Forwarded Email

“Sorry for this one to be so long.. but I wanted to forward it.

> >This was written by my academic advisor at the Air Force Academy. He was
>not only one of the most brilliant men I've ever met, but >also an
>individual who combined that brilliance with common sense to lead others.
>His words are the ones that haven't been >heard yet but I believe will come
>to be true before we have the chance to recover from this initial tragedy.
>
>From: Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
>
>Recently, I was asked to look at the recent events through the lens of
>military history. I have joined the cast of thousands who have written an
>"open letter to Americans."
>
>
>Dear friends and fellow Americans 14September,2001
>
>Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last week's
>attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling from surprise.
>As a career soldier and a student and teacher of military history, I have a
>different perspective and I think you should hear it. This war will be won
>or lost by the American citizens, not diplomats, politicians or soldiers.
>
>Let me briefly explain.
>
>In spite of what the media, and even our own government is telling us, this
>act was not committed by a group of mentally deranged fanatics. To dismiss
>them as such would be among the gravest of mistakes. This attack was
>committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedicated adversary. Don't take
>this the wrong way. I don't admire these men and I deplore their tactics,
>but I respect their capabilities. The many parallels that have been made
>with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropos. Not only because it
>was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America, but also because
>we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30 years after we
>think this war is over, just like my father's generation had to do with
>the formidable Japanese in the years following WW II.
>
>These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we must not
>underestimate the power of their moral commitment. Napoleon, perhaps the
>world's greatest combination of soldier and statesman, stated "the moral is
>to the physical as three is to one." Patton thought the Frenchman
>underestimated its importance and said moral conviction was five times more
>important in battle than physical strength. Our enemies are willing - better
>said anxious -- to give their lives for their cause.
>
>How committed are we America? And for how long?
>
>In addition to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent attack
>demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of warfare taught
>to most military officers worldwide, namely simplicity, security and
>surprise. When I first heard rumors that some of these men may have been
>trained at our own Air War College, it made perfect sense to me. This was
>not a random act of violence, and we can expect the same sort of military
>competence to be displayed in the battle to come.
>
>This war will escalate, with a good portion of it happening right here in
>the good ol' U.S. of A.
>
>These men will not go easily into the night. They do not fear us. We must
>not fear them. In spite of our overwhelming conventional strength as the
>world's only "superpower" (a truly silly term), we are the underdog in this
>fight. As you listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed to prepare
>us for the march for war, please realize that America is not equipped or
>seriously trained for the battle ahead. To be certain, our soldiers are much
>better than the enemy, and we have some excellent "counter-terrorist"
>organizations, but they are mostly trained for hostage rescues, airfield
>seizures, or the occasional "body snatch," (which may come in handy). We
>will be fighting a war of annihilation, because if their early efforts are
>any indication, our enemy is ready and willing to die to the last man.
>Eradicating the enemy will be costly and time consuming. They have already
>deployed their forces in as many as 20 countries, and are likely living the
>lives of everyday citizens. Simply put, our soldiers will be tasked with a
>search and destroy mission on multiple foreign landscapes, and the public
>must be patient and supportive until the strategy and tactics can be worked
>out.
>
>For the most part, our military is still in the process of redefining itself
>and presided over by men and women who grew up with - and were promoted
>because they excelled in - Cold War doctrine, strategy and tactics. This
>will not be linear warfare, there will be no clear "centers of gravity" to
>strike with high technology weapons. Our vast technological edge will
>certainly be helpful, but it will not be decisive. Perhaps the perfect
>metaphor for the coming battle was introduced by the terrorists themselves
>aboard the hijacked aircraft -- this will be a knife fight, and it will be
>won or lost by the ingenuity and will of citizens and soldiers, not by
>software or smart bombs. We must also be patient with our military leaders.
>
>Unlike Americans who are eager to put this messy time behind us, our
>adversaries have time on their side, and they will use it. They plan to
>fight a battle of attrition, hoping to drag the battle out until the
>American public loses its will to fight. This might be difficult to believe
>in this euphoric time of flag waving and patriotism, but it is generally
>acknowledged that America lacks the stomach for a long fight. We need only
>look as far back as Vietnam, when North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap
>(also a military history teacher) defeated the United States of America
>without ever winning a major tactical battle. American soldiers who marched
>to war cheered on by flag waving Americans in 1965 were reviled and spat
>upon less than three years later when they returned. Although we hope that
>Usama Bin Laden is no Giap, he is certain to understand and employ the
>concept. We can expect not only large doses of pain like the recent attacks,
>but! also less audacious "sand in the gears" tactics, ranging from livestock
>infestations to attacks at water supplies and power distribution facilities.
>
>These attacks are designed to hit us in our "comfort zone" forcing the
>average American to "pay more and play less" and eventually eroding our
>resolve. But it can only work if we let it. It is clear to me that the will
>of the American citizenry - you and I - is the center of gravity the enemy
>has targeted. It will be the fulcrum upon which victory or defeat will turn.
>He believes us to be soft, impatient, and self-centered. He may be right,
>but if so, we must change. The Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz, (the
>most often quoted and least read military theorist in history), says that
>there is a "remarkable trinity of war" that is composed of the (1) will of
>the people, (2) the political leadership of the government, and (3) the
>chance and probability that plays out on the field of battle, in that order.
>Every American citizen was in the crosshairs of last Tuesday's attack, not
>just those that were unfortunate enough to be in the World Trade Center or
>Pentagon. The will of the American people will decide this war. If we are to
>win, it will be because we have what it takes to persevere through a few
>more hits, learn from our! mistakes, improvise, and adapt. If we can do
>that, we will eventually prevail.
>
>Everyone I've talked to In the past few days has shared a common
>frustration, saying in one form or another "I just wish I could do
>something!" You are already doing it. Just keep faith in America, and
>continue to support your President and military, and the outcome is certain.
>
>If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally certain.
>
>God Bless America
>
>Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
>Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy”

“Can a homee get a summary?”

“Went looking for a primary source for that and found this. Astonishing webpage/site. Skip the textbook down to "Other Military Medical Literature" and "Other Historical and Philisophical Insights":

Flight Surgeons Cluebag”

“Good letter! That was on the 14th. I have heard a lot of others since then who are saying similar things. bin Laden is not a mad man. He is a formidable opponent. I do think our goverment is trying to size things up. His comments about the military are probably all too true.”

“It's not about whether we have the manpower, machinery and tactics to fight this thing, the question is, do we have the leadership and the stones to see this through to the bitter end?”

“and, Max, does the rest of our coalition? I think we have to be ready for defections as soon as the first non US partner is hit by Bin Laden.”