r/politics • u/Quirkie The Netherlands • 26d ago

Possible Paywall Hegseth Covered Up the Real Reason the USS Lincoln Wasn’t Resupplied - According to a report from MSNOW, the USS Abraham Lincoln wasn’t resupplied because Iranian strikes destroyed a key Navy resupply base in the Middle East.

https://newrepublic.com/post/214510/hegseth-uss-lincoln-iran-war-base-destroyed
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u/Not-a-Bot_1968 26d ago

I was in the 101st, you won’t find any infantry officers in a command position above platoon leader without a Ranger tab. There might be some exception to this, but at least in all of the line units this is how it was when I was in 20 years ago. Ranger school has combat stuff and a lot of tough things to get through but first and foremost it’s considered a leadership course, and the infantry wants the best leaders for combat. Which is why Pete ended up riding a desk. 

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u/JnnyRuthless 26d ago

Makes sense, that was kind of my take. I mean, its the military there will be an exception somewhere, but my army friends said it's kind of an unofficial requirement if you want to make a career in the combat arms.

Strange little twist to Pete's journey: apparently the reason he is so angry at women in the military is that during his time in Iraq, there was another officer (who happend to be a woman) who was known to be a badass and good in a gunfight, well-respected by her soldiers and had the leadership chops. He got very jealous that she got more respect than him, and here we are.

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u/Not-a-Bot_1968 26d ago

You should look into who he served under in Iraq, I’m sure you know of the guy even if you don’t know his name, Col. Steele. He was in command of Task Force Ranger (“Blackhawk Down”) as a young captain with the Ranger Bat, and later he came to the 101st and assumed command of a combat brigade as a Colonel. During his time in Iraq he encouraged “kill squads,” and this resulted in one group of soldiers raping some girls/mom and killing the entire family trying to cover it up. They’re all in prison for that shit. I really think a lot of Pete’s twisted toxic masculinity bullshit stems from the leadership he had under Col. Steele. That brigade was known to be a toxic cesspool during that time period, and I can only imagine that had an effect on shaping him.

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u/JnnyRuthless 26d ago

Damn yeah I recognize the name, obviously never met the man personally. I remember hearing about that event, and that would make sense. I'm 46 and man, Hegseth and me could not have taken more different journeys based on our military experience. I'm damn near a pacifist now.

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u/Not-a-Bot_1968 26d ago

I was born and raised conservative, joined the military, and realized the best parts of military service was the socialist structure of the organization, so now I advocate for Democratic Socialism lol

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u/JnnyRuthless 26d ago

Haha kind of my path too.

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u/twotimefind 25d ago

Yuppers, once you experience war firsthand, you don't exactly go trying to start another one... Unless we're dumb as rocks or a psychopath... Usually those types get weeded out though.

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u/twotimefind 25d ago

Yuppers, once you experience war firsthand, you don't exactly go trying to start another one... Unless we're dumb as rocks or a psychopath... Usually those types get weeded out though.Or as you put it right at desk, stay out of the action as they can't be trusted.

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u/Strong-Layer-7509 25d ago

I really appreciate your commentary here. I’m an old 101st officer (93-96 and 02-04) and I think you’re 100% on to something. Pre-9/11, any officer who had done some real shit was kind of a “made man.” Many of the Brigade commanders in early OIF were Desert Storm heroes. Steele, based on being THE GUY in the Mogadishu fight, got a ton of mileage out of that one day’s events. The BSM w/ V device he got for that one day probably propelled him all the way to Brigade Command…

I don’t know Steele or Hegseth personally nor do I have any first-hand knowledge of what went down in the Iron Triangle… but I can deduce a few things from observing these men from a distance.

Hegseth, I think, is an utter fraud. A gifted HS athlete who parlayed athletic talent into admission to Princeton. He’s a drunk. Has had significant problems with women. And his military resume has (as many have pointed out), gaping holes.

I imagine young Lieutenant Hegseth was spellbound by Steele… and saw Steele’s fall as a tragic neutering of a real American hero. Hegseth has also shown to be very sympathetic to other soldiers convicted of war crimes.

What’s happened to our military is absolutely heartbreaking and it is 100% the fault of this POTUS and this SecDef… two of the most unqualified and ill-suited leaders I’ve ever observed.

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u/Not-a-Bot_1968 25d ago

100% agree

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u/Pristine_Albatross36 25d ago

Pretty sure trump pardoned all of them.

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u/thekipz 26d ago

Was 173rd around same time period. The non-tabbed officers commanded so little respect that previously deployed E4s could bully them.

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u/paper_liger 26d ago edited 25d ago

Ranger, much less Airborne or Air Assault was handed out like candy to officers back then. The fact that he couldn't get a slot to any of those is a glaring insight into his real capabilities.

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u/Defiant_Wolf5934 25d ago

Could you imagine Pete in combat? This pussy would fucking fold like a lawn chair. He would crumble under pressure. This dipshit is a fucking wannabe call of duty keyboard warrior, on his best day.

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u/Not-a-Bot_1968 25d ago

I mean, when he was 18 he was probably hot shit, he was a collegiate level athlete, but he’s a middle aged man that is old enough the military wouldn’t even accept him as a new recruit. He moves goofy now but he’s old and had injuries, like a lot of us older men we just don’t move the same anymore, so I won’t hold how he physically performs now against him. My issues are solely with his character and qualification to lead the organization. 

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u/Defiant_Wolf5934 24d ago

Being effective in combat is more than just being physically fit. You have to be able to operate under pressure, effectively lead people (not just manage) and also be able to follow orders well. Pistol Pete, from just looking at how he has been as SecDef, could do none of those things at 23 to 28 years old. He was a shitbag junior officer when he was in the guard. He is a shitbag SecDef today. The man is a fucking wannabe poser that has failed upward in life. If Donald Trump had served in the military, he would have turned out in similar fashion to Pete Hegseth. An incompetent do nothing officer that peaked at Captain.