Abu Muqawama: Post
Abu Muqawama retains its autonomy and the views and beliefs expressed within the blog do not reflect those of CNAS. Abu Muqawama retains the right to delete comments that include words that incite violence; are predatory, hateful, or intended to intimidate or harass; or degrade people on the basis of gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. In summary, don't be a jerk.
On Platoon Leadership
George MacDonald Fraser, in his memoir Quartered Safe Out Here, already has one of my favorite quotes (.pdf) about platoon leadership in combat:
If you want to know how scared you've a right to be, look at the men around you. And if you happen to be a young subaltern, remember that they're looking at you.
Over the weekend, though, I finished his hilarious collection of stories The General Danced at Dawn. I do not think I have read a finer piece of prose on the anxieties and excitement of platoon leadership anywhere else. I cannot recommend it highly enough, so I'll just add that it was none other than Bob Killebrew, no stranger to small unit combat leadership himself, who recommended it to me in the first place.
"Ah'm nae durty....." Good
"Ah'm nae durty....." Good pick.
If you liked "The General Danced at Dawn," try "McAuslan In The Rough" and "The Sheikh and the Dustbin" - great portrayals of not just leadership, but life in a post-WW 2 Scottish regiment.
I don't know, I think some of
I don't know, I think some of the stuff that GI's had to do in Korea were pretty gritty.
Buddy from Laos had some really good thrillers. Being Buddhist, he would rub dirt on his body before battle as part of his connection to the earth. Think about the worst thing he got into was a battle that lasted through out the night. He said that he had never been so scared. The attack was so fierce all he could do was dump magazine after magazine from his M16. In between magazine changes, he would stick his gun barrel in to the trench water around him to cool it down. They shelled the enemy continuously throughout the night. The battle ended in the morning.
After every engagement it rained. That is one thing that he never figured out, why it rained after every battle. He always thought that the haze from the spent gunpowder in the air triggered the rainfall.
In 1975, he and his brother swam in to Thailand across the Mekong river to escape that communists. He brother was pretty far up the ranks in the company. His father was Governor of Vientiane. Growing up, his family's basement was a storage area for a lot of firearms that were sent from America to fight the communists, that was part of his childhood. That and growing Jackfruit and other tropicals on his parents farm. That is all gone.
He can never return, a death warrant exits to this day for his family members.
Another friend immigrated to America from Cuba in the 60's. He left everything behind. We had lots of good discussions about Havana. His wife makes the best beans and rice that I have ever tasted.
While we are talking about
While we are talking about leadership.
Turner: A Catholic Republican in a Jewish Democrat district.
..................Look at the bright side, Obama still has time to CHANGE.
If 2012 does not work out. Obama can move to where people like him.
..................http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63468.html
Got a feeling that will change too if Obama can not take Ben's check book with him.
Then there is this....
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63451.html
I laughed my butt off. Democrats are all about homogeneity.
......By head count, take out about 10% of the staffers. Then take 10% MORE and put them on part time.
......By SALARY, to get to the national average salary. Whooppee that would be a RIF.
Welcome back from Europe and life outside the beltway.
Just to echo MILNEWS's
Just to echo MILNEWS's recommendations - and remember that the North African stories are set in a small place called Libya. There's probably a Keegan-style lesson about how fighting tends to happen in the same places again and again.
Add your comment