Comments on: Heavy Weather http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778 Outside the Wire, Inside the Loop Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:56:49 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: dennis http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778#comment-839 dennis Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:41:24 +0000 http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=1778#comment-839 i know this is a old post.but a very good,well done wright up.with good insight. from the time of this post to now.has it gone from bad to worse.or holding.? thanks. i know this is a old post.but a very good,well done wright up.with good insight. from the time of this post to now.has it gone from bad to worse.or holding.? thanks.

]]> By: mark deuteronomovic http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778#comment-688 mark deuteronomovic Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:19:49 +0000 http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=1778#comment-688 War Is Boring??? Passage Exodus 15:3: 3The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Passage Psalm 144:1: Psalm 144 1Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: War Is Boring???

Passage Exodus 15:3:

3The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

Passage Psalm 144:1:
Psalm 144

1Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:

]]> By: mark deuteronomovic http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778#comment-687 mark deuteronomovic Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:16:12 +0000 http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=1778#comment-687 Bush Fought the Iraq War by the Bible and Look What Happened??? The tragedy of the Bush years and the killing of more than 1,000,000 people is that not only did our leaders abandon common sense but so did many Americans. Hitler's religious beliefs and fanaticism (Selected quotes from Mein Kampf) compiled by Jim Walker Originated: 28 Nov. 1996 Additions made: 07 July 2001 People often make the claim that Adolph Hitler adhered to Atheism, Humanism or some ancient Nordic pagan mythology. None of these fanciful and wrong ideas hold. Although one of Hitler's henchmen, Alfred Rosenberg, did undertake a campaign of Nordic mythological propaganda, Hitler and most of his henchmen did not believe in it . Many American books, television documentaries, and Sunday sermons that preach of Hitler's "evil" have eliminated Hitler's god for their Christian audiences, but one only has to read from his own writings to appreciate that Hitler's God equals the same God of the Christian Bible. Hitler held many hysterical beliefs which not only include, God and Providence but also Fate, Social Darwinism, and ideological politics. He spoke, unashamedly, about God, fanaticism, idealism, dogma, and the power of propaganda. Hitler held strong faith in all his convictions. He justified his fight for the German people and against Jews by using Godly and Biblical reasoning. Indeed, one of his most revealing statements makes this quite clear: "Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord." Although Hitler did not practice religion in a churchly Bush Fought the Iraq War by the Bible and Look What Happened???

The tragedy of the Bush years and the killing of more than 1,000,000 people is that not only did our leaders abandon common sense but so did many Americans.

Hitler’s religious beliefs and fanaticism
(Selected quotes from Mein Kampf)
compiled by Jim Walker

Originated: 28 Nov. 1996

Additions made: 07 July 2001
People often make the claim that Adolph Hitler adhered to Atheism, Humanism or some ancient Nordic pagan mythology. None of these fanciful and wrong ideas hold. Although one of Hitler’s henchmen, Alfred Rosenberg, did undertake a campaign of Nordic mythological propaganda, Hitler and most of his henchmen did not believe in it .
Many American books, television documentaries, and Sunday sermons that preach of Hitler’s “evil” have eliminated Hitler’s god for their Christian audiences, but one only has to read from his own writings to appreciate that Hitler’s God equals the same God of the Christian Bible. Hitler held many hysterical beliefs which not only include, God and Providence but also Fate, Social Darwinism, and ideological politics. He spoke, unashamedly, about God, fanaticism, idealism, dogma, and the power of propaganda. Hitler held strong faith in all his convictions. He justified his fight for the German people and against Jews by using Godly and Biblical reasoning. Indeed, one of his most revealing statements makes this quite clear:
“Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.”
Although Hitler did not practice religion in a churchly

]]> By: War Is Boring http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778#comment-652 War Is Boring Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:09:31 +0000 http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=1778#comment-652 [...] invest enough in their training. But don’t take it from me. Here’s Tim Lynch at Free Range International: [T]he ANA cannot call for or control ISAF close air support. There is no way the fight-for-pay (or [...] [...] invest enough in their training. But don’t take it from me. Here’s Tim Lynch at Free Range International: [T]he ANA cannot call for or control ISAF close air support. There is no way the fight-for-pay (or [...]

]]> By: marc http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778#comment-576 marc Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:59:02 +0000 http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=1778#comment-576 Thank you.....excellent post Thank you…..excellent post

]]> By: E2 http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778#comment-566 E2 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:32:09 +0000 http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=1778#comment-566 While putting SF commanders in charge of the PRT's seems to be a step in the right direction, why don't we go the whole way and just put them in charge of conventional units? Having done time on both the SF and conventional sides of the house here in AFG, I can attest that conventional leadership here just DOES NOT GET IT. While putting SF commanders in charge of the PRT’s seems to be a step in the right direction, why don’t we go the whole way and just put them in charge of conventional units? Having done time on both the SF and conventional sides of the house here in AFG, I can attest that conventional leadership here just DOES NOT GET IT.

]]> By: David M http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778#comment-562 David M Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:18:43 +0000 http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=1778#comment-562 The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post <a href="http://www.thunderrun.us/2009/07/from-front-07132009.html" rel="nofollow">From the Front: 07/13/2009 </a> News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 07/13/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

]]> By: Matt http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778#comment-574 Matt Mon, 13 Jul 2009 04:39:29 +0000 http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=1778#comment-574 Great post Tim, and it had some really cool thought provoking items in it. Especially the contractors for the 'hold' and 'build' phase. To me, the key component of this is sustainability of operations and a unity of effort. Will units that continue to cycle in and out leave a positive impression on the minds of the local populations, or will the locals just get pissed that they have to keep working with someone new several times a year? Kids are the same way, and if you keep moving them around from town to town or school to school, then there is no familiarity built and social relationships are not as strong as they could be. Contractors could be set up to manage a region for years and the local populations could depend on that group for 'staying put' because it is in the contract. Having a group stay for long term will also increase that organization's learning capability, and thus become really knowledgeable of that area and all of it's nuances. Finally, whatever group that stays put, (military or civilian) must be driven by the two things that will bring them success. Kaizen (continuous improvement) and customer service/satisfaction. All your work in that region can be for not, if the customer (local populations) are not satisfied. And with the proper application of Kaizen to all levels of operation, services given should only be better over time, not worse. Here are some quotes from a recent Washington Post article about the Marines and COIN in Helmand. Marine commanders believe that working with police and local government officials will help their credibility among the residents of Nawa. But some in town do not share that view. "We cannot trust the government or the Taliban," Zary Sahib, the leader of the town's mosque, told McCollough. "We can only trust you." And As a Marine patrol walked through the bazaar on a recent morning, its presence prompted a group of men sipping tea in front of a motorcycle repair shop to voice concern -- not that the Americans had arrived but that they might depart before the Taliban had been vanquished. "If you leave, everything will be the same," a middle-aged man who called himself Sayed Gul told McCollough. "If you guys stay for a long time, everything will be fine." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/11/AR2009071102815_4.html?sid=ST2009071102862 Great post Tim, and it had some really cool thought provoking items in it. Especially the contractors for the ‘hold’ and ‘build’ phase.
To me, the key component of this is sustainability of operations and a unity of effort. Will units that continue to cycle in and out leave a positive impression on the minds of the local populations, or will the locals just get pissed that they have to keep working with someone new several times a year? Kids are the same way, and if you keep moving them around from town to town or school to school, then there is no familiarity built and social relationships are not as strong as they could be.
Contractors could be set up to manage a region for years and the local populations could depend on that group for ’staying put’ because it is in the contract. Having a group stay for long term will also increase that organization’s learning capability, and thus become really knowledgeable of that area and all of it’s nuances.
Finally, whatever group that stays put, (military or civilian) must be driven by the two things that will bring them success. Kaizen (continuous improvement) and customer service/satisfaction. All your work in that region can be for not, if the customer (local populations) are not satisfied. And with the proper application of Kaizen to all levels of operation, services given should only be better over time, not worse.
Here are some quotes from a recent Washington Post article about the Marines and COIN in Helmand.

Marine commanders believe that working with police and local government officials will help their credibility among the residents of Nawa. But some in town do not share that view.
“We cannot trust the government or the Taliban,” Zary Sahib, the leader of the town’s mosque, told McCollough. “We can only trust you.”
And
As a Marine patrol walked through the bazaar on a recent morning, its presence prompted a group of men sipping tea in front of a motorcycle repair shop to voice concern — not that the Americans had arrived but that they might depart before the Taliban had been vanquished.
“If you leave, everything will be the same,” a middle-aged man who called himself Sayed Gul told McCollough. “If you guys stay for a long time, everything will be fine.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/11/AR2009071102815_4.html?sid=ST2009071102862

]]> By: LaConner Bob http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778#comment-573 LaConner Bob Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:46:45 +0000 http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=1778#comment-573 When is the political machine going to learn that they do not have the handle on running a war. We are not going to win against the shadow armies of the Taliban. We were defeated in Vietnam, and the rules of war established by the Chinese have never been followed by our modern Forces. When is the political machine going to learn that they do not have the handle on running a war. We are not going to win against the shadow armies of the Taliban. We were defeated in Vietnam, and the rules of war established by the Chinese have never been followed by our modern Forces.

]]> By: Cannoneer No. 4 http://freerangeinternational.com/blog/?p=1778#comment-572 Cannoneer No. 4 Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:32:23 +0000 http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=1778#comment-572 Thanks, Tim from Panjwayi. That tracks with RYP's comment at <a href="http://easterncampaign.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/kandahar-police-chief-killed-and/#comment-1277" rel="nofollow">Ghosts of Alexander</a>. <i>Afghan SF elements based out of Gecko</i> could be indig special operators assigned to the ANA 201st Commando Kanak, or they could be former <a href="http://cannoneerno4.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/what-happened-to-the-afghan-security-forces/" rel="nofollow">Afghan Security Forces</a> working Force Protection as <a href="http://cannoneerno4.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/afghan-security-guard/" rel="nofollow">ASG's</a> at Firebase Maholic. I guess it all depends on what the S stands for. Thanks, Tim from Panjwayi. That tracks with RYP’s comment at Ghosts of Alexander.

Afghan SF elements based out of Gecko could be indig special operators assigned to the ANA 201st Commando Kanak, or they could be former Afghan Security Forces working Force Protection as ASG’s at Firebase Maholic.

I guess it all depends on what the S stands for.

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