Comments on: Top Congressional Money Man Dismisses Gates Heritage Speech

By: Ksenia

Ksenia — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:06:30 +0000

Hello, can you explain, what does the word “next waritis” mean? thanks.

By: atacms

atacms — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:33:02 +0000

For guys who post regarding Gates as not getting it, my question is how do you get to that conclusion? Gates most definitely GETS it.
Next waritis could also be termed as the wish for gold plated weapons and the constant reliance on a technological fix. I’m a fan of military tech as much as the next guy. I suscribe to several defense publications whose sole function is to inform of the latest defense technologies, so I WANT the US to have the latest and greatest.
That being said, our enemies are seeking an asymetric advantage, so contrary to those who fear that the air superiority advantage will wither away, the truth is our enemies AREN’T getting massive air armies, they’re buying SAM’s like the S-400. What works for that, EW.
Are they building aircraft carriers, no they’re building ship killers like the Sunburn.
Are they buying new tanks, no they’re buying RPG-29’s and most importantly they are avoiding open terrain and trying to mix it up in urban areas.
All of the asymetric counters that our enemies are choosing is to steal our technological advantage not necessarily with an opposite, but a weapon that can threaten our advantage.
Some will argue that I’ve made my own counter-argument as to why Gates is wrong. I say that most of these fixes are procedural and depending on our tactics and strategies.
Did MRAP’s defeat the IED’s or the insurgency, no, our troops are IN the process of doing so. How, tactics and strategy.
Gates’ admonition to get our heads in the game with the current war is the plea for our defense leaders to focus on the current battle, not because of his “short-sightedness” but the opposite. We and the DOD have still not mastered counterinsurgencies.
And say what you will about China, you can add all the techno gadgets that the Chinese are working on (and I don’t doubt that they are), but the key thing also will be their tactics.
Guys let’s not focus on the equipment all the time, strength of heart, morale, will, and a superior battleplan can trump tech: this is what I think Gates wants us to focus on.

By: Old Crusty Chief

Old Crusty Chief — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:09:23 +0000

Re: Scott
Hey, man, it ain’t just in PA, its in Johnstown the District’s home and the largest city in the 12th district.
Pork, pork, pork.…

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:56:37 +0000

If Murtha wants to cut Intel spending he should start with that waste of a program, National Counternarcotics intel center in his homestate of PENN!!!

By: Jimbo Jones

Jimbo Jones — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:48:45 +0000

“Murtha is the guiding force in the defense authorization bill trying to give us a 3.9% pay raise. It is not enough I know, but it is a hell of a lot better than Bush who considers a military pay raise a waste of money.“
So in short, he’s a traitor who tryed his damned best to cause problems for you and your collegues by talking sht about the events in Haditha, his lies stirred up a massive amount of hatred for your fellow service men, undoubtable leading to more deaths of your fellow warriors and yet because he wants to give you a rise you think hes a ‘good guy’??? Strikes me as most odd if not twisted…

By: Jimbo Jones

Jimbo Jones — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:44:06 +0000

“I served in Haditha,Iraq from Sept05-April 06 and John Murtha is a traitor. He smeared fellow Marines over an incident before any investgation was done.I also went to his office with several members of Vets for Freedom to ask for an apology for his remarks and he refused to give us 30 seconds of his time.“
You sir have my greatest repect, not only for serving in Iraq but for your restraint, i don’t know how you managed to hold yourself back from physicaly pounding the crap out of a traitor like Murtha or for that matter his equally dishonest assistant.

By: Hatemachine

Hatemachine — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:26:34 +0000

Throughout history armies have been plagued with the syndrome of wanting to fight the last war. Just look at World War I for a fairly recent example. The counterinsurgency/guerrilla style warfare which seems to be here to stay for the foreseeable future is probably the the most fundamental change to warfare since WWI. It seems like military leadership and the politicians are still planning for more conventional wars even though everything seen since about ’93 says otherwise. While conventional war is something we have to be prepared for I don’t see the use( right now) for stealth ships, new stealth aircraft, etc etc.
The general problem is that most of the people who decide how money is spent have little or no current operational experience and it seems are blinded by tech gadgets
Gadgets and gizmos have their place no doubt but it seems like a lot of money spent could be better spent with more immediate results. For instance, building shoot houses, buying range time for grunts, funding large scale military exercises, searching for a 5.56 round with increased stopping power, funding in depth language and cultural training for all on the ground, developing a Humvee replacement( too big, too slow, too little room for the size). My suggestions are from an Army grunt standpoint and I won’t comment on the other aspects save to say that dominance in the air and on the water are pretty meaningless without dominance of the ground.

By: mike

mike — Mon, 19 May 2008 03:19:04 +0000

Murtha is the guiding force in the defense authorization bill trying to give us a 3.9% pay raise. It is not enough I know, but it is a hell of a lot better than Bush who considers a military pay raise a waste of money.
That makes Murtha ok in my book.
And I don’t believe Wuterich is getting a raw deal at all. He gives all of us a bad name. Hang the pr!ck I say. Mattis was right to not dismiss the case.

By: jim

jim — Mon, 19 May 2008 02:13:27 +0000

As for Haditha, Wuterich is getting a raw deal.
But I blame Army Generals Bargewell and Chiarelli, not Murtha. And Bush caved in to his buddy Maliki on Haditha. And as much as I hate to admit it, General Mattis too.
As for the budget — we need to look ahead. If you think that Iraq is the last war we will ever fight, then you need to get sober and stop smoking crystal meth. Murtha may not be the brightest bulb in congress, but he is on the right track with this one.

By: CTR1(SW)

CTR1(SW) — Sun, 18 May 2008 16:14:42 +0000

Not to turn this blog into a recap of Haditha, but it was that incident that revealed that Murtha’s true colors are no longer Scarlet and Gold, or perhaps even Red, White, and Blue.
If he does not like defense spending, then the person he should be complaining to is in the mirror.
Again, it is time for someone to “retire” him.
Now I am getting angry again …