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Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

by Major Mark A. Smith (Ret)

November 22, 2006

From Vietnam to the ball fields of Little League Baseball, we have assumed the mantle of quitters and made losing not only acceptable, but, preferable:" As long as everyone gets to play, who cares who wins"?

The myths of Vietnam are so pervasive even our new generation of officers believes them. They and our left hit the drum that our poor were drafted and sent to Vietnam to die. This has been a crock of crappola from day one.

The majority of young Americans did not avoid the draft and served this country well. The majority of our cowards, dopers, malingerers and racial dividers joined our military, with a large segment out of "McNamara's One Hundred Thousand." These guys, with a GT Score as low as thirty, were allowed to join. They were not drafted.

I am one military retiree who is just a bit fed up with Rumsfeld being used as an excuse for what Shinseki and Colin Powell gave us: An Army which thought it could dictate on what terms it would fight and if it would fight at all. The world situation dictates when we fight and not how many damned widgets you ordered instead of bullets.

I also am a tad tired of hearing we cannot win a war such as this. If our Generals cannot think of how to fight this type of war, then get some who can. You wanted "Managers" instead of leaders, and you sure as hell got them. We are fighting a very low intensity war, and these guys cannot secure even the major roads. This is not due to a lack of troops but a lack of a plan.

The American soldier can and will win any place on this earth against any type of enemy. I have not heard the troops whining about Rummy, but a bunch of girlish senior officers who should have considered a profession selling shoes instead of war fighting are whining. I have not seen this much childish finger pointing since grade school.

Both our politicians and our senior Soldiers need to get their minds off body/vehicle armor and get thinking about penetrating the robes and t-shirts of our enemies. From this comes victory and not how fast you can get away from the area. SO GIRLS, SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT OR GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY AND LET THE REAL MEN GET ON WITH IT.

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