The Morning Coffee has been serving up hot, steaming cups of opinion and fact, sans cream and sugar, for almost 13 months now; 70-ish editions. The Coffee Pot was out of order for about six months, so if you take out that period of time, my numbers look a lot better – basically 10 editions per month. See, stats really CAN do anything. Anyway, the Morning Coffee is proudly back online, in blog form, and will be updated as I brew. It is current now, up to the most recent edition. Here’s the link: http://the-morning-coffee
Moving on. I was worried that I would suffer from performance anxiety with the new blog commitment, but it seems that there’s a lot to write about today, and I want to do each topic justice. Just don’t get used to the length or frequency.
Afghanistan Revisited:
Marine Corps Commandant General James Conway would like to draw down Marine forces in Iraq and redeploy them in Afghanistan. You remember Afghanistan, right? It’s that place right between Pakistan and Iran. It’s easy to forget about the first battlefield in the so-called War on Terror, what with all the excitement in Iraq. Besides, the Taliban were utterly wiped out right after 9/11, and Afghanistan is a stable democracy with a thriving economy based on the production and export of benign agricultural goods. Unfortunately, the entire last sentence is false, and Conway knows this. It appears that not many other people know this, however. The ones who do seem too focused on the political.
The Marine Corps was sent to one of the most troublesome spots in Iraq (al-Anbar), and after a time, their tactics yielded remarkable results. The Army has begun to use some of these tactics as well. But Afghanistan is growing increasingly problematic, with a resurgent Taliban in the southeast. Every year, poppy production sets a new record, and the government of Afghanistan is having a difficult time dealing with either by itself. With little attention paid to the Crossroads of Civilization by our leadership, we run the risk of losing whatever we’ve worked for there. The Corps would like to prevent this, and bring an actual combat element (a so-called “kinetic bent”) to bear in Afghanistan.
This plan is not received with open arms by many in the military and government. For one, some think that it’s the Marine Corps’ attempt to disengage from Iraq while the going is somewhat good and get involved in Afghanistan, taking a leading role in the theater that has the most public support. A mere PR move, basically. But in addition to this, there are fears that the military would lose a great deal of experience in dealing with the various factions in al-Anbar. Probably true. But perhaps more importantly, the Army would feel that it is shouldering the burden of Iraq alone, and if things got worse there, it would then shoulder the blame – alone. And if the Marine Corps went to Afghanistan and had the same success as it did in Anbar, well, that wouldn’t look good on the Army, and the Corps, which virtually never has the recruiting problems the Army has, would further endear itself to the American public and the public of Afghanistan.
The main-stage may be in Iraq, but along with the glory are the searing lights; the glare of public and governmental scrutiny. It seems as if the Army is worried that success might not be attainable (with or without the Marine Corps), and they want someone to share the inevitable blame that will be doled out to the military. The success the Corps had in Anbar merely builds the legend further. Near single-handed success on the side-stage (but nevertheless, in a WHOLE COUNTRY) by the Corps would make the Army feel bad. And we cannot have that. We cannot even run the risk of hurting feelings, no matter how important Afghanistan may be geopolitically, and let’s not forget, strategically. No matter the Corps’ goals and intentions, this is pure CYA. I doubt if the proposition will even be seriously entertained by the powers at be simply because, well, this sort of talk is bold and radical. See yesterday’s edition for snide remarks on the prospects for the bold and radical.
Side note – the US Air Force also feels bad that it’s not taking an active role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it’s worried that funds will be cut because of this. The latter is probably true, due to the unfortunate short-sightedness of our elected officials. But to address the USAF for a second, I suggest this: keep on practicing bombing things to devastating affect, and keep working to achieve air superiority against all enemies. I have a feeling we’ll be in need of your services in due time.
Army Recruiting Revisited:
I wrote a bit about this yesterday, but a new article by the Wall Street Journal has given me more to discuss. In this article, it is revealed that the Army has realized that it must assuage the fears of “mom and dad” before it can sink its hooks into America’s children. You know, like, “what will my kid do when he gets out of the Army”, that sort of thing. The Army has the answers, and the answers are slick.
The “Army Advantage Fund” (not to be confused with the “Army Disadvantage Fund” in which you are divested of your limbs in return for service) is being rolled out which will give enlistees money for the purchase of homes or the starting of businesses upon the completion of service. Do 18-year-olds think about mortgages and business ventures? No. But 45-year-old parents do, hence the desire to go after “influencers.” Not bad when you consider Col Sterling’s statement: “In marketing terms, the Army’s core product – military service – is a tough sell right now. That means the Army needs to develop new ways of reaching people. We need a new kind of competitive advantage.” That’s a fact. Serving your country, as discussed yesterday, just ain’t what it used to be. There’s simply no glory in it.
You may have noticed the Army has gone through a few recruiting slogans recently. “Be All That You Can Be” was a winner. But it apparently didn’t reach the “Me Generation.” So they moved onto “An Army of One” which sounded more like it belonged on a trailer of a Rambo movie. Since that one sucked, they started using “Army Strong,” as in, “you made him strong, we’ll make him Army strong.” Frankly, I don’t really know what that means. With the lowered standards, does it mean, “we’ll expose him to organized crime, gangs, arsonists, make him fat and morally bankrupt?” Of course, I exaggerate, but does anyone know what that means? With the Army Advantage Fund, the next slogan should simply be, “We’ll Give You Everything You Need. Period.” Never mind giving you the mindset necessary to make something of yourself when you leave, we’ll just give it to you.
Honor:
This is a great story; one of the shining examples of honor and courage. Bill Krissoff’s son, Marine Lt (1st or 2nd I don’t know) Nathan Krissoff, was killed in Iraq. Bill is an orthopedic surgeon with a well-off practice, and he wanted to honor his son by joining the Navy as a combat surgeon. Can you believe this?! A 61 year old man leaving a life of luxury because he wanted to honor his son who died in combat while serving his nation. But, he’s 61, and a bit too old. What to do?
In Reno, Bill was in a room with a bunch of families who also lost loved ones in Iraq. They were meeting with Bush. The President asked if there was anything he could do, likely a question for which he wanted no answer. But he got one from Bill: “Yeah, there is one thing. I want to join the Navy medical corps and I gotta get some help here.” The Navy called him three days later; his waiver was granted. Bill has been commissioned a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy. Unbelievable courage and honor. It’s what we need more of.
Word of the Day: Kvetch (intransitive verb (also used as a noun)): to complain habitually.
On This Day in History: The UN General Assembly passed UN Resolution 37/37 which stated that the Soviet Union should withdraw forces from Afghanistan (1982). Clearly, that worked, since the Soviet Union stayed until 1989 – what a waste of time – a mere suggestion Perhaps a resolution stating that the sun should not set would be worthy of UN consideration.
“...the glorious memory of brave men is continually renewed; the fame of those who have performed any noble deed is never allowed to die; and the renown of those who have done good service to their country becomes a matter of common knowledge to the multitude, and part of the heritage of posterity.” – Polybius. If only this were the case…
“The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations, and benefits.” – Plutarch
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