Defense

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U.S. pulls the plug on ill-advised rebel training program

In my Sept. 25, post, “Our military on “hold” until January 2017,” I wrote about the Obama administration’s continued failures in foreign policy, and called your attention to the embarrassing testimony of Gen. Lloyd Austin. He was forced to report that just four or five trainees were active as a result of our Syrian rebel training program.

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The Defense Department has pulled the plug on its fawed Syrian rebel training program. (defenseone.com)

I have to give him credit for his appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee. As the head of U. S. Central Command, he could have ordered someone in his command to draw the short straw. Continue reading →

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One of the best quotes of the day

Fox’s “The Five,” featured a clip from Tuesday’s White House press conference, during which spokesman Josh Earnest was asked if Russia was playing checkers or chess with its strategy in Syria. Earnest said, checkers, followed by an incoherent explanation. During a discussion among the show’s co-hosts, the quick-witted Greg Gutfeld jumped in with, “Russia’s playing chess and we’re playing Yahtzee.”

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General Campbell takes principled stand on Afghanistan

“Based on conditions on the ground, I do believe we have to provide our senior leadership options different from the current plan we are going with.” – Gen. John Campbell, Oct. 6, 2015

I have frequently been critical of President Obama’s “lead from behind” foreign policy and his decision to fulfill his campaign promise to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan regardless of advice he gets from the Pentagon.

imageGen. John Campbell (stripes.com)

Gen. John Campbell (stripes.com)

At the same time, I have been critical of those generals who salute and obey the orders of the commander-in-chief to protect their careers. My Sept. 25, post, “Our military on “hold” until January 2017,” was my most recent piece on this subject.

Yesterday, however, Gen. John Campbell, our top commander in Afghanistan, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, that our long-standing plan for troop reductions there should be revised in favor of a larger U.S. presence. He referred to the changes on the ground  over the past two years, since the president last issued his plan for troop removals. Continue reading →

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Remember the “outsider” who proved Obama wrong?

“The Cold War’s been over for 20 years.” – President Obama, 2012 Debate

That was President Obama’s snarky, arrogant response to Mitt Romney’s belief that Russia was the biggest geopolitical threat facing America. “When it comes to our foreign policy, you seem to want to import the foreign policies of the 1980s …” he added.

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President Obama mocked Mitt Romney for his stance on Russia during the 2012 debates. ( museumofuncutfunk.com/AP Al Goldman)

Of course, we know that while warning Americans about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions to reassert his power, particularly over Ukraine, Romney did not dismiss the threat of Al Qaeda and Iran.

And remember when Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was mocked during the 2008 campaign when she said, “After the Russian army invaded the nation of Georgia, Senator Obama’s reaction was one of indecision and moral equivalence, the kind of response that would only encourage Russia’s Putin to invade Ukraine.”

“This is a far-fetched scenario,” wrote Blake Hounshell, then the editor of the elite Foreign Policy magazine, as he dismissed Palin’s statement as “strange.” Continue reading →

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Our military on “hold” until January 2017

As someone who believes in a strong defense, over the past six years I have watched President Obama weaken our military and the reputation it has enjoyed globally for years.

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U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III (defense.gov)

I recently witnessed an embarrassing testimony by Army Gen. Lloyd Austin before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in which he said, “Despite some slow movement at the tactical level, we continue to make progress across the battlespace in support of the broader U.S. government strategy to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIS.”

In view of information that reports out of General Austin’s U. S. Central Command were overstated to paint a rosier picture of its success in Iraq and Syria, the Senators weren’t pleased with his testimony. It was learned that analysts were told to revise their reports of U.S. air strike damage to support command assessments of mission success. They were also urged to state that the killing of certain ISIS leaders would diminish the organization and lead to its collapse. Continue reading →

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The French know the meaning of bravery and honor

France is often the butt of jokes, especially when it comes to their military, but they stepped up and did the right thing Monday at a time when America would have dropped the ball.

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The French wasted no time to present their highest honor for bravery to the three Americans and one Brit, shown here with French President Francois Hollande. (voanews)

Three courageous Americans and a Brit were honored in Paris yesterday as they were presented France’s highest honor for bravery for preventing a terrorist blood bath on a high speed train between Belgium and France.

None other than French President Francois Hollande presented Legion d’Honneur medals to Americans Spencer Stone, Alex Skartatos and Anthony Sadler and Briton Chris Norman at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

That was a far cry from the ordeal victims and families endured after the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting at Fort Hood. It took six years of letter-writing and even legislation to honor the 10 soldiers killed and 26 wounded with a Purple Heart, and Defense of Freedom Medals to two civilians, one who was killed and another wounded. Continue reading →

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We are NOT a war-weary nation, Part 2

In Part 1, I wrote of my concern over the constant drumbeat that Americans have become war-weary, a belief attributed to President Obama, his supporters, and an adoring media.

I believe Americans are Obama-weary.  They simply cannot support a commander-in-chief who is unwilling to use what is still the best fighting force on the planet. And it doesn’t help when his generals echo his belief.

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The Military Oath courtesy of the angelfire.com

When I hear the president say he’s not going to send our troops into harm’s way, I am reminded of a recent exchange between Fox’s Melissa Francis and a fellow panelist.  Francis had just made a strong position for U.S. involvement in Iraq when she was asked, “would you send your son or daughter?”  Embarrassingly, she said, “no,” and was not pleased with herself.

There was no reason for her to be embarrassed.  We have an all-volunteer military, a courageous group of warriors, men and women, who sign up knowing that they are signing up for war. Continue reading →

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A letter writer not among the war-weary

In a letter to the editor of The Arizona Republic, an individual writes, “We are being told that we will not put boots on the ground in the Middle East to defeat ISIS and stop the daily slaughter of innocents because the majority of Americans are opposed to it.”  He adds, “if that’s how decisions are made in Washington these days, then why do we still have ObamaCare?,”… read more

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We are NOT a war-weary nation, Part 1

I’m tired of hearing the president and some politicians talk about how Americans are war weary. The same goes for the pundits who repeat that belief over and over.

The president’s political promises to get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan may satisfy him and the left, but to our enemies it is a sign of weakness.

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This graphic courtesy of spenttheyearasaghost.wordpress.com

I wonder what “The Greatest Generation” must think.  Growing up during the Great Depression, many went off to fight in World War II, and others made their contribution at home.  These men and women fought not for fame and recognition, but because it was the “right thing to do,” wrote Tom Brokaw in his book.

In his transformation of our country, President Obama has turned this once strong country into a nation willing to let the Hitler’s, Mussolini’s and Hirohito’s of today slaughter their way across the Middle East, annex neighboring countries and expand their reach.  We have forgotten what it means to go to war to win.

Today we see history being repeated and clearly laid out in a recent op-ed by Victor Davis Hanson, a historian and columnist of note.  He reminded readers how we stood by and allowed Hitler and the Third Reich to terrorize Europe, Mussolini take over much of the Mediterranean and the Japanese war machine occupy much of the Pacific.  Had they just been satisfied with their winnings, writes Davis Hanson, “there was no evidence that the tired Western democracies would ever have stopped them.” Continue reading →

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Obama warns Coast Guard grads that ignoring climate change would be considered dereliction of duty

Can you believe it?  ISIS now holds nearly half the territory of Syria and has a major hold on Fallujah and Ramadi, two Iraqi cities our warriors fought and died for, and what do we hear from our president?  It’s merely a setback.

And what does he tell graduates at the recent commencement ceremonies of the United States Coast Guard Academy? … read more