That is one of the lessons I've learned is essential to success in the military, "when you can't do what you want, do what you can."
If you want to take a hill, you literally "can't" do that until you have done the things you have to do to enable that. Set a support by fire position, called for indirect, set up an echelon of fires that lets you get within halitosis range before turning off your support. If you just try to take the hill you and your men will get slaughtered.
So do what you can. This post is brought to you by John Mosby http://mountainguerrilla.blogspot.com/2012/01/public-service-announcement.html since I would like to add on to and wax poetic about what keyboard commandos (and even seasoned professionals) don't know about an insurgency.
If you are a middle aged (I'm in my thirties now, it used to be that 30 was old, but now it is the new 20 I've been told) guy like me you can probably still hump a ruck enough to keep up with the 18-23 year olds that make up the Infantry. But it hurts like hell and that is why they give CO's and 1SG's humvees to roll around the battlefield.
Now my father is a machinist (I have mentioned this before). I don't expect him to put on a rucksack and leave my mom to go play guerilla in the woods any time soon. But who do you think I turn to when I need a rifle repaired? I
"If you are a middle aged (I'm in my thirties now, it used to be that 30 was old, but now it is the new 20 I've been told) guy like me you can probably still hump a ruck enough to keep up with the 18-23 year olds that make up the Infantry. But it hurts like hell and that is why they give CO's and 1SG's humvees to roll around the battlefield."
ReplyDeleteI guess I am a little over middle aged at the age of 59 come March but not by much since I come from a long line of folks who seem to live to late 80's to late 90's. Just a year ago when I passed my search and rescue training where I had to hump as big a pack as I wanted in a two training searches that began late afternoon and completed around 3:45 AM over some really rough terrain proved to me that I could keep up with the younger guys and gals. In fact when we woke up after bedding down around 4:00AM less than 5 hours later and a friend discovered he had lost his camera on the last practice search I volunteered to hike back in and back track to see if wee could find it. About 3.5 miles back in we found it and then hikes out and headed home.
The point is well taken and I sure as hell with no military experience at my age plan on slapping a pack on my back and heading into the hills to take it to the enemy. I can and will provide supply chain and intel support and with my extended family and local network defend what is ours. I guess the only issue I had with the article is that it seemed to want to write off those above middle age when it comes to a fight. being the son of a decorated WWII vet I can tell you that at the age of even 84 he had more fight in him than most men I have ever met. His blood flows through my veins...
I remember your ordeal and mentioned at the time, "You're a better man than I!":)
ReplyDeleteI wish I had posted it, but I read something recently about a 79 year old ex-SF Vietnam gunny who kept up with all in their search for POWs. Not sure about the particulars, but whatever, it gets the point across, though
"Not I, said the blind man" as my mother would say!:)