[lit-ideas] Re: What Every Soldier Knows
- From: John Wager <jwager@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 15:38:55 -0500
Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx wrote:
In a message dated 5/27/2010 3:56:44 A.M., rpaul@xxxxxxxx
quotes J. Wager and me on "I cannot see how you can KNOW that the commander KNOWS." and
writes: "He knows it in the same way that Mark Twain knew that Huck Finn and Jim went down a
river on a raft."
I guess I should reread that novel. It IS fiction, no?
Only in part. It's actually a somewhat fictionalized account of a
vaguely remembered conversation I had on a BBS with someone YEARS ago
about obeying orders. I don't "know" how much of what I remember of what
he said was true, was true.
Although what I said the commander "KNOWS" are facts: "The divisional
commander knows that this area has extensive enemy prepared positions,
and that the current location of the division is successfully protecting
local populations against enemy action as well as currently controlling
the ground through narrow raids into the new area of operations."
These three things are examples of historical knowledge: The first would
have involved evidence of documents, captured radio transmissions, and
patrols into the "area." The second would have involved comparisons of
civilian casualty figures in different areas or a comparison with
previous efforts. The third would have been less factual, but still
within what I would call the professional knowledge of a military
specialist--How well the current dispositions were at interdicting and
controlling enemy activities. Beyond that, I would entirely agree that
what the commander did was use guesswork and professional judgment about
possible future changes.
Regarding your earlier question about the lieutenant leading a patrol
only 50 yards out: This was, in my estimation, wrong--in fact a very
stupid decision. Yes, it is dangerous to go on a patrol that might
encounter the enemy. But such short-range patrols are one of the only
ways that the larger unit could protect itself against well-planned
attacks by the enemy; a company that did NOT send out such patrols, or
one that had lieutenants that did not actually go on them, was a company
that would put itself at higher risk of suffering casualties in an
attack. Only going out 50 yards also would place the patrol in danger
of being shot at by the rest of the company. Going out 300 yards would
make this risk lower, but raise the risk of being shot by friendly
artillery fire that did not know the real location of the patrol.
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