Professional Soldiers ® - View Single Post - General says more troops need African language skills

**The Reaper** · 11-20-2010, 09:34

Terrible idea, obviously the viewpoint of someone who has never tried to maintain proficiency in multiple languages.

Of course, we could also have the discussion of whether we actually need an African Command as well.

1. Plan deployment.
2. Arrive, get shaken down for bribes at arrival airfield. Aircrew and plane subject to separate shakedown. Lots of unknown fees and taxes here.
3. Discover HN has provided none of what they agreed to, to include troops to train. Get hit up for bribes to provide soldiers. Also, soldiers will not be proficient at any of the languages that were mentioned at the planning conferences. Pay for translators.
4. Discover that providing soldiers does not mean with billeting, meals, etc. HN needs additional funds for that. Build/repair clinic, mess hall, billets, etc.
5. Go to train and discover that soldiers lack basic gear. Like boots, uniforms, etc. HN requests US provided equipment or additional funds. Few, if any functional weapons provided. These troops have actually managed to wear out and break AKs. Without any ammunition.
6. Training begins. HN soldiers attending CQB training lack basic infantry skills. Need more time. At extra cost, of course. HN soldiers discover modern medical care. Team spends remainder of rotation providing free medical care to anyone remotely involved with training, or the military. Or living in the area.
7. HN soldiers will not train according to US schedule agreed upon previously. At least two days per week will be inviolable religious/tribal holidays. Training must end by 1300 daily, so that soldiers can return to second jobs working the General's plantation. And troops forget all previous training if permitted 24 hours off without refresher training.
8. HN soldiers begin to unexpectedly disappear from training and may/may not return or be replaced.
9. Conclude training, US pays for huge graduation feast. Thousands of unknown attendees arrive, including VIPs. With their hands out.
10. Attempt to redeploy, and discover that more bribes are needed for the plane to land, be serviced, clear customs, get MHE, load, use runway for departure, etc., etc. Watch locals strip facilities of all salvagable material team provided during deployment while aircraft is taxiing for take-off.
11. Attend planning conferences for next rotation. Get completely new soldiers/units. Repeat steps 1-10. Bring extra money, as locals discover previously unknown major revenue source- training with Americans.

TR

11-20-2010, 09:34	#5
The Reaper Quiet Professional Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Free Pineland Posts: 24,825	Terrible idea, obviously the viewpoint of someone who has never tried to maintain proficiency in multiple languages. Of course, we could also have the discussion of whether we actually need an African Command as well. 1. Plan deployment. 2. Arrive, get shaken down for bribes at arrival airfield. Aircrew and plane subject to separate shakedown. Lots of unknown fees and taxes here. 3. Discover HN has provided none of what they agreed to, to include troops to train. Get hit up for bribes to provide soldiers. Also, soldiers will not be proficient at any of the languages that were mentioned at the planning conferences. Pay for translators. 4. Discover that providing soldiers does not mean with billeting, meals, etc. HN needs additional funds for that. Build/repair clinic, mess hall, billets, etc. 5. Go to train and discover that soldiers lack basic gear. Like boots, uniforms, etc. HN requests US provided equipment or additional funds. Few, if any functional weapons provided. These troops have actually managed to wear out and break AKs. Without any ammunition. 6. Training begins. HN soldiers attending CQB training lack basic infantry skills. Need more time. At extra cost, of course. HN soldiers discover modern medical care. Team spends remainder of rotation providing free medical care to anyone remotely involved with training, or the military. Or living in the area. 7. HN soldiers will not train according to US schedule agreed upon previously. At least two days per week will be inviolable religious/tribal holidays. Training must end by 1300 daily, so that soldiers can return to second jobs working the General's plantation. And troops forget all previous training if permitted 24 hours off without refresher training. 8. HN soldiers begin to unexpectedly disappear from training and may/may not return or be replaced. 9. Conclude training, US pays for huge graduation feast. Thousands of unknown attendees arrive, including VIPs. With their hands out. 10. Attempt to redeploy, and discover that more bribes are needed for the plane to land, be serviced, clear customs, get MHE, load, use runway for departure, etc., etc. Watch locals strip facilities of all salvagable material team provided during deployment while aircraft is taxiing for take-off. 11. Attend planning conferences for next rotation. Get completely new soldiers/units. Repeat steps 1-10. Bring extra money, as locals discover previously unknown major revenue source- training with Americans. TR __________________ "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910 De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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