I wrote a post about the dedication of the Cherry-Beasley Joint Readiness Center a couple years back wherein I gave my assessment of the actions of my former BC. I am guessing that he, like most of us do from time to time, was Googling himself (which sounds very naughty but isn’t) and came across that post. He took umbrage at my take on it and wrote today to let me know. As I am a fair man, I will post his e-mail response to the post and let him have his say.
Hey, I just came across this posting regarding the Dedication Ceremony for Cherry-Beasley Readiness Center. I am concerned about a couple comments and would like to know where they are coming from.
All the power to you for putting out whatever you want, but I would be curious why you think some of the things you think.
I am most concerned about why you characterized the mission in southern Nawa when Cherry and Beasley were killed as a “staff boondoggle” arranged by me and the staff to get outside the wire. Now I know that we leaders don’t always get all the details down to the Soldier level like we should, and if something seems screwed up there can be a lot of complaining about it with no attempt to really get to the bottom of the reason, but I disagree with how you have described this mission.
The mission to southern Nawa was a reconnaissance of an area of known enemy influence. It was part of getting to know the area we were in, the “feel” you reference. But this was for A Co, not for the staff. The AT Platoon was included to provide additional firepower for the patrol because of the threat in the area. I was concerned about this area because we believed that the most southern areas (where during Christmas we launched a large scale operation with the ANA and Ghazni police) may have been providing support for enemy operations deeper in Ghazni Province near Ghazni City. That was the reason I sent the patrol down there. No other reason. Whatever other ideas people created in their minds either before or after the incident were their own. As for staff going on the mission, the only person that I recall sending that was not part of the assigned units was CSM McGhee. He and I decided he should go because it was a patrol early in the deployment and it might be good to have some extra experience along. Regardless of anyone’s personal feelings about him, this was the reason I had him go along.
As for not trusting the junior leaders, the Battalion provided the mission. To the best of my knowledge, the battalion did not “plan” the mission. The S-3 may have provided guidance on it, but I do not believe MAJ Smith told A Co “how” to do the mission. He certainly didn’t tell them what route to use. I may be wrong, but generally I let commanders lead their units, unless there was a specific task to be accomplished and then I will admit I could be very directive. I do not know why the patrol used the same route. The only significant complaint brought to my attention on decisions I made had to do with the allocation of jamming devices and I fully accept responsibility for that. If you are interested I can explain the reasoning to you, but not in a public forum.
I accept your comment and the responsibility for ordering them to their deaths. I sent them on the mission. Just as I accept responsibility for SPC Hemauer’s death as well because I ultimately put all of you in the positions of danger you faced. But it was not a sight seeing tour, except in the context of reconning an area to become familiar with it and determine enemy influence.
Bottomline, believe me or not, that is your choice. But this is the first case I can recall that anyone has brought this idea of a boondoggle to my attention, and I only discovered it indirectly, you didn’t bring it to my attention. Maybe you assumed someone else did. I discovered after our return there were all these things I “knew” were going on. Maybe I should have, but I didn’t.
I am often amazed at what people think I should have known. I could just as easily say you should have known I would never send troops out on a boondoggle, but apparently you don’t know that or choose not to believe it. I see a lot of times when people decided they knew the truth without ever willing to ask the questions to really find it. Why would they, they already “knew.”
I don’t begrudge your hated of me. Unfortunately it comes with being a leader, but doesn’t make it any easier. I only ask that if you’re going to hate me, hate me over the facts and not what you think the facts are.
Good luck to you in all your endeavors.
COL Ortner
By the way, you drawing the Emperor Penguin assignment. That is damn funny.
And there it is. I do not now nor have I ever asserted the COL Ortner ever actively tried to get anyone killed. That would be not only be naive (you don’t purposely destroy your assets) but would assign an accusation of malfeasance that is unwarranted. I still believe that he was a victim of the Peter Principle and as such so were others. I can and do fault the man for many things but not the willful and purposeful destruction of American lives and equipment. Poor leadership? I’ll stick by that. Culpability? Yes, it is always the leader’s fault whether success or failure is on the table. But intentionally killing your own troops? I never said that nor intended that to be understood.
I don’t think Colonel Ortner and I will be sharing any stories over drinks in the near or far future, but I am fair and I will give a man his say. When I say I defend the 1st Amendment, I mean I defend it for everyone. I don’t hate COL Ortner as he thinks I do. I don’t think enough on the matter to let hate enter into the equation anymore. I understand that the farther a person is removed in time and position, the more tolerable or reasonable or understandable they become. I just haven’t gotten that far away yet.
Tags: Blake Ortner
I will say more on it later, but for right now I will say that Ortner was a God compared to that useless piece of shit who called himself SGM for the BN. I didn’t agree with Ortner on much of anything, but never once did I look at McGee and think “When push comes to shove, that dude will do right by the men.” He couldn’t have given 2 shits about the men. Most of my enmity for things that went wrong will always be aimed at him. It was his job to make sure that we had what we needed in terms of support, and never once did I see him do anything for the men, except needlessly put us in danger with his jackass climbing tower.
makes ‘Mo-Gas’ chicken look tame, huh TSO??
@ TSO: Well, that goes without saying. Crazy Eye was the worst SMG I had ever had. Say what you will about Dancy and his dalliances and crippled vocabulary and pronunciation, he loved his men. It was clear as day that, despite everybody clamoring for some form of MWR on camp, he only wanted to show on his NCOER that he could train rappelling in country. It added no morale and gave the Taliban a front sight post.
As BNG said in the email, Dancy was the worst 1SG and the best CSM I ever had. I still don’t understand it myself, but the man flat out did everything he could for the “menses” when he got the command.
I couldn’t talk about his 1SG time since I didn’t know him then, but he was a good CSM. Might not be able to win a 3rd grade spelling bee, but he took care of the troops.
Sniper
The ‘Mumbling Man’ did generate some epic comment moments ..
The 1st Sgt and CSM ranks are two completely different animals.
CSM Dancy was always concerned about his “menses”. He really shined on deployment when he ran the day passes. Looking back I think he was torn between his desire to take care of his “menses” and his duty to the CO. Look back on the “please 3rd platoon” speeches. He was pleading with us, not commanding. We go out and do one more iteration and then the 1st A-holes will leave the CO alone and then the CO can get off our backs.
The maddest I ever saw him was the Mogas chicken that FXCOFire elluded to and when the SGM at the time (he never deserved the “C”, IMHO) kept walking away and told him, “I don’t care.” He must have yelled “You don’t care” 5 times while running after him.
When he got the wreath and star he was able to do what came naturally for him. And that was take care of his boys.
I walked up to him at Blandy and told him that in 18 years he was the best CSM I had ever had. I still stand behind that.
CSM McGhee did not go on the mission. I personally informed him of the IED attack while he was at FOB Ghazni. When the recovery mission left the FOB he went with them.
Annnnd that fits with the pattern. Thank you TOC.
McGhee never did go on that mission. He, like Ortner were two pieces of turd in the same bowl. I do remember that Ortner ordered them to return on the same road that they went in on (we all know that is a no-no.) He was afraid it was getting dark and wanted them home. I love how he lives in his own mind regardless of the truth. Even his CIB was faked. He never event went on the mission that he got him the CIB. I was there and know that for a fact. We had an EW burn that detonated an IED 10 klicks from us before he even left the FOB. To think that he will be a BG soon if he isn’t already. I know he made the list.
The best part of the Blue Falcon tower was that McGhee never actually held a real class. No one would take it when it was offered and he wound up ordering the sick, lame and lazy FOBBITS to take the class. Everyone else took the real class from the Army Mountain Warfare guys. McGhee and Ortner, what douche bags. Remember when Ornter got the Hadji’s killed because he wouldn’t listen to EOD and our own Engineers when they said the last cache that we found was to unstable to move. Everyone recommended that he call Halo Trust but if he did that then he wouldn’t get to take credit for it. He got 5 guys killed that day because of his hubris. Would love to hear him explain that piece of history.