Our Missing Servicemen

[exstatic]

You obviously know nothing of military prisons. Disobeying a direct order is one of the highest crimes of military court, and depending on what that order was ("wash that floor!" compared to "Charge that hill!"....see the difference?) that moment of disobedience could cost you your freedom for life.

Military "brigs" make civilian prisons look like Disneyland (except for the MAX prisons, of course). There is no worse fate.

Getting a limb or limbs, your balls, or your head shot off in Iraq strikes me as worse. YMMV.

[NorCal510]

i dont pray but im praying for them

[RandomGuy]

You're clueless if you think the military is honestly going to be better or worse under any political party. No party today is seriously militaristic. They are going to be undermanned out there no matter what. The public will not provide what is needed to fight an insurgency, it is unrealistic and extremely expensive. Yes, we will provide B-2 bombers and $45,000 bombs, but those are all for traditional warfare.

Short of expanding special forces to the point of it replacing our infantry, we're screwed no matter what against guerilla warfare.

Fighting guerillas is more aptly done with engineers building things, and lawyers, accountants, and teachers providing legal, financial, and educational framework for economic prosperity.

If you read the counterinsurgency doctrine, it emphasizes rather strongly that to really defeat guerillas, you MUST deny them the ability to fade into the general populace. To do that, you have to turn people against the insurgency.

[RandomGuy]

You obviously know nothing of military prisons. Disobeying a direct order is one of the highest crimes of military court, and depending on what that order was ("wash that floor!" compared to "Charge that hill!"....see the difference?) that moment of disobedience could cost you your freedom for life.

Military "brigs" make civilian prisons look like Disneyland (except for the MAX prisons, of course). There is no worse fate.

There was an instance in the "invasion" of grenada in which a lieutenant ordered his squad to charge a machine gun, and they told the idiot to stuff it, and nothing really happened, except for the lieutenant being shuffled off to where he couldn't do any damage.

Another interesting bit that is a poorly kept secret:
If you go AWOL, the military will simply discharge you rather than go through the expense of a trial and imprisonment.

[RandomGuy]

I'm seriously not doubting you, but link please? I'd like to read about that.

Again, I'm not trying to be a smartass here, just curious.

I seem to remember that unit's story as well.

Danged if I can remember the name of the unit, but it was ordered to do a convoy without escort using unarmed and unarmored vehicles through a very dangerous stretch of road.

The order was obviously stupid, and probably issued in error, so they stayed put. Good for them.

US soldiers have always shown an healthy initiative that makes for a tactical advantage over a lot of enemies that they have faced historically.