Thought you might appreciate this....from our Air Force Friends....
>
> Subject: Read and Remember
>
> This contains vital thoughts we must all keep in mind in the coming months
> and years of this "War on Terrorism". We will must the pay a price
> necessary for victory.
>
> The War
>
> Here is an interesting piece from Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
> Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy
>
> 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
