Archive for May, 2008
Australian troops ‘scorned’ for low-risk missions: officer
Australian infantry soldiers are ashamed of their low-risk missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and are scorned by troops of other nations, two seasoned officers charged in comments published Tuesday.
“The restrictions and policies enforced on infantrymen in Iraq have resulted in the widespread perception that our army is plagued by institutional cowardice,” Major Jim Hammett wrote in the Australian Army Journal…
In a separate article, Captain Greg Colton said infantry troops were increasingly frustrated because special forces appeared to be favoured for offensive operations while they were set “second-rate operational tasks”.
I don’t think anyone really questions the capability of the Australian troops. However, much like we saw with the comment about the British Army I pointed out this morning, Sitting back due to political concerns while there’s real fighting to be done is not going to reflect well on your military and certainly won’t contribute to morale.
Security, peacekeeping, and general rebuilding duties are critically important to our war effort. But they’re not going to keep your typical infantryman satisfied for very long. These are guys who have trained to fight, and they’ve proven that they’re more than capable. To be sitting on the sidelines won’t sit well with most of them.
US uses bullets ill-suited for new ways of war
The smaller, steel-penetrating M855 rounds continue to be a weak spot in the American arsenal. They are not lethal enough to bring down an enemy decisively, and that puts troops at risk, according to Associated Press interviews.
Designed decades ago to puncture a Soviet soldier’s helmet hundreds of yards away, the M855 rounds are being used for very different targets in Iraq and Afghanistan. Much of today’s fighting takes place in close quarters; narrow streets, stairways and rooftops are today’s battlefield. Legions of armor-clad Russians marching through the Fulda Gap in Germany have given way to insurgents and terrorists who hit and run.
Fired at short range, the M855 round is prone to pass through a body like a needle through fabric. That does not mean being shot is a pain-free experience. But unless the bullet strikes a vital organ or the spine, the adrenaline-fueled enemy may have the strength to keep on fighting and even live to fight another day.
This, of course, is nothing new. And though there doesn’t seem to be much doubt that the 5.56 is far from perfect, it’s also hard to argue with the results our troops have had with it. Even with the majority of our troops now using M4 carbines with shorter barrels than M16 rifles.
All that said, I still wonder if a .45 caliber submachine gun might not be in order for many of our troops in the current battle zones. Not for infantry, maybe, but wouldn’t most non-infantry be better off with something like TDI’s KRISS submachine gun? I don’t think anyone is arguing against the effectiveness of the .45 ACP against unarmored targets.
Seems that it would make sense in a mostly urban environment as a personal defense weapon. I’d think it would be much more effective than either a 9mm pistol or an M4 carbine. I posted on the PDW issue a year ago.
To my knowledge, nothing ever came of the reported interest the US Army had for ‘a compact, medium-powered firearm for issue to vehicle crews.’
UPDATE: More at Danger Room.
Iraqi Special Forces capture Special Groups commander in Baghdad
The Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured what Multinational Forces Iraq called a “mid-level Special Groups leader” along with two associates during a raid on May 25. The commander, who is “affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps,” is thought to lead a 300-man battalion of Mahdi Army fighters. He has been behind the kidnapping and murdering of Iraqis, and works for the Ministry of Interior.
In related raid, Coalition forces detained a Mahdi Army Special Groups leader in Suwayrah. The operative is described by Multinational Forces Iraq as an “explosively formed penetrator expert believed to be responsible for coordinating and directing attacks on Coalition forces in the Wasit province.” The leader sent his fighters to Iran “for paramilitary training.”
The “Special Groups” element of the Mahdi Army are Iranian-trained and -armed extremists within the larger organization. They’ve been finding themselves the subject of greater attention by both US and Iraqi forces of late.
Couldn’t happen to nicer folks.
Japanese file appeal against US aircraft carrier
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese seeking to block a nuclear-powered U.S. warship from being permanently based in Japan took their lawsuit to a higher court Monday.
The latest move by the 248 plaintiffs follows the May 12 rejection by a district court of their lawsuit demanding a halt to harbor work to accommodate the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, which is scheduled to be based at Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, starting August.
This will continue for, oh, I don’t know…Sixty years? More?
Dave Price on Basra:
The IA accomplished in weeks what the British Army couldn’t in years.
While I don’t think that soundbite-type statement really tells the whole story, it isn’t without merit. I think it should be taken not as a slap at the British Army (which, when called on is tough) but rather recognition that the Iraqi military has really stepped it up. Finally. The road has been long and hard, but they seem to have reached the tipping point and have been turned loose.
Interestingly, it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a story blaming us for disbanding the old Iraqi Army.
Subway is running a story-writing contest, but it’s not open to homeschooled students. They are probably afraid that those in government schools would be at a disadvantage. And they probably would be.
Here’s the disclaimer:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Contest is open only to legal residents of the Untied States who are currently over the age of 18 and have children who attend elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted.
The, um, “Untied States”? Screenshot here.
Subway should have hired a homeschool student to write their legal copy.
More at Wizbang , Michelle Malkin, and Croydon Citizens.
“No Slack” Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, honor a fallen brother with a 21 gun salute on Forward Operating Base Brassfield-Mora.
From the author of Don’t Know Much About History comes America’s Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation by Kenneth C. Davis:
Kenneth C. Davis, author of the phenomenal New York Times bestseller Don’t Know Much About History, presents a collection of extraordinary stories, each detailing an overlooked episode that shaped the nation’s destiny and character. Davis’s dramatic narratives set the record straight, busting myths and bringing to light little-known but fascinating facts from a time when the nation’s fate hung in the balance.
Spanning a period from the Spanish arrival in America to George Washington’s inauguration in 1789, America’s Hidden History details these episodes, among others:
- The story of the first real Pilgrims in America, who were wine-making French Huguenots, not dour English Separatists
- The coming-of-age story of Queen Isabella, who suggested that Columbus pack the moving mess hall of pigs that may have spread disease to many Native Americans
- The long, bloody relationship between the Pilgrims and Indians that runs counter to the idyllic scene of the Thanksgiving feast
- The little-known story of George Washington as a headstrong young soldier who committed a war crime, signed a confession, and started a war!
Full of color, intrigue, and human interest, America’s Hidden History is an iconoclastic look at America’s past, connecting some of the dots between history and today’s headlines, proving why Davis is truly America’s Teacher.
