The almost successful attack and Afghanistan gleans more the military observer.
There are a few rules the military has about engagement criteria for the enemy. It's a well known fact that we don't like to go on the offensive unless we outnumber the enemy substantially. This is part of the so-called "Powell Doctrine," to go in with overwhelming force. Putting a platoon sized element of 40 men on the most forward of the frontlines of fight against the Taliban, probably not a wise choice. The Coalition numbers versus the number of Taliban numbers wasn't even criteria to set up a defense, that would fall under the guidelines of "controlled retrograde operations." It should be telling to anyone that the best we could muster was a platoon from an Airborne Regiment that was only a week or so from going home.
Besides the numbers of Soldiers there was someting else missing from the story of the assault on the tiny outpost, the force multipliers. The technologies and weapons that provide the Army the advantage to attack and gain the advantage even when numbers are not with us. As a former artillery officer there was one part of the story that was absent that stood out to me, and my experience tells me why.
There was no mention of the use of indirect fires to protect the small numbers of men from the throngs of the Taliban as they attacked. Artillery, our most accurate, responsive, and lethal of combat multipliers was noticeably absent from all accounts of the fight. That is why Artillery is labeled the King of Battle. The men had to wait ten minutes into the firefight for A-10s, F-15s, and Apaches to arrive on scene. Ten minutes when you're being shot at, especially in the volume that these Soldiers were, is an eternity. If you haven't been there trust me, I have. Ten minutes seems like an eternity waiting for your life to pass. What does the missing artillery have to do with anything? Well, a great strategic blunder has been perpetrated over the past 5 years, the artillery isn't doing their job. I'm sure the men on that small outpost saw their Redlegs on occassion as they protected the convoys that brought the Commander or the convoys that brought supplies, or conducted route protection and quick reaction force missions. Essentially, we don't have these Artillerymen doing their jobs. My best guess is that, maybe, if we're lucky, 60% of the Artillery is technically qualified to do its job in the Army. The rest are Trained status in kicking in doors and convoy security.
What was once going to be a short term solution to a temporary problem has drug on as the war in Iraq proves we need more security of the logisitics convoys and their routes. Also, in Iraq unlike Afghanistan there is very restrictive use of artillery, especially in the populated areas. But in the middle of the mountains seems there would be limited number of restrictions on the use of Artillery. So, where was it? Where was the fire support that company needed to complete it's mission. Where they there and not used? Then that is the fault of the commander and planners. Were they absent because they were transporting fuel trucks to another outpost and didnt have their howitzers? Then that is the fault of the strategists who couldn't look forward far enough to know that swatting at the hive brings the bees out, or couldn't look back far enough to know that at Ia Drang and Chosin artillery is all that allowed any of those men to walk out alive.
This one outpost being overrun points at the very readiness of our Army. As we have young soldiers taking leadership positions in jobs they have never done. As the Soldiers with all the experience get out because they just want to do they job they know provides accurate and lethal effects in 30 seconds or less and saves lives. They "old fogies" don't know the job they're required to do anymore so the experience of those NCOs is for not.
Maybe I'm just ranting but to me the 9 minutes and 30 seconds between when the received fire support SHOULD HAVE received fire support was an eternity too long, and 9 families will have to deal with it's lasting effects.