Nah, just the garratroopers...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MikeF
...Every sergeant major would either immediately retire or be stricken with a heart attack if there were more of me running around. :eek:
Of which there are too many -- what happens when you have a promotion system that rewards time in service and no disciplinary actions above all else.
AR 600-200 says all those SSG and above Boards select and the individual will be promoted unless his Commander writes a letter to pull for cause. Backwards. When you get to be Chief of staff, change it to say the individual will be promoted only when the Commander writes a letter concurring. Commanders will not take time to write letters for marginal people, so currently system, too many marginal folks get promoted -- change it and they won't...
Then you can go for broke with no fear of causing cardiac arrest...:D
The beginning of the movie ...
depicts the Death of Groupement Mobile No. 100 at the Battle of Mang Yang Pass (June 1954) and its aftermath. That unit (~ an RCT) was the elite of the French Far Eastern Expeditionary Forces; but most of them had just arrived from Korea - and didn't have a real clue about warfare in the Central Highlands. A lot of Marines had to exchange "colonialements" in another world. A real tragedy for the TdM (link to their article on DBP and this battle at the bottom of the Wiki).
Ken would have a competent opinion on the quality of Hal Moore's Bn. Based on reading the book, his guys didn't seem to be misfits. Of course, since Hal Moore was from That Place on the Hudson, anything is possible. :D
The relief Bn (second part of book) got clobbered, but not as bad as GM 100. Our KIAs (23 Oct - 26 Nov 1965) were 305 (234 in 4 days). One wonders what the MSM reaction today would be.
A somber topic.
Mike
Typical unit of the time, IMO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jmm99
Ken would have a competent opinion on the quality of Hal Moore's Bn. Based on reading the book, his guys didn't seem to be misfits. Of course, since Hal Moore was from That Place on the Hudson, anything is possible. :D
No more misfits than most others. Marginally trained but there was a lot of that going around. Moore was a blowhard -- lot of that going around as well...
Missed the Ia Drang but worked with them in the aftermath of the battle at Trung Luong in June of 66 and for a few weeks afterward. Marshall discussed that fight in The Fields of Bamboo.
There's always a down-side...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Steve the Planner
Food as a weapon for data? Food as a vehicle for centralizing, and thus, monitoring, populations?
to any humanitarian missions...
- Food that gets pushed to feed the Taliban.
- Fertilizer that gets pushed to make bombs.
- Medicine that gets pushed to care for wounded Taliban.
- Weapons and ammo distributed for village protection that arms the Taliban.
If you're not living there, then you can assume the enemy takes anything you give out.
Mike