Generals like it this way
WAR: U.S. Army. After I learned to read, I learned than many of the best adventure stories were about war. Thus started an abiding interest in the arcane world of the military. 'Arcane' is defined as "Known or understood by only a few," which is an accurate description of the military world, but what they do not tell you, where the U.S. Army is concerned, is that they, the generals, like it this way.
If nobody understands quite what you are doing, then you are not - in practice - accountable, no matter what the Constitution says. And it also helps that most Congressmen are in awe of the generals who appear in front of them. Crisp uniforms and glittering displays of medals can have that effect even though few are awarded for actual bravery. Such is the power of image - and it is not good, especially when a nation is at war.
During wartime, it is essential that soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors be supported, but that their commanders be held closely accountable.
Those who command and those who do the actual fighting should not be confused. Not now, not ever, never! If you ever want to understand the military, you have to know that. It is one of those fundamental truths of the kind where it may be useful to tattoo it on your eyelids.
I'm a war baby (1944) so grew up surrounded by people who had served in one capacity or another in WW II. It was hard to get them to talk at first but over the years more than a few proved willing to communicate, especially when I became a temporary security guard as a student and had to put in fifteen hour nightshifts with the full timers. Many of them had seen action in the British Army. To defray boredom you talk, and I was a willing listener, and quickly learned the paradox that the more you know, the more people are willing to tell you. The campaigns I remember most vividly concerned fighting communists in Malaya, dealing with the Mau Mau in Kenya, action against Greek terrorists in Cyprus, and a strange little undeclared war known as the Indonesian Confrontation. All involved counter-terrorism. Strangely enough we talked little about facing down the Soviet Union even though that was the foremost mission of the time. It was not a shooting war.
More anon.
Victor.
If nobody understands quite what you are doing, then you are not - in practice - accountable, no matter what the Constitution says. And it also helps that most Congressmen are in awe of the generals who appear in front of them. Crisp uniforms and glittering displays of medals can have that effect even though few are awarded for actual bravery. Such is the power of image - and it is not good, especially when a nation is at war.
During wartime, it is essential that soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors be supported, but that their commanders be held closely accountable.
Those who command and those who do the actual fighting should not be confused. Not now, not ever, never! If you ever want to understand the military, you have to know that. It is one of those fundamental truths of the kind where it may be useful to tattoo it on your eyelids.
I'm a war baby (1944) so grew up surrounded by people who had served in one capacity or another in WW II. It was hard to get them to talk at first but over the years more than a few proved willing to communicate, especially when I became a temporary security guard as a student and had to put in fifteen hour nightshifts with the full timers. Many of them had seen action in the British Army. To defray boredom you talk, and I was a willing listener, and quickly learned the paradox that the more you know, the more people are willing to tell you. The campaigns I remember most vividly concerned fighting communists in Malaya, dealing with the Mau Mau in Kenya, action against Greek terrorists in Cyprus, and a strange little undeclared war known as the Indonesian Confrontation. All involved counter-terrorism. Strangely enough we talked little about facing down the Soviet Union even though that was the foremost mission of the time. It was not a shooting war.
More anon.
Victor.
posted by Victor at
Friday, April 29, 2005
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