World According to a Military Historian

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist

2009-12-09T12:58:00.001-06:00

This is theater of the absurd!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,576646,00.html

Abandoning the Study of Military History

2009-12-09T12:52:00.000-06:00

I couldn't agree more!

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/James-Jay-Carafano_-Abandoning-the-study-of-military-history-8503139.html

French ship Russia wants to buy in St Petersburg

2009-12-04T23:23:00.001-06:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091123/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_france_navy_ship

Armored troop carriers called unsafe for duty

2009-12-04T23:05:00.002-06:00

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/05/armored-troop-carriers-unsafe-for-afghan-duty

Harvard's Medals Of Honor

2009-11-23T16:15:00.001-06:00

I didn't know!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703932904574511910510146196.html

'Puzzlers' reassemble shredded Stasi files, bit by bit

2009-11-06T15:48:00.001-06:00

History, one piece at a time!

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-germany-stasi1-2009nov01,0,4138197.story

Russia 'simulates' nuclear attack on Poland

2009-11-01T17:09:00.001-06:00

The hits just keep on coming!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/poland/6480227/Russia-simulates-nuclear-attack-on-Poland.html

Weapons Failed US Troops During Afghan Firefight

2009-10-23T14:10:00.002-05:00

We need to go to a new weapon and a new caliber. The M16/M4 and 5.56 need to go!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/11/ap/cabstatepent/main5377035.shtml

U.S. troop funds diverted to pet projects

2009-10-19T12:10:00.001-05:00

This has been a problem for years - regardless of political party!

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/15/troop-funds-diverted-to-pet-projects/

Army To Allow Iraq War Objector To Resign

2009-10-07T20:55:00.002-05:00

I think "Dishonorable Discharge" was the only correct discharge for this guy!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/25/AR2009092504201.html

Army leader's aide tells how he had to beg, steal and borrow kit

2009-10-04T11:55:00.002-05:00

A sad situation for our British Ally!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1216200/Army-leaders-aide-tells-beg-steal-borrow-kit.html

Officers need more time in classroom

2009-09-25T09:37:00.003-05:00

This is something that we certainly agree with at the CGSC.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/09/military_officer_education_091009w/

Living MoH recipient possible, Gates says

2009-09-18T08:27:00.003-05:00

Glad to hear the SecDef say this!

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/09/military_medal_of_honor_living_091709w/

'Bullet Magnet'-Sgt. Camacho has earned 5 Purple Hearts in 5 years

2009-09-14T15:35:00.003-05:00

The luckiest unlucky man in the world!

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2009/09/13/2009-09-13_bullet_magnet_sgt_has_earned_5_purple_hearts_in_5_years.html

Air Force Seeks a Cheaper Way to Fly and Fight

2009-08-29T15:33:00.002-05:00

Whatever airframe they choose, I hope it's as sturdy at the A-1 Skyraider!

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1918849,00.html

Air Force Training More Pilots For Drones Than For Manned Planes

2009-08-22T16:00:00.002-05:00

Remind me again, why do we need a separate Air Force?

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/10/AR2009081002712.html

Why So Few Medals Of Honor?

2009-08-16T21:35:00.005-05:00

I agree that too few MoHs have been awarded. If I was the SecDef I would appoint a committee to decide if any of the DSCs, Navy or Air Force Crosses awarded since 9/11 are worthly of the MoH. I know of at least one DSC that should be a MoH and I'm sure there are more.

-------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON - (AP) - Eight years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. About 4,000 members of the U.S. military killed in action. More than 34,000 wounded. Just six considered worthy of America's highest military award for battlefield valor.

For some veterans and members of Congress, that last number doesn't fit. They question how so few Medals of Honor - all awarded posthumously - could be bestowed for wars of such magnitude and duration.

Pentagon officials say the nature of war has changed. Laser-guided missiles destroy enemy positions without putting soldiers in harm's way. Insurgents deploy roadside bombs rather than engage in firefights they're certain to lose.

Those explanations don't tell the whole story, said U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a first-term lawmaker who served combat tours as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan and holds the rank of captain in the Marine Reserve.

Hunter has sponsored legislation that directs the defense secretary to review current trends in awarding the Medal of Honor to determine what's behind the low count.

The bill passed the House. If Senate negotiators go along, Secretary Robert Gates would have to report back by March 31.

"It seems like our collective standard for who gets the Medal of Honor has been raised," said Hunter, R-Calif.

"The basis of warfare is you've got to take ground and then you've got to hold it. That takes people walking into houses, running up hills, killing bad guys, and then staying there and rebuffing counterattacks," he said.

"That's how warfare has always been, no matter how many bombs you drop and how many predators you have flying around."

Military officials said they welcome the opportunity to conduct an in-depth review of the award process. Still, they dispute Hunter's theory.

"Nominations go through no more or less scrutiny than in the past," said Eileen Lainez, a Pentagon spokeswoman. "The standard for the Medal of Honor is high, as one would expect for our nation's most prestigious military decoration."

AMVETS, a veterans advocacy group, said it supports Hunter's efforts. It held a banquet for Medals of Honor in January, and the low number of medals was a big topic of discussion, said Jay Agg, the group's communications director.

To earn the medal, at least two eyewitnesses have to view a deed so outstanding that it clearly distinguishes gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. No margin of doubt is allowed. Nominations make their way through military channels until eventually they're approved at the highest levels of the Pentagon and then by the president.

Drew Dix, 64, of Mimbres, N.M., received the medal for actions taken during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam when he risked his life during a 56-hour battle to rescue civilians. He said he didn't feel comfortable judging the current Medal of Honor process.

"We've trusted the military to fight this war," Dix said. "We've got to trust the military in all aspects of it, including the awarding of medals."

Jack Jacobs, 64, received the award for actions taken in Vietnam to rescue wounded soldiers. He said the Pentagon's explanation for the low Medal of Honor count is logical, but he would not rule out other factors.

"I'm not a fan of single-factor analysis," Jacobs said. "There are lots of reasons why things occur, and that is only one of them. Human attitudes also play a great role."

Jacobs, a military analyst at MSNBC, predicted the war in Afghanistan will involve more of the kind of close combat that leads to Medals of Honor being awarded.

It's unclear how many soldiers have been nominated for the award from the two wars.

Seven have made it all the way to the defense secretary, and six were approved. The exception is Sgt. Rafael Peralta of San Diego. Hunter said the Peralta case shows that a higher standard is being used for the medal than in previous wars.

Peralta died on Nov. 15, 2004, during fighting in Fallujah, Iraq. The military's investigation showed he was probably hit by friendly firefrom a member of his unit as they engaged insurgents inside a house.

Witnesses said Peralta, a Mexican immigrant who became a U.S. citizen while in the Marines, fell to the ground face first after being shot in the crossfire. An insurgent threw a hand grenade into the room, which bounced off a couch and landed near Peralta's head.

"Sgt. Peralta grabbed the grenade and pulled it underneath him while we took cover," said an unidentified soldier whose name is blacked out as part of the investigative file the military released publicly.

Peralta's nomination was sent back for further investigation after a preliminary autopsy report stated the head wound would have been immediately incapacitating and "he could not have executed any meaningful motions."

In the end, Lt. General Richard Natonski, stuck with his recommendation: "I believe Sergeant Peralta made a conscious, heroic decision to cover the grenade and minimize the effects he knew it would have on the rest of his Marine team."

Gates assembled an independent panel to review the nomination - something he did not do in the other six cases sent his way. The reviewers included a former commanding general, a Medal of Honor recipient, a neurosurgeon and two pathologists.

"The reviewers each individually concluded that the evidence did not meet the exacting 'no doubt' standard necessary to support award of the MOH," Gates said in a letter to Hunter.

Robert Reynolds, a lance corporal at the time, was about 3 to 5 feet behind Peralta when the grenade exploded. He has no doubt that Peralta purposefully attempted to place the grenade underneath himself to save others.

"It wasn't just something he barely did. He physically reached out and pulled it into his body," Reynolds said.

In the end, Peralta received the Navy Cross, the branch's second-highest honor. Several California lawmakers have petitioned President Barack Obama to order a review of Peralta's case.

AMVETS said all recipients of the second-highest honor for bravery for their branch of the military should have their case reviewed to determine whether their actions merit the Medal of Honor.

Acknowledging A POW’s Sacrifice

2009-08-16T21:23:00.002-05:00

Wow, I had always thought that those that died while POWs got the Purple Heart!

--------------------------------

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2009/08/02/decades_after_dying_in_pow_camps_troops_eligible_for_purple_heart/

Canada finds possible US Army Air Force plane lost in 1942

2009-08-08T21:20:00.002-05:00

I'm always amazed when these kind of discovers are made after more than 60 years!

----------------------------------

OTTAWA (AFP) – Canadian underwater archeologists accidentally discovered what they believe to be the wreck of a US Army Air Force airplane that sank in the Saint Lawrence seaway in 1942, the Parks Canada divers said Thursday.

The divers said in a statement that they were carrying out routine work in an adjacent area when they came across the wreck. It must still be confirmed that it is indeed the lost plane.

"This is a very significant discovery," Quebec region Minister Christian Paradis said. "This plane is a testament to the collaboration between Canada and the US during the Second World War."

The amphibious aircraft foundered in rough weather on November 2, 1942, in the waters surrounding what is now the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve in the eastern Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

The plane was based at Presqu'Ile, Maine, in the United States, and serviced an airfield in the village of Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Quebec, about 1,000 kilometers (641 miles) northeast of Montreal.

Nine persons were on board when the aircraft went down. Four of the crew escaped the flooding plane and were rescued by local fishermen rowing out from shore in open boats in rough seas.

The five others perished, trapped inside.

Officials said sonar scans indicate the plane appears to be in good condition and divers hope to recover any remains of the five victims in the coming weeks.

"The United States government was extremely interested to learn of the discovery of the wreckage," said David Fetter, Consul General of the United States.

In 1941 and 1942, the United States constructed a series of airfields in Eastern Canada to ferry aircraft to Allied air forces in Northern Europe, as part of the so-called "Crimson Route."

The construction of the airport in Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan was to serve as an emergency airfield along the ferry route between Presque Isle and Goose Bay, Labrador.

Pentagon Takes Aim At Jets For Congressional Travel

2009-08-08T20:59:00.002-05:00

The US Constitution clearly gives the Congress the power to decide how much money is spent by the Department of Defense. However, since the Department of Defense is part of the Executive Branch of government, it is the President, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force (who in turn consult with the Chiefs of Staff of those branches), who gets to decide what the military needs. If the Congress doesn't want to fund something, that's their prerogative, but to add items that the President, et al, have not asked for is ridiculous!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124969431303416161.html

Air Force Urged To Consider Navy F-18s

2009-08-07T17:10:00.003-05:00

To basically allow parts of the USAF, USAFR, and the AFNG to go without planes for several years in hopes that the F-35 is ready on time is borderline criminal!

------------------------------------------

Megan Scully

National Journal

As the Air National Guard grapples with an impending fighter jet shortfall that will threaten its ability to protect U.S. airspace, its supporters in Congress and the Pentagon want the Air Force to consider all possible solutions -- even buying Navy F-18s to fill the gap.

Lawmakers and other National Guard boosters are becoming increasingly frustrated with the Defense Department and the Air Force, charging that officials have no workable plan to deal with the Guard's aging fleet.

They argue that 80 percent of the Air Guard's F-16s, which fly the majority of Air Sovereignty Alert missions, will retire years before their replacements are ready, depleting units of the aircraft they need to secure domestic airspace.

The workhorse F-15 fleet isn't in much better shape, having been grounded for three months after one broke apart in November 2007 during a training mission over eastern Missouri.

According to a GAO report released this year, the Air Force will not have viable aircraft after FY15 at some of its 18 ASA sites in the United States -- 16 of which are run by the Guard. By 2032, two sites will still not have viable aircraft for the mission.

"Despite the Pentagon's head-in-the-sand attitude, I'm exploring any and every option on the table to address the looming fighter shortfall," said Sen. Christopher (Kit) Bond, R-Mo., co-chairman of the Senate National Guard Caucus.

Bond and others have proposed buying "4.5-generation" fighters - advanced versions of current fighters that are less costly than the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter - as one option that could solve the problem quickly.

Across the Capitol, the House has passed a FY10 defense authorization bill that includes an amendment by Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., requiring Defense Secretary Gates to review buying advanced F-15s, F-16s and F-18s for the Air Guard.

"To me, it's a very critical problem that needs immediate attention in order to avert a real catastrophe in eight to 10 years," LoBiondo said.

Both the F-15s and F-16s are still in production for international customers. But there is concern that advanced versions of the F-15, a Boeing Co.-built plane with a price tag that could top $70 million, would be cost-prohibitive. As for Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-16, the manufacturer is expected to focus its U.S. efforts on its F-35 program.

While neither plane is out of the question, the Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, another Boeing plane, has emerged as an appealing, though unorthodox, alternative.

Boeing has given the Navy an unsolicited offer to buy 149 of those aircraft carrier-based fighters as part of a multiyear procurement plan at $49.9 million apiece. The price tag would likely drop if the military bought more to equip Air Guard units.

For its part, Boeing said it hasn't had any discussions with the National Guard about the F-18s. But one defense official said it's an area the Air Force should review.

"I think the taxpayer demands we look at this because it's an efficient, highly capable aircraft that can sustain our force structure through this risky period," the official said.

The Air Force is focusing its budgets on the F-35, which eventually will make its way to the Air Guard. But leaders insist they are open to other solutions, if necessary.

Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt, chief of the Air Guard, said last week he is "platform agnostic," but mentioned the F-18 -- along with the F-15 and F-16 -- as a possible solution, especially if the F-35 program falls behind schedule.

But the defense official expects the Air Force to reject any efforts to buy Super Hornets -- or any other older fighters. "The Air Force won't do it willingly, more than likely, because it doesn't meet their strategy," he said.

Buying F-18s would not mark the first time the Air Force purchased planes built for the Navy. During the Vietnam War, the Air Force flew A-7 Corsair IIs, F-4 Phantom IIs, and A-1 Skyraiders, all of which were originally designed for take offs and landings on Navy carriers.

Still, there would likely be concerns within the Air Force and even in some state Air Guard units that buying F-18s would complicate training and logistics.

But those arguments, the defense official said, are "not valid."

Meet The 'New' U.S. Air Force

2009-08-06T12:14:00.003-05:00

Very good op-ed on the USAF!

http://warisboring.com/?p=2449

Let the Soldiers Drink

2009-08-06T12:00:00.003-05:00

I agree with the author!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/31/AR2009073102608.html

Poland marks 1944 revolt against Nazis

2009-08-05T20:30:00.002-05:00

(AFP) - Sirens wailed across the Polish capital Saturday as elderly veterans and thousands of ordinary people held emotional commemorations of an ill-fated World War II revolt against the Nazi German occupiers.

At 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) -- the exact time the Warsaw uprising was launched on August 1, 1944 -- traffic drew to a halt and pedestrians stopped to observe a minute's silence.

A huge crowd also flocked to Warsaw's main military cemetery to lay flowers on the graves of those who died in the 63 days of bitter street fighting, which sparked brutal Nazi reprisals.

"We live in a completely different time. The war is long gone. But when I think about those times and what they did, I'm really proud," said Tobiasz Berger, 18.

The number of veterans has dwindled to 3,500, and the elderly fighters gather without fail every year to honour the fallen.

"I was at my daughter's place in California and came back specially for the commemorations," said Halina Cichowska-Komarnicka, 85, a resistance messenger and nurse.

The 1944 uprising was led by the Home Army -- commanded by Poland's London-based government-in-exile -- which secretly deployed around 50,000 fighters in Warsaw.

It was part of a series of Polish revolts behind German lines as a Soviet offensive drove back the Nazis.

Against overwhelming odds, the poorly-armed Home Army began preparing as early as 1940. It hoped to take the entire city in 1944 but could only seize pockets.

Around 18,000 Polish fighters died in the revolt, and some 17,000 Nazi troops. Around 200,000 civilians were massacred, or killed by crossfire and bombing, as the Nazis took Warsaw back street by street.

The Home Army capitulated on October 2 when Germany agreed to treat its members as prisoners of war rather than execute them as "bandits".

The Nazis expelled Warsaw's remaining 500,000 inhabitants and razed the city.

The uprising remains etched in veterans' minds.

"On the third day, that's when the euphoria set in. We saw the Polish flag flying," said Julian Kulski, 80, who joined the Home Army aged 13.

Kulski had lost several relatives and close friends to the Nazis.

"At that time I just wanted revenge. I was full of hate. What I saw was so inhuman. They considered us as 'non-humans', but they were the non-humans," he said.

"When I hear German today, I get goosebumps," said Kulski, who now lives in the United States.

The Nazis had imposed a reign of terror in Poland after invading in 1939. In Warsaw, they crammed hundreds of thousands of Jews into a ghetto, sent them to death camps, and destroyed a swathe of the city during a revolt by hundreds of Jewish fighters in April 1943.

The uprising also aimed to thwart the creation of a pro-Soviet government.

In 1939, the Nazis and Soviets had cut a deal to carve up Poland.

Their pact broke down in 1941 when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. As the Red Army rolled back the Nazis, it installed communist governments across Eastern Europe.

The Soviets halted their offensive on the outskirts of Warsaw, east of the Vistula river -- whether deliberately or because of battle-fatigue remains a subject of heated debate.

Britain and the United States tried to help, but Moscow barred their supply planes from landing behind Soviet lines, forcing them into perilous roundtrips from liberated Italy.

Soviet troops moved into Warsaw on January 17, 1945. Under the communist regime, Home Army veterans were executed and jailed, or fled into exile.

The uprising became iconic for banned post-war opposition movements such as Solidarity, formed in the 1980s.

"The spirit and moral strength of the uprising later motivated Solidarity. In this sense the uprising achieved its final goal," said Marcin Swiecicki, 54, a former mayor of Warsaw.

Official ceremonies have only been held since communism's demise in 1989, and have grown every year since then.

India plans to build 100 warships

2009-08-05T20:23:00.003-05:00

A retired US Navy colleague of mine commented on this article, "Mahan is alive and well!"

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/16de2e94-7d22-11de-b8ee-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1