but they are either idiots or deceivers and I lean toward the latter.

In every war, training has been truncated because of the vicissitudes of war. In some wars, personnel are sent into combat with no training and we are a long way from that.

In this case, training is being incrementalized to meet the demands of the war.

If Americans are worried about the demands made on personnel, they should support our troops by enlisting and serving.

Those who complain about standards should be lining up to make sure the pool of enlistees is up to snuff.

I am reminded of a statement made by Gunnery Sergeant Hartmann in the film "Full Metal Jacket."

"Private Joker is silly and he's ignorant, but he's got guts and guts is enough."

There's a lot of truth to that.



[edit on 2007/4/5 by GradyPhilpott]