Yet another mission

As the local news stations reported, there was yet another mission.

Patriot Guard Riders and others rolled out on their bikes this morning to honor Sergeant Chad Jenson, U. S. Marine Corps.

Sergeant Jenson died, along with other Marines and a sailor, when a KC-130 Marine Corps aircraft crashed last month.  On this cool, overcast San Diego morning bikers of the Patriot Guard Riders staged near the San Diego International Airport, awaiting Sergeant Jenson's arrival.  After the mission briefing, they rolled out to escort the procession of the hearse, Jenson's family, and friends to the mortuary.  Superbly led by motor officers from the California Highway Patrol, the procession made its way north from the airport.

In the staging area prior to the mission, two retired senior officers who were to ride in the missing man formation (Navy Captain aviator and Marine Corps Colonel air command and control) spoke in clear, unambiguous terms about the state of Naval aviation, which includes the Marine Corps.  Incensed by the loss of life, including Sergeant Jenson, the two officers are highly critical of the leadership (civilian and military) that made decisions leading directly to the situation in which we now find ourselves.

It is reported that 70% of Marine Corps F/A-18s can not fly.  Also reported have been the grounding of a Navy F/A-18 squadron that is forward deployed on a carrier.  These reports join those of maintenance personnel visiting aircraft "boneyards" to scavenge parts.  And another of a mid-air collision between an instructor pilot and "nugget" aviator.  Neither aircrew had anywhere near the required minimum flight hours needed to maintain proficiency.

Not enough money to maintain the aircraft.  Not enough money for flight hours to train aircrews in perishable skills.

Though both senior officers have been retired for some time, their anger is no less intense as they recount other PGR missions for active duty personnel killed in aircraft mishaps that just should not have occurred.  Like the Marine aviator who died when his aircraft fell apart during a training flight. 

"Who the hell made these decisions?" one was heard to say.  Condemning leadership failures at multiple levels, these gray beards are aghast at the needless loss of life.  And they are equally angry at the totally unacceptable lack of readiness.  The word angry does not adequately describe the intensity of their comments.  With careers built upon training and leading our nation's finest as they prepare for combat, these war horses roundly castigated the civilian leadership, read Obama and successive SecDefs, as well as the flag and general officers in the Navy and Marine Corps who took the force to where it is today.

Who will hold those responsible for these failures?

I have no answer.  So, on this Tuesday morning, it was yet another mission to honor a serviceman who died on active duty.  In this case, a young Marine Sergeant and newlywed who died (with others) in an aircraft mishap on what should have been a routine flight.

How many more missions like this will these two warriors ride in?

Damn it.       

Marine Corps General pleads guilty

As reported elsewhere, retired Marine Corps General James Cartwright pleaded guilty to a felony for action he undertook while on active duty.  This can result in imprisonment for five years, though the report indicates a plea bargain for six months confinement has been proposed.

As a consequence, Cartwright deserves to have his retirement rank and benefits reduced.  General officers are not above the law and when found guilty of breaking the law while on active duty, there must be military unique consequences.

In this case, reduction of retired rank from general (four stars) to colonel is warranted.  Together with the reduction in retired rank, retired pay would be reduced from that of a four star (O-10) to colonel (O-6).

These consequences are most appropriate.

SecDef and SecNav are called upon to swiftly undertake these actions, so when Cartwright walks out of prison, he does so as a retired colonel. 

The slippery slope of incremental increases in military deployments

It has been recently reported that SecDec announced that more members of our military will deploy to Iraq.  Astounding after Obama's unilaterally declaring the end of combat in Iraq.

 

Apart from the obvious contradiction, the more worrisome aspect is the slippery slope of incremental increases in military deployments that SecDef's announcement highlights.  Incremental increases by a president who ran for election and reelection on the promise of ending the war.  

And these orders ignore our own military history.

All of the past and current deployment orders, from presidential administrations led by both political parties, come without benefit of a declaration of war.  One need not have to think hard to draw the startling comparison of another long war fought without a declaration of war.

Vietnam also saw the slippery slope of incremental increases in military deployments, in spite of the worthless limits on troops touted by various administrations.  Then, as now, the real numbers were obscured by personnel accounting legerdemain.  For example, if only "temporarily" deployed, the count was not added to the troop ceiling.  Simply ridiculous.

Not only ridiculous, but dishonest and probably illegal.

If we are in a position that requires the use of military force, Congress must be called upon to declare war.  With the declaration in hand, the National Command Authorities then assign the mission to win to one of the combatant commanders, with the service chiefs providing the well trained and equipped forces requested by the combatant commander.  Then  the combatant commander fights to win.  (And without the widely reported interference by young inexperienced staffers assigned to the national security council.)

We have already begun the slide down that slope.  For example, Marine Staff Sergeant Cardin was killed in Iraq after artillery was deployed to assist our allies.  Most of the nation was blissfully unaware of this deployment.  And now more force protection assets will be required.  More aircraft are being deployed.  And then even more capabilities will be deployed because SecDef said only we can take on this mission.  So much for the end of the war in Iraq, as POTUS declared.  

Sadly, we have not learned from history.  Tighten your belts, because we are about to go down that same slippery slope.