Jerry
Pilot
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posted 09-23- 08:11 PM
   
This is long, but well worth the time.
By Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
> Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy
> -------------------------------------
> Dear friends and fellow Americans 14 September, 2001
>
> Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last week's
> attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling from surprise.
> As a career soldier and a student and teacher of military history, I have a
> different perspective and I think you should hear it. This war will be won
> or lost by the American citizens, not diplomats, politicians or soldiers.
> Let me briefly explain.
>
> In spite of what the media, and even our own government is telling us, this
> act was not committed by a group of mentally deranged fanatics. To dismiss
> them as such would be among the gravest of mistakes. This attack was
> committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedicated adversary. Don't take
> this the wrong way. I don't admire these men and I deplore their tactics,
> but I respect their capabilities. The many parallels that have been made
> with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropos. Not only because it
> was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America, but also because
> we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30 years after we
> think this war is over, just like my father's generation had to do with the
> formidable Japanese in the years following WW II.
>
> These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we must not
> underestimate the power of their moral commitment. Napoleon, perhaps the
> world's greatest combination of soldier and statesman, stated "the moral is
> to the physical as three is to one." Patton thought the Frenchman
> underestimated its importance and said moral conviction was five times more
> important in battle than physical ! strength. Our enemies are willing - better
> said anxious -- to give their lives for their cause. How committed are we
> America? And for how long?
>
> In addition to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent attack
> demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of warfare taught
> to most military officers worldwide, namely simplicity, security and
> surprise. When I first heard rumors that some of these men may have been
> trained at our own Air War College, it made perfect sense to me. This was
> not a random act of violence, and we can expect the same sort of military
> competence to be displayed in the battle to come. This war will escalate,
> with a good portion of it happening right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.
> These men will not go easily into the night. They do not fear us. We must
> not fear them.
>
> In spite of our overwhelming conventional strength as the world's only
> "superpower" (a truly silly term), we are the underdog in this fight. As you
> listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed to prepare us for the
> march for war, please realize that America is not equipped or seriously
> trained for the battle ahead. To be certain, our soldiers are much better
> than the enemy, and we have some excellent "counter-terrorist"
> organizations, but they are mostly trained for hostage rescues, airfield
> seizures, or the occasional "body snatch," (which may come in handy). We
> will be fighting a war of annihilation, because if their early efforts are
> any indication, our enemy is ready and willing to die to the last man.
> Eradicating the enemy will be costly and time consuming. They have already
> deployed their forces in as many as 20 countries, and are likely living the
> lives of everyday citizens. Simply put, our soldiers will be tasked with a
> search and destroy mission on multiple foreign landscapes, and the public
> must be patient and supportive until the strategy and tactics can be worked out.
>
> For the most part, our military is still in the process of redefining itself
> and presided over by men and women who grew up with - and were promoted
> because they excelled in - Cold War doctrine, strategy and tactics. This
> will not be linear warfare, there will be no clear "centers of gravity" to
> strike with high technology weapons. Our vast technological edge will
> certainly be helpful, but it will not be decisive. Perhaps the perfect
> metaphor for the coming battle was introduced by the terrorists themselves
> aboard the hijacked aircraft -- this will be a knife fight, and it will be
> won or lost by the ingenuity and will of citizens and soldiers, not by
> software or smart bombs. We must also be patient with our military leaders.
>
> Unlike Americans who are eager to put this messy time behind us, our
> adversaries have time on their side, and they will use it. They plan to
> fight a battle of attrition, hoping to drag the battle out until the
> American public loses its will to fight. This might be difficult to believe
> in this euphoric time of flag waving and patriotism, but it is generally
> acknowledged that America lacks the stomach for a long fight. We need only
> look as far back as Vietnam, when North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap
> (also a military history teacher) defeated the United States of America
> without ever winning a major tactical battle. American soldiers who marched
> to war cheered on by flag waving Americans in 1965 were reviled and spat
> upon less than three years later when they returned. Although we hope that
> Usama Bin Laden is no Giap, he is certain to understand and employ the
> concept. We can expect not only large doses of pain like the recent attacks,
> but also less audacious "sand in the gears" tactics, ranging from livestock
> infestations to attacks at water supplies and power distribution facilities.
> These attacks are designed to hit us in our "comfort zone" forcing the
> average American to "pay more and play less" and eventually eroding our
> resolve. But it can only work if we let it.
>
> It is clear to me that the will of the American citizenry - you and I - is
> the center of gravity the enemy has targeted. It will be the fulcrum upon
> which victory or defeat will turn. He believes us to be soft, impatient, and
> self-centered. He may be right, but if so, we must change. The Prussian
> general Carl von Clausewitz, (the most often quoted and least read military
> theorist in history), says that there is a "remarkable trinity of war" that
> is composed of the (1) will of the people, (2) the political leadership of
> the government, and (3) the chance and probability that plays out on the
> field of battle, in that order. Every American citizen was in the crosshairs
> of last Tuesday's attack, not just those that were unfortunate enough to be
> in the World Trade Center or Pentagon. The will of the American people will
> decide this war. If we are to win, it will be because we have what it takes
> to persevere through a few more hits, learn from our! mistakes, improvise,
> and adapt. If we can do that, we will eventually prevail.
>
> Everyone I've talked to In the past few days has shared a common
> frustration, saying in one form or another "I just wish I could do
> something!" You are already doing it. Just keep faith in America, and
> continue to support your President and military, and the outcome is certain.
> If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally certain.
>
> God Bless America
>
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