GENERATION KILL SERIES REPORT PART 3 & 4

As the HBO series continues in Part 3 & 4---

In part 3 it became very apparent that RECON 1 has Command problems. Command is less than effective and simply trying to earn bars and stars more than concerned for the unit it leads.
Command-the LT COL aka Godfather constantly looks for "missions" that get him brownie points with the General, and set his unit apart from the rest. Yea, real stellar leadership there Godfather. He sends the Recon marines place to place constantly MISSING opportunities literally LAID AT HIS FEET to ENGAGE. Locals with information on the Republican Guard locations within the villages and munitions stashes were offered several times. Often times locals with injured children or towns people would come for help. This would give the RECON marines opportunities to extend kindness right from the beginning of the War on Terrorism and establish aid to locals. Yet, GODFATHER wants none of this and changes directions and presses the Marine unit further to take an empty airfield instead, to get there before an airforce unit--like a game of tag or a lame football goal score.

The soldiers have every desire to get involved and DO THEIR JOB that they have been trained to do. Regardless that Command LOST THE BATALLION COLORS because of INCOMPETANCE in that rush to take the airfield. Questioning of orders, or desention in the ranks is not the issue, what is the issue that the marines recognize POOR leadership because they have been TRAINED to recognize it, and they understand that if you can NOT perform your job, you should MAN UP and STEP DOWN. So moral is decreasing in small increments...yet these soldiers keep things in perspective because they are MARINES...and they press forward knowing that eventually things will rotate around and they will have to jump up and do their job.

Now in part 4, the Recon Bravo Team, Lt. Fick is keeping his head and keeping his team organized by dealing with his own issues without bringing his men into it. Regardless that they want to offer their services in the way of standing up for him, he is commanding them to stand down-he will handle it.

Capt America was confronted, and got rid of the AK-47's. Yet something suggests that he needs to step down from command because he is still a loose cannon and will get his men hurt with stupid mistakes and his anxiety. He is UNFIT to lead.

Scouts from Alpha Co are continually messing up, mistaking a village for Armor and even when it is corrected, they call in an airstrike anyway.

Iceman still remains a stellar commander. The sniper team remains level headed and squared away.

The CO for Bravo Co needs to be removed ASAP. That speech about the MRE's being taken by the "enemy" is foolish and it is obvious that there is no shred of "marine" in that soldier. No leadership ability, and it astounds me how he made it up the food chain to his current position. A huge mystery actually. There is no amount of "knowing people" or favors that could be called in to get him to Capt. None. How his ignorance escapes highers is an anomolly.

The mission for a missing captured marine from a supply unit who was tortured and crucified---not recovered and abandoned....Why? Why was that mission scrubed and averted into something else?

Overall, the series is interesting. I keep in mind though, that there are two sides to every story, and this story was written by a REPORTER, NOT a military soldier. So it has its FLUFF.

It would be beneficial to see the REAL SOLDIER perspective on what happened with RECON 1 in 2003. A reporter always has a MSM slant and elaboration of misunderstanding the mindset of the military when they write. And there is always a lot of FLUFF.

Next week---part 5. Lets hope this series never mocks--or belittles our brave heroes--our fabulous marines. They are second to none.