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----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "Joseph R. John" <jrjassoc@earthlink.net>

To: jrj@combatveteransforcongress.org

Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 5:21:28 AM

Subject: The New & Dangerous Obama ROE Increased KIAs by 458%/year and Wounded by 378%/year

In the 7 years, from 2001 to 2008, US Military Personnel engaged in combat

in Afghanistan operated under the "standard" Rules Of Engagement (ROE) that

the military always operated under; during those 7 years, 630 US Military

Personnel were Killed In Action (KIA).  In 2009, Obama imposed new and

"dangerous" ROE on US Military Personnel operating in combat in Afghanistan,

over the next 5 years, from 2009 thru 2013, 2,292 personnel were KIA.  The

increase in KIAs for Combat personnel who had previously operated under the

"standard" ROE, jumped from 90/year during the first 7 years, to 458/year

over the next 5 years employing Obama's new and "dangerous" ROE-----an

increase in 458% in KIAs.

According to CNS News.com, 19,080 US Military Personnel have been casualties

in Afghanistan since 2001; CNS News.com further reported that 73% of all

casualties in Afghanistan occurred from 2009 thru 2013, the time frame when

Obama's new and "dangerous" ROE were forced upon US military personnel

engaged in combat.  The increase in casualties for US Combat personnel who

were operating under the new and "dangerous" ROE jumped from 5,151 during

the first 7 years, to 13,928 over the next 5 years (many of those casualties

were maimed for life), the annual casualty rate has gone from 736/year when

they were operating under the "standard" ROE to 2785/year when they had to

employ Obama's new and "dangerous" ROE---an increase of 378%/year for Combat

personnel Wounded In Action.

Apologists for the Obama administration might say there were more casualties

because of an increase in tempo of operations; the tempo of operations might

have increased somewhat, but the tempo operations did not increase by 378%.

The below listed article will put a face on the above listed statistics on

Killed In Action numbers, and number of casualties, as a result the new and

"dangerous" Rules Of Engagement imposed upon military personnel engaged in

combat by the then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mullen.

General Mullen never saw ground combat, but followed in lock step with how

the occupant in the Oval Office wanted the Rules Of Engagement changed, and

he didn't carefully evaluate how those devastating changes would

dramatically increase the casualties of combat personnel going into "Harm's

Way" daily, or how the new and "dangerous" would degrade the Combat

Effectiveness of the finest tip of the spear military units in the world.

Two well-known losses of combat personnel are examples of how the imposition

of the new and "dangerous" ROE forced on combat personnel increased the

dangerous environment on the battlefield.  The first example was depicted in

the movie "Lone Survivor" where the fear of being charged by civilians in

the Pentagon with war crimes, if they silenced a hostile Afghani, resulted

in compromising an entire operation and resulted in the death of 3 SEALs.

The second event, Extortion 17, occurred because the request for suppression

fire at a landing zone, that used to be normally approved to allow a

helicopter to land in a hot zone, was denied by senior commanders because of

the new and "dangerous" ROE.  That lack of support resulted in the loss of

48 military personnel flying on Extortion 17 (those killed included 16

members of SEAL Team SIX, 20 Spec Ops Warriors, 5 helo crew members, and 7

Afghani military allies); Extortion 17 was the largest loss of life of US

military personnel in one day in the 13 year history of combat operations in

Afghanistan.  There have been thousands of incidents over the last 5 years

that resulted in casualties that could have been avoided, if the "standard"

ROE were being employed.  

The occupant of the Oval Office has let it be known that he welcomes debate,

but won't tolerate dissent; the past 5 years of combat in Iraq and

Afghanistan has taught the combatant commanders not to complain about the

ROE (because they knew of the unusually high number of commanders that had

been relieved in the midst of their tours).  Sound judgment was not

exhibited by Mullen when he imposed the new and "dangerous" Rules Of

Engagement on the US military by Obama---he should have had the courage to

resign to demonstrate his opposition to Rules of Engagement that would

result in killing so many of the Republic's finest warriors.  Each year

since 2008 when the new and "dangerous" Rules of Engagement took effect,

2049 more military personnel per year have been Wounded In Action each year

for 5 years (a total of 10,245 more personnel have been wounded and/or

maimed for life) which is an increase of 378%.  Each year since 2008 when

the new and "dangerous" Rules Of Engagement took effect, 368 more military

personnel have been Killed In Action each year for 5 years (a total of 1840

more personnel have been killed) which is an increase of 458%.  The

unacceptable number of casualties continues to increase, while the current

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hasn't made a concerted effort to

change the dangerous Rules Of Engagement that US Military personnel, engaged

in combat, are required to operate under. 

Joseph R. John, USNA '62

Capt              USN(Ret)

Chairman, Combat Veterans For Congress PAC

2307 Fenton Parkway, Suite 107-184

San Diego, CA 92108

Fax: (619) 220-0109

 <http://www.combatveteransforcongress.org/>

http://www.CombatVeteransForCongress.org

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will

go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

-Isaiah 6:8

____________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Friday, 14 February 2014

US Soldiers in Afghanistan are Now Forced to Fight a Two-fronted War

Written by

<http://www.americandailyherald.com/feed/item/billy-karen-vaughn> Billy &

Karen Vaughn on Friday, 14 February 2014. Posted in

<http://www.americandailyherald.com/pundits/billy-karen-vaughn> Billy &

Karen Vaughn,  <http://www.americandailyherald.com/pundits> Opinion

Our best and brightest come home in body bags as politicians and lawyers

dine over white linen tablecloths; writing, modifying, and re-modifying

these lethal rules.rules that favor the enemy rather than the American

soldier.

US Soldiers in Afghanistan are Now Forced to Fight a Two-fronted War

US soldiers in Afghanistan are now forced to fight a two-fronted war. Before

each deployment, these soldiers understand fully that day after day they

will do battle against relentless terrorists with shifting loyalties and

unspeakable hatred. But what none of them could have foreseen was the

killing field that would open from their rear...the Continental United

States.

Our government's incessant tightening of already restrictive ROE (Rules of

Engagement), compounded by the failed COIN (Counterinsurgency) strategy-also

known as "winning hearts and minds," has made an otherwise primitive enemy

formidable.

Our best and brightest come home in body bags as politicians and lawyers

dine over white linen tablecloths; writing, modifying, and re-modifying

these lethal rules.rules that favor the enemy rather than the American

soldier. Rules so absurd they're difficult to believe until you hear the

same stories over and again from those returning from battle.

In a delicate discussion with an Army Ranger who recently left the military,

we heard the following: "I had to get out. I have a family who needs me. I

didn't join to be sacrificed. I joined to fight." This decision came shortly

after he lost a close friend to the ROE. He went on to explain: the Taliban

had attempted an ambush on his friend's squad, but quickly realized they

were in a battle they couldn't win and began retreating. While chasing them,

the US soldiers were ordered not to engage due to the slight chance the

Taliban had laid down their arms as they ran through some type of shack.

While arguing with leadership at the JOC (Joint Operations Center) his

friend was shot and killed.

A Navy SEAL who left his job only a few years shy of full retirement said

the following: "I got out because I couldn't take it anymore. We tried to

explain how much reckless danger we were being exposed to and they told us

we were being illogical."

This type of response has created a growing compromise of confidence between

our war fighters and senior military leadership. His argument wasn't

illogical at all.

A gut-wrenching pattern began forming in early 2009.a pattern completely

ignored by Congress, the White House, and apparently the DOD.

In the first seven plus years of war in Afghanistan (October, 2001 -

December, 2008) we lost 630 US soldiers. In early 2009, this administration

authorized the implementation of the COIN strategy. Over the next five

years, the US death toll skyrocket to 2,292.

Seventy-three percent of all US deaths in Afghanistan have taken place since

2009.

In the first seven plus years of war in Afghanistan,

<http://www.icasualties.org/> 2,638 US soldiers were wounded in action. In

the next forty-five months (2009 - 2012) an additional 15,036 suffered the

same fate.

Liars figure, but figures don't lie.

While concern over being killed due to these policies weighs heavy on the

minds of those we've spoken with, the deepest pit-in-the-stomach comes from

fear of prosecution should they violate these absurd and ever-changing ROE.

The last thing a war fighter should ever be forced to experience is

unnecessary fear.

Fear creates hesitation. Hesitation creates flag-draped caskets. Flag-draped

caskets create fatherless children, widowed wives, and childless parents.

Our heroes deserve the right to fight with swift hands, clear minds, and

confident hearts.

However, today's war fighters have the grave misfortune of serving leaders

who elevate the virtues of inaction over action. The message? If you dare

use your training or your gut instinct, if you have the fortitude to fight

for your life, or the desire to kill the enemy, there is a good chance you

will be punished.

The physiological capacities of a true patriot cannot tolerate the vile

stench of injustice, especially when perpetrated against those who defend

us. Its wretched aroma permeates the core and demands a response.

We're counting on you, the American patriot, for that response. We must

defend our defenders. Please, spread the news and demand change.