5.56 round...and more.
A better bullet will not win the war. But it will help! Going to 6.8 or 7.62 will not win the war. But, if that is what we decide our troops need, give it now!
To win the war, we need a massive troop increase, boots on the ground to go out and eliminate the enemy. We can do that with what we have now as far as arms. 22's will kill the enemy...whether it takes 2, or 3 hits with the current ammo as some claim, or perhaps better one-stop shots with the new stuff.
But whatever it takes...until we kill enough of them, they will continue to ambush, snipe and bomb us. Until they believe we are in this to win, and are not going to pack up and run in 2014, they believe all they have to do is wait! That our spineless politicians will wimp and fold, turn Quisling.
They may!
We could not win with 30,000 troops...70,000 troops, now our increase to 100,000 will make a difference. But is it enough? Politicians and Generals seem to me to try and just "Make do!" Not enough troops, planes, artillery or drones.
Give our troops what they need! Stop pu**iefooting around, get some cojones and commit to winning the war. Wars are won by committed people willing to pay the price...not just money, but the precious lives of our beloved troops.
If we as a nation decide that we are not willing to pay that price...stop the hypocrisy, the lies and stop b*llsh*tting the troops that we support them. Bring them home before another brave soldier, sailor or marine makes the ultimate sacrifice for an un-appreciative nation, soul-sick and destitute.
We could have won the war in Viet Nam, but ridiculous ROE's and arbitrary bounds on imaginary battlefields tied our hands...letting the enemy retreat and regroup...to slaughter our men another day. Stupid then, stupid now!
Today in Afghanistan, we are showing that we have learned nothing from history! We did not let the Germans or the Japs have sanctuaries, we pursued them to their homes and made them surrender. If the battlefield is defined by the troops, the military...no place is a sanctuary for the enemy.
If the battlefield is defined by the politicians, and the enemy can retreat to a safe area where we will not pursue...they have no need to surrender, or to seek peace. If we can see this, what excuse do our "Rulers" have for pursing this abominable course of action?
The Federal Gov't under Sherman destroyed Atlanta in one of the most ruthless acts of the war. While this caused outrage, it sowed the seeds of despair and fear, making the South more ready to seek peace and surrender.
The Federal Gov't realized the invasion of the Jap homeland would result in millions of casualties. We were committed to win the war and dropped two nukes. It caused outrage, but sowed the seeds of despair and fear, causing the Japs to seek peace and surrender.
There is nothing of value in Afghanistan...no target worthy of a nuke. Only the Muhjadeen...scattered enemy troops, small groups hiding in the hills. Nukes won't work...only putting enough troops in the field to seek out and eliminate them will work. That comes with a high price, lives. Ours are important to me...theirs are of no consequence.
Do we want to win? The politicians say YES, but they lie. They want to win, if they can get it at a bargain-basement price. That is not possible. What do we want? 50% percent of the nation think we are losing the war.
50% percent want to pack up and run. Less than 50% want to stay and fight.
One of McCrystals problems was he said we would lose the war in 12 months. If the former head of the forces in Afghanistan believed that enough to get fired...doesn't somebody in this administration need to pull their head(s) out and take a good, fresh look?
If we stick to the current plan, Pacification and Nation-building...it may work, if we are willing to stay at war for 20 more years. Somehow I don't see that.
Anybody esle see it differently? Anybody got a better plan that does not inclued 50,000 to 100,000 total casualties? I am listening...
God bless America, God bless our troops...they deserve the best of us.