Absorbing Assistance
On the one hand, Ukrainian officials claim they are not receiving promised military equipment fast enough. On the other, Ukrainian soldiers do not know how to operate much of the crap they have already received.
At least, according to this story by The New York Times, which often baffles us with bullshit. But maybe not this time.
Last time I checked, Thomas Gibbons-Neff served in the U.S. military, so it’s possible he knows what he’s talking about. He was a Marine, though, so it’s also possible he doesn’t.
I don’t know what Ukraine’s version of TRADOC is and how effective it is training up soldiers to use gifted gear. But using smart optics, night vision goggles and rifle scopes isn’t exactly rocket science, especially if your life defends on it.
The JIM LRs are just a very pricey — maybe over-pricey — version of ATN’s BinoX 4Ks, which even this retired astigmatic very retired 98G with a J2 trailer learned how to use in less than 20 minutes in early May.
Which brings me back to Tiger woman Avril and what she told U.S. Senators on May 11 (Day 3, Phase 3)1:
During the first three months of the war — and the three months before that and the three months before that — I have been unimpressed by the competence of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Agency and State Security Service. Ukraine’s Defense Minister and deputy Hanna both have zero (0) active military experience. The same goes for Z and most his draft-dodging team, including Oleksiy Arestovych, who was basically washed out of the ranks during the third year of the war.
Still, maybe they can speak to the “absorbing assistance” issue raised in Tom’s NYT article and by Avril?
It’s easy to talk endlessly about not receiving enough foreign military assistance and blame battlefield screw-ups on your benefactors. It’s altogether something different to own up to your own incompetence and figure out a solution, with or without outside help.
Day 3, Phase 3. Absorbing additional assistance (May 11, 2022)