Re: OT - Soldiers Record Lessons From Iraq (RC connection)

[Mark Stevens]

Question is........Why has it taken the Yanks so long to learn
this................The IRA have used this method many years ago and it has
been featured in countless Hollywood Movies too..........so why are they so
slow on the take up...???


Regards.........Mark


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[The Natural Philosopher]

Mark Stevens wrote:

> Question is........Why has it taken the Yanks so long to learn
> this................The IRA have used this method many years ago and it has
> been featured in countless Hollywood Movies too..........so why are they so
> slow on the take up...???
>
>


Because there is little profit in flak jackets compared with a Tomahawak?

Interesting info by the way. Its good to see that teh professional
soldires as expected are capable of coming to grips with local
conditions even if the politicians are not.


> Regards.........Mark
>
>
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> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.583 / Virus Database: 369 - Release Date: 10/02/2004
>
>
>

[Gary R. Schmidt]

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

> Mark Stevens wrote:
>
>> Question is........Why has it taken the Yanks so long to learn
>> this................The IRA have used this method many years ago and
>> it has
>> been featured in countless Hollywood Movies too..........so why are
>> they so
>> slow on the take up...???
>>
>>
>
>
> Because there is little profit in flak jackets compared with a Tomahawak?
>
> Interesting info by the way. Its good to see that teh professional
> soldires as expected are capable of coming to grips with local
> conditions even if the politicians are not.
>

And if any of them, either politicians or military, could make the
simple connection that in a country where the dominant language is
(Whatever) they should have (Whatever)-speakers in the squads, they
might one day be able to pacify a country after it has been invaded.

Cheers,
Gary B-)

--
__________________________________________________ ____________________________
Armful of chairs: Something some people would not know
whether you were up them with or not
- Barry Humphries

[Thomas Houseman]

"Mark Stevens" <nospam@anywhere.com> wrote in message
news:c0bujn$pcl$1@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk...

Question is........Why has it taken the Yanks so long to learn
this................The IRA have used this method many years ago and it has
been featured in countless Hollywood Movies too..........so why are they so
slow on the take up...???
-------------------------------------------------


Yeah, and wasn't this RC car with a bomb taped to it trick used in a Dirty
Harry movie like 20 years ago?

T.

[R. David Steele]

|>
|>
|> Because there is little profit in flak jackets compared with a Tomahawak?
|>
|> Interesting info by the way. Its good to see that teh professional
|> soldires as expected are capable of coming to grips with local
|> conditions even if the politicians are not.
|>
|
|And if any of them, either politicians or military, could make the
|simple connection that in a country where the dominant language is
|(Whatever) they should have (Whatever)-speakers in the squads, they
|might one day be able to pacify a country after it has been invaded.
|
| Cheers,
| Gary B-)

Currently most linguist are in the intel units. There are no
plans to put linguists in combat units, let alone MPs. Plus
Americans are hard pressed to learn languages. We do have over
37000 non US citizens in the ranks. But we do not use them as
linguists.

[Justin Mahn]

IANITS (I am not in the service), but:

The teamwork of basic units of soldiers depends on their knowing each other
and being comfortable with working together. Swapping linguists into the
unit for every new country they're sent to could be a killer. Also
linguists are hard to come by and harder to train. It's probably time and
money prohibitive.

--
Justin Mahn
remove Panties to e-mail


"R. David Steele" <steele.david@verizon.net.REMOVE> wrote in message
news:e9rl20pbgfuhjvennt5vdn48gaebfoafh1@4ax.com...
>
> |>
> |>
> |> Because there is little profit in flak jackets compared with a
Tomahawak?
> |>
> |> Interesting info by the way. Its good to see that teh professional
> |> soldires as expected are capable of coming to grips with local
> |> conditions even if the politicians are not.
> |>
> |
> |And if any of them, either politicians or military, could make the
> |simple connection that in a country where the dominant language is
> |(Whatever) they should have (Whatever)-speakers in the squads, they
> |might one day be able to pacify a country after it has been invaded.
> |
> | Cheers,
> | Gary B-)
>
> Currently most linguist are in the intel units. There are no
> plans to put linguists in combat units, let alone MPs. Plus
> Americans are hard pressed to learn languages. We do have over
> 37000 non US citizens in the ranks. But we do not use them as
> linguists.
>
>

[Gary R. Schmidt]

Justin Mahn wrote:
"R. David Steele" <steele.david@verizon.net.REMOVE> wrote in message
news:e9rl20pbgfuhjvennt5vdn48gaebfoafh1@4ax.com...
>>
[SNIP]
>> Currently most linguist are in the intel units. There are no
>> plans to put linguists in combat units, let alone MPs. Plus
>> Americans are hard pressed to learn languages. We do have over
>> 37000 non US citizens in the ranks. But we do not use them as
>> linguists.
[Top posting fixed]

> IANITS (I am not in the service), but:
>
> The teamwork of basic units of soldiers depends on their knowing each other
> and being comfortable with working together. Swapping linguists into the
> unit for every new country they're sent to could be a killer. Also
> linguists are hard to come by and harder to train. It's probably time and
> money prohibitive.

True, in that the mutual dependency inside the group is not over
estimatable.

But... It's much more expensive to lose lives _after_ the direct battle
has been finished.

And it buggers up morale, both in the field and at home.

Of course, I am using that rarest of all things, "common sense," in this
analysis.

Cheers,
Gary B-)

--
__________________________________________________ ____________________________
Armful of chairs: Something some people would not know
whether you were up them with or not
- Barry Humphries

[Justin Mahn]

--
Justin Mahn
remove Panties to e-mail


"Gary R. Schmidt" <grschmidt@acm.org> wrote in message
news:xIKWb.1273$KS1.51096@nasal.pacific.net.au...
> Justin Mahn wrote:
> "R. David Steele" <steele.david@verizon.net.REMOVE> wrote in message
> news:e9rl20pbgfuhjvennt5vdn48gaebfoafh1@4ax.com...
> >>
> [SNIP]
> >> Currently most linguist are in the intel units. There are no
> >> plans to put linguists in combat units, let alone MPs. Plus
> >> Americans are hard pressed to learn languages. We do have over
> >> 37000 non US citizens in the ranks. But we do not use them as
> >> linguists.
> [Top posting fixed]
>
> > IANITS (I am not in the service), but:
> >
> > The teamwork of basic units of soldiers depends on their knowing each
other
> > and being comfortable with working together. Swapping linguists into
the
> > unit for every new country they're sent to could be a killer. Also
> > linguists are hard to come by and harder to train. It's probably time
and
> > money prohibitive.
>
> True, in that the mutual dependency inside the group is not over
> estimatable.
>
> But... It's much more expensive to lose lives _after_ the direct battle
> has been finished.
>
> And it buggers up morale, both in the field and at home.
>
> Of course, I am using that rarest of all things, "common sense," in this
> analysis.
>

You act as if you have a monopoly on that rarest of all things. ;-)

So how do you supply each unit with a proficient linguist on the country of
choice, when the decision for deployment precedes the actual battle by
hours? Also, how do you ensure that the linguist is present when soldiers
are on leave, or at any other social interface, such as guard duty or light
convoy?

[Gary R. Schmidt]

Justin Mahn wrote:
> You act as if you have a monopoly on that rarest of all things. :-)
Well, _somebody_ must be hoarding it somewhere! :-)

> So how do you supply each unit with a proficient linguist on the
> country of
> choice, when the decision for deployment precedes the actual battle by
> hours? Also, how do you ensure that the linguist is present when
> soldiers
> are on leave, or at any other social interface, such as guard duty or
> light convoy?

I don't think that a "linguist" is required, merely someone with some
understanding of the language. A six month course would be sufficient.

And it's not as if it wasn't obvious that Arabic would be needed at some
time post September 11.

Cheers,
Gary B-)

--
__________________________________________________ ____________________________
Armful of chairs: Something some people would not know
whether you were up them with or not
- Barry Humphries

[Paul McIntosh]

True, and when has the decision for deployment EVER preceeded the battle by
hours? More like MONTHS.

"Gary R. Schmidt" <grschmidt@acm.org> wrote in message
news:HRSWb.1278$KS1.51321@nasal.pacific.net.au...
> Justin Mahn wrote:
> > You act as if you have a monopoly on that rarest of all things. :-)
> Well, _somebody_ must be hoarding it somewhere! :-)
>
> > So how do you supply each unit with a proficient linguist on the
> > country of
> > choice, when the decision for deployment precedes the actual battle by
> > hours? Also, how do you ensure that the linguist is present when
> > soldiers
> > are on leave, or at any other social interface, such as guard duty or
> > light convoy?
>
> I don't think that a "linguist" is required, merely someone with some
> understanding of the language. A six month course would be sufficient.
>
> And it's not as if it wasn't obvious that Arabic would be needed at some
> time post September 11.
>
> Cheers,
> Gary B-)
>
> --
>
__________________________________________________ __________________________
__
> Armful of chairs: Something some people would not know
> whether you were up them with or not
> - Barry Humphries

[W4JLE]

I worked with an all service unit in Nam. We went deep in country to do
traffic analysis. The Army provided our group with two interperters that had
been trained in the Korean language. :>(

Do you suppose the units are now getting interperters fluent in Vietnamese?

"Gary R. Schmidt" <grschmidt@acm.org> wrote in message
news:HRSWb.1278$KS1.51321@nasal.pacific.net.au...
> Justin Mahn wrote:
> > You act as if you have a monopoly on that rarest of all things. :-)
> Well, _somebody_ must be hoarding it somewhere! :-)
>
> > So how do you supply each unit with a proficient linguist on the
> > country of
> > choice, when the decision for deployment precedes the actual battle by
> > hours? Also, how do you ensure that the linguist is present when
> > soldiers
> > are on leave, or at any other social interface, such as guard duty or
> > light convoy?
>
> I don't think that a "linguist" is required, merely someone with some
> understanding of the language. A six month course would be sufficient.
>
> And it's not as if it wasn't obvious that Arabic would be needed at some
> time post September 11.
>
> Cheers,
> Gary B-)
>
> --
>
__________________________________________________ __________________________
__
> Armful of chairs: Something some people would not know
> whether you were up them with or not
> - Barry Humphries