Tomorrow Morning

[Steve the Planner]

MikeF:

I spent a career as a planning troubleshooter. Looking at problems, trying to understand what was wrong, and trying to fix it.

Without metaphysics, I find nothing depressing about tearing things apart in order to understand them better, and how to fix them.

I took this Tomorrow Morning thing to be about asking the positive question: How do I engage this? What can I do about it?

My simplistic and perhaps overly-sympathetic view is that this war stuff comes in two flavors: Big and small.

Small Wars are, perhaps, about confined and definable problems and objectives, but could also be viewed as a mission or campaign within a bigger war.

Since WWII, however, US ability to effectively engage in big wars seems to be increasingly bogged down in inter-agency infighting, variable political/military objectives, and, as a rule, a failure of "big picture" effective engagement with the World beyond our shores. Maybe that was just because the particular problem (Viet Nam, etc...) was not easily definable or properly understood, and "muddle through" an incremental, but limited, strategy was not a path to success.

For me, immediate stability/reconstruction, rather than military/political stuff, is a definable area where positive success can be identified, planned, executed, and obtained. Closing the door of US conflict, as measured by the end of body flow, is, to me, both a positive objective, and, based on Iraq, achievable.

History cruelly shows how unstable endings, like the first run into Iraq, or the WWI settlement against Germany, lay the foundation for future conflicts, and are not really endings at all. But it doesn't look like we can affect that.

At the moment, I have been trying to absorb what I learned about Iraq, and understand what to do about it.

Yesterday, I read part of a book by Michael O'Brien, America's Failure in Iraq, where he venomously assaults the failure in 1991 to "play through" in Iraq while 500,000 troops were on the ground, then, after 2003, the catastrophic "reconstruction" effort. While I might agree with a lot of it, it seems to me that his approach is, in so many ways, neither going to engage or solve....just a venting.

Lately, I am all the more becoming interested in writing a book on Iraq that looks past and around the 2003-2010 episode, and certainly not to engage the military/political "market". In my view, there are plenty of war fighters who should properly tell the heroic and unheroic tales of war, strategy, and personal experience of those. Literature, too, should have some interesting contributions after some of these young soldiers get through college and try their first books.

But that's not my place.

Maybe it is better, first, to engage a bigger public in a more general tale about the background, rich history and challenges about the area (to create a positive context for engagement).

I started with the idea that the background is the frame story against which the US activities are explained. Funny thing is that the more I approach the research and storytelling, the less I see the US activities as important to the story. If that makes any sense????

I'm not at all depressed by the thread you opened, nor trying to figure out the Tomorrow question. I do it every morning.

Steve

[MikeF]

I spent a career as a planning troubleshooter. Looking at problems, trying to understand what was wrong, and trying to fix it.

Steve,

Well said. Every man and woman that post regularly here is passionate about problem solving. That's why I like this site. Although we may vehementaly disagree at times over ways and means, the folks here ultimately desire a better future for our children. Common interest with differing reasoning that may collectively broaden to the betterment of our fellow man.

As with all those that our driven and passionate, sometimes emotion overrides rational thought. That's where I'm at now. So, I'm gonna take a break until I can reconcile and not say things that may be hurtful towards others. That's what I need to do.

What happens tomorrow is an important question. As for me, two years from now, you'll either find me in Nuristan holding the gap or in Wilmington, NC working in concert with the police, social workers, and teachers to leave my home a bit better than it was before I got there. Where to serve- that's a decision that I must decide for myself.

Write your book. Tell the world your story, your sacrifice, and how you see things. In time, I will tell my story. It is important.

Mike

[Kiwigrunt]

Write your book. Tell the world your story, your sacrifice, and how you see things. In time, I will tell my story. It is important.

I’m pleased you said that Mike because this (from your Paying homage to Ceaser thread)
bothered me a bit:

If you know me or have followed my thoughts on SWC, then you know that I could easily write a memoire and secure a financially-beneficial job with political influence within the Beltway and appear semi-nightly on Fox News.

Honestly, that prospect disgusts me.

I had prepared an over-long reply but refrained from posting because considerations got in the way. I now consider it redundant.
Thank you for continuing to share.

[MikeF]

I’m pleased you said that Mike because this (from your Paying homage to Ceaser thread)
bothered me a bit:



I had prepared an over-long reply but refrained from posting because considerations got in the way. I now consider it redundant.
Thank you for continuing to share.

This is something that I've been dealing with as money is offered. I need to double post it in the other thread as it is not a knock on Andrew Exum, John Nagl, or Craig Mullaney. I know 2 of the 3 personally, and I respect all three. If you don't know them, I can tell you their hearts are pure. It is not fair for me to be hurtful or hateful to them in the public record. It is me dealing with my own issues.

As I write my own experiences, as I remember the blood spilled, I have to ask myself if I'm going to capitalize on it. It disgust me to even consider it. I'm in the process of establishing a charity/ngo to send any profits that I may one day incur. I'll probably limit myself to a salary cap in the example of Greg Mortensen- although I may splunge one day to allow myself a boat.

That does not mean that I shall not write or give my analysis/opinion.

That's a question every man must consider.

Mike

[Kiwigrunt]

Hi Mike,

I was not suggesting that you were knocking others or being hurtful in any way….other than to yourself. So part of my planned post is back from redundancy, even though the considerations that prohibited me from posting it earlier are still in place. Those include not wanting to criticise and not wanting to be hurtful to you. Also fear for not being well enough versed to get my point across.

I can’t help wondering if you are just seeing too much into all of this, as a result of which you are expending a lot of energy kicking up against a beast that is both to large for any of us to tackle and probably largely only exists in our perceptions.

I’m not saying that I disagree with you with regards to profiteers etc. Not at all. In fact I am probably equally cynical. I do however think that you need to be a bit careful with connecting financial benefits with greed or lack of morality. You get paid as a soldier but you choose not to see that in the same light. But that goes for many people in other professions. In fact, we all like to think that what we do (as a job or otherwise) is somehow important and beneficial to others.

My clients pay me to build a third bathroom in their house. I do that mainly because it is my job/trade and I have to pay the bills. Do I think it is important for them to have three bathrooms? Not at all, but so what. They want it (they actually say they need it) and are happy to pay me the money. Does that make me (or them) self-righteous and greedy? I don’t think so. It does sometimes make me wonder if I could be doing something ‘bigger’ or more important with my time, but that’s another matter.

So, getting back to your disgust towards making money on your memoirs.

Are you afraid that you will prove as good an author as you are a soldier? The way I see it, if you were to make good money from it then that would be a reflection of your qualities as an author, and other people’s interest in what you have to say. What’s wrong with that? Also think about how much money was made on for instance ‘Band of Brothers’.
And here I was indeed going to suggest charities, but you’ve got that covered. Just don’t forget the Michael Nootebos benevolent fund….

There are many different battles to fight and many different ways of fighting them, and as such there are many different ways in which to be of service. In fact, any contribution to the social fabric is of service. So far, yours just happened to involve an M4 carbine. It’s what you’ve done for some time and you’ve become very good at it. Just don’t get too attached to the idea that that’s the only way to show respect to your fallen comrades and that earning a living any other way, including telling their story, is somehow disrespectful. I think that that may even minimise their sacrifice. I’m sure that they would want nothing more than for life at home to go on as usual, because that is what they fought for, not respect for their own blood spilt (which they do have of course). The ability and freedom for my clients to pay me for a third bathroom is supposedly what this is all about, right?

So, to conclude, I think you are staring yourself blind against this money thing to the point that it is stopping you from deciding (freely) what next to do with your life. Even if that does indeed still involve that M4.



Preaching was another one of my considerations. Hope it didn't come across too much as such.

[MikeF]

Preaching was another one of my considerations. Hope it didn't come across too much as such.

Every unit that I commanded ran by my rules. Every man was a volunteer. That's why I call them Mike's boys. If someone didn't like it, they could move somewhere else. I never had anyone ask to leave. The only problem that I encountered was those that wished to join, and I had no room.

I developed my command around the concept of team. Many of my West Point classmates and my bosses told me I was too close to my boys. I had 90. I'm still in touch with most of them and their families. We are family. I told my boss that I had to do it my way right or wrong. At times, I was told that I was not professional, and I was out of control. In other times, I was the only one my bosses could call on to fix the worst problems.

My brother is a preacher, and for a while, I thought that was my calling. Today, I sat at the bar encouraging a Vietnam vet looking for work to go help out in Salinas. My brother did not like my methods b/c I was drinking. Here's my thought process that I went through today.

1. It's not about you. Craig Mullaney popularized how we were raised.

2. Second guessing God. The entire scientific process assumes no creator. We are morons confused in brilliance of our own foolishness.

3. Glimpse into the darkness of my soul. Or as Tupac put it, staring at the depths of my solitude.

4. My faith must begin or rest on somewhere or something.

5. Love Beyond Reason.

6. Temper my feelings.

7. What is my purpose?

8. Where is my peace?

I returned to the story of Peter the fisherman. When he first met Jesus, he dropped everything to follow him. His self-confidence was elated, and he fought to be the best disciple. After Jesus died, he betrayed him three times and went back to fishing. His self-confidence was broken. When Jesus came back, he had to ask Peter 3 times if Peter loved him before he finally understood.

That's what I considered today.

I have to determine for myself an endstate before I head back into the breach. Once I figure it out, the boys will folow whether it's Nuristan or Wilmington. They're waiting on me.

When I process these thoughts, then I will know how tomorrow morning comes.

[MikeF]

It's all in perspective.

If you ask my first first NPS dean, CAPT Kathrynn Hobbs, if you ask the head of the Defense Analysis Department, Gordon McCormick, they'll tell you that I'm one of the smartest students ever to enroll into NPS.

-He was in the top third of his USMA class.
-He has three valor awards in combat.
-He sat down to dinner with al Qaeda, destroyed two AQ training camps, and single-handidly took down the ISI in Diyala Province.
-He is a below the zone major.
-He's worked with Salinas to help them secure themselves.

If you ask the current dean, CAPT Jannice Wynn, she'll state,
-He does not earn his paycheck.
-He does not conform to military standards.
-He spent three nights in jail while drinking with gang members that deal drugs (Karl vick didn't put that in the WaPo story as part of my intelligence gathering).
-He slums around in pajamas(her nickname for ACUs)
-His actions are unbecoming of a military officer.
-He uses his PTSD/TBI as a crutch. He's too smart for that.

It's all in perspective.

I'm all that and more.

Have you ever loved someone that you would give an arm for? Not the expression, literally give an arm for? -Eminem

Mike doesn't do garrison.

Mike.

[Steve the Planner]

MikeF:

Here's the dedication I am scratching out:

"This book is dedicated to Private First Class Christopher Lotter, a young soldier from Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, who died at age 20 on December 31, 2008 after being shot by a sniper while on patrol to inspect a water treatment plant outside Tikrit, Iraq."

It took me a while to think through writing something that some might see only by the negative parts, but the truth is that Chris was shot on the day that I outprocessed working on a project I set in motion.

I went to his internment at Arlington, but watched from a distance. Was afraid I might say something negative...

Now, though, I am pretty sure the more important book isn't really about him, it or me, but about setting some background or context...especially where it might help in the next few years.

What is the thing that's going to make the biggest difference? That's the Tomorrow Morning thing.

Maybe I'll save the Qaddasaya stories for another day...

Steve