-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! ARTICLE 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Navy - A Chief's Responses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: A Chief petty Officer responds to AT1 (AW) Heeg's letter of resignation, printed in last week's DANL. The response clearly shows that becoming a CPO is much more than joining a fraternity. *********************************************************************** By "Old Salt", MRCS(SW), USN (Ret) Many of the points that AT1 (AW) Heeg made in his article ring true. The Navy is indeed sending more and more unqualified and undisciplined sailors to sea, and is increasingly willing to throw money out as an incentive (albeit a poor one). I do think he is absolutely correct in saying that many Sailors will be killed sometime down the road due to lack of readiness and social engineering practices. I also agree Navy leadership is failing at all levels, especially when we restrict all hands with Draconian liberty policies, shortcut/under fund training, mandatory attendance to spiritual and gender training, fail to enforce standards (or enforce the wrongheaded ones), and too many deployments. However, that is where my view diverges. AT1 Heeg has never been an initiated CPO. How can the uninitiated assume they know all about what was once a hallowed and dignified process and ceremony? Part of our CPO creed used to state that humility is an experience that can (and often does) teach us something about ourselves. If anyone being initiated as a Chief has any doubts as to what they were taught about leadership, they should not have been selected by the Board, and have no business in my fraternity. Yes, at one time during initiation, you were broke down as an individual, and had to rely on your fellow CPO's initiates as a team. Yes, an excellent CPO Mess looks out for their own and "watches your back". Good CPO Messes also root out the incompetents in our ranks, and I have seen this in action, trust me. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean incompetence is not dealt with. I will admit, a few politicians slide through, and often get promoted. Sad, but true! Yes, good CPO's take ownership of "khaki inspired" policies in public, but argue in private. I can't tell you how many times I argued heatedly about policies with officers (once with the CO of a ship) behind closed doors. I sure as hell would never dream of making a fool of fellow Chiefs or Officers in public, they often do that all too well on their own. And calling my fraternity "asinine" misses the whole point and intent of what the CPO community is all about, and tells me that this 1st Class Petty Officer is neither ready nor fit to be a CPO. Especially in light of the fact that he can't delegate taking out trash or assigning cleaning stations. I feel that you allow officers to treat you with contempt (I didn't put up with it). Also, if the Navy deploys with "illiterate, immature and semi-skilled bodies," what is AT1 Heeg doing at his level? Any OJT? How about troubleshooting or system/component training? No Officer or Chief ever told me I couldn't train my people, and if they are trained, they aren't semiskilled and often not bored to the point of immaturity. Holding them accountable at your level works, and a good CPO will back you up. I found this approach made my job easier in the long run, as a 2nd and 1st Class and especially as a Chief. The Navy as a whole is in trouble, and I realize you can't get past all the politics and policies. But being a Leader is tough, and tough leaders do hard things. And don't assume Chiefs and CPO Messes have it cushy in the fleet. That is an erroneous assumption. I know, I was part of four CPO Messes afloat. The responsibilities far outweighed any benefits of comfort. If you don't believe me, stay in the Navy and get selected for Chief. Old Salt ============================================================== ARTICLE 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TRICARE - other options (Reader response) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: We received many responses to the TRICARE dilemma. Here is another option.. ************************************************************************ By A.G., retired Air Force Nice article. I am a retired AF Lt Col with a 14 year-old handicapper. We have been slogging through the CHAMPUS / TRICARE / VA system for years and hate it. The system is seriously broken, and pays the various bureaucracies for NOT providing health care. Here is a way to eliminate the bureaucracies, assuming: 1. Bureaucracies will always grow. 2. Congress will never adequately fund military / retiree health care. 3. We will eventually elect another Democrat to the White House. Congress is currently playing around with Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs). I propose that Congress allow military members and their families opt out of the existing CHAMPUS / TRICARE system via an individual MSA. Money goes directly into the pockets of the families rather than a bureaucracy that hires minimum wage workers trained to say No to requests for medical care. They ought to do the very same thing with the VA - divide the money spent on medical care by the number of retirees, distribute it yearly into an individual MSA, and give the retirees the choice to opt out via a MSA and get their own coverage. You eventually spin off the VA hospitals and let them sink or swim on the economy. My dollar says that most will quickly sink into oblivion. You quit paying the bureaucracy and start paying the military, retirees and families. The current system is about as effective as tits on a boar hog. ============================================================== ARTICLE 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flying CEO's control the Stick - Reader response ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Reader response to Hack's article on aviation CEO's who flunk the flying course. This experienced aviator tracks the dilemma back to the Vietnam days. ************************************************************************ By Wayne W. Wright Colonel, USA (Retired) You got some of it right on your recent article on Army Aviation. The real problem is that there is an Army Aviation branch. Ambitious senior officer aviators used this dumb idea to write their own tickets into aviation command positions and had a great ol' time with their own branch while it lasted. Little did they realize that the other combat arms branches supported this as a reason to purge their ranks of dumb ass aviators who thought being a peter pilot was their only job. Aviation is a skill just like airborne and should have stayed as such with combat arms officers rotating into aviation jobs and back between their branches, spreading combat arms and aviation knowledge with them and bringing solid career and command experience into aviation. You miss the ball when you support warrant officers whining about low airtime of commissioned officers commanding them. Warrants are technicians who are paid and trained to be peter pilots. They aren't leaders. Commissioned officers are the leaders, something they often tried to forget in Vietnam in aviation units. As a veteran of three aviation tours in Vietnam, I witnessed firsthand the deterioration of Army Aviation as the years went on. We still suffer from Vietnam from the overly ambitious, military politicians that too many officers came to be and from the lunacy issues from the Pentagon, particularity in officer career management. We need to get back to the basics when soldiers were proud and personally tough and when officers took responsibility for their own actions and risked their careers for matters of integrity and honor. We now have an army of weenies from top to bottom. I don't see it changing. =============================================================== ARTICLE 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hardware or Harder Wear? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: All high tech weaponry means nothing unless skillfully applied by the experienced and talented warrior. Why then are we continuing to eliminate the warrior ethos? ************************************************************************ By Mark R. Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] America has always taken justifiable pride in ensuring that her soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are the best-equipped warriors on the planet. However, we should be wary of seeing new technology as a solution in itself as a means to keep the US military without equal. In the midst of a retention and recruiting crisis, the uniformed members of the military are beginning to remember that really makes them effective is their people, but policy makers on Capital Hill, ever more distant from military service themselves, do not seem to fully understand this. We see a huge disconnect between those who know and understand the warrior culture, and those who cannot identify with it, and so discount it's worth. Technology alone is not does not a warrior make. We must continue to develop technological capabilities, of course, but we need to remember it is no substitute for investment in the quality of the force. There is what is commonly called the science and the art of war, and an effective warrior blends both to achieve his objective. The "science" encompasses the tangibles at one's disposal - equipment and doctrine - but the "art" component, such as leadership, experience and unit cohesion, is difficult to quantify, and harder to sell, especially to those lacking military service in their background. When you have no frame of reference, it is tough to judge the quality or importance of concepts like leadership, morale, will and stamina. It is so much easier to see a piece of technology as a solution when you can put your hands on it, have it demonstrated in front of you, and manufactured in your district. There is no voter constituency that immediately benefits from dollars allocated towards training. Imagine providing a Rembrandt with a box of 16 crayons, and an average Joe a full palette of oil paints, easel, and canvas. Who is more likely to produce a work of art? He needs the primary colors, sure, but with the basics, Rembrandt would still draw something beautiful, whereas the untrained and untalented would produce nothing more than a muddy canvas. The analogy may not exactly fit, but the point is clear - it is less the tools and more the talent, training, and dedication that creates the masterpiece. In recent history, there are many examples of poorly equipped warriors holding "superior" armies at bay: Vietnam, Afghanistan, Somalia, Chechnya. But these fighters did not face the distractions harrying today's American military. The Army has been forced to delay the deployment of the Land Warrior system, and that is probably a good thing. There is no threat, either existing or emerging, that a well-trained infantryman equipped with today's systems cannot adequately engage and defeat. The Land Warrior system is no more deadly than a WWI era bolt-operated rifle in the hands of a soldier who does not understand how to get it to the place on the battlefield to be effective, or lacks the will to use it. Similarly, the F-22 is undoubtedly a fine airplane, but recent reports on Navy and Air Force pilot skill degradation due to a lack of combat training reduces the value of a technological advantage. You cannot buy morale or experience - you must build them both, over time. There is no more stunning example of the undervaluing of the warrior culture than the recent decision to require David L. Grange, a bona-fide combat hero, to retire as a Brigadier General when he was clearly one of the finest two-star Division Commanders in recent history. From Vietnam to Bosnia, and a hundred nasty places in between, no one chose a harder path or set a finer personal example than this man. That decision has dealt a severe blow to the morale of the tens of thousands of soldiers that Grange touched during his career. Equally disturbing, it has sent a clear message to those watching that warriors such as Grange are not celebrated and rewarded. What makes the American Fighting Man so combat effective is their ability of independent thought and action, within the framework of the battle plan. This is born through effective leadership, and tough, realistic training. How many stories of a soldier's ingenuity and courage saving the day can we recount? But policies that compromise the Navy's training opportunities at Vieques or commit soldiers and pilots to repeated peacekeeping deployments at the expense of combat training are mortgaging the warrior culture to such an extent that it might not be around to play a role on the next battlefield. And no technology can compensate for that. � Mark R. Lewis 14 Mar 00 =============================================================== ARTICLE 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2000 Retired Military Personnel Handbook Available ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed: FEDweek has just released its brand new 2000 Retired Military Personnel Handbook. It was specifically written for military personnel and retirees to help them maximize their quality of life. ************************************************************************ Whether you are already retired, or you're planning to retire, you can benefit from this handbook. Here is what the handbook features: Retired pay and benefits how these changes affect you. Disability retirement --qualifying, compensation, implications Social Security -- eligibility and requirements Re-employment with the Government -- the veterans' advantage Financial planning -- maximizing your retirement income Taxes in retirement -- minimizing your tax burden Medicare -- eligibility and coverage Military retiree healthcare -- new Tricare vs. old Champus Tricare dental benefits -what's covered and what's not VA health benefits -- eligibility and facilities Survivor benefits -- spouses and family members, divorce VA retirement compensation -- types and how much Life insurance -- USGLI, VSLI and other Government plans Other VA programs -- assistance with loans, income, education, etc Long-term care insurance -- what to look for, how to buy it And much, much more! Contact info: http://www.armedforcesnews.com, by fax 1-804-288-5123, mail: FEDweek, P.O. Box 71900, Richmond VA 23255 or by calling the toll-free order line at 1-888-333-9335. =============================================================== MEDAL OF HONOR -- ARTICLE 11 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Korea 1951. Air action by US B-26 medium bombers against enemy supply trains at much less than 15,000 feet. ********************************************************************* *WALMSLEY, JOHN S., JR. Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3d Bomb Group. Place and date: Near Yangdok, Korea, 14 September 1951. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Born. 7 January 1920, Baltimore, Md. Citation: Capt. Walmsley, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While flying a B-26 aircraft on a night combat mission with the objective of developing new tactics, Capt. Walmsley sighted an enemy supply train which had been assigned top priority as a target of opportunity. He immediately attacked, producing a strike which disabled the train, and, when his ammunition was expended, radioed for friendly aircraft in the area to complete destruction of the target. Employing the searchlight mounted on his aircraft, he guided another B-26 aircraft to the target area, meanwhile constantly exposing himself to enemy fire. Directing an incoming B-26 pilot, he twice boldly aligned himself with the target, his searchlight illuminating the area, in a determined effort to give the attacking aircraft full visibility. As the friendly aircraft prepared for the attack, Capt. Walmsley descended into the valley in a low level run over the target with searchlight blazing, selflessly exposing himself to vicious enemy antiaircraft fire. In his determination to inflict maximum damage on the enemy, he refused to employ evasive tactics and valiantly pressed forward straight through an intense barrage, thus insuring complete destruction of the enemy's vitally needed war cargo. While he courageously pressed his attack Capt. Walmsley's plane was hit and crashed into the surrounding mountains, exploding upon impact. His heroic initiative and daring aggressiveness in completing this important mission in the face of overwhelming opposition and at the risk of his life, reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force. =============================================================== ARTICLE 12 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GI HUMOR - Murphy's Laws of Combat ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: These are time-tested and true axioms for the warrior. They should be taught in basic training and at the service academies. Applicable for business as well *********************************************************************** * You are NOT bulletproof. * If the enemy is in range, so are you. * Don't look conspicuous; it draws fire. * There is always a way; that way is always mined. * Try to look unimportant; they might be low on ammo. * Teamwork is essential; it gives them someone else to shoot at. * If orders can be misunderstood they will be. * The tank is a monument to the inaccuracy of indirect fire. * Never reinforce failure; failure reinforces itself. * Odd objects attract fire. You are odd. * Your mortar barrage will put exactly one round on the intended target. That round will be a dud. * Mine fields are not neutral. * The weight of your equipment is proportional to the cube of the time you have been carrying it. * The enemy diversion you have been ignoring will be the main attack. * If your attack is going well, it's an ambush. * When you have secured an area, don't forget to tell the enemy. * Never forget that your weapon is made by the lowest bidder. * Never stand when you can sit. * Never sit when you can lie down. * A grenade with a 7 second fuse will always burn in 4 seconds. * The enemy never watches until you make a mistake. * Whenever you have plenty of ammo, you never miss. * The more a weapon costs, the further you will have to send it to be repaired. * Interchangeable parts are not. * The item you need is always in short supply. * The complexity of a weapon is inversely proportional to the IQ of its operator. * If it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid. * No combat ready group ever passes inspection. * No inspection ready group ever survives combat. * All battles are fought at the junction of two or more maps. * Things that must be together to work can never be shipped together. * If you need an officer in a hurry take a nap. * Radar tends to fail at night and in bad weather, and especially during both. * Tracers work both ways. * The effective killing radius of a grenade is greater than the distance the average soldier can throw it. * Military intelligence is a contradiction of terms. ============================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EDITOR'S NOTE: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For Article Submissions: as a rule of thumb, please try to keep article for possible publication to 750 words or less. We do make exceptions and will not turn away an 800 to 900 word piece (or even longer if you're related to Hack!). Please make every editing effort not to exceed these guidelines. If you believe you have a story that is longer than 750 words we will consider running it in parts or as a SPECIAL. Keep the piece focused on the story you want to tell, not impress upon the reader. Thanks to everyone for keeping the communication lines open and ideas flowing. Watch your flanks - the bad guys are still out there!!! ZIMM [EMAIL PROTECTED] ============================================= HACK'S DEFENDING AMERICA COLUMN: Many readers have asked for guidance/help/ideas for getting Hack's column in their local newspapers. See http://www.hackworth.com --- NEWSPAPERS for a few suggestions. Much appreciate your effort. What we're into is getting the word to as many citizens as possible about what is causing our military machine to fly like a B17 with 3 engines on fire (and that plane still flew!). Thanks, R.W. Zimmermann ============================================= ARCHIVED DEFENDING AMERICA COLUMNS: You can now find copies of Hack's previous columns at: http://www.hackworth.com These are found in the Defending America Section, under Archived Copies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GLOSSARY OF MILITARY ACRONYMS: We've had numerous requests from troops in different branches of the military to establish this link so that we will all know how "all you others" talk that talk. Please see below: http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict/acronym_index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONGRESSIONAL E-MAIL ADDRESSES Congressional e-mail addresses can be found by going to (www.hackworth.com) and accessing Congressional e-mails at the bottom of the first page. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***** BOOK SALES ***** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hack's books About Face*, Hazardous Duty*, The Price of Honor* and The Vietnam Primer can be found at www.hackworth.com. They make a great addition to any library. We are offering them at special SFTT price. ==================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Defending America Newsletter: Administrative Volunteers: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ R.W. Zimmermann, Chief Editor, President of SFTT, Mine Detector and "Gunner" David H. Hackworth, Taker of Names, Spiritual Leader, and undisputed Y2K Expert Bill Rogers, Senior Assistant Editor and SFTT Vice President Kate Aspy, Contributing Editor and Oracle Barry "Woody" Groton, TECH DROID and Medicine Man Ed "Edgar" Schneider, Copy Editor, Man of Letters and gentleman: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Larry Tahler, WebMaster Guru and Crack-shot Judy Martin, Administration and Brains of the Outfit, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kyle Elliott, Book List Editor and Most Over-worked James H., MOH Editor and NCOIC =================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Defending America VOLUNTEER EDITORS/SPECIALISTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL Letters and Articles for considered publication are to be submitted to one of these brave, resolute and caring volunteers. **************************************** **************************************** U.S. Army: "Emory Upton", Armor, Generalist and Senior Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] Col. Bruce B.G. 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