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This was sent to me by one of my military friends and it is a worthwhile pi=
ece to read about how we will need to act in the future. =20 Ray J. Daugbjerg=20 Daugbjerg & Associates=20 4545 Post Oak Place, # 347=20 Houston, Texas 77027=20 (713) 622-7514=20 Email: rdaugbjerg@aol.com=20 {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\uc1 \deff0\deflang1033\deflangfe1033{\fonttbl{\f0\f= roman\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 02020603050405020304}Times New Roman;}{\f1\= fswiss\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 020b0604020202020204}Arial;}}{\colortbl;\r= ed0\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue255;\red0\green255\blue255;\red0\green255= \blue0;\red255\green0\blue255;\red255\green0\blue0;\red255\green255\blue0;\= red255\green255\blue255;\red0\green0\blue128;\red0\green128\blue128;\red0\g= reen128\blue0;\red128\green0\blue128;\red128\green0\blue0;\red128\green128\= blue0;\red128\green128\blue128;\red192\green192\blue192;}{\stylesheet{\widc= tlpar\adjustright \fs20\cgrid \snext0 Normal;}{\*\cs10 \additive Default Pa= ragraph Font;}}{\info{\title LtCol Michael Boone}{\author Network User}{\op= erator Network User}{\creatim\yr2001\mo9\dy19\hr8\min55}{\revtim\yr2001\mo9= \dy19\hr8\min55}{\version2}{\edmins1}{\nofpages3}{\nofwords1204}{\nofchars6= 867}{\*\company Reserve Officers Association}{\nofcharsws8433}{\vern89}}\wi= dowctrl\ftnbj\aenddoc\hyphcaps0\viewkind4\viewscale100 \fet0\sectd \linex0\= sectdefaultcl {\*\pnseclvl1\pnucrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang{\pntxta .}}{= \*\pnseclvl2\pnucltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang{\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl3\p= ndec\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang{\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl4\pnlcltr\pnstart1\= pnindent720\pnhang{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl5\pndec\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnha= ng{\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl6\pnlcltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang{= \pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl7\pnlcrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang{\pnt= xtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl8\pnlcltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang{\pntxtb= (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl9\pnlcrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang{\pntxtb (}{= \pntxta )}}\pard\plain \fi-1800\li1800\nowidctlpar\tx1800\adjustright \fs20= \cgrid {\b\f1\cf1\cgrid0 LtCol Michael Boone \par From:}{\f1\cf1\cgrid0 \tab FredF [ffinch@swbell.net] \par }{\b\f1\cf1\cgrid0 Sent:}{\f1\cf1\cgrid0 \tab Monday, September 17, 20= 01 4:12 PM \par }{\b\f1\cf1\cgrid0 To:}{\f1\cf1\cgrid0 \tab Undisclosed-Recipient:; \par }{\b\f1\cf1\cgrid0 Subject:}{\f1\cf1\cgrid0 \tab Please read. Importan= t Mesage \par }\pard \nowidctlpar\adjustright {\f1\cgrid0 Hello Everyone,}{\f1\fs24\= cgrid0 \par \par }{\f1\cgrid0 As many of you know my son is a Cadet at the United State= s Air Force Academy. I received this today and I believe that it needs to b= e read and understood by every American.}{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par \par \par }{\f1\cgrid0 *********************************************************= ***}{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par }{\f1\cgrid0 \line <This was written by my academic advisor at the Aca= demy. He was not only one of the most brilliant men I've ever met, but <al= so an individual who combined that brilliance with common sense to lead oth= ers. His words are the ones that haven't been <heard yet but I believe wil= l come to be true before we have the chance to recover from this initial tr= agedy.\line }{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par }{\f1\cgrid0 From: Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)\line }{\f1\fs24\c= grid0 \par }{\f1\cgrid0 Recently, I was asked to look at the recent events throug= h the lens of military history. I have joined the cast of thousands who ha= ve written an "open letter to Americans."\line \line \line Dear friends and= fellow Americans 14 September, 2001\line \line Like everyo= ne 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 s= oldier and a student and teacher of military history, I have a different pe= rspective and I think you should hear it. This war will be won or lost by t= he American citizens, not diplomats, politicians or soldiers.\line \line Le= t me briefly explain.\line \line In spite of what the media, and even our o= wn government is telling us, this act was not committed by a group of menta= lly deranged fanatics. To dismiss them as such would be among the gravest o= f mistakes. This attack was committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedic= ated 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 parall= els that have been made with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropo= s. Not only because it was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent Am= erica, but also because we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of c= aves 30 years after we think this war is over, just like my father's genera= tion had to do with\line the formidable Japanese in the years following WW = II.\line \line These men hate the United States with all of their being, an= d 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 French= man 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. }{\f1\fs24\cgri= d0 \par \par }{\f1\cgrid0 How committed are we America? And for how long?\line \lin= e In addition to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent attack de= monstrated 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\line not a = random act of violence, and we can expect the same sort of military compete= nce to be displayed in the battle to come. }{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par \par }{\f1\cgrid0 This war will escalate, with a good portion of it happeni= ng right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.}{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par \par }{\f1\cgrid0 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 s= trength as the world's only "superpower" (a truly silly term), we are the u= nderdog in this fight. As you listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric des= igned to prepare us for the march for war, please realize that America is n= ot equipped or seriously trained for the battle ahead. To be certain, our s= oldiers 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 han= dy). We will be fighting a war of annihilation, because if their early effo= rts are any indication, our enemy is ready and willing to die to the last m= an. Eradicating the enemy will be costly and time consuming. They have alre= ady 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 wi= th a search and destroy mission on multiple foreign landscapes, and the pub= lic must be patient and supportive until the strategy and tactics can be wo= rked out.\line \line For the most part, our military is still in the proces= s 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 "cente= rs of gravity" to strike with high technology weapons. Our vast technologic= al edge will certainly be helpful, but it will not be decisive. Perhaps the= perfect metaphor for the coming battle was introduced by the terrorists th= emselves 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, no= t by software or smart bombs. We must also be patient with our military lea= ders.\line \line Unlike Americans who are eager to put this messy time behi= nd 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 th= e American public loses its will to fight. This might be difficult to belie= ve 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\= line (also a military history teacher) defeated the United States of Americ= a without ever winning a major tactical battle. American soldiers who march= ed 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\lin= e concept. We can expect not only large doses of pain like the recent attac= ks, but! also less audacious "sand in the gears" tactics, ranging from live= stock infestations to attacks at water supplies and power distribution faci= lities.}{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par }{\f1\cgrid0 \line These attacks are designed to hit us in our "comfor= t zone" forcing the average American to "pay more and play less" and eventu= ally 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 o= r 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 his= tory), 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 crosshairs of last Tuesda= y'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 persever= e through a few more hits, learn from our! mistakes, improvise, and adapt. = If we can do that, we will eventually prevail. }{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par \par }{\f1\cgrid0 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 conti= nue to support your President and military, and the outcome is certain.\lin= e }{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par }{\f1\cgrid0 If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally certain.\line= \line God Bless America\line \line Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)\line = Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy\line \line **************= ********************************************}{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par \par }{\f1\cgrid0 Please forward this to everyone you know. I hope you agre= e that the message is very clear and must be understood by every citizen of= this country.}{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par \par }{\f1\cgrid0 God Bless America}{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par }{\f1\cgrid0 Fred}{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par \par }{\f1\cgrid0 }{\f1\fs24\cgrid0 \par }\pard \fi-1800\li1800\nowidctlpar\tx1800\adjustright {\f1\cf1\cgrid0= =20 \par }}
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