GRP 30- On the 30th episode of the Global Recon Podcast, I’ve had the honor of having on Retired Special Forces Major Rusty Bradley. MAJ Rusty Bradley served 21 years in the US Army and US Special Forces. He was recently medically retirement for wounds received in combat. He is the author of the bestselling book “Lions of Kandahar” and has been published in Time magazine, Soldier of Fortune, Veritas, War on the Rocks and numerous other publications and blogs. He has earned 4 Valor awards from 3 different countries. Major Bradley is one of only 40 US service members in the history of the US military to receive the Medal of Valor from the Canadian Prime Minister.
Myself, and John Lovell discuss the Invasion of Normandy, and of the Army Rangers who scaled the 100ft cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc, under withering enemy gunfire, and were able to complete their objective of clearing out enemy fighting positions along the top of the cliff. Below is an excerpt from the interview with Major Bradley.
Major Bradley:Operation Medusa proved to insurgencies around the world that no matter how they fought they would be defeated once they fought on our terms. It’s important to understand that any insurgency must have the will and support of the people. If you separate the guerilla from the will and support of the people which is the auxiliary, and the underground no insurgency can survive.
John Hendricks: Now they have to fight you on a level playing field vs a hit and run tactics type of deal.
Major Bradley: Absolutely. Historically the first, and most well known guerilla commander was Hannibal when he was fighting the Romans. If you take away that ability for an insurgent to fight you then you completely changed the dynamic of the battle. The enemy had to face us. They moved in there in large numbers. People who are familiar to the Vietnam war this was compared to the Tet Offensive, when the Viet Cong, and North Vietnamese Army attempted to conduct large scale offensive attacks across Vietnam. In an attempt to degrade political, and home support for the war.
The Southern commander’s name was Mullah Abdullah Lang he only answered to Mullah Omar. He had amassed what they guessed was around 2,000 insurgents in Panjwai. They were moving people and resources from west to east into Kandahar city, and smuggling weapons and leaders from Pakistan into Kandahar with the hopes of over running all of the police stations, voting locations, and Afghan National Army bases. In their mind that would force the US to pull out of Southern Afghanistan. That failed because of Operation Medusa.
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Music provided by Caspian: www.caspianmusic.net
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