Re: [semi-OT] black hawk down?

At 04:33 PM 1/25/02 -0800, you wrote:

>--- Don Greenfield <gryphon@sisna.com> wrote:
>
> > >The worst part was where the medic and an SSG were
> > >working on a kid's severed artery.
> >
> > DYM Hollywood added this bit?
>
>It's in the book.

Yeah, got to that part yesterday, I think.  Maybe Wednesday.

>
>
> > Reading the book now (only in the first chapter) but
> > according to the
> > author, the Rangers DID vary their routes and
> > methods.  Choppers out, land
> > vehicles in; land vehicles out, choppers in;
> > choppers or land vehicles both
> > ways.
>
>Inadequately so.

*Shrug*.  I wasn't there, haven't read anything more authoritative than 
Black Hawk Down, and the bit about varying things up took about a 
paragraph.  A lot can get glossed over in a few sentances.  I submit
that 
this a 20/20 issue, unless you have cites that have all the routes the 
Rangers took the six(?) weeks they were there.

> > Horrible timing, but they figured the prize was
> > worth it.  20/20 says it
> > was dumb, but if the Blackhawks don't go down and
> > screw everything up,
> > would it have caught Adid? Don't know.
>
>They were going after some lieutenants of Aideed.
>That's it.

Yeah, someone else pointed out my lack of communication skills.  I
meant, 
what if it *had led* to the capture of Aideed, not that he was actually
in 
the target building.

> > Oh, yeah.  NCO's are supposed to be the snarling
> > SOB's that make soldiers
> > do what they're supposed to do, not what they want
> > to do.
>
>I've had both types and ones that make Joes do their
>damn job are the only ones I respect.

Haven't had either, but I suspect I'd agree with you, at least on a 
personal level.  As it is, I agree with you on the outside observer
level.

> > There was a CSAR team in case a chopper went down.
>
>Yeah.	Also known as Crash Site #2.

Yup.  Another 20/20 issue.  Obviously (now) 2 or 3 CSAR teams would have

been better, but there's only so much reduncy you can have. After a
while 
you've got a division in the air to support a company operation.  It
isn't 
cost effective, on any level.

>John
>
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