On December 1, 2009, President Obama told the whole world what his military strategy is to win the war in Afghanistan. He detailed out his strategy in a televised speech that was delivered to the Corps of Cadets at The United States Military Academy at West Point. While the uniformed cadets listened intently to their Commander in Chief, one can only assume that al-Qaeda leaders throughout the world were listening intently, too. If any of our enemies missed the live broadcast, they are welcome to read the entire speech transcript online, or they can watch a video replay of the speech if they prefer.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/full-transcript-president-obamas-speech-afghanistan-delivered-west/story?id=9220661
Three days later on December 4, 2009, the American Forces Press Service aided our enemies with more helpful details in a long article titled “Transportation officials confident in Afghan deployment,” which is published online at the official website of the U.S. Air Force at: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123180620
The following article excerpt frequently quotes U.S. Army Brigadier General Michael Lally, Director of Operations and Plans at U.S. Transportation Command based at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois:
"The units that have to be there in January obviously must fly, and we've already started working that," he said.
Complicating the situation in the CENTCOM theater is the massive drawdown in Iraq. Roughly 120,000 U.S. servicemembers are in Iraq and by August 2010 there will be about 50,000, with all out by the end of 2011. Also, the Marine regiment going into Afghanistan now will get equipment both from Iraq and the United States. Other units will be in the same situation as the deployment continues.
TRANSCOM officials will use all modes of transportation -- military and civilian -- to get troops and their equipment to the theater.
"On passenger movements, 95 percent of the troops that go into Afghanistan go by commercial air," General Lally said. For air cargo, commercial shippers carry 45 percent and 55 percent via military planes. About 75 percent of routine sustainment cargo goes in via commercial air and 25 percent via military.
Unit moves change the equation with the majority of equipment flown in via military air.
"You expect that because a lot of our equipment is outsized and it doesn't fit very well into a 747," General Lally said. "So we use C-17 (Globemaster IIIs) and C-5 (Galaxies) for the military equipment and the palletized cargo fits very well in the holds of our commercial partners."
The commercial partners have "stepped up to the plate" for this movement and for flights into CENTCOM in general, TRANSCOM officials said. There has been no need to call up the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to handle the flow to the region, and officials do not expect to use this option.
"Our commercial partners have been outstanding," an official said.
Also, CENTCOM officials are working with Joint Forces Command officials to identify the forces that will deploy.
"We're involved with that process, because that will determine when these forces are trained and available for transportation," said Col. Gregory Schwartz, the TRANSCOM operations planner responsible for CENTCOM.
The two commands are meeting to figure out "the detailed data on what needs to be moved, who needs to be moved, where it needs be moved from and where in theater it needs to go," Colonel Schwartz said.
When TRANSCOM officials, who are developing the plan to get forces into Afghanistan, moved troops into Iraq, they had the luxury of an intermediate staging base in Kuwait. Troops could marry up with their equipment in Kuwait -- a country with excellent airports and seaports -- and conduct training before moving into Iraq. There is no such intermediate staging base for Afghanistan.
"Our people have to be ready when they arrive in Afghanistan," General Lally said. "It is a tight timeline. We move equipment by surface. It arrives in Karachi, Pakistan, we off-load it and truck it up to whatever base, and fly the units in. Every day we have teleconferences to synchronize that the passengers and equipment arrive at the right time. There's a lot more work and coordination involved to make sure this happens correctly."
The command also ships goods via the Northern Distribution Route, which uses Russian and Central Asian railroads to get supplies to Afghanistan. State Department officials are working with the countries along the routes to allow different equipment and supplies. State Department officials also are working with Russia to expand the overflight permissions, Pentagon officials said.
Yes, you read that correctly. But, in case you missed it, let me repeat in bold emphasis:
TRANSCOM officials will use all modes of transportation -- military and civilian -- to get troops and their equipment to the theater.
"On passenger movements, 95 percent of the troops that go into Afghanistan go by commercial air," General Lally said. …
"Our people have to be ready when they arrive in Afghanistan," General Lally said. "It is a tight timeline. We move equipment by surface. It arrives in Karachi, Pakistan, we off-load it and truck it up to whatever base, and fly the units in. …”
On December 31, 2009, the American Forces Press Service published a related article titled “Lynn says fight against IEDs remains priority.” The entire article can be read at:
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123183940
The following excerpt is the beginning of the article:
12/31/2009 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Defeating the terrorists' weapon of choice is and will remain a priority for the Defense Department, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here Dec. 30.
Mr. Lynn spoke during a Pentagon ceremony where Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz stepped down as director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization and Army Lt. Gen. Michael Oates took up the charge.
The organization looks for ways to defeat terrorists using car bombs, roadside bombs, as well as suicide vests, all examples of improvised explosive devices. The bombs are the biggest killers of American servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The weapon is a tactical device that has impacted the operational missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We must preclude the IED from impacting us strategically," General Metz said. "We cannot allow this weapon to influence the national-level decisions of our most senior leaders."
"Under (General Metz's) leadership, JIEDDO has moved forward on three lines of operation: attacking the networks that place IEDs, devising ways to defeat the device and training our forces to counter the threat," Mr. Lynn said.
The organization, only four years old, is a model of rapid acquisition, Mr. Lynn said. Its military and civilian staff quickly finds and employs ideas and technologies that can help servicemembers in harm's way. The organization operates with the services and combatant commands in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The threat continues, Mr. Lynn said, noting that in October IEDs claimed the lives of 41 coalition soldiers in Afghanistan and one soldier in Iraq. The devices "are a clear and present danger," he said.
And the enemy knows how to use the devices.
"In Afghanistan we are up against a determined and clever foe who mastered the use of this deadly technology long before our forces set foot in the mountains of the Hindu Kush," Mr. Lynn said.
The Soviets lost nearly 2,000 soldiers and 1,200 vehicles during their nine-year war in Afghanistan, he said.
"That IEDs have defeated another technologically advanced military in the very same place we fight now, only adds to the urgency of our mission," Mr. Lynn said. "Our ability to project power in this world of asymmetric threats and to secure our population at home depends on JIEDDO's success."
Measuring success remains an issue for the organization.
"We may never find a way to determine how many lives and limbs we are saving, how many warfighters return home with their eyesight and how many have avoided serious burns that would have left them in pain for the rest of their lives," General Metz said.
The growing percentage of troop deaths caused by IEDs can be seen here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2008/03/25/GR2008032500711.html
AFPS reporter Jim Garamone wrote both of the articles mentioned above, so there is no excuse that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Garamone is a man who talks with Army generals of various ranks at U.S. military bases and at the Pentagon, and he was a raised hand away from asking questions directly to the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III. Either Garamone is imagining that his writings are military-only interoffice memos that are top-down edicts and not the stuff of “ask questions” journalism, or Garamone is not a deep thinker with an abiding memory of his own writing. In either case, I am aghast.
Whatever happened to military secrets and the “Need To Know” limitations that used to be placed on the strategies of troop and supply movements? Did we win World War II with an open book that welcomed the perusal of our strategies by enemy generals and admirals? I think not.
Simple arithmetic adds up to terrifying consequences. Consider the following article excerpts in sequence:
"On passenger movements, 95 percent of the troops that go into Afghanistan go by commercial air," General Lally said.
PLUS
"Our people have to be ready when they arrive in Afghanistan," General Lally said. "It is a tight timeline. We move equipment by surface. It arrives in Karachi, Pakistan, we off-load it and truck it up to whatever base, and fly the units in.”
PLUS
The terrorists' weapon of choice is … using car bombs, roadside bombs, as well as suicide vests, all examples of improvised explosive devices. The bombs are the biggest killers of American servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
PLUS
The threat continues, Mr. Lynn said, noting that in October IEDs claimed the lives of 41 coalition soldiers in Afghanistan and one soldier in Iraq. The devices "are a clear and present danger," he said.
PLUS
And the enemy knows how to use the devices.
PLUS
"In Afghanistan we are up against a determined and clever foe who mastered the use of this deadly technology long before our forces set foot in the mountains of the Hindu Kush," Mr. Lynn said.
PLUS
The Soviets lost nearly 2,000 soldiers and 1,200 vehicles during their nine-year war in Afghanistan, he said.
EQUALS
"… IEDs have defeated another technologically advanced military in the very same place we fight now …" Mr. Lynn said.
One has to wonder out-loud if U.S. military officers are ever made to read the U.S. Constitution during their training. Consider: Article. III. Section. 3. [1] Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. … Perhaps sharing a general tactical strategy, troop deployment methods, troop supply routes, and the location of the main rendezvous processing center before entering Afghanistan is not aiding the enemy, but every al-Qaeda strategist in the whole wide world can be heard whispering “Thank you.”
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