[Vision2020] Demand Accountability

[Tom Hansen]

>From the Letters section of the September 10, 2007 edition of the Army Times
- 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Demand accountability

I am writing in reference to the Aug. 14 article, "Casey: Army must train
for conventional ops."

If our forces had been adequately and properly trained in the tried-and-true
conventional methods that had been hammered out from the end of Vietnam to
the start of this so-called war on terrorism - with specific emphasis on
Afghanistan and Iraq - our troops would not be suffering such miserable
deaths to the extent they have been.

Since the self-servers have taken over most of the key leadership positions
in the grades of O-6 and higher during the Bush administration, the majority
of folks in the chain of command have become "dumbed" and/or "numbed." They
love it when they are not held accountable. 

The military, being a closed system, is self-perpetuating. That, coupled
with the blind faith and trust in the undeserving politico-military
hierarchy, makes it extremely difficult to turn that ship around when it has
a severely damaged rudder. 

It almost always takes something drastic or horrible to bring about any
significant change in an institution whose sorry leaders have been ensconced
for such a long period of time. 

Just maybe Afghanistan and Iraq are those drastic or horrible events that
will cause the majority of American people to demand that our current
administration, to include our politico-military hierarchy, be held
personally accountable. 

The only saving grace of this whole mess is that our troops never die in
vain when their hearts and intentions are pure, when they give their lives
for each other and those oppressed. I do believe our wonderful troops have
suffered way more than what most of us deserve.

The spirits of our fallen comrades demand that we take corrective action
immediately. Let's beat our elected officials unmercifully with promises of
doing whatever it takes to keep them from getting re-elected. 

That is the only way to get their attention, because it is not possible to
shame them, and besides, their children very rarely go to war.

Let's admit our mistakes, and bring our troops home while we regroup and
prepare for future engagements. Maybe with decent leaders, equipment and
training, Americans will once again encourage our most prized assets, our
children, to be proud members of our once-great Armed Forces.

Lt. Col. Dennis L. Adams (ret.)

Austin, Texas

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." 

--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.