Quote:How functional was the ASC after the 2nd Robotech War? With the command element at Monument City gone it was up to individual regimental and battalion commanders to deal with the mop-up operations of remaining ASC forces. After that the ASC was true a shadow of its former self.[/quote]Pyrrhic victory (pĭr'ĭk) - noun - a victory that is won by incurring terrible losses or goal achieved at too great a cost.. [Origin: 188085; < Gk Pyrriks; after a remark attributed by Plutarch to Pyrrhus, who declared, after a costly victory over the Romans, that another similar victory would ruin him].Quote:
"Ass kicked" is not a term usually applied to the winner. Earth won. It was a pyrrhic victory, but a victory none
In other words, I'm not disputing the battered state of the UEDF after the 2nd Robotech War. That doesn't mean they lost; they just won a textbook pyrrhic victory against a superior opponent.
Quote:I already mentioned the Invid method of invasion is pretty devastating. Monument City is almost surely a target for a number of reasons, but just because we see them attack a city, even an important city, during the invasion doesn't translate into them hitting Earth's key defenses. This is an enemy who could be fooled into leaving a tank alone by not having it move until the Invid turns away. And lets not forget the protoculture and FoL-starved Invid who arrived would be even weaker and less effective than the poor lot we see during New Generation, and the fact that the Invid have vastly inferior mecha, troops, and tactics than the enemy the UEDF did defeat in the 2nd Robotech War. In fact, I doubt they had the tactical accumen seconds after arriving at Earth to take out enough of an intact UEDF to win themselves the near-instant victory many credit the Invid with. All they ever have is numbers, and there are many, many, many equalizers for numbers in the annals of military history.
The Invid came in and destroyed major population centers first. If the Masters had not come along and softened up the SSC for the Invid Monument City would have been one of the first targets as well as any large military bases. Afterward you would have a fractured ASC scrambling to combat an invader who just destroyed all central command and large military bases.
I admit it would have taken the Invid longer to fully occupy Earth but their advantage in numbers would eventfully win out.
It never ceases to amaze me how simultaneously overestimated the Invid and underestimated the UEDF and Robotech Masters are.
As to your offensive/defensive statements, you try to point out how different UEDF and REF ground troops are by calling UEDF "predominantly" defensive and REF "predominantly" offensive. You say, in bold, this is one of your points from the beginning. Somehow, this equates to the need for an autonomous "Marine Corps".
There is no such distinction between the UEDF and REF force structures, as the offensive nature we clearly see of the UEDF demonstrates, and they would have much in the way of overlap.
Sgt. Anjay
"Ours is not to make reply, ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die"
