The Siren Song of Airpower and Advanced Technology

 

In Homer’s “The Odyssey,” Odysseus’ ship sails past a shore inhabited by the Sirens, whose alluring call to his crew seeks to entice the men to join them ashore with the promise of supernatural wisdom, and the promise of freedom to sail on with that wisdom once imparted.  Odysseus sees the Siren’s song for what it is:  enticement so strong that a man, once enthralled, never wants to leave, even to the point of his death. 

Midway through my career as a Marine infantry officer I received orders to attend the US Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College (ACSC).  Following graduation, I joined the faculty of ACSC as one of two Marine officers filling joint assignments as instructors.  What was supposed to be a three-year joint job was cut short by a year when I was selected for command of an infantry battalion.  But three years at the Mecca of Airpower was enough for this grunt.  One can only stand so much of a good thing -- nowhere else in DOD can a Marine go on vacation and get joint credit.

Colonel John Warden, author of “The Air Campaign” and proclaimed “architect” of the Desert Storm air campaign, had assumed command of ACSC just prior to my arrival as a student in the Class of 1994, and had radically overhauled the curriculum.   He welcomed that class on Day 1 and gave us the mission of finding a way to use airpower alone to win wars.  Warden was a “true believer” in the absolute supremacy of the strategic application of conventional airpower over all other arms.  So much so that his own theory was that technologically advanced conventional (not nuclear) airpower applied at just the right place and time (a critical node in an enemy state’s system) would cause a catastrophic, cascading failure of the enemy state’s entire system.  At the foundation of his theory was the need to view the enemy, not so much as formations of men and material, but as a system of interconnected nodes.  On paper, it was, and still is it seems, an alluring concept -- a Sirens’ song promising a quick and ground force-saving achievement of strategic war aims.

The belief that just the right application of technologically advanced conventional airpower can win any war without the need for costly and bloody “boots on the ground,” dates back almost to the first flight at Kitty Hawk.  Following the First World War, in which airpower was primarily used as a tactical, supporting arm for ground forces, airpower theorists such as Hugh Trenchard, Guilio Douhet, and Billy Mitchell, argued that technologically advanced airpower’s greatest value was not in its tactical, or even operational application, but in a strategic attack against an enemy’s most critical regime-supporting systems.   

In the US Army Air Corps, prior to the Second World War, a debate raged between theorizing airmen over which type of airpower, fighter/interceptor or heavy bomber, should be the focus of attention (and therefore garner the lion’s share of finite resources).  Each side addressed the further operations-enabling concept of air superiority (the degree to which one side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces).  The fighter proponents argued that achievement of air superiority through fighter/interceptor operations in aerial combat was a crucial first step in any prolonged air campaign, and that without fighter/interceptor aircraft in sufficient numbers to overwhelm and destroy the enemy’s own fighters, follow-on strategic bombers could not be effective.  Proponents of strategic bombing believed that heavy strategic bombers, bristling with formidable defensive armament and flying in tight, mutually supporting formations, would not need fighter escort and would achieve local air superiority sufficient to allow attack of key strategic targets.  They believed that, as Douhet theorized, and British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin warned, “the bomber will always get through.” 

Given that, in the middle of the last century, the US mainland was out of reach of any foreseeable enemy’s bomber, the need for interceptor aircraft was deemed far less than the need for long-range heavy bombers.  Further, the bomber enthusiasts argued that heavily defensive-armed bombers would not need fighter escort and that any attention given to the development of long-range fighter aircraft was a waste of resources.  

Add to this Siren’s Song the promise of supernatural high altitude daylight precision bombardment with the technologically advanced Norden bombsight (“we can put a bomb in a pickle barrel from 20,000 feet”) and the position of the bomber proponents became too alluring to resist. The strategic airpower enthusiasts of the inter-war period also promised that US prioritization of resources to heavy bomber production would avoid the disastrous waste of men in the attrition battles of trench warfare in the First World War.

As even the most cursory examination of history reveals, the promise of winning the war from the air came with its own butcher bill to pay.  In 1943, unescorted heavy bomber formations flying missions over Nazi-occupied Europe were decimated.  The 8^th Air Force alone, lost more men killed in the skies over Europe, than the entire Marine Corps lost in the Pacific.  Air superiority was achieved over Europe, thanks to the eventual introduction of long-range fighter aircraft and the resultant unrecoverable high attrition of German fighter pilots.  As Dr. Rich Mueller, head of my instructor group at ACSC, said, “The air war over Europe was trench warfare in the sky.”

There was even still, a belief amongst the airpower zealots during that war that ground invasion of Europe was unnecessary.  Their argument was that now that air superiority (in some cases, air supremacy) had been achieved over Europe, the systematic destruction of Germany’s war-making capability would eventually be achieved – all from the air.

Of course, that would probably have meant that the Red Army would have taken not just Eastern Europe, but all Western Europe as well.  Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” would have fallen astride the English Channel.   

To this day, the Siren’s promise of technologically advanced airpower effectiveness continues to supplant the wisdom of practical experience.  The United States today is in possession of the most impressively advanced conventional airpower capability the world has ever seen.  The airpower Sirens sang that our unmatched strength and incredible accuracy would quickly bring the Islamic Republic of Iran to its knees. 

They are indeed on their knees.  But without a boot on their neck, they will not capitulate. 

Since WWII, we have conventionally bombed a succession of enemy state’s systems to dust.  Not one of them gave up, save Iraq; whose capital was occupied by U.S. ground forces.  

I would be the very last retired military professional to recommend a ground invasion of Iran.  But don’t sing me a lullaby and tell me it’s not nap time. 

To the next generation of political/military leadership: Don’t listen to the Siren’s song.  If the cost of introducing ground forces to put a boot on an enemy’s neck is not worth the strategic aim, it ain’t a well thought out strategic objective.

Venezuela -- Strategic Center of Gravity

Most Americans have less than the foggiest idea regarding reasoning for the current military buildup and actions in the vicinity of Venezuela.  

Allow the Colonel to provide some atmospheric clearing.

The Colonel believes that the Trump 47 Administration has identified Venezuela as the strategic center of gravity for not only the Unites States' reassertion of Western Hemispheric dominance, but also as a key linkage to placing significant pressure (economic, political, and humanitarian) on competitors around the globe.  

The U.S. Government's latest National Security Strategy document, published in early December of 2025 contained what is colloquially referred to as the Trump Corollary to the 200 (plus) year-old Monroe Doctrine: 

"We will deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities or to own or control strategically vital assets in our Hemisphere."

So, why does this place the crosshairs on Venezuela? 

The answer to that question requires an at least cursory understanding of the history and geography of Venezuela.  And, because we don't properly teach history and geography in our schools anymore, very few Americans under the age of 60 can even point to Venezuela on a map, let alone describe its major resources.

So, quickly, Venezuela sits on the Eastern shoulder of the South American continent (it's western neighbor, Columbia sits on the other shoulder). In land area, Venezuela is the sixth largest country in South America with the fifth largest population (slightly less than 30 million).  

Based on the above alone it's hard to see why Venezuela is so important. So let's look a little deeper..., like underground deeper.  Turns out that Venezuela sits atop the largest proven crude oil reserves on the planet -- 303 billion (with a B) barrels worth. 

At one point in it's recent history, Venezuelans were the richest people per capita in the hemisphere.

And, then, socialists took over. Hugo Chavez and his successor, Nicolas Maduro instituted a socialist kleptocracy which, instead of "taking care of the people" (as all socialist regimes claim as their raison detre) quickly bankrupted and impoverished a once thriving population (as all socialist dictatorships do) and forced a diaspora of a significant portion of Venezuelans, fleeing the ruins.    

Not only did Chavez and Maduro impoverish Venezuela, but they aligned themselves with a veritable litany of worldwide bad actors -- Russia, China, Iran (and terrorist proxies), and Cuba -- none of whom hold anything but ill will toward the United States and the rest of the freedom-loving people throughout the hemisphere. 

In short, Venezuela has become a base for enemies of all Americans -- North and South.

Oh, and by the way, Venezuela has been threatening invasion of its southeastern neighbor -- Guyana.  Why? Turns out Guyana sits on the same pool of crude oil.  Guyana is an ally of the United States and very open to our development of its oil resource infrastructure. 

Oil money lines the pockets of Maduro and his cronies, but drug money (primarily cocaine) feathers their nests. Venezuela is a critical transshipment corridor for cocaine originating in its neighbors -- primarily Columbia and Peru (both of whom have their own corrupt kleptocracies beholden to cartels).

Maduro was soundly defeated in the last "democratic" elections held in Venezuela, but refused to accept the results and remains in power -- against the overwhelming will of the people. (Another typical result of socialism.)

So, using Maduro's indictment in a US Court on drug offenses as pretext, the Trump 47 Administration has begun a pressure campaign against him -- kinetically interdicting his regime's drug boats and seizing outlaw tankers carrying his oil.

You could argue that the United States is "bullying" its way around the hemisphere -- interfering in the affairs of sovereign nations.  Okay.  But, who would you rather see asserting influence in the region -- the United States, or our competitors/adversaries?  Our neglect invites adversarial attention.      

Enemies of the United States and its allies in the hemisphere and globally are the chief beneficiaries of the Venezuelan oil and drug trade.  With agents present within the halls of the Maduro regime, terror outfits like Hezbollah, Hamas, and ISIS are siphoning significant funding for their activities.  Cutting off that funding paves the way for peace in many places throughout the Middle East and Africa.  

One particular thorn in our side, the socialist regime in Cuba, relies for its survival on black market Venezuelan oil and drug transshipment money.  If Venezuelan oil and drug-running money doesn't resume reaching Cuba soon, that socialist totalitarian regime may fall -- finally.  

When the Maduro and Neo-Castro regimes are replaced with governments far more friendly to the United States and (more importantly) to the suffering Venezuelan and Cuban people, the refreshing effects will sweep through the remainder of the hemisphere like a cold front at the end of September in Mississippi. The regional economic boom alone from the capitalization of Venezuelan crude will rival, even eclipse, the miraculous modernization of the Persian Gulf oil sheikdoms -- Venezuela and Guyana have more oil.   

Venezuela is the key -- the center of gravity upon which all of the United States' current grand strategy rests.  

    

Constitutional Governance, For a Change

Recently, the chief political correspondent for The Colonel's Corner -- the Colonel -- sat down for a wide-ranging on-the-record conversation with Brenda Cannon Gregory (aka: the Comely and Kind-hearted Miss Brenda), the woman whose write-in candidacy for President is sweeping the nation like a cool breeze soothing a slumbering electorate in the midst of a hellish election nightmare.  What follows is the verbatim transcript of what one hopes will be the first of many such candid and illuminating conversations over the course of the next eight and one half years.

TCC:  "Mrs. Gregory, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions."

BCG: "My pleasure, Colonel.  And, call me 'Miss Brenda.'  I know we'll have to retrain you to call me 'Madam President' after the election, but for the time-being it will be less taxing on your pea-sized brain to keep it simple."

TCC:  "Uh, okay...  So, Miss Brenda, let's dispense with the pleasantries and get right to the subject.  How would you describe your philosophy for governance as President of the United States?"

BCG: "The Constitution; the whole Constitution; and nothing but the Constitution."

TCC:  "Would you care to elaborate on that?

BCG:  "Not particularly.  Besides, what part of those simple ten words is so hard to understand?"

TCC:  "Well..., I, uh...  Okay, um, well.., how, then, would you say that your governing philosophy differs from Barack Obama's?"

BCG:  "Who?  Oh, you mean Valerie Jarret's spokesperson.  Look, I'm not basing my campaign on the failures of the current administration.  I will say this for Mr. Obama, he reads out loud extremely well."

TCC:  "Will you be using a teleprompter in your speeches?"

BCG:  "Why?  None of my speeches will ever be longer than a minute or two.  If you can't make your point quicker than that, you don't have a 'point.'"

TCC:  "Makes sense."

BCG:  "Look, forty years living with the Colonel has trained me to keep it short and simple."

TCC:  "Heh, heh..., wait, what?"

BCG:  "Next question!"

TCC:  "Yes, ma'am!  Um...[the Colonel shuffles through his stack of notecards], okay, let's talk about what you see as your priorities as President."

BCG:  "The first constitutionally-mandated responsibility of the President, as chief executive, is faithful execution of the law as found specifically expressed in the Constitution, and as enacted by legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by the President."  

TCC:  "Do you believe in the use of Executive Orders."

BCG:  "Only as a means to enforce a specifically expressed Constitutional requirement, or to enforce an Act of Congress.  Not to create law.  Any other use of Executive Orders is an expression of dictatorial powers not expressly given the President by the Constitution, regardless the well-meaning intent or efficacy of the order.  If I see something that I think needs to be done, that is not currently expressly authorized by legislation, I will work with the the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader to have legislation passed to address the need."

TCC:  "Miss Brenda, executive orders and bureaucratic regulations over the last three decades have resulted in trillions of dollars of cost to the American taxpayer..."

BCG:  "And that's what I'm talking about.  Look, I'm sure that the originator of every executive order and non-legislated regulation believes that they are doing good.  Some may even be able to prove that their idea, in the form of an order or regulation, satisfies a critical requirement or provides a solution to a pressing problem.   But, good intentions, or even proven effectiveness and efficiency is not an excuse for extra-constitutional activity by our Federal government.  That's what I mean when I say "...and nothing but the Constitution."

TCC:  "Are you saying that Congress would do a better job at regulation than a professional bureaucracy?"

BCG:  "No! Not at all.  But, that's not the point.  The point is, as our nation's founders meant when they went to war for, among others, the principle of "no taxation without representation," that there should be no federal regulation without representation.  In other words, the Constitution gives the power of regulation expressly to the Congress.  There is no Article in the Constitution establishing an unelected bureaucracy with the power to indirectly tax the citizens of the Republic."

TCC:  " 'No regulation without representation'.  Catchy.  Mind if I make some money putting that phrase on bumper stickers?"

BCG:  "Be my guest.  The best economic stimulus is unfettered entrepreneurialism."

TCC:  "Can I put that one on a bumper sticker, too?"

BCG:  "You're a businessman?  Thought you were a free-loading journalist..."

TCC:  "Who are you calling a 'journalist?"

BCG:  "Next question!"

TCC:  "Yes, Ma'am.  What is your policy on National Defense?"

BCG:  "National Defense is best considered as a series of concentric rings, beginning first with the national security decision-making and policy apparatus and then second with the interior of our national territory and working outward.  Electing me will take care of the first ring.  Secondly, an effective American national defense for the 21st Century requires development of 21st Century internal infrastructure.  To begin with, our critically vulnerable power grid must be immediately shielded to protect against catastrophic failure, whether as a result of a man-made or solar attack.  Our highways, bridges, railways, and air traffic system, once the envy of the world, are now woefully behind and crumbling.  I will work with Congress, and the states, to fix our infrastructure and push it into the next century.

TCC: "But, won't the cost of such programs be prohibitively expensive, given the fact that our nation already has a 20 trillion dollar debt?"

BCG:  "Thought we were talking about national defense?  You want to talk about economic policy, now?

TCC:  "Uh, no..."

BCG:  "The next concentric ring out from infrastructure is borders.  The most compelling case for a 'clear and present danger' facing citizens of the United States is uncontrolled migration across not just our land borders, but via our ports and airports.  I believe that that vast majority of the people coming into our country illegally are otherwise law-abiding and can be productive members of our society if integrated and assimilated properly.  But, if only 1% of the nearly 1 million coming to our shores each year are coming with criminal malice aforethought that represents a light infantry invasion each year the size of the operating forces of the entire United States Marine Corps."

TCC:  "Ooorah!"

BCG:  "You really should do something about that cough, Colonel.  Sounds terrible.  As I was saying, and I'm keeping this as simple as I can for you, the first component of national defense is decision-making, the second is internal infrastructure, and the third component then is border security..."

TCC:  "How would you handle immigration, then?"

BCG:  "Are we talking about immigration policy, now?  Thought we were discussing defense policy?"

TCC:  "Um, okay.  Please continue."

BCG:  "The fourth component in our national defense, the fourth concentric ring outward, if you will,  is our military.  We must continue to invest in the highest quality people and the best equipment.  And, we must ensure that our military is trained and equipped to do one thing -- win on the battlefield.  Any proposed changes to the time-tested fabric of the force should only be made if it can be proven without a doubt that the change will increase effectiveness on the battlefield.  Just maintaining the current level of effectiveness is not enough -- our potential adversaries are not standing still; they continue to grow in capabilities and effectiveness."

TCC:  "Are you concerned about ISIS?"

BCG:  "Of course.  And, we'll deal quickly and effectively with that threat.  I'll ask for a formal declaration of war from the Congress and..."  

TCC:  "A declaration of war!?!"

BCG:  "What part of 'the Constitution, the whole Constitution, and nothing but the Constitution' did you not understand, Colonel?  Look, I know that you are hamstrung by a lack of education -- Ole Miss, Troy, and the Navy War College aren't exactly noted for producing great political thinkers -- but you've got to concentrate on the bottom line of my governing philosophy.  If it isn't expressly covered in the Constitution, the President isn't allowed to do it. 

TCC:  "Okay, let's say the Congress gives you a formal declaration of war against the so-called Islamic State.  How do you attack and defeat 'em?"

BCG:  "Well, that's where all of you military professionals, on whom the nation has spent a fortune educating and training, come in.  I'll turn to the Secretary of Defense, give her the mission, and tell her to let me know when she is done.  She, utilizing the brains for which I selected her to be my Defense Secretary, will turn to the military combatant commanders and give them a mission.  Look, this ain't brain surgery.  There might be some rocket science involved, though..."   

"But, look.  ISIS is not an existential crisis..., yet.  At most, at present, it is a nuisance.  A big nuisance, mind you, what with all of the humanitarian crises fallout.  But, if we continue to attack ISIS incrementally instead of all out, we do run the risk of them getting their hands on WMD.  Then they become an existential threat.  I won't let them get to that point.  Look for a victory parade down Pennsylvania avenue some time before my first State of the Union Address.   

TCC:  "What about China and Russia?" 

BCG:  "What about 'em?  You want me to get Congress to declare war on them, too?  Now we're really talking about rocket science; not to mention splitting an atom or two.  And, that's what will keep Jinping and Vladimir in check.

TCC:  "Okay, let's switch gears and talk about the economy..."

BCG:  "It's all in the same gear, Colonel."

TCC:  "Huh?  Well, um..., What is your tax philosophy?

BCG:  "If I had my way, there would be a simple flat federal consumption tax, somewhere around 10%.  And, I would reduce taxes on corporations, which are always passed on to the consumer in the form of increased prices for goods and services, to zero.  With a zero corporate tax rate, and no corporate subsidies, the United States would become the world's business capital. Period.  Imagine the wealth flowing to the United States under that situation! 

TCC:  "I don't think that would pay for all of the current federal programs..."

BCG:  "Exactly!  I will work with Congress to phase out all federal social programs and return that responsibility to the states where it rightfully belongs per the Constitution."

TCC:  "But, the states can't afford to fund all the welfare programs."

BCG:  "Look, I know this is taxing (get it?) your mental capacity somewhat.  But, the Constitution established a governmental system known as 'federalism.'  Contrary to popular belief, the concept of 'federalism' that is the basis for our Constitution does not give the Federal government responsibility, nor even authority, for social programs.  Federalism envisions the individual states bearing that responsibility and authority.  Don't take my word for it, go read the Federalist Papers for yourself."

TCC:  "So you would have the states take over and pay for social programs in their own states.  Won't that lead to different outcomes?  Won't some states do a far better job of taking care of their resident citizens than other states?

BCG:  "Yes, yes, and yes!  Emphatically yes!  That is the whole point of States' rights under federalism and as guaranteed in the 10th Amendment to the Constitution:  'The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.'"  The states that do the most effective and economically efficient job of taking care of their resident citizens will reap the rewards of increasing vitality and economic growth.  This competition between states will actually spur greater and greater good to the welfare of the citizens."

TCC:  Thank you so much for your time, Miss Brenda.  Can we finish by quickly addressing your immigration policy? 

BCG:  I fervently believe in the motto: e pluribus unum.   Out of many, one.  The reason the American Republic stands as the greatest nation the world has ever known is attributable to three facts.  One, our republic was founded on the greatest social compact ever devised by man -- the U.S. Constitution.  Two, that Constitution provided the umbrella of personal freedom and limited government under which a continent brimming with world-class resources was conquered.  And, three, that continent was peopled by representatives of humanity from around the globe who found unprecedented freedom of expression, and who were drawn together as one people yearning for the exact same thing for themselves and their progeny -- Freedom.  We still stand as the globe's greatest expression of that most shared of human traits -- the desire to live in freedom.  Our constitution still stands as the world's greatest guarantor of freedom.  We should celebrate that, and we should share it.  My immigration policy, indeed, my entire foreign policy, constitutionally in concert with Congressional action, will seek to share the unmatched level of God-given human rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States to all people, on our territory and on theirs.     

#TCAK-HMBforPresident

Return on Investment

The Colonel isn't a conspiracy theorist -- when it comes to this republic's national government, he just doesn't think it is competent enough to pull off the kinds of convoluted secretive plans with which it is often credited.

What the Colonel does believe our republic's national government is very capable of is taking the path of least resistance and punishing its citizens instead of the nation's enemies.

For the past two decades plus, the U.S. federal government has done just that -- justifying restrictions on constitutionally protected rights in the name of security, while conducting little more than what professional military thinkers and planners would regard as "limited objective" operations.

To be sure, that sort of governmental reaction to outside threats is not a new phenomenon.  One can find federal reactionary restrictions in every "emergency" since the founding of the Republic.  They all amount to accumulation and consolidation of power in the hands of the national governing elite at the expense of the individual and State rights explicitly "guaranteed" in the Constitution and justified as necessary for the safety and security of the individuals and States.

Here's the rub -- the citizens of the Republic already pay an exorbitant price in blood and treasure for their security. The American people fund and field the most effective security apparatus the world has ever seen -- the United States Armed Forces.  American taxpayers field an all-volunteer force, equip it with state-of-the-art weapons, supply it like no other force in the history of warfare, train it like no other force in the history of armies, and compensate its members on a scale way beyond any other on earth.   And yet, instead of seeing a return on their most costly investment, the American people watch the most effective bulk of their military sit idly in their barracks as threats to their security gather in plain sight.

Mark the Colonel's words, another major attack on U.S. soil is coming.  The Colonel harbors not one shred of doubt in his military mind that another attack is coming -- and you don't either.

When it does, (in the Colonel's version of a perfect world -- BEFORE it does), the citizens of this great republic deserve a rich return on their investment -- not a doubling down of restrictions on their rights.

Threat to Democracy

 

The Colonel is a threat to democracy.

Yep -- you read that right.  In fact, the Colonel is required by the highest law of the land to act, indefinitely, against the sedition that is democracy.

It's quite simple to understand, actually.  Yet, it's only understood by a small few.  The Constitution of the United States of America -- the supreme law of the land -- stands in defense against the free practice of "democracy" in the Republic that constitution established.  

Nowhere in the Constitution is the word "democracy" found.  Nowhere.

Nowhere in the Declaration of Independence does the word appear.

Don't take the Colonel's word for it.  Google it.

You see, the founders of our Republic -- yes, imperfect men -- established a representative republic with safeguards to limit the intrusion of government into the rights of that republic's states, citizens, and legal residents.  Though imperfect, our founders were, by and large, classically educated. Their study of history informed them that of the various forms of government, one of the most destructive of the rights of minority opinions, religions, and ethnicities was a pure democracy.  Their study of history also showed them that democracies always devolve into dictatorships.  

So, the founders who crafted the Constitution, did so mindful of the inherent dangers of democracy, and built a form of republican (little "r") national government with citizen -- and state -- representation.  Per this federal constitution, and each state's differing versions, the federal and state governments of our Republic would be officiated by citizens chosen by their fellow citizens, but those citizens would be protected from the capricious rampages of pure democracy. 

The first ten amendments to the original Constitution -- known colloquially as the Bill of Rights -- enshrined specific, but not limited, rights of the people, and the sovereign States (see the 10th Amendment), of these United States against abridgment by the government and the whims of a majority in a democracy. 

Okay, the Colonel knows that he's in danger of losing the attention of the Bama and LSU fans at this point, so he'll get to the point.  

Anyone who swears an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of the United States is a threat to democracy.  

Anyone who blindly defends democracy, in contravention to the Constitution, is an enemy of the Republic.  

    

   

Bushes' Fault

The current Geo-political situation in the Middle East causes the Colonel to chew on his tongue..., because..., he told you so.

Two decades ago, back at the beginning of the idiotically named Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) -- successful wars are fought against specific regimes; not their tactics -- the Colonel opined that unless and until the specific regimes employing terrorism as their asymmetric weapon of choice were deposed/destroyed, state-sponsored terrorism would continue to plague the planet.

Specifically, the Colonel identified the strategic center of gravity in this fight, and he will repeat it here: 

The strategic center of gravity of the current troubles in the Middle East (with spill-over effects globally) is the Iranian theo-fascist regime. 

Parenthetically, it matters not what the brand of theism is. Despite the inane and shallow attempts by many to portray the current conflict in the region as religiously motivated, the root cause of this conflict is the same as it has always been in every war in history: Land, Resources, and Power.

Let the Colonel repeat that for clarity.  The root cause of all conflict is Land, Resources, and Power.  And, yes, the Colonel includes supposedly religion-based conflicts such as the spread of various caliphates across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula, and the strategic counterattacks of the Crusades and the Castille-Aragon alliance.              

Certainly, leaders cloak their ambitions in religious garb to inflame the passions of the people, but they couldn't care less for the spiritual welfare of their people -- only that they fall in line.  

Iran -- more specifically, the theocratic dictatorship running the nation of Iran -- is the single largest supporter of terrorism on the planet.  Has been for the last two generations.  Without Iran's material support, Hamas, Hezbollah, and a plethora of lesser-known militant groups employing terror -- internally, as well as externally -- to exert control over local land, resources, and power, would not exist.  Iran bankrolls these groups' terror tactics. Period.

The Iranian regime cloaks its territorial, resource, and power ambitions in the garb of Shia Islam, but the theo-fascist Iranian regime cares not one whit for the spiritual welfare of the people of the region.  

So, if the Iranian regime is the strategic center of gravity of the current conflict in the Middle East, why did we waste so much time, blood, and treasure on peripheral campaigns (Afghanistan and Iraq, mainly) that had no appreciable effect on diminishing Iranian influence in the region?

Bushes' fault.

For those of you whose historical memory is limited by lack of study and/or age, the expeditionary forces of the United States and an unprecedented coalition of Middle Eastern and European nations had Saddam Hussein's bloody regime on the ropes in the Spring of 1991 and failed to administer the coup d' gras.  What took another expensive expedition twelve years later to effect regime change, could have been accomplished quickly in 1991.  That was George (the elder) Bush's fault.  

The intervening decade saw a weakened Sadam Hussein's Baathist regime struggle (with bloody results) to resist growing Iranian influence over the majority Shia population in the southeastern portion of their territory, and a growing Kurdish nationalism in the northeastern portion.  

Because we didn't depose Sadaam in 1991, he was left alive to plot an assassination attempt against Bush 41, for which Bush 43 held an understandable grudge.  But grudges rarely make good bases for strategy.  The attacks of 9/11/2001 and the resultant Congressional Authorization of Force for the Global War on Terror (the phrase still sets the Colonel's teeth on edge) gave Bush 43 the green light to topple Sadaam in the Spring of 2023.  

A brilliantly executed destruction of Sadaam's forces was followed by a dismally bad occupation and rehabilitation of the nation of Iraq.  Instead of maintaining an overwhelming force in Iraq until we re-established the security apparatus we broke, token forces were left in place with large red targets on their backs.  Not only did the understrength US and allied forces struggle to defeat the Sunni insurgency in the west, but US forces were increasingly under attack by Iranian-backed militias in the south.  It is no exaggeration to say that the theo-fascist regime in Tehran was directly responsible for several hundred US military deaths at the hands of Shia militia trained and supported by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).  

Bushes' fault.  

Had we liberated the Iraqi people from the brutal Baathist Regime immediately following the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, we would have been free to address the true center of gravity for the current terrorism scourge: the mad mullahs in Teheran.

And now, two decades later, the theo-fascist regime in Iran, whose tentacles have spread not only across the Middle East, but also throughout our own hemisphere, is at the bottom of the vast majority of the terroristic mischief plaguing regions whose fate are undeniably in the strategic interest of the United States.  

It's not rocket science -- it's basic strategic thought.  Iran's ruling regime is the Center of Gravity.  Take it out and peace will break out.     

A Dog Named "Heck"

The Colonel's father, the quiet and straight-shooting Mister Vernon, sat nursing a cup of hot black coffee (Gregory men don't drink iced or polluted coffee) and watching his bird-brained son's cloud of thirsty hummingbirds milling buzzily around a feeder just out of arm's reach.  For long, still minutes, broken only by the hum and chatter of the ruby-throats, the Gregory patriarch and his heir apparent (with no hair apparent) sat in the oak shade relishing the slightest of breezes blowing away the growing heat of a July morning.

"Almost comfortable out here this morning," the old man finally offered to the sparse conversation.

"Yessir."  

"Could use some rain."

The Colonel thumbed open the weather app on his phone.  "Nothing in the forecast for at least a week."

"Hmmmph. Whaddatheyknow."

"Well, it is July in Mississippi, Dad.  Ain't never much chance of rain in July."

Buzzing and chattering filled the warm air between them, again.  Sometimes bird chatter is preferable to the human kind.  But, as quiet as Gregory men can be on occasion, the urge to talk is often irresistible, and stray synapses fire to spark stories. 

"Inherited a weird dog, once."

"Sir?"

"His name was Heck.  Weird dog.  He belonged to my cousin, Al.  When Al went off to the Army, ole Heck took up with me."

"What kind of dog was he?"

"German shepherd.  Big ole scruffy, German shepherd.  Weird dog."

"What was weird about him?"

"Well, for starters, ole Heck had a broke tail.  He would follow me to Lee High School and run alongside my bike.  Got his tail stuck in my spokes once and broke a crook in it."

"Did that break him from following you to school."

"Naw. He just kept his distance."

"Ha! I bet he did."

"Weird dog.  Had a big chunk of brick that he chewed on like a bone."

"A chunk of brick?"

"Yeah, a big ole chunk of brick.  Ole Heck could hardly get his jaws around it.  He'd just chew and slobber, and roll his eyes like he was having a fit.  That brick bat had been kinda square, but Heck had the thing pretty well rounded off.  I tried to take it away from him a couple of times, but I could never pry it out of his jaws."

The patriarch looked off into the middle distance.  The birds buzzed and chattered.  The Colonel waited for the next story synapses to fire.

"Ole Heck carried that brick to school one day and one of the teachers saw him sitting on the front steps with that big ole brick bat in his mouth, eyes rolled back in his head.  She felt sorry for Heck, 'poor puppy has a brick wedged in his jaws!'  She knelt down and tried and tried to get the brick out of Heck's jaws.  She couldn't budge it.  Ole Heck just laid there with his eyes rolled back in his head, slobberin'."

"She stood up and asked, 'whose dog is this?'.   I just shrugged my shoulders.  I wasn't gonna claim that weird dog."

"Ole Heck got up and walked over to me, dropped the brick at my feet and turned and grinned at that teacher.  She glared at me for a moment and then stormed up the steps."

"Ole Heck went missing a few weeks later and my mother sent me out to look for him.  I didn't look too hard." 

 

 

Rebel's Rules

In no particular order of importance or inspirational catastrophic event; and with no claim of originality nor exclusivity:

1.  Tractors don't swim. (Don't ask.)

2.  Loving a woman is like paddling a canoe in a stiff breeze -- both require constant attention, a little bit at a time.  

3.  First reports are nearly always false, but perfect intelligence is unattainable.

4.  That which does not kill you, may make you a cripple.

5.  E-mail kills.  The spoken word is thin as air, the written word is always there. 

6.  The speed and accuracy of an electron is inversely related to the urgency of the task involving the electron.

7.  Power tools don't discriminate.

8.  Low-information voting is not an exclusive province of either end of the political spectrum.

9.  "Please" and "Thank you" are power words.

10.  Trees and trucks are mortal enemies.

11.  Give a man a 4WD truck, a length of chain, and a chainsaw and he will play, not-so quietly, by himself for hours.

12.  Any store that doesn't sell duck calls and stink bait is a waste of bricks and mortar.

13.  Eating during hours of daylight is a sign of weakness.

14.  A mug of strong, hot coffee fuels inspiration.  

15.  Never trust a man who wears a hat indoors.

16.  Never trust a man who wears his hat backwards -- fashion statements are for women.

17.  Never trust a man who doesn't carry a pocket knife.

18.  The bigger the knife the smaller the man.

19.  Never underestimate the destructive potential of a squad of Marines, a three-year old grandson, or a six-month old labrador retriever.

20.  Empires that build walls aren't empires for much longer.

21.  The larger the known universe becomes, the greater God is.

22.  Gardens cause weeds and trailer parks cause tornadoes.

23.  Perception becomes reality.

24.  The best ideas in any organization usually come from the ranks.

25.  An organization is as great as the leader says.

26.  Hope is not an acceptable course of action.

27.  Training is everything and everything is training.

28.  Meetings that last longer than 15 minutes usually devolve into pole vaulting over mouse turds.

29.  Executive actions are indicative of legislative paralysis.

30.  No such thing as an "over-built" bridge.

31.  Change is a dragon; fight it and be eaten; ride it and live.

32.  The line beyond which a word or idea is considered "politically incorrect" incessantly encroaches on common sense and freedom of expression, and is destructive to society-binding customs, courtesies and traditions.

33.  Political correctness is antithetical to diversity.

34.  Pity the man who has everything to live for and nothing worth dying for.

35.  February is twenty-eight days of being pecked to death by a duck.

36.  Never pass up the opportunity to allow someone else the opportunity.

37.  Republics either continue to expand, or contract into irrelevance.

38.  Chewing gum is the devil.

39.  The highest responsibility of the government of a free people is to stay out of the way of the people it serves. 

40.  Limited war limits the possibility of a satisfactory outcome.

41.  Covering wood grain with a coat of paint is a crime against nature.

42.  Nothing calms the soul like a bird at your feeder.

43.  Men and women are different for a reason and equal by reason.

44.  No such thing as a fair fight.

45.  Nothing good happens after midnight, unless you're at home.

46.  Sleep is the reward of the righteous.

47.  One man's music is another man's noise; share accordingly.

48.  There's no such thing as a free lunch, a deep discount, or a pet rattlesnake.

49.  Wherever you go, that's where you are.

50.  The smartest man in any room is the man looking for the smartest man in the room. 

51.  The Pepsi Rule: Drinking more alcoholic drinks in one sitting than you would drink non-alcoholic drinks is alcohol abuse.

52.  A long walk alone is therapy for a frantic mind.

53.  Righteous indignation is a dish best served rarely.

54.  A license to drive should not be issued to anyone without a full-time job.

55.  Never pass up the opportunity to catch the buck.

56.  The "perfect" leader would have perfect subordinates.

57.  Boredom is God's call to prayer.

58.  Understand the present by knowing history; understand history by knowing geography.

59.  Climate and culture are not static.

60.  A man who makes long lists of sophomoric sentences has far too much time on his hands.       

Sawa, sawa! Maape!

 

The man behind the Immigrations and Customs counter at Chicago O'Hare asked the comely and kind-hearted Miss Brenda, "Who is this gentleman with you?"

"Who? Him? That's my husband, Knucklehead."

"I'm sorry ma'am," the 'Denied Entry' stamp grasped menacingly in his bureaucratic fist.  "What did you just call me?"

"Oh, no! Not you! That's my husband.  I call him 'Knucklehead' because, well..."  Miss Brenda rolled her eyes in the Colonel's direction.

A quick glance at the Colonel standing slack jawed and bleary eyed behind her in line explained the appellation.

"I see. And where did you take your husband?"

"We've been on safari in Kenya for two weeks."

"Okay. Anything to declare?"

The comely and kind-hearted Miss Brenda channeled Scarlet O'Hare, "I do declare that we had the most wonderful time!"

The man behind the counter blinked twice and looked at the Colonel, who, stupefied by 16 hours of air travel in the cheap seats, could only muster a shoulder shrug. 

"Ma'am, I mean any goods purchased. Any trophies?"

"Oh. No, just lots of pictures."

Counter Man stamped the passports, "Welcome, home."

The Colonel and Miss Brenda weren't exactly "home" yet.  But before she could launch into an explanation of where home really was, the Colonel grasped Miss Brenda's elbow and guide her away with a "Thank you, sir." to Counter Man.

Home was still a three-hour flight and a one-hour drive away.  But it was good to be back in the good ole U.S. of A. 

The previous two weeks had been a whirlwind of bucket list checking for the Colonel, Miss Brenda, her twin sister Linda, and the Colonel's brother-in-law Bruce (not to be confused with his other brother, Bruce). After flights from Memphis to Dallas to London to Nairobi, the stay in Kenya began with an 18-hour jet-lag recovery in the Eka Hotel.  The next morning a guide picked up the Mississippi Four (as they later became known) and drove them to the regional airport that services domestic flights. They boarded a 12-passenger Cessna 208 and were quickly airborne over the wilds of Kenya, headed for Porini Maji, the first of four Porini Camps sited on Nature Conservancies. 

After an hour flight, the Cessna landed on a dirt strip in the absolute middle of nowhere and the pilot announced, "Welcome to Selenkay International Airport."

The Selenkay Conservancy was the first unfenced private property established in Kenya as a not-for-profit organization to both preserve wildlife and benefit local tribes.  In Kenya, the conservancy model provides land on the periphery for indigenous tribes.  The conservancy is managed by a board in cooperation with the local village elders, with the agreement that a portion of the conservancy is allocated for grazing of the village's cattle and goat herds, the remaining majority set aside and protected for wildlife.  Partnerships with private companies hosting limited tent camp non-hunting safaris provide employment for the local villagers -- a ten-tent camp hosting a maximum of 20 guests at any one time employs nearly three dozen staff (hospitality and game-drive guides).  Selenkay became the model for several more like conservancies with safari company partnerships.  The Mississippi Four stayed at four of them over the course of 12 days, with flights between adjacent dirt strips.

The company with which the Colonel's group stayed for ten total nights is Porini, which means "in the wild" in Swahili.  Accommodations can best be described as luxury camping.  Some might argue with the "luxury" tag, but the Colonel has slept in a lot of tent camps over the years that didn't have floored tents with flush toilets, showers (albeit by bucket), and electricity; not to mention turn down service including a hot water bottle that perfectly warmed the bed for the rather cool nights.  Game drives started early each morning, preceded by a wake-up call by an attendant with a tray of coffee, tea, and biscuits, as well as a pitcher of hot water for shaving.  Most breakfasts were picnics on the plains after a couple of hours of viewing wildlife from specially modified vehicles.

Each vehicle sat no more than six guests and included a driver and guide who expertly located the animals the guest particularly wanted to photograph, as well as pointing out all manner of flora and fauna along the way.  As the vehicle slowly traversed the terrain, mammal and bird life was often not much further than a stone's throw away, and sometimes even disconcertingly closer, as was the case with lion prides at fresh kills, bull cape buffalo fights, and long-tusked bull elephants in musth.  The guides taught guests the Swahili words for "okay; let's go" -- "sawa, sawa; maape," which indicated that the photographers in the group had their shots, and it was time to go find something else at which to marvel.

   

After a six-hour morning game drive guests were returned to camp to freshen up before lunch.  When not picnicking, meals were served in a luxury mess tent.  Again, one might argue with the term "luxury", but the Colonel has eaten many meals in camp over the years that didn't include tablecloths, three courses, and drinks of choice. Lunch was always followed by a three-hour afternoon rest.  

At around four each afternoon a short "time of tea" prepared guests for the evening game drive.  And, as the sun began to dip toward the horizon, the guides would find a spot to watch the sun set.  This "sundowner" was complete with a table set for snacks and drinks.  And nearly always the atmosphere provided the ingredients for spectacular animal-silhouetting sunsets.  At dark, guests were returned to camp to freshen up for dinner.

Chairs around a campfire provided perfect perches for performing after action reviews of the day, and then dinner was served sharply at eight. Meals included fare familiar to western palates, but also included samplings of local foods.  The Colonel found the goat preparations particularly interesting, the comely and kind-hearted Miss Brenda not so much.

Nights in camp were not quiet. Wildebeest males guarded their mating sites with incessant grunting, the occasional lion roared in much too close proximity, and, in one camp, hippos left a nearby river pool to snort complaints and munch grass surrounding the tents. Hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animal, so the Colonel will admit that having nothing but canvass separating bed and tusks was a bit disconcerting. The Colonel is happy to report that no tourists were eaten, trampled, or otherwise harmed in the making of this trip.

Following introductions with the other guest parties, the Colonel's party quickly became known to the other guests as the "Mississippi Four."  One lady originally from Switzerland would greet us accordingly and the Colonel would respond with "Swiss Family Robinson!"  High hilarity, that.

Escape from Nairobi 

Of course, no long-distance, long-endurance trip by the Colonel and the comely and kind-hearted Miss Brenda is complete without some drama entailing sickness, missed or delayed flights, or a combination of the two.  Miss Brenda's silent migraine (no pain, just dizziness) decided that the last two days of the trip would be a boffo time to present itself.  She was a trooper, though, and kept to the rigorous game drive schedule with the help of the Colonel's arm.

By the time we arrived at the airport in Nairobi to catch the first of three flight legs home to the Sip, the comely and kind-hearted Miss Brenda was flat wore out.  Seeing the very long lines at check in and security, and seeing Miss Brenda eyeing the situation warily, a wheelchair was requested.

What ensued was the makings of a potential travel nightmare.

The supervisor at the check-in counter wanted to know why Miss Brenda was in a wheelchair.  When told she was experiencing migraine symptoms, he determined that she was not well enough to make the nine-hour flight to London.  A call in to the medical bureaucracy resulted in the recommendation that Miss Brenda spend a few more days in Nairobi, rest and hydrate, and get a doctor's clearance to fly.

As much as we had enjoyed the previous two weeks in Kenya, spending a few more days at the whim of faceless bureaucrats was, in the Colonel's not-so-humble opinion, unacceptable, and he made that forcefully (but just under the threshold requiring the intervention of security) known.  We were given the option of appealing the bureaucrat's decision to the captain of the flight when he arrived to board. Turns out British Airways captains -- at least this particular one -- are possessed with extraordinary common sense as well as command skill, and the Mississippi Four were soon aboard the flight.

Most every trip the Colonel has ever been on has provided a lasting lesson learned on which to reflect and rely on future trips.  

This one?

If someone in an airport asked you if you need a wheelchair..., SAY: NO!

For those of you wondering about the health and welfare of the comely and kind-hearted Miss Brenda, fear not.  She was home executing her farm chore responsibilities within 36 hours. 

Independence Morning

Forty-six years ago this morning, the Colonel was standing in formation on the physical training field at the Marine Corps' Officer Candidate School.  

It was a surreal moment.  

It was Independence Day, the 4th of July 1977.  But, for the 250 officer candidates (and their trainers) it would be no holiday.  It was business as usual.

"Business" that day meant 0500 reveille, a rushed breakfast, an hour and a half of calisthenics and a run, a rushed shower, a few hours of classroom instruction, a rushed lunch, a couple of hours of close order drill, more classroom instruction, a rushed supper, and several hours of gear and barracks cleaning -- all the while closely supervised by very vocal and highly demanding drill instructors. 

The candidates knew it was the 4th of July.  They knew that under any other circumstances they would be observing this day in a far different fashion.  And, yet...  there was not the slightest hint in the demeanor of their trainers that morning that suggested they had a clue that the day was the most significant of American holidays. The battle-hardened Marine senior NCOs with urgent, gravelly voices, and company grade officers with stern reinforcing looks, were doing their duty in the same superbly professional way; as if the day was the last day they would ever have to impart discipline.

The candidates had formed into 50-man platoon blocks surrounding a waist high platform on which a drill instructor stood, square- shouldered and square-jawed, crisply barking out the directions of the exercise routine.  With a couple of weeks' reinforcement, the words had already ingrained themselves in the candidates' psyche.  The Colonel's memory of them is as sharp as the way they fell upon his young, non-tinnitus-ravaged ears those long, dewy Virginia mornings years ago.

The drill instructor sang out, "The next exercise will be the Marine Corps Pushup!"

The candidates responded with a lusty "Ooorah!"

It wasn't lusty enough. "I said," the drill instructor's voice climbed an octave and ten decibels higher, "the next exercise will be the Marine Corps Pushup!" 

"Ooorah!"

"The Marine Corps Pushup is a four count exercise!  I will count the exercise and you will count the repetitions!  Front leaning rest position.., move!  

On the command "move," the candidates dropped quickly from the rigid position of attention to the pushup position, in the "up" position, bodies stiffly planked with heads inclined up and eyes locked on the Marine on the platform.

The move was not quick enough.  "Not fast enough, candidates! Position of attention, move." 

The candidates scrambled back to the position of attention.

"Front leaning rest position, move!"

The company of candidates dropped as one, as if hit by the same stun gun.

"Ready..., exercise!  One, two, three..."

On the completion of the first two pushups, which counted only as one complete exercise in the Marine Corps world of never too much of a hard thing, the candidates shouted, "One!" 

"One, two, three..."

"Two!"

"One, two, three..."

"Three!"  

There is something deliciously motivating about the Marine Corps Pushup...

...for the one leading the exercise.

That morning, it began to dawn on the candidates, as they pushed the planet away en mas, that something was amiss.  

The drill instructor had not announced, in the pre-exercise directions, how many Marine Corps Pushups the candidates would be doing.  

At the "ten" count, wheretofore the exercise had been complete, the drill instructor continued, "one, two, three..."

"Eleven!"  

"One, two, three..."

"Twelve!" 

"One, two, three..."

"Thirteen!"

The counting and the pushing continued.  The planet began to move ever so slightly away from the sun...

Yeah, maybe not...  But, it seemed that the exercise would not end until the problem of global warming was solved.

Sometime later, the exercise concluded.  The Colonel retaineth not the ability to recall the specific memory of exactly how many Marine Corps Pushups were executed that morning.  

As the candidates stood panting and "shaking out" abused arms and shoulders, rebellion brewed.

Suddenly, a candidate, possessed of a fairly good singing voice, if little sense of self-preservation, began to sing,

"Oh, say can you see?  By the dawn's early light..."

A few more brave souls joined in, "What so proudly we hailed, at the twilight's last gleaming."

Five hundred eyes turned to the Marine on the platform.

He was at the rigid, disciplined position of attention.  

So were the rest of the Marines and officers in charge of the company.

The rest of the company snapped to attention and the candidate choir filled the air with the best rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" the Colonel had ever heard, or has ever heard since. 

It was glorious!

As the anthem concluded, the Marine on the platform filled his lungs to announce the next exercise.  Before he could expel that air past raspy vocal chords, another candidate began to sing,

"From the Halls of Montezuma..."

Discipline reigned.  Marines stand at attention for the Marines' Hymn.

Marines and Marine officer candidates sang the song of their people.  All three verses.

It was glorious!

As the Marines' Hymn concluded and loud cheers echoed across Quantico's hallowed hollows, another candidate, hoping to forestall the continuance of physical exercise, began to sing,

" O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain..."

Alas, there is no proscription for standing at the position of attention for "America the Beautiful."   

"No, no, NO!  Shut your mouths!  Position of attention!"

"The next exercise will be Mountain Climbers..."

It was a tall mountain.  The candidates smiled as they climbed.