Beyond the DropZone

Slipping below the radar screen

[Posted at WDR by W. Thomas Smith Jr. on Feb 13, 2008]

Lots of Defense news taking a backseat to some of the more pressing military/defense items like Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Gaza, Lebanon's umpteenth failed attempt to elect a president (always under a terrorist threat), and musings (perhaps concerns) about who in fact might become America's next commander-in-chief.

Let's do, however, touch on Iraq for a moment before pressing on with a few other items.

On Saturday (Feb. 9), the American Forces Press Service published a piece detailing the significance of an enemy diary captured by some of our boys with the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. The diary, which belonged to an al Qaeda "emir" who commanded five terrorist battalions, revealed the emir's desperation regarding the damage being inflicted on his forces by ours (read the diary translation here).

This reminds me of another enemy diary, another war, and another U.S. Army Airborne division:

"American parachutists - devils in baggy pants - are less than 100 meters from my outpost line. I can't sleep at night; they pop up from nowhere and we never know when or how they will strike next. Seems like the black-hearted devils are everywhere..."
   - diary of a dead German officer referring to the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division at Anzio, 1944

Also on Saturday, USNS Robert E. Peary – the newest in the U.S. Navy's Lewis and Clark-class of cargo/ammunition replenishment ships – was christened in San Diego.

The Peary's christening comes on the heels of the announcement last week of three new Virginia-class attack submarines – SSN Missouri, California and Mississippi.

According to DoD:

"... Missouri, California and Mississippi will be able to attack targets ashore with highly accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters or other sea-based forces. Other missions include anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare; Special Forces delivery and support; and mine delivery and minefield mapping. With enhanced communications connectivity, the submarines also will provide important battle group and joint task force support, with full integration into carrier battle group operations. ..."

Speaking of the necessity of building new ships, submarines, tanks, tracs, rifles, planes, parts; check out my headliner, "Defense spending crisis," in yesterday's Human Events:

"The first duty of government, as Adam Smith wrote in 1776, is defense which can only be accomplished by means of a military force. Our federal government is Constitutionally charged "to provide for the common defense." Yet that essential function is literally on the verge of collapse, descending into a proverbial black hole of debt, skyrocketing costs, poor planning, Beltway politics, and wartime wear-and-tear. ..."

And check out Peter Brookes' "Israel vs. Iran: 1st strike strategies" in this month's Armed Forces Journal.

Lots more to come.

Previous post: Lebanon "cannot bear two armies" [10 Feb 08]

— W. Thomas Smith Jr. – a former U.S. Marine rifle-squad leader, parachutist, and shipboard counterterrorism instructor – writes about military/defense issues and has covered conflict in the Balkans, on the West Bank, in Iraq and Lebanon. He has written six books, and his articles have appeared in USA Today, George, U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, National Review Online, CBS News, The Washington Times, and many others.

W. Thomas Smith Jr. can be reached at wthomassmithjr@yahoo.com.

© 2008 W. Thomas Smith Jr.

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