Imagine you are a soldier, a member of our armed forces, a proud American, a citizen watching this crisis unfold.  Imagine you look to your leader for direction, for assurance and confidence.  Imagine your Commander in Chief takes the podium and gives the following address: 

“My fellow Americans, I come to you tonight with a message for ISIS. Recorded history has shown that those of your radical religious persuasion are only influenced by strong fear. We shall now accommodate you.  Your current atrocities are an insult to all civilized humanity and for you… it is too late to “un-ring the bell.” Consequently you are now going to be visited by the hell that comes with the wrath of an unconstrained United States Military. You will not be able to hide.

We will not only destroy your command and control infrastructure, military hardware and installations, but hunt down and kill your soldiers and leadership wherever you are found. We shall not be overly dependent upon other nations to accomplish our goal, nor shall our forces be constrained by politically motivated rules-of-engagement. There will be no “nation building” at the conclusion of our mission, nor shall we be drawn into the never ceasing Mid-East squabbling that has prevailed for centuries. We will pound you into dust and leave.

To that end, I shall request before a special joint session of the Congress that the United States of America declare war on ISIS. “

Your heart and body swell with pride.  You are proud.  You are confident.  And you thank God you are an American.  Now wake up from this dream because it ain't happening and here is why:  

I do not personally know a single active duty or retired military individual that is not disgusted by the antics of President Barack Obama. Since those on active duty are constrained from openly criticizing their Commander-In-Chief, I offer the following candid observations from the perspective of a retired USAF pilot who flew combat missions in Vietnam; graduated from various professional military colleges, commanded a Tactical Fighter Wing; and observed in Operations Linebacker II and Desert Storm the devastation that can be visited upon an enemy when our combat forces are not constrained by stupid, politically driven rules of engagement that do nothing but endanger our troops and protect our enemies.

President Obama offers a politically driven folly, a strategy based on the following:

• ISIS does indeed pose a threat to not only the Mideast, but anyone else that does not subscribe to their radical medieval religious beliefs. (Such awareness could have been forthcoming years ago had the warnings of our intelligence community not been ignored by him and his political advisors.)
• Assurance to the “war weary” American People and our enemy that there will be no US ground troops involved. (Not only is such a statement a bold faced lie, but declares to ISIS, and our allies, that we aren’t really serious about the mission.  Who other than a clueless moron could believe that telegraphing what you won’t do serves any useful purpose other than that of “kicking the can down the road” until the next election?  As for the American people being “war weary”… who the hell wouldn’t be when we squander our national blood and treasure on wars predicated upon questionable objectives, then prosecuted in a half-hearted manner that denies early victory and timely withdrawal?  Not to mention the insane commitment of US troops to fight a virus in Africa.)  
• A declaration that a “coalition of other nations” similar to that crafted by President George H.W. Bush prior to the Iraq War can be readily assembled, and that “Moderate Syrian Rebels” along with the disgraced Iraqi Military can be trained and equipped to fulfill the ground combat role.  (Seriously? How does that square with the fact that we spent six years and twenty billion dollars in Iraq to train an army of  300,000… which promptly dropped their weapons, shed their uniforms and ran in the face of a ISIS force that they outnumbered by a ratio of thirty to one?)
• Carefully selected targets for airstrikes can “turn the tide” for our newly trained ground combatants. (This is the same flawed thinking that cost us 58,000 lives over a seven year period in Vietnam until a resolute President Nixon unleased the full, unconstrained might of America Airpower in Operation Linebacker-II, which after thirteen days and nights of continuous bombardment convinced North Vietnam that surrender really was in their best interest. Gradualism does not work. Half-hearted let’s-lead-from-behind does not inspire confidence nor commitment   Prompt, violent and over-whelming ground forces supported by air power win wars.)

I note that since we now have a plan, of some sort, there is an ongoing search for an appropriate name along the lines of “Desert Storm.”  My suggestion:  “Operation Cockroach” and I offer the following observations concerning our strategy for such a campaign:

• As a graduate of the United States Army War College, I have total respect for the requirement of boots on the ground.  Airpower alone cannot get the job done.  However when airpower is applied without constraints its effects can be truly awesome. Anyone who saw pictures of “The Highway of Death” in Desert Storm, as well as the images of enemy soldiers surrendering to Red Cross workers and reporters, should need little convincing.  War against rabble such as ISIS will not require traditional maneuver battalions that are essential when fighting a well-equipped and disciplined army.  
• Therefore, before committing large numbers of ground forces, airpower should be given a chance through massive airstrikes numbering several hundreds of sorties on a daily basis. Such airstrikes should be accompanied by the infusion of large numbers of our remarkably effective Special Operations Forces that are allowed to “do what they do” without political meddling by politicians more worried about offending a protected religion than winning a war.  And no more pandering and hand-wringing of politicians and pundits who never wore a uniform.  They don’t know what they are talking about, so why would we listen to them anyway?
• It can be anticipated that many of the vaunted ISIS soldiers will shed their black attire and white tennis shoes in attempt to hide themselves within the indigenous population.   However, their hopes for survival will be dashed when they come face-to-face with our “Quite Professionals” (AKA Special Operations Forces) who will quickly and efficiently kill them like the worthless beings that they are. 

Phil “Hands” Handley is a Colonel, USAF (Ret.)