Marines look to Vietnam in training Iraqi security

[bemildred]

Anybody remember this?

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The Marine Corps also is taking a page from Vietnam. But it is drawing on a part of its Vietnam experience it considers a success to prepare for its mission of building an Iraqi security force strong enough to allow U.S. and coalition troops to go home.

Lt. Gen. John Sattler, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, said that when his Camp Pendleton-based Marines return to Iraq next year, their primary mission will switch from hunting down insurgents to training and mentoring Iraqi security forces. To that end, he intends to "embed" small Marine teams in Iraqi army or police units for extended periods.

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"We went back and read through the history, read the after-action (reports) on CAP," Sattler said, referring to the Combined Action Platoon program.

The Marines operated the CAP program from 1965 to 1971, despite U.S. Army opposition, in an effort to secure their sector in the northern region of South Vietnam.

SignOnSanDiego

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. That worked really well didn't it. The whole thing is absolutely nutz.

[yorgatron]

2. you know what they SHOULD be training for?

leaping onto a helicopter from the roof of the embassy.

[VegasWolf]

7. ROFLMAO! That is why they built Iraq's new embassy with a super

extra large heliopad.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. LOL..at least the marines recognize Iraq is another Viet Nam

[Anarcho-Socialist]

4. To learn from Vietnam..

...would have meant not going into Iraq in the first place.

[Ernesto]

5. I saw my friend (a US Marine) start crying........

When he heard that he was being assigned to a CAP unit. The man (no sissy) was on his 2nd Vietnam tour, serving with the grunts. He knew that his life expectancy had just been cut drastically.
The greatest fear we had was being captured, next greatest was of getting the "death penalty" by being assigned to a CAP.

[Bigmack]

6. Grim joke from Vietnam...

... updated to Iraq.

"Hey, New Iraqi Army rifles for sale.... never been fired and only dropped once!"

The "insurgents" are just licking their chops waiting for CAP's.

[icymist]

8. Insanity - To keep trying to do the same thing over again, but....

expecting different results. Our leaders are insane.