~A Veteran~

A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America, for an amount of "Up to and including my life". That is honor, and there are far too many people in this country who no longer understand it. - Author Unknown

Monday, August 18, 2008

GENERATION KILL SERIES REPORT PART 6

Recon 1 still has issues with Command. Godfather is too concerned with the opinion of the General to really give rise to what a Recon Unit should be doing. He is constantly "looking" for avenues to "get into" a new mission to impress the General.

When the General relieves another Commander of his command and side arm, word gets back to Godfather and the rest of Recon 1 and the backstabbing increases from The Neanderthal Capt (Skip) who still couldn't find his backside with both hands and a map. His Gunnery Sgt is the personal Grima-Wormtongue Weasel and frequently goes behind the LT's back in obvious maneuvers to out him from his position.

Recon 1 has a few contacts with insurgents along the way to Baghdad and up to Baqubah, but overall its slight, and nothing of the ideal of what you expect from a Recon Marine Unit.

Capt America still needs to be relieved of his command. I am really in awe that Godfather and several others have not seen this for what it is. Stellar leadership --- NOT.

There is but one more part in this series. Now the Reserves have joined the Recon group and as always, Active Duty is never happy when Reserves show up. Why? Constant bickering back and forth as to who "real" soldiers are. I don't know when that started....but really its about old and dried up.

Reserve soldiers are usually prior Active Duty and have ETS'd and just want to remain in service on a part-time basis because of personal life issues. Hey, you can take the soldier out of the service, but you cant take the service out of the soldier. They will always be SOLDIERS.

Bear in mind this series was written by a reporter, and edited and made for HBO from a novel written by a reporter, so it has a NON Marine, NON Military slant coming from someone OTHER THAN the actual Marines themselves.

What would make the MOST sense, is if HBO would grab up some of the writings from the actual MARINES of Recon 1 and do a series based on THEIR personal accounts of this mission as well. So you have two sides--and can decide for yourself who's perspective is more truth.

Till next week!