War in Iraq not a part of the War on Terror???

[«ºTone Caponeº»]

2. The military standby: Don't get caught. Unless someone harbors a political grudge, most people in the service don't give a flying fuck what goes on as long as it follows their political views and attitude towards anyone other than "their side". Bleeding hearts get booted out really quick, but unfortunately officer training seems to stomp a little more common sense out of people than required. Trust me, I know how the soldier's mind works. It was interesting taking psychology and sociology classes while at the same time I had a particular slice of three generations to pick from to use as research material. I now have four, if you consider my current friends and contacts within the military.

Uh...not sure what military you are referencing there, but in 9 years of service it is not the military I'm aware of. You know how a soldiers mind works? Have you ever been one? If not, I doubt that you really know. What jobs did the ones you have to pick from have? Within the Air Force there are pretty big differences between those in the Communications career field (which I'm in), the Security Forces career field and so on. I'm a group executive officer and work with 4 squadrons (communications, logistics readiness, security forces and mission support) and 2 divisions (contracting and services) and there are huge culture differences in those. Not to mention those in flying squadrons are much different also.

When I went through officer training school, the only thing stomped into our head was: Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do.

I'm really not buying your 'knowledge' unless you have first hand experience in it.

 

[quietfanatic]

The whole phrase, 'war against terrorism', doesn't make sense to me, as you cannot wage war against an abstract concept. It does sound better than 'war against terrorists', but that is strange too.

The interim PM, Iyad Allawi... carried out a number of bombings during Saddam's regime. That's not terrorism though, because he was fighting for democracy.

/sarcasm

Is he not a terrorist? Many of these terrorists/freedom fighters use more unscrupulous tactics because they have no other choice. They do not have large, well equipped armies that could cause political change. For example, the Palestinians would behave very differently if they actually had any chance of standing up for themselves with conventional forces. Guerilla tactics can actually get something done for example. However, America has a virtual monopoly on conventional forces and the Islamic fundamentalists do not. Does this enable America to wage war on a set of tactics, because they are the only superpower now, with no similar enemies? If you extend the definition of terrorism to North Korea's possibility of having nukes, the idea of a 'war on terror' becomes even more hypocritical and convoluted.

It would have been better if America executed a 'war against fundamentalism' (even though that doesn't make sense either), but then Bush would have to commit suicide.

 

[Roshambo]

Uh...not sure what military you are referencing there, but in 9 years of service it is not the military I'm aware of.

Just 9 years? I've known the military, all branches, for far, far longer.

You know how a soldiers mind works? Have you ever been one? If not, I doubt that you really know.

Hello, are you even paying attention to the discussion? I believe that I mentioned where I have had military experience, including where I point out the numerous veterans I've known for years and also have served alongside.

Keep up with those observation skills, Soup-Sandwich. Someday I might believe that someone could be that stupid to trust you with their life when you can't even notice what is in front of your face and not that difficult to comprehend.

What jobs did the ones you have to pick from have?

How the HELL did you make it through...no...fuck it, I don't want to know at this part, the truth might scare me and turn Jebus on.

Within the Air Force there are pretty big differences between those in the Communications career field (which I'm in), the Security Forces career field and so on.

Ah, so you're Officer Radioman! That explains a LOT.

I'm a group executive officer and work with 4 squadrons (communications, logistics readiness, security forces and mission support) and 2 divisions (contracting and services) and there are huge culture differences in those. Not to mention those in flying squadrons are much different also.

It seems a pity that someone who claims to have anything to do with logistics and other vital support aspects of a military machine to condone the risk towards soldiers because of poor logistics in the field, poor equipment in the field, and poor treatment of the soldiers, all on the basis that the leader of the country in question gave comfort money to suicide bomber survivors? Someone needs to brush up on the Geneva Conventions. That's a pretty hefty bat squad, especially when the US doesn't even bother to follow common rights in the US and to the UN, where someone is innocent until proven guilty. Yes, there was suspicions and other reasons why he should have been removed from office, better ways of doing it that don't make the US military look like a pillaging oil company merc army. I know political concerns aren't in your career's scope, but please try to think a little outside of what they want you to grunt in your job capacity. You might think you're right, but when nobody wants to deal with you because you decided to pull crap for no reason other than something that is later used as after-the-fact evidence, and which is really insignificant given the history of the US and many other countries.

Frankly, that is quite pitiful and I have to call you a poor leader and poor officer material because of that. I hope you executively officer the graph paper well, because otherwise you seem to have little grasp of how the military works and has worked for a long time.

When I went through officer training school, the only thing stomped into our head was: Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do.

Yes, that registers a 9.0 on the irony meter. Keep believing it, sparky, and I'll keep believing that I'm the nicest person in the world.

In the 20+ years I've known the Air Force, the only things I've known to be of "Excellence" coming from the Air Force are excuses.

I'm really not buying your 'knowledge' unless you have first hand experience in it.

I'm not buying into your supposed commission unless things really have gotten that fucked. I know the Air Farce was a joke in many regards, but lately it seems to have been the proverbial XR-71 that flew into its own bullets.

You know, it's rather futile to stick your head in the sand and keep believing you are correct, righteous, doing the right thing, etc. yet when the rest of the world looks questionably at that, it isn't something to consider? Or you have to validate the lives of many troops, civvies, and the misconduct of Daddy's Little War Criminal with some token little bullshit? What the hell are you trying to prove other than you can piss those off who aren't finding the careless loss of US troops, the misconduct of the US invasion into Iraq, and the treatment of the Iraqi common people amusing at all? Something I thought you as a "logistics officer" should and would care about, but apparently I'm wrong and I'm the asshole here because of it.

President Bush isn't fooling many people around the world and neither are you, especially in how he treats everyone but the US. Of course, he doesn't give a flying fuck about the servicemen he put at risk for his little folly to later be excused after the fact by evidence that really has no way in hell of stacking up to the direct involvements the US has been involved in for many years. Yes, the rest of the world knows that Bush is operating the US on a hypocrisy, which isn't earning us too many friends and losing others quickly. Tell me, were you responsible for that stupid "Reboot with F8" commercial the Air Farce is trying to shit out to kids who evidently know better than those responsible for that garbage? Of course, that seems to be the entire role of military recruitment now.

Instead of focusing upon military tradition, code of conduct, and what the US military used to stand for, the Army and Air Force seen to cater towards the lowbrow egocentric types that want to be "An Army of One". Well, it's no wonder why we have a good number of careless casualties due to poor equipment. It also seems to make some idiots feel smart because they know a little about the "Reboot with F8"...thing, think the US Air Force can instruct them better, but to the old salt, it makes you boys look quite stupid and it is insulting towards our domestic forces. It seems that the draft has been as effective as advertising towards ego petters - apparently the same kind of shitty attitude and sense of responsibility.

True irony is where former "terrorist" states offer assistance and former "allies" then ally with current "enemies" because they do fear the US govt. flaking out and decidng more of the towelheads need to be surgically removed at the wanton cost of US soldiers, and any sense of peace there might have been.

But hey, you're an officer, so congratulations, I think. I suppose enlisted personnel don't mean that much to you. This thread has been a direct insult towards that hypocrisy you put in your .sig.