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Logistics in Afghanistan Taxes US Troops

 In yet another CLOSE HOLD story entitled “‘King for a Day’ Kit-Wise,”  a veteran military writer describes some of the major military logistics problems faced by “grunts” in the killing fields of Afghanistan.    With Afghanistan’s inhospitable terrain and stretched supply lines, our troops are expected to carry increasingly heavy loads because they have no certainty that they can be supported in a timely manner.  Found below is an excerpt of “‘King for Day’ Kit-Wise.”

“From 2005 until this ...

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U.S. Government Loses FOIA Ruling on Body Armor Records

Thanks to superb pro bono legal representation by a team from the NYC office of Kirkland & Ellis, LLC, a federal district judge has issued his ruling on SFTT’s editor’s request under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) for forensic records held by the Department of Defense regarding the performance of government-issued body armor. The ruling was characterized in the following way by a news service covering legal issues:

U.S. Loses FOIA Ruling on Body Armor Records

 (CN) – A ...

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Supplying US Military Forces in Afghanistan

Supplying US military forces in Afghanistan has become a logistical nightmare.  Sources from the field suggest that US combat troops are “asked” to carry increasing loads since resupply opportunities are limited.  Found below is an excerpt from CLOSE HOLD which accurately describes the dilemma and increasing kit loads of US forces in Afghanistan:  “‘King for a Day’ Kit-Wise”

“From 2005 until this past spring US forces have had a short stock of gear that could be tailored to ...

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Facebooking from the Pat Tillman USO Center

Today I want to tell you about one change in Afghanistan:  Now the troops have access to social network sites while previously the command restricted access under the guise of operational security.  The donnybrook over this issue raged until the policy changed last year, due largely—or so I hear—to Chairman Mullen using Facebook and Twitter to communicate with the troops.  The thought probably was if the top uniformed officer ...

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Logistics: The Long Pole in The Tent

“Logistics, logistics, logistics!” That’s what I immediately thought of last December when I heard the President’s decision to double down in Afghanistan and increase the current troop strength by 30,000 over a 5-month period. The most honest answer to the question that immediately comes to mind — How the Hell’s the U.S. Military going to pull this one off? — came from General Webster, the Commander of the Third Army: “Hannibal trying to move over the Alps had a tremendous ...

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“‘King for a Day’ Kit-Wise”

As counter-intuitive as it sounds, the Pashtun tribal code in Korengal Valley, Kunar Province, Afghanistan is inhospitable to outsiders to the point of hostility. The history of the valley is marked with violent encounters and campaigns where these isolated tribes defeated their unprepared foes time and time again. In fact, US forces recently ceded ground and treasure by abandoning the valley after five years of futile fighting where they learned the painful lessons of the limits of power and lack ...

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Open Letter to Senator Scott Brown on M-ATV defects

July 30, 2010

Honorable Senator Scott P. Brown

317 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C.     20510

Honorable Senator Scott P. Brown:

 I am writing to you today as a concerned and worried Father and Veteran, on the issue of the M-ATV vehicle doors. These concerns are not only mine, but of many other families in the Corps, as well as the other branches in our military.  We are reaching out to you and your colleagues’ for HELP, on these issues listed in the letters (see ...

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Absentee Leadership in DC and Afghanistan: Frankly ma’am, I don’t give a damn!

In an enlightening article on the current lack of leadership in DC and the killing fields of Afghanistan,  Leslie H. Gelb reports on the opening of a new medical facility in Bethesda, Maryland (near DC)  to treat active-duty soldiers and veterans suffering from brain injuries and psychological disorders. Unfortunately, this article is not about the brave men and women and their families who were on hand for the innauguration of this long overdue facility, but about those who chose not ...

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Rules of Engagement: Battlefield Dilemma

The Washington recently aired a story on the increased frustration with the “Rules of Engagement” governing military personnel deployed in Afghanistan.  The story, written by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, documents several incidences where US troops under attack were not able call in additional support for fear of wounding or killing civilians.  Said one disgruntled soldier interviewed for the Washington Post article, ‘”this is not how you fight a war, at least not in Kandahar, we’ve been handcuffed by our chain of command.”

According to ...

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DOD Calls for Changes in Military Procurement Practices

In a delightful article published by Huffington Post entitled “Pentagon’s New Contractor Policy Doesn’t Scare the Defense Industry At All,” Huffington’s editors sadly conclude that recently announced measures to improve the efficiency of the military’s procurement process are likely to produce little more than a yawn from contractors who have long thrived on the ineptitude of the Defense Department.

Ashton_CarterIn a June 28th Memorandum for Acquisition Professionals, Defense Department ...

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