The Value Of The Combat Action Ribbon

How we doing Hard-Chargers!!!



So we Marines, value the highly sought after combat action ribbon. Specifically infantryman Marines. There are POG'S (Personnel Other Than Grunts) who also value this ribbon, however, infantryman take this to a completely different stratosphere.

                                               

There are people (Marines) of higher brass who are even ridiculed for not having a C.A.R. at times leadership positions are even questioned pertaining to infantry if this ribbon has not been earned.



But why though??????

                                          

There are instances where Marines, even infantryman just aren't put into combat situations. Doesn't mean they wouldn't act if the opportunity presented itself, just means they didn't get in contact with enemy forces.

The award  issued by the sea services for active participation in ground or surface combat is troubling for some leaders.

The criticism shows an increasingly vocal perspective amongst Marines, specifically those in the combat community. The perspective is basically saying a Marines worth and authenticity is connected to combat experience, and those lacking experience in this area get no respect amongst grunts.


Some in the military feel that it's not about the Combat Action Ribbon, however, its about being a U.S. Marine, and representing the Eagle Globe and Anchor. Would this be the ideals of those who have not seen combat???? and if they did have a C.A.R. would they have a different response and be in agreeance with the majority of infantryman.


                                       

**Ribbon Stack

When Marines, are promoted to a new position in infantry units other Marines, generally express interest in backgrounds as well as reputations that were built over time. Lacking combat experience again is seen as not deserving of respect in regards to combat experience.

The Combat Action Ribbon didn't even exist until 1969, the Navy and Marine Corps adopted the ribbon in the midst of the Vietnam War. From there It was retroactively applied to combat engagements dating back to 1961.

              

Once that took place it was extended to cover combat engagements dating from the December 7, 1941, the attack of Pearl Harbor which was the mark of the U.S. entering World War II.

                   

So let me digress for a few sentences here...

When I was a boot in 2009, we had a few Marines, in our platoon who had deployed 2 to 3 times to combat zones. These men were revered and seen as leaders.

When they talk you listen, you do not talk back and you better reply with Sergeant Rathke, or Corporal Taber, Lance Corporal Nuttle as you do not rate to just call them by their last names. Yet...

You're a boot until you deploy, first off let me explain the term boot.

A boot is a Marine, who is fresh out of boot camp (13 weeks) and S.O.I. (School Of Infantry, 8 Weeks)

From S.O.I. you're introduced to your unit where you'll be the next 4 years, 6 years whatever your contract states, which you signed with your recruiter.

So the C.A.R. was important but it was moreso about the deployment itself, see we weren't worried about a C.A.R. we just didn't wanna be called "Boots" anymore.

We didn't wanna police call (pick up cigarette butts in front of the barracks) or do working parties (a group of 8-10 new Marines go help with building up or breaking down something or cleaning an area).

We just wanted to get respect from our seniors being that we were grunts just like them but newer to the corps. We did eventually get our C.A.R. June 2009 -The Summer Of Decision-

We were inserted into Garmser, the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, once we got off the CH-53'S and made a 360 in order to provide security. The CH-53 flew around for about 10 mikes.

                         

From there it threw out a flare letting us know it was about to leave. Then it left and it got extremely quiet, I remember looking up at the clear sky, and seeing white birds fly around so peacefully as if a platoon of Marines hadn't landed.

Then it happened... In the distance 1st shot, 2nd shot, 3rd shot then the burst of an AK-47, I said to myself "Ohh shit we're in a combat zone"   ( sorry for cursing ;)  )

After that deployment which I'll explain in a later post, we came back to the states and we were still considered boots until the new Marines came to our platoon from S.O.I.

However, at the same time we were no longer boots, I even had an incident where I was walking on the catwalk, (balcony) of our barracks and the seniors who were a class ahead of me were drinking.

I was headed back to my room after the gym, and they said "Hall, come drink with us!!" boot no more, it was PFC with a deployment under his belt with a combat action ribbon.

**A Dissipating Award

Over a decade of war in two theaters, Combat Action Ribbons are less common than some believe them to be. Only about 20,855 of the 184,567 Marines currently on active duty actually have a C.A.R.

There is also a problem that we're dealing with here. When deployed Marines will at times insert themselves into patrols they didn't belong to, just so they could earn their C.A.R.

This is not only dangerous to the men around you but also makes the patrol ineffective.

A Marine who is not properly trained who joins a patrol just to have the chance to take contact from enemy fighters is absolutely ridiculous.

Those infantry Marines, train day in and day out to be combat effective literally in the rain, humid/dry heat, and snow, while hating their lives in order to be successful. This to me is the ultimate form of disrespect and those who are not trained in this area need to consider the term staying in your lane.

If you take contact then you take contact if you don't then you don't, you still did your time and just think you're a U.S. Marine... that in itself garners major respect amongst the public.

At the same time you cant talk down or think less of a Gunny, who has been in the corps for 23 years with a huge stack yet he does not have a C.A.R. within that stack. That also is a huge form of respect and you're not representing the eagle globe and anchor very well.

However, at the end of the day these are just views from a grunt. Lets get some feedback guys, I'll love to have discourse. ;)



Isaac J. Hall II

#SemperKill

Veterans Day Parade To Honor Vets Via President Trump

How we doing hard-chargers!!

So we’ve gotten word that there are plans for a Veterans Day military parade, and it will be directed by none other than President Donald Trump.

There wont be any tanks coming down the streets of Washington, D.C., and it’s set to take place November 11th.

This parade will focus on contributions of our veterans throughout the history of the U.S. military.  From the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 till todays present military operations, there will also be an emphasis on the price of freedom.

The parade will include wheeled vehicles, no tanks, this is to minimize the damage to local infrastructure. The parade will, however, include a heavy air component at the end, to include older aircrafts.

The parade will run from the White House to the U.S. Capitol.

It will represent veterans from prior wars by formations wearing uniforms of those specific times. As well as portions that highlight the evolution of women veterans from separate formations in World War II to today’s integrated formations.

Medal of Honor recipients will stand with Trump in the reviewing area at the Capitol.

 

The parade will be integrated with the annual D.C. Veterans Day parade.

Trump got the idea for a parade after attending France’s Bastille Day parade last year.

The idea, however, has been controversial…

Lawmakers have introduced measures to stop a parade, calling it a waste of time and resources.

 

A poll found that the huge majority of respondents oppose the idea for a parade. 

The majority, 88 percent, said the military has more important needs to address.

A White House budget director told Congress that a parade could cost between $10 million and $30 million in order to honor our veterans on this special upcoming day.

Isaac J. Hall II

#SemperKill

How we doing hard-chargers!!!

May you all enjoy the beginning of this wonderful spring weather, of course depending on where you are in the world. (sorry mid-west) 

So word was passed a few days ago that U.S. Marines, and Army Soldiers, are prepping for more urban combat. This will allow our brothers in arms to be more efficient in the art of war in urban cities.

Now I’m sure you’re saying to yourself, “well what about Iraq,” as Marines were going house to house and used a high volume of rounds to dismantle enemy fighters.Since then we Marines, and Army Soldiers, have peered away from urban combat.

One of the most notable lessons we may not forget anytime soon would be the Battle of Hue City which was intense urban combat for U.S. forces.

In comparing the older wars with todays time, many see urban warfare as slow and an awful amount of destruction.

 Army Chief of Staff General, Mark Milley and U.S Marine Corps Commandant General Robert Neller, have both publicly pushed for more urban focused efforts.

Over a decade the U.S. military has fought in Baghdad, a place with a population of 6.5 million people, not even a decade from now statisticians have summed up numbers that show there will be 37 cities that are two to four times that size.

Cities of interest due to tensions growing are North Korea that has a huge city called Seoul, with over 23 million people.

There is also Russia, with encroachments that threaten Lituania, Estonia, Tallinn and a few other places. As well as Africa who is also growing in urban areas, Lagos, Nigeria, Somalia, etc.

** Focus On Task

Milley stated that the Army is not necessarily ready for fighting in megacities. He did, however, mention that fighting in Aleppo, Fallujah, and Mosul is the future of conflict.

Now being that these fights were bloody and very destructive they don’t reach the level of a large city that would equate to a neighborhood in Seoul.

Being a U.S. Marine infantryman, with the training that took place for urban warfare, we learned very quickly that during those times you have to keep moving, often and fast or you can lose your life.

There really is no time to be stationary during engagements as death is imminent and around every corner.

Experts agreed that neither service is sufficiently prepared for operational or strategic-level urban combat.

Returning attention to the urban fight is not a new idea, its been a topic of discourse for quite some time now.

Retired Col. Russell Glenn, while on a temporary assignment to the RAND Corporation, he chose urban operations as a research topic. He was told there wasn’t much interest in that area of research.

Later that year, Army Rangers and Delta Force operators were caught in the bloody Battle of Mogadishu. Nineteen U.S. service members were killed and 73 wounded. The fight led to the withdrawal of U.S. and U.N. forces.

 Then, all of a sudden people became interested…

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Charles Krulak revealed his concept of the three-block war and the strategic corporal. This pushed decision making down to the lowest levels of the noncommissioned officer corps.

** New Technology On Battle-Field

U.S. forces have long held a wide margin of technological superiority over their foes, from precision-guided weapons to sensor systems and drone surveillance capabilities.

Marine Brig. Gen. Robert Sofge, stated that enemy forces in Mosul adapted drones to drop 40mm grenades from above.

They also used advanced vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices to deter Iraqi forces early in the fighting.

Department of Defense research programs and industry partnerships are working with drone swarm technology, drone delivery to reduce logistics chains, increased electronic jamming of enemy sensors and networks, and pulling data from every corner of the battlefield into a digestible form.

Many don’t seem to understand that simple equipment considerations pay huge dividends in an urban fight. For instance tracked vehicles, while heavier than wheeled, produce less ground pressure, which is important on bridges.

Tracked vehicles can also make tighter turns in narrower urban lanes and don’t get stuck as easily as wheeled vehicles.

Despite the focus on urban combat preparation, changes in doctrine and an increased focus from top leaders have caused a vast amount of encouragement.

The encouragement alone is not enough for us as a military to be successful via urban warfare.We have great training centers, however, these centers still aren’t as vast and complex as the actual destinations where we are placing our troops. Then again it’s very hard to mimic war as war is unpredictable which can make it nearly impossible to replicate for training purposes.

Isaac J. Hall II

#SemperKill