Asymmetric Military

The Daily Kos, in its usual dismissive and unserious manner criticized this article by Michael Ledeen for this paragraph:

Note that an increase in embeds doesn’t necessarily require an increase in overall troop strength. We’ve got lots of soldiers sitting on megabases all over Iraq. They should be out and about, some of them embedded, others just moving around, tracking the terrorists, hunting them down. I don’t know how many guys and gals are sitting in air-conditioned quarters and drinking designer coffee, but it’s a substantial number. Enough of that.

By replying thusly:

Their level of disrespect for the poor soldiers stuck with the consequences of the mistakes made by Bush, McCain and the rest of the pro-war crowd is breathtaking.

But telling. The "support our troops" rhetoric only applies as long as they're making conservatives look good. Otherwise, they get heaped with scorn.

A reader replied:

Not sure about our troops but I'll bet that 100% of the writers for NRO are sitting in air-conditioned quarters and drinking designer coffee.

Now, before I deal with Ledeen's comments, let's correct Kos:

Ledeen didn't imply that soldiers refuse their duties so that they can sit around and drink coffee or that they performed them unsatisfactorily- that's Kos' job (indeed, this whole post could have been an example of Kosian projection). Ledeen criticized the same people as Kos: The planners and decision-makers.

On to Ledeen:

I don't know how he came to this conclusion, but Ledeen insisted, essentially, that we need a higher proportion of combat soldiers or trigger-pullers as some call them. I see two problems with Ledeen's argument:

1. Being "up and about" requires an incredible amount of training. You can't just take people handing out pay advances and tell them to clear out an apartment in Ramadi.

2. There may be a few loungers and things probably could be a bit more efficient, but people are called up for a reason and sent to do their job- soldiers don't just show up and say "deploy me."

I'm pretty sure the Army says, "OK, we need __of this and __of that over in _____," and then sends them there. Some soldiers, like those in artillery or air-defese are converted to something else before they arrive Iraq.

Ledeen is implying that many soldiers sent to Iraq (including me as a non-combat soldier) were there unnecessarily. I hope not.

Not until I have my gourmet coffee, sir.

(This coffee bar is located at FOB Speicher where I was stationed).