By now you have heard of the the latest outrage of the athletic apparel, Nike hiring of Colin Kapernick as a spokesman for the 30th anniversay of their "Just Do It" campaign. Kapernick's face is superimposed with the sentences "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything." While Kapernick blew his NFL career (IMHO, he would not work harder to adjust to NFL defenses that adjusted to him, who is very talented, but talent is not enough) I'm still wondering what this has been NFL player is sacrificing. His net worth is estimated between twenty and thirty million dollars. He's getting one award after another for protesting "police oppression," and his dumb ass did get a contract. One million for a book he'll pay a ghost writer to pen. Sounds like he's "living large," not suffering from oppression.
Well I found this website and the host says it's better than I can ever do.
Yesterday it was announced that you would be having Colin Kaepernick represent your “Just Do It” campaign. A bold move. Immediately the outcry began to boycott your products. I would like to say that I will not be boycotting your products…because I don’t buy them anyway. My boycott would be absolutely worthless. I do, however, have an opinion on the subject and since you seem to be quite excited about opinions, I’m sure mine will be just as important to you as Mr. Kaepernick’s. (I realize this will likely get me all kinds of hate mail, but I’m blue family, that’s pretty par for the course these days thanks to folks like your new spokesman.)
Let me begin by saying that I am fully supportive of your right to make this decision as well as Mr. Kaepernick’s right to his opinion. That being said, just because you HAVE a right doesn’t mean you ARE right, and, contrary to what virtually all mainstream media seems to believe these days, spreading misinformed or misleading opinions is generally unwise and reckless, but I’ll get to that.
There seems to be a large group of people who have a hard time understanding the visceral reaction to this news by the rest of America- and specifically the majority of our law enforcement and military communities. I think there are several reasons behind this that should probably be examined and at least thoughtfully considered by any responsible, conscientious member of society.
Let’s take it back to the beginning, when Mr. Kaepernick first decided he would no longer stand for the playing of our National Anthem. To be clear, he has every right to make that decision. That right does not make him exempt from consequences. When you use your right to free speech to do something that is perceived as blatantly disrespectful to a huge swath of the country, you’re not really a victim of anything but your own poor discernment.
Why was his refusal to stand for the National Anthem so inflammatory? I don’t want to speak for others, but I would be honored if you’d hear my own reasons.
When I was a child, I grew up around veterans. A couple in our church had lost a son in Vietnam and had taken all the area veterans under their wing. There’s not a veteran in the county who doesn’t know Mom and Pop Hensley. I spent a lot of time around them and gained a huge amount of respect for those who had served, especially those who were so horrifically disrespected upon their return to the states.
Have you ever stood next to a combat veteran during the National Anthem? Watched their face? It’s different for them. Why?
Well there’s a piece of shrapnel on our bedroom dresser that’s a reminder of all I nearly missed out on with my husband. His father carries his shrapnel still inside him. They walk around like the rest of us, but they’re not like the rest of us. They’re different. Frankly, they’re better. They know what it’s like to have something worth dying for. What was worth dying for? The people of their beloved country…the one represented by the National Anthem.
When we lived on base the National Anthem was played every afternoon. No matter what you were doing…you stopped. Traffic stopped. Conversation stopped. Playing stopped. The whole base went silent while those hallowed notes rang out. If you were sitting, you stood. It’s was ingrained in the whole community. Expected respect for all that song stood for and all those who had sacrificed everything for it.
True sacrifice.
If you’ve never held your spouse while they wept for a fallen comrade I don’t expect you to understand, but a little respect goes a long way.
The fact that Mr. Kaepernick chose this method as a way to make a point is one issue. The point he’s trying to make is completely another.
Originally, we were told this was a protest against police brutality. It’s morphed many times into something vague about equality, but it was anti-police at its very core…as Mr. Kaepernick has expressed his disdain for law enforcement.
Frankly, the NFL has a long history of its players being on the wrong side of the law, and as common sense will tell you, criminals generally dislike the police, so an anti-police protest makes for an easy sell. Again, Mr. Kaepernick has a right to his opinion, but it’s still stupid. (I tried to find a more polite and eloquent way to say that, but nothing quite fit like “stupid.”)
We’re told we need to stand together to fight against police brutality which is specifically and disproportionately imposed on African Americans. It’s a fact that has been shouted from the rooftops by everyone from the media, to the politicians, to overpaid football players. Except that isn’t true.
You see, facts are interesting things. It’s easy to look up a few “facts” and twist them to fit your narrative. But a half-truth is still a lie.
I’d like to give an example. If you Google people killed by the police this year one of the top results is a database put together by the Washington Post. According to this database 684 people have been killed by the police this year. (The fact that they actually have a database for this is very telling to their position on the narrative, I think, but I digress.)
If you filter the results you find that 121 of those killed were black…as opposed to 264 white. Hm. Ok, per this database, whites have been killed twice as much as blacks this year. Interesting. Of those killed, 34 were unarmed. THIRTY-FOUR out of 684. Now there are a lot of factors to consider when you look for justified use of force, but I think that’s a pretty interesting statistic.
Even more interesting to me was this…at the bottom of the page it shows a slider with the newest deaths.
Here’s what’s listed on their database site, “An unidentified person, a man with a gun, was shot on Aug. 29, 2018, in Washington Court House, Ohio.” Beneath that are the stats that were put into the data base. “Ohio. Male. Unknown race. Unknown Age. No/Unknown mental illness. Gun. No body cam recording. Not fleeing.” Then it lists its sources.
Here’s the problem.
In a 2-minute Google search, I found the rest of the story they haven’t bothered to update. According to myfox28columbus.com and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office the “victim” was 72-year-old male who had been identified in the sexual assault of a juvenile. The confrontation took place when police received a report of the suspect parked near a common drop off site for elementary school students. By the time a detective arrived on scene, he was no longer there, but was located in the area. When contact was made, he displayed a firearm which he was told repeatedly to drop and would not, resulting in his being shot.
So, we go from the incomplete story of “a man was killed by the police” to a 72-year-old identified in SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A JUVENILE was by an ELEMENTARY SCHOOL drop off WITH A GUN. He brandished the gun and got shot.
Totally different. And if all they’re updating is the initial facts without updating the information as it becomes available, well…you can probably make it say anything you want, right?
A few clicks down on the slider you find “Sebastian Siney Chamale, a 37-year-old man, was shot on Aug 28, 2018, in Tarboro, NC.” Followed by “NC. Male. Unknown Race. 30 to 44. No/Unknown mental illness. Weapon unknown. No body cam. Not fleeing.”
This guy was caught in the act of breaking into someone’s home. That’s not in the database of course, but you’re welcome to Google it.
Two small examples that I share to make this point…YOUR STATISTICS DON’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY.
As we’ve seen over and over, people frequently make inflammatory accusations against officers and then body cam footage shows a completely different story. But, of course, by that time the initial lie is spread around the world. The damage is done.
Side note: My very favorite filter on the database is the “not fleeing” option. As if “not fleeing” is synonymous with complying. You can ambush an officer and not be fleeing. So, I feel like that’s pretty irrelevant, but hey, if it helps you feed the narrative.
Since we’re all about shouting facts at each other these days, here’s a few to ponder. 98 law enforcement officers have lost their lives in the line of duty so far this year. 36 states have lost officers as well as the U.S. Government. Not breaking the law, just doing their jobs. They went to work and never came home.
According to www.nleomf.org there were 58,627 assaults against police officers in 2016. That’s a lot of brutality. Might even be worth protests. I dunno.
But here’s the big statistic…according to that same site there are currently about 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the U.S. right now. 900,000 law enforcement officers. 684 people killed by an officer. Even if you said every one of those was somehow unjustified that leaves 99.9% of officers who haven’t killed anyone this year. (Please note, the cases of unjustified shootings would make this number significantly less, but I’m trying to be liberal here.) The number of people who were “victims” of police brutality while not breaking the law and complying with lawful orders…yeah…I can’t seem to find that in a database because the number is so low it’s not even worth reporting, but if you find it, let me know.
But THIS is the issue we’re supposed to get behind? Not the number of women assaulted by NFL players? The DUIs? The abuse? Police officers are the real problem and kneeling for the National Anthem is how you propose we fix it? And that makes you a hero????
I’m going to get really real here for a minute. I don’t give a darn about the stats either way. A database isn’t why I feel so strongly about this. Statistics are not the reason my hands shake typing this. Statistics don’t tuck my kids in at night. The reason this movement is so repulsive to me is that it’s killing my family. Literally.
People like Mr. Kaepernick painting the entirety of law enforcement with a broad, inaccurate brush and insinuating that they are the enemy and that there is no need to respect those who wear a badge has created a more dangerous environment for MY husband. For MY friends. For MY family.
It’s interesting that the same day you honor a man who is trying to salvage his fame by throwing law enforcement under the bus, a wonderful husband and father was shot in the head just trying to arrest a shoplifter. Blue families are so incredibly tired of sending our loved ones out into a world where they are constantly lied about and unappreciated at best and assaulted or killed at worst. We’re tired of people like Mr. Kaepernick who use something we hold so dear to attack that which we give so much to defend.
When you work 14-16-hour days, regularly encounter things no human should ever have to see, and knowingly put your life on the line every time you walk out the door just to earn so little that you can still qualify for food stamps…THEN you can talk about sacrificing everything.
Until then, the rest of us will stand for truth. For the whole story. For the good guys. For the men and women out there sweating in Kevlar just trying to make it home. Those forced by their job to stay silent while the millionaires exercise their “right” to slander them.
Deputy Jailer Randy ZoeRay Haddix
Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office, Nebraska
End of Watch Monday, July 9, 2018
Age 56
Tour 15 years
Cause Heart attack
Incident Date Friday, July 6, 2018
Deputy Jailer Randy Haddix passed away as the result of a heart attack he suffered while participating in a custody and control certification class at the Scottsbluff County Jail in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on July 6th, 2018.
He was transported to a local hospital before being flown to the Medical Center of the Rockies, in Loveland, Colorado, where he passed away on July 9th, 2018.
Deputy Haddix was a National Guard veteran. He had served with the Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office for three months and had previously served with the Broken Bow Police Department for 15 years. He is survived by his wife, sister, and two brothers.
Police Officer Vu X. Nguyen
Cleveland Division of Police, Ohio
End of Watch Friday, July 6, 2018
Age 50
Tour 25 years
Badge 1534
Cause Duty related illness
Incident Date Monday, July 2, 2018
Police Officer Vu Nguyen passed away four days after collapsing during a 1.5-mile timed run that was part of the agency's canine handler eligibility process.
He and other candidates were participating in the physical fitness portion of the process in 90+ degree heat when he collapsed during the run on July 2nd, 2018. He was transported to MetroHealth where his condition continued to worsen. He was flown to Cleveland Clinic where he passed away on July 6th, 2018.
Officer Nguyen had served with the Cleveland Division of Police for over 20 years and had previously served with the Cleveland Division of Corrections for four years. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Trooper Nicholas F. Clark
New York State Police, New York
End of Watch Monday, July 2, 2018
Age 29
Tour 2 years, 10 months
Badge 5528
Cause Gunfire
Trooper Nicholas Clark was shot and killed when he and other officers responded to a suicidal subject at 10041 Welch Road, in Erwin, New York.
He had responded to the residence, along with members of the Steuben County Sheriff's Office and Corning Police Department, after the man's wife called 911 at approximately 3:30 am and reported that he was suicidal and possibly armed. Crisis negotiators were attempting to make contact with the subject when he opened fire, fatally wounding Trooper Clark. The subject was found deceased a short time later suffering from a self inflicted gunshot wound.
Trooper Clark had served with the New York State Police for just under three years. He is survived by his parents and brother. He was a former two-time high school state wrestling champion and had previously tried out for the Buffalo Bills football team.
Special Agent Timothy Allan Ensley
United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Government
End of Watch Sunday, June 24, 2018
Age Not available
Tour 9 years
Cause Duty related illness
Location Overseas
Incident Date Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Special Agent Tim Ensley died after contracting Dengue fever while on a temporary duty assignment to Indonesia in May 2018.
He was medically evacuated to Singapore where his condition continued to worsen. He passed away as a result of complications on June 24th, 2018.
Special Agent Ensley had served with HSI for nine years and was assigned to the Seattle Field Office's Child Exploitation Investigations. He is survived by his wife, four children, and mother.
I’ve often said when you think stupidity has reached rock bottom, wait. Someone will pick out a pick ax, or in this case, a jack hammer, and reach greater depths.
Sacramento, CA – A jury has awarded $2.75 million to the family of a man who was fatally shot by a Los Banos police officer as he was actively stabbing the officer with a pair of scissors.
According to the jury, the officer used “unreasonable force” by shooting one too many times, the Merced Sun-Star reported.
The incident took place at approximately 3 p.m. on Sep. 2, 2013, when 80-year-old Tan Lam called police to report that he had been assaulted by his 43-year-old son, Sonny Lam...
...He said he was worried about Sonny’s mental health, and said Sonny had threatened to kill him.
Los Banos Police Officer Jairo Acosta responded to the Lams’ shared residence, but was not made aware of Sonny’s purported mental health issues, the Merced Sun-Star reported.
Tan escorted Officer Acosta into a room, where the officer attempted to convince Sonny to come outside.
Sonny refused, then grabbed a pair of scissors, police said.
“[He] attacked Officer Acosta, stabbing him in his left arm,” the Los Banos Police Department said in a press release on Friday. “The Officer drew his firearm and a struggle ensued between the Officer and the suspect over the firearm.”
“Fearing for his safety, the Officer discharged his weapon twice, striking the suspect in the left leg and the chest,” the department said.
Sonny was rushed to a local hospital, but died of his injuries during surgery.
On Aug. 15, a Sacramento jury ruled that Sonny stabbed Officer Acosta with the scissors before the officer shot him in the leg, the Merced Sun-Star reported.
“But the jury was unclear as to whether the Officer was under immediate threat when he fired the second round…the round that caused the suspect’s death,” the police department said in the press release.
Because Sonny did not have ahold Officer Acosta’s gun, the jurors ruled that Officer Acosta was negligent in shooting Sonny the second time...
...They held Sonny comparatively at fault, thereby reducing the final verdict amount by 30 percent, the department said.
Now we have a jury saying a man, being stabbed by a suspect, flies twice instead of once, while the suspect is trying to grab his weapon, and he used unreasonable force! Good God, I’m surprised these morons didn’t indict the cop for not de-escalating the situation.
I’ve also said, but a fork into California, it’s done.
Police Officer Mathew J. Mazany
Mentor Police Department, Ohio
End of Watch Sunday, June 24, 2018
Age 41
Tour 14 years
Cause Vehicular assault
Police Officer Mathew Mazany was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while assisting another officer during a traffic stop on Route 2, near Route 306, at approximately 1:00 am.
The vehicle that had been stopped contained a subject wanted in another jurisdiction. As the officers began to approach the car to take the person into custody another vehicle entered the area and struck Officer Mazany. The vehicle fled the scene after striking Officer Mazany but was located several hours later and the driver was taken into custody.
Officer Mazany had served with the Mentor Police Department for 14 years. He is survived by his son, father, and brother.
K9 Cade
Hendricks County Sheriff's Office, Indiana
End of Watch Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Breed Belgian Malinois
Gender Male
Age 5
Tour 3 years, 6 months
Cause Duty related illness
Incident Date Tuesday, July 3, 2018
K9 Cade died after suffering a medical emergency while tracking a suspect in the area of Ronald Reagan Parkway and County Road 300 North in Brownsburg, Indiana.
Other units had attempted to stop a vehicle, which fled and led them on a pursuit. The subject drove to a woodline and then fled on foot into the woods. Officers set up a perimeter and K9 Cade was deployed to track and apprehend the subject.
K9 Cade began showing symptoms of distress and was immediately transported to a local veterinarian. He succumbed the following day.
K9 Cade had served with Hendricks County Sheriff's Office for 3-1/2 years.
Rest in Peace …till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!
In Memory of all Police Dogs
They handled themselves with beauty & grace
And who could ever forget that beautiful face
Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test
They always worked hard; and did their best
They were real champions; at work or at play
But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day
While working on the job with their partner one day
They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way
They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give
They gave up their life; so someone could live
The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say
Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way
Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze
The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees
The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall
Off in the distance they can see a waterfall
As they look over the falls; down through the creek
The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek
Far up above; in the deep blue sky
They see the birds soar high; as they fly by
They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall
Chasing each other; and just having a ball
They play all day; from morning to night
There's no more rain; just warm sunlight
Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow
Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow
The harps would play and the angels would sing
As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings
We remember that they died; in the line of duty
And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty
Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free
With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree
No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take
Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake
A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore
Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more
These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above
They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love
We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night
In loving memory of all; these very special knights
Police Officer Richard Lopez
New York City Police Department, New York
End of Watch Sunday, June 24, 2018
Cause 9/11 related illness
Incident Date Tuesday, September 11, 2001
Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet
Age 52
Tour 20 years
Badge 2220
Police Officer Richard Lopez died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.
Officer Lopez was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the New York City Police Department for 20 years. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and brother.
On the morning of September 11th, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
After the impact of the first plane into the World Trade Center's North Tower, putting the safety of others before their own, law enforcement officers along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety. Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.
As the evacuation continued, the South Tower unexpectedly collapsed as a result of the intense fire caused by the impact. The North Tower collapsed a short time later. Seventy-one law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site.
A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer, who was a passenger on the plane, was killed in that crash.
The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon on 9/11.
The terrorist attacks resulted in the declaration of war against the Taliban regime, the illegal rulers of Afghanistan, and the al Qaeda terrorist network which also was based in Afghanistan.
On September 9th, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11th, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.
The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescue personnel to become extremely ill and eventually led to the death of several rescue workers.
On May 1st, 2011 members of the United States military conducted a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden.
K9 Choper
Conewango Township Police Department, Pennsylvania
End of Watch Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Breed German Shepherd
Gender Male
Age 5
Tour 3 years
Cause Fall
Incident Date Tuesday, June 5, 2018
K9 Choper died from injuries suffered when he fell from the roof of a three-story building at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue And Elm Street in Warren, Pennsylvania.
He and his handler were conducting a training exercise in the abandoned building with the accident occurred at approximately 9:35 pm. K9 Choper was rushed to a veterinary hospital where he died shortly after midnight.
K9 Choper had served with the Conewango Township Police Department for three years.
Rest in Peace …till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!
In Memory of all Police Dogs
They handled themselves with beauty & grace
And who could ever forget that beautiful face
Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test
They always worked hard; and did their best
They were real champions; at work or at play
But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day
While working on the job with their partner one day
They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way
They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give
They gave up their life; so someone could live
The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say
Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way
Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze
The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees
The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall
Off in the distance they can see a waterfall
As they look over the falls; down through the creek
The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek
Far up above; in the deep blue sky
They see the birds soar high; as they fly by
They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall
Chasing each other; and just having a ball
They play all day; from morning to night
There's no more rain; just warm sunlight
Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow
Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow
The harps would play and the angels would sing
As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings
We remember that they died; in the line of duty
And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty
Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free
With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree
No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take
Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake
A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore
Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more
These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above
They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love
We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night
In loving memory of all; these very special knights
Senior Police Officer Christopher Driver was killed in a vehicle crash in front of 4112 South Church Street while on duty at approximately 10:30 pm.
His patrol car collided with the back of a tree-trimming bucket truck that was left parked in his travel lane. The truck was being towed illegally when its brakes failed and the 46-year-old driver had to stop. While the driver went in search of help, Officer Driver who was responding to the scene, after being told that the truck was possibly stolen, hit the vehicle. The lights on the back of the vehicle were so dim they could not be seen unless one was very close to them. The driver was arrested and charged with illegal tow of a vehicle, leaving an unattended vehicle, and misdemeanor death by vehicle. Another man, who was in the truck that was hit, ran away when the accident happened. He was charged with illegal tow of a vehicle, misdemeanor death by vehicle, and leaving the scene of an accident. The accident is being investigated by the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
Officer Driver had served with the Rocky Mount Police Department for five years. He is survived by his wife.
Correctional Officer Tawanna Marin was struck and killed by a vehicle while supervising an inmate work crew near the intersection of Sample Road and Lyons Road in Coconut Creek.
She was standing behind a Florida DOT dump truck when another vehicle entered the area and struck her, causing her to become pinned between the car and dump truck. She was extricated from the wreckage and transported to Broward Health North where she succumbed to her injuries.
Officer Marin had served with the Florida Department of Corrections for nine years.
K9 Tuco
Stephens County Sheriff's Office, Oklahoma
End of Watch Sunday, May 20, 2018
Breed German Shepherd
Gender Male
Cause Drowned
K9 Tuco drowned after his handler's patrol car crashed into a flooded ravine on Highway 29 while responding to a water rescue at approximately 4:00 am.
The patrol car hydroplaned and rolled over into the water. Another deputy following behind the patrol car was able to rescue Tuco's handler from the vehicle, which was submerged under water. The two deputies both tried to rescue Tuco but were unable to remove him from the vehicle.
Rest in Peace Tuco…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!
In Memory of all Police Dogs
They handled themselves with beauty & grace
And who could ever forget that beautiful face
Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test
They always worked hard; and did their best
They were real champions; at work or at play
But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day
While working on the job with their partner one day
They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way
They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give
They gave up their life; so someone could live
The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say
Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way
Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze
The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees
The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall
Off in the distance they can see a waterfall
As they look over the falls; down through the creek
The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek
Far up above; in the deep blue sky
They see the birds soar high; as they fly by
They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall
Chasing each other; and just having a ball
They play all day; from morning to night
There's no more rain; just warm sunlight
Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow
Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow
The harps would play and the angels would sing
As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings
We remember that they died; in the line of duty
And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty
Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free
With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree
No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take
Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake
A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore
Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more
These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above
They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love
We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night
In loving memory of all; these very special knights
K9 Bane
Phoenix Police Department, Arizona
End of Watch Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Breed Belgian Malinois
Gender Male
Age 3
Tour 2 years
K9 Bane was killed while attempting an apprehension following a vehicle pursuit of a stolen vehicle.
A male and female had led officers on a 30-minute pursuit after carjacking a vehicle. The pursuit ended after the vehicle struck stop sticks in the area of 27th Avenue and Bethany Home Road. Both subjects fled the scene. The female was immediately apprehended while the subject fled on foot. A SWAT team located the subject hiding in the attic of a nearby home and K9 Bane was released for an apprehension but was killed during the apprehension. The exact cause of death is not yet determined.
K9 Bane had served with the Phoenix Police Department for two years.
Rest in Peace Bane…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!
In Memory of all Police Dogs
They handled themselves with beauty & grace
And who could ever forget that beautiful face
Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test
They always worked hard; and did their best
They were real champions; at work or at play
But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day
While working on the job with their partner one day
They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way
They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give
They gave up their life; so someone could live
The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say
Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way
Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze
The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees
The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall
Off in the distance they can see a waterfall
As they look over the falls; down through the creek
The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek
Far up above; in the deep blue sky
They see the birds soar high; as they fly by
They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall
Chasing each other; and just having a ball
They play all day; from morning to night
There's no more rain; just warm sunlight
Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow
Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow
The harps would play and the angels would sing
As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings
We remember that they died; in the line of duty
And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty
Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free
With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree
No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take
Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake
A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore
Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more
These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above
They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love
We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night
In loving memory of all; these very special knights
Deputy Sheriff Theresa Sue King
Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office, Kansas
End of Watch Saturday, June 16, 2018
Age 44
Tour 13 years
Badge 1689
Deputy Sheriff Patrick Thomas Rohrer
Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office, Kansas
End of Watch Friday, June 15, 2018
Age 35
Tour 7 years
Badge 1903
Deputy Sheriff Patrick Rohrer and Deputy Sheriff Theresa King were shot and killed as they transported a prisoner to the Wyandotte County Correction and Court Services Building, at 800 7th Street, at approximately 11:15 am.
They were unloading the prisoner from the transport van in the facility's exterior sally port when the man attacked them. He was able to disarm one of the deputies and shot them both. Despite being mortally wounded, one of the deputies was able to return fire and wounded the subject.
Deputy King was transported to a local hospital where she passed away shortly after midnight.
Deputy King had served with the Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office for 13 years. She is survived by her three children.
Deputy Rohrer had served with the Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office for seven years. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son, parents, sister, and grandmother.
As a kid one of my favorite shows was Adam-12, the story of two LA police officers working the beat. Many a cop (myself included) were inspired by the story of officers Mally and Reed. But at the beginning of every episode, you heard the dispatcher caller out their numbers:
Sometimes, when you hear the alert tone, it feels like this:
But on a more serious note, emergency centers are having a problem hiring staff:
Tight labor market has made it harder to recruit; ‘We need a warm body’
Cities across the U.S. are struggling to find 911 dispatchers as a historically tight labor market makes it harder to fill a job that was already a tough sell.
Dispatchers are a linchpin of the nation’s emergency-response infrastructure. Their responses to 911 calls directly impact how quickly police, firefighters and other first responders are sent to help and whether they go to the right place.
They are also hard to hire, since the job can require workers to make snap judgments on life-or-death situations, often based on incomplete information, for about what they could make working as a manager at a retail store...
...“For a lot of them, the requirement is, ‘We need a warm body’,” said Christy Williams, director of 911 for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. The problem is exacerbated because many 911 centers are small and lack the resources to pay up for workers or training.
The Cowlitz County 911 Center in Washington is trying to hire six new dispatchers, said its director, Deanna Wells. In the meantime, the center’s 16 current dispatchers are working more than 200 hours of overtime a month...
Seeing four weeks, at fourty hours a week, is 160 hours a month, they are working double shifts, plus!:
..Officials charged with staffing centers in several regions of the U.S. say they have struggled to hire 911 telephone operators as the unemployment rate has ticked down.
Emergency call-center jobs can be emotionally taxing. Callers are often in distress and sometimes still in the throes of a traumatic event. They can cry, yell at or grow frustrated with 911 center employees trying to gather information to help them dispatch first responders.
A 911 center operator may hear gunshots, callers being wounded or killed while they are on the phone, or be the first person to speak with someone who has found a deceased loved one. Some centers offer counseling with local religious leaders or trained therapists, but not all have those services.
Operators are “getting negative information all the time. The aura is kind of negative,” said Andrew Dziegielewski, emergency communications director for the Portland Regional Communications Center in Maine...
Dispatchers and emergency call takers don't need a college degree, but they need to know how to get the correct information, prioritize, recognize frequent flyers, know which houses to automatically send multiple units to, and stay calm themselves. In a word, it's an impossible job, see cops, firefighters, etc. And it’s a simple case of supply and demand. The agencies must pay the people enough they will start working a challenging job, and allow them to have a life.
Sergeant Charles Salaway died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.
Sergeant Salaway had served with the New York State Police for 27 years. He is survived by his wife, three sons, and two daughters. His wife and one son both serve with the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office.
On the morning of September 11th, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
After the impact of the first plane into the World Trade Center's North Tower, putting the safety of others before their own, law enforcement officers along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety. Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.
As the evacuation continued, the South Tower unexpectedly collapsed as a result of the intense fire caused by the impact. The North Tower collapsed a short time later. Seventy-one law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site.
A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer, who was a passenger on the plane, was killed in that crash.
The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon on 9/11.
The terrorist attacks resulted in the declaration of war against the Taliban regime, the illegal rulers of Afghanistan, and the al Qaeda terrorist network which also was based in Afghanistan.
On September 9th, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11th, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.
The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescue personnel to become extremely ill and eventually led to the death of several rescue workers.
On May 1st, 2011 members of the United States military conducted a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden.
Please click here to visit the memorials of all of the law enforcement officers killed in this terrorist attack.
Police Officer Charles Irvine was killed in a single-vehicle crash while pursuing another vehicle.
His patrol car left the roadway and collided with a support wall of an overpass at the intersection of West Silver Spring Drive and North 76th Street. Officer Irvine suffered fatal injuries in the crash. His partner was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Officer Irvine had served with the Milwaukee Police Department as a sworn officer for two years and was assigned to the Fourth District. He had previously served with the department as a Police Aide for two years. He is survived by his fiancee, mother, brother, and grandparents.
And women, children, and minorities will be hardest hit.
One of the great results of the end of the Obama regime is the war on cops has been slowed. But it's not over yet. The bureaucracy is still going hard and fast against local police, the premice of what they are concerned over is a lie (Hands Up! Don't Shoot!), and if others get hurt in the process, they are still going for the goal. Federalization of local and state police. And we see another example of the DOJ needing a purging:
Chicago police officers would be encouraged to avoid arresting people over minor offenses and would need permission from supervisors to make arrests related to certain infractions under a proposal by activist groups involved in the litigation over potential reforms to the troubled Police Department.
On Tuesday morning, the groups — which include the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and Black Lives Matter Chicago — released their first organized responses to the proposed court agreement Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan introduced last month.
The criticisms are an attempt to influence the draft of the consent decree before it is submitted to a federal judge, which is expected to happen by early September. The activist organizations, the Emanuel administration and Madigan’s office are still wrangling over details of a potential court order that would eventually serve as a judicially enforceable mandate governing how officers use force and how they will be held accountable, among other issues...
...The groups proposed that the department be required to create a policy that encourages officers to use the “least intrusive response appropriate under the circumstances as reasonably understood by the officer at the time” in dealing with minor offenses. The suggested policy would encourage police to give warnings or divert people to “mediation or public health program(s)” rather than citing or locking them up.For a number of offenses, a supervisor would need to approve the arrest “unless not practicable under the circumstances.” Those crimes range from gambling and prostitution offenses to obstructing, resisting or assaulting a police officer
The activist groups also want the department to be forced to enact a policy on foot pursuits, which have often led to shootings and other uses of force. The consent decree proposed by Emanuel and Madigan leaves room for the creation of a policy but does not mandate it.
And the groups want officers to report every incident in which they point a Taser or a gun at a person, or even draw their firearms. The question of whether the department will have to report instances in which cops aim guns at people has been a sticking point between Madigan’s office and the Emanuel administration. Madigan’s office wants the incidents reported, and city officials apparently do not.
The potential consent decree would be one of the most substantive consequences of the scandal sparked in late 2015 by the release of video of Officer Jason Van Dyke, who is white, shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times. Van Dyke is scheduled to stand trial on murder charges next month.
The video touched off heated protests and led to an investigation of the police force by the U.S. Department of Justice. That inquiry led to a January 2017 report that described a broken Police Department in which badly trained police officers have engaged in brutality and misconduct with little fear of consequences...
OK, you give cops fear of consequences, such as being assertive and going out to prevent crime, there will be a reaction. Cops will simply log on at the beginning of the shift, answer their calls for service, go home at the end of the shift, and not care if they pass by a man getting assaulted or a woman getting her purse grabbed.
Do you want evidence of this? I posted on this in American Thinker last year. A point I made in that article was cops are, by their nature, not trusting. You screw them over and over, and then make correction, it will take time before they believe it.
Rahm Emanuel, the fish have been delivered to your door. But don't worry, the city will still elect you again and again. You have the magical "D" behind your name, and I don't see them ready for their own Rudy Giuliani. Yet.
Collection Operations Manager Christopher Todd Bacon
United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Intelligence, U.S. Government
End of Watch Thursday, June 7, 2018
Age 51
Tour 22 years
Collection Operations Manager Christopher Bacon was killed in a vehicle crash near the intersection of U.S. 2 and County Road 46 near Crookston, Minnesota.
His department vehicle struck the back of a tractor-trailer at approximately 1:00 pm.
Manager Bacon was a U.S. Army veteran. He had served with the United States Customs and Border Protection for 22 years and was assigned to the CBP Office of Intelligence Collection in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He is survived by his wife and four children.
Trooper First Class Walter Greene
Connecticut State Police, Connecticut
End of Watch Thursday, May 31, 2018
Age 51
Tour 28 years
Cause 9/11 related illness
Location New York
Incident Date Tuesday, September 11, 2001
Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet
Trooper First Class Walter Greene died from illnesses he contracted while inhaling toxic materials as he participated in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Trooper Greene and his canine, along with other members of the Connecticut State Police's search and rescue team, had responded to the World Trade Center immediately following the attacks to search for possible survivors.
Trooper Greene was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Connecticut State Police for 28 years. He is survived by his wife and three sons.
On the morning of September 11th, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
After the impact of the first plane into the World Trade Center's North Tower, putting the safety of others before their own, law enforcement officers along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety. Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.
As the evacuation continued, the South Tower unexpectedly collapsed as a result of the intense fire caused by the impact. The North Tower collapsed a short time later. Seventy-one law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site.
A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer, who was a passenger on the plane, was killed in that crash.
The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon on 9/11.
The terrorist attacks resulted in the declaration of war against the Taliban regime, the illegal rulers of Afghanistan, and the al Qaeda terrorist network which also was based in Afghanistan.
On September 9th, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11th, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.
The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescue personnel to become extremely ill and eventually led to the death of several rescue workers.
On May 1st, 2011 members of the United States military conducted a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden.
Please click here to visit the memorials of all of the law enforcement officers killed in this terrorist attack.
Sergeant Daniel Scott Baker
Dickson County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee
End of Watch Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Age 32
Tour 10 years
Badge 95
Sergeant Daniel Baker was shot and killed while responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle in the area of Sam Vineyard Road and Tidwell Switch Road.
Dispatchers lost contact with Sergeant Baker after he arrived at the scene and other officers were sent to make contact with him. His vehicle was tracked by GPS and located several miles away by an officer from another agency. His body was located inside of the vehicle.
The subject who shot him was found days later and was arrested with Sgt. Baker's handcuffs.
Sergeant Baker was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Dickson County Sheriff's Office for 10 years. He is survived by his wife, children, and family including his father and stepbrother, who serve as law enforcement officers with the Spring Hill Police Department.
Special Agent in Charge David J. LeValley
United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Government
End of Watch Saturday, May 26, 2018
Cause 9/11 related illness
Location New York
Incident Date Tuesday, September 11, 2001
Special Agent in Charge David LeValley died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to assist with search and rescue efforts at the World Trade Center site immediately following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.
He spent several weeks at the contaminated World Trade Center site.
Special Agent LeValley had served with the FBI for 22 years and was assigned to the Atlanta Field Office.
On the morning of September 11th, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
After the impact of the first plane into the World Trade Center's North Tower, putting the safety of others before their own, law enforcement officers along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety. Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.
As the evacuation continued, the South Tower unexpectedly collapsed as a result of the intense fire caused by the impact. The North Tower collapsed a short time later. Seventy-one law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site.
A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer, who was a passenger on the plane, was killed in that crash.
The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon on 9/11.
The terrorist attacks resulted in the declaration of war against the Taliban regime, the illegal rulers of Afghanistan, and the al Qaeda terrorist network which also was based in Afghanistan.
On September 9th, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11th, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.
The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescue personnel to become extremely ill and eventually led to the death of several rescue workers.
On May 1st, 2011 members of the United States military conducted a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden.
Please click here to visit the memorials of all of the law enforcement officers killed in this terrorist attack.
...The army is in a free fall and the situation is even more dire than those dark days in the early and mid- 1970’s, when the army was reeling from a myriad of problems: a hostile public who never understood the sacrifices made in Southeast Asia and the heroism of its soldiers there; from drug problems, criminals gangs and race riots in the barracks.
The army was broken after Vietnam, but most of its senior leaders were stronger than those today, and they upheld the values of the institution. With the help of young officers and NCO’s who had survived Vietnam, they vowed to rebuild the army and create an all-volunteer, highly-motivated, modern force which, if called upon to fight a war, would go all the way and never look back.
General Fred Franks, who commanded VII Corps in the Gulf War and who lost a leg in Cambodia in 1970, referred to an almost religious devotion among the army’s leadership to rebuild it. Franks called it ‘the hot blue flame that burned brightly.’
After Vietnam, the problems in the army were mainly at the bottom, unlike today, where the army and the military is a fish rotting from its head.
In the 1970’s, under leadership from people like Bill DePuy, Shy Meyer, Donn Starry, Glen Otis and Dick Cavazos the army developed a new doctrine for war known as air land battle, and received new equipment most commonly known as the Big Five: the M1 Abrams tank, the Bradley, the Apache, the Blackhawk and the Patriot. The army now had equipment that outclassed most of what the Soviet Army and its Warsaw Pact allies possessed.
Most importantly, the army had a new breed of soldiers; they were volunteers who wanted to serve; they were tough, smart and better paid. Some wanted to make it a career, others wanted to earn enough money to go to college. Some were there for the mere adventure. Under the leadership of Vietnam vet NCO’s; men who knew what went wrong and more importantly, how to insure the mistakes never happened again, the army was reborn...
Something I learned ages ago, wars are fought by nations, but they are won by men in battle. And as our national leadership looses awareness of that fact, the more dangerous our world becomes.
I've discovered this website, War on the Rocks, and the columns are very interesting. I found this article on the needs for a close combat training facility very insightlfull.
Nearly 80 years ago, the German blitzkrieg took Europe by storm. Often lost in discussions about the German military’s panzers and Luftwaffe is that the assault on France would have never succeeded had it not been for “the remarkable performance of the German infantry.” Yes, it was the world’s best infantry small units that set the conditions for the German blitzkrieg in Sedan, France, allowing Germany to capture almost all of Western Europe in a month’s time. When the German Army was stopped at the Meuse River in Sedan, these small units, led by carefully selected and trained sergeants, crossed the water obstacle via small boats and then rapidly destroyed dozens of “pillbox” positions that anchored the French defensive system. The speed in which the Wehrmacht’s close combat “storm-troopers” destroyed these positions enabled their armor forces to cross the Meuse and continue their attack to the English Channel faster than the French could respond.
Fast-forward four years to Operation Overlord, when thousands of American and allied infantry formations crossed this channel with a mission to destroy the German military. At Normandy’s landing beaches and in the bocage, or hedgerows, just beyond them, German infantrymen were dug-in and determined to halt the allied assault. Most War on the Rocks readers are likely familiar from watching Saving Private Ryan with what happened to Alpha Company of the 116th Regimental Combat Team at Omaha Beach’s Dog Green Sector. While certainly tragic, what happened to 39,000 infantrymen in the six weeks after D-Day as they attempted to bust out of the bocage was far worse. The casualty learning curve — measured in blood — for multiple U.S. infantry divisions exceeded 100 percent. Infantrymen lucky enough to survive the brutal, close-in combat learned hard lessons, adapted, and taught thousands of combat replacements better ways to fight, including more effective ways to employ combined arms. These efforts eventually enabled the destruction of the German infantry units in the bocage. Similar to the panzer dash to Dunkirk in 1940, the courageous actions and severe butcher’s bill of U.S. infantry units were what ultimately enabled Patton’s race to Berlin...
...Realities for America’s Infantrymen in a World with Nuclear Weapons
Since 1945, U.S. policymakers have sent the nation’s close combat personnel into battle in every decade, including the past 17 years without interruption. In these conflicts, America’s infantrymen have suffered more than 80 percent of the nation’s casualties...
...Yet, today, only 19 percent of the Marine Corps’ 648 active-duty infantry rifle squads are led by the appropriately trained, sergeant squad leader that they are required to have. No, that wasn’t a typo. Only 19 percent of what are, in theory, the most important units in the Marine Corps are led by someone with the currently required training and experience. But even when that standard is met, it is not enough. Multiple Marine War on the Rocks authors, including an infantry sergeant, have described how current Marine training is insufficient and unrealistic. While the U.S. Army has figured out ways to place more experienced soldiers in charge of their infantry squads, small unit leadership development is insufficient and realistic training deficiencies are also systemic, as highlighted by Maj. Gen. Robert Brown, a recent Maneuver Center for Excellence commander, and John Spencer of West Point’s Modern War Institute. Special Operations Command appears to have figured out how to meet both the small unit leader experience and training requirements. But that command doesn’t have the necessary capacity to meet American policymaker demand on its own.
Most of the costs involved in fixing these problems would be rounding errors in the defense budget. So why do these problems persist? Simply because the simple solutions to fix them are routinely met with resistance. And this resistance comes either from misinformed priorities or inaccurate claims of insufficient funding...
Something’s got to give. And, to date, manning, equipping, and training (and optimally supporting) the nation’s close combat forces has borne the brunt of the cost. Rep. Niki Tsongas, the ranking member of the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee, recently highlighted her concerns with this funding imbalance: “While the Marine Corps certainly has a need for aircraft of many types, the ratio of spending on aircraft compared to ground equipment is striking.”
I would add the Pentagon itself has often missed out on defense cuts. The Army has lost divisions and brigades, but the staff of DA just keeps getting larger and larger. For some reason we need "diversity specalists," but we won two world wars without them.
...Is this what is best for America?
Ultimately, this is why fixing the described infantry manning problem, as senior Army and Marine leaders have discussed for years now, is central to achieving the goal of U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ “Close Combat Study.” We will explain in a future article what’s being done across the board to fix these problems, but now we want to focus on one vital solution: the creation of a world-class, joint close combat leader training center to certify those given the privilege to lead the .02 percent of the American population that serve in U.S. infantry units.
Why a Joint Close Combat Leader Training Center?
To answer this question, let us consider a bit more history. During World War II and the Korean conflict, the “exchange ratio” for American air forces was extremely favorable. The ratio between enemy and friendly killed in air-to-air combat over Europe versus the German Luftwaffe was nine to one and, against Japan, 13 to one. In Korea, against North Korean and Russian pilots, the advantage was also 13 to one. For a time in Vietnam, however, the ratio dropped embarrassingly: In 1967, it approached parity.
The response within the Air Force and Navy was immediate and dramatic. Both services began to restore traditional dominant ratios by creating advanced tactical fighter schools, made famous by Tom Cruise: Top Gun for the Navy and Red Flag for the Air Force. These services’ air components, joined in 1978 by the Marine Corps’ aviation combat element’s MAWTS-1, quickly developed new tactics for air-to-air combat. The shock and embarrassment of this tough era also led to the development of a new series of aircraft, such as the F-15, F-16, and F-18. Since Vietnam, these aircraft, in the hands of American and Israeli pilots, have achieved incredible exchange ratios, well over 200 to one...
...Time for a Joint Close Combat Leader Training Center
This center’s primary mission should be to certify America’s joint close combat leaders. This should be done by providing annually three 14-week long certification courses. This is slightly longer than Top Gun and almost half the length of the Air Force’s Weapons School. To ensure sufficient capacity for all of the services and key allied infantry leaders, each course should have space for 450 students, who, upon graduation, return to lead their pre-assigned units for a period of no less than two years. The center’s secondary mission should be to lead joint close combat experimentation efforts. These experimentation efforts can occur during the close combat leader certification courses and in the time periods between classes.
The center’s commanding general should be a follow-on assignment for the commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Bringing this level of experience and expertise to the mission is increasingly critical as the U.S. defense secretary continues to emphasize the need for Marine and Army close combat units to perform missions that have typically been thought of as falling in the domain of special operations. The general’s instructor cadre should comprise the most capable and successful non-commissioned and staff non-commissioned officer close combat leaders from across JSOC, SOCOM, the Marine Corps, the Army, and America’s closest allies’ military forces. An elite cadre of civilian personnel should support the commanding general by operating the command’s combat conditioning and health center, as well as the immersion simulation, additive manufacturing, and experimentation laboratory facilities.
Fort Bliss in Texas would be an optimal location for enabling close combat leaders to gain maximum proficiency in employing live ordnance, including from long-range, joint firing platforms. Fort Bliss also enables close combat leaders to train with the variety of information warfare capabilities that can support their units. Equally important, Fort Bliss is home to the Army’s world-class Sergeants Major Academy. The joint force’s top enlisted leaders attend the Sergeants Major Academy. These senior enlisted leaders can provide countless benefits in the development of the nation’s future close combat leadership.
The center’s core complex should include a world-class training facility comprising a combat conditioning and health facility similar to elite collegiate Division I sports’ programs. It should also have an enhanced and expanded, multiple hundred-thousand square foot infantry immersion simulation laboratory. This simulation facility should take the Camp Pendleton “tomato factory” and tactical decision kit models to an entirely new level: Think “tomato factory on steroids.” Additionally, the center should have combined arms urban and subterranean facilities similar to Marine Corps Base 29 Palms’ Range 230 and Range 220, as well as an artificially created jungle warfare training area. The complex should also include an additive manufacturing shop modeled on those recently used by ISIL, although projected forward to what a group like this will have in ten years. This shop should be part of the command’s joint close combat force experimentation laboratory. And the headquarters should have a subordinate command located at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California, where each class will conduct three weeks of mountain and cold weather training.
The course design should consist of the following five phases:
Phase I: Core Foundation (four weeks in length and then integrated throughout the course, with a train-the-trainer approach)
Physical training and nutrition on par with Division I collegiate athletes;
Hand-to-hand close combat instruction;
Teaching the students how to train their small units;
How the brain works, with emphasis on decision-making and the brain under extreme stress;
Human factors and Killology;
Threat doctrine focused on China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, as well as Al Qaeda, ISIL, and other violent extremist organizations;
Marksmanship, day and night (daily repetitions);
Joint command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance;
Joint kinetic combined arms integration;
Joint non-kinetic, or information warfare, capabilities integration;
Joint assault support — waterborne, surface, and aircraft — integration;
Manned-unmanned teaming integration;
Additive manufacturing impact on combat;
Tactical combat casualty care;
And Phase I comprehensive physical, mental and psychological exam; must pass to advance.
Phase II: Urban Combat Foundation (three weeks, with JSOC operator mentors)
Case Studies: Monte Cassino (1944), Okinawa (1945), Seoul (1950), Hue (1968), Baghdad (2003), Najaf (2004), Fallujah (2004-2007), Ramadi (2004-2007), Al Qaim and Tal Afar (2005), Sadr City (2008), and Mosul (2017);
Eighty small unit, force-on-force, combat simulation repetitions for each student based on the above case studies;
Eighty small unit live-fire repetitions for each student based on the above case studies;
Inter-service and Special Operations Command urban combat competition;
And Phase II comprehensive physical, mental and psychological exam.
Phase III: Thick Vegetation and Jungle Combat Foundation (three weeks in length, with JSOC operator mentors)
Case Studies: Guadalcanal (1942), Normandy bocage (1944), Leyte (1944), Ia Drang Valley (1965), Binh Nghia (1966-1967), Cu Chi (1966-1967), Khe Sanh (1968), and Sangin (2010-2011);
Eighty small unit, force-on-force, combat simulation repetitions for each student based on the above case studies;
Eighty small unit live-fire repetitions for each student based on the above case studies;
Inter-service and SOCOM thick vegetation and jungle combat competition;
And Phase III comprehensive physical, mental and psychological exam.
Phase IV: Mountain and/or Cold Weather Combat Foundation (three weeks in length, Bridgeport, California, with JSOC operator mentors)
Case Studies: Liri Valley (1944), Ardennes counter-offensive (1944-1945), Chosin Reservoir (1950), Khe Sanh (1968), Dong Ap Bia (1969), Shah-i-kot Valley (2002), Abbas Ghar (2005), Wanat (2008), Ganjgal (2009), and Kamdesh (2009);
Eighty small unit, force-on-force, combat simulation repetitions for each student based on the above case studies;
Eighty small unit live-fire repetitions for each student based on the above case studies;
Inter-service and Special Operations Command mountain and/or cold weather combat competition;
And Phase IV comprehensive physical, mental and psychological exam; must pass to advance.
Phase V: Certification Week and Graduation Ceremony (one week in length, with JSOC operator mentors)
Every student must pass a final comprehensive physical, mental and psychological exam to receive certification as a U.S. close combat leader;
Graduates are given special recognition in their records as one of America’s close combat leaders, promotion priority, and monthly close combat leader pay.
Establishing a joint close combat leader training center with the proposed leadership and instructor cadre, who have access to world-class facilities on par with those that exist for collegiate athletes and the services’ aviation components at Fallon Naval Air Station, Nellis Air Force Base, and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, is a long overdue and vital step. This step will ensure that Gen. Dunford’s intent to never again send America’s close combat units into a fair fight is met. Additionally, in one of, if not the most rapidly changing and complex security environment the U.S. military has ever encountered, this step will ensure America’s close combat units can constantly learn, adapt, and share the best tactics, techniques, and procedures to gain maximum advantage against all potential adversaries.
Retired Major General Bob Scales is a former Commandant of the Army War College, an artilleryman and author of the book Scales on War: The Future of America’s Military at Risk, published by the Naval Institute Press.
Scott Cuomo is a Marine Infantry Officer and MAGTF Planner currently participating in the Commandant of the Marine Corps Strategist Program at Georgetown University.
Jeff Cummings is a Marine Infantry Officer and currently serves as a Military Faculty Advisor at The Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps University.
I think this is a great idea for training a new generation of leaders in our ground forces. I only pray something like this would not be corrupted like the Army's elite training schools have (forgive me, I don't belive two women "passed" Ranger School). A good ides for debate, but we must again understand what we have the armed forces for:
