I understand that America is overpowered militarily.. But how the hell did we manage to invade a country, take the capital, and dispose of a dictator in under a month and a half, whilst only losing 26 people?
Did the Panamanian soldiers just surrender or something?
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Panama didn´t have a proper army, just a small internal force (not to mention zero air force and navy)
Mostly by quick evac and good treatment of the wounded. U.S. killed+wounded equaled 351; while there is some confusion over to the number of "hard" Panamanian casualties, the estimates I usually see run between 230 and 315 or so.
i think Veeky Forums would be a good place for this topic also, less shitposting
This, I wish I still had the source but there was an Army infantryman talking about his time in Panama and how they were pretty much fighting a militia the entire. I remember a story about how he didn't even notice his first firefight because the Panamanians were shooting over their heads despite having shot first and having a concealed position in a treeline. His unit made short work of them of course and they pretty much steamrolled the country
my bad this is his
not even a radar, marine helicopters could move freely
civilian casualties were estimated around 2000, the US colaterally damaged a big shanty town
t. CODEHUCA
Even the UN admits that only ~500 died
Dumping Operation Just Cause photo collection
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This.
A good MEDEVAC system can turn 80% or more of would-be KIA into WIA
>mfw
The number of US soldiers killed in Panama is actually around 50 or so. An additional 20 were killed in helicopter accidents during the mop-up of the countryside (they may have been shot down for entering Columbian airspace by mistake) and these were kept off the official casualty list.
The PDF as a ground force were actually decently well trained and armed and had some heavy weaponry such as armored cars and ZSU AA guns. Their most elite unit was the Battalion 2000 (named for the year the United States was supposed to turn over the Panama Canal). Their biggest problems were that Noreiga was quite unpopular in the military (very few had an inclination to die for him) and most of their military installations had been built by or in some cases jointly shared with the United States. Because of this, the US Military was able to swoop in, surround, and capture Panama's most critical military bases before they had the chance to mount a proper defense or break out into the countryside. Had the PDF been able to do the latter and motivated to continue fighting, Panama would have been a far longer and bloodier affair.
It's also important to note the US did not bring its full military power to bear on Panama. Heavy equipment such as Abrams tanks were not used in the invasion because Panama's roads could not handle their weight.
>I understand that America is overpowered militarily.. But how the hell did we manage to invade a country, take the capital, and dispose of a dictator in under a month and a half, whilst only losing 26 people?
>Taking a month and a half to win a war
>Not declaring, fighting, and winning an entire war before breakfast
It's like you Americans aren't even trying
80s and 90s US military was the most aesthetic. Prove me wrong.
I can’t.
It's a small country and we had a base in it.
this. pic extremely related.
I love that a fucking yacht is counted as an enemy vessel
So when will hollywood start showing the new uniforms the military uses in movies and not the damned ACU.
Dude wha
"""""Dignity""""" Battalions.
Our army was acting as both a police force and an """army""". Not to mention, there were US bases literally next to the city, and critical assets to the PDF were neutralized before they could use them.
I wish I could've been faster to pick up this topic in the last History exam but I got beaten to it. My favorite part was how Noriega had fled into the Papal State's embassy and the US had besieged it. They installed speakers outside the embassy and began to blast death metal day and night, causing the staff of the embassy to kick Noriega out.
our opponents don't have airplanes they don't have satellites
its like a turkey shoot my man
Protip: You can't.
Hopefully never because every military uniform produced since 2000 has been a complete piece of shit I wouldn't give to my enemies.
What do Panamanians think of Noriega now?
From what I understand, people thought he was a piece of shit, but his successor, Endara wasn't much better. He just played along with American interests.
Oh yeah and does anyone know why the official death toll for the Invasion of Panama was raised from 23 to 26 on wikipedia? Did a couple of veterans die of lingering wounds sustained during the invasion and have them counted?
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>taking a shitty african tribal kingdom just because lol scramble for africa, muh king and country
Versus
Versus
>taking a modern nation that controls one of the most important canals in the world
1 v 1 us then.
>began to blast death metal day and night,
the playlist was quite eclectic
(You've Got) Another Thing Coming - Judas Priest
Blue Collar Man - Styx
Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins
Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo
Don't Look Back - Boston
Electric Spanking of War Babies - Funkadelic
Heaven's On Fire - Kiss
If I Had A Rocket Launcher - Bruce Cockburn
In My Time of Dying - Led Zeppelin
Iron Man - Black Sabbath
Judgment Day - Whitesnake
Jungle Love - Steve Miller
No More Mister Nice Guy - Alice Cooper
Paradise City - Guns & Roses
Panama - Van Halen
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Refugee - Tom Petty
Renegade - Styx
Run Like Hell - Pink Floyd
The Party's Over - Journey
This Means War - Joan Jett
Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
Wanted Man - Ratt
War Pigs - Black Sabbath
We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Your Time is Gonna Come - Led Zeppelin
It might be recently declassified ops being added in. But I don't know the answer. If I did I would have to tell you.
It wasn't just US bases, it was the freaking Southern Command to boot.
Everyone generally agrees he had to go. It's kind of hard to form an high opinion of a dictator on the CIA payroll getting mad cocainebucs. On the contrary, the successor, I've been told, was the least corruption among the elected leaders after him.
It would have been funny if Noriega turned out to be a huge metal fan and would just be seen jamming out in the embassy courtyard.
All in all though, it would have been nice if the US supplied more security once they bagged Noriega. Looters left nothing but four walls of my grandmother's pharmacy. Not even the toilet was sparred.
>Not even the toilet was sparred.
Okay though, that's actually kinda sad.
Panama US military was GOAT aesthetics, GOAT music, GOAT mission and GOAT execution
they even had their own damn theme song
>literal banana republic ruled by a drug lord
Vs
>strategic trade location in Africa and in the Indian Ocean
Try again bloody Yanks.
...
Invade a pizza hut and see how many shots you have to fire, and how many are shot at you.
Bonus points if you establish a puppet-papa john.
Anyone have a link to a Youtube playlist of this?
I'll see if I can throw one together tomorrow.
>death metal
>how the hell did we manage
WE
Why do Lards permanently speak of WE. It was the military of your bully country. If you had invaded Panama you'd know the answer. Why the overidentification, is it propaganda?
I refuse to let this thread die
funny how they don't claim the massacres and fuckups
In another story, one of my dad's friends was in the city at the time. Mob mentality got to his head seeing everyone go about looting stores that he impulsively grabbed the nearest box he could find from a store and ran. It was pretty funny in a sad way when he finally came to his senses, stopped in his tracks, and more or less said to himself, "WTF am I doing with this box of hot dogs".
>tfw you violated the social contract for hot dogs.
>War Pigs
>US Army blasting a Vietnam protest song to drive out a drug running CIA backed dictator
the moment the US goes to war against a near peer opponent, you'll see WW2 style casualties.
against sub peer opponents this small force is insanely good as you never have to worry about replacements, the moment casualties start mounting and you have to quickly train replacements.... yeah
More importantly, the costs will be unsustainable. Americans have gotten used to an extremely expensive mode of warfare because the voter is more likely to tolerate debt than casualties. This won't fly in a serious war.
But in a serious war there'd be the nuclear option, so it's all moot I guess.
Were they good hot dogs at least?
What brand?
>you will never blast DANGER ZONE at your enemies to drive them out if hiding
Why even live
Found some decent Panama Defense Force pics
>judgement day
>panama
>refugee
>renegade
>run like hell
>party's over
>wanted dead or alive
>your time is gonna come
These songs are too fucking perfect.
I belive this one is supposed to be the Battalion 2000 judging from the fact they're using American BDUs and PASGT equipment (which the PDF had in limited stocks).
Was Noreiga /ourguy/?
he'd look good on a pizza
Did they really call him that?
Only Panamanians called him that according to Wikipedia: 'Noriega was depicted in the computer game Call of Duty: Black Ops II.[178] In July 2014, he filed a lawsuit against game company Activision for depicting him and using his name without his permission. Noriega, who filed the suit while in prison for murder, claims he is portrayed as "a kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state".[179] In the game, the fictional character Frank Woods refers to Noriega as "Old Pineapple Face", a nickname originally applied to the President by Panamanians.[180] On October 28, 2014, the case against Activision was dismissed by a judge in California.[181]'
>while in prison for murder
>claims he is portrayed as a murderer
yeah lmao
bump for this
Why are there so many niggers in the army?
Reddit pls
Why does guy on the right have such a thin magazine?
9mm SMG variant.
Yep.
He's using the Colt 9mm SMG. It's basically a CAR-15 (original carbine variant of the M16) re-chambered for SMG magazines and it uses a blowback operation instead of direct impingement. It didn't really take off though and only saw limited service with USMC Force Recon and various law enforcement agency in the 80s and 90s. The MP5 remains the preferred SMG of military and police to this day.
pic related, a friend of mine using a semi-auto version of the Colt 9mm at a gun range
Correction: The Colt 9mm was used by the Marine Corps Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST), not Force Recon
yes, Cara de Piña
Actually not a bad playlist desu. I'd invade Central America to that.
Blacks tend to be poorer than whites, there is a disproportionate number of poor people in the enlisted ranks (and always has been). The military can provide a way out of poverty if you use your money/opportunities well, but many people don't.
Steady pay, minimal education requirements, benefits, discipline, and a new family.
When you're 17 living in the ghetto with no real prospects, it's an enticing job. Most shitty high schools will have an ROTC and recruiter on campus or have a recruiting office close by.
>a month
>to take panama
The last known combat engagement was on D+5 IIRC
Panama FFS... And it took US army a month and a half to defeat it??
W-what happened? It rained?
people seriously underestimate what a monumental difference this makes, it's not like only 26 ever got tagged. and we've come even further today, shit that was a death sentence back then is perfectly treatable now. it gives people a skewed idea of how violent a situation actually is when they can only think in terms of the dead while there might be dozens of "johnny's"
The us military is not a "small force."
>tfw the only one wounded
argh curse my luck!
yup
For some families, it's seen a tradition of showing their patriotism that stems back to the Union Army's first enlisting black soldiers during the Civil War.
The US currently is designed for war with sub - peer opponents, where casualties are certain to remain low so replacements aren't necessary.
against a near - peer opponent where they can inflict sufficient casualties such that replacements will begin to comprise a large amount of the force, the US's capabilities will plummet.
All opponents are sub-peer opponents.
because things like that happen when all the agreed interested partyes allready understand whats up
why on earth would any panamese officer order a course of action that gets him killed just to fight for noriega, noriega didnt pay him enough
BUMPING THIS
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And whom do you suppose is a peer of the USA at war?
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I've been meaning to get around to it. I'll do it later today when I get home.
That's a fantastic playlist.
4u
...
>Refugee
>War Pig
>Panama
>This Means War
>Judgement day
>Don't look back
>The Party's over
I have most of the songs but it's late and I'm tired.
I'll finish in that morning.
here's the playlist i rigged
youtube.com
did it in 10 mins flat slacker
Mobs are weird