Welcome to Ridgway’s Notebook, your home for airborne PME. We offer penetrating essays on military history. Through the World War II experiences of General Matthew Ridgway and the 82nd Airborne Division, we illustrate some of the similarities between the questions asked by officers of the 82nd yesterday and today—and dissect how they came to be.
The FOB in the 90s - Forward Operating Base- for example Desert Storm - was logistics assets maneuvering. The LOGPAC was a full logistics resupply mobile column that emphasized fuel, ammunition and food/water.
Everything was MOBILE.
Our Depot level maintenance was MOBILE. Depot level maintenance for the reader is major repairs, 3-4 maintenance echelons back.
I was there I’m not making it up, I saw all of it. Also saw it practiced in peacetime exercises before and after.
Then came the War on Terror or something and we ended up with Colonial government by default - and so static.
By 2006 in Iraq “we went to war and Garrison broke out.”
“Forward “ became the Gate.
LOGPACs became fixed schedule supply runs between fixed bases hauling goods to the PX and shopettes , Burger Kings and Green Beans. The known, fixed schedule on the few hard roads supply runs were easily targeted and blown up all day and night long, with every movement transmitted on unsecured FM nets because the civilian vehicles being escorted didn’t have crypto. It was called The Sheriff’s Net and anyone with a civilian radio could listen in, as the checkpoints never changed it would take a dim lad indeed to not figure out their location.
I doubt I’m giving anything away here saying Checkpoint 59A was blown up every single night we were there-14 months.
This is the price of discipline.
Our discipline being that of the slave, not the soldier. I first wrote that in 2007, and anyone who counted knew it was me.
So in closing, in general maneuver is to be preferred to static, because if static your soldiers suffer and die to keep AAFES in clover 💵.
May I suggest if static allow no wire or barrier in rear areas?
This will keep people focused, because Fear you see .. isn’t the mind killer but the minds only real tool for perspective.
The FOB in the 90s - Forward Operating Base- for example Desert Storm - was logistics assets maneuvering. The LOGPAC was a full logistics resupply mobile column that emphasized fuel, ammunition and food/water.
Everything was MOBILE.
Our Depot level maintenance was MOBILE. Depot level maintenance for the reader is major repairs, 3-4 maintenance echelons back.
I was there I’m not making it up, I saw all of it. Also saw it practiced in peacetime exercises before and after.
Then came the War on Terror or something and we ended up with Colonial government by default - and so static.
By 2006 in Iraq “we went to war and Garrison broke out.”
“Forward “ became the Gate.
LOGPACs became fixed schedule supply runs between fixed bases hauling goods to the PX and shopettes , Burger Kings and Green Beans. The known, fixed schedule on the few hard roads supply runs were easily targeted and blown up all day and night long, with every movement transmitted on unsecured FM nets because the civilian vehicles being escorted didn’t have crypto. It was called The Sheriff’s Net and anyone with a civilian radio could listen in, as the checkpoints never changed it would take a dim lad indeed to not figure out their location.
I doubt I’m giving anything away here saying Checkpoint 59A was blown up every single night we were there-14 months.
This is the price of discipline.
Our discipline being that of the slave, not the soldier. I first wrote that in 2007, and anyone who counted knew it was me.
So in closing, in general maneuver is to be preferred to static, because if static your soldiers suffer and die to keep AAFES in clover 💵.
May I suggest if static allow no wire or barrier in rear areas?
This will keep people focused, because Fear you see .. isn’t the mind killer but the minds only real tool for perspective.
Otherwise War means Garrison breaks out.
Stay frosty. ☃️