MetaFilter posts tagged with USMilitary

Crossing the "Red Line"?

the man of twists and turns — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:45:13 -0800

As reports have surfaced of possible use of sarin gas in the Syrian civil war, calls by long-time proponents of U.S. intervention on behalf of the anti-Assad rebels have grown to a fever pitch. These same voices, both at home and abroad, have evoked the administration’s previously stated “red line” on use of chemical weapons. But even assuming that reports of WMD usage in Syria turn out to be true, the Obama Administration’s position may be far more nuanced than previously thought.

Why would the US get involved in Syria? Civilian deaths, chemical weapons use (and proliferation), and mounting refugee crisis, and unrest in Lebanon are reasons for intervention. But should it? Obama Appears At A Loss To Define The Way Forward In Syria Why Obama Doesn't Want To Intervene In Syria and Obama's Case Against The War In Syria. Sentors Graham and McCain respond: "There are many options at our disposal, including military options short of boots on the ground in Syria, that can make a positive impact on this crisis, which is destabilizing the region. The President must act now or risk squandering U.S. credibility in Syria and around the world." Is Barack Obama A Republican Realist? Various groups have attached themselves to factions in the conflict. Hezbollah announced that Syria has "real friends in the region and world" and that they support al-Assad. Opposition group the al-Nusrah Front has "merged" with Al-Qaeda In Iraq. Al-Qaeda's battle for control of Assad's chemical weapons plant - "A battle near a factory believed to be one of the Syrian regime's main chemical weapons plants shows just how close such weapons could be to falling into al-Qaeda's hands." Intervention isn't guaranteed to work. The "Libyan model" or "Malian model" for foreign military support may not be repeatable in Syria. Even With US Guns, Syria's Rebels Still Might Lose. But what might intervention look like? Drone strikes? Boots-on-the-ground? Safe havens? No-fly zones? "Decapitation strike"? Simply material support? Or are there just no good military options?

The question has been, and remains: Does the U.S. have the capacity to end the violence, in any meaningful way, within the immediate future?

The conflict and the weapons of war aren't limited to Syria. Repercussions and implications extend through the region: The Syria-Iran Red Line Show Want to fix Syria? Talk to Iran Syrian Conflict Casts Long Shadow Over Iraq More Syrian Refugees Will Cause Crisis In Jordan as Jordan Weighs Syria Buffer Zone Israel Sees US Respons As Gauge for Iran. The Onion Goes To War

"We Just Witnessed a War Crime"

Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:33:02 -0800

The first thing we learned about war re-enactment is that it's fucking terrifying having guns fired at you, even ones loaded with blanks. The second thing we learned is a common re-enactor's dilemma called "The G.I. Effect", which is basically that people playing Americans don't like to die. So sometimes they just don't.

It's Like Vietnam All Over Again, pt 1. Part 2

"Captains Courageous"

the man of twists and turns — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 01:54:37 -0800

'While they never met, they had some things in common. Both were Army captains, engaged in important work for the nation, their costly educations paid for by U.S. taxpayers. Ian Morrison, 26, returned to Fort Hood, Texas, last December after nine months flying 70 combat missions over Iraq. Dr. Michael McCaddon, 37, was an ob-gyn resident at Hawaii’s Tripler Army Medical Center. The pilot and the doctor shared one other thing: they found themselves in a darkening, soul-sucking funnel that has trapped some 2,500 military personnel since 9/11. Like them, each died, at his own hand, on March 21, nearly 4,000 miles apart.' 'As of 3 June, 2012 active-duty suicides reached 154, compared with 130 in the same period last year, the Pentagon confirmed to the BBC.' 'Suicides Outpacing War Deaths for Troops.' Suicide in the US military has been growing for years - CBS(Youtube) did a report in 2007. There are two parts. Anthony Swofford(previously) characterizes them as an 'epidemic'.

One reason for veteran suicides (and crimes, which get far more attention) may be post-traumatic stress disorder, along with a related condition, traumatic brain injury. Ryan suffered a concussion in an explosion in Iraq, and Michael finally had traumatic brain injury diagnosed two months ago.

Death isn't the only thing that follows them: 'It would be so much easier, Maj. Ben Richards says, if he had just lost a leg in Iraq' 'Beyond the Battlefield: From a Decade of War, an Endless Struggle for the Severely Wounded.' 'Mad, Bad, Sad: What Really Happens to US Soldiers.' IED blasts are blamed for the increase in PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury), a contributing factor, while military culture can prevent people from seeking help. Is PTSD A Product of War, or Of Our Times? Attempts to identify people susceptible to PTSD are underway, while new treatments become available. The government needs to do a better job of assessing and reviewing PTSD treatment. This is made more difficult with the counter-intuitive warning signs of suicide. Previously on Metafilter: The Downward Spiral

The Pentagon's New Generation of Secret Military Bases

Chrysostom — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:02:49 -0800

How the Pentagon is quietly transforming its overseas base empire and creating a dangerous new way of war.

"I Didn't Blaze A Trail - I Buried My Husband."

BZArcher — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 05:46:06 -0800

John Fliszar had a heart attack in 2006 and was rushed to Illinois Masonic Medical Center. “When I was in the emergency room with him, he asked me to promise him, if he died, to make sure his ashes were interred in the Naval Academy,” said Mark Ketterson. “He loved that place. He very much wanted to be there.” The memorial coordinator asked about his relationship to the deceased. Ketterson said that John Fliszar was his husband. I'm incredibly touched by the class and grace shown by the Academy, their alumni, and the USNA-Out groups in supporting Mr. Ketterson, and I think his final words in the article sum it up: “I am a patriotic American, but I know this is not a perfect world,” he said. “The point is, when the chips are down, when the issue was patriotism and honor for a veteran, they were wonderful. Whatever their private feelings, they made me proud to be an American. We really do get it right sometimes.”

Women in War: Female Engagement Teams in Afghanistan

ocherdraco — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:49:39 -0800

Since the spring of 2010, all-volunteer units called Female Engagement Teams have been doing what male soldiers can't: speak with women and children in rural Afghani communities, both to gain information and to foster trust. These soldiers may carry M4 rifles, but their toolkit includes sidewalk chalk and jump ropes, too. The FETs, trained for this specific mission grew out of more ad hoc programs like the Lioness program for traffic checkpoints in Iraq. "The FET mission to me is so critical that if I had to exchange blood for it, I would," said Sgt. 1st Class Sawyer Alberi, an FET team leader for the National Guard. "The FET mission is nested very closely in the COIN mission, and unless you do it, you're not doing the whole COIN mission." First Lieutenant Quincy Washa, platoon commander for the Female Engagement Team with Regimental Combat Team 1, describes the teams' role. Despite the apparent importance of the FETs' work, the program is still an experiment; it is unclear whether it will continue after the current teams' deployment.

U.S. Senate Clears The Way For A Vote to Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

ericb — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 08:53:10 -0800

The Senate has cleared the way for a final vote to repeal the U.S. military policy, 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.. "The passage ... mark[s] a triumph for Obama, who made repeal of the 17-year-old law a campaign promise in 2008. It also ... [is] a win for congressional Democrats who have struggled in the final days of the outgoing Congress' session to overcome Republican objections, and for gay rights groups who said Saturday's vote was their best shot at changing the law. Republicans, who are far less supportive of gay rights, take over the House and gain strength in the Senate when the new Congress is seated in January."*

They always did tend towards having the snappiest uniforms

Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 09:18:58 -0800

American military planners are fascinated with German/Prussian military history. Busts of Von Clauswitz adorn American military academies where On War is taught, often with the misperception that Von Clauswitz viewed war as a controllable science. Shock & Awe is just the idea of Blitzkrieg with better weapons. Endless exhortations about unit cohesion (a complex, multi-layered idea with no military definition that is nonetheless used to keep gay soldiers from openly serving) comes from admiration for the Wehrmacht, their discipline and courage on the battlefield. So too the idea of a military culture separate and more honorable than the civilians they protect, advancing the professional warrior model at the expense of the citizen-soldier model. But to quote author military/adventure author Tom Clancy, “Why do people have a fixation with the German military when they haven’t won a war since 1871?” Previously

What History Looks Like

bardic — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 20:03:48 -0800

Photos of US soldiers and vets engaged in non-violent protest against "DADT" in front of the White House.

Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.

VikingSword — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:44:38 -0800

A Muslim American soldier battles on friendly ground. 'In his 23 months in the Army, Klawonn has consistently earned among the highest physical training scores in his unit. He's at the top in weapons qualifications and is the only one in his battalion to be invited to try out for the Special Forces. But the thing that stands out most, says Capt. Christopher Arata, his commander, is Klawonn's impossibly clean record. Not one reprimand. Never even late to a morning formation.' 'You watch your words and actions, censoring anything that could be interpreted as anger. You do so even as you try to ignore the names piled on you. Sand monkey. Carpet jockey. Raghead. Zachari bin Laden. Nidal Klawonn. But the hardest to shake off -- the name that cuts deepest, especially for a man who defied his family and community to become a U.S. soldier -- is this one: Terrorist. "To be looked upon by the people you serve with, by people you've trusted your life with, as the enemy," Klawonn says, sitting in his barracks a month after receiving the note. His voice trails off as he struggles to describe the anger he feels. "It's not right." 'Within 72 hours of the [Fort Hood] rampage, reports of discrimination against Muslims increased by 20 percent, according to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a watchdog group. "There were soldiers calling in crying on the phone," founder Mikey Weinstein said. "They were hearing things like, 'You can't be trusted,' 'Go back to your own country.' " Within weeks, five Muslim soldiers at Fort Jackson, S.C., were accused of plotting to poison food at the base. The allegations were dropped, but the five were still discharged from active duty.' The worst humiliation came during a field exercise at the culmination of boot camp. "Not only did I not get this final, ultimate training they said was so important," he said, "all I got to do was be a terrorist, all day long. Unit after unit." 'Klawonn's current roommate, Spec. Arnold Mendez, said: "The crazy part about all of this is, he's probably the best soldier we got. I've seen him run a marathon while fasting. I mean, that kind of commitment and smarts.' When he's alone, however, Klawonn says his world sometimes feels as though it's collapsing.

The Pershing Chinese

SpringAquifer — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:53:32 -0800

After a fruitless hunt for Pancho Villa, General Pershing and his forces withdrew from northern Mexico in early 1917. But, "[w]hat to do with 300 Chinese who have associated themselves with the punitive expedition?" By the start of the 20th century, Chinese immigrants had carved a niche across northern Mexico. Yet, their economic success had become a "national embarrassment" in the political climate of the revolution. This growing immigrant community became a target for racially motivated violence (including the 1911 massacre of some 300 Chinese in Torreón) and, ultimately, expulsion from their adopted homes (some to other regions of the country, some to the United States, and some back home to China). When General Pershing crossed into Mexico in 1916, the local Chinese stepped in to provide American troops with various sundries, such as laundry services and supplies. According to a contemporary New York Times account, "[d]oughnuts, pies, candy, tobacco, matches, and fruit, which comprised about all the luxuries known to the men during this campaign in a poverty-stricken country, were furnished by Chinese, and by them only." This behavior understandably raised the ire of Pancho Villa, and when the Punitive Expedition withdrew, many Chinese feared retaliation. Yet, standing in the way of safety across the border was the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese immigration to the U.S. Only after a great deal of political maneuvering could General Pershing bring 527 Chinese across the border, most of whom eventually settled in San Antonio. They are affectionately dubbed the "Pershing Chinese." Unfortunately, a wealth of further reading on this topic is only available offline:

A contemporary account of the Pershing Chinese: Worley, F.B. “Five Hundred Chinese Refugees.” Overland Monthly, April 1918.
On the years of political maneuvering it took to give the Pershing Chinese legal status in the U.S.: Briscoe, Edward Eugene. “Pershing’s Chinese Refugees: An Odyssey of the Southwest” M.A. thesis, St. Mary’s University, 1947.
On the lives of the Chinese who settled in San Antonio: Nims, Amy Elizabeth. “Chinese Life in San Antonio.” M.A. thesis, Southwest Texas State Teachers College, 1941.

Women at Arms: In Their Own Words

gman — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:27:11 -0800

Three female US soldiers talk about their experiences in the military. (sound starts automatically) Related: G.I. Jane Breaks the Combat Barrier

Don’t ask, don't tell - gays in the US military

wilful — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:29:17 -0800

[G]ays do not belong in the U.S. military because American troops need to be hardened warriors. "We aren't the Brits. We're not the Europeans. We're not the Swedes," says Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, who is the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. The choicest quote from the 16 Dec 2007 60 Minutes investigation into gays in the military (recently updated). All the law you need to know. Some personal stories. Mild disagreement between the presidential candidates.

Korea: Then and Now

phoque — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:14:09 -0800

Seoul: Then and Now. Photos Part 2. Anyang: Then and Now.

"Don't ask, don't care"?

taursir — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 23:25:32 -0800

Openly Gay Soulforce Activists in Minnesota, U.S., attempt to enlist in the Minnesota National Guard because they wish to serve, but are rejected or have their applications put on hold. Here are some local news reports (beware possible sound-enabled ads). Should the U.S. policy change?

We Negotiate With Terrorists

trick — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 12:29:13 -0800

We Negotiate With Terrorists. With an abrupt move opposite of stated policy, abducted American journalist Jill Carroll's life may have been saved by the US military yielding to the demands of her captors. Have gender, politics, and media coverage become factors erroding the mantra that the US Government formally states?

Kiss the Boys Goodbye

drakepool — Mon, 30 May 2005 07:35:22 -0800

"I am Colonel Tom C. McKenney, You must know how to reach Bobby Garwood. I directed an official mission to assassinate him behind enemy lines, because I believed what they told me. Would you tell him that I will crawl on my hands and knees to beg his forgiveness?"

Over One Million Served And Over Half Now Prefer Home Cooking

y2karl — Sat, 11 Dec 2004 12:04:32 -0800

1 million U.S. troops have gone to war The data also show that one out of every three of those service members has gone more than once. The Pentagon says more than 5,500 servicemen have deserted since the war started in Iraq. Few experts are surprised to hear that a recent army survey discovered that half the soldiers were not planning to re-enlist. Experts are divided over how stretched America’s military really is. But they agree that another conflict would put the military in overdrive. Another war would require a shift to a “no-kidding wartime posture in which everybody who could shoot was given a rifle and sent to the front,” according to John Pike, of GlobalSecurity.org. - US Army plagued by desertion and plunging morale.

Rumsfeld's War

stbalbach — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 15:12:40 -0800

Frontline: Rumsfeld's War, a PBS/Washington Post joint documentary that aired earlier this week is now online. It is the inside story of Rumsfeld's battle to assert civil control over the military.

Don't fear this : stop it

troutfishing — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 16:00:35 -0800

You will be conquered by Stealth and Deception : in the swift advance of a long-planned coup against secular society, to launch an American theocracy, "the Dominionists are succeeding in their quest for national control and world power" - Kathleen Yurica, founder of the Yurica Report which, like Theocracy Watch, monitors the American religious right writes "Since the writing and posting of my essay, The Despoiling of America in February 2004, there is more and more evidence that not only has a cultural war been launched, but that the plotters are winning it....First the hard right dominionists took over the Southern Baptist Convention with its 16 million members and a fortune in corporate businesses. Then they took over the Republican Party...they are moving to limit the power of the Supreme Court. Now there is evidence dominionists are trying to take over the U. S. military

....Americans and the mainstream media have been very slow in catching on to the fact that we are in a war — a war that is cultural, religious and political, a war that uses stealth and deception and the rules of engagement written by the enemies to representative democracy. Unless Americans wake up, we could lose that war."

The Scandal's Growing Stain

Postroad — Sun, 09 May 2004 11:12:36 -0800

The Scandal's Growing Stain Time Magazine: "Abuses by U.S. soldiers in Iraq shock the world and roil the Bush Administration. the inside story of what went wrong—and who's to blame"

You’re going to lose more people this summer than you did last year, I guarantee it.

specialk420 — Thu, 11 Mar 2004 13:30:33 -0800

You’re going to lose more people this summer than you did last year, I guarantee it.
Do you feel it is possible for American citizens to support the troops without supporting the policies under which the troops are acting?
Yes. Most definitely.

Iraq Lacked Atom Whack

y2karl — Mon, 27 Oct 2003 15:43:26 -0800

At least four times in the fall of 2002, the president and his advisers invoked the specter of a "mushroom cloud," and some of them, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, described Iraq's nuclear ambitions as a threat to the American homeland... Among the closely held internal judgments of the Iraq Survey Group, overseen by David Kay as special representative of CIA Director George J. Tenet, are that Iraq's nuclear weapons scientists did no significant arms-related work after 1991, that facilities with suspicious new construction proved benign, and that equipment of potential use to a nuclear program remained under seal or in civilian industrial use.

So in regards to Iraq's possession of the one weapon we can be certain causes mass destruction: the atomic bomb, as Gregg Easterbrook put it, the verdict is the unsurprising (and unsurprisingly closely held) nope, not, zero, zip, nada...

US Army Used Reporters for Own Ends in Iraq War

fenriq — Mon, 08 Sep 2003 13:51:49 -0800

U.S. Army Used Media Cover in Iraq for Own Ends which sounds like a big old bowl of yellow journalism but isn't really, at least I don't think so. It was more to refute the Iraqi Minister of Lies talking about the whooping the Iraqi war machine was delivering to the coalition forces.

The main issue that the reporters had was that they were only getting the one side of the story and not the Iraqi perspective.

But it raises some questions about the supposed objectivity of the media. Is this a proper use of them? To help achieve military goals? Or to try to avoid more unnecessary deaths?

What's a couple of heroes, more or less?!

insomnia_lj — Mon, 03 Feb 2003 18:08:59 -0800

Sure, they died for their country, but who's counting?! ABC has a webpage for US personnel who have died during the war on terror, but it shows only 41 have casualties. Admittedly, they have yet to update their webpage after the latest casualties, but even if they did, they would still be wrong. CNN recently said that 47 US personnel have died in Operation Enduring Freedom. That number too is wrong.

To tell the truth, I couldn't find a single story on any major news website that lists all of the US personnel who have died in operation Enduring Freedom, but these sites appear to be the closest. Neither are fully accurate, however.

A beer on me to the first person who can tell me exactly how many US personnel have died (post 9/11) as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Search the web. Find the names. Compare lists. Extra points to anyone who can offer up some compelling reasons why our media overlords can't keep score. Do we want to know these people's names? Does it matter?!