RE: Vietnam and modern combat

--- Ryan Gill <rmgill@mindspring.com> wrote:

> time getting training as a unit. Fort Irwin (NTC) is
> where the US 
> Army sends Mechanized forces (and light infantry I
> believe, John will 
> correct me I'm sure) for intensive training.

Lightfighters mostly go to JRTC, and so do heavy units
on occasion.

> Units deploying to Iraq aren't activated shoved on a
> plane and 
> shipped, they run through training for several weeks
> or more (John, 
> how long did you guys run around in field training
> working out the 
> kinks before you shipped out?). They go through so

Ah. . . We did a really intensive brigade-level set of
exercises in the October-November time frame, took
Christmas off, and were starting the January-Febuary
set when we got the go order.  But after we got the
vehicles loaded up we spent a lot of time on battle
drills and MOUT training.  Training also doesn't stop
in combat--although it is then called 'rehearsals'.

> much training that 
> when they're in country most of the basic tasks in
> real combat just come naturally.

True.  There's a lot more too it as well.  No one can
function at his full effectiveness as an individual
because individuals have to do everything, watching
their own back so to speak.  An ad hoc formation is a
pack of individuals.  But when you know the guys in
your squad and platoon, and you know they have the
training to do their job, you can focus on your job
and your job only.  There's a lot of trust involved. 
There's also the team bonding issue.  Most heroism is
done out of a sense of loyalty and duty to your
teammates.  There's nothing to substitute for that,
and bonds formed in training and solidified by combat
have become almost a cliche of the genre.  They are no
less real.  A pack of thugs hopped up to the gills on
khat and with no real ties to each other will not
perform on that level.

> In military combat training beats will. What was it
> I saw on TV last 
> night from some 3rd ID commander, "insane devotion
> gets you killed 
> and gets you minimal results" or some such. Training
> trumps that most 
> if not all of the time.

There's a definite sense among the 4th ID that as long
as you look mean, and keep alert, generally the
Fedayeen won't mess with you.  And if you are on your
toes, you can often beat them to the punch (their
first-round accuracy blows chunks) and rack up some
kills nice and easy.  IF you are doing what you are
supposed to be doing.

Now, that attitude goes a long way to explaining why
we kept the Sunni Triangle under control.  These
jokers who thought they were going to be doing
"peacekeeping" don't have a killer mindset and so got
suckerpunched.

John

	
		
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