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Haitian YGBSM Moment...

By Dusty (AKA Attila of Argghhh!) on January 20, 2010 | | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (1)
Methinks this'll be turned around pretty fast... 

If not, someone needs to be fired with extreme prejudice.

H/T to Instapundit

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Our Country is in the Very Best of Hands... from Argghhh! on January 22, 2010 4:29 AM

Just when you thought you've seen the dumbest thing a government do in a looooong time, you read Read More

14 Comments

By AFSister on January 20, 2010 3:39 PM
Great.  More fuel for the "Amerikka is taking over Haiti, and isn't providing any assistance" fire.
 
By fdcol63 on January 20, 2010 3:59 PM
Doesn't anyone use any freakin' common sense and decency anymore?
 
By Dan Howell on January 20, 2010 4:04 PM
hey right hand, hey left hand what are we doing, who knows...
 
By FbL on January 20, 2010 5:08 PM
I wouldn't count on it, Dusty.

USAID bureaucrats are in the lead, not the US military.  Sounds like territorialism/p*ssing contest.
 
By Argent on January 20, 2010 5:34 PM
This has become too much a d*ck slapping contest between nations.  I get the pride thing but it's now in the way.  We are supposed to be helping people who are going to die without it.

It's times like this when I realise what a disaster the UN is for us all.  We need a UN which works efficiently for the good in cases like this.  Instead we have to use anything but the UN to get things done.
 
By Grumpy on January 20, 2010 6:11 PM
@fdcol63, no disrespect intended, but common sense, is not all that common, it must be learned.


@All, When you go into these countries, assume nothing. When I look at this situation and find the corrupt official or merchant, I have a special honor for them. They should become, "Life Sustaining Members of the Shark Preservation Society." (This is also known as, "Sleeping with the fishes.")
 
By John of Argghhh! on January 20, 2010 6:41 PM
Heh.  I'm the on-ground commander, I turn to the USAID twit and say, "Okay, in writing please, with a signature: You are to cease and desist all feeding efforts until such time as we get ourselves organized and able to hand out food - regardless of the timeline."

And then say, "How about you shoot a couple of flunkies over here to do the grip and grin for the cameras, and we'll get some food handed out to hungry people who really don't give a flying flip who is handing it to them?"

And until I get the order in writing, with a signature, I'm handing out food.

"Have a good day, dumbass."
 
By Neffi on January 20, 2010 8:11 PM
Had I been the head honcho of the US effort...POTUS, let's say... I'd have sent in a battalion of SeaBees in the first wave with orders to sieze whatever transportation and logistics assets were available (dam' little, I'm sure), and improvise wherever necessary- and open lines from the airport to whatever strategic distribution points could be established... and get the food and water there and hand it out in a disciplined and orderly manner. Don't let anyone from any organization harass you or get in your way; if they try, shunt them aside as gently as possible and carry on with your mission. I will handle any and all political flak from the outraged beaurocrats of any type or nationality whom you might offend; I have your back and you are exonerated in advance for whatever you need to do to carry out these orders.
All it takes is a spine, really.... sigh
 
By Attila on January 20, 2010 9:42 PM
 Anyone, besides me that is, ever deal with the USAID folks in D.C.? Fascinating, it was... -Attila
 
By AFSister on January 20, 2010 9:57 PM
John-
When Keith and I discussed this tonight, he pretty much said the same thing, but in NCO terms instead of the proper Officer words you used.  In other words... he said... "F*** You, A$$wipe... we're doing it anyway.  Just TRY to stop me."

heh.
 
By Cannonshop on January 21, 2010 3:26 AM
Let's see...

Tsunami-U.S. Miltiary is the most effective relief system in the region, saves lots of lives.

Haiti: U.S. Military, who've got recent experience and practice doing this exact thing, are screwed with by USAID Bureaucrats who were totally ineffective in the previous disaster(s) of international scale.

This had to be a verbal from the POTUS to the Joint Cheifs-I don't see U.S. troops taking an order like this from some pencil-pushing asswipe otherwise.
 
By Cpl Mongo on January 21, 2010 6:06 AM
Yup, sounds like a beaurocratic s.n.a.f.u. to me. Sad, but it will happen when office pogues and pencil pushers are let loose. 'S' shop commandos...
Right after Desert Storm we were heading back to Diego Garcia with all the leftovers. We got diverted to Bangladesh to help after a monster cyclone hit. Looked like the bomb was dropped there. We spent weeks helping out but even back then the beaurocrats had the final word.
One example: we had pallets full of MREs we were not allowed to hand out. Reason: they might be tainted with pork and would insult the imams.
Islam, gotta love it....

 
By Grumpy on January 21, 2010 9:03 PM
John,

Signature? This could be *really interesting*, actually taking responsibility.

By the way,  the term, "dumb ass" would be construed as a promotion, in these circumstances.
 
By eric on January 22, 2010 12:20 PM
us dutch draftees back when i was young would ignore orders by default and would have called our union. they would have called the newspapers and radio- and tv stations. These would have made some big headlines, after which our weak secretary of defense/government would have caved in. Sometimes your army is just to professional and disciplined. 


(apart from that: one massive kick ass job well done)