David Hackworth
The old saying that war is a racket has taken on an even more shameful meaning.
Fighting terrorism is not unlike fighting a deadly cancer. It can't be treated just where it's visible - every diseased cell in the body must be destroyed.
If a policy is wrongheaded, feckless and corrupt, I take it personally and consider it a moral obligation to sound off and not shut up until it's fixed.
It's human nature to start taking things for granted again when danger isn't banging loudly on the door.
That's what supporting the troops is really all about - making sure American grunts get the right stuff!
In order to drill into young men the need to stay alert and stay alive, I used to punish offenders with my fists, boots and rifle butt, and with stockade time.
Fortunately, it's still not too late to develop a comprehensive global strategy to eliminate our real enemy.
Writing with you is the only thing that keeps me alive.
Our generals talk a good game about taking care of their grunts, and the majority of our Beltway politicians bay with moralistic fervor about how they, too, support the troops.
That's because international Islamic religious fanatics have the same goal as the Axis fascists - the destruction of our way of life.
Their plan is to return the entire world - not just the Middle East - to the days of the caliphate and either convert all of us so-called infidels into born-again Islamic believers or kill us.
Our fumbling government's response since Beirut - during both Republican and Democratic administrations - has been to cut and run, or to flat ignore this growing threat, apparently hoping it would go away.
Of course, it's imperative that we stabilize Iraq and quickly reduce our armed role there.
Modern American war is as easy to script as a B movie.
War is the ultimate reality-based horror show.
Because our homeland and very survival are once more at stake, the American people can't afford to treat this new war against terrorism like they did Vietnam.
Terrorism, too, must be excised wherever it exists, which will take years, and which can't happen without the total commitment and the everyday involvement of the American people.
Grunts on the line, where the enemy wants them dead, still goof off - even knowing that by letting their guard down they might die.
We citizens don't need to know every detail of every military operation in this new kind of war. Nor should the media tell us and hence our enemy.
If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn't plan your mission properly.Collection: Military
Respecting your opponent is the key to winning any bout. Hold your enemy in contempt and you may miss the strategy behind his movesCollection: Moving
Only a foolish woman would allow her man to earn his living as a moving target.Collection: Military
So it's not a matter of the military lying to the press, but it's the job of the military to deny the press any information that will provide aid and comfort to the enemy.Collection: Jobs
What we need to do is follow the axiom of World War II which was 'Loose Lips Sink Ships' and the media has really got to follow that.Collection: War