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Started By
Message
re: Retired Green Beret officer: Mattis "left my men to die."
Posted on 12/3/16 at 8:40 am to Jim Rockford
Posted on 12/3/16 at 8:40 am to Jim Rockford
quote:
Retired Lt. Col. Jason Amerine, in a Facebook post,
Professional
0
Posted on 12/3/16 at 8:40 am to Jim Rockford
Amerine sounds like a bitch
Posted on 12/3/16 at 8:44 am to SirWinston
I read the book, "The Only Thing Worth Dying For", which tells this story. Amerine and his ODA troop were the first US personnel to be inserted into southern Afghanistan, with the mission of taking Khandahar. The area was particularly dangerous, because it held most of the Pashtun tribal area, which was densely populated. The US had already teamed up in northern Afghanistan and were kicking arse.
A friendly fire bomb hit them and messed them up pretty bad. The marine base, which was the closest friendly base, wouldn't come help, apparently due to risk of casualties. Mattis was apparently the commanding officer at the marine base, or one of them.
I didn't put any of this together until now. I completely forgot it was Mattis who was one of the commanding officers at the marine base in the book. Amerine and his men were true badasses though, that I can tell u.
A friendly fire bomb hit them and messed them up pretty bad. The marine base, which was the closest friendly base, wouldn't come help, apparently due to risk of casualties. Mattis was apparently the commanding officer at the marine base, or one of them.
I didn't put any of this together until now. I completely forgot it was Mattis who was one of the commanding officers at the marine base in the book. Amerine and his men were true badasses though, that I can tell u.
This post was edited on 12/3/16 at 9:04 am
Posted on 12/3/16 at 8:45 am to SirWinston
Am I the only one that thinks Mad Dog will go all Col. Nathan Jessup on some stupid arse Dem idiot during his conf hearings?
I hope not, but it would be absolutely beautiful to watch a man of his character and accomplishments put one of those morons in their place on national TV.
I hope not, but it would be absolutely beautiful to watch a man of his character and accomplishments put one of those morons in their place on national TV.
This post was edited on 12/3/16 at 9:04 am
Posted on 12/3/16 at 8:54 am to Jim Rockford
quote:
Mattis set helicopters under his command to help with the evacuation after the Air Force medevacs arrived at Rhino, “covering our first load of wounded in dust from their rotor wash as they launched,” Amerine wrote. “Cody died around the time we reached Rhino and I was told at least two Afghans died because of the delay but nobody knows for certain,” he wrote.
Kind of a big point, if you ask me. He won't say that it did in fact cost lives. He says may, might have, could have. Lots of innuendo. Also, the whole rotor wash comment is just dumb. That would have happened regardless and has nothing to do with Mattis.
From reading the article, it sounds like Mattis could not be assured of the safety of the rescue crew if he sent it in, so he waited. Sometimes, the CO has to decide if losing a few is better than losing a few more, plus the possibility of a chopper or two being knocked out of commission, which could lead to more deaths.
My guess is this is a petty swipe at Mattis by a guy who has a history with Mattis that goes beyond this one incident.
Posted on 12/3/16 at 8:58 am to Jim Rockford
quote:
Probably not, but it will be on the record.
Are all facebook posts on the record?
This post was edited on 12/3/16 at 9:07 am
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:01 am to Jim Rockford
quote:NB4 facts as well. But let's not allow such a small detail to get in the way. Amirite?
NB4 Benghazi
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:09 am to NC_Tigah
I don't even know why OP even brought up Benghazi. Did Mattis go to the press immediately after the event and blame the whole thing on a video and then apologize to the Arab world on behalf of all Americans for said video? 
This post was edited on 12/3/16 at 9:10 am
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:19 am to BJones
This board saying to wait till all the facts come out is fricking adorable.
Yet another piece of crap appointment pick.
Yet another piece of crap appointment pick.
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:19 am to MrCarton
quote:
Obviously I agree with this, but the guy who fricked up was an Air Force TAC-P or CCT
He was a CCT. He had been calling bombs for weeks and apparently for that bomb he decided to use the DAGGR. The bomb was a JDAM, which was a brand new bomb at the time and had special technology used for accuracy, maybe. I don't remember all the details from the book.
The bomb was being called off of a hill they had taken, in which they were trying to bomb an enemy cave. They picked the JDAM because it would flatten the entire cave. He got the coords for the cave and accidently removed them through a mistake in the technology process and sent the ODA's position to the bomber.
The 2000 pound bomb struck within 25-50 yards of them. The Afghani fighters seemed to take the most causalties, as it basically fell on top of them. JD and Dan were instantly killed with a bunch of others wounded. Prosser was alive and I'm pretty sure unconscious, but ended up succumbing to his wounds, either in the chopper or not, I can't remember. The air force PJ's evacuated them and were going to work on the guys as best as possible.
You've basically detailed all of the information. The medevac was extremely dangerous, due to few friendly areas being located by the ODA's position, fuel concerns, and having to fly low over a densely populated area during the middle of the day. Most helicopter missions were done at night.
One of the choppers that extracted them out of the area was flying low over Kandahar and had to be refueled midflight. I'm sure this one of Mattis' largest concerns, because if his choppers went down as well, everyone was screwed.
It was a very interesting read. The book goes into detail about how Amerine and Karzai, who's a brilliant man, btw, worked tirelessly to rid the Taliban from the area.
This post was edited on 12/3/16 at 9:28 am
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:21 am to Mr. Katanga
quote:
Yet another piece of crap appointment pick.
Why is that?
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:21 am to Jim Rockford
Unfortunately HRC's putrid and anemic performance in Benghazi did not do her in, though it should have. In fact, if it had truly mattered, she shouldn't have even run for the Office.
As to the alleged Matt is conduct, guess we'll see
As to the alleged Matt is conduct, guess we'll see
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:23 am to Jim Rockford
This definitely needs some further investigation and I would like to hear his side of the story and his reasoning behind his decisions in this case
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:28 am to Gulf Coast Tiger
I am sure that as a Leutinant Co. He has never made decisions that his subordinates thought were wreck less and may have cost lives
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:28 am to Jim Rockford
This isn't even news. It's just news to the people the media wants it to be news to now.
Do you frickers ever have an original thought?
Oh. And, I'm actually very familiar with this and bluntly speaking, I think he shouldn't have delayed.
That said, there only people who think this is comparable to the Benghazi situation are people who don't possess enough general knowledge on the subject to know better.
If I had to guess though, it's a decision the General even second guesses himself on.
Here's a reality for you. That's the case for every combat leader who has served. Hell. Not even combat leaders.
My wife wrestles with a call she made in Afghanistan that was the ONLY right call. Literally zero disagreement.
But five aviators died including three she knew well and called friends.
frick the MSM for this because they don't give a shite about it and they won't really flesh it out. It's just a bludgeon they're using to attack Trump.
Do you frickers ever have an original thought?
Oh. And, I'm actually very familiar with this and bluntly speaking, I think he shouldn't have delayed.
That said, there only people who think this is comparable to the Benghazi situation are people who don't possess enough general knowledge on the subject to know better.
If I had to guess though, it's a decision the General even second guesses himself on.
Here's a reality for you. That's the case for every combat leader who has served. Hell. Not even combat leaders.
My wife wrestles with a call she made in Afghanistan that was the ONLY right call. Literally zero disagreement.
But five aviators died including three she knew well and called friends.
frick the MSM for this because they don't give a shite about it and they won't really flesh it out. It's just a bludgeon they're using to attack Trump.
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:28 am to goatmilker
quote:
Why is that?
Did you see who you asked that question of, he never heard of Mattis until now.Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:29 am to Gulf Coast Tiger
Is there any commander of troops in the field of active battles that has not had troops killed because of his orders both good and bad?
I can't believe that there is a preponderance of commanders who always make the right call. But I just read military history and am not a vet.
I can't believe that there is a preponderance of commanders who always make the right call. But I just read military history and am not a vet.
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:30 am to Purple Spoon
In coming bogus.
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:41 am to Jim Rockford
quote:this doesn't seem unreasonable
At the time, Mattis was reluctant to send aircraft without knowing the situation on the ground, according to an account in The Only Thing Worth Dying For.
Posted on 12/3/16 at 9:55 am to scormi5
quote:
read a good book related to this incident, but more focused on the CIA's operations leading up to and during the invasion of Afghanistan. Those guys had their own support system and were quite outside the Marine's scope of responsibility.
The only thing worth dying for is a fantastic book.
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