tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post112929848389149402..comments2023-11-03T09:36:22.100-04:00Comments on In From the Cold: The Marine Corps Reaches its GoalGeorge Smileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049707648660651119noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-1129343071882509762005-10-14T22:24:00.000-04:002005-10-14T22:24:00.000-04:00spook86 (love the Get Smart reference in your nick...spook86 (love the Get Smart reference in your nick, btw), I just wanted to say that I love reading your blog - have followed it damned near religiously for months now. I'll admit, I was lazy about getting a Blogger identity, which is why I haven't posted before.<BR/><BR/>As for the Army's recruiting "story" these days, it reminds me of how popular the 1970's "sensitive male" theme was, back in the days of M*A*S*H and Alan Alda's attempts to be a sex symbol while communing with this feminine side, all while operating on soldiers near the front lines, while he was drunk.<BR/><BR/>I never had much respect for him then, and I certainly don't have it now.<BR/><BR/>Nor do I have much respect for the whole "Army of One" crap. Except for certain missions performed by the darker fringes of the military, combat ops live and die on performance of a team, not an individual.<BR/><BR/>I note that even with such a shonky recruiting message, though, the army managed to hit 90% of its goal. Not too bad for them.<BR/><BR/>Oh, meanwhile, recall that President Cigar, while publicly shunning the military, committed US armed forces to more combat operations worldwide (by operation count, if not by troop numbers) than any other "peacetime" president. If history repeats itself (assuming his missus wins in 2008), my sympathies go out to the boys (and girls) in uniform - heavy combat ops, but not manned up to do anything but get hurt, killed, and retreat.<BR/><BR/>On that note, one final semi-related comment: Regan's "duck and run" in Lebanon after the 1983 truck bombing could possibly be excused, if barely, by the context of the Cold War. Bill's misadventure in Somalia, on the other hand, was completely inexcuseable.Wanderlusthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06552045133035246679noreply@blogger.com