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2010-01-11 Home Front: Politix
Obama Now Angry at slow pace of Afghan Buildup
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Posted by lord garth 2010-01-11 07:25|| || Front Page|| [11133 views ]  Top

#1 You mean it doesn't all magically appear as soon as The One commands it?
Posted by Cornsilk Blondie 2010-01-11 08:54||   2010-01-11 08:54|| Front Page Top

#2 On a visit to Afghanistan last month, Admiral Mullen pressed military logisticians on how they would be able to meet the schedule. But even Admiral Mullen, who said he was “reasonably confident” that the logistics would work out, acknowledged the tall order before the military, saying, “I want a plan B because life doesn’t always work out.”em>

Translation: I don't care how cold it is or how many MRE's they must eat, or how short the transport and secure bases are! I've got POTUS and his screaming cadre up my arss, and I'll never get that post-retirement civilian appointment unless I can make this HAPPEN!
Posted by Besoeker 2010-01-11 09:11||   2010-01-11 09:11|| Front Page Top

#3 Especially considering that the months eaten up by command dithering were logistically valuable months - late summer and early fall, whereas by the time they made up their minds, it was Dreaded Afghan Winter, and a particularly nasty one too, if it's matching the weather patterns of the rest of the northern hemisphere.

There are reasons we used to choose presidents based partially on military service, even if it was something so non-glamorous as a logistics officer in the south Pacific (Nixon), or an actor in the propaganda arm (Reagan). Hell, even Johnson pretended to be a reserve officer long enough to take a joyride into the combat zone, although you'll note that he turned out to be a pretty piss-poor president, and I'd be willing to argue that it had a lot to do with the way in which his wartime service was playacting, not the thing itself.

Even Reagan wasn't great shakes on the military end of things, to be honest. He was brilliant in comparison with Carter (sub officer - what do they care about the weather?), but on the other hand, Lebanon, Iran-Contra, and the not-exactly-sterling Grenada operation.
Posted by Mitch H.  2010-01-11 09:12|| http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/  2010-01-11 09:12|| Front Page Top

#4 I wonder if this will turn out like Caligula's abortive conquest of northern Britannia, which while a complete flop, Caligula pretended was a great victory, returning to Rome with Gauls dressed as Germanic tribesmen, and treasure chests full of seashells collected by Roman soldiers, as "Tribute from Neptune."
Posted by  Anonymoose 2010-01-11 09:28||   2010-01-11 09:28|| Front Page Top

#5 Careful Moose, I've caught some heat by drawing parallels between Barry and Gaius.
Posted by Besoeker 2010-01-11 09:31||   2010-01-11 09:31|| Front Page Top

#6 So a guy gets elected as POTUS who never did anything before; never had any kind of real job; never served in the military. He'd better quit being arrogant and listen to some military advisors. He should look to people who have actually done such a military buildup in the past. Two months of dithering didn't help the time schedule.
Posted by JohnQC 2010-01-11 10:10||   2010-01-11 10:10|| Front Page Top

#7 Reality sets in for The One®
Posted by Mullah Richard 2010-01-11 10:25||   2010-01-11 10:25|| Front Page Top

#8 Perhaps he's setting up an excuse for an extension on the withdrawl timeframe? /hope
Posted by gorb 2010-01-11 10:36||   2010-01-11 10:36|| Front Page Top

#9 Good Lord.. face meet palm
Posted by Oscar 2010-01-11 10:50||   2010-01-11 10:50|| Front Page Top

#10 Its your fault jackass. No decision means no money. No money, no logistics. No logistics, no troops.

Its your problem and fault obama.
You don't know ANYTHING.
Posted by newc  2010-01-11 11:14||   2010-01-11 11:14|| Front Page Top

#11 Good lord, I learned in my first planning position 30 years ago that the boss never hears the caveats.

Me: I can't tell you when the software will be done unless I know how many resources I have.

Him: Don't worry about it you'll have everything you could possibly need just tell me when you can be done.

Me: IF I have 6 resources on board, ramped up by June 1 I can be done by Oct. 1.

Later.......

Him: We have to be done by Sept. 15!!
Me: But it's August 1 and you STILL have only approved 4 resources and they aren't trained yet!!!!!


Downhill from there. I learned the lesson that you ALWAYS fudge the estimates if you're not in control of the budget.
Posted by AlanC  2010-01-11 11:18||   2010-01-11 11:18|| Front Page Top

#12 Why not? It always works in Risk!

(Referring to the game)

Glaring evidence of the quote:

Amateurs think tactics, professionals think logistics.
Posted by CrazyFool 2010-01-11 11:51||   2010-01-11 11:51|| Front Page Top

#13 Considering the weather at US ports, I am not surprised it is taking longer to get those forces over there. I also have to wonder how much equipment is still not back from Iraq even if the soldiers and marines themselves are returned.

Posted by crosspatch 2010-01-11 11:58||   2010-01-11 11:58|| Front Page Top

#14 So why don't we just drive the stuff from Iraq to Afghanistan?

Oh. That. (Iran is in between; I checked.)

Well, can't The One finesse that little detail?
Posted by Bobby 2010-01-11 12:11||   2010-01-11 12:11|| Front Page Top

#15 Just remember Bambi,
While you may want all this stuff accomplished quicker, the only one that could everything done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Posted by USN, Ret. 2010-01-11 13:32||   2010-01-11 13:32|| Front Page Top

#16 I am constantly amazed not only with "President" Obumble's cluelessness, but also with the cluelessness of those around him. A clueless president can redeem himself by appointing good advisors. Unfortunately, that's not Obumble's style. The stress level in his administration must be through the roof, and climbing. I doubt either he or Biden will last the four years until 2012. Cardiac arrest is just one of many threats to Obumble's survival. If he goes, so does Biden - not even the Dummycritters would want to have Biden as president.
Posted by Old Patriot  2010-01-11 13:48|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/  2010-01-11 13:48|| Front Page Top

#17 Nancy Pelosi as POTUS? No thanks OP.
Posted by Besoeker 2010-01-11 13:52||   2010-01-11 13:52|| Front Page Top

#18 With any luck we might have a speaker with an R after his (or her) name come November.

I always thought of Biden as 'Insurance' against OBumble's removal from office.
Posted by CrazyFool 2010-01-11 13:57||   2010-01-11 13:57|| Front Page Top

#19 I was just reading Tuchman's biography of Stilwell. She mentioned the problem of flying Chinese troops in C-47s over The Hump so they could be trained and equipped by Americans in Burma. This was dangerous and expensive, and flying over those mountains was at the limits of the C-47's performance. To save on weight, and to save expenses at their end, the Chinese generals packed in their soldiers naked. Now if we could just...
Posted by Pstanley 2010-01-11 14:05||   2010-01-11 14:05|| Front Page Top

#20 Wish it were so OP but the only ones that will feel stress are those that care.

Zero and company couldn't care less about the outcome only how they look, and they can spin that to blame someone else no matter what.
Posted by AlanC  2010-01-11 16:54||   2010-01-11 16:54|| Front Page Top

#21 Something left out - money.

Say you have a unit - call it a Marine Expeditionary Unit or MEU. There's some 2000+ troops including some support units units that maybe haven't worked together before. They have to be trained: somewhat acclimated or re-acclimated to dealing with each other and the Afghanistan terrain and environment (physical and sociological), exercise C4, do facilities set-up, get personnel medically qualified, etc.

That means transport in-CONUS, generally to places across the country from their base. They might be able to borrow or use some equipment stationed at the training sites, but they have to bring a lot of it with them.

All of that costs money. I haven't heard where it's coming from.
Posted by Pappy 2010-01-11 21:14||   2010-01-11 21:14|| Front Page Top

#22 Any chance he'll grow up in the next 3 years?

Naaahhh, I didn't think so either....
Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2010-01-11 22:20||   2010-01-11 22:20|| Front Page Top

23:39 Don Vito Spoluns7748
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