Iran? Just had dinner with a ranking Navy Officer from one of our gulf bound Carrier Groups

[doublethink]

by hilage
Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 09:49:12 PM PST

Five days ago I had dinner with one of the officers on a ship in one the carrier groups heading to the Gulf. He is an officer who has served at the Pentagon and spent time training at the War College. He is not a gung-ho type, rather he is the type of considered, intelligent officer who gives you hope for the military and pride in our country. Like all of us here and DKos he thinks the war is a huge mistake for many reasons. But during conversation, the subject of casualties in Iraq came up and his wife began looking nervous so I said, "Well, at least Iraq has no Air Force." The officer turned to me with a look that suggested I was the dumbest person on the planet and said, very slowly and clearly, "Yes, but Iran does."
more past the fold....

more here: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/1/11/03044/7710

The above was posted at the dailyKos the night * gave his escalation speech, I have no way of knowing of the posters legitimacy but they went on to post the following in the responses to the thread....


Hard to vouch for my own legitimacy (182+ / 0-)
I have posted a few times at MYDD under the same user name - so you can check my posts there. I assure you that this is all true. I am vague about the officer because I have to say I'm getting a little paranoid and I would hate for him to get in trouble for comments I quoted from him. Let me just say he is sufficiently ranked that it would not be hard to narrow down who it was if I was More specific.

by hilage on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 10:52:50 PM PST

Anyway they re-emphasize a few good points ...... the least of which is our Military Is being Broken by the bush cabal. Just thought I'd pass this story on to DU, and to inquire of any other story's DU'ers might have first hand on Military Deployments(Navy/AirForce in particular?) Peace.

[blm]

1. My husband's cousin is headed over - he's a Navy pilot stationed at Norfolk now.

He finished his training last year. He is trying to not act sick over it, but, he is. We will be seeing him tomorrow for a baby shower and expect to hear the fuller picture. He and my husband are like brothers. I guess I can post a fuller picture tomorrow night.

[doublethink]

4. I'll be looking for your thread blm ...

and it goes without saying that my thoughts and prayers are with him and your whole family. As with all our service members, and everyone caught up in this fiasco. Thanks for your response. Peace.

[blm]

12. Interesting conversation. Now he's scheduled for September, but have been told

they'll be leaving earlier 'if things heat up' and his wife said those were the exact words that were used.

She also added that everyone (Norfolk base) is complaining that they can't believe anything that is said one day because it will change the next or the following week. She said wives are nervous wrecks for the most part because of the constant changes. She has decided for her own sanity to just tough it out and concentrate on her two kids and not rely on what is said by the brass anymore because she said it would make you crazy if you did.

For myself, I said I would side with those families pissed off that they get the constant runaround from an organization that can't uphold their promises made and I WOULD make a stink about it. Seems too many women fear they would harm their spouses' status some way to make public complaints about the runarounds they are forced to live with.

[Marrah_G]

15. May he come home safe and sound

n/t

[seemslikeadream]

2. To sum up our long and disturbing conversation:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/1/11/03044/7710

To sum up our long and disturbing conversation:

The much if not all of our carrier capacity in the Gulf is pointed at Iran, this is what they are wargaming and what the officers are worried about.
The Persian Gulf is not a great place for carriers. For all of our power and the capacity of our officers, any ship in the Gulf is very exposed to missile fire.
Even if not one solider had been killed or wounded in Iraq, the costs of the war in equipment, damage to recruitment efforts, readiness erosion, and morale would still take at least a decade to revoer from, likely longer.

[doublethink]

10. Sometimes in stories like these you have to kinda read between the lines ...

and come to your own validity of truth based on what the poster claims. And I see nothing they said to suggest any of this was made up. Just a night out on the town and a talk with some high-up officer headed to the Gulf. I'm a septic at heart, but everything this person said made sense. Peace.

[kimmerspixelated]

3. This is the third time today I've read something

so disparaging about Iran, and I must say I am as scared as I was just after 9/11. Why can't we stop the madness-my God, Why!

[doublethink]

5. Hopefully we still can ..... stop the madness. Awareness, speaking truth to power.

Our military is seeing through all this b.s. more and more too. OUR CONSTITUTION does not give bush dictatorial powers, no matter how he argues his 'unitary executive privilege.' ..... lighting a fire under our elected Senators and Congress-reps ... is one thing we can all stay up on. The rest of us have to take to the streets, peacefully. I even saw Anderson Cooper covering some of the small but emerging peace rallies on TV last night. Those will grow, and if we can continue to get media coverage and more MSM pundits like Olberman, Mathews, on and on to back us up.... well ... have faith, your not alone in all of this, none of us are. Hang in there, Peace. :)

[durtee librul]

7. I see the warmeister is taking his buds

to Camp David for the weekend - - isn't this the weekend MoveOn is having their rally in DC? If it is, how convenient he 'chose' this weekend for some 'team' building.

I have sent emails so every congress person I think could grow some cajones and pleaded with them to stop this. It is open season on our military....and I fear they know it as well.

[doublethink]

9. Well here's another petition you can sign from moveon ......

you probably already have though ... and thanks for putting the pressure on Our Government, We The People .. huh? Peace. :)

Petition No Escalation In Iraq: http://pol.moveon.org/noescalation/

[SpiralHawk]

6. Commander AWOL is "breaking the military"

Not surprising, with his own shameful military record of incompetence and desertion.

How did he ever get to be "commander in chief"

And how did a guy with FIVE military deferments (Dick Shotgun Cheney) ever get to be Second in Command.

These republicons are total jokes as military leaders.

They have destroyed our once strong military, and left America weaker.

Of course, their republicon cronies are GETTING RICH on oil and munitions from this Lie-based Crusade for Oil Profits

[jwirr]

8. So correct. All those idiots who fell for the swiftboating of John

Kerry and voted for AWOL *ss had better get down on their collective knees and ask forgiveness for destroying our nation. I emailed some of the senators today asking them to continue to push the bill regarding the Constitutional right for the senate to oversee any escalation *ss plans. This is terrible. Aside from the deaths he is going to cause we are going to be is so much economic trouble that a fly will be able to defeat us in the future.

[doublethink]

11. RawStory: Bush tells 60 Minutes 'no matter what Congress wants' surge is on

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=3112029&mesg_id=3112029

Can you spell Constitutional Crisis? :eyes: Peace.

[lyonn]

13. Constitutional Crisis, bottom line!

We, USA, have never approved of a Unitarian Executive, we now have one. Not to mention one lacking in gray matter.

[Marrah_G]

14. I am absolutely convinced they are planning to bomb Iran

I am not a tin-foil hat person and I try to be very logical when looking at things, but my brothers re-call from retirement, knowing the job he has expertise in, I know in my gut something is up. I just hope and pray that cooler heads prevail and a disaster is headed off for the sake of not only our own military but also for the innocents in Iran.