5th soldier dies following Afghan ambush
Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrook became the fifth U.S. soldier to die as a result of an ambush last month in Afghanistan. Despite assurances that air support was only five minutes away, the team had to wait over an hour, and despite repeated calls for artillery support (and assurances that the enemy wasn’t near the village), commanders withheld artillery support – thanks to new emasculated rules of engagement.
The 41-year-old native of Colorado Springs, Colo. was on his last tour before his retirement. Westbrook’s brother died in Iraq in 2007 while serving in the National Guard.
In addition to the five U.S. deaths, nine Afghans died and 20 U.S. and Afghan soldiers were wounded.
The names of the other fallen Americans:
Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class James R. Layton, 22, Riverbank, Calif.
Marine 1st Lt. Michael E. Johnson, 25, Virginia Beach, Va.
Gunnery Sgt. Aaron M. Kenefick, 30, Roswell, Ga.
Gunnery Sgt. Edwin W. Johnson, Jr., 31, Columbus, Ga.
In: Military · Tagged with: Afghanistan, Battle of Ganjgal, counterinsurgency, Rules of Engagement
More on the Marines killed by their ROE
Here’s the McClatchy story on the Sept. 8 firefight in which three U.S. Marines and a Navy corpsman killed in a seven-hour firefight with the Taliban.
According to an interview with the story’s author, Jonathan S. Landy, the helicopter air support that was supposedly 5 minutes away finally arrived 80 minutes after the request, but the helicopters were purportedly involved in another attack. Commanders however did decline to allow artillery support, citing the new rules of engagement designed to minimize civilian casualties (and eliminate the possibility of victory).
In: Military · Tagged with: Afghanistan, Battle of Ganjgal, Rules of Engagement, US Marine Corps, US Navy
Rules of Engagement kill 4 Marines in Afghanistan
Four U.S. Marines were killed in action following implementation of new politically-correct rules of engagement in Afghanistan. Despite assurances from Gen. McChrystal and top military officials that air and artillery support would be used when U.S. troops were threatened, commanders denied repeated calls for support from the unit. Eight Afghan soldiers and police and an interpreter were also killed in the firefight.
From the Straits Times (Singapore):
A team of Marines made repeated appeals for air and artillery support after coming under fire in the village of Ganjgal in eastern Kunar province on Tuesday, McClatchy newspapers reported.
US commanders declined the request for artillery fire, citing new rules that seek to minimize civilian casualties, a McClatchy journalist accompanying the American unit reported.
Air power, in the form of helicopters, only arrived after more than an hour ‘despite earlier assurances that air cover would be five minutes away,’ McClatchy’s Jonathan Landay wrote.
Once again we see that politicians in Washington have become a bigger obstacle to victory than the actual enemies themselves. This is no way to conduct a war.
In: Military · Tagged with: Afghanistan, Battle of Ganjgal, counterinsurgency, Rules of Engagement, US Marine Corps
PC Infection
Political correctness is an infection, and it has spread throughout all of America. Sadly, even the U.S. military, the most formidable armed force in history of mankind, has been infected.
Need an example? Just look at any release from the Pentagon detailing a battle. They will tell you all about U.S. casualties, but if an inquiring mind wanted to know just how many enemies were killed in the battle, you will get descriptions like “scores” or “several” if you get any description at all.
We are killing a lot of insurgents, and to me, that is a good thing. I confess – I want my country to win. The fact that the Pentagon hides the kill count of the enemy shows how soft our country has become. (more…)
In: Military · Tagged with: General Petraeus, Political Correctness, Rules of Engagement
