But That's Me, And I Was Just Thinking

Many years ago while on active duty we were deployed on a month long field exercise in Alaska called Brim Frost. I heard a term for the first, and only time actually – tightly disbursed. It was during those days that I came to understand George Carlin’s rants about the oxymoron. Is it a huge shrimp or a small jumbo? How about others like “original copy” , “partial cease-fire”, or the one I hated until one day when I heard the Major describe tightly disbursed, and “military intelligence” all of a sudden became my favorite oxymoron.

Over the years since then I have come to appreciate how right old George really was. I have seen some really stupid decisions made in the Army. But I digress … I am not talking about having everyone in a field exercise all located on the airfield instead of in the woods in the wilds of Alaska. I am thinking of some things I have seen more recently – even today.

In July 2005, four “home grown terrorists” set off a series of 4 bombs in the subways and in a double-decker bus in London. However, the “threat level” in The United States was not elevated following that attack. The airport security was not increased, nor was the color code changed. There was, however, a tightening of security on the Army fort just up the road that we all know and love. You didn’t notice any difference getting thru the instillation gates, but there was an immediate response …. Barricades went up in the commissary parking lot, blocking a third of the available parking, and you had to show your ID card to get into the store itself. Funny thing is that you could still drive right up to the front door of any of the schools on post where defenseless children were frolicking and learning, but you had to park way away from the front entrance of the commissary. (What does that say about what the Army brass thinks of the gate security? (I’m just saying.)

After a few years, the barricades went away and parking was restored to those areas blocked and for several years now things were back to normal. Then Seals Team 6 killed Osama Bin Laden.

I had heard that security had been tightened since May 1^st , when Bin Laden was killed, but I hadn’t been on post until today. I breezed right thru the front gate with my Express Pass, the guards not even giving me much of a glance. But when I got to the commissary, the barricades were back and the parking lot was once again restricted. As I went into the commissary I had to show my ID card and I started laughing, thinking of that Major in Alaska and George Carlin – military intelligence. I could zip right thru the main gate, but had to show an ID card to get to the tomatoes. I don’t know, were they warned to protect the produce section? But that’s me, and I was just thinking

But That's Me, and I Was Just Thinking

Political pundits use words like “gutsy” to describe the President’s authorizing the raid on Bin Laden’s compound by Seals Team 6. As a soldier, I see things a little differently. I would expect no less from my Commander-in-Chief. The President, when presented with the over whelming evidence that Bin Laden was holed up in the compound, had the Constitutional responsibility and duty to act upon the intel.

There are a couple of things, though, that are troubling to me that are taking place. We have American war -fighters who are daily putting their lives on the line to protect ours, and we owe them no less than insuring that we provide them with the equipment and wherewithal to do their jobs. So, when I hear things being said and events being politicized, it upsets me.

You may remember the Jessica Lynch fiasco of a few years ago. The story was that she had been captured when the convoy she was in became lost and was attacked by Iraqi troops. Most of her team was killed during the attack and that she grabbed a weapon and fought to the bitter end and was captured. She was in a hospital in Baghdad and was rescued by an elite special ops team. However, as it turns out, some genius in the publicity department of the military decided that they needed a “feel good” event to bolster the American pride. And someone concocted the rescue of Specialist Jessica Lynch. Then brought in a crack team to bring her out. We all felt great, and the politicos began patting themselves on their backs. But like all ruses, the story began to unravel the truth came out. Had I been part of that Special Ops team, I would have been looking for that publicity mogul.

Now with OBL assuming room temperature, I see the politicos once again taking credit, and I also see things that are troubling to me.

First, the story keeps changing. First we had the feel good 40 minute firefight, a stealth Black Hawk helicopter going down and being blown in place on the way out. Then we learn, welllllllll – maybe it wasn’t a firefight after all. In fact, OBL was really unarmed, but the others in the compound were armed and part of the firefight. OBL’s wife was used as a shield and was killed – oops, it was his daughter and she was there to watch her father killed. No, it was his wife, after all, and she was shot in the leg and survived. Then it was, wellllll, actually, no one was armed, but there was a secret room with weapons ----- and the last one I heard today was that an AK-47 and a handgun were within the reach of OBL. I would rather not hear the details on how he was killed than to have a Hollywood production with alternate endings.

This was a special ops “kill” mission, as special ops missions are. You don’t send in the Seals to Mirandize the enemy.

Next, I hear that several computers and hard drives were captured and we cultivated a treasure-trove of intel. Why do I need to know that? Why alert all the other bad guys that we know a ton of stuff? That’s like announcing a surprise party for someone on Facebook.

And what about the picture? I would like to see it, but it isn’t necessary. Why did it take so long to decide not to show it and why agonize over a reason? He didn’t need a reason – he is the President. Then why was the CIA Chief, Leon Panetta, marched out to the press to announce that the photos would be released by 2 PM the next day, only to have an administration spokesman announce later that Pinetta never said that …. It isn’t like the video isn’t all over You Tube. This isn’t the 80s or 90s, you know. If I was Panetta and was being thrown under the bus like that, I tell the President to take his SecDef job and shove it. Then I would go work on Hillary’s primary campaign.

And now I hear that the CIC is going to meet with members of Seals Team 6 tomorrow. Why? These guys are stealth and their identities should never be known to anyone outside their immediate command. I only hope and pray that there are no cameras present because the minute these guy’s pictures go up on the internet, a huge target is painted on them and their families. No, this is a mistake and this is a precedent that should not be set.

There are many good things to be taken out of the operation last Sunday, so why do the politicos have to jump in once again and screw it all up. But that’s me, and I was just thinking.

But That's Me, And I Was Just Thinking

1. “Good morning, Mr. Hunt. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, involves the recovery of a stolen item designated "Chimera." You may select any two team members, but it is essential that the third member of your team be Nyah Nordoff-Hall. She is a civilian, and a highly capable professional thief. You have forty-eight hours to recruit Miss Hall and meet me in Seville to receive your assignment. As always, should any member of your team be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow all knowledge of your actions.” (Mission Impossible II, 2000)I am not writing this to disparage President Obama or our courageous special operations teams that took out Osama Bin Laden. I want that said because I have heard over the course of the last few days so much that is just so much bunk that I can no longer keep quiet.In the President’s address Sunday night he stated that he “assembled a team” to take out OBL. I just do not understand this statement from the Commander-In-Chief. He made sound like he was giving instructions to Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible. Special Operations teams have been around as long as there has been a United States Military. I met a man recently who belonged to a special ops team. He told me that his team was assigned to bring out a “high value target”. Without going into detail of why he was telling this story, he said that his team had been together for 10 years. They knew each other better than they knew themselves. The rest of his story isn’t important. What is important is that his team had been together for 10 years. Unlike the IMF team in the movies, you don’t just assemble a team at the last minute. These Special Ops guys are a highly trained unit and work together very closely. I expect they have been together for a number of years. I proudly salute these guys – professionals in every way. Now, something I need to say to those who have never found a conspiracy they didn’t like. As a soldier I am offended when I hear someone doubt that this team took out OBL. First, it would take a huge conspiracy and lots of conspirators to pull off a hoax like some are saying took place. I will tell you this, American soldiers are not mind numbed robots that blindly follow orders. First, there is no way a hoax could be perpetrated upon the American people without the truth being leaked; and second, no American Soldier would be a part of such a hoax. What I hear described is what Hollywood puts in the script of a B movie. This piece will not self destruct in 10 seconds, but, that’s me and I was just thinking.