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2004-11-29 Iraq-Jordan

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Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-11-29 8:47:37 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I believe 8 officers died out of 50-some in this battle. That is disproportionate to their numbers, but is a consequence of officers and NCOs leading from the front. It is a much better better system than so many other armies where the officers are first to flee and leave the privates to be slaughtered. The results (~2000 dead and 1000 enemy captured) speak for themselves.

Posted by ed 2004-11-29 8:58:56 AM|| 2004-11-29 8:58:56 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 "U.S. may have won, but at a great personal cost"

We didn't win, we may have won. And it was a pyrrhic victory anyway. Or not exactly-- the correspondent can't quite argue it was actually a loss in disguise, so he talks about "great personal cost."

Funny choice of words: not "human cost" but "personal cost". This is the language one uses for consumers or housewives. Nothing heroic or grand about our soldiers, no sirree.

La MSM resistance continue.

Posted by lex 2004-11-29 9:14:26 AM|| 2004-11-29 9:14:26 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Ed, Thanks. This source shows the rate of officer deaths in Viet Nam was 11% of total deaths versus 16% in this battle. I don't know what the rate has been for the overall campaign.

It is not good to see any deaths, but the high rate of officer deaths means that they are leading and, I hope, saving the lives of their men by their forward presence on the battlefield. It is a tragedy to lose such great leaders so early in their lives, but they should stand as an inspriation to us all.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-11-29 9:31:16 AM|| 2004-11-29 9:31:16 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Rough figures (only clean data), April 2003-approximately 10 days ago.

Â	USA	USMC
E5 and Below	575	251
E6-E9	164	24
Warrant Officer	29	Â
O1-03	62	18
O4-O6	14	3
Totals	844	296

Posted by Fred 2004-11-29 2:20:44 PM|| 2004-11-29 2:20:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Interesting. That shows officers below the 11% level of VN. Also interesting that the Army rate is higher than the Marine at every level except the lowest.

Clearly the officers were out front here.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-11-29 3:42:53 PM|| 2004-11-29 3:42:53 PM|| Front Page Top

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