thought you would find this of interest


>
> Subject: Thoughts from former Dir of Mil History, USAFA
>
> A friend forwarded this to me. I think it well worth reading.
>
> << From: Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
>  Recently, I was asked to look at the recent events through the lens of
> military history. I have joined the cast of thousands who have written an
> "open letter to Americans."
>
>  Dear friends and fellow Americans 14 September, 2001,
>  Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last week's
> attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling from surprise.
> As a career soldier and a student and teacher of military history, I have a
> different perspective and I think you should hear it. This war will be won or
> lost by the American citizens, not diplomats,politicians or soldiers.
>
>  Let me briefly explain.  In spite of what the media, and even our own
> government is telling us, this act was not committed by a group of mentally
> deranged fanatics. To dismiss them as such would be among the gravest of
> mistakes. This attack was committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedicated
> adversary. Don't take this the wrong way. I don't admire these men and I
> deplore their tactics, but I respect their  capabilities. The many parallels
> that have been made with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropos. Not
> only because it was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America,
> but also because we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30
> years after we think this war is over, just like my father's generation had
> to do with the formidable Japanese in the years following WW II.
>
>  These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we must not
> underestimate the power of their moral commitment. Napoleon, perhaps the
> world's greatest combination of soldier and statesman, stated "the moral is
> to the physical as three is to one." Patton thought the Frenchman
> underestimated its importance and said moral conviction was five times more
> important in battle than physical strength. Our enemies are willing - better
> said anxious -- to give their lives for their cause.
>
>  How committed are we America? And for how long? In addition to demonstrating
> great moral conviction, the recent attack demonstrated a mastery of some of
> the basic fundamentals of warfare taught to most military officers worldwide,
> namely simplicity, security and surprise. When I first heard rumors that some
> of these men may have been trained at our own Air War College, it made
> perfect sense to me. This was not a random act of violence, and we can expect
> the same sort of military competence to be displayed in the battle to come.
> This war will escalate, with a good portion of it happening right here in the
> good ol' U.S. of A. These men will not go easily into the night. They do not
> fear us. We must not fear them. In spite of our overwhelming conventional
> strength as the world's only "superpower" (a truly silly term), we are the
> underdog in this fight.
>
>  As you listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed to prepare us for
> the march for war, please realize that America is not equipped or seriously
> trained for the battle ahead. To be certain, our soldiers are much better
> than the enemy, and we have some excellent "counter-terrorist" organizations,
> but they are mostly trained for hostage rescues, airfield seizures, or the
> occasional "body snatch," (which may come in handy). We will be fighting a
> war of annihilation, because if their early efforts are any indication, our
> enemy is ready and willing to die to the last man. Eradicating the enemy will
> be costly and time consuming. They have already deployed their forces in as
> many as 20 countries, and are likely living the lives of everyday citizens.
>
>  Simply put, our soldiers will be tasked with a search and destroy mission on
> multiple foreign landscapes, and the public must be patient and supportive
> until the strategy and tactics can be worked out.
>
>  For the most part, our military is still in the process of redefining itself
> and presided over by men and women who grew up with - and were promoted
> because they excelled in - Cold War doctrine, strategy and tactics. This will
> not be linear warfare, there will be no clear "centers of gravity" to strike
> with high technology weapons. Our vast technological edge will  certainly be
> helpful, but it will not be decisive. Perhaps the perfect metaphor for the
> coming battle was introduced by the terrorists themselves aboard the hijacked
> aircraft -- this will be a knife fight, and it will be won or lost by the
> ingenuity and will of citizens and soldiers, not by software or smart bombs.
>
>  We must also be patient with our military leaders. Unlike Americans who are
> eager to put this messy time behind us, our adversaries have time on their
> side, and they will use it. They plan to fight a battle of attrition, hoping
> to drag the battle out until the American public loses its will to fight.
> This might be difficult to believe in this euphoric time of flag waving and
> patriotism, but it is generally acknowledged that America lacks the stomach
> for a long fight. We need only look as far back as Vietnam, when North
> Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap (also a military history teacher) defeated
> the United States of America without ever winning a major tactical battle.
> American soldiers who marched to war cheered on by flag waving Americans in
> 1965 were reviled and spat upon less than three years later when they
> returned. Although we hope
>  that Usama Bin Laden is no Giap, he is certain to understand and employ the
> concept. We can expect not only large doses of pain like the recent attacks,
> but also less audacious "sand in the gears" tactics, ranging from livestock
> infestations to attacks at water  supplies and power distribution facilities.
>
>  These attacks are designed to hit us in our "comfort zone" forcing the
> average American to "pay more and play less" and eventually eroding our
> resolve. But it can only work if we let it. It is clear to me that the will
> of the American citizenry - you and I - is the center of gravity the enemy
> has targeted. It will be the fulcrum upon which victory or defeat will turn.
> He believes us to be soft, impatient, and self-centered. He may be right, but

> if so, we must change. The Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz, (the most
> often quoted and least read military theorist in history), says that there is
> a "remarkable trinity of war" that is composed of the (1) will of the people,
> (2) the political leadership of the government, and (3) the  chance and
> probability that plays out on the field of battle, in that order.
>
>  Every American citizen was in the crosshairs of last Tuesday's attack, not
> just those that were unfortunate enough to be in the World Trade Center or
> Pentagon. The will of the American people will decide this war. If we are to
> win, it will be because we have what it takes to persevere through a few more
> hits, learn from our mistakes, improvise, and adapt. If we can do that, we
> will eventually prevail.  Everyone I've talked to In the past few days has
> shared a common frustration, saying in one form or another "I just wish I
> could do something!" You are already doing it. Just keep faith in America,
> and continue to support your President and military, and the outcome is
> certain.
>
>  If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally certain.
>  God Bless America
>  Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
>  Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy
>   >>