Former soldier critiques Putin's flawed invasion
Many of us are watching news reports of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But unfortunately, we only know what the news tells us. As a result, we view innocent civilians slaughtered by the Russian military and the Ukrainian infrastructure decimated by Russian weapons of war. The tragedy is heartbreaking.
News outlets showed Russian units stage at the Ukrainian border. Comrade Putin was confident that he could secure the former USSR country to be part of Mother Russia once again. Instead, he met strong resistance from the fierce Ukrainian military and civilian population and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members. I’m sure he did not expect such strong support from the NATO countries and many non-NATO nations. Being careful not to provoke Putin by introducing boots on the ground, nations worldwide presented Ukraine with numerous weapons to strengthen its military.
Having experience as an operation sergeant in Mechanized Infantry, I watched the battle unfold and immediately saw fallacies in how Putin staged his troops. For example, an essential aspect of an operation is supply trains. Referred to as a train (or trains), a “train” is a vehicle convoy of specific size and configuration, such as a fuel supply train, needed equipment, or food and medical supplies. They are dispatched as required and considered a priority in an operations order.
From my time as an infantry adviser stationed on an Iraqi army base, an example of a supply train was the shortage of diesel fuel for generators and vehicles. Our base ran on massive, truck-sized generators that powered everything. The brave soldiers who drove the convoy of tanker trucks through enemy territory put their lives on the line to deliver our fuel. I went to every tanker in convoy and thanked each driver and co-driver for their service. Handshakes were never so well deserved.
Operation orders require the organization of supply trains. Still, unfortunately, the long Russian convoys of vehicles and troops reported by news agencies are essentially on their own. They have no way to replenish their food, fuel, and ammunition because the Ukrainian military destroys the trains. Eliminating enemy supply lines leaves it helpless in the siege of battle.
Remember German Field Marshal Rommel during WWII with his Panzer tank division in North Africa? He couldn’t move because he had no fuel for his Panzers. British commandos blew up his fuel dump and defeated Rommel’s war machine without firing a shot! Likewise, Putin’s army will be dominated by his own doing without supply trains.
With the ever-present threat of nuclear warfare, the Russian war machine marches on as the world stands on the sidelines. There is no winner in a nuclear holocaust. So, is it time to push the boundaries of war and engage the psychotic dictator with a scripted response? Or do we write letters and hope he will relent? Quite a quandary, wouldn’t you say?
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Jack Evensizer is a resident of Dalton Gardens and a veteran of the U.S. Army Infantry.
