The rightwing media has been all over Obama for a story he told.
You know, I've heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon -- supposed to have 39 men in a rifle platoon," he said. "Ended up being sent to Afghanistan with 24 because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq. And as a consequence, they didn't have enough ammunition, they didn't have enough humvees. They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief.
Jake Tapper cut to the chase and actually called the unit in question, and of course found out, that's exactly what is happening. It's not surprising that this collection of oxygen thieves don't know a platoon from a poltroon. These are the same chuckleheads who beat up a gold star father at their Gathering of Kleagles event in D.C..
A platoon is almost never up to strength in a combat unit and in some units they are over strengthened. When I was in the 82nd Airborne, we had a platoon with 56 guys in it. We also had a platoon with 8 guys. Any grunt knows this. It's laughable that none of these chickenhawk mama's boys have ANY IDEA about what is basic knowledge in the military. Basic, as in being able to breath. There are military wives who understand this shit better. What a joke. That a rifle platoon is short men these days is equivalent to saying "my recruiter lied to me". Not that any of these lowlife cowards ever saw a recruiter let alone allowed one to lie to them...
If any of these fucks gave a damn about "the troops"© the might have been involved with Adopt a Platoon as I have over the past couple of years. Every unit I have supported by sending things too has been light. Every single one. Oh, and here is a clue for these jacked-asses. One of the units I supported was from the 10th Mtn out of Fort Drum. Some of the platoon I was supporting in Afghanistan was not present with the unit deployed there. BECAUSE THE OTHER HALF OF THE PLATOON WERE DEPLOYED TO IRAQ. This was early last year. So this has been going on for some time.
What a bunch of fools.
This continues sounding like pure bullshit, no matter what the guy says or how credible Tapper claims to find him. Milbloggers say the platoon is the basic organic unit of the army, and troops are never picked out of a platoon to serve elsewhere -- if more troops are needed elsewhere, a whole platoon goes, not just Ronny, Bobby, Ricky and Mike.
I'm not in the military -- Ace, from "Ace of Spades HQ"*
If these guys were not so blinded by their partisan hatred of Democrats, they would realize that, of course these units are being deployed undermanned. The military is stretched DANGEROUSLY THIN. But, I guess those thoughts might led them to the understanding that the Army needs recruits. Not for nothing, who the hell are "Ronny, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike"? Sounds like a bunch of frat boys. Do you mean, Garcia, Johnson, Slopek, Fernandez and Sgt. Green? Geez, these guys really don't have any clue whatsoever. "Ricky", and how about Sandy and Mary!
Next month at my VFW meeting, after the meeting itself, me and the other guys, over a couple of beers are going to laugh long and hard at these morons. Long and hard. "But Sarge! I can't go with 2nd Platoon, a Platoon is a organic unit!"
UPDATE:
Great! Now these dumbasses are going to get this Captain in a shitload of trouble. Because the idiots at redstate are raising a stink about this, in spite of their lack of knowledge about the military, they are causing the Pentagon brass to come down on this officer.
As a former Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the timing of the situation you describe quite likely occurred during the period of my Chairmanship.
There are specific military regulations governing the use by U.S. forces of weapons other than of U.S. manufacture, and, likewise, regulations covering the deployment into combat zones of military units at manning levels below an optimum level.
...snip...
What I need from you are the essential facts of when- the dates- the unit was deployed, to which brigade combat team, or other unit it was assigned, the name and current location of the captain, or other military personnel who shared the alleged facts with you, so that committee staff can debrief them.
Here is what the numbskulls at Redstate are saying:
He is so mind-blowingly ignorant of the military and its status in the GWOT that he either heard this story and believed it, or thought that nobody less mind-numbingly vacuous and stupid than him would see through it.Holy Christmas, It's you morons who are mind-blowingly ignorant. Now that you have been pantsed about the platoon issue you are trying to make this about using enemy weapons. I have used a AK-47, it's a pretty good weapon. If I was short on 556 ammo you are damn straight I would pick up a AK. There is plenty of ammo, just pick it off a dead badguy. What in holy hell is so hard to believe? Are you so blinded by your Democrat Derangement Syndrome that you don't care if you ruin this young captain's career? You sorry bastards...
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