Perspective On The Screaming Eagles

This morning informed commentary features perspectives on the CBS news report (clearly propagandistic in intent) about the deployment of the 101st airborne division to Romania. It seems that this is, in fact, a replacement deployment. The 101st is replacing the 82nd Airborne, which has been in Romania for 4 months. CBS reporting made the 101st’s deployment appear to be a new development—probably to shape the US domestic public’s perceptions ahead of the Red Wave election that is being predicted.

Here’s the fundamental problem that we discussed last night (cf. link above)—even photo-ops (below) can have consequences. Unintended or intended. In the end that distinction gets blurred.

This morning, start with Larry Johnson:

101ST AIRBORNE DOES PHOTO OP IN ROMANIA

Larry makes an important point. We mentioned that the 101st is light infantry. Larry is far more knowledgeable about what that means than I am, even if the distinction was obviously important:

It is important to understand that the 101st is “light infantry”:

Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought as scouts, raiders, and skirmishers. These are loose formations that fight ahead of the main army to harass, delay, disrupt supply lines, engage the enemy’s own skirmishing forces, and generally “soften up” an enemy before the main battle. Light infantrymen were also often responsible for screening the main body of a military formation.

The 101st is essentially a band aid. Its primary mission is to try to slow up an attacking army. In other words, the 101st is an expensive, lethal speed bump. The challenge for the 101st Brigade Combat Team is figuring out how to fight a peer army. Frankly, it would be a suicide mission to deploy these guys to Ukraine. The 101st lacks the offensive punch to go toe-to-toe with a Russian heavy infantry unit.

On the one hand this CBS propaganda piece plays into absurd notions of a Russian land offensive into Western Europe—absurd, because the Russians lack such a capability. At the same time, it suggests a forward deployment into Ukraine, playing into the American public’s misguided notion that all US armed forces units are equally invincible. That is far from the case when dealing with a peer opponent.

There’s another point to be made. For Russians, the US/Romanian excercises on Russia’s border—at a time when Nazism is resurgent in Ukraine—serves as a reminder of Romania’s large and enthusiastic participation in the Nazi invasion of Russia in 1941. The optics aren’t good, with the US substituting for Nazi Germany in the current situation.

Larry closes by expanding on a point that Andrei Martyanov makes (below):

I agree with Andrei’s observation that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s first call to Russia’s Shoigu since May was probably to reassure the Russians that the reports coming out about the 101st Airborne Division element in Romania was hype and that the United States had no intention of deploying that unit to Ukraine. The CBS report target audience is the American public. Keep feeding them bullshit in a desperate attempt to convince them that America should be fighting in Ukraine. I do not think most Americans have the stomach for another feckless foreign military misadventure.

Rather than convincing Americans that we should be fighting in Ukraine, these disinformation “news” pieces may be desperate attempts to deflect the American public’s view of the reality on the ground ahead of the Midterms. There’s a reason, after all, why the GOP is now openly suggesting pulling the plug on aid to Ukraine. They wouldn’t be talking that way if 1) the public supports the current policy and 2) if the current policy were a success.

Next, go to Andrei Martyanov’s blog for an extended discussion:

And They Huff, And They Puff...

Martyanov derides the notion that the 101st is a threat to Russia.

Let me suggest something. I agree that there must be something behind the Austin phone call to Shoigu. The subject of US troop deployments may have been discussed. However, given that this was the first such call since May, something special must have been on the agenda. My guess is that the top item was the nuclear “games” the US was conducting with NATO participation on Russia’s borders.

It’s true that these “games” have been going on for years, and are regularly scheduled. It also remains true that they’ve always been highly provocative, and a standing reminder to Russia that the US is Russia’s implacable enemy. It’s a reminder that the Cold War never ended and never will end as far as the US is concerned. This is foolishness and any misstep could have tragic consequences on a global scale.