Policymakers not in the fight - Stars and Stripes LTE

[Piedras]

Policymakers not in the fight

My son, a two-tour Iraq war veteran, recently told me about the Army’s new policy regarding responding to attacks on convoys in Iraq. The convoys will now “stand and fight” rather than fire and run as was previously the practice. According to an officer quoted in the March 31 article “Convoys to take ‘the fight to the enemy’”, the old policy “gave bad guys the perception that Americans run away.”

I have two children in this war, one active and one reserve, and I am a Vietnam War veteran who has had infantry training that I put to use. I learned one thing in Vietnam that has held me in good stead regarding military adventurism: One who spouts bravado is usually not the one taking the fire.

<snip>

President Bush and his crew created a mess that we will live with for years; many have died for already, and some, like my son, may die for in the future. When policies such as the one identified in your article are put in place to give a perception that we are brave (this has never been in question), it does nothing more than give some of the gutless wonders who make our policy the sense that they are brave. How about the men and women who are affected by the policies? “Bring ’em on” is a term used by those who have no backbone and less foresight. It is these people who will send others off to die for a questionable cause while telling their own to go shopping.

As for my son, he told me that he and any crew he is part of will not be made grease spots for this policy to “stand and fight.” He will be putting the pedal to the board and getting out of a fight as quickly as possible so that he can possibly come home in one piece.


More at http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=36519

[atreides1]

1. Stand and Fight

Almost like what Hitler told Field Marshall Friederich Paulus at Stalingard!!!!

[Dhalgren]

2. Spot on! And we have 50 US soldiers dead in 16 days

to prove it...