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Tragic End for an American Warrior

Discussion in 'News & Current Events' started by pinoybaptist, Jan 3, 2013.

  1. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    http://www.radicalislam.org/blog/year039s-end-afghanistan039s-coin-casualties-must-be-reckoned

    In the General Baptist Discussion forum is a thread about a fatwa ordered allowing Muslim terrorists freedom to rape 14 year olds, widowed, or unmarried Syrian women. There was a link. And within that link, at the bottom of the article, I found an article titled The Tragic End of SSgt Matthew Sitton in Afghanistan.
    The late SSgt Sitton wrote his congressman to ask him to intervene regarding the standing orders from their Brigade higher ups that the field troops, at a given time, every day, conduct a patrol with no clear cut objectives.
    Now, in a regular war, a patrol ALWAYS has an objective, either it goes out for combat, reconnaisance, intelligence gathering and/or confirmation, but there is always a reason.
    So, I don't really agree with that part of his letter, the gist of which is as a result of this no-direction patrolling many of his buddies go home in body bags or less limbs because of the dangers of IED.
    That part of the letter, I think, is meritorious, considering that, as his congressman noted in the article, our taxes pay for almost 3B dollars for the protection of our troops from IED's.

    Here are some excerpts that I find disturbing, though.

    The Brigade command requires Sgt Sitton's unit to conduct 2 patrol sorties of 2-4 hours a day with no established end result or objective. As I stated, there is ALWAYS an objective, whether stated or not. That is, to engage the enemy. Whether a patrol goes out on medical or humanitarian missions, or what not, bottom line is engage the enemy.
    I don't know how much the rules of engagement have changed.
    The late Sgt Sitton mentioned something about that.

    But, here's something which I think is NEVER THE WAY A WARRIOR IS TREATED BY ANYONE and I don't care how many stars he has on his collar.

    WTH ?

    I think this should only happen when a unit is in danger of being overran. But to meet a daily 2 patrols quota ?
    Ridiculous.
     
    #1 pinoybaptist, Jan 3, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 3, 2013
  2. Bro. James

    Bro. James Well-Known Member
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    While the moral codes of civilians and military have been changing, the military overall is not as corrupted as the majority of the body politic. There are millions of Americans who think it acceptable to murder the unborn.

    There are unfortunate aberrations in conducting military operations. Some are factual, many are not. There are incompetent people in high places. Who recruited them? Who promoted them? We need new mirrors.

    The system still works.

    Peace,

    Bro. James
     
    #2 Bro. James, Jan 3, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 3, 2013
  3. Aaron

    Aaron Member
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    Wouldn't have happened under Reagan or Bush. This is laid squarely at the feet of the usurper in chief.
     
  4. Don

    Don Well-Known Member
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    1) The patrols have a purpose; and I'm surprised that an Army SSGT doesn't realize it. It's called "presence" and "deterrence." HOWEVER....

    2) The part about the flooding and having to go out on patrol anyway - poor leadership. Where this ties into the first is, it's possible that while the 2 patrols are a requirement from higher headquarters, it's kind of immediately obvious to me that there's an immediate commanding officer who's more interested in making his superiors happy than in actually conducting operations.

    There is a problem with the ROE; but there's also a problem with lower-level leadership not exercising their "field judgment."
     
  5. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    Yes, I believe you're right. it's a problem with a CO trying to maintain an "image" with the higher ups, even at the expense of the dignity of men under him.
     
  6. mont974x4

    mont974x4 New Member

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    Where the heck was the 1st Sgt and SGM?
     
  7. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Ive never experienced ....ah, what branch of the service if I may ask?
     
  8. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    I suppose, from the article, they were army.
     
  9. Robert Snow

    Robert Snow New Member

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    I know it wouldn't happen under Reagan, he turned tail and ran after the Lebanon bombing.
     
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