[September 30, 2017] Army Vet writes today about how the U.S. military is TOO DEPENDENT on TECHNOLOGY and how that is harming military readiness
Trust me; a few months ago I was just minding my own business walking around the UC Berkeley campus when a pimply-faced maggot of a wimp and five of his friends decided to test me about what side I’m on … the “fascists” or the “enlightened liberal masses.” Maybe it was because I don’t take kindly to people in my face or maybe it was I’m old, grisly, mean, and don’t take crap off nobody but the runt didn’t like my answer and started to lecture me. For some unknown reason that’s when he deliberately threw his face onto the knuckles of my right hand. The resulting blood, teeth, and spit over the sidewalk must have convinced him and his friends where I stood because they decided to leave.
What does this have to do with the U.S. military being so dependent upon technology and the creature comforts that our new young friends now demand? Readers of my occasional column here at the leadership blog know I never pull a punch; figuratively or not, as a result it requires a certain twisted mindset to appreciate my very humble opinion on the continued wussification of the Army, no-fight Generals, and never-adopt-a-strategy political leaders. My dear friends … the problem with our youngsters today go deeper than that. Even the U.S. Navy has decided to go back to the basics using pencils, paper maps, and compasses to ensure proper navigation. I’m no swabby but couldn’t they at least get those brain cells in gear and realize that technology breaks down and gives us terrible info on occasion? Geesh! Get a life!
Maybe the Navy brass had enough bad press to figure out those four accidents in the span of a few months in the giant Pacific Ocean was not a good thing. Or, maybe it was several Admirals being sent packing that really got their attention. Nothing much improves the Navy’s commonsense awareness than when their good buddies get defrocked and booted from the Admiralty. Yep, someone is taking names and kicking ass; bout time … you’re fired! Some top Navy men somewhere in the nose-bleed section of El Supremo Navy headquarters decided that their fabulous technology is not so perfect after all. Heck, I could have told them that from my Kosovo experience when that air force A-10 Warthog dropped a cluster bomb near me and my men; I told them not to do that but the pilot blamed his GPS.
Never let a crisis go to waste. Some political smartass said it somewhere some time ago but it’s true for anything big government. When things go bad it is time to sneak in a few changes that might work out without a PR backlash and that’s exactly what the Navy is doing. Wish I’d been a fly on the wall in that conference room and got to see those pucker factors ratcheted up to high when they discussed the corrective action to use pencils again. Ohhh, what a sight!! Those Navy swabbies are making changes and some of them are right on cue but a little late to change the obvious and rely less on high tech equipment and sophisticated weaponry. There’s an old saying regarding technology; if it can go wrong, it will.
I’ll repeat myself here so newbies reading this column will plainly understand that the militaries exist to fight and win their nation’s wars; preferably by total dominance, anywhere and anytime. Unlike in the U.S. under past U.S. president Obama, the U.S. military is not a social experiment for Liberal/Progressive socialism or any other ideology. Historically, the U.S. military has been left to its own to fulfill its mission because it worked. Give ‘em the mission and the money and victory springs forth. Whenever politicians historically get involved, for example in the Korean War and Vietnam War, things went badly for the military and for the nation.
It’s time for the U.S. military to stop relying so heavily on technology in general and high tech specifically. Dominance – closing with and killing the enemy – means manpower and superb leadership, pure and simple. Yeah I know … advancements in weaponry are a good thing; actually a very good thing but overreliance on it will get you and your men wiped out. That’s why Navy sailors have been dying and ships damaged. Message here to the Navy brass and all the other military services; step up and use the head God gave you.
Frig!
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