[September 16, 2024] A few days ago, while attending a Veterans’ event locally, the guest speaker (a highly respected U.S. Marine) asked me when I retired, and I told her it was now ten years ago. She was interested in my view of today’s military and whether leadership in our Armed Forces has improved. There were media folks nearby, but I was not at all reluctant to tell her that not only has our leadership in our most senior positions not improved, but their capabilities have also significantly deteriorated to the point that there is a negative effect on our military readiness. If the reporters print my remarks, then that is a good thing, but knowing the media’s biases, I doubt they will even mention the conversation. In today’s Reading List, I’ll review Major General John F. Hussey’s (retired) book on U.S. military Detainee Operations and the importance of experienced, educated, flexible, proven commanders overseeing the day-to-day operation.
Inside the Wire: Guarding America’s Enemy Prisoners In the Global War on Terror From Abu Ghraib To Guantanamo Bay, Major General John F. Hussey (retired), September 5, 2024
MG Hussey is one of my favorite U.S. military Flag Officers because he believes in the principle mission first, people always and leads from the front. These may seem like old-fashioned, cliched methods of our grandfathers and have little bearing on the “modern” army, but they do work. I could tell he believes in these deeply, as he is the epitome of “the soldiers’ general” of the Omar Bradley type. He is the kind that gets his boots dirty and is unafraid to tell you the unadulterated truth. MG Hussey tells us the story of his command of Military Police units in Desert Storm, at Abu Gharib, Guantanamo Bay, and Detainee Operations in Afghanistan. The book is about the daily struggles to bring organizational effectiveness to the chaotic, difficult, and dangerous housing of America’s enemy prisoners. His focus is primarily on Abu Gharib, and rightly so because he was the one chosen to clean up the mess created by the mistreatment of Iraqi detainees and the aftermath as it burst onto the international news scene in April 2004. He encounters problems with the U.S. military failure to develop useful Detainee Operational tactics and strategies, undertrained and often poorly led MP guards (active duty, National Guard, and Army reserve), confusing chains of command, interference with his command from higher-ranking officers and NCOs undermining his efforts, challenges to understand the roles of various military and civilian agencies and the International Red Cross.
MG Hussey gives us a real gem as he integrates basic lessons of combat leadership into the stories at these locations, highlighted by the most problematic of circumstances. He gives us the human touch that shows us how to make a difference between success and failure with real-world examples. As a nice bonus, in Chapter 12, he summarizes the more important lessons learned for the next generation who will be responsible for EPW operations. MG Hussey also breaks all the stereotypes of an uncaring, career-focused senior leader. He holds a PhD in Criminal Justice and five Master’s Degrees. In his civilian career, which helped prepare him for his military experiences, he spent 34 years of service, culminating as a Chief Clerk in the United Court System of New York State.
You can find out more about MG John F. Hussey’s background here: https://www.usar.army.mil/Leadership/Article-View/Article/2028222/maj-gen-john-f-hussey/
Highly recommended.
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Please read my books:
- “55 Rules for a Good Life,” on Amazon (link here).
- “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” on Amazon (link here).
Side Note: Please remember and take a look at Tom Copeland’s reading blog. His website, which I highly recommend, can be found here: https://militaryreadinglists.com/map
Looks like a valuable book adding to our understanding of one of the worst scandals in US military history.
Gen. Satterfield, thank you for the recommendation.
Indeed, Gen. Satterfield makes these recommendations only after considerable contemplation and thought. Get this book now. Read it. Learn from it. And now you will be armed with the facts, and not some crazy conspiracy theories. ✔
Gen. Satterfield wrote, “MG Hussey gives us a real gem as he integrates basic lessons of combat leadership into the stories at these locations, highlighted by the most problematic of circumstances. He gives us the human touch that shows us how to make a difference between success and failure with real-world examples.” This alone should encourage us to read the book. If you’re looking at a good book to learn some leadership lessons, this is the book. I hope Amazon has an eBook version. Oops, just checked, it doesn’t
Sir, good reviews and makes me want to get a copy. The most iconic photos show a US soldier, Lynndie England, holding a prisoner on a strap made to look like a leash. Another, the defining image of the scandal, showed a hooded man standing on a box and holding electrical wires. This is not what America is like but shows us the underside of the human condition and that without proper leadership, training, and vetting of our soldiers, much can happen to make us less civilized. And only yesterday, because of horrific nasty deadly rhetoric by Democrats, there was another assassination attempt on Donald J. Trump. This is what happens when there are those in elected office who have zero morals and are okay with murdering and tortouring others.
Indeed, Fred. Thanks but I don’t put the blame all on leftists/progressives in America. We find this kind of behavior all over.
“MG Hussey is one of my favorite U.S. military Flag Officers because he believes in the principle mission first, people always and leads from the front. These may seem like old-fashioned, cliched methods of our grandfathers and have little bearing on the “modern” army, but they do work. I could tell he believes in these deeply, as he is the epitome of “the soldiers’ general” of the Omar Bradley type. He is the kind that gets his boots dirty and is unafraid to tell you the unadulterated truth. MG Hussey tells us the story of his command of Military Police units in Desert Storm, at Abu Gharib, Guantanamo Bay, and Detainee Operations in Afghanistan. The book is about the daily struggles to bring organizational effectiveness to the chaotic, difficult, and dangerous housing of America’s enemy prisoners.” – Gen. Doug Satterfield once again nails it. I’m looking forward to reading Gen. Hussey’s book.
I hope to order my copy later today. Thanks to Gen. Satterfield’s review, I am sure I will learn a lot about leadership.
Me too. I hope to learn more about combat leadership than the story of Enemy Prisoners. Let’s hope the book is worth it.
Great review. Thanks Gen. Satterfield. 👍
If you want to read a real biased, anti-American, anti-common sense magazine on the subject, then read The New Yorker – this article: “Torture at Abu Ghraib” and that will make your head spin.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/05/10/torture-at-abu-ghraib
This is an example of how to mix facts (there are facts here but few) with wishful leftist thinking and fantasy.
Don’t be too surprised Melo. They are practically giving their articles away. No one wants to read their rubbish anymore now that most Americans have figured out they are being lied to constantly. but there are always folks who like being lied to. We call the Democrats.
Plenty of lies, disinformation, distortions, and misinformation (whatever they are) about “America’s Enemy Prisoners.” Read this book if you are strong enough to know the truth and what real leadership looks like.
Good points. ✔✔✔✔✔
Gen. Satterfield, thank you. I imagine just about everyone would like to see what it took to clean up the Abu Ghraib fiasco caused by the total lack of leadership.