You are more than welcome to argue about the relative merits of current Leadership....of course. That is the point....you don't.....you delight in making personal digs rather than discuss the issues using your experience as a base.
My opinions are formed from both first hand experience and from continuing education by extensive reading on such matters.
As I served in Vietnam, i am of course very interested in how that War was fought, and how Strategy, Tactics, Leadership, and Politics affected the conduct of the War.
I am quite comfortable in speaking to our failures.....God Knows it cost us plenty in Lives, Limbs, and other very important ways.
When i look at the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan I see way too many parallels to that of Vietnam. On some levels, primarily political and at the very senior levels of our Military Leadership.....the very same mistakes are being made yet again.
The British and American Military Forces are again in Transition....and holding it all together is going to take honest evaluations and some very strong backbone.
It is not just 19 Squaddies parking their Butts here.....it is a very large Red Flag being waved.
We have our Marine Snipers thing, Your Marine A, the 19, our guy that murdered a dozen or so Villagers, Drone Strikes hitting Wedding parties, Base closings, disbanding of entire units, proposed cuts in Pay, Benefits, Pensions, curtailment or canceling of Training, whole units being non-combat ready, mothballing of Ships,.....and a continuing or growing threat from those hostile to us.
We need the best Leadership we can get.....white washing the situation is only going to make things far worse.
As always....the ones that have "led" us here....are the ones that are in the position to make the changes....and that is not going to happen unless they are forced to do so.