July 2008 Archives

"That triggered then a concern that maybe our visit was going to be perceived as political," Obama said. "The last thing that I want to do is have injured soldiers and the staff at these wonderful institutions having to sort through whether this is political or not or get caught in the crossfire between campaigns. So rather than go forward and potentially get caught up in what might have been a political controversy, of some sort, what we decided was that we would not make a visit."

read more | digg story

For a man who prides himself on his judgement, it seems to have failed him this time. In the course of planning a world tour in which he would meet with many world leaders and the purpose of which was to enhance his image before voters back home, Mr. Obama did not realize that a visit to Landstuhl military hospital might be misconstrued as having political overtones? Nor did he have the political acumen to realize that abandoning the scheduled visit suddenly would also have political ramifications.

It seems to me the smart move would have been to tell Maj. Gen. Scott Gration that he would need to sit this one out, take only his senatorial staff and visit the troops as the Senator from Illinois. Chalked it up to poor judgement due to lack of experience.

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: military, Obama, politics

The Obama Campaign's favorite magazine, The New Yorker, ran an article this month that carried what I think might become a very prophetic headline; OBAMA’S IRAQ PROBLEM (digg story). Now, the story talks about the controversy surrounding Mr. Obama's 16 month withdrawal plan. However, I think that when we look at Mr. Obama's rhetoric on Iraq, the problem goes deeper. Mr. Obama has been very reluctant to concede any credit to the surge for the remarkable progress in Iraq over the last year. Mr. Obama portrays, or at least has until very recently portrayed, the war in Iraq as an endless quagmire. However, he has clearly stated that he believes the real battle is in Afghanistan where he plans to increase troop strength to fight increased al Qaeda and Taliban forces there.

The problem now for Mr. Obama is twofold. First, if Mr. Obama did not believe that a surge would work in Iraq a year ago and is still only willing to call it a contributory factor in the progress in Iraq over the past year, why is he calling for what is essentially a surge in Afghanistan? And what if Afghanistan turns out to be the quagmire that Mr. Obama promised Iraq would be?

Second and far more important to me as one of the soldiers who will end up serving on the Afghan front, how does Mr. Obama define victory in the war on al Qaeda, the war on terror? I suspect that once he gets it all worked out it will look something like this:

The best way to secure long-term peace and security is to establish a stable, prosperous, and democratic state in Afghanistan that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists. When Afghani forces can safeguard their own country, American troops can return home. (source)

And one last thought. Has it occurred to Mr. Obama that at least part of the reason for the increase in al Qaeda activity in Afghanistan is because of the surge and the success in Iraq? That maybe al Qaeda is shifting personnel from Iraq to Afghanistan?

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: election, Iraq, military, Obama, politics

“It is not going to be a political speech,” said a senior foreign policy adviser, who spoke to reporters on background. “When the president of the United States goes and gives a speech, it is not a political speech or a political rally.

”But he is not president of the United States,“ a reporter reminded the adviser.

”He is going to talk about the issues as an individual … not as a candidate, but as an individual, as a senator,“ the adviser added.
original article | digg story

This is pretty funny. First, I would argue that pretty much every time the sitting President of the United States opens his mouth it's a political speech. The Press sure seems to think so.

Second, which is it? Is Mr. Obama speaking as the President, an individual or as a senator? Each is significantly different though some might argue that speaking as a senator is similar to speaking as the president. It is a commentary on the senior foreign policy adviser that s/he does not seem to appreciate the difference or even that there is a difference. The initial example is, in my opinion, enlightening in that it shows the frame of mind from which the adviser is approaching this campaign trip.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: election, Obama, politics

Went to the Salinas Rodeo. Second year in a row. I love the rodeo.

aloha

I am a member of the 445 Civil Affairs Battalion, US Army Reserves. We have known for some time now that we would be mobilizing. Over the past few months the command has been hammering out the details of exactly how that process would play out. At the end of June we recieved pre-mobilization active duty for training orders (pre-mob ADT or pre-mob) with a report date of 21 July 2008. The orders were for 38 days. The purpose of pre-mobilization orders is to provide the unit with some additional time to train and prepare for the upcoming mobilization. Typically, the unit goes from pre-mob orders to actual mob orders without a break. It can be argued that pre-mobilization orders are an end run around current SecDef policy which says that Reserve and Guard mobilizations will be for a maximum of one year. Interestingly enough, the orders usually read 400 days. Kind of have to wonder where the extra 34.7575 days came from?

My employer has been very supportive of my military service. Out of my respect for that support, I try to be as timely as possible in informing my employer about upcoming military events that will require my absence. As soon as I recieved a written copy of my orders, I submitted them to my employer. My employer made accommodations for the fact that these are not involuntary mobilization orders but are in conjunction with involuntary mobilization orders. So, they gave me the benefits that I will recieve once I am on the actual mobilization orders. With everything in place for me to go on a military leave of absence and report on 21 July 2008, I took one week's vacation to spend time with my family before things started getting crazy.

Today, Friday at 1417 (2:17 pm) I recieved an email telling me that my orders to report on 21 July 2008 have been cancelled. I am not to report on 21 July. New orders will be issued with report date of 01 August 2008. This is because there is no money to pay us for 38 day. I called my command to confirm this because I really could not believe that they were cancelling these orders at 2:17 in the afternoon of the Friday before we are suppose to report. My employer expects that I'm going to be gone for a year to 14 months. Imagine his surprised when I called him Friday afternoon. Fortunately, I am employed at a large corporation. I explained the situation to my manager and asked if he could find work for me to do for another month while the Army holds a bake sale or something to raise the money to pay us. I want to point that no one from the 445 CA BN called my employer to explain what happened and apologize for the inconvenience and trouble caused them. The Army apparently thinks that is my job.

I have some options in how I choose to respond to this. I can simply do what they, my chain command, asks. Whatever day they finally arrive at, they'll cut a new set of orders, I can resubmit those to my employer, have them redo everything and then show up as ordered. Or, I can refuse the orders. At some point the actual involuntary mobilization orders will show up. I can't refuse those but those are pretty solid and reliable. People like the Secretary of Defense's office have to sign those. It's much more likely that someone has already made sure there's money in the bank to pay us.

So, what is the cause of all these problems and drama? The unit could simply wait for the official, from the President, pack your crap, you're going to Iraq, involuntary mobilization orders. The one year clock would start the day we report. We would spend a couple days or a week at our home station, getting everyone and everything together and ready to go. Then, we would move to a Mobilization Site (Mob Site). There we would process into the active duty Army (medical, dental, payroll), get issued whatever new gear and complete the required training cycles for deployment. Then we would move to green ramp where we would wait for an airplane to take us to wherever we're suppose to go. All told, it would be about 100 to 130 days for us to get to doing the job we're suppose to do, where we're suppose to do it. Because we can only be moblized for 12 months, we need to leave the place 30 to 45 days before our clock runs out so that we can be out-processed in time.

The purpose of pre-mobilization orders is to reduce the amount of time spent at the Mob Site. Reduce that 100 to 130 days. By doing training on voluntary pre-mobilization orders, the amount of time spent at the Mob Site can be reduced. Keep in mind, the total amount of time the soldier spends on active duty is increased by the number of days on the pre-mobilization orders. So, if a soldier goes on 45 day pre-mob orders, the total time spent on active duty will be 445 days. The primary purpose of pre-mob orders is to increase the amount of time the soldier spends "boots on the ground," "in country". Pre-mobilization is not intended to make things better or easier for the soldier or his family or his employer. Pre-mobilization benefits the Army.

The problem comes in that, the money for pre-mob orders does not come from Big Army but rather from major commands. In the of 445 CA BN, that would be U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (USACAPOC). Apparently, someone only today discovered that there is not enough money to do as planned. If we simply wait until the involuntary orders arrive, the money comes from Big Army.

To my knowledge, no other branch of service does this. When I mobilized with the Navy in 2003, there were no pre-mob orders. Everyone showed up when the involuntary mobilization orders said to. We recieved the orders 30 days in advance. The Air Force guys that I've talked to have no idea what I'm talking about when I say pre-mob orders.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: family, military life

Beneath the radar, well-funded activist groups plan to take control in key battleground states. Liberals aren't just on the march on the presidential level. This year, liberal activists are spending parts of the fortunes of their wealthy donors to transform politics at the state and local level.

read more | digg story

This morning I took my daughter to breakfast. As a normal teen with a normal teen schedule, we don't see each other as much anymore. She doesn't hang out at home as much. Going to breakfast was her idea, relayed to me through Mom. Does it work that way at your house? After breakfast we went to the auto parts store, picked up a case of oil and order some parts for her truck. Made an appointment to get the truck serviced. Dad stuff.

It was nice. We talked about politics. This will be the first election in which my daughter can vote. We talked about Iraq. We talked about her social group. Mostly, I just enjoyed spending time with my kid and studiously not thinking about the fact that I will not see her for a year. She says the family will be alright this time. I think she'll play a part in making sure everyone is alright this time. We talked about the past. She thinks she had a pretty good childhood. She knows her parents love her. She knows it's pretty cool to have parents who love and care about her. We talked about the future.

On the one hand, I will miss my daughter and the family very much. However, their support and strength is part of why I have chosen to do what I do. We ran into a friend at the restaurant. He asked my daughter how she felt about the deployment. She said she was fine with it, it's what we do. He made the observation that deployments are part of the military family culture. It's what we do.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: family, military life

Go to digg.com's US Elections 2008 section and scroll through the items there. All the items have over a thousand 'diggs'. What's interesting is that almost none of those articles come from any of the major news outlets. Moreover, it is very rare to find an article on Mr. McCain that is positive or an article on Mr. Obama that is negative. I also find it interesting the disproportionate number of articles from Huffington Post that get so many diggs. Are the writers at Huffington Post really that good? ThinkProgress.org also appears to get a disproportionate number of their articles on the front page of Digg.

Do you suppose that Huffington Post and ThinkProgress.org are gaming Digg.com?

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: politics

Yesterday, I pointed out that Mr. Obama's strategy for Iraq, at least as it is being presented, really has very little to do with Iraq. I take a certain amount of satisfaction in the fact that the Washington Post today makes the same point in their Op-Ed piece (read more | digg story).

Also interesting is the response from Dr. Susan Rice, a senior foreign policy adviser to Mr. Obama, about the editorial. The war on terror is a lot like the arcade game, Whack-a-Mole. I would not be in the least bit surprised if it were discovered that the rise in violence in Afghanistan is being coordinated by al Qaeda. To suggest that the US can afford to withdraw from Iraq in order to pursue terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan is to admit a lack of understanding of how terrorist organizations operate.

The only viable, responsible way out of Iraq is through an economically and politically stable Iraq whose Army and Police force are capable of ensuring that nation's security. Anything short of that leaves open the opportunity for al Qaeda.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: Iraq, Obama, politics

OK, this is funny. The supposedly web-savy candidate pulls a rather suspicious stunt. And the candidate that openly admits he's still learning how to use the web, uses some pretty advanced web tools to point out the suspicious stunt. Say what you will about the deeper meanings and ramifications, on the face of it, this is funny.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: politics

I took my son out four wheeling today. Neither one of us mentioned it and maybe he didn't even think of it but it was part of my saying goodbye to my family. I didn't even dare to think that out loud until now.

We stopped on the way to pick up lunch. He got mac & cheese and ribs. I got a roast beef sandwich. We sat at a table in the picnic area in the off road pack and ate while the tires deflated. The off road park was empty. We had a good time but it wasn't as fun as when there are other people there. We drove to the highest point in the park with is part of the ritual. We drove a few more trails. Pretty soon my son said, "it's ok if we head home." So, we did.

This is definitely the hardest part of deployment. The period when you know you're going, you're training to go but you're still in the states, often fairly close to home. The military member is torn between the military team which will become the surrogate family and the real family. Things actually get easier as the military member moves downrange. Communication methods and routines are established with the home front, team member meld into their surrogate family roles without the competition of real family members to worry about. But, for now, it is stressful to try to balance time with the family against the demands of the military to prepare for deployment.

I'll miss you, son. I can't wait to go off roading with you again.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: military life

Seriously, I love this article (digg story)

"I called for a comprehensive new strategy — a surge of troops and counterinsurgency to win the war. Senator Obama disagreed,” Mr. McCain said. “He opposed the surge, predicted it would increase sectarian violence, and called for our troops to retreat as quickly as possible. Today we know Senator Obama was wrong."

We know that Mr. Obama was wrong. Mr. Obama is having some trouble coming to terms with the reality that is now being shoved down his throat.

Mr. Obama acknowledged in what was billed as a major foreign policy address that the addition of tens of thousands of combat troops to Iraq early last year had lowered violence there. But he said that only strengthened his case for a rapid withdrawal, not weakened it, because the surge had increased the strain on American forces and had cost lives and money as the situation in Afghanistan grew worsened.

This does not even make sense. Never mind that every analyst and commentator in the world has been forced to admit that the troop surge has been a success. Mr. Obama believes that we should rapidly withdraw forces from Iraq because the surge has increased the strain on American forces, cost lives and money and the situation in Afghanistan grew worse. What?? The following paragraph in the article quotes Mr. Obama as saying that Mr. McCain does not have a strategy for success in Iraq. Mr. McCain's web site clearly states his strategy for success in Iraq which also includes a clear guideline on when US troops should come home. Maybe Mr. Obama should go over and read it. It says:

The best way to secure long-term peace and security is to establish a stable, prosperous, and democratic state in Iraq that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists. When Iraqi forces can safeguard their own country, American troops can return home.

It really doesn't get any clearer than that. Mr. Obama has not been able to explain his strategy for Iraq in such clear concise terms. Moreover, Mr. Obama's strategy for Iraq is really a strategy for America, Iraq be damned. Mr. Obama's plan for Iraq is to, as quickly as possible, leave Iraqis to fend for themselves on the assumption that if they are not ready the pressure of the situation will force them to become ready sooner. Mr. Obama's strategy provides the window of opportunity for insurgents and al Qaeda in Iraq to restore themselves.

Senator Obama is departing soon on a trip abroad that will include a fact-finding mission to Iraq and Afghanistan,” Mr. McCain said at his town hall meeting in Albuquerque. “And I note that he is speaking today about his plans for Iraq and Afghanistan before he has even left, before he has talked to General Petraeus, before he has seen the progress in Iraq, and before he has set foot in Afghanistan for the first time. In my experience, fact-finding missions usually work best the other way around: first you assess the facts on the ground, then you present a new strategy.

Mr. Obama has been quoted a number of times as saying that he thinks his judgement. I seriously question Mr. Obama's judgement.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: Iraq, Obama, politics

So, about this plan, Mr. Obama. I have a few questions and a couple of comments.

Political leaders in Iraq have only just begun to look like leaders albeit, shaky ones. Most observers attribute this budding leadership to the security that the surge in US Forces has brought. In your plan you at once point out the failures of Iraqi leadership to rise to the occasion of leading their country while at the same time promote a plan that relies heavily on the ability of this same leadership. You seem convinced that the best thing for Iraq and the US is to begin withdrawing troops at the earliest possible moment and continue to withdraw them until only the residual force remains. You seem to be advocating a sink or swim philosophy for both Iraqi leadership and Iraqi security forces. How is it that you are so certain Iraqi Leadership and Iraqi Forces are actually capable of filling the void that will be left as US forces are withdrawn?

Only by redeploying our troops can we press the Iraqis to reach comprehensive political accommodation and achieve a successful transition to Iraqis’ taking responsibility for the security and stability of their country. Instead of seizing the moment and encouraging Iraqis to step up, the Bush administration and Senator McCain are refusing to embrace this transition — despite their previous commitments to respect the will of Iraq’s sovereign government.

It seems to me that the removable of US forces and the message that US forces will continue to be removed will provide a clear window of opportunity for insurgents and al Qaida in Iraq to again step up their activities and reassert themselves as US forces vacate. This is the primary concern of commanders on the ground today. That the gains that have been made will collapse as we draw down forces. What is your plan for preventing this and how will you accomplish that plan while at the time same continuing the redeployment of 1 to 2 brigades per month?

As I’ve said many times, we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in.

Yeah, I'm tired of reading it already. Moreover, immediately after this sentence is the one about having US troops out in 16 months. In my experience, you can be fast or you can be careful but it is extremely difficult to be fast and careful. I believe that the careful way out is this:

The best way to secure long-term peace and security is to establish a stable, prosperous, and democratic state in Iraq that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists. When Iraqi forces can safeguard their own country, American troops can return home. (source)

I think that is the clearest statement of an end game objective that I have seen on Iraq. This is good for America, good for Iraq.

That is why, on my first day in office, I would give the military a new mission: ending this war.

And what, exactly, do you think their mission is now?

The point here is this. Mr. Obama's candidacy has come a long way on the belief that he represents significant change in Iraq. The fact of the matter is, he does not. Mr. Obama tells us that he will have US troops out of Iraq in 16 months but then qualifies that by saying that it may require adjustments according to what's happening on the ground. The more seasoned and experienced politicians, Hillary Clinton, President Bush and Mr. McCain, are more realistic in their statements. All three are more reluctant to give a timetable because they understand that US withdrawal from Iraq will be dictated by the development of Iraqi security forces and government. Mr. Obama eloquently tells the American public that he can get us out in 16 months. By the time the American Public discovers that his plan is pretty the same as everyone else's, it will be too late. He'll already be President.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: Iraq, Obama, politics

Yesterday was my last day at work for a while. I'm on vacation for the next week. And, on 21 July, I will be on active duty for training (ADT) in preparation for deployment with the 445 Civil Affairs Battalion. The next couple of months will be spent in preparation for deployment.

When I was deployed in 2003, I managed to write something here pretty close to everyday. There were a couple of months where I was out on special missions but for the most part, I wrote an entry everyday. This time around I hope to be a bit more interesting. Last tour, I was responsible for keeping the communications working for a Naval Coastal Warfare unit. This time out, I'll be a lot more involved with the Iraqi population. I'm looking forward to it.

Iraq Provincial elections are scheduled to happen in October or November. National elections are scheduled for 2009. I'll get to see some or all of that. I think that will be cool. Of course, I'll also get to experience America's political struggle over the war in Iraq as well. On the up side, I will probably be out of the country for the final months of election year's foolishness here in the States. I think that's kind of cool.

My family is better prepared this time. Everyone has been through a deployment and knows what to expect. My daughter is old enough now that she pretty much takes care of herself. She drives which means Mom can hope to get some help with taxi duties.

This tour I will be exposed to significantly higher risks. My last tour I spent most of my time not even in the country where the war was happening. This tour, I'll be pretty much right in the middle of it. I'm getting what I wished for. During my last tour, I said that if I did another I wanted something farther north that allows me to be more involved with the Iraqi culture. I seem to have fulfilled that prophesy. I will be much farther north and my job is to engage with and understand the people of Iraq. I'm looking forward to it.

During my last deployment this blog saw a pretty significant increase in readership. However, because I didn't have tools in place to track how many people were reading my blog, I only roughly understood that there was increase. I was not able to look into the details of that increase. So, this time around I got several tools in place so that I can keep better track of readership statistics. This involves both web readers and news feed readers. If you read my blog via the news feed, please make sure you update the feed URL to http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmittiesRamblings. Thanks.

This next week I plan to get a few things done in preparation for deployment and do fun things with my family. My daughter and I are going to go out for breakfast at least once. My son and I will get out to Hollister Hills Offroad Vehicle Park at least once. My wife and I will get away for a few dates. The following week I'll be a soldier but it will be a 9 to 5 ish job. Death by PowerPoint and papercuts. The part of deployment I hate the most. There is a schedule that goes out beyond two weeks but, in typical Army style, it'll change before we get there.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: military

I really have moved Smittie's Ramblings over to Feedburner. So, if you're reading this via your favorite newsreader, please change the feed URL to http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmittiesRamblings. At some point soon, the existing non-Feedburner URL will stop working. So, please, change the URL now. Thanks.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

"I'm surprised at how finely calibrated every single word was measured. I wasn't saying anything I hadn't said before, that I didn't say a year ago or when I was a United States senator," said Obama, who is still a senator from Illinois. (source)

I keep coming back to that first sentence. "I'm surprised at how finely calibrated every single word was measured." Here is a man running for President who apparently doesn't understand that every word he utters in a public forum or in the presence of any member of the press (including snarky progressive political bloggers) will be scrutinized, analyzed, and fantasized -- and yes, even measured to fine calibration -- before the next deadline.

If Mr. Obama has not yet figured that out, maybe he's not quite ready to sit in the Oval Office. What you say in that office is measured on a whole other level.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: election, Obama, politics

Obama, who based his drive to capture the Democratic nomination on his early and ardent opposition to the war, said earlier this week he might alter his plan to bring combat troops home within 16 months of taking office if conditions on the ground changed.

The comment drew heavy coverage and sharp criticism from some on the left and the right, with Republicans saying it showed he was vacillating on Iraq.

read more | digg story

The word they are using is "flip-flop" which, in my opinion, is a bit more than vacillating. However, I think the accusation is inaccurate. I am fairly sure that Mr. Obama has been fairly consistent in his position on Iraq. What he has not been is forthcoming on the details of his position. He has trumpeted loudly his opposition to the Iraq war. And left it at that. Until now, he has not been terribly forthcoming on his plans for Iraq if elected. At least, I haven't seen any news articles from reliable sources in which Mr. Obama has articulated his plan for Iraq.

I do think that Mr. Obama is being, at best, naive and, more likely, disingenuous. Mr. Obama has missed very few opportunities to remind the public that he opposes the Iraq war. "Out of Iraq in 16 months" has been associated with Mr. Obama for a long time, though I cannot find the original statement. I think that Mr. Obama has been very careful at not talking about Iraq any more than necessary. He reminds the public that he opposes the Iraq war, points out that he has voted against it and moves on to other topics. Mr. Obama has stood by quietly and let people think that he is the candidate to get the US out of the Iraq war. And now he's playing a mock surprise when he articulates a plan not significantly different from anyone else's plan and everyone cries foul.

The reality of Iraq is that there is only one way out. To pull US troops out prematurely will not end the war in Iraq. It will simply end US involvement. And whatever happens next will rightfully be laid at our feet. Iraq is now our responsibility. We opened the can, we are responsible for its contents. The only way to end this war, responsibly, deliberately but decisively is to establish a stable, prosperous, and democratic state in Iraq that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: election, Iraq, Obama, politics

Iraq will not accept any security agreement with the United States unless it includes dates for the withdrawal of foreign forces. The differing stances underscore the intense debate in Baghdad over a deal with Washington that will provide a legal basis for U.S. troops to operate when a U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.

read more | digg story

It will be interesting to see how this debate plays out. It seems, at least at this point, to call into question any suggestion that the Iraqi government is a puppet of the US. I think it illustrates the more reasonable statement that Iraqis realize the need for assistance in providing security but long for the day when they are truly free to manage their own affairs.

aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: Iraq, military, politics