But what ISN'T being said is the far-reaching effect this treatment will have on the war on terror- WIDE ranging. 

Remember the bit I posted about what The One said about who he REALLY feared in Afghanistan?

Was I afraid of these guys [villagers]?  No.  Was I afraid of their possible buddies in the Taliban?  No.  Was I afraid of the liberal media back in the U.S.A.?
Yes.

Add to that now, ''will the JAG prosecute me anyway for following orders?"

Think about this- your job is as a sniper or scout; be it SEAL, OGA, SF, Ranger.  Your job is to find a hide in the Afghan mountains, monitor the situation, and take 'appropriate action'.   While you are out, what's going to change back in the head shed while you're on the move?  Are you going to take that chance?  The One and team lost comms- what do YOU do?  And this ain't no LRC station, either!

Are we now going to see Marine companies prosecuted as a whole for Fallujah?  Will the lawyers for KSM demand he be let go because of how he was captured by OGA?

WHERE THE HELL HAS LEADERSHIP GONE IN THE MILITARY?  Where the hell is INTEGRITY in the officer corps?  You cannot convince me, yet, that LTG Kearney is showing integrity by this prosecution when 2 other investigations have cleared them.

Its not all doom and gloom- I met some fantastic people over there, fighting the good fight, making things happen, and working their a$$ off.  Then, we get people like BG Kimmit,  and a few others, who never should have been selected.  I realize  good talent is always hard to find, no matter what field of endeavor, but hey, aren't  WE supposed to be grooming these people ourselves???

I stand by my comments about LTG Kearney, that his Ranger exposure and experience may not be the best for what his position requires- especially given that we are in an Asymmetric environment that is still being studied and defined every single day, globally.  Over-rigidness will get you killed in many instances. 

One of the basic principles of leadership I learned early on in one of my command assignments was that if I was willing to trust someone to conduct a mission, and I put them on the mission, then I better be ready to trust what judgment they used in its conduct.  If THEY screwed up, I screwed up.  Leadership is far more than just teaching what's in 11-1/2 or 670-1.   And its far more than  being the one who yells and belittles the loudest, as well.  Leadership is just as much about mentorship and applying those principles and processes in your subordinates.  Then applying as much pressure-intense training as you can and see who can swim, or who sinks.  The best leaders can apply that in REAL situations, not just training. 

And have the integrity and fortitude to make the call on those that can, or cannot.  No matter what level.

Remember this- good management does NOT imply good leadership- far from it.

A SEVERE culling of the herd is due.

-Wolf

I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within.
 

One cannot wage war under present conditions without the support of public opinion, which is tremendously molded by the press and other forms of propaganda.

Douglas MacArthur