Another former US Commander speaks out.

[bradclark1]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Sanchez - He's a simple tank commander, nothing more. This is the guy speaking out in the article.

You don't become a lieutenant general in todays army by being just a simple tank commander. Then again they made Rick Lynch a major general and I thought he sucked when he was a lieutenant colonel. And there is no 'simple' to being a tank commander.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki II]

Originally Posted by bradclark1

You don't become a lieutenant general in todays army by being just a simple tank commander. Then again they made Rick Lynch a major general and I thought he sucked when he was a lieutenant colonel. And there is no 'simple' to being a tank commander.

And what other choices are there, really. There's "simple" infantry commander and "simple" artillery commander. That's it. There are other specialties, sure, but as you get further away from the combat arms, your chances of promotion to the top levels fall rapidly.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by bradclark1

You don't become a lieutenant general in todays army by being just a simple tank commander. Then again they made Rick Lynch a major general and I thought he sucked when he was a lieutenant colonel. And there is no 'simple' to being a tank commander.

Yes you do. He was not, nor has ever had any training or experience to deal with what he had to deal with. His former commanders did, but thought the job was done. His boss said he made a mistake by putting him in charge and takes full blame for it.

Don't get me wrong, Sanchez is a good tank commander, and he is exceptional at tank warfare, but he is not good at urban combat and has never had any real training or experience in it. Tack on an insurgency, and you have a brewing pot of mistakes - one right after the other.

-S

[Tchocky]

That his concentration is in tank warfare shouldn't impair his powers of observation.

Retired Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez also labelled US political leaders as "incompetent" and "corrupted".

[Skybird]

Even if you are not fluent in German, you can make sense of this, by looking at the years, ranks, and unit names.

I wonder why in 2005, when he was in command of the Vth Corps in Germany, and the corps was moving to Iraq to become the headquarter for operations there, commanded by another general than Sanchez, I wonder why the unit flag remained with Sanchez in Germany?

1973 Studium mit einem Bachelor in Mathematik und Geschichte an der Texas A&M University-Kingsville ab. Während seines Studiums erhielt er ein ROTC-Stipendium und wurde daher nach dem Studium in die US Army eingezogen und bei der Panzertruppe zum Second Lieutenant ausgebildet. Seine erste Verwendung war die eines Zugführers im 4. Bataillon, 68. US-Panzerregiment der 82. US-Luftlandedivision in Fort Bragg (North Carolina). Anschließend folgten Verwendungen als Erster Offizier einer Kompanie, als assistierender Logistikoffizier und Operationsoffizier (S3) in der selben Division.

Später wurde Sánchez Ordonnazoffizier des assistierenden Divisionskommandeurs. Im Juni 1977 übernahm er das Kommando über die C-Kompanie des 4. Bataillons, 68. US-Panzerregiment. Danach wurde er als Kontrolloffizier im Büro des Sekretärs des Joint Staff der US Forces Korea, der 8. US-Armee eingesetzt. Sánchez absolvierte die Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Kalifornien mit einem Master-Abschluss in Operationsforschung und Ingenieurwesen für Systemanalyse und wurde danach dem US Army Armor Center (Panzerausbildungszentrum) in Fort Knox, Kentucky zugeteilt. Er diente dort als Leiter der Abteilung für zukünftige Panzerkampfsysteme, der Gruppe für spezielle Studien und der Panzerinvestitions- und Strategiegruppe. Ebenso war er als Projektoffizier im Direktorat des Kampfentwicklungszentrums eingesetzt.

Danach schloss sich eine Auslandsverwendung in Gelnhausen, Deutschland an, wo er als Operationsoffizier (S3) und Erster Offizier (XO) des 3. Bataillons, 8. US-Kavallerieregiment der 3. US-Panzerdivision diente und danach als stellvertretender Operationsoffizier (G3) der Division in Frankfurt am Main eingesetzt war. Im Juni 1990 übernahm er dann das Kommando des 2. Bataillons, 69. US-Panzerregiment der 197. US-Infanteriebrigade in Fort Benning, Georgia und führte dieses im Kampfeinsatz während der Operationen Desert Shield/Storm im Kuwait und dem Irak. Nach dem Krieg wurde seine Brigade in die 3. Brigade der 24. US-Infanteriedivision umgegliedert. Nach diesem Truppenkommando war er als Ermittler für das Büro des Generalinspekteurs der US Army in Washington (D.C.) tätig. Im Juli 1994 übernahm er dann das Kommando der 2. Brigade der 1. US-Infanteriedivision (der späteren 3. Brigade der 1. US-Panzerdivision) in Fort Riley, Kansas. Danach wurde er ins Hauptquartier des US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in Quarry Heights, Panama versetzt, wo er als stellvertretender Stabschef eingesetzt war.

Nach der Beförderung zum Brigadier General wurde Sánchez Operationsdirektor und später Direktor für Strategische Planungen (J-3/J-5) des SOUTHCOM. Nach dieser Verwendung wurde er assistierender Divisionskommandeur der 1. US-Infanteriedivision in Deutschland. In dieser Zeit war er auch Kommandeur der Mulitnationalen Brigade Ost der KFOR im Kosovo. Danach übernahm er den Posten des stellvertretenden Stabschefs des Operationshauptquartiers der 7. US-Armee/US Army Europe in Heidelberg.

Am 10. Juli 2001 wurde Sánchez für zwei Jahre Kommandierender General der 1. US-Panzerdivision in Wiesbaden, Deutschland. Während dieser Zeit führte er die Division in der Operation Iraqi Freedom I im April 2003. Am 14. Juni 2003 wurde er zum Lieutenant General befördert und übernahm das Kommando des V. US-Korps und der Combined Joint Task Force 7 im Irak. Nach der Umstrukturierung der Kommandokette war er vom 15. Mai 2004 bis zum 4. Juli 2004 Kommandeur der Multinationalen Streitkräfte im Irak (Multi-National Force Iraq). Während seiner Amtszeit gelang den Koalitionstruppen die Festnahme des ehemaligen Diktators Saddam Hussein.

Nach dem Abu-Ghuraib-Folterskandal wurde er von seinem Posten enthoben und im Juli 2004 durch General George W. Casey junior abgelöst. Ursprünglich für die Beförderung zum General vorgesehen um eventuell das Kommando des US Southern Command zu übernehmen, wurde dieses Vorhaben jedoch aufgegeben, da das Armed Services Committee des US-Senats dies wegen des Skandals nicht bestätigt hätte. Der Posten ging an General Bantz J. Craddock. Sánchez´ Rolle als indirekt Verantwortlicher für den Abu-Ghuraib-Skandal führten zu seiner Versetzung zum V. US-Korps und Nichtbeförderung zum General.Nach der Kommandoübergabe kommandierte er das V. US-Korps in Deutschland. Als das Korps jedoch im November 2005 Vorbereitungen traf um als Hauptquartier (Multi-National Corps Iraq; MNC-I) das Kommando in Bagdad zu übernehmen, wurde Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli als vorwärtiger Kommandeur eingesetzt. Sánchez und mit ihm die Truppenfahne des Korps blieb jedoch unüblicherweise in Deutschland. Am 6. September 2006 gab Sánchez das Kommando in den Campbell Barracks in Heidelberg nicht wie üblich an seinen Nachfolger, Major General Fred D. Robinson ab, der zu diesem Zeitpunkt als Nachfolger noch nicht feststand, sondern an seinen Vorgesetzten David D. McKiernan. Sánchez trat schließlich am 1. November 2006 in den Ruhestand.

Seine Ausbildung erfolgte als Panzeroffizier und schließt das Command and General Staff College und das US Army War College ein. Er ist verheiratet und hat zwei Töchter und zwei Söhne.

Seine Auszeichnungen umfassen u.a.: die Defense Distinguished Service Medal, die Distinguished Service Medal, die Defense Superior Service Medal, das Legion of Merit, den Bronze Star mit Eichenlaub und Tapferkeitsauszeichnung, die Meritorious Service Medal mit zweifachem Eichenlaub, die Joint Service Commendation Medal, die National Defense Service Medal mit zwei Silbersternen, sowei die United Nations Medal.

[bradclark1]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Yes you do. He was not, nor has ever had any training or experience to deal with what he had to deal with. His former commanders did, but thought the job was done. His boss said he made a mistake by putting him in charge and takes full blame for it.

Don't get me wrong, Sanchez is a good tank commander, and he is exceptional at tank warfare, but he is not good at urban combat and has never had any real training or experience in it. Tack on an insurgency, and you have a brewing pot of mistakes - one right after the other.

-S

You would have to provide a link to this interesting information you are getting. Your concept of army leadership is somewhat flawed. When you make colonel and up you are commanding infantry and armor. On top of that you have have operations officers who by position is a registered hotty who is tracked for higher things, and when you are at Corps level also have two or more division commanders who won't hesitate to tell you your thinking is screwed up. At Corps level you are not going to micromanage any Division, Brigade or Battalion operations. A Corps commander oversees the overall battle and will issue operations orders to the Division commanders and will not tell him how to do that job. I have no idea how anybody would know if a lieutenant general is any good at urban warfare because the army has not trained for that environment until the Iraq invasion was well on the way. The last major urban combat was Hue IIRC.

As far as his boss, I have utter disdain for Franks because if he was worth a s#!t he would have looked pass the taking of Baghdad and take control of the country after the battle. Not have units standing around with their fingers up their arse unsure of what do and have the commander say "Oh well guess I'll retire now". Or if you are talking about Gen. John Abizaid I don't remember him doing any stellar job worthy of mention. Abizaids claim to fame was that he had an Arab heritage. That more then anything put him in a commander position. Lets be clear on something. Sanchez was relieved for the prison debacle not for tactical reasons. I will grant that no Iraq commander until general Petraeus knew how to deal with the insurgency properly and Petraeus is what the fourth commander.

[bradclark1]

Originally Posted by Kazuaki Shimazaki II

And what other choices are there, really. There's "simple" infantry commander and "simple" artillery commander. That's it. There are other specialties, sure, but as you get further away from the combat arms, your chances of promotion to the top levels fall rapidly.

I don't understand what you are trying to say.

[bradclark1]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I wonder why in 2005, when he was in command of the Vth Corps in Germany, and the corps was moving to Iraq to become the headquarter for operations there, commanded by another general than Sanchez, I wonder why the unit flag remained with Sanchez in Germany?

In this regard when you are talking Corps you are talking the command structure only. The Corps as a fighting unit did not go to Iraq. That remained in Germany. The best way I can call it is symbolic. To do any different would have been to make an entirely new corps which by law couldn't be done. It's just a paper shuffle.
Lets say in Iraq right now is the 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Infantry Division, by virtue of being in Iraq they fall under V Corps. In reality they are stationed in the U.S. and are normally attached to III Corps. The home of V Corps is Germany. Normally V Corps would be say 2 Divisions plus support elements stationed in Germany but because of Iraq V Corps is actually the size of an Army. Have I utterly confused you?

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by bradclark1

In this regard when you are talking Corps you are talking the command structure only. The Corps as a fighting unit did not go to Iraq. That remained in Germany. The best way I can call it is symbolic. To do any different would have been to make an entirely new corps which by law couldn't be done. It's just a paper shuffle.
Lets say in Iraq right now is the 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Infantry Division, by virtue of being in Iraq they fall under V Corps. In reality they are stationed in the U.S. and are normally attached to III Corps. The home of V Corps is Germany. Normally V Corps would be say 2 Divisions plus support elements stationed in Germany but because of Iraq V Corps is actually the size of an Army. Have I utterly confused you?

Men and their toys!

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by bradclark1

You would have to provide a link to this interesting information you are getting. Your concept of army leadership is somewhat flawed. When you make colonel and up you are commanding infantry and armor. On top of that you have have operations officers who by position is a registered hotty who is tracked for higher things, and when you are at Corps level also have two or more division commanders who won't hesitate to tell you your thinking is screwed up. At Corps level you are not going to micromanage any Division, Brigade or Battalion operations. A Corps commander oversees the overall battle and will issue operations orders to the Division commanders and will not tell him how to do that job. I have no idea how anybody would know if a lieutenant general is any good at urban warfare because the army has not trained for that environment until the Iraq invasion was well on the way. The last major urban combat was Hue IIRC.

As far as his boss, I have utter disdain for Franks because if he was worth a s#!t he would have looked pass the taking of Baghdad and take control of the country after the battle. Not have units standing around with their fingers up their arse unsure of what do and have the commander say "Oh well guess I'll retire now". Or if you are talking about Gen. John Abizaid I don't remember him doing any stellar job worthy of mention. Abizaids claim to fame was that he had an Arab heritage. That more then anything put him in a commander position. Lets be clear on something. Sanchez was relieved for the prison debacle not for tactical reasons. I will grant that no Iraq commander until general Petraeus knew how to deal with the insurgency properly and Petraeus is what the fourth commander.

Watch the show called Frontline. It is their episode called End Game. I'm sure their is a transcript online somewhere. Sanchez boss has a lot to say about Sanchez, and how he takes responsibility for putting him in charge of soemthing he was not able to handle.

-S

PS. Here is the home page - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/endgame/

[SUBMAN1]

Matter of fact, you can watch the whole thing on line - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/endgame/view/

In it, you will find much that Sanchez screwed up.

-S

[bradclark1]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Matter of fact, you can watch the whole thing on line - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/endgame/view/

In it, you will find much that Sanchez screwed up.

-S

Good show. Made me angry at our unpreparedness, but good show. You need to re-watch part one and reassess your thoughts.