Allen West on Military Personnel Cuts

Rep. Allen West (R-FL)

"An Army veteran serving on the House Armed Services Committee wants to cap the annual rate of reduction in the Army and Marine Corps to prevent the Defense Department from making steep reductions to save money. Representative Allen West, R-Fla., proposed Thursday to restrict the rate of decline to 15,000 people a year in the Army and 5,000 a year in the Marine Corps, essentially putting into law the controlled force reductions already planned by the two services.  In a statement, West said he worries the pace of personnel cuts could be increased to save money.

“Our men and women in the armed forces do not need to continue to be the bill payer for fiscal irresponsibility,”

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The U.S. victory in the Gulf War

Just catching up on a little reading and study of the first Iraq war, aka the Gulf War.  What a mixed bag it was.


The U.S. victory in the Gulf War was of the type from which many drew warning rather than celebration. The six month build-up of overwhelming force in theater only to face a very weak and extremely poorly led foe did not exactly send a signal to America’s would-be adversaries that the U.S. was too powerful for them.  While the U.S. accomplished its major objective of expelling Iraq from Kuwait, it failed to bring stability to the region.  Saddam Hussein was left in power and the end of the war only commenced a twelve-year enforcement of no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq.  The conventional-type fight that was the Gulf War was the kind of warfare for which the U.S. dedicated itself following its demoralizing loss in the counterinsurgency fight in Vietnam.  It was a display of the military’s AirLand Battle doctrine, and was the way the U.S. intended to fight the Soviets on the plains of Europe in the event that the Red Army stormed the Fulda Gap.  But there were plenty of warning signs that suggested the U.S. was fortunate to be facing Saddam’s forces and not the Kremlin’s.  Against the Soviets in Europe, the U.S. would not be afforded the luxury of building up forces for six months prior to the commencement of hostilities.  Lightly armored forces—the first ones to deploy into the southwest Asian theater—would be no match for heavy Soviet divisions.  Air power alone could not dislodge even the Iraqis from their Kuwaiti redoubts.  How much less effective would it be against more capable Soviet forces?  Nevertheless, some positive things were accomplished.  To a certain extent, the military was able to erase the stigma of Vietnam and garner widespread national appreciation for the job it does for the nation.  Valuable experience was gained that stood the U.S. in good stead when, a dozen years later, its forces would be called upon again to take on the Iraqi Army.  Diplomatically, there was much to be admired in the way the U.S. forged and managed such a broad and diverse coalition—also something that would pay dividends down the road.  The bottom line is that the Gulf war was a victory for the U.S. and victories are something you take whenever you can get them, no matter how ugly they might be.

Appointment Today at the Doctor's

Hope this is not what happens this morning to me!



See more at Arcamax.com.

Methamphetamines

Analysis from Stratfor.com

Methamphetamine production is on the rise in Mexico. More cost-effective to produce than other illicit drugs, meth presents distinct advantages to Mexico's criminal organizations: Unlike other drugs, it can be manufactured independent of environmental or climatic considerations. Equally advantageous is that it can be produced in small spaces on both small and industrial scales.

However, production is limited by the quality of precursor chemicals used and the integrity of the manufacturing process. These precursor chemicals are regulated to varying degrees around the world, though most of them can be legally obtained because they have licit, industrial applications. Therefore, in assessing the dynamics of Mexico's methamphetamine market, and by approximation the U.S. market, the legal regulations of precursor chemicals is critically important. The effectiveness of law enforcement to enforce the laws regulating these chemicals is likewise important, as is the manufacturer's ability to circumvent the laws in countries where precursor chemicals are obtained -- and in the countries where the final product is manufactured and sold.

Methamphetamine: An Introduction

Meth is a potent stimulant of the amphetamine drug class. It heightens alertness and activity, decreases appetite, induces euphoria and provokes overall feelings of increased personal power and strength. Its effects also last longer than other stimulants, such as cocaine. Meth can be fabricated into a pill, capsule, crystal or even a powder, which means the drug can be ingested, smoked, injected intravenously or snorted. The preferred method for most users is inhalation because the effects are instantaneous.

Meth has not always been illegal ...

Read more at Stratfor.com.

Ike on U.S. Strategy in Europe in the Second World War

Speaking as General Eisenhower on the U.S. military strategy in Europe in World War II ---

General Eisenhower

The first problem we were faced with in World War II, once we were officially in the war, was that it was a war in two widely separated theaters.  We were fighting both in Europe and in the Pacific.  Obviously, would could not fight in both places equally well at the same time.  We settled, however, almost immediately upon a “Europe-first” strategy, devoting the preponderance of our efforts in that theater while trying to use our remaining resources in such a way as to gain time and prevent further decay of our situation in the Pacific.

However, before we would really establish ourselves in the European theater, there was the problem of mobilizing a fighting force and figuring out where best to insert that force into the fight.  Working with our British allies, who shortly after our entry into the war felt themselves unready to embark upon a cross channel invasion of the continent straight into the enemies teeth, we worked out a way —operation TORCH — to help them push the Germans out of French and British territorial possessions on the continent of North Africa.  This required amphibious landings in Morocco and Algiers and a linking up with our British allies in Tunisia and a vast pincer movement against Rommel’s forces.  The operation took much longer and was far more costly than we would have liked, but it gave us tremendous battlefield experience and helped us reset our corps- and division-level leadership prior to undertaking further operations against the European mainland.

Having just been to the hospital, couldn't resist this ...

 

Favorite TV Shows of the Past: All in the Family

Those were the days!