Let soldiers do their jobs

Robert Tobias, Las Vegas

Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013 | 2:01 a.m.

Members of a military combat unit are not diplomats or goodwill ambassadors; nor are they purveyors of food, clothing, toys and such to enemy forces. Their primary role is to defeat the enemy and destroy the enemy’s means to maintain military aggression. In other words, bring the enemy to its knees in unconditional surrender.

Once this objective has been realized, the diplomats and politicians can work their magic to ameliorate the social ills caused by the factions that the military has successfully subdued. The combat military is not a warm fuzzy adjunct to the political namby-pamby apologizers that our nation’s “leaders” have become. If you are going to shoot, then shoot. If you are going to talk, then talk and keep the combat military at home.

The last war won by the United States of America was World War II. Since then, we have capitulated in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran, and Libya at the expense of American resources of our combat troops, equipment, finances and integrity. To paraphrase: It matters not how you played the game, but, did you win?

It seems we no longer even know how to play the game. And we certainly have not been winning.