Larry Kummer
The mice of the Washington unusual policy institution are trying to nibble some the edges of President Trump’s successful summit amongst North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. One of their squeaks is that the President gave upwards likewise much when he ordered the time out of major U.S.-South Korean armed forces exercises. The June sixteen New York Times reported that: “’You could in all likelihood cancel a unmarried major exercise, similar this ane (Ulchi Freedom Guardian, planned for August) without doing major impairment to the alliance in addition to its readiness,’ said Robert Daly, manager of the Kissinger Institute on mainland People's Republic of China in addition to the U.S. of A. at the Wilson Center. “But that cannot larn the standard… If several major nation of war games were cancelled for to a greater extent than than a year, the impact could last significant, officials said.”
Balderdash. Giving upwards our articulation nation of war games amongst Republic of Korea entails no armed forces opportunity what hence ever. Why Because the games are fake.
The reasons are two. First, the enemy or Opposing Force (OPFOR) is trivial. It is tiny, ill-armed in addition to amounts to footling to a greater extent than than a tethered goat. It bears no relation to North Korea’s armed forces. Second, the exercises are scripted. The OPFOR has to lose; it’s inwards the script. Real nation of war is non scripted. What makes nation of war is the “independent, hostile volition of the enemy.” That is scripted out inwards these hence called “war games”. They may last games (with rigged outcomes), but they are non war. A timely mass speaks straight to the Korean nation of war games. American Cobra Pilot
, written past times Marine Captain Jeff Groom (and timed for issue the solar daytime subsequently he left the Corps) is the detailed concern human relationship of ane such exercise, Operation Ssang Young inwards 2014. Its subtitle, appropriately, is “A Marine Remembers a Dog in addition to Pony Show.” Right at the offset he records …
, written past times Marine Captain Jeff Groom (and timed for issue the solar daytime subsequently he left the Corps) is the detailed concern human relationship of ane such exercise, Operation Ssang Young inwards 2014. Its subtitle, appropriately, is “A Marine Remembers a Dog in addition to Pony Show.” Right at the offset he records … “Before heading to my stateroom (on the U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard), I attended a preliminary briefing for the practise in addition to every bit I scan my notes it dawns on me that I haven’t taken anything downwards on the enemy situation.I sympathise nosotros were going to do some shooting at ane of the southern ranges inwards the vicinity of Pohang. But at that spot is no holler of the enemy. Nothing, the give-and-take “enemy” isn’t fifty-fifty written…
“Luckily, every bit if almost from sky above, my inbox populates in addition to I read words of my salvation from our executive officer… ‘Everyone needs to realize this is NOT a tactical exercise. This is a political practise to present that fifty-fifty inwards fiscally constrained times nosotros (Uncle Sam) tin nonetheless throw together a dozen ships in addition to do a beach onset amongst all of our toys. What truly makes it to the beach is generally irrelevant…’
I breathe a sigh of relief… There simply isn’t an enemy situation. None. My life is hence much easier now…”
Later inwards the book, when Capt. Groom offers a detailed description of the exercise, he writes,
“I found out subsequently the practise that at that spot was truly a pocket-size contingent of South Korean soldiers playing the move of the enemy on the beach. They dug some shallow holes close 50 meters from the H2O in addition to waited to last run over. I don’t know if they did their homework on that one, but fifty-fifty past times the battle of Okinawa, the Japanese figured out it was to a greater extent than advantageous to motility into the middle of the isle in addition to wait. But in addition to hence ane time to a greater extent than that would move far difficult if non downright impossible to larn a motion painting of both the opposing strength in addition to the amphibious landing at the same time.
“Taking pictures is of sort out the principal finish of the exercise. The pictures are in addition to hence edited in addition to reported on past times the propaganda partitioning of the Marine Corps, the Public Affairs Office.”
It is typical that Washington unusual policy types would convey this present every bit real. They know zip close war, in addition to they peddle the same form of baloney themselves, inwards a metropolis where ane mitt washes the other. But the fact of the affair is just every bit President Trump stated it: nosotros lose zip past times cancelling the Korean nation of war games, in addition to nosotros salve many millions of taxpayer dollars.
Sadly, the factors that brand the Korean exercises pitiful simulations of nation of war behave upon almost all U.S. of A. armed forces training. The OPFOR is trivial in addition to fifty-fifty that pocket-size strength is constrained to follow a script inwards which it simply sits at that spot in addition to gets pounded.
Decades ago, on a view to the Army’s supposedly premier school, the School of Advanced Military Studies at Ft. Leavenworth (God assist us if it is), the students were playing a nation of war game prepare inwards the Western Farsi Gulf. The OPFOR was 2 majors amongst a tiny force. I met amongst them in addition to suggested some things they could do, pocket-size every bit their strength was, that would drive the Americans some problems. They got excited but said, “we direct maintain to enquire permission.” (Obviously, this was non the Kriegsakademie.) They came dorsum to me in addition to said, “We were told, simply follow the script.”
There is an erstwhile armed forces saying, ‘you struggle the agency y'all train.’ We will, whether nosotros desire to or not.
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