Where is the Cavalry?

[Mike Sparks]

One of the reasons we are getting clobbered in Iraq/Afghanistan is that we have become a wheeled road-bound Army/marines---AGAIN:

General Gavin asks where is the Cavalry in 1954? We ask where is it TODAY?

Being road-bound is not a surprise with gyrenes, but the Army knows better. It has the institutional knowledge and equipment to do better.

The solution is within our grasp--use the M113s General Gavin created and form a "Sky Cavalry" that flies by aircraft and goes cross-country instead of driving along roads/trails/streets into land mines.

"The easy way is mined", used to be tactical wisdom until Clinton-era Stryker/Humvee trucks fed our laziness and vanity to be seen of men with our "presence".

[Hannibal]

I would say that in the beginning that was what was being done, however with the sheer number of AA missles incoming from Iran etc other supporters of the insurgency it has put us back onto the road.

If we had a good counter to the surface to air threat I think that would help. Good old route recon has come back into style with a vengeance however.

[Hannibal]

Offtopic, I loved the Ontos, it just looked mean didnt it?

[Mike Sparks]

More Ontos history here:

www.geocities.com/air_mech_strike/groundvehiclephotos.htm

Mirror web page:

Ground Vehicle Photos!

As long as the U.S. Army does not have a Cavalry branch with budgetary clout to insure we employ and upgrade light tanks like our M113 Gavins with things like multiple recoilless rifles AKA Ontos the heavy tanker "mech pussies" will lust to duel other heavy tanks in open terrain after 2D maneuver stampedes as the enemy gets away in closed terrain as we lack the light mechanized Cavalry to go after them with maximum cross-country and 3D maneuver.

When the light infantry narcissist "mafia" is in charge of the Army they put their vanity before function and want to not look like the guys in tracks they think they are superior too, so we have the 8-wheeled motorized road-bound "Strykerphiles" mentality that was wisely rejected in 1954 by a smarter and more competent Army with Korea still on their minds.

Attached is a pic detailing the Army's 1954 rejection of the stupid Stryker/LAV-III mentality showing road-bound motorized infantry victims is an OLD, BAD idea that needs to not be emulated.