Quote:
Originally Posted by sheltiedave
The Marine commandant got it right...the fuckup stops at the shoulders of those in command, not those being killed. About time officers, and the most senior officers, be held accountable.
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While I do not have all of the necessary information, I buy your premise but not your conclusion.
I get it, the military hangs people (metaphorically) but it just isn't always someone's fault.
This is not a direct comparison but is offered to make a point: Was the Doolittle Raid someone in Japan's
fault or a brilliant and daring mission so beyond the pale of normality that it resided within the "you can't prepare for everything" eventuality?
1. The attackers had American uniforms and used dry river beds on the darkest night of the year to get on the base.
2. Once discovered, they were dealt with, quickly.
3. The runway was operational again, within hours.
If the defenses were proportionally similar to other defenses used throughout the Middle East in forward areas, it would annoy me that something with minimal odds of occurring would cause death and end careers.
Either these guys got an exceedingly unlucky roll of the dice or every commander in theater allowed the same risks (if procedures were followed at Camp Bastion).
Either way, it seems they were holding the bag?