Being a friend of the DoD on FaceBook certainly has its advantages. Take this photo, for example, which just popped up in my news feed. The caption along with it read:U.S. Army Captain Mark Moretti sits hand in hand with Shamshir Khan, one of the most senior Korengal Valley elders, on the Korengal Outpost in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Captain Moretti, who has led soldiers on the outpost since 2009, welcomed Khan and other elders to offer an orientation of all the buildings and equipment that The US Army would be leaving behind for the people of the valley. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. David Jackson)
This photo serves as an example on several fronts. First, it shows us that the military shines in more ways than simply armaments. Specialists like Morettti are the unsung heroes of our effort in AfPak. Second, it shows a human face of the people caught up in the conflict. They aren't all psychotics bent on the destruction of the infidel even though my bias tells me they are just that. Third, it shows how generous our country is with goods, services, and infrastructure. This is exactly the kind of photo that needs to be on display with the Afghan people. As we leave the area, the Afghan people in the area are going to have new shelters in this sparse region.
And last, it shows the nationalistic chest thumpers of our own country that this the real way to win a war. The United States military is the greatest force of peace in the world when commanded by a civilian leadership that actually gives a shit about them. Much to the chagrin of Al Qaeda and our own version of it here (see: the Cult), our military can win battles through simple engagement and protection.
And that's just what people like Captain Moretti do every day.
8 comments:
I say this is what happens when you remove the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy!
(tongue-in-cheek-ily yours)
dw
"And last, it shows the nationalistic chest thumpers of our own country that this the real way to win a war."
No doofus, this is the way to win an occupation and it hasn't changed one bit since the ouster of the taliban. It just takes a lot of time and effort to earn trust and turn the perceptions of the people which is what the military has been working on for years.
"The United States military is the greatest force of peace in the world when commanded by a civilian leadership that actually gives a shit about them."
You are correct but I don't think you understand what you said. This administration has done nothing but continue the status quo which was from the previous administration. Not only that, just as with Clinton and Carter before that, his disrespect of the military has been noticed. From what I read on the military boards and blogs, very few respect him even with his CnC title.
"Much to the chagrin of Al Qaeda and our own version of it here (see: the Cult), our military can win battles through simple engagement and protection."
What nonsensical crap is this? The entire campaign now is engagement and protection and the slow transition of power as the government there can handle. Why would "the Cult" be chagrined? Nobody wants to be there any longer than necessary and they want to ensure we aren't coming back when we do leave.
Maybe you need to define "battles" and "engagement" before your point is clear. Oh and "greatest force of peace" and what "gives a shit" means.
"From what I read on the military boards and blogs, very few respect him even with his CnC title."
I can speak with certainty that whomever is commander of the armed forces has the complete respect and obedience of the troops. This comment illustrates that you have obviously never served in the military.
I respected Bush and still do. I respect President Obama and think he has top notch advisers on his staff in the form of Gen. Jones, Gen Patraeus, Gen McChrystal, and Sec. Gates.
I didn't vote for President Obama but my personal feelings don't enter into the job he has tasked me to do. Nor are they a factor in his clear authority over me. I've been in Air Force Special Forces for 9 years and I can say without a doubt that people in the military are sick and tired of partisan hacks on both sides trying to make us out to favor one party over another. We have a job to do and honestly don't appreciate these type of strident remarks.
That goes for you as well, Mark, although I do appreciate the general sentiment behind this post. So do the rest of the guys who also thank you for the box of comic books you sent last month. Mucho appreciado!
"I can speak with certainty that whomever is commander of the armed forces has the complete respect and obedience of the troops"
Wow. I don't even have to *bother* reading the rest of that post. You've asserted that not only does every member of our armed forces obey the commander in chief, but actually respects him. That kind of categorical assertion is fucking nonsense.
Ben: "I can speak with certainty that whomever is commander of the armed forces has the complete respect and obedience of the troops."
You are wrong in every sense and you didn't even understand the comment. The position of CnC merits respect, not the man. While you may respect him, many do not, yet they do respect his authority and the position as you do and as you stated. You serving for 9 years ought to be able to tell the difference. Nor is this anything other than observation and I said as much.
"I didn't vote for President Obama but my personal feelings don't enter into the job he has tasked me to do. Nor are they a factor in his clear authority over me."
Your personal feelings shouldn't enter into the job because they can't and nobody said as much.
6Kings and Anonymous,
Ben is Mark's step brother who is on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. He also served two tours in Iraq. He continually volunteers to go back. His assertions are anything but nonsense.
His point is well taken regarding the myth hinted at by 6Kings that the troops don't respect President Obama. We heard this same nonsense during the Clinton administration. The GOP doesn't have the corner market on troop love. If you look at the polls, they pretty much match the rest of the country with all of the troops respecting the president regardless of which party he belongs to.
I'm sure there are those in uniform who respect Obama, and those who do not. I wouldn't doubt for a minute that the same was true during Bush's tenure. Personal opinions don't matter much, and if someone truly found the CnC intolerable, the honorable thing to do is to put your papers in and return to civilian life.
All in all, it is a rather silly notion that our military personnel are some monolithic bloc (one way or the other). They are no more cut from a single cloth than the rest of the country.
"Ben is Mark's step brother who is on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. He also served two tours in Iraq. He continually volunteers to go back. His assertions are anything but nonsense.
His point is well taken regarding the myth hinted at by 6Kings that the troops don't respect President Obama. We heard this same nonsense during the Clinton administration. The GOP doesn't have the corner market on troop love. If you look at the polls, they pretty much match the rest of the country with all of the troops respecting the president regardless of which party he belongs to."
And yet nowhere did I state anything regarding Clinton, the GOP, or even Obama in particular.
His statement is nonsense. It's a broad, categorical assertion in and of itself, regardless of what "point" you're trying to gleam from it. It's also bullshit.
You want to make that assertion? Fine. Prove that every soldier in Iraq respects not just the position (and I have had conversations with men of many decades of military service who disagree with the placement of an elected, civilian official into the chain of command), but also the man.
Good luck with that. I expect to see words twisted now.
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