Our Military Must End One-upmanship!

[thedrifter]

Our Military Must End One-upmanship!

Don Bendell



When I teach martial arts, my main concern is teaching my students how to protect themselves from attack, rape, kidnapping, or abuse. Consequently I teach very functional self-defense techniques, but I also believe they should become “martial artists” – not just “partial artists.” So, in that regard, when teaching aesthetic moves such as kata (forms), I employ traditional forms, which have been passed down from generation to generation with very little change. This balance of martial arts instruction is a microcosm of what also works in the real world.



For balance, we must have tradition in our lives, but we must also have a functional lifestyle. Our military operates on a similar principle, but on a much higher plane. The U.S. military is full of great, rich tradition and has a reputation for being the toughest, most functional fighting force in the history of the world. However, that may soon end if we continue to “eat our own young.” Then we will not suffer defeat from an external enemy, but will simply implode from within. What I propose transcends political parties, and it is neither conservative nor liberal, Republican or Democrat. It is simply common sense, practical, and pro-American.



Politicians have a lot to say, but few, if any, have the actual courage and fortitude to say out loud what many of us will say privately; what some of us think but do not verbalize. Right now our military tradition far outweighs the functionality of our armed forces, which costs us billions. More importantly, it makes our military less efficient and consequently less powerful. By making the tough decisions to change – as so many politicians like to talk about but never really do – we can make a more cohesive, less costly, and much more functional fighting force than the world has ever seen without tossing military tradition out the window. We simply need to overcome our own fear of change. With an upcoming presidential and congressional election looming, I think it is time to present this very controversial but cost-saving and efficiency-producing solution to our military.



What I am about to suggest will shock and outrage some, but I believe it is what will work. Here is my proposal in a nutshell:



1. The U.S. Army should be the one military fighting force fighting on land.



2. The U.S. Navy should be the one military fighting force fighting on water.



3. The U.S. Air Force should be the one military fighting force fighting in the air.



One of the main reasons I was so proud that two of my sons followed my footsteps into the U.S. Army Special Forces (the Green Berets) was because I naïvely thought that our military leadership had actually grown from lessons learned from the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, we have not. We still make some errors in command.



We spend billions of dollars to train company grade officers (Lieutenants and Captains) and senior NCOs (Sergeants) how properly to deploy and protect troops in battle while accomplishing unit missions. In the Global War On Terrorism, instead of trusting that small unit commander with “boots on the ground” who knows the situation, we have “Chairborne-Rangers” sitting in air-conditioned offices and briefing rooms in places like MacDill AFB, the Pentagon, Qatar, Fort Bragg, Eglin AFB, and many higher headquarters all over the world, micro-managing the war. That has previously been proven time and again to be a surefire formula for disaster in war, but nobody has the guts to tell flag officers, “Back off, General (or Admiral). Give the captains and Sergeants jobs, and then do NOT tell them how to do them, especially when they, or their men and women, are the ones risking earning the Purple Heart (given for wounds or death), and they know the enemy situation on the ground.”



Now, with a Navy Admiral at the helm of the U.S. Special Operations Command, the new big thing is MARSOC, the Marine Special Operations Command. After 50 years of the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) learning more than any other fighting force about how to conduct Unconventional Warfare successfully, they now want the Marines to take over and do the same thing. USA Special Forces has had its operators (Green Berets) learn to speak virtually every language in the world and familiarize themselves the customs of every country and its indigenous citizens. By befriending folks in remote villages all over the globe, learning how to infiltrate behind enemy lines and interact, co-exist, and actually train and equip those indigenous forces to fight their own battles so United States troops do not have to be needlessly sacrificed fighting for those countries, Green Berets have become synonymous with successful Unconventional Warfare. Now, the U.S. Marine Corps is being transformed to try to duplicate what Special Forces have done successfully for decades. How ridiculous, arrogant, and shortsighted! I cannot believe the Pentagon has even allowed it to be a discussion, let alone a reality.



Semper Fidelis! The U.S. Marine Corps, I personally believe, has not only the coolest-looking dress uniforms of any of our armed forces, but also has by far and away the very best esprit de corps. Marines have always been hard-charging, fire-breathing, butt-kicking, mission-accomplishing warriors, who distinguished themselves with a legacy of courage and honor in many wars at places like Tarawa, Bougainville, Iwo Jima, and beachheads all over the west and east. Do not think I want to do away with the Marine Corps. However, I suggest that we no longer attack on beaches with Navy ducks or other amphibious craft. That was then, this is now.



So what is the solution? I think the U.S. Marine Corps is the finest infantry force in the world, but the U.S. Navy, in my opinion, has zero business possessing its own army. The solution is very simple: The Marine Corps stays the same but simply becomes a branch of the U.S. Army. However, I propose changing MARSOC’s function: The only Special Operations mission the USMC should have is Direct Action, such as Force Recon or sniper teams, but not UW (unconventional warfare).



So let’s say we have made the USMC part of the Army. Now what happens to the U.S. Army Rangers? It’s simple: the Rangers become a reinforcing direct action force for the U.S. Army Special Forces, and the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force), which it is already doing effectively now. Ranger School can also specialize in Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) training and execution, as with the original Roger’s Rangers. No units will have LRRP members who have not first earned a Ranger tab.



To be fair, the Army has to lose something, right? Well, in my proposal, it’s not technically going to lose anything, but just like the Navy, the Army and Marine Corps will turn over all of their aircraft to the U.S. Air Force. All helicopter pilots on naval ships and with the Army, including the USMC branch, will be part of and trained exclusively by the Air Force, and then will be attached to Army or Navy units. No more Naval and Marine aviators or Army chopper jockeys. They will all be U.S. Air Force pilots, with both rotary and fixed wings.



As mentioned earlier, the Air Force will be in charge of the skies and any craft that goes into them. Naval aircraft mechanics will still be responsible for maintenance of craft and all flight deck operations, because they do operate on a ship. Likewise, helicopter and fixed wing Army mechanics will maintain aircraft on the ground unless a USAF airbase is within close proximity, but all pilots and all aircraft will be USAF, attached to Army and Navy units.



What about the Navy Seals? The Seals have indeed proven their worth and have a legacy of valor. But like the Marines and Rangers, they should only be used for direct action missions, and their missions should only be adjacent to or on the waterways of the world. They will still do the shore-launched sabotage missions, submarine lockout, and many underwater missions. As they are doing now, they will be like UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams) on steroids in a sense. The BUDS training qualification for SEALs should still be there to challenge young sailors to the maximum. Navy SEALs however, in my opinion, have no business fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan or sand-blown cities of Iraq, unless they are carrying out a mission on a seaport or coastline. Army Special Forces and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force) would still use SCUBA and HALO-SCUBA infiltration methodology in lakes, rivers and oceans (only where a SEAL mission would not be applicable). In other words, if it is a UW mission that should only be performed by USASF or Delta Force, such as a hostage rescue on a cruise ship, then a SCUBA infiltration could be used where appropriate.



I have suggested taking from the Navy to some extent, but what about adding to it? Since it is dealing with oceans, seas, and other large waterways, it would be efficient and cost-effective for our Coast Guard to become a branch of the United States Navy. They are their own little Navy already, but would become part of the real deal. Their mission would not change.



Finally, the primary unit in the Army Special Forces (the Green Berets) is the ODA, or 12-man Operational Detachment-A, often called “A-Teams.” These are commanded by a Captain, with a Warrant Officer as Executive Officer, who come from SF NCOs and who attend Warrant Officer school. This is good in that the XO has experience as a team non-com; however it hurts the Army Special Forces significantly. One of the reasons I left the army as a young Captain was because my entire commissioned time as a Special Forces-qualified Infantry officer was spent serving in four Special Forces Groups, including the 5th Group in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969. I used to write suggestions and pass them up the chain of command.



One suggestion – which many others made as well – was to make a new branch of the Army called the Unconventional Warfare branch or Special Forces branch. It would attract young officers who loved and believed in the role of Special Forces with a deep and abiding passion and could develop an entire career in that elite unit. In those days, with four SF Groups under my belt, my career was essentially ruined. I had become a “guerilla leader” in the minds of the brass; “too unconventional” was the term often used. To this day, either conventional military commanders do not understand the Army Special Forces; there is professional jealousy; or both.



These are the soldiers who are taught and encouraged to think outside the box and color outside the lines. When you get right down to brass tacks, conventional generals and admirals cannot easily control such men, so they want to destroy the institution and develop something else that they can control. Brilliant! The same type of thinking had lines of British soldiers marching to drums towards our independent-minded fledgling Continental army, whom they killed by the thousands until we started thinking unconventionally and actually won the Revolutionary War by utilizing ambush tactics, firing from behind rocks and trees, and employing hit and run. The British commanders simply wanted to keep marching, halting, aiming, and firing on command. That, the protection of God, and our American fighting spirit were the primary reasons that the British sailed home, heads hanging, and we became the United States of America.



A few years after I left the Army, somebody actually thought and acted outside the bounds of traditional military thinking, and the branch similar to what I had proposed, the Unconventional Warfare Branch, was finally created.



Unfortunately we still have not learned, and it is now only a stop-off point for many young career Captains. No longer are First Lieutenants ODA XO’s (Executive Officers) and Second Lieutenants ODA XO’s in-training. The United States Special Forces does not have 2nd or 1st Lieutenants anymore. None! You must be a captain to even try to qualify for Special Forces, but after qualifying, many captains try to do just one tour on an ODA. Not wanting to get stuck in staff jobs, they move on to other units such as the Rangers or airborne infantry outfits so they can still command troops and see action. Most of the good Lieutenants who want to go to SF when they are promoted are simply kept with the conventional units where they have served. Worse yet, many young qualified men, like my sons, have no desire to go to Officers Candidate School (OCS) and become officers, because they cannot even get into Special Forces until they reach Captain, if they are even then allowed to go to Selection (SF qualification).



SF Warrant Officers can only become Chief Warrant Officers and can make more money, but they can never become Captains or higher. They can never command ODAs or go on to become majors, colonels, and so on. Utilizing the same theory as the SF warrant program, I strongly suggest changing the process, and experienced Special Forces NCOs can apply for a direct commission to First Lieutenant if they are a Sergeant First Class (SFC E7) or higher, and they become an ODA XO, eventually making captain and becoming an ODA commander.



Additionally, experienced Special Forces Staff Sergeants (SSG E6) can apply to become second lieutenants. Or, already commissioned second lieutenants can go through Special Forces qualification and continuous training as I did, to get them ready to become an A-team XO and eventually CO. This gives young leaders actual incentive. Higher pay is not an incentive to them; having an opportunity to advance and take on greater challenge is. This will attract many more young officers to make a career out of Special Forces and not pursue command time in other units. It will also, like the current Warrant Officer program, afford Special Forces NCOs who wish greater advancement but actually keep being promoted to higher rank. Upon direct commission, the new officer will attend a short UW branch officers course. Current Special Forces Warrant Officers can also apply for commission to lieutenant and will be given priority.



At a higher command level, when I was in Special Forces, one problem was that senior SF officers had to deal with was being the lowest rank in the command structure in theater during war. For example, the head Green Beret in Vietnam, the 5th Special Forces Group commander (in charge of all A-Camps, special projects, and B and C team headquarters all over Vietnam) was only a full Colonel, while Brigadier and Major Generals were commanding affiliated military divisions. I could not believe this still has not changed after all these years. I suggest that Special Forces Group command structure should change the TO and E (Tables of Organization and Equipment) so that Group commanding officers will be Brigadier Generals. Since a Special Forces battalion is much different than a conventional battalion, SF battalion commanders, under my proposal, will be full Colonels, unlike the rank of Lieutenant Colonel now.



We are most definitely winning the Global War on Terrorism, and “the surge” has proven more effective than ever expected. We have the finest and toughest fighting force in the world, but the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have also shown us the weak areas where we can – and should – significantly improve. If the U.S. military command truly wants to improve, and if Congress truly wants to cut costs, I hope someone will actually read this editorial and give it some thought. These are suggestions, but they are written in “pencil” so they can be revised and improved upon.



Two questions remain: one, will professional jealousy, Pentagon politics, and competition between military branches eventually destroy us from within, or will we learn it also okay to shoot from behind trees and rocks, use hit and run tactics, and even let some of our elite troops color outside the lines? The second question is: aside from Gen. Petraeus, do we still have any flag officers with the guts to think and act against the grain, or have so many of our senior leaders only developed the courage to speak out against their own chain of command on national politics because of a promised political position after retirement? Then they wonder why their own troops will not even follow them to the mess hall let alone to hell and back.



To me, a true warrior is willing to grow and innovate. The American fighting spirit and initiative that created Roger’s Rangers, defeated a much stronger, more highly-trained, and much larger Army and Navy that could only think and act the way it had previously performed . . . for centuries. It was not just our fighting spirit and valor, but by actually thinking and acting outside convention, that we became not South Canada, a proud but subservient British possession, but the United States of America.

Ellie

[ltmebecrewchief]

the author of this is going to get guidon shoved down his throat if he thinks the Marine Corps will become a part of the army willingly

[Coachgun]

jealous aint he

[ecfree]

This gentleman has a major malfunction.
It must be from the pcp, angel dust ,coke, tcp ,quad's ,or just to much wacky weed.

[Petz]

So what is the solution? I think the U.S. Marine Corps is the finest infantry force in the world, but the U.S. Navy, in my opinion, has zero business possessing its own army. The solution is very simple: The Marine Corps stays the same but simply becomes a branch of the U.S. Army. However, I propose changing MARSOC’s function: The only Special Operations mission the USMC should have is Direct Action, such as Force Recon or sniper teams, but not UW (unconventional warfare).

you sir are a tool... this was thought of, but no... ships need protection... missles won't cut it... we need to take that beach head for the army to even do anything... look at d-day vs iwo to (it was officially changed from iwo jima, both mean the same thing, however iwo to was what is was called by the locals) we owned them the army cried and almost ran away....

the army have been tools for far too long... they cost us korea for being tools, they cost us vietnam for being tools... they would have cost us japan if government hadn't had the foresight to keep them out of our way!!!!.... the army just sucks because they are not "one fighting force" they are 75% lazy bastards and 25% retards who don't know which end the bullet comes out of.... example... unmaned .50 cal... why? they are tools! that's why they have the highest casualty rate in Iraq right now.

I'm ****ed and I didn't even read the whole essay.

[greybeard]

Except for the few caveats, that was without a doubt the biggest pile of feces I ever stepped in. This proposal won't get past the lowest committee on the hill, much less very far thru the halls of the Pentagon. Don Bendell will be lucky indeed if his house isn't burned to the ground, his cat fed to his dog, and his dog hung in his front yard and slit from throat to pecker so his grandkids can see their kitty when they exit the schoolbus.

I feel better now.

[Haffner]

There have been times in history where the continued existence of the Marine Corps was threatened by politicians that thought it wasn't necessary anymore, amongst other reasons.

If we were to be transferred to the army...wow, I can just see reenlistment, retention, and potentially some recruiting just going straight to ****.


It's not as if, in any way shape or form, the army is our enemy, but analogitically, they're like that pesky, annoying little brother that always does some embarassing **** infront of your friends, tattle-tale's all the time, picks his nose too much and gets all F's in school. It's already bad enough to say you live in the same house, but admitting you're related can just be damn embarassing, no matter how much you love him.

Haha, I know that's a kinda f'ed up analogy, but seriously, everywhere a Marine would go on his combined army/Marine base or whatever they'd make it, every freakin' dogface would have that smug little look on his face, and if not vocalising, at least thinking, "That's right, you're a part of US, not we are a part of you! We simply MUST be better."


IDK maybe none of that makes any sense I'm just kinda ****ed after even readin that garbage.

[Osotogary]

Except for the few caveats
I agree with you, greybeard, and I certainly am not, in any remote way, an expert in these matters. I have always thought that all Armed Forces should "be on the same page" in purpose, commitment and application of military matters thoughout the ranks..no exception, and that each seperate Armed Force should do what they are trained to do in order to be victorious. Fight to win together.

[snickel777]

okay... Marines are not a part of the Army, do not doubt that ever. We are the mark by which all others are measured. That is the fact. I see it when I go to Drill with the Guard. No one doubts my Esprit de Corps and I consistantly sought after to training. Why? The answer is clear. I see the author point but there is not doubt that the Marine Corps is more relevant today than in the first Gulf War. Understand The EGA is the standard. The realm of War is our to take at any time we are loosed. Look at the accomplishments carefully before saying the MC is Part of anything but the Navy. We are what we are and we are envied for it. I don't want to hear words I want to see deeds. That is my mantra now. Loyalty Above all but Honor. Ahh dang it... Sorry everyone I got rolling again. OOHRAH.

[RLeon]

Wow what a great original idea, make the Marines part of the Army.....
That's all we need, those genius Army brass directly in charge of the Corps...that will run smoothly.

1. The U.S. Army should be the one military fighting force fighting on land.



2. The U.S. Navy should be the one military fighting force fighting on water.



3. The U.S. Air Force should be the one military fighting force fighting in the air.

I guess we'd have to change the Marine's Hymn, since we wouldn't be fighting in the air on land and sea anymore...not that we fight at sea anymore anyways.


If we did what this guy suggest,

However, I suggest that we no longer attack on beaches with Navy ducks or other amphibious craft. That was then, this is now.

, we wouldn't be Marines anymore but soldiers with fancy uniforms, provided the genius Army brass in charge of us let us keep the dress blues and the Eagle Globe and Anchor.
Don't think they wouldn't do it either, see WWI...Pershing made the Marines wear the AEF drab uniforms instead of the Marines' forest green uniforms.

[snickel777]

True and True. When the Chinese and North Koreans would not attack anyone wearing the legins we wore the Army Generals tried to make us take them off. Don't let anyone get away with talking the game. If you want to play the Game Marine play expect to get hurt and viscously go beyond the pain. Or let the Marine do the job shut up and stay behind. The Marine Corps is the Standard of a warrior.

[JohnEaceHunt]

I feel mr. Num-Nut-Professor don bendell should quickly go to the closest stool he can find and take a very-very long dump. He is SO full of it he most likely has it close to gushing out of his ears. I feel he spent 1 day too many in the Army reading fairy tales. Bar his sons from any Military Service, as they are certainly brain washed by their daddy into thinking and believing in this assinine, foolish, and imbasilliac idea. The Marine Corps simply put out produces the Army by at the least 10 Army, to 1 Marine. Thats for FACT. Go down the road don bendell, and leave the,(MY), Marine Corps ALONE NOW.!!

[MarineNCO]

Something this guy is missing and unless I am mistaken the US Marine Corps can be delpoyed by the President for a set amount of time w/o the approval of Congress. We are the only organized OPFOR that is able to do this. The Army has their Special Forces as does the Navy and the Air Force but they cannot bring th emanpower to bear that the Marine Corps can in a very fhort amount of time. Perhaps that is why we are called Expeditionary Forces in Readiness, Tip of the Spear etc etc.

[Phantom Winger]

I think it is time to present this very controversial but cost-saving and efficiency-producing solution to our military. What I am about to suggest will shock and outrage some, but I believe it is what will work.

I think it is time for Don to have a big, steaming cup of STFU. Only an green beanie would be so arrogant to suggest such a fairy tale would 'work'. Why does he think Marines have such esprit de corps? ...because we ain't the army... what a tool...

[RLeon]

Something this guy is missing and unless I am mistaken the US Marine Corps can be delpoyed by the President for a set amount of time w/o the approval of Congress. We are the only organized OPFOR that is able to do this. The Army has their Special Forces as does the Navy and the Air Force but they cannot bring th emanpower to bear that the Marine Corps can in a very fhort amount of time. Perhaps that is why we are called Expeditionary Forces in Readiness, Tip of the Spear etc etc.

Actually that's his point. He thinks the days of storming beaches and securing ports and naval bases are over, and by removing this from the Marines mission we become just an infantry force thus by his criteria we belong in the Army. As part of the Army the Marines would remain as an expeditionary force but with Army's support instead of the Navy.


How about to save money and improve efficiency we get rid of the Airforce and incorperate their abilities into the Navy and Marine Corps aviation.