I'M sorry but I felt that this was an important item to be shared in view of the recent events. D. McCown ----- Original Message ----- From: Jamie Moucka Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2001 9:17 AM To: 'DelmaMcCown@msn.com'; 'BriggsPBMC@aol.com' Cc: 'tyhal@hotmail.com' Subject: FW: A 'must read' > Subject: FW: A 'must read' > > > > > This was written by an academic advisor at the United States Air Force > Academy. He > is an individual who combined > brilliance with common sense to lead others. His words are the ones > that haven't been heard yet but will come to be true before we > have the chance to recover from this initial tragedy. > > From: Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret) > Recently, I was asked to look at the recent events through the lens of > military history. I have joined the cast of thousands who have written an > "open letter to Americans." > > Dear friends and fellow Americans > 14 September, 2001 > > Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last week's > attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling from > surprise. > As a career soldier and a student and teacher of military history, I have > a > different perspective and I think you should hear it. This war will be > won > or lost by the American citizens, not diplomats, politicians or soldiers. > Let me briefly explain. > > In spite of what the media, and even our own government is telling us, > this > act was not committed by a group of mentally deranged fanatics. To > dismiss > them as such would be among the gravest of mistakes. This attack was > committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedicated adversary. Don't take > this the wrong way. I don't admire these men and I deplore their tactics, > but I respect their capabilities. The many parallels that have been made > with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropos. Not only because it > was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America, but also > because > we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30 years after we > think this war is over, just like my father's generation had to do with > the > formidable Japanese in the years following WW II. > > These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we must not > underestimate the power of their moral commitment. Napoleon, perhaps the > world's greatest combination of soldier and statesman, stated "the moral > is > to the physical as three is to one." Patton thought the Frenchman > underestimated its importance and said moral conviction was five times > more > important in battle than physical strength. Our enemies are willing > better > said anxious -- to give their lives for their cause. > > How committed are we America? And for how long? > In addition to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent attack > demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of warfare taught > to most military officers worldwide, namely simplicity, security and > surprise. When I first heard rumors that some of these men may have been > trained at our own Air War College, it made perfect sense to me. This was > not a random act of violence, and we can expect the same sort of military > competence to be displayed in the battle to come. > > This war will escalate, with a good portion of it happening right here in > the good ol' U.S. of A. > > These men will not go easily into the night. They do not fear us. We > must > not fear them. In spite of our overwhelming conventional strength as the > world's only "superpower" (a truly silly term), we are the underdog in > this > fight. As you listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed to > prepare > us for the march for war, please realize that America is not equipped or > seriously trained for the battle ahead. To be certain, our soldiers are > much better than the enemy, and we have some excellent "counter terrorist" > organizations, but they are mostly trained for hostage rescues, airfield > seizures, or the occasional "body snatch," (which may come in handy). > > We will be fighting a war of annihilation, because if their early efforts > are any indication, our enemy is ready and willing to die to the last man. > Eradicating the enemy will be costly and time consuming. > They have already deployed their forces in as many as 20 countries, and > are > likely living the lives of everyday citizens. Simply put, our soldiers > will > be tasked with a search and destroy mission on multiple foreign > landscapes, > and the public must be patient and supportive until the strategy and > tactics > can be worked out. > > For the most part, our military is still in the process of redefining > itself > and presided over by men and women who grew up with - and were promoted > because they excelled in - Cold War doctrine, strategy and tactics. This > will not be linear warfare, there will be no clear "centers of gravity" to > strike with high technology weapons. Our vast technological edge will > certainly be helpful, but it will not be decisive. Perhaps the perfect > metaphor for the coming battle was introduced by the terrorists themselves > aboard the hijacked aircraft > -- this will be a knife fight, and it will be won or lost by the ingenuity > and will of citizens and soldiers, not by software or smart bombs. We > must > also be patient with our military leaders. > > Unlike Americans who are eager to put this messy time behind us, our > adversaries have time on their side, and they will use it. They plan to > fight a battle of attrition, hoping to drag the battle out until the > American public loses its will to fight. This might be difficult to > believe > in this euphoric time of flag waving and patriotism, but it is generally > acknowledged that America lacks the stomach for a long fight. We need > only > look as far back as Vietnam, when North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap > (also a military history teacher) > defeated the United States of America without ever winning a major > tactical > battle. American soldiers who marched to war cheered on by flag waving > Americans in 1965 were reviled and spat upon less than three years later > when they returned. Although we hope that Usama Bin Laden is no Giap, he > is > certain to understand and employ the concept. > > We can expect not only large doses of pain like the recent attacks, but! > also less audacious "sand in the gears" tactics, ranging from livestock > infestations to attacks at water supplies and power distribution > facilities. > These attacks are designed to hit us in our "comfort zone" forcing the > average American to "pay more and play less" and eventually eroding our > resolve. But it can only work if we let it. It is clear to me that the > will of the American citizenry - > you and I - is the center of gravity the enemy has targeted. It will be > the > fulcrum upon which victory or defeat will turn. He believes us to be > soft, > impatient, and self-centered. He may be right, but if so, we must change. > The Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz, (the most often quoted and least > read military theorist in history), says that there is a "remarkable > trinity > of war" that is composed of the (1) will of the people, (2) the political > leadership of the government, and (3) the chance and probability that > plays > out on the field of battle, in that order. > > Every American citizen was in the cross hairs of last Tuesday's attack, > not > just those that were unfortunate enough to be in the World Trade Center or > Pentagon. The will of the American people will decide this war. If we > are > to win, it will be because we have what it takes to persevere through a > few > more hits, learn from our! mistakes, improvise, and adapt. If we can do > that, we will eventually prevail. > > Everyone I've talked to In the past few days has shared a common > frustration, saying in one form or another "I just wish I could do > something!" You are already doing it. Just keep faith in America, and > continue to support your President and military, and the outcome is > certain. > > If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally certain. > God Bless America > > Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret) > Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy > > > Please forward this to everyone you know. I hope you agree that the > message > is very clear and must be understood by every citizen of this country. > > > > > >