Article

2003-03-04 Iraq

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve 2003-03-04 11:20 am|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 after 3 months basic training he became a sergeant?? Either theres a problem in translation, he's lying, or the Republican Gurad is less "elite" than one might think.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-03-04 11:53:26|| 2003-03-04 11:53:26|| Front Page Top

#2 One other thing. What elite force needs battle police behind it to stop deserters?

Posted by Dreadnought 2003-03-04 12:10:47|| 2003-03-04 12:10:47|| Front Page Top

#3 What elite force needs battle police behind it to stop deserters?

One that is going to realize shortly after the battle commences that they have no chance of survival unless they surrender. Of course, that goes double for the Siriya goons, no?

Posted by jrosevear 2003-03-04 12:19:36|| 2003-03-04 12:19:36|| Front Page Top

#4 MEMO TO CENTCOM: Target the Siriya units first. They'll be the only ones with no one behind them.

Posted by Steve 2003-03-04 13:43:00|| 2003-03-04 13:43:00|| Front Page Top

#5 If the Guards units are smart, they'll beat CENTCOM to the punch...

Posted by tu3031 2003-03-04 13:50:12|| 2003-03-04 13:50:12|| Front Page Top

#6 Liberalhawk:

The three-month sergeant thing is right from the Soviet playbook. The smartest conscripts are siphoned off and sent to a few more weeks of training and indoctrination.

The US Army used to do the same thing during Vietnam. The program was derisively referred to as "shake and bake." The graduates were made E-5 buck sergeants. The "honor graduate" was made an E-6 staff sergeant, i.e. a squad leader.

NCOs are the backbone of an army. Our shake and bake program is one of the reasons Army units especially did so poorly toward the end of the Vietnam War. The weak NCO corps of many armies are the reason why the US, Brits and Israelis can pretty much kick the asses of every other army in the world.

Posted by 11A5S 2003-03-04 14:48:10|| 2003-03-04 14:48:10|| Front Page Top

#7 Soviet Sergeants are more like glorified coporals. In the field they have no authority whatsoever, they are sergeants simply as a reward. They help enforce discipline in the unit, but that is all.

If they follow Soviet SOP a sergeant in three months isn't surprising. It means he's shown his unit commanders he can be a rotten bastard to his charges.

Posted by badanov 2003-03-04 21:16:06|| [www.rkka.org] 2003-03-04 21:16:06|| Front Page Top

17:09 NightSurfer
08:33 raptor
08:02 raptor
07:59 raptor
07:45 raptor
00:17 Jeremy
00:05 Steve White
00:04 Anonymous
23:59 Steve White
23:57 Anonymous
22:50 JAB
22:29 Fred
22:07 tu3031
22:06 john
22:01 Patrick Phillips
21:58 john
21:57 tu3031
21:56 seafarious
21:45 tu3031
21:40 john
21:22 john
21:16 badanov
21:09 john
21:06 Frank G