Subject: this might upset some of you But it is still important to think through the reasons we are in Kosovo and most probably very soon sending troops there. Humanitarian concern is not one of them (or we'd have been all over the planet.) When we do and it is all over and we pull out and the Serbs and Muslims begin killing one another again, how will we explain to the spouses and parents of those who die that the death of their loved one meant anything to the security and well being of the USA --- and the world, for that matter? When serving your country is no longer worth the sacrifice Down at the huge, gray monolith they call the Pentagon, people who wage war for a living are scratching their heads and wondering how they let a draft dodger get them into a military mess in Yugoslavia. Those who wear the uniform have a term for what is happening. It's called FUBAR (The last four words are "Up Beyond All Repair." If you can't figure out the first word, ask your six-year-old). FUBAR is reserved for military operations that achieve the highest level of strategic screwup. Many ops start out at the SNAFU (Situation Normal, All. ..." Some move to the next level, TACFU (Totally and Completely . . ."). At best, the Kosovo campaign started at TACFU and quickly moved up to FUBAR. It is, according to most military tacticians, a royal mess. "It was ill conceived, poorly executed and fatally flawed," says Arnold Crittendon, a retired intelligence analyst. "The boys at the Pentagon tell me that the amateurs at the White House rammed this thing down their throats and they are choking on it." The "amateurs" at the White House include a President who evaded military service and a bunch of limp-wristed dilettantes who think conflict is a fight with their significant other. Ask any military professional at the Pentagon about what they think of the "boys at the White House" and you will probably get either a look of disdain or despair, following by a string of invectives. They won't say it publicly. Military men and women know that public criticism of the Commander-in-Chief, even one who is a draft dodger and coward, is a quick end to a career, but privately many admit they hate the man. "He's a despicable, whore-mongering bastard," one Air Force colonel admitted over coffee the other day. "The very sight of him turns my stomach." The private grumbling has gotten so bad that new memos have circulated, reminding military personnel that speaking out against their Commander-in-Chief is a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. But memos and the UCMJ can't stop a professional soldier from puking his or her guts out at the thought of serving under a draft dodger or from quitting when he or she can't take it any longer. The U.S. military has lost more qualified personnel in the six years of tyranny under Bill Clinton than at any time in modern history. Those who haven't lost their jobs through his numerous military cutbacks have resigned their commissions out of disgust or opted for early retirement. "Yeah, I took an early out," says retired Navy Capt. Al Simonson. "I have trouble serving a country that would twice elect a man like Bill Clinton." Simonson said that when he saw the Serbian TV broadcast, he hurled an ashtray into his set. "It really pissed me off," he said. "Those boys don't deserve to get their faces kicked in. Not for a draft dodger who was afraid to serve his country. Not for Bill Clinton." Back to Dispatch Aug. 99 Table of Contents Back to Dispatch List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by HMGS Mid-South This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com