No Bibles at Walter Reed

[exlude]

I'm pointing out that if things went bad and it was the military versus the citizenry, the citizenry would win every time.

While I don't believe that the US Military could defeat its own people, simply due to the high rate of defection...I don't think your examples are legitimate. The main reason we haven't been able to "win" those cited wars are because of an ill defined mission, constricting laws of war, or lack of popular support. If the government were to turn on its own people, neither of those issues would crop up or matter.

[Forever_frost]

That and you can't fight an enemy you can't identify Exlude. When the enemy blends into the population and can attack and disappear at will you can't win. Check what happened in Vietnam, the American Revolution, Iraq and AFghanistan. They'd have to kill everyone they came across to make sure they got the insurgents. And the laws of war against our own people would be horrendous and rely on soldiers to shoot their own countrymen which we are conditioned against

[exlude]

That and you can't fight an enemy you can't identify Exlude. When the enemy blends into the population and can attack and disappear at will you can't win. Check what happened in Vietnam, the American Revolution, Iraq and AFghanistan. They'd have to kill everyone they came across to make sure they got the insurgents. And the laws of war against our own people would be horrendous and rely on soldiers to shoot their own countrymen which we are conditioned against

You sure can, and we do so very successfully. We would be even more successful if we weren't tied down by a law of war and political climate that forces us to release so many of them. If we were wholeheartedly in this, we could win it. But ever since Vietnam, we haven't been. God knows Afghani insurgents have more heart than most Americans.

The main reason the military wouldn't win at home would be because the military simply disobeys the unlawful orders. A far cry different than the COIN environments in the aforementioned wars.

The American Revolution is a far cry from a similar parallel. Asymmetrical warfare requires considerable logistics to fight due to the enduring nature. Something the Brits did not have.

[onemeangixxer7502]

That and you can't fight an enemy you can't identify Exlude. When the enemy blends into the population and can attack and disappear at will you can't win. Check what happened in Vietnam, the American Revolution, Iraq and AFghanistan. They'd have to kill everyone they came across to make sure they got the insurgents. And the laws of war against our own people would be horrendous and rely on soldiers to shoot their own countrymen which we are conditioned against

[mikec]

Do you know what the most deadly thing is to an Abrhams tank or any other armored vehicle? Infantry. Guys with rifles and are on foot who use what's at hand.

So how could joe blow beat a tank?

[exlude]

So how could joe blow beat a tank?

Someone with an RPG or other anti armor equivalent. I doubt you'd see many of those in the US. Outside of that, large amounts of explosive...most likely home made like you see in Afghanistan.

Although, in the flatter urban areas...the Dutch were seeing so much success with tanks in Afghanistan that the Marines decided to bring some in.

[line-em-up]

...

It says that you can't give the Soldiers religious items, so as long as she doesn't take it off...

Well, a priest wouldn't be giving the soldier a religius item if he is praying for him. So, that should be okay then, right?

[exlude]

Well, a priest wouldn't be giving the soldier a religius item if he is praying for him. So, that should be okay then, right?

It absolutely is, especially considering the ban has been rescinded.

[onemeangixxer7502]

So how could joe blow beat a tank?

Someone with an RPG or other anti armor equivalent. I doubt you'd see many of those in the US. Outside of that, large amounts of explosive...most likely home made like you see in Afghanistan.

Although, in the flatter urban areas...the Dutch were seeing so much success with tanks in Afghanistan that the Marines decided to bring some in.

What also people are failing to mention if that did happen surrounding countries over there were supporting them with arms and whatever else. We'd basically have to fend for ourselves with what we have. Which wouldn't be rpg's etc etc.

[Chili]

So how could joe blow beat a tank?

Sticky bombs. Haven't you seen Saving Private Ryan??

[Nash B.]

Sticky bombs. Haven't you seen Saving Private Ryan??

or Red Dawn

[Chili]

or Red Dawn

Or shove a rock in the barrell like Indy would..

[mikec]

What also people are failing to mention if that did happen surrounding countries over there were supporting them with arms and whatever else. We'd basically have to fend for ourselves with what we have. Which wouldn't be rpg's etc etc.

Exactly why I asked. We likely would not have access to those kinds of toys.

Sticky bombs. Haven't you seen Saving Private Ryan??

Laughably enough, no. Need to watch it one of these days though. I probably watch the least tv of anyone on this site...

[mikec]

or Red Dawn

Wolverines! Actually watched that again about a month ago.

Or shove a rock in the barrell like Indy would..

Watched that last week. It's ironic that I really don't watch tv much at all but I have watched those two in the last month.

[Forever_frost]

Someone with an RPG or other anti armor equivalent. I doubt you'd see many of those in the US. Outside of that, large amounts of explosive...most likely home made like you see in Afghanistan.

Although, in the flatter urban areas...the Dutch were seeing so much success with tanks in Afghanistan that the Marines decided to bring some in.

Actually, you can dig pits and cover it with cover and have the run into it, you can do molitovs which will blind the vehicle, you can do VIEDs and IEDs out of household equipment which can make them jump track. Hell, they spent quite a while in Korea teaching us how to kill tracks. That's why when you watch any tanks or apc's move, they have infantry contingents moving with them to protect them