Fwd: <thingist> 4/w: A Soldier's View

[Frederic Madre]

>Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 21:50:17 -0400
>From: Peter von Brandenburg <blackhawk at thing.net>
>
>All:  I don't agree w/ all of this, but what he says about military
>history per se is accurate.  It is in the fuzzy areas of non-military
>valuation where I think he falls down, e.g. what is meant by "support",
>in my view, for an American that most def includes dissent.  Also this
>"will to power" stuff can be very dangerous.  Finally, he doesn't how
>global acculturation is both itself a standing provocation & a "weapon
>of attrition" all by itself.  However strip all that away & there is a
>deal of value here.  best, -- B.
>
>
>This was written by my academic advisor at the Academy. He was not only
>one of the most brilliant men I've ever met, but also an individual who
>combined that brilliance with common sense to lead others. His words are
>the ones that haven't been heard yet but I believe will come to be true
>before we have the chance to recover from this initial tragedy.
>
>From: Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
>
>Recently, I was asked to look at the recent events through the lens of
>military history. I have joined the cast of thousands who have written
>an "open letter to Americans."
>
>
>Dear friends and fellow Americans 14 September 2001
>
>Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last week's
>attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling from
>surprise. As a career soldier and a student and teacher of military
>history, I have a different perspective and I think you should hear it.
>This war will be won or lost by the American citizens, not diplomats,
>politicians or soldiers.
>
>Let me briefly explain.
>
>In spite of what the media, and even our own government is telling us,
>this act was not committed by a group of mentally deranged fanatics. To
>dismiss them as such would be among the gravest of mistakes. This attack
>was committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedicated adversary. Don't
>take this the wrong way. I don't admire these men and I deplore their
>tactics, but I respect their capabilities. The many parallels that have
>been made with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropos. Not only
>because it was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America,
>but also because we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves
>30 years after we think this war is over, just like my father's
>generation had to do with the formidable Japanese in the years following
>WW II.
>
>These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we must
>not underestimate the power of their moral commitment. Napoleon, perhaps
>the world's greatest combination of soldier and statesman, stated "the
>moral is to the physical as three is to one"; Patton thought the
>Frenchman underestimated its importance and said moral conviction was
>five times more important in battle than physical strength. Our enemies
>are willing - better said anxious -- to give their lives for their
>cause.
>
>How committed are we America? And for how long?
>
>In addition to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent attack
>demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of warfare
>taught to most military officers worldwide, namely simplicity, security
>and surprise. When I first heard rumors that some of these men may have
>been trained at our own Air War College, it made perfect sense to me.
>This was not a random act of violence, and we can expect the same sort
>of military competence to be displayed in the battle to come.
>
>This war will escalate, with a good portion of it happening right here
>in the good ol' U.S. of A.
>
>These men will not go easily into the night. They do not fear us. We
>must not fear them. In spite of our overwhelming conventional strength
>as the world's only "power"; (a truly silly term), we are the underdog
>in this fight. As you listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed
>to prepare us for the march for war, please realize that America is not
>equipped or seriously trained for the battle ahead. To be certain, our
>soldiers are much better than the enemy, and we have some excellent
>"counter-terrorist" organizations but they are mostly trained for
>hostage rescues, air field seizures, or the occasional "body snatch"
>(which may come in handy). We will be fighting a war of annihilation,
>because if their early efforts are any indication, our enemy is ready
>and willing to die to the last man. Eradicating the enemy will be costly
>and time consuming. They have already deployed their forces in as many
>as 20 countries, and are likely living the lives of everyday citizens.
>Simply put, our soldiers will be tasked with a search and destroy
>mission on multiple foreign landscapes, and the public must be patient
>and supportive until the strategy and tactics can be worked out.
>
>For the most part, our military is still in the process of redefining
>itself and presided over by men and women who grew up with - and were
>promoted because they excelled in - Cold War doctrine, strategy and
>tactics. This will not be linear warfare, there will be no clear
>"centers of gravity" to strike with high technology weapons. Our vast
>technological edge will certainly be helpful, but it will not be
>decisive. Perhaps the perfect metaphor for the coming battle was
>introduced by the terrorists themselves aboard the hijacked aircraft --
>this will be a knife fight, and it will be won or lost by the ingenuity
>and will of citizens and soldiers, not by software or smart bombs. We
>must also be patient with our military leaders.
>
>Unlike Americans who are eager to put this messy time behind us, our
>adversaries have time on their side, and they will use it. They plan to
>fight a battle of attrition, hoping to drag the battle out until the
>American public loses its will to fight. This might be difficult to
>believe in this euphoric time of flag waving and patriotism, but it is
>generally acknowledged that America lacks the stomach for a long fight.
>We need only look as far back as Vietnam, when North Vietnamese General
>Vo Nguyen Giap (also a military history teacher) defeated the United
>States of America without ever winning a major tactical battle. American
>soldiers who marched to war cheered on by flag waving Americans in 1965
>were reviled and spat upon less than three years later when they
>returned. Although we hope that Osama Bin Laden is no Giap, he is
>certain to understand and employ the concept. We can expect not only
>large doses of pain like the recent attacks, but also less audacious
>"sand in the gears" tactics, ranging from livestock infestations to
>attacks at water supplies and power distribution facilities.
>
>These attacks are designed to hit us in our "comfort zone" forcing the
>average American to "pay more and play less" and eventually eroding our
>resolve. But it can only work if we let it. It is clear to me that the
>will of the American citizenry - you and I -is the center of gravity the
>enemy has targeted. It will be the fulcrum upon which victory or defeat
>will turn. He believes us to be soft, impatient, and self-centered. He
>may be right, but if so, we must change. The German/Prussian general
>Carl von Clausewitz, (the most often quoted and least read military
>theorist in history), says that there is a "remarkable trinity of war"
>that is composed of the (1) will of the people, (2) the political
>leadership of the government, and (3) the chance and probability that
>plays out on the field of battle, in that order. Every American citizen
>was in the cross hairs of last Tuesday's attack, not just those that
>were unfortunate enough to be in the World Trade Center or Pentagon. The
>will of the American people will decide this war. If we are to win, it
>will be because we have what it takes to persevere through a few more
>hits, learn from our! mistakes, improvise, and adapt. If we can do that,
>we will eventually prevail.
>
>Everyone I've talked to In the past few days has shared a common
>frustration, saying in one form or another "I just wish I could do
>something" You are already doing it. Just keep faith in America, and
>continue to support your President and military, and the outcome is
>certain.
>
>If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally certain.
>
>God Bless America
>
>Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
>Former Director of Military History,USAF Academy
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>t h i n g i s t
>message by Peter von Brandenburg <blackhawk at thing.net>
>archive at http://bbs.thing.net
>info: send email to majordomo at bbs.thing.net
>and write "info thingist" in the message body
>--------------------------------------------------------------------