PJ Media

Dave,
In the world of satellite comms and the commander’s ability to “reach out and touch someone”, you can bet a paycheck that the CO of the CORNWALL was on the phone getting permission to take the Iranians out, but was denied. You can also bet that, based upon our (as you so eloquently put it) “effed up rules of engagement”, the Iranians knew precisely that would happen. Unless and until we give the commanders on the ground the leeway and room to do their job based upon their judgement and the standing ROE, this will continue to happen – because politicians see war as political, not as a matter of Sailors or Marines’ lives. We give these Captains a multi-billion dollar warship and tell them to employ it to the utmost of their personal and professional skills, but second-guess them and preempt them at every turn. Oversight is good, don’t get me wrong, but micromanagement drives an organization to ineffectiveness.