Hey You!
Vigilia Aeternus (Eternal Vigilance),Motto of the Marine AT Battalion
There was a checkpoint Charlie
He didn't crack a smile
But it's no laughing party
When you've been on the murder mile
--Oliver's Army, Elvis Costello
___________________
After 10+ years of war, we are still training up and calling Reserve Forces Soldiers to active duty without a 100% certainty of their mission:
Capt. Juan Cristales, the company's inspector/instructor, said right now it's not 100-percent clear what or where the company's mission will be. Cristales is an active-duty officer with real-world deployment experience who has trained this reserve unit for the last two years (Marines say goodbyes before heading to the Middle East).
In the old Army days we used to call this the "Hey You" roster, which meant the First Sergeant would grab whomever, whenever the need arose. These 32 Marines are victims of a cosmic "Hey You!" moment. This is no way to run a war, not even a phony one.
How can a unit train for two years if they do not know their assigned mission until after activation? The military should not operate in this manner. Further, Capt. Cristales is described as having "real-world deployment experience," but is there such a thing as "non real-world deployment experience"? Is there an alternate universe where some Soldiers deploy? Is that the same place Ranger's socks get sucked into when they fail to emerge in matching pairs from the dryer?
A USMC Anti-Terrorism Battalion sounds really cool, but how does this translate into "real world experience"? Has any USMC Anti-Terrorism battalion member ever killed or captured a hard-core al-Qaeda operative? Putting a "IX" and "XI" on a unit crest flanking the Twin Towers does not make it so.
While no hard core terrorist has been apprehended by this unit, assuredly they would function well in an unconventional or guerrilla war (UW/GW) or Counterinsurgency environment. However, neutralizing local threats to Afghanistan and Iraq is not the same as neutralizing Terrorists aimed at The Homeland ™. For this mission, the USMC Anti-Terrorism battalion is an exercise in show, only.
Terrorists are not eliminated by blunt force trauma.
Labels: al qaeda terrorism, COIN. counterinsurgency, terrorism, usmc anti-terrorism battalion. coin
posted by rangeragainstwar at 3:29 PM
14 Comments:
Hi Jim,
Couldn't help but think of a scene from the movie Aliens:
Ripley: How many drops is this for you, Lieutenant?
Gorman: Thirty eight... simulated.
Vasquez: How many *combat* drops?
Gorman: Uh, two. Including this one.
Drake: Shit.
Dave
it's a buck dancer's choice my friend...
Dave,
Good scene.
I hate to say this but i liked this movie, but had to ask-why use marines when the natives are better armed, better led and just as tough.
jim
To:
jim@rangeragainstwar.com
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Hey You!":
Jim, For some reason the article doesn't appear at the link; so I'm probably either repeating what you know or countering what was stated (i.e. foot in mouth).
USMC FAST units have been around for a while now (though some were deactuvated prior to 9/11 and reactivated afterwards). The teams have the ability to deploy anywhere in the world within 6 hr.s.
I am surprised that we haven't heard more about their involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they have been killing and capturing "terrorists" in both operations nonetheless.
I heard a rumor that some members of the team that killed OBL were USMC FAST.
So, there is plenty of real life experience to go around; depending on how reservists are integrated into regular active duty units. As for the reservists themselves, probably much less so - or none. That said, these reservists tend to be drawn from civilian law enforcement; SWAT and such for whatever that's worth, but at least personnel tend to not be accountants and school teachers.
At any rate, all that being said, your larger point stands, of course. How to train for a mission when you don't know what the mission is....?
avedis
Avedis,
We're still having problems with your cmts getting posted. I entered this one to the blog.
When i was researching this art, b/c i'm weak on USMC to&es i was struck with the idea that these Marine anti- T Bns are just like a US Army Bn EXCEPT they have a beefed up 2 section. OK so what makes that anti-terror? Terrorism is criminal activity. YADI YADI YADI...
I acknowledge your cmt and viewpoint which reflects your justifiable pride in the Corps, BUT the actions in theater are anti anything rather than anti-T.
T's DO NOT STAND UP AND FIGHT MARINES, only idiots would do that. These idiots are UW/GW types , but they are seldom Hard core T's.
Now for my key point, since u raise the issue.We are robbing Peter to pay Paul since we send our LE types away on Active duty and we prey on local police forces by offering lucrative contracts to train up foreign police forces that will never be anything but foreign police forces.This drains off non-reserve types, so police depts. get the double whamee. These guys go to foreign lands , and to what benefit?
Meanwhile back at the ranch we the people face degraded LE due to limited funds, shortages etc....but hey it's good for AFGH and IRQ.
Screw that.!
My point is larger than the Marines involved and i mean no disrespect.
jim
Dave,
Sorry, i mistook your cmt for a scene from BATTLEFIELD L A.
The LT. in B F L A was a cherry boy.
There i go again.
You can look it up.
jim
avedis, et. al. :
I've changed the link.
Hi Jim,
I had to Google Battlefield L.A. I haven't seen it, but the trailer looks cool. I'll look for it on Starz.
Dave
Celtic Women~Faeries
Dave,
BFLA is cool IF you can believe that aliens would atk earth in mass , and then be stupid enuf not have an alternate command post.
Watch it and think of this as the movie progresses.
I liked it b/c it was Blackhawk Down with aliens instead of skinnies.
jim
From: Anonymous
Subject: [RANGER AGAINST WAR] New comment on Hey You!.
To: jim@rangeragainstwar.com
Date: Monday, June 27, 2011, 6:59 AM
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Hey You!":
Damnit Jim, there you go making making too much sense again.
Mea culpa; my first comment was based on the assuption that the AT battalion is meant to reinforce the traditional Force Security (which includes the previously mentioned FAST companies).
Now that I have actually read up on this relatively new battalion, I see that it is a different animal all together and your comments have even more weight.
As I often do, I find myself in complete agreement with all that you said on the topic.
avedis
Posted by Anonymous to RANGER AGAINST WAR at Monday, June 27, 2011 5:59:00 AM GMT-05:00
Avedis,
We both wore the uniform, and neither can argue with being called to active duty, but there must be a real military purpose for doing so.
Every time a unit is called up it's always the same- their mission and intended use has not been designated before activation.
Now that's pure bullshit.
If i can convince you, as a former Marine then i'm doing a good days work. You guys are always hard sells.
Thanks for writing,
jim
avedis,
Back at you.
The motto of the unit is ETERNAL VIGILENCE, which could translate out to PARANOID.
There is no such thing as eternal vig.
It's all too cutsey for me.
jim
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[RANGER AGAINST WAR] New comment on Hey You!.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 6:43 PM
From:
"Anonymous"
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To:
jim@rangeragainstwar.com
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Hey You!":
25 years ago or so I would have been chewing on some nails belching about how your blog was evidence of Army lack of esprit.
Youth is wasted on the young.
Eternal Vigilence - way too cutsie by too many degrees.
avedis
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