Theodore's World

Military Religious Freedom Foundation

NORFOLK

The prosecution has rested its case in the military trial of 24 year old Matthew McCabe, the Navy SEAL accused of assaulting a suspected terrorist he had helped capture last September in Iraq. Ahmed Hashim Abed, accused of killing four American contractors in Fallujah six years ago, claims he was beaten while in the custody of McCabe and two other Navy SEALs.

Earlier, as prosecutors called their witnesses, Navy Petty Officer Third Class Kevin Demartino, who is not a SEAL, testified that he saw McCabe deliver a "right punch to the chest" of his detainee.

Demartino was in charge of the detention facility where the disputed incident occurred, and was responsible for the prisoner's safety. He testified that after he witnessed the assault, three Navy SEALs left the detainee's cell. Demartino says Abed had fallen from his chair to the floor and there was blood coming from under the prisoner's hood.

A Navy commander who was in charge of all American forces in Fallujah at the time, also testified today. He says he noticed Abed's bloodied mouth the next morning and asked Demartino what had happened, but didn't get an answer.

Asked on cross examination why he said nothing at first about the alleged assault, Demartino told the court "I had a choice of being in good graces with the Navy SEALs or being in good graces with God." Demartino admits he's guilty of dereliction of duty for not immediately reporting what he saw.

Abed is the alleged mastermind of the grisly attack on four Blackwater contractors who were ambushed and killed in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004. Their bodies were burned and dragged through the streets as crowds cheered. Two of the bodies were hanged from a bridge over the Euphrates River.

This is the second day of testimony in the case of McCabe, the Navy SEAL from Perrysberg, Ohio. A seven member jury is hearing the case, presided over by a Judge Advocate General, Captain Moira Modelewski. Two other SEALs faced trial in Baghdad and were found not guilty last month. Demartino gave the same testimony in those earlier trials.

Abed's taped testimony was heard in open court Tuesday. He said he was handcuffed and blindfolded and placed on a chair in the holding cell. He claims he was hit on the back and shoulders and knocked to the floor. He says he was kicked in the stomach and sworn at while he was down. But he says he could only see one person's feet and legs from under his hood and cannot identify his assailant.

The defense claims Al Qaeda detainees are trained to claim abuse and that Abed caused his own lip to bleed.

Abed testified in person during the previous two trials, but the defense in this case declined the opportunity to confront the accuser in court. If McCabe's lawyers had wanted Abed to testify in person, the trial would have been held in Iraq, where Abed remains a prisoner of the Iraqi government.

In his testimony Wednesday, Petty Officer Demartino said two of the Navy SEALs in the holding cell at the time of the alleged assault basically told him not to worry about any injuries to Abed. On the witness stand, Demartino says he was told by Pettty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe, "Don't feel bad for this guy." And, according to Demartino, Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas said, "He's killed Americans." Keefe and Huertas are the two SEALs earlier acquitted in this case.

Wild Thing's comment.......

I hope that Navy Petty Officer Third Class Kevin Demartino, who is not a Navy Seal, enjoys the wrath and scorn of his peers everyday for the rest of his career in the Navy. The PO is an informer and a Judas. Maybe he will leave the service and be on leftist TV and other groups I bet, because they would be the only ones to accept him, unless he becomes a high official in the Obama administration.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (4)

May 01, 2010

Troops in Afghanistan Perform 'Telephone'

This video remake of Lady Gaga's "Telephone" video was reportedly filmed at a FOB in Farah Province, Afghanistan by Army troops assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. According to The Smoking Gun, the video was choreographed by Aaron Melcher, a 24-year-old married soldier from North Carolina.

LOL this was a lot of work they put into this. They should force the Taliban to watch this. Remember how the terrorists complained when they had to listen to Barney the children's show etc. over and over again. hahaha

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM

April 30, 2010

More From ANTI-American Mikey Weinstein 's (Military Religious Freedom Foundation) Says Army Symbol Is Religious, Should Be Changed ~ WTF!

DENVER ( AP )

A religious watchdog group says a cross and motto on the emblem of an Army hospital in Colorado violate the constitutional requirement for separation of church and state and should be removed.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation asked the Army this week to change the emblem of Evans Army Community Hospital at Fort Carson, outside Colorado Springs.

The emblem says "Pro deo et humanitate" or "For God and humanity."

Fort Carson commanders will review the complaint, Lt. Col. Steve Wollman said.

He said the emblem had been approved by the Army Institute of Heraldry and has been in use since 1969.

Wollman said references to doctors serving God and humanity date to the time of Hippocrates, a pre-Christianity Greek physician.

Wollman said the cross, which has a pointed base, is both an emblem of mercy and a symbol dating to the Middle Ages, when pilgrims carried a cross with a spiked base to mark the site of a camp.

Mikey Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said that's a reference to the Crusades and could embolden U.S. enemies who want to portray the war on terror as a Christian war on Islam.

"This continues to add more fodder to the argument that we are Crusaders," Weinstein said. "It's exactly what fundamentalist Muslims want."

Weinstein's foundation, based in Albuquerque, N.M., last week persuaded the Army to withdraw an invitation to evangelist Franklin Graham to speak at the Pentagon on May 6, the National Day of Prayer.

Wild Thing's comment........

What a total POS this Mikey Weinstein is. What's wrong Mikey and what the F kind of name is that for a grown man....oops sorry guess that was a strectch huh Mikey to call you a MAN! Mikey Weinstein.... muzzy sympathizer!

God will judge America and it won’t be pretty. I truly fear for the future of our beloved America.

These people on the left are tripping our country from our heritage - one piece at a time!

The motto of Fort Carson’s 10th Combat Support Hospital is “IN CRUCE VINCAM” which translates to “I Shall Conquer By The Cross”. And the CSH’s distinctive unit insignia has two *gasp!* crosses on it (one maroon and one white). That would really make their heads explode!

"...constitutional requirement for separation of church and state..."

There is no separation of "church and state" in the Constitution. It does forbid the creation of a state religion (such as the Church of England). The language of the First Amendment says that Congress will not pass any laws regarding the establishment of a religion. That means that the Federal government (and now the states) may not create an established religion. An established religion is one that is favored above others through financial and other support that is not available to other religions. For example, the Church of England is the established religion of Great Britain. It receives financial support from the State. The 26 most senior Bishops (including the Archbishops of Canterbury and York) sit in the House of Lords and vote on legislation as a right of their position in the Church. That is an established religion. We do not have an established religion in the U.S. Putting up a cross on public land to commemorate war dead or “In God We Trust” on our money isn’t creating an established religion either.

Mikey Weinstein can go take a flying leap!

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (11)

April 18, 2010

Global Shield Interval Take Off (MITO) launch of B-52’s and K-135’s

This is how we did the MITO back in the day, BEFORE the colapse of the Soviet Union. These are B-52G's and KC-135A's from the 416 BMW, at the former Griffiss AFB, NY. The Buff with the old "lizzard" paint scheme is piloted by Capt. John Hannen. The loud voices you hear are the maint specialists that stayed up all night getting the air[lanes ready.

From BobF:

"Video of a Global Shield Minimum Interval Take Off (MITO) launch of B-52’s and K-135’s back in 1987. This was back in the glory days of the Strategic Air Command under President Ronald Reagan. What you’re seeing in the video is taking place, simultaneously, at every SAC base in the United States. Every B-52 in the video was eventually sent to the boneyard by HW Bush to be chopped up according to STAT Treaty. We went from a fleet of 300 of these monsters to under 70 today.

You’ll notice the KC-135’s are flying heavy by the amount of runway they’re taking and they’re also trying to fly under the jet wash of the BUFF’s. The turbulence really bounces them around. "

From a comment at YouTube::

"I'm counting 12-17 seconds in between each plane. Absolutely stunning"

Wild Thing's comment.......

LOVE it! I wish we still had all of these. I hate it so much how there have been cut backs in our military.
I want it all for our troops and more.

.....Thank you BobF, for sending this to me.

BobF
SMSgt, USAF
1973 - 1999

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:48 AM | Comments (6)

February 24, 2010

Around Afghanistan by Michael Yon

Flight Medics prepare the aircraft to receive patients.

Around Afghanistan
22 February 2010

from Michael Yon

“Johnny Boy” Captain John Holland was walking out to the aircraft just as I arrived at the flight line.

Captain Holland asked, “Are you ready?”

“Yes Sir.”

The Marjah offensive—billed as the biggest US/NATO/Afghan assault on the Taliban ever—had begun. With it, the attention of nearly all the reporters covering Afghanistan is focused on Marjah. Yet fighting continues across the country, in provinces with names unfamiliar to most people. Men and women are wounded. Some die. Some are saved by dedicated medical crews, and by the pilots who fly into combat to ferry wounded to some of the best trauma facilities in the world, right here in Afghanistan.

Specialists of various sorts were loading all kinds of gear, most of which was so foreign to me that it might as well have been space gear. TSGT Matt Blonde said the gear weighs about 800 pounds and has the capabilities of a hospital intensive care unit.

An ambulatory patient strapped on his seatbelt and a sedated Canadian soldier was loaded.After detailed preparations, checks and rechecks, they were ready to receive a critical care patient. Medical staff explained that this Canadian soldier had been wounded during training by a Claymore mine. In total, four Canadians were wounded when another Canadian soldier, Corporal Joshua Caleb Bake, was killed near Kandahar.

Doctor Chris Ryan works with the wounded Canadian soldier. During flight from Kandahar to Bastion to Bagram, the team was at his side constantly checking this or that.The CCATT (Critical Care Air Transport Team) consisted of Tech Sergeant Matt Blonde (respiratory therapist); Major Debbie Lehker (nurse); and Lieutenant Colonel Chris Ryan (doctor). I asked Doctor Ryan what precautions troops should take to reduce the wounds he is seeing. Some of the advice was obvious. NCOs push soldiers to wear their ballistic glasses, for instance. Burns were a constant, serious problem in Iraq, but less so in Afghanistan, due to the nature of the bombs.

Dr. Ryan mentioned that Special Operations folks often take the worst injuries because their body armor offers less coverage, and so they often take from 1-3 amputations. He gave considerable credit to special operations medics. “They are studs,” he said. High praise indeed, coming from someone with his experience.

Strykers are great vehicles, but none of our vehicles is ideally suited for combat here. Stryker vehicles typically have about three soldiers standing up in hatches, sometimes on MRE boxes. Dr. Ryan said that when the bombs detonate under the vehicles, soldiers often suffer 5-7 fractures in each leg. Other fractures include feet, pelvis, back, ribs, arms, and neck.

Doctor Ryan stressed repeatedly the value of wearing seatbelts. The bombs smash you into the vehicle. Dr. Ryan served with Dustoffs during the worst times in Iraq. He’s seen many more wounds than most soldiers will ever see. So I listened to him. But often when soldiers see me putting on a seatbelt in a Stryker, they warn me to take it off. “Wear it if you like,” they say, but they warn that if we get launched and are upside down, I’ll be stuck in a possibly burning vehicle. This has happened plenty of times. So we all carry seatbelt cutters that can also be used to strip off boots and uniforms of wounded soldiers. But the soldiers are adamant that wearing seatbelts worsens your odds. I do not know who is correct. You get thrown hard without them, and stuck with them.

So, I asked Command Sergeant Major Jeff Mellinger, who served almost three straight years in Iraq. We drove thousands of miles around the country, visiting units everywhere. CSM Mellinger also visited Combat Support Hospitals twice per week. He read every single casualty report—thousands—and was the CSM for General Casey then General Petraeus. In short, CSM Mellinger knows the combat side, and the statistical side. Today he is the CSM for AMC—Army Materiel Command—with responsibility for every bean, bullet, bandage, helicopter, tank and seatbelt in the Army inventory. He talks bluntly and I take his word as the final statement.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Michael Yon's website has a whole page of photos and his write up . It is well worth going over to it and reading his page and seeing the photos he has posted there.

http://bigjournalism.com/myon/2010/02/22/whispers/

.... Thank you Jim for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM

February 09, 2010

Obama Forces Military Hospitals to Stock Morning After Pill

Obama Administration Forces Military Hospitals to Stock Morning After Pill

Lifenews.com

Obama administration issued a new order for the U.S. military requiring all military hospitals and health centers to stock the morning after pill. The Department of Defense will soon begin having military medical facilities stock the Plan B drug, which can sometimes cause an abortion.

The Obama administration's decision came after the Pentagon's Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, an advisory panel, made the recommendation to stock the drug.

The PPTC suggested stocking both Plan B and the Next Choice generic of the morning after pill.

The decision is the latest to have President Barack Obama overturning pro-life policies during the Bush administration and follows him forcing Americans to pay for abortions and embryonic stem cell research with their tax dollars.

Obama's decision is not going over well with Wendy Wright, the president of Concerned Women for America.

"The military needs to focus on its prime mission, yet leftists view it as a means to promote their agenda," she told LifeNews.com. "The morning-after pill is highly ineffective in preventing pregnancies and completely useless in preventing sexually-transmitted diseases. But it's a political tool for abortion advocates."

Wright worries the decision is the first step to pushing abortions at military hospitals.

"By making this drug required, the next step will making drugs like RU-486, the abortion pill, mandatory," she said. "And doctors or pharmacists who have objections will be purged from the ranks."

"The military needs to focus on discipline and proper behavior - because lives depend on it - not promoting risky behavior," Wright continued.

Nancy Keenan of NARAL, a national pro-abortion group, lobbied the Obama administration to overturn the policy and applauded the decision to do so.

"It's a tragedy that women in uniform have been denied such basic health care," she said in a statement. "We applaud the medical experts for standing up for military women."

Keenan said the more than 350,000 women in the military would be benefited by the decision.

But Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, told the Washington Post she also disagreed with the decision.

"It can prevent the embryo from implanting and therefore destroy a human life," she said.

"Women serving in the military deserve to know the truth about their medications. Because this can be the difference between preventing and destroying life, a requirement to carry this drug could violate the conscience rights of military personnel who have moral objections," Monahan continued.

Wright also worries the military will eventually promote Ellaone, a new drug that is billed as a morning after pill that works up to 5 days after sex, but, in reality, is an abortion drug.

"A new drug similar to RU-486 can reportedly be used as a 'morning-after pill'. So designating the morning-after pill as required to stock, and easy to obtain, may open the door for an abortion pill - which undisputedly kills an unborn child and can be extremely dangerous to the mother - to fit in that category," she concludes.

Wild Thing's comment.......

And yet the VA can not provide Diabetics but two test strips per week At least that is what I have been told by seveeral Veterans.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:49 AM | Comments (3)

February 06, 2010

Honoring Four Chaplains Day....The Four Chaplains

The Four Chaplains were four United States Army chaplains who gave their lives to save other soldiers during the sinking of the troop ship USAT Dorchester during World War II. They helped other soldiers board lifeboats and gave up their own life jackets when the supply ran out. The chaplains joined arms, said prayers, and sang hymns as they went down with the ship.

The Four Chaplains:

Rabbi Alexander Goode
Rev. George L. Fox
Rev. Clark V. Poling
Father John P. Washington

The U.S.A.T. Dorchester was an aging, luxury coastal liner that was no longer luxurious. In the nearly four years from December 7, 1941 to September 2, 1945 more than 16 million American men and women were called upon to defend human dignity and freedom on two fronts, in Europe and the Pacific. Moving so large a force to the battlefields was a monumental effort, and every available ship was being pressed into service. Some of these were converted into vessels of war, others to carrying critical supplies to the men and women in the field. The Dorchester was designated to be a transport ship. All non-critical amenities were removed and cots were crammed into every available space.

The intent was to get as many young fighting men as possible on each voyage. When the soldiers boarded in New York on January 23, 1943 the Dorchester certainly was filled to capacity. In addition to the Merchant Marine crew and a few civilians, young soldiers filled every available space. There were 902 lives about to be cast to the mercy of the frigid North Atlantic.

As the Dorchester left New York for an Army base in Greenland, many dangers lay ahead. The sea itself was always dangerous, especially in this area known for ice flows, raging waters, and gale force winds. The greatest danger, however, was the ever present threat of German submarines, which had recently been sinking Allied ships at the rate of 100 every month. The Dorchester would be sailing through an area that had become infamous as "Torpedo Junction".

The crossing was filled with long hours of boredom and misery. Outside, the chilly Arctic winds and cold ocean spray coated the Dorchester's deck with ice. Below deck the soldiers' quarters were hot from too many bodies, crammed into too small a place, for too many days in a row. Finally, on February 2nd, the Dorchester was within 150 miles of Greenland. It would have generated a great sense of relief among the young soldiers crowded in the ship's berths, had not the welcomed news been tempered by other news of grave concern. One of the Dorchester's three Coast Guard escorts had received sonar readings during the day, indicating the presence of an enemy submarine in "Torpedo Junction".

Hans Danielson, the Dorchester's captain, listened to the news with great concern. His cargo of human lives had been at sea for ten days, and was finally nearing its destination. If he could make it through the night, air cover would arrive with daylight to safely guide his ship home. The problem would be surviving the night. Aware of the potential for disaster, he instructed the soldiers to sleep in their clothes and life jackets....just in case. Below deck however, it was hot and sweaty as too many bodies lay down, closely packed in the cramped quarters. Many of the men, confident that tomorrow would dawn without incident, elected to sleep in their underwear. The life jackets were also hot and bulky, so many men set them aside as an unnecessary inconvenience.

Quiet moments passed as silent death reached out for the men of the Dorchester, then the early morning was shattered by the flash of a blinding explosion and the roar of massive destruction. The "hit" had been dead on, tossing men from their cots with the force of its explosion. A second torpedo followed the first, instantly killing 100 men in the hull of the ship. Power was knocked out by the explosion in the engine room, and darkness engulfed the frightened men below deck as water rushed through gaping wounds in the Dorchester's hull. The ship tilted at an unnatural angle as it began to sink rapidly, and piles of clothing and life jackets were tossed about in the darkness where no one would ever find them.

Slowly soldiers began to find their way to the deck of the ship, many still in their underwear, where they were confronted by the cold winds blowing down from the arctic. Petty Officer John J. Mahoney, reeling from the cold, headed back towards his cabin. "Where are you going?" a voice of calm in the sea of distressed asked?

To get my gloves," Mahoney replied.

"Here, take these," said Rabbi Goode as he handed a pair of gloves to the young officer who would never have survived the trip to his cabin and then back to safety.

"I can't take those gloves," Mahoney replied.

"Never mind," the Rabbi responded. "I have two pairs." Mahoney slipped the gloves over his hands and returned to the frigid deck, never stopping to ponder until later when he had reached safety, that there was no way Rabbi Goode would have been carrying a spare set of gloves. As that thought finally dawned on him he came to a new understanding of what was transpiring in the mind of the fearless Chaplain. Somehow, Rabbi Goode suspected that he would himself, never leave the Dorchester alive.

In the chaos around them, life boats floated away before men could board them. Others capsized as panic continued to shadow reason and soldiers loaded the small craft beyond limit. The strength, calm, and organization of the Chaplains had been so critical in the dark hull. Now, on deck, they found that their mission had not been fully accomplished. They organized the effort, directed men to safety, and left them with parting words of encouragement. In little more than twenty minutes, the Dorchester was almost gone. Icy waves broke over the railing, tossing men into the sea, many of them without life jackets. In the last moments of the transport's existence, the Chaplains were too occupied opening lockers to pass out life jackets to note the threat to their own lives.

In less than half an hour, water was beginning to flow across the deck of the sinking Dorchester. Working against time the Chaplains continued to pass out the life vests from the lockers as the soldiers pressed forward in a ragged line. And then....the lockers were all empty...the life jackets gone. Those still pressing in line began to realize they were doomed, there was no hope. And then something amazing happened, something those who were there would never forget. All Four Chaplains began taking their own life jackets off....and putting them on the men around them. Together they sacrificed their last shred of hope for survival, to insure the survival of other men.... most of them total strangers. Then time ran out. The Chaplains had done all they could for those who would survive, and nothing more could be done for the remaining...including themselves.

Those who had been fortunate enough to reach lifeboats struggled to distance themselves from the sinking ship, lest they be pulled beneath the ocean swells by the chasm created as the transport slipped into a watery grave. Then, amid the screams of pain and horror that permeated the cold dark night, they heard the strong voices of the Chaplains. "Shma Yisroel Adonai Elohenu Adonai Echod." "Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done."

Looking back they saw the slanting deck of the Dorchester, its demise almost complete. Braced against the railings were the Four Chaplains...praying...singing, giving strength to others by their final valiant declaration of faith. Their arms were linked together as they braced against the railing and leaned into each other for support, Reverend Fox, Rabbi Goode, Reverend Poling, and Father Washington. Said one of the survivors, "It was the finest thing I have ever seen this side of heaven."

And then, only 27 minutes after the first torpedo struck, the last vestige of the U.S.A.T. Dorchester disappeared beneath the cold North Atlantic waters. In it's death throes it reached out to claim any survivors nearby, taking with it to its grave the four ministers of different faiths who learned to find strength in their diversity by focusing on the Father they shared.

Wild Thing's comment.......

I had never heard about this story before. Thank you RAC for this video. Michele Bachman does a wonderful reading of what happened. I wish more of our politicians would care about our history and what our Veterans have done.

Their willing, knowing and loving ultimate sacrifice of their lives in service to God and country so "that others may live"....what heroes our country has had and has today.

Here is video of singer Wintley Phipps singing their story in the song, "Four Chaplains on the Sea of Glory":

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (5)

January 28, 2010

A Stirring Tribute by Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North USMC (Ret)

This video tribute on the front lines is the story of true patriots, told by Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North at the NRA Annual Meetings in 2009. It's a stirring profile of the spirited, courageous guardians of our precious freedoms. America's best .

Wild Thing's comment.......

This is soooo awesome! It gave me goosebumps! Thank you Oliver North. And a HUGE thank you to all of our troops and Veterans.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (3)

January 24, 2010

U.S. Marine Corps Ends Role in Iraq

Harry Reid back in 2007 saying war is lost in Iraq

The US Marine Corps finished their work in Iraq on Saturday

U.S. Marine Corps Ends Role in Iraq

The U.S. Marine Corps wrapped nearly seven years in Iraq on Saturday, handing over duties to the Army and signaling the beginning of an accelerated withdrawal of American troops as the U.S. turns its focus away from the waning Iraqi war to a growing one in Afghanistan.

In Baghdad, meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden held talks with Iraqi leaders amid growing tensions over plans to ban election candidates because of suspected links to Saddam Hussein’s regime.

The White House worries the bans could raise questions over the fairness of the March 7 parliamentary elections, which are seen as an important step in the American pullout timetable and breaking political stalemates over key issues such as dividing Iraq’s oil revenue.

The Marines formally handed over control of Sunni-dominated Anbar, Iraq’s largest province, to the Army during a ceremony at a base in Ramadi — where some of the fiercest fighting of the war took place.

If all goes as planned, the last remaining Marines will be followed out by tens of thousands of soldiers in the coming months. President Obama has ordered all but 50,000 troops out of the country by Aug. 31, 2010, with most to depart after the March 7 parliamentary election.

The remaining troops will leave by the end of 2011 under a U.S.-Iraqi security pact.

As many as 25,000 Marines were in Iraq at the peak, mostly in Anbar province. The few thousand who remain — except for U.S. Embassy guards and advisers in Baghdad — are expected to ship out in a matter of weeks.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Hello Harry Reid , I thought you told us we lost in Iraq. Thank You George Bush for providing the leadership to get the job done. Thank you, Lord, for these brave men and women.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (5)

Lockheed's HULC Super-Soldier Exoskeleton Gets More Juice

Popular Science

Even the finest super-soldier suit can end up as expensive deadweight if the batteries run out of juice. Lockheed Martin wants to avoid that fate for its robotic exoskeleton by turning to fuel cells that can power the suit for days, The Register reports.

Lockheed's Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) is a mechanized frame that allows soldiers to march or even run easily with loads of 200 pounds, as well as squat or kneel without trouble. But the current li-ion batteries supporting the suit typically run down after just a few hours of walking, not to mention running.

That could all change with fuel cells that could sustain 72-hour missions on a single charge, and provide power sockets to spare for military accessories that require their own batteries. Lockheed announced its choice of the Protonex Technology Corporation to develop such fuel cells on Wednesday.

We here at PopSci love our Iron Man suits, and so we're happy to see longer-lasting versions in the works. After all, it'd be a shame for our robotic warfighters to run down when the Energizer Bunny keeps going on its dinky batteries.

The HULC is a completely un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton that provides users with the ability to carry loads of up to 200 lbs for extended periods of time and over all terrains.

Wild Thing's comment.......

More improved equipment for our troops. Amazing stuff!

.... Thank you Jim for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (6)

January 23, 2010

Lt. Andrew Kinard, and Trace Adkins, and the West Point Cadet Glee Club

Lt. Andrew Kinard, Trace Adkins, the West Point Cadet Glee Club at the Academy of Country Music Awards
2009

Las Vegas, 5 April 2009. Trace Adkins sings ...."Till the Last Shot's Fired"....with the West Point Cadet Glee Club

"Somebody from the ACM asked if I'd perform that song" he says. "They'd heard the performance on the new record and they were looking for a way to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and they called and asked if I'd do it."

He said yes, of course, and recently spent a few hours one afternoon at West Point practicing with the glee club. "It was a thrill," Adkins said of visiting the military academy.

"It's the least I can do," said Trace, who has performed on some USO tours and visited injured soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Wild Thing's comment.......

I posted this before, and it is so very special it is a real honor to post it again.

Lt. Andrew Kinard a warrior and an American hero. He was on the stage with Trace Atkins and introduced the song. Thank you Lt. Andrew Kinard, words cannot be enough for my gratitude that you loved America too and served our country. To say thank you to our wounded troops seems so small for all they have sacrificed and for all our Veterans and our troops active today. But it is a start, that first acknowledgment that America has been great and free because of each one of them. Never will we forget one single warrior, one single Veteran or service member..... Never.

Marine Lieutenant Andrew Kinard was on patrol in Iraq and was hit by an IED (three other Marines were hit, too). Apparently, before shock set in, Kinard established security and asked about his men, then passed out. The damage to his body was extremely severe. I don't know who the hospital corpsman was who assisted Lt. Kinard, but I know that Kinard went into cardiac arrest twice and lost most of his blood - whoever that corpsman is, he is a miracle worker. Andrew was flown to Al Asad (by that time had used 67 units of blood), then Germany and now Bethesda. He has lost his right leg above the knee, the left leg at his pelvis, and he has lots of internal damage to his intestines, kidneys, etc. He's on a ventalator. He is fighting infections. He's been awake only a few times since his injury...

Marine 2nd Lt. Andrew Kinard of Spartanburg received a hero's welcome at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Wounded Marine to meet fellow warriors

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.

from April of 2007

"Welcome home, Lieutenant."

There was something victorious about the way Marine 2nd Lt. Andrew Kinard exited the beige minivan that brought him here from Ellis Airport Sunday.

It wasn't arrogance. Andrew often said he felt "honored" by the support he'd received. He regularly took the attention off himself, turning instead to his fellow Marines who kept fighting in Iraq when he was unable to.

"I just represent one person, out of all these Marines that really were willing to give their all," Andrew said. "I want to make sure to emphasize those who couldn't make it, the Marines who paid the ultimate price."

The nonprofit Hope for the Warriors foundation made possible the trip from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and gave Andrew a $22,000 all-terrain wheelchair that can easily plow through snow and accommodate any hunting he might like to do.

He will spend most of this week at the Warrior House I, an on-base home fitted with a handicapped-accessible ramp and amenities. He'll have dinner with a general, and maybe get to play X-Box on a big-screen television with his buddies.

But the highlight of the week comes today, when Alpha Company -- Andrew's company -- gets home from a seven-month deployment.

In all, about 270 Marines and sailors from various arms of the 2nd Marine Division's 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion will roll into

Camp Lejeune today.

It's a moment Andrew has been waiting for since fully waking up in a hospital a month after the blast.

And, it's a moment that almost didn't happen.

Andrew had emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage just two weeks ago, a surgery his family wasn't sure he'd recover from in time to make it here.

But for months, the young Marine has been saying that "even if they had to push him down in a hospital bed, he was going to be here," his father, Dr. Harry Kinard said.

"This homecoming helped him get where he is today," said Cpl. Patrick Elswick, who has been with Andrew throughout his recovery.

"All the little details, and the struggles he had, this was his main focus. Even when he had setbacks, he'd work extra hard to get here."

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (4)

January 18, 2010

U.S. Army Maj. Jim Gant The Green Beret

Jim Gant, the Green Beret who could win the war in Afghanistan

The Wshington Post

Sunday, January 17, 2010

It was the spring of 2003, and Capt. Jim Gant and his Special Forces team had just fought their way out of an insurgent ambush in Afghanistan's Konar province when they heard there was trouble in the nearby village of Mangwel. There, Gant had a conversation with a tribal chief -- a chance encounter that would redefine his mission in Afghanistan and that, more than six years later, could help salvage the faltering U.S. war effort.

Malik Noorafzhal, an 80-year-old tribal leader, told Gant that he had never spoken to an American before and asked why U.S. troops were in his country. Gant, whose only orders upon arriving in Afghanistan days earlier had been to "kill and capture anti-coalition members," responded by pulling out his laptop and showing Noorafzhal a video of the World Trade Center towers crumbling.

That sparked hours of conversation between the intense 35-year-old Green Beret and the elder in a tribe of 10,000. "I spent a lot of time just listening," Gant said. "I spoke only when I thought I understood what had been said."

In an unusual and unauthorized pact, Gant and his men were soon fighting alongside tribesmen in local disputes and against insurgents, at the same time learning ancient tribal codes of honor, loyalty and revenge -- codes that often conflicted with the sharia law that the insurgents sought to impose. But the U.S. military had no plans to leverage the Pashtun tribal networks against the insurgents, so Gant kept his alliances quiet.

No longer. In recent months, Gant, now a major, has won praise at the highest levels for his effort to radically deepen the U.S. military's involvement with Afghan tribes -- and is being sent back to Afghanistan to do just that. His 45-page paper, "One Tribe at a Time," published online last fall and circulating widely within the U.S. military, the Pentagon and Congress, lays out a strategy focused on empowering Afghanistan's ancient tribal system. Gant believes that with the central government still weak and corrupt, the tribes are the only enduring source of local authority and security in the country.

"We will be totally unable to protect the 'civilians' in the rural areas of Afghanistan until we partner with the tribes for the long haul," Gant wrote.

A decorated war veteran and Pashto speaker with multiple tours in Afghanistan, Gant had been assigned by the Army to deploy to Iraq in November. But with senior military and civilian leaders -- including Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates; Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan; and Gen. David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command -- expressing support for Gant's views, he was ordered instead to return to Afghanistan later this year to work on tribal issues.

"Maj. Jim Gant's paper is very impressive -- so impressive, in fact, that I shared it widely," Petraeus said, while McChrystal distributed it to all commanders in Afghanistan. One senior military official went so far as to call Gant "Lawrence of Afghanistan."

The abrupt about-face surprised the blunt-spoken major. "I couldn't believe it," Gant said in a recent interview, recalling how his orders were canceled just days before he was set to deploy to Iraq. "How do I know they are serious? They contacted me. I am not a very nice guy. I lead men in combat. I am not a Harvard guy. You don't want me on your think tank."

Gant, who sports tattoos on his right arm featuring Achilles and the Chinese characters for "fear no man," is clearly comfortable with the raw violence that is part of his job. An aggressive officer, he is known to carry triple the ammunition required for his missions. (One fellow soldier referred to this habit as a "Gantism.") But he is equally at ease playing for hours with Afghan children or walking hand-in-hand with tribesmen, as is their custom.

As a teenager in Las Cruces, N.M., Gant was headed to college on a basketball scholarship and had no plans to join the military until he read Robin Moore's 1965 fictionalized account of Special Forces actions in Vietnam. Captivated by the unique type of soldier who waged war with indigenous fighters, Gant decided to become a Green Beret and scheduled an appointment with his father, a middle school principal, to break the news.

Enlisting in the Army soon after his high school graduation, Gant became a Special Forces communications sergeant and fought in the Persian Gulf War. Later, as a captain, he served combat tours in Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004, and one in Iraq during the height of the violence there in 2006 and 2007.

Intellectually, Gant is driven by a belief that Special Forces soldiers should immerse themselves in the culture of foreign fighters, as British officer T.E. Lawrence did during the 1916-1918 Arab revolt. In Iraq as well as in Afghanistan, Gant relied on his Special Forces training to build close bonds with local fighters, often trusting them with his life.

In Iraq in December 2006, a roadside bomb flipped over Gant's Humvee twice and left it engulfed in flames, with him pinned inside. Members of the Iraqi National Police battalion that Gant was advising pulled him out. Soon afterward, Gant led those same police in fighting their way out of a complex insurgent ambush near the city of Balad, saving the lives of two policemen and an Iraqi girl while under heavy fire, and deliberately driving his Humvee over two roadside bombs to protect the police riding in unarmored trucks behind him.

Gant earned a Silver Star for his bravery, but he remembers most the goat sacrifice the police held for him that day. "We had just won a great battle. We had several [police] commandos there, with several goats, and they were putting their hands in the blood, and putting their handprints all over us and on the vehicles," Gant recalled in a 2007 interview. He felt both strange and honored. "It's something I will never forget," he said.

Under Gant's plan, small "tribal engagement teams," each made up of six culturally astute and battle-tested Special Forces soldiers, would essentially go native, moving into villages with rifles, ammunition and money to empower tribal leaders to improve security in their area and fight insurgents. The teams would always operate with the tribes, reducing the risk of roadside bombs and civilian casualties from airstrikes.

The U.S. military would have to grant the teams the leeway to grow beards and wear local garb, and enough autonomy in the chain of command to make rapid decisions. Most important, to build relationships, the military would have to commit one or two teams to working with the same tribe for three to five years, Gant said.

Such a strategy, he argues, would bolster McChrystal's counterinsurgency campaign by tapping thousands of tribal fighters to secure rural populations, allowing international troops and official Afghan forces to focus on large towns and cities. Building strong partnerships with the tribes, whose domains straddle Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, could also prove critical to defeating insurgents entrenched in Pakistan's western tribal areas, he contends.

Adm. Eric Olson, who leads the 57,000-strong Special Operations Command, said in the latest issue of Joint Force Quarterly that Gant's proposal is "innovative and bold" and likely to have "strategic effects." And in recent congressional testimony, Gates agreed that the U.S. military should step up cooperation with Afghan tribes, saying many security responsibilities are likely to fall on them rather than the Afghan army or police force.

Thorough intelligence analysis should drive the selection of the tribes, Gant said, noting that the U.S. military has already gathered much of the intelligence. "There are 500-page documents breaking these tribes down. You would be shocked how much we know about who is who," he said.

Gant's proposals go well beyond the more cautious tribal-outreach efforts underway in Afghanistan, where the U.S. military is experimenting with neighborhood-watch-type programs such as the Community Defense Initiative, in which Special Forces teams partner with tribes selected by an Afghan minister. With time running out, Gant believes tribal engagement must be bolder. "We are trying not to lose, not trying to win," he said. (Gant's experiences helped shape the CDI effort, and he is currently preparing to return to Afghanistan to implement his vision, according to a senior military official.)

Still, Gant acknowledges that his strategy has risks. The teams would depend on the tribes for their safety. "American soldiers would die. Some of them alone, with no support. Some may simply disappear," he wrote in his paper on the strategy. Another possibility is that intertribal conflict would break out between two or more U.S.-backed tribes. "Could it happen? Yes. Could it cause mission failure? Yes. Could we have to pick sides for our own safety? Yes," Gant said. But he believes that if American advisers forge strong ties with the tribes, the chances of such conflicts can be minimized.

Gant's greatest fear is that the United States will lack the fortitude to back the tribes for the long haul, eventually abandoning them. He, for one, plans to stick with his tribe in Afghanistan, at least to fulfill a personal promise to return to Konar province to see elder Malik Noorafzhal, now 86.

"I am not here to imply that I think I could win the war in Afghanistan if put in charge," Gant wrote in his paper. ". . . I just know what I have done and what I could do again, if given the chance."

Wild Thing's comment........

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (5)

January 06, 2010

U.S. Judge Drops Charges Against Blackwater Guards ~ Happy New Year Blackwater!!!

U.S. judge drops charges against Blackwater guards

USA Today

A federal judge dismissed all charges Thursday against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards accused of killing unarmed Iraqi civilians in a crowded Baghdad intersection in 2007.

Citing repeated government missteps, U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed a case that had been steeped in international politics. The shooting in busy Nisoor Square left 17 Iraqis dead and inflamed anti-American sentiment abroad. The Iraqi government wanted the guards to face trial in Iraq and officials there said they would closely watch how the U.S. judicial system handled the case.

Urbina said the prosecutors ignored the advice of senior Justice Department officials and improperly built their case on sworn statements that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said the government's explanations were "contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility."

"We're obviously disappointed by the decision," Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said. "We're still in the process of reviewing the opinion and considering our options."

Prosecutors can appeal the ruling.

Blackwater contractors had been hired to guard U.S. diplomats in Iraq. The guards said insurgents ambushed them in a traffic circle. Prosecutors said the men unleashed an unprovoked attack on civilians using machine guns and grenades.

The shooting led to the unraveling of the North Carolina-based company, which since has replaced its management and changed its name to Xe Services.

The five guards are former Marines Donald Ball, Dustin Heard and Evan Liberty, former Army sergeant Nick Slatten and Paul Slough, an Army veteran.

Defense attorneys said the guards were thrilled by the ruling after more than two years of scrutiny.

"It's tremendously gratifying to see the court allow us to celebrate the new year the way it has," said attorney Bill Coffield, who represents Liberty. "It really invigorates your belief in our court system."

"It's indescribable," said Ball's attorney, Steven McCool. "It feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders. Here's a guy that's a decorated war hero who we maintain should never have been charged in the first place."

The five guards had been charged with manslaughter and weapons violations. The charges carried mandatory 30-year prison terms.

Urbina's ruling does not resolve whether the shooting was proper. Rather, the 90-page opinion underscores some of the conflicting evidence in the case. Some Blackwater guards told prosecutors they were concerned about the shooting and offered to cooperate. Others said the convoy had been attacked. By the time the FBI began investigating, Nisoor Square had been picked clean of bullets that might have proven whether there had been a firefight or a massacre.

The case fell apart because, after the shooting, the State Department ordered the guards to explain what happened. In exchange for those statements, the State Department promised the statements would not be used in a criminal case. Such limited immunity deals are common in police departments so officers involved in shootings cannot hold up internal investigations by refusing to cooperate.

The five guards told investigators they fired their weapons, an admission that was crucial because forensic evidence could not determine who had fired.

Because of the immunity deal, prosecutors had to build their case without those statements, a high legal hurdle that Urbina said the Justice Department failed to clear. Prosecutors read those statements, reviewed them in the investigation and used them to question witnesses and get search warrants, Urbina said. Key witnesses also reviewed the statements and the grand jury heard evidence that had been tainted by those statements, the judge said.

The Justice Department set up a process to avoid those problems, but Urbina said lead prosecutor Ken Kohl and others "purposefully flouted the advice" of senior Justice Department officials telling them not to use the statements.

It was unclear what the ruling means for a sixth Blackwater guard, Jeremy Ridgeway, who turned on his former colleagues and pleaded guilty to killing one Iraqi and wounding another. Had he gone to trial, the case against him would likely have fallen apart, but it's unclear whether Urbina will let him out of his plea deal.

McCain Hopes Blackwater Charges Reinstated

McCain: "Our sympathy goes out to the families of those killed and injured in this very unfortunate and unnecessary incident"

Senator John McCain told Iraqis that he 'hopes and believes' that criminal charges against five Blackwater security guards accused of killing Iraqi civilians will be reinstated. (Jan. 5) (The Associated Press)

Wild Thing's comment.......

The unhinged lefty kooks will go psychotic over this one. Obama and Erick Holder must be really ticked off.

Then there is the anti-POW family John McCain and his total RINO statement. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

This is great news. Thank GOD for this ruling.

Now- if we can only get this for our Navy SEALs.

....Thank you Jack for sending this to me.

United States Army
1965-1971
Army Combat Engineers
Quang Tri & Chu Lai '68 -'69
67-69

Jack's blog is Conservative Insurgent

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (7)

Michael Yon Handcuffed At Seattle Airport For Refusing to Say How Much He Earned

"Michael Yon ........There is some confusion about who arrested me. TSA was not involved. The Customs people (CBP) were the actors who handcuffed me."

Milblogger and author Michael Yon was handcuffed today at the Seattle airport for not telling the Customs people his net income.

He posted this on his facebook page:

Got arrested at the Seattle airport for refusing to say how much money I make. (The uniformed ones say I was not “arrested”, but they definitely handcuffed me.) Their videos and audios should show that I was polite, but simply refused questions that had nothing to do with national security. Port authority police eve…ntually came — they were professionals — and rescued me from the border bullies.

And, here’s his follow-up post:

When they handcuffed me, I said that no country has ever treated me so badly. Not China. Not Vietnam. Not Afghanistan. Definitely not Singapore or India or Nepal or Germany, not Brunei, not Indonesia, or Malaysia, or Kuwait or Qatar or United Arab Emirates. No county has treated me with the disrespect can that can be expected from our border bullies.

Wild Thing's comment............

Unless it is a law how much money one can earn, it is none of their business. At this point in time, other that providing i.d. when asked, actually ordered because every thing they direct you to do is an order, you are under no obligation to tell them anything. At least as far as I know.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:40 AM | Comments (8)

January 04, 2010

Merry Christmas From Afghanistan ~ God Bless Our Troops and Keep Them Safe!

Seasons greetings from CAAT 1, WPNS CO, 2nd Battalion 2nd Marines. (filmed on site at Alpha 1)

(As it pans across the platoon halfway through, please excuse them looking like they're watching a crucifixion; by this point they've heard the song several hundred times :) .......Merry Christmas!

"Merry Christmas From Afghanistan"

Merry Christmas from Afghanistan, oh man, it's that time of year,
and the birth of Jesus doesn't seem to please the terrorists down here;
I'd like to take a moment for you folks at home to make it clear;
Merry Christmas from the Eastern Hemisphere.

Merry Christmas from Afghanistan, way back in the USA,
You've got mistletoe and falling snow, we've got sandstorms and grenades
But what the hell, it's just as well we celebrate it anyway,
Merry Christmas from 5,000 miles away.

And I remember many Decembers, sitting 'round that tree,
And now I'm in an outer cordon sitting 'round an IED,
I've traded yams and roasted ham for a chicken noodle MRE,
Merry Christmas from out here in the middle east.

So merry Christmas from Afghanistan, from our AO to yours,
I'll be watching illegal DVDs and defecating out of doors,
Put my pedal to the metal man, I'll settle for that medal of honor when I when the war,
Single-handedly from my armored drivers door.

Yuletide salutations from our vacation in the sand,
from this E-3 Lance Coolie and up the whole chain of command
Between Al Qaeda, Al Jazeera, Mujahadeen, and the Taliban,
It's a very merry Christmas in Afghanistan.

From south Montana, to northwest Indiana, to the shores of North Caroline,
From NYC to LA's beaches and down the Mason-Dixon Line,
It's that season where we're freezing, but all in all, we're doing fine,
So merry Christmas from Afghanistan tonight.
It's that season where we're freezing, but all in all, we're doing fine,
So Merry Christmas down the Final Protection Line!

Wild Thing's comment.........

We are so blessed as a country, we have the most awesome people serving in our military. God bless this hero and all of our troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (4)

January 01, 2010

Injured Airman Senior Airman Tre Porfirio Has Groundbreaking Surgery

Senior Airman Tre Porfirio needed several surgeries and lost his spleen, pancreas and small intestine.

While serving with an Army unit in Afghanistan, 21-year-old Air Force Senior Airman Tre Porfirio was shot three times in the back by an insurgent Nov. 21. Seventy-two hours and 8,000 miles later, Porfirio was at Walter Reed with injuries so extensive it would require 11 surgeries to reconstruct his abdomen.

Army Col. (Dr.) Craig D. Shriver, chief of general surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., describes groundbreaking pancreas islet cell transplant surgery performed Nov. 26, 2009, to reporters during a Dec. 15, 2009, news conference. Dr. Pascal Goldschmidt, dean of the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, and Dr. Rahul Jindal, transplant surgeon, also were on hand to take reporters’ questions.

Injured airman has groundbreaking surgery

Military Times

By Tom Spoth - Staff writer

Three shots rang out.

Senior Airman Tre Porfirio went down.

To save his life, doctors had to remove his pancreas during one of 11 surgeries to repair the damage caused by an Afghan insurgent.

Without his pancreas, Porfirio would normally face life as a severe diabetic, with daily insulin injections and a higher risk of blindness, kidney failure, amputations and strokes.

But groundbreaking surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., is expected to keep that from happening. Surgeons at Walter Reed, working with a Florida doctor who developed the procedure, took cells from Porfirio’s pancreas and injected them into his liver.

The surgery was the first known successful transplant of insulin-producing cells after severe trauma resulting in the complete loss of the pancreas, according to Walter Reed officials. If all goes as planned, the cells inside Porfirio’s liver will produce insulin that normally would come from his pancreas.

The procedure began the night before Thanksgiving, when doctors at Walter Reed packed Porfirio’s pancreas in ice and shipped it by airplane to Dr. Camillo Ricordi at the University of Miami.

Ricordi’s team spent six hours isolating the “islet cells” that produce insulin, then suspended the cells in a special cold solution and sent them back to Walter Reed. On Thanksgiving Day, Walter Reed doctors performed the transplant.

“Being able to serve a wounded warrior who risked his life to defend us all, I can think of no better way to spend Thanksgiving,” Ricordi said.

Porfirio had been in Afghanistan for about three months when he was shot three times in the back Nov. 21 while inside a combat operations post, said his father, Karl Porfirio.

The 21-year-old communications technician remained conscious until he was being flown back to Bagram Airfield and “remembers holding his guts in his hand,” his father said.

Credit for his son’s survival can be traced all the way back to Afghanistan and the first soldier who picked him up, Karl Porfirio said.

“By all means he should’ve bled to death and he didn’t,” he said. “He’s a lucky man and I’m a lucky dad.”

The surgery is so far viewed as a success.

“The liver is doing the job of the pancreas,” Karl Porfirio said. “They already have evidence that it’s working. They’re hoping he won’t be insulin dependent.”

Tre Porfirio is still recovering at Walter Reed. His father said in late December that Tre had begun eating solid food, and could speak in a whisper and get up for short periods. He made his first trip to the cafeteria on Christmas, and met a special visitor to the hospital — Vice President Joe Biden.

Porfirio also had some visitors of his own, from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where he is assigned to the 88th Communications Squadron — squadron commander Lt. Col. Rick Johns and Porfirio’s best friend, Senior Airman Scott Cross.

“It's absolutely a miracle that he's alive and making this rapid progress,” Johns said. He noted that the nonprofit organization Luke’s Wings has helped provide transportation for Karl Porfirio, as well as Tre’s two brothers and his girlfriend, to visit Walter Reed.

Karl Porfirio said Tre will probably be at Walter Reed for at least 30 more days. Once he is released, he hopes to rejoin his squadron at Wright-Patterson, his father said.

“I’m proud of my son — he’s a good guy, he’s a good airman,” Karl Porfirio said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen down the road, but we’re hopeful.”

A little more as well from this other article: LOVE the quotes by the doctor.~ Wild Thing

Doctors Perform Groundbreaking Surgery at Walter Reed

Rules Of Engagement Are A Dilemma For U.S. Troops

Over the last eight years of war, doctors at Walter Reed have seen only 28 pancreatic injuries, and only one of this devastating nature, officials said. The surgical team called the University of Miami and put together a plan to ship the damaged pancreas to Florida to harvest the cells that produce insulin -- called islet cells -- and immediately ship them back to Walter Reed to be transplanted into Porfirio’s liver.

All of this had to be done overnight, the day before Thanksgiving.

“I knew who the main players were in this case,” said Dr. Rahul Jindal, transplant surgeon. “I picked up the phone and called [Dr. Camillo Ricordi, chief of cellular transplantation, University of Miami] and, without hesitation, he said, ‘For a wounded warrior, I’ll bring my whole team.’”

“Being able to serve a wounded warrior who risked his life to defend us all, I can think of no better way to spend Thanksgiving,” Ricordi said.

Porfirio’s blood tests show his harvested islet cells are functioning well, and he is gaining back his strength every day, doctors said.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Blessings on everyone involved. Thank you for caring about our heroes.

Thank you thank you!!!! Heroes all.

Prayers for all our wounded heroes! And God bless those wonderful doctors!

....Thank you Jack for sending this to me.

United States Army
1965-1971
Army Combat Engineers
Quang Tri & Chu Lai '68 -'69
67-69

Jack's blog is Conservative Insurgent

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (6)

December 29, 2009

Amazing Blackhawk Ridge Landing on Mountaintop in Zabul, Afghanistan

A compilation of three clips showing a UH60 Blackhawk landing on a mountaintop in Zabul, Afghanistan, to insert coalition ground forces on Nov. 6th.

ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Two Apache helicopters from 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, were conducting area reconnaissance and surveillance when they received a call for assistance from a ground element of the 1st Battalion. The ground element was under attack by indirect fire from insurgents. The Apaches, on closing in on the ambush site, recognized an Afghan National Army Ranger truck and determined both visually and through communication with the ground force that the trucks were being operated by enemy fighters. Insurgents had mounted anti-aircraft guns in the back of the stolen trucks, and fired on the Apaches.

SOF Special Operations Forces A tribute to all international Special Operations Forces and Police Forces in the war against oppression and terrorism.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (4)

December 26, 2009

A Soldier's Christmas - Call to Action

A father meets a phantom soldier on Christmas Eve. He's reminded of our military history, founding of our country. He's called to defend freedom at home. Six minute featurette based on Michael Marks' poem. Poem was made popular by LCDR Jeff Giles, CS, USN, stationed in Al Taqqadum Iraq.

Wild Thing's comment.......

This is so awesome!

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (4)

December 25, 2009

"The Good Lord and the Man" by John Rich

The song is about John Rich's grandfather , a World War II veteran who won six purple hearts, the details Rich injects into the opening lines provide the set-up for a heartfelt homage to his Grandfather Rich: “Well he was one of the millions/Who signed up to defend us, long ago in 1941/When they sucker punched us in Pearl Harbor, he fought under MacArthur/Seventeen with an Army Thompson gun.”

Lyrics to The Good Lord and the Man by John Rich

Well he was one of the millions
who signed up to defend us
long ago in 1941
when they sucker punched us in Pearl Harbor
he fought under Macarthur seventeen with an army Thompson gun

Well he stormed a lot of beaches slept in jungles with the leaches
he saw things young man should never see
and when they shot him in the shoulder
he got back up and he marched over
left a lot of brothers dead in kawagalie

If it wasn’t for the good lord and the man
there wouldn’t be a breath of freedom in this land
and I see people on my T.V. taking shots at uncle Sam
I hope they always remember why they can
cause we’d all be speakin’ German livin’ under the flag of Japan
if it wasn’t for the good lord and the man
if it wasn’t for the good lord and the man

Well I’m the grandson of a soldier and I’d fight the whole world over
if duty called and freedoms on the line
but thanks to the greatest generation and the ones still fighting for our nation
I’ve never had to kill for my way of life

If it wasn’t for the good lord and the man
there wouldn’t be a breath of freedom in this land
and I see people on my T.V. taking shots at uncle Sam
I hope they always remember why they can
cause we’d all be speakin’ German livin’ under flag of Japan
if it wasn’t for the good lord and the man

if it wasn’t for the good lord and the man
there wouldn’t be a breath of freedom in this land
and I see people on my T.V. taking shots at uncle Sam
I hope they always remember why they can
cause we’d all be speakin’ German livin’ under flag of Japan
if it wasn’t for the good lord and the man
if it wasn’t for the good lord and the man

Wild Thing's comment............

Great song! I have never heard this one before. I really like it.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (3)

December 23, 2009

Thank You Troops!

Our Troops are so awesome!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:49 AM | Comments (3)

December 21, 2009

US Navy Presidential Ceremonial Honor Guard Drill Team

Wild Thing's comment....................

I LOVE it!

......Thank you SSGT Steve

SSgt Steve
1st MarDiv, H Co., 2nd Bn, 5th Marine Regiment
2/5 Marines, Motto: "Retreat, Hell"
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (4)

December 18, 2009

God Bless Our Republic and our Warriors Our Troops and Veterans

To All Who Serve Our Country

The Warrior Song

WORDS AND MUSIC BY
S. Householder

I’ve got the reach and the teeth of a killin’ machine, ith a need to bleed you when the light goes green, best believe, I’m in a zone to be, from my Yin to my Yang to my Yang Tze.

Put a grin on my chin when you come to me, ‘cuz I’ll win,

I’m a one-of-a-kind and I’ll bring death to the place you’re about to be: another river of blood runnin’ under my feet.

Forged in a fire lit long ago, stand next to me, you’ll never stand alone. I’m last to leave, but the first to go, Lord, make me dead before you make me old.

I feed on the fear of the devil inside of the enemy faces in my sights: aim with the hand, shoot with the mind, kill with a heart like arctic ice

I am a soldier and I’m marching on, I am a warrior and this is my song I bask in the glow of the rising war, lay waste to the ground of an enemy shore, wade through the blood spilled on the floor, and if another one stands I’ll kill some more.

Bullet in the breach and a fire in me, like a cigarette thrown to gasoline, if death don’t bring you fear, I swear, you’ll fear these marchin’ feet.

Come to the nightmare, come to me, deep down in the dark where the devil be, in the maw with the jaws and the razor teeth, where the brimstone burns and the angel weeps.

Call to the gods if I cross your path and my silhouette hangs like a body bag; hope is a moment now long past, the shadow of death is the one I cast.

I am a soldier and I’m marching on, I am a warrior and this is my song
My eyes are steel and my gaze is long, I am a warrior and this is my song

Now I live lean and I mean to inflict the grief, and the least of me's still out of your reach. The killing machine’s gonna do the deed, until the river runs dry and my last breath leaves.

Chin in the air with a head held high, I’ll stand in the path of the enemy line.Feel no fear, know my pride: for God and Country I’ll end your life.

I am a soldier and I’m marching on, I am a warrior and this is my song
My eyes are steel and my gaze is long, I am a warrior and this is my song

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:46 AM | Comments (4)

December 16, 2009

U.S. Army Paratroopers Call In A-10 Gun Run In Korengal Valley

U.S. Army Paratroopers from 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, "The Rock", 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, call in an A-10 Warthog to engage Insurgent position with 30mm gatling gun in Korengal valley, Afghanistan.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (4)

December 15, 2009

Anti-Military Obama's New Military Rules Of Engagement More Rules In How To Kill Our Troops

It's not just the enemy killing U.S. soldiers

You won't believe new rules of engagement in Afghanistan

wnd

by F. Michael Maloof

New military rules of engagement ostensibly to protect Afghan civilians are putting the lives of U.S. forces in jeopardy, claim Army and Marine sources, as the Taliban learns the game plan based the rules' imposed limits.

The rules of engagement, or ROEs, apply to all coalition forces of the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Their enactment is in response to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's complaints over mounting civilian deaths apparently occurring in firefights.

Despite the fact that the newly arrived U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, imposed the more restrictive ROEs to minimize the killing of innocent civilians, however, the Taliban is well aware of them and has its own forces acting in ways to counteract them.

The impact of new restrictions has created increasing frustration and concern among U.S. Army and Marine Corps troops who now are compelled to follow these rules despite the danger of letting the Taliban live to fight again another day.

Critics see the new ROEs being more oriented toward defensive rather than offensive operations, as evidenced by recent charges of murder against two U.S. Army snipers because they had targeted a Taliban commander who reportedly wasn't holding a weapon.

The actual ROEs are said to be classified U.S. and NATO secrets, but based on individual soldier accounts, those restrictions include the following:

* No night or surprise searches

* Villagers are to be warned prior to searches

* Afghan National Army, or ANA, or Afghan National Police, or ANP, must accompany U.S. units on searches

* U.S. soldiers may not fire at insurgents unless they are preparing to fire first

* U.S. forces cannot engage insurgents if civilians are present

* Only women can search women

* Troops can fire on insurgents if they catch them placing an IED but not if insurgents walk away from where the explosives are.

Often, rules of engagement require varying levels of approvals before action can be taken. In one case, villagers had tipped off U.S. forces of the presence of a Taliban commander who was threatening village elders.

To get permission to go after him, U.S. troops had to get 11 separate Afghan, U.S. and international forces' approval to the plan. The approval, however, did not come until well into the next day. By then, the Taliban commander had moved on, to the consternation of the villagers who had provided the tip. Observers have claimed that it can take some 96 hours to acquire all the permissions to act.

In other cases, the use of force against insurgents may be blocked if they lower their guns, only to have those insurgents return later to attack.

Also, ISAF troops cannot engage insurgents if they are leaving an area where an IED has been planted. In one case, insurgents planting an IED had detected the presence of U.S. forces and immediately began leaving the area, tossing evidence of their preparations along the way. U.S. forces could not fire on them.

The ROEs in some cases have gone beyond limiting ISAF troops in their operations. In one case, ROE restrictions were in effect when four U.S. Marines twice pleaded by radio for artillery support in combat action in Kunar Province in Afghanistan – and twice they were refused, before they were killed.

Tom Bowman and Renee Montagne

December 11, 2009

As part of the new American counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, soldiers and Marines must work first to protect the Afghan population. Given the choice between killing the enemy or risking civilian lives, they have been willing to let the enemy go. NPR's Tom Bowman was in Afghanistan earlier this year and witnessed troops grappling with the dilemma of whether to shoot.

RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

Next, we have a story that underlines the difficulty of fighting a war amid a civilian population. It's the story of U.S. Marines who had Afghans in their gun sights, Afghans who looked like they might be planting a bomb. The Marines had to decide whether to pull the trigger. Their decision says a lot about the rules of war against insurgents in Afghanistan.

NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman watched the story unfold during a recent visit to the country, and he joins us now to talk about it. Hello.

TOM BOWMAN: Hi, Renee.

MONTAGNE: Now the rules of engagement have changed lately for troops in Afghanistan.

BOWMAN: That's right. General Stanley McChrystal, the overall commander there, tightened up these rules on when soldiers can fire. And he did this because there was - there were too many civilian casualties in Afghanistan. But this all illustrates the basic dilemma for U.S. troops. They want to kill insurgents who are trying to kill them, but their job is to make sure they only fire when they're very sure of their targets.

MONTAGNE: So, Tom, tell us what it was that you saw?

BOWMAN: Well, Renee, we were in this combat outpost down in southern Afghanistan, in the Helmand River Valley, and we were inside this center, a command center, watching a video screen. They were watching live while these guys were digging a hole for a roadside bomb. And there were other indicators, too, besides digging the hole. There was a guy swimming across a canal with this wire, and the wires are used to detonate the bomb.

Unidentified Man #1: I have two guys on the west side of the cow buoys(ph) running wires across the canal to the west side, where a (unintelligible) an IED the other day. So, they're watching them right now.

BOWMAN: There were a couple of guys keeping watch and stopping traffic. And the Marines were intercepting a radio call from these suspected insurgents while they were doing these other activities.

MONTAGNE: And on the radio, they were saying we're planting a bomb?

BOWMAN: And on the radio they were talking about planting a bomb.

MONTAGNE: So from the Marines perspective, the Afghans really did appear to be insurgents. So what did they do?

BOWMAN: Well, they felt comfortable. They had all the indicators that these guys were insurgents planting a bomb. So they thought about using a machine gun to shoot these guys. There was another combat outpost not too far away. The problem was there was a compound of houses between where the Marines were with their machine gun and the guys planting the bomb.

So then they decided to bring in the helicopters and use the machines guns and the helicopters to shoot these guys. As the helicopters came in, these guys look up in the air and start walking away. One of the guys was carrying a yellow jug - and that's become the icon of the roadside bomb. They mix fertilizer and diesel fuel in this, and that becomes a part of the bomb. And then we saw one of these guys throw this jug into a haystack.

Unidentified Man #2: And hiding the jug into the hay pile right now, and then are walking near the open field, so just wait until...

BOWMAN: And they were gone. It was all over. They could no longer shoot at them.

MONTAGNE: So why didn't they shoot at them?

BOWMAN: Well, they thought that they were still too close to this compound of houses to allow these helicopters to use their machine guns to shoot, so they decided against it.

MONTAGNE: So, in being very, very careful about shooting at what they absolutely believed to be insurgents, they ended up, in effect, losing these guys. How did that make them feel?

BOWMAN: Well, they weren't happy at all. And some of them stormed out of this command center. And we talked with one of them afterwards. This is Lieutenant James Wendy(ph).

Lieutenant JAMES WENDY (U.S. Marines): There's no way that anyone other than the enemy would've been injured.

BOWMAN: So, why weren't you allowed to shoot?

Lt. WENDY: Honestly, I don't know. I'd like to say I wish we could play by the big boy rules, you know, but, you know, it's just the way it is. And if I had known how frustrating it'd be and was able to better prepare myself for that mentally, I think that maybe I would've been better off.

MONTAGNE: What about the military leaders? Is it reaching the top? Are they hearing these complaints about these rules of engagement that are so restrictive?

BOWMAN: You know, they are hearing these complaints. And I had a few minutes this week with their overall commander, General McChrystal, and I told him the same story, Renee, I told you. And I asked him about the rules of engagement. Here's what he had to say:

General STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL (U.S. Commander, Afghanistan): I've been at this a long time now, since 9/11, and there were a tremendous number of times when I've seen activities done, which, on the surface of what was seen, looks exactly one way, looks completely convincing. And then in the aftermath, what you saw was incomplete. In fact, what we find is civilian casualties who are unarmed civilians.

I think when we err on the side of maturity and caution, there is a cost. And I know that we're asking an extraordinary amount from them to operate with such restraint and self-discipline, but I think it's how we win the war.

BOWMAN: So, that being said, there's still a widespread frustration among the troops, of feeling that their hands are tied in going after insurgents.

MONTAGNE: NPR's Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman. Thanks very much.

BOWMAN: You're welcome, Renee.

Wild Thing's comment.............

I can’t tell you the level of rage this makes me feel!

"And I know that we’re asking an extraordinary amount from them to operate with such restraint and self-discipline, but I think it’s how we win the war." ~ McChrystal

He actually said this...OMG! And the other things as well.

Obama and McChrystal presented these ROE back in July of this year. IMO I think McChrystal is of the same mind set as Obama, I truly do.. A good Commander would NEVER sacrifice his troops the way McChrystal has and do so willingly. McChrystal has done this willingly. NO RESPECT for the man. He deserves none. not from me, and not from the Troops he is PERSONALLY endangering. And OBAMA does not care about our troops in any way, shape, or form. BUT McChrystal is NOT. He is supposed to care. He is supposed to protect the lives of those under HIS command, even if he must defy obama to do it.

And LOOK at this POS in our military! The Generals are part of the problem. PC Islamic bootlickers.

Look at this one.

US Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond: Islam is a Beautiful Religion - June 26, 2009

Representatives of the Islamic Society of Colorado Springs met Thursday with Fort Carson military leaders at the Army base to discuss ways to improve cultural awareness and an understanding of Islam among deploying soldiers.

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division, initiated the meeting in hopes of developing a better cultural-awareness program for the thousands of soldiers already at Fort Carson and the hundreds expected to arrive this summer.

“We want to talk to (soldiers) about this beautiful religion,” Hammond said at the one-hour meeting, attended by local Islamic leaders Arshad Yousufi, Farouk Abushaban and Dawud Salaam; 4th Infantry Division cultural adviser Al Azim; and four other Army leaders.

OMG, this is so totally insane!

Nothing good will come from Obama's anti- military R.O.E.'s. You can't micromanage a firefight and as the case of the Marines killed in the Kunar province in August demonstrates, micromanaging is deadly to our troops. It is impossible to prevent civilian casualties during a time of war. We will only lose more of our troops attempting to do so and the enemy knows the Achilles heal by which to exploit and use to their advantage. The enemy gets to use their full arsenal and tactics on our troops but our guys have to fight hamstrung by the ROE’s. Utter and complete BS.

“We are pinned down. We are running low on ammo. We have no air. We’ve lost today,” Marine Maj. Kevin Williams, 37, said through his translator to his Afghan counterpart, responding to the latter’s repeated demands for helicopters. ~ RIP Major Williams, 9/09/2009

Here are two more that I have heard of from our troops.

Can’t fire on women carrying ammo to the fighters who are shooting at our troops. Cease fire when the women are passing out the ammo.

Can’t fire at the Taliban with the binoculars, adjusting the mortar fire on our troops. He is not holding a “weapon,” merely binoculars to help improve the aim of the mortar teams killing our troops.

Here are MY own R.O.E.

Consider no target off limits under any circumstances if our troops are being fired on.

No exceptions.

Using the killing R.O.E.'s of Obama, if a soldier has a doubt it can cause a hesitation that could cost them their life and the lives of the rest of our troops.

Fight to win

There is great danger to our troops and other NATO troops as well.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (16)

December 14, 2009

Stand With Dan Burton! Save Ouor Navy SEALs!

You Can Sign the petition to send a message that you stand with Dan and the 3 Navy SEALs for defending America.

PLEASE CLICK HERE

Petition to Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations:

Dear Adm. Roughead:

In a heroic action on the night of September 3, Navy SEALs captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq, Ahmed Hashim Abed. Abed is believed to be the man behind the barbaric attack in Fallujah in 2004 in which four Blackwater security guards were ambushed, their bodies mutilated, and then hung from a bridge.

Now, because Abed complained that someone smacked him in the face after he was captured (he apparently exhibited a bloody lip), three of the SEALs – Matthew McCabe, Jonathan Keefe and Julio Huertas – are facing a January court martial for prisoner abuse (or making false statements to conceal it.)

SEALs are characterized by bravery, skill, and honor. They operate under stressful conditions that we cannot even imagine. And in this war – against a ruthless, implacable and barbaric enemy – we believe that their conduct must be judged in that context.

You, as Chief of Naval Operations, have the ability to prevent these men from facing disciplinary action that would end their careers and – we firmly believe – destroy the morale of all our Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force special operators.

Please take action immediately to dismiss these charges and restore these men to duty with honor.

Wild Thing's comment......

I am signing every one of these petitions for our Navy SEALs. Somehow we have got to get through to the people in charge to stop this insanity!!!

We have got to stand strong on this or they will do this to every one of our troops.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (4)

December 13, 2009

There Are Two Petitions To Free Our Navy SEALs

Navy SEALs Accused of Abusing Detainee

Sean Hannity interview with Navy SEAL Matthew McCabe’s lawyer.

Here is the LINK for the Petition

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Now two Navy SEALs were arraigned earlier today on charges that they mistreated an Iraqi suspect accused of murdering four American contractors in Fallujah. Now, a third SEAL is set to be arraigned later. Now, one of the SEALs, 24-year-old Matthew McCabe, is accused of punching the detainee after his arrest. Mr. McCabe is receiving growing support from American citizens. In fact, protesters gathered in Norfolk, Virginia, today to protest the government's decision to try the SEALs.

And Mr. McCabe, well, he's speaking out, too. Here's what he told reporters earlier today.

MATTHEW MCCABE, NAVY SEAL: I'm kind of like caught off-guard a little bit, especially when the situation hit the media and definitely by seeing my own picture in the media is kind of — it's not standard protocol.

HANNITY: And joining me is Neil Puckett, who is Matthew McCabe's attorney.

Mr. Puckett, thank you for being with us.

NEIL PUCKETT, MATTHEW MCCABE'S ATTORNEY: Thank you, Sean.

HANNITY: I want to go through the facts of the case as we know them. First of all, the Iraqi detainee himself, that bridge incident where people were — contractors were hung from a bridge, this is the type of terrorists we're talking about in this case, correct?

PUCKETT: That's the exact terrorist we're talking about, Sean.

HANNITY: Yes, all right. So just for the sake of explaining to everybody, one of the things that I found most fascinating about this — and I got to give credit to Jed Babbin and Rowan (ph) Scarborough, who both wrote about this.

Chapter 18, Al Qaeda has a training manual. In this training manual that was released by the U.S. Justice Department, it says, "Members must complain, Al Qaeda members, of torture and mistreatment inflicted on them if they're captured." It's part of their training. Correct?

PUCKETT: That's correct, Sean. And it's to be expected in every situation in which they're captured.

HANNITY: All right. So explain, then, how — because as I understand it, the Navy SEALs actually handed over to the Iraqi authorities this suspect and then was given back, and at one point there was some blood on him. Explain how do we even get ourselves in this situation, then?

PUCKETT: Sean, we get ourselves in this situation by listening to the Iraqi complain, taking his complaints seriously, investigating our own SEALs, American fighting men, and taking a terrorist's word over theirs.

HANNITY: Well, — but I want you to go into more detail here, though. So we handed over this terrorist, this murderer to the Iraqis, he's given back to the Americans.

And he just — all he has to do is accuse Navy SEALs, a terrorist makes an accusation. Explain how we got to the point where the SEALs are now put on trial for doing the very job that they're supposed to do.

PUCKETT: Well, Sean, the SEALs are being put on trial because they're suspected of — my client, Matthew McCabe, is suspected of punching the detainee. So the American command structure felt like it needed to take some action.

And they were going to punish all three of these SEALs with something called Article 15, non-judicial punishment. That was a predetermination of guilt. They all understood that. That was telegraphed to them. They all separately refused that non-judicial punishment, as is their right. And the commander, Major General Cleveland, decided to refer their cases to court-martial based on legal advice he received from his legal adviser.

HANNITY: All right. So let's go to Article 15 under the Uniform Code on military justice and explain it in a little bit more detail.

They were requested to pretty much admit some guilt in this, even though they had none. And some of the other SEALs are being accused of covering up. The one SEAL, quote, "Might have punched him," your client.

So the worst-case scenario is they're being accused of punching a terrorist that had hung contractors from a bridge in Fallujah.

PUCKETT: That's exactly right, Sean. And the point here is that I think small unit leadership failed. In the military, small unit leadership is equipped to deal with allegations or suspicions of misconduct at their own local level.

So even if there were some appearance of impropriety, I think it would have been totally reasonable for the direct supervisors of these SEALs, not knowing who did anything, if they did anything, to simply say, "Look, it looks like this guy had blood on him. If are any of you guys are responsible, knock it off. I don't want to see this happen again," assuming they think the SEALs even did it.

HANNITY: Is there — is there any evidence that we know whatsoever? Because in all my research and reading, I don't see any evidence any place anywhere except that the charge was made by the terrorist. Is there any other evidence that we know of involved in here, any eyewitnesses, anything?

PUCKETT: Well, that's a good question, Sean, because as of today we still don't have the evidence from the investigation released to any of the defense attorneys yet, the military or the civilian attorneys. So we don't know what the evidence is.

HANNITY: And what is your plan now for your client and for the other SEALs? Where do you go from here?

PUCKETT: Well, our plan for payoffs for McCabe is simply to enter a plea of "not guilty" and to be tried by his peers at a court-martial to begin on 19 January, 2010. And I want to thank you for recognizing how serious this case is.

HANNITY: Well, I've got to tell you something. Unless some other evidence emerges here, it seems to me that our military chain of command or, for whatever political reasons or motivations may be involved, they would take the word of a murdering terrorist over our Navy SEALs, which is the best of the best. It just doesn't make any sense to me. So...

PUCKETT: It doesn't make any sense, and it's not too late for them to withdraw and dismiss the charges.

HANNITY: All right. Well, we will watch the case slowly, and we hope that's — that's the case in the end. Thank you, Counselor, for being with us.

PUCKETT: Thank you, Sean.

I sgned this one and posted it before. Also there is another one that I have also signed.

You can CLICK HERE to sign this one as well. The Human Events petition below goes to SECDEF Gates.

Hon. Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense
The Pentagon
Washington, DC

Dear Secretary Gates:

We, the editors and staff of HUMAN EVENTS, and the many Americans who have attached their signatures to this petition, hereby request your personal intervention to dismiss the charges against Navy SEAL operators SO2 Jonathan Keefe, SO1 Julio Huertas and SO2 Matthew McCabe.

These three men are charged with abusing a terrorist they captured in a daring nighttime raid on or about 1 September 2009. On that night, they — as part of a platoon from SEAL Team 10 — captured and detained Ahmed Hashim Abed, one of the most barbaric and dangerous terrorists in Iraq. The terrorist — in a move that is literally right out of the al-Queda training manual — complained of abuse, apparently alleging he was struck in the stomach.

We had hoped that the SEALs’ commanders would dispose of this matter at the lowest level — with a scolding and perhaps a few hundred pushups — for anyone actually guilty of inflicting an inconvenience on this bloody-handed barbarian. But on 29 September 2009, Gen. David H. Petraeus signed a letter authorizing MGen. Charles T. Cleveland to dispose of the allegations of misconduct. In that letter, Gen. Petraeus said that MGen. Cleveland could, “…dispose of these matters in any manner you deem appropriate. This includes the authority to convene courts-martial at any level up to and including General Courts-Martial and to refer charges concerning these individuals to any court-martial.”

The three now face special courts-martial next month. We believe their commanders — including General Petraeus — have failed you, the SEALs and the American people by not preventing the matter from going this far.

You are the person next in line above General Petraeus in the chain of command. You can, legally under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, intervene to dismiss the charges against the three SEALs and direct that they be restored to duty.

We respectfully request that you do so forthwith. For this matter to continue — and to place the honor and fighting future of these three men at stake — is manifestly a gross injustice.

Interviews and local coverage

Two Navy SEALs accused of mistreating an alleged terrorist denied the charges Monday — one during a formal arraignment and the other in more plain-spoken terms after the court proceeding.

“No — the answer’s no, point blank,” said Special Operator 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, as he met well-wishers outside Naval Station Norfolk.

McCabe is one of three Navy SEALs charged with mistreating Ahmed Hashim Abed, the suspected mastermind of the March 2004 attack that killed four Blackwater employees. The SEALs have also been credited with his capture.

The grisly ambush created worldwide headlines as the bodies of the burned and mutilated victims were displayed for the press to photograph.

…Capt. Moira Modzelewski, who presided over the arraignment, set a Jan. 11 trial date for Huertas and Jan. 19 for McCabe.

The case has attracted widespread public attention. About 20 members of Congress have signed a letter circulated by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., calling on Defense Secretary Robert Gates to intervene.

It has also attracted grass-roots support from people like Richard Berndt, of Virginia Beach, who arrived at the naval base at 6 a.m. with a sign that read, “You Fought For Us — Now We Fight For You.”

“I just feel I owe these guys everything I can give them,” said the 24-year Navy veteran. “They just need our support.”

Donna Zovko, the mother of one of the four slain Blackwater employees, drove from Cleveland, Ohio, to stand with the supporters. In one emotional moment, she found herself next to Marty McCabe, the father of the accused Navy SEAL.

The two shared a few words before embracing.

Until the charges became public, Zovko had never known the names of the SEALs credited with Abed’s capture.

“It took me a few minutes to talk to her,” McCabe said later. “I kind of got choked up. This is closure for her.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:40 AM | Comments (2)

December 10, 2009

Remembering The Battle of Chosin

The fighting around Chosin Reservoir lasted from November 26 to December 11, 1950.

North Korea 1950- 1st Marine Division- Chosin Reservoir: After having forced the invading North Korean forces out of South Korea, the 1st Marine Division was merciless attacked by invading Chinese Forces. Forced to with drawl 65 miles to the south in -40 degree blowing snow, a trip that took many days, they were repeatedly attack. This is their story as told in a ballad written by Frank G. Gross, USMC Chosin Reservoir survivor.

Wild Thing's comment........

We will never forget!!

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (3)

December 08, 2009

Two Navy SEALs Arraigned in Military Court

One of the SEALs is accused of punching the detainee after his September arrest, while the other is accused of lying to investigators. A third SEAL also accused of lying to investigators about the episode will be arraigned later.

All three men have men have received an outpouring of support from people who view them as heroes.

A Facebook page created to support the SEALs had more than 45,000 members as of Friday.

Support The Navy Seals who Captured Ahmed Hashim Abed....the Facebook page.

Two Navy SEALs Arraigned in Military Court, Accused in Mistreatment of Iraqi Suspect

CLICK HERE TO GET INVOLVED

NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va.

Two Navy SEALs accused in the mistreatment of an Iraqi suspect in the 2004 slayings of four U.S. contractors were arraigned in military court Monday, and one SEAL said he was gratified by support from the public and some members of Congress.

The judge scheduled courts-martial next month for Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe of Perrysburg, Ohio, and Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas of Blue Island, Ill. A third SEAL will be arraigned later.

The SEALs have received an outpouring of public support on the Internet, and a California congressman has led a campaign urging Defense Secretary Robert Gates to intervene. About three dozen protesters, including the mother of one of the slain contractors, stood outside the Norfolk Naval Station gate Monday morning holding signs of support.

McCabe is accused of striking the detainee in the midsection, dereliction of duty for failing to safeguard the detainee, and lying to investigators. He deferred entering a plea until his Jan. 19 trial.

McCabe told reporters he was confident he would be exonerated.

"I feel very good about it," he said as he made his way through the crowd of supporters, shaking hands and thanking them. "The support is phenomenal. It makes us feel better, all these people being behind us."

Huertas pleaded not guilty to charges of dereliction of duty, lying to investigators and impeding an investigation. His trial was set for Jan. 11.

"He's been a hero — two tours of Iraq and one tour of Afghanistan — and now this is the thanks he gets," Huertas' civilian attorney, Monica Lombardi, told reporters after the arraignment.

Military attorneys were not available for comment.

McCabe and Huertas both deferred a decision on whether to be tried by a military judge or jury. Lombardi said they couldn't choose because they still have not received the prosecution's evidence.

The men could have accepted a nonjudicial reprimand but wanted to go to trial to clear their names, Lombardi said. A reprimand could have resulted in a loss of rank; if they are convicted at trial, they could get up to a year in jail, a bad conduct discharge, or a loss of rank or pay.

McCabe declined to talk to reporters about specifics of the case. His father, Marty McCabe of Las Vegas, said all his son did was his job.

"It just turns my stomach to have these people send him over there and put him in harm's way, and then they don't have his back when he gets home," Marty McCabe said.

Military officials have cautioned against a public rush to judgment, saying a true picture will emerge when all the evidence is heard. However, more than 45,000 people have signed onto a Facebook page supporting the SEALs, and U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said in a letter to Gates last week that the prosecution was an overreaction by the military.

The charges stem from an alleged assault after the SEALs captured Ahmed Hashim Abed in early September. Abed is believed to be connected to the killings of four Blackwater security guards who were protecting a convoy when they were attacked by Iraqi insurgents. Their burned corpses were dragged through the city, and two of them were hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River.

Donna Zovko of Cleveland, whose son Jerry Zovko was among the slain contractors, said the prosecution of the SEALs who captured Abed was "very heartbreaking."

"For these young Navy SEALs, I am very thankful and hopeful that they will be OK," Zovko said.

Along with McCabe and Huertas, Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe of Yorktown, Va., is charged with dereliction of duty and making a false official statement. His arraignment has not been scheduled.

The SEALs, based at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Norfolk, are not in custody.

Wild Thing's comment........

The fact that this has even gone this far is an outrage, and we citizens need to pressure our lawmakers and breakers telling them that along with the ObaMoronic decision to try KSM and friends at Ground Zero this traitorous prosecution of these Navy SEALs won't fly with we already angry Americans.

Obama is the commander-in-chief. He could have stopped this travesty from happening. He is allowing SOCOM to betray our soldiers because he is the most anti-military President in history. By allowing the terrorists to have any standing and file a bogus complaint like this he is betraying these Navy SEALs.

These liberals are raping our soldiers. They are freaking tearing down our military limb from limb.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:48 AM | Comments (10)

December 07, 2009

Caller To Rush Limbaugh ~ Navy SEALs Case Being Pushed By Obama

This forst part of the video is about the rally in NY to protest the Khalid Sheihk Mohammed (KSM) trial that will be in New York City.
Actor Brian Dennehy is among those protesting the trial.

And the second part of the video is about our Navy SEALs.

House Republicans Seek Reprieve For Navy SEALs

WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers are seeking a reprieve for three Navy SEALs facing court-martial because one allegedly punched a suspect after arresting him for an ambush killing of U.S. contractors in Iraq.

Rather than accept a reprimand, the sailors chose to fight the charges in a military court. Their appeal greatly raises the stakes because a guilty finding could bring stiff punishment.

A letter that Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif, circulated in the House said prosecuting the three SEALs "seems to us to be an overreaction by the command."

One of the SEALs is accused of punching Ahmed Hashim Abed in the face after his September arrest; the others are accused of falsifying statements on the episode.

Hunter, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said the men could face loss of rank, up to one year of confinement, a bad conduct discharge and forfeiture of a portion of their pay each month for up to a year.

About 20 lawmakers signed the letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, including House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Here is the letter from Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif) to Secretary Gates

Navy Times

December 2, 2009

Honorable Robert Gates

Secretary of Defense

The Pentagon

Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. Secretary:

We are writing to express our grave concerns over reports that three Navy SEALs will face court-martial proceedings over their handling of one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq. Based on the information we have, we believe that prosecution of these men is not warranted.

As you are aware, in September, the three SEALs in question captured Ahmed Hashim Abed, the alleged planner of the March 2004 ambush in Fallujah that resulted in the killing of four Blackwater contractors. We all remember the horrifying pictures showing two of these individuals, whose bodies, after being burned and mutilated, were hung on a bridge over the Euphrates River.

Since 2004, Abed evaded capture. However, in September, Special Warfare Operators 2nd Class Matthew McCabe and Jonathan Keefe, and Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Julio Huertas, undertook a mission that resulted in Abed’s capture. Soon after his capture, an investigation was conducted based on reports that Abed had been struck in the stomach by one of the SEALs. As we understand it, there was no allegation of torture or sustained abuse. There was simply just this one alleged act. Prosecuting individuals for such a limited act seems to us to be an overreaction by the command. As a result of the investigation, the three SEALs refused to accept non-judicial punishment, believing, according to one of the defense attorneys that they are innocent of the charges. If convicted, they could face significant punishment of up to one year’s confinement, a bad conduct discharge, forfeiture of a portion of their pay each month for up to a year and a reduction in their rank.

It appears from all accounts that these SEALs are exceptional sailors, demonstrated by the fact that each had recently been advanced in rank. They captured a terrorist who had planned an attack that not only killed Americans but also maimed and mutilated their bodies. We believe that prosecution of these sailors for such an apparently limited action will have a negative impact on others in the military who risk their lives in dangerous, often ambiguous situation. Again, we strongly believe that these court-martial proceedings are not warranted and would urge that you review this matter.

Last week on the Rush Limbaugh a retired military intelligence officer called up and had this to say about the Navy Seals case.

He stated that the case of the 3 seals was being pushed relentlessly by the White House. He said that it was pay back for the action taken by the SEALS to kill the pirates that held hostage the skipper of a ship, which was a world-wide event. Obama had set the rules of engagement in such a manner that they almost precluded killing the pirates. A shot could be taken only if the death of the skipper appeared imminent. The seals were on site for 38 hours and had several chances to take out the pirates, but were held back. Finally, the on-site commander determined that the skipper was threatened and ordered the shot. The White House was furious. Obama claimed that he ordered the shot to gain public support, but this was clearly not the case. So, now it is pay back time for the seals.

READ transcript below:

RUSH: Greg in North Carolina, great to have you on the phone here, sir. Welcome to EIB Network.

CALLER: Hi, Mr. Limbaugh, how are you?

RUSH: Fine, sir.

CALLER: Good. I just wanted to call and kind of give a little more insight on this SEAL team situation. I was in the teams for 20 years. I have multiple-decade military service and came in not long after Vietnam. I also worked for Blackwater for a few years in Iraq and know one of the guys that was killed at Fallujah quite well. But, anyway, the point I’m going to get at here is that I think there’s quite a bit of evidence that this is kind of a backwash from the situation of a couple months ago when the SEAL operators rescued Captain Phillips off the coast of Somalia. You may recall that situation.

RUSH: Yes, I do.

CALLER: Well, the truth behind that situation is that the SEAL operators were kept off the scene for well over 36 hours. There was a lot of foot dragging by the commander-in-chief’s people in letting them in the theater. After they were in theater and in place they were given a very restrictive ROE: Rules Of Engagement. The ROE was so restrictive that really they couldn’t engage their targets. There were two previous opportunities to rescue Captain Phillips, and they were not allowed to take those opportunities.

RUSH: Let me stop you here because people may not know. We’re talking Somali pirates. We’re talking about the Maersk cargo ship that a bunch of Somali pirates, teenagers, took over. One of them eventually died, and the media credited Obama — honest to God, folks, the media credited Obama — with giving the order to pull the trigger. Now you may resume the story, sir.

CALLER: Okay. When they finally did engage the hostiles, they did it liberally interpreting the ROE, and the on-site commander finally was kind of fed up with the situation and gave them a weapons-free command and they were able to engage and rescue Captain Phillips. The fallout from that was immediate and rather violent in its anger. The White House people — I don’t know the president himself, I just know their representatives with the chain of command — were absolutely livid with this and they did not want the rescue to be conducted in the way that it was. You know, I cannot prove this because I would have to give names and I’m not giving names for obvious reasons. But the bottom line is that on very good, solid inside information, the national command authority past the Pentagon was not happy.

RUSH: So let me cut to the chase here. So what I think I hear you saying is the blowback that you mentioned is, this is payback for the SEALs violating the ROE on this captain of the Maersk; and this is the chain of command reasserting itself, letting everybody know who’s boss and what’s going to happen to you if you don’t follow orders?

CALLER: That is my rather experienced opinion — and, frankly, the opinion of others

Six Important Facts About the Assault Charges Three Navy SEALs Face for Doing Their Jobs

BIG Government

In recent years, I’ve published too many posts about members of the Armed Forces facing undeserved charges:

•First, it was the so-called “Haditha Marines” [1] who faced trumped-up charges, thanks largely to idiots like Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) declaring them guilty before a mainstream media eager to paint them in a bad light.

•Next, it was Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna [2] who was wrongly convicted of executing an Iraqi detainee, Ali Mansur, on May 16, 2008, and is now serving a 25-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

•Now, I’m following the case of three Navy SEALs facing assault charges [3] related to their capture of Ahmed Hashim Abed. Who is Abed? He’s the alleged planner of the March 2004 ambush, killing and mutilation of four Blackwater contractors in Fallujah, Iraq. The SEALS gave this enemy combatant piece of dirt a fat lip while apprehending him.

As my first investigative reporting effort related to the SEALs’ case, I offer six important facts about the case you’re likely not to read about in the mainstream media supplied to me by a source whom I cannot name inside the Pentagon:

1) The charges or accusations against the three Navy SEALs were not made from within the SEAL community. Sources tell me they came from someone within the Navy’s Master-at-Arm community.

2) The SEALs were presented with the option of going to Captain’s Mast for these charges but declined this form of non-judicial punishment and opted for court-martial instead. Why? Because they did not want to be judged by those outside of the SEAL community and believed the court-martial route would assure them the representation necessary to prove their innocence.

3) At no time did anyone within the Naval Special Warfare community have any control over these accusations or events other than providing advice or guidance to the accused SEALs.

4) The integrity of the chain of custody of the prisoner is at question.

5) There are extenuating circumstances that indicate there is questionable evidence in some of the accusations made.

6) Evidence will come out in a court-martial that might not have come out in a Captain’s Mast in favor of the accused SEALs.

Wild Thing's comment.........

These men are heroes, not criminals. They should be treated with dignity and honor

I believe the caller to Rush's show. Obama and his administration have consistently shown us they do not put our troops first, do not respect them. Obama favors the Muslims!!!

My prayers go out to these SEALS.

These men are being prosecuted because they did their job and because they did it well. This is what they are supposed to do. And aside from Fox News, the media is IGNORING this story!!!

Our soldiers and sailors are the men and women that have kept terrorists at bay for eight years. These are the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for you and your families. These are the men and women who have the enemy on the run right now so that you can sleep peacefully at night.

These are the men and women being shot at, blown up, injured and killed, and they are shooting back at the enemy to defend you against terrorists that would otherwise be in your town, shooting at you, taking your loved ones hostage and beheading them.

The prosecution of our Sailors for the alleged action against a terrorist is madness.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:49 AM | Comments (6)

December 05, 2009

Navy Seals Could Face One Year In Prison ~ See This Ad And Link So We Can Show Our Support For Our Navy Seals

Support The SEALs: Drop the Unfair and Outrageous Charges NOW!

The hearing is scheduled for December 7.

H/T Bare Naked Islam blog

SupportTheSeals.com is currently running 30- and 60-second ads on cable TV outlets in order to pressure the House, Senate, Administration and Military to drop the charges against these three brave heroes.

2004 ...Fallujah, Iraq. Four civilian U.S. contractors were transporting supplies for a catering company. They were ambushed, killed, their bodies burned and dragged through the streets, then hung from a bridge on the Euphrates River.

A NAVY SEAL TEAM captured one of the military’s “most wanted” terrorists, the one responsible for the heinous crime. Now 4 of our bravest and finest are facing prosecution because the scumbag terrorist claimed he got a bloody lip while in their custody.

SO-2 Petty Officer Second Class Matthew McCabe is accused of punching the terrorist, and is also charged with dereliction of duty for “failing” to safeguard the murderer. SO-2 Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe and SO-1 Julio Huertas are being charged with dereliction of duty and making false statements. The prisoner alleges that he was punched in the face by McCabe, but it isn’t clear if the injury occurred while he was in custody or when he was captured. Please note: He was not water-boarded. He was not interrogated agressively. He was not electro-shocked or tasered. His fingernails were not pulled out. Nor was he boiled in oil, or whatever other torture he may deserve. He most certainly was not shot, burned, mutilated, nor hung from a bridge. He got a bloody lip.

The Navy Seals could face one year in prison

CNSNews.com

The Navy Seals facing court martial for the alleged abuse of a terror suspect arrested for killing four Americans face up to a year in military confinement, discharge for bad conduct, and forfeiture of two-thirds of their pay for a year, if convicted, according to defense attorneys.

The three Navy Seals--Matthew McCabe, Jonathon Keefe, and Julio Huertas--will be arraigned on Monday in Norfolk, Va. They are facing a special court martial--which is equivalent to a misdemeanor charge--and have each denied the allegations of abuse and cover-up.

Further, their attorneys said that the possibilty that they would not be able to cross-examine their clients' accuser would be grounds for dismissing the case.

The accuser, Ahmed Hashim Abed, is the alleged architect of the murder of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004. The bodies of the four Americans were burned and hanged from a bridge for display.

The trial date for McCabe, the Seal charged with the alleged assault, is tentatively set for Jan. 19, 2010, McCabe’s attorney Neal Puckett said.

Defense attorneys told CNSNews.com that they are waiting to see the evidence from military prosecutors because it is still under review to determine if it is classified. Even the charges, the only court filings in the case thus far, are still under review.

“The government has not handed over anything,” Huertas’ attorney Monica Lombardi told CNSNews.com. “They are now claiming that things are classified, but they are not saying what’s classified and what’s not classified. I filed my discovery request, and they denied it, pending a classification review. … We have no photographs of the alleged injuries.We have no medical reports of these alleged injuries."

The complete article is HERE

'Miscarriage of Justice'
Rep. Dan Burton on the Navy SEALS Court-Martial: “I would have done much worse. The al-Qaeda Manual says complain of torture if you’re caught.”

Wild Thing's comment.........

There will be a rally to support these SEALs on December 7th in Norfolk, Virginia.

This is a complete outrage and mockery of our US Military. As Americans, we CANNOT stand for this and MUST show our support for our troops who are constantly being put in harms way to protect the country that is now bringing them under fire. We must send a message that “political correctness” has reached a boiling point and that these service men will not be hung out to dry.

Support the Nave SEALs Facebook site:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=201355981560

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (9)

December 01, 2009

News Of Our Troops and Contact Information To Support Our Navy Seals

Trees for Troops is once again giving servicemembers overseas a whiff of home. Volunteers have organized to ship thousands of Christmas trees to military men and women around the world.

Cry Freedom

From the Cry Freedom 2010 website,......check it out.

UPDATE and contact information regarding our Navy Seals.

Gathering of Eagles

Three of America's finest sons; Navy SEALS Matthew McCabe, Jonathan Keefe and Julio Huertas are facing arraignment on Pearl Harbor Day and then Court Martial. Their crime? Allegedly punching one of Iraq's most wanted terrorists, Ahmed Abedm, and giving him a bloody lip.

The three, all members of the Navy's elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called a captain's mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.

Matthew McCabe, a Special Operations Petty Officer Second Class (SO-2), is facing three charges: dereliction of performance of duty for willfully failing to safeguard a detainee, making a false official statement, and assault.

Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe, SO-2, is facing charges of dereliction of performance of duty and making a false official statement.

Petty Officer Julio Huertas, SO-1, faces those same charges and an additional charge of impediment of an investigation.

Neal Puckett, an attorney representing McCabe, told Fox News the SEALs are being charged for allegedly giving the detainee a “punch in the gut.”

You can read the full story at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,576646,00.html

Voice your opinion by contacting the following:

To file a citizen complaint regarding the treatment of these Navy Seals, please call 813-828-4976 on Monday…
or send emails now to:

holly.silkman@soccent.centcom.mil

US Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps :

The Office of the Judge
Advocate General : Public Affairs : 1322 Patterson Ave., Suite 3000 :
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5066
Comm: (202) 685-5493 :
Phone Numbers: Washington Navy Yard: (202) 685-5190 :
Pentagon, Room 4C642: (703) 614-7420 :
AJAG, Military Law : 1254 Charles Morris St., SE
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5047
Comm: (202) 685-7053

Also here is the link at Facebook :

Support The Navy Seals who Captured Ahmed Hashim Abed

Wild Thing's comment........

What the heck happened to our nation? This is a war and we want to prosecute the good guys because a bad guy got a bloody lip? We used to try to win wars and gain victory by killing people and blowing things up. Not in Obama’s world.

The monster they caught is the torturing, murderous thug who burned and destroyed the bodies of four Americans and then hung what was left of their bodies from a bridge Euphrates River in Fallujah, Iraq back in 2004. The piece of dirt they captured is a terrorist, despite the fact the Obama administration, even the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Seals, won’t even use the word “terrorist” because it might…get this…offend someone!! Team Obama wants to make sure he gets a fair trial and is afforded all the rights of a U.S. Citizen. In the meantime, the Obama administration wants the good guys behind bars!!!

What about the victims hanging from the bridge?

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (10)

November 29, 2009

Breathtaking Spy Plane Footage

Please amazing video of the SR-71 Blackbird as it goes 13 miles up.

Isn’t it amazing the technology that comes from a nation that supports a free enterprise system of advancement, and whats hated by Obama and those who seek to destroy it.

The music is called "Flight" performed by Ty Unwin especially for this show.

The view from a U-2 cruising at 70,000ft as the sky above turns black and the curvature of the Earth is visible.
Despite first flying over 50 years ago, the U-2 continues to serve in the USAF, having outlasted its Mach 3 replacement, the SR-71 (also from Lockheed).

The only people to have gone gone higher on any sort of regular basis were SR-71 pilots. Astronautics have, of course, gone higher still, but certainly not on a regular basis.

And this below is the training for the flight.

Lockheed U-2 Flight - The Training + Extra Flight Scenes Featuring some of the unique training required for high altitude flight. From how to eject to the effects of the low air pressure at 70,000ft on a bottle of water and a rubber glove.

Also features some extra scenes and alternative commentary from the flight itself .

The civilian in the plane is James May, he is is best known as co-presenter of the motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond. He also writes a weekly column for The Daily Telegraph's motoring section.

He currently lives in Hammersmith, London with his girlfriend Sarah Frater, and with his cat Fusker.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (10)

Sgt. Josh Revak Singing "Empty Boots," His Self Penned Memorial to Fallen Soldiers

Josh Revak had finished his five-year service — 22 of those months in Iraq —with the 1st Brigade, 37th Armor Regiment

I served in the active army from Jan 30, 2002 until Jul 1 2007. During my first deployment in November 2003, my friend Tim Hayslett was killed. All I could do was write a song for him. When the Command Sergeant Major heard the song, he asked us to play at the memorial. The soldiers grieved more then they had in the past memorials, as we made it very personal. We agreed to play every memorial service after that. Unfortunately, the memorial almost always was honoring a friend of mine. I would write a song for each memorial and play during the ceremony.

After I had written for several memorials and had been wounded myself, I learned that my friend and guitar teacher, Aaron Jagger, was killed. He had played at all those memorial services with me. The pain of losing him left me crushed. I recorded the album In the Hours of Darkness in memory of him. It is what he would have wanted me to do. I was awarded two Purple Hearts from wounds received in Ramadi, Iraq on June 26, 2006. All together, I spent 22 months in Iraq. Since the military, I have settled down in Ham Lake, Minnesota with my wife and daughter, and we have a child on the way. I am still recovering from wounds received in combat.

Song Description

The song “Empty Boots” was written after I had already been wounded and was recovering in Germany. Andrew Daul, a really good friend of mine, was killed. I had attended one too many memorial services, and was haunted by the memories of several friends’ empty boots, helmets, dog tags and rifles--displayed as the last reminders of their voices and faces. The song derived from these haunting feelings. I recorded the song in Nashville, using the Grand Ole Opry band as the studio musicians and featuring Gene Chrisman on drums. Gene has a musical track record that is truly one of a kind: he has played with Elvis, Jerry Lee Louis, and the Highwaymen, just to name a few.

Wild Thing's comment......

Here is his MySpace Page

God bless you Josh and thank you!

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (6)

November 23, 2009

Checking in With Our Troops In Afghanistan

Along Afghanistans porous border with Pakistan, the U.S. Army is focused on reaching out to Afghan villagers and building local institutions. Immense Mountains and abject poverty stand out as obstacles to success, but it is the human terrain that presents the greatest challenge.

In this mini-documentary, Lt. Jake Kerr Combat Platoon out of a remote outpost in the Dangam District of eastern Afghanistans Kunar province,

More news of our troops..............

An army soldier keeps position on a hilltop post in Mamond assisting the aerial assault by fighter jets. – Photo by AP.

KHAR: At least 18 militants were killed and eight others wounded in air raids and clashes with troops in Mamond and Khar tehsils of Bajaur tribal region on Sunday.

Two soldiers were injured.

Officials said that jets bombed militants’ hideouts in Spery, Kherkai and Sewai areas of Mamond tehsil.

Local people said that in two hours of bombing, five militants, including two foreigners, were killed and four others were injured.

Security forces fought pitched battle with militants in Khar, thwarting their plan to attack security posts in Lowi Sam, Enzari and Rashakai.

An official said that about 40 to 60 militants were to take part in the attack. He said 11 militants, including their leader named Rafiullah, were killed. Security forces brought the body of Rafiullah to a camp.

Militants have stepped up attacks on security forces in Mamond and other areas in Bajaur.

The house of a militant was destroyed in Terkhu area. Local people said that two militants hiding in the house were killed.

AH-1 Cobra helicopters patrol over Afghanistan assisting ground units with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (1)

November 21, 2009

US Army Unit to Return to Region of Deadly Battle

Army unit to return to region of deadly battle

VICENZA, Italy

The 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment is heading back to the same region where it took part in the Army’s deadliest battle in Afghanistan.

While the rest of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team is heading to Logar and Wardak provinces for its upcoming deployment, the 2-503rd will be assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, said Maj. Thomas Gilleran, 173rd public affairs officer.

The 4th Brigade Combat Team is serving in Kunar province, the same region where the 2-503rd served in 2007-2008.

During its 14-month tour, "The Rock," as the unit is known, engaged in hundreds of contacts with enemy forces, including the battle of Wanat, in which hundreds of insurgents attacked a small, remote Army outpost. In the hours-long battle, nine 2-503rd soldiers were killed and more than two dozen were wounded.

The region is still volatile.

Since the beginning of October, 12 soldiers assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team have died, including eight who were killed Oct. 3 in Kamdesh district in an attack similar to the one at Wanat.

Kamdesh is in Nuristan province and northeast of Wanat. Kamdesh is one of a collection of isolated valleys near northeastern Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan where U.S. troops have faced fierce resistance in recent years. Military and outside analysts have described the insurgency in northeast Afghanistan as a hybrid of local, tribally based fighters loosely allied with the Taliban and other insurgent networks. The military initially ascribed the Kamdesh attack to tribal militias but later blamed the Taliban.

Battalion leaders confirmed the 2-503rd’s upcoming assignment.

More than 3,000 troops based in Germany and Italy are taking part in the 173rd’s upcoming deployment, which was first announced in July.

Gilleran said Friday that advance elements from the brigade are already in the country and he expected the unit would take control of its area of operations from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division "in the near future."

"We will have pieces of the brigade continue to deploy over the next few weeks," he said.

Wardak and Logar provinces are directly south of the provinces of Parwan, the home of Bagram Air Field, and Kabul, the country’s capital.

South of Kabul, Logar province has long been the heart of insurgent activity targeting the capital city.

Desert conditions and rocky, mountainous terrain embrace lush green valleys where fruit orchards and wheat fields feed the capital. But a scarcity of water and the terrorizing reign of the Taliban have left the villagers poor, scared and often unwilling to side with an absentee government.

In some parts of the province, 3rd Brigade Combat Team soldiers have been training a ragtag Afghan police force, while others are pushing out on patrols to villages, getting to know friendly faces, and often, trying to win over ambivalent, or even hostile, villagers.

It’s the 173rd’s third deployment to Afghanistan since 2005.

"Hopefully, we will set the conditions ... so that we as a brigade will no longer have to go back (to Afghanistan)," Gilleran said.

Wild Thing's comment..........

The long history of this unit in particularly Vietnam are a testament to those who serve and have served in it.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (4)

November 15, 2009

Apache Takes Out IED Emplacement Team With A Hellfire Missile In Iraq

AH-64 Gunship Takes Out IED Emplacement Team With A Hellfire Missile In Iraq.

Checking in with our troops and various images from AFGHANISTAN

Staff Sgt. Steven Dubois of Remus, MI and the U.S. Army First Battalion, 26th Infantry loads a rifle magazine with ammunition at firebase Restrepo. Dubois' tattoo reads "For The Fallen" and lists the names of 17 of his friends who have died in combat during his tours to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Why Winning Matters
by Chuck Holton Boots on the Ground

I don't claim to be an expert on the war in Afghanistan. But for the last month or so, I've had the privilege of living with a bunch of people to whom I would give that classification - men and women who are in the war zone, putting their lives on the line every day.

And from my conversations with these experts, I've come to the conclusion that there are three main reasons why winning in Afghanistan is vital to our nation and to all those who claim the Christian faith. (Let me be clear that I don't count those two groups as one and the same, but neither are they mutually exclusive.)

Two of the reasons we need to win are practical, and one is philosophical.

1. The Taliban

If the world body were to abandon Afghanistan tomorrow, the country would revert to Taliban rule in very short order. This isn't because the Afghan people necessarily desire to live under extreme Sharia law. But without anyone to protect them from the Taliban, these brutal extremists will have free reign over much of the country, with the Panjshir valley a notable exception.
The opium trade would flourish, giving the Taliban millions in cash with which to extend their military reign of terror, and America's enemies like Al Qaeda would have won a vital strategic location from which to plot and execute attacks on our interests around the globe.

2. Opium

Ninety percent of the world's illegal opium comes from Afghanistan. Not only does every kilo of heroin produced there materially benefit those who have sworn to destroy us, every kilo actually DOES possibly destroy some small part of Western civilization by ruining lives that might otherwise be productive.

We need to be in Afghanistan for the same reason we need to be in Colombia - and have been for more than two decades. Heroin is an insidious weapon that poisons free societies. We need to be investing heavily in countering this threat around the world - not just in Afghanistan, but especially there.

3. Freedom

For some people in America, saying "we're over there fighting for freedom" has become a worn-out phrase since 9/11. But from a Christian standpoint, consider this: There isn't a single established Christian church in Afghanistan today. About 99 percent of all Afghans are Muslim.

And they should have every right to BE Muslim if that is what they choose, but that's the point - there is no choice in Afghanistan today. If an Afghan wants to be Buddhist, or gnostic, or Christian, or anything other than Muslim, he either hides his beliefs or potentially forfeits his life.

The last time I checked, our Declaration of Independence still reads,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...

I see nothing in this assertion that excludes men who don't happen to be Americans. I'm not saying this war is some kind of religious crusade to spread Christendom to the uttermost parts of the earth - but I'm saying America was founded on the belief that every man deserves the right to control his own destiny. And that's not a right enjoyed by most Afghans today.

Why does this matter to our national security? America has always stood as a beacon of hope for the opressed around the world. It is this fact that has made our nation great - we stand for liberty. Many countries enjoy bountiful natural resources. Many cultures embody a strong work ethic. These traits don't set the United States apart - liberty does.

Once that light begins to fade - so too will America.

A U.S. Army Pilot flying a UH-61 Blackhawk helicopter, drops ammunition and water to U.S. Soldiers, from Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, following a three hour gun battle, in Waterpur Valley, at Kunar province, Afghanistan, Nov. 3, 2009. (U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Moeller/Released

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment and Afghan soldiers wait to leave Patrol Base Hasan Abad ,in the Garmsir district of Helmand province, Afghanistan

US Army (USA) Soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Assault), prepare to search a taxi truck, loaded with civilians, at a vehicle check point located near the village of Sulamain Khel, Afghanistan. USA Soldiers are operating 18-miles from the Afghanistan and Pakistan border

Spc. Matthew King of Lompoc, California reads a card from his mother during a rare mail call in Forward Operating Base Zerok in Paktika province, Afghanistan. Conditions are harsh for the soldiers of the 3-509 US Army's 25th Infantry Division and their Afghan Army counterparts at the Zerok field base near the border with Pakistan. The troops stationed at the base frequently patrol the adjacent mountains on foot and endure frequent attacks by militants, as well as living without showers or laundry for months.

Afghan man poses in Sabari Afghanistan, July 28, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Matthew Freire /Released

U.S. Army Soldiers awake, in their hasty fighting position, after a night patrol in the mountains, near Sar Howza, in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Sept. 2009. The Soldiers are deployed with Bulldog Troop, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith/Released

Source:

http://www.topsknives.com/product_info.php?products_id=292

HEY...MR. TALIBAN...

"SOMEBODY'S GOING TO HAVE A BAD DAY.....

...... A VERY BAD DAY....AND ITS NOT GOING TO BE THE INFIDEL"

THIS KNIFE IS SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED WITH RESPECT, HONOR AND GRATITUDE TO THOSE BRAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO DAILY BATTLE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS, WHICH HAVE BECOME THE HIDING AND STRIKING PLACES FOR THOSE KNOWN AS THE TALIBAN.

OVER 1000 YEARS OF FIGHTING IN AND AROUND PAKISTAN AND AFGANISTAN, WITH MANY WELL ARMED ARMIES, LOTS OF MODERN RESOURCES, AND A CONSTANT BATTERING OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, HAS ONLY RESULTED IN SMALL VICTORIES, AND LARGE LOSSES.

THE TALIBAN AFTER MANY YEARS OF RULE, REGROUPED AND SINCE 2004 REVIVED AS A STRONG INSURGENCY MOVEMENT,FIGHTING
A GUERILLA WAR AGAINST THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT
OF AFGHANISTAN AND THE NATO LEAD INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCES.

THE USA AND ITS ALLIES' TOUGHEST SOLDIERS VENTURE IN AND OUT OF THE VALLEYS ON 'SEARCH AND DESTROY MISSIONS', CONSTANTLY ON THE READY FOR AN AMBUSH OR ...............TO GIVE A LENDING HAND FOR DEMOCRACY.

SOLDIERS FROM VARIOUS EU UNITS, INCLUDING U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES, MARINES, AIR FORCE, STRYKER BDE’S,
82ND AIRBORNE, 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION, THE 101ST AND 1ST INFANTRY DIV, THE BIG RED ONE ARE BUT TO NAME A FEW OF THE WARRIORS WHO STAND READY, THEY ARE THE ONES,
BROTHER TO BROTHER WITH THE AFGHAN PEOPLE WHO PUSH HARD TO TAKE AND HOLD A FEW YARDS OF ROCK AND RUMBLE AT A TIME.

THE INPUT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM NUMEROUS TROOPS IN THE FIELD, HELPED US TO DESIGN AN EASILY ACCESSIBLE, SIMPLE BLADE, SLIM LINED AND TOUGH, EASY TO HANDLE, WITH NEEDED PENETRATION POWER TO GO THROUGH LAYERS OF ROBES AND..... TAKE DOWN,
THE TALIBAN OR WHO EVER ELSE GETS IN THE WAY OF DEMOCRACY.

...LAY DOWN WITH SHEEP...AN YOU BECOME A SHEEP...RUN WITH THE WOLVES AND YOU BECOME A WOLF.

SO……..ARE YOU A WOLF OR A SHEEP?

THE TALIBAN TAKE-DOWN.

OJ Bailey II, SFC, USASF (Retired)
VP Marketing and Military Liaison
Tactical Operational Products

Specifications

O/A Length: 8 1/2"
Blade Length: 4 1/2"
Thickness: 3/16"
Handle: Micarta
Blade Color: Tactical Gray
Hollow Chisel Grind / STRONG - SINGLE SIDE GRIND
Sheath: Kydex

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (9)

November 14, 2009

Soldier ReUnited With His Dog

His dog's name is Gracie.

Wild Thing's comment........

This is such a feel good video. I love it!!!!

.....Thank you Rhod for sending this to me.

Rhod
Vietnam War Veteran
25th Inf Div 66 and 67

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (3)

November 13, 2009

USNA Subbed Mids To Look More Diverse

USNA subbed mids to look more diverse

Navy Times

By Philip Ewing

Staff writer

Naval Academy leaders removed two midshipmen from a color guard that performed at the World Series last week because they were white men, and replaced them with a non-white man and a white woman so the academy could present a more “diverse” profile, according to several sources, a move that has reportedly angered mids and alumni.

As it turned out, the color guard still ended up all white because the male replacement forgot parts of his uniform.

Two white, male members of the color guard learned Oct. 28 they were being replaced with a white woman, Midshipman 2nd Class Hannah Allaire, and a non-white man, Midshipman 2nd Class Zishan Hameed, on orders of the school’s administration, according to an internal e-mail message provided to Navy Times by an academy professor. With a national television audience, Naval Academy leadership worried the color guard it planned to send wasn’t diverse enough, the e-mail said.

However, after the color guard arrived in New York for the game Oct. 29, Hameed, whose family is from Pakistan, realized he had left his dress shoes and cover in Annapolis. Midshipman 1st Class Aaron Stroud regained his place and served as a rifleman for the presentation of the colors. Allaire carried the other rifle and the four original members marched with the flags.

Naval Academy spokesman Cmdr. Joe Carpenter responded to questions about the midshipmen replacements in a written statement Thursday after the color guard story was first reported on the blog “CDR Salamander.”

Carpenter quoted a statement from Naval Academy Commandant Capt. Matt Klunder, who said he wanted to respond to questions about why some of the members of the color guard weren’t able to march at the World Series.

Academy officials actually sent an eight-person color guard to the baseball game, Klunder said, but the full squad couldn’t perform after Hameed forgot part of his uniform, because color guards need an even number of members. So it wasn’t that the academy administration yanked members of the color guard because they were white men, it’s that Hameed’s “uniform inventory problem,” as Klunder called it, meant that only six mids could march, instead of eight.

But a Naval Academy press release on the morning of the game said six mids were presenting the colors at the World Series, and identified them all by name. Stroud and the other white male mid who had been cut went to the game, according to the e-mail obtained by Navy Times — fortunate, because Stroud was needed to take Hameed’s place — but they never expected to be able to march that night.

Carpenter said the initial press release included only six names because the public affairs office didn’t know who else would be joining the World Series color guard. When it learned the names of the other two, the public affairs staff decided it would be too late to put out an updated announcement, he said.

The administration’s decision upset many of the mids, according to the e-mail. But after Klunder heard complaints about the situation from alumni and family members, the brigade’s company commanders were ordered to tell their midshipmen they were forbidden from discussing the color guard story with people outside the Yard, according to a source familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it.

The source said current midshipmen and alumni were frustrated that one of them was denied the chance to march at the World Series, despite having earned it, and that the administration was trying to squelch discussion of it.

Carpenter said he didn’t know who told the midshipmen not to talk about the situation.

The Naval Academy color guard, which is a voluntary extracurricular group, has 28 total members from all four classes.

Naval Academy Changed Color Guard to Appear More Diverse at World Series

http://www.anysoldier.com/WhereToSend/

Naval Academy leaders are under fire after altering the composition of the military color guard at a World Series game last month so the group wouldn't be made up only of white men.

Capt. Matthew Klunder, commandant of midshipmen, disputed that version of events. He said he considered replacing two members but decided to add two extra people instead, expanding the group from six to eight members.

Only six people ended up participating in the Game 2 routine at Yankee Stadium, Klunder said, because one of the two additions — Midshipman 2nd Class Zishan Hameed — forgot parts of his uniform. The color guard performs in even numbers, he said.

Color guard members were upset by the decision to change the makeup of the group .

Wild Thing's comment..........

This news item has been a hot topic on USNA Grad sites and is just what it seems. The fact that one of the “replacements” forgot his hat and shoes makes it even more illustrative of the kind of things that are going on at USNA and in the military.

At least this event didn’t get anyone killed, but the PC bent of our military leaders(who are no leaders) inspired by their political bosses is going to be the death of our great military.

Diversity isn’t a strength, character and performance are strenghts.

I really hate to see this kind of thing happening. The military more then anything else needs to be free of this kind of thing. Men and women that serve have their lives at risk and they don't need this put into the mix.

How about individual qualifications instead of quotas? PC and diversity seems to rule everything in this country.

The P.C. crap invades the military mostly from the Congress and the Administration and it is imo part of the reason we have 13 dead soldiers at Fort Hood.

As Nick ( Angry Old Salt) said about this story :

"internally the Navy I know and love wants to treat everyone the same regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin - it is Congress and Big Navy though that decided that equality isn't enough.But this is about PC crap and it is an enemy of our military in all branches."

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:49 AM | Comments (7)

November 12, 2009

" Remember Me" ~ A VERY Special Video

Music is "Pacific Wind" by Ryan Farish

The video was put together by a young lady of 15 years named Lizzie Palmer.

God Bless Lizzie for stepping up to the plate and using her talents to support our soldiers in such a dramatic way. Would that there were 1,000 more just like her. She's done more to help win the war on the homefront--where it is currently being lost--than all the chicken-necked RINOs in Congress put together.

Wild Thing's comment..........

I have posted this before, last year. But I really believe it is something that should be seen more often.

It truly is an awesome video.

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (2)

November 11, 2009

No Decision on Troop Increase

Foxnews: "I wanna bring you a bit of Breaking News courtesy of Major Garrett, he is now reporting in terms of a decision on whether to deploy more troops to Afghanistan...Major has said that the White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has said this morning that the President has actually not yet made a decision at this point, there are some reports out there (that would be CBSNEWS that hit the Drudgereport yesterday at 5:00p.m.)from other media outlets that he was very close to or had made a decision and it would be in the neighborhood of 30K, Major is saying that he is being told that the President HAS NOT made a decision, any announcement will not come until after the President returns from a trip to Asia...He does not return to the United States until the 20th of November"

Barack Obama will likely hold off deciding his strategy and troop strength levels until December, according to a New York Times report on his upcoming meeting Wednesday with his national security advisers.

This would make four months since Obama's hand-picked Afghan General Stanley McChrystal made an urgent request in August for 40,000 to 80,000 reinforcements, warning the war would be lost within twelve months without them.

Obama recently asked for new troop level options and for reports on the provincial Afghan governments.

Obama has made numerous excuses for delaying his decision, most prominent of them the election controversy over Hamid Karzai's reelection as Afghanistan's president. The election was resolved last week. Obama's latest excuses were his Asia trip this week and a Nato meeting on the 23rd, until the Times article raised a new excuse--the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of November:

Officials said that no decision was expected from Mr. Obama on Wednesday, but that he would mull over the discussions at the meeting during a trip to Asia that begins Thursday. Mr. Obama is not due back in Washington until next Thursday. Officials said that it was possible that he could announce his decision in the three days before Thanksgiving, which is on Nov. 26, but that an announcement in the first week of December seemed more likely.

Wild Thing's comment.........

God help our troops, please. Their commander-in-chief won't.

Obama took the 3 am phone call; rolled over, said wake me at noon. Obama thinks he can get away with voting “present” on the Afghanistan War - troop request.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (5)

November 10, 2009

A Tribute To The United States Marine Corps ~ Happy 234th Birthday

Theodore's World Salutes the U.S. Marine Corps on Its 234th Birthday

Nov.10, 1775 – Nov.10, 2009

Semper Fidelis!

(Always Faithful!)

The Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway delivers the 234th Marine Corps Birthday message. " Carrying On A Legacy Of Valor "
It honors all Marines past and present. A special tribute to today's Heroes, Cpl Jonathan T. Yale, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines and LCpl Jordan C. Haerter, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. These fine Marines were KIA 22 April, 2008. Their heroic actions that day, saved the lives of over 50 Iraqis and Marines. They were both posthumously presented the Navy Cross for Extraordinary Heroism on February 20th, 2009. The Navy Cross is our nations second highest award for valor in combat. Jonathan was 21 years old, Jordan was 19 years old.

Authorized by an Act of Congress dated Nov.10,1775, the U.S. Marine Corps has served as an integral arm of the Department of the Navy since the Revolutionary War. From its legendary founding at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, the Marine Corps has won reknown as America’s "Soldiers of the Sea".

"Retreat Hell! We've Just got here!" Attributed by MajGen Ben Fuller to Col Frederick M. "Dopey" Wise, CO 2d Bn., 5th Marines, 2dDiv, AEF in France, on being informed that the French troops were retreating and being advised to do likewise, Wise reportedly erupted with an expletive.

"Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?" GySgt. Daniel J. "Dan" Daly, USMC near Lucy-`le-Bocage as he led the 5th Marines' attack into Belleau Wood, 6 June 1918

"I have only two men out of my company and 20 out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold." 1stLt. Clifton B. Cates, USMC in Belleau Wood, 19 July 1918

"The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle."
Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, U.S. Army, Commander of American Forces in World War I

"What shall I say of the gallantry with which these Marines have fought! Of the slopes of Hill 142; of the Mares Farm; of the Bois de Belleau and the Village of Bouresches stained with their blood, and not only taken away from the Germans in the full tide of their advance against the French, but held by my boys against counter attacks day after day and night after night. I cannot write of their splendid gallantry without tears coming to my eyes." MajGen James G. Harbord, USA, in his book, "Leaves from a War Diary"

In the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the Marines made their famed assault on Chapultepec Palace in Mexico City, which would be later celebrated by the phrase "From The Halls of Montezuma" in the Marines' hymn.

During World War I veteran Marines served a central role in the late American entry into the conflict.The Fifth and Sixth Marine Regiments fought their way to everlasting glory at Belleau Wood, creating the Marines' reputation in modern history. While its previous expeditionary experiences had not earned it much acclaim in the Western world, the Marines' ferocity and toughness in France earned them the respect of the Germans, who rated them of stormtrooper quality. The Corps had entered the war with 511 officers and 13,214 enlisted personnel, and by 11 November 1918 had reached a strength of 2,400 officers and 70,000 men.

In World War II, the Marines played a central role in the Pacific War, executing a series of daring amphibious landings on such islands as Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Tarawa, Guam, Tinian, Saipan, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

"Casualties many; Percentage of dead not known; Combat efficiency; we are winning." Colonel David M. Shoup, USMC, Tarawa, 21 November 1943.

During the battle of Iwo Jima, photographer Joe Rosenthal took the famous photograph of five Marines and one Navy Corpsman raising the American flag on Mt. Suribachi. Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, having come ashore earlier that day, said of the flag raising, "...the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years." The acts of the Marines during the war added to their already significant popular reputation. By war's end, the Corps expanded from two brigades to six divisions, five air wings, and supporting troops, totaling about 485,000 Marines. In addition, 20 defense battalions and a parachute battalion were set raised.[37] Nearly 87,000 Marines were casualties during World War II (including nearly 20,000 killed), and 82 were awarded the Medal of Honor.

"By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue."
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, U.S. Navy

The Korean War (1950-1953) saw the hastily formed Provisional Marine Brigade holding the defensive line at the Pusan Perimeter. To execute a flanking maneuver, General Douglas MacArthur called on Marine air and ground forces to make an amphibious landing at Inchon. The successful landing resulted in the collapse of North Korean lines and the pursuit of North Korean forces north near the Yalu River until the entrance of the People's Republic of China into the war. Chinese troops surrounded, surprised and overwhelmed the overextended and outnumbered American forces. X Corps, which included the 1st Marine Division and the Army's 7th Infantry Division, regrouped and inflicted heavy casualties during their fighting withdrawal to the coast, now known as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.

"Don't you forget that you’re Marines - First Marines! Not all the communists in hell can overrun you!" Col Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, rallying his 1st Marines near Chosin Reservoir, Korea, December 1950

Marines would continue a battle of attrition around the 38th Parallel until the 1953 armistice. The Korean War saw the Corps expand from 75,000 regulars to a force of 261,000 Marines, mostly reservists. 30,544 Marines were killed or wounded during the war and 42 were awarded the Medal of Honor.

The Marine Corps served an important role in the Vietnam War taking part in such battles as Da Nang, the Relief of Hue City, and the Battle of Khe Sanh. Individuals from the USMC operated in the Northern I Corps Regions of South Vietnam. While there, they were constantly engaged in a guerrilla war against the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF) and an intermittent conventional war against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). Portions of the Corps were responsible for the less-known Combined Action Program (CAP) that implemented unconventional techniques for counter-insurgency and worked as military advisors to the Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps. Marines were withdrawn in 1971, and returned briefly in 1975 to evacuate Saigon and attempt a rescue of the crew of the Mayagüez.

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 led to the largest movement of Marine forces since World War II. Between August 1990 and January 1991, 24 infantry battalions, 40 squadrons (more than 92,000 Marines) deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield. The air campaign of Operation Desert Storm began Jan. 16, 1991, followed by the main overland attack Feb. 24 when the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions breached the Iraqi defense lines and stormed into occupied Kuwait. Meanwhile, the threat from the sea in the form of Marine Expeditionary Brigades held 50,000 Iraqis in check along the Kuwait coast. By the morning of Feb. 28, 100 hours after the ground war began, the Iraqi army was no longer a threat.

"I can't say enough about the two Marine divisions. If I use words like 'brilliant', it would really be an under description of the absolutely superb job that they did in breaching the so-called 'impenetrable barrier'. It was a classic - absolutely classic- military breaching of a very very tough minefield, barbed wire, fire trenches-type barrier." Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, U. S. Army Commander, Operation Desert Storm, February 1991

Today's Marines remain a vital link in America's fighting forces on land, at sea and in the air. They pride themselves on professionalism, brotherhood, esprit de corps and being "First To Fight". They serve with distinction on the ground and in the air above Iraq and Afghanistan.

"These are my recruits. I will train them to the best of my ability. I will develop them into smartly disciplined, physically fit, basically trained Marines, thoroughly indoctrinated in love of Corps and country. I will demand of them, and demonstrate by my own example, the highest standards of personal conduct, morality, and professional skill."
"Drill Instructor’s Creed" as it appeared in the Parris Island "Boot" newspaper, Aug. 31, 1956

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:49 AM | Comments (12)

November 08, 2009

Semper Fi Join Me In Project Valour-IT ~ Marine Team!

By Cordell Keith Haugen

He was sitting on a park bench, hunched and looking low. It was hard to imagine how he'd looked so long ago. His beard was long and shaggy now; his sparse hair white as snow but his steel gray eyes were piercing and I turned away to go.

He looked lonely and forgotten and maybe homeless too. Like life had dealt him a bad hand maybe quite a few. He was probably abandoned by those who didn't care I wondered what had happened. What drove him to despair.

He said, "Son, I'm a Leatherneck, of wars before your time." His eyes grew still more piercing as he looked deep into mine. "Your uniform says you're a Devil Dog, the man I've waited for. And there's something I want to tell you -- things I've never said before."

The tattoos on his weathered arm read "Mom" and "Semper Fi." "Let's sing our hymn together, son, once more before I die." As we sang of Montezuma's halls and the shores of Tripoli, the old man stood straight and tall and he looked down at me.

"Bury me at Arlington; put an EGA upon my chest. Tell all the world I died for them that I was one of the best. I was with the Fifth on Iwo and I fought in Korea too. During that ugly war in Vietnam, I stood proud, and cheered for you.

"Get me a straight edge razor, lad and give me a good clean shave. I want to look my very best as I go to my grave. Cut my hair; shine my boots; let me borrow your best blues. You have them back after I'm gone and all my medals too.

"I don't want no flowers, an American flag will do. My life was lived and given for the Red and White and Blue. Whisper 'Semper Fi' my boy, so loud that all will hear. Fire them rifles in the air; they're music to my ear."

As he told me his last wishes. I saw him standing tall. I could see the ribbons on his chest, in the dim light of the Mall. And as he closed his steel gray eyes, I thought about the Corps. He'd lived the life of a real Marine, who could ask for anything more?

"Whisper 'Semper Fi,' my lad," his voice lingered in my mind I thought about all my buddies, those I'd left behind. Today, I'd met a real Marine, a hero through and through.

Forgotten by his country, but not by me and you.

Project Valour-IT helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Items supplied include:

*Voice-controlled Laptops – Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

*Wii Video Game Systems – Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).

*Personal GPS – Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (3)

Military Releases Names of Dead and Wounded in Fort Hood Shooting~ We will never forget !

At an Army press conference at Fort Hood, the names of the 13 victims from the shooting rampage were read out loud. A spokesperson said these were more than names, they were heroes.

The fatal victims of the Ft. Hood shooting, as released by the Department of Defense on Saturday:

Lt. Col. Juanita Warman, 55, Havre de Grace, MD

Maj. Libardo Caraveo, 52, Woodbridge, VA

Cpt. John P. Gaffaney, 54, San Diego, CA

Cpt. Russell Seager, 41, Racine, WI

Staff Sgt. Justin Decrow, 32, Plymouth, IN

Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29, Kiel, WI

Spc. Jason Hunt, 22, Tillman, OK

Spc. Frederick Greene, 29, Mountain City, TN

PFC Aaron Nemelka, 19, West Jordan, UT

PFC Michael Pearson, 22, Bolingbrook, IL

PFC Kham Xiong, 23, St. Paul, MN

Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21, Chicago, IL

Michael G. Cahill, Cameron, TX [civilian]

Day is done,
gone the sun,
from the lakes
from the hills
from the sky,
all is well,
safely, rest,
God is near.

Fading light,
Dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky
Gleaming bright,
From afar,
Drawing, near,
Falls the night.

Thanks and praise,
For our days,
Neath the sun
Neath the stars
Neath the sky,
As we go,
This, we, know,
God is near.

Anysoldier.com compiled a list of wounded from various news reports as follows

Sgt. Patrick Blue III, 23, of Belcourt, N.D., was hit in the side by bullet fragments during the attack

Amber Bahr, 19, of Random Lake, Wis., was shot in the stomach.

Keara Bono Torkelson, 21, of Ostego, Mo., was shot in the back left shoulder.

Alan Carroll, 20, of Bridgewater, N.J., was shot three times.

Reservist Dorothy “Dorrie” Carskadon of Rockford, Ill., was critically injured.

Staff Sgt. Joy Clark, 27, of Des Moines suffered a gunshot wound

Spc. Matthew Cook, 30, of Binghamton, N.Y., was shot in the abdomen

Staff Sgt. Chad Davis of Eufaula, Ala., was wounded.(?? one of ours? attempting to find out...)

Pvt. Joey Foster, 21, of Ogden, Utah, was shot in the hip

Cpl. Nathan Hewitt, 26, of West Lafayette, Ind.

Pvt. Najee Hull, 21, of Chicago was shot three times, once in the leg and twice in the back.

Justin Johnson, 21, of Punta Gorda, Fla., was shot in the chest and leg.

Staff. Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford, of Richmond County, N.C., was shot multiple times.

Shawn Manning, 33, formerly of Redman, Ore., was shot six times

Army 2nd Lt. Brandy Mason, of Monessen, was wounded.

Reserve Spc. Grant Moxon, 23, of Lodi, Wis., was shot in the leg.

Sgt. Kimberly Munley, 34, of Killeen is the Fort Hood civilian police officer who was shot multiple times by the suspect.

Sgt. John Pagel, 28, of North Freedom, Wis., who was shot in the arm and chest.

Chief Warrant Officer Chris Royal, 38, of Eclectic, Ala., was shot three times.

Maj. Randy Royer of Dothan, Ala., was shot.

Pvt. Raymondo “Ray” Saucedo, 26, of Greenville, Mich., had a bullet graze his arm.

George Stratton III, 18, of Post Falls, Idaho, was shot in the shoulder.

Patrick Zeigler, 28, of Orange County, Fla., was critically wounded

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (5)

November 07, 2009

Thank you Sgt Kim Munley ~ American Hero!!!!

Sgt Kim Munley has been hailed a heroine after taking on the lone gunman who went on a shooting spree at a huge military base in Texas, killing 13 people and wounding 30 others.

Texas police officer is a hero for shooting Fort Hood killer Nidan Hasan 4 times during his killing rampage.

A police officer who intervened to stop a shooting spree at America’s biggest military base was hailed today a heroine as she received treatment for the wounds received in a shoot-out with the gunman.

Major Nidal Hasan, an army psychiatrist due to be posted to Afghanistan, shot dead 13 people and wounded 30 others after opening fire with two handguns at Fort Hood yesterday afternoon.

But the death toll from the rampage could have been far worse had it not been for the actions of Sergeant Kimberly Munley, a civilian police officer stationed at the base who was the first on the scene as Major Hasan picked off his victims.

Sergeant Munley managed to hit Major Hasan four times but was herself hit by a bullet that passed through both her legs, according to witnesses.

Fort Hood shooting: Kim Munley hailed for bravery in shooting Hasan

Telegraph.co.uk

Mrs Munley was one of the "first responders" who returned fire after army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan went on the rampage at the sprawling Fort Hood base in Texas.

She shot Hasan four times but was herself wounded in the gun battle. Her condition is now stable, according to military officials.

"They both exchanged fire and both were wounded," said Col John Rossi during a press conference at the giant base. "Her efforts were superb." The colonel also praised "the heroic efforts of our great soldiers at the scene".

The police officer has been praised for her bravery and for preventing what could have been an even worse massacre.

Hasan, who was about to be posted to Afghanistan, was found alive and taken under armed guard to a nearby hospital.

He was in a serious but stable condition and not in imminent danger of dying. He was unconscious and on a ventilator.

Mrs Munley is married to Matthew Munley, a staff seargeant who has done two tours of Iraq, and they have a three-year-old daughter Jayden.

The family home, on a street near Fort Hood, has many empty homes because those who live there have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Her brother-in-law Bryan Munley said: “There’s nothing that stands in her way. It completely makes sense that she did what she did. Without her, there would have been a lot more people killed. She is definitely a tough woman.”

Neighbours recalled that she thwarted burglars who tried to break into her house last year, telling them: “If you come in I’m going to shoot.”

Erin Houston said: “I just felt more protected knowing she was on my street.”

Her father Dennis Barbour and stepmother Wanda Barbour run a fishing tackle shop in Carolina Beach, North Carolina.

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you Sgt. Kim Munley, for saving more lives at Fort Hood, being courageous enough to incapacitate the perpetrator Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, while being wounded. Our entire and very grateful nation is extremely proud of you, Sergeant Munley.

You Muslim's a woman shot your unclean brother like the rodent he is!

Bush would have already hailed her as a hero … Obama is to busy saying I, I, I to acknowledge anyone else as a possible spotlight center.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (10)

Fort Hood Survivors and More On TERRORIST Nidal Malik Hasan

The 13 people killed when an Army psychiatrist allegedly opened fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, included a pregnant woman who was preparing to return home and a newlywed who had served in Iraq.

Fort Worth soldier was hero in Fort Hood rampage

Pfc. Marquest Smith, a former Fort Worth resident who joined the Army just over a year ago, was in a small cubicle inside the Soldier Readiness Center when he heard popping sounds. A bullet tore through the cubicle wall and lodged in the heel of his boot.

Within 15 minutes, the 21-year-old soldier was rushing through the chaos in the huge processing center to pull four wounded victims to safety and help take them to the hospital. The gunman fired toward him from across the room as Smith was fleeing the building.

Other tales of heroism spread throughout this grief-stricken base Friday as it struggled with the aftermath of the worst attack ever at a U.S. military installation. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, who arrived at Fort Hood with new Army Secretary John McHugh, called it "a kick in the gut."***

Eight of the wounded were treated and released, and of the 30 originally hospitalized, 23 — including the alleged gunman — remained in hospitals late Friday. Thirteen flag-draped coffins were placed aboard a C-17 and flown to a military installation in Dover, Del., for final funeral preparations.

McHugh, who succeeded Pete Geren of Fort Worth as army secretary Sept. 21, told reporters that the FBI and Defense Department are conducting a joint investigation into Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was felled in an exchange of gunfire with a civilian policewoman.***

Hasan, who sustained at least four gunshot wounds, was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio at mid-afternoon, the Army said Friday night.***

Col. John Rossi, at mid-evening Friday, said Hasan apparently fired more than 100 rounds of ammunition from his two handguns, a 5.7 mm semiautomatic and an older model Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver.

Bernie Goldberg saying that if Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan was a "White Male Christian" instead of a Muslim, his religion would be the top story in the mainstream media. But because he is Muslim, most of the mainstream media refuse to even consider that his Islamic beliefs are central to his commit a terrorist act.

Shooter advised Obama transition

Fort Hood triggerman aided team on Homeland Security task force

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged shooter in yesterday's massacre at Fort Hood, played a homeland security advisory role in President Barack Obama's transition into the White House, according to a key university policy institute document.

The Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University published a document May 19, entitled "Thinking Anew – Security Priorities for the Next Administration: Proceedings Report of the HSPI Presidential Transition Task Force, April 2008 – January 2009," in which Hasan of the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine is listed on page 29 of the document as a Task Force Event Participant.

Hasan received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University School in Bethesda, Md., in 2001.

Noting that the Obama administration transition was proceeding, the GWU Homeland Security Policy Institute report described on the first page the role of the Presidential Transition Task Force as including "representatives from past Administrations, State government, Fortune 500 companies, academia, research institutions and non-governmental organizations with global reach."

While the GWU task force participants included several members of government, including representatives of the Department of Justice and the U.S Department of Homeland Security, there is no indication in the document that the group played any formal role in the official Obama transition, other than to serve in a university-based advisory capacity.

Daniel Kaniewski, deputy director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University affirmed to WND in a telephone interview this morning that the Nidal Hasan listed as attending the meetings of the HSPI Presidential Transition Task Force was the same person as the alleged shooter in the Fort Hood massacre.

Kaniewski said Hasan attended the meetings in his capacity as a member of the faculty of the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine, not as a member of the HSPI Presidential Task Force.

Kaniewski believed Hasan applied on the institute's website to attend the meeting and was accepted because of his professional credentials.

Kaniewski could not tell WND whether or not Hasan made comments from the audience that influenced the task force recommendations or not.

He further confirmed Hasan had attended several meetings held by the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University and that the institute is currently searching conference records to see if it is possible to determine what additional institute conferences he attended.

Obama's Frightening Insensitivity Following Shooting

NBC Chicago

Obama didn't wait long after Tuesday's devastating elections to give critics another reason to question his leadership, but this time the subject matter was more grim than a pair of governorships.

After news broke out of the shooting at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, the nation watched in horror as the toll of dead and injured climbed. The White House was notified immediately and by late afternoon, word went out that the president would speak about the incident prior to a previously scheduled appearance. At about 5 p.m., cable stations went to the president. The situation called for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective.

But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian affairs, the president thanked various staffers and offered a "shout-out" to "Dr. Joe Medicine Crow -- that Congressional Medal of Honor winner." Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?

Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. The president should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That's the least that should occur.

Indeed, an argument could be made that Obama should have canceled the Indian event, out of respect for people having been murdered at an Army post a few hours before. That would have prevented any sort of jarring emotional switch at the event.

Did the president's team not realize what sort of image they were presenting to the country at this moment? The disconnect between what Americans at home knew had been going on -- and the initial words coming out of their president's mouth was jolting, if not disturbing.

It must have been disappointing for many politically aware Democrats, still reeling from the election two days before. The New Jersey gubernatorial vote had already demonstrated that the president and his political team couldn't produce a winning outcome in a state very friendly to Democrats (and where the president won by 15 points one year ago). And now this? Congressional Democrats must wonder if a White House that has burdened them with a too-heavy policy agenda over the last year has a strong enough political operation to help push that agenda through.

If the president's communications apparatus can't inform -- and protect -- their boss during tense moments when the country needs to see a focused commander-in-chief and a compassionate head of state, it has disastrous consequences for that president's party and supporters.

All the president's men (and women) fell down on the job Thursday. And Democrats across the country have real reason to panic.

Wild Thing's comment........

Amazing ithat a Chiacgo nbc wrote the article about Obama. Good for them. I posted this video the other day and we all commented on it. But this article is good and really points out what a total FAILURE Obama and how he could care less. He should not even need a team of people to tell him to "act" sorry or sad or outraged. Damn HIM!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (9)

November 06, 2009

Ft. Hood Primary Shooter ( JIHAD ) Major Malik Nadal Hasan Is Still Alive

Fort Hood Press Conference -- Primary Shooter Major Malik Nadal Hasan Is Still Alive -- FOX News

Townhall

The gunman, first said to have been killed, was wounded but alive in a hospital under military guard, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. He was shot four times, and was on a ventilator and unconscious, according to military officials. "I would say his death is not imminent," Cone said.

The man was identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old from Virginia.

The suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was on a ventilator and unconscious in a hospital after being shot four times during the shootings at the Army's sprawling Fort Hood, post officials said. In the early chaos after the shootings, authorities believed they had killed him, only to discover later that he had survived.

Central Texas Now

Information on Fort Hood Terrorist Malik Nadal Hasan

Military officials say the suspected shooter is not dead, as was originally reported. He is alive, and has been treated for his wounds.

Military officials say the suspected shooter at Fort Hood was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before being transferred to the Texas base in July.

The officials had access to Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan's military record. They said he received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because military records are confidential.

Federal law enforcement officials say the Hasan came to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats.

The Virginia-born soldier was single with no children. He was 39 years old.

He is a graduate of Virginia Tech University, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry in 1997. He received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.

Colleague Terry Lee on Fort Hood Shooter Malik Nadal Hasan -- He Wanted Muslims to "Stand Up"

Below is complete video of the Press Conference, including the questions from the media:

MUSLIM DENIAL......again ! ~ Wild Thing

Waco Trib

Al Siddiq, president of the Islamic Center of Waco, followed the unfolding news of the Fort Hood tragedy anxiously, as a veteran of the U.S. Army himself, as a friend of some Muslim soldiers currently stationed at the Central Texas post and as a Muslim who has become wary of backlash.

Siddiq said the Muslim Islamic community is very concerned that the shooter on Fort Hood was a Muslim because Muslims tend to get all thrown into the same category. Since 9/11, Siddiq said, when an individual Muslim acts stupid, it affects the entire Islamic community. The concern is backlash against other Muslims, he said.

“We’ve been very fortunate in Waco,” Siddiq said. “But there’s always a backlash.” Siddiq said he had a great experience in the U.S. Army, both in Korea and stationed at Fort Campbell.

“That’s what hurts me the most,” he said. “The Army has accommodated Muslims. Not any other Army can offer what the U.S. Army offers.”

Siddiq said what he has heard is that the Fort Hood shooter may be a convert to Islam. He said he thinks the problem some converts have is not based on the Islam religion, but on the resentment toward the U.S. government that they bring to their faith.

Washington Examiner

Malik attended prayer services nearly every day in Silver Spring for several years. Six months ago Hasan came to the attention of the FBI because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings.

After lauding a Muslim U.S. Army soldier who killed comrades in Kuwait in 2003, Hasan wrote in an online posting, “If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers … that would be considered a strategic victory.”

At Fort Hood, Hasan exhibited a troubled state of mind. Retired Col. Terry Lee, who worked with Hasan at the psych ward at Fort Hood, told Fox News that about six months ago he heard Hasan say, "Maybe the Muslims should rise up and fight against the aggressor," in Iraq and Afghanistan -- referring to the U.S. Army

Galveston News

Authorities said the gunman was shot but was not killed. Two other soldiers suspected in what appears to be the worst mass shooting at a U.S. military base were also apprehended, officials said.

Tom Hunt, himself a former Army sergeant who was stationed at Fort Hood, said his son called about an hour after the shooting to tell him he was safe.

James Hunt, 27, serving with the 510th Combat Engineers, was with his platoon at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center where soldiers who are about to be deployed undergo medical screening. He is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in January.

But because James had broken his foot several weeks ago, he was sent outside and told to get some extra paperwork that would clear him for deployment. James was waiting in the parking lot of the center when the shooting started, his father said.

“Everybody started running and shouting, and he saw the wounded come out,” Tom Hunt said. “He didn’t hear the shooting, but he said it was ‘a bloody mess.’”

Hunt said his son told him he loaded up many of the wounded and drove them to the hospital. The wounded relayed what they saw inside when the shooting happened.

“They were telling him that one guy was shouting something in Arabic while he was shooting,” Tom Hunt said. “He couldn’t say much more than that.”

Dad Of Soldier: Ft. Hook Shooter Exclaimed "Allah Akbar" As He Opened Fire

Wild Thing's comment.......

This is an outrage against our Servicemen on OUR soil.....this person is a terrorist.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (20)

Clinic Cat MAX On Orders to Luke Air Force Base

Max, a 21-pound gray tabby cat, is on official Army orders to the Luke Air Force Base Veterinary Clinic in Glendale, Ariz. Not only does he increase the morale of the staff and visitors to the clinic, he also officially provides "Fat Cat Security and Pest Control" as stated in his orders

Clinic cat on orders to Luke Air Force Base

56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. (AFNS)

During the past ten years, the Luke Air Force Base Veterinary Clinic has seen six civilian and military veterinarians come and go, as well as countless veterinary technicians and other workers. But there has been one constant, and his name is Max.

Max, a 21-pound gray tabby cat, was brought into the vet clinic in July of 1999 after he was discovered in a gutter.

"He was a six-week-old kitten when he arrived," said Joan Seifert, 56th Force Support Squadron veterinary clinic office clerk. "Nobody called and said they were missing a kitten, so he hung out here and we decided to make him our clinic cat. We got him neutered and declawed in the front, and he has been living here for the past ten years."

When Max first started his duties as clinic cat, he would roam the office all day, interacting with pets and their owners. He even helped the staff with some of their more difficult patients.

"We had a chihuahua in here one day, and we were trying to get him into a cardboard carrier," Ms. Seifert said. "Every time we tried to put him in the box, the chihuahua would try to bite us. Max must have heard us struggling, so he came running around the corner and batted the chihuahua in the face. The dog was so baffled, we were able to close the carrier."

Max isn't concerned with size, either. Big or small, he takes on all comers.

"Earlier this year, I was outside just before the sun came up," Ms. Seifert recalled. "I was looking for Max and started to walk out toward the parking lot when I saw what I thought was a dog trotting toward me. All of a sudden, as the 'dog' got close, I saw it was a coyote. I started backing up toward the door. By that time, Max had spotted the coyote. He let out a shriek, puffed up and took off after him. I screamed, 'No, Max, no!,' but he just took off after it and came in a few minutes later looking like, 'It's ok, I took care of it.'"

But, Max is just doing his job. He is on official Army orders to Luke to provide "fat cat security and pest control." He also searches out lizards, spiders or any other pests that are brave enough to roam in or around the clinic.

"He is on a calorie-controlled diet, but he supplements it pretty good with all the lizards he catches and eats," Ms. Seifert said.

Though Max is a perfect bodyguard and exterminator at the clinic, he also plays an important role in base public relations. At least once a week, an Airman, family member or civilian will come to the clinic asking if the staff still has "that big cat."

"We had a colonel from the Aerospace Medical Squadron call up and ask if Max was available because he wanted to bring his family over to see him," Ms. Seifert said. "I told him I would check his schedule and of course Max was free. The colonel brought his family over to see him."

The vet staff also recalled a little girl who lived on base. Her family didn't have pets, so her father would bring her to the clinic to play with Max. Other Luke members bring their cameras and snap photos of him.

"He plays into it when he knows he is getting attention or when people come and take photos," said Michaela Debelius, 56th FSS veterinary technician. "He loves it."

Debelius' husband, Staff Sgt. Ralph Debelius, 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron Air Ground Equipment mobility manager, visits Max every day.

"I am a big cat person and he increases my morale on a daily basis," Sergeant Debelius said. "He is really friendly, and he has this kind of feisty attitude. He has a lot of personality and is great for a good laugh."

Max's charm isn't reserved only for humans, either. He's also made friends with a few of the military working dogs who are housed right next to the kennel. When one of them, Kisma, comes over for an appointment, Max will jump up on the table right beside him and cuddle up.

Kisma's handler, Senior Airman Steven Bruner, 56th Security Forces Squadron MWD handler, says he has never seen anything like it before.

"They told me before I came over here for the first time, that Kisma was pretty friendly with the cat," he said. "I was surprised."

Max has grown and changed with the clinic over the years. Now, instead of roaming the clinic freely, Max has a large, fenced area in the back of the building where he can hang out.

"If we have him out on a clinic day, when customers start to come in I say 'OK Max, come on in the back,' and he comes," Seifert said. "Cats are trainable. It takes a lot of patience and they have to want to do it, but he listens better than a lot of people's dogs do."

Max would be offended if he knew he was compared to a dog, but he does seem quite canine-like as he sits at the front door of the clinic waiting to be let in.

"He sits there and meows until you let him in," Mrs. Debelius said. "And he meets us every day at the door to say good morning."

And ready to protect the clinic's staff from coyotes and lizards alike.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Love this story. The Vet we go to for Sebastian and Missy has his cat at work each day. There are also a lot of soldiers and Air Force from McDill Air Force Base here that go to the Vet we go to.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:48 AM | Comments (4)

Afghanistan ~ The Soldiers Speak

From The Washington Times

Special forces for special Afghan rescues

Dangerous missions to save severely wounded

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan | A cool wind rushed through the open back doors of the Black Hawk, rattling the ventilators, IV tubes and defibrillators as the rescue helicopter banked sharply and rose into the sky.

It was headed for a site on Kandahar's Highway 1, dubbed "Death Highway" by coalition troops, where a powerful improvised explosive device had just struck a U.S. convoy.

The mission - to pick up the dead and wounded - was all too familiar for the members of the Air Force's 55th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, better known as the Guardian Angels, based at Kandahar Air Field.

"This is the toughest thing we do, but we bring everyone home and we leave no one behind," said Capt. Steve Colletti, director of operations, before donning his gear and boarding the HH 60G Pave Hawk, a modified Black Hawk helicopter.

"Every time we pick up injured troops, it hits us deep in the heart," he said. "We've become the 911 response for southern Afghanistan - whether that's our troops or Afghan citizens."

The past week has brought plenty of heartache for the medical combat specialists, considered the "special forces" of the Air Force. A day earlier, they had spent an afternoon airlifting 17 severely wounded members of the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team to the trauma center at Kandahar Air Field. One American and one Afghan soldier were killed in that IED attack.

For the nearly 68,000 already here, the debate is not academic.

It "was a pretty bad day," said Maj. Ben Conde, from Denver, who flew the missions to rescue the 17 injured troops and bring home the two killed in action. "It was a day we never wish would happen again."

"These aren't numbers, these are our family, our brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and children," said Pararescueman Vincent Eckert, from Tucson, Ariz. "We've kind of become a jack of all trades. These are the things we do so that others may live. We're not bomb droppers - our mission is to save lives."

The members of the squadron are called pararescuemen or parajumpers - PJs. All are trained trauma medical technicians who can perform battlefield surgery - including amputations - under enemy fire.

If necessary, the PJs parachute to their victims. Trained to work in almost any weather, they are physically fit enough to perform rescues deep underwater or high in the mountains.

During the Vietnam War, PJs recovered downed pilots in enemy territory and developed a tradition of getting two green feet tattooed on their bodies, representing the mark the helicopters leave on the ground.

In Afghanistan, the group rescues troops, brings sick Afghans from remote locations to big field hospitals and helps others in need of medical treatment.

On Saturday, members of one unit lingered after finishing a shift. Some worked out in a makeshift outdoor gym, while a second shift prepared for the long night ahead.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Schollard, 28, a pararescueman from Tuscon, played his guitar and joked with his buddy, Staff Sgt. Scott Dowd, 27, also a pararescueman from Tuscon.

Only 45 minutes after the second shift arrived, pagers went off.

Immediately the flight engineers, gunners and medics grabbed their M-4 carbines and medical gear and rushed to two helicopters.

On one Black Hawk, Capt. Colletti sat on one side and Senior Airman Lucas Ferrari sat across from him. They clutched their weapons closely to their chests and flung their feet out through the open doors as they watched the ground below, flying over Kandahar's mountains and above the red desert that would lead them to the casualties.

Kandahar city disappeared in the distance.

A billowing cloud of pink smoke rose into the sky from a road near a small farming compound.

Capt. Colletti and Airman Ferrari pointed below and put their thumbs up.

"We're here," Capt. Colletti wrote down on his notepad, which he kept in his ballistic vest. He pointed his weapon down toward the fields where insurgents were still firing on the Army convoy as the rescuers arrived.

The Black Hawk circled strategically, banking sharply, with the wreckage below framed through the open door. Smoke billowed from the site of the explosion.

The rescuers jumped off the second helicopter before it landed on a ravine, kicking up dust and dry grass.

Senior Master Sgt. David Swan, 42, from Corning, N.Y., and Staff Sgt. Joshua Keyes, 30, of Alturas, Calif., rushed to a wounded soldier without hesitation. The soldier, nestled in the litter, was stabilized on the helicopter by the medical team.

The helicopters flew back to Kandahar Air Field's trauma hospital.

The soldier, although severely wounded, survived. The Washington Times is withholding his name until his relatives can be notified.

A second flight was even more difficult. The rescue unit was flying back to retrieve the remains of a dead soldier, whose name The Times is also withholding.

The squadron placed the young man's remains in a small black bag, carried the bag on board the chopper and draped it with a U.S. flag, then lifted off from the highway where he had taken his last breath. There was silence on the flight back.

From the sky, the villages and farmland looked benign, even beautiful. Some Pashtun villagers circled the area where the convoy was struck. A small group cheered as the body was loaded onto the craft. Others watched silently.

"It never gets easy," said Master Sgt. Swan, after the group had returned back to base. "This past month has been hard on our troops. We do our job and we never leave anyone - not anyone behind."

Wild Thing's comment.......

I don't understand how Obama and those like him can sleep at night, knowing their indecision is costing the lives of our warriors our heroes. There must be a special place in hell for people like that.

Prayers for the friends and families of the fallen and wounded.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (2)

November 05, 2009

Deadly Mass Shooting At Fort Hood Army Base In Texas

At least 7 are dead and 30 were injured after 3 gunmen opened fire on a crowd at Fort Hood in Texas.
Reuters reported:

At least seven people were killed and 12 wounded in a shooting at the Fort Hood, Texas, U.S. Army base Thursday, local media reported.

One gunman was in custody and another was on the loose at the military base, one of the largest military installations in the world, local media reported. There could be a third shooter involved, MSNBC reported.

Via FOX News– The FBI says terrorism was not involved. The shootings began about 1:30 p.m. Thursday at a personnel and medical processing center at Ft. Hood. 6 of the 7 victims were military.

The base is still on lockdown.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) reports on MSNBC that there may be 30 wounded.

McClatchey reports that the shooters used M-16 rifles.

KCEN-TV in Waco

KCEN-TV reports that about '500 military personnel are moving sacross the base' in order to secure it. Two suspects now in custody.

KWTX-TV and CNN reporting nine dead.

KCEN-TV is now reporting that there are two additional areas reporting shots fired. This is unconfirmed.

Reporting - 12 dead and 31 wounded.

UPDATE:

SNIPPET: “KILLEEN, Texas - Officials at the Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen say 12 people are dead and about 30 are wounded in a mass shooting on the Fort property.

WATCH LIVE COVERAGE NOW

According to officials, a soldier carrying two handguns opened fire at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Soldier Readiness Center at the post in Killeen, Texas.

“It would be an environment that would be very susceptible to casualties or injuries,” Killeen City Manager Connie Green said.

Officials said the gunman was shot and killed after quick response from security officers.

At least two other soldiers were taken into custody.

Army personnel said a civilian police officer was among the deceased. At least six of the wounded were military.

“We’re praying that those who are injured … are not seriously injured,” Green said.

The Fort Hood public affairs spokesman said the Army has set up a special operations center to handle the response.

The official base Web site posted a message that it is on lock down and in an emergency situation. It also urged people to stay indoors.

Nine schools on the base — seven elementary and two middle — are included in the lock down.

Military: Fort Hood Shooter, Suspects Soldiers

http://www.facebook.com/people/Malik-Hassan-Malik/1008970609

Military Major Malik Hassan, a convert to Islam, originally from Virginia, is the Prime Suspect and now dead, killed by two PD Ofc

The shooter was killed and two other suspects, who are also soldiers, have been apprehended, Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone said.

The general said there were "eyewitness accounts of more than one shooter," and the others were tracked to an adjacent facility.

Cone said that a gunman entered a facility known as the Soldier Readiness Facility, where soldiers who are preparing to deploy go for last minute medical check ups and dental treatment. Sources told ABC News that the soldiers gathered there were getting ready to deploy to Iraq.

The gunman used two handguns, Cone said. He wasn't sure if the shooter reloaded the weapons during the attack.

"The gunman opened fire and essentially due to the quick respond of the police forces was killed," said Cone.

The shooter was killed by civilian law enforcement and one police officer died in the shootout, Cone said.

The gunman's suspected accomplices were taken into custody in an adjacent facility known as the old SportsDome Complex.

OMG...OMG....Fort Barack Obama Gives "Shout-Out" Before He Comments on Shooting -- FOX News

Wild Thing's comment......

Prayers for the victims and their families. I will update as things come on the news.

I am not positive , but I think this is the Facebook for the shooter that was shot.

He is convert no less; the most dangerous type of jihadi. In a sane version of America, all madrassas and mosques would be shut down immediately !! And also when anyone in our military converts to Islam they should be kicked OUT asap!!!!!! Isalm is not religion, it is a LAW they follow, it is dangerous to our troops and to all of us. This was a TERRORIST ATTACK! Like the Muslim convert grenade thrower in Kuwait. He didn’t want to fight against his Muslim brethren.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 PM | Comments (21)

November 04, 2009

In Country With the Our US Army and US Air Force

U.S. Army Spc. Michael Riley, a radio traffic operator, smokes a cigarette while taking a break with fellow Soldiers during a dismounted patrol across the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2009. All Soldiers are assigned to 1st Platoon and 3rd Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) Date Posted: 10/29/2009">

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Stephen Barnes continues with his mission even thought the crotch of his pants were ripped off during a dismounted patrol across the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan Aug. 29, 2009. Barnes is a squad leader assigned to 1st Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade /Photo Released) 10/29/2009

U.S Army Spc. David Oliver, of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, is enjoys his last cigarette before going out on a mission at Forward Operating Base Lane in Zabul province, Afghanistan, Oct. 11, 2009. The 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Europe is deployed throughout southern Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Tia P. Sokimson/Released) 10/30/2009

U.S. Army Soldiers from 1st Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, cross a river during a dismounted patrol across the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) 10/29/2009

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Tracy Tyson, assigned to the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, reads "Stars and Stripes" at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, while waiting for a flight to Forward Observation Base Wolverine, Afghanistan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte/Released)

U.S. Army Sgt. Josh Engbrecht, his interpreter and other Soldiers assigned to 1st Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, negotiate the price for a stack of Roshan cell phone prepaid cards with a local Afghan salesman while patrolling the bazaar in the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2009. All Soldiers from Apache Company are stationed at Combat Outpost (COP) Tangi, which lacks a Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center with phones or internet. This situation forces Soldiers to call home using their pre-paid phones. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) 10/29/2009

U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance and disposal technicians, and U.S. Army Sgt. Zachary Cleland, a combat engineer assigned to Alpha Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, talk after finding an improvised explosive device during a patrol in the streets of the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 28, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) 10/29/2009

An Mi-35 Hind helicopter fires its 12.9mm gatling gun during a training sortie over southern Afghanistan . U.S. Airmen with the 438th Air Expeditionary Training Group use the helicopter to train Afghan aviators while deployed to Kandahar Air Field. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Angelita Lawrence/Released)
[The Gatling gun, lower left pointing upward, is inactive here.]

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (7)

November 02, 2009

The Warrior Song

No matter what branch of the United States Armed Forces you serve under or have served under, this song is dedicated to you.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Love it, it is so great to see people making things like this video. And doing songs like this.

.....Thank you BobF, for sending this to me.

BobF
SMSgt, USAF
1973 - 1999

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:46 AM

November 01, 2009

F18 Air Strike and a Walk Through Abandoned Taliban Training Camp

F/A-18 Hornet catches jihadist firing rockets at US base in Iraq, uses its M61 Vulcan gatling gun to turn them into pieces and spread them across the desert.

Anyone want to move in??? LOL NO thanks!

The Pakistani military has taken members of the media on a tour of what it says is an abandoned Taliban training camp in the volatile Swat valley.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:48 AM | Comments (4)

October 27, 2009

U.S. Troops Hope Afghanistan Sacrifices Not In Vain

Army Sgt. 1st Class Teresa R. Coble, 27, of Germantown, with the 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment from Fort Bragg, N.C., continues to work while in a bunker at Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan on Thursday, during the second rocket attack in a week.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Teresa R. Coble

U.S. troops hope Afghanistan sacrifices not in vain

Doubts, determination to finish mission fill days

The Washington Times

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan

The sirens blared as a Taliban rocket attack rattled troops across Kandahar Air Field for the second time last week.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Teresa R. Coble and other members of her unit at the base's media-support center hit the floor, lay flat on the dusty cement and protected their heads with their hands. Later, the unit moved to cement-reinforced bunkers until the all-clear sounded.

While the Obama administration debates whether to send tens of thousands more U.S. troops to Afghanistan and Afghans prepare to vote for president for the second time in four months, some of those already braving rockets and bombs worry that their mission has lost the support of the U.S. public and that their sacrifices - and those of their fallen comrades - have been in vain.

"What about the troops who died giving their lives for this mission?" Sgt. Coble asked as she waited for the rocket alert to finish.

By next August, Sgt. Coble, 27, from Germantown, will have served more than 30 months combined in Iraq and Afghanistan, far from her only child, five-year-old Troy Davis.

"We would not be honoring the lives of the troops who died if we left here without finishing our mission, and many troops are concerned that the American people have forgotten why we came here to begin with," she said.

"If we left Afghanistan right now, its equivalent to somebody going up to help a rape victim, engaging in a fight to help that rape victim, then giving up because they didnt want to get hurt themselves and allowing that rape to continue," she said. "Because essentially thats what the Afghan population is: They are victims, and we need to follow through with what we promised."

Others interviewed by The Times were less supportive of the eight-year war and less certain that adding more U.S. forces would defeat a tenacious and growing Taliban insurgency or reduce corruption in the Afghan government. Several asked not to be named so that they could voice their opinions candidly without retribution from their superiors.

One young soldier, who had arrived at Kandahar Air Field from a forward operating base along the Pakistan-Afghan border, said his unit had suffered a number of casualties.

"I used to believe in what we were doing here," the soldier said. "I'm not too sure anymore. It's just we don't know what the endgame is. We've been getting hit hard out here. What are we here to win? I have to believe that what Gen. [Stanley M.] McChrystal is doing is going to work.But who knows how long that will last before someone else decides to change the game plan again? I mean, do the people in Washington even remember we're here?"

Others said they had difficulty working with some members of the Afghan National Army, which they described as disorganized and in some cases untrustworthy. Gen. McChrystal, the commander of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, seeks to increase the size and quality of the Afghan army as the mainstay for Afghan security in the future.

"I don't trust them," said one U.S. soldier who said he had worked closely with Afghan military personnel during multiple tours in Afghanistan. "They make it impossible for us, and we have to work around it. I understand that we're trying to aid the Afghans in securing their own country, but we're up against some of the worst corruption I've ever known. It puts our lives in danger."

In Kabul, Army Maj. Pedro Espinoza said he supported Gen. McChrystal's plans and believed in the mission despite its difficulties.

"I have hope in what we're doing here," Maj. Espinoza said, as he donned armor in preparation for the short ride from International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters to Kabul airport. "Look, if I didn't have hope, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing. It's as simple as that."

Polish Col. Jacek Rolak, who was also in the convoy, wasn't as hopeful. He joked with Maj. Espinoza and said he was grateful to be leaving Afghanistan.

"I'm not too sure things will work out the way we would like," Col. Rolak said. " I'm not sure what's going to happen, or how good any strategy is in Afghanistan. Guess we just wait and see."

U.S. troops here deal daily with death and injury, seeing comrades hurt and watching flag-draped coffins go through forward operating bases on their final trip home.

Many are also haunted by the faces of Afghan people the U.S. is trying to help.

In Kabul, Army Pvt. 2nd Class Logan Purtlebaugh sent e-mails to her family from the comfort of her bunk bed. Her Myrtle Beach pink blanket, books strewn on her bed and periodic breaks to brush her long, blond hair made the 19-year-old seem more like a university student in a dorm than a soldier in a barracks. The young chaplain's assistant with the 82nd Airborne, 4th Brigade, at Camp Lindsey, not far from Kandahar Air Field, was on a nine-day break in the Afghan capital.

The policy debate back in Washington was not on the mind of this soldier from Bloomington, Ind.

Instead, she was thinking about the accidental death of an Afghan child she recently had witnessed in Kandahar.

"It's the first time I'm dealing with death," said Pvt. Purtlebaugh, who is on her first deployment. "I'll never forget what happened."

She folded down her laptop and stared into the darkness.

"He ran out in front of the MRAP [Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle], and there was no time for the driver to stop," she said. "The little boy's head was decapitated. It was horrible for everybody involved. Especially for the family of the boy."

The young victim "seemed to be about the same age as my seven-year-old sister, Madison Purtlebaugh," she said. "I really miss home, but this is where I want to be. I believe in the Afghan people. I have hope despite everything."

Sgt. Coble urged Americans to think about the sacrifices U.S. troops have made in Aghanistan and the consequences of narrowing the mission before it has more time to succeed.

"We're not just numbers," she said. "I'm not going to say morale is high with everything going on at home. We're here for a reason. This is not a draft military. When people go out on the streets in America and say, 'Bring our troops home,' it infuriates me. Don't go out there talking about bringing our troops home, let us decide when to come back home. We're here because we want our children, my son, to have a safer world, and we know the risks."

Morale dips for American Marines in Afghanistan

TimesOnline.co.uk

A mile from South Station, an outpost of US marines in Helmand province, the tribal chief was openly hostile. “The Americans threaten our economy and take our land for bases. They promise much and deliver nothing,” he said.

“People here regard the American troops as occupiers,” said Haji Khan, a leader of the Baluch tribe, who rules like a medieval baron. “Young people are turning against them and in time will fight them.”

Inside South Station, soldiers are proud of the progress they have made. Until they arrived, this remote part of Helmand had not had a government presence for years. But many are pessimistic about where the conflict is heading.

“I’m not much for this war. I’m not sure it’s worth all those lives lost,” said Sergeant Christian Richardson as we walked across corn fields that will soon be ploughed up to plant a spring crop of opium poppy.

A New Yorker who joined the marines after 9/11 and served two tours in Iraq, Richardson, 24, said his men had achieved much. “You can see we are making progress, slowly. But when we leave, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda will surely return.”

With enough effort, resources and time, the marines are confident the population can be won over. But, with the platoon’s influence limited to a small area around their base, many soldiers wonder if the Taliban and Al-Qaeda may simply outlast them, or if the US and Afghan governments have the resolve to send enough troops to win.

Third Platoon, Charlie Company of the 2nd Light Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion, came last July to Khan Neshin, as far south as Nato soldiers have reached in Afghanistan. It was part of a summer offensive by more than 4,500 troops of the Marine Expeditionary Brigade, which has joined British and other forces trying to turn the war in Helmand.

Although they have read the manuals on counterinsurgency and heard generals speak about how to defeat the Taliban, the reality has been bloody, painful and frustrating.

The platoon knows there are at least 20 booby-trapped bombs on the high ground around the base. More than half the men have already been caught in blasts. One marine explosive expert was killed; others suffered broken legs and amputated feet. Three have survived two explosions and come back to fight again.

General Stanley McChrystal, the US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, says the mission is to protect the population and isolate them from the Taliban, but the marines are finding it no easier to defeat the Taliban than it has been for the British, who have fought in the province for three years. Villagers are rarely willing to express a simple opinion, let alone inform soldiers where the enemy is hiding. One marine described the way the Taliban blended with the population as “unbelievably frustrating”.

In terrain crisscrossed by canals with weak and narrow bridges, the platoon has to approach villages on foot. Even when they have surrounded the Taliban, the marines have found the enemy has an uncanny ability to slip away in the ditches. All this adds to the strain of facing improvised explosive devices, which are the main threat.

“We are all brothers here,” said Lance-Corporal Corey Hopkins, 22, from Georgia. “And it hurts to see your brother hurt or put him in a bag for the last time. It pisses you off. It makes you mad. You know people out here know what’s going on, but they won’t tell you.”

The marines hope to open a school and provide medical facilities. They are also offering to pay Khan and others to provide jobs to improve the canal system.

Later, a marine intelligence officer said the drug economy and the feudal system made the strategy of winning hearts and minds extremely complex. As drug producers, men such as Khan had a “working relationship with the Taliban”.

Wild Thing's comment..........

This treatment of our troops by Obama as their CIC is absolutely unacceptable, all the while Zero touts his latest idea, “muslim technology fund”. Unbelievable, and UNFORGIVABLE.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (16)

October 25, 2009

Portrait Does Justice to a Soldier's Sacrifice ~ Thank You Army Sgt. Rich Yarosh !

Army Sgt. Rich Yarosh stands near an oil-on-canvas portrait of himself Friday at the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery in Washington. Yarosh, 27, was left scarred and disfigured after an explosion while he was fighting in Iraq three years ago.

Portrait Does Justice to a Soldier's Sacrifice

Arlene Coffman stared at the man in the painting. He had no ears, no nose, no eyebrows. Instead of smile lines by his eyes there was scar tissue. Tears welled in her eyes.

"It's incredible. It's hard to describe because it's so moving," said Coffman, 64, visiting here from Pebble Beach, Calif. "Most portraits bring emotions. This one is emotional in a different way."

The face in Coffman's gaze belongs to retired Army Sgt. Rich Yarosh. On Sept. 1, 2006, he was in the turret of a Bradley assault vehicle when it hit a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He and two other soldiers were engulfed in flames. One later died. Yarosh suffered burns on 60 percent of his body, lost part of his right leg and has limited use of what's left of his hands.

Three years later, most of it spent in an Army hospital, and after 35 surgeries, his scarred countenance is now proudly featured at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery here. The painting is one of 49 finalists out of 3,300 entries in the museum's second Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. It will hang in the building for the next year with iconic images of presidents, scientists and celebrities.

"I didn't want the depiction of his injury to overwhelm the depiction of his humanity," said Matthew Mitchell, the Amherst, Mass., artist who painted Yarosh as part of a project called 100 Faces of War Experience. Despite the soldier's obvious wounds, said Mitchell, "He's a whole person."

That's something Tony Bass recognized. A portrait of the New York psychoanalyst stares across the second floor gallery toward Yarosh's. Both men were among the first to view the paintings when the competition exhibit opened to the public Friday.

"There's a sense of his having survived this horrendous trauma, a sense of his spirit coming though," said Bass, 58. "The eyes and the stance – it's an amazing picture of someone prevailing in the face of almost unbelievable tragedy."

Museum curator Brandon Fortune, who organized the competition, said Miller's portrait of Yarosh was "quite traditional" in its head-and-shoulders composition. "It has gravitas, that dignity that really gives it its power," she said.

"He looks calm, like he's dealing with it," said Carmen Diaz, 66, of Alhambra, Calif. "He's gone through the worst in life and yet he can smile. He can sit for this. He's going on."

Yarosh, now 27 and back home in Windsor, N.Y., didn't accept his new look easily. He didn't see his face until five months after the explosion – and then only by accident when he glimpsed himself in the reflection from a laptop computer screen.

"It took another six months to get used to it, especially to going out in public," said Yarosh, who says he still scares little children sometimes. "I'm so used to it now. I still get looks but it doesn't bother me."

Several visitors wandering the gallery seemed drawn to his portrait. Many stopped to read Yarosh's own words about his ordeal in Iraq: "That day started the same as every other day, but that day has never ended."

The portrait is "beautiful but also alarming," said Odile Schalit, 24, of New York. She wondered what it would be like to lose control over her own face, that most basic ingredient of identity. Then, gesturing around, she said, "After seeing this, so many of the other portraits seem so self-indulgent."

Yarosh said he always wanted to sit for a portrait and is thrilled with the one Mitchell painted. He says the artist captured him "perfectly," even though his lack of ears and a nose meant Mitchell had to paint "totally outside his box" to convey the soldier's character.

"It's more than just a portrait, more than just a painting," Yarosh said. "It's a story."

Museum volunteer Heidi Whitesel, 67, of Gainesville, Va., said it was fitting that the soldier's portrait hung among those of others who made a difference in history. Their achievements, she said, were often made possible by the sacrifice of those in the military.

"He's transformed his personal tragedy into an inspiration for others," she said. "It helps us to walk a little more in the shoes and have less fear and more respect."

Some visitors chatted with Yarosh, who arrived before the museum opened. Others, though obviously moved by his likeness, seemed ill at ease when they realized he was nearby. Some glanced his way before moving to another gallery.

For a few, the portrait was political, a reminder of the horrors of war and the wrongness in particular of the one in Iraq. ( ASSHOLE COMMENT ~ Wild Thing )

"Every kid standing in line to go in the Army should look at this," said Bill Meyer, 72, a retiree from Baja, Mexico. "It makes me very glad I chose not to go in the service." ( ASSHOLE comment!!! ~ Wild Thing )

Kathryn Chase, 58, of Austin, said, "It's wonderful someone is recording these tragic stories. I'm very opposed to that war but really respect the people sacrificing in it."

Yarosh said he is "not a symbol of the war gone wrong" and remains "100 percent proud of my service" in Iraq. He hopes those who see his portrait come away with the same sense of pride.

A group of parents and their home-schooled children from Woodbridge, Va., who were on a field trip shared Yarosh's pride and were also grateful for his sacrifice.

"This reminds me that our life is so easy compared to the soldiers fighting the war on a daily basis," said Linene Kleppe, 36, whose husband is in the Air Force but whose job working with satellites has kept him off the battlefield. She asked her four children what they thought about the painting.

"I don't really know," said daughter Madigan, 8. Staring more intently, she added, "He looks like he's been in a lot of battles.

"He's just a guy with an Army shirt on," said her brother McCoy, 6. "He's happy. He's not scary."

Yarosh's father holds a photo of the soldier taken before his injury in Iraq. On Sept. 1, 2006, the Bradley assault vehicle Yarosh was manning hit an explosive device. Engulfed in flames, he jumped from the top of the vehicle and rolled around on the ground to try and snuff out the fire. Yarosh eventually fell into a water-filled canal, where the flames were extinguished. He suffered burns on more than 60 percent of his body.

Yarosh's body is covered in scar tissue, and he's lost parts of his nose, ears and his right leg. His fingers are permanently bent and rigid.

Yarosh, here with President George W. Bush in 2007, said he is "not a symbol of the war gone wrong" and remains "100 percent proud of my service" in Iraq. He said he hopes those who see his portrait come away with the same sense of pride. (Source: AP)

Wild Thing's comment.........

This is a wonderful article minus the two scumbag assholes two comments. A story about an American Hero and I am honored to post this story!!! Thank you Army Sgt. Rich Yarosh for your service to our country, I can sit here in safety because of you sir.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:49 AM | Comments (3)

October 24, 2009

Wounded Warriors Return to Iraq for a Bit of Closure & Camaraderie

Wild Thing's comment........

Recently on Fox News, Julie Banderas featured a special segment of wounded warriors who returned to Iraq for a homecoming, of sorts, to try and find some closure of their time in the battle. What a touching story this was, and what a reminder it is that we owe our very freedoms to these men and woman so we may enjoy the lives we are currently living.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (6)

October 21, 2009

The U-2 Dragon Lady Endures

Staff Sgt. Austin P. Dibenedetto, 380th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, gears-up for the U-2's departure, Oct. 18

The Lady Endures

Story by 2nd Lt. Kidron Vestal

The year was 1968.

The Tet Offensive began in Vietnam. Simon & Garfunkel premiered the soundtrack to The Graduate. Martin Luther King 'had a dream.'

The U.S. Air Force had a vision. The plane known as the U-2 Dragon Lady, Aircraft No. 068-0337, came on board to offer strategic, aerial capabilities equal to none. It exceeded its 25,000th hour of flight, Oct. 18, in a mission out of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia.

America's premier, high-altitude intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance plane is the second U-2 to reach this milestone. Aircraft No. 068-0329 clocked a quarter of 100,000 hours, April 4, also of the 380th AEW. These two are the first of 33 U-2 airframes worldwide to achieve this feat.

The plane, with a wingspan of 105 feet, is maintained by military members and civilian contractors. Many elements come together on this piece of equipment, manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

Superintendents help oversee the maintenance operations of their dedicated crew chiefs, and assistant dedicated crew chiefs, who care for the plane as though she were their own.

"Every day, they come to work knowing they are responsible for the most critical high-altitude intelligence asset in the world, and they are dedicated to ensuring every mission is delivered on time and ready for the fight," said Capt. Vaughan Whited, 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron officer-in-charge.

This celebrated plane has overcome much in its 41 years. Over the course of Aircraft No. 0337's life, it has bellied in three times, each requiring a major overhaul.

Capt. Whited said, "The technicians and contractors continue to synergize their best maintenance practices in order to ensure she keeps flying strong."

The plane's design is accommodating for the ISR mission, not necessarily for an ease in maintenance. This makes No. 0337's achievement even more remarkable.

Tech. Sgt. Dave Wright, 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron expeditor, says the airframe is more labor-intensive than others, given its age and the changes in technology over time. When designed, some things were not considered, he said.

"Most aircraft have access panels and a hydraulic system that is easily accessible. The U-2 does not," said Sgt. Wright. While this might appear as a blunder, there may be a good explanation.

Col. Ricky R. Murphy, 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Group commander, said, "The U-2 is unique in that to maximize combat capability, there's no redundancy in the primary systems on the aircraft...as to minimize weight and maximize loiter time over the area of operations."

There are various platforms of ISR systems, with cameras that capture the broadest, most in-depth imagery of anything out there, said Capt. Whited.

Because of their maintenance, the systems are, "Consistently reliable every time," said Col. Murphy.

Ten thousand five-hundred feet of Kodak film is used on the weapon system, in addition to digital and satellite documentation. Artistry for this airframe is not limited to such imagery, however.

Staff Sgt.'s Jason A. Ortiz and Michael L. McVey, 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, sketched with chalk symbolic designs on the airframe, prior to the flight.

Consistency was a highlight of the day, echoed by Chief Master Sgt.'s William K. Renner and David E. McGuigan, 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron (Chief McGuigan, Group).

"Looking at it long-term shows you how you have consistent maintenance practices over time," said both gentlemen near-simultaneously. Four decades of 'getting it right' led us to Oct. 18.

Success did not come by accident. Every factor for attention is considered, even for the operator.

Given the aerial elements that the pilot will face at 70,000 feet, Lt. Col. Robert B. Wehner, 380th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, received pure oxygen for one whole hour prior to flight. Thus, his pre-flight inspection was executed by another pilot, as is the practice for every U-2 mission.

"There is a huge amount of trust there for a pilot, between the maintainers and other pilots," said Capt. Whited.

Even with the layered workload, he continued, "Many have said the U-2 is the most demanding and rewarding aircraft anyone could fly."

The Dragon Lady was once assigned to the CIA, and flew special operations worldwide. After a reassignment to the Air Force, the U-2 was present for every major allied contingency to date. She is used for diverse missions as well, including the mapping of wildfires in California and providing oversight to the Counter Drug War in Panama years back.

Over the years, the wingspan grew, the cockpit was upgraded, and the engine became more fuel-efficient. Other than that, the plane is the same as it was when embraced by the Air Force.

For the pilot who flew the Dragon Lady into its honored status, Colonel Wehner said, "If that airplane feels as good as I do, I guess that's a good thing for both being 41 years old."

The men and women of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing support Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (4)

October 12, 2009

Camp Keating 12 Hour Battle ~ Interviews Of Our Heroes

THIS WAS BEFORE THE ATTACK HAPPENED.

" I forgot I had this, but was looking through all of my pictures and videos of COP Keating since it's been in the news lately (COP Keating is gone now). This place will always hold a special place in my heart as this is where I felt most at home when in Afghanistan. I was trying to make a video diary for my mother and put a face on the men of the 6-4 cav because she was sending care packages to them, but I stopped because I just felt like an intruder. I meant to go back and do a sactioned video diary with the Mayor of the base, but never got around to it. "

US forces leave isolated Afghan base after attack

Breitbart

On the day of President Obama’s glorious Nobel Appease Prize victory, a Taliban henchman gloats in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Kamdesh siege. The battle marked the largest loss of U.S. life in a single skirmish in more than a year. Besides the eight Americans slain, three Afghan soldiers and an estimated 100 insurgents died, according to NATO.

Speaking by telephone from an undisclosed location, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the U.S. bombarded the outpost with airstrikes after leaving, as well as the local police headquarters.

“This means they are not coming back,” Mujahid said. “This is another victory for Taliban. We have control of another district in eastern Afghanistan.”

“Right now Kamdesh is under our control, and the white flag of the Taliban is raised above Kamdesh,” Mujahid said.

A senior official of the Nuristan provincial government confirmed Taliban forces were in control of the village and Afghan police and soldiers had withdrawn from the district. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Provincial police chief, Gen. Mohammad Qasim Jangulbagh, said the pullout “has had a direct affect on the morale of Afghan forces.”

“If Afghan soldiers are losing support, how can they stay there?” he asked. “We need the coalition to send their forces back. We need more police, more soldiers.”

The battle marked the largest loss of U.S. life in a single skirmish in more than a year. Besides the eight Americans slain, three Afghan soldiers and an estimated 100 insurgents died, according to NATO.

Raw Video:Camp Keating Interviews (12 hr. battle, soldiers describe the attacks) Amazing HEROES!

Nick Paton Walsh joins U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan as they come under attack.
Interviews with soldiers at Combat Outpost Keating (Aug 2009)...THIS VIDEO IS FROM CNN AND THAT AWFUL Michael Ware!

Wild Thing's Comment........

CIC Obama did NOTHING! Other then giving the Generals and our troops the FINGER!
The Taliban must have enjoyed the CNN * piece because it gave them perfect intel.
And when someone from the outpost informed the local village elders that the camp would be closed in two weeks-
what did the wonderful locals do-the ones are guys are giving their lives to protect ?
They ran to the Taliban and ratted out our guys.
Attack soon , before they leave.
We have a CINC who has been and continues to be - Derelict in his duty .
That conclusion is inescapable and glaringly obvious .

U.S. soldiers recount fierce Afghanistan battle

The assault began at dawn, as bullets and rockets peppered the remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan.

The insurgency was so fierce, according to one soldier, that the troops couldn't get to their mortars to fire back.

"They were under heavy enemy contact," Sgt. Jayson Souter said, describing the October 3 attack that pinned his comrades at Combat Outpost Keating, a remote base in Nuristan province.

Four servicemen -- Souter, a fellow soldier, an Apache helicopter pilot, and a gunner -- talked to a military reporter about their roles during the Keating attack in an interview posted by the Department of Defense on Facebook and NATO's International Security Assistance Force YouTube Channel.

The United States says about 200 insurgents -- mostly local fighters, with some Taliban organizers and leaders -- had been planning the attack for days, hiding mortars, rockets and heavy machine guns in the mountains.

The battle started early on October 3 and lasted for 12 hours. At the end, eight American soldiers and more than 100 militants were killed and buildings at the outpost were destroyed.

Fire support officer 1st Lt. Cason Shrode said the initial round "didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary." There was a lull and then there was a heavy attack.

"We started receiving a heavy volley of fire. Probably 90 seconds into the fight they ended up hitting one of our generators so we lost all power," Shrode said in the interview posted online by the Defense Department. "At that point I knew that this was something bigger than normal."

Troops called in air support. Helicopter gunner Chad Bardwell said he had to confirm the fighters he saw on ridgelines were the enemy because he had never seen such a large group of insurgents. ( from Wild Thing ...this is because of the R.O.E and how they have to be careful not to fire on civilians which is BS! It is getting our troops killed! )

"We tried to stop them as they were coming down the hill. ... We were taking fire pretty much the entire day," he said in the Defense Department interview.

Chief Warrant Officer Ross Lewallen, the Apache pilot, said a few aircraft were damaged in what was a "time-consuming endeavor" governed by tough terrain. He said the morning battle was "significant," but later troops were able to identify targets and eliminate larger weapons.

"One of the primary reasons for the fight taking so long is that it is an extreme terrain," he said in the same interview.

Lewallen said the valley sits beneath mountains to the west and north.

"There's a lot of cover so you really can't detect the enemy until they start moving again," he said, adding that it was tough for medical evacuation aircraft to land "because we were still trying to control" the outpost.

The intense assault on Keating led to fires. There were five main buildings at the post and four of them burned. Soldiers eventually ended up going into one building.

"The next morning it was pretty much ash besides that one building. I mean that's the way to describe it. Most of it had burned down. So we were pretty much at one building and the rest was just a shadow of what it used to be," Shrode said in the Defense Department interview.

Lewallen said what came together was "air-ground integration."

"All the training we've done before deploying here; it really clicked that day," he said in the interview. "We started realizing that the guys on the ground knew what they needed to tell us to get the job done. It made things that much easier."

He disputed media reports suggesting that there weren't enough weapons and troops. He said 40 minutes into the fight, air power arrived.

We had everything we needed. It was just a big attack with a lot of people. Bad things happen -- but I think we did well, under the circumstances."

Reflecting on the fight, Souter said, "Everybody basically came together and in the mix of it all, they were donating blood for the wounded that we had. They all pulled together to make sure that we can pull our boys out of this."

Raw Video: Camp Keating Interviews -- from the soldiers who were there, and the pilots who flew in. Interview by ISAF Media.

NATOs main role in Afghanistan is to assist the Afghan Government in exercising and extending its authority and influence across the country, paving the way for reconstruction and effective governance. It does this predominately through its UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force.

Since NATO took command of ISAF in 2003, the Alliance has gradually expanded the reach of its mission, originally limited to Kabul, to cover Afghanistans whole territory. The number of ISAF troops has grown accordingly from the initial 5,000 to around 50.000 troops coming from 42 countries, including all 28 NATO members.

ISAF is a key component of the international community's engagement in Afghanistan, assisting the Afghan authorities in providing security and stability and creating the conditions for reconstruction and development.

Part 1
Pilots and Soldiers talk to a military reporter about their roles in the recent insurgent attack on Combat Outpost Keating near Jalalabad, Afghanistan and give detailed accounts of the events of this specific attack. Part 1 of 5.
Interviewees:
• 1st Lt. Cason Shrode (US), Fires Support Officer
• Chief Warrant Officer Ross Lewallen (US), Apache Pilot
• Sgt. Jayson Souter (US)
• Chief Warrant Officer Chad Bardwell (US), Apache Gunner

Pilots and Soldiers talk to a military reporter about their roles in the recent insurgent attack on Combat Outpost Keating near Jalalabad, Afghanistan and give detailed accounts of the events of this specific attack. Part 1 of 5. Interviewees:

Raw Video: Camp Keating Interviews-2

Raw Video: Camp Keating Interviews-3

Raw Video: Camp Keating Interviews-4

Raw Video: Camp Keating Interviews-5

Camp Keating - after the attack 1
Camp Keating, Afghanistan (former Kamdesh PRT)

Outside 360-degree view of the now abandoned and destroyed Camp Keating in Kamdesh, Afghanistan. This footage was taken in 2007. The bridge was just outside the base, immediately above the HLZ. The Camp Keating perimeter is outlined in HESCO barriers.

The strength, courage and steadfast determination of the US personnel who lived, fought and died here should never be forgotten.

after the attack 2

Camp Keating, Afghanistan (former Kamdesh PRT)

Wounded U.S. Soldiers Refused to Leave Taliban Fight

Spc. Mace’s family is speaking out. Let’s pray the White House is listening:

( ABC News' Karen Russo was the only reporter to get to the scene of this bloody firefight between U.S. troops and hundreds of Taliban insurgents when she went in on a MEDEVAC helicopter. Here is her report: )

Flying into the besieged Afghan base during a nighttime firefight this weekend was a harrowing mix of overwhelming noise, stomach dropping maneuvers and shadows hurrying through the gloom.

When the chopper lifted off moments later with three wounded soldiers, it left behind others who were wounded but refused to be MEDEVACED out of the combat zone so they could return to fight with their buddies.

Fighting raged at two remote U.S. outpostsnear the Pakistan border this weekend, that left eight U.S. soldiers dead and 24 wounded. The battle was fought from Friday night through Sunday as hundreds of Taliban insurgents and their allies tried to overrun the Americans.

During the fighting, the insurgents succeeded in breaching the outer defense of the base at times before being repelled with the help of attack helicopters, fighter jets and drones. It was the bloodiest battle in a year for U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

During the fight, the MEDEVAC team at a nearby base waited - with both patience and frustration.

MEDEVAC teams are known for flying into some of the most deadly areas in the world to rescue injured soldiers. MEDEVAC helicopters are unarmed so they often need supporting aircraft to protect them, and sometimes the cover of darkness is their only defense.

On Saturday night, the team finally received the go-ahead as the sun set. Within moments of receiving the call, we rushed to the helicopter and quickly sped to the outposts.

As we were flying into the attack space, the MEDEVAC team with one medic and a doctor were preparing for the oncoming patients, setting up IV's, pulling out medical equipment and making other last minute preparations.

Apache helicopter gunships escorted us as we neared the combat zone to ensure our safety as we hovered at 10,000 feet awaiting word to descend. When word came, we plummeted in a corkscrew manner, making the descent in a matter of seconds, landing in a valley at the bottom of steep mountains. It felt very vulnerable to attack.

One of the pilots said that even though he had night vision goggles and ordinarily he can see in that sort of situation, because the fighting was intense there was so much smoke it was actually fogged over and it was difficult for him to see. Fortunately he could make out the landing zone, but it was touch and go.

Once on the ground, I hopped out of the chopper, but could see little other than smoke wafting through the moonlight, likely from a fire that was burning much of the base. Then I could make out the shadows of soldiers as they carried the wounded towards the helicopter.

Any noise of the conflict was drowned out by the propellers of the helicopter. The area smelled of burned out pine trees something one solider described as "death and hell."

Three wounded soldiers, one U.S. and two Afghan, were carried down the steep incline and quickly placed on the helicopter.

Some of the injured refused to be MEDEVACED out of the combat zone and continued to fight despite their wounds, according to soldiers at the base. Soldiers told the MEDEVAC crew that troops were donating blood during the battle, so it could be transfused into wounded comrades.

Between the gloom of night and the smoke, it was too dark to see much and the roar of the chopper made it almost impossible to hear commands.

I was quickly sort of touched by a crew member to get on the flight. I hopped on and even before I was on, the medical team was already working on the wounded.

Doctors wore night vision goggles, but still found it difficult to see. One doctor said it was like working by touch.

We were on the ground for a little more than five minutes, but in the chaos of noise and darkness, it felt like it could have been anything from 30 seconds to 30 minutes.

Moments later, the chopper lifted into the air and flew to the nearest medical facility. Despite the heroism of the crew, one of the soldiers died after reaching the facility. It wasn't immediately announced whether the soldier who died was American or Afghan.

The eight American troops killed in the battle were all from Fort Carson in Colorado Springs:

"In the deadliest day for Fort Carson since Vietnam, eight soldiers from the post’s 4th Brigade Combat Team died in Afghanistan on Saturday when insurgents attacked a pair of remote outposts in Nuristan province.

The Army hasn’t identified the dead, but several military sources confirmed that all eight were from the 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade, which went to war in May and in recent days began withdrawing from remote areas to better provide security in cities and villages.

“My heart goes out to the families of those we have lost and to their fellow Soldiers who remained to finish this fight,” Col. Randy George, the brigade’s commander, said in a statement late Saturday. “This was a complex attack in a difficult area. Both the U.S. and Afghan Soldiers fought bravely together; I am extremely proud of their professionalism and bravery.”

Please take time to read the profiles of the American soldiers who died in the siege at Kamdesh.

The Colorado Springs Gazette tells their stories HERE and also HERE

Many were fathers. All were patriots. They were stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. They leave behind grieving wives, girlfriends, young children, family, and friends. Remember their names. Remember their heroism:

Spc. Stephan Lee Mace, 21
Sgt. Joshua Kirk, 30
Pfc. Kevin Thomson, 22
Spc. Christopher T. Griffin
Spc. Michael P. Scusa, 22
Sgt. Vernon W. Martin
Sgt. Justin T. Gallegos, 22
Sgt. Joshua M. Hardt, 24

Stephan Mace of the Army’s 61st Cavalry Regiment knew the Taliban would be waiting for him when he returned to eastern Afghanistan in September.

During a two-week leave in early September, the 21-year-old specialist sat on his father’s couch in Winchester, Virginia, and discussed his concerns over Forward Operating Base Keating in Kamdesh District, a region known as a Taliban stronghold.

“He talked about the village next to the base, that it had 300 Taliban, and they couldn’t do anything about it because they were in mosques hiding or with other civilians,” says his father, Larry Mace.

“They knew they were there and they couldn’t do anything about it and they killed them.”

Added comment from Wild Thing,

In comparing the size of the area......South Vietnam was 62,000 square miles, heavy foliage in the jungles and tunneling . Afghanistan is four times as big at 252,000 square miles,much of which is extremely mountainous and challenges even modern warplanes. That is, the enemy on high peaks know the helos must fly in a certain valley to come to support a besieged forward operating base.

Think about the number of troops and warplanes we had in VN, at 62,000 square miles, compared to a much smaller number in Afghanistan, at 252,000 square miles.

Those combat support aircraft are spread mighty thin, and flying times are long.

For combat casualties, this is BAD. It’s like being shot in West Texas, and being medevaced to Houston for treatment, via a slow helicopter. In Iraq, from wounding to hospital is measured in minutes, in Afghanistan, it may be HOURS.

Obama needs to realize this and listen to the General that has been boots on the ground and knows. Unlike Obama that cannot even take the oath of office without messing up. He needs to understand our troops have got to OWN the mountain areas not only the lowlands.

The location of Camp Keating reminds me a lot of like Dien Bien Phu. It too was set in a bowl surrounded by hills.

With Obama as CIC it is a Kluster Foxtrot!!!

He McCrystal not needed in talks taking place in DC re strategy - told him to wait - after all, he had basketball to play. Then he comes out with the Taliban not really an enemy, has role in Afghanistan’s future and let's leave the Taliban alone and only go after the al-queda and add into that the stupidest R.O.E. that I have heard of totally dangerous to our troops.

And let's not forget this as well....from another date where Obama is at faullt with his .R.O.E.'s

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
‘We’re pinned down:’ 4 U.S. Marines die in Afghan ambush

U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren’t near the village.

“We are pinned down. We are running low on ammo. We have no air. We’ve lost today,” Marine Maj. Kevin Williams, 37, said through his translator to his Afghan counterpart, responding to the latter’s repeated demands for helicopters.

Survivors in Afghanistan Need Immediate Help - 56 Soldiers Lost EVERYTHING

Please join me in contributing to the Combat Outpost Keating Relief Fund.

Mothax at the American Legion’s Burn Pit blog writes that “[i]n the battle for Combat Outpost Keating, the men of Bravo Troop 361 Cavalry lost every possession they had, save for the clothes on their backs.”

Also Tankerbabe has a list if you want to sent a package and what is still needed.

All personal belongings were destroyed. They lost everything. But the army is attempting to get them new uniforms.
They needed everything from underclothes, all personal hygiene supplies, cold weather gear - remember, they are in the high Hindu Kush mts. = some of the most severe winter weather on earth - and no comfy barracks, etc., - They needed heavy wool socks, wool helmet liners, balaclavas, gloves, long johns, , fleece blankets, etc etc...and they lost their iPods, DVDs, and other little things that helped keep them sane.

That is a lot of stuff to replace quickly for 56 soldiers.

Guess what - within 3 days of flurry - ALMOST everything on the list has been raised and is one the way. Fantastic!

WE KNOW. WE CARE.

Here is where to donate online using your credit card.

Here is where to mail checks:

COP Keating Relief Fund
PO Box 1954
Indianapolis 46206

Here is an online form that you can send in with your checks. Make sure you have COP Keating Relief Fund on the check so we can allocate it correctly.

If you want to send stuff today, and do it completely on your own, please mail to:

CSM Robert Wilson
TF Mountain Warrior
FOB Bostick
APO AE 09354

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (6)

Weapons Failed US Troops During Afghan Firefight

The Army's new rife project was cancled. Here's what the SpecOps guys buy and use - according to what I could find.
SCAR (SOF Combat Assault Rifle) FN SCAR: Mark 16 and Mark 17- Special Forces Combat Assault Rifle (USA/Belgium

FN SCAR-L / Mk.16 rifle - prototype (1s generation, late 2004), left side view

FN SCAR-L / Mk.16 rifle, 2nd generation prototype, with FN EGLM 40mm grenade launcher attached

FN SCAR-H/Mk.17 rifle prototype in CQC (Close Quarter Combat, short barrel) configuration, 7.62x51 mm NATO version

FN SCAR-L/Mk.16 rifle partially disassembled; note additional quick-detachable barrel

5.56mm NATO FN SCAR-L/Mk.16 rifles of current (2007/2008) production, top to bottom in Long Barrel (LB), bstandard (Std) and Close Quarter Combat (CQC) configurations

The M240, formally identified as the United States Machine Gun, 7.62 millimeter, M240, is a family of belt-fed, gas operated middle sized machine guns firing the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. The M240 was adopted by the U.S. Military following a world-wide contest for a reliable 7.62 mm machine gun for use as a coaxial weapon for armored motor vehicle applications. The Coaxial edition of the legendary Belgian FN MAG 58 (Mitrailleuse d'Appui General or General Purpose Machine Gun), created by FN Herstal, won this contest. Despite not being the lightest medium machine gun in service, the M240 is highly regarded for reliability, and its standardization among NATO members is also seen as a major advantage. The demonstrated consistency of this weapon, 26,000 Mean Rounds Between Failure (MRBF), makes it the world's most dependable machine gun. ( The Gun Source )

Weapons failed US troops during Afghan firefight

It was chaos during the early morning assault last year on a remote U.S. outpost in Afghanistan and Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips' M4 carbine had quit firing as militant forces surrounded the base. The machine gun he grabbed after tossing the rifle aside didn't work either.

When the battle in the small village of Wanat ended, nine U.S. soldiers lay dead and 27 more were wounded. A detailed study of the attack by a military historian found that weapons failed repeatedly at a "critical moment" during the firefight on July 13, 2008, putting the outnumbered American troops at risk of being overrun by nearly 200 insurgents.

Which raises the question: Eight years into the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, do U.S. armed forces have the best guns money can buy?

Despite the military's insistence that they do, a small but vocal number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq has complained that the standard-issue M4 rifles need too much maintenance and jam at the worst possible times.

A week ago, eight U.S. troops were killed at a base near Kamdesh, a town near Wanat. There's no immediate evidence of weapons failures at Kamdesh, but the circumstances were eerily similar to the Wanat battle: insurgents stormed an isolated stronghold manned by American forces stretched thin by the demands of war.

Army Col. Wayne Shanks, a military spokesman in Afghanistan, said a review of the battle at Kamdesh is under way. "It is too early to make any assumptions regarding what did or didn't work correctly," he said.

Complaints about the weapons the troops carry, especially the M4, aren't new. Army officials say that when properly cleaned and maintained, the M4 is a quality weapon that can pump out more than 3,000 rounds before any failures occur.

The M4 is a shorter, lighter version of the M16, which made its debut during the Vietnam war. Roughly 500,000 M4s are in service, making it the rifle troops on the front lines trust with their lives.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a leading critic of the M4, said Thursday the Army needs to move quickly to acquire a combat rifle suited for the extreme conditions U.S. troops are fighting in.

U.S. special operations forces, with their own acquisition budget and the latitude to buy gear the other military branches can't, already are replacing their M4s with a new rifle.

"The M4 has served us well but it's not as good as it needs to be," Coburn said.

Battlefield surveys show that nearly 90 percent of soldiers are satisfied with their M4s, according to Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, head of the Army office that buys soldier gear. Still, the rifle is continually being improved to make it even more reliable and lethal.

Fuller said he's received no official reports of flawed weapons performance at Wanat. "Until it showed up in the news, I was surprised to hear about all this," he said.

The study by Douglas Cubbison of the Army Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., hasn't been publicly released. Copies of the study have been leaked to news organizations and are circulating on the Internet.

Cubbison's study is based on an earlier Army investigation and interviews with soldiers who survived the attack at Wanat. He describes a well-coordinated attack by a highly skilled enemy that unleashed a withering barrage with AK-47 automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.

The soldiers said their weapons were meticulously cared for and routinely inspected by commanders. But still the weapons had breakdowns, especially when the rifles were on full automatic, which allows hundreds of bullets to be fired a minute.

The platoon-sized unit of U.S. soldiers and about two dozen Afghan troops was shooting back with such intensity the barrels on their weapons turned white hot. The high rate of fire appears to have put a number of weapons out of commission, even though the guns are tested and built to operate in extreme conditions.

Cpl. Jonathan Ayers and Spc. Chris McKaig were firing their M4s from a position the soldiers called the "Crow's Nest." The pair would pop up together from cover, fire half a dozen rounds and then drop back down.

On one of these trips up, Ayers was killed instantly by an enemy round. McKaig soon had problems with his M4, which carries a 30-round magazine.

"My weapon was overheating," McKaig said, according to Cubbison's report. "I had shot about 12 magazines by this point already and it had only been about a half hour or so into the fight. I couldn't charge my weapon and put another round in because it was too hot, so I got mad and threw my weapon down."

The soldiers also had trouble with their M249 machine guns, a larger weapon than the M4 that can shoot up to 750 rounds per minute.

Cpl. Jason Bogar fired approximately 600 rounds from his M-249 before the weapon overheated and jammed the weapon.

Bogar was killed during the firefight, but no one saw how he died, according to the report.

Wild Thing's comment......

Our troops are brave, well trained professionals and so many have sacrificed their lives for our country. I do a lot of volunteer work with the military and with Veterans. When I meet our troops and Veterans in person, online, at the VA, the Disabled Veterans group or other places I am involved with I truly couldn’t be prouder of them.

I put a few guns for the graphics they are beautiful! The bottom lilne for me is I want the best for our troops whatever it takes, and I could care less what it costs financially.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:49 AM | Comments (9)

October 10, 2009

Obama Is Directly Responsible For The Unnecessary Deaths Of Our Servicemen

Frontline: 10-minute rough cut of the first act of "Obama's War", part one of the PBS documentary
This video is from an upcoming PBS Frontline special called Obama’s War.

This special airs on October 13th at 9PM.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Any American who would leave our men on the battlefield there and not send them the reinforcements they need should be shot.

Obama has tied our military’s hands behind their backs by the restrictive ROE - and the Taliban are taking full advantage of it. Unleash the dogs and let our military do their job!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (10)

Sergeant Jeremiah Workman ~ Thank You!

SSgt Workman Earned the Navy Cross

h/t WOT

His Book:

Shadow of the Sword: A Marine's Journey of War, Heroism, and Redemption

"Derek Sholl's new song, "When They Come Back" captures beautifully the experience of our returning combat veterans as they struggle to make the transition from warrior to civilian while dealing with the physical and mental wounds they've brought with them from the battlefield. Sholl avoids the ultra-patriotic tone of such songs as Toby Keith's American Soldier and Courtesy of the Red White and Blue for a much more honest and personal accounting of what it means to be an American warrior growing up and following in his father's footsteps.

With his powerful voice setting the emotional tone of the song, and the lyrics speaking honestly and with intensity rarely seen in the pop music scene, "When They Come Back" is destined to speak for a generation. This is a rare gem, one that will stand for years to come. And decades from now, when the veteran is asked by his son or grandson, "What was it like?" the answer will be, "Listen to this song. That's the way it was for all of us."

- John R. Bruning, Co-Author of "Shadow of the Sword"

Sergeant Jeremiah Workman shares his story at the American Veterans Center's 2008 conference. Workman received the Navy Cross for his actions during Operation Phantom Fury during the Second Battle of Fallujah.

According to the citation, he was awarded for extraordinary heroism, while serving as a squad leader for the Mortar Platoon, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Workman, exemplifying the old adage "no man left behind," repeatedly exposed himself to a hail of enemy fire to retrieve isolated Marines trapped inside an insurgent-infested building.

Ignoring heavy enemy fire and a storm of grenades raining down on his position, Workman fearlessly laid down enough cover fire to allow the trapped Marines to escape.

After seeing the first group of wounded Marines safely to a neighboring yard, Workman rallied additional Marines to his side and provided more cover fire for an attack into the building to rescue other Marines still trapped. He continued to fire even after receiving numerous shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs after a grenade exploded in front of him, stated his citation.

Workman's efforts did not stop after the second rescue attack. Ignoring his wounds, Workman once again united his team for a final assault strike into the building to retrieve remaining Marines and to clear the building of insurgents.

"Basically, we got ambushed," he said. "There were insurgents on the second floor in a bedroom. We fought our way up the stairs. There were grenades going off around us (and) small arms fire everywhere."

During the course of the fight, Workman was responsible for the elimination of more than 20 insurgents.

While the citation states he "reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps," Workman does not dwell on the fact that he is a Navy Cross recipient. All that matters in the long run are the lives lost and saved during the war, he said.

"The first thing I thought about was all the Marines we lost over there," Workman said, reflecting on that fateful day. "I don't look at myself as being any different. I did what any other Marine would have done. There are thousands of other Marines over there (in the Middle East) that deserve to be awarded, too."

Workman's modesty is evident to his fellow Marines here as well.

"I have a lot of respect for Sergeant Workman," said Staff Sgt. Jeff Moses, operations chief for Delta Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion. "He's been very humble about everything. (What he did) is just amazing."

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you Sergeant Jeremiah Workman! God bless you!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (13)

October 09, 2009

Mother and Son Serve Together in Afghanistan

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Seth Alderman, a squad leader for the military police in the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, waits for his squad prior to a mission out of Combat Outpost Sabari in the Khost province of eastern Afghanistan. Photo by Pfc. Andrya Hill

U.S. Army Maj. Una Alderman, the chief nurse officer for the 452nd Army Reserve, from Wisconsin, tends to a patient at the hospital on Forward Operating Base Salerno, Aug. 5. She is stationed in the same area of operation as her son, Staff Sgt. Seth Alderman, a military policeman with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. Photo by Pfc. Andrya Hil

Mother and Son Serve Together in Afghanistan

Story by Pfc. Andrya Hill

Deployed Soldiers have all kissed their families good-bye, and headed off to war with the expectation of learning to handle the constant heartache of missing their loved ones.

However, in a rare exception, two Soldiers in eastern Afghanistan have found unexpected relief from this typical situation by being assigned to the same location at Forward Operating Base Salerno in the Khost province.

U.S. Army Maj. Una Alderman, the chief nurse officer for the 452nd Combat Support Hospital, received deployment orders after her son had already been serving in Afghanistan.

“His mailing address said Salerno, and then I found out that was where I was going. I just couldn’t believe it,” she explained.

Her son, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Seth Alderman, a military policeman with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, out of Alaska, was equally surprised.

“When I came here with 4-25 in March, she was on orders waiting to deploy, but we didn’t know where,” he said. “When I found out she was coming here, to Salerno, I just thought ‘Wow.’ It was a huge surprise to both of us.”

Seth works on Combat Outpost Sabari, just a few miles from FOB Salerno, and convoys between the two locations each month.

“Having her here really gives me something to look forward to when I come to Salerno,” he said.

While their close proximity is unique to the deployed environment, and provides a form of solace in the midst of war, it also enables more frequent visits than they have experienced in the U.S.

“It is nice because I live in Wisconsin, and Seth lives in Alaska. We’ll be able to see each other on a more regular basis here, instead of every year-and-a-half,” Una said.

Both Soldiers said they have tremendous support from their colleagues, and other Soldiers are excited about their opportunity.

“There is a lot of joking around from my Soldiers, but there is also a level of respect. They think, who else’s mom is over here, really?” Seth said.

Combat brings a level of daily danger and with Una working in the hospital, and her son working on the ground, they each have had to face the possibility of continuing their jobs in an unfortunate tragedy.

“I am a mom, he is my son, so I do worry,” said Una.

Despite her motherly worry, Una, with help from others is able to focus on her mission.

“I have a lot of support from the colleagues that I work with, and we will do the job regardless,” she said.

Seth has a half-year remaining in his year-long deployment, and Maj. Alderman has just begun hers. They said they are appreciative of the time they will get to spend together, and are looking forward to the new level of camaraderie, as fellow Soldiers, as well as mother and son.

“I am really proud to be in the Army,” Una said. “The people I am here with are just outstanding Soldiers, so I think it is going to be a very good year, a very meaningful year. Besides my children, this is probably one of the most meaningful things I’ll ever do in my life, and adding that Seth is here, at least until February or March, it makes it that much better.”

Wild Thing's comment..........

Great story!! I have posted several where there is a father and son, or two brothers, etc. But this is the first one of a son and his Mother serving together.

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:50 AM | Comments (4)

October 05, 2009

Apache Engage 3 Terrorists in Iraq

Wild Thing's comment...............

Way to start the day of right! OH yesssssss!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (8)

September 28, 2009

USN SEAL Lt. Daniel Cnossen Needs Our Support

USN SEAL Lt. Daniel Cnossen, WIA 9/8/09 needs YOUR support~SEAL Team One, USNA '02

USN SEAL Lt. Daniel Cnossen is a member of SEAL Team One based in Coronado, CA. He is also a 2002 graduate of the United States Naval Academy

Dan's Story

On September 6th, 2009, Dan returned to Kandahar, Afghanistan. With less than 36 hours on the ground, his team received their first mission task targeting Taliban operatives. During the mission, Dan activated a land mine and lost both legs, and sustained traumatic internal injuries. Currently he is at the National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he is fighting a new battle. Like any other challenge in his life, Dan will face this one with courage and dedication. Already, friends and family have witnessed Dan’s unbelievable strength as he begins what will surely be a long and difficult recovery. Despite the challenges ahead, Dan remains positive and exudes his kindness and true appreciation for friends and family, and for life.

Although known to some as Danny boy or Danger Dan, to others as Cnoss, C-Nasty, Disco Dan, or Batta Bing, and to some just plain Dan, we all know and love Dan Cnossen as a courageous and determined leader, a strong and selfless man, and a dedicated and unconditional friend. Though he can be described as introverted and a bit stoic, Dan’s friends prefer to use the words soft spoken and humble instead. A truly genuine and loyal person, Dan is also known to have a way with words, creating laughter in the wake of his humor, and amazement from his friends and family with his curiosity and zest for life.

His life’s motto, “Life is all about extremes” plays out everyday in both his professional and personal life, and he is excited by and drawn to activities that challenge him both physically and mentally. From the moment he learned about the US Navy SEAL program, he was hooked by the pure challenge, and immediately dedicated himself to preparing for it. In his free time Dan took on many adrenaline-filled adventures: climbing Mount Machu Picchu, Peru; hiking Patagonia’s Torres del Paine, Chile; mountaineering through Samaria Gorge, Crete; free-climbing Mount Whitney, CA; skiing the back country of Mount Baker, WA; and swimming the Mediterranean and Dead Seas. Dan’s sense of adventure has also taken him to Argentina, Uruguay, Columbia, Egypt, Jordan, Guatemala, Turkey, Mexico, and Spain.

Among his local adventures, Dan loves to rock climb and run. Those who know him from the Naval Academy share memories of sneaking off the Navy yard to join Dan on these (and other) extreme excursions. Dan amazed friends when he would sign up for a 50-mile race or ultra-marathon just weeks before a race. Taking on these unbelievably difficult tasks only further exemplifies Dan’s immense mental and physical strength, and true passion for challenge, adventure, and reaching life’s absolute limits. Some people train their entire lives to accomplish what Dan would decide to do on a whim.

Dan was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas on a small farm owned by his grandfather, and spent his childhood working on the farm, reading, running, boxing and playing soccer. Upon arriving at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1998, Dan had never seen the ocean, had never learned how to swim, and could barely make it across the pool. Dan only saw this as yet another challenge, and because he was fully dedicated to succeeding, he sought out friends to help him learn how to swim. Dan would often skip lunch and head to the pool, and immediately joined the Navy Triathlon Team to further strengthen his swimming abilities. But being a member of the team wasn’t enough. By his senior year, Dan was elected a captain, and lead the team to a national championship. Friends watched as Dan woke up at 5am every morning to run, and then return to the gym or pool for a second and even third workout everyday. Each day Dan focused tenaciously on his ultimate goal of becoming a US Navy SEAL.

Upon graduating from the US Naval Academy in 2002, Dan headed to San Diego, CA with several classmates, and immediately began fulfilling his orders to Basic Underwater Demolition and SEAL school (BUDs Class 242). He successfully completed some of the most mentally and physically rigorous training in the United States military, and succeeded in fulfilling his life-long goal. Dan was pinned as a US Navy SEAL, and reported to his SEAL Team, stationed in Coronado, CA.

As a junior officer, he served two deployments in Iraq, one to the Philippines, and supported JSOC with a deployment to Afghanistan.

You can go here to Dan's website and see the Video....if you click at the top where it says updates you can also comment at the guest book or othe next page to give support. ~ Thank you.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009
This is from Rob, one of Dan's closest friends:

Family & Friends,
Just wanted to send you all a quick update on Dan...He is doing great and everyday is getting better and better. Yesterday, the ICU took Dan off the ventilator and to everyone's surprise he started talking. Dan remembers pretty much everything in detail, and his spirits are as high as ever. He understands his injuries and is anxious to start his rehab as soon as possible. He was even cracking jokes about the number of pullups he'll be able to knock out.... and how fast he'll be swimming with bionic fin attachments. He will be undergoing a surgical wash out today and will continue his surgical debridement/reconstructive surgeries every other day for sometime, hopefully to be out of the ICU in two weeks or less. He has the verybest surgeons... the White House medical team in fact. He wanted me to pass along to each of you that he loves you all and looks forward to seeing you all soon. Out of respect for Dan's family, and the necessity for Dan to get as much rest as he can while in the ICU, he wanted me to pass along that unless you are family or very close and immediate friend to please wait to visit until he is out of the ICU in 1-2 weeks. So far the support has been tremendous and the NSW community has taken great care of Dan and his family. Please feel free to send cards or notes of support to Dan and the family. As Dan begins the road to complete recovery, please continue to keep his Mother Alice and his Sister Leslie in your thoughts and prayers as well as the men in Dan's platoon as they begin their deployment. A few of us in the D.C. area will continue to be with Dan multiple times a week and I will be sending out a weekly SITREPs for you all. Please feel free to send me contact info of anyone else that wishes to be on the Distro list to track his progress.

Best Regards,

Rob

UPDATES:

September 22, 2009

Dan had passed his swallow test...so now he can drink and eat anything he wants.

Surgery yesterday went really well - they revised the amputation on the right leg, so he now has bilateral above-the-knee amputations. Always looking at the positive, Dan pointed out that he'd rather have both of his legs the same length anyways. The doctors are still trying to find the best way to control his pain, because he can't be on such heavy-hitting pain medications when he leaves the ICU. So they are trying some new options right now to see what will be most effective for him when he moves to the 5th Floor.

September 24, 2009

Vets For Freedom Petition: Give Our Generals in Afghanistan What They Need!

The Obama administration is waffling on providing our troops what they need for success in Afghanistan. The internal debate in the White House swings between declaring defeat and sticking it out, but no voices appear to be raised in favor of Victory. So the procrastination drags on and our troops and the people of Afghanistan suffer for it.

Sgt. Daniel Bell, the Missouri State Captain of Vets For Freedom asks that you sign this petition to pressure the president to give General McChrystal what he needs to do the job!

Sgt. Daniel Bell writes…

Fellow Vets for Freedom members:

My name is Sergeant Daniel Bell and I’m the Missouri State Captain of Vets for Freedom. Much more importantly, I served as a Special Operations Medic under General Stanley McChrysal in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Serving under General McChrystal–one of the most frequently deployed service members to Iraq and Afghanistan–gave me a first-hand perspective on this man’s dedication to our country. Whether I was listening to one of his briefs, or flying alongside him on a mission, Gen. McChrystal’s decisive leadership was always evident.

He always instilled confidence in the men of his task force by leading the way–and being on the ground–during dangerous missions. If there ever was a commander who knows what is taking place on the ground, and understands why type of strategy we need to win, it is Stan McChrystal.

There is no military leader I respect more than General McChrystal. Our troops in Afghanistan could not have a more competent and dedicated commander, and I’m committed to doing anything possible to ensure General McChrystal is given the support he needs to turn the tide in Afghanistan.

Please join me in supporting General McChrystal by signing the Vets for Freedom “Give the Generals What They Need” Petition.

SIGN IT HERE!

Move out and draw fire!

Sergeant Daniel Bell

U.S. Veteran, Iraq and Afghanistan
Missouri State Captain, Vets for Freedom

Here is what the Petiton says:

The Petition

To the President

We, the undersigned U.S. war veterans and patriotic Americans, petition you with one simple request:

Listen to the commander on the ground in Afghanistan—General Stanley A. McChrystal—and provide him with the troops he says he needs to win the war in Afghanistan.

By accepting the troop recommendations of General McChrystal—and his boss General David Petraeus—we have a chance to turn the war in Afghanistan around. This is a moment in history we must not miss.

Like General Petraeus in Iraq, General McChrystal is an outside-the-box thinker who thrives in the ambiguity of asymmetrical battlefields. Like General Petraeus in Iraq, General McChrystal has the right strategy—a comprehensive counterinsurgency plan.

In 2007, General Petraeus was given the troops he needed (the "Surge") to win, and Iraq has turned around—resulting in dramatically lower U.S. casualties, a more stable Iraq, and a drawdown of American forces.

General McChrystal—and all our brave Soldiers and Marines on the ground—deserve the same chance to win in Afghanistan. They deserve the additional troops needed to turn a winning strategy into a winning result.

We fully acknowledge that the war in Afghanistan has been tough, and is currently headed in the wrong direction. And as you have said, it has been under-resourced, under-funded, and under-manned for years. You have also said that it is a war we must win. We agree on all fronts.

Unlike Iraq, there was consensus at the beginning of the war in Afghanistan that America must be successful in toppling the Taliban and dismantling Al Qaeda, for the safety of our country. Eight years later, the consensus on the war in Afghanistan is fractured; however we believe—as do you—that the need for victory has not changed.

During this time of domestic uncertainty and global threats, winning the war will require steadfast Presidential leadership; a Commander-in-Chief who is unwilling to be swayed by lagging poll numbers or party leaders who want to block troop increases.

Now is the time for your leadership. If you listen to commanders on the ground, give them what they need, and stand behind our warriors in Afghanistan—we will stand with you. If you don't, and would rather fight the "war of necessity" with one hand tied behind our back, then we will loudly object.

Many—in fact a majority—said the war in Iraq was "unwinnable," yet our troops persevered and turned the tide. Despite the drumbeat of detractors—on both sides of the aisle—this is another war we can win. But we must act now.

We owe it to the Marines and Soldiers slogging it out with insurgents every day to get this right. If we do, they'll fight, they'll persevere, and they'll win. If we don't, we are setting them up for failure. No less than America's greatness—and the legacy of America's finest warriors—is at stake.

Wild Thing's comment......

This is soooo important. Nick and I both have signed this petition.

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:37 PM | Comments (4)

September 23, 2009

Enemy of Troops as CIC Not Listening to Generals nor Troops!

Is It Amateur Hour in the White House?

newsweek

Analysis: the leak of Gen. McChrystal's report shows the Obama administration is mishandling Afghanistan.

The administration's handling of Afghanistan policy has been amateur hour. The leak of General Stanley McChrystal's assessment of the dire situation there faces President Obama with by far his most serious foreign-policy challenge. It's also a challenge to what appears to be his whole approach to foreign policy.

Buzz about the leak of McChrystal's report focuses on two questions. Who slipped the document to the great Bob Woodward of the Washington Post? That's fun, but not serious. And who's responsible for allowing President Obama to get into this mess? That is serious.

What mess? That, of course, is the administration's immediate spin. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton even maintained—under politely insistent inquiry by The Newshour’s Margaret Warner—that while Gen. McChrystal might be making one set of recommendations, the administration is talking with others who disagree. Really? Is Obama running an administration where an analysis required of a four-star general confirmed into his job by the Senate—an analysis drafted by an international civilian and military team of experts recruited for the task—can be second-guessed by some guy someone at State knows in a think tank? What's worrying about this administration is that the answer may be: yes.

In his campaign, Obama opposed the invasion of Iraq but safeguarded his national-security credentials by supporting the war in Afghanistan. A war, he said, America had to win—but to which, he charged, the Bush administration had failed to devote the necessary resources. In office, Obama ordered up a new Afghanistan strategy, and announced this on March 27 as the product of what he called "a careful policy review." Shorn of rhetoric, the new strategy actually accepted all the Bush administration's goals in Afghanistan—defeating the insurgents; preventing Al Qaeda from reestablishing a sanctuary there; working to set up a democratic and effective government; training Afghan forces to take over from U.S. troops; coaxing the international community to give more help. The review even added a new goal: saving Pakistan—or, as the review put it, "assisting efforts to enhance civilian control and stable constitutional government in Pakistan and a vibrant economy that provides opportunities for the people of Pakistan. And to accomplish this breath-taking set of objectives? Obama had already agreed to send another 17,000 troops to Afghanistan to safeguard polling in the Afghan presidential election in August. Now, as part of his new strategy, he agreed to send an additional 4,000 troops to train Afghanistan's own forces.

What remains a mystery is whether Obama thought those 21,000 would be enough, or whether he was ducking a tough decision to send the numbers really needed. If he did believe 21,000 would suffice, who was advising him? The strategy Obama adopted—one that he inherited from a rethink all but completed in the last months of the Bush presidency—was what the military calls COIN: counter-insurgency. That means protecting the Afghan population from the Taliban and their allies so they can then be wooed into supporting the government and then, hopefully, turning in the insurgents. Whether counter-insurgency is a plausible strategy in Afghanistan is much debated within the military. But that's the strategy Obama adopted in March. What was always clear was that COIN would need thousands more troops. The mystery is whether Obama realized this.

Even at the start of the year, the then commander in country, General David McKiernan, was asking for 10,000 more combat troops than the 17,000 Obama agreed. The administration decided to defenestrate McKiernan in May. A new strategy required a new commander. Now Obama's new handpicked commander, Gen Stanley McChrystal, has concluded that he will need another 45,000 troops to carry out Obama's strategy. Plus, by the way, a vastly expanded, better organized, and costly effort to carry out the civic improvement projects that are an essential part of COIN strategy.

McChrystal hasn't plucked his demand for troops from thin air. They are the product of what the Army calls a TTT analysis—TTT meaning "troops to task": how many troops to cover X thousand square miles of that desolate country, and protect Y millions of its population. McChrystal's math is that to cover six vital provinces in southern and eastern Afghanistan under the most urgent threat from the Taliban and its allies, and to bring security to the Afghans living in them, will take close to 45,000 additional troops. (The analysis allows for U.S. troops to replace European units soon to leave the south, plus a few to shore up the north.) McChrystal was planning to submit this troop demand as an appendix to his overall assessment. Now, at the command of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, McChrystal has submitted to two constraints. He has postponed sending up these calculations until the administration chooses to ask for them. And he has refined his needs into three categories: reinforcements of 10,000, 30,000, and 45,000. The administration will certainly call these "options." They're not; they're "risk assessments." Given only 30,000, McChrystal has calculated, he will have to leave important areas of south and east Afghanistan unprotected. Given only 10,000, more areas will remain unprotected. (McChrystal's numbers, though not formally submitted, are circulating in Washington like samizdat writings banned in the Soviet Union.)

Suddenly, the strategy Obama announced in March is being ditched. Back then, Obama said that Afghanistan had not received (from the Bush administration) "the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently needs." Specifically, he charged, the resources U.S. commanders needed "have been denied." "Now, that will change," he said. As late as last month, Obama was declaring the struggle in Afghanistan "a war of necessity" where victory was "fundamental to the defense of our people."

That, it appears, was then. Now, faced with the bleak assessment of the general he sent out to turn things round, Obama is equivocating, saying: "One of the things I'm absolutely clear about is that you have to get the strategy right, and then make a determination about resources." He has ordered yet another review of strategy, a review which the chairman of the joint chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen, said was going back to "the first principles, if you will."

What's going on ? The March 27 "White Paper" laid out what Obama called his administration's "comprehensive new strategy."

The administration spin is that the debacle of the Afghan presidential elections, which President Hamid Karzai appears to have won by industrial-strength vote-rigging, has altered the situation. That's nonsense. Everyone knew Karzai would do whatever it took to win. (The U.S. in practice settled for that months ago, having tried but failed to find a plausible competitor to Karzai.) If the U.S. does have vital national interests at stake in the region, those remain, no matter how disputed the Afghan government is (or however ineffective the government in Pakistan). Lousy local governments just make the job tougher.

Now though, Obama and his administration give every sign of being torn, unable to decide to fulfill Obama's pledge to resource this "war of necessity." Meanwhile Obama is losing control of the debate about Afghanistan back home. Congressional heavyweights like Senator Carl Levin, chair of the Armed Services Committee, and Senator John Kerry, chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, have voiced their doubts about U.S. policy in Afghanistan. The administration has been trying to prevent Gen. McChrystal from coming back to give Congress his views. That was always short-sighted; now that his assessment has leaked, it's untenable.

Afghanistan is by far Obama's toughest foreign-policy test. Iran, North Korea and the Israeli/Palestinian impasse are important issues. In each, Obama finds himself confronting a collision between rhetoric and reality. But those are tests of diplomatic adroitness and leverage. Afghanistan too has turned into a test between rhetoric and reality. But Afghanistan is different. It's also a sensitive domestic issue, because what is immediately at stake are the lives of American kids in uniform.

Comparisons with Vietnam may be overblown, and are certainly misguided in detail. But the political parallel seems ever more appropriate. Like Lyndon Johnson, Obama has inherited from his predecessor a messy war with only indirect connections to vital U.S. national interests. LBJ had a soaring domestic agenda, but he didn't know how to handle Vietnam. Obama, with comparable domestic ambitions, appears not to know how to handle Afghanistan. Vietnam sank LBJ's presidency in his first term. Afghanistan could do the same to Obama.

Sangin, Afghanistan

The roads are so littered with enemy bombs that nearly all transport and resupply to this base occurs by helicopter. The pilots roar through the darkness, swoop into small bases nestled in the saddle of enemy territory, and quickly rumble off into the night.

A witness must spend only a short time in the darkness to know we are at war. Flares arc into the night, or mortar illumination rounds drift and swing under parachutes, orange and eerily in the distance, casting long, flickering but sharply defined shadows. The worst that can happen is that you will be caught in an open field, covered by nothing and concealed only by darkness, when the illumination suddenly bathes you in light. Best is to stay low and freeze and prepare to fire, or in the case of a writer, to stay low and freeze and prepare to watch the firing.

Helmand Province, Afghanistan

With the war increasing, Air Force Pararescue has been crisscrossing the skies picking up casualties.

Images and descriptions from Michael Yon's blog
Thank you Michael for all you do!!!

Troops React to McChrystal Report

New York Daily News

The soldiers I have talked to in Afghanistan say they would welcome more troops, as Gen. Stanley McChrystal has recommended - any help they can get to get out of here and get back home.

The war here is under-resourced, under-funded and until recently largely ignored in favor of the war in Iraq. There is double the number of troops in Iraq than in Afghanistan right now - and many wonder why Iraq was allowed to distract us from the gains made here early on in the war.

But even if more troops are sent to Afghanistan - it’s not enough, they say. The key to winning - whatever that means - is getting the Afghan government and security forces to stand up for themselves and to stop the corruption that is so prevalent here. The soldiers can train Afghan army and police all day long, but until there is a comittment on their part to make things better, it won’t do any good.

The sense is that U.S. and NATO troops are just holding on here, doing what they can during their deployment until the next unit comes along. They understand the need to protect the people - a main tenent of counterinsurgency - but that also means fighting the enemy. And that has become more difficult as McChrystal and Afghan President Hamid Karzai continue to require that Afghan security forces accompany them on patrols and arrests. Simply put, that’s just not a realistic request. There are too few Afghan forces here and the ones that are on the payroll often don’t bother to show up to work.

Still, even if more troops and more Afghan forces were in place to combat the enemy and provide security for the people - many soldiers question the end-game in Afghanistan - especially as Pakistan and other nations continue to provide a safe haven for the bad guys.

As one soldier put it to me: “It’s like a game of whack-a-mole. You hit one and they pop up somewhere else.”

All said, the soldiers here are dedicated. They want nothing more than to make a difference. They want to “win” - not only to make the world a safer place, but for the friends they have lost in this long, deadly war.

General Stanley McChrystal, right, in Afghanistan

McChrystal to resign if not given resources for Afghanistan

by Bill Roggio

Within 24 hours of the leak of the Afghanistan assessment to The Washington Post, General Stanley McChrystal's team fired its second shot across the bow of the Obama administration. According to McClatchy, military officers close to General McChrystal said he is prepared to resign if he isn't given sufficient resources (read "troops") to implement a change of direction in Afghanistan:

Adding to the frustration, according to officials in Kabul and Washington, are White House and Pentagon directives made over the last six weeks that Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, not submit his request for as many as 45,000 additional troops because the administration isn't ready for it.

In the last two weeks, top administration leaders have suggested that more American troops will be sent to Afghanistan, and then called that suggestion "premature." Earlier this month, Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that "time is not on our side"; on Thursday, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates urged the public "to take a deep breath."

In Kabul, some members of McChrystal's staff said they don't understand why Obama called Afghanistan a "war of necessity" but still hasn't given them the resources they need to turn things around quickly.

Three officers at the Pentagon and in Kabul told McClatchy that the McChrystal they know would resign before he'd stand behind a faltering policy that he thought would endanger his forces or the strategy.

"Yes, he'll be a good soldier, but he will only go so far," a senior official in Kabul said. "He'll hold his ground. He's not going to bend to political pressure."

On Thursday, Gates danced around the question of when the administration would be ready to receive McChrystal's request, which was completed in late August. "We're working through the process by which we want that submitted," he said.

The entire process followed by the military in implementing a change of course in Afghanistan is far different, and bizarrely so, from the process it followed in changing strategy in Iraq.

For Afghanistan, the process to decide on a course change began in March of this year, when Bruce Reidel was tasked to assess the situation. This produced the much-heralded yet vague "AfPak" assessment. Then, in May, General David McKiernan was fired and replaced by General McChrystal, who took command in June. General McChrystal's assessment hit President Obama's desk at the end of August, almost three months after he took command. And yet now in the last half of September, the decision on additional forces has yet to be submitted to the administration.

Contrast this with Iraq in the fall of 2006. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was fired just one day after the elections in early November. The Keane-Kagan plan for Iraq was submitted to President Bush shortly afterward, and encompassed both the assessment of the situation and the recommended course of action, including the recommended number of troops to be deployed to deal with the situation. General David Petraeus replaced General George Casey in early February 2007, and hit the ground running; the surge strategy was in place, troops were being mustered to deploy to Iraq, and commanders on the ground were preparing for and executing the new orders. The first of the surge units began to arrive in Iraq only weeks later, in March.

Today, the military is perceiving that the administration is punting the question of a troop increase in Afghanistan, and the military is even questioning the administration's commitment to succeed in Afghanistan. The leaking of the assessment and the report that McChrystal would resign if he is not given what is needed to succeed constitute some very public pushback against the administration's waffling on Afghanistan.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Good article, gets into how McChrystal arrived at his numbers. Surprising to find it it Newsweek. It’s being in Newsweek means that the One really is in trouble.

Obama is nothing more then a community organizer if that, he's all about government social welfare programs for the inner city...he’s a military illiterate with a non-American upbringing and no world view....he’s the same as Maxine Waters or Shiela Jackson Lee.

And this was on CNN...."Now, President Obama has to man up and decide: is he going to fight this war or is he going to oversee an American defeat.....said by the vile horrible Michael Ware to the almost as horrible Anderson Cooper.

Obama has no policy for Afghanistan, he ONLY has R.O.E. for our troops.

Damn Barack Hussein Obama to the eternal flames of hell

Michael Yon has also posted Kagans' report (from AEI) re: AfPak. It reflects what McChrystal (and many others) are saying. Bambi better get off his butt and get moving.

Afghanistan Force Requirements (PDF) - Kagan Report

Obama's R.O.E.s

“AMBUSHED MARINES’AID CALL REJECTED”

"NATO-led forces are investigating the death of four Marines in eastern Afghanistan after their commanders reportedly rejected requests for artillery fire in a battle with insurgents, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. Tuesday's incident was "under investigation" and details remained unclear, press secretary Geoff Morrell told a news conference. A McClatchy newspapers' journalist who witnessed the battle reported that a team of Marine trainers made repeated appeals for air and artillery support after being pinned down by insurgents in the village of Ganjgal in eastern Kunar province. The U.S. troops had to wait more than an hour for attack helicopters to come to their aid and their appeal for artillery fire was rejected, with commanders citing new rules designed to avoid civilian casualties, the report said."

“WE’RE PINNED DOWN:’4 U.S. MARINES DIE IN AFGAN ABUSH”

We walked into a trap, a killing zone of relentless gunfire and rocket barrages from Afghan insurgents hidden in the mountainsides and in a fortress-like village where women and children were replenishing their ammunition.

"We will do to you what we did to the Russians," the insurgent's leader boasted over the radio, referring to the failure of Soviet troops to capture Ganjgal during the 1979-89 Soviet occupation.

Dashing from boulder to boulder, diving into trenches and ducking behind stone walls as the insurgents maneuvered to outflank us, we waited more than an hour for U.S. helicopters to arrive, despite earlier assurances that air cover would be five minutes away.

U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren't near the village.

"We are pinned down. We are running low on ammo. We have no air. We've lost today," Marine Maj. Kevin Williams, 37, said through his translator to his Afghan counterpart, responding to the latter's repeated demands for helicopters.

Four U.S. Marines were killed Tuesday, the most U.S. service members assigned as trainers to the Afghan National Army to be lost in a single incident since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Eight Afghan troops and police and the Marine commander's Afghan interpreter also died in the ambush and the subsequent battle that raged from dawn until 2 p.m. around this remote hamlet in eastern Kunar province, close to the Pakistan border.

“GIS TOLD NOT TO RISK CIVILIAN LIVES”

KABUL -- Beginning today, American Soldiers in Afghanistan will be under orders to back down when they're chasing Taliban fighters whenever they think that civilians might be at risk.

"General McChrystal has been given instructions when he left here that, in all military operations, that we redouble our efforts to make sure that innocent loss of life is minimized, with zero being the goal," Jones said, noting that, "In one mishap you can create thousands more terrorists than you had before the mishap."

The new order, however, is likely to draw criticism from some U.S. troops, many of whom feel the rules that govern how they fight the war already are too restrictive.

Many troops here say they depend on air power and heavy weaponry because there aren't enough ground troops to chase Taliban forces on foot. Jones said no additional ground troops will be sent this year, even though some ground commanders want them.

"Everybody had their day in court, so to speak, before the president made his decision," he said. "We signed off on the strategy, and now we're in the implementation phase."

McChrystal's order will instruct Soldiers to "think about what else can we do," said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, the military's top spokesman in Afghanistan. "We cannot keep going down the path of putting civilians at risk. ... People want to see changes in behavior."

“OBAMA’S RULES OF ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN COSTING OUR TROOPS LIVES”

Four U.S. Marines died Tuesday when they walked into a well-laid ambush by insurgents in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province. Seven Afghan troops and an interpreter for the Marine commander also died in the ambush and the subsequent battle, which lasted seven hours.

Three American service members and 14 Afghan security force members were wounded.

It was the largest number of American military trainers to die in a single incident since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.

The battle took place around the remote hamlet of Gangigal, in a valley about six miles from the Pakistani border, after local elders invited the U.S. and Afghan forces for a meeting.

American officers said there was no doubt that they’d walked into a trap, as the insurgents were dug in at the village, and had preset their weapons and their fields of fire.

It was a trap alright....but one they could of extradited themselves out of if not for the rules of engagement laid out by Obama's General, General Stanley McChrystal:

Airstrikes by coalition forces in Afghanistan have dropped dramatically in the three months Gen. Stanley McChrystal has led the war effort there, reflecting his new emphasis on avoiding civilian casualties and protecting the population.

NATO fixed-wing aircraft dropped 1,211 bombs and other munitions during the past three months — the peak of the fighting season — compared with 2,366 during the same period last year, according to military statistics. The nearly 50% decline in airstrikes comes with an influx of more than 20,000 U.S. troops this year and an increase in insurgent attacks.

The shift is the result of McChrystal’s new directives, said Air Force Col. Mark Waite, an official at the air operations center in southwest Asia. Ground troops are less inclined to call for bombing or strafing runs, though they often have an aircraft conduct a “show of force,” a flyby to scare off insurgents, or use planes for surveillance, Waite said.

“BAGRAM INMATES CAN CHALLENGE DETENTION: PENTAGON”

The Pentagon is to give some 600 prisoners held in the US air base in Bagram, Afghanistan, the right to challenge their detention, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said Monday.

"It's basically a review procedure that ensures people go in front of a panel periodically to give them the opportunity to contest their detention," he told reporters.

The inmates would be aided by a uniformed "personal representative" who would "guide them through this administrative process, to help gather witness statements," Whitman added.

“ANALYSIS: WHITE HOUSE POSTPONING HARD CALLS ON WAR”

The Obama administration is holding off major decisions that could put its military forces on a firmer war footing in Afghanistan even as doubts grow about whether the United States can win there.

Many military and diplomatic leaders have urged President Barack Obama to send thousands more Marines, soldiers and pilots to try to reverse Afghanistan's crumbling security situation.

But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has said no decision about adding troops is expected for "weeks and weeks," following what he described as intensive evaluation. The troop decision will be a first indicator of whether Obama intends to double down in Afghanistan, becoming a wartime president in earnest.

“NO DEADLINE FOR TROOPS WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN: OBAMA ADMN”

The Obama Administration has declined to set a deadline for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, arguing that the situation there is different from that of Iraq and 9/11 plotters are still holed up in the Af-Pak region and planning attack against the US.

"We have a different situation in Afghanistan. It is actually the place that - Afghanistan and Pakistan - where the folks who attacked us on 9/11 are holed up and plotting against us still," David Axelrod, Senior Advisor to the US President, told the NBC news channel in an interview.

“MILITARY LEERY OF AFGHANISTAN ESCALATION WITH NO CLEAR GOALS”

As the Obama administration and Congress begin a heated debate about how many more American troops to send to Afghanistan, military observers, soldiers on the ground there and some top Pentagon officials are warning that dispatching even tens of thousands more soldiers and Marines might not ensure success.

Some even fear that deploying more U.S. troops, especially in the wake of a U.S. airstrike last week that killed and wounded scores of Afghan civilians, would convince more Afghans that the Americans are occupiers rather than allies and relieve the pressure on the Afghan government to improve its own security forces.

The heart of the problem, soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and some officials in Washington told McClatchy, is that neither Barack Obama's White House nor the Pentagon has clearly defined America's mission in Afghanistan. As a result, some soldiers in the field said, they aren't sure what their objectives are.

Current officials and military officers who're wary of escalation refused to speak on the record because they aren't authorized to talk to the media and because doing so would be hazardous to their careers.

"Gen. McChrystal's latest assessment reportedly indicates that the situation in Afghanistan is 'serious,' " said former deputy secretary of state and Pentagon official Richard Armitage, referring to Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. military commander in Afghanistan. "President Obama needs to define, more clearly than he has so far, what our country's objectives in Afghanistan are and his strategy for achieving them. Without that, it's impossible to assess whether the mission requires additional troops."

“U.N. LAWYERS TARGET U.S. TROOPS”

“Justice: As if fighting a war in Afghanistan isn’t hard enough, ambitious global prosecutors have rolled into Kabul looking to charge U.S. troops. Intentional or not, such legalism will sap U.S. morale as it did in Vietnam.

At about the time NATO’s new secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, warned NATO’s European members against an early pullout, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, whose body is charged with looking for international war criminals, announced he was looking for new “clients” from anyone with a grievance in Afghanistan.

At a briefing Wednesday in The Hague, Moreno-Ocampo said he had launched a new war crimes inquiry, seeking information about “torture” especially — a European obsession — and had already mined the human rights groups for stories. He added he was also “very open” to more information from foreign governments.

Oh, he’d been evenhanded in his Monday-morning battlefield quarterbacking of course, promising he’d prosecute both Taliban and NATO troops as moral equals.

But it doesn’t take a genius to know what the spotlight-loving attorney (who once launched his own reality TV show back in Argentina) is really after: Americans in the dock as war criminals.

Ground intelligence sources who might have warned them were reportedly more fearful of Taliban retaliation than convinced that American troops would be able to defend them, given the weakening will of the West. They opted to survive.

Now, the latest legalistic block against winning is an international prosecutor looking for NATO troops to prosecute.

Back in 2002, President Bush told the ICC that there wouldn’t be any of that, and he rescinded the U.S. signature from the Rome Statute that would have opened the door to that. Today, there’s a legal battle going on at the ICC to make U.S. troops subject to doing it and there’s no signal from the White House that it will stop it.

Don’t think Moreno-Ocampo won’t do it. His history as a prosecutor suggests an affinity for publicity over justice, which is just what the anti-American crowd wants.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:40 AM | Comments (15)

September 22, 2009

Happy 62nd Birthday To Our US Air Force September 18th

The United States Air Force, the youngest of the Armed Forces, a happy 62nd birthday!

Prior to its official founding in 1947, the U.S. military’s air component existed from 1909 under multiple labels such as: Aeronautical Section, Signal Corps, Aviation Section, Signal Corps, United States Army Air Service, United States Army Air Corps, and United States Army Air Forces.

World War II demonstrated the true value of aircraft to the military, and on July 26, 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, creating the National Military Establishment. The United States Air Force officially stood up as a separate military component, equal to that of the other services, with the swearing in of the first Secretary of the Air Force, W. Stuart Symington.

Happy 62nd Air Force, and thank you for your service.

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq -- Members of the Sather Air Base honor guard post the colors while more than 200 servicemembers stand at attention during the opening of the Air Force's 62nd birthday celebration held at the Al Faw palace here Sept. 18, 2009. Lt. Gen. Mike Hostage, Air Force Central Command commander, was in attendance as well as Maj. Gen. Joseph Reynes Jr., Air Component Coordination Element director, who served as the keynote speaker for the evening. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Johnny L. Saldivar)

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq

More than 200 servicemembers attended a ceremony celebrating the Air Force's 62nd birthday at Al Faw palace here Sept. 18, 2009.

Lt. Gen. Mike Hostage, Air Force Central Command commander, was in attendance as well as Maj. Gen. Joseph Reynes Jr., Air Component Coordination Element director, who served as the keynote speaker for the night.

Upon arrival at the palace, attendees mingled during a social time before proceeding to the ball room for the official ceremony.

For Fairfield, Calif., native Senior Airman Jessica Trackwell, Task Force 134 Detainee Operations executive assistant, the birthday celebration was on opportunity for those in uniform to interact outside of a work environment.

"These events help boost morale of the Airmen out here," said Airman Trackwell, who is deployed from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. "We get to come together and get to know one another and remember what the Air Force is all about."

Although the atmosphere was light, General Reynes pointed out the seriousness of the event and said there is probably no better place to celebrate the Air Force birthday than at Al Faw Palace with the "great joint team" in attendance.

"Celebrating the United States Air Force's birthday provides Airmen an opportunity to reflect on the exceptional men and women who have built our heritage and to look forward to the challenges that lie ahead," General Reynes said. "Today some Airmen will learn about the history of the Air Force and others will experience a renewed sense of pride. We should all take a moment to remember and honor our history and those who answered our nation's call. We are their legacy."

With another year of service to the United States under its wings, the Air Force will continue its mission to fly, fight and win.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan

US Air Force

Hundreds of Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines celebrated the 62nd Air Force birthday with tradition, solidarity and a show of force Sept. 18 here.

A reveille ceremony was held at 6 a.m.at the base flag poles in Camp Cunningham, named after Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham, an Air Force pararescueman who gave his life in Afghanistan in March 2002 while saving 10 wounded Army Soldiers.

"While we're celebrating the Air Force's 62nd birthday it is important to remember that we're involved in a joint fight serving the Army and other Coalition ground forces bringing this counterinsurgency to an end in Afghanistan," said Brig. Gen. Steven L. Kwast, the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander. "What a fine way to celebrate our heritage; we came from the Army (and) we have the same foundations. We celebrate that heritage by fighting together with our sister services and coalition partners. We're bringing freedom and liberty to this part of the world by taking care of the insurgents' sanctuary to where they cannot run and they cannot hide."

Both coalition members and other American servicemembers said they were thankful for the Air Force's support and efforts for their troops on the ground and in contact with the enemy.

"We have a great working relationship with your pilots and the close-air support we receive from you has no limitations," said Polish Army Lt. Col. Slawomir Warnbier.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 James Wright of the 101st Airborne from Fort Campbell, Ky., echoed Colonel Warnbier's sentiments about the Air Force's role in Afghanistan.

"The Air Force airdrops are providing needed support to Soldiers in the field; getting people and parts to our guys in the (forward operating bases) and in the mountains," Mr. Wright said. The Air Force is doing a great job and it's great to have them out here."

Wild Thing's comment.....

I am a few days late for this and I apologize. It is the first time that has happened. grrr

HUGE Happy Birthday and a bigger thank you to our US Air Force!!! Love the Air Force, heck I love all of them.

God bless the USAF, buand also to o the US Army Air Corps. They started it all heh heh and thank God they did!

......Thank you SSGT Steve

SSgt Steve
1st MarDiv, H Co., 2nd Bn, 5th Marine Regiment
2/5 Marines, Motto: "Retreat, Hell"
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (11)

Thank you and Welcome Home Patrick!

"Here are some pictures of myself and brothers while in Iraq 2003. Alpha Company 1-15 Infantry"

Wild Thing's comment.......

I am so pleased to show you these photo's of Patrick. HUGE thank you Patrick for serving our country!! I heard from him a couple of days ago and was so thrilled to meet him through his email and be able to thank him for all he has done to help keep us the land of the free and for his service to our country to keep us safe.

THANK YOU Patrick!!! And thank you to all the others in the photos as well.
God bless you!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (10)

September 16, 2009

Phantom Thunder III and Family First Fest At Fort Hood

This photo of from the one they did last year

Here is an aerial photo of just a portion of the riders that took part in the first to be annual Fort Hood Phantom Thunder motorcycle ride. This is the brain-child of LTG Rick Lynch, commander of Fort Hood and a Harley rider.

Safety classes and vehicle inspections were held prior to the ride, then the soldiers were treated to a carnival and pretty much, a day off.

Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of III Corps and Fort Hood

Gather the Family for an afternoon of fun featuring live music by country music duo Martin/Ramey and national country music recording artist Darryl Worley, and a comedy performance by former Soldier Joe Saba.

For the kids, there will be inflatables, pony rides, and face painting.

Enjoy a micro race car track for adults and children! AAFES will be selling motorcycle gear for all you riders from Phantom Thunder.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the sun, sand and a fun afternoon of FREE activities for all ages.

Food, beverages and alcohol will be available for purchase. Family First Fest is FREE and open to all. All events will take place at the Belton Lake Outdoor Recreational Area Live Oak Pavilion. BLORA beach front will be open.

Family First Fest officially kicks off at 3pm, but the work day on Fort Hood ends at 12pm, so come out early for a DJ and beach activities beginning at 12:30pm.

Patrons are encouraged to ride the free on post shuttle to BLORA. The shuttle will be running from 12-9:30pm.

For more information, call 254-288-7835 or visit www.hoodmwr.com

Date: Thursday, September 17, 2009
Time: 3:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: BLORA Live Oak Pavilion

Phantom Thunder III and Family First Fest: September 17

Gas up the hog for Phantom Thunder III, a motorcycle safety ride led by LTG Rick Lynch. The ride will depart from Hood Stadium at 1pm and arrive at BLORA at 3pm. Participation is free and open to all. Proper riding safety gear is required.

For more information on Phantom Thunder, call 254-553-3871.

After the ride, gather the Family for an afternoon of fun at Fort Hood’s Family First Fest, from 3pm-8pm at Belton Lake Outdoor Recreational Area Live Oak Pavilion. Family First Fest features an exciting live entertainment line-up: country music duo Martin Ramey, and award-winning country music artist Darryl Worley, best known for hit songs “Have You Forgotten” and “I Miss My Friend”.

Gather the Family for an afternoon of fun featuring live music by country music duo Martin Ramey and national country music recording artist Darryl Worley, as well as a comedy performance by former Soldier Joe Saba. Bring the children to enjoy free inflatables, face painting and pony rides. The fest kicks off at 3pm, but the work day on Fort Hood ends at 12pm so come early to enjoy a pre-party with live DJ and activities beginning at 12:30pm. FREE and open to all!

This event is free and open to all. Food, beverages and alcohol will be sold. In order to alleviate traffic, patrons are
encouraged to ride the free on-post shuttle to BLORA. BLORA is located on North Nolan Road 10 miles from East Range

Road. Access to the park is also possible from FM 439 and Sparta Road. For more information, call 254-288-7835 or
check out www.hoodmwr.com

Future Events:

1st Cavalry Division Fall Festival

Come join us for a fun-filled day for Soldiers & Families of the 1st Cavalry Division

Saturday, 10 October 2009 at the 1st CAV Division Horse Stables from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Mark your calendars!!!

Free Family Portraits

What: Soldiers' Angels - Portraits of Love, Free Family Portraits for Families of Deployed Soldiers. Professional

Photographers are volunteering their time and talent to help send a piece of home to Soldiers abroad.

When: 15-30 September, 2009

Times: 1200-2000 hours Monday through Friday and 1000-1700 on Saturdays

Where: Oveta Culp Hobby Soldier & Family Readiness Center, building 18000, Battalion Ave

Why: Soldiers' Angels (Non Profit Organization) & the Photo Imaging Manufacturers & Distributers Association (PMDA)

collaborated to create a project called "PMDA Soldiers' Angels Portraits of Love." Their goal is to provide 10,000 free Family photos to Families of Deployed Soldiers.

How: Interested Families should call 288-2794 to schedule an appointment for their photo. Each Family photo session will last no more than 15 minutes.

Families must show proper military ID to participate.

Family members must provide the Soldier's mailing address during the photo session.

One 5X7 Family portrait will be mailed to the deployed Soldier at no cost and another free 5X7 photo will be available
for the Family.

Wild Thing's comment.....

This is so cool, I love it. I love that Fort Hood does this for the families and the troops. AWESOME

For those of you that have Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rick-Lynch/100699965545?ref=mf

And this if Fort Hood on Facebook

.... Thank you Jim for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (8)

September 15, 2009

Allah Calls Another Home

Terrorists blow themselves up while U.S. gunship holds fire

Wild Thing's comment.......

Now THAT is sweet! Bye Bye!

.... Thank you Jim for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (8)

September 14, 2009

American Service Member Shot Over Drink of Water!!

American shot over drink of water

In Kabul, the capital, an American service member and an Afghan police officer got into an argument because the American was drinking water in front of the Afghan police, who are not eating or drinking during the day because of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, said the district chief, Abdul Baqi Zemari.

The police officer shot the American and seriously wounded him, while other American troops responded and seriously wounded the police officer, Zemari said.

Lt. Robert Carr, a U.S. military spokesman, confirmed an incident between Afghan police officers and a U.S. police mentoring team. He could not provide information on the conditions of the two men.

Wild Thing's comment......

Because "Mohammed said it", Muslims assume that they can impose their 7th century bullshit on all humanity. This is how a Muslim is toward someone trying to help them from being overwhelmed by even more radical and fanatical Muslims, if that's possible.

There can be no compromise with Islam as Islam will never compromise. Islam will always take anything offered by the West and shit on the West in return. Gratitude is not a part of Islam.

We are in a global war for survival against a fanatical, barbaric system posing as a religion. It is a matter of life or death. And it is going to happen here in our country. We have yet as a country to come down hard on followers of Isalm, they have gotten a free ride in our country and it just gets worse.

This soldier should have been thanked and praised and given the chance to have as much water as he wanted.

Turn it into a parking lot over there and come home!!! And as far as Obama is concerned..... screw Obama and his R.O.E.'s. He can just apologize later, he does that anyway when he speaks about America.

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (15)

September 13, 2009

Senate Panel Seeks End to F-22 Export Ban

Senate panel seeks end to F-22 export ban

Reuters

September 10th, 2009

A Senate panel urged the Air Force on Thursday to start developing an export model of its F-22 Raptor, the most advanced U.S. fighter jet, even as it voted to end U.S. purchases.

Japan, Israel and Australia have shown interest in buying the supersonic, radar-evading F-22 Raptor, designed to destroy enemy air defenses in the first days of any conflict and clear the way for other missions.

Foreign sales were banned by a 1998 law aimed at protecting the "stealth" technology and other high-tech features said to have made the F-22 too good for money to buy.

If enacted, the measure adopted by the Senate Appropriations Committee would let the Defense Department prepare a modified F-22 that protects classified and sensitive information, technologies and U.S. war fighting capabilities.

"The committee urges the Air Force to start this effort within the funds appropriated in Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force, for the F-22 aircraft," a report accompanying the bill said.

Neither Lockheed Martin nor the Air Force had any immediate comment.

Creating an export version would preserve U.S. jobs and an option to buy more F-22s later, without having to pay the full cost of restarting production.

The U.S. Air Force has estimated Japan would have to spend as much as $2.3 billion for development of its own version of the Raptor. For years, Tokyo has sought to buy two squadrons of the F-22, possibly 40 planes, a request that has become more compelling amid tensions with neighboring North Korea.

The bill, adopted 30 to 0 in 15 minutes without debate, largely backed program cuts sought by President Barack Obama. Overall, it provided $636.3 billion for defense in fiscal 2010, which starts October 1.

The measure would kill a combat search-and-rescue helicopter, a presidential helicopter and a missile-defense project called Kinetic Energy Interceptor.

It includes $128.2 billion for "overseas contingency operations," primarily to keep fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The legislation would cap the U.S. F-22 "Raptor" fleet at 187, down from an original Air Force Cold War-era plan to buy as many as 750 of the air-superiority fighters.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, announcing plans to terminate the F-22 on April 6, said doing so was "not a close call." He said the military should gear up more for wars such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bill, which must be reconciled with the House of Representatives' version, provided no funds for a second, interchangeable engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The alternate engine, which Obama considers wasteful, would be veto bait, the White House has said. In July, the House approved $560 million for the second engine development as part of its 2010 defense appropriations bill, despite the veto threat.

General Electric Co and Rolls-Royce Group PLC, partners in the second engine, have said they are confident a House-Senate conference committee will preserve competition for the F-35 engine.

Sen. Daniel Inouye, the Hawaii Democrat who chairs the appropriations committee and its defense subpanel, told reporters he did not know how the second engine's fate would play out.

"Apparently the Senate is not for it, so we'll go into conference on that basis. But as always, my mind is open," he said.

The Senate panel put rival United Technologies Corp's Pratt & Whitney unit, maker of a fully funded engine for the F-35, a step closer to a monopoly over a projected $100 billion market.

At issue is the engine and its aftermarket for three variants of the F-35, a single-engine Lockheed Martin fighter in early stages of production. It would replace at least 13 types of warplanes, initially for 11 nations.

The Senate committee, in sync with recommendations made Wednesday by its defense subpanel, broke with Obama on Boeing Co's C-17 cargo plane. It added $2.5 billion to sustain the production line by buying 10 more in 2010. The administration wants to end the C-17 program without further purchases.

The House approved $674 million in its defense appropriations bill to buy three more C-17s.

The full Senate could vote on the defense bill as early as next week. House and Senate representatives then meet to mesh their legislation before it is sent to the White House. The House-Senate conference is on track to take place by the end of this month, said Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, the Senate panel's top Republican

Wild Thing's comment........

This an update to my other post awhile back about this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:40 AM | Comments (4)

September 12, 2009

U.N. Lawyers Target U.S. Troops

"Mansions of the Lord"....This beautiful and haunting hymn was featured in "We Were Soldiers" and was played as President Reagan's casket was borne from National Cathedral

U.N. Lawyers Target U.S. Troops

IBD

Justice: As if fighting a war in Afghanistan isn't hard enough, ambitious global prosecutors have rolled into Kabul looking to charge U.S. troops. Intentional or not, such legalism will sap U.S. morale as it did in Vietnam.

At about the time NATO's new secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, warned NATO's European members against an early pullout, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, whose body is charged with looking for international war criminals, announced he was looking for new "clients" from anyone with a grievance in Afghanistan.

At a briefing Wednesday in The Hague, Moreno-Ocampo said he had launched a new war crimes inquiry, seeking information about "torture" especially — a European obsession — and had already mined the human rights groups for stories. He added he was also "very open" to more information from foreign governments.

Oh, he'd been evenhanded in his Monday-morning battlefield quarterbacking of course, promising he'd prosecute both Taliban and NATO troops as moral equals.

But it doesn't take a genius to know what the spotlight-loving attorney (who once launched his own reality TV show back in Argentina) is really after: Americans in the dock as war criminals.

The atmosphere that makes a prosecutor like Moreno-Ocampo ambitious enough to go after Americans instead of a real monster like, say, Fidel Castro, can only occur when the West's will has weakened, as Rasmussen warned.

After all, if a war to defend our civilization can be reduced to a series of police-brutality cases, then Afghanistan isn't about victory.

This is underscored by Washington's conflicting aims.

Though our president has rightly boosted the number of troops in Afghanistan, he's created a climate of doubt by declaring the war on terror an "overseas contingency operation" and stating he doesn't believe in "winning." It's poison for morale and gives momentum to the kind of bureaucratic, legalistic and defeatist thinking that preceded our bitter pullout in Vietnam.

Moreno-Ocampo's entry into Afghanistan is a sign that legalism has begun to overtake victory as a goal, at a time when our Taliban foes still believe in victory.

On the battlefield, our troops are increasingly constrained by legalistic rules of engagement.

Case in point: On Tuesday, four U.S. Marines and seven of their Afghani allies walked into a well-planned ambush and were killed in the Kunar province near the Pakistani border.

"We are pinned down. We are running low on ammo. We have no air. We've lost today," Marine Maj. Kevin Williams, 37, told his Afghan counterpart, responding to the latter's repeated demands for helicopters, McClatchy Newspapers reported.

Rules of engagement condemned them to die because they couldn't get air cover.

According to McClatchy: "U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren't near the village."

Meanwhile, all pullout talk condemned those U.S. troops, too.

Now, the latest legalistic block against winning is an international prosecutor looking for NATO troops to prosecute.

Back in 2002, President Bush told the ICC that there wouldn't be any of that, and he rescinded the U.S. signature from the Rome Statute that would have opened the door to that. Today, there's a legal battle going on at the ICC to make U.S. troops subject to doing it and there's no signal from the White House that it will stop it.

Don't think Moreno-Ocampo won't do it. His history as a prosecutor suggests an affinity for publicity over justice, which is just what the anti-American crowd wants.

Back in 2008, he ambitiously charged a sitting president, Omar Hassan Ahmad al Bashir of Sudan, with genocide, using a public application for an arrest warrant instead of a sealed warrant. The latter would have been more likely to bring justice to Darfur's victims. He went for the TV cameras instead.

Someone like that won't hesitate for a minute to make a big show of putting U.S. troops in the dock for "war crimes" no matter what the impact in Afghanistan. That's defeat.

Wild Thing's comment......

“rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren’t near the village.”

Obama's hate for America, hate for our military and his love for Muslims is literally getting our guys KILLED. There isn’t a word in the English language or any other language for how mad I am!

Just a reminder to add to this John McCain's treachery in this it is from January 28, 2005.

Citizens for Global Solutions Applauds Senator McCain’s Support of the International Criminal Court

In a BBC Worldservice televised debate before the World Economic Forum on Friday January 28th, Senator John McCain (R- AZ) declared his support for the United States joining the International Criminal Court (ICC), asserting: “I want us in the ICC.”

McCain’s comments drastically change the debate on the International Criminal Court, in part because the United Nations Commission of Inquiry report, expected to be released mid-next week, likely will recommend a UN Security Council referral of the Darfur situation to the ICC.

McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Service Committee, did raise concerns. “I’m not satisfied that there are enough safeguards,” he said. Nonetheless, his declaration at the World Economic Forum was the strongest indication to date that he would be in favor of the United States joining the ICC in the near future.

Speaking alongside McCain was Senator Joseph Biden (D- DE), ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Like McCain, Biden stood in support of the United States inclusion in the ICC, and likewise, expressed a desire to have greater safeguards for U.S. officials. Noting that European Union (EU) states had rejected the safeguards when the ICC’s statute was agreed in 1999, Biden declared, “that can change, should change, will change.”

The BBC World Television debate, in which McCain made his comments, will be broadcast again on The BBC World on Saturday.

McCain’s comments come at a critical time in the history of the International Criminal Court. The administration is debating internally and at the United Nations, the best method for justice and accountability in Darfur, western Sudan. Many observers expect a Security Council a debate over a referral of the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court.

Posted by Wild Thing at 08:47 AM | Comments (4)

September 11, 2009

Questions Raised Over Raid to Free Journalist in Afghanistan

Past photo taken a few years ago of Stephen Farrell is shown in Iraq in 2007.

Times reporter kidnapped by militants in northern Afghanistan is freed by British commandos

Daily News.co.uk

A New York Times reporter taken hostage by militants was rescued from a hide-out in northern Afghanistan early Wednesday in a daring raid that left his translator, a British soldier and civilians dead.

Journalist Stephen Farrell was kidnapped Saturday while interviewing villagers in the northern province of Kunduz about NATO air strikes that reportedly left as many as 90 people dead.

Farrell's interpreter, one of the British commandos sent to rescue them and several others died when a firefight broke out during the raid.

According to the Times, Farrell called an editor at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and declared, "I'm out! I'm free!" The Times did not know about the military operation.

Farrell described to the Times hearing helicopters approach the hide-out as special forces dropped onto the home, prompting his Taliban captors to flee. He and interpreter Sultan Munadi followed, with the translator hollering, "Journalist! Journalist!"

Surrounded by bullets, Farrell dived in a ditch, but Munadi was struck by either allied or militant gunfire.

"He was lying in the same position as he fell," Farrell told the Times. "That's all I know. I saw him go down in front of me. He did not move. He's dead. He was so close, he was just two feet in front of me when he dropped." A spokesman for the Kunduz governor said a Taliban commander, the owner of the house and another woman were killed. British defense officials confirmed one of the commandos also perished.

Farrell, 46, a longtime journalist in the region who began working for the Times in 2007, had wanted to interview villagers near the site where U.S. jets dropped two bombs on tankers hijacked by the Taliban. Reports said villagers collecting fuel from the tankers had died.

Authorities had warned journalists that the area near the tanker strike was Taliban-controlled and dangerous. The Times did not publicize the kidnappings out of concern for the hostages' safety.

Questions raised over bloody raid to free British journalist in Afghanistan

Guardian .co.uk

Military officials tonight defended the decision to launch a dramatic raid to rescue a British journalist from the Taliban, in which his Afghan assistant and a soldier were killed, against angry criticism in Afghanistan that the operation had been ordered while talks for his release had already begun.

Gordon Brown hailed the helicopter assault, carried out by the Parachute Regiment and the Royal Marines, as an act of "breathtaking heroism" and said the bravery of the soldier who was killed would not be forgotten.

Stephen Farrell, a 46-year-old New York Times reporter who had been held by the Taliban in Kunduz for four days, was freed as a result of the raid in the early hours, but the Afghan journalist working with him, Sultan Munadi, was killed.

There were reports that at least two others were killed, possibly a woman and the owner of the house, but details remain unclear.

Sources in Kabul claimed that at the time of the assault, talks were under way with the Kunduz leadership of the Taliban and a deal seemed possible.

Munadi had been allowed to call home at 10.30pm yesterday. According to his family, his captors made no threats against his life, and told his mother there were just "a few issues" to resolve before he would be set free.

A western diplomat in Afghanistan said Farrell was being held under the orders of Mullah Salam, the Taliban's "shadow governor" of Kunduz.

"He was out of money and open to doing a deal. The plan was to keep negotiations local and appeal to the decency of Afghans to do the right thing and release a civilian journalist. But then MI6 charged in and, with next to zero knowledge of the local situation, decided to launch an operation," the diplomat said.

British officials, however, said the rescue operation, by the Special Forces Support Group flying in US helicopters, had been ordered after intelligence, including intercepts, suggested that the journalists' lives were in imminent danger.

"An opportunity arose and it was seized," said one official.

The New York Times editor, Bill Keller, said Farrell had told him the situation in the Taliban hideout where they were being held had been growing more menacing just before the raid. Keller said he did not know what had triggered the assault, but it is possible the military had intercepted plans to move the journalists or to do something to them.

Moeen Marastial, an MP for Kunduz, said the Taliban had left the British with no choice but to launch a rescue.

"The people in Kunduz had been talking to the Taliban about getting him released. The local people were telling them that they have to release them or otherwise there will be another Nato airstrike and more civilians will be killed. But the Taliban had been promising, promising, hour by hour, but they never released him," he said.

The reporters had gone to a village which had been the target on Friday of a Nato air strike on two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban. The tankers exploded, killing a crowd of civilians, and anti-western feeling in the area was running high.

The New York Times was caught entirely by surprise by the rescue mission.

The newspaper had asked British officials to use force only as "a last resort," according to sources close to the negotiations. However, British officials made it clear to the newspaper straight after Farrell and Munadi were kidnapped that their policy was to carry out raids when they deem fit. The US government seeks consent from the next of kin first.

The first news of the raid came when Farrell called his editor in the early hours of yesterday morning to say he was free.

"We were all in a room, the Talibs all ran, it was obviously a raid," Mr Farrell said, according to the New York Times. "We thought they would kill us. We thought, should we go out?"

He said the two journalists hid behind a wall as the fighting went around them, and at one point Munadi, a 34-year-old father of two, raised his hands and walked into the open, shouting: "journalist, journalist". But he was shot down by "a hail of bullets".

Afghan reporters and interpreters who work with foreign journalists have been incensed by the incident. They congregated at the northern edge of Kabul to honour the return of Munadi's body. "The media community is very angry," said Ali Safi. "They are saying that these foreigners launch these operations only to release their own people."

The raid has heightened an internal Nato debate on how to respond to the kidnapping of journalists working in dangerous areas, often against the advice of Afghan and alliance officials.

"This guy was told not to go in there. He was told by local officials," said a western military source. "But being stupid should not give you a death sentence. How do you decide when not to go in? That's the hard thing? When do you give a bad man with a gun the right to decide. You always go back and get someone."

The source said if a raid had not been ordered, the military would have been criticised for "standing by and doing nothing".

A diplomat in Kabul suggested the British may have acted to make the point that they did not do deals for hostages.

The prime minister said: "Hostage-taking is never justified, and the UK does not make substantive concessions, including paying ransoms. But whenever British nationals are kidnapped, we and our allies will do everything in our power to free them."In the last two years, six foreign journalists have been kidnapped in Afghanistan by insurgents and criminal gangs. Five were released after negotiations and one, David Rohde, another New York Times reporter, escaped after seven months in captivity.

Wild Thing's comment........

Farrell wanted to do a hit piece about how evil NATO forces intentionally killed innocent civilians. He was warned not to go into the Taliban controlled area but did so anyway. Should have let the Taliban keep him.

It is really stupid to risk the lives of soldiers in the rescue of journalists who are writing stories alleging atrocities by those very same soldiers.

I’d rather see 100 NYT reporters remain in captivity forever than have ONE soldier from our country, or ANY of our allies, die while rescuing them.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:40 AM | Comments (2)

September 09, 2009

Gen. McChrystal and His ROE for Rules of the Road

Jalalabad Highway

Hazards of driving in Afghanistan. Jalalabad road in Kabul is the main road servicing Camp Phoenix.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Commander, General Stanley McChrystal, has issued a directive stating his requirements for all ISAF personnel to adhere to appropriate legal driving procedures and behavior in Afghanistan.

“The manner in which ISAF forces interact with and treat the Afghan people directly correlates to our ability to earn their trust and support. ISAF forces are highly conspicuous when travelling in vehicles and I expect ISAF members to drive in ways that respect the safety and well-being of the Afghan people,” said General McChrystal.

In his guidance, McChrystal emphasizes safe driving to be an essential ingredient in the successful prosecution of the ISAF mission. “Safe and considerate driving represents a visible and tangible sign of our commitment to the people of Afghanistan,” General McChrystal said.

The Theatre Driving Principles direct ISAF personnel to adhere to safe driving practices, such as respecting Afghan traffic rules and regulations, driving at an appropriate speed, and driving defensively. It is the responsibility of every member in the chain of command to encourage and reinforce a culture of safe driving with ISAF, the directive concludes.

Wild Thing's comment.....

"The Theatre Driving Principles direct ISAF personnel to adhere to safe driving practices, such as respecting Afghan traffic rules and regulations"....

I am sorry but .......what??????

Our troops should be given applause for the great driving they are already doing. ( tapping the General on the shoulder.....psssst can you hear me now????? )

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (6)

September 07, 2009

Miracles On The Front Line: Snipers Defy Odds, Death In Afghanistan

h/t Pat Dollard

MIANPOSHTEH, Afghanistan

For seven hours, the Marine sniper team waited, crouching behind a concrete block in a dusty courtyard, at the edge of an adobe compound. They were pretty sure that a group of local Taliban militants was on the other side of the compound wall. But the snipers couldn’t strike until they had some proof.

So they stayed there, in silence. They downed energy drinks to stay awake. They urinated in bottles and defecated in bags, so they wouldn’t leave evidence of their presence behind.

Team leader Sgt. Erik Rue kept himself sharp by running scenarios in his head of what could happen next: What if the Taliban burst in, guns blazing? What if they enter unarmed? What if there are children in the way? What if the courtyard is overrun by the militants? Where do we go then?

U.S. Marines and Taliban guerrillas have battled in the villages and compounds of this farming community nearly every day for eight weeks. It’s become one of the epicenters of America’s renewed war effort in Afghanistan. But during most of those shootouts, the two sides have been hundreds, even thousands, of feet apart. On Tuesday, they fought at point-blank range.

And despite all those hours of what-ifs, Rue and his team couldn’t have predicted how this gunfight would play out. By the time it was over, at least two men were dead. Another took a bullet to the chest but escaped unharmed. And another had his gun shot out of his hands. Four more survived what should have been a lethal bomb blast. “It was a fuckin’ pretty eventful day, to say the least,” Rue says.

After waiting for so long, the sniper team decided to try something new to flush out their targets. Rue — a smallish, slight military brat with a clean-shaven head and world-weary brown eyes — whispered into his radio to his headquarters, about a mile away.

Bring some helicopters overhead, he said, and make a low pass. The guys over the compound wall might start shooting at the helos. And then we’ll have proof of their hostile intent. The helicopters — already circling over another group of Marines engaged in a firefight — began to swoop in towards the snipers’ position. They made their pass.

But the men on the other side of the wall didn’t take the bait. If they had guns, they didn’t bother shooting them at the Cobra gunship and the Huey attack chopper.

Staff Sgt. Doug Webb was getting sick of waiting. The tattooed, twitchy Long Island, New York, native wanted to figure out if these guys were Taliban or not. Right now.

He scooted into a small room, adjacent to the courtyard. On the western wall of the room, at floor level, was a yard-wide “mousehole.” Webb lay his chest on the floor, and stuck his face in the hole.

At first, all he could see were ankles and feet. All he could hear were four male voices, speaking Pashto. Then he recognized a single word: “Taliban.” Webb looked up, and saw that one of the men had a vest packed with ammunition. And an AK-47.

Webb came back into the courtyard — and almost got shot himself. He surprised his teammate, Sgt. Nick Worth, who drew a pistol on him. “Whoa!” Webb whispered. Worth returned the gun to its holster.

“Man, I just saw a guy with an old-school mujahideen chest rig and a weapon,” Webb whispered excitedly. But the guy — and his three pals — appeared to be walking away from the snipers on a north-south trail, at the compound’s edge. If the snipers were going to attack, they had to do it right away,

“Fuck it. Now or never,” Rue said. He sent three snipers to the roof, and ran out of the courtyard with three others: Sgt. Ryan Steinbacker, Cpl. Fred Gardner, and Worth. They entered an east-west alleyway, perpendicular to the trail that Webb had spied through his mousehole.

They reached the intersection, and saw one man in the distance to their left. Luckily, he didn’t see them in the alleyway. Then, a second man, wearing brown tunic and a black hat, turned the corner. He was maybe five feet from the snipers. His eyes widened with surprise.

“I gave him half a second. He swung around his AK,” said Worth, who was carrying a Benelli 1014 shotgun. “Then I put four buckshot rounds in his chest.” Rue added a few more shots. The man crumpled to the ground.

A third man in a white robe was in the distance, about 150 feet to the north. He raised his AK-47 and fired at the snipers. Steinbacker dropped to one knee and shot the man with his M4. He dropped.

Almost immediately, a barrage of bullets came flying in directly at the snipers, from the cornfields in the west and from the trees to the east. Clearly, there were more than four militants on the area. Many, many more. And some of them could shoot.

Lance Cpl. Justin Kuhel, positioned on the roof, had the M203 grenade launcher blasted out of his hand. Lance Cpl. Justin Black, next to him, took a shot in the center of his chest. It spun him around. He collapsed on his forearms.

“It felt like I got hit with a hammer,” Black says. He reached his hand underneath his armor plates. Luckily, there was no blood.

But Black was clearly in trouble. “After I got hit, I’m laying there. And I saw rounds hit right in front of me. I thought, ‘Man, this might be it.’”

It was another now-or-never point for the Marines. The fire from the corn was about to separate the sniper groups from one another — and make them much easier to pick off. “Pull back! Pull back!” Rue yelled.

They ran back to the courtyard, and took up guarding positions at the entrances. “Hey, are you all right? Are you all right?” the snipers asked each other.

They gawked at Black’s perforated chest plate, and wondered how the hell he was still alive. The snipers knew he wasn’t the only lucky one; that storm of lead from the cornfield could’ve killed any of them. “I felt invincible until then,” Black says. “Then it’s, ‘Aw, fuck. I can get shot.’”

The gunshots died down, for a minute. Rue’s mind turned to those two Taliban bodies, outside on the trail. American forces could glean valuable information from their weapons, their documents, their radios, their fingerprints. But the Taliban were famous for removing their dead almost instantly.

Once again, it was now-or-never time. Rue and Webb went out to get the bodies. The Marines grabbed the first dead militant by the ankles, and dragged it back into the courtyard. He had his AK-47 still slung across his chest, and a rice bag, filled with ammunition.

Again, the Marines took fire from at least two different positions in the corn. Again, the fire died down. It was time to make a run for the second body. They hurled themselves into the alleyway, and made a right on the trail.

Ordinarily, Marines here have avoided these obvious footpaths; local militants have turned the trails into death traps, filled with improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. But there was no time to cut through the fields. As they moved, Webb noticed a purple sack. “I bet this guy left us a little present,” he thought. “That’s probably a bomb.”

That’s when the thing exploded.

A thunderous boom rang out. A cloud of dirt engulfed the snipers. Webb fell forward. “I saw a white flash and stars, like I got hit in the face,” he says. Days later, he’s complaining of memory losses. Webb and several other members of the team have been diagnosed with concussions. But somehow, none of them were seriously hurt.

“That’s fucking it! Everyone back inside!” Rue shouted. In a daze, they stumbled back to the courtyard.

Not long after, a handful of infantrymen from a Marine platoon wandered into the compound. They were later joined by the rest of their squad, and a second unit from nearby Echo company.

The firefight continued. But now it was the Taliban who were outgunned. The Cobra and the Huey blasted thousands of rounds into the treelines and buildings that the militants were using as firing positions.

That allowed the sniper team a chance to exit the battle, nearly 12 hours after they had first slipped into that courtyard. Scampering along the side of a canal, they walked out as they entered — in silence.

Rue, for one, is still surprised they made it all back intact. “Being that close to the IED blast and everyone walking away — that’s a miracle,” he says. “Receiving such heavy fire down an exit point without getting shot — that’s a miracle. And two guys getting shot and not getting hurt. That’s in the category of a miracle, too.”

Echo company and the Taliban are still battling around those compounds, more than 36 hours after the sniper team’s initial attack. But the conflict has returned to its normal routine. The two sides are back to firing at each other from hundreds of yards away, not right up-close.

And the sniper team has been confined to base to recover from that harrowing morning.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Thank God for miracles and thank God for our troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (8)

September 06, 2009

U.S. Marines in Helmand 2009

Thousands of Marines have descended upon the Helmand River valley in Afghanistan, a Taliban stronghold that is known for poppy growing.

LT. Col Christian Cabaniss

" 2nd Battalin Marines, we took terrible in WW11 we got to live up to that ..........I think we are all just trying to live in our big brothers shadow you know WW11, Vietnam and all that that's all its about, its about pride ,no one can else take that away from us. the hard work just began and we will do it every day for the rest of our deploymenrt. They'll know that they did something that they made a difference, you know when they are grandfathers, you know when they are grandparents when they are sitting around on the sofa and are talking to their grandkids 40 years from now, their grandkids wil ask them what they did in afghanistan in the summer of 2009 they will sit up a little bit straighter and talk about what they did how they had a part in a significant role in changing"

video ends there, but I tried to get as much as I could of what he said.... what an awesome man this is, a true leader.....an American Hero!!

Wild Thing's comment......

The video ends there, but I tried to get as much as I could of what he said.... what an awesome man this is, a true leader.....an American Hero!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:49 AM | Comments (4)

DEA "The FAST Team" in Afghanistan

Over a village in southern Afghanistan, an American helicopter circles and lands. Armed men jump out and huddle near a compound wall. A translator speaking through a megaphone announces a police action and says the men are coming in.

It's one of the most politically unstable corners of the world, but the men aren't on a typical mission for troops in Afghanistan. In fact, they aren't even soldiers, and, despite what it looks like, this is not a U.S. military operation. This is the American Drug Enforcement Administration.

"It's never just about seizing and destroying the drugs," team leader Frank Tarentino told "Nightline." "It's really more about the taking down, dismantling, the disruption of organizations. ... This operation will start to generate intelligence and information that will assist for following operations."

For nine years the DEA has quietly toiled away in Afghanistan to stop drug traffickers. But now the agency is at the center of the Obama administration's strategy in Afghanistan.

This elite group of DEA Foreign-deployed Advisory and Support Team members -- nicknamed the FAST Team -- has taken its drug-fighting expertise to Afghanistan because the country is the source of an estimated 90 percent of the world's heroin.

Money from that drug trade is believed to generate $125 million a year and fund the Taliban and the growing insurgencies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as possibly al Qaeda.

Tarentino leads his men on four-month deployments in Afghanistan. Their mission is to collect evidence and build legal cases against drug dealers. Often, they target smaller dealers to build larger cases.

In compounds raided by the agents with "Nightline" cameras rolling, the FAST team seized opium, heroin, hash, weapons and evidence, and arrested several suspects.

In one case, suspects fled, leaving weeping women and children behind, and the tea they were drinking still warm.

In another case, agents arrested a man for possession of hash.

"I need for you to talk to the women, that they are placing the husband under arrest for illegal possession of narcotics," Tarentino told his translator as a suspect was handcuffed and a nearby woman and baby cried.

The arrested man spoke to his family in Pashto.

The interpreter explained that he told his distraught wife that he was only being taken away for questioning -- but Afghan drug laws are strict, and he was likely going to jail for 15 years. The suspect was blindfolded and put in a helicopter.

"We have successfully removed many Afghans, roughly eight, to the U.S. for prosecution," said Tarentino. "Most notably, the largest trafficker in all of Afghanistan is sitting in a U.S. prison right now."

Wild Thing's comment.......

This is the first I have heard about this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (4)

August 31, 2009

The U.S.Army Version of the Kite

Wild Thing's comment........

This is sooooo amazing. Precision parachuting by army paratroops. I love things like this. What feat this is and the practice and timing it took to do such a thing.

AWESOME!!!!!

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:50 AM | Comments (9)

August 30, 2009

Marines Will Not Seek to Reinstate Charges Against Top Officer in Haditha Case

Colonel Chessani has been a scapegoat for 4 years now.

Mustang Captain Don Greenlaw has been a tireless advocate for the freedom of the 3/1 Marines - he is a great man.

MILITARY: No criminal charges in Haditha deaths for Marine officer

Case against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani will go before Board of Inquiry

North County Times

The Marine Corps has dropped its pursuit of criminal charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, the highest-ranking officer accused of misconduct after 24 Iraqi civilians were slain in the city of Haditha in 2005.

Instead, Lt. Gen. George J. Flynn has decided to handle the matter administratively by appointing a three-member Board of Inquiry that will meet at Camp Pendleton this fall.

The board of Marine Corps officers will determine if Chessani should be reduced in rank if it finds he engaged in substandard performance of duty, misconduct and professional dereliction of duty.

Its finding will serve as a recommendation to the Secretary of the Navy, who will make the final decision.

At stake is Chessani's rank after he retires from the Marine Corps, a retirement that has been on hold pending a decision in the Haditha matter. Chessani's retirement pay will not be affected by any decision to reduce his rank, Marine Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Roger Galbraith said Friday.

Chessani attorney Brian Rooney said his client, who remains on duty at Camp Pendleton as a base security officer, is happy the two charges of dereliction have been dropped.

"Colonel Chessani is relieved that the case is out of the criminal realm where it never belonged because he never did anything wrong," Rooney said. "In order to reduce him in rank, the board has to find there was misconduct and we don't believe it will."

Rooney said Chessani's other attorneys plan to call several witnesses they believe will show he reported the Haditha killings up the chain of command and was never directed by his superiors to order a full-scale probe into the events of that day.

"We expect to present a very robust case to the board," Rooney said.

Former Marine Corps judge and attorney Gary Solis said convening a Board of Inquiry to decide Chessani's fate is a rare step.

"This is beyond unusual," said Solis, who teaches military law at Washington's Georgetown University. "I have never heard of a senior officer being subjected to a Board of Inquiry. My guess is that at worst he will be found to have exercised substandard judgment and be admonished."

Chessani commanded Camp Pendleton's 3rd Marine Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, at Haditha when the civilians were slain after a roadside bombing that killed one Marine and injured two others on the morning of Nov. 19, 2005.

Several women and children were among the slain when troops led by Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich stormed several homes where they believed the people responsible for the bombing were hiding.

Military investigators later said none of the slain could be tied to the insurgency, prompting an international outcry that led to criminal charges against eight Marines ---- four triggermen and four officers accused of failing to investigate.

Last year, a military judge ordered the charges against Chessani dismissed, citing the appearance of unlawful command influence. A military appeals court later upheld the dismissal.

Solis said recommendations reached by a Board of Inquiry are generally followed by the Navy Secretary, a civilian appointee.

"I would be very surprised if Colonel Chessani is reduced in rank," Solis said. "This is a man who for 18 years has given great and good service to the Marine Corps and risked his life. I don't think his reward for all that will be anything too severe and he may even escape an admonishment."

As for the remainder of the men charged with criminal wrongdoing in Haditha, most of the cases were dropped before trial. The only defendant to see his case go to trial was found not guilty of lying to investigators and trying to destroy evidence.

With Friday's announcement regarding Chessani, the only remaining defendant is Wuterich, who led his squad on a deadly chase through several homes near the bomb site.

Wuterich's trial on multiple counts of voluntary manslaughter and related charges remains on hold while a military appeals court considers whether CBS News should be forced to turn over outtakes of a "60 Minutes" interview with Wuterich.

Wild Thing's comment......

This is great news that they won't try to reinstate the charges.

BUT it is unconsionable that they are even considering that travesty of a Board of Inquiry.

The Colonel DID NOTHING WRONG!!!! He shouldn't have to face the consideration of a reduction of rank. A promotion is in order, not a demotion.

And now they should HANG John Murtha for what he said and especially saying it while we are at war. Can't they do something when a person in goverment so obviously sides with the enemy during war time??? GRRRRRR

Only Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich is left and I'm sure his life is hell.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:49 AM | Comments (8)

August 26, 2009

GTMO's 'Floyd the Barber'

Air Force Tech Sgt. Ronald Comer, an information management specialist deployed here with the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron in support of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, and Air Force Lt. Col. John Dulin, commander of the 474th ECES, admire a finished haircut at Camp Justice, July 13. Comer has been cutting the hair of fellow Airmen since day one of his deployment to JTF Guantanamo. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detainees, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released by a court. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the War on Terror. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning for and, on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.

Air Force Tech Sgt. Ronald Comer, an information management specialist deployed here with the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron in support of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, cuts Air Force Lt. Col. John Dulin's hair at Camp Justice, July 13. Comer has been cutting the hair of fellow Airmen since day one of his deployment to JTF Guantanamo. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detainees, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released by a court. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the War on Terror. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning for and, on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.

by Sgt. Michael Baltz

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba

Many people have nicknames, and Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ronald Comer is no different. He has earned the nickname of "Floyd the Barber," a character from the Andy Griffith Show.

Comer, an information management specialist with the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, has been cutting the hair of fellow Airmen since day one of his deployment to Joint Task Force Guantanamo.

"I never cut hair before," Comer said. "The first night here, some guys wanted a haircut and I just started practicing. I now have over 40 customers."

Along with a table of magazines to read while people wait for a haircut, Comer has his own barber's chair, trimmers, razors and clippers.

"I don't charge anything, I am just helping out the guys," Comer said. "It builds morale. It keeps them within regulation and looking good. It also saves them the hassle of sitting in line and getting a haircut. I do get tips every now and then, but it isn't necessary."

Comer has evolved from day one; cutting more than 400 heads of hair since he has been here.

"I can do a fade," Comer said. "I am pretty picky about things, so I try to do a good job. I cut their hair to fit their head. I want them to be proud of it."

Comer is dedicated to keeping his clients looking sharp.

"I can't cut people's hair when they are busy, so I am pretty flexible," Comer said. "I usually cut hair when people have free time or in the evening or on the weekends. I did one last week at 7 a.m."

Comer doesn't claim to be perfect and admits to making mistakes along the way.

"I have put the wrong guard on before, but it all worked out," Comer said casually. "I just cut it shorter."

One person he is sure to take care of is the 474th ECES commander, Air Force Lt. Col. John Dulin.

"It is a great thing he is doing, it allows everyone to look good," Dulin said. "He gives a good haircut. We give him the time and ability to do it."

Dulin said there would not be any repercussions if Comer made a mistake.

"He hasn't messed up my hair," Dulin said. "Yet."

Unfortunately, the females haven't been able to enjoy Comer's haircuts.

"They won't let me cut their hair," Comer said gloomily.

"I am going to start cutting my wife's hair though; it will save me some money," Comer added jokingly.

As far as continuing his new role in the unit, it will not end anytime soon.

"My unit members] want me to keep on cutting their hair when I get home," Comer said. "I have already made a deal with a few of them to keep on doing it on drill weekends."

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (8)

Sister, Brother Reunite in Iraq

Chief Warrant Officer Heath Wieseler chats with his sister, Sgt. Andrea Wieseler, in a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter on COB Speicher Aug. 13. Heath and Andrea spent a few days together after not seeing each other for more than two years.

Sister, Brother Reunite in Iraq

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq

Deployments usually separate Soldiers from their families. However, for one Red Bull Soldier, it provided the chance to reunite with her brother.

Sgt. Andrea Wieseler, a telecommunications sergeant with the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, hadn't seen her brother, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Heath Wieseler, in more than two years. Heath, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot, is deployed to Contingency Operating Base Speicher with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division.

Andrea's supervisors allowed her to take some time to meet up with her brother.

"I have been waiting for this since the day I arrived in Iraq," Andrea said.

Although Heath knew there would be a possibility Andrea would get the opportunity to come up and see him, she surprised him early. He was on a mission to drop off passengers at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. At the last moment, he was informed he was to pick up passengers to take back to COB Speicher, not knowing one of those passengers was his sister.

They flew to COB Speicher and after Heath landed the helicopter, they greeted each other with a hug and the emotions started to flow.

"It caught me by surprise when I looked back to see her get on the helicopter," Heath said.

It turned out they were able to spend a few days to catch up on old times and have some great laughs.

"Everything worked out perfect," said Andrea. "I was so happy to have him pick me up in his helicopter; he is a real hero to me."

Heath has traveled a lot in his 16 years of active duty. Military training and travel have prevented him from returning to his hometown of Howard Lake, Minn., to see his family.

"It was so great to have Andrea around," Heath said. "It was nice to be with family, someone you can share common things and talk about family back in Minnesota."

The two of them spent time talking, laughing and sharing events of the past two years. Heath talked about his wife Geri and sons Tyler and Trevor, while Andrea shared her experiences of the deployment so far and the friendships she has made.

"I was so excited; it was a dream come true," Andrea said. "I waited a long time for this."

Wild Thing's comment......

What a neat story, I am thrilled they got to see each other in Iraq. That time together will be special to them for the rest of their lives.

God bless Sgt. Andrea Wieseler and her brother Chief Warrant Officer Heath Wieseler.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:40 AM | Comments (5)

August 23, 2009

2/8 Marines Engage in Six-hour Firefight With Taliban Insurgents

Staff Sgt. James Simmons, a platoon sergeant with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, takes a quick pause during a seven-hour firefight as an U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber drops a 500-pound bomb on insurgent positions here, Aug. 13. Simmons is from Winter Park, Fla.

2/8 Marines Engage in Six-hour Firefight With Taliban Insurgents

by 1st Lt. Kurt Stahl

MIAN POSHTEH

Marines and Afghan National Army soldiers departed their outpost on a combat patrol, Aug. 13, that turned into the largest firefight here since July 4.

The Marines of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, waged an intense six-hour battle with Taliban insurgents who opened fire on the patrol just after 8 a.m.

After moving only about one mile from their combat outpost, the Marines received a heavy volley of enemy gunfire from multiple directions. Without hesitation, the Marines and ANA returned fire to suppress the enemy positions, began maneuvering on the insurgents and call for fire support.

"We sent out the combat patrol anticipating contact," said Capt. E.A. Meador from Laurel, Miss., the company commander. "They always try to hit us in that area."

Within minutes, an AH-1W Super Cobra and a UH-1N Huey were on station overhead to help suppress and engage enemy targets. The Cobra fired several five-inch Zuni rockets into one of the compounds from which the patrol was receiving sustained fire.

The friendly forces maneuvered through thick corn fields with slippery mud while enduring temperatures that exceeded 120 degrees in the afternoon. The muggy heat rose from the corn fields as if it were a sauna, and the Marines sunk into the mud with each step making it feel like weights were attached to their ankles.

"I didn't think it was possible to move so fast through mud like that," said Lance Cpl. Timothy Daughtry, a squad automatic weapon gunner.

In addition to those already challenging conditions, each Marine carried no less than a 60-pound combat load to include body armor, ammunition and water at a minimum. Despite the potential distractions offered by these extreme conditions while under fire, the Marines executed sound judgment calls and made rational decisions without hesitation.

"At the squad and platoon level, the Marines are out there every day and do a phenomenal job," said Meador. "They come back beat and tired, but they are always ready to do it again the next day."

During the engagement, the squad leaders were encouraging and directing their Marines to ensure they were doing everything they could to stay effective and in the fight. No matter how tired they became as time wore on, the voice of experience could be heard across the battlefield.

"Push forward. Keep your dispersion," called out Sgt. Jonathon Delgado, a squad leader from Kissimmee, Fla., as his Marines pressed through the corn field to maneuver on one of the compounds hiding the enemy.

By 1 p.m. – five hours into the engagement – many of the Marines had run out of water. So, water and ammunition redistribution began from those who still had a reserve and continued throughout the remainder of the day as needed.

During the firefight, the Marines were successful in calling in several types of precision ordnance on the insurgent fighting positions, which included rockets fired by the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems based at Camp Dwyer 15 miles away; 81mm and 60mm mortars; and a 500-pound bomb from a U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber.

"We caught them by surprise with our indirect fire assets and inflicted heavier casualties than in the past," said 1st Lt. Kyle Kurtz from Greensborough, N.C., the company's executive officer.

The Marines and ANA eventually maneuvered up to and cleared the insurgent positions initially used to launch the ambush. One moment they were fighting in open fields, and the next they were clearing rooms the insurgents had used as fighting positions – two very different and challenging combat techniques. One squad, expecting to encounter some resistance, went to clear the western compound where the patrol had initially taken heavy fire. As they entered the compound, the only thing that was they found were brass casings and links from the enemy's machine guns.

"It was tense going through the compound," Daughtry commented. "You never know exactly what is coming around the corner."

Between the sprints across the corn fields under fire to clearing compounds, the Marines felt lucky to have made it through the day unscathed.

"I definitely think I have had an angel watching out for me at times," said Lance Cpl. Josh Vance, a team leader from Raleigh, N.C.

In past firefights here, insurgents have kept their distance when engaging the Marines, but things were different during this battle.

"This was the first time in a while that we were able to close with the enemy so effectively," Kurtz said. "We were within 50-75 meters – right on top of them."

The platoon-sized element that took the initial contact was only one surprise Company E had for the insurgents this day. When they started to run, a second platoon was sent out to meet them.

The Taliban militants displaced to another location they had used to launch attacks from in the past – a large wall. During the follow-on fight, the Marines were able to cut off the insurgents' escape route and deny them the ability to use the wall for effective future attacks.

"It was a very successful day for us," said Kurtz.

Wild Thing's comment......

God bless our troops and keep them safe.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (4)

Paratrooper-in-training John Michael, 7, Turns Out To Watch 82nd Airborne Paratroopers Arrive in Indy

Young Fans Turn Out to Watch 82nd Airborne Paratroopers Arrive in Indy

of Greenfield, Ind., shakes hands with Steve Frazer, President of the 82nd Airborne Division Association while waiting for the arrival of paratroopers from the Fort Bragg, N.C.-based 82nd Airborne Division at Mt. Comfort Airfield in Indianapolis on Aug. 20. More than 150 paratroopers landed at Mount Comfort in three C-130 Hercules aircraft to kick off off the 63rd National Convention of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, being held this year in Indianapolis....Photo by Sgt. Michael Pryor

>br>

Greenfield, Ind., native John Michael, 7, is dressed for the occasion as he watches a C-130 Hercules aircraft lift off after depositing paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division at Mt. Comfort Airfield in Indianapolis on Aug. 20. The arrival of the paratroopers kicked off the 63rd National Convention of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, being held this year in Indianapolis.

Greenfield, Ind. native John Michael, 7, is dressed for the occasion as he watches the progress of an inbound C-130 Hercules aircraft carrying paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division about to land at Mount Comfort Airfield in Indianapolis on Aug. 20. The arrival of the paratroopers kicked off the 63rd National Convention of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, being held this year in Indianapolis.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (2)

Paratroopers Arrive in Indiy for 63rd Annual 82nd Airborne Div Association Convention

Paratroopers Arrive in Indianapolis for the 63rd Annual 82nd Airborne Division Association Convention

Paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division run off the runway after landing at Mount Comfort Airfield in Indianapolis on Aug. 20. The Soldiers arrived to kick off the 63rd Annual 82nd Airborne Division Convention.

Joseph Viserta, from Port Jerbis, N.Y., stands with his grandson, Vinnie the Mt. Comfort Airfield in Indianapolis on August 20. Paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division landed at the Airfield to kick off the 63rd Annual 82nd Airborne Division Convention. Joseph Viserta joined the Army in 1945.

Paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division stand in formation after landing at Mt. Comfort Airfield in Indianapolis on Aug. 20. The Soldiers arrived to kick off the 63rd Annual 82nd Airborne Division Convention.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (2)

August 17, 2009

Puppy of Iraq War's Oldest Fallen Soldier Safe in States

Maj. Steven Hutchison adopted Laia, who was found on the base near Basra, Iraq. The two were inseparable.

His 11-man crew was running errands on an Army base near Basra when Hutchison ordered a lunch break.

The transition team, whose job was to train Iraqi police and soldiers, pulled their armored vehicles into the base's Subway restaurant and ordered sandwiches.

Hutchison paid, as was his wont, and gave the thumbs up to roll out, team members recall. But the logistics advisor threw back a thumbs down.

Soldiers had gathered around the back of one vehicle and were playing with a scrawny yellow puppy, one of the many strays that wander Iraqi streets.

New mission, Hutchison barked. He took the 1-month-old puppy back to his armored vehicle, fed her his turkey sandwich and gave her water from his bottle.

Maj. Steven Hutchison, 60, center, is the oldest U.S. casualty in Iraq. A Vietnam veteran, he was also a psychology professor.

Puppy of Iraq War's Oldest Fallen Soldier Safe in States

Paw Nation

We love happy endings, so when we read this heartwarming Los Angeles Times story about a soldier and the stray dog he came to love, we had to share it.

When Major Steven Hutchison was killed while serving in Iraq, he was, at 60, the oldest American casualty in either of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. His unit, who had come to love him like a father, devised a unique way to honor their fallen leader -- and it involved a puppy.

Why join the Army again?

Hutchison had enlisted in the Army in 1966, served two tours in Vietnam and was awarded a Bronze Star before retiring in 1988. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks he wanted to return to active military duty, but his wife Kandy Rhode wouldn't hear of it.

Married three times before, Hutchinson was devastated when Rhode died from cancer in 2006. "A part of him died," Hutchison's brother Richard Hutchison told the Huffington Post.

In July 2007, at the age of 59, Hutchison "signed up for the Army's Retiree Recall program," reports the Los Angeles Times. He was sent first to Afghanistan for a year and then onto Iraq where he joined the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.

Finding puppy love

Though Major Hutchison vowed he'd never fall in love again after the death of his wife, the seasoned military man fell surprisingly hard for a stray yellow puppy his unit found while leaving an Army base near Basra. According to the Los Angeles Times, Hutchison scooped the puppy into his arms and took her to his armored vehicle.

Hutchison named the puppy Laia [sic] (for Princess Leia, according to Stars and Stripes) and snuck her back to the base. Stray animals in Iraq are typically euthanized the same day they are caught, reports the Los Angeles Times, and service members are not allowed to keep any strays as pets.

But, the major "was hooked," Sgt. Andrew Hunt later emailed to Hutchison's family, according to the Los Angeles Times. The military man allowed Laia to sleep with him at night and sit in his lap while driving around to visit the unit's Iraqi counterparts.

Honoring Hutchison

On Mother's Day, May 10, 2009 -- two days before he was to go on leave and one month shy of his 61st birthday -- Major Hutchison was killed by a roadside bomb while patrolling with his team in Al Farr, Iraq, near Basra. Laia was not with him that day; he had left her behind at the base. He was buried in Scottsdale, Arizona on May 19 and is survived by his mother, brother, half brother, half sister and two adult daughters.

As a tribute to Major Hutchison, Sgt. Hunt secured approval to send Laia to the United States and worked with the U.S. Embassy in Iraq and SPCA International's Baghdad Pups to transport the lucky pooch to America and place her in a home, which costs the non-profit animal rescue group about $4,000.

Major Hutchison would be happy to know that the scrawny yellow puppy he rescued is now happily living in Michigan with the family of a special agent who worked with Hutchison's team in Iraq. Though Laia lost one of her legs to an infection, she is doing well.

Wild thing's comment........

I feel so badly Hutchinson was killled, I am glad though he and Laia met even for a short time to share in each others lives. The war stories from every war are always dotted with such awesome stories of animals our troops meet when deployed. The amazing thing is, that each life touchs the other, Laia was needed by Hutchinson even if he did not know it at the time. And Laia needed him as well. What a beautiful story.

PAW Nation is awesome.

....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.

Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:50 AM | Comments (6)

August 16, 2009

In Country With Our Troops ~ Afghanistan

U.S. Marines go door-to-door in Dahaneh, Afghanistan.( Taliban Stronghold )

FOX News' Greg Palkot is the only reporter traveling with a combined force of 500 Marines and Afghan soldiers as they carry out day two of air and ground assault Operation Eastern Resolve. The operation is aimed at liberating a key town in Northern Helmand province of Taliban and to secure a strategic More.. pass used by Taliban fighters. What follows is Palkot's latest report.

Day two of Operation Eastern Resolve is drawing to a close. We are with Golf Company, with the 2/3 Marines, they have had a pretty busy day. And camera man Mal James and I spent some time with the Marines in this very dangerous town. It got off to a little bit of a rough start.

We’ve been hearing Taliban fire all around us, coming into contact with the Marines. I can hear it right now.

These Marines are working with another squad, another platoon as they work their way down this village trying to clear this place. But the Taliban aren’t giving up.

The Marines are going house to house, they’re going compound to compound to make sure that there are no militants remaining and they’re doing it while the Taliban that the Marines didn’t kill yesterday try to kill these Marines today.

Morning patrols faced some fairly stiff resistance — the Taliban firing from positions in the mountains surrounding the town, as well as sniping positions in town as well.

Not an easy job, but they’re doing it, and the sense today is that a corner has been turned. Hot temperatures here today though, and some very tired Marines here tonight.

Gunfight and Airstrike in Korengal Valley

Photo by Sgt. Matthew Moeller

U.S. Army and Air Force personnel assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, return fire at insurgent positions in the Korengal Valley's steep hillside in Afghanistan's Kunar province, Aug. 13.

The 20 minute gun battle ended with 500 pound bombs, dropped by U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jets, destroying insurgent positions in the surrounding hills. No civilians were injured during the battle.

International Security Assistance Forces across Afghanistan have increased operations in recent months, in order to ensure safety and security during Afghanistan's second national election, scheduled for the end of August.

Obama's Afghanistan War Plan Faces First Major Test With Country's Election

Obama's new Afghanistan war plan is facing its first major test, and it's not on the battlefield.

The president has called next Thursday's election the most important event all year in Afghanistan. The first phase of the reordered counterinsurgency strategy Obama announced in March is hinged to it, and the U.S. is taking no chances, pressing a new military offensive this week to make sure the voting comes off well.

The Taliban has warned it will disrupt the election, including threats of suicide bombings of polling places. Wide turnout would be a symbolic rejection of the insurgency, and the U.S. is hoping for more than token participation in districts recently under the Taliban thumb.

It's not about who wins the election, the White House says. Rather the voting is a test of the ability of U.S. forces to protect civilians -- the new top military priority -- and the willingness of voters to accept that help. The success of the revised strategy depends on winning the trust of civilians.

U.S. officials stress that the elections are being run by Afghans, hoping the country will embrace the results as homegrown rather than the result of foreign fixers. However, that could leave the Afghan government holding the bag if voters see the results as illegitimate.

Obama sent 17,000 additional combat troops to Afghanistan in the spring and summer to help blunt a resurgent Taliban ahead of the voting, and his administration is spending millions to help an underperforming Afghan government run a relatively safe and open election.

About 400 Marines opened a large offensive in southern Afghanistan just this week to uproot Taliban fighters, disrupt intimidation campaigns ahead of the voting and help provide protected passage to the polls.

Before the U.S. Marines arrived, insurgents had papered one dust-blown town with notes warning that voting would mean a slit throat.

Insurgent attacks are already rising in Afghanistan, which U.S. commanders attribute partly to efforts to derail the election and partly to the fact that U.S. and NATO forces are pressing farther into former Taliban sanctuaries.

Deaths among U.S. and other NATO troops have soared. With 74 foreign troops killed -- including 43 Americans -- July was the deadliest month for international forces since the start of the war in 2001.

Wild Thing's comment.......

God bless our troops!!!! Prayers for our troops, they sacrifice so much every day and work so hard with never enough appreciation. For those that do get to read this, you are in our thoughts every day and we are so proud of each one of you.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:45 AM | Comments (6)

August 15, 2009

Obama Wants Air Force To BUZZ Taliban Before Bombing in Afghanistan

The A-10 is literally built around its 30-mm GE GAU-8 Avenger seven barrel cannon, the most powerful gun ever fitted to an aircraft of this class. It was designed for high-survivability with a titanium cover surrounding both the cockpit, ammunition and fuel tank. Placement of the engines decreases the infrared signature lowering it's vulnerablity to heatseeking missiles and ground fire.

Air Force may buzz before bombing in Afghanistan

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C.

The Air Force general in charge of the air war in Afghanistan says a new strategy means warplanes in some cases may be buzzing rather than bombing some insurgents.

Lt. Gen. Gilmary Hostage said Thursday that his job is to support the strategy of winning Afghan support as formulated by the new U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal. As part of that, McChrystal imposed restrictions on air power to limit civilian casualties.

Hostage told reporters at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina his forces can easily drop bombs with pinpoint accuracy.

But the three-star general said that at times, it may be better to fly low over enemy forces and disperse them with noisy warplanes that threaten with firepower but don't immediately unleash it.

Ad campaign seeks workers at 'civilian resettlement facility'

The first thing we do is fly over head, and the bad guys know airpower is in place and oftentimes that's enough. That ends the fight, they vamoose," said Hostage, who will direct the air battle over Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The A-10 has a very distinct sound. The cannon on an A-10 is horrifically capable and our adversaries know it. When they hear the sound of an A-10, they scatter."

HiFi A-10 1.3 (engine sounds)

Hostage says the Air Force can easily drop bombs with pinpoint accuracy. But in some cases, it may be better to fly over enemy forces with noisy warplanes to get them to disperse first, then try more force if that doesn't work.

Hostage said he supports the new U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who is shifting the philosophy toward irregular warfare.

"The challenge with irregular warfare is to empower and enable the people to the point where they don't allow the adversary to hide in amongst them," Hostage said. "It really is a long-term effort."

Hostage said McChrystal has told his forces, "If you are in a situation where there's a civilian at risk, he'd rather have us back away than pressing to engage the enemy and run the risk of damaging or hurting somebody."

Wild Thing's comment......

“Lt. Gen. Gilmary Hostage”

Tell me that this is a joke. General Hostage is not interested in killing the enemy?

I will not believe these orders are directly from McChrystal. They come directly from Obama himself.

Next up, Marines will be ordered to fire 'warning' shots before firing on suspected Taliban. Embedded lawyers will ensure compliance. Soldiers shouting “BANG BANG” at terrorists. Plumbing new depths of stupidity every day since 1/20/09. Good Lord, we train these brave young men to win wars; not to die for the worst president ever in a war he doesn’t want to fight to win!

"...fly low over enemy forces and disperse them with noisy warplanes ..."

Why would you want to "disperse" people you presumably would want to kill?

Why is this President so insistent in having America give up it's single greatest tactical advantage - air dominance?

If soldiers get the idea that you care more about the enemy than you do the mission or the lives of the soldiers themselves, you may suddenly have problems staffing this mission.

Why don’t we just send the Thunderbirds and get them to like us through a display of our precision flying.

Hey, maybe the flyby will give the enemy the opportunity to calibrate their shoulder luanched missiles.

Hey Abdul, the Air Force just buzzed us as a warning! Get the SA-7’s out of the hut!

Are they channeling Robert McNamara? Here it comes, Vietnam stage two. Remember LBJ and McNamara in the Oval office picking bombing targets off a map? By the time the order got to the pilots, the bad guys had moved down the trail. That’s what happens when politicians run a war.

If we did this in WW2 we would all be speaking German or Japanese.

Whatever happened to the “Kill them all and let God sort them out” I like that one much better.

DAMN Obama!

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 10:50 AM | Comments (18)

August 12, 2009

In Country Afghanistan With Our Troops

Insurgents Caught Planting Explosives

Helicopter gun camera video footage released today shows the deliberate steps International Security Assistance Force personnel took when countering the threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) placed by two insurgents Aug. 5 along a road in southern Zabul province, Afghanistan. Scenes include an Attack Weapons Team of helicopters assigned to the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade of Task Force Pegasus observing and engaging two insurgents emplacing an IED, destroying them and eliminating the threat.

Patience Needed to Beat Taliban, McChrystal Says

The Taliban will not win the war in Afghanistan, the commander of NATO and U.S. forces there said in Kabul today.

"We will win. The Taliban won't win," Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal said during an interview on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition."

Still, he acknowledged, the struggle against the Taliban and their al-Qaida allies will be long and hard, with good and bad days, good and bad months, and the tragedy of civilian and coalition casualties.

The International Security Assistance Force is facing an aggressive enemy, NATO officials in Kabul said. The Taliban are employing complex tactics, and are gaining momentum in some parts of Afghanistan. "However, in those areas and others, insurgents face their own problems in terms of public support, cohesiveness and their ability to sustain their morale and fighting capacity," said Air Force Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis, an ISAF spokesman.

The insurgents have achieved some momentum in recent years in southern and eastern Afghanistan. But recent ISAF operations in Helmand province have reversed some of these gains, officials said. Northern and western Afghanistan and the area around the capital of Kabul are relatively stable, he added.

"The fact that we've witnessed recent attacks in those areas underscores the fact that we cannot adopt a static approach to counterinsurgency operations against an adaptive enemy," Sholtis said. "We need to partner with the Afghan government to reinforce success in the areas we hold in order to build lasting foundations for stability. But we also need to be able to help the developing Afghan national security forces establish control of contested areas."

Patience is needed, as the effort in Afghanistan will take years, and one key to it is growing the Afghan security forces, McChrystal said. "This is a job that takes not only resolve, it takes patience and courage – it takes military and political courage to do this," he said.

The effort in Afghanistan will not be won by military force alone, and certainly won't be over by taking an enemy capital, the general noted. "You are actually fighting to convince people to support their government," he explained.

Afghan forces are key to the effort. Commanders in Regional Command South, an area of intense effort against the Taliban, want more Afghan soldiers. American, British and Danish forces are fighting alongside Afghan soldiers and believe they are doing well, McChrystal said.

The general also told NPR that he will delay the strategic assessment he's conducting for Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates until after Afghanistan's Aug. 20 national election. "I asked to delay that so that I'd be informed of what happened in the elections, because I thought it was such a data point," he said. "My overall read of the situation here would be much better if I could have that in the rear view mirror to look at."

McChrystal also said he will look at areas where insurgents are setting up, or attempting to set up, shadow governments. Other "data points" include levels of violence, the growth of Afghan security forces, support for governance, the number of children in school, commerce and so on. "It's extraordinarily complex to try to put together a clear picture," the general said.

Wild Thing's comment........

I wish with all my heart that our troops could have a different CIC.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM | Comments (7)

Sean Hannity’s Freedom Concert in Dallas, Texas with Billy Ray Cyrus

This video from the Freedom Concert in Dallas last week. Billy Ray Cyrus singing "Some Gave All" to 2 wounded warriors on stage.

Wild Thing's comment......

I have been to two of these concerts and they are more then worth it. All proceeds go the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund… this fund gives scholarships to the children of veterans who were killed or permanently disabled while serving in active duty military. The Founder and Honorary Chairman is LtCol Oliver L. North, USMC (Ret.)

Let freedom ring… God bless our troops and God bless America!

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:40 AM | Comments (2)

August 11, 2009

CIC Obama Calling it War on Al-Queda Now Facing Taliban Terrorism on Rise

US Commander: Taliban Winning in Afghanistan, Terrorism on Rise ........FOX News

U.S. soldiers from the 5th Stryker Brigade take position next to Sari Ghundi village as they patrol near the Pakistani border in Afghanistan.

Taliban Now Winning

U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Warns of Rising Casualties

The Wall Street Journal

The Taliban have gained the upper hand in Afghanistan, the top American commander there said, forcing the U.S. to change its strategy in the eight-year-old conflict by increasing the number of troops in heavily populated areas like the volatile southern city of Kandahar, the insurgency's spiritual home.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal warned that means U.S. casualties, already running at record levels, will remain high for months to come.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the commander offered a preview of the strategic assessment he is to deliver to Washington later this month, saying the troop shifts are designed to better protect Afghan civilians from rising levels of Taliban violence and intimidation. The coming redeployments are the clearest manifestation to date of Gen. McChrystal's strategy for Afghanistan, which puts a premium on safeguarding the Afghan population rather than hunting down militants.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander, is making protection of civilians a priority over hunting Taliban rebels.

Gen. McChrystal said the Taliban are moving beyond their traditional strongholds in southern Afghanistan to threaten formerly stable areas in the north and west.

The militants are mounting sophisticated attacks that combine roadside bombs with ambushes by small teams of heavily armed militants, causing significant numbers of U.S. fatalities, he said. July was the bloodiest month of the war for American and British forces, and 12 more American troops have already been killed in August.

"It's a very aggressive enemy right now," Gen. McChrystal said in the interview Saturday at his office in a fortified NATO compound in Kabul. "We've got to stop their momentum, stop their initiative. It's hard work."

To read the FULL ARTICLE Please CLICK HERE

Wild Thing's comment.......

Any death of even one of our troops will be on Obama.

After this kind of thing, I doubt Obama care about any attacks by the Taliban.....

Obama wants to REACH OUT TO THE MODERATE TALIBAN" A Taliban spokesman, who said that the US president’s overture was a sign of weakness, poured cold water on the notion that “moderate” fighters could be easily turned. Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi said: “They say they want to speak to moderate Taliban, but they will not be able to find such people because we are united around the aim of fighting for freedom and bringing an Islamic system to Afghanistan.” He added that Obama’s comments were a reflection of the fact that the Americans had become tired and worried..........March 7 , 2009

Obama: "Victory" Not Necessarily The "Goal" In Afghanistan. ~ July 24,2009

"The President does not describe this as a 'war on terrorism,'" said John Brennan, head of the White House homeland security office, who outlined a "new way of seeing" the fight against terrorism.
The only terminology that Mr. Brennan said the administration is using is that the U.S. is "at war with al Qaeda." ....August 6,2009

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (20)

August 10, 2009

National Guard Recruiting for 'internment' Cops

Why is National Guard recruiting for 'internment' cops?

By Bob Unruh

An ad campaign featured on a U.S. Army website seeking those who would be interested in being an "Internment/Resettlement" specialist is raising alarms across the country, generating concerns that there is some truth in those theories about domestic detention camps, a roundup of dissidents and a crackdown on "threatening" conservatives.

The ads, at the GoArmy.com website as well as others including Monster.com, cite the need for:

"Internment/Resettlement (I/R) Specialists in the Army are primarily responsible for day-to-day operations in a military confinement/correctional facility or detention/internment facility. I/R Specialists provide rehabilitative, health, welfare, and security to U.S. military prisoners within a confinement or correctional facility; conduct inspections; prepare written reports; and coordinate activities of prisoners/internees and staff personnel.

Some of your duties as an Internment/Resettlement Specialist may include:

Assist with the supervision and management of confinement and detention operations
Provide external security to confinement/corrections facilities or detention/internment facilities
Provide counseling and guidance to individual prisoners within a rehabilitative program
Prepare or review reports and records of prisoners/internees and programs

Advanced level Internment/Resettlement Specialist provides guidance, supervises and trains other Soldiers within the same discipline. As an advanced level I/R Specialist, you may be involved in:

Supervise and establish all administrative, logistical and food support operations, confinement/correctional, custodial, treatment, and rehabilitative activities
Responsible for all personnel working in the confinement/correctional facility, including security, logistical, and administrative management of the prisoner/internee population
Provide command and control, staff planning, administration/logistical services, and custody/control for the operation of an Enemy Prisoner of War/Civilian Internee (EPW/CI) camp
Provide command and control, staff planning, administration/logistical services, and custody/control for the operation of detention facility or the operation of a displaced civilian (DC) resettlement facility

The campaign follows by only weeks a report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warning about "right-wing extremists" who could pose a danger to the country – including those who support third-party political candidates, oppose abortion and would prefer to have the U.S. immigration laws already on the books enforced.

The "extremism" report coincided with a report out of California that the Department of Defense was describing protesters as "low-level terrorists."

The new ad says successful candidates will "provide external security to … detention/internment facilities" and "provide counseling and guidance to individual prisoners within a rehabilitative program."

Officials at the state and federal National Guard levels told WND they were unaware of the program, although one officer speculated it could be intended for soldiers trained in the U.S. and dispatched overseas to "detention facilities." From the national level, WND was told, officials were unaware of any such "internment facilities" at which there could be jobs to be available.

August 05, 2009

“‘The Bullet Magnet’ is back!”

Staff Sgt. Brandon Camacho, 22, shows off his 10th Mountain Division patch that was pierced by a bullet in a near miss in April. A month later, the squad leader with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment,was shot in the same arm, earning him a fourth Purple Heart for combat wounds

Staff Sgt. Brandon Camacho (right), 22, receives a warm welcome from 1st Lt. Scott Davis when he returns to his unit on Friday after being shot in May, his fourth time wounded in combat.

‘The Bullet Magnet’ is back in the fight in Afghanistan

Stars and Stripes

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan

Staff Sgt. Brandon Camacho was in a "pissing contest" with the enemy. He shot one guy, then another popped up.

He threw a grenade, but it bounced off the man and exploded in a ditch.

As the squad leader then zigzagged through a field, he felt someone tug at his shirt sleeve. Hours later, after the firefight, he’d discover that a bullet had whizzed right through it, narrowly missing his bicep. It tore a hole through his 10th Mountain Division patch and through a pack of cigarettes in his arm pocket, destroying all but one.

"So I pulled it out and had myself a cigarette," Camacho says, holding the patch over his arm. Then he lifts the patch to expose a scar. It’s not from that bullet in April, but from another one a month later, earning the 22-year-old his fourth Purple Heart for wounds in a war he just won’t quit.

Struck by shrapnel during heavy mortar bombardment in Iraq in 2003, Camacho has since been grazed by one bullet, hit in the shoulder with a tracer round and finally, in June, shot in the arm. His men call him "The Bullet Magnet" and joke that since all his injuries have been on his left side, if they just stand to his right, they’ll be fine.

The most Purple Hearts received by one person is eight, according to various sources, but receiving four remains a rare occurrence.

A soldier’s soldier with a penchant for military history, Camacho has risen from private to staff sergeant with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team’s Company B, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, through three deployments and four combat wounds. He’s been shot, mortared, came within seconds of being struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. He’s watched colleagues die.

“He’s the most experienced guy I know,” said Sgt. Daniel Hernandez, 23, of Odessa, Texas, who is in Camacho’s squad. “He can take any bad situation and use it in our favor. If we could fight this war and pick a dream team, I’d pick him.”

Camacho dreams of digging his toes in the sand and sipping a drink by the ocean in his native Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory. And while he toys with the idea of getting out next year, he’s still in awe of the U.S. Army.

“I remember when I was a private. I’d look at my squad leader and think, ‘Look at him. He’s a staff sergeant. No one can touch these guys.’ Now I think, ‘God, I am the same,’ ” he says.

He recites the names of the men who didn’t make it: Maj. Douglas Sloan, the company commander with a great sense of humor they used to call “Lunch Box” because he was always looking for snacks, killed by a bomb in Wygal Valley, Afghanistan, on Oct. 31, 2006; Pfc. Alex Oceguera, who was killed with Sloan in the blast; Sgt. Russell Durgin, who died on June 13, 2006, in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, when his unit took small-arms fire; and Sgt. Brandon Adams, Camacho’s first roommate at Fort Drum, who taught him how to clean his boots and was killed in Iraq. Adams died of injuries sustained Feb. 16, 2004, when a grenade exploded as he was clearing a house in Fallujah.

“You meet the best people in the world in the Army,” Camacho says.

His first combat wound came in 2003, when his Army base near Fallujah came under mortar fire. Shrapnel was screaming into flesh and lit the tents on fire.

While Camacho was running to the bunker, a shard of burning metal struck just above his left knee, and a rocket hit the structure. He headed for another bunker but fell. Sgt. Ryan Haskins, who is deployed with him again now in Afghanistan, picked him up and pulled him to safety.

It was a singed flesh wound and Camacho was back in his unit two weeks later.

The son of a Saipan-born father and a American-born mother, and grandson of a U.S. Navy World War II veteran, Camacho grew up understanding what it is to be an American in a bigger world. His uncle is a command sergeant major with the 101st Airborne Division.

He was born in Saipan but moved to the States as a teen, joining the Army at 18, straight out of high school. It was shortly after 9/11, and he knew he’d be going to war.

He knows he’s fighting “on the right side of this war,” and takes his responsibility for his men seriously.

His uncle yelled at him for being the guy on point.

“He said I shouldn’t be doing that anymore,” Camacho says.

He smiles.

“They tell me I need to go back to basic training and practice IMT (individual movement technique) a lot more,” he says. “A lot of people say I am unlucky. But I think I am pretty damn lucky.”

He notes wryly that everyone in his platoon who has gotten hit has been in his squad. But even they trust Camacho to lead them through battle.

“The way he trained us back in Drum, I don’t want to be with no one else,” said Spc. Devin Johnson, of Chester, S.C., who was hit with bullet fragments in both legs in May when insurgents fired at the turret of a truck where he was gunning. “If something happens, we know what to do.”

Camacho’s second and third Purple Hearts came during his next deployment in Afghanistan’s northeastern Nuristan province. He had just come off a tough year back home. His father suffered a stroke and his grandfather died.

In July 2006, a bullet grazed his fingers as he pulled himself over a rock while chasing the enemy. He was hit again in April 2007, this time with a tracer round, after their deployment got extended beyond March. Both times, he finished the fight before realizing he was wounded. And both times, he was back to work within weeks.

Finally, in June 2007, Camacho went home, two more Purple Hearts in hand.

When it came time to redeploy this year, Camacho was assigned a recruiting job, which would have kept him out of harm’s way.

But the soldier was having none of it. He was thrilled when a captain intervened to get him back to the front lines.

Last May, Camacho, now a squad leader, and his men were chasing insurgents through tall grass in Afghanistan’s Logar province when a gunman jumped up and sprayed gunfire. Camacho reached back to get a magazine and felt like he’d been hit in the shoulder with a baseball bat. He was bleeding heavily. His arm froze up. But he kept firing until he got too dizzy and stumbled out to mounted units in trucks.

Camacho got his fourth Purple Heart and a two-week leave to go back home.

When he returned in July, the men greeted him warmly.

The next day, 1st Lt. Scott Davis, Camacho’s platoon leader, was talking to villagers at a girls school in the province’s Charkh District when shots rang out. Camacho was already at the forward position, where his men were returning fire from behind an orchard wall.

When the exchange was over, the men slid down behind the wall, smoking cigarettes as the adrenaline subsided.

“Welcome back, Sergeant,” one of the men called to Camacho.

“Right back in the game, huh, Sergeant?” said another.

Then Hernandez chimed in.

“‘The Bullet Magnet’ is back!”

Wild Thing's comment.......

The bullet tore a hole through his 10th Mountain Division patch and through a pack of cigarettes in his arm pocket, destroying all but one. .......“So I pulled it out and had myself a cigarette.”- SSG Brandon Camacho

God bless this hero.

Prayers for his safety and for those serving with him.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (5)

US Army Strong Commercial

This commercial is reciting, line by line, of the soldier's creed which is for the US Army.

Wild Thing's comment.....

Fantastic! I love how they make these ads. They show them at the movie theatre's too. Then I get to clap and cheer for it....heh heh...before the film starts.

Thank you US Army active duty and Veterans!

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM | Comments (2)

August 04, 2009

Happy 219th Birthday U.S. Coast Guard

Video Clips of the US coast guard Music by - Aerosmith

The United States Coast Guard, one of the country's five armed services, is also one of the most unique agencies of the federal government. The USCG traces their history back to August 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized the construction of ten vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws, prevent smuggling, and protect the collection of the federal revenue. Known variously as the Revenue Marine and the Revenue Cutter Service, they expanded in size and responsibilities as the nation grew.

The service received its present name in 1915 under an act of Congress when the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the Life-Saving Service. The nation now had a single maritime service dedicated to saving life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws.

The Coast Guard began to maintain the country's aids to maritime navigation, including operating the nation's lighthouses, when the Lighthouse Service was transferred to the Coast Guard in 1939. Later, in 1946, Congress permanently transferred the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation to the Coast Guard, thereby placing merchant marine licensing and merchant vessel safety under The Coast Guard purview.

SEATTLE - A Maritime Safety and Security Team member conducts a vertical insertion demonstration from an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Astoria, Ore., during Seattle Seafair on Lake Washington. Seafair is one of the Pacific Northwest's largest maritime festivals. Nearly 2 million Puget Sound residents attend the festival each summer. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Third Class Tara Molle)

NEW ORLEANS (Aug. 30, 2005) - USCG Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn Beaty, 29, of Long Island,
N.Y., looks for survivors in the wake of Hurricane Katrina here today. Beaty is a member of an
HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue crew sent from Clearwater, Fla., to assist in search and
rescue efforts. USCG photograph by Petty Officer 2nd Class NyxoLyno Cangemi

USCG Spencer Rescue, WWII

Happy 219th Birthday to U.S. Coast Guard

August 4 is celebrated as Coast Guard Day to honor the establishment on that day in 1790 of the Revenue Cutter Service, forbearer of today's Coast Guard.

While the equipment and technology have vastly changed, the Coast Guard's 'always ready' spirit remains the same.

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you to all serving in the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Aux.. Happy Birthday!!!

......Thank you SSGT Steve

SSgt Steve
1st MarDiv, H Co., 2nd Bn, 5th Marine Regiment
2/5 Marines, Motto: "Retreat, Hell"
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (5)

August 03, 2009

Jack Webb Dragnet The D.I. Rare Extended Movie Trailer

Wild Thing's comment.........

Jack Webb's military service, U.S. Army Air Forces as a crewmember of a B-26 Marauder medium bomber during World War II. In reading his BIO, it said, his part as a Marine Corps drill instructor on Parris Island in the 1957 film The D.I , was his most famous role in any film he did, and the movie is a Classic.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (6)

August 01, 2009

GEN David Petreaus Speaking To The Marine Corps Association in Arlington VA

GEN David Petreaus, Commander, CENTCOM speaks about the unique nature of Marines, before the Marine Corps Association in Arlington VA.

Principles, Innovation Reveal Marines’ Success, Petraeus Says

Britain Will Stick with Afghan Combat Mission, says Envoy

ARLINGTON, Va.,

July 31, 2009

The secret to the U.S. Marine Corps’ success is a blending of bedrock principles with innovation, the commander of U.S. Central Command said here last night.

Using two examples from recent history -- the heroism of the last Marine Medal of Honor recipient and the turnaround in Iraq’s Anbar province, -- Army Gen. David H. Petraeus shared his view at an event hosted by the Marine Association Foundation.

“On the one hand, Marines display a stalwart resistance to change in those bedrock values that form the very foundation of what it means to be Marine,” he said. “On the other hand, Marines demonstrate a ready embrace of innovation that allows them to adapt to the environments in which they operate and to the enemies they face.”

Some of those timeless, unchanging truths that describe the Marine Corps include an unflinching devotion to one’s fellow Marines, a ready embrace of hardship and a universal emphasis on the skills and the spirit of the rifleman, he said.

Petraeus said these underlying principles are illustrated in the story of Marine Corps Cpl. Jason Dunham. In 2004, the 22-year-old Marine was killed in action in Karabilah, Iraq, when he used his body to cover a grenade and shield his fellow Marines from the ensuing blast.

Dunham became the 295th Marine to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, which is bestowed for gallantry in action. The Navy will christen a ship named in the fallen Marine’s honor -- the USS Jason Dunham -- next week during a ceremony at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.

Petraeus said the Marines’ actions in Anbar province illustrate their ability to adapt their strategy to meet unique challenges.

In 2006, Anbar province was one of Iraq’s most contentious regions. It was a society that had collapsed under the weight of an endemic insurgency with an infrastructure dilapidated by years of infighting and neglect. But amid the surge of U.S. forces in 2007, al-Qaida operatives overplayed their hands in Anbar, alienating local residents. Meanwhile, the influx of U.S. Marines helped to tamp down violence and create political breathing room, which in turn allowed the forging of key alliances between local tribal sheiks and coalition operators.

“As a result, sheiks started coming forward to coalition forces to discuss an alliance to throw off al-Qaida,” Petraeus said. “And this was the opening we needed.”

The “Anbar Awakening,” a societal purging of extremism by Anbaris, and formation of a civilian security group known as “Sons of Iraq” ushered in a level of stability unprecedented since U.S. operations in Iraq began.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that the Anbar Awakening helped alter the course of events in Iraq,” Petraeus said. “And I believe that generations from now, historians will continue to view it as a great example of the principled application of long-standing counterinsurgency principles.”

Wild Thing's comment.......

Gen. Petreaus is so good, I love the way he told this joke. He knew he would get a reaction heh heh

He has really shown how he cares about all our troops, in every branch of service they have really respected him and he has them as well.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:45 AM | Comments (3)

July 31, 2009

Anthony H. Cordesman Says "This War Needs To Be Taken Seriously" Please Listen Obama!

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Wednesday that his country is determined to carry on with its combat mission in Afghanistan despite a rise in casualties and skepticism in domestic opinion polls. Miliband discussed the Afghan situation and related issues with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton here in Washington.

Miliband says the Afghan conflict is in a "tough phase," but that Britain intends to work through the difficulties, side-by-side with the United States as Afghanistan approaches historic elections next month.

"We know that this is a challenge that is not going to be easily resolved in a short period of time," said Hillary Clinton. "But we believe that we are pursuing a strategy, both military and civilian, that holds out promise for achieving our principle objective - that is to destroy, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida and their allies in the syndicate of terror that has unfortunately taken root in Afghanistan and spilled over into Pakistan."

Clinton and Miliband stressed the importance of the August 20th Afghan presidential election - for reaffirming the democratic ideals for which the war is being fought and opening the way for a new Afghan government to share more of the security burden.

Anthony H. Cordesman

This man, Anthony H. Cordesman, gave an awesome speech and much of it is in the article above. He really lays in on the line including the corruption in the government there and also says this war needs to be taken seriouisly.
I hope you get a chance to watch the video. It really is worth it. They do not have this particular one at YouTube so I can only put the link here for you to CLICK ON LINK HERE FOR VIDEO AS SEEN BELOW IF IT DOES NOT WORK FOR YOU.

I will try to post the embedded code for the video. If anyone has trouble with my blog let me know and I can take the video off. Sometimes videos that are not YouTube or Live Leak mess with the code of my blog. Thank you.

Anthony H. Cordesman, the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discusses the war in Afghanistan.

More US Troops May Be Needed in Afghanistan, says Pentagon Advisor

A member of the strategic assessment team working with the new U.S. military commander in Afghanistan says the U.S. government and its allies need to be more realistic about what is needed to win the Afghan war, and he says that may include more troops.

Senior Washington analyst Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies says the United States and its allies need to take the Afghanistan war more seriously. He says they need to be honest about the security and development problems they have allowed to fester in recent years, and about the resources that will be needed to reverse the situation.

"This war has been fought without resources, but above all without realism," he said.

Cordesman is recently back from Afghanistan, where he joined other experts on a team advising the new U.S. commander, General Stanley McChrystal, on how to move forward. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Cordesman declined to speak directly about the strategic assessment team's deliberations, but he suggested he believes more U.S. troops are needed.

"If you don't provide those resources and additional brigade combat teams, if you do not, I think, effectively move the Afghan security forces toward doubling them. I think unless we're prepared to commit those resources. If we somehow believe that a civilian surge of 700 people and tailoring our force posture to the views of a completely different set of strategic priorities, this is going to win, the answer is no, it's going to lose," he said.

But Cordesman said policymakers in Washington should not limit General McChrystal's options in advance. Rather he says they should wait for the 60-day report the new commander will provide next month, based partly on the assessment in which Cordesman participated. He said the military experts are working hard on the question of how many U.S. troops are needed in Afghanistan. And he says it is particularly important to significantly increase the number of competent Afghan troops.

The analyst was sharply critical of the latest Pentagon report on the situation in Afghanistan, saying it does not provide an adequate assessment of the country's insurgency. He said U.S. intelligence services need to focus on that. In addition, he says the U.S. government needs to deal with what he called the corruption and power brokering in Afghanistan, and must bring integrity to the aid system and work with allies to get more military and civilian help from them.

Cordesman says some allies are not honest about their contributions or are not willing to recognize the seriousness of the situation and the need for more effort to fix it. He described the international aid effort in Afghanistan, now in its eighth year, as being conducted as if it were in its first year, and having little impact.

"What should be an integrated civil-military effort and a focus on winning the war in the field, is a dysfunctional, wasteful mess focused on Kabul and crippled by bureaucratic divisions," he said.

Wild Thing's comment.....

Well good for British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and shame on him too. The other day I posted how he said they wanted to pull out, they had 10 of their troops killed this last month and wanted to pull out. Now they have decided to stick it out and stay and fight along side our troops.

All of you at this blog and myself included have all been saying this war needs to be taken seriously and the enemy to be taken seriously. How even the wanting to rename it to some political correct name is BS and yet another way of not calling it like it is. and what this is all about.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (4)

In Country Afghanistan and IED Information

This one is from the NATO channel

The Kunduz Provincial Reconstruction Team has been under attacks from insurgents. Get an inside perspective with Soldiers from the PRT's Golf platoon as they go on a long-term patrol. July 12 For more videos check out NatoChannel.tv

Know your IEDs ( these are what our troops have to deal with ~ Wild Thing )

This information is to show the most probable type of IED you may see, and not necessarily how to defeat it. In keeping with protecting our troops and not giving the enemy the how to's of our awesome troops.
I would like to thank Afghan Lessons Leraned for Soldiers for this information and photos below. ~ Wild Thing

IEDs in Afghanistan are not as sophisticated as they typically are in Iraq but they tend to be much, much larger.

There are signs to look for on the side of the road, in the road and how to know what areas on the road are the highest risk.

I will talk about how you as a service-member may be traveling the roads could make a good guess as to what kinds of IEDs may be on the route you want to take.

There are several categories and sub-categories of IEDs. There are victim-initiated and command detonated.

Victim-initiated (VI) are dumb IEDs and the most dangerous. They don’t distinguish between local Afghans or coalition soldiers. They don’t require a triggerman or spotter. As the name suggests, they are triggered by the victim themselves. Good examples would be pressure plate IEDs or even a basic landmine.

Command Detonated (CD) IEDs are smarter than victim-initiated as in they require a trigger man to detonate. These triggers could be hardwired to the explosive or remote control detonated via a wireless signal of some type. There will always be a triggerman and these triggermen will almost always have “eyes on” the location of the IED so they know when to “trigger” it.

It is common to fine VI IEDs on routes that are not as heavily traveled by Afghans, and are usually on routes where the enemy can influence the locals to stay off of the route. The local areas can be informed of the threat so they don’t travel on the route. This raises the chance that only coalition forces will be the ones to initiate the IED. So this means you will rarely see VI IEDs on routes that have heavy traffic. For lack of a better term, these would be main supply routes (by Afghan standards).

Another example is that you can expect to see VI IEDs on routes which are one way (into a dead end of a valley, etc.), or on routes between small villages. This is why it is important to practice very good opsec and not allow your movement plans to leak out. If the enemy finds out you are planning to visit a particular location then it helps them know what routes they stand the highest chance of hitting you on.

CD IEDs will typically be found on high-traffic routes where any number of people could travel (jingle trucks, taxis, coalition forces, etc.) On these types of routes the enemy wants to be more selective of their target and hit the right target at the right time. While on these types of routes where there is a higher chance of seeing CD vs. VI IEDs you always want to have situational awareness of the area around you and in front of you to keep an eye out for the trigger man. There is also a slight chance to see VI IEDs on routes like this as I once experienced myself.

While on one mission, a part of our unit used a specific route that we were not aware of. Because of that and the fact that an IED cell was given an alert that we were heading down the road, they were able to hastily plant a standard anti-tank landmine with a modified tilt-rod. They did this as we rolled down the road and as we found out later, just barely got it installed before we came up on them. In fact the IED planter rode his bike right by my truck and even waved to me.

Command detonated IED hole that killed two and wounded two. This was a double-stack daisy-chain “pusher charge”

What a hastily planted anti-tank landmine will do to an Afghan Army Light Tactical Vehicle.

Hole left by Remote Controlled IED set off by a trigger man with bad timing. It blew right before the lead Humvee got to it. As you can see by the size of the hole, this was built for serious damage.

Wild Thing's comment.......

God bless all our awesome troops. This was such great information and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM

July 28, 2009

In Country With 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

Relocated Army outpost draws fire from angry Taliban insurgency

Stars and Stripes

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan

The attackers waited until dusk, then came at the yet-to-be fortified American outpost from three sides, armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.

It was a surprise, the first attack on the newly established outpost near the Charkh District Center in nearly two months, said Lt. Col. Thomas Gukeisen, the squadron commander who monitored Friday’s brief, unsuccessful ambush from his base about 20 miles to the east. With the help of attack aircraft, up to 20 enemy fighters were repelled.

As soldiers from Company B, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, N.Y., struggle with the growing pains of setting up a post in the population hub in Charkh, they are contending with extremely primitive conditions while flushing out a rooted enemy.

"The enemy’s pissed off," Gukeisen said, noting that the attack and a roadside bomb ambush earlier in the day occurred just hours after 150 feet of perimeter security barriers known as Hescos were delivered to the district center.

“They hate the sight of Hescos. They know you are here to stay.”

Charkh — as well as Baraki Barak district to the north and Kharwar district to the south — is the battle space of the 3rd Squadron’s 71st Cavalry Regiment, which conducts surveillance and reconnaissance for the 3rd BCT. The units deployed to this region in January. Troops set up outposts in each district, getting to know the populations, the enemy and the lay of the land.

Company B of the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, which is attached to the 3-71 Cav, set up in Baraki Barak, then moved to Charkh in April, building its second outpost about seven miles from the district center.

Still in the raw stages, Combat Outpost Baugess had an Internet cafe and was about to get running water.

But Baugess was removed from both enemy forces and the civilians they operate within. It quickly became apparent that for the troops to do their jobs of separating the enemy from the people, helping to shore up local government and security forces, and ultimately winning the trust of the population, the outpost was in the wrong place.

They began using an abandoned school building adjacent to the district center as a launch post for patrols. And last week, soldiers packed up their rucksacks, dragged their cots, a generator and truckloads of sandbags, and headed there for good.

“Militarily, the outpost was great, but for the counterinsurgency, we had to commute to work,” Gukeisen said. “It’s hard on soldiers to tell them to pack up their stuff and move to a new location. But it’s the right thing to do because you have to be with and among the people. You have to have a persistent presence.”

It’s a complex and painstaking mission that falls to Capt. Jason Wingert, 29. He is trying to run two outposts at once.

The building the troops are squatting in is filthy. Once again, they are living without running water or electricity. Food consists of Meals, Ready to Eat. And the concrete roof tiles allow the weather and the dust to pass right through their seams.

Coming down with a bad bout of stomach bug has become a rite of passage at Charkh DC. Conditions were so bad that Gukeisen sent in a health team last week to address the situation.

“When I made the decision to do [the move], I knew I was asking a lot of these guys,” said Wingert, of Evans Mills, N.Y. “To start over again for this company, the third time this deployment, is a lot. But from where I sit, and my boss agreed, we are not here to make ourselves comfortable. We are here to support the government and the security forces and to protect the people.”

Just south of Kabul, Logar province has long been the heart of the insurgent activity targeting Kabul.

Desert conditions and rocky mountain terrain embrace lush green valleys where fruit orchards and wheat fields feed the capital. But a scarcity of water and the terrorizing reign of the Taliban have left the villagers poor, scared and often unwilling to side with an absentee government.

Until recently, Charkh’s district sub-governor refused to come to the district center, a U.S.-funded building that was blown up three times in recent years.

Only after Company B soldiers began launching regular patrols did a newly appointed sub-governor start showing up for work, though the Americans quietly question his family ties to a known top insurgent.

“Nine months ago, the enemy could walk around the DC,” said sub-governor Ghallam Farouq Hamayoon. “If the Americans weren’t here, we couldn’t keep the district center open.

“It would be better if it were Afghan National Army and police. Right now, we need the Americans.”

The U.S. forces see it the same way. When they aren’t building the Charkh outpost, one platoon trains a ragtag Afghan police force, while others push out on patrols to Charkh’s villages, from the bazaar just down the road to remote northwestern areas, getting to know friendly faces, and often, trying to win over ambivalent or even hostile villagers.

They take their police trainees with them, hoping to show people that this is not just an American mission but one that will ultimately give them the responsive government they’ve never known. And the troops try to develop local projects such as mosque repairs or rebuilding girls schools that are frequent targets of Taliban attacks.

“I think we are making progress,” said Spc. Adam Klodzinski, 32, a 60-mm mortar gunner from Buffalo, N.Y.

“They seem more open to us, more willing to accept our support,” he said. “I think people want to help, but they still fear the Taliban.”

When they first arrived, the soldiers were met with steady firefights.

Outgunned, the insurgents changed tactics, deploying more than 30 makeshift bombs since April, especially along the main road that runs from the district center south to COP Baugess and north toward Forward Operating Base Shank, the brigade’s headquarters. Though many struck their targets, soldiers in Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles have all survived.

“When we first got to the bazaar, they’d shoot at us from the rooftops. Now, we are surrounded by kids,” said 1st Lt. Scott Davis of Seattle, whose 3rd Platoon has seen the most firefights in Charkh. “People were really skeptical initially. But when you walk up, put your Darth Vader garb and your guns down, there’s a pretty impressive change in the atmospherics.”

When they do get into firefights, the troops seek out residents to explain what happened and make reparations for property damage.

“I really don’t want to shoot anyone in Sheshquela,” Davis told a homeowner after a firefight last week in that northern village. “I want to arrest these guys. If I give you a phone number, will you call so we can come and arrest them without a firefight?”

Davis and others liken the insurgency to street gangs. The Taliban use fear tactics and lure younger teenagers with flashy promises.

A 15-year-old recently arrested for burying roadside bombs said that a man, Mullah Bashir, promised him sneakers and a cell phone, Davis said.

“It’s a lot of punk kids looking for identity and a couple of charismatic leaders,” he said. “They get to be the cool kids around school with the new outfit and cell phone.

“Going around killing kids who plant IEDs for cell phones isn’t going to help anything.”

Gukeisen breaks it down this way: Divided by a river running south to north down through the district, Charkh’s west side is controlled by Los Angeles-like gangs, while east bank insurgents are more mafia-like.

On Saturday, insurgents attacked workers widening the main road, nearly capturing three of them in an apparent attempt to shake down the U.S.-paid contractor, Gukeisen said.

Charkh Police Chief Allah Mohammad Mahsovidi said despite setbacks, he’s encouraged by improving security.

“The government belongs to the civilians and they need to choose their government,” Mahsovidi said.

“The civilians don’t want the Taliban because they are cruel. They’ve been burning schools for four years. ... The Taliban burned the [Malakay High School for Girls] three times.”

In Sheshquela last week, the platoon visited both a mosque and a girls school that needed repairs.

Then gunfire erupted. Twice in the next hour, the troops exchanged fire with insurgents who they said then broke contact and fled, with the soldiers in pursuit through the fields and orchards.

As they stood guard outside the last site of exchange, two men walked gingerly up to the troops.

Davis told the men he needs their help to stop such attacks. But Haji Amir Mahmad, 45, wasn’t so sure.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Prayers for our heroes and keep them safe. These guys have so much to deal with, the enemy, CIC they are stuck with and dealing with the people that are not the Taliban but still not sure they want to help our troops or not.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (4)

July 27, 2009

Hillary Not Sure If US Should Be Assassinating Al-Qaeda Members ~ HUH?

Hillary Not Sure If US Should Be Assassinating Al-Qaeda Members

The US assassinated Saad Bin Laden, Osama's son, in a drone missile attack and several other top Al-Qaeda members in the past year.

Where has Hillary been?

Wild Thing's comment.......

We have got to have the most idiots in our government then ever before. LOL

Here we have our troops, heroes, giving their all and America is so blessed to have such brave Americans. Then people like Hillary, Obama, Barney Frank, Pelosi etc. What a HUGE difference. The contrast just gets broader by the day.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (6)

Marines at CAMP DWYER, Helmand Province, Afghanistan Build Iwo Jima Memorial

Lance Cpl. William Byrne, left, and Cpl. David Belling, right, field artillery fire controlmen with Regimental Combat Team 3, originally stationed in Okinawa, Japan, built an Iwo Jima memorial at the RCT-3 compound to help motivate and lift the spirits of the Marines and Sailors stationed at Camp Dwyer, Helmand province, Islamic Province of Afghanistan. Photo by Lance Cpl. Daniel Flynn

U.S. Marine Cpl. David Belling uses a saw aboard forward operating base Dwyer, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, July 21. Belling is a fire direction controlman with Regimental Combat Team - 3, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. RCT-3 is deployed in support of the NATO-International Security Alliance Forces counterinsurgency and Afghan national security forces mentoring mission in IRoA.

Marines Build Motivation With Recognizable Image

Story by Lance Cpl. Daniel Flynn 07.25.2009

CAMP DWYER, Helmand Province, Afghanistan

What is needed to get through a combat deployment? Some might say the answer is perseverance, determination and motivation.

Two Marines with Regimental Combat Team 3, deployed here from 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment based in Okinawa, Japan, have gone out of their way to help bring a little bit of motivation to their fellow Marines and Sailors.

Cpl. David Belling and Lance Cpl. William Byrne, field artillery fire control men with RCT-3, built a silhouetted Iwo Jima memorial at the RCT-3 compound here.

This particular memorial depicts one of the most recognizable photographs of World War II, taken by
Joe Rosenthal, of five Marines and one Navy corpsman raising the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on the fourth day of the Battle of Iwo Jima.

"I wanted to do what I could to help bring a little bit of motivation and help boost the morale of the Marines," said Belling, who is nine months into his deployment.

They started working on the memorial July 20, and it took about eight hours to complete it.

We worked on the project because we wanted to inspire others by reminding everyone of the history of our Corps, Byrne said.

Throughout the process of building the memorial, Marines and Sailors approached the Marines, shaking their hands and telling them "good job."

"The memorial just signifies what Marines are," said Petty Officer 1st Class Gustavo Ortiz, the religious program specialist with RCT-3. "It is things like this that make it such a privilege to serve with Marines."

In their efforts, Belling and Byrne have left an iconic image of pride and motivation so that those who travel past will remember the sacrifice Marines and Sailors have given.

Wild Thing's comment........

I love it, what a great idea.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (7)

July 26, 2009

Teen Medic Thrives on Aiding Others

Army Spc. Amanda Cleveland, a medic for the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, describes the importance of pressure in stopping blood loss during first-aid training at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq. Cleveland has trained nearly 1,000 soldiers in Task Force Keystone leading up to and during a nine-month deployment to Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. James Waltz

Army Spc. Amanda Cleveland, a medic for the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, shows Army Sgt. Seth Cantler how to hold the needle while he “sticks” Army Spc. Christopher Leonard during combat lifesaver training at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. James Waltz

Teen Medic Thrives on Aiding Others

Army Sgt. James Waltz serves in the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade public affairs office

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq

July 24, 2009

Army Spc. Amanda Cleveland is a self-described simple girl who is "not into drama." But it’s tough for an Army medic to avoid dramatic situations, especially during a deployment to Iraq.

Cleveland’s comrades say it is her ability to consistently help people -- not the drama -- that drives the Williamsport, Pa., native to excel at her job.

Cleveland graduated from high school in 2007 at 17 and immediately took on basic combat training and combat medical school.

"I really wanted to go into the medical field and wasn't sure how I was going to do it," she said. "A recruiter was able to get me into the health care field and give me a $20,000 bonus on top of it."

Cleveland was 18 when her six months of rigorous medical training began. She admits being a bit nervous.

"It was the longest time I had ever been away from my family," she said. "I don't know if I could have graduated if it had not been for a few older friends I had made who shared their previous experiences with me."

While at training, she learned the ins-and-outs of emergency medicine and basic medical skills. She recalled one exercise, which she called "blood lanes."

"We went through these blood lanes where we had to treat mock casualties in a stressful environment," she explained. "It was fast-paced training, and we had to deal with them screaming, among other things."

Cleveland went through similar training at the regional medical training site at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., in preparation for her nine-month deployment here, where she is serving with Task Force Keystone.

Leading up to the three-month, pre-deployment mobilization, she was one of several medics tasked with training 28th Combat Aviation Brigade soldiers in basic combat medical skills. The training allows each soldier to act as a bridge between an emergency and the arrival of a medic -- often the most critical time in ensuring a patient's survival.

Her supervisor, Army Sgt. 1st Class Collin Bowser of Indiana, Pa., said Cleveland is extremely proficient at medical training.

"She has done an excellent job teaching several hundred soldiers the basics of first aid," he said. "And these are mostly soldiers who are novices at this stuff and have minimal medical experience."

Cleveland is humble about her teaching ability, but is quick to acknowledge the importance of it. "I really enjoy teaching, but it's not always easy keeping a student's attention because I'm not a dominating person," she said. "I just keep reminding myself that what I am teaching these soldiers will not only affect them, but also the people they may have to save. I may be helping my students save a life."

Cleveland is the primary instructor of the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade’s first aid refresher course here, which is taught monthly to a rotation of soldiers. When she is not training, she is receiving clinical experience in her unit's medical clinic. She takes vital signs, screens patients, performs asthma treatments and stitches sutures.

During her 12-hour shifts, she uses downtime to write home. Many soldiers here use e-mail, but Cleveland prefers to put pen to paper.

"I like to physically write letters for two reasons. First, some of my family members are technologically impaired," she joked. "But really it just feels more personal. It feels good to have that letter in your hand, knowing there was more time and energy put into it."

Wild Thing's comment........

What a great story about an amzing Army Spc. Amanda Cleveland.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (10)

Australian Army and USMC - Talisman Sabre

Australian DOD

The Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) in Townsville, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Darwin and B Squadron of 3/4 Cavalry Regiment along with combat engineers from the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment in Townsville join our USMC in Afghanistan.

They also will be providing security for Afghan elections next month.

MAJGEN Kelly also said that the expression of the democratic will of the people was a reminder to the Taliban insurgents that there was no place for oppression and intimidation in Afghanistan.

Wild Thing's comment.......

God bless these awesome troops and prayers for their safety.

....Thank you Lynette in Australia
for sharing this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM | Comments (7)

July 25, 2009

Angelina Jolie In Country With Our Troops Iraq

Angelina Jolie Visiting Troops in Baghdad

Actress and United Nations Good Will Ambassador, Angelina Jolie, spending some time visiting with troops today at the Cross Sabers monument in Baghdad's International Zone. She got a tour of the monument from troops with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team from the 1st Infantry Division. She also posed for pictures with troops from the 301st Chemical Company from the Kentucky National Guard. Jolie has visited Iraq several times to report on refugee camps for the UN High Commissioner for Refugee Camps. She told a military reporter that she is hopeful for the future of Iraq and is always glad to visit with the men and women who serve. Produced by Sgt. Frank Merola

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:49 AM | Comments (9)

In Country Our Troops in Afghanistan

Some News:

Afghan and US forces repelled coordinated Taliban assaults in two major cities in eastern Afghanistan. Suicide bombers armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles attacked government installations and a US base in the cities of Gardez and Jalalabad. Eight Taliban fighters and six Afghan security personnel were reported killed in the failed attacks. In Gardez in Paktia province, six suicide bombers, some wearing the full-length burkas worn by Afghan women, attacked government buildings, including the provincial intelligence office, but were gunned down as they attempted to storm the buildings. ( Bill Riggio)

Pennsylvania Brothers Provide Support From Above

Majs. William and Richard Bartolomea pose in front of a AH-1W Super Cobra, June 12. This is the first time the brothers have been deployed together. Photo by Lance Cpl. Samuel Nasso

Story by Lance Cpl. Samuel Nasso Marine Air Group 40

Date: 07.23.2009

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan

Maj. Richard 'Bart' Bartolomea feels at home serving with his brother Bill in a operational environment.

"It's awesome," said Bart. "I brought the board games but haven't had the chance to break them out yet."

The officer-in-charge of the Scan Eagle detachment from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron-2, Marine Aircraft Group 40, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, Bart was commissioned a Marine officer after earning a bachelor's degree at Pennsylvania State University in 1994.

Bill, known as "Chakka," is the director of the department of safety standardization for Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron-169. He also earned a degree from Penn State, but he graduated in 1995.

Before it all started, the brothers aspired to be professional athletes, like a lot of kids. However, once high school rolled around, Bart had aircraft posters covering his walls and became interested in aviation.

"When I was in high school, 'Top Gun' came out and I imagined what it would be like to be a pilot," said Bart.

The military already had a prominent role in the Bartolomea family. Their father, Richard Bartolomea, and their uncle, James Craft, joined the Marine Corps in 1967. Even though Craft wasn't related to the family at the time, he was a significant influence in why the boys joined the Marine Corps.

"Uncle Jim went to college with our father and encouraged him to join the Corps with him," said Bart, whose father was an infantry officer in Vietnam. "Twenty-six years later, our father retired as a lieutenant colonel, and here we are now in Afghanistan."

So when the time eventually came, the decision to join wasn't too difficult.

"After growing up in Quantico and observing my dad and his friends when I was younger, it was an easy decision when I actually thought about it," said Bill.

"Bill actually knew what he wanted to do," said Bart. "He didn't join because I did; he was enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Course at Penn State for a while."

With their father working at Penn State as the director of sports camp and managing the ROTC program, it seemed military service was inevitable.

"After I got my degree I wasn't sure what I wanted to do so I went and talked to my father," said Bart. "I told him I didn't really want to pursue journalism and I wanted to go to law school. He told me that I would have to pay for it so that was out of the question. Then he asked me if I ever thought about the Marine Corps."

Both brothers were not only commissioned as Marine Corps officers, they both became pilots.

Bill started flying AH-1W Super Cobras in 1997, and Bart started flying CH-53Ds in the same year. Bart eventually transitioned into flying Cobras 10 years later and transitioned again to fly Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

"Flying UAVs is neat, but after flying a Cobra there's nothing really like it," said Bart. With different billets but the same line of work, it was just a matter of time until they encountered each other in the fleet.

"It is really cool," said Bart. "One day I was watching a few Cobras complete a mission with our UAVs and later that day I asked my brother if he was flying. He said he was and I told him I watched him with our UAVs. Even though I am not flying Cobras at the moment, I still get to operate with my UAVs and watch my brother fly his Cobra."

This is Bart's first deployment and Bill's fifth. When it comes down to it, the brothers are here to complete their duties as Marines.

"The reason why I am here is to provide air support for the grounds guys," said Bill. "Whether you're a grunt or with (Combat Logistics Battalion) or whatever, our mission is the same: to provide air support for all of our Marines."

The brothers are happy to be deployed at the same time and their families fully support them.

"Our mother was a Marine Corps wife for a while and she helps my wife and Bart's wife when they need anything," said Bill.

Although they may not be working side by side, the 'Bart Brothers' patrol the Helmand skies, flying topcover for MEB-Afghanistan's soldiers below supporting the local population to be freed from intimidation and aggression of insurgents.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM

July 24, 2009

Vietnam Veteran Re-enlists in Iraq

Army Sgt. 1st Class Hershel Mayfield, right, receives his re-enlistment certificate from Army Capt. Irvin Morris at Contingency Operating Site Marez East, Iraq, July 7, 2009. Mayfield has served 39 years in the Army, including 37 with the 158th Maintenance Company of the Alabama Army National Guard. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Martonio Patterson

Vietnam Veteran Re-enlists in Iraq

US: American Soldier Captured in Afghanistan

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ EAST, Iraq

Army Sgt. 1st Class Hershel L. Mayfield is a Vietnam veteran with 39 years of service. But when he re-enlisted here earlier this month, his mind was on the future and the young people he serves with.

The Tallassee, Ala., native has served 37 years with the 158th Maintenance Company of the Alabama Army National Guard. He recently decided it was time to continue to serve his country for two more years.

"Everything I do today is done with the next generation in mind and how I can influence them to do the same for their nation," Mayfield said.

After serving on active duty in the Army for two years as an infantry soldier, Mayfield joined the Guard and reclassified as a light-wheel vehicle mechanic with a desire to continue serving his country. He said he appreciates the support he’s received throughout his military career from his wife of 30 years and his children.

"It is a way of life, and they've learned to live in it," he said, noting his family has dealt with his absence during three deployments and numerous training events. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1969, Kosovo in 1996, and to Mosul, Iraq, in 2008.

"I joined the military because the base was adjacent to my home, and in order to have freedom, someone has to do the job," he said. "It also provided me with benefits that no other civilian job has."

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you Sgt. 1st Class Hershel L. Mayfield and your service is appreciated.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (4)

July 23, 2009

‘Flying Tigers’ Take Mission to Afghanistan

Air Staff Sgt. James Irvin performs an air-cycle machine inspection on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, to ensure the A-10 Thunderbolt functions properly, July 20, 2009. Irvin is deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Felicia Juenke

A pair of A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, get their final weapons check before taking off on a close-air-support mission. The aircraft provide close-air support and airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for U.S. and coalition ground troops. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Lake

‘Flying Tigers’ Take Mission to Afghanistan

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan

July 22, 2009

by Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Jung serves with the 455th Expeditionary Wing public affairs office

American volunteers flying shark-faced P-40 Tomahawks protected China during World War II, and their legacy has become a fixture in the war in Afghanistan.

In homage to the storied airmen of the past, the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., has the iconic shark’s face painted on the front of its A-10 Thunderbolt II's, lovingly nicknamed the "Warthog."

The Warthogs provide daily close-air-support and precision-engagement missions throughout Afghanistan in support of coalition ground forces.

The squadron has had at least two aircraft airborne and providing support to their warrior counterparts on the ground on every day of its deployment. But the 74th Aircraft Maintenance Unit keeps the A-10s ready to fly.

"Just like the airmen that defended China in World War II, the 74th AMU is often short on resources, said Air Force Capt. James Schieser, officer in charge of the squadron’s maintenance unit. The maintenance airmen make do with what they have to maintain their aging aircraft, he added. "The strong leadership, dedication and perseverance of our noncommissioned officers, senior noncommissioned officers and officer corps, are what ensure every aircraft is fully mission-capable. The maintainers of the 74th AMU understand, with the Flying Tiger legacy they inherited, failure is not an option."

The Flying Tigers have broken records by flying more than 12,000 mission hours, expending more than 100 tons of ordnance since arriving in February. Sometime, though, all it takes is a show of force to end an engagement.

"We seek to avoid civilian casualties in all our operations - period," said Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Victor Castillo, weapons section superintendent. "We have a variety of methods we use, including loading of precision-guided munitions, monthly updates of aircraft digital maps and daily maintenance of our targeting systems to ensure the safety of innocent civilians on the ground."

But when enemy combatants don't flee after a show of force, the Warthog can deliver a precise strike to protect coalition ground forces.

Army Spc. Jason Dorsey, Company C, 178th Infantry, saw firsthand the precision and power of the Warthog.

"The A-10s were a valuable asset to us on ground missions here in Afghanistan,” Dorsey said. “Their speed and precise targeting provided great support for us and kept the bad guys' heads down during firefights."

"We have so many soldiers coming in from the field to thank us - it's their stories of desperately needing air [support] and seeing an A-10 flying overhead providing cover for them that kept us energized and motivated," said Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Thomas E. Moore, lead production superintendent for the maintenance unit. "It kept us working hard even when it seemed all we were doing was launching and recovering jets 24/7."

Wild Thing's comment.......

I am glad to see they are still around.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (8)

July 21, 2009

Gates Announces Army Being Increased By 22,000

A U.S. Army Soldier calls for an airstrike on the hills surrounding Barge Matal, during Operation Mountain Fire in Afghanistan

Gates announces Army being increased by 22,000

WASHINGTON

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced plans to add up to 22,000 Soldiers to the U.S. Army's ranks.

The plus-up of active duty troops will take the Army from 547,000 to 569,000 forces in what Gates characterized as a temporary increase of the Army's "end strength" for three fiscal years.

"This is an important and necessary step to ensure that we continue to properly support the needs of our commanders in the field while providing relief for our current force and their families," the secretary told reporters during a Pentagon news conference.

Gates pointed to escalating violence in Afghanistan and an added U.S. presence there, political turmoil in Pakistan and elimination of the so-called "stop-loss" policy of involuntarily extending a soldier's length of service as reasons behind the decision.

"The cumulative effect of these factors is that the Army faces a period where its ability to continue to deploy combat units at acceptable 'fill rates' is at risk," he said. "Based on current deployment estimates, this is a temporary challenge which will peak in the coming year and abate over the course of the next three years."

Some 130,000 American forces are in Iraq and 58,000 are in Afghanistan, where an influx of deploying troops will bring the number to 68,000 by the end of this year, defense officials said.

"These additional forces will be used to ensure that our deploying units are properly manned, and not to create new combat formations," the defense secretary said, adding that the decision was made after consulting with the Army's top military and civilian leadership and with the backing of President Barack Obama.

Gates, who has described the defense budget as "zero sum," said the cost of the Army increase would be absorbed in funding already allocated in the budget for the next two fiscal years.

"We will take that money from someplace that isn't as high a priority as [adding] more Soldiers and taking some additional steps to relieve the stress on the force," he said. "This is a very high priority."

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared alongside Gates today, and also weighed in on the decision.

"I've grown increasingly concerned over the last year and a half about stress on the force and our ability to meet the demands out there," he said. "This temporary increase helps us address that concern. It will also help us get a better handle on [time at home between deployments] and boost the number of people we can deploy with the capabilities our commanders most need."

Wild Thing's comment........

If he is going to add more troops, please God make him add more funding for the things they need. The way Obama is doing things this is insane to make cut backs to funding for our military.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (10)

July 20, 2009

Judges Don't Belong on the Battlefield

Judges Don't Belong on the Battlefield

Recent decisions have altered the way we're fighting in Afghanistan.

The Wall Street Journal

by David B. Rivkin, Jr., and Lee A. Casey

Earlier this year, a Washington D.C.-based federal court extended the constitutional right to habeas corpus to three foreign nationals detained by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The case, Maqaleh v. Gates, represents yet another step in the federal judiciary's transformation from Alexander Hamilton's "least dangerous branch" into a fully active policy maker.

Historically, the constitutional right to habeas corpus -- an ancient process permitting prisoners to challenge the legality of their confinement -- was available only to individuals present in the U.S., or to American citizens held by federal authorities overseas. In a leading World War II case, Johnson v. Eisentrager (1950), the high court decided, with "bright line rules," that habeas corpus is unavailable to foreign citizens held outside the U.S.

But last year, the high court reversed itself in Boumediene v. Bush. The court held, by a 5-4 vote, that foreign nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, also have a right to habeas corpus. Articulating a new, multifactor test for determining who can receive habeas corpus overseas, the court left open the possibility that aliens detained at any U.S. controlled foreign facility could sue the government for their release.

In Maqaleh the court concluded that three detainees, held at Bagram airbase in Afghanistan, but actually captured in other countries, have habeas corpus rights under the U.S. Constitution. It reasoned that permitting the president to move captured enemies from one location to another without judicial review would simply give the executive too much power.

What really is at stake is whether the president's actions overseas -- especially in military operations -- are to be subject to judicial supervision. In this light, the courts have never been so bold. Although the Maqaleh court denied it, the premise of its decision is that the Constitution permits judicial involvement in all U.S. actions abroad. While this particular ruling involves habeas rights in Afghanistan, there is in fact no principled limitation on the court's reasoning. The real test in any particular case is whether a federal judge believes the president is operating with insufficient constraints on his authority.

This new state of play has already affected U.S. military operations. American special forces, have now limited their activities in the Afghan-Pakistan border region -- where al Qaeda and the Taliban are now most active -- to avoid claims by enemy fighters that they were captured outside of Afghanistan, in Pakistan.

If those enemy fighters were captured outside of Afghanistan, then according to the Maqaleh decision, they are eligible for habeas relief. This provides a strategic sanctuary for Pakistan-based enemy operatives, who are now effectively immune from U.S. ground attacks.

This is obviously not the first time the courts have overstepped their proper constitutional bounds, seeking a political role for themselves. Notorious examples include the Supreme Court's efforts to preserve slavery in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) and its determination to oppose federal economic regulation during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. In each case, the judges have eventually been strong-armed back, through the force of the public opinion and political pressures, to a more appropriate role.

The sooner this process begins, the better. A good first step would be some questions for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor by the Senate. Senate members should determine her views on the proper role of judges in reviewing U.S. military operations overseas.

Justice Robert Jackson, writing in the Eisentrager case, explained why foreign enemies should not have access to American courts. "It would be difficult to devise more effective fettering of a field commander than to allow the very enemies he is ordered to reduce to submission to call him to account in his own civil courts and divert his efforts and attention from the military offensive abroad to the legal defensive at home." The question is: Does Ms. Sotomayor agree?

Wild Thing's comment.......

The Supreme Court's disastrous Boumediene decision is giving terrorists cover in Afghanistan. Why oh why can't everyone that is not boots on the ground Generals, our troops etc. stay out of how our troops are fighting this war.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (12)

Checking in With Our Military

Army Staff Sgt. Larry Kazmierzak, 3-338th Aviation National Guard Unit, is accompanied by his twin daughters, Ashley and Kari Kazmierzak, at Forward Operating Base Diamond Back, Mosul, recently. The Kazmierzaks, who are deployed with the same unit and work in the same department, are on a one-year deployment to Iraq. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Carmichael Yepez, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.

U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher Sommer, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, attracts local kids while giving out pens as leaders meet with a shaykh near Abu Asif, June 25. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Neil Stanfield.

U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum Virtual Tour

In June, CannonArtillery.com attended the 2009 Fires Seminar and Trade Expo. While there, Gordon A. Blaker, director and curator of the new U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum, was kind enough to show the CannonArtillery.com team around 234 years worth of Army artillery artifacts. View this week's video featuring the experimental mule-cannon display below.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (4)

July 19, 2009

UPDATE About Captured American Soldier ( VIDEO)

In case you missed it on July 2nd, I posted this:

That same day I also post this: ( note the name Haqqani network, it will be in the article further down as to who might have our captured soldier)

Haqqani Network In Afghanistan
Haqqani network, the most deadly US foe in Afghanistan. All are members of Afghanistan's most lethal group, the Haqqani network, a shadowy outfit that many officials consider to be the biggest threat to the American presence in the country. The network is better connected to Pakistani intelligence and Arab jihadist groups than any other Afghan insurgent group, according to American intelligence officials.

This video frame grab taken from a Taliban propaganda video released Saturday, July 18, 2009 shows an American soldier who went missing from his base in eastern Afghanistan June 30 and was later confirmed captured. The soldier, whose identity has not yet been confirmed by the Pentagon pending notification of members of Congress and the soldier's family, says his name, age and hometown on the video, which was released Saturday on a Web site pointed out by the Taliban. Two U.S. defense officials confirmed to The Associated Press that the man in the video is the captured soldier.
(AP Photo/Militant Video)

AP sources: Taliban video shows captive US soldier

The American soldier who went missing June 30 from his base in eastern Afghanistan and was later confirmed to have been captured, appeared on a video posted Saturday to a Web site by the Taliban, two U.S. defense officials said.

The soldier is shown in the 28-minute video with his head shaved and the start of a beard. He is sitting and dressed in a nondescript, gray outfit. Early in the video one of his captors holds the soldier's dog tag up to the camera. His name and ID number are clearly visible. He is shown eating at one point and sitting on a bed.

The soldier, whose identity has not yet been released by the Pentagon pending notification of members of Congress and the soldier's family, says his name, age and hometown on the video, which was released Saturday on a Web site pointed out by the Taliban. Two U.S. defense officials confirmed to The Associated Press that the man in the video is the captured soldier.

The soldier said the date is July 14. He says he was captured when he lagged behind on a patrol.

He is interviewed in English by his captors, and he is asked his views on the war, which he calls extremely hard, his desire to learn more about Islam and the morale of American soldiers, which he said was low.

Asked how he was doing, the soldier said on the video:

"Well I'm scared, scared I won't be able to go home. It is very unnerving to be a prisoner."

He begins to answer questions in a matter-of-fact and sober voice, occasionally facing the camera, looking down and sometimes looking to the questioner on his left.

He later chokes up when discussing his family and his hope to marry his girlfriend.

"I have my girlfriend, who is hoping to marry," he said. "I have a very, very good family that I love back home in America. And I miss them every day when I'm gone. I miss them and I'm afraid that I might not ever see them again and that I'll never be able to tell them that I love them again and I'll never be able to hug them."

He is also prompted his interrogators to give a message to the American people.

"To my fellow Americans who have loved ones over here, who know what it's like to miss them, you have the power to make our government bring them home," he said. "Please, please bring us home so that we can be back where we belong and not over here, wasting our time and our lives and our precious life that we could be using back in our own country. Please bring us home. It is America and American people who have that power."

The video is not a continuous recording — it appears to stop and start during the questioning.

It is unclear from the video whether the July 14 date is authentic. The soldier says that he heard that a Chinook helicopter carrying 37 NATO troops had been shot down over Helmand. A helicopter was shot down in southern Afghanistan on July 14, but it was carrying civilians on a reported humanitarian mission for NATO forces. All six Ukrainian passengers died in the crash, and a child on the ground was killed.

On July 2, the U.S. military said an American soldier had disappeared after walking off his base in eastern Afghanistan with three Afghan counterparts and was believed to have been taken prisoner. A U.S. defense official said the soldier was noticed missing during a routine check of the unit on June 30 and was first listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown."

Details of such incidents are routinely held very tightly by the military as it works to retrieve a missing or captured soldier without giving away any information to captors.

But Afghan Police Gen. Nabi Mullakheil said the soldier went missing in eastern Paktika province near the border with Pakistan from an American base. The region is known to be Taliban-infested.

The most important insurgent group operating in that area is known as Haqqani network and is led by warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings including the July 2008 attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul that killed some 60 people. The Haqqani group also was linked to an assassination attempt on Afghan president Hamid Karzai early last year.

On Saturday, a U.S. military official in Kabul, Col. Greg Julian, said the U.S. was "still doing everything we can to return him safely."

Julian said U.S. troops had distributed two flyers in the area where the soldier disappeared. One of them asked for information on the missing soldier and offered a $25,000 reward for his return. The other said "please return our soldier safely" or "we will hunt you," according to Julian.

Wild Thing's comment.........

I wish Obama would let our military be unleashed, and the rules of engagement, and the terrorists’ so-called miranda rights, need to be tossed in the trash. Our foreign policy needs to follow this philosophy: Those that don’t love us must respect us; those that don’t respect us must fear us. The taliban fall in to the last category; fear will come when a bunker-buster sends them to their 72 virgins in hell.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (8)

July 17, 2009

Navy F18 Streaks Past Apartment Building

A Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet crew got permission for a low-level demonstration flight, as part of the opening ceremony for a speedboat race on the Detroit River, last weekend. This is what it looked like, for Motor City residents.

[Photo: AP/The Detroit News, Steve Perez. Originally spotted at the Daily Mail]

Now that's what I call a fly-past: US Navy F18 streaks past apartment block

This is the moment a a US Navy pilot gave a shocked resident a very close look at his F18. The fighter/bomber streaked past an apartment block on the banks of the Detroit River at the weekend.

It was part of a tactical demonstration fly-past to open a speedboat race in the North American city.

Officials waived rules to allow the Navy flyers to swoop under 100ft along the waterway

One resident said: 'I couldn't believe how low they flew and how close they came to our building - I'm sure the pilot waved at me.'

The jets had flown in from the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia to put on a spectacular show for thousands of spectators.

The Chrysler Jeep Superstores APBA Gold Cup race was won by speedboat ace Dave Villcock.

'We danced with the devil at every turn,' said Villwock, 55, who demolished the field on his way to his seventh Gold Cup win.

'We were either going to win it big or lose it big.'

He couldn't match the F15s for speed, although his average of 141mph for the five-lap final remained impressive.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Totally cool, I would love to have been the person standing on the balcony. heh heh

How fantastic is that!

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (6)

In Country Afghanistan

The Department of Defense announced today the deployment of two units to Afghanistan.

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, from Fort Campbell, Ky., and the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza, Italy, have been alerted to replace forces currently deployed in Afghanistan, in order to maintain the capabilities of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, will deploy with approximately 3,800 troops to Afghanistan in late fall 2009. The 173rd Brigade Combat Team, with approximately 3,700 troops, will deploy to Afghanistan in the winter of 2009-2010. Both units will conduct the full spectrum of combat operations.

The United States continues to be NATO-ISAF’s largest troop contributor, and remains committed to leading the offensive in counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan, training and equipping the Afghan national security forces and assisting with reconstruction. Force levels in Afghanistan are conditions-based and will be determined in consultation with the Afghan government and NATO.

Army Capt. Christian Lightsey, of Jacksonville, Fla., looks out over the village of Sarhani during a patrol, June 30th. Lightsey, and fellow Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, have been patrolling Afghanistan’s volatile Kunar Province since arriving in early January. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

Gun Battle During Operation Mountain Fire in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan

A U.S. Army Soldier with 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, fires at anti-Afghanistan forces attacking from the hills surrounding the remote village of Barge Matal during Operation Mountain Fire in Afghanistan's Nuristan province, July 12. During the operation, U.S. and Afghan national security forces quickly secured the tiny mountain village, which was overwhelmed by AAF several days prior.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:40 AM | Comments (5)

July 16, 2009

Pentagon Won't Ban War-zone Smoking

Tour of Duty, " Born To Be Wild " by Steppenwolf

War is not golf Obama, you don't get creidt for allowing our troops to smoke now if they want to, you should have put a stop to the ban to begin with. ~ Wild Thing

Pentagon won't ban war-zone smoking, despite study

WASHINGTON

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

The Pentagon reassured troops Wednesday that it won't ban tobacco products in war zones. Defense officials hadn't actually planned to eliminate smoking — at least for now. But fear of a ban arose among some troops after the Defense Department received a study recommending the military move toward becoming tobacco-free — perhaps in about 20 years.

An advocacy group, however, is strongly condemning the push by Pentagon health experts to ban the use of tobacco by troops and end sales of tobacco products on military property. Brian Wise, executive director of Military Families United, decried even the discussion of such a ban.

"With all the issues facing our military today and the risks our troops take to protect our freedom, banning smoking should not even be on the radar screen," Wise said in a written statement Wednesday.

"Nobody doubts the effects of smoking, but it is not an illegal substance and should not be banned," he said. "Our troops make enough sacrifices to serve our nation. They give up many of the freedoms civilians enjoy already without being told they cannot partake in yet another otherwise legal activity. Perhaps more than anything, smoking in the field is more about comfort and coping with an often hostile environment."

Press secretary Geoff Morrell pointedly told a Pentagon news conference that Defense Secretary Robert Gates is not planning to prohibit the use of cigarettes, chewing tobacco or other tobacco products by troops in combat.

"He knows that the situation they are confronting is stressful enough as it is," Morrell said, noting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "I don't think he is interested in adding to the stress levels by taking away one of the few outlets they may have to relieve stress."

Criticism of the proposals spread across the Internet and among troops.

"Our troops make enough sacrifices to serve our nation," said Brian Wise, executive director of the advocacy group Military Families United. "They give up many of the freedoms civilians enjoy already without being told they cannot partake in yet another otherwise legal activity."

Spc. Charles Rodriguez, 23, said he started smoking long before he joined the Army and that his pack-a-day habit doesn't affect his physical fitness.

Wild Thing's comment.........

The idea that they are even considering this speaks volumes as to how they don't have a clue about combat. Or if they do could care less about our troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (10)

July 13, 2009

Obama Orders Review of Alleged Slayings of Taliban During Bush Era vs. Horse Soldiers

Obama orders review of alleged slayings of Taliban in Bush era

CNN

Obama has ordered national security officials to look into allegations that the Bush administration resisted efforts to investigate a CIA-backed Afghan warlord over the killings of hundreds of Taliban prisoners in 2001.

"The indications that this had not been properly investigated just recently was brought to my attention," Obama told CNN's Anderson Cooper in an exclusive interview during the president's visit to Ghana. The full interview will air 10 p.m. Monday, tonight.

"So what I've asked my national security team to do is to collect the facts for me that are known, and we'll probably make a decision in terms of how to approach it once we have all of the facts gathered up," Obama said.

The inquiry stems from the deaths of at least 1,000 Taliban prisoners who had surrendered to the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance in late 2001.

The fighters were in the custody of troops led by Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, a prominent Afghan warlord who has served as chief of staff of the country's post-Taliban army.

Dostum, a former communist union boss and militia leader who fought against the U.S.-backed mujahedeen in the 1980s, is known for switching sides as Afghanistan's political conflict has evolved. When the United States invaded Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, Dostum sided with the Americans and received military and CIA support to battle the Taliban.

At the time, the Boston, Massachusetts-based group Physicians for Human Rights said it found a mass grave in nearby Dasht-e Leili, where witnesses said the bodies of Taliban prisoners were buried. The finding prompted U.S. Gen. Tommy Franks, who led the invasion of Afghanistan, to support an investigation into the allegations.

But The New York Times, citing government officials and human rights organizations, reported Friday that the Bush administration "repeatedly discouraged efforts to investigate the episode."

When asked by CNN about whether Obama would support an investigation, the president replied, "I think that, you know, there are responsibilities that all nations have, even in war. And if it appears that our conduct in some way supported violations of laws of war, then I think that, you know, we have to know about that."

If you have read Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan you will be outraged by the statement that Obama intends to investigate the actions of General Dostum in the death of 1,000 Taliban prisoners, while also investigating the Bush administrations unwillingness to press charges of some sort at the time.

You may not know, but Dostum is a colorful General in the Northern Alliance, working on various sides of various issues and often for himself, as warlords do. This event is with respect to the prison riot that erupted after the Taliban started to collapse in the fall of 2001. That is the prison riot where an American CIA agent was killed by the Taliban prisoners.

For background, a small team of US special forces and CIA agents went into Afghanistan in the fall of 2001, right after 9-11 and teamed with what was left of the northern alliance (Dostum and others) to take down the Taliban. They fought against the Taliban in some of the most unconventional ways - taking on Taliban Tanks while Dostum's guys and CIA were on horse back, calling in JDAM GPS guided weapons from B52s built in the 60's, using a satellite hand held radio. Special Forces, CIA, and the Northern Alliance did what the Russians had failed to do, take over Afghanistan. And they did it in months.

Franks and others had wanted to delay 6 months and deploy 50k-100k troops to do what these guys accomplished in a short time before winter came. Under the Franks plan thousands more would have died, on both sides.

The Horse Soldiers, as they were called, exhibited the best traits, true American spirit, working closely and respectfully with local leaders like Dostum to adapt to the regional realities. The book contrasts the success in Afghanistan to the difficulties in Iraq, where our policies were less integrated with regional politics and realities. Afghanistan and taught us that working with marginal characters like Dostum is a lesson in respecting others. Isn't it Obama that keeps telling us to think about other people and their cultures? I suspect the Bush team understood that, and that's why Bush did not investigate the deaths related to the prison riot in greater detail.

So the prison story goes a bit like this...

There are two types of Taliban, Afghan and non Afghan. When an Afghan Taliban gives up he pledges allegiance to the Northern Alliance, and won't switch sides unless there is some other lost battle. The non Afghan Taliban will never surrender. So, Dostum beat the hell out of a key Taliban leader on the battle field. The Taliban surrendered. So Dostum had to take the radicalized non-Afghan Taliban and stick them in a prison (Because its easy to find a prision for 1,000 people in the middle of a bombed out country). The Afghan Taliban were all let go after pledging allegiance to Dostum. Well it appears, this surrender was actually a ploy of sorts. The non-afghan Taliban prisioners all kept their weapons (long story, read the book). And after some time staged an uprising to take over the prision. Dostum was not fully prepared. His troops shot their machine guns from the prison turrets and killed hundreds of prisioners, but they kept coming. The Taliban had no intention of surrendeirng. The fight lasted several days. Ultimately they had the last of the Taliban cornered in a lower level, pooring kerosene in to burn them out. When that did not work they redirected an irrigation system to flood them out. Something like 35, of more than 1,000 killed, were still alive and surrendered. One of those was that jerk John Walker Lynn.

This was a war. Dostum is a questionable character, but in a Jack Bauer kind of way. Hell Jack was probably there.

More importantly, if you listen to the guys who were in the book, you get a much better insight into what wars of the future might be like and how we need to work with local factions to achieve victory without putting 100k troops at risk. This is a dumb investigation. It works against the the lessons from the battle. Some things should just never be investigated. There is no way to judge the actions of someone in the battlefield 8 years after the fact. And for those that talk about civil rights, what about the rights of the 10,000 troops that would have died through a conventional American invasion?

I suspect there are other reasons for the investigation, as a matter of fact all the new investigations (Dostum, CIA, unwarranted this or that). If your poll numbers start going down, take on the the other guy (Bush) and start blaming him. Economy not doing well, can't blame Bush its the Obama plan. But you can go after Bush about war Crimes.

Wild Thing's comment......

Obama has lost what little mind he has if he’s even thinking of a prosecution about this. Obama to stir up a “war crimes” is bad enough and WRONG, then add in that the surge he just ordered has just begun and our brave men are dying over there mostly because of his ROE not to shoot at the Taliban if one civilian could be hit. When we know the Taliban hide behind them, dress in Burqas and hide among children and in homes of civilians. He is also giving the Taliban a morale boost and some propganda support on top of that!

With declining poll numbers threatening his governmental take over of our country and all of it's citizens lives, he props himself the only way he knows how, which is by attacking President Bush. And he chooses to villainize and stigmatize the one group of Americans he and Bill Ayers so jealously hate...our precious U.S. Military.

Obama doesn't have a clue what war is, what our military go through, sacrifice, put up with, are in danger every second 24/7. Not a clue!!! This would fall under his BIGGEDT apology ever in the sickest way possible. Next Obama will be calling for NATIONAL Day of Mourning for fallen Taliban by U.S. Forces. And what the hell is wrong with killing the Taliban anyway!

Dostum may be a questionable character, but he, the CIA, and our awesome Special Ops guys did what had to be done. This investigation is nothing but cover for the Obama Admin.

The fall of the Taliban government in Kabul to the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan was a fantastic achievement for our Special Forces, Bush /Cheney ( I still think Cheney had a lot to do with it in the background he is a take no prisoner kind of guy) and Rumsfeld.

The media was doing their propaganda machine on it and mostly only wanted to point out they still did not get Bin Laden.

* What you can do for your country

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (13)

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Legare Sails To Western And Central Africa

The Portsmouth, Va.,-based U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Legare sails past Naval Station Norfolk, July 1, en route western and central Africa. Under the direction of the commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, Legare will support the Navy's 6th Fleet by serving as the primary APS platform, conducting activities and exchanges that bolster maritime safety and security as part of an ongoing support mission made up of multinational governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Photo by Lt. Rob Wyman

Wild Thing's comment.....

Saw this photo and loved it. I sat here for a little while just looking at it, beautiful I think. Love our Coast Guard!

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (3)

U.S. Air Force Rescue Aids in 'Golden Hour' Recovery

As dust kicks up from the rotor wash of an HH-60G Pave Hawk, Senior Airman Clint Lentz, pararescueman with the 129th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, prepares for the landing June 26, Hemland province, Afghanistan. Airman Lentz and the rest of the crew are responding to a medevac request to aid personnel conducting combat operations further down range.

From the side of an HH-60G Pave Hawk, Senior Airman Noah Landwerlen, pararescueman with the 129th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, watches for any potential dangers prior to landing June 26, Hemland province, Afghanistan. Airman Lentz and the rest of the crew are responding to a medevac request to aid personnel conducting combat operations further down range.

Staff Sgt. William Lawson, pararescueman with the 129th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, comforts a wounded Afghan national army soldier, Hemland province, Afghanistan. Lawson will provide care to the injured soldier until they can safely deliver him to a hospital.

U.S. Air Force Rescue Aids in 'Golden Hour' Recovery of Coalition Forces

by Staff Sgt. Stacia Zachary

Racing against the clock, rescue flights launch into action to retrieve wounded service members and other battlefield casualties. As the helicopters hover over a hostile area, the Guardian Angel team rushes out to retrieve the wounded - often risking their own lives "so that others may live."

The 129th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron here responds to emergency medical evacuation calls within Helmand province. The detachment covers the dual role of providing casualty evacuation and personnel recovery/combat search and rescue in the Helmand province. They support Regional Command South, responding to calls for U.S. and coalition forces as well as Afghan national security forces and local nationals.

"As Air Force rescue crews, we use our personnel recovery and combat search and rescue skill-set to conduct CASEVAC quicker and better than anyone in theater," said Maj. Matt Wenthe, 129th ERQS detachment commander.

The rescue squadron is made up of more than 60 personnel and HH-60G Pave-Hawks. The rescue flight consists of two helicopters, each with a pilot, co-pilot, aerial gunner, flight engineer and two pararescuemen or combat rescue officers.

The Air Force rescue teams hold true to their motto: Those things we do so that others may live. They are often identified through the Jolly Green Giant patches seen worn on their right shoulders.

"Our entire mindset is to bring an emergency medical platform, combined with offensive security capability, to the site for quick and successful extraction of those who need us," Wenthe said.

The area has recently seen an increase of insurgent activity as more coalition forces are moved into Afghanistan. As such, more calls come over the radio requesting rapid recovery of injured servicemembers, or innocent bystanders in locations that are extremely hostile. This type of mission demands a response team specialized in rapid insertion to and egress from aggressive and risky environments.

"The CSAR mission requires us to train going into hostile environments," the major said. "That training allows us to execute medical evacuations in areas other units cannot get into."

The rescue crews are trained to extract personnel in any environment.

"We can go into any mission-set to recover someone, regardless of the terrain," said Capt. John, 129th ERQS CRO. "Whether they are Marines entrapped in an MRAP [mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle] or hanging from a 10,000 ft. cliff, my men can get to them and get them to safety."

The rescue teams must remain on high alert during their 12-hour shifts. When a medical report drops, the teams need to be ready immediately.

"Things happen quick and the men have to be ready to move at a moment's notice," Wenthe said. "Our guys can be asleep or playing video games and 15 minutes later, flying into a hot zone recovering a seriously injured Soldier."

As per Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, teams need to respond within 60 minutes from the time a 9-Line medical alert drops, to wheels down and transferring a patient to a higher level of medical care - a concept commonly referred to as the "Golden Hour."

"Speed is what's saving lives," the major said. "Getting the Soldiers who are injured picked up quickly and to the higher care they need. If we are able to get to someone within the 'Golden Hour,' then survival is pretty certain for someone."

Recently, a Marine on a foot patrol in the Helmand province was seriously injured from the blast of an improvised explosive device.

"If our CSAR guys hadn't gotten to the Marine when they did and start medical care on him, he wouldn't have survived - it's that simple," said Capt. Jac Solghan, Camp Bastion Role 3 Hospital Aeromedical Evacuation Liaison Team flight clinical coordinator. "Following the 'Golden Rule' is giving people a chance who otherwise would have had none and [the CSAR] guys are giving us that hope for survival. Without them, countless people would now be dead."

Constantly on the move, the teams receive upwards of five calls per shift. They respond to all types of calls requiring care for anyone affected by the war.

"Per our creed, our role is to save a life in any condition," the CRO said. "With so many customers on the line who need our help, it's not a burden but a welcome opportunity to go out there and help the people who need us most. Through our men, lives are being saved. There's no better reward than knowing someone will get to go home alive."

Wild Thing's comment........

Wow, God bless these awesome people.......thank God for each one of them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:44 AM | Comments (1)

USS Ronald Reagan Launches First Sorties in Relief of USS Eisenhower

ABOARD USS RONALD REAGAN, At Sea

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group relieved the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group today in command of Task Force 50 and launched its first sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 14 departed the decks of the strike group's flagship, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, bound for Afghanistan to support coalition ground forces.

"I'm excited to get this started, because in essence, what we're doing is saving American and coalition lives," said Navy Capt. Kenneth Norton, Ronald Reagan's commanding officer. "The Eisenhower strike group did a fantastic job in theater, and we're ready to continue that level of support. We have a lot of experience on board Ronald Reagan and with the air wing. Our crew knows how to execute this mission effectively."

While Ronald Reagan and Carrier Air Wing 14 are returning to a mission they performed a year ago, they understand that conditions in Afghanistan have changed, officials said, with stricter guidelines in place to minimize civilian casualties and collateral damage in Afghanistan.

Navy Rear Adm. Scott Hebner, the strike group's commander, said the group's more than 7,500 sailors are eager to carry out their mission.

"Our sailors are focused and serious-minded about what is ahead," he said. "They know the Navy and our country is counting on them. They are ready to demonstrate their impressive capabilities across the spectrum of our maritime strategy."

The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group had operated in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations since March.

"Our preparations last fall allowed us to deliver exactly what the fleet commander asked for: persistent U.S. naval power in perfect partnership with our joint and coalition partners [and] delivering security and stability for the good of all mariners in this vital area of the world," said Navy Rear Adm. Kurt W. Tidd, commander of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.

Eisenhower's embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing 7, flew more than 2,000 sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Ships of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group also were vital in counter-piracy operations, including the USS Bainbridge's direct role in the rescue of Richard Phillips, captain of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama.

"I am extremely proud of the 4,500 men and women on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. They have performed magnificently this entire deployment," said Navy Capt. Dee L. Mewbourne, Eisenhower's commanding officer. "They supported coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan with utmost professionalism while providing regional security and stability. Without question, their service made a difference."

USS Ronald Reagan is joined by the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville. Other Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group ships will support maritime security operations while deployed to the region. The guided-missile destroyers USS Decatur, USS Howard and USS Gridley and the guided-missile frigate USS Thach will help to deter destabilizing activities and ensure a lawful maritime order in the Persian Gulf, Persian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, officials said.

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is on a routine deployment to the region. Operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations are focused on reassuring regional partners of the U.S. commitment to security, which promotes stability and global prosperity, officials said.

Wild Thing's comment........

I love that they are out there, Land, sea and air, all of it protecting us and working together to absolutely positively destroy every breathing terrorist.......... well that would be great! heh heh

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (2)

July 12, 2009

Obama Cuts Funding For Gear and Armored Vests & Armored Vehicles

White House cuts funding for (Soldier) gear (Armored vests & armored vehicles)

Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON

House lawmakers on Thursday blasted a White House decision not to provide money next fiscal year for upgrades to combat-worn equipment, and promised a fight to put billions back into the defense budget.

The House version of the fiscal 2010 defense authorization bill already contains about $20 billion for the repair of equipment worn down by desert conditions and purchase of new gear to replace items destroyed in combat. About $11 billion of the total is for the Army alone.

But that’s down more than $2 billion from previous years’ requests, and doesn’t include any funds for things like vehicle armor improvements, new communications equipment or other upgrades.

Officials from the Office of Management and Budget said money for those improvements will come from the Army’s base budget, and not from the extra overseas contingency funds meant to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli said Tuesday that the directive outlining the funding change effectively cuts any such recapitalization work next year.

"For the most part, adding on upgrades to equipment won’t be allowed in FY2010," he said. "I think it makes a lot of sense to upgrade when we can. But the new rules are that we can’t do that."

In a statement OMB officials said the move "is part of a long-overdue attempt to rationalize how the Administration requests funding for war, versus non-war programs, forces and activities."

But news of the policy upset lawmakers, who said they were unaware of any limits on equipment reset for next year and were concerned about shortchanging the services.

"If we’re going to do this on the basis of ... a budget number, as opposed to our obligation to provide what [the services] need, then I have a real dilemma here," said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii. "I can’t say we’re giving a number that really provides for the military’s necessity."

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., said OMB may have overstepped its boundaries in the directive by limiting how the reset fund can be spent, and said he believes the Army and Marine Corps should receive the money they need for critical readiness upgrades next year.

OMB officials did not provide comment by deadline, but service officials confirmed the overseas contingency operations directive was provided to the Pentagon as part of the budget process earlier this year.

Congress has authorized nearly $70 billion for reset and upgrades of equipment since 2006, money that doesn’t include funds to fast-track production of combat necessities like Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles.

Army and Marine Corps officials have said throughout that shortfalls in equipment and repair funding would not endanger troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, since they’re constantly supplied with the best-conditioned vehicles and gear available.

But units training in the States, or those in noncombat units based overseas, have been stuck with older equipment and faced shortfalls in getting up-to-date training equipment.

Chiarelli said he’s confident the $11 billion the Army requested for fiscal 2010 — about $8 billion for logistics costs and depot maintenance, and $3 billion for procurement and repair — is enough to keep missions and training operating smoothly.

"We are able with the funds available to reset equipment," he said. "We understand the tremendous fiscal crisis our country has gone through. As long as we can reset our equipment, we understand that because of fiscal requirements it may be in the best interest of our country as a whole to cut back on recapitalization."

The Marine Corps is expected to receive about $2 billion in reset funds, and the National Guard and Reserve another $7 billion.

Wild Thing's comment.......

The RATS need all of those funds to push their commie agenda. Obama and the left have no respect for the troops or their families

They are determined to destroy our military and to leave them minimally equipped right in the MIDDLE of a war with 2 fronts.These people are systematically deconstructing America. Damn the traitors Obama really is evil. Debilitating our military while at war with radical Islamic jihadists is NOT a good idea. TREASON!

So this means the troops themselves will have to buy the armor gear for themselves out of their pockets. OMG!

Obama is putting our Troops in harm’s way.......on purpose. OBAMA how can you do this, PLEASE stop messing with our troops!!!!!

Muslim breath Barack Hussein Obama military policy so far:

* Miranda Rights for Terrorists / Terrorists Captured on Battlefield Have Constitutional Rights (Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said that the Obama administration's policy of reading Miranda rights to terrorists captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan is "outrageous." )
* Gays ask and tell
* Fight Taliban with hands tied
* Don’t shoot back at Taliban Terrorists!
* And don’t bother the women and men in burqas!
* Cancel F-22 and Missile Defense
* Watch out for the Poppy Fields, don't disturb the poppies
* Implement ban on smoking who cares how slow they do it the fact it is in the works is anti-troops
* Cancel Body armor and vehicle funding.

Soooooo what is next, tanks made of plastic or something????

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (16)

Senior Airman Nicholas Barker Defuses Commercial Airline Incident

Col. Thomas Kauth, Logistics Assessment Branch chief, presents Senior Airman Nicholas Barker, 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, a certificate of appreciation for his excellence during Dover Air Force Base’s Logistics Standardization and Evaluation Program inspection. Two months later, Barker showed his excellence again by subduing an irate man on an international commercial flight. U.S. Air Force photo by Tom Randle

Face of Defense: Airman Defuses Commercial Airline Incident

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace, Special to American Forces Press Service

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del.

June 29, 2009

It was enough to make even the calmest airline passengers nervous: an irate man pacing the aisles of a commercial flight shouting, “I want to slit the captain’s throat!”

However, in the face of this peril on a June 9 U.S. borne flight to Italy, a Dover mechanic came to the rescue.

Though Senior Airman Nicholas Barker, 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, looked like the many other passengers, by the end of the flight it was apparent he was different – he was a hero.

Barker was headed to Naples, where he was to report for maintenance readiness training. However, fate had a different plan for the crew chief that day and he soon found himself in a perilous situation, strong-arming and securing an enraged man speaking Italian.

“He was pacing up and down the aircraft almost as he was looking for something,” explained the Plymouth, Mich., native. “I wasn’t the only person to notice his strange behavior. People all around were looking at him as if he was drunk and the crew was trying to calm him down.”

Since Barker doesn’t speak Italian, he did not know the severity of the situation at first, but recalled the state of affairs leading up to his intervention.

“The aircraft’s captain came to our section of the plane to try to get the guy back to his seat,” Barker said. “One of the flight attendants looked at me and said, ‘We may need your help.’”

Barker stood up, but the situation seemed to calm and the passenger seemed to be heading to his seat. Barker returned to his seat as well. A little while later, a voice came over the airliner’s public announcement system asking if anyone had law enforcement or military training.

Barker made his way to the rear of the plane to see what he could do to help. What he found in the plane’s rear was the same guy, more irate than before, saying he hoped the engine would catch fire and that he wanted to slit the captain’s throat. The situation required immediate action.

“A crew member handed me a pair of plastic hand cuffs,” Barker recalled. “As I began to walk over to the passenger, he saw the cuffs and started to resist. I then gave the cuffs to a flight attendant so that I could restrain him.”

Barker, along with the many other passengers that day, found themselves in a situation that could have gone downhill fast. Barker knew he had to act.

“I grabbed the guy’s forearm, put my elbow into his shoulder and held him by his throat,” he explained. “I wasn’t choking him, but applying enough pressure that he knew I could if I needed.”

With the man subdued, a flight attendant was able to cuff his hands and feet. After that, Barker situated the man upright in his seat, buckled him in, and tied his cuffs to his seat belt. After he was secure in his restraints, Barker returned to his seat near the front of the aircraft.

It soon became apparent that the man was trying to free himself from his restraints, and Barker was summoned again.

“I just took a seat adjacent to him to keep an intimidating eye on him – it kept him calm,” he said. There was not any more trouble for the remainder of the flight.

Afterward, Barker reflected on his training and the fact that being in the military gave him a leg up in the situation.

“Servicemembers know to not freeze up under pressure,” said Barker, adding that most servicemembers willingly sacrifice their safety for that of others. “I didn't have time to think. I knew this guy was a possible threat and this just had to be done.”

The 436th AMXS commander, Maj. Stephanie Halcrow, was not surprised by Barker’s actions.

In fact, excellence seems to be a Barker trademark. He was recognized by Air Mobility Command’s Logistics Standardization and Evaluation Program inspection team for his superior performance during an April inspection.

Halcrow reacted to Barker’s recent heroism in five simple words, “Senior Airman Barker – our hero!”

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you Senior Airman Nicholas Barker.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (8)

July 11, 2009

‘Camouflage Angel’ Spends Last Moments With U.S. Combat Casualties

Army Sgt. Jennifer Watson, non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the Casualty Liaison Team at Joint Base Balad, stands in Hero's Highway. Each patient brought via helicopter to the Air Force Theater Hospital passes through Hero's Highway. Watson, a native of Peru, Ind., is deployed here from Fort Campbell, Ky. Photo by Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing.

‘Camouflage Angel’ Spends Last Moments With U.S. Combat Casualties

JOINT BASE BALAD

By Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing

The emergency-room trauma call and the medical staff's immediate action upon his arrival is only a memory to her now; sitting quietly at the bedside of her brother-in-arms, she carefully takes his hand, thanking him for his service and promising she will not leave his side.

He is a critically injured combat casualty, and she is Army Sgt. Jennifer Watson of the Casualty Liaison Team here.

Although a somber scene, it is not an uncommon one for the Peru, Ind., native, who in addition to her primary duties throughout the last 14 months, has taken it upon herself to ensure no U.S. casualty passes away alone. Holding each of their hands, she sits with them until the end, no matter the day or the hour.

"It's unfortunate that their families can't be here," said Watson, who is deployed here from Fort Campbell, Ky. "So I took it upon myself to step up and be that family while they are here. No one asked me to do it; I just did what I felt was right in my heart. I want them to know they are heroes.

"I feel just because they are passing away does not mean they cannot hear and feel someone around them," she continued. "I talk to them, thanking them for what they have done, telling them they are a hero, they will never be forgotten, and I explain my job to them to help them be at ease knowing the family will be told the truth."

In general, Watson explains to the patients that the CLT works within the Patient Administrative Department here, acting as a liaison for all military and civilian patients in-theater and initiating the casualty-notification process to the patient's next-of-kin.

Upon their arrival at the Air Force Theater Hospital, Watson speaks with each combat casualty getting as accurate information as possible about the incident. Once the doctor gives their diagnosis and severity of the patient's injuries, Watson and her team complete and send a Defense Casualty Information Processing System folder report to the Department of the Army or the patient's respective service so that their next-of-kin can be notified.

"I make sure we tell their family everything they want to know, so they know everything that's going on," said Watson. "[Through the report], we'll tell the families everything that is going on with their family member ... so that they don't have any questions."

Furthermore, once the initial report has been sent, the CLT and Watson make hourly rounds to the intensive-care ward or unit to check on the patient's well-being, or, for the more critical patients, to check on their stability.

"We are constantly communicating and making sure the family knows everything we know," said Watson. "We want to put the families at ease and let them know that everything is being done for their loved one. From the moment a servicemember is brought in through Hero's Highway, they are never alone."

Each month, the AFTH, the equivalent of a U.S. Level-1 trauma center, treats more than 539 patients; more than 101 are trauma cases in the emergency department. Although Watson can never predict if and when her fellow brothers- or sisters- in arms may need her, she is always available here.

"The hospital staff is wonderful," said Watson. "They know how important it is for me to be there with them and if they know it's time, someone will come and get me no matter where I'm at.

"I see it as a form of closure, not just for me, but for the families so that they know that somebody was there with their son or daughter," she added. "My heart goes out to every patient that comes into the hospital, especially my wounded in action Soldiers. I feel like everyone who comes through the door is my brother or sister."

Not surprisingly, Watson's dedication to duty and her hard work have not gone unnoticed. She has touched the lives of all those who she has come in contact with, to include the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group commander, Col. Mark Mavity.

"Sgt. Watson's story is one of the most compelling here in the Med Group," said Mavity. "She is a Soldier's Soldier who combines an unparalleled level of compassion and commitment to our most grievously wounded warriors with amazing professionalism each and every day.

"What is truly incredible is that she is a personnelist by training but with the heart of a medic who has taken it upon herself to hold the hand and keep a bedside vigil with every mortally wounded Soldier who has spent their last hours within the AFTH," continued the colonel. "She will not let her brave brothers or sisters pass alone. This is a heavy burden to bear and at great personal emotional cost to Sgt. Watson, but she is unwavering in her final commitment to these Soldiers. You don't have to look any further than Sgt. Watson to find a true hero."

"Angel" and "hero" are only two of the many titles Watson has been given since arriving at JBB; although she is appreciative of the kind words, she remains humble.

"I am far from an angel," said the sergeant with a smile. "I just do what is in my heart. I guess for me, I think about the family and the closure of knowing the Soldier did not pass away alone. To say I'm a hero ... no. The heroes are my guys who come in [through Hero's Highway]."

Reflecting on her time here, Watson said she is extremely thankful for the opportunity she has had to work side-by-side with the Air Force.

"The staff of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group has done an amazing job since I have been here," she said. "They are incredible. They have done procedures and saved the lives of the most critically injured Soldiers, and have been some of the most professional people I have ever worked with.

"I want the families to know that their servicemember was a hero," Watson concluded. "They made the ultimate sacrifice, but before they passed on, they received the best medical treatment, and the staff did everything they could -- they were not in pain and they didn't die alone."

Wild Thing's comment......

Prayers for this soldier and those she helps. This is not even her assigned duty, she an administration clerk. This is just something she started doing because she's an angel full of love and everyone else in the unit not only accepts it, they encourage it.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (14)

“Held Down” Under Heavy Fire: Echo Company Marines From 2/8 Battle To Hold Position

Troops from a US Marine company in Afghanistan have been under almost constant fire since entering the country with 4,000 other troops during the week.

Since flying in by helicopter to Mian Poshteh in Helmand province, troops from the 2/8 infantry battalion have been held down by insurgents.

The 200 Marines are still fighting to hold position and have had to call in helicopter gunships for assistance.

Taliban fighters have been using small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and rockets against the Marines

One Marine was killed in the hostile fire in the first day of the battle, while others are succumbing to the intense heat in the area and are being evacuated to medical facilities.

The Marines are in an area which is criss-crossed by canals and irrigation ditches which were built by the US in the 1950s and 1960s to aid agriculturalists in the region.

Opium has become the mainstay on local farms, where the owners have been forced by the Taliban insurgency to grow the crop.

Agencie France Presse:

US Marine Corps

Pat Dollard

GARMSIR, Afghanistan

AFP

Since 4,000 US Marines pushed into Taliban-controlled areas of southern Afghanistan on Thursday, one company has been in a constant firefight with the insurgents, the military said.

Troops from Echo company of the 2/8 infantry battalion flew in by helicopter to Mian Poshteh, a key canal and road junction in Helmand province, as part of President Barack Obama’s efforts to finally defeat the Islamist militants.

The 200 Marines fighting to hold the position arrived at dawn on Thursday, and they were still engaged in fierce combat through the weekend, Major Dan Gaskell told AFP at nearby Camp Delhi.

“Echo company landed by the canal intersection and set up shop,” he said late Saturday. “They have been fighting to hold that position.

“The enemy really wants it back, and have been doing everything they can to dislodge Echo. That continues.”

The US has called in helicopter gunships three times to help the Marines, Gaskell said, including one attack using a Hellfire missile.

He said about 40 Taliban fighters were using small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and rockets against the Marines, who have based themselves in a walled compound.

“The enemy tactic is to conduct a feint attack from one compass direction, then fire from a second direction, and follow up with a proper attack from a third,” he said.

“They have shown the ability to switch back and forth, so the combination may come from any angle.”

One Marine was killed by hostile fire in the first day of the battle, while at least two others have suffered chronic heat exhaustion in the scorching temperatures and had to be evacuated by helicopter.

“Mian Poshteh is the most difficult situation in the current operation,” Gaskell said of the site 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of Camp Delta in the Garmsir district of Helmand.

“The enemy are against a 200-plus Marine company, which is the most feared thing in the world. But we have rules of engagement and destroying everything in the area is not our intent. We fight back in a proportional way.”

The Helmand River valley is criss-crossed with canals and irrigation ditches built by the US in the 1950s and 1960s to promote agriculture in the region, but the main crop is now opium which funds much of the Islamist insurgency.

“The terrain is pretty tricky and easy to get bogged down in, especially with the weight of gear that Marines carry,” Gaskell said.

“The Hellfire missile was fired after the company commander had spent eight hours trying to manoeuvre in on one pocket of resistance. We knew from live aerial video there were no civilians there.”

He said another air attack, on Saturday afternoon, was “a helicopter rocket and gun run” that had either killed those targeted or forced them to flee the tree line from where they were firing on the Marines.

Operation Khanjar, which involved thousands of Marines moving into the Helmand valley to extend the reach of the Afghan central government, has faced generally light resistance.

But US commanders say they expect their troops to soon be hit by counter-attacks.

“The enemy assumes that within several days we’ll be leaving but we’re not going anywhere,” Lieutenant Colonel Christian Cabaniss, in charge of the US operations around Garmsir, said.

“We’ve picked good ground, close to the population centres, and we’re going to stay.

“But we do want to know why the enemy have chosen to fight at Mian Poshteh. Perhaps there’s a high value commander there.”

The military’s plan is to improve security in Helmand so that locals reject the hardline Taliban in favour of the central government, allowing international troops who have been in the country since 2001 to eventually withdraw.

The area south of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, is the world?s biggest opium-growing region and a route for Taliban fighters joining the insurgency from across the Pakistan border.

Footage of Marines from Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines conducting Operation Strike of the Sword. Scenes include Marines waiting then boarding helicopters and on patrol in Sorhduz. Provided by NATO TV.

Wild Thing's comment.......

God's speed to our troops and protect them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (4)

July 10, 2009

Helping The Enemy Obama?? ~ "Ban on tobacco urged in military "

This is a photo of a soldier in the Vietnam War. I met him while I was there. The treatment of our troops back then and now, anything that is not a help to them should be considered coming from a traitor to our country. ~ Wild Thing

DOD considering banning smoking, regardless of social experiment's effect on morale and cohesion

Ban on tobacco urged in military

USA

WASHINGTON

Pentagon health experts are urging Defense Secretary Robert Gates to ban the use of tobacco by troops and end its sale on military property, a change that could dramatically alter a culture intertwined with smoking.

Jack Smith, head of the Pentagon's office of clinical and program policy, says he will recommend that Gates adopt proposals by a federal study that cites rising tobacco use and higher costs for the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs as reasons for the ban.

The study by the Institute of Medicine, requested by the VA and Pentagon, calls for a phased-in ban over a period of years, perhaps up to 20. "We'll certainly be taking that recommendation forward," Smith says.

A tobacco ban would confront a military culture, the report says, in which "the image of the battle-weary soldier in fatigues and helmet, fighting for his country, has frequently included his lit cigarette."

Also, the report said, troops worn out by repeated deployments often rely on cigarettes as a "stress reliever." The study found that tobacco use in the military increased after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began.

Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the department supports a smoke-free military "and believes it is achievable." She declined to elaborate on any possible ban.

One in three servicemembers use tobacco, the report says, compared with one in five adult Americans. The heaviest smokers are soldiers and Marines, who have done most of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the study says. About 37% of soldiers use tobacco and 36% of Marines. Combat veterans are 50% more likely to use tobacco than troops who haven't seen combat.

Tobacco use costs the Pentagon $846 million a year in medical care and lost productivity, says the report, which used older data. The Department of Veterans Affairs spends up to $6 billion in treatments for tobacco-related illnesses, says the study, which was released late last month.

Along with a phased-in ban, the report recommends requiring new officers and enlisted personnel to be tobacco-free, eliminating tobacco use on military installations, ships and aircraft, expanding treatment programs and eliminating the sale of tobacco on military property. "Any tobacco use while in uniform should be prohibited," the study says.

The military complicates attempts to curb tobacco use by subsidizing tobacco products for troops who buy them at base exchanges and commissaries, says Kenneth Kizer, a committee member and architect of California's anti-tobacco program.

Seventy percent of profits from tobacco sales — $88 million in 2005 — pays for recreation and family support programs, the study stays.

Strong leadership could make the military tobacco-free in five to 10 years, Kizer says. President Obama, he says, could set an example for the military by ending his own smoking habit once and for all. Last month, Obama said he is "95% cured" but "there are times when I mess up" and smoke.

Wild Thing's comment......

OH I see it's ok for the Commander in Chief to smoke but not the front line soldier. Obama's hate for our military knows no bounds.

He wants to force troops with high powered weapons, under a great deal of stress in the field, to quit nicotine? I would SO want to see him try to relieve one of our soldiers of his Marlboros, or of his chew.

So what is Obama hoping for the recruiters close up shop?

Tobacco keeps you alert when you are exhausted. It is a stimulant in extreme conditions and heightens your senses. GIs smoked in every war we have been in . . . What a crock of shit. What an absolute crock!!

Just think, if they were in prison, they’d be able to smoke! What are we, nuts, or what!!!!!

One of the physiological effects of nicotine is the constriction of the peripheral blood vessels--which can give the impression of offsetting the effects of alcohol, but can also slow the progress of shock. Which is why so many tobacco consumers want a smoke or a chew in times of extreme stress or after a traumatic experience.

Go ahead, demoralize and screw with the morale of 1 in every 3 military Troops. I mean, it’s only 120 degrees where they are fighting for your filthy dumb ass Obama and they could use some more stress.

These men are facing possible death every single day as they protect our country. If they want a cig before or after a battle..the country should not only ‘allow’ it, but provide them!!

I have so had it with Obama, he just won't stop hampering our military.

What is next, cussing, sugary drinks, gum?

CIC Obama forcing troops to be on their mission with their hands tied.

Marines must not return enemy fire for fear of killing an Afghan non-combatant.Don’t shoot back! IF there is any possibility there are civilians around. Especially the women ( Taliban cross dressing in Burqas)

"ABC Correspondent Mike Boettcher, who is embedded with Golf Company, reports that the young Marines, when ambushed by Taliban forces with automatic weapons, were ordered to shoulder their rifles. Their command, Boettcher writes, warned them that “one civilian casualty could negate the No. 1 objective of this operation – – winning the trust and respect of the farmers of the Helmand River Valley.”

Be careful of the Poppy Fields.

And now the very possible BAN on smoking.

God Save the United States of America — from itself !!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 PM | Comments (26)

Texas Band Flyleaf Delivers High Spirits to Troops Overseas

Flyleaf vocalist Lacey Sturm performs in front of hundreds on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, July 6, wrapping up their first overseas tour for troops. (Photo by U.S. Army Capt. Michael Greenberger)

Flyleaf vocalist Lacey Sturm unleashes a vocal torrent during a show on Bagram Air Field July 6. The band performed 15 songs and signed nearly 1,000 autographs on the 2nd largest military base in Afghanistan. (Photo by U.S. Army Spc. Opal Hood, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

by Army Capt. Michael Greenberger
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

Nearly a thousand service members were treated to a healthy dose of hard rock July 6 thanks to the Texas-based band Flyleaf.

On a tour sponsored by AKA Productions, the band arrived at Bagram Air Field just in time to take the stage in the Morale, Recreation, and Welfare “clamshell” tent, somewhat late from a previous show at Forward Operating Base Ramrod in southern Afghanistan.

While waiting for Flyleaf’s arrival, the band’s opening act consisted of a group of service members playing the videogame Rock Band. Projected on a massive screen, people took turns singing and playing on guitar and drum game controllers while the crowd howled for more.

“The Rock Band part was fun,” said Army Pfc. Jessica Kimball. “They should do that more often. It’s a good way for people to interact with each other.”

The warm-up act starred a “band” that won a Rock Band competition on Bagram just weeks prior. Many of the service members who took the stage participate every Wednesday in a weekly get-together for, what else, Rock Band night.

“Rock Band is important because it’s the closest thing on BAF to a party,” said Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Miller. “It’s a great social event and anybody can be a rock star for an evening.”

Flyleaf got into the electronic gaming world with one of their songs, “I’m So Sick” appearing on the Rock Band video game.

After two hours of jamming, the “Rock Band night” regulars relinquished the stage to the newly arrived Flyleaf, who took the stage to a mass of cheering people.

First up in their hour-long set was a new song titled “Justice and Mercy”.

“This first song was written with all of you in mind,” said vocalist Lacey Sturm as she greeted the crowd.

In the lyrics, the words “The living and dying, surviving, we’re trying to breathe in safety – come home safely” were written for Soldiers, said tour manager Kat Hartmann.

“The song is about respect for the troops,” Hartmann went on. “We respect everything they’ve done like putting their lives on the line, which is also in the lyrics to the song.”

As the musical set began, the intensity of the crowd was audibly carried up a notch when Sturm’s lyrical voice turned to primal scream in the middle of “Breathe Today”, a song off their debut, self-titled album “Flyleaf”.

We’ve travelled overseas to Europe and other places before,” said Hartmann. “But we’ve never gone into a war zone.”

Their first ever tour for the troops took them from Qatar to a remote outpost called FOB Baylough in southern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border.

“The FOB is a really rough place,” said Sturm. “They just have the bare essentials and the guys there said no one had been out to see them in years, so we were really excited to get out to see them.”

According to Sturm, Flyleaf had wanted to come see the troops for a while and the band got lucky when another group cancelled its tour.

Travelling light, Flyleaf performed their shows acoustically, which is something they’re not used to doing. In addition to a light equipment load, two members of the band couldn’t make the tour. Bass player Pat Seals and guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya stayed behind for personal reasons while lead singer Sturm’s husband Josh stepped in to play guitar for the duration of the tour. But in true wartime fashion, Flyleaf did the very best with what was available.

They did a great job with what they had,” said Army Pfc. Michael Langford. “The show was great and it’s nice to know that people actually do care about us.”

And care they do. Flyleaf got their start in Belton, Texas, a “stone’s throw” from one of the largest military bases in America, Fort Hood.

The band played lots of shows near Fort Hood, Sturm explained. “But this was our first time out playing to a completely ‘military’ audience,” Sturm said. “It was just overwhelming to look out into the crowd and see nothing but uniforms.”

The Flyleaf show was full of special treats for the troops. According to Hartmann, the group played their new songs “Chasm” and “Circle” from their upcoming album “Memento Mori” for the first time live. The band also stuck around and signed autographs for anyone who wanted them, a process that took the rockers well past 2 a.m.

“I think that after being exhausted from flying all day and performing multiple concerts, the fact that they offered to stay, sign autographs, and take pictures with the troops really exemplifies how down to earth and selfless they really are,” said Army Staff Sgt. Charlene Fick. “They stated during the show how proud they were of us, but I am proud of them for thinking of us and jumping at the opportunity to come to a somewhat dangerous area to perform for us.”

“This was our first tour for the troops,” said Sturm. “I hope we can come back and do it again.”

Wild Thing's comment.......

Lacey Sturm has a great attitude and I love how she really lets you know she wanted to be there and support our troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (4)

July 09, 2009

In Country With Our Marines 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co

Marines Call in JDAM on Sniper

“You’re going to change the world this summer and it starts this morning. The United States and the world are watching. Their expectations are enormously high during this summer of decision,” Lieutenant Colonel Christian Cabaniss, commander of the 2nd battalion, 8th Marines, told the Marines before they boarded helicopters to be part of Operation Khanjar, or Strike of the Sword. The southern offensive was launched shortly after 1 a.m. (4:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday), as thousands of Marines poured from helicopters and armored vehicles into Taliban-controlled villages along roughly 20 miles of the Helmand River in Helmand province, the world’s largest opium poppy-producing area. The goal is to clear insurgents from the hotly contested region before the nation’s Aug. 20 presidential election. (AP)

Denver Post

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. run off the back of a helicopter during the start of Operation Khanjari on July 2, 2009 in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan. The Marines are part of an operation to take areas in the Southern Helmand Province that Taliban fighters are using as a resupply route and to help the local Afghan population prepare for the upcoming presidential elections. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. takes up a fighting position after off loading from a helicopter during the start of Operation Khanjari on July 2, 2009 in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan. The Marines are part of an operation to take areas in the Southern Helmand Province that Taliban fighters are using as a resupply route and to help the local Afghan population prepare for the upcoming presidential elections. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. take up defensive position as more are flown in by helicopter during the start of Operation Khanjari on July 2, 2009 in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan . The Marines are part of an operation to take areas in the Southern Helmand Province that Taliban fighters are using as a resupply route and to help the local Afghan population prepare for the upcoming presidential elections. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

US Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade make preparations as they wait for helicopter transport as part of Operation Khanjar at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province in Afghanistan on July 2, 2009. US Marines launched a major offensive into the Taliban heartlands of southern Afghanistan before dawn as President Barack Obama’s new war plan swung into action. With dozens of aircraft ferrying out troops from various bases, the assault aimed to insert forces into insurgent strongholds in Helmand province in what officers said was the biggest offensive airlift by the Marines since Vietnam. Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword), involving nearly 4,000 US forces as well as 650 Afghan police and soldiers, would bring security to the Helmand River valley ahead of presidential elections on August 20, commanders aid. (MANPREET ROMANA/AFP/Getty Images)

US Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade wait to get onto a helicopter as part of Operation Khanjar at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province in Afghanistan on July 2, 2009. (MANPREET ROMANA/AFP/Getty Images)

US Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade prepare to board helicopter transport as part of Operation Khanjar at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province in Afghanistan on July 2, 2009. (MANPREET ROMANA/AFP/Getty Images)

US Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade walk towards helicopter transport as part of Operation Khanjar at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province in Afghanistan on July 2, 2009. (MANPREET ROMANA/AFP/Getty Images)

US Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade wait for helicopter transport as part of Operation Khanjar at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province in Afghanistan on July 2, 2009. (MANPREET ROMANA/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Marine Captain Eric Meador from Laurel, Mississippi of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. gives his Marines a pep talk before loading up on helicopters during the start of Operation Khanjari on July 2, 2009 in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan. The Marines are part of an operation to take areas in the Southern Helmand Province that Taliban fighters are using as a resupply route and to help the local Afghan population prepare for the upcoming presidential elections. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Fox Co. prepares to load up on a helicopter during the start of Operation Khanjari on July 2, 2009 in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. prepare to search a building during the start of Operation Khanjari on July 2, 2009 in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

U.S Marines from the 2nd MEB, 1st Battalion 5th Marines wait at Camp Leatherneck to board helicopters for a night air assault in Afghanistan’s Helmand province Thursday July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (2)

July 07, 2009

A Life of Worth, Overlooked

Brian Bradshaw, KIA/Afghanistan Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, died in Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

A Life of Worth, Overlooked

The Washington Post

by Martha Gillis

My nephew, Brian Bradshaw, was killed by an explosive device in Afghanistan on June 25, the same day that Michael Jackson died. Mr. Jackson received days of wall-to-wall coverage in the media. Where was the coverage of my nephew or the other soldiers who died that week? There were several of them, and our family crossed paths with the family of another fallen soldier at Dover Air Force Base, where the bodies come "home." Only the media in Brian's hometown and where he was stationed before his deployment covered his death.

I remember Brian as a toddler wandering around in cowboy boots and hat, not seeing the need for any other clothing. He grew into a thoroughly decent person with a wry sense of humor. He loved wolves and history. Most Christmases, I gave him a biography or some analysis of the Civil War. He read such things for pleasure.

He had old-fashioned values and believed that military service was patriotic and that actions counted more than talk. He wasn't much for talking, although he could communicate volumes with a raised eyebrow.

He was a search-and-rescue volunteer, an altar boy, a camp counselor. He carried the hopes and dreams of his parents willingly on his shoulders. What more than that did Michael Jackson do or represent that earned him memorial "shrines," while this soldier's death goes unheralded?

It makes me want to scream.

MARTHA GILLIS
Springfield

Relatives of Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Decry Lack of Coverage Amid Jackson Spectacle

http://www.militarytimes.com/multimedia/video/rpg_surgery/

A day before New York Rep. Peter King called Michael Jackson a “pervert” unworthy of nonstop media coverage, the aunt of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan on the same day Jackson died asked why her nephew's death went virtually unnoticed while the King of Pop got memorial shrines across the country.

"Mr. Jackson received days of wall-to-wall coverage in the media," Martha Gillis wrote to the Washington Post. "Where was the coverage of my nephew or the other soldiers who died that week?"

Gillis' nephew, Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, died in Kheyl, Afganistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Bradshaw, of Steilacoom, Wash., was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in Fort Richardson, Alaska. He was one of at least 13 U.S. soldiers to die in Afghanistan since Jackson's death on June 25.

Bradshaw's mother, Mary, said she agreed with Gillis, saying the nonstop coverage of Jackson's death has become "totally ridiculous" and laughable.

"I can watch the news many nights and there's no mention of what's going on in Afghanistan or Iraq and there's boys dying over there," Bradshaw told FOXNews.com. "Oh God, I can't talk."

Gillis, of Springfield, Va., could not be reached for comment. In her letter to the Washington Post, she described Bradshaw as a "thoroughly decent person with a wry sense of humor" who loved history, particularly the Civil War.

"He had old-fashioned values and believed that military service was patriotic and that actions counted more than talk," Gillis wrote. "He wasn't much for talking, although he could communicate volumes with a raised eyebrow."

Bradshaw, who graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, was the product of a military family. His father, Paul, is a retired National Guard helicopter pilot, and his mother is a retired Army nurse. Bradshaw was buried Monday following a service at St. John's Bosco Church in Lakewood, Wash.

"He was a search-and-rescue volunteer, an altar boy, a camp counselor," Gillis' letter continued. "He carried the hopes and dreams of his parents willingly on his shoulders. What more than that did Michael Jackson do or represent that earned him memorial 'shrines,' while this soldier's death goes unheralded?"

Gillis said the only media outlets that covered Bradshaw's death were in his hometown of Steilacoom, Wash., and those where he was stationed before his deployment in March.

Gillis' sentiment echoes that of King, the Long Island, N.Y., congressman who called on society to stop "glorifying" Jackson in a YouTube video posted on Monday.

King said Jackson had been excessively praised in the days after his death while society ignored the efforts of teachers, police officers and veterans. In the two-minute video, King called the "day in and day out" coverage of Jackson's death "too politically correct."

"Let's knock out the psychobabble," he said in the video, which was taped outside an American Legion Hall in his district. "He was a pervert, a child molester; he was a pedophile. And to be giving this much coverage to him, day in and day out, what does it say about us as a country? I just think we're too politically correct."

King, who is among the possible Republican contenders to run against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, acknowledged that Jackson "may have been a good singer" and "did some dancing," but he blasted the King of Pop as someone who could not be trusted around children.

"There's nothing good to say about this guy," King continued. "But the bottom line is, would you let your child or grandchild be in the same room as Michael Jackson?"

The deaths of seven U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan on Monday received just 1/20th of the network television news coverage devoted to Jackson, according to an analysis by the Media Research Center, a Virginia-based news analysis organization.

The seven deaths garnered less than one minute of coverage on ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts combined, including just 13 seconds on CBS, compared to more than 13 minutes of Jackson-related news. That's a 60-to-1 disparity, the analysis found.

“This is a prime example of why network television news audiences are disappearing before our eyes," Media Research Center President Brent Bozell said. "There is no justification for determining that the death of a celebrity over a week ago merits 20 times more news coverage than the tragic deaths of American soldiers in Afghanistan."

Wild Thing's comment.........

Millions of Americans have their priorities all messed up. And I agree with Martha Gillis 100%.

I have to add that it is not just now with Michael Jackson. Our media should be telling the wonderful stories of
our troops and the tremendous things they have been doing. Too many civilians don't even know how our troops build schools, get water systems put in, build airports, hospitals, so many things. Then there are the stories of family members meeting up in the war where a father and son get to meet up in Baghdad or Kabul, or other places. Brothes both serving and other stories of how entire families are serving at the same time.

I know of one that the Dad is Coast Guard, the Mom is Army, the son is Navy and the daughter is Army. There entire family is serving our country.

And this from Mark:

These American military members died in Iraq this month:

Sergeant Justin J. Duffy
Specialist Christopher M. Kurth
Specialist Charles D. Parrish
Lance Corporal Robert D. Ulmer
Staff Sergeant Edmond L. Lo
Sergeant Joshua W. Soto
Captain Kafele H. Sims
Specialist Chancellor A. Keesling

And these members of our U.S. Armed Forces died in Afghanistan this month:

Sergeant Jones, Ricky D.
Specialist Munguia Rivas, Rodrigo A.
Command Master Chief Petty Officer Garber, Jeffrey J.
1st Sergeant Blair, John D.
Sergeant Smith, Paul G.
Staff Sergeant Melton, Joshua
Sergeant 1st Class Dupont, Kevin A.
Specialist O'Neill, Jonathan C.
Chief Warrant Officer Richardson Jr., Ricky L.
Specialist Silva, Eduardo S.
Lance Corporal Whittle, Joshua R.
Major Barnes, Rocco M.
Major Jenrette, Kevin M.
Staff Sergeant Beale, John C.
Specialist Jordan, Jeffrey W.
Specialist Griemel, Jarrett P. Specialist Hernandez I, Roberto A.
Sergeant Obakrairur, Jasper K.
Staff Sergeant Hall, Jeffrey A.
Private 1st Class Ogden, Matthew D.
Private 1st Class Wilson, Matthew W.

Let's remember and honor this day those whose deaths are truly impacting.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 PM | Comments (9)

July 06, 2009

Soldier Hopes His Story Instills Sense of Reality

Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye stands before fellow soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, during a ceremony in Vicenza, Italy, June 30, 2009. Begaye was awarded the Silver Star for his valorous actions during an enemy ambush Nov. 9, 2007, in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Joseph Sanfilippo

Face of Defense: Soldier Hopes His Story Instills Sense of Reality

By Army Capt. Joseph Sanfilippo
Special to American Forces Press Service

VICENZA, Italy, July 1, 2009

Even as Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye relived the firefight that took the lives of his fellow soldiers, and even as he was awarded the military’s third-highest honor for valor yesterday, his thoughts were on his comrades.

Begaye, a Navajo from Black Canyon City, Ariz., said he wants the story of his actions in Afghanistan to help younger soldiers understand the importance of training, leadership and motivation. For troops eager to see combat, he said, he hopes his story instills a sense of the reality of war.

"It should open their eyes. A firefight is a life-altering experience - one that I'm still living through," Begaye said following a June 30 ceremony here in which he received the Silver Star. "Soldiers should understand … this is real life, and people do die."

On Nov. 9, 2007, Begaye, an Airborne Ranger with the 503rd Infantry Regiment’s 2nd Battalion, was part of a unit that had just met with local leaders in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. They were hiking along rugged terrain when his squad, his platoon's headquarters sections and a squad of Afghan soldiers began taking fire from enemy positions above.

Pinned down at first, Begaye was struck in the arm while returning fire and directing his men. Begaye bounded over a cliff, calling to his troops to follow him down the rocky slope to find cover.

Keeping his composure against overwhelming odds, Begaye directed and encouraged his fellow soldiers under heavy fire. One paratrooper had been shot in both legs and was still taking fire. Begaye called out to him to play dead, knowing the enemy would shift their fire away if they thought the soldier was killed -- quick thinking that likely helped to save that soldier's life.

Ignoring his own injuries, Begaye moved a wounded soldier to a nearby cave to protect him from enemy fire. Using a radio, he called his higher headquarters and directed mortar fire onto enemy positions - essentially ending the battle. Then he motivated a soldier to organize a defensive perimeter of Afghan soldiers to prevent their unit from being harassed or overrun.

Twenty-one months later, with his comrades standing quietly on the parade ground behind him, Begaye listened as Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, spoke here, where Begaye began his service 10 years ago.

"Today, we honor a noncommissioned officer whose bold actions turned the tide of battle and saved the day, … [and] whose courage under fire and fierce loyalty to his men still astounds us all," Garrett said. "Outnumbered, wounded, and initially pinned down in the kill zone of an enemy ambush -- he didn't hesitate to leap forward, literally, and take charge of the fight."

Garrett spoke of the "warrior ethos" that guides soldiers: place the mission first, never accept defeat, never quit, and never leave a fallen comrade.

"These are just words to some people," Garrett said. "But the warrior ethos is a way of life to Staff Sergeant Begaye. Amazing acts of bravery and valor were commonplace that grim day. But this morning, we recognize Staff Sergeant Begaye for his courage - and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve with such a man."

After the ceremony, Begaye's wife, Air Force Staff Sgt. Idellia Beletso, a flight medic based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, hugged her husband. Hundreds of red-bereted paratroopers lined up to shake Begaye's hand, many of whom served with him in combat.

"There are people who have passed on that deserve this," said Begaye, who served three combat tours. "There were five men who died. I'll accept and wear it in honor of them, not for my actions, but for theirs."

Begaye said he would have preferred a simple handshake or a pat on the back. After all, he said, infantrymen don't fight for medals, they fight for each other. That's why Begaye felt grateful to have soldiers from his unit, Chosen Company, behind him on the parade field during the ceremony.

"What happened there is something I think about every day,” Begaye said. “It's not easy to forget about."

Wild Thing's comment.......

"There were five men who died. I'll accept and wear it in honor of them, not for my actions, but for theirs."

I have heard this from so many Veterans, I wish more people would read and hear these stories that are shared of our troops. It would be good for civilians to know more about what our troops are like and how awesome they are in every way.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:47 AM | Comments (8)

July 05, 2009

Marines March in Grueling Afghan Sun for July 4

LTC Michael Gabel of 4-25 FA BN CDR (L-R), Major General Curtis Scaparrotti, commanding general, CJTF-82 and Regional Command East, CSM Thomas Capel, Division Command Sergeant Major, CJTF-82 and regional Command East and CSM Robert Lehtonen II, Command Sergeant Major 4-25 FA cut a cake as they mark the United States Independence Day at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Airborne in the mountains of Wardak province in Afghanistan, July 4, 2009

Brigadier General Larry Nicholson demonstrated the more open approach he wants to see among the new US troops sent to southern Afghanistan by going shopping for melons. Nicholson, commander of the 4,000 Marines deployed on Thursday in the mainly Taliban-held Helmand River valley, headed to Garmsir district centre to visit a bazaar selling fruit, vegetables and meat.

U.S. Marine Cpl. Brian Knight, of Cincinnati, Ohio, with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, 1st Battalion 5th Marines, pauses briefly in the heat to rest with his heavy pack filled with mortar equipment, ammunition, food, and water in the Nawa district in Afghanistan's Helmand province Saturday, July 4, 2009. Taliban militants attacked a U.S. coalition base in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday with an explosives-laden truck that blew up outside the gates, sparking a two-hour gunbattle and killing two American troops, officials said.

Marines march in grueling Afghan sun for July 4

NAWA, Afghanistan

Taliban militants were nowhere in sight as the columns of U.S. Marines walked a third straight day across southern Afghanistan. But the desert heat proved an enemy in its own right, with several troops falling victim Saturday to temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Marines carry 50-100 pounds (23-45 kilograms) on their backs. But because they are marching through farmland on foot, they can't carry nearly as much water as their thirst demands.

Few even realized the date was July 4, but once word of the holiday spread through the company, several said they knew relatives would be holding lakeside celebrations — a world away from the strenuous task Bravo Company of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment was taking on.

"Happy 4th of July, dawg. Happy America," said Lance Corp. Vince Morales, 21, of Baytown, Texas said to one of his Marine buddies while resting under a tree during a break.

Some Marines ate watermelon from a farmer's field as the evening sun set, but there were few other signs of a holiday celebration here.

Some 4,000 Marines are moving through southern Helmand to take back Taliban-held territory and pinch the insurgents' supply lines. Bravo Company has seen a lot of walking but up to now little fighting, though other Marines in the operation have had extended battles.

So far, the worst danger facing Bravo is the heat. Temperatures are well above 100 degrees (37.8 Celsius), and medics treated several heat casualties Saturday.

"When (body) temperature goes up past 104 (40 Celsius), your brain starts cooking, and that's what we're trying to prevent," said Simon Trujillo, an HM3 Navy Medic from Dallas.

The high heat, heavy packs, limited water and three straight days of walking through tough farmland terrain were taking a toll, he said. Several Marines threw up or were dry-heaving from the heat. Three passed out, and other Marines rushed to share the weight and pour water on overheated bodies.

"It's pretty taxing on your body. There's no way to prepare for this," said Trujillo.

One cruel irony: A helicopter dropped off a load of water to the Marines early Saturday, but because they hadn't yet reached their final destination, they took only what they could carry and left hundreds of bottles behind for Afghan villagers to drink.

The sun in southern Helmand is blazing by 8 a.m., and the troops seek out any sliver of shade available. Trees grow along the many manmade water canals the farmers use to survive here, but there is little relief elsewhere.

Sweat pours off faces as Marines shift heavy weapons from one shoulder to the other. Everyone still carries all the ammunition they arrived with in the dark hours of early Thursday, because this unit has not yet exchanged fire.

The Marines walk in columns down dusty dirt roads, and every couple dozen steps they bend over at the waist to give aching shoulders a break. During frequent breaks, medics go up and down the line, looking to see if their men are drinking water.

"It'd be so great if we took contact. We'd lose so much weight," said Lance Corp. Michael Estrada, 20, of Los Angeles.

Lance Corp. Bryan Knight, a mortar man, carries one of the heaviest pack. The 21-year-old Cincinnati native weighs a slight 145 pounds (65.8 kilograms) — and his pack almost equals him.

He carries a 15-pound (6.8-kilogram) mortar base plate, four mortar rockets that weigh 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) each, about 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) of water and another 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms) of combat gear — ammunition, weapon and his flak jacket.

Unsurprisingly, he is drenched in sweat. "The only dry parts of my clothes are the pockets," he said.

Squatting in a lean-to made out of a camouflage poncho beside Knight was Corp. Aaron Shade, 24, of Greenville, Ohio, who hadn't realized it was Independence Day back home in the U.S.

"My family's out on the boat house riding on jet skis, drinking lots of beer," he said. "That's not depressing to think about."

The company captain, Drew Schoenmaker, said the heat was affecting militants as well, noting there were few daytime attacks theater-wide and none on his unit. He said he doubted people back in the United States could understand how hard his Marines work.

"Someone back home might say, 'Oh, it's 100 degrees here, too.' But you're not trying to carry 60 or 90 pounds and people aren't trying to kill you," he said. "And you can always step out of the sun. You can't always do that here."

Wild Thing's comment.....

Last year I posted about how it would get up to 120 degrees. I know what they feels like from being in Las Vegas for one year and it is not good even when people say dry heat is not that bad. Heat that high is hot no matter dry or humid and evenings don't get that much cooler. It does get to a person there is no way it can't. And like they said add into that factor carrying all that weight all that equipment too. That is so huge!

God bless our troops and keep them safe.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:48 AM | Comments (5)

July 03, 2009

Orders From Obama:U.S.Troops Told to Stop Taliban Pursuit If Civilians At Risk

More on Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword)

U.S. Marines and about 650 Afghan soldiers and national police officers prepare to board CH-53D Sea Stallion and CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters on Forward Operating Base Dwyer, Afghanistan, July 2, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philippe E. Chasse

A U.S. Marine checks his equipment before joining other Marines and about 650 Afghan soldiers and national police officers as they prepare to board CH-53D Sea Stallion and CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters on Forward Operating Base Dwyer, Afghanistan, July 2, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philippe E. Chasse

U.S. Marines, military working dog, and about 650 Afghan soldiers and national police officers prepare to board CH-53D Sea Stallion and CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters on Forward Operating Base Dwyer, Afghanistan, July 2, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philippe E. Chasse

U.S. troops told to stop Taliban pursuit if civilians are at risk

Miami Herald

KABUL

Beginning Thursday, American soldiers in Afghanistan will be under orders to back down when they're chasing Taliban fighters whenever they think that civilians might be at risk.

Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, will issue the directive as part of an effort to cut down on civilian casualties, which have enraged the Afghan government and residents. Instead of calling in air support or firing into civilian homes where Taliban fighters have sought refuge, commanders will be instructed to reach out to tribal elders or undertake other efforts to dislodge the fighters.

The order is consistent with what national security adviser James L. Jones told McClatchy Newspapers in Washington Wednesday was President Barack Obama's concern about civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

"General McChrystal has been given instructions when he left here that, in all military operations, that we redouble our efforts to make sure that innocent loss of life is minimized, with zero being the goal," Jones said, noting that, "In one mishap you can create thousands more terrorists than you had before the mishap."

The new order, however, is likely to draw criticism from some U.S. troops, many of whom feel the rules that govern how they fight the war already are too restrictive.

"Everybody had their day in court, so to speak, before the president made his decision," he said. "We signed off on the strategy, and now we're in the implementation phase."

McChrystal's order will instruct soldiers to "think about what else can we do," said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, the military's top spokesman in Afghanistan. "We cannot keep going down the path of putting civilians at risk. ... People want to see changes in behavior."

Airstrikes, which Afghans charge kill innocent people, won't be eliminated, Smith said. "Air power will be as valuable after this directive is issued as it ever was," he said.

The new order, however, will require troops to assume that civilians are present and back off when Taliban fighters escape into villagers' houses, Smith said.

"The assumption must be there are civilians in those residences, and in those instances, he is asking commanders to think of other options in front of them," Smith said.

Those options might include gathering intelligence and regrouping to fight another day; reaching out to a tribal leader or encouraging villagers to help coalition forces track down Taliban forces. In some cases, it could mean letting Taliban escape.

McChrystal's order, an unclassified version of which is expected to be made public later this week, comes on the heels of a Pentagon report issued last month that acknowledged that as many as 86 civilians may have been killed in a May airstrike in Farah province.

The strike, by a B-1B strategic bomber, was ordered after Afghan forces came under fire from the Taliban and sought U.S. help. The report faulted Americans on the ground for not determining whether civilians were present before the plane dropped a 2,000-pound bomb.

Since McChrystal took command here last month, he has said reducing civilian casualties would be a top priority.

He repeated that concern Tuesday in an interview Tuesday with Radio Free Europe. "The most important thing is to not hurt the Afghan people because the most important thing is to win their support," he said. "This fight is for the Afghan people, it's not with the Afghan people."

Civilian casualties have become a major source of tension between Afghans and U.S. and other coalition forces here. Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks out frequently against coalition forces and their use of airstrikes on campaign stops as he seeks re-election, and earlier this year, the parliament passed a resolution condemning the use of airstrikes.

"One mistake is OK. But every day there is a mistake. You start to lose sympathy," said Khalid Pashtun, an Afghan-American member of parliament who represents Kandahar province, a Taliban stronghold. "Now, I am an American, and I feel this way. Imagine how the normal Afghan feels. He feels Afghan blood has become very cheap."

McChrystal has briefed Karzai about the new directive and his response was "encouraging," Smith said.

Top military officials here discount concerns that the Taliban will exploit the new order and step up their presence among civilians who often don't reveal Taliban hiding locations, either because they support them or fear retribution.

Military officials, however, said that the Taliban already exploit the way the U.S. has been fighting and purposely flee to villages in anticipation that coalition actions will lead to civilian casualties, exacerbating tensions between the coalition and the civilians.

Wild Thing's comment..........

no NO NO NO NO This is VERY bad. Is this an intercepted communication from LBJ to Westmoreland?

Dear God..this is insanity! It’s bad enough that the order was given..but to broadcast it in ADVANCE..just as we are sending our soldiers into the field?

TREASONOUS!!

"the Taliban already exploit the way the U.S. has been fighting and purposely flee to villages in anticipation that coalition actions will lead to civilian casualties"

THAT is exactly what they do. The do it on purpose and they know since the last time it was a set up too. And then the Coward in Chief Obama apologized and said he would get to the bottom of the civilians deaths and he blamed our military without even checking it all out.

The Taliban hides behind skirts and children. God help and protect our troops. This has me sitting here crying. Damn Obama! to hell!

Notice we don't hear that Obama was concerned about American troop casualties.

This is a purposeful plan to lose our advantage and appease the Muslims, injure and eliminate our dear troops from the battlefield in the process.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:55 AM | Comments (10)

Because We Never Forget "Military Medical Team Makes the 'Toughest Call'

Pfc. Channing Moss, far right, stands on a hilltop in Afghanistan in February 2006 with his Alpha Company squad from 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division, from left, Sgt. Harold Jarrell, Spc. Collin Reynolds, Cpl. Kirill Tikhonenkov, Spc. Justin Randall holding a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and Pfc. John O'Brien. Moss was wounded the following month when, during an ambush, he was impaled with an RPG.

A fellow soldier was impaled by a live RPG. For medics and a helicopter crew, there was only one choice.

PLEASE CLICK LINK JUST BELOW TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Military Medical Team Makes the 'Toughest Call'

Unexploded Rocket-Propelled Grenade Impales Army Private in Afghanistan

Thursday, March 16, 2006, was a beautiful sunny day in Paktika Province, eastern Afghanistan -- the front line in a half-forgotten war. It borders a lawless region of Pakistan that is home to some al Qaeda and Taliban forces. Snow in the mountain passes along the border had melted giving them access again to Afghanistan where they came looking for American soldiers. They soon found them.

At dawn, the 10th Mountain Division's Alpha Company headed out on a mission. Lt. Billy Mariani, the unit commander, noticed something about his troops.

"There was definitely a sense of uneasiness. There was an air about them of, you know, maybe something was going to happen," he said.

The convoy included some two dozen 10th Mountain Division soldiers mounted in five armored Humvees and a handful of Afghan National Army troops riding in a pickup truck. Their mission was to visit a remote village to meet the tribal elders. No roads existed in this no-man's land and they had to drive through waddis, dry narrow river beds with high, dangerous ground on either side.

Four hours into the drive and just miles from the village, gunfire broke out. They'd been ambushed from above. Twenty-three-year-old Pvt. Channing Moss, the gunner, said it sounded like rattling spoons.

Then came the big guns. Volleys of rocket propelled grenades rained down. The Afghan National Army pickup exploded. Two of the Afghan soldiers died.

One RPG skidded past Lt. Mariani's vehicle. All of the vehicles had to quickly get out of the "kill zone." But before they could get to safety, two rockets hit Pvt. Moss' Humvee.

Staff Sgt. Eric Wynn, 33, the soldier in the front passenger seat, felt one slice through his face. Moss remembers the truck practically lift up. He was thrown up against the Humvee and then moved to return fire.

"I smelled something smoking and I looked down ... and I was smoking," he said.

Wynn turned to tell Moss where to fire and saw the tail fins of the RPG sticking out of Moss' side.

Roughly the length of a baseball bat, an RPG travels at the speed of a bullet. At the front end is the warhead -- a large grenade. The detonator and fuel are contained in the shaft. On the back are its fins, pieces of metal that stick out like legs on a camera tripod. The RPG is the weapon of choice for many of the world's guerillas.

Luckily for Moss, the company medic Spc. Jared Angell, 23, who the soldiers call "Doc," was in his Humvee. With Alpha company still under fire, it would have been nearly impossible for Angell to get to Moss in time if he hadn't been close by.

A Human Bomb

The RPG that had plowed into Moss' lower abdomen stretched from one hip to the other. If the RPG went off, it would kill everyone within 30 feet of him. Yet Angell stayed close, bandaging his wounds and stabilizing the weapon so that movement wouldn't cause it to explode.

Moss was still fully conscious, so Angell ordered him to not look down at the injury. He didn't want Moss to panic.

"I'm gonna do everything I can," Angell said to Moss. "You keep fighting with me and I'll keep fighting with you."

Wynn held his wounded face together with a bandage and reported their casualties over the radio while he also reached for Moss' hand.

He was squeezing my hand ... making sure I was staying alive," Moss said.

Reports of injuries had been radioed to the medical evacuation helicopter (MEDEVAC) base in Salerno, Afghanistan -- minus one crucial piece of information.

"We didn't tell them that, you know, Moss had live ordnance in him," Mariani said, "because there was that possibility that, you know, they might not want to transport him with live ordnance in him."

Preparations began for the rescue mission. But first the Blackhawk crew had to wait for clearance from commanders because the area was "hot" -- the battle was still raging. For MEDEVAC crew chief SSG Christian Roberts, it was a very long 15 minutes.

"When you know you have wounded people out there that are waiting for you to come pick them up, it seems like an eternity," he said.

The firefight died down and Mariani went over to check on Moss. Even though he was stunned by the fins sticking out of him, Mariani said, "I grabbed his hand and I just said, 'Hey, buddy, we're gonna get you out of here.'"

"Doc" continued working frantically to stabilize Moss even though the RPG was a danger to everyone around Moss. He knew that his only chance for survival was to get out of there and to a hospital quickly.

"I constantly was looking at my watch, saying, you know, 'When is the bird gonna get here, when is the bird gonna get here,'" medic Doc Angell said.

When Lt. Mariani pulled "Doc" aside to ask him if he thought Moss would make it, he could only shake his head no.

If Pvt. Moss was to not survive his injuries, his wife, six months pregnant with their second child, would lose her husband and his daughter Yuliana would lose her father. But just as Moss felt he would die, he heard the chopper. An Apache helicopter escorted the MEDEVAC chopper in case there was more gunfire.

Spc. Collier, the flight medic, quickly realized what they faced with Pvt Moss.

"I see a metal object protruding out, and there are fins on it, and I am like, 'This looks like this guy got hit with something, and it's stuck in him, and it didn't blow up,'" he said.

Army policy states that they are not supposed to transport soldiers in Moss' condition. The risk of catastrophic loss is too great -- four MEDEVAC crew members, three wounded soldiers and a helicopter could all be blown out of the sky.

But they also knew if they didn't take Moss. he would die.

Pilot CW2 Jorge Correa conferred with his soldiers: "I asked my crew, you know, 'Are you guys comfortable with this?'" he said. "Because I wasn't gonna put my crew in jeopardy if they weren't comfortable with it."

The crew quickly decided to take the risk.

Co-pilot Jeremy Smith recalled the tense moment.

"We all said, 'Yeah, let's get him on board and let's get outta here,'" he said.

As crew chief Christian Roberts said, "We are not gonna leave a U.S. soldier to die in the middle of Afghanistan."

Past the 'Golden Hour'

The MEDEVAC helicopter flew over mountains fully loaded with Moss and three other wounded, racing the clock. Moss' best chance of survival was to get advanced medical care within one hour of his injury. Trauma surgeons call it the "golden hour." But Moss' had already ended.

Radio dispatches let the trauma team know that they had one critical patient coming whose blood pressure was dropping and heart rate was dangerously high. But reports of the true nature of Moss' injury had not reached the closest medical facility at the Orgun-E base -- a former goat shed transformed into a rough field hospital. They were told it was "shrapnel injury." The aid station had two doctors, Maj. John Oh, a general surgeon, and Maj. Kevin Kirk, an orthopedic surgeon. At this point it wasn't clear which Moss needed most -- a surgical team or a bomb squad.

It was only when Oh started cutting away all the bandages that "Doc" Angell had delicately wrapped around the RPG that he saw what they were facing.

"It had fins coming out of the left side of his body and had a big bulge in the front of his right thigh," Kirk said.

Still conscious, Moss remembers the faces dropping in shock as they took in the sight.

Incredibly, both Oh and Kirk had drilled for this exact scenario, because the Army has a protocol to handle patients with unexploded ordnance in them.

"You're actually not supposed to bring them into an aid station," Oh said."And actually, he wasn't supposed to be flown with the other patients either."

According to the "War Surgery Manual," Moss should have been placed far away from other patients and operated on last. If procedure had been followed, Moss would likely have bled to death, but the doctors felt compelled to save him.

Then Pvt. Moss had another life-saving break -- Staff Sgt. Dan Brown, the explosives expert who spends his time disposing of bombs and captured weapons, was on the base. In his spare time, Brown had been watching an episode of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" about a patient with an unexploded grenade in him. In that story, the bomb technician is blown up. Brown was about to play a leading role in his own non-fiction drama.

Brown was shocked to see that Moss was still alive. Most of the time his patients are deceased. Brown confirmed that they were dealing with an RPG. Moss' life hung on whether or not they would remove the rocket.

Brown explained the different scenarios of what could happen. The worst case was that they would all become "pink mist" -- everyone in the room would be killed. But to identify how much explosive power they were facing, they needed an x-ray to determine whether the RPG's warhead was inside Moss. Their notoriously temperamental x-ray machine malfunctioned, and it wasn't until the third attempt that they got a decent image.

The doctors and Brown were relieved by what they didn't see. The deadliest part of the RPG -- the main explosive charge -- was not in Moss. But their relief diminished when Brown explained to the surgeons that it would still have enough force to kill Moss and destroy their hands.

At that point, Oh ordered everyone except the critical staff out of the aid station, the two doctors and three surgical staff remained. They all knew the risk they faced.

"I looked everybody in the eye and said, 'You guys understand what's going on here, right?' And I knew everybody heard me, but nobody said anything. They just kept doing their jobs," he said.

Oh told them it was okay to leave -- but nobody did. With no words exchanged, each had decided to risk their life to save Moss.

Extreme blood loss had caused his heart to stop. Unable to do chest compressions for fear of setting off the round, they gave him epinephrine. His heart soon restarted and they could finally operate to remove the RPG.

Sgt. Brown used an unusual instrument to gently remove the RPG's tail fins -- a hacksaw. The surgeons reached inside Moss, steadying the still lethal rocket, inches from the soldier's beating heart. They then gently eased the rocket out, with the detonator aimed at Brown's flak vest.

Brown quickly walked out of the aid station to a bunker and detonated it. The sound of the explosion thundered through the base. As the surgeons closed up Moss' incisions, Sgt. Brown sat down outside to collect himself. Finally, the impact of the drama hit him.

"I started shaking. I just sat there. I knew I did everything I could to help him live. And that was very, very intense for me after the fact," he said.

Coming Home

In a matter of days, after stops at hospitals in Afghanistan and Germany, Pvt. Moss was rushed to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. There his wife, Lorena, saw him for the first time and it was almost too much to bear.

"He looked very vulnerable. I went in, and ... I walked away. I couldn't stay in the room. I broke down outside in the hallway," she said.

Moss' pelvis was shattered, his internal organs were severely damaged and he was unable to walk.

For Moss, this was another challenge in a lifetime of obstacles. Raised by family friends after a tough childhood, he had become a high school football standout, got into college, got married and had a family.

As broken as Moss' body was, he focused from the very start on recovery. He said he didn't need a doctor to tell him if he'd be able to walk again.

"I told [the doctor] ... I could feel my feet, I'm going to walk again. Told him just like that," Moss said.

For his wounds in combat, Pvt. Moss had a Purple Heart coming. But he wanted to wait. It was important for him to be able to stand to receive it.

He underwent four major surgeries followed by intense physical therapy. Pvt. Moss' recovery was steady … moving from a wheelchair to a walker to a cane.

"I wanted to walk and get my medal, I wanted to stand up, to let them know I fought hard to get where I came from," Moss said. "They say 'Army Strong' [and] I wanted to be an example of that, and I was. So I stood up, I walked over there and got my medal."

A year later Moss is home with his family and the new baby daughter, Ariana, he thought he would never meet. Despite the aches and pains, he is grateful for the risks so many soldiers took that day.

"I was given a second chance. And to whom much is given ... much is expected. So a lot is expected of me," Moss said.

For Sgt. Brown, there was never a question about taking the gamble.

"He was American, he was a solider, he was a brother and he was one of us. And there was nothing gonna stop us from doing what we knew what we had to do … We knew we did right. In that screwed up world we did something right," Brown said.

Moss is missing about two-thirds of his intestines, part of his pelvic bone and needs more repair to his left hip. A member of the staff at Walter Reed calls him “Rocket Man.”

But the infantryman, who joined the Army to help give his family a better life, said he knows he’s alive because of his fellow soldiers.

“I don’t think there has been a day in the last year and a half that I haven’t thought about them, that I haven’t prayed for them. They saved my life,” said Moss, 24, whose slender 135-pound frame belies the hearty young man who went to war 55 pounds heavier.

“I knew it was love of country and brothers in arms. I hope God watches over them if they get deployed.”

The soldiers responsible for saving Pvt. Moss were recognized for their service that day and the Army has not changed its policy regarding unexploded ordnances in soldiers.

Epilogue: Recognition for Service

Several soldiers involved with saving Moss have since been honored or promoted. Here are their current ranks and awards they have received.

Maj. John Oh, general surgeon -- The Soldier's Medal
Maj. Kevin Kirk, orthopedic surgeon -- Army Commendation Medal with Valor
SSG Eric Wynn and Pfc. Channing Moss -- Purple Heart
CW3 Jorge Correa, MEDEVAC pilot, and Sgt. John Collier, flight medic -- Air Medal with Valor
CW2 Jeremy Smith, co-pilot, and SSG Christian Roberts, crew chief -- Air Medal
Sgt Jared Angell, field medic, and SFC Dan Brown, explosives expert -- Bronze Star with Valor

Wild Thing's comemnt.....

Tears running down my cheeks! God bless our brave soldiers.

Even though this happened a couple of years ago it is such an honor to post about our Heros. I don't think a lot of people saw this story when it happened. I don't remember the media covering it. and it is the first time I have heard about it.

This is quite a story!

God bless all the people who risked their lives to save this soldier! From the medics, to the helicopter crews who willingly took “unexploded ordinance” on their flight. Talk about bravery! Loyalty, courage, in the face of death.

Every time I read about incidents such as this one I am overwhelmed by the bravery and strong ties the Brotherhood that our awesome military has and it goes on into forever with our Veterans.

God bless all of you Veterans too, you touch my life every single day !

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:49 AM | Comments (6)

July 02, 2009

US: American Soldier Captured in Afghanistan

Photo of US Troops in Afghanistan, this is not the soldier that is missing. There is no photo available as of this time. The news just broke about this a couple of minutes ago. And also they are being careful to protect the soldier that is missing.

US: American soldier captured in Afghanistan

Townhall

Older Recruits Challenge Army and Vice Versa

Insurgents have captured an American soldier in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said Thursday.

Spokeswoman Capt. Elizabeth Mathias said the soldier went missing Tuesday.

"We are using all of our resources to find him and provide for his safe return," Mathias said.

Mathias did not provide details on the soldier, the location where he was captured or the circumstances.

"We are not providing further details to protect the soldier's well-being," she said.

An Afghan police official said the soldier went missing during the day Tuesday in the Mullakheil area of eastern Paktika province. Gen. Nabi Mullakheil said there is an American base in the area.

The news broke as thousands of U.S. Marines launched a major anti-Taliban offensive in southern Afghanistan. The missing soldier was not part of that operation.

Zabiullah Mujaheed, a spokesman for the Taliban, could not confirm that the soldier was with any of their forces. A myriad of insurgent groups operate in eastern Afghanistan, and the Taliban is only one of them.

Wild Thing's comment......

Prayers for this solider!!! I seriously hope they can rescue him quickly knowing the history of those animals!

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:47 AM | Comments (9)

June 30, 2009

Semper Fi and a Daughters Call

"My dad Angelo was in the hospital in Tacoma, Washington. A former Marine and veteran of the Korean War, he was having his third knee replacement surgery.

A long and very painful operation was going to be made even worse because dad was going through it alone. There was no one to hold his hand, no familiar soft voices to reassure him. His wife was ill and unable to accompany him or even visit during his weeklong stay.. My sisters and brother lived in California, and I lived even farther away, in Indiana. There wasn't even anyone to drive him to the hospital, so he had arrived that morning by cab.

The thought of my dad lying there alone was more than I could stand. But what could I do from here? I picked up the phone and called information for the Puyallup, Washington, Marine Corps recruiting station, where I joined the Marines ten years before. I thought that, if I could talk to a Marine and explain the situation, maybe one of them would visit my dad. I called the number. A man answered the phone and in a very confident voice said,

"United States Marines, Sergeant XXXX. May I help you?"

Feeling just as certain, I replied, "Sergeant XXXX, you may find this request a little strange, but this is why I am calling. " I proceeded to tell him who I was and that my father was also a former Marine and 100 percent
disabled from the Korean War. I explained that he was in the hospital, alone, without anyone to visit and asked if Sergeant XXXX would please go and see him.

Without hesitation, he answered, "Absolutely. "

Then I asked, "If I send flowers to the recruiting station, would you deliver them to my dad when you go to the hospital?"

"Ma'am, I will be happy to take the flowers to your dad. I'll give you my address. You send them, and I will make sure that he receives them," he replied. The next morning, I sent the flowers to Sergeant XXXX's office just as we
had planned. I went to work and, that evening, I returned home and phoned my dad to inquire about his surprise visitor. If you have ever talked with a small child after that child has just seen Santa Claus, you will understand the glee I heard in my dad's voice.

"I was just waking up when I thought I saw two Marines in their dress blue uniforms standing at the foot of my bed," he told me excitedly. "I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. But they were really there!" I began to laugh, partly at his excitement, but also because he didn't even mention his operation. He felt so honored; two Marines he had never met took time out to visit an old Marine like him.. He told me again and again how sharp they looked and how all the nurses thought he was so important.

"But how did you ever get them to do that"? he asked me.

"It was easy. We're all Marines, Dad, past and present.. It's the bond."

After hanging up with my dad, I called Sergeant XXXX to thank him for visiting my dad. And to thank him for the extra things he did to make it special: wearing his dress blue uniform, bringing another Marine along. He even
took a digital camera with him... He had pictures taken of the two Marines with my dad right beside his bed. That evening, he emailed them to me so I could see for myself that my dad was not alone and that he was going to be okay.

As for the flowers, they hardly mattered, but I was glad for the opportunity to express my feelings. The card read:

"Daddy, I didn't want just anyone bringing you flowers, so I sent the World's Finest.. Semper Fi. "

Wild Thing's comment.........

I love these stories. God bless this family and the Marine that answered the phone and the Marines. God bless all our military.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (9)

In Country With Our Troops in KABUL, Afghanistan

There is no sound with this one, just to let you know.~ Wild Thing

June 21, 2009 - KABUL, Afghanistan - Coalition forces engaged and eliminated insurgents emplacing an improvised explosive device along a major highway in northern Khost Province June 20, in an area known for IED attacks.

A coalition forces unmanned aerial vehicle observed three insurgents emplacing an IED at approximately 9:45 p.m. The video, taken by the UAV, shows an individual digging on a road, away from compounds or other structures.

Coalition forces engaged and eliminated a group of insurgents emplacing an improvised explosive device along a major highway in northern Khost Province June 20 in an area known for IED attacks.

After spotting and positively identifying the insurgents emplacing the IED, the insurgents were engaged with a precision munition. One of the IED emplacers fled the scene, running to a treeline where he was engaged by a second precision munition.

Following the engagement, coalition forces found a command wire and several charges near the road.
There were no civilian injuries reported during this event.

Wild Thing's comment........

Bye Bye! Three less terrorists in the world.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (4)

June 29, 2009

U.S. Troop Withdrawl From Iraqi Cities

Clips of the Aftermath of 2 weeks of suicide bombings. Where are those Moderate Muslims who should be outraged by this? Its terrible the world supports Islamic Terror rather than supporting America and its Allies who are capturing and destroying cold blooded killers. The past 2 weeks there have been over 200 people blown up dead all across Iraq. Too bad the world doesnt speak in a loud voice against these atrocities delivered by Muslim terrorists.

During March and April 2009 U.S. generals repeatedly talked about asking the Iraqis to stay in certain unstable cities past the summer deadline set by the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

February 2009 President Obama announced his plan to pull out of Iraq. Following the SOFA, all U.S. troops have to be out of Iraqs cities and towns by June 30, 2009.

After Iraqs provincial elections, combat troops will be drawn down leaving behind a force of 35,000-50,000 that will ultimately leave by December 31, 2011. Either side can end the agreement or amend it if both sides agree. There is also supposed to be an Iraqi referendum on the SOFA in July 2009.

Wild Thing's comment.....

I am so worried about our troops, this is an extremely time for them. The terrorists are already and why wouldn't they be the date was announced in plenty of time for them to plan all kinds of madness and killings.

And there is this too that it is IRAN is behind the recent bombings in Iraq.

There is one other thing, these Iraqi's have tasted freedom, and a taste that was paid for with the blood and death and wounded of our military brave warriors. Many do not want our troops to leave, they are glad when they see an American soldier and of course there are others that want to have us out of there. To those that want us to be gone, I say this..... that TASTE of FREEDOM is up to you to keep it, hold it dear, fight for it . We may have to do the same thing again in our own country the United States.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (10)

Texas National Guard Known As The "High Plains Infantry"

Staff Sgt. Richard Shaver, acting platoon sergeant for 1st Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion 142nd Infantry, 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, counts trucks coming out of the convoy yard at Camp Korean Village on the night of June 23. Shaver, of Arlington, Texas, counts all the trucks out of the gate checking his manifest to ensure accountability.

Spc. Timothy Stewart, a vehicle driver serving with B Company, 2nd Battalion 142nd Infantry, 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, checks transmission fluid levels in his Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle in the early morning hours, June 23, following a seven hour long convoy.

A Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle in 2nd Battalion 142nd Infantry Division, 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, stands ready for a convoy mission from Camp Victory in Baghdad past the city of Ar Rutbah in far western Iraq, June 22.

BAGHDAD

For the second time in four years, troops from a Texas National Guard unit finds themselves in the full time service to their state and nation supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For some Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, deployment to the Middle East bares a close resemblance to home station.

Known as the "High Plains Infantry", the companies that comprise the battalion are primarily found in the high plains area of the panhandle of northwestern Texas. This part of Texas has terrain that is mostly flat with moderate elevation and has high winds and temperatures during the summer; no different than many parts of Iraq.

This time around, they secure and escort convoys of critical supplies, everything from beans and bullets to water and fuel across western Iraq in the famed al-Anbar province.

"Every single widget we use, from a slice of bread at chow to the fuel that runs our generators is brought in by ground convoy, and Texan Soldiers are the ones protecting it," said Lt. Col. Christopher Link, 56th IBCT operations officer of Mansfield, Texas.

These convoy missions can take several days to complete and when rolling on the road, can stretch for several miles from the lead vehicle to the truck pulling up the rear.

"This mission normally puts about 1,000 miles on each of our trucks," explained acting platoon sergeant, Staff Sgt. Richard Shaver, of Arlington, Texas.

For Shaver, most missions normally lasts about four or five days, depending on execution times and cooperating weather. That's five days of living out of a backpack, sleeping irregular hours, operating under the starry nights of western Iraq and sleeping in makeshift huts under the blaring desert sun.

Rolling out of the sprawling Victory Base Complex on the western edge of Baghdad, Soldiers escort more than 30 tractor trailer trucks and start heading west in Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles. The large trucks can strike an intimidating presence.

"I like driving the MRAP because civilians [in smaller vehicles] tend to stay clear when they see a 25,000 pound truck coming," said a wide smiling Spc. Timothy Stewart, a vehicle driver from Rock Port, Texas.

The convoy traveled more than 250 miles during the night, often times barely crawling along due to sub-standard road conditions.

Along the way, vehicle breakdowns increase the timeline and prompts Shaver to say, "We might see daylight before we finish tonight boys." Once everyone has pulled into their destination, all the vehicles top off with fuel and get ready to go again the next day. As they look to the east, troops see the beginnings of daybreak and head to the dining facility for a breakfast meal that for many of the Soldiers will serve as supper.

The mood is light as everyone enjoys a helping of eggs, bacon and fruit. Some enjoy cereal and some of the many other choices available at the dining facility. Following chow, many of the Soldiers retire for the morning into a plywood building for a few hours of shut-eye.

As the afternoon sun begins to bake the desert at a stifling 110 degrees, many of the Soldiers begin to stir. Within a couple of hours these Soldiers start all the preparations of once again heading out on the road. As they ready their trucks, checking fluid levels and doing communications checks, the word comes that the convoy may not push out.

"I don't mind spending an extra day out, because when we are out on the road it makes the days go by quicker," said Sgt. Ryan Northcutt, a squad leader from Longview, Texas.

Many of the various missions performed throughout Iraq require a degree of flexibility and the capacity to change direction at the drop of a hat. On this night, the Soldiers would be put on standby because of unfavorable route status, only to be given the word "Go" after many had relaxed and settled in for what was thought to be an extra night on the camp.

"You absolutely have to be flexible in this mission, said Shaver. "We can go from being stood down and not moving to hitting an [start point] within an hour."

Like the rest of the convoy, the security platoons operate using three elements: a forward security element for added safety and a sense of warn for the Soldiers on the mission, a main body who escorts the bulk of the semi-trucks with the supplies, and a recovery element which acts to recover any of the vehicles that may experience problems ranging from transmission problems to something as innocuous as a simple flat tire.

"We operate with three elements within the convoy. Each element operates semi-independently of each other. Their tasks being completed can make or break a mission," Shaver explained.

Along the route the recovery team got a chance to exercise their skills as a fuel tanker had a tire blowout. The blowout caused the loss of two tires and both had to be replaced before the mission could continue.

On this night however, this would not be the only maintenance issue that these Soldiers would be faced with. A separate trailer had tire issues as well, including the loss of some of the highly important lug nuts used to keep the wheels on and rolling down the supply routes. After some controlled substitution amongst the contracted drivers of the fuel tankers, the mission, once again continued towards the Iraqi capital. There would be, however, one more breakdown.

This final breakdown happened along the supply route to Baghdad near Fallujah, some 30 miles west of the capital city. This incident would test the resolve and patience of the recovery crew.

Unable to self recover, Shaver's Soldiers would wait nearly 10 hours on the outskirts of Fallujah in searing heat all the while maintaining 360 degree security protecting the vital fuel in the tanker, and wait for addition recovery assets.

"Whenever we can't self recover, we wait for additional assets to get to us. Sometimes that wait is only a couple of hours and sometimes it is longer," said Shaver.

Glad to be moving again, the recovery element of 1st Platoon breathe a sigh of relief as they finally continue towards Victory Base Complex on the western edge of Baghdad for some well deserved rest after their 22 hours on the road. Even on what many consider the most inhospitable terrain in Iraq and through scorching temperatures, the High Plains Infantrymen complete their tasks with a unique pride that lets them feel at home.

Wild Thing's comment......

God bless each one of them and protect them and keep them safe.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (4)

June 26, 2009

Obama Threatens Veto as House Nears Vote on $550.4 Billion Defense Bill

Money for our military...... naw he will veto that, but money for the Hamas oh YES Obama LOVES that idea. ~ Wild Thing

House nears vote on $550.4 billion defense bill

WASHINGTON

The U.S. House of Representatives was poised to approve on Thursday a $550.4 billion defense authorization bill for fiscal 2010 that has drawn a veto threat from President Barack Obama because it contains money for fighter jets he does not want.

The bill also authorizes $130 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the fiscal year that begins October 1.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said it supported the overall bill but the president's senior advisers would recommend a veto unless some provisions were dropped.

One congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the White House veto threat as "a bargaining tool."

The Senate Armed Services Committee was to unveil its defense authorization bill for 2010 later on Thursday, but the legislation was unlikely to be approved by the full Senate until September. House and Senate negotiators must then hammer out a compromise version before final passage.

The OMB said it strongly objected to the House decision to include $369 million in advanced procurement funds to buy 12 more F-22 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp despite a Pentagon decision to halt production at 187.

Some lawmakers are pushing to continue production of the F-22 until a current ban on exports can be lifted to allow Japan to buy a modified version of the premiere U.S. fighter jet. The Lockheed program employs workers in over 40 states.

The administration also objected to House lawmakers adding $603 million to the bill to continue work on an alternate F-35 fighter engine being built by General Electric Co and Rolls-Royce Group Plc.

The OMB said the changes would delay the fielding of the F-35 and have an adverse effect on the Pentagon's overall strike fighter inventory. It said the risks of a fleet-wide grounding with a single engine, an issue raised by the Marine Corps general who runs the program, were "exaggerated."

Wild Thing's comment.........

"that has drawn a veto threat from President Barack Obama because it contains money for fighter jets he does not want."

It is going to be hard to get Obama to fund our military and their needs. Also I really think he is more then uncomfortable around them. You can see it in his body language and the look he gives them plus all the other ways he has treated them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:40 AM | Comments (8)

June 25, 2009

Pentagon: Increased Violence Expected as US Troops Leave Iraqi Cities

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2009

Predicting an uptick in violence in Iraq as U.S. combat troops leave the cities by June 30, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today that deployed troops have geared up for the heightened threat as they comply with the U.S.-Iraq status of forces agreement.

“I think we have reason to believe -- and I think our forces have been alerted to the possibility -- that we will likely see an uptick in violence leading up to the June 30 deadline for U.S. combat forces to leave Iraqi cities and towns,” Morrell told Pentagon reporters.

He cited past patterns in which terrorists and insurgents increased their attacks in the days leading up to elections and other significant milestones.

Recent incidents in Iraq, including the “horrific” bombing south of Kirkuk last weekend, also indicate a possible repeat before U.S. combat troops leave urban areas in accordance with the U.S.-Iraqi status of forces agreement, Morrell said.

Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, has expressed confidence in the capabilities of both his forces and the Iraqi security forces to deal with the increased threat level, Morrell said. As combat troops leave the cities, they’ll form “layers of defense” outside the urban areas and continue to conduct combat operations with Iraqi security forces.

However, smaller contingents of U.S. troops will remain behind to support the Iraqi security forces until they’re no longer needed. “This is going to be a coordinate/train/advise/assist role,” he said. “So we’ll really be there as a complement to them.”

Morrell cited progress in improving security in Iraq and helping the Iraqi security forces develop capacity.

“Security incidents, despite that awful attack, remain at all-time lows since March of 2003,” he said. “So despite the fact that you’ve seen sporadic high-profile attacks still taking place in Iraq, the overall security climate is a good one.”

Morrell stopped short of declaring victory over the insurgency.

“We think we have beaten back al-Qaida to the point where they are now conducting attacks that are basically propaganda campaigns in an attempt to make it look as though they are driving us out of the Iraqi cities,” he said. “In fact, the truth of the matter is that … the work of our brave men and women in uniform over the past couple years has created a climate such that we can leave Iraqi cities, and the Iraqi security forces are developed to the point where they are capable of taking over that responsibility.”

Meanwhile, progress has continued on the economic and political fronts as well.

“All those things are improvements,” Morrell said. “And we signed a security agreement with the Iraqis nearly a year ago in which they asked us to stay in Iraq for the next three years to help them continue to build upon that momentum.

“We view that obligation seriously, and we intend to honor it,” he added.

Wild Thing's comment..........

This is no surprise it is the very thing we all talked about when it was being discussed how the would pull our troops out of Iraq. It is the military that is right there that will know the when of this not some Kenya freak sitting in an air conditioned office he does not belong in making this kind of decision. OBama is the least qualilfied ito be CIC and since he obviously hates our military he should never be the CIC.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (8)

June 24, 2009

Our Military and the Jeep

A Soldiers Best Friend; WW2 Jeep

Vintage footage of the WW2 Era Jeep taken from the film Autobiography of a Jeep.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (6)

June 22, 2009

Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe Makes Rounds To See Troops Before Deadline in Iraq

Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe, Multi-National Corps-Iraq command sergeant major, stands atop a rooftop in Samarra over-looking the busy city. Grippe spent time talking to Soldiers here while on a recent battlefield circulation throughout northern Iraq.

A wheeled vehicle mechanic looks up to find Multi-National Corps-Iraq Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe standing beside him recently. The Soldier, from Company B, 589th Brigade Support Battalion, provides direct-level maintenance support to Multi-National Division-South's 41st Fires Brigade of Fort Hood, Texas.

Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe, center, patrols a market in Mosul with Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division from Fort Hood, Texas. In recent weeks the market has been peaceful, but insurgent attacks continue to place Mosul at the top of the list for insurgency hot-spots in Iraq.

Soldiers Hear Message, Address Important Issues to Senior Leader

by Sgt. Lindsey Bradford

BAGHDAD, Iraq

He has flown in UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters nearly 400 miles, convoyed more than three times that distance with his protective security detail and trekked countless miles at various contingency and forward operating bases throughout Iraq - all for the sake of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines living throughout Iraq.

Multi-National Corps-Iraq Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe has been a hard man to pin down since his arrival to Baghdad in March of this year. Fulfilling a goal to talk to service members throughout Iraq about the issues they are facing, Grippe is making his rounds.

"I want to feel it, taste it, smell it, breathe it, live it," he tells service members he visits in all four corners of the country.

Grippe visited with Marines in Multi-National Force-West and with Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen in Multi-National Divisions Baghdad, North and South to deliver a few messages; messages, he says, that are the greatest issues facing our men and women serving in the armed forces.

One of the main concerns effecting service members stationed in Iraqi cities is the fast-approaching, June 30, deadline. As cited in Article 24 of the Security Agreement, "All United States combat forces shall withdraw from Iraqi cities, villages and localities ... no later than, June 30." Throughout Iraq, service members asked Grippe what that meant for them.

"We are working against the clock now," he said. "Never before have we been on a timeline, and now you all will continue your hard work with the Iraqis as they take the lead on providing security and safety for their people."

Grippe said that successes of the Iraqi security forces is the direct reflection of coalition forces' efforts to work with, guide and train ISF soldiers since the start of the war six years ago.

In addition, Grippe was quick to note that only the best of the best were standing before him.

"You all represent one percent of the American population that serves in the United States military," he said. "You are the cream of the crop, and you should be very proud of yourself."

For every visit, with his notebook in hand, Grippe opens the floor to answer questions about the Army Direct Ordering system, battlefield promotions, dwell-time and redeployment processes.

"Your job is to tell me what you need, what you see that you think should be changed and to bring up issues I can't see on a daily basis. In turn, I will take those ideas, those issues and bring them to Force to work," said Grippe. "Unless you tell me what is going on, they can't get addressed."

Overall, Soldiers seemed eager to speak with Grippe, and provided him good ideas to take back to higher, he said.

"I was glad that he was able to see one of his brigades from Fort Lewis doing great things," said Fort Lewis' 42nd Military Police Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Edgar Dahl. Dahl and his Soldiers have handled detainee operations at Camp Bucca, located in MND-S, for the past 15 months. "I was pleased he could talk to the troops of the 42nd and pass on his thoughts."

Grippe said he plans to re-visit all the troops throughout the next 10 months of his tour to ensure that Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are getting the answers to their questions and to monitor their quality of life. Those two things, Grippe said, are what he is here to take care of.

Wild Thing's comment........

"One of the main concerns effecting service members stationed in Iraqi cities is the fast-approaching, June 30, deadline."

That is for next year and it is thanks to Obama. Instead of allowing our military to make these decisions of when, where, time etc. Our Military that know hands on right there what is best, the feel of what is happening and the experience of what happens when they ease up etc. nope,.....Obama that has only held a basketball in his hands is making a decision that will effect our troops safety and all the hard work they have done. And we will not forget those that have been injured and killed in this fight as well, paying them respect for what they gave, the highest cost of all.

To Obama this obviously is nothing more then shutting down one of his stop and shops at his corner someplace in thugville where he is from in Chicago.

I do love how Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe is igoing ito all the places to see our troops. There have been a lot of wonderful leaders in our military that really stay close with our troops. I think it makes a huge difference.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:49 AM | Comments (5)

In Country With 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Afghanistan

2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Afghanistan

U.S. Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade are taught how to use a robot to search for improvised explosive devices during training lesson at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan's Helmand province Tuesday June 9. AP / David Guttenfelder

U.S. Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade walk through blowing sand inside Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan's Helmand province Tuesday, June 9. AP / David Guttenfelder

U.S. Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade rest inside a tent at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan's Helmand province Tuesday June 9. AP / David Guttenfelder

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (4)

June 20, 2009

U.S.Army Oldest Helicopter Turns 40 and Still In Use

The oldest helicopter in the U.S. Army turns 40-years old and it's still in use at Fort Polk, Louisiana

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM | Comments (3)

June 18, 2009

Marines Work to Build Airfield in Afghanistan

Expeditionary Airfield Marines, with Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, place aluminum matting on the flightline on Camp Bastian, Afghanistan

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan

Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron-371 have been working diligently on the expansion of the airfield here. Once finished, it will be one of the largest airfields in the Marine Corps, with multiple interconnected taxiways and aircraft maintenance bays.

"The airfield is expanding to house the aircraft in support of Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ronald Neal, the officer-in-charge of the squadron's heavy equipment platoon. "Our Marines have been here for almost three months now and through sandstorms, hot weather, and aircraft flying over, they are here every day, Sunday to Sunday."

Navy Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 are working alongside MWSS-371 in a combined effort to finish the airfield.

The team of MWSS-371 "Sand Sharks" working on this project is comprised of approximately 300 Marines and is broken down into two groups, the Heavy Equipment Platoon and the Expeditionary Airfield Platoon.

"We send out 90-man working crews on 12-hour shifts," said Neal. "Every day feels like a Monday."

From grating the soil, watering the soil, compacting the soil, and finally placing the aluminum matting, the airfield is built despite the inconsistent terrain.

"The hardest part of this project is the fact that we are building it from scratch," said Neal. "The ground preparation is most important."

"Even though we are not out on convoys and patrols, and that it might seem minimal to some, we know our hard work will make a difference in this war," said Lance Cpl. Joshua Martinez, a heavy equipment operator with MWSS-371.

This airfield is scheduled for completion later this summer and will be a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Marines of MWSS-371, whose home station is Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., and are here as members of Marine Aircraft Group 40, the aviation combat element of MEB-Afghanistan.

Wild Thing's comment.......

HUGE job doing something like this. Amazing all the things our troops do.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (2)

Older Recruits Challenge Army and Vice Versa

Pfc. Shane Dixon, 38, right, gets advice from a fellow trainee half his age, Stephen Miles, 19, in basic training at Fort Sill, Okla.

FORT SILL, Okla.

Pfc. Shane Dixon is known as Old Dix. Specialist Jason Ness goes by Gramps. Pfc. Christopher Batson’s nom de boot camp is Pops. None of them are over 40, but to the 18-year-old soldiers in basic training here, they are as ancient as a first generation Xbox.

Yet in the three years since the Army raised its age limit for enlisting to 42, from 35, a steady stream of older recruits has joined the ranks, pushing creaky muscles through road training, learning to appreciate — or at least endure — Army chow and in some cases deploying to combat zones.

And while the number of such recruits, more than 3,800, is small by Army standards, the pace of over-35 enlistment jumped sharply in the first months of this year. Motives vary, from a yearning for midlife adventure to a desire to serve their country. But rising unemployment is also a major reason, say Army officials, recruiters and training officers.

“It’s a guaranteed job, as long as you go to work every day,” said Capt. Jared Auchey, company commander of the Army Experience Center in Philadelphia, who estimates that one in 10 of the enlistments at his high-tech marketing office are over 35. “There are no layoffs in the Army.”

The Army recruits about 80,000 soldiers a year, and the older recruits are having an impact even on basic training, Army officers say. At classes here, as many as one in seven soldiers are over 35, and many drill sergeants now look to the older soldiers as mentors, or proxy disciplinarians.

Staff Sgt. Arron Barnes, Fort Sill’s drill sergeant of the year in 2009, said the older recruits tended to bring technical skills and maturity, were easier to instruct and were often more committed than teenage soldiers.

“They contribute at a higher level because they have no other place to go,” Sergeant Barnes, 26, said. “This is their life.”

The older recruits are, however, injury prone. Rusty joints, forgotten injuries and slow-to-recover muscles cause the over-35 recruits to wash out of basic training at a somewhat higher rate than younger soldiers, said Lt. Col. Michael S. Patton, commander of a basic-training battalion here.

Specialist John D. Butts, 38, exemplifies the new breed. An aspiring writer who was a house painter outside Philadelphia for two decades, he lost his steady paycheck last November after the housing market crashed.

A part-time job at Blockbuster did not pay his rent, and when his landlord threatened to evict him, his girlfriend (now his wife) and her three teenage children, he decided radical action was required. He called an Army recruiter he had met recently and signed up for a three-year stint.

Despite years as a dedicated beer drinker and smoker, Specialist Butts made it through basic here at Fort Sill and is now training with an artillery unit that may head to South Korea this year. A tour in Afghanistan could be in the cards, he says.

Over the last two months, he has been yelled at by a 24-year-old drill sergeant, forced to inhale choking gas, done more push-ups than he cares to remember and patiently put up with wise-cracking 19-year-olds who forget to flush the toilet. So far, he has made the grade and is even considering a career in the military.

“I’ve just tried to keep my head down, keep my mouth shut and not wring necks,” Specialist Butts said.

The sagging economy, of course, has bolstered military recruiting at all age levels. But the older recruits represent a new, and perhaps more challenging, opportunity for the Army, the only service that accepts recruits over 35. (The maximum age is 35 in the Navy, 28 in the Marine Corps and 27 in the Air Force.)

It is not clear yet how well older soldiers handle the rigors of combat. The Army says it does not segregate older recruits in basic training and does not consider age when deciding where to assign or deploy them. Of the nearly 5,000 military personnel killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 600 have been over 35, most of them career soldiers. The oldest was 60-year-old Steven Hutchison, who served in Vietnam and retired from the Army in 1988 only to re-enlist in 2007 under a special program for retirees. Major Hutchison was killed last month in a bombing in Iraq.

During a break in marksmanship training at Fort Sill last week, several older soldiers said the economy had not been their only motivation for enlisting. “I didn’t want to be 75 and think back, ‘I wish I had joined the Army,’ ” said Pvt. Mark O’Brien, 36, a corrections officer from Portsmouth, N.H. “There’s nothing worse than regret.”

But for Private Batson, 35, the threat of layoffs was the driving force behind his joining. A mechanical engineer from Utah with five children, he was spared when his company laid off workers last year, but the close call worried him. Deciding he needed a fall-back option, he turned to the National Guard.

Now, if he is laid off and cannot find work, he figures he can go full time with the National Guard or the regular Army. In exchange for that job security, he says there is a good chance he will do a tour in Afghanistan.

“My natural priority is my family,” Private Batson said. “I’ll do anything I have to do to take care of them.”

Wild Thing's comment.......

I think this would only strengthen the Armed Forces. Each age group has something to share with the other and the experience of the older recruits would be valuable .

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:44 AM | Comments (6)

793rd Military Police Battalion in Basra

Capt. Jay Cash, assistant operations officer with the 793rd Military Police Battalion, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and Keith Curtis, the law enforcement professional for 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., inspect the Basra Provincial Police Headquarters during a key leader visit

793d MPs, IPs work to build forensic lab in Basra

By Staff Sgt. Carlos M. Burger II
2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., PAO

As Soldiers from the 793rd Military Police Battalion, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, toured the forensics crime laboratory at the Basra Provincial Police Headquarters May 27, they were instantly impressed and amazed by what they saw.

The laboratory was littered with ballistic evidence and dominated by high-powered microscopes. Some commented that the room looked more like a lab they would find in a stateside police station than what they were expecting in Iraq. Impressive as the room was, the Iraqi Police and 793d MPs know there is a long way to go before the building
reaches its full potential.

“Things are progressing and that’s good. I have seen the progress since we have started and the IP have come a long way,” said Capt. Jay Cash, assistant operations officer with the 793rd MP Bn.

The overall plan for the building consists of a complete overall of its infrastructure and security. Then the building has to pass a cleanliness test and the IP lab techni-=cians have become certified forensic specialists.

Once that’s completed, the last step is to move in more than $2.5 million worth of state-of-the-art forensic
equipment into the building, said Keith Curtis, the law enforcement professional for 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div. The IP are already well on the way to meeting these requirements. Since the project began, the IP have removed four truck loads of rubbish from the area, cleaned the upper levels of the building and have sent seven of their lab technicians to Baghdad to become certified in forensic science, said Brigadier General Abed Kariem Gabar, chief operations officer for the provincial police forensics crime lab, through a translator.

He added that when his technicians return, they will be able to perform many levels of forensic operations, such as analyzing DNA, chemicals and explosive residue.

“We are building now, so everyone needs more (time), but we are learning (our jobs),” Kariem continued. One challenge the general continues to face, however is gaining the people’s confidence in forensic science. Fortunately, the IP recently arrested criminals accused of burglary and theft and the forensic team played a critical part leading up to their arrest. This seemly simple action went a long way to establishing the team’s credibility.

“We’ve faced some problems; before the people didn’t understand (what we do). We gained the trust of the people and we proved how important our role was,” Kariem said. As the Soldiers and IP parted ways, the general gave his thanks to the U.S. forces for their continued support in making both Basra province and Iraq a safer place for its citizens.

Wild Thing's comment.......

So many culture differences, I am so proud of our troops. They really have so many things to work through just to be able to do what they are trained to do.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (2)

June 17, 2009

In Country With Sandbox Sailors

Sandbox Sailors: In every clime, place … and uniform

Cpl. Thomas J. Hermesman

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

In the increasingly joint world of military operations, it is not uncommon to see uniforms of different services in the same formation, or even to see a Marine unit’s staff dotted with the pale gray of Army and Air Force uniforms.

Even so, three members of the Naval Medical Corps currently serving here symbolize just how far the Navy goes in providing “Sandbox Sailors” for joint support.

For Navy medical officers Lieutenants Dominick Fernandez, Diana Loffgren and Jessica Woody, serving in a joint-service environment is a daily reality that keeps them on the move, seeing the fight from different aspects.

Fernandez, from Sugarland, Texas, currently serves as the battalion surgeon and medical officer for Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, wearing a tri-color Navy desert uniform to work and spending his days providing medical support for the sailors deployed here.

This was not always the case for him. In 2007, he was attached to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He stayed with the Marines through 2008, later serving with 2nd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. There he wore the Marine Pattern digital utility uniform while providing medical support to his Devil Dogs.

“I love working with Marines, if the Marine Corps had medical personnel I would have probably gone to the green side,” said Fernandez. “But I am a sailor to the bone, so when I was working with Marines, I tried to wear my naval uniforms when the occasion arrived that I could.”

Loffgren, a Victoria, Texas, native, is currently the medical planner for the Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan. She’s had to adjust to more than just the uniform she wears to fit her current job.

“It is especially different being a female in the Navy and serving in a Marine Corps billet,” Loffgren said. “Still, with the camaraderie that comes with living and training with Marines all the time, we are as much a part of the team as anyone.”

As members of the Department of the Navy, Marines and sailors often interact with each other, but for Woody, a Clovis, Calif., native, her world in Afghanistan has opened up a new paradigm.

When she wakes up in the morning and goes to work as the administrative medical officer at the Camp Bastion U.K. Hospital, she wears a U.S. Army Combat Uniform.

“It’s funny when I see Marines and sailors everyday and they have to look at me once or twice to really get that my uniform says U.S. Navy, not Army,” Woody explained. “It’s like going back to boot camp, learning all the different ranks and getting used to them.”

In the adjustments needed when a member of one service moves to work with another, things change to fit that specific service such as personnel, missions and training. While working as a doctor with the Marines, Fernandez said, his medical staff was much larger and ready to handle the number of casualties that can arise from the expeditionary nature and combat-oriented missions of a Marine unit. Now that he is back to his naval roots and working with Seabees, his staff makes less of a footprint.

“Even though the force I was with on the MEU was smaller, we had 60 corpsmen ready to handle any medical situation. Now with an even bigger Navy unit, I only have 10 corpsmen on hand,” he said.

The life in an expeditionary unit like the MEU is very different than that of normal deploying unit, Fernandez said. On a MEU, service members live aboard the ship, day in and day out, traveling around conducting operations in many different places. With a force like the Seabees, Fernandez said deployment is different because the forces fly straight to a destination and stay there the entire time, performing one single mission.

“We had a greater breath of operations with the MEU, and the area we covered was much greater than any other type of deployable force,” he said.

Even so, Fernandez said the opportunity to become a jack-of-all-trades is definitely out there.

“This is one of the most diverse jobs in the military; you could be jumping out of planes with the airborne soldiers or going under with a sub or flying into a combat zone on a Huey. We get to do it all,” said Fernandez.

His “desert shipmates” echoed the sentiment.

“It’s nice to know that you can eventually move to not only another unit, but to another branch of service, billet, location; there are a lot of ways that this job stays interesting,” said Loffgren.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Cool name Sandbox Sailors !

This story kind of reminded me of how part of Nicholas service after being on the Carrier, in the Navy he spent the last part of his service on an Air Force base working in the climatic hanger there and also putting parachutes together. He liked the climatic hanger but he said a person could only stay inside for a few minutes at a time.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:49 AM | Comments (4)

June 16, 2009

Great US Coast Guard Video

This is a really good video of our awesome US Coast Guard.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO

The Coast Guard motto is "Semper Paratus", Latin for "Always Ready" or "Always Prepared".

Wild Thing's comment......

The Coast Guard is really amazing, they do so many things and I always wished the representatives from the Coast Guard and Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy all of them would get the chance to go to schools across our country and share with the students the various things that each branch does. That would be like a dream come true if that could happen.

Especially since we know teachers sure as heck don't do this kind of thing.

.....Thank you Chief.

Chief Petty Officer
BM-0164-Assault Boat Coxswain
Vietnam 1964- 1970
1970-1988 US Coast Guard

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (6)

June 15, 2009

Our Troops Have an Awesome Sense of Humor

Wild Thing's comment......

Amazing! I love these.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (4)

June 14, 2009

U.S. Army's 234th Birthday Today! HOOAH!!

Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Chief of Staff of the Army, has a message for the Army Family on its 234th Birthday.

Photo montage set to music celebrating the 234th birthday of the Army.

In celebration of the U.S. Army's 234th birthday, left to right; Army Chief of Staff George W. Casey Jr., Col. Arthur Wittich, Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, Pvt. 2 Rex Vaughn, and Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston cut a cake in the Pentagon courtyard, June 12, 2009. DoD

Fort Riley, Kan. ceremony honors both Army's 234th and 1st Infantry Division's 92nd birthdays

The 234th birthday commemorates the U.S. Army, which is achieving a level of excellence that is truly Army Strong. In this Year of the NCO, we especially celebrate the long tradition of strength and leadership from the NCO Corps.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (5)

June 12, 2009

The Gotland Class Submarine

Gotland class submarine

Navy.mil

The Gotland class attack submarines of the Swedish Navy are modern diesel-electric submarines. They are the first submarines in the world to feature a Stirling engine air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, which extends their underwater endurance from a few days to about a month

“Recent establishment of the Fleet ASW Command in San Diego, Calif., combined with the planned deployment of a state-of-the-art Swedish diesel sub and crew to the West Coast, provides our forces innovative opportunities to train during combined exercises,” said U.S. Fleet Forces Command Director of Readiness and Training, Rear Adm. Don Bullard.

The Swedish navy will provide an advanced diesel submarine, a Gotland-class air independent propulsion (AIP) submarine, for the U.S. Navy’s long-term use. ASW training will be conducted from San Diego and attached to Submarine Squadron 11. The Swedish submarine will be Swedish-flagged, commanded, manned and operated. U.S. Navy personnel will be aboard the Swedish submarine as riders and observers for training purposes.

“This U.S.-Swedish effort will demonstrate the further development of international interoperability between the two nations,” said Inspector of the Royal Swedish Navy, Rear Adm. Jörgen Ericsson.

Nations around the globe continue to acquire quiet and lethal submarines designed to operate in littoral regions and the open ocean. With advanced developments in weaponry and propulsion, the nature of ASW has changed, increasing the risks to operations at sea.

Control of littoral environments is essential to ensuring prompt access for joint forces moving ashore from the sea. Future ASW effectiveness in this critical area demands a dedicated focus on sensors, operational doctrine, and fleet ASW training. Through U.S. and Swedish efforts, both navies are meeting this challenge head on, and preparing for the future.

“This will vastly improve our capability to conduct realistic, effective antisubmarine warfare training that is so critical to the Navy’s ability to accomplish our mission,” said Bullard. “It also expands our efforts in developing coalition ASW tactics, techniques and procedures. This is a great opportunity for both navies, and we are very excited about it."

Wild Thing's comment........

Cool, this is really interesting.

When I was a kid imy Dad took us to the Museum in Chicago where they had a Sub we could go into and take a tour. It was amazing and really made you feel in a small way what it would be like to actually be in a submarine. It was a great lesson about a part of our Navy and what it is like.

....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.

Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:49 AM | Comments (12)

June 11, 2009

Obama Demanded U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis NO "ceremonial swords" Allowed

Inside the Beltway

Graduating midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis are being told in writing to leave at home or in their vehicles all "ceremonial swords" and anything else "that might be considered a weapon or a threat by screeners" for Friday's outdoor commencement ceremonies featuring an address by President Barack Obama.

Inside the Beltway has obtained the academy's list of prohibited items for this year's graduation exercises, which, besides ceremonial swords, includes umbrellas.

Yes, cell phones and texting are still allowed.

Wild Thing's comment........

This is amazing. I posted about how Obama went to this cermony, but the article I posted awhile back did not have this information in it and it is HUGE. I can see why they left it out, it really makes Obama look like what he is...... ALL BAD!

There was a time when our soldiers and thier commander could trust each other with their lives. By Obama doing this he shows his disdain for our brave military by disarming them, leaving them helpless to defend themselves. He constantly goes against traditiion. He doesn’t trust our young Officers, but he trusts Ammanutjob.

These men and women are trained to be warriors, but they can't be trusted with their swords in the presence of their commander in chief???

Barack and Michelle military haters in the White House! Tyrants are usually afraid of everyone too and I think he knows the real manly men and brave women that are in our military can run circles around him in strength, character and power too.

But it also funny that he is that afraid of our Heroes. hahahaa Woulldn't it be funny if some time when he is walking past one of our Marines as Obama gets on or off Air Force one the Marine goes BOO!
Hahahahahaha And Obama jumps 10 feet in the air. I would love to see that.

Like RAC said too, Michelle is a militant black, and one has to wonder if Obama has some Secret Service Agent sleep between them for protection. LMAO

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:49 AM | Comments (12)

Outstanding! Return to Makin Island

True story of the recovery of 19 US Marines Killed in Action on Makin Island in WWII and their return home to Arlington National Cemetery 58 years later. Story: Pat Mendoza. Music arranged by Pat Mendoza Trumpet: Steve Wiest. Singers: the Islanders and Pat Mendoza

Wild Thing's comment........

No man left behind ... True story of the recovery of 19 US Marines Killed in Action on Makin Island in WWII and their return home to Arlington National Cemetery 58 years later.

In the early days of WW II the Marine raiders attacked Makin Island and left behind 19 dead Marines after asking the islanders to make sure that they received a proper burial. In 1999 the remains were discovered. This is a touching tribute.

Semper Fidelis!

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM | Comments (6)

June 08, 2009

Living by the Soldier's Creed

Spc. Cory Krogmeier, a N.C. native, and a member of B Troop 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, assists fellow Soldiers as they lift his buddy over a mound to get injured Soldiers to the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in the Abu Ghraib area, June 3.

Crew members of 1st Air Cavalry Brigade prepare UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to airlift injured Soldiers from the wheat field in the Abu Ghraib area, June 3. The crew members want to ensure the Soldiers carrying the litters do not get near the tail rotor.

Living by the Soldier's Creed

by Staff Sgt. Peter Ford

BAGHDAD

I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade.

All Army Soldiers are required to know the Soldier's Creed, but the Soldiers of 591st Military Police Company "Spartans," 93rd MP Battalion, 8th MP Brigade not only know it, they live by it. They always place the mission first.

The Spartans, a police transition team that advises Iraqi police, received a distress call over the radio as they prepared to go home after a long day at al-Awad Police Station, June 3. A Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle had rolled over into a ravine less than three miles away. Without hesitation, the Spartans went to the aid of their fellow Soldiers.

"We knew we had to do something when we heard ... Soldiers were possibly hurt inside a MRAP that had rolled into a ravine," said Sgt. George Talkington, a Las Cruces, N.M., native, a military policeman assigned to the 591st MP Co. "We tried to get there as soon as we could."

Once they were close enough to receive a radio transmission from the unit that sent the distress call, the Spartans were informed they could only reach the vehicle by foot. Faced with only two options—swim across a canal or run a quarter miles to the vehicle— they ran.

"Our dismount team got off the vehicle and started to run toward the site in full gear," said Talkington. "We didn't try to swim because the water could have been contaminated and we could have become casualties."

The Spartans arrived at the rollover site tired and sweaty after running in full body armor and gear. They met with a platoon sergeant from B Troop, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and found Soldiers of B Troop already in action.

"After the vehicle rolled over we set up security around the vehicle, then I took some troops to assist the injured Soldiers out of the vehicle," said Vaden. "Our medic evaluated the casualties and had us put the injured on stretchers as a precautionary measure. After the area was secured and the patients had been evaluated we called for support."

The Cavalry troopers were disciplined, physically and mentally tough; trained and proficient in warrior task and drills. They had already set up security and pulled the injured from the MRAP, evaluated the casualties and sent up a report requesting a medical evacuation.

"Our training kicked in and we made decisions without hesitation; it was like second nature," said Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Vaden of B Troop, 2nd Bn., 8th Cav. Regt. "No one panicked because we knew help would arrive."

When the Spartans arrived, Vaden asked them to have their vehicles pull security on the outer perimeter of the field to provide 360 degrees of security around the landing zone for the UH-60 helicopters to land, according to Talkington. The rest of the Spartans jumped into the ravine to pull security near the MRAP.

Even after a long day, tired and hungry Soldiers of B Troop and the 591st MP Company placed their mission first and used teamwork to help their fellow Soldiers who were injured during a vehicle rollover. The injured Soldiers were successfully evacuated because B Troop and the 591st MP Company adhered to the principles of the Soldier's Creed—I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat.

Wild Thing's comment........

I love our military, our troops are the best in the world. They are the greatest Americans, our Veterans and our troops today.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:47 AM | Comments (6)

Unseen Eye Keeps Watch Over Soldiers

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nicholas Jones, Sgt. Mitchell Godwin and Staff Sgt. Joseph Pospesel of 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, inspect an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in the Paktika Province, Afghanistan, June 3.

Unseen Eye Keeps Watch Over Soldiers

by Pfc. Andrya Hill

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan

A 14-foot unseen guardian patrols eastern Afghanistan day and night, searching for the enemies that would wreak havoc on the country. The Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle has cameras that function as aerial eyes for the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.

These UAVs are controlled from the ground by a small group of Paratroopers from the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.

"We do everything from battle damage assessment to convoy route clearance, but our main missions over here is to provide situational awareness for battlefield commanders," said Chief Warrant Officer Nicholas Jones, a UAV technician who is also serving as the Platoon Leader.

In the three months the UAV Platoon has been operating, Jones said there have been several instances where the Shadow has provided the necessary advantage for mission accomplishment.

"The Baki Kheyl District Center called and said they were receiving fire. We immediately scanned over to them, found the guys firing at them, and followed them all the way back to their safe house," said Jones.

Sgt. 1st Class Sean Bolin, a UAV operator, told a similar success story.

"A couple weeks ago, the FOB [Sharana] came under a mortar attack. We spotted some guys to the north, and used the UAV to positively identify them and stay on them, so the commanders can pick them up or put fire on them."

Regardless of the challenges, the UAV platoon works around the clock to assure that the Soldiers of 4-25th are protected. From the operators that fly the aircraft and observe the footage, to the maintainers who keep them up and running, the brigade can rest assured that overhead a Shadow floats, providing security and support.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Anything ithat can help our troops I am all for. A new CIC would be nice too. ( just wishing here)

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:40 AM | Comments (2)

June 06, 2009

Burka Wearing Muzzie Freak Crashes Memorial for Pvt. William Long in Arkansas

Arkansas organized a rally in rememberance of the first terrorist attack since 9/11. Pvt. William Long was killed and Pvt. Quinton I. Ezeagwula was wounded by Carlos Leon (aka Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad). Channel 11 was the only TV crew out there with a camera, and the AR Dem Gazette sent a reporter and a photographer.

The event had several speakers who did a wonderful job. Video footage of them will be uploaded soon. However, the most shocking part of the event was when a muslim fanatic crashed the event.

The fanatic drove by and yelled at us, then parked in the parking lot and stood out with a homemade sign yelling anti-American and later anti-Semetic comments. Had this been a ceremony for Tiller, this would have been the top story for both local and national media.

Pvt. William Long, 23, of Conway, Arkansas

Wild Thing's comment.........

With all the pro Muslim BS from Obama there will be a lot more of this happening now. Obama has given Muslims the green light to do what they want. He even has his promise to protect the American Muslim that he and AG Eric Holder did. sheesh!

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:50 AM | Comments (6)

Operation Baghdad Pups!

Operation Baghdad Pups

Operation Baghdad Pups began with an email received on September 11, 2007. The desperate words of the U.S. soldier serving in Iraq told of his desire to get the dog, Charlie, he and his regiment had befriended out of the Middle East before their tour of duty ended. Because it is against regulations for troops to befriend an animal or transport one on a military flight, the likelihood of the determined soldiers succeeding alone seemed doubtful.

Members of this Army regiment discovered the dog earlier that summer while patrolling a dangerous neighborhood on the outskirts of Baghdad. The malnourished and flea covered puppy, no bigger than a baked potato, was scooped up by a soldier who felt sorry for the pitiful orphan. Hidden in a tattered blanket, the puppy was snuck onto the Coalition Outpost. As the soldiers took turns secretly caring for the puppy the strong bond between man and dog grew.

“Taking care of Charlie gave me something to look forward to everyday,” one soldier explained. “When all the guys got to playing with him we forgot where we were, the horrible things we had seen, and what we still had to go through. Charlie definitely made our time in Iraq more bearable. He was like a welcomed piece of home right here in the midst of Baghdad.”

Abandoning Charlie in this war ravaged country, consumed in hatred and destruction, would have meant certain death for him. “We all made him a promise that we would not give up. We’d find a way somehow to get him to a better life in the states,” the soldier wrote in that first email.

H/T * Stix blog

Wild Thing's comment......

Gosh I love animals so much. I could not watch this without crying. I can only imagine ihow much a dog or a cat mean to a servicie man or women especially when they are in country. What a HUGE difference in makes for that next day to come and the bond between them.

I have read where when animals are brought into a nursing home it is so much better and it even helps the health of those elderly living there. I believe it.

Remember awhile back when I posted about this Marine and his dog from Iraq. Here is a newer vidoe of the two of them.

Nubs,the Iraqi dog, rescued by a Marine fighter pilot has landed in the Bay Area for some well-earned R & R.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:47 AM | Comments (2)

June 04, 2009

Private William Long's Father Interview

Difficult to watch interview with Daris Long, the father of Private William Long who was shot and killed while taking a break outside of a Little Rock recruiting center. Impossible to watch without crying but I wanted you to meet his father.

Wild Thing's comment........

Keep these families in your prayers. It breaks my heart to see this good man suffering.

God Bless our Military and families..they always pay the ultimate sacrifice.

And Semper Fi to this Father.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:49 AM | Comments (8)

June 02, 2009

Terrorist Pleads Not Guilty in Soldier's Death ~ Hello Barack Obama Where Are YOU!

Suspect pleads not guilty in soldier's death

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.

A Muslim convert who already was under federal investigation pleaded not guilty Tuesday in what police called a likely "political and religious" attack that killed a young soldier at a military recruiting center.

Abdulhakim Muhammad, 23, of Little Rock, was charged in Monday's death of Pvt. William Long, 23, of Conway outside an Army-Navy Career Center in a west Little Rock shopping center. He pleaded not guilty to a capital murder charge and was ordered held without bail.

A prosecutor said Muhammad admitted shooting Long and another soldier "because of what they had done to Muslims in the past."

An FBI-led joint terrorism task force based in the southern United States has been investigating Muhammad since he returned to the United States from Yemen, a law enforcement official said. The suspect had been arrested and jailed in Yemen at some point for using a Somali passport, the official said. The time of that arrest was not immediately clear.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was not authorized to discuss the investigation.

An FBI spokesman in Little Rock did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Pat Harris said no decision has been made on whether to pursue federal charges against Muhammad. "We're consulting with a lot of people on what, if any, charges can be filed against him," Harris said.

Both Arkansas and federal court systems permit executions for capital crimes.

Long and Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, of Jacksonville, Ark., had recently completed basic training and had never seen combat. Ezeagwula was hospitalized in stable condition.

Police Chief Stuart Thomas said Muhammad, previously known as Carlos Bledsoe, was a convert to Islam and was not part of any broader scheme to attack the American military.

Interviews with police show he "probably had political and religious motives for the attack," the chief said.

"We believe that it's associated with his disagreement over the military operations," Thomas said.

Police Sgt. Cassandra Davis said Tuesday it wasn't known when Muhammad began planning the attack.

Deputy Prosecutor Scott Duncan said Muhammad told investigators that "he would have killed more soldiers had they been in the parking lot." Long and Ezeagwula were targeted as they stood outside the recruiting center smoking cigarettes.

Muhammad did not speak during the brief hearing before Little Rock District Judge Alice Lightle.

John Rehrauer, spokesman for the Pulaski County jail, said the department was handling Muhammad as it does other high-profile cases.

"He is in some protective custody, in a higher-security unit in a cell by himself," Rehrauer said.

He said he didn't know of any threats against Muhammad and said jailers did not believe he was in any greater danger than previous high-profile people handled at the prison.

The two soldiers had recently completed basic training and had volunteered for a program to recruit others to the military, said Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis of the Oklahoma City Recruiting Battalion, which oversees the Little Rock office.

"They can show the example: 'Here's where I was, and here is where I am,'" Artis said.

A police report said Muhammad told investigators he observed two soldiers in uniform, drove up to the recruiting center and began shooting.

"He saw them standing there and drove up and shot them," Lt. Terry Hastings told The Associated Press. "That's what he said."

Police arrested Muhammad along a highway moments after the shootings. Police said an assault rifle and other weapons were found in his vehicle.

In addition to the capital murder count, Muhammad is accused of committing 16 counts of a terroristic act. Thomas said most additional counts resulted from the gunfire occurring near other people.

The suspect's father, Melvin Bledsoe of Memphis, Tenn., hung up on a reporter who called about his son's arrest Monday night.

Wild Thing's comment.........

I really feel for these soldiers families. Right out of boot and they get killed on American soil.

"A Muslim convert accused of killing a soldier in a "political and religious" attack on a military recruiting center pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a capital murder charge."

Well of course he is not guilty. A muslim killing infidels in jihad is doing allah's work. He is to be praised as he is following the koran and being a very good muslim. SHEESH!

Deputy Prosecutor Scott Duncan said Muhammad told investigators that "he would have killed more soldiers had they been in the parking lot."

How does he plead "not guilty" with a statement like that?

This should be tried by the Federal Gov. because he killed a U S soldier.

Not only did he kill and wound two US soldiers, but they were soldiers on duty, at their post. Service men and women are murdered from time to time on US soil. But, I can't remember on, in the last 30 years, perhaps since Vietnam, that was murdered while at their duty station.

And odf course not a single remark from the clueless, classless piece of #%&@ in the White House!!!

F U Obama!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:28 PM | Comments (11)

Terrorist Attack on OBAMA'S Watch and SILENCE from Obama About it!

Just after 5:00 this evening, Little Rock Police say Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, also known as Carlos Bledsoe, will be charged with capital murder and 15 counts of terroristic acts after a shooting at an Army/Navy recruitment center on Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock.

Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas says Muhammad intentionally targeted military personnel.

23-year-old Private William Long, of Conway, died as a result of his injuries.

18-year-old Private Second Class Quinton Ezeagwula, of Jacksonville, was also shot. Chief Thomas says he is in stable condition and will recover.

Police say Muhammad opened fire because of his religious beliefs. He was a recent convert to Islam.

"We have no indication that the suspect did act alone and of his own accord, and it's our belief he acted with a specific intent to target military personnel and did so unilaterally and did so with intent today and today only," Thomas said.

“He has a disagreement with military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Thomas said.

Police say Muhammad had never met his victims.

"On behalf of the U.S. Army, our condolences go out to the families, especially the family of Private Long. Any loss of life is tragic," said Captain Matthew Feehan, commander of the recruiting center.

The military revealed information about what the victims were doing at the center. Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis, Commander of the Oklahoma recruiting battalion, which has command over the Little Rock recruiting station, says the soldiers were enlisted men, not officers, and that they did not work as recruiters. Lt. Col. Artis says they were part of a recruiting program called "hometown recruiting assistance."

He says recruiters use these soldiers to tell their stories to talk to potential recruits, and that it is a volunteer position they do while they are visiting or based back in their home region." Lt. Col. Artis says he does not know who the suspect was, and says it's not clear if the man was in the military or not. The two men were in the HRAP program before they were to be deployed. Seven other recruiters were at the center at the time of the shooting. No one else was hurt.

According to Captain Feehan, Long enlisted January 9, 2009 and had completed basic and advanced initial training at Fort Benning in Georgia. He has a brother in the Army stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas. Feehan said Ezeagwula enlisted in October 2008 and had just completed basic and advanced training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

After the suspect's vehicle was stopped, the Little Rock Bomb Squad was called in over concern about some bags found inside. The scene was closed off and traffic along the I-30 entrance ramp from I-630 was backed up for some time. The vehicle was finally towed away just before one o'clock. No explosives were found in the vehicle, however police recovered three weapons, including the murder weapon, an SKS semi-automatic rifle. They also recovered a .22-caliber rifle and a pistol.

The shooting happened just after 10:15 at the Ashley Square Shopping Center at 9112 North Rodney Parham Road, not far from the Reservoir Road intersection.

Hastings says the gunshots were fired from a black SUV that sped off. Police say about ten to twelve rounds were fired.

Crime scene tape had a large area of the shopping center roped off, from an old Blockbuster video store a few stores down to a Honey Baked Ham store.

A witness to the shooting told KARK 4 they were sitting at a nearby traffic light when they heard the gunfire and saw a vehicle speed away from the scene. Another witness saw it all happen from an apartment complex across the street.

Around two o'clock Monday afternoon, police and bomb squad officers searched Muhammad's apartment off Napa Valley Drive in the Bristol Park complex.

The FBI and ATF assisted in the investigation. Police say Muhammad has only lived in the area for a few months and has no local criminal record. He has previously lived in Memphis and Nashville.

Recruiter Shooting Suspect Under FBI Investigation (Traveled to Yemen on Somali Passport)

Shooting at U.S. Army Navy Career Center Little Rock

The suspect arrested in the fatal shooting of one soldier and the critical injury of another at a Little Rock, Ark., Army recruiting booth today was under investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorist Task Force since his return from Yemen, ABC News has learned.

The investigation was in its preliminary stages, authorities said, and was based on the suspect's travel to Yemen and his arrest there for using a Somali passport.

The suspect, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, 24, had changed his name from Carlos Leon Bledsoe after converting to the Muslim faith.

Law enforcement sources said he offered no resistance when Little Rock police arrested him today.

It was not known what path Muhammad, a U.S. citizen who is a recent convert to Islam, had followed to radicalization.

"At this point it appears that he specifically targeted military personnel, but there doesn't appear to be a wider conspiracy or, at this point in time, any indication that he's a part of a larger group or a conspiracy to go further," Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas said.

But, Muhammad's travels overseas have sparked a major international investigation. Officials say it is too early to know for certain if he indeed acted alone.

According to sources, the suspect advised them that he was going to kill as many Army personnel as possible. At the time of the shooting, the subject had approximately 200 rounds of ammunition available, police said.

According to a police report, Muhammad told police he saw two uniformed U.S. soldiers in front of the recruiting office before he shot and killed Pvt. William Long, 23, and wounded Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, while they were taking a break outside the U.S. Army recruiting station where they both worked.

Arkansas recruiting center jihadist killer studied jihad in Yemen

Jihad Watch

I have learned from a well-placed source that Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, who killed one soldier and wounded another at a a Little Rock military recruiting center today, and who faces charges of terrorism as well as first-degree murder, has recently returned from Yemen, where he studied jihad with an Islamic scholar there.

Apparently the Islamic scholar under whom this American convert to Islam studied was yet another misunderstander of Islam's true, peaceful teachings.

Wild Thing's comment........

Is Obama as outraged about the murder of a US military recruiter by a radical black Muslim as he was about the abortionist? Not a chance. Nothing about THIS TERRORIST ATTACK! Yesterday, Obama issued a sharply worded statement condemning the shooting of late-term abortionist George Tiller within hours, and Obama's Justice Department folowed that up and ordered U.S. Marshalls to deploy at abortion clinincs to give them protection.

Seven hours after the attack on the recruiting center, the same length of time it took Obama to issue a statement on the Tiller murder, there was NO statement from the commander-in-chief of the slain and wounded servicemen.

One of Obama's core constituencies is radical abortion supporters, not Americans in uniform. The contrast in his reactions to the two murderous attacks is chilling for those who support our fellow Americans in our armed forces.

This is a terrorism attack on our military on our soil but yet the CIC ...the president says nothing. Disgusting!!

And this happens right before Obama the Muslim goes to the Middle East to apologize some more.

This guy went to study in Yemen, Home of bin Laden and terrorism and little else to study there other than jihad. That makes it more serious.

The victims:
23-year-old Private William Long, of Conway, died as a result of his injuries.

18-year-old Private Quinton Ezeagwula, of Jacksonville, was also shot. Chief Thomas says he is in stable condition and will recover.

We have no Commander in Chief! We have NO President. We are stuck with a bowing to the Saudi Prince, Muslim raised, Kenya POS, Ameriica and Military hater as an occupier in our Oval Office. Put their by ACORN and a bunch of dead people's votes and kool-aid drinking lefties wanting handouts.

The silence from the White House is SICKENING. This is a real slap to America's men and women serving in the armed forces, as Barack Obama has ignored the fatal shooting attack. Obama does not care about the military, never has, never will. He does not know the difference between a private and a general

First post on this:

....Thank you Tom for the information.

Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (17)

June 01, 2009

Shooting at U.S. Army Navy Career Center Little Rock

One Army Recruiter Dead, 2nd Critical in Drive-By Shooting in Little Rock, AR.

KATV

CNN

Little Rock - One person is dead, another seriously injured, and a third is in custody following a double shooting in west Little Rock Monday morning.

Authorities say the incident occurred around 10:00 a.m. at a U.S. Army Navy Career Center inside the Ashley Square Shopping Center at 9112 North Rodney Parham Road. According to Lt. Terry Hastings with the Little Rock Police Department, two enlisted soldiers standing outside the office were hit when the unidentified suspect drove up and began shooting.

Both of the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital, where one of the victims died a short time later, according to police.

The suspect led police on a brief pursuit towards downtown Little Rock, before being taken into custody in the area of the Interstate 30/630 interchange.

According to the Little Rock Fire Department, a bomb squad was called to the scene to investigate a suspicious package inside the suspect's vehicle.

According to Army Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis, the two victims were not recruiters, but part of a recruiting program called "Hometown Recruiting Assistance." Artis says recruiters use soldiers to tell their stories and talk to potential recruits while they are visiting or based back in their home region.

The two victims were just out of basic training, he said, and had not been deployed.(CNN said this )

But the other souce KATV said this...."Artis says both soldiers had been previously deployed to either Iraq (web | news) or Afghanistan, but couldn’t offer any further details.”

Wild Thing's comment........

Think this will be comparable to the killing of the serial baby killer George Tiller? /NOT

I don’t think I’ll wait for Obama to make a statement about this like he did about Tiller the baby killer’s death.

Military recruiters are probably not high on his list.

I have always felt Recruiters should be allowed to be armed. It surprised me when I found out they weren't.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 PM | Comments (18)

May 31, 2009

Two Female Seabees, First to Complete Lioness Program

Kasey Reed and Jody Gorsuch stop for a visit with the members of their battalion, after completion of the Lioness Program training.

Two Female Seabees, First to Complete Lioness Program

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq

Builder Constructionman Kasey Reed and Steelworker Constructionman Jody Gorsuch were the first female Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 24 to complete training for The Lioness Program.

The Lioness Program, established in 2004, stations female troops with Marine combat units. The Lioness members therefore play a vital role in security and the fight against terrorism, by searching females and children, since Muslim cultural tradition dictates that men are not permitted to look up nor touch females.

When asked in an interview about her role as a Lioness, Reed commented, "It is a great experience, allowing women to show their importance in a joint effort with their male counter parts."

Reed and Gorsuch participated in a week long training course instructed by the Marines. The Seabees received classes covering a wide array of topics from Marine combat skills to combat life-saving techniques, and personnel searches to basic Arabic language skills.

After the completion of the training program, Gorsuch stated, "Completing the program has provided me with a great sense of accomplishment through attaining these new skills and knowledge." She went on to describe the experience as "empowering for women."

Both women were excited and confident in regard to their new role and assignment with the Marines.

Wild Thing's comment.......

How exciting for them and all the work they did to complete this. Congratulatons !

I can just imagine how the Muslims react when they see all our various women in our military and good at what they do. heh heh It must drive the Muslims even more angry at Americans. Tah dah!

Good get the Muslims so angry they cannot see straight then shoot all of them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (4)

May 30, 2009

The Price of Peace

National Guard

Deployment ceremonies are never easy.

Emotions can be overwhelming as families and friends gather together for their good-byes.

Twelve-year-old Alyssa Gaddis and her 16-year-old sister Cassy Gaddis, of Springfield, IL, know this firsthand.
They’ve been to many such events because their father, CW5 Jim Gaddis, is the command chief warrant officer
of the Illinois Army National Guard. They’ve felt the power of families being torn apart. These experiences inspired Alyssa to write a song—a song to lift the spirits of those enduring deployment, a song to inspire courage and hope. Alyssa titled her song, “The Price of Peace.”

Thinking positive

“I went to a deployment ceremony where kids were clutching to their dad’s neck crying,” Alyssa recalls, “and it just broke my heart. Cassy and I have it so easy right now with our dad at home. There are dads out there [with] loved ones going off to war.”

Cassy agreed, adding, “That particular ceremony was probably the saddest one I have ever been to because there were so many families there. I think that some people don’t really understand because they haven’t seen it with their own eyes.”

When Alyssa started writing her song, she knew there were other songs out there with similar themes. But many of them had sad endings. She wanted hers to be unique—by being positive. She wanted it to have a happy ending.
Cassy had the same idea. “I think that a lot of people want to focus on the negative,” she shared. “And it’s there … but I always think there’s a silver lining to everything.”

Alyssa felt her original point of view could make the song stand out.

“I wanted to write it from a girl’s perspective—‘My dad’s going off to war,’ ” she explained. “There aren’t any songs about younger kids with dads going off to war.

“Hopefully this song will allow people to focus on the good. Yes, it is hard when he’s gone, but he is coming home.”

Love for the Soldier

The Gaddis girls’ compassion extends beyond the families to the deploying Soldiers.

“I definitely respect [them] for their courage and strength, and their sacrifice,” Cassy stated. “I think in today’s society, especially now, people just want the war to end so much that they kind of forget what these Soldiers and their families face.

“I know what they go through. Their sacrifice for us is just jawdropping. While we sit here, they are over there training and fighting to help us. I think self-sacrifice is the definition of … a Soldier.”

State Farm was there

Alyssa’s crafting of the tune was only the beginning of this project. The next question was how to get it “out there.”
Enter an unexpected ally—State Farm Insurance. Its Adopt-a-Soldier program was created to thank and support deployed troops by sending them care packages and has received national accolades. State Farm was also recently awarded the highest employer honor bestowed by the Department of Defense—the Freedom Award—for recognition of its support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserves. Jim Gaddis ran into a State Farm rep at a Family Readiness meeting in Springfield and told the rep about his daughters’ song. The two discussed the possibilities, and State Farm offered to help pay for the recording studio time in Nashville, TN.

The Gaddis family also set up the Web site ThePriceofPeaceorg, which promotes and sells downloads of the song. Profits from the song will be going to Illinois’ Family Readiness Groups and local VFWs.

“This is another effort to raise money for the Illinois Family Readiness groups, so they can support the troops,” said Bill Hrabik, President–Military Affinity Group at State Farm. “The goal is to raise money for the group, and awareness of the separation issues of deploying Soldiers and their families.”

The man with the plan

People often make the mistake of assuming it is not that hard to record a song.

Well, it entails a little bit more than just singing into a microphone. You need producers to handle the project. They have to know the ins and outs of music. And they have to be passionate about achieving top quality.

Hart Steen fit that bill for the Gaddis girls. A young musician in Nashville, Steen’s love of music radiates from him. A chance meeting hooked him up with the Gaddis girls. Jim and his wife Annette were visiting Nashville and went to the Commodore, a popular music venue. Steen happened to be onstage and the Gaddis’ took a liking to his music.

After the show, the three talked about Alyssa’s song, and Steen liked the concept. Steen and the Gaddis’ kept in touch, and shared ideas. After much discussion, the girls were on their way to Nashville to record their song with Steen as their producer.

“They have been awesome,” Steen declared. “It'’s been a joy to have them in my life.”

Steen has his own investment in the concept of this song. A few years ago, his younger brother enlisted in the Air Force. Steen took notice of his brother’s transformation during an emotional graduation at Lackland AFB in Texas. “It was very powerful,” Steen recalled. “He had changed into a man.”

Trip to Music City

So the Gaddis family packed their bags and hit the road, aiming for the global hub of country music. Cassy and Alyssa were ecstatic to be able to go, not because they got out of school for a few days, but because they were going to a place that is rich in musical history. For nearly half a century, countless country artists have traveled to “Music City” to see if they have what it takes.

“When I got there, I thought about how amazing it was to be doing this,” Alyssa said, smiling. “I felt proud.”

Being in the big leagues, so to speak, made the girls step up their game. Working with professionals in a recording studio was a big step forward. But the girls adjusted. It was an especially powerful experience for Alyssa—barely in 7th grade.

“Her maturity just skyrocketed when we were in Nashville,” Cassy revealed. “The fact that she wrote the song and took on all this responsibility— it made me really open my eyes. It made me look up to her. Even though she is my little sister.”

The girls took their time behind the mic to let loose and give it their all. With so much riding on their shoulders, this was no time to goof off.

They worked hard—but enjoyed every minute. “It was a really good experience. It was amazing—and surreal,” Alyssa shared. “I have never really done that before. I have gone to studios locally in Springfield, but this was different. I felt like I was a superstar.”

“My wife and I are so proud of Alyssa and Cassy for what they have done to support the deploying Soldiers' families,” Jim declared. “They genuinely care and want to make a difference in these people's lives.”

The waiting is the hardest part

Returning home from Nashville, the girls left their song—and trust—with Steen. The process of mixing and editing music can take a long time, and the girls tried to be patient.

After anxiously waiting for several weeks, the finished piece was finally delivered, and the Gaddis family gathered at their Springfield home to listen.

“When we heard the rough version, it brought tears to my mom’s eyes,” Alyssa marveled. “It’s amazing knowing that Cassy and I did that together.”

Looking back on the experience, Alyssa shares, “People think that singers have it easy. They think all they have to do is sing. The day after the recording, I wanted to pull my hair out.”

But that was only the beginning. “Now we get to do the really fun part of the process—send the message,” Cassy shared.

“To me, that’s the most important part—talking to people and hopefully inspiring them the way we’ve been inspired.”

Reaching out

The Gaddis’ are invested in the success of the song not because of the chance to make it big but to help others.

“Hopefully, it will touch people deeply,” Cassy said. And, Alyssa adds, “It’s for a good cause. All of the money made off of this is being donated] to the military families.”

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In the same way, a deployment is worth a thousand emotions. Maybe “The Price of Peace” will be worth a thousand smiles.

Wild Thing's comment.......

This is woniderful and it warms ones heart to see people young or older that appreciate our troops and what they do. Also for the families of those who serve to be appreciated as well.

Some of the notes that were sent to me about this video:

"If you have ever been deployed or have had a loved one deployed with the military, this will truly touch your heart.
It is my understanding that this will be played in movie theaters before the main feature in 5 states so far and it was only released May 13th. Near the end there is a small clip of the Patriot Guard Riders with flags
flying from their motorcycles welcoming troops home. "

The price of peace is paid by the families on their knees praying tonight By a Soldier’s feet on some foreign street just trying to save a life By a daughter’s tears as she sees her hero do what he thinks is right The loss may run deep but if it’s love we leave Well that’s the price of peace

.....Thank you Larry for sending this to me.

Larry
tuy hoa nah trang duc pho chu lai
39TH COMBAT ENGRS BN
Dec 66 - Dec 67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (4)

May 29, 2009

U.S. Army Parachute Team The Golden Knights Make Historical Jump

The Golden Knights, the U.S. Army's official parachute demonstration team, made a historical jump as part of their 50th Anniversary onto the grounds of the Statue of Liberty in New York City, as part of the Memorial Day weekend kick-off.

U.S. Army Parachute Team Makes Historical Jump

by Cheryle Rivas

FORT BRAGG, N.C.

The Golden Knights, the U.S. Army's official parachute demonstration team, made a historical jump as part of their 50th Anniversary, onto the grounds of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. The demonstration was part of the Memorial Day weekend kick-off as members of the Gold demonstration team glided effortlessly toward Liberty Island, before a crowd of more than 3,000 spectators.

In 1959, 13 men who were to comprise the Strategic Army Corps Sport Parachute Team reported for duty at Fort Bragg, N.C. Over the next two years the team performed so well that the Army officially activated it as the U.S. Army Parachute Team--the Defense Department's aerial-demonstration team--in 1961.

The "Golden Knights," as they're known today, are so called because of their many victories during the years in which the then-Soviet Union dominated the international sport of skydiving.

"The last time we jumped at the Statue of Liberty was in 1978," said Capt. Michael Funderburk, Operations Officer for the Parachute Team. "We have been carefully planning and coordinating the demonstration at the Statue as part of our 50-year celebration, and to coincide with the Bethpage Air Show demonstration at Jones Beach, N.Y."

Approval for the Parachute Jump had been coordinated through the New York Mayor's Office, New York City Police Harbor Unit, FAA, Coast Guard, National Park Service and U.S. Army Public Affairs.

"Looking over the 1978 pictures, it's an honor to be a part of making history again," said the team's Public Affairs Officer Donna Dixon. "We proudly represent the U.S. Army with every jump we make, this year is even more special, because it's part of our 50th year as a team," added Dixon.

The team will also continue to perform at air shows, compete on an international level and perform high-profile tandem jumps. In addition, the Golden Knights will visit high schools to work with local recruiters and help show young adults the variety of opportunities available in the U.S. Army.

Wild Thing's comment..........

Fantastic! It would be wonderful to see them in person. I would LOVE to try sky diving. I almost had a chance several years ago, but my Mom when she was alive asked me to wait until she was gone.
LOL I asked her where was she going I wasn't thinking of her dying. But that is what she meant. She explained she wanted me to wait till she was no longer around before I did it. She has pasted away since then and I just haven't gotten back into finding out about it.

Nicholas did it when he was in the Navy and he loved it. He also had the job of packing the chutes which he said he took very seriously. He said when a person packed the chutes they put their own name there on each one so they knew who had packed them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:40 AM | Comments (4)

May 28, 2009

Air Force Academy Graduation 2009

Graduate Chelsey Fitch shows of her diploma during ceremonies

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - MAY 27: Air Force Academy graduates celebrate as a team of F-16 Thunderbirds flies over during the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation ceremony at Falcon Stadium on May 27, 2009 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A total of 1,046 graduates from the Class of 2009 were to walk across the stage in the traditional ceremony in front of tens of thousands of family and friends. Vice President Joe Biden gave the commencement speech.

I saved this one from last year. I loved this photo. We will never see Obama doing anything even close to this. The troops of all our branches love Bush. They know he respects them and that he loves our country, unlike Obama. ~ Wild Thing

U.S. President George W. Bush poses with a graduate during the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado May 28, 2008.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (2)

Transporting Detainees (Terrorists Prisoners)

Detention operations center escorts explain the process of transporting a detainee to his legal visit at Joint Task Force Guantanamo's Camp 4, May 5. Sailors from the Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion conduct detainee operations as part of the ongoing detention mission at Joint Task Force Guantanamo. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detainees, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the Global War on Terrorism. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning for and, on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.

Properly Transporting Detainees

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba

In order to ensure safe, humane, legal and transparent care of the detainees in custody at Joint Task Force Guantanamo, troopers are assigned to escort detainees to medical appointments, lawyer appointments and commissions.

The Naval Expeditionary Guard Battalion conducts detainee escorts at JTF Guantanamo as part of the ongoing detention mission. They also escort contractors who come into the camps to do enhancement projects.

"My mission is to support detainee movements," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian, non-commissioned officer-in-charge for Detention Operation Center escorts. "We also escort contractors throughout the camps."

Most of the troopers who are escorts were guards in the camps for several months until earning the opportunity to become escorts.

"They normally work in the camps for a few months until they learn about the environment," said Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Glen Porter, senior enlisted advisor for the escorts. "They are then properly trained on how to be an escort."

The escorts are broken into teams, and a dispatcher assigns the team's task.

"When I come into the office, I lay out a plan for the day," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler, an escort dispatcher. "There are [many] detainee movements every day and it is imperative to make sure everyone is on time."

The escorts pick up the detainee at the camp, where he has already been informed of an appointment.

"We go pick up the detainee as a team, then safely transport him," Porter said.

The detainee has the right to refuse to be transported. They are never forced to attend an appointment of any sort.

"If they refuse to go, we cannot force them," Tyler said. "If it is an appointment that is important, someone will visit them at their location."

The escorts are also responsible for maintaining the flag program. This program supports trooper morale by affording the opportunity to have a flag flown over Camp Delta. After the flag is flown, the individual for whom the flag is flown receives an official certificate for the flag.

The troopers of the DOC escort program work hard and have daily struggles like many others who are deployed, but that doesn't change their focus on the mission.

"I think we are doing what needs to be done here," Tyler said in regards to the mission at JTF Guantanamo. "I am proud to be here during this historical period."

Wild Thing's comment.........

I was surprised about this, I always thought the doctors and lawyers came to the prison not the other way around.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:44 AM | Comments (2)

May 26, 2009

" My Hometown" ~ US ARMY ad

"My Hometown" - Freedom Isn't Free ( US Army ad)

Wild Thing's comment......

I love these ads our military makes. This one is for the Army and it is from years ago, but still a great one!!!

God bless our soldiers!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:46 AM | Comments (2)

May 23, 2009

Obama Accuses Military of Billions in Overspending

Obama accuses military of billions in overspending

WASHINGTON

President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill aimed at tightening the controls on defense spending, saying it is "long overdue."

Standing with leading congressional players Friday morning on South Lawn of the White House, Obama said he was "extraordinarily proud" to sign the bill, which passed unanimously in both the House and Senate this week.

Obama noted one study which found that roughly $295 billion of taxpayers' money was wasted last year on cost overruns involving 95 defense programs.

He said wasteful defense spending "is unacceptable" at a time when the country is fighting two wars and trying to overcome a deep recession at home.

Wild Thing's comment..........

This angers me so much. Obama is spending money like crazy, but it is NOT ok with him to spend much on our military. GRRRRRRRRRRRR HOw omuch does he think we can take of his BS.

Spend, Spend, spend, but oh it's for the Military? Then from Obama we get Hell no. sheesh

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:44 AM | Comments (2)

May 22, 2009

US Navy Presidential Ceremonial Honor Guard Drill Team

This was about three years ago.
Our Navy Ceremonial Guard Silent Drill Team was invited to compete in an International Tattoo in Norway ...
They competed against military units from all over NATO.
They won first place.

Wild Thing's comment......

Fantastic, I love drill teams. They always amaze me!!!

....Thank you Horace for sending this to me.

Horace
U.S.Army
Horace Smith, Pvt. E-1, USAR
1956-1964

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (6)

May 19, 2009

Changing of the Guard:Man Crosses rail gets yelled at!

To visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is truly a humbling and awe-inspiring event. In all the time I have spent there, I have never seen this happen or even heard of it happening until now. The people that were there probably witnessed something more rare than winning the Powerball lottery. They saw a guard break ranks to challenge and warn a tourist who “crossed the line”.

( Lower LEFT side of the screen ) A man drops his water bottle during the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns and gets yelled at by a guard for crossing the rail.

The Guard says "IT IS REQUESTED THAT ALL VISITORS REMAIN BEHIND THE CHAINS AND RAILS".

Wild Thing's comment..........

I never saw this happen before or heard of something like this happening. I bet the man that droped his water bottle was shook up. hahahhahaha

God bless our troops!!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (20)

Marine Corps Values Honor, Courage, Commitment

Wild Thing's comment..........

I love the video.

....Thank you DH for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:44 AM | Comments (6)

May 18, 2009

Holy Joe's Cafe ~ Afghanistan

Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 3, gather around a table full of barbequed hamburgers, hotdogs and quesadillas during the grand opening of Holy Joe's Cafe at Camp Barber, Afghanistan, April 20, 2009. The small outdoor patio-style cafe located behind the Camp Barber chapel, offers service members and civilians the opportunity to relax and drink a free cup of fresh coffee or tea. The cafe's operated by the chapel's religious ministry team and has received many donations through the Adopt-a-Chaplain Program, ensuring that service members receive some of the simple pleasures of life while forward deployed through the generosity of others. Photo by Lance Cpl. Ronald Stauffer

CAMP BARBER, Afghanistan

Sometimes it’s the simple pleasures in life that can make a difference when deployed.

Service members carrying out their duties in support of counterinsurgency operations aboard Camp Barber, Helmand province, Afghanistan, can now enjoy the fresh smell of coffee and a relaxing lounge to sip a “cup of Joe” at Holy Joe’s Café, April 29, 2009.

The Camp Barber café originally opened in March, providing free coffee, hot tea and breakfast snacks to service members and civilians serving at Camp Barber, but the moniker “Holy Joe’s” isn’t an entirely new name to forward-deployed service members.

The café at Camp Barber derived its name from the Holy Joe’s Café project, which was started in 2006 by the First Congregational Church in Wallingford, Conn., as a coffee drive, providing military chaplains in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait the opportunity to further support U.S. service members deployed overseas.

In an effort to support her fellow service members in what she calls “a little piece of home,” Navy Lt. Karen J. Rector, the Combat Logistics Battalion 3 chaplain, collected matted flooring, put up camouflage netting for shade, and gathered benches and tables to give coffee and tea-drinking patrons a comfortable and appealing place to take a break. CLB-3 Sgt. Maj. Danny Duvall volunteered a bit of his spare time and artistry, decorating the café’s tables and benches with an eclectic holy-Hawaiian-desert-patriotic motif to make things interesting for the patrons as they enjoy their “cup of Joe” or tea.

“Coffee in the morning helps you face the adversities that you’re going to face that day,” said 1st Lt. Jason D. Ryan, the supply officer assigned to Headquarters Company, CLB-3. “If you get a bad cup of coffee, you know it’s going to be a bad day,” joked Ryan.

Ryan said his day would be incomplete if he wasn’t able to get his cup of coffee and feels it’s an important part of his morning.

“Holy Joe’s has the best coffee on Camp Barber,” Ryan said. “There are some things in Afghanistan that are always tough, but it should never be your first cup of coffee.”

Coffee isn’t the only sustenance provided at Holy Joe’s. The café also provides juices, cereal and cold milk and various breakfast foods to start off the day.

Rector attributes much of the café’s success to the donated supplies she receives through the “Adopt-a-Chaplain Program” and the individuals who donate their time and effort to support the troops through the chaplains’ services.

Holy Joe’s recently held its official grand opening April 20, 2009, announcing its place in the camp and all that it has to offer. Those who participated in the social event were welcomed with a barbeque picnic, refreshments and a raffle of prizes to top the night.

Combat Logistics Battalion 3 is the logistics combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan whose mission is to conduct counterinsurgency operations, and train and mentor the Afghan national police.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Fantastic! I am so glad they have this for our troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (7)

82nd Combat Aviation Brigade Arrive in Southern Afghanistan

U..S. Army paratroopers jump from a C-17 Galaxy aircraft over Holland Drop Zone on Fort Bragg, N.C., May 5, 2009. The paratroopers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, and will be part of the first active-duty brigade combat team to fully partner with Afghan national security forces

82nd Combat Aviation Brigade Arrive in Southern Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan

Task Force Pegasus, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, assumed control of aviation operations on May 15 in southern Afghanistan. In a ceremony at Kandahar Airfield, TF Talon, a subordinate unit of TF Pegasus, relieved TF Wings, 159th CAB, 101st Airborne Division.

The 82nd CAB has deployed early as part of the United States forces troop increases in southern Afghanistan. They are the first to arrive in Afghanistan as part of this plan.

The arrival of TF Pegasus, and its subordinate units, marks the first U.S. aviation brigade to commence operations in southern Afghanistan. The TF will conduct aviation operations in support of International Stabilization Force and coalition forces in order to support GIRoA in achieving a safe and secure Afghanistan.

"It goes without saying that rotary wing aviation is the coin of the realm here in Afghanistan," said Col. Paul Bricker, commander of TF Pegasus. "The distances, harsh terrain, counterinsurgency environment and sheer size of the battle-space, make battlefield circulation a significant challenge. Without rotary wing aviation; command and control, sustainment, and combat operations can be severely challenged."

As part of the ceremony, TF Wings cased their colors as a symbol of their departure. TF Pegasus and its subordinate units then uncased their colors, symbolizing their establishment of control over aviation operations in southern Afghanistan.

Wild Thing's comment...........

The build up continues, hello Taliban....bye bye Taliban!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:44 AM | Comments (4)

In Country with Our Marines in Afghanistan

Marines exit a forward operating base on a mounted security patrol in Bakwa, Farah province, Afghanistan. The Marines of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment (Reinforced), the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Afghanistan, routinely patrol and interact with the local populace of Bakwa to maintain security in the area. U.S. Marines are in Afghanistan to reinforce success and sustain the momentum of the ongoing progress by alliance forces. Company I's mission is to conduct counterinsurgency operations while training and mentoring the Afghan national police.

Marines of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment

Story by Lance Cpl. Brian D. Jones

BAKWA, Afghanistan

Through binoculars, a Marine spotted suspicious men in the distance. Over the radio, he passed the word. The security convoy circled around and pushed up to investigate. As they moved in closer, shots rang out from the ridge ahead.

The insurgents' rounds impacted close to the Marines' vehicles. On the order, the Marines returned fire causing the insurgents' retreat. The insurgents had completely fled before a quick-reaction force and air support arrived on scene. Shortly afterward, the Marines dismounted and went up the ridge. They found no traces of casualties, just fresh tracks and probable bunkers that may have been used as outposts.

This was not a typical patrol for the Marines of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment (Reinforced), the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan. They have successfully kept security under control in Bakwa, Farah Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and such events are rare.

"None of them hesitated," said Cpl. Josh B. Reasbeck, the squad leader who led the patrol that day. "They were all employed the way they were supposed to be. They all did exactly what they were taught to do. I'm really proud of all them, and I have full confidence of their abilities."

Prior to alliance forces arriving in Bakwa, insurgent intimidation destroyed the community and pushed many people away. From testimonies of locals, the Marines know insurgents are still active in the area but have little influence.

"The security has increased tremendously with us being here and with the Afghan national police starting to step up," said Cpl. Chris L. Parra, a 3rd Civil Affairs Group non-commissioned officer attached to Co. I. "The people actually feel more secure now that they see the local government taking time to put in effort in providing security for the locals in the area."

The Marines of Co. I are operating from Forward Operating Base Bakwa and two combat outposts. They continually conduct mounted and dismounted security patrols, maintain quick reaction force teams and keep a 24-hour watch over the immediate areas.

"The threat out here is improvised explosive devices," said Reasbeck. "We don't really worry about direct fire so much."

Occasionally, the Marines will catch a local, who was persuaded by insurgents, planting an improvised explosive device in the road, said Reasbeck.

Marines in the middle of a sand storm make their way back to their vehicles after dismounting and patrolling a nearby mountain ridge in Bakwa, Farah province, Afghanistan, May 3. The Marines of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment (Reinforced), the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Afghanistan, are operating in Bakwa to maintain security in the rural area. U.S. Marines are in Afghanistan to reinforce success and sustain the momentum of the ongoing progress by alliance forces. Company I's mission is to conduct counterinsurgency operations while training and mentoring the Afghan national police.

Marines Prepare for Counterinsurgency in Southern Afghanistan

Story by Cpl. Aaron Rooks

"Past history has shown that to fight and win in the south of Afghanistan, it is essential to know all aspects of the localized terrain, including human and political factors," Khodaidad said. "It is necessary to treat every village as a separate entity and know the personalities with influence there. Every village is a separate military campaign."

The Marines approached the firing line with ease, cooled by a calm breeze under blue skies all around, still quite familiar with the process to follow. The only difference this time, was that they were in an unfamiliar land, with an even more unfamiliar mission ahead.

Then the service members of Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan began, each firing round after round from their respective M-4 Carbine and M-16 A-4 rifles, improving their accuracy with each shot.

But the rifle sight adjustment exercise lost its simplicity when a powerful sand storm engulfed the Marines and sailors as they lay across the firing line. Sand filled their mouths and nostrils, covered their weapons and eliminated all visibility of their targets ahead.

Being outside the protective wire for the first time, the events symbolized the unpredictability of Afghanistan, as well as that of their future missions to follow. The storm cleared off and returned for hours to follow. The sun later set under blue skies.

"Afghanistan can be extremely dangerous and unpredictable," said Maj. Tom Clinton, a senior watch officer with the brigade's command element. "Some call this country the 'graveyard of empires.'"

Clinton used this phrase in reference to other nations, such as Britain and Russia, which have tried, and failed, to gain a foothold in the country of Afghanistan by use of force. He said the U.S. cannot afford to make the same mistakes as their predecessors.

"We are not looking to stay here in Afghanistan," the Swampscott, Mass., native said. "We're looking to help the country and its people. The others were looking to build their empires. We have to allow the Afghan government and Afghan security forces to take things over. Yes, we want people to trust U.S. forces and their partners, but they need to trust their own government and security forces."

Afghanistan features many complexities that Marine veterans of Iraq are not familiar with. The land and terrain of Helmand province, MEB-Afghanistan's area of operations, may seem somewhat the same, but the needs and interests of Afghans; their culture, infrastructure and economy; are worlds apart.

Helmand is a land of extremes, according to the Helmand Provincial Handbook, which is used as a field guide for deployed internationals. It's the largest and arguably the most volatile province in Afghanistan today.

"At one time, we would engage no more than seven to 15 enemies in firefights," Clinton said. "Once in Garmsir, that number was at least if not more than 300."

Pashtuns constitute the overwhelming majority in Helmand, according to the manual, making up 94 percent of the population. The Pashtun ethnic group is unique in comparison to other groups around the world. Society is very conservative and strictly follows the Islamic religion.

The code of ethics within their tribe, Pashtunwali, meaning the way of the Pashtuns, stands out the most. The pre-Islamic code structures four of their core beliefs in society: nang (honor), melmastia (hospitality), nanawaty (sanctuary), and badal (revenge).

Pashtuns are known for their hospitality and will go to great lengths to treat their guests with honor and respect. At the same time, everything leads to honor. Any insults to themselves or their families can often lead to a desire for revenge. Their sanctuary beliefs will sometimes lead them to forgiveness of acts, if forgiveness is requested. But at the same time, Pashtuns are known for being quick to exact revenge for wrongdoings to restore their honor, even for a crime committed decades ago.

If Marines forces hope to stabilize the security situation in southern Afghanistan during their time here, it's necessary that they truly understand the people and their culture.

"The big challenge we face is that we want to help and do things right away," said Clinton, who spent much of his deployments around local Afghan leaders. "But in order to be successful, you have to get to know the people. It took me more than one month in one case just to get one of the village elders to speak to me. We must have patience."

Security has become the dominant issue in Helmand. According to the manual, there has been ongoing fighting in the province since 2006, which has produced significant loss of life and displacement of the local populace. The deterioration of security is most prominent in areas being contested by the Afghan government and insurgents.

The manual states that today, a relatively small percentage of Helmand locals actively support insurgent forces; another minority actively supports the Afghan government and coalition forces. The majority are neutral, simply trying to survive day to day and support their families.

The outcome of the brigade's counterinsurgency arguably sits in the hands of that majority.

The service members have been given Law of War and Rules of Engagement briefs in cohesion with weapons training to be better informed of the difficulties ahead and the issues to avoid.

The briefs touched on the basic issues of armed conflict, such as actions made in self defense, the prevention of unnecessary suffering, the use of force, humanity and the treatment of those wounded and captured.

1st Lt. Ian Mckinnon, operational law officer, MEB-Afghanistan, said the briefs would possibly be "the most important briefs the Marines will have while in Afghanistan."

Marines were advised on certain issues that will help them achieve success during operations, such as always displaying respect for Afghan traffic and pedestrians on roadways, avoiding reckless driving and always refraining from making any obscene gestures or insults to the local populace.

"Does shouting obscenities from the top of a turret hurt your mission?" asked Capt. Korvin Kraics, brigade operational law chief. "It certainly doesn't help you and there's certainly something to lose. You are not going to gain anything from that."

Recent studies identified different issues concerning U.S. and coalition forces that the Afghans have shown disapproval for. Afghans, according to the manual, have expressed dissatisfaction with international forces and have accused them of entering houses without permission of the home owner and lacking respect for Afghan culture and traditions. Mckinnon said, in Afghan culture, entering a house unannounced is a sign of disrespect, stating that making an uninvited entry is "a huge slap in the face," to locals.

But one complaint stands out the most, the alleged lack of security and rule of law.

Kraics said many of the choices the brigade is making for future missions to achieve U.S. goals in Afghanistan stem from lessons learned in Iraq's Al Anbar Province, where Marines have had clear successes in counterinsurgency.

Wild Thing's comment........

God bless these Marines and all our troops, and keep them safe.

I hate IED's!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (4)

May 17, 2009

Photo Visit of Our Troops

Paths of blue head lamps can be seen as a team of Artillerymen from 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery work swiftly to expend artillery rounds into a known enemy location in northeasten Afghanistan. The Artillerymen are ready to fire 24 hours a day, providing fire support to Forward Operating Base’s and Combat Outposts within their sector of fire.

Afghan citizens await further instructions from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment Soldiers at a traffic control point in southern Afghanistan. The purpose of the TCP is to reduce Improvised Explosive Device emplacements and restrict Taliban movement in the area.

All-female Marine team conducts first mission in southern Afghanistan

FARAH PROVINCE, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Marines of 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment (Reinforced), the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan, now have a special group of individuals to help them complete their mission in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

The Marines employ a select group of all-female Marines from within SPMAGTF-A who are trained to interact with the Afghan female population – a task considered culturally unacceptable for their male Marine brethren operating in the Islamic republic.
A similar program has been used in combat operations in Iraq, but this is the first time Marine forces in Afghanistan have employed the concept.

“If the women know we are here to help them, they will likely pass that on to their children,” she said. “If the children have a positive perspective of alliance forces, they will be less likely to join insurgent groups or participate in insurgent activities.”

The 3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment has begun to use the unit as it deploys into villages in hopes of winning hearts and minds. Cultural taboos would largely keep male Marines from speaking to Afghan women and girls.

1-26 Infantrymen patrol rocky cliffs of Waygal Valley
Army Pfc. William Drikell, scans the valley walls for suspicious activity during a combat patrol near the village of Walo Tangi, in Kunar province, Afghanistan. Driskell is a member of 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.

The soldiers move forward, almost shoulder to shoulder, with live ammunition while practicing team movement drills at an advanced marksmanship course on Camp Beuhring, Kuwait, May 13, 2009. The soldiers are assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's Company F, 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Travis Zielinski

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Oates fields a question from an Iraqi reporter at a ceremony marking the transfer of the Ziggurat of Ur, a stepped pyramid in Iraq, from U.S. to Iraqi control as Maj. Chad Carroll monitors the interview, May 14, 2009. The Ziggurat, closed to the public since 2003, was constructed in 2100 B.C. Oates is the commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division's Multinational Division South and Carroll is assigned to the1st Cavalry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Maj. Myles Caggins

Wild Thing's comment........

Fantastic top photo, the colors in it are awesome and it was captured at the exact moment.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (2)

May 15, 2009

Soldier Battles Taliban in Pink Undies

Specialist Zachary Boyd, from the US Army First Battalion, 26th Infantry, takes defensive position at firebase Restrepo after receiving fire from Taliban positions in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar Province.

Soldier Battles Taliban in Pink Undies

DFW News

A soldier from North Texas is making national headlines and proving that real men do wear pink undies.

An Associated Press photographer captured 19-year-old Army specialist Zachary Boyd fighting off a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan -- in his underwear.

The photo of Boyd, clad in the pink "I *heart* NY" printed boxers ended up on Tuesday's front page of the New York Times.

His mother, who lives in Keller, said her son was sleeping when someone opened fire on his base and he didn't have time to put on his uniform or boots.

Boyd called his parents on Monday to let them know he might be in the paper. His father said that after he logged onto the New York Times' Web site he laughed for the next five minutes.

"I knew he was a boxer guy, I knew that for sure," Tommy Boyd told WBAP. "I did not know they were pink, and I didn't know they said, 'I love New York.'"

Wild Thing's comment..........

LMAO I love it, this is so adorable!!

I LOVE this guys heart, he is 19 years old, loves his country and New York too apparently. And is trying the best he can to be a good soldier.

Gosh our troops ROCK!!!!!!!

Actually I am much more concerned with that red shirt he has on. Like a siren to the terrorists Here I am !

Godspeed Specialist Zachary Boyd!!

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (12)

Sights unseen: Blind Veteran Reflects on Mount Rainier Climb

Blind ex-Navy SEAL Ryan Job (center) climbs Mount Rainier in July 2008 with the help of guides Curtis Fawley (left) and Art Rausch.....Photo By: Mark Seacat

Guide Curtis Fawley leads Ryan Job (red shirt) toward the snow fields on Mount Rainier in 2008. Following Job are Camp Patriot founder Micah Clark and Fawley's son, Keagan Fawley.

had Jukes, a former Soldier, walks through the snow on his prosthesis during training at base camp during the 2008 Camp Patriot ascent of Mount Rainier.

Wounded Vets Reach Mt Rainier Summit

US Army.Mil

May 8, 2009, By Bob Reinert, FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- As they climbed higher, Ryan Job closely followed chief guide Curtis Fawley. Art Rausch, another guide, brought up the rear, and a rope kept the three within feet of each other.

The 14,410-foot summit of Mount Rainier lay ahead.

"Every step they told me to take, I took," Job recalled. "Trust was the key ... factor to my success. I totally trusted the team."

A formidable challenge for an able-bodied climber, the Rainier climb represented the experience of a lifetime for Job, an ex-Navy SEAL blinded when shot by a sniper Aug. 2, 2006, in Iraq. At 8:30 a.m. on July 9, 2008, he stood atop the mountain.

"The summit was amazing, even for a blind man," Job said. "I could sense that nothing was above my head because of the wide-open sound and wind."

Giving combat-injured veterans outdoor adventures has been the mission of "Camp Patriot," a nonprofit organization founded in Montana, since 2006. While most of the outings revolve around hunting, fishing, hiking and camping, the annual Mount Rainier Climb has become the organization's signature event. The third annual climb will take place July 5-10.

"It's a great adventure for these guys," said Micah Clark, an ex-Navy corpsman who founded Camp Patriot. "It's neat to see the excitement in them. It's become an annual event. It keeps growing each year."

Camp Patriot took two veterans up the first year, three in 2008. Rausch, a Lakewood firefighter and a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve assigned to Vancouver Barracks, served as a guide both years and will be back for the 2009 ascent.

"It is so intensive," said Rausch of climbing with the injured veterans. "It has to be guides that are used to working with people and that have the patience and the know-how."

On the first trip in 2007, Rausch and Fawley guided Scott Smiley, who is blind, and Ed Salau, an above-the-knee amputee. Smiley made it all the way to the summit.

"He didn't want to be something that we were dragging up there, a football for us to slam at the top and say, 'Hey, we got the blind guy up,'" Rausch said. "I looked at every step he made for eight hours going up."

Rausch pointed out that the summit marks the halfway point of the effort.

"Every trip is a round trip," Rausch said. "Getting down is the real important part. Getting up is optional, but getting down is mandatory."

Rausch, who has guided at Mount Rainier since 1989, places safety above all else on the mountain.

"If you live in the area, you know that people die up there quite often, some years more than others," Rausch said. "And even if you're on top of it, stuff happens. There's no climb that's ... worth risking a life on."

Job, now a spokesman for Camp Patriot, said Fawley and Rausch did a great job.

"Never did I feel unsafe on the mountain because of the expert guiding of Curtis and Art," Job said. "The people of Camp Patriot are the most passionate people devoted to a mission - the same work ethic and moral conviction that I saw from my own SEAL platoon teammates."

Rausch said he suspected that he might be getting more out of these climbs than the veterans he guides.

"They are like national treasures," said Rausch of the veterans. "Being able to work with them was just a really special opportunity to give back a little bit."

Job and the other veterans have been on the receiving end.

"My trip on Mount Rainier with Camp Patriot caused me to realize that I can still live a lifestyle of my choosing," said Job, "that is, a life as an outdoorsman just as I had before losing my sight.

"I learned from Camp Patriot that life is about people and that living is something that we as people must choose to do. Life is a choice and self-pity has no place in mine."

Bob Reinert is a reporter with Fort Lewis' Northwest Guardian.

Wild Thing's comment......

God bless these heroes. It is so wonderful to learn about these things available for our deserving troops. They need to know that they are not forgotten when they come home with injuries, and many that they will have the injuries for the rest of their lives. They sacrificed so much, and words are so little in saying thank you, but it comes from the heart. Our troops did all of this for our country, for their love of the USA, for their families and loved ones, and also for their brother in arms next to them as they fought the enemy.

Prayers for our troops more then ever.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:44 AM | Comments (4)

May 14, 2009

" I Shoot You Because I Care" by VAMPIRE 06

Dear Mr Taliban (ACM, AAF, Booger Eater, EOP, Bad Guy or whatever),

Over time I’ve received emails and comments on this blog that I’m insensitive to your culture. Evidently, I should endeavor to be more tolerant and politically correct in my quest to kill you with every means at my disposal.

After much self reflection I’ve seen the error in my ways and thought I’d write you a brief note to apologize for my actions and those of my compatriots in Team Vampire. I now see how my attempts to incinerate, ventilate and generally cause mayhem could possible hurt your feelings and offend your sensibilities. For that I apologize.

First, let me complement you on the bunker complex that we saw the other day. It seemed very nice and looked like you’d chosen wisely on the size. It appears to me that you didn’t overextend yourself financially building it. That’s great! I also hope that you didn’t use a subprime lender or an adjustable rate mortgage. This should alleviate any issues in the future about defaulting; having to walk away from the bunker complex.

The downside is that you selected this outstanding piece of real estate to launch rockets at American and Afghan soldiers. Thus, I had to destroy it. Maybe we should have served you with a notice to vacate but that didn’t seem prudent at the time. Really if you want to blame someone it should be the Air Force as they’re the ones that actually dropped the bombs. But, seeing as I’m a personal accountability guy I’ll take the blame for it. Sorry.

I also, thought that your headquarters were nice. Blowing it up on Christmas Eve may have seemed arbitrary and unfair. I can see how you’d think that. Really, let’s try to be honest with each other. Is there really a good day to have your building blown up? I don’t think there is. I also now realize that you don’t celebrate Christmas so the holiday season had minimal impact on you.

It did for me as I have a family at home who I’d rather be with; instead hunting you through the mountains. However, I’m here so it seemed like a good thing to do for the holidays. I may not see you on the 4th of July so I thought it best to have fireworks for Christmas. I empathize with you now that it may have been inconvenient for you. Once again sorry.

These people have pointed out for me that my culture is different from yours and that just because it’s different it’s not bad. I guess there may be some upside to throwing acid in little girl’s faces when they try to go to school, I just don’t see it though. I think I’d prefer to build schools for them and protect them as they learn to read and write. This probably offends you and my new life course shows me that I need to see the positives in everyone. If you’d like to explain this to me, I’d like to hear it.

It also may be confusing to you when I broke down your door in the middle of the night and arrested you for killing your fellow countrymen. This probably disrupts your sleep and thus you’re tired once you reach detention. In the future I’ll try to schedule these at times better suited to your rest cycle.

As far as the Geneva Convention goes, I have to follow it. This is nonnegotiable. Your actions though lead me to believe that you’d prefer to have your head cut off on the internet. This is what you do to anyone you capture, combatant or non combatant. I can’t accommodate this desire. I apologize for the fact that you’ll be given medical treatment and treated with dignity. Again I apologize profusely.

I’d also like to clear up some reasons why I’m here. There may be some confusion about this from all the claims swirling around in the news. Let me take you back about eight years when you were letting Osama chill out here.

“We should crash some planes into the World Trade Center” Osama suggested tentatively

“Gee Osama, won’t that piss off the Americans”? You must have asked.

“Yes” Osama stated with glee.

“They’ll probably come here and jack us up” you replied.

“No way bro, they’ll never come here and do anything to us” Osama claimed confidentially.

“Um; I don’t think that’s right, they’ll probably come here and be pretty pissed off” attempting to dissuade him.

“Don’t worry about it they’ll never do anything, you’re a nervous nelly” OBL replied dismissively

I hate to tell you this but you were right. It did piss us off and now Osama lives in some cave, can’t use a cell phone or email and craps his pants every time he hears an airplane. I know the nervous tick crapping is annoying but it’ll clear up once we kill him.

You should have gone with your gut and said no. Once we got here we decided it’s not that great that you kill and subjugate people and thus you’ve got me in your backyard. I really can’t take responsibility for your poor judgment on this one. But, I understand it was a persuasive discussion. Thought this might assist in a little self discovery. I’m a giver after all.

I won’t even go into the way you treat women. You’re just lucky it’s not my wife here because if you think I’m determined; she would lay waste to your ass and never stop. So, I did you a favor on that one. See, I can be nice.

Well, I just wanted to touch base with you on a couple of perceived issues and apologize for my poor behavior. In the future I’ll try to be more understanding as I hunt you to the ends of the earth and destroy you any chance I get. It will be with kindness and understanding.

If you’d like to discuss and resolve any of these issues just send me a grid to your location and I’ll be happy to meet you; or I could arrange for a delivery from the US Air Force it you’d prefer that. I can accommodate most requests.

So, have a great day. But don’t sleep too soundly because that noise you hear in the night may just be me. Oh yeah, if you ever get tired of picking on little girls or civilians you can come find us, but that might not be culturally sensitive.

Bottom line, I just want to say I’m sorry. Next time I shoot at you; it’s with love!

Sincerely,

VAMPIRE 06

Wild Thing's comment......

LOL I love it. hahahaahahaha

Thank you to Vampire 06 for this. And thank you for serving our country.

Our troops ROCK!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (4)

May 11, 2009

Huge U.S. Camp Arises in Afghan Desert ~ Camp Leatherneck

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates conducts a town hall meeting with U.S. troops in front of MRAP armoured vehicles at the Forward Operating Base Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, May 7, 2009.

On Monday, March 9, 2009, Brigadier General Larry Nicholson officially took the reins of the 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade - Task Force Leatherneck. He and his soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan

A huge U.S. military camp is taking shape in the baking heat of southern Afghanistan for thousands of extra U.S. troops charged with defeating a resurgent Taliban.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Camp Leatherneck, with concrete blast walls and semi-cylinder sand-colored tents, on Thursday as he surveyed preparations for what will be the biggest wave yet in a year that is seeing U.S. troop numbers doubled.

The camp is being constructed in Helmand province next to a British base, Camp Bastion, as Marines and other forces dramatically expand their presence in the most violent area of Afghanistan and heartland of the Taliban movement.

Construction workers clambered on the wooden frame of a new headquarters building as Gates spoke at the camp, where the majority of more than 8,000 marines now flowing into southern Afghanistan are expected be based.

"This place was desert at the end of January. I mean: nothing, said Navy Captain Jeff Borowy," the top U.S. military engineer in southern Afghanistan.

"Now you've got a 443-acre secure facility," he told reporters traveling with Gates.

Miles of sand walls topped with coils of barbed wire line the roads at the camp, linked to its British neighbor by a street nicknamed Atlantic Way.

If placed end to end in the United States, the sand walls at Leatherneck and eight other sites being built for the troop influx in southern Afghanistan would stretch for a distance of 175 km (110 miles).

The Marines at Camp Leatherneck are also building a giant parking area for helicopters and airplanes by laying down a mat of metal alloy on the desert floor. With a length of 4,860 feet a width of 318 feet, the mat will be the second largest of its kind in the world and the biggest in a combat zone, said Marine Lieutenant Colonel David Jones, commander of the Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, based in Yuma, Arizona.

Getting supplies to the remote desert -- named the Desert of Death by local tribesmen because of its extreme summer heat and desolation -- and building the camps in time for the influx of troops has posed challenges, Borowy said. In one innovative attempt to deal with the conditions, marines bagged up recycled water from camp showers and kitchens and used it to prepare sand for the aircraft parking area.

"We're in the middle of the desert so getting water's pretty interesting," Borowy said.

Seaman Viviana Mesa (left) and Petty Officer 3rd Class Dan J. Kinion measure the distance between support pedestals at Camp Leatherneck, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, April 18. Camp Leatherneck is currently under construction and will be used by the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as a hub for the reception, staging, onward-movement and integration of Marine forces into southern Afghanistan and is the largest Marine Corps Camp in Afghanistan.Mesa is a constructionman and Kinion is builder. Both are assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5.

Marines in Southern Afghanistan Build for Future, Construct Camp Leatherneck

The camp will eventually be able to house about 10,000, including members of U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force and civilian contractors.

According to Capt. Bart Lecher, the Headquarters Company commander assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan, Leatherneck is designed to be a hub for the reception, staging, onward movement and integration of Marine forces into southern Afghanistan.

Camp Leatherneck is currently under the operational control of Col. Duffy W. White, the commander of SPMAGTF-A until the arrival of the camp's main tenant – the headquarters of the 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

"The project started in January with nothing but dirt and currently, four months later, the camp is fully capable, housing nearly 5,000 personnel," Lecher said.

Currently residing in the camp, Navy Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 are supporting much of the construction.

"They're the best at their jobs, and the amount of work they do can't be matched," said Marine Capt. Joshua Guide, the company commander of Co. B, NMCB-5, and the Marine liaison with the SPMAGTF-A mayor cell for the camp. "They're a valuable asset to the Marine expeditionary brigade who will be taking over Camp Leatherneck."

"The contractors have been absolutely huge," said 1st Lt. Kieran R. O'Neil, the camp commandant for Brigade Headquarters Group. "They are a vital component to this base. Their mission is getting all the buildings set up."

O'Neil said that up to 10,000 personnel will be rolling through the camp to receive equipment and push out to the forward operating bases located throughout southern Afghanistan.

Wild Thing's comment.......

OK this is great, now the next thing on my agenda anyway is to let the military run things, and Obama stay the heck out of it and let our troops win! Because they can and they will if Obama keeps his Muslim brained camel breath to himself.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (10)

May 10, 2009

Obama Bans the Commonfolk from Normandy

Breitbart Big Hollywood

A lot of the difference, the change if you will, between Obama and Bush has much to do with the word humility.

George Bush is and was a humble man. Obama thinks the world counts on him and him alone to lead us. Bush went to church and prayed often. Obama puts out press releases about his supposed piety. The left sold a great bill of goods to the American people claiming that Bush, et al. were arrogant while insisting that Obama was a “man of the people.”

The 65th Anniversary of D-Day is fast approaching. Barack Obama will attend the events on June 6th as George Bush did in 2004 for the sixtieth memorial service. Here is the rub, as of now Obama’s State Department has asked (read demanded) the French government not allow tour guide services to operate that day. It is a big day for Normandy tourism. Yet, the king will not allow those not connected with government to enjoy the day. Obama is very important you know. This is an unprecedented request. I hope the French come to their senses and deny it.

Compare that with 2004. Security was tight as President Bush and other world leaders were in attendance, but the event was still open to all. A friend relayed the story of waiting in line to use a port-a-potty (a French port-a-potty no doubt, yuck, believe me.) She looks to her left and who he is in the next line waiting patiently? President Bush. Sure he had Secret Service nearby, but he waited like everyone else.

Contrast that with Team Obama not even allowing regular people near Colleville-Sur-Mer that day. A shame indeed. Especially as the last of our WW II vets are expiring.

As the Bamsters unemployment rate pushes 10% (double the Bush average) and his 3.5 trillion dollar budget breaks the USA (the press of course focuses on his 17 billion in “savings.” Way to go 4th Estate.), Obama has more to worry about then denying people the right to attend a memorial service on June 6th.

It’s as if Obama has to let it be known that he is more important than honoring the events and the 9,387 mostly young Americans who died invading Normandy 65 years ago. Will Obama apologize for American actions during WW II at the event?

I think the following quote from Obama himself sums it all up: “a light will shine down from somewhere…. You will experience an epiphany. And you will say to yourself, ‘I have to vote for Barack.’” Watch for yourself:

The guy can’t even bring himself to say “shine down from heaven.” Do you really expect him to line up to use the can with the commoners at a Normandy celebration? Americans may start to miss the guy with the humility.

Universal Healthcare, unchecked unions, government run banks, government run autos, cap and trade, turning the 20 million undocumented Democrats into voters: That isn’t America and it surely isn’t what those young boys died at Normandy for.

We elected a fairy tale. We can start the road back to reality in 2010 with the mid-term elections.

Wild Thing's comment.........

This will be the 65th anniversary of D-Day.

For Obama to go to Normandy is ABSOLUTE sacrilege!!!!!! Obama hates our history, he doesn't even have enough interest in it to read and know that more then one bomb was dropped at Pearl Harbor. Rev. Wright and his preaching constantly lied and re-wrote history their way packed with propaganda.Obama never has shown respect for our military, our troops today or for our Veterans. He went to a gym instead of visiting the wounded in Germany. He walks past our troops on stage only shaking the hands of officers because he has to. Not even a glance in the troops in the stands watching him.

His trip in June to Normandy is nothing more then a photo op and of the worst kind.

Those men died to stop fascism. Now our country has a fascist going there as president. One of my Uncles was at Normandy D-Day and I'm glad he's not around to see this.

It was bad enough when Slick Willie walked on the Normandy beach and played with those little stones in the sand while a battle ship floated in the distance behind him and a tear rolled down his fat, red cheek for that phony, staged photo.

When President Bush went there :

Security was tight as President Bush and other world leaders were in attendance, but the event was still open to all. A friend relayed the story of waiting in line to use a port-a-potty.

She looks to her left and who he is in the next line waiting patiently? President Bush. Sure he had Secret Service nearby, but he waited like everyone else.

Contrast that with Obama not even allowing regular people near Colleville-Sur-Mer that day. A shame indeed. Especially as the last of our WW II vets are expiring.

For him to walk among all these brave heroes .. I could just cry. God rest their souls.

Here is the story about Bill Clinton's visit there from someone that was there.

" It was the fiftieth anniversary of the Normandy landings. We were standing with a group of veterans and their wives on the bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, where they had come ashore on that historic morning at what cost only they could really know. All of them had visited the military cemetery where so many of their buddies lay, and all of them were deeply moved by the day and by the memories it brought to the surface.

As we stood there some of the Clinton advance crew, the public relations arm of the administration, came along and asked the veterans to move off. These were the men, some walking with canes, a couple in wheelchairs piloted by wives or children, many feeble, in whose honor we were supposed to be there. But there was another agenda for the White House staff.

The veterans never understood why they’d been moved away, but as accredited correspondents we were allowed—no, encouraged—to stay there, along with press photographers and reporters. And what we witnessed was a couple of White House aides surveying the beach, looking around to find something, then picking up some stones, studying them and finally choosing one which they placed with care at a strategic spot near the shoreline. Moments later President Clinton arrived, was escorted to the spot, and as the entourage stepped back out of camera view, he looked around at the scene and then down at his feet where he seemed to spy something—yes, a stone—which he picked up, looked at and then held in his grasp as he bit his lip and let a tear dampen his cheek. Deeply moved, you see.

There was some grumbling among the more assertive of the veterans who had been shunted away from the important action, but the pictures in the French press of Bill Clinton spontaneously picking up a stone on Omaha Beach and then staring out at the sea as he teared up and bit his lip were very effective.

The New York Times never described the scene or the staging by the keepers of the Clinton image."

Posted by Wild Thing at 08:55 AM | Comments (12)

May 09, 2009

"Currihee" Shout Out by General Petraeus Awakens 101st Air Borne Wounded Soldier

Lt. Brian Brennan was severely wounded in Iraq and faced unbeatable odds but, as David Martin reports, he made a remarkable recovery with a little help from a special Cherokee word...........CURRAHEE !!!!

Thier motto "Currahee!" is an Indian word for "stand alone" which had significant meaning for paratroopers as they parachute behind the lines and are always surrounded.

"Currahee, my brothers, I stand alone with you."

A Soldier's Miracle

CBS

Lt. Brian Brennan is a walking, talking miracle. There are no other words for it. One year ago today, he lost both his legs to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and now his mother is watching him learn to run all over again.

The 44 pounds of explosives which tore off his legs and killed three fellow soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division also left Brennan with a brain injury so traumatic there seemed little hope for recovery.

"He didn’t wake up," said Joanne, his mother. "That's when the real terror struck us all. Oh my, he may never wake up. They said on scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst, he was a 1."

Then one day last June he had a visitor.

"It was a very, very grim situation, very tough one," said General David Petraeus.

Petraeus, who once commanded the 101st Airborne, tried the usual words of encouragement.

"Hang tough, big guy," he said. "Your troopers need you back out there."

But Petraeus' four stars carried no weight.

"There was absolutely no response whatsoever," Petraeus said.

"Did you think there was any hope?" Martin asked.

"Not really," Petraeus said.

"I see his beautiful blue eyes but he's staring straight right through me, and he doesn't know who I am and he doesn’t know I'm there," Joanne said.

Petraeus turned to leave, then decided to give it one last try.

"I just decided to shout out 'Currihee.'"

That's right, "Currihee." It's a Cherokee Indian word that the was the motto for the famous "Brand of Brothers" regiment in the 101st.

"We counted 'One, two, three, Currihee,'" Petraeus said.

"That's when he kind of sat up in the bed as best as he could," said Brennan's dad Jim.

"Like saying, 'I'm in here, I'm in here,'" Joanne said.

"All of a sudden, the lieutenant, his stumps are banging up and down on the sheets," Petraeus said. "His head is moving around and very clearly responding to his unit's nickname."

"Everybody in the facility was clapping and crying," Joanne said. "The doctors who had been working on him and giving us all the bad news came running down the hall, 'We heard, we heard.'"

For three weeks, he had not responded to the voices of his family, but that Band of Brothers motto brought him back from the living dead.

"It's just so awesome to be part of that historic unit," Brennan said. "It's just always in the back of my head."

"And then it came to the front," Martin said.

"Yes it did," Brennan said.

"After that, he just every day got a little better, a little better, a little better," Jim said.

Just last week, Petraeus introduced Brennan as the unsung hero of the New Jersey Hall of Fame. That walk across the stage brought the house down, and overwhelmed his father.

"I know how tough he is," Jim said. "If there was anybody in this world who could do it, he was the one."

Less than a year after being comatose and unresponsive, he delivered an acceptance speech to a crowd of 2,000.

And guess what happened next.

"One, two, three, Curihee," shouted the crowd.

Know what Currihee means?

It means "stand alone." How perfect is that?

1st Lt. Brian Brennan, a 23 year old Howell resident and graduate of Howell High School, N.J., and The Citadel, was severely injured on May 7, 2008 from an IED attack, while leading a patrol in Afghanistan.

Brian had been in Afghanistan for only two months when an IED exploded under the Humvee that he and four other men were traveling in. Brian and the gunner, Spc. Ryan Price of California, were the only ones to survive. However, they suffered similar fates.

Brian was found in cardiac arrest. If not for the quick response of his fellow soldiers, Brian’s story might have a different ending.

Brian was transferred to a field hospital, where it was found that he had sustained an acute brain injury, a collapsed lung, internal bleeding, a ruptured spleen, multiple compound fractures of his left arm, fractured shoulder blade and pelvis, and a shattered femur bone. In addition, both of Brian’s legs had to be amputated. It is truly a miracle that Brian survived his injuries.

Once Brian regained consciousness he was transferred to James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Florida, which specializes in traumatic brain injuries, to begin his rehabilitation. Brian was fitted with prosthetics and is currently re-learning to walk. Brian has made remarkable strides in his recovery due to his determination and positive attitude, but he has a long rehabilitative process ahead of him.

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you God! God bless Lt. Brian Brennan and his family and General Patraeus.

God Bless Soldiers everywhere for putting THEIR lives on the line to protect us ALL from terrorism!

General Patraeus has also been saved by miracles:

Twice, accidents almost ended his career, or even his life. In 1991, as a battalion commander at Fort Campbell, Ky., he was shot in the chest with an M-16 rifle when a soldier tripped during a training exercise. Rushed into surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he underwent five hours of surgery by Bill Frist, who a decade later became Senate majority leader. While skydiving in 2000, Petraeus survived the abrupt collapse of his parachute 60 feet up. His shattered pelvis was reassembled with a plate and long screws.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (11)

May 08, 2009

602nd Maintenance Co.Save a Piece of History

Jesse James (center, w/coveralls) watches as service members work on a hybrid humvee at the "Skunk Werks" welding shop at Logistical Support Area Anaconda, Iraq, December 2005. The mechanics were challenged to create a unique humvee for the Discovery Channel show, Monster Garage.

Ordnance Soldiers Save "Skunk Werks"

Army Times

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq

When Soldiers of the 602nd Maintenance Co. leave Iraq this summer they'll be taking a piece of history with them: the "Skunk Werks" welding shop from here.

Starting in 2003, the "Skunk Werks" was one of the first locations where Level II up-armor kits - more commonly known as "hillbilly armor" - were installed on military vehicles. It's because of this historical significance that Mr. Richard Killblane, the transportation corps historian, plans to move the "Skunk Werks" to the transportation museum at Fort Eustis, Va.

"'Skunk Werks' was at its peak before all of the factory-made armor had made it into the system," said Master Sgt. Scott W. Berndt, support operations maintenance noncommissioned officer in charge, 259th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.

Berndt's former unit, the 457th Transportation Bn. (which was part of the 3rd Corps Support Command at the time), ran the welding shop in 2004 and 2005. "We spent many long days and nights fabricating armor for anyone that would come in," he said.

Before 2003, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Lee A. Rowland, the current officer in charge of the "Skunk Werks", said he did not believe Soldiers in his career field got a lot of the recognition they deserved; there was even talk of slowly phasing the job out of the Army altogether.

Operation Iraqi Freedom changed all that, he said.

Welders suddenly found themselves fabricating improvised armor for humvees, trucks and armored personnel carriers; cutting patterns out of Armox ballistic steel (or sometimes even salvaged metal); and figuring out the best way to protect Soldiers.

"Now our mission has changed, but back in the day we actually provided a lot of protection for Soldiers," said Rowland, who remembers up-armoring vehicles himself during his last deployment to Mosul, Iraq. "Saving lives was the ultimate goal."

The 402nd Army Field Support Brigade has since taken over the responsibility of up-armoring military vehicles. The "Skunk Werks" returned to its primary mission as a simple welding shop, making everything from radio mounts to shelves to satellite dish brackets.

In 2006, the "Skunk Werks" was featured in the season finale of the popular Discovery Channel show Monster Garage, hosted by Jesse G. James. A crew of handpicked Soldiers and Airmen were given a timed challenge to create a humvee hotrod, complete with custom-made 28-and 26-inch wheels.

The show's crew added their signatures to the shop's walls, another reason why they're being preserved. Ironically, as Rowland pointed out, James's signature, which was written on the concrete portion of the wall, may not make it to the transportation museum with everything else. Only the temporary walls made out of wood will be torn down and moved, not any part of the permanent structure.

Although no longer involved in the up-armor process, Rowland said his unit is still proud of being a part of the shop's legacy, and they strive to maintain that reputation by doing the best work they can.

Preserving the "Skunk Werks" is important, he said, because it's a piece of history. A different kind of history most people might not be aware of, he went on to say.

"Protecting our troops is what 'Skunk Werks' was designed for," Berndt said. "Provide armor, even if it was makeshift, for our troops on the road. In my eyes, that's what needs to be preserved."

Wild Thing's comment......

Cool story, and what an opportunity for our troops to do something like this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (1)

May 07, 2009

Awesome 2nd of the 503rd 173rd Airborne

Joe has a sense of humor, and typically one that most outside the military will never fully appreciate. Here is a great video made by Joe about Joe.

These Joes are from the awesome 2nd of the 503rd 173rd Airborne's Joes in action .

Chosen Company 2nd of the 503rd 173rd Airborne in a firefight. Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan

Wild Thing's comment........

These guys are great, I am so glad I am able to show you these videos of them. God bless and protect all of them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (5)

May 06, 2009

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Afghanistan

Pfc. Timothy Gustafson looks out over the peaceful countryside at Forward Operating Base Bostic in the Konar province of northeastern Afghanistan, enjoying a well-deserved break from his time at Combat Outpost Lowell. Gustafson, from Phoenix Ariz., is currently deployed with 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas.

JALALABAD AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

by Staff Sgt. David Hopkins

The Soldiers who man Combat Outpost Lowell near the Pakistan border see combat action almost daily.

Army Pfc. Timothy Gustafson is one of these Soldiers and his story of his time at COP Lowell is about survival and brotherhood. However, he will tell you he's just like any other American Soldier, fighting for his country and the Afghan people.

Gustafson, a cavalry scout with 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, has been living and fighting at the remote outpost since early July 2008 and has many stories about what he's done and seen.

The broad-shouldered, battle-worn Soldier leaned back against a stack of sandbags during a much-needed rest at Forward Operating Base Bostic as he explained his first days at COP Lowell.

"On my second day there I spent the night in a C-hut with the finance guys and some KBR employees. I woke up to the sound of gunfire. At first, I didn't know what it was and then bullets were coming through the wood walls. I couldn't believe it was happening," Gustafson said, shaking his head. "I ran through the building to make sure everyone else was getting up. I found a KBR guy sleeping. He must have thought it wasn't real or he's a heavy sleeper. I grabbed him and pulled him up. Right when I lifted him a bullet landed where he was lying. It was very intense."

The day's events seemed a lifetime away from the 22-year-old's hometown of Phoenix, Ariz., where his wife Katheryn waits for him to return at the end of his deployment.

"I miss a lot of things being out at Lowell, but I would have to say I miss my family and friends the most," Gustafson said.

Gustafson enlisted in the Army to take care of his family and have a stable life, but his start in the Army was a little rough.

"I joined the Army in 2006, but was medically discharged from Basic Training after an injury on the Victory Tower," Gustafson said, but he was determined to serve his country and after a year of rehabilitation he was ready to give it another try. He enlisted again in 2007 and that time made it work.

Gustafson worked hard to build himself back up and dedicated himself to serve in the Army and fight. He considers himself a hard worker and feels that's what helps him make it through the hard days on the front lines.

He said he takes comfort in the days where he and his fellow cavalrymen are able to fight off an attack or save someone who was hit in an attack.

Gustafson still isn't sure if the Army is going to be a career for him, but he knows what he wants to do after the Army.

"I just want to get stable when I get out," Gustafson explained. "When I get out I plan to go to college and be an electrician journeyman. I want to start my own business."

Until the day Gustafson gets out of the Army, he said he will continue to work hard and make a difference in the lives of the Afghan people and his brothers in arms.

"I feel we are helping the Afghan people have a better life," Gustafson said, "and it feels good to make a difference. I will keep doing this for the rest of the deployment. It isn't easy, but knowing that my friends and battle buddies are out there makes me do this every day. We are a family out there...brothers."

Wild Thing's comment........

God bless Pfc. Timothy Gustafson and his family. I love how he went back and enlisting a second time.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (5)

May 05, 2009

Charges Dropped Against Innocent Haditha Marine LtCol Chessani

Gov Decides Not to Appeal Further in LtCol Chessani Case; Decision to Re-Charge Still Pending

LtCol Jeffrey Chessani, USMC

Thomas More Law Center

ANN ARBOR, MI

Thomas More Law Center’s official statement says that the military has dropped its appeal of an appeals court ruling.

Here’s the good news:

A government official has informed the Thomas More Law Center that the government will not seek to appeal the recent unanimous decision by the Navy Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals (NMCCA) in favor of LtCol Jeffrey Chessani, USMC.

The decision makes permanent the ruling by the trial court judge, Colonel Steven A. Folsom, USMC, dismissing the charges against LtCol Chessani, without prejudice, due to Unlawful Command Influence. The government could have sought an appeal to the civilian Court of Appeals of the Armed Forces (CAAF), and then to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Here’s the bad news:

In order for the government to start the process of recharging LtCol Chessani, the Commandant, General James Conway, USMC, would have to appoint a new convening authority (the rank of General) that was not precluded by Col Folsom’s ruling, which was based on Unlawful Command Influence.

Col Folsom precluded the commands of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF), Marine Forces Central Command (MARCENT), and General James Mattis, USMC in particular. Whoever is named the new convening authority (the new General) would have to make an independent decision on whether or not to bring new charges against LtCol Chessani. If the General did desire to bring charges, LtCol Chessani would be subject to a new Article 32 Hearing.

The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, along with detailed military attorneys LtCol Jon Shelburne, USMC, and Capt Jeffrey King, USMC, have represented LtCol Chessani throughout the criminal process.

Wild Thing's comment........

I pray and hope that the NCIS admit that the persecutions of the Haditha Marines was a political witch hunt that was ignited by Tim McGirk’s farcical Time Magazine article and John ( not longer a Marine imo) Murtha!

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:27 PM | Comments (9)

Snipers' Dream - Million Dollar Shot

Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire briefs his sniper platoon.

The four man sniper team hardly dared to breathe. For two days and nights they had waited for the right situation, and it was finally here.

To Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire it seemed that all his prior experiences such as serving on the 82nd Airborne Division's marksmanship team, being a sniper and reconnaissance platoon observer and shooting sniper weapons for a scout platoon, had prepared him for the moment.

"I even managed to talk an Explosive Ordnance Detonation unit out of their sniper rifle since they didn't know how to use it," laughed McGuire.

Taking one last look, McGuire calmly squeezed the trigger of his Barret .50 caliber, Sniper Weapon System (SWS).

A platoon sergeant in 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, McGuire had deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom nine months earlier and was stationed at Forward Operating Base, Iskandaryia, in Iraq.

Four days before his current mission, McGuire's platoon had been ordered to the western sector of their area of operations (AO) to locate and destroy an enemy mortar team.

Rebels were firing shells into the city, critically wounding people and destroying property. The shelling compromised faith in McGuire's unit to protect and keep Iraqi citizens safe.

"Losing trust in us to take care of the situation could prompt the locals not to help us anymore, and that only makes for more enemies," said McGuire. "This was also a mission we welcomed since it was a crucial one and not what we called a 'Groundhog Day,' which is a regular everyday patrol."

During the mission, two of McGuire's Soldiers had been wounded by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED); one critically.

The road they were on had been the backdrop for numerous Americans getting attacked and killed, which prompted McGuire and his platoon leader to decide enough was enough. After evacuating one Soldier to Baghdad and the other to their medical unit at the Forward Operation Base (FOB), they began formulating plans to end the problem once and for all.

Heading to a location they called the "tractor factory" which had many vantage points, McGuire assumed his post in one tower while his platoon leader headed for the other.

Although it was night, the men knew they had an excellent view of the road in question and a wall around the factory provided protection for their vehicles.

Windows were quickly camouflaged and a platform built for the sniper weapon system, an Improved Target Acquisitioning System (ITAS). "Best of all, no one knew we were there," added McGuire.

Because dismounted radios could not reach back to the battalion tactical operations center (TOC), a communications platform was also assembled. "Commo," according to McGuire, was their best weapon in addition to individual Soldiers retrieving information.

Combined observation reports provided excellent clues to enemy behavior and operations. And because they were usually outnumbered during missions, contacting the TOC and aircraft for additional help was their lifeline.

In keeping with the military tradition of carrying a special good luck item along with the rest of his military gear, McGuire had packed away a family picture.

His hope was that should he be kidnapped, realizing he had a family might earn him some leniency.

For the next two days and nights all eyes focused on the road that had been declared "black," meaning no one was allowed on it unless they had route clearance.

His crew of four to five Soldiers rotated every so often, but McGuire stayed in the tower occasionally taking time to sleep and eat.

"You have to sleep sometimes or you become ineffective," said McGuire. "And to pass the time we played this game called 'if.' Everybody takes turns making up a fantasy about where they would most like to be right now. The obvious answer is home and family so that's not allowed. We wanted to hear about sensational places with good food and company to go with it. The other rule was that everyone had to take their time describing the scene to make the hours pass more quickly."

Sunrise on the third day brought McGuire and his crew the prey they had been stalking. The target was walking on the canal which ran east and west of their position. For over an hour they watched his suspicious behavior which included digging an item out of the canal's embankment.

Agreeing it was a mortar tube McGuire contacted the battalion TOC and requested permission to engage. Receiving an affirmative answer, the team quickly arranged the spotter's scope while McGuire set up behind the SWS.

The range finder indicated the insurgent was over 1,300 meters away, a precarious distance for even the best of snipers. And a high wind required the crew to do wind calculations. Despite the problems McGuire's "cool" attitude prevailed. Too much was at stake to fail now.

"You only get one shot," said McGuire. "That means you have to keep your self-control because if you miss your position is uncovered. I also reminded myself that if I was successful, my Soldiers as well as other Americans and the people we're trusted to protect would finally be safe."

McGuire's sights bore down on the rebel for another hour as he carried his tube up and down the canal.

Because it was a rolling terrain, he kept dropping in and out of sight. Several times McGuire had the insurgent's head in focus, but didn't believe he could shoot accurately with so much distance between them.

He was also unsure about the wind and his calculations, not to mention the adrenalin rush that was penetrating his entire body.

Suddenly, the target area McGuire desperately wanted appeared. Called the "triangle measurement," the rebel's throat down to his upper chest, was now in plain view.

Hearing the spotter yell "fire!" McGuire pulled the trigger. He was immediately lost in the smoke from the weapon's powerful outburst in the small building.

Scrambling for another attempt, McGuire already knew it would be too late. There was only a cloud of smoke where the rebel had been.

McGuire's spotter, however, had kept his visual and was yelling, "Tango down, Tango Down, he's gone!"

McGuire had accomplished the near impossible. Though the rebel was nearly a mile away, he had successfully made what came to be known throughout his unit as the "million dollar shot."

"They even put that in my record," laughed McGuire.

After high fives and congratulations the team quickly turned its attention back to the mission. Now they realized the wind had been a blessing by muffling the sound of the shot. No other insurgents would be able to learn their location.

The battalion TOC was quickly notified and a request made for the Iraqi Army to retrieve the body. A firefight on their arrival made it impossible for the Soldiers to acquire the target. The rebel, however, was identified a few days later by a local Iraqi official.

"We weren't sure what happened to the mortar tube, but about a week later we captured a truck with a similar one so maybe that was it. More importantly, after our platoon's engagement there were no more mortar attacks on that road," said McGuire.

While the "million dollar shot" earned much praise for McGuire and his sniper team, he insists the driving force for their success was their injured battle buddies and other Americans hurt on the road.

"Camaraderie is what keeps your Soldiers together and at their best," said McGuire.

"Platoon Soldiers become lifelong friends. You share so many experiences together which you can never explain to someone else. They would never get it. However, you always have your fellow Soldiers to go to. Just to give you an example, my platoon leader left the service, but we're godparents to each other's children."

Wild Thing's comment.........

GREAT story, God bless Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire and his platoon and all our troops. I loved the way the writer walked us through the entire thing.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (8)

Meeting one of Bataan Death March POW's

Bataan Death March-Injured Marines from BAMC‏

Here are a few pictures from the Bataan Death March in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico that a group of us from Brooke Army Medical Hospital finished a few weeks ago.

The race is a tribute race to honor our American POW's who were captured in the Philippines by the Japanese military during World War II. Our boys had to march many miles to the POW Camps where they were held for over three years.

I was even lucky enough to meet a small group of the surviving POW's that are now in their 90's. They're a great bunch of Veterans and it's hard to break away from them when they start to tell you how they overcame the POW Camps. They have many stories about how they survived those dreadful camps.

Mile 16 of 26 Photo supplied by Sgt TJ Edwards

There were a total of three injured Marines including myself from BAMC at the race. I have seen some pretty amazing things in my life. However, nothing compares to witnessing two injured Marines that I personally know, finish this extremely difficult race. Less than a year has passed by since I visited Corporal Piram in the Intensive Care Unit.

The other injured Marine that has been down here in San Antonio, Texas at the military hospital as long as I have, is Lance Corporal Bradford. LCpl Bradford is blind and he is also a bi-lateral amputee. However, this tough and stubborn Marine marched 10 miles in the mountains that day! Next year he is going to shoot for 15 miles. Both of these injured Marines inspired me and many others that day.

For those of you who are crazy enough to want to complete this race next year, here is a link for you to register. One piece of advice...Bring plenty of moleskin for your feet.

Semper Fi

Sgt TJ Edwards

26 miles and a 50 lb ruck = Lots of fun. Photo supplied by Sgt TJ Edwards

Wild Thing's comment.......

What a great write up and photos too. Thank you Sgt TJ Edwards!

The 21st Annual Bataan Memorial Death March

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:44 AM | Comments (3)

May 04, 2009

USAF Staff Sgt. Eric Began Brings Calm Over Camp, Beethoven Brings in Buyers

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Eric Began, a Vehicle Operator for the Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team poses for a portrait, April 12, Forward Operating Base Gardez. Began teaches himself how to play the keyboard as a way to pass time during his deployment to Afghanistan.

NCO Brings Calm Over Camp, Beethoven Brings in Buyers

by Staff Sgt. Stacia Zachary

FORWARD OPERATING BASE GARDEZ, Afghanistan

Strings of classical music stream from the doorway of a weather-beaten building in the middle of the Afghan countryside.

Housed within these whitewashed walls is a lone store on base to restock supplies. Staff Sgt. Eric Began, Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team, is responsible for stocking the shelves, seeing to the needs of those on FOB Gardez as well as adding a little culture to the desolate base housed within a niche of the Afghan mountainside.

"There is little to come by here but people donate supplies on their way out or the extra goodies from packages from home that get mailed in," said Began, a Lancaster, Pa., native finishing up his 6-year enlistment. "Someone needs to be here to make sure what little we have is available. It's the small comforts of home that are stocked."

With only a few stragglers entering the Army and Air Force Exchange Service outpost, the staff sergeant has idle time on his hands. Intent on making the most out of his time, Sergeant Began has started learning the piano.

"In January, I decided that I would teach myself how to play so I ordered some beginner books and started to learn how to read music," he said. "Once I felt comfortable with the notes, I started out with easy Christmas music. At first it took almost a minute to find each key."

After a while the sergeant decided to move on to other types of music. After hearing some classical music, he decided to learn a ballad by Ludwig van Beethoven. Before long, that became too easy and he moved onto the concerto version of Fur Elise.

It is this melody that can be heard most streaming from the listing doorway attracting the attention of the FOB wayfarers.

"I like the spirit of [the music]," said Army 1st Lt. Justin Roman, 549th Military Police Company at FOB Gardez. "It takes discipline to [learn the piano] and is a very productive use of his time. It's important to make the most out of this time away from home."

A self-confirmed jack-of-all-trades, Began is on his third deployment in support of the Global War on Terror. On all three deployments, he has been tasked as an Army asset. During his first deployment to Iraq, the sergeant provided convoy security as a driver and later as a .50 caliber gunner for anyone who needed a gun truck when leaving the confines of the base. On the second deployment, Began was stationed in Kuwait as a line haul truck convoy driver.

Both previous deployments dealt Began his fair share of frustration, often without an outlet to relieve the stresses of everyday life dealing with difficult missions and different personalities.

"On my last deployment, I was angry for an entire month and it took me a while to get over a lot of things," he said. "On this deployment, I was reaching that point where I was getting angry at certain situations so when this opportunity presented itself for me to do something for me, I took it. Teaching myself how to play the piano has given me a certain calm that is helping me get through this deployment."

One night in the early stages of learning the basic fundamentals of playing the piano, the power went out in his building. The ivory of the piano keys were luminous in the pale green glow of the keyboard's reserve battery. This light allowed the sergeant to continue playing.

"Only the shadows of the keys were visible but there was enough lit that I continued to play," Sergeant Began said. "In that moment, alone in the dark with the rain pouring down, I was able to forget where I was at. It was so peaceful."

With only a few months left on his enlistment, Sergeant Began has already set his mind on his next adventure.

"This will be my last deployment and that's a good thing," he said. "I have learned a lot about myself and what I want [in life] from my time wearing this uniform. I'm ready to move on to college and other pursuits. Life is short and being [in Afghanistan] has showed me I need to experience everything life throws my way."

Wild Thing's comment.......

How cool for him to do this, I love classical music. He is also bringing something to an area in the world that never heard the sounds of Beethoven and other wonderful classical music.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (11)

Obama Socialist Journalist vs. American Herors! What a Difference!

Different Presidents, A Different Corps

This video was taken after the worst days of the war and after the surge created major progress in the region. The president is visiting the troops in Anbar Province, the home of the infamous Falluja and Ar Ramadi killing grounds. This visit took place after the province had been pacified. In other words, the Marines showed their love of Bush even after the darkest days of the war.

The Lejune video, on the other hand, shows Obama entering with all the pomp and circumstance of a royal visit to the peasants. Hail to the Chief plays in the background; something that President Bush didnt allow during his military visits.

WH Reporters Stand For Obama But Not For Bush

Wild Thing's comment......

Screw YOU Obama!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (8)

May 03, 2009

'Ugly Angels' Deploy From Iraq to Afghanistan

Service members with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362 board an Air Force C-17 at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, for a flight to Afghanistan, April 10. The squadron's Marines have been deployed to Iraq since January and will finish the remainder of their deployment in Afghanistan

Airmen and Marines carefully maneuver one of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362's CH-53D helicopters onto an Air Force C-17 aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, April 10. The service members keep a close eye out during the loading process to ensure the aircraft aren't damaged in the process.

Cpl. Ryan Bertucci, a flightline mechanic with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362, right, and Cpl. Shane Potter, an airframes mechanic with HMH-362, navigate a CH-53D to a loading point on the flightline aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, April 10. The squadron's ten helicopters are being shipped to Afghanistan to be used in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spreading Their Wings: 'Ugly Angels' Deploy From Iraq to Afghanistan

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362 Takes the Fight From Iraq to Afghanistan

by Sgt. Juan D. Alfonso

KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

On April 15, 1962, a squadron of Marines launched from the USS Princeton to Soc Trang, Vietnam, becoming the first Marine helicopter squadron in-country. Those Marines began a proud tradition of combat deployments that day. Today the same unit continues their combat tradition in Afghanistan.

Unlike the majority of units serving in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362, part of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan's aviation combat element, didn't deploy from its home station at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii – it deployed to Afghanistan from Al Asad, Iraq.

Originally deployed to Iraq, Jan. 23, to conduct assault support, logistics and movement of personnel missions, the unit was given a new mission shortly after arriving: pack up and go to Afghanistan.

"Afghanistan is where the fight is now," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey A. Hagan, HMH-362's commander. "There was a planned drawdown in Iraq and an increasing need for medium lift capabilities in Afghanistan. So we begin making arrangements to move from Al Asad to Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan."

Though the unit was motivated and prepared for their new mission, environmental differences between the two theaters coupled with operational requirements called for major modifications to the Ugly Angels' CH-53D Sea Stallions.

The unit's maintenance Marines began working around the clock to exchange the T64-GE-413 engines, typically found in CH-53Ds, to hotter burning T64-GE-416 engines used in CH-53E Super Stallions, according to Master Sgt. Robert Webb, the maintenance section chief.

In addition to the modifications, the Marines had to partially dismantle their aircraft for transportation to Afghanistan; each bird was sent one at a time. But despite their daunting task, the Marines pulled together, rolled up their sleeves and went to work.

"Our maintenance Marines are the best in the Marine Corps," said Maj. Gary W. Thomason, HMH-362's aircraft maintenance officer. "On their backs is how we made this happen. I think I speak for everyone involved when I say, fantastic job."

After more than two months of backbreaking work, the Ugly Angels are in Afghanistan, eager to take the fight to the enemy.

"This deployment has been a great experience," said Cpl. Jorge Toledo, a crew chief and flight line mechanic with HMH-362. "We've been able to operate in both areas of operation and it's been a good training opportunity with the demanding terrain and climate differences. Since arriving in Afghanistan, I personally was able to be a part of testing seven aircraft in twelve days. I have gained more experience on this one deployment than my whole time in the Marine Corps."

Today, the Marines and their Sea Stallions are ready to tackle whatever the insurgency and Afghanistan's terrain throw at them.

"We expect the mission set to remain relatively the same," Hagan said. "Given the more kinetic nature of this theater, I would expect to see more raid and quick reaction force support than was executed during our time in Iraq. But the Marines are excited and eager to do what Marines do. This deployment has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that my Marines can, are eager and willing to accomplish any task thrown at them."

On April 15, the 47-year anniversary of the unit's Vietnam deployment, The Ugly Angels arrived in Afghanistan. HMH-362 began combat operations, April 22.

Wild Thing's comment......

God bless these warrios and keep them safe.

Here is their website:

HMH-362 Ugly Angels

A little history of the "Ugly Angels" they are a Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362, stationed at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, recently celebrated its 55th birthday. Activated on 30 April 1952 as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 362, it is a squadron rich in tradition.

And into the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s HMH 362 was involved in numerous training exercises, as well as contingency and combat operations overseas. These include deploying to Saudi Arabia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and the first and only Marine helicopter squadron deployed aboard an aircraft carrier (USS Theodore Roosevelt) during Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti. In 1995 HMH 362 relocated to MCAF Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii as pat of Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.

"Many stories have been told through the years of how the squadron received the name Ugly Angels, but only a few have proven to be true. It is said that the helicopter herself was so ugly, yet she was called an angel because she descended from the heavens to save the souls of her war weary men. It has also been told that a Marine while being rescued made the statement: " You are the ugliest angel I have ever seen", and from there the name was adopted the "Ugly Angels". Before the squadron gained their well-known name they were referred to as Archie's Angels, after their first commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Archie Clapp. They arrived in Vietnam in April of 1962 and answered the prayers of many wounded Marines until August of 1969. The Ugly Angels were the longest serving squadron in Vietnam and during a seven-year service, 33 brave crewmen gave the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow Marines. "

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (12)

Marine Christian Baez Needs Our Prayers

Marine Christian Baez 25 years of age. On Feb 28th Chrisitian was taken to the hospital due to 2nd and 3rd degree burns and is still in critical condition.. His mom had to quit her job to be able to see Christian every day at the hospital..

Our Hero did two tours of duty in Iraq, and received several awards.

Was honorably discharged Jan.17 2009 . He had a tragic accident on Feb. 28 th. 2009 and was burned over 75% of his body.

Has 2nd. and 3rd. degree burns , was not expected to live, and remains in critical and unstable condition.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Please say keep this Marine in your prayers and his family too. Thank you.

......Thank you SSGT Steve

SSgt Steve
1st MarDiv, H Co., 2nd Bn, 5th Marine Regiment
2/5 Marines, Motto: "Retreat, Hell"
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:46 AM | Comments (4)

Troops At GITMO Watch National Geographic Gitmo Documentary

Members of Joint Task Force Guantanamo gather at O'Kelly's Irish Pub to view the National Geographic Channel's, "Explorer: Inside Guantanamo," April 5, 2009. The program was a behind-the-scenes look at life "inside the wire" of the detention facilities. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detainees, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the Global War on Terrorism. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning, and on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.

Guantanamo Service Members Watch National Geographic Gitmo Documentary

by Staff Sgt. Emily Russell

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba

You could hear a pin drop in the unusual silence at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay's O'Kelly's Irish Pub, April 5, when National Geographic Channel aired the two-hour show, "Explorer: Inside Guantanamo."

The documentary, which reveals the day-to-day life of the detention center guards at Joint Task Force Guantanamo, provided a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the world's most talked about detention operation.

The show was highly anticipated by members of the JTF. The pub was full – standing room only – for two hours. With special consideration from Morale, Welfare and Recreation Food and Beverage Manager Eric Nikkel, Troopers were able to watch the special, which aired only on satellite TV.

As the show began, Troopers held their breath in anticipation of how the JTF would be portrayed.

"I believe that this show was created with an un-biased perception," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Thomas Cougill, a member of the Office for the Administrative Review of the Detention of Enemy Combatants. "It showed the truth about the lives and emotions of the guards here at GTMO, while at the same time it had to be 'politically correct,' showing the lawyers' and detainees' point of view that they were being 'unlawfully confined and mistreated.' I had a lot of mixed emotions."

National Geographic Channel's ability to capture the story while maintaining an overall delicate political balance was evident, yet made some viewers question the message of the documentary.

"I thought [National Geographic] did a good job representing the guards and what they do," said JTF Guantanamo Senior Enlisted Advisor, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Brian T. Schexnaydre. "However, I was disappointed by some of the comments the lawyers made. I felt that they put a negative spin toward the end of the show on what the reality is here, leaving the general public in question as to whether we're doing the right thing, or whether it should be closed."

According to JTF Commander, Navy Rear Adm. David M. Thomas Jr., there is no question when it comes to doing the right thing. Our mission is safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detainees.

"Showing the public that these guards aren't all big burly men mistreating detainees was a relief," Cougill said. "These guards can be young males or females with families, who are not able to live a normal life outside the wire. My heart and prayers go out to these young troopers who have this on their shoulders, and their minds."

"We as a joint task force know what the guards go through and what they do on a daily basis," Schexnaydre said. "I think the coverage on what they do was pretty thorough; however, I don't feel they should take any negativity from the show to heart because they do a hell of a job here, regardless of what is portrayed to the public."

Wild Thing's comment........

I realize they are holding back with their comments,but I don't have to.

The ONLY reason there would be a docu made about GITMO is to try and do a trash piece on our troops. IF the docu said anything good it was only a cookie handed out to someone after they were beat up. Like that would take away the beating. I am so sick of this attacking our miltiary and it needs to be pointed out whenever it is seen or done. Shame on National Geographic !

Hey National Geographic , not do a documentary on the Kenya Muslim POS unConstitutional president. Let's see how much truth you are trying to seek out and document.

God bless our troops and thank God for each one of them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (6)

April 30, 2009

"I'm Alive "... and flying on a jet plane

Rodger has the blog Curmudgeonly & Skeptical and he put this awesome creation on a YouTube video for me. It is so special. Thank you so much Rodger!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM | Comments (6)

April 29, 2009

L/Cpl Amy Thomas First British Woman In Frontline Combat

Helmand Heroine:

The Sun

A woman soldier believed to be the first British female to see frontline combat has told how she fired on a Taliban fighter in a day-long battle.

L/Cpl Amy Thomas, 20, was serving with Royal Marine Commandos in Afghanistan’s Helmand province hellhole.

She loosed off a burst of shots with her SA80 rifle after being flown into a notorious hotspot with comrades.

She said: “As soon as we left the helicopters the company came under fire and then it was non-stop.

“There were loads of Taliban in the area. I identified one of them running with a weapon and indicated him to the lads. They didn’t see him so I took the shot. I don’t know whether I hit or killed him. It was the only time I opened fire on the Taliban.”

Amy, a Royal Military Policewoman, had been attached to 42 Commando — her role was to help gather evidence of terrorism and frisk women suspects.

But she ended up going on highly dangerous missions during her two-month stint.

Women cannot join the Marines or infantry regiments so it was unprecedented for one to be in combat. Amy, from Port Talbot, South Wales, completed a six-month tour of Afghanistan on Saturday.

She was the only female to serve with the 150 battle-hardened Marines throughout the two-month stretch.

She said: “I just got on with it because you have to.

“At first I thought I wouldn’t be able to because I’m quite a girlie girl but once I was out, the training kicked in. The Marines did not treat me any differently as a girl and I felt like one of the lads when I was out with them.”

During part of her two months she was joined by one other woman from the RMP and a further six were attached to other regiments.

Major Dave Bradley, the officer commanding Amy’s unit, 114 Provost Company, said: “More and more commanders are requesting female RMP support.

“With most operations involving interaction with the locals, showing respect for traditions and cultures is paramount, with the treatment of females central to this.”

Amy said: “I’m happy I got to work with the Marines.

“They are easy to get on with and some I would now count as very good friends.”

Wild Thing's comment.......

I love it, what a great story. God bless L/Cpl Amy Thomas.

....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.

Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (14)

April 27, 2009

The Voices of the CH-47 Chinook

Sgt. Chris Utter, a Reedsburg, Wis., and flight engineer with B. Company, 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, adjusts the rotors atop a CH-47 Chinook Helicopter, at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, near Tikrit, Iraq, April 22.

Story by Pvt. Jesus Aranda

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq

Sounds of rumbles, whirrs, chops and sustained clatter aggressively compete for audible dominance within the narrow-shelled frame of a CH-47 Chinook Helicopter. These are the voices of a typical U.S. military Chinook awakening from its slumber.

For many first-time passengers, these voices are noises, threatening to deafen unprotected ears and, still, overwhelming even the protected. For the Soldiers and military personnel who operate these aircraft daily on an intimate level, these voices are clear and defined, speaking volumes of information.

One such Soldier is Sgt. Chris Utter, a Reedsburg, Wis., and flight engineer with B. Company, 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division.

Moving about the cabin with an energetic, yet stoic, composure, Utter methodically responds to the needs of the aircraft and directs his Soldiers with jargon-laced commands and direction. There isn't a Soldier on the aircraft who doesn't possess and immediate and complete understanding of what needs to be done to make the many clamoring voices of the Chinook sing as one.

As a flight engineer, Utter supervises and maintains the aircraft with his crew, performing pre-flight tests and checks to ensure the safety of his passengers, crew, and the pilots during the upcoming mission.

Utter took on this duty with an involved affection during the early years of his 12-year military career.

According to Utter, the Army's mission in the skies was not always what he wanted to do with his career.

"I originally enlisted in the artillery field," said Utter, in a flight-crew break room. The pilots and crew members laugh heartily and trade stories all around.

The inspiration for making the leap from artillery to flight engineer was one which presented itself during a slow period for his military profession, Utter admitted.

"One event that did trigger an interest for me was when I was deployed to Albania in support of Task Force Hawk," Utter said. "They really didn't have a mission for the artillery battalion I was assigned to, so we ended up pulling a lot of guard duty around the airfield."

"One day I was up in the guard shack with all my gear on, sweating to death, but I look over my shoulder and not far behind us is the parking area for a lot of the aircraft. One of them happened to be the Chinook unit," Utter continued.

From that moment onward, according to Utter, the Chinook has remained "the only one for me."

"While I enjoyed the camaraderie, the professionalism, in the artillery field, the job here on the aviation side of the house is much more satisfying for me," Utter said.

Serving at his first duty station as a flight engineer at Fort Campbell, Utter, despite having served in the U.S. Army for three years, felt his as if he were beginning his military career all over again.

"I started off my career as a ground maintainer and paid my dues and I got a crew slot while at Fort Campbell," said Utter. "It was a whole new progression starting off again. I had to start all over on the crew side and get a whole new knowledge base."

A part of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade since May 2007, Utter has found himself surrounded by professionals who help him further his professional skills.

Utter attributes much of his technical know-how to the crew and pilots who serve alongside him, in support of his new mission supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom in northern Iraq.

"All of our pilots - every last one - are incredible," Utter said, simply. "The knowledge base these guys have is just incredible. Just working with them and picking their brains as best I can gives me a lot to learn from." Working in a field he loves, Utter tackles every task Chinook operations require of him with apparent enthusiasm.

"I absolutely love this aircraft," said Utter, with a grin. "It's such a strange looking aircraft and it doesn't operate like any other rotary-wing helicopter."

"When you're plugged in and you hear the aircraft, it sounds like chaos," Utter said. "It's really chaotic if you don't know what's going on."

Following the inspections and preparations, the Utter and his crew finally begin departure. The Chinook lifts off the landing pad and the pilot pauses mid-air. The noises, sustained and loud, cause chatter between the pilot and crew.

The "strange looking aircraft's" raucous voices, seemingly speaking a language meant only for those closest to them, may sound foreign to passengers, but Utter knows. Utter speaks to the pilot through the headset within his helmet, the two offering their interpretations of what the aircraft is saying.

"It's so complex, I don't think anyone has a complete understanding of what's going on, but you can get to a level where when one of the sounds of the aircraft changes you almost know what it was that caused the change."

Utter and his crew know.

Landing in snow

Wild Thing's comment......

I LOVE the sound of the Huey so I can only imagine what a Chinook sounds like.

Great story and thank you to Sgt. Chris Utter!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (8)

Sgt. Darron Mikeworth After Long Recovery from Bomb Blast In Iraq Seeks Return to Army

In this March 2, 2009 photo, Sgt. Darron Mikeworth poses at home with his family in San Antonio. From left are his son Ryan, 7, son Connor, 6, and wife, Dea. Mikeworth lost an eye, his nose, and broke every bone in his face when he was attacked by a suicide bomber in 2005 in Iraq. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

In this March 2, 2009 photo, Sgt. Darron Mikeworth plays a board game with his family in San Antonio. Mikeworth lost an eye, his nose, and broke every bone in his face when he was attacked by a suicide bomber in 2005 in Iraq.

SAN ANTONIO, TX

His first glimpse in the mirror was largely a blur.

Sgt. Darron Mikeworth had just come out of a drug-induced coma -- his mind was still in a fog and he was so weak he could barely stand.

Three weeks before, in Iraq, a suicide bomber had raced up to the right side of his Humvee, igniting a barrel of explosives that tore into the machine gunner's face. He nearly died.

Mikeworth awoke in a hospital bed, thousands of miles away.

He was relieved he still had his arms and legs. He was thrilled, too, that his ears had survived the blast. But he had wounds he could not see, life-changing wounds. His wife, Dea, helped break the news: His face was in bad shape. His left eye was useless. And there was more.

At first, Mikeworth was too groggy to absorb it all. He was caught up in hallucinations of basketball players shooting hoops in the hospital, of cars on the highway floating in air. He didn't know what was fantasy and what wasn't -- until he shuffled into the physical therapy room and stood numbly before a full-length mirror.

"I just had to keep telling myself I'm NOT going to wake up out of this one," he says. "THIS is not a dream. THIS is real."

His head was one giant purple bruise, his eyelids were nearly swollen shut. His left eye had been removed (he'd given his OK from his hospital bed.) His eyelashes and most of his eyebrows were singed off; so, too, was his hair halfway back on his scalp. His nose was mostly gone, just a sliver of cartilage remaining; skeletal-like bones revealed his sinuses. His top right lip was curled into a snarl, making it impossible to close his mouth. His right jaw was torn. His bottom teeth, loosened by the blast, were wired together.

His face -- every bone has been shattered -- was splattered with pinkish third-degree burns.

"I could have just flipped out," he says, pausing to remember. "But I looked in the mirror and said, all right, there's no changing it. I just have to deal with it. This is me now."

Darron Mikeworth's face was his identity.

So, too, was his life as a soldier.

He was about to embark on a long journey to regain both.

Sgt. Mikeworth, the warrior, will tell you he is the same man he was Before The Bomb.

The 32-year-old soldier who served two stints in Iraq (and two more in Kosovo and the Sinai) still wants to take down the bad guys, still thrives on being a cog in the big Army machine.

But Sgt. Mikeworth, the survivor, also knows that no matter how much he heals, he'll forever be defined, in some way, by what happened near Baghdad on April 29, 2005.

"I'm going to be `the blown-up guy' wherever I go," he says. "Anytime I walk into a room, I just know I'm going to be different looking and I'm going to be perceived differently."

Mikeworth knew with the severity of his wounds there was no way doctors could turn back the clock. The smile his wife adored, the laser-like vision he was proud of, the slender face that was uniquely his -- they were gone for good. He refused then -- as he does now -- to dwell on the losses.

"I see guys with injuries five times worse than what I have," he says.

"I have no reason to feel sorry for myself. I could be in a box underground somewhere. Every day above ground is a GOOD day."

But he needed to become himself again, so that he at least would recognize the face in the mirror and so that the people he encountered would see him as a man, not as a victim.

That's where Operation Mend came in.

A one-of-kind partnership between the UCLA Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center -- the military's main hospital for burn patients -- the program provides reconstructive surgery to members of the military who've been severely disfigured in Iraq and Afghanistan. So far, 24 men and women have been treated.

Mikeworth is now nearing the end of his surgeries.

His road to recovery is a war story that has been part medical marvel, part profile in courage -- the stalwart soldier who rebuilds his confidence as doctors rebuild his face.

All along, as UCLA surgeons have tucked and trimmed, adding a bit of cartilage here, a flap of skin there, Mikeworth has yearned to return to the simple routines in life, dreaming of the day when he could:

Pick up his two sons without worrying he'd scare their classmates.
Walk around the mall without turning heads.
Be a face, not THE face, in the crowd.

"Is your husband a vain man?" the nurse asked Dea Mikeworth.

No, Dea replied. This was a day in May, 2005, and she was still reeling from seeing Darron's bruised, swollen face for the first time. His head was twice its normal size.

"That's good," she was told. "He'll have an easier time adjusting. He's never going to look the same."

Dea knew instantly what would bother Darron most: Half his vision was gone. His features were mangled. People would stare. She knew, too, how hard that would be for Darron, an introvert who preferred the sidelines to the spotlight, a soldier who'd rather slip into a room, do his job, then slip out quietly.

"I used to like to be able to stand in the back of the crowd and not be noticed," he explains. "I like to be anonymous."

Suddenly, he was the center of attention, and often not in a good way.

Weeks after his release, Mikeworth and his family visited Ripley's Believe It or Not museum. His legs were bandaged, his burned hands in gloves. He wore sunglasses, his nose was just slits.

As he stood, motionless, a young woman apparently thought he was a wax exhibit. When he moved, she was startled. Thinking he was an actor, she blurted: "What are you supposed to be?"'

"I just looked at her and said, 'I'm a blown-up soldier."'

Dea says they can laugh now but back then, she was filled with anger and pain, knowing how much that experience hurt her husband, who grew even more reluctant to go out.

When he did, there were more awkward moments.

Mikeworth quickly aborted a Christmas Eve shopping trip at a crowded mall when he noticed people doing double takes. He encountered strangers who'd burst into tears or try to press money into his hands.

Dea recalls one store cashier who leaned over and asked, "What happened to him? What's his name?" even though Darron was standing right there. People thought because "his face was messed up, something was wrong with him," she says.

Mikeworth was understanding, even empathetic.

"I was pretty gruesome in the beginning," he says. "I looked like I came out of some Halloween horror movie. I know that. Sometimes if I was having a bad day, I'd get mad at the situation I found myself in, but I would never get angry at the people."

At home, Dea says, her husband sometimes hid in the bedroom, even when her friends visited. He wouldn't go to their son's kindergarten, fearing Ryan's classmates would tease the boy.

If someone new was coming over, he'd ask Dea to give them a heads-up, saying: "Did you warn her kids that I look kind of funny -- just so I wouldn't scare them." She complied.

Even simple pleasures became haunting reminders.

"I can remember nights sitting on the couch watching TV looking at people," he says, "thinking they have TWO eyes. I'm never going to look like that again."

None of that seemed to faze his sons, Ryan, now 7, and Connor, 6.

When the boys were about to come home after a two-month stay with Dea's parents in Illinois, she tried to prepare them by sending them photos of their injured father. Connor, then 3, studied Darron's obliterated nose and drooping left eye socket, then blithely announced: "Yep, that's my daddy. Where's my mom?"

Once everyone was reunited, the boys brought laughter into the home.

When Mikeworth had to wear round plastic devices called nasal trumpets -- they act like fake nostrils -- they dubbed it his Pig Nose.

When he got a latex wider-than-normal prosthetic nose attached with glue, they dubbed it his Big Nose. One day the glue wore away and the nose fell off while Mikeworth was napping. Their cat, Anastasia, snatched it, with Connor, Ryan and Dea in hot pursuit.

Mikeworth found ways to poke fun at himself, too. When a photographer for a medical journal assured him his privacy would be maintained, the sergeant replied: "Doesn't matter either way. No skin off my nose." Pun intended, most definitely.

But humor was just a temporary distraction.

"When you're without a nose, with burns on your skin, without an eye, it's a hard thing to swallow," says Lisa Gustafson, his former case manager and the Operation Mend coordinator at Brooke. "You've got a family. You're afraid you're going to lose your wife. People in the community are staring at you. You don't know if you have a future, if you have a paycheck. That's pretty scary for a young man. He had a lot of heck of a lot of weight on his shoulders."

Dea tried using tough love. Early on, when Mikeworth confided he felt "useless" and feared he'd never drive again and be able to support his family, she was blunt.

Remember, she said, my father is blind in one eye, he worked all his life, he even played softball with me.

"I was kind of rough on him," she says. "I'm not a person big on self-pity. He needed to hear what I had to say. But he had every right to grieve for what he lost before I kicked him in the butt. I was just too early."

But Dea, Gustafson says, has been "a perfect wife," always at her husband's side.

"We were kids together," Dea explains. "One eye, two eyes, one hand, two hands. It doesn't matter what he looks like. He's Darron."

They met at age 15 when Mikeworth's father retired from the Army, settling in the tiny farming town of Robinson, Ill. From high school to life partners, they are a study in contrasts.

Dea is animated and talkative; Darron is shy and sparing with his words. She doesn't consider much off limits. He zealously guards his privacy. And yet, this ordeal has, not surprisingly, unified them.

"We're both pretty pragmatic people," she says. "Yeah, this sucks. But we need to deal with it and move forward."

At Brooke, Mikeworth endured about 16 surgeries, many on the lower right arm that he almost lost in the blast.
He had skin grafted from his thighs for arm and knee burns. A bone graft from his skull for his cheek. And titanium pins inserted around his eyes and cheekbones.

Within three months, he asked to return to his unit, the 603rd Transportation Co., even though he could barely walk. "I think that was kind of denial," Dea says. "He wanted it to be over, he wanted to be a regular soldier again."

The Army later recommended he retire -- he's classified having an 80 percent disability -- but Mikeworth was insistent. His attitude, Gustafson says, was "I'm staying in the military with or without a nose, with or without an eye."

But reconstructive facial surgery at Brooke proved to be slow going.

"It felt like my entire life and career were on hold," Mikeworth says. "It just seemed ... I'd always be a patient." Gustafson tried to boost his spirits with daily phone calls.

"You are a soldier," she'd tell him. "You are NOT going to give up. You're going to continue to fight." She reminded him of what he'd been through. "You WILL get over it," she said.

In the fall of 2007, Gustafson heard about a pilot program at UCLA called "Operation Mend." Mikeworth seemed an ideal candidate.

He flew to California to be evaluated.

"They said they were going to fix me up," he says. "It was a golden opportunity and I knew it."

One of the first people Mikeworth met was Dr. Timothy Miller, UCLA's chief of reconstructive and plastic surgery. Miller knows about the sacrifices of war firsthand.

He earned a Bronze Star in Vietnam and has been known to wear a camouflage hat from those days in the operating room.

When talking about Operation Mend, Miller often recalls a quotation he saw etched above a church door, decades ago, when he was teaching in Italy. It said: "It is the divine right of man to look human."

Once when Miller was giving a speech about the UCLA program, Darron Mikeworth heard him use that phrase -- and something just clicked.

"It's a lesson so plain no one thinks about it," he says. "Everyone wants to look like a human being. You don't know what it is to have your nose there, then it's gone and you have two slits in your face. Complete strangers are wondering things and thinking things about you and you haven't even gotten to a handshake."

Once Mikeworth became an Operation Mend patient, doctors took photos, made measurements and developed a stage-by-stage reconstruction plan.

Starting in January 2008, they began operating about once a month.

For his nose, doctors used a small piece of cartilage grafted from his ear, then tucked it under a flap of skin on the right side of his forehead above his eyebrow. They stored it there -- Mikeworth says it was like stubby little horns -- for about four weeks.

Doctors partially elevated the flap before pivoting it clockwise down to his nose. It remained attached so it looked like an elephant trunk for a time while they made sure there was proper blood flow. Then they shaped and thinned it.

The lower left side of his nose that had been worked on at Brooke was a bulbous mass (Mikeworth's boys dubbed it his "bubble gum" nose). Surgeons removed thick cartilage that made it hard to breathe, inserted new cartilage and thinned it out.

For his left eye, they created a new lower dam-like eyelid (he lost his in the blast), using forehead skin and a piece of tissue from the roof of Mikeworth's mouth. It's strong enough to hold a prosthetic eye, which will come later.

"It's amazing what they can do," Mikeworth says. "They just take parts of you from everywhere and rearrange them."

For his mouth, they removed scarred skin on his upper lip that had exposed his teeth and created a snarl -- Dea jokingly called it his Elvis snarl. A skin graft made the lip full again. Doctors still plan a tattooed line to mask the scars and make the lip look more balanced.

"Getting him to look like he did before is totally unrealistic," says Dr. Christopher Crisera, his chief surgeon. "My goal is to try and get them to a point where they're happy the way they look."

He already is.

Each time Mikeworth returned from a major surgery, friends noticed progress. "I was seeing it, too," he says. "It kept improving and I was happy and smiling about it the whole time."

Gustafson, his former caseworker, says Mikeworth no longer speaks in a monotone, staring at the floor. He no longer has to be tracked down in the smoke shack; Gustafson says he initiates visits, and has a lot more to say.

"He's more motivated, excited about life, excited about who he is," she says. "He walks around with his head up. Now he's feeling so much better about himself."

When she recently asked to see the progress of his eye, he lifted his sunglasses. "He was just so proud," she says. "I just popped him in the chest and said, 'I've got to hug you. We did it.' It would be easy to take no for answer and say, `I'll disabled for the rest of my life."'

Last summer, Darron returned home to escort his sister, Amanda, down the aisle at her wedding. He started walking, then noticed he still was wearing sunglasses. He yanked them off.

His reason: "I just wanted to be me."

Sgt. Mikeworth hopes to join an Army unit by summer.

He's on medical hold while he looks for a suitable slot where the Army can use him. He's thinking about military intelligence or becoming an instructor.

"I don't want to be put on a shelf or a back burner, or left in a corner anywhere," he says. "If they give me half an opportunity, I can demonstrate I can do the job."

Gustafson understands.

"Will he be 70 in some VA home talking about this war?" she asks. "He's not that type. He's not someone denying this has happened to him. He's not out for revenge. He just wants to be a soldier. So many want to go back to the war for revenge. He just wants to do his job."

Still, some scars will never disappear.

"It's not something 20 years from now he's going to pull out of the box and show his kids," Dea says. "It has completely changed our lives."

At school, she says, the boys are the sons of the guy who got hurt. Among friends, she's the wife of the injured soldier. "Wherever we move, whatever unit he's in," she says, "there's still that little tag on you that identifies you."

But Dea is elated to see Darron's transformation.

They no longer limit family outings to dark movie theaters. He goes on errands alone and last year attended a parent-teacher conference -- an unimaginable thought, not long ago.

"I used to be afraid to go pick up the kids at the bus stop because I was afraid I looked like a monster," he says. "Now I pop on my sunglasses and just walk down the street and unless somebody walks up and gets into my face and starts talking to me, they have no clue.

"It is," he says, "a pretty good feeling."

Wild Thing's comment..........

This is a great story of love..the love of this soldier for his country; his love for his family..and the love of his wife for him ...and the love of all the medical personnel who are helping him!

Thank you Sgt. Darron Mikeworth and to his family who make sacrifices in order for him to help keep us safe. He and his family are another reason to be proud of America!

God, bless these men and women. They are America's secret weapon and will keep us free. I love them!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (8)

April 20, 2009

Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipients Visit Troops

Medal of Honor recipients retired Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Littrell (center) and retired Col. Robert Howard (right), watch as Spc. Mikah Appleman operates a gyro-cam inside a Buffalo vehicle. Littrell and Howard visited the 225th Engineer Brigade Soldiers on Camp Liberty, April 15. Photo by Sgt. Rebekah Malone, 225th Engineer Brigade.

By Sgt. Rebekah Malone, 225th Engineer Brigade

http://www.petitiononline.com/usmc2009/petition.html

With only 97 Medal of Honor holders living, meeting a recipient of America’s highest military decoration is not something that happens every day.

Recently, Soldiers from the 225th Engineer Brigade got the chance to meet two living heroes; retired Col. Robert Howard and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Littrell, during their visit to Camp Liberty, April 15.

The veterans received the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and fearlessness in action while risking their lives during the Vietnam War.

Howard and Littrell retired with 36 and 24 years of service respectively, but their Army service didn't stop there. Now on their sixth visit to Iraq, the best friend duo said they feel "called" to visit troops and show their support for what they call the most professional Soldiers in the history of the American Armed Forces.

"I have a great appreciation for Americans serving this great country. It's our privilege to be here with you," said Howard. "You are very privileged to have the greatest leaders that we've had in our services, especially in the United States Army in the past 235 years, because of your level of professionalism."

"But it's more than professionalism," Howard continued, "it’s dedication and love of your country or you wouldn't be here. I applaud you."

Among the Soldiers meeting the American heroes was a fellow Soldier drafted during Vietnam, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Wilson Quebedeaux of Marksville, La., 225th Engineer Brigade.

Quebedeaux has served in Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and now Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"It is always an honor to be able to visit with any retired veteran and a distinguished Medal of Honor recipient; few people ever get to do this because most that have received this medal have died for their heroic actions and their family received the medal in their honor," Quebedeaux explained. "Any time you have an opportunity to talk to veterans of foreign war it always brings back memories when you were there as well."

More than 200 Soldiers filled the small Engineer Chapel at Camp Liberty here to listen to the living legends give advice, encouragement and more than anything, just to be in the presence of two Americans having displayed acts of the highest caliber of courage in defense of their nation and fellow Soldiers.

"I was humbled and honored to meet true American heroes," said Master Sgt. Lisa Bates, of Mena, Ark. "It was a privilege to get to meet them and something I will always remember. It's not every day you get to meet Soldiers like that."

Wild Thing's comment......

Wow great American Heroes visiting the troops.

HOWARD, ROBERT L.

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 30 December 1968. Entered service at: Montgomery, Ala. Born: 11 July 1939, Opelika, Ala. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Howard (then Sfc .), distinguished himself while serving as platoon sergeant of an American-Vietnamese platoon which was on a mission to rescue a missing American soldier in enemy controlled territory in the Republic of Vietnam. The platoon had left its helicopter landing zone and was moving out on its mission when it was attacked by an estimated 2-company force. During the initial engagement, 1st Lt. Howard was wounded and his weapon destroyed by a grenade explosion. 1st Lt. Howard saw his platoon leader had been wounded seriously and was exposed to fire. Although unable to walk, and weaponless, 1st Lt. Howard unhesitatingly crawled through a hail of fire to retrieve his wounded leader. As 1st Lt. Howard was administering first aid and removing the officer’s equipment, an enemy bullet struck 1 of the ammunition pouches on the lieutenant’s belt, detonating several magazines of ammunition. 1st Lt. Howard momentarily sought cover and then realizing that he must rejoin the platoon, which had been disorganized by the enemy attack, he again began dragging the seriously wounded officer toward the platoon area. Through his outstanding example of indomitable courage and bravery, 1st Lt. Howard was able to rally the platoon into an organized defense force. With complete disregard for his safety, 1st Lt. Howard crawled from position to position, administering first aid to the wounded, giving encouragement to the defenders and directing their fire on the encircling enemy. For 3 1/2 hours 1st Lt. Howard’s small force and supporting aircraft successfully repulsed enemy attacks and finally were in sufficient control to permit the landing of rescue helicopters. 1st Lt. Howard personally supervised the loading of his men and did not leave the bullet-swept landing zone until all were aboard safely. 1st Lt. Howard’s gallantry in action, his complete devotion to the welfare of his men at the risk of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

LITTRELL, GARY LEE

Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Advisory Team 21, 11 Corps Advisory Group. place and date: Kontum province, Republic of Vietnam, 4-8 April 1970. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Born: 26 October 1944, Henderson, Ky. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sfc. Littrell, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Advisory Team 21, distinguished himself while serving as a Light Weapons Infantry Advisor with the 23d Battalion, 2d Ranger Group, Republic of Vietnam Army, near Dak Seang. After establishing a defensive perimeter on a hill on April 4, the battalion was subjected to an intense enemy mortar attack which killed the Vietnamese commander, 1 advisor, and seriously wounded all the advisors except Sfc. Littrell. During the ensuing 4 days, Sfc Littrell exhibited near superhuman endurance as he single-handedly bolstered the besieged battalion. Repeatedly abandoning positions of relative safety, he directed artillery and air support by day and marked the unit’s location by night, despite the heavy, concentrated enemy fire. His dauntless will instilled in the men of the 23d Battalion a deep desire to resist. Assault after assault was repulsed as the battalion responded to the extraordinary leadership and personal example exhibited by Sfc. Littrell as he continuously moved to those points most seriously threatened by the enemy, redistributed ammunition, strengthened faltering defenses, cared for the wounded and shouted encouragement to the Vietnamese in their own language. When the beleaguered battalion was finally ordered to withdraw, numerous ambushes were encountered. Sfc. Littrell repeatedly prevented widespread disorder by directing air strikes to within 50 meters of their position. Through his indomitable courage and complete disregard for his safety, he averted excessive loss of life and injury to the members of the battalion. The sustained extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Sfc. Littrell over an extended period of time were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him and the U.S. Army.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (7)

April 15, 2009

Appeals Court: Marine Can't Sue Murtha

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Rep. John Murtha cannot be sued for accusing U.S. Marines of murdering Iraqi civilians "in cold blood," remarks that sparked outrage among conservative commentators.

The appeals court in Washington dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by a Marine who led the squad in the attack. The judges agreed with Murtha that he was immune from the lawsuit because he was acting in his official role as a lawmaker when he made the comments to reporters.

Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich of Meriden, Conn., claimed Murtha damaged his reputation by saying the squad he was leading engaged in "cold-blooded murder and war crimes" in Haditha, Iraq, on Nov. 19, 2005.

A three-judge panel on U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that Murtha could not be sued under the 1988 Westfall Act, which gives federal employees immunity from lawsuits arising out of acts they undertake in the course of their official duties.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer had refused to dismiss the suit last September and ordered Murtha to give a sworn deposition about his comments. The appeals court overturned that order and said the case must be dismissed.

Wuterich's attorney Mark S. Zaid said that despite the appeals court ruling, Murtha should apologize for his statements.

"It is disappointing that the court has placed members of Congress on a special pedestal and granted them carte blanche immunity to defame anyone they choose as part of their official responsibilities without even allowing a victim to expose the actual facts that are known only to the perpetrator," Zaid said.

Murtha's spokesman declined to comment.

Another Marine involved in the Haditha fighting, Justin Sharratt, has filed a slander lawsuit against Murtha in Johnstown, Pa. Although the judge in that case may consider Tuesday's decision and give it weight, it is not binding on that court since it's in a different appeals court circuit.

A former lance corporal, Sharratt sued Murtha in September claiming the lawmaker's remarks not only defamed him, but denied him due process and the right to a fair trial on the charges in military court. Sharratt was initially charged with three counts of premeditated murder, but was exonerated after a full investigation and the military equivalent of a preliminary hearing. Sharratt said it was proven he killed insurgents, not civilians.

Sharratt's attorney, Noah Geary, argued that a jury in Pennsylvania should decide whether Murtha was acting within the scope of his official duties when he called the Marines murderers on cable TV news shows.

"When he's on the House floor he can say anything he wants," Geary said. "But when he goes on Wolf Blitzer and Hannity and Colmes, and all these other outlets, he's outside the scope of his employment when he's making these comments," Geary said.

Wild Thikng's comment.........

Sheesh! —a lawmaker is exempt from slander, defamation of character and sheer outright lies, especially against our military. No wonder every leftist wants to get elected!

Yet another case of overt judicial misconduct in the service of a political agenda. Or did Murtha just give them money? This SOB was NOT acting as a legislator when he slandered our Marines. He was bloviating on TV, in an agit-prop campaign designed to give aid and comfort to America’s enemies. The judges’ position means that Members of Congress are mini-Sun Kings , above the laws that bound the rest of us. What bastards these people are!

ALL THE MURTHA QUOTES ON HADITHA LISTED HERE...This is a long list, you can scroll down the page to read all the horrible things Murtha has said about our Marines.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:47 AM | Comments (10)

Capt. Jackie M. Manton Receives "the treat" the Prestigious Brig. Gen. Edmund J. Giering III Award

Winner of the Brig. Gen. Edmund Giering III outstanding company commander award, Cpt. Jackie Manton (right) of Ponchatoula, La., receives the candy bars and soft drink Giering was known for consuming while deployed. Brig. Gen. Owen Monconduit (left), commander of the 225th Engineer Brigade presented the stand in award, April 7.

Soldier Honored With 'treat' in Iraq

by Maj. Pat Simon

A soft drink and candy bar are quite the treat for Soldiers in a combat environment. But for one officer, that junk food combination turned out to be a symbol of a top achievement.

Capt. Jackie M. Manton received a soda and candy bars as this year's recipient of the prestigious Brig. Gen. Edmund J. Giering III Award.

The award is in honor of retired Brig. Gen. Giering who served as group commander of 225th Engineer Group from January 1987 to June 1992. The award is presented to the 225th Eng. Bde.'s most outstanding company commander who exemplifies the Army values and displays exceptional leadership and soldiering skills.

So, why the soda and candy as part of the official award? Fellow engineers will tell you that Giering would show up on drill weekends loaded with the sweet treats.

"Many times he would stay up the entire weekend," said Lt. Col. Jerry Crooks, 225th Eng. Bde. deputy brigade commander.

That is apparently where Giering got all of his energy. Crooks said the joke back then was to try to keep the candy away from him.

Manton, of Ponchatoula, La., joined the Louisiana National Guard in 1995, just four years before Giering retired. He never met the man whose name is attached to the high honor, but he appreciates Giering's legacy.

"I just heard that he was a great man, a great leader and he had a lot of energy," Manton said.

Manton is currently serving in Baghdad as the 225th Eng. Bde.'s officer in charge for Task Force Iron Paxton. He oversees numerous engineer projects in Abu Ghraib with a total cost of about $22 million.

It is a critical mission that Manton is pulling off with major success, according to 225th Eng. Bde. Commander Brig. Gen. Owen Monconduit.

"Capt. Manton's doing exceptional work supporting the 2-1 Infantry Division executing their projects," he said. "Abu Ghraib is a significant area as far as establishing stability for Iraq."

That is one reason why Monconduit is not at all surprised about Manton's selection for the Giering Award.

"It's outstanding to have him as the recipient," Monconduit said.

As for the "treat" he received in lieu of his authentic Giering Award that he will receive when he returns home from Iraq, Manton, unlike Giering, plans to hold off the urge to rip the wrapper and pop the top.

"I'm going to keep it as long as I can," he said laughing. "Hopefully I don't miss a meal here where I break down and eat it because it's a great reminder until I get back home."

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:42 AM | Comments (4)

April 14, 2009

455th Air Expeditionary Wing

Capt. Susan McCormick, 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight, gives medicine to Airman 1st Class Brent Noah, 376th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron in flight to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan

Capt. Susan McCormick, 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight, inventories her equipment in flight to Manas Air Base, Krygyzstan, March 26. Capt. McCormick prepares for each flight depending on the report given to her by the ground medical team. "I try to think about the worst, but really we have no idea what the patient will look like when they arrive," said Capt. McCormick. She is deployed from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.

Flight Nurse Provides Care in the Air

by Senior Airman Erik Cardenas

BAGRAM, Afghanistan

While troops on the ground are risking their lives fighting terrorism, Capt. Susan McCormick feels it's her mission to provide the best emergency care to those troops so they can return to their families back home.

"I couldn't picture myself doing anything but this, giving someone the chance to survive when they risk their lives everyday for us," said the captain from the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight.

The 33-year-old captain enlisted as a reserve medical technician in the aeromedical evacuation career field in 1994. As a technical sergeant in 2003, she received her commission to become a licensed flight nurse.

With two deployments under her belt and the third one in Bagram, Afghanistan, her six years as a nurse in the operating and emergency rooms at St. Vincent's Hospital, Worcester, Mass., are coming full circle.

"Each deployment has helped me better myself and my training," said Capt. McCormick from the 439th AEF, Westover, Air Reserve Base, Mass. "The skills we use in flight need to be practiced daily. My experience in the OR and ER, has helped me become a better nurse."

Members of the 455th EAEF are on call 24-hours-per-day, seven-day-per-week, covering Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan. The unit has three types of missions: an alpha alert with an hour response time for critically injured; bravo alert, with a two hour response time, for patients who do not need immediate evacuation; and a scheduled flight twice a week for patients who need care or treatment that cannot be provided at their deployed location.

Each alert, depending on the situation, requires a different amount of personnel. On an alpha alert there is a three person crew, consisting of one nurse and two medical technicians that allow the team to quickly respond and get airborne. A bravo alert crew has either a three or five person medical crew depending on the number of patients and their acuity. On a scheduled flight, there is a five person crew on board, with two nurses and three medical technicians.

Before each mission, Capt. McCormick has to physically prepare for each flight by arranging equipment and configuring the aircraft for the medical mission, but also mentally prepares by visualizing what the patient's condition is and how it could progress in-flight. She relies on the report given by the ground medical team at the forward operating bases, and the training she received at flight school regarding the stresses of flight and how it could affect the patient's condition at altitude.

"I try to think about the worst, but really we have no idea what the patient will look like when they arrive," said Capt. McCormick. "With all the years I have been doing this, nothing can really prepare you to see a child who has devastating blast injuries."

In flight, patient conditions are subject to change, the altitude, cabin pressure, and weather are concerns of the crew. The crew's assessment skills are diminished by the lack of light and a noisy environment.

Sometimes at forward operating bases, the medical staff's limited access to medical equipment leads to the patient not being diagnosed accurately or completely, she said.

"My crew had one patient who was status post-IED explosion and was stable until they took off," said Capt. McCormick. "At altitude, the patient's oxygen level decreased drastically and with the diagnoses given to us by the forward operating base, they didn't understand what was happening with the patient. They treated the condition and kept the patient stable until he was re-evaluated at Bagram and diagnosed with a hemo-pneumo thorax that wasn't found at the FOB. "

The captain has treated 40 patients in the three months she has been deployed here. As each day gets warmer, Capt. McCormick expects to treat more patients as insurgent activity traditionally rises during the spring and summer. But the seasoned nurse said she's more than ready to go when she gets the call.

"I'll fly anywhere on any plane in order to evacuate our men and women who are sick or injured and make sure they get the care they need," she said.

Wild Thing's comment.......

God bless Capt. Susan McCormick!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:44 AM | Comments (2)

April 12, 2009

Cpl. Jason Jones,3rd Marine Division, Earns Silver Star Medal

Cpl. Jason Jones is pictured in the Kunar province of eastern Afghanistan just hours after a firefight where he earned the Silver Star.

For Courage and Valor, Corporal on Okinawa Earns Silver Star Medal for Selfless Heroism on Front Lines

by Lance Cpl. Paul Zellner

The day started like any other day in eastern Afghanistan, moderate temperature, sunny; hardly a cloud in the sky.

But for three Marines, a platoon of Afghan national soldiers and a platoon of Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne, the day would turn to bloodshed, sacrifice and one Marine's tale of heroism.

The U.S. - Afghan team was attacked by more than 200 enemy forces firing small-arms and rocket-propelled grenades.

Many members of the team became disorganized and discouraged facing the overwhelming odds.

Cpl. Jason Jones, one of three Marines embedded with the two platoons of soldiers, seized the initiative and began firing his weapon at the enemy while encouraging and guiding his comrades to organize a counter attack.

Jones' actions grew bolder as casualties mounted and the firefight intensified.

He sprinted across the terrain under heavy enemy fire to a wounded Afghan soldier and pulled him to safety as rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire exploded around them. But the fight was not over. Members of the U.S. Army platoon were pinned down.

"We got a call on the radio saying 'we're dying, we're dying and I'm the last one left,'" said Jones, the 24 year-old native of San Angelo, Texas. "I figured we needed to do something about it."

With bullets still flying, Jones again crossed 130 meters of fire-swept ground wielding a M-240B machine gun. Jones, with fire support from other members of the team, suppressed the attackers long enough to allow him to reach the wounded soldiers and provide life-saving aid.

For his valor, heroism and bravery under fire, Jones was awarded the Silver Star, the third highest decoration a U.S. service member can receive.

Jones is a four-year veteran of the Marine Corps. He graduated from Grape Creek High School, class of 2003, in San Angelo. He works in the logistics field with Headquarters and Service Company, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division.

However, while in Afghanistan, Jones was serving a 10-month auxiliary billet as a mentor to the Afghan National Army while attached to Embedded Training Team 5-3.

According to Jones, he developed a bond with his Afghan and U.S. Army counterparts - a bond that was tested under fire and survived through resolve.

"Whether it's a Marine, Sailor or Soldier, you can only hear suffering for so long before you have to do something about it," said Jones.

Jones said he took it upon himself to do exactly what Marines are taught - lead from the front.

It is easy to say Jones' actions saved lives that day, but they may have had another lasting effect.

"His actions built confidence and motivation in the Afghan national army," said Sgt. Maj. Samuel Schmidt the sergeant major of 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. "He was essentially a catalyst in changing the tide of the battle."

Though his actions are looked at as heroic by some, Jones was a bit more humble in describing his actions following an awards ceremony on Camp Schwab on April 2 where Lt. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer, III Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general, pinned on his Silver Star.

"We were just taking care of business," Jones said. "A firefight that big opens your eyes to what war is really like. I wouldn't call myself a hero. The real heroes are the ones that gave their [lives] - and I'm wearing this medal for them."

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM | Comments (9)

April 07, 2009

Total Scum Waste of Air Punks Murder Dog Belonging To Marcus Luttrell American Hero

Marcus Luttrell is the lone survivor. He was part of the SEAL team. It was the biggest battle any SEAL in SEAL history. He was the only survivor. He lost his whole team. He was then taken by Al Qaeda and the Taliban and he was tortured beyond your wildest imagination and there they held him for a while. He's been sick. He still hasn't recovered from all of the things that they did to him and so he just has he's always in for his back and surgery and everything else

On Thursday I believe it was, Wednesday or Thursday about 1:00 a.m., Marcus is a guy who doesn't sleep anymore at night. He sleeps during the daytime. And about 1:00 he happened to be awake and he heard a gunshot. He lives on a ranch with his mother in Texas. He grabs his gun and he goes outside. There he sees, I believe it was four. It may be three but I believe it was four young men 18 to 24 years old, all of them, where they had just shot his dog.

Marcus' dog is named Dasy. Each letter represents D A S Y represents one of the fallen members of his team. It was given to him in recovery to help him through the recovery process. This dog means everything to Marcus. Marcus had his gun and he took it out and he put it right between the eyes of one of the guys. He was standing away from them, pointed right between the eyes. Now, here's a SEAL team member who is wildly, he's just, he is having trouble, man. He is still recovering from his injuries. He had just gotten out of surgery. He's standing there with a gun between the guy's eyes. He doesn't fire. All four and he's just saying, "You killed my dog." They executed his dog. "You killed my dog. Why would you do that?" They run. They get into his car. Marcus gets into his truck, chases them over four counties, finally runs them into a ditch. He calls the Rangers.

The Texas Rangers arrive and these guys, when the Texas Rangers are taking these guys away, Marcus has held them there by a gun. As the Rangers are taking these guys away, they're threatening Marcus' life and saying, "When we get out, we're coming for you next. First it was your dog. It's going to be you next. You don't know who you're messin' with." That's when Marcus kind of snapped just a little bit and said to the Ranger, "Excuse me, ranger, do you know who I am?" He said, "Yes, sir, Mr. Luttrell, I do." He said, "You might want to explain to these punks because I could have killed them 600 different ways and if I wanted to kill you guys after what you would have done what you just did to my dog, I would have pulled you down into my basement and I would have tortured you for days and you wouldn't have died until you begged me for death. So before you start saying you're going to come after me, you better learn who you've just whose dog you just killed."

They get into jail. These four punks have been killing dogs in Marcus' county now for a month, for joys, joy rides and kicks. Tonight Marcus is going to be on television and he's going to tell the story, and I'm showing the pictures of these dirtbags. And I want you to call PETA, I want you to call every activist you know. I want you to hear the story of a hero whose dog was executed. In all of the times that everybody is saying, oh, guns gotta be taken off the streets, you gun nuts. Here's a responsible gun owner that with everything he's gone through, everything that that dog means, these dirtbags come and kill his dog. He could have killed them all. He probably would have enjoyed it, justifiably so and he didn't because he's an American hero. Keep him in your prayers.

One of suspects remains at large — there is a warrant for his arrest.

Have You Seen Michael Edmonds? (Party to shooting of Marcus Luttrell's Dog))

If you have any information about his whereabouts, please call the Texas Rangers in Huntsville, Texas at: (936) 435-0152 and ask for Sgt. Steven Jeter.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Crying as I post this, I hate these people that did this. They are vicious bestial creatures, and all their lives combined, are worth less than the life of the dog they killed.

It is bad enough this hero and his story is virtually ignored by the media,then some punk thugs kill his dog
Marcus is suffering from his wounds and trying to get his life back on track,then something like this happens.
Pure travesty. My heart is breaking for this brave man and his dog.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (10)

April 06, 2009

Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna ~ 25 Years For Shooting Al Qaeda Operative

GOVERNMENT WITHHOLDS EVIDENCE; SOLDIER GOES TO PRISON FOR 25 YEARS FOR SHOOTING AL QAEDA OPERATIVE

1st Lt. Michael C. Behenna, left, and his defense attorney Capt. Tom Clark, right, walk in Camp Speicher, a large U.S. base near Tikrit, north of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Vanessa Gera)

NewsOK

Losses deeply affected Oklahoma serviceman Michael Behenna

Like many young men, Michael Behenna was eager to join the military after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Michael Behenna took over an 18-man platoon about two months before it was sent to Iraq in September 2007, building it into a polished unit, his father said.

Scott and Vicki Behenna said their son, a 2002 Edmond Memorial High School graduate, loves basketball, board games and genealogy.

Michael Behenna’s parents are no strangers to the criminal justice system.

His mother, Vicki, is a veteran federal prosecutor who helped convict Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Father Scott is a retired Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent who works as an FBI intelligence analyst.

But they’ve never seen anything like the events that led to their son’s conviction on murder and assault charges in a military court last month at Fort Campbell, Ky.

Michael Behenna, an Army first lieutenant from Edmond, was accused of executing a suspected terrorist last May in Iraq, but he maintains he acted in self-defense.

A government expert, who was not called as a witness, backed Behenna’s version of events, but that evidence was not provided to his attorneys until after Behenna, 25, was found guilty Feb. 27.

Behenna’s attorneys will appeal his conviction, but he remains in a federal prison in Kansas.

"It looks like we’ve got an innocent man who has been convicted,” attorney Jack Zimmerman said.

Two of the men under his command were killed and two were injured in an April 21 bomb blast. The blast also killed two Iraqis.

Intelligence reports indicated Ali Mansour was a member of an al-Qaida cell in the area. Behenna’s platoon arrested him May 5.

Mansour was released by Army intelligence less than two weeks later, despite reports he had been involved in terrorist activities.

Behenna was ordered to return Mansour to his home, but he chose to question the man himself. He wanted to find out who else was in the terror cell and who was financing it.

Behenna took Mansour and an interpreter into a culvert near an Iraq army checkpoint for his interrogation.

Mansour said he did not know anything about an al-Qaida cell, but Behenna needed one of his answers to be translated. He turned to his interpreter, but a rock flying by his head drew his attention back to Mansour.

Behenna said he shot Mansour in self-defense.

Source:

March 20th , 2009

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — An Army officer testified that he shot and killed an Iraqi detainee because he felt he was in danger.

On March 20th, 2009, 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing a known Al Qaeda operative while serving in Iraq.

1st Lt. Michael Behenna of Edmond is charged with premeditated murder, but testified Thursday he did not intend to kill Ali Mansour Mohammed. He admitted mistakes while he was interrogating the detainee. He said he should not have stripped the man and pointed a gun at him, but he was trying to scare him into giving information. Behenna said he looked away and then saw Mohammed moving his hands toward the gun.

Edmond soldier Michael Behenna may get fewer years

March 21, 2009

A military judge in Kentucky refused Friday to order a mistrial in the case of an Edmond soldier found guilty of murdering an Iraqi detainee.

First Lt. Michael Behenna had testified at trial that he shot Ali Mansour Mohammed twice last May in self-defense during an interrogation.

A military jury last month chose a 25-year sentence for Behenna after convicting him of murder.

“We think the judge erred,” Zimmermann said. “MacDonell’s conclusions will be very useful in his appeal.”

Military law mandates that murder sentences be automatically reviewed in the Army Court of Appeals in Washington.

Below is a brief recap of the relevant aspects of Lt. Behenna’s case.

Military News

September 2007: 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna deployed to Iraq for his first combat experience

April 21, 2008: Lt. Behenna’s platoon was attacked by Al Qaeda operatives. The attack resulted in death of two of Lt. Behenna’s platoon members, two Iraqi citizens, and wounded two additional soldiers under Lt. Behenna’s command.

May 5, 2008: Known terrorist Ali Mansur was detained at his home for suspected involvement in the attack on Lt. Behenna’s platoon

May 16, 2008: Army Intelligence orders the release of Mansur
Lt. Behenna, who lost two members of his platoon just weeks earlier, was ordered to transport Mansur back to his home
Lt. Behenna attempts a final interrogation of Mansur prior to his release
During the interrogation, Behenna is attacked by Mansur and is forced to defend himself. During the altercation, the terrorist is killed.
Lt. Behenna failed to properly report the incident

July 2008: The U.S. Army charges Lt. Behenna with premeditated murder for the death of Al Qaeda operative and terrorist Ali Mansur.

February 23, 2009: Lt. Behenna’s trial begins
Government and defense experts agree on the trajectory of the bullets killing Mansur
Prosecution expert Dr. Herbert MacDonnell initiated contact with defense attorneys explaining his agreement with the testimony of Lt. Behenna and his presentation to prosecutors supporting Lt. Behenna’s version of events.
Dr. MacDonnell is not called to testify in the case
Jack Zimmermann, defense counsel, asks prosecutors if they have any exculpatory evidence that should be provided to the defense (referring to Dr. MacDonnell’s demonstration). Prosecutors deny having any such evidence.
Prosecutors withholding of this evidence allowed them to argue that Lt. Behenna executed Ali Mansur while seated when the forensic experts, including Dr. MacDonnell, agree that Ali was standing with his arms outstretched when shot

Lt. Behenna is convicted of unpremeditated murder and assault.

Dr. MacDonnell contacts prosecution requesting that the information provided in his demonstration be given to the defense.
Prosecutors provide such information after a verdict was rendered, but prior to sentencing.
At the request of the presiding judge, Dr. MacDonnell provides his information to the court via telephone
The judge orders both sides in the case to file briefs relating to a possible mistrial
After reading the briefs the judge set an additional hearing and ordered additional briefs, including one from the defense requesting a new trial.

On March 20, the judge denied defense motions to declare a mistrial and to order a new trial
Lt. Behenna’s attorneys are appealing the verdict
Lt. Behenna is currently serving a 25-year sentence

Wild Thing's comment.......

This angers me so much, if our troops are going to have to worry about being prosecuted for every shot fired, every move they make it is only going to put them in more danger then they already are. God forbid we should abuse the civil rights of terrorists, sheesh!

Of course had the terrorist shot our kid, it would have been perfectly acceptable and the ACLU would have rushed to his defense. There is something radically wrong in this nation. The question is how long the American people will “shrug!” Dear God help people to wake up in this nation.

Our troops are being sacrificed by the scumbag politicians to garner favor with our enemies. May hell be full of corrupt, treasonous politicians.

There is a website for Michael to show support for him and this travesty of justice that has happened.

Defend Michael

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:50 AM | Comments (12)

April 02, 2009

Obama Milks Military to Offset Domestic Spending

Obama Milks Military to Offset Domestic Spending

Human Events

Obama's strategy for obtaining deep cuts in Pentagon weapons buying has emerged: squeeze the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to pick up more war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan, forcing them to forego new planes, ships and vehicles.

Obama's 2010 budget outline now being debated in Congress provides $130 billion to fund the two wars. But that is $11 billion less than this year at a time when 17,000 new troops are moving to Afghanistan and when savings from a phased withdrawal from Iraq are unclear.

Added to this scenario is the fact that 2010 will be the last year of a separate war budget, or supplemental, as it is known. So the four branches will have to absorb even more war costs in the so-called "out years."

An analysis by Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee reveals the four military branches will be forced to make up a $141 billion shortfall over two years. The White House needs to milk the military to help offset soaring domestic spending that will create trillion-dollar annual deficits.

The crunch can only have one result: deep cuts in programs. It is why Defense Secretary Robert Gates is now engaged in intense negotiations with the top brass on the 2010 budget before he unveils the carnage.

"They are really setting the stage to drop the hammer in 2011 and 2012," said James Jay Carafano, a military analyst at the Heritage Foundation. "And at the same time what they're trying to do is basically come up with the rhetoric to just disguise this as just good government."

The military will eventually suffer combat readiness problems as it did under Democratic presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, who both inflicted deep wounds in defense spending.

Carafano told HUMAN EVENTS that as the bills for Afghanistan mount, the Obama plan is to shift the cost to the basic defense budget, and not go to Congress for supplemental funds.

"This will accelerate the process of undercutting military readiness," he said. "It's kind of insidious rot. If we have eight years of this, by the time the next administration comes up, the military will just be on its back. Or there will be a new war in the meantime, and you'll see it in casualties and other problems."

Internal Senate Republican documents obtained by HUMAN EVENTS projects Obama will shortchange defense by $1.3 trillion over 10 years because it will fall well below the 4 percent of gross domestic product coveted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Obama's 2010 base defense budget -- that is the spending level absent programs in other departments -- is $534 billion. That is a 4% increase over 2009, but includes war spending not in previous budgets. It is $26 billion below 4% of GDP, according to the Senate analysis.

Gates' task is so sensitive he has placed a gag order on virtually every senior person inside the Pentagon. Leak any details and you risk the wrath of Gates, who already has fired his Joint Chiefs chairman (Peter Pace) and his Air Force chief (T. Michael Moseley).

The budget shrinking comes at a particularly bad time. The services need to replace equipment worn out by the war on terror. Gag order or not, to get the kind of reductions Gates or Obama seek, the services will have to cough up cherished projects such as the Air Force's F-22 Raptor, the Army's battlefield Future Combat System and the Navy's destroyers and frigates.

A defense official told HUMAN EVENTS that Gates is looking at reducing the Navy's carrier battle groups from 11 to 10, meaning he could then reduce production of aircraft carriers and other combat ships. The Air Force wants 243 F-22s, but likely will get something in the range of 187 to 203. Gates' staff is also targeting the Air Force's new combat search and rescue helicopter and may decide to cancel the CSAR-X. And, in another blow to the Air Force, Gates may further delay buying a new aerial refueling jet.

Gates' budget exercise is so all-consuming he cancelled a planned NATO trip. His spokesman will not say when all this pending decision-making will result in a 2010 budget to Capitol Hill.

"There is a lot here, and it wouldn't surprise me if it took some additional time," said Geoff Morrell.

The projected cuts are already having an effect on U.S. military posture. Obama plans deep reductions in missile defense spending. Her may cancel George W. Bush's plan to put ground-launchers in Eastern Europe to thwart an attack by Iran.

Gates told Fox News Sunday the Pentagon will not try to shoot down a North Korean missile that the communist regime says will put a communications satellite in space. Military analysts say the launch is a smoke screen for developing a long-range missile that could hit its neighbors or the U.S.

How can you cut missile defense if the world sees how well it works against renegade North Korea?

Wild Thing's comment........

If he can demolish our military, his beloved Muslin terrorists will win. Someday, Americans are going to look back on this time and say, “what the hell were these people thinking?” But, by then, it will either be too late for the Republic, or massive deaths from the new civil war within and the attacks from the communist on the outside. We have plenty of communist running loose in this country now.

We fought the communist for over 60 years. Now, we have voted them in. Americans who lived and died for freedom from communism, must be sitting in Heaven and wondering what the hell is wrong with those stupid people down there. The Founding Fathers have simply shaken their heads and acknowledged that America has lost its mind.

If this nation’s military is crippled, then, in Obama's view, it can do no harm overseas. That it may be incapable of defending the nation is of no consequence.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (14)

Maj. Alan Brown Amputee Pilot Completes Third Deployment

Maj. Alan Brown, 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, is a amputee C-130 pilot deployed from the 187th Air Lift Squadron, Wyoming Air National Guard, Cheyenne, Wyo. Major Brown had lost his leg in a hunting accident 10 years ago, before the accident had been flying for five years. It took Major Brown seven years to regain his flying qualifications but before he could get back into the cockpit, he had to do a testimonial flight to make sure he was not a liability. He is finishing up his third deployment since the accident.

Amputee Pilot Completes Third Deployment

Story by Maj. Carie Parker

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

What sets Maj. Alan Brown apart from other Airmen in the gym at Bagram Air Field's Camp Cunningham isn't his workout routine, it's his right leg.

"When people see me in shorts at the gym there's definitely a pattern," said the 42-year-old mobility pilot of Pine Bluffs, Wyo. "They glance at my eyes, look down at my leg and then look back at my eyes. It happens every time."

He's deployed from the 187th Airlift Squadron, Wyoming Air National Guard, Cheyenne, Wyo., as part of Bagram's 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron.

Major Brown accidentally shot his leg in a hunting accident more than 10 years ago. After four weeks in a drug-induced coma and three weeks of grueling rehabilitation he was released as an above-the-knee amputee. His family made the decision to amputate after several attempts to restore blood flow to the leg failed. That decision saved his life.

"My body was shutting down and they made the tough decision to amputate not knowing how I would react," the major said.

Once he woke up, remembering the accident, his eyes were drawn to his leg. He asked the obvious question, "I lost my leg right?" Then he asked if his then girlfriend (now wife) Gina was still around. His third question provided his family some kind of relief, "What can I do to fly again?"

The answer to the last question had already been researched while the major was in his coma. Knowing how passionate Alan was about flying, squadron mates had done some homework to find out exactly how he could fly again. Upon hearing his question, they shared with him the names of two civilian amputee pilots who had successfully returned to the cockpit following similar procedures.

Despite recommendations from medical professionals, Alan left the crutches and wheelchair behind, focusing on being back to normal. He never looked back.

"Attitude is everything, either you're going to let an injury like this ruin your life or you resume your life," Major Brown said.

Thanks to his co-workers he returned to work just nine weeks after the accident. He's found if he's willing to give everything he has toward a goal, people are willing to give everything they have to assist. One of those goals was getting back in the cockpit of the C-130, reestablishing himself as just another pilot.

"I had invested a lot of time and energy into becoming a pilot," he said. "I wasn't about to walk away from the only career I had known."

First, Alan had to prove he should stay in the National Guard. Once he convinced leadership he was dedicated to the mission, the next step was to convince them he could deploy. Which he's done--his current deployment is his third since he regained his worldwide qualification in 2005.

In the meantime, a well-meaning co-worker offered him a handicapped parking spot so he wouldn't have to walk so far to work.

"I laughed, thanked her and explained that I wasn't handicapped," he said. "It totally went against everything I was trying to achieve. In my mind I couldn't be handicapped and convince people I was able to fly a plane."

His last and most challenging task was to assure anyone who would listen that he wouldn't be a liability as a pilot. He had to prove this with a testimonial from a flight doctor that he could perform as a two-legged pilot.

Before the accident he'd flown for almost five years. From start to finish it took another seven years to get back in the saddle with the military. His dedication to the mission helped motivate him toward getting requalified.

"In my mind I need to be deployed with my buddies. We've been training and flying together for years. It's not an option to stay home while they're here taking on the mission," the major said. "Flying is in my blood. It's what I do. And besides, I believe in what we're doing in Afghanistan."

He admits flying is different with a prosthetic.

"As a pilot, using your feet is second nature," he said. "I just had to learn how to operate in a different way after the accident."

The deployed environment does present one significant challenge to the pilot.

"The gravel is rough," he laughed. "I haven't fallen yet but I can tell you that I know where every paved surface is on the base."

His prosthetic leg is slightly shorter than his remaining leg--to ensure he doesn't drag his foot on the ground--and has a hydraulic knee--to aid with stabilization--but it's much less maneuverable than his own leg.

That lack of flexibility limits him at the gym with weight training and cardiovascular activity. He discovered he can ride the stationary bike with the help of a custom strap crafted by the unit's life support crew.

"Just about every day someone approaches me to ask what happened," he said. "People aren't sure if I'm sensitive about it. But once I let them know that I'm not offended and explain what happened, everything is fine."

The one thing the major is reluctant to talk about is how he's helped others in his situation. He takes every opportunity to encourage other amputees there is life after a lost limb.

"This isn't about me and what I've accomplished. I made a big mistake. There's no one to blame for this but me and I don't want to stand out," Major Brown said. "Being comfortable with my situation gives me a chance to answer questions other amputees may have on what they'll face."

On a recent trip to Walter Reed hospital in Washington, D.C., he visited many veterans facing the future without a limb.

"I just wanted to answer any questions they had," he said. "Coming home and not knowing what the future holds can be overwhelming."

He emphasized how impressive it is that the military has taken a wider approach with amputees in light of the recent increase in those losing limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He also understands the importance of friends and family when facing difficulty.

"Everyone faces challenges but having the right mindset and the right people to support you makes the difference," said the major, who expects to be back home by the end of the month. "I'm the most fortunate guy around, not only do I get to fly, but I am surrounded by great people who have supported me and have now accepted me as just another pilot. That's all I've ever wanted."

Wild Thing's comment..........

God bless Maj. Alan Brown. I love the human spirit when it is allowed to live it can do so much and is a real driving force. We see this so much with our wounded troops, and our disabled Veterans. I have tremendous respect for all of them. Yes some are able to do more then others once they heal, but even so all of them have such an amazing soul of love of life and not giving up. Heroes ALL!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:44 AM | Comments (6)

March 30, 2009

Spring Training and the Wounded Marines

From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank you enough for providing the Marines an opportunity to come to spring training games again. Everything was perfect. The games, the dinner, the camaraderie, the fans, everything. However, I need to tell you about what happened during the White Sox/Dodgers game that will remain with me for a very long time.

On Sunday, during the 5th inning at Glendale Stadium, the address announcer introduced the Marines. Then they started playing the Marine Corps Hymn and all of the injured Marines stood up to attention. We had seats in the section directly behind home plate, so the Marines were very visible. Then the crowd all stood up and gave the Marines a standing ovation. (Kind of like what happens during Sunday home game at PETCO park with the Marines in the upper deck).

For these Marines, it was emotional for them to be publicly recognized.

Then, when we all left the game in the 7th inning to get back to the airport, the injured Marines had to walk up, directly behind home plate, about 75 stairs to leave. Of course, it took awhile because several had canes and even more could not walk fast because the guys with the canes were at the head of the line.

As they filed up the stairs out of the stadium, in a single file line, spontaneously the crowd again all stood up and gave the Marines a standing ovation until the very last one reached the top of the stairs. Had to take 3-4 minutes. It was loud. It was crazy. The players on the field were even clapping. It was truly a proud moment for me. When the Marines got to the top of the stairs, several were crying. It was very, very emotional. Emotional for them, for me, for the crowd.

On the plane, I started asking myself, why was this trip so fantastic? Here's what I came up with: When the Marines got injured, they were immediately brought back to the hospital for care and treatment. While still in the hospital, those that had warranted the Purple Heart medal were given a very nice, but private ceremony with their immediate family present. Most often a General will come in and congratulate them for a job well done. Then they go through months of therapy.

Never have they been thanked by the public. To be taken out of the hospital, out of rehab and told thanks by the very same people they are fighting for, it is truly overwhelming for them. To watch them hobble up those stairs, with 12,000 to 15,000 people cheering for them and then them having tears streaming down their cheeks, it made me very proud. I want you to know, that you made it possible for them to receive the recognition that they deserve. You should be very proud for what you are doing for our military and especially, my fellow Marines.

Source

* Blackfive

The above email is from Rich W. and Jim P. who helped get 17 wounded Marines out to Phoenix for Spring Training. Rich and Jim are former Marines and are, not surprisingly, always faithful. The USAF gave them vans to transport the wounded Marines.

So who was the email of thanks directed to?

It was sent to the man who personally paid for airfare and hotels for the 17 wounded Marines. His name is Barry Zito of the San Francisco Giants.

And Barry Zito has done a lot for our troops in the past. He created the charity Strikeouts for Troops, to which he donates $400 for every strikeout he throws. The charity benefits hospitals for soldiers wounded in military operations.

Barry Zito email address if you would like to email him.

Wild Thing's comment..........

This is so wonderful, it brought tears reading it. I love stories like this, our troops deserve things like this to happen as often as possible.

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:48 AM | Comments (3)

To All Democrats From The Marines!

Wild Thing's comment.......

God bless the Marines and all our troops in all the branches of service.

The person that had this video at YouTube also had some great quotes when I clicked on their profile page, I wanted to share them with you.

"This is a party. The Republican Party is a party for FREE men, not for blind followers, and not for conformists."
--Barry Goldwater--

"The good lord raised the mighty Republic to be a home for the brave and to flourish as the land of the free -- not to stagnate in the swampland of collectivism, not to cringe before the bullying of communism."
--Barry Goldwater

"We Republicans seek a government that attends to its inherent responsibilities of maintaining a stable monetary and fiscal climate, encouraging a free and a competitive economy and enforcing law and order. Thus do we seek inventiveness, diversity, and creative difference within a stable order, for we Republicans define government's role where needed at many many levels-- preferably, though, one of the closest to the people involved."
--Barry Goldwater

"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again."
--Ronald Reagan

"The house we hope to build is not for my generation but for yours. It is your future that matters. And I hope that when you are my age, you will be able to say as I have been able to say: we lived in freedom. We lived lives that were a statement not an apology."
--Ronald Reagan...February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004

......Thank you SSGT Steve

SSgt Steve
1st MarDiv, H Co., 2nd Bn, 5th Marine Regiment
2/5 Marines, Motto: "Retreat, Hell"
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:42 AM | Comments (2)

March 29, 2009

Outstanding Airmen of the Year SrA Polly-Jan Bobseine

Senior Airman Polly-Jan Bobseine is a Security Forces Journeyman assigned to the 823d Security Forces Squadron as a Fire Team Member, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.

She is 21 years old. Airman Bobseine was born in Chadwick Bay, New York, on 21 October 1984. She was
home schooled and graduated in June 2000.

She competed in state and regional High-Power Rifle shooting, achieved New York State’s 2000 Junior Trap Champion title, taught skiing, snowboarding, and lettered in Swimming. After graduating high school, Airman Bobseine moved to Wyoming where she was employed as a horse wrangler until relocating to Tennessee to
train horses professionally before enlisting in the United States Air Force, leaving in March 2003 for Lackland
Air Force Base, Texas for basic training.

Upon graduation, she volunteered for a special duty assignment to the 823d Security Forces Squadron,
Moody AFB, Georgia, arriving in August 2003.

Since serving in the unit, Airman Bobseine has completed:

Army Airborne Training
Air Force Physical Fitness Leadership School
Army Combat Lifesaver Training

Airman Bobseine was recently selected as the 2005 Air Combat Command Outstanding Flight Level Airman
of the Year.

She is an active member of the National Cancer Research Organization and volunteer children’s swimming
instructor.

Airman Bobseine’s military awards include:

the Air Force Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters
Meritorious Unit Award
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Rifle and Pistol.)

She is currently pursuing her private pilot license and enrolled in Park University, working towards an Associates degree in Criminal Justice.

Wild Thing's comment...........

Our country is so blessed for the wonderful Americans that serve in our military. I wish so much we could thank each one in person.

Thank you Senior Airman Polly-Jan Bobseine for your love for our country and for all you have done.

....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.

Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (8)

March 28, 2009

Artilleryman Follows Brother Into Military Service

Pfc. Ottis Harris' team fires the 9,900 pound M-777 Howitzer Artillery Cannon at Forward Operating Base Bostick, March 17. Harris is an artilleryman with Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 321th Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Fires Brigade (Airborne), from Fort Bragg, N.C.

Members of Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 321th Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Fires Brigade (Airborne), fire the 9,900 lbs M-777 Howitzer Artillery Cannon at Forward Operating Base Bostick, March 17.

Artilleryman Follows Brother Into Military Service

Story by Sgt. Matthew Moeller

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

Army Pfc. Ottis Harris loves his job.

“I get to blow stuff up all day,” the artilleryman joked.

A member of Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Fires Brigade, Harris’ time at Forward Operating Base Bostick in Afghanistan has taught him much more than just how to send rounds downrange.

Harris always dreamed of being a Soldier.

“I always wanted to join the Army,” the 27-year-old Arkansas native said. “I guess me being the youngest, my mom wanted to keep me away from it.”

It was Harris’ brother Fredrick, who eventually inspired him to pursue his dream 11 months ago.

One of the first Marines to enter Iraq in 2003, Fredrick, a 10-year veteran of the Corps, was medically retired after an explosion from a rocket propelled grenade caused a severe back injury.

“I guess just by me being so close to him, that I’m doing this for him,” Harris said thoughtfully.

Now Harris is a member of a team responsible for firing the 9,900 pound M-777 Howitzer Artillery Cannon.

“I’m the guy who puts the powder in, so it’s kind of an easy job,” Harris said, about firing 105 pound rounds up to 18 miles. “I want to learn more about being a [section] chief, that way when we get back, I can show the new guys what I have learned.”

Harris’ hard work has not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

“Truth is,” Harris’ section chief, Army Staff Sgt. Jean Gabard said, laughing, “he is one of the cockiest Soldiers I have ever had, but in a good way.”

“Once anything comes up, you’ll see him start going at [it], and it spreads throughout the whole section,” Gabard added. “He’s contagious.”

Harris has learned a lot since arriving in Afghanistan last January.

“It’s so different from back home,” Harris said. “You have good running water there, enough food there, then you come here, and you see that they don’t have any of that, and you kind of feel sorry for them.”

“We’re trying to make it better for them,” he added. “Not just shooting downrange at targets, but to let them know that while we’re here, we’re going to protect them.”

Although Afghanistan can be tough, Harris feels he can always turn to his teammates, whom he described as “like no others.”

“I used to have a problem talking to people about anything,” Harris said seriously. “But knowing that you got guys to your left and your right that will come up and ask, and actually care about you, and want to know how things are going back home, and with you, and you can be honest with them, that means everything.”

According to Harris, the Army has given him a lot, and he hopes to give some back, “I definitely want to do 20 years,” he said.

While in the Army, Harris plans to pursue a degree in business management, once again following in his brother Fredrick’s footsteps, who now owns several successful businesses.

Pfc. Ottis Harris really does love his job.

“You don’t find too many people who wake up and put on this uniform, and can actually say that they serve their country,” he said. “For me it’s a blessing, knowing that people depend on you to help them when they’re in need of help, it makes you stick your chest out a little bit further.”

Wild Thing's comment...........

giggle I love this guys attitude and how he loves to blow things up. heh heh

God bless Army Pfc. Ottis Harris.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (4)

March 25, 2009

National Medal of Honor Day

America’s Ignorance of Her Heroes

by W. Thomas Smith, Jr

Townhall

During a recent commercial flight from Jacksonville (Fla.) to Baltimore, a flight attendant offered free drink coupons to any of the 150 passengers who could name just one of the five Medal of Honor recipients from the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Awkward moments of silence followed until one man, Navy veteran Dale Shelton of Annapolis, Maryland, spoke up and named Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith.

Shelton was correct: Smith received the award posthumously in 2005 for his actions during the April 2003 battle for Baghdad airport.

No other passenger was able to name a recipient.

The flight attendant then asked the passengers to name an American Idol winner. “The cabin lit up like a pinball machine as 43 passengers scrambled to push their attendant call button,” according to a piece by the American Forces Press Service. “Passengers named various Idol winners.”

The flight attendant then announced there would not be any free drink coupons for that answer, adding that naming an American Idol winner was not worth a drink.

Good for the flight attendant. Shame on the passengers and what their ignorance says about our greater society

For the record, the other four Medal of Honor recipients – all of whom, like Smith, received the award posthumously for post-9/11 actions – are Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham (for actions in April 2004), Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy (June 2005), Navy SEAL Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor (Sept. 2006), and Army Spc. Ross McGinnis (Dec. 2006).

Which brings us to our recognition this week of National Medal of Honor Day, the significance of the award, and the necessity of honoring the heroes who wear it.

In 2007, Congress designated Mar. 25 (of each year) as National Medal of Honor Day: The date coinciding with the same date in 1863 when Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton presented six Union Army soldiers with the first-ever Medals of Honor.

More than 3,400 Medals of Honor have since been awarded up through the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Standards for receiving the award have stiffened to the point that most nominees today are killed in the action for which they are deemed worthy of the Medal. And every recipient of the Medal since the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 has earned the decoration posthumously.

The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for battlefield heroism. To receive it (no one wins it) the recipient’s gallantry in combat must be such that it is considered beyond that warranting a lesser-ranking – though also astronomically esteemed – decoration for valor like the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, or the Air Force Cross.

Today there are only 98 living recipients of the Medal of Honor (out of a nation of 306-million people). The oldest living recipient is nearly 100. The youngest is 58. And since Mar. 25, 2007 – the first designated “National Medal of Honor Day” – 13 recipients have died.

Each year, the Medal of Honor Society holds a national convention for its living recipients and supporters (It will be held in Charleston, S.C. – my homestate and the Society’s hometown – in 2010.). But according to Society bylaws, when the number of living recipients drops to 25, the Society will disband.

So we’re losing these great men – and rapidly – and we will soon lose the Society. “So what?” the American Idol fans on the aforementioned commercial flight might wonder.

My response would be – and as I’ve often said – far too many of us assume America wins all of its wars because we have resources and technological superiority: and those things count to be sure. But it is our military prowess that wins battles. Military tradition is the lifeblood of that prowess and our living recipients of the Medal of Honor are the greatest living pillars of that tradition which in turn fuels the prowess.

We need our recipients. We need to recognize them and expand our national awareness of who they are and what the Medal itself represents. For as Pres. Abraham Lincoln said, “Any nation that does not honor its heroes, will not long endure.”

Col. Robert Howard

As one of America's most decorated soldiers, Col. Robert Howard served five tours in Vietnam and is the only soldier in our nation's history to be nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor three times for three separate actions within a 13-month period.

During Vietnam, he served in the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and spent most of his five tours in the Special Operations Group, which ran classified cross-border operations into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. These men carried out some of the most daring and dangerous missions ever conducted by the U.S. military.

Wounded 14 times in 54 months of combat duty in Vietnam, Robert Howard was awarded the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, The Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and eight Purple Hearts.

National Medal of Honor Day 2009

By Col. Robert Howard (U.S. Army, Retired), Special to Stars and Stripes

When I joined the military in 1956, I was like many young men my age who enlisted; I wanted to protect the ideals of this country and also build a career. Little did I know that my experiences would lead to a Medal of Honor, and how poignant those lessons would be even now — 53 years later — during our current national hardship.

Just after Christmas in 1968, I was on a mission to rescue a missing American soldier in enemy controlled Vietnam. We had just left the landing zone when we were attacked and many of us critically wounded, including me. For the next three and half hours, I had one choice: to lay and wait, or keep fighting for my men.

If I waited, I gambled that things would get better while I did nothing. If I kept fighting, no matter how painful, I could stack the odds that recovery for my men and a safe exodus was achievable.

On National Medal of Honor Day (March 25) — an annual tribute that I and other recipients humbly appreciate — I encourage Americans to recognize that in untenable situations, selfless people make the difference.

The Medal of Honor has been awarded only 3,448 times since the Civil War, and I’m reminded regularly by my fellow recipients (only 98 are living today) that extraordinary things can be accomplished by ordinary people from all parts of America.

Hard times ask us to put a greater good before our own interests. It is sometimes physically or emotionally painful. Yet throughout history, you will find common men and women who fought selflessly in a variety of ways for something so much larger than just their own benefit.

Today, we’re fighting terrorism and the spread of tyranny. We’re challenged by market upheaval, joblessness and perhaps hunger. But the human spirit is resilient and can withstand more than sometimes we are able to immediately comprehend.

It’s up to each of us to not lay and wait for better days, but instead look for opportunities to make the lives of those around us better. National Medal of Honor Day is not a celebration. It is a solemn time to reflect on the freedom we enjoy, its price, and how our own bravery can improve the world around us.

Wild Thing's comment........

I humbly thank you all for serving our country.

"A nation that does not honor it's heros, will not long endure." ~President Abraham Lincoln

....Thank you Ben.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (14)

March 24, 2009

GI Earns Silver Star for Enemy Charge

Army News Service

BAMBERG, Germany

Staff Sgt. Lincoln V. Dockery said he didn't even see the grenade that sent shrapnel into his right forearm while charging insurgent fighters in Afghanistan's Korengal valley, Nov. 16, 2007.

"Someone yelled out, and I looked up and saw it coming. My hand went up and a hot, sharp feeling went through," he said.

Dockery, a combat engineer then assigned to a route clearance patrol with Company A of the 173rd Airborne Brigade's Special Troops Battalion, said he decided the injury wasn't major, and continued his charge up a hill into enemy fire and earning a Silver Star for valor. The medal and a Purple Heart were awarded here, March 11.

"I don't want to think about what would have happened had he not been there," said Capt. William Cromie, Dockery's platoon leader that day in Afghanistan. "It would have been a completely different day. While described in the infantry field manual, and taught at every schoolhouse in our career, if asked to charge into an enemy, uphill and within hand grenade range, most people only know yes as a book answer."

Dockery said the description of the mission for which the patrol departed from Forward Operating Base Asadabad in Kunar Province that day sounded like the description of their mission for any other day: "Out looking for bombs."

"My only concern was for the guys who worked under me," the 25-year-old Runnemede, N.J., native stated.

His concern became reality when the lead vehicle on the mission, a Husky mine-detecting vehicle, activated an improvised explosive device. Rocket-propelled grenades immediately started hitting the damaged vehicle and it became clear the convoy was in the middle of an ambush.

"Across [a nearby river] we could see RPGs and small-arms fire coming at us," Dockery said. "But when I looked over to the right, I could see that RPGs were hitting our side of the vehicle."

Dockery determined that another enemy fire team was hidden much closer, and that a quick decision had to be made.

"I realized the enemy was actually 20 meters from our position," he said. "If we didn't assault the hill they were attacking from, they would have taken us out. They couldn't miss with their weapons they were so close."

Dockery said his first move was to investigate the lead vehicle's driver, Pfc. Amador Magana, who could have been seriously injured or killed by the IED blast.

"I could see RPGs and rounds impacting all over the vehicle, and the front windshield was about to cave in from all the (AK-47) bullets," Dockery said.

Sneaking around from the other side and climbing up the back tire, he knocked on the window and saw that Magana was barely conscious, but not wounded. Magana managed to give a thumbs-up, he said, and soon stood up, manned his M-249 machine gun and returned fire on the enemy.

Dockery said he then made his decision to storm the hill.

The sergeant began making his way up the hill with one of his Soldiers, Spc. Corey Taylor, as their team members provided support from the convoy.

During the charge Dockery was injured, but he kept going, through hand grenade exchanges and incoming RPGs.

"The shrapnel didn't really hurt initially. We also had to dig shrapnel out of Taylor's leg later," he said.

The pair low-crawled the rest of the way up, watching bullets kick up rocks and dirt all around them, then pushed the enemy back from their position and found the IED command detonator and wire.

Indirect fire, air strikes and other close air support was called in later to deal with about 30 fleeing fighters, but Dockery's assault kept everyone else from the patrol alive.

"Hopefully anybody would have done the same thing I did that day," Dockery said, downplaying his role in the event.

Cromie, who was awarded a Silver Star July 12, 2008 for his own actions in Afghanistan that day, sees it differently. He said Dockey was nothing less than a hero.

Before the mission, Cromie had put Dockery in charge of his own squad and made him a patrol leader for the eight months the unit performed route clearance operations.

"I had an insurmountable amount of trust in him," Cromie said. "He was the most combat proven NCO in the platoon."

A brand new officer at the time, Cromie said having such a competent NCO was amazing, and that he will measure every one he works with up to Dockery.

"He's the best at what he does," the captain said.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:40 AM | Comments (5)

March 22, 2009

Military Demands Details On Soldiers' Private Guns

Military demands details on soldiers' private guns

wnd

Fort Campbell command reversed under pressure

A military commander at Fort Campbell in Kentucky demanded his soldiers give him the registration numbers of any guns they own privately and then reveal where they are stored.

The order was stopped, according to base officials, when it was discovered the commander was not "acting within his authority."

The original order was issued on the letterhead of Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment and said effective March 11, any soldier with a "privately owned weapon" was required to submit the information, along with any information about any concealed carry permit the soldier may have, and what state issued the permit.

Further, the rule warned, "If any soldier comes into possession of a Privately Owned Weapon following the effective date of this memorandum, he is required to inform the Chain of Command of the above information."

One soldier who objected to the demands circulated the memo, commenting that he lives off post.

"It just seems a little coincidental to me that within 90 days the most anti-firearm president in history is inaugurated, some of the nastiest anti-firearm laws are put on the table in Washington, and then the Army comes around wanting what amounts to a registration on all firearms, even if they are off post, and doesn't provide any reason or purpose as to why," the soldier said.

Base spokeswoman Cathy Gramling told WND the letter apparently was a mistake. She said the base requires anyone bringing a privately owned weapon onto the installation to register it.

"As a response to a number of negligent discharges of privately owned weapons, the command decided to explore how to implement a training program for soldiers with privately owned weapons. Their goal is to identify soldiers with firearms and provide additional safety training to them, much like our motorcycle and driver safety classes," she said.

"Our soldiers train and operate in combat with M-4 carbines and various other military weapons, but not all who purchase their own weapons are properly trained to handle them. Determining which soldiers possess weapons will allow the command to identify the soldiers who may require additional training on them," she said.

Gramling said the memo was "from a subordinate unit commander who, at the time, believed he was acting within his authority." She said requiring the information was halted when it was discovered the commander was not within his authority.

The process has been suspended pending a full review, she said.

"This is not an effort to infringe on soldiers' rights to own firearms," Gramling told WND.

Mistake or not, the commander's order comes on the heels of a Department of Defense policy that limited the supply of ammunition available to the private gun owners by requiring destruction of fired military cartridge brass.

That policy already had been implemented and had taken a bite out of the nation's stressed ammunition supply before it was reversed this week.

Wild Thing's comment........

"Our soldiers train and operate in combat with M-4 carbines and various other military weapons, but not all who purchase their own weapons are properly trained to handle them. Determining which soldiers possess weapons will allow the command to identify the soldiers who may require additional training on them," she said.

This is the oddest statement !

Ft. Campbell is home of the Screaming Eagles, 101st Airborne Division - these are all combat soldiers. This is an infantry division and every one of them knows guns and gun safety like a pilot knows the plane or a sailor knows the seas.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (10)

ll Marine Expeditionary Force

As the sun sets, a collection of seven-ton trucks, Humvees, and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles from Truck Company, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group (Forward) sit inside the Truck Company vehicle lot aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, March 11, 2009, moments before the unit launches a combat logistics convoy into the Al Anbar province. In an attempt to cut down on traffic and minimize interference with the Iraqi population's daily lives, Multi-National Force-West runs most of its convoys at night.

Iraq's Midnight Express

ll Marine Expeditionary Force

AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq

Corporal Sean Northcutt is a terrible singer.

Sitting behind the wheel of a 7-ton truck bouncing down the highways, roads and dirt paths of Iraq’s Al Anbar province, the 23-year-old Marine belts out renditions of country and western songs that would make a dog howl in agony.

However off-key, stilted and painful those songs may be to those sitting in the cab beside him, Northcutt’s raw tunes have one benefit – they keep him awake and alive. As a motor transport operator with Truck Company, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group (Forward), his singing is a defensive mechanism that allows him to cope with the dangers of driving long distances over Iraqi roadways in the dead of night.

Since Truck Company’s arrival in January, their fleet of Humvees, 7-ton trucks, and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles have logged thousands of miles ferrying supplies and personnel throughout the Multi-National Force - West area of operations under the cover of darkness.

“We run all of our convoys at night,” said Warrant Officer Ceylon Williams, platoon commander for Truck Company’s first platoon. “This way we have less impact on the Iraqi people’s daily routine.”

In years past, coalition military convoys were a dominant feature on Iraq’s roadways. Cpl. William Coash, a II MHG (Fwd) motor transport operator, recalls that during his first tour to Iraq, when the level of violence in Iraq was at its peak, all local traffic had to pull off to the side of the road and the drivers and passengers had to exit their vehicles as coalition forces passed. This demonstration of lack of hostile intent has gone by the wayside as insurgent activity and attacks have dropped to an all-time low and peace has begun to settle over Iraq.

“Now we share the roadways with the locals,” added Coash, “because the situation has changed, we conduct ourselves a lot differently.”

Chief among these changes was essentially giving Iraqi roads back to the Iraqis, but this change does not come without danger to the Marines of Truck Company.

That is where Northcutt’s singing comes in. It’s a personal safeguard he has created that helps him combat the boredom inherent with driving long distances at night past seemingly unchanging terrain. Although the threat of insurgent activity, albeit significantly reduced, still looms in Iraq, it is complacency that most threatens Northcutt and his fellow motor transport operators.

“It’s sometimes hard to stay awake,” Northcutt commented as he weaved through the tight streets of Hit, a town in the Al Anbar province with an estimated population of 150,000. “You do what you have to do to stay alert.”

Sitting in the sometimes-stifling truck cabs wearing 40 pounds of body armor and equipment, without a radio to listen to and scenery less than scenic, the drivers pass the miles chatting with their vehicle commanders or gunners, singing to themselves, and chugging energy drinks and water.

“That’s where another unit’s 18-wheeler rolled over a few weeks ago,” said Northcutt, pointing out a small roadside depression along Route Bronze, a main supply route linking the far-flung coalition outposts scattered throughout the Al Anbar province. “Other than one improvised explosive device attack a month ago that didn’t hurt anybody, we’ve been lucky and nothing’s happened to us on these runs.”

Luck has far less to do with it than the vigilance and training of the Truck Company Marines, whose exhaustive pre-mission briefs and roadway caution have kept them safe. During the convoys, which can stretch up to eight hours depending on road conditions and traffic, the platoon’s radios are abuzz with frequent radio checks, updates on driving situations, possible threats, and the location of checkpoints and local drivers and pedestrians.

One of the greatest dangers to the drivers is the presence of children. Hearing the trucks thunder down the road toward their villages, children as young as eight or nine will flock to the roadside regardless of the lateness of the hour to wave at the passing trucks and gesture for snacks, water, or their most sought-after commodity – ink pens. In the past, some of the more daring youngsters, knowing where the vehicles must slow to navigate tight corners or roadway hazards, would hide in the shadows and dart toward the moving vehicles to try to snag a bottle of water or Meals Ready-to-Eat the trucks normally carried in racks lining the side of their vehicles. To combat this dangerous practice, the motor transport Marines have removed the temptation and begun to carry their food and water in racks higher in the vehicles and thus out of reach of prying hands.

Despite this precaution, and the slower transit of populated areas, Northcutt and his fellow drivers maintain close contact with their gunners, who in their elevated turret positions have a slightly better vantage point to warn against children, or other ne’er-do-wells who try to use the darkness to get in close to the passing trucks and Humvees.

Although operating exclusively at night presents its own problems, Williams and his Marines in 1st Platoon welcome the challenge and the signal it sends to the Iraqi people.

"By operating at night we are giving the roads back to the Iraqis," Williams added. "It reduces the U.S.’s visible footprint and actually helps both sides by having less traffic and personnel on the roadway at the same time."

“The convoys keep us busy so the time goes by quick,” said Lance Cpl. Robert Thomas, another II MHG (Fwd) motor transport operator. “It’s a great learning experience and I’m seeing a lot of different things.”

Although, the overnight trips throw a kink in the motor transport Marines’ daily schedules, forcing them to sleep when others are awake and eat breakfast for dinner, few want anything more than to be able to get ‘outside the wire’ and do their jobs. In doing so, Thomas’ view of the Iraqi countryside will be shrouded by darkness and Northcutt will continue to bludgeon country music.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (2)

Torres the Gunner

Sgt. Daniell Torres, a member of the 304th Civil Affairs Brigade headquarters company, mounts an 84-pound M2 Browning .50 caliber barrel to the turret of a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle, at Camp Slayer, Iraq. Torres is the only female gunner in the companies convoy security team

Torres the Gunner

“Cause she walk like a boss. Talk like a boss. Moves like a boss. Kinda woman that can do for herself.”

These lyrics from Ne-Yo’s song “Miss Independent” portray her perfectly. Standing at almost six-feet tall with broad shoulders, hair pulled tightly back into a bun, eyes veering intensely over her glasses, she demands respect as she hoists the 84-pound monster-of-a-gun up through the turret of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle in preparation for the day’s mission.

She is humble about her strength and intimidating ability, as it is not every day in Iraq one might see a female lugging around a .50 caliber machine gun, let alone harnessed in as the gunner.

“I like being up there. I feel like I am contributing more than if I were in the back,” said 22-year-old Army Reserve Soldier, Sgt. Danielle Torres.

Torres, a civil affairs specialist working in the operations and intelligence section with the 304th Civil Affairs Brigade headquarters company from Philadelphia, is the only female gunner in their convoy security team.

“I chose her because she is strong, capable and does not flinch under pressure,” said Maj. Betty S. Cummiskey, 304th CA BDE HHC commander.

The 304th CA Bde. was activated in April 2008 and deployed to Iraq in support of the XVIII Airborne Corps. The 304th CA Bde. headquarters company is responsible for supporting all of the brigades efforts while in theater, including providing tactical movements for brigade assets and the brigade commander.

The convoy security team is a collaboration of Soldiers from the HHC platoons. Over the course of their deployment the team has made a variety of missions all throughout the country, as far north as Tirkrit; some 90 miles north of Baghdad and 110 miles south to Diwaniya.

Not just any Soldier can carry the responsibility of being a gunner for a tactical vehicle, said Sgt. 1st Class Daniel MacDonald, Torres’ non-commissioned officer in charge.

First, one must qualify on the M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun; then be able to pickup it up, carry it, hoist and mount it onto the turret.

The second and most important element of being a gunner is not only possessing the knowledge of what the varying degrees of escalation-of-force are, but being able to react quickly to any situation.

Sgt. Orlando R. Cheatham, assistant operations sergeant and lead convoy security team driver, said on a previous deployment his unit was ambushed and he had a female gunner who stayed calm and focused.

“Torres has good judgment, and if she doesn’t know something she’s not afraid to ask,” Cheatham said.

There is not much Torres is afraid of. She said she has had an “I can do it too” attitude for as long as she can remember. In the fifth grade, she joined her school’s football team, where she played defensive end. It was the first time in more than 15 years a girl had signed up for the team and her coach was accepting, Torres said.

“I held my own and I think I earned the respect of the other guys,” Torres said.

Like the challenge of playing football with her male counterparts, the military culture, also a predominately male world, appealed to Torres. In 2004 during her senior year of high school she decided to join the Army Reserve as a Civil Affairs specialist.

“I didn't go to college right away because I was undecided on what I was going to do,” Torres said. “Joining the Army [Reserve] gave me an option on both and enabled me to feel like I was doing something more with my life.”

Eventually Torres would like to join a civilian police department. But in the mean time, back in her native town of Galloway, N.J., she is a corrections officer at a county jail. Two years ago she took the civil service exam and sent it out to different departments.

“Corrections was the first to go through and I was very excited about it,” Torres said.

Without question, the experience she has gained from working at the jail has given her valuable skills she has been able to employ in her military career.

“As reserve Civil Affairs Soldiers and officers, we would not be able to do our job if it were not for the wealth of knowledge they offer from their civilian education and careers,” MacDonald said. “It is what makes us different from the active duty.”

MacDonald is a captain in the Philadelphia Police Department and said much of his military and civilian training goes hand in hand. He said he has been able to share his knowledge and expertise from his past deployments and from the police department with his Soldiers.

“I taught Torres everything I know,” MacDonald joked.

Torres recognizes she is the minority in her civilian and military career fields, but it does not stop her from following her dreams. In fact, it drives and motivates her to work that much harder to prove she is capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. Being almost six-feet tall is an advantage. But Torres said even if she were only five feet she would find a way to still be the gunner.

“If you can do the job; if you are physically and mentally strong then it doesn’t matter what your sex is,” MacDonald said.

MacDonald admits he was a bit hesitant when he learned Torres would be joining his convoy security team, but he quickly learned she was willing to learn and competent.

“She’s a squared away Soldier and I push her real hard to be the best she can be,” he said.

On March 1, Torres achieved another personal goal and was promoted from specialist to sergeant during a company ceremony.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:44 AM | Comments (4)

March 21, 2009

A Victory for Marine LtCol Chessani

Marine LtCol Chessani

Today, the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals issued their ruling that the dismissal charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani won't be re-instated. Here's TMLC's official statement on the NMCCCA ruling:

March 18, 2009

Murtha Must Go Website

A Victory for Marine LtCol Chessani

ANN ARBOR, MI – Late this morning, the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals sitting in Washington DC, released their unanimous decision upholding the dismissal of charges against Marine Lt. Col Jeffrey Chessani on the grounds of apparent Unlawful Command Influence. But the case may not be over yet.
For the last four years, LtCol Chessani has been investigated and prosecuted for his involvement in the so called “Haditha Massacre”, a massacre that never happened. A 22-year veteran, Chessani has served three tours of duty in Iraq. He served in the First Persian Gulf War and in Panama. At the time of the November 19, 2005 Haditha incident, he was the Battalion Commander of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (“The Thundering Third”), one of the most decorated units in the history of the Marine Corps.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, observed, “LtCol Chessani, one of the most effective combat commanders we had in Iraq, was made political scapegoat by the civilians in the Pentagon to appease the antiwar politicians and a liberal media. In fact, we now know that the story of the ‘massacre’ that prompted the Haditha prosecutions was a headline in a Time news article instigated by insurgent propaganda operatives.”

Continued Thompson, “This nation has come to the point where we can’t call terrorists captured on the battlefield ‘enemy combatants.’ We release the terrorists out of Guantanamo and prosecute the military our country placed in harms’ way to defend us.”

Robert Muise, an attorney with the Law Center, a national public interest law firm, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, argued the case on behalf of LtCol Chessani. The Law Center has been defending LtCol Chessani throughout his prosecution alongside his detailed Marine lawyers, LtCol John Shelburne and Captain Jeff King. Captain Kyle Kilian, a Marine appellate defense lawyer, also assisted in the appeal.

LtCol Chessani is the highest ranking officer facing criminal charges as a result of the much-publicized and ill-described “Haditha massacre.” The criminal charges against him stem from a legitimate combat action taken by four enlisted Marines in his command after they were ambushed by insurgents in Haditha, Iraq, on November 19, 2005. Their actions resulted in the deaths of several ambushing insurgents.

Unfortunately and tragically, several civilians were also killed in the house-clearing operation.

Even though LtCol Chessani wasn’t present during the incident, he was criminally charged with failing to launch a full investigation into the incident. If convicted, he faces 2 ½ years imprisonment, dismissal from the Corps, and loss of all of his retirement pay.

The essential holding of the military appellate court was as follows: “We are convinced the Government failed to meet its burden of demonstrating, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the proceedings were untainted by the appearance of UCI (Unlawful Command Influence).

We are similarly convinced that an objective, disinterested observer, fully informed of all the facts and circumstances, would harbor significant doubt about the fairness of this proceeding.”

Rep. John Murtha's accusations have now been proven to be false. Among Rep. Murtha's accusations was that the Haditha Marines had "killed innocent civilians in cold blood" because they "cracked under the pressure" of war. We now know that they didn't kill innocent civilians in cold blood because charges against these Marines have been dropped.

Another of Rep. Murtha's accusations was that the Marine officers, supposedly including Lt. Col. Chessani, covered the incident up. The NMCCCA upheld the dismissal of charges against Lt. Col. Chessani.

Sending our the Marines......Marines requesting everyone to sign the Petition. ( this is the same petition in my other post about Murtha and his award. ) In case you missed it the Petition link is below. Thank you

Wild Thing's comment........

So Lt. Chessani gets legally persecuted and raked over the coals for being a faithful, brave Marine while ex-Marine corrupt Murtha made false accusations against Chessani.

"released their unanimous decision upholding the dismissal of charges against Marine Lt. Col Jeffrey Chessani on the grounds of apparent Unlawful Command Influence. "

OUTSTANDING!! A unanimous decision and very much deserved.

When Murtha checks out I hope ole Chesty Puller is there to send this piece of sh!t to the gates of hell.Thank God for the UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS!

......Thank you SSGT Steve

SSgt Steve
1st MarDiv, H Co., 2nd Bn, 5th Marine Regiment
2/5 Marines, Motto: "Retreat, Hell"
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (5)

March 13, 2009

30th Heavy Brigade ~ "Old Hickory"

A 150 ARS gun truck crew fires a MK19, belt fed, 40mm grenade launcher

Col. Gregory A. Lusk and Personal Security Detail member, Staff Sgt. Charles A. Smith

The 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team of North Carolina’s Army National Guard made history when it deployed to Iraq in 2004 as the first National Guard brigade committed to combat operations in the Global War on Terror.

Old Hickory was also the first National Guard brigade committed to combat since World War II.

While in Iraq, Soldiers captured insurgents, began rebuilding Iraq’s infrastructure and began establishing security for the people of Iraq. As the war continued and the surge of 2007 occurred, progress began to take hold in Iraq. Iraq is now a more stable nation with a functioning government and security forces that can stand and fight in partnership with Coalition Forces. In January, Iraq held its first provincial elections.

The time has come for the 30th to return to Iraq.

In a recent interview, Col. Gregory A. Lusk, the 30th Brigade Commander, shared his thoughts on our 2009 deployment.

Here’s what he had to say:

"There are striking similarities and stark contrasts with this deployment as I see it.

Protecting Iraqi citizens and providing security will remain our primary mission. Through civil security, all other aspects of Iraqi life will be enabled. Security will enable economic growth, which creates much needed jobs. Security enables the continued growth of sound governance which links the Government of Iraq to its citizens.

The stark difference exists in our methodology of providing civil security. We will provide this through and in direct partnership with the Iraqi Security Forces (Police and Army).

During our 2004 deployment we executed many operations unilaterally as there was a minimal capability in the then infant Iraq Security Forces.

Having just returned from a visit to Iraq, it is impressive to note the increased professional capabilities the Iraqi Police and Army. With this increased capability we now have the opportunity to conduct all operations in a combined role, partnering with the Iraqi forces to further their ability to provide and maintain security for their citizens on behalf of the Government of Iraq. Iraqis are designing and executing the plans, which puts us in a partnership. We are there to assist with Iraqi Forces while remaining alert and prepared to fight is not easy, but he also emphasized the benefit of having brigade of Citizen Soldiers to do the job.

“We are asking our Soldiers to serve in partnership with Iraqi Security Forces, to be approachable and fair to the Iraqi people, and at the same time we expect our Soldiers to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice,” Lusk said. “But one thing we have in this brigade is a civil maturity, in that we inherently know how to act with our neighbors. This is a talent that we recognize and will leverage in our mission.”

In the upcoming deployment, we must be ready to fight in order to assist in the defeat of insurgents and terrorists. This is why warrior task training is so crucial.

The situation in Iraq today has greatly improved from what it was in 2004 or even 2007, but the potential for violence is a present and constant threat. This deployment will be about supporting the Iraqi government’s efforts in providing for its people. We will work with the Iraqi Security Forces, in combined operations, in partnership.

This deployment will be about ensuring that the progress made to date endures, and about ensuring that the sacrifices and hard work of our Warfighters has not been in vain. It will be about an Iraq that does not harbor terrorists that would do our families and neighbors harm.

This deployment is about winning and maintaining peace for Iraq.

Public Affairs Guidance for dealing with the media from "Old Hickory’s" first deployment to Iraq.

• Always check media ID and credentials. If none, contact 30th Brigade PAO, Maj. Al Hunt.
• Never discuss troop locations and current or future plans.
• Everything you say is always on the RECORD with the media.
• Only discuss what you know and never speculate. Stay in your lane. If you do not know, say you do not know. NEVER lie to the media.
• Notify chain of command of media presence
• Be prepared by knowing three things you can say about yourself and three things you can say about your job.
• If you don’t want to, you do not have speak, grant interviews or answer a reporter’s questions, but always be polite.

Remember, if we do not tell the story, the media will be forced to write it on their own. We can be proud of what we are doing and the sacrifices our families are making. Let the world know that you are making a stand and what you are willing to defend.
~ Maj. Al Hunt

The HEAT trainer is used to teach soldiers how protect themselves during a vehicle roll-over, and how to best exit the vehicle once it has come to a stop.

Taking heat
Camp Shelby, Miss. - Spc. Ariana Higgins of B Co., 30th STB, takes a spin in the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer.
(1) The HEAT trainer begins to roll-over.
(2) Higgins braces herself in the upside down simulator and (3) exits the trainer.

Wild Thing's comment.......

God bless these men and keep them safe.

I loved what Maj. Al Hunt said about the media.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (5)

March 10, 2009

Inspired by Attack Helicopters

Talk about 'road rage'! Just what a motorcyclist needs for riding on I-95. Designed as an equalizer. Each GE mini gun fires at a rate of 3000 rounds per minute (6000 total).

During initial test and evaluation it was demonstrated that a single 2 second burst burst would blow a 40 foot RV with tow car clean off the road leaving an open and unobstructed route ahead. It will vaporize an SUV in seconds!

Tests further indicated that after two or three RV's/SUV's in a row were eliminated, others voluntarily pulled off the road and thus became a "non threat".

Wild Thing's comment..........

I would love to see this going down the road. giggle... they really put a lot into it.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM | Comments (6)

Paratroopers, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

First Sgt. Nagim Abud Kanbar (center), 2nd Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, talks with Russia, Ohio, native, 1st Lt. Chris Timmerman (right), of the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, through a translator during a combined patrol in the Dora Market area of Baghdad on March 3.

A young Iraqi boy stands and salutes Spc. Todd Bair of the1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, during a combined patrol in the Dora Market area, Baghdad, on March 3.

Russia, Ohio native 1st Lt. Chris Timmerman (right), 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, identifies a building in the distance with the assistance of his translator. Timmerman and his Soldiers received a report of a possible improvised explosive device that was found outside of a nearby residence and arrived on the scene to conduct a combined investigation of the report with officers of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, Baghdad, March 4.

Paratroopers on the Ground in East Rashid

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

Story by Sgt. Daniel Nichols

There’s no need to worry about this area, there’s paratroopers on the ground,” said Lt. Col. Dave Bair, of Fairfax, Va., commander, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi National Division - Baghdad, speaking of the East Rashid district where he and his troops work every day conducting security patrols and participating in civil affairs efforts to help the people and the local economy.

The increasing capacity of the Iraqi security forces enables one coalition brigade combat team to operate across an area that previously saw the presence of four BCTs.

The Doura Market, a thriving marketplace filled to the brim with a variety of shops selling everything from bread and fruit, to clothes and music, holds a central focus for the paratroopers.

They have worked consistently with small business owners here to improve the economy and increase the good relationship between the citizens of East Rashid and Coalition forces.

For the Fort Bragg, N.C.,-based Soldiers, the current level of security and safety is an encouraging sign for both the citizens living in the East Rashid area, and themselves.

“When you’re not getting shot at and there’s not firefights going on, that’s a good thing,” said 1st Lt. Chris Timmerman, of Russia, Ohio, a platoon leader for Company C, 1st Bn., 505th Parachute Inf. Regt. “It says something about the units that were there before you and the progression you’ve made between what it was like during the last go around and what it’s like now.”

Although the Soldiers are the primary coalition force in the area, officers from the 7th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division are the lead element in the security of the area.

“I’ve seen the national police generally lead while we follow and support,” said Timmerman. “We’re trying to convey to them that they’re the ones in charge, and we’re here to provide the support if they need it.”

“In the past we’ve been conducting a lot of combined patrols with the national police,” said 1st Lt. Michael Telford, of Cincinnati, Ohio, 3rd platoon leader for Company C, 1st Bn., 505th Parachute Inf. Regt.

“The ISF are very strong,” said Telford. “They’re confident, and talking to the guys [in my unit] who were here last time … the ISF are a lot more confident now than they were before.”

Communication and building a working relationship between the 1st Bn., 505th Parachute Inf. Regt. and NP forces, has constantly progressed since the paratroopers arrived on the ground a few months ago.

“Since we’ve been working with them on a daily basis we’ve developed a really good rapport with them,” said Timmerman. “The benefit of getting to know them really comes out when it comes time for operations. They’re much more open with us on things like, ‘Hey we’re going to do this cordon and search,’ or ‘We have a lead on an IED that was found last week,’ and they’ll share a lot of that [information] with us at the company level as opposed to us waiting for their brigade or battalion to send that information to our battalion and then send it down to us.”

Wild Thing's comment.......

I wish so much the media would tell these stories. One of the things the left will not face about war is that it takes time to do the countless things our troops have done. Wars are not a weekend event or some fast speed DSL on a person's computer.

When I see a child saluting our troops, people showing how glad they are our troops have been there these are things that did not just happen over night. It is huge and one of the countless things our troops have had an impact on.

The media imo is guilty of aiding the enemy when they don't show things like this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:44 AM | Comments (4)

March 09, 2009

Checking In With Our Troops

Army Spc. Jose DeLeon displays his American pride as he mans a .50 caliber machine gun, on a UH-60 Black Hawk, during a mission in Afghanistan. DeLeon is attached to Company G with the 7th Battalion, 101st Airborne Division stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky.

New Roads to Open Up Eastern Afghanistan Province

Semi-trucks hauling goods to eastern Afghanistan travel along the narrow and dangerous "K-G Pass" that works its way through steep mountains and connects the Khowst and Paktia provinces.

A $100 million, 62-mile improved road, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, is slated to start construction through the pass this summer.

Many of the locals have never seen a road come to their village. Most use dry "wadis," or creek beds, to traverse the rugged landscape. The roads are, PRT leaders said, a dream come true. Many locals are so eager, they are willing to allow the walls of their "qalats," which are mud and straw fortresses, to be torn down to make room for the roads, Kreuzberger said.

Also opening up the province, a $100 million, 62-mile road is being built from nearby Khowst City to Gardez City, linking the Khowst and Paktia provinces. Work has started at both ends. But before it is finished, it must cut through the treacherous "K-G Pass," a narrow road that winds along the steep mountainside at elevations above 7,000 feet.

Making it more difficult, the road is hotly contested by insurgent fighters who don't want the link between the two provinces.

The road projects serve a dual benefit, Kreuzberger said. They develop the infrastructure, but also put local people to work boosting the local economies and helping with security.

"We're paying them instead of the Taliban paying them," Kreuzberger said.

Speed is of the essence for the road projects. Locals become skeptical if they hear a road is coming, but no work starts. They are not patient with large road projects that can take a couple of years from conception to completion.

"One thing we've found in this culture is there is no tomorrow. They live for today," Kreuzberger said. "And if they don't see something happening, then they don't think it's happening."

Improved roads also bring a safety benefit. Paved roads make it more difficult to emplace bombs, Kreuzberger said.

Right now, locals who drive the "jingle trucks," -- highly decorated semitrucks full of goods -- risk their lives and loads as they travel the rough highways. They are heavy enough to set off the pressure-plate activated bombs, popular in the region.

"Improvised explosive devices don't discriminate," Kreuzberger said.

The road crews and their equipment often are targets of enemy fighters. Building a road takes expensive equipment that is costly to fuel and hard to protect. Many contractors build security into the contracts as they bid on the work.

The insurgency has a vested interest in stopping the development, Kreuzberger said.

"You keep locals back in the stone ages and they don't know any better," he said of the insurgent grip on many remote villages. "If you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose."

Wild Thing's comment.........

This story about the road in the mountains that connects the Khowst and Paktia provinces made me think of the road QL 9 from Khe Sanh to Dong Ha in Vietnam. Not that I am comparing the two, just something about it made me think of QL9.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (2)

March 07, 2009

In Country With Our Warriors

Lt. Col. Sam Hayes (left), of Newport, Pa., commander of 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Pennsylvania National Guard, meets with Soldiers from his battalion as they prepare for a patrol Feb. 24.

The Lewistown, Pa. based unit officially began its mission Feb. 21, after taking over from members of the 2nd BCT, 25th Infantry DIvision.

Speaking with Hayes, from left to right are; Sgt. Robert King, of Uniontown, Pa., Spc. Corey McNamara, of Las Vegas, Nev., Spc. Larry Magee, of Clearville, Pa., and Pvt. Matthew Leiphart, of Red Lion, Pa. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Doug Roles, 56th SBCT, 28th Inf. Div., MND-B)

Keystone state Soldiers settle into mission
Sgt. Doug Roles
56th SBCT PAO

BAGHDAD

Several days into the official start of his unit’s mission in Iraq, the commander of an Army National Guard
battalion from central Pennsylvania says a partnership is already being developed between his Soldiers and Iraqi Security Forces.

“Morale is as high as it’s ever been. We’re excited about the mission. The partnership with the Iraqis is a good partnership.” said Lt. Col. Sam Hayes, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division—Baghdad.

The battalion officially began its Iraq mission with a Feb. 21 Transfer of Authority ceremony. Soldiers of the Lewistown, Pa. based unit took over responsibility to assist Iraqi Security Forces with securing the area of Abu Ghuraib, north of Baghdad. A two-week transition period preceded the TOA. During that time the battalion’s
Soldiers worked side by side with the departing Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, based out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Hayes said the transition period included meetings with Iraqi military leaders.

“We meet on a very regular basis, at least two or three times a week. We do have security concerns, like we always do, but there’s also a lot of economic and government opportunities that we both share an interest in developing.”

Sgt. Robert King, Uniontown, Pa., a dismounted infantry team leader, credited the Hawaii-based Soldiers with helping his unit prepare for the TOA.

“It was done expeditiously. They were right on and were candid with their responses to our questions,” King said. Pvt. Matthew Leiphart, Red Lion, Pa., echoed King’s comments. Leiphart, who enlisted 18 months ago, said he looks forward to the rest of the deployment.

“We’ve been training to do this mission and now we actually get to do what we’ve been training to do.”

Thunder Horse Battalion troops and other personnel at COB Adder toast a beer to each other during the Pittsburgh Steeler’s 27-23 Super Bowl victory over the Arizona Cardinals at the Coalition South Dining Facility Feb. 2. The Super Bowl marked the first time personnel stationed in Iraq were allowed to drink alcoholic beverages. Soldiers were not allowed to consume any beer if they were scheduled for any type of duty within six hours, but the Long Knife Brigade held a late work call to aid in the Soldiers’ relaxation and enjoyment of the Super Bowl.

Ridge Runners

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jared Tomberlin, left, and an interpreter pull security on top of a mountain ridge during a reconnaissance mission near Forward Operating Base Lane in Zabul province, Afghanistan, Feb. 28, 2009. Tomberlin is assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment.
U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Adam Mancini

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (10)

March 05, 2009

Apache Takes Out Insurgent and Other News of Our Awesome Troops

Apache Takes Out Insurgent With A hellfire Missile In Iraq "Insurgent Body Flying 20ft Away"

AH-64 Takes Out Insurgent With A Hellfire Missile In Iraq.

Second Video telling about our Troops in the snow

Man's Best Friend, a Soldier's 'battle Buddy'

Story by Spc. Phillip Adam Turner

Air Force Staff Sgt. Joel Townsend and his partner, Sgt. 1st Class A-Taq, a two year-old Belgian Malinois, have racked up numerous mission hours during their 13 months in Iraq. Townsend says A-Taq provides an invaluable service to the Soldiers he works alongside in patrols, many of them owing their lives to A-Taq and other heroic military working dogs serving overseas.

Two year-old Belgian Malinois, Sgt. 1st Class A-Taq, a military working dog assigned to the Stryker K-9 unit, 1st Cavalry Division, Multi-National Division — Baghdad, does bite work during attack drills at the Victory Base Camp Military Working Dog compound Feb. 22. With nearly 1,200 pounds of pressure per square inch, his bite is one of the most effective forms of subduing armed enemy personnel.

BAGHDAD, Iraq

Soldiers trust their battle buddies to have their backs in any situation. Regardless of the danger, it is a bond of war; a closeness that is rarely verbal, just understood through a simple nod or pat on the back.

We see, or want to see, examples of emotional bonding throughout nature; humans are generally pack animals. We find comfort in others and therefore seek out our kind. Proof of this can be seen every day in Iraq between military working dogs and the Soldiers they patrol alongside on a daily basis.

These highly trained and proficient canines and their military handlers perform to the highest standards in some of the most dangerous of situations.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Joel Townsend, and his partner, Sgt. 1st Class A-Taq, a two year old Belgian Malinois, are a military working dog team assigned to the K-9 Stryker Unit, 1st Cavalry Division, Multi-National Division — Baghdad. During their 13 months of working together in Iraq, they measure success by finding enemy improvised explosive devices, weapon caches, and in some cases, the enemy themselves.

“A-Taq is very proficient in explosive detection and attack work,” said the Still Water, Minn., native. “For him, it’s not because he is vicious or malicious; it’s fun for these dogs. It is their mission. Finding a bomb or a bad guy, that’s his reward and [A-Taq] is very good at what he does. I know he will never hesitate, every time we go out the wire I put my life in his paws, and so far we’ve been doing all right.”

Classified on paper as a sensitive item worth more than $80,000, Townsend treats his four legged partner much differently than just another piece of government equipment.

“I sweep him every morning for scratches and bumps, anything out of the ordinary that could keep us out of the fight. We do [physical training] together every morning and we train everyday just keeping him proficient in his tasks,” Townsend said.

“We do have those times when he knows it’s OK for him to be a dog. He knows how I feel about him, and he shows me as well. It’s more than just a working relationship.”

Just watching these animals in action, it doesn’t take long to realize how specialized and difficult their training must be. Dogs like A-Taq receive and perform commands with clock-like precision for nothing more than a positive word or a pat on the back.

Military working dogs are trained to overcome typical dog “behavior,” explained Townsend. When passing by the entry to a dark building, most dogs will tuck their tail and turn away. A military dog is trained to enter that building, as the handler’s eyes and ears, to recon and alert his partner to whatever is inside.

“It’s not just the training,” explains Townsend. “These guys are a little nuts to begin with.”

This ignites a barrage of long, wet tongue kisses from A-Taq — his form of approval for the joke.

However, just getting to the training was the first hurdle.

After joining the Air Force as a security force officer, Townsend said he spent three years as a “decoy” just trying to get in the dog handler program. While waiting from approval by his chain of command, he did whatever he could to be involved in the military working dog program. From cleaning kennels to “catching dogs,” a reference for being on the receiving end of bite training, Townsend paid his dues and earned his opportunity to join this elite team.

Now, as a full time handler Townsend continues to evolve with an ever expanding training regiment; from calling basic commands to how to correctly maneuver his companion safely in and out of vehicles and down crowded streets.

All military handlers are required to attend the Military Working Dog Program Academy at the Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, Ariz., prior to deploying. The program is the closest and most realistic deployment training experience for these dogs and their Soldier/Airmen counterparts.

“They simulate downrange so well, you and the dog feel like you are in Iraq,” remembers Townsend. “Pressure plate IEDs, buried weapons caches, one-five-five rounds, the villages, it is exactly what you are going to see over here. We are living together, working together, learning together … the training prepared us both for coming here. It’s an indescribable confidence that A-Taq and I gained.”

It is this confidence that reinforces the training once these teams step outside the wire. The dog’s attitude is a direct reflection of the handler’s explains Townsend.

“Everything I feel is transferred right down the leash. He knows when I am anxious, uneasy, excited, or upset; he feels that. These guys are the four-legged unsung heroes of this war … the last things you want to do as the handler is throw that off because you may not be having the best of days.”

From their everyday heroics, to the times they spend together as best friends, Townsend is adamant to show all service members that the opportunity to work alongside A-Taq is not just another aimless business relationship. It is an opportunity to trust the Soldier next to you.

“This is hands down the coolest job in the military; we have a bond with these dogs that are as attached to us as we are them. I have gone to war with this dog, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I will go to the end of the world and back again for this dog, and I know he would do the same.”

Wild Thing's comment.......

God bless these heroes and A Tag is also one of our Heroes.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (11)

March 01, 2009

B.Hussein Obama Speaking at Speaking at Camp Lejeune

Community-Organizer-In-Chief

A community organizer now in command of the world’s most powerful military.

Speaking at Camp Lejeune Friday. Feb 27, Obama talks about the success in Iraq which he and the Democratic Party tried to undermine continually. One week ago President Obama also called for 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan to stabilize the situation, yet argued against the same policy in 2007 in Iraq. Obama almost appeared to take credit for the improving situation in Iraq, yet this video shows Barack Obama and Joe Biden in their own words showing how absolutely wrong they have been at every turn and how they can't be trusted on foreign policy.

The Beginning Obama clip is Feb 27, 2009
Bush-January 10, 2007
Biden Senate- April 2007
Obama January 2007
Last, Biden spring 2007

Wild Thing Comment...........

The Marines at Camp Lejeune knowing about Obama's speech on his plans to withdraw combat brigades from Iraq by August 31, 2010 and all troops by the end of 2011. With military spending cuts and military wage freezes, and knowing that he is destroying the republic whose Constitution they have taken an oath to uphold.

The contrast of the enthusiasm the military had for President Bush and this occupant of the White House was stunning. With Obama the fake, they know what he is, and he has already worn out his welcome. Remember when President Bush showed up in Baghdad. They went wild. President Bush spoke from the heart and talked directly to our Military. Obama did his standard......he read his speech from prompters and did not speak from the heart. The Military sees through this phony.

I bet they were trying to figure out which hand holds the knife with which Obama will stab them in the back.

The Marines are men of honor and they take their oaths very seriously, I kid you not. By all accounts, Obama has a hefty dose of contempt for the Constitution, and I kid you not on that also!

The Few, The Proud, The Marines!

The Many, The Vapid, The Obamaniacs!

God bless and protect these courageous patriots our countries warriors. Prayers for our relentlessly brave and devoted military, contractors and their families. It’s all just a canned political teleprompter speech. No personal connection.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (17)

Obama's Phony Pullout

Notice how he just will NOT look at our troops unless he absolutely has too. It is the same when he steps off or on the place, he salutes into the air and does NOT make eye contact with the Marine standing there.

OBAMA'S PHONY PULLOUT

New York Post

By RALPH PETERS

President Obama went to Camp Lejeune. He spoke in front of US Marines, but his real audience was his left-wing campaign supporters.

And his carefully worded speech - its parsing of language worthy of Bill Clinton - may go down in history as his "Mission Accomplished" moment. We'll see who leaves Iraq when.

During last year's presidential campaign, it was evident that Obama wouldn't keep his promises to his leftist base to pull our troops out rapidly.

While he benefited greatly from the troop surge he opposed - which handed him a convalescent Iraq - he's learning that reality trumps rhetoric.

Forcefully delivered, his speech to the Marines served up more waffles than the International House of Pancakes.

Consider his big sound bite: "Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end." What does that mean?

Will the 50,000 troops he intends to leave in Iraq, the trainers and maintainers, be forbidden to defend themselves? Are they just going to hang out? If terrorists or the Iranians skunk us, are we just going to ask for more?

The enemy gets a say, too. The situation on the ground will determine when combat operations end. Obama's just going to call them something else.

In the immortal phrasing of Ol' Bill, it depends on what the meaning of "is" is.

As for Obama's claim that "I have chosen a timeline that will remove our combat brigades over the next 18 months," just watch.

We're not going to leave 50,000 support troops in Iraq without combat units to protect them. We'll just ban the word "brigade" and call our shooters "task forces."

The reality all along has been that Obama can't cut and run.

He began campaigning for a second term on Inauguration Day and he's not going to let himself be blamed for "losing" Iraq.

Meanwhile, he's praying that progress continues in Baghdad.

As for yesterday's boilerplate nonsense that "The end of the war in Iraq will enable a new era of American leadership and engagement in the Middle East," hey, if it does, thank George W. Bush. History has a wicked sense of humor.

Of course, the rhetoric's necessary. Obama had to lecture the Marines to placate the angry extremists who put him in office.

The fundamental purpose of the speech was to hide the 50,000 residual troops in plain sight: "It's OK, see? They're not combat troops." Obama's scared as a naked sheriff at a moonshiners' convention.

He piggybacked on the left's hatred of "Bush's war" in Iraq, but had to show his tough-on-security bones during the campaign.

A strategic novice, he declared Afghanistan the good war. Now it's his. And while Iraq looks increasingly like a success story, Afghanistan's going south. Iraq's the prize, Afghanistan's the booby prize.

Success in Afghanistan's a one-off, while even a half-baked democracy in Iraq changes the Middle East. And Pakistan's the monster under the White House bed. In artilleryman's parlance, Obama's speech to the Marines was all flash, no bang.

He's struggling to appear decisive while carving out maximum wiggle room. And in the modern tradition of Democratic presidents, he just wishes these foreign conflicts would go away. But they won't.

Welcome to reality, Mr. President.

Wild Thing's comment..........

In Obama's speech he never once, NOT ONCE mentioned Victory.

....Thank you Darth for writing this.

Darth
U.S. Airforce
C-5 loadmaster
84-97

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (6)

February 28, 2009

From GITMO "Until the Mission Is Complete"

Navy Rear Adm. Dave Thomas takes time to speak with Joint Task Force Guantanamo troopers during a recent tour of Camp 6, Nov. 25, 2008. Thomas considers his troopers his “main battery” and often expresses his pride in the men and women who support the JTF mission. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detained enemy combatants, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the Global War on Terror. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning for and, on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.

Until the Mission Is Complete

Story by Staff Sgt. Emily Russell

GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA

The decision to close Joint Task Force Guantanamo is no longer just a campaign promise but a reality now that the executive order has been signed. Naturally, JTF troopers are curious to know what the fate of the detention facility and the JTF will be.

“President Obama said the detention facilities will close by the 22nd of January, 2010,” said JTF Commander Navy Rear Adm. David M. Thomas, Jr. “That’s an order, and I, as a military member, understand orders. It’s not a suggestion or a recommendation, it’s an order. I don’t have opinions about them, I perform my duties and the missions that I have in accordance with my orders.”

These words hold true for every trooper. Although we have a new order, our mission remains the same.

“We have to maintain our focus on those missions – the safe and humane, legal and transparent care and custody of these detained enemy combatants, intelligence collection for force protection and support law enforcement in the global war on terrorism and support for the Military Commissions – it’s very important,” Thomas said

According to the JTF commander, the executive order is more significant to the policy makers and legislative and judicial branches in Washington than it is to troopers here in the short and mid-term.

“What the executive order does is direct many folks in Washington to perform an evaluation of JTF Guantanamo within 30 days for compliance with Geneva Convention Common Article Three,” Thomas explained. “[Navy] Adm. [Patrick] Walsh, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, is here with a team of 10 other senior Department of Defense officials evaluating every aspect of JTF Guantanamo. He has 30 days to do it.”

Thomas explained a provision of the executive order which requires the individual evaluation of all the detainees here and the evaluation of all the intelligence and information that the government has collected about the detainees to assess each detainee, with the findings reported back to the president.

“Then, within one year, the closure of the facility,” Thomas added. “We will support those reports and evaluations and of course await a timeline or decisions on the transfer or release of the detainees. But, those decisions will be made in Washington.”

Thomas emphasized that until the last detainee is gone and the last bit of this facility is closed down, Troopers will remain focused on the three missions.

“In the Navy, when we deploy, the most vulnerable time of that deployment isn’t when we’re launching aircraft or engaged in forward activities, it’s that transit back when the deployment is over and all we’re doing is transiting.” Thomas said. “If you let your guard down and you stop focusing on being safe, that’s when accidents are most likely to occur, and you’re likely to lose your edge.

“We are going to run through the finish line with the same focus and dedication that we’ve had all the way through,” he continued. “We’re going to do this right until the last detainee is gone. We’re going to finish strong.”

According to Thomas, the executive order changes nothing in the relationship between JTF and the Naval Station.

“The JTF gets marvelous support from the Naval Station, Navy Region Southeast and the entire Navy chain of command,” he said. “We also get fantastic support from Morale, Welfare and Recreation, as well as support in construction projects and maintenance.”

Thomas is frequently asked about ongoing projects he has in place to refine the conditions of detention operations in the JTF.

“I’m asked, ‘Since we know the facility is going to close, we’re going to stop all this, right?’ The answer is ‘no,’” he said.

Thomas decided, in consultation with his staff, that the right thing to do was to address these issues that would continue to improve the detention facility.

“Whether it’s for 11 months, 11 years or 11 days, those things are still the right thing to do.”

Thomas explained the necessity of moving ahead with the projects and programs that he and his staff plan to refine.

“There’s no timeline on the right thing to do, so I’m going to press ahead with those initiatives,” he stated. “We’re going to finish this correctly, the right way, as our country would expect us to do.”

“Our troopers are my main battery,” Thomas explained, as he expressed his pride in the men and women who support this mission.

“I’m really proud of what we do here,” he said. “Every day I recognize what an important mission this is for our country and how important it is to do it right. I’m grateful to be part of this team.”

Wild Thing's comment.........

Our troops at GITMO know that it is the best place for these prisoners, and they want to complete what they are doing there.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (2)

February 27, 2009

A Great Air Force Poster and Story

This nineteen-year-old ex-cheerleader (now an Air Force Security Forces Sniper) was watching a road that led to a NATO military base when she observed a man digging by the road. She engaged the target (i.e., she shot him). Turned out he was a bomb maker for the Taliban and he was burying an IED that was to be detonated when a US patrol walked by 30 minutes later. It would have certainly killed and wounded several soldiers.

The interesting fact of this story is the shot was measured at 725 yards. She shot him as he was bent over burying the bomb. The shot went through his butt and into the bomb which detonated; he was blown to pieces. The Air Force made a motivational poster of her.

Wild Thing's comment........

God bless our troops. It does onot givei a name, I guess they did not want to give that information. But even so how wonderful.

....Thank you JohnE PFC U.S. Army for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (10)

February 25, 2009

"So Others Might Live In Freedom"....

The successful young attorney who traded his briefcase for a machinegun.
The youngest son of a poor, black family in Louisiana.
She was the dedicated young nurse who treated the wounded on the battlefield.
He was the bright young man who dreamed of flying...and did.
The tenement hoodlum who was told, "Join the Army or go to jail!"
The fair featured little guy who didn't like to fight, but became a Navy Corpsman.
He was the career soldier, an aging father who still answered when duty called.
He was the Japanese boy who enlisted to prove his loyalty to America.
He was the brave young private who jumped on a grenade to save his friends.
The brash young Marine who thought he could win the war by himself...
and almost did!
He was the medevac pilot who would fly through hell to rescue one more wounded man.
The doctor who dedicated his skills to service on the fields of battle.
He is every man and every woman who has loved his or her Nation enough to risk all, and even to sacrifice all, so others might live in Freedom.

Wild Thing's comment..........

This reaches in and touches ones soul, itis beautiful. God bless our troops, and all that have served our country.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (6)

February 24, 2009

"Inside GIMTO" by Retired Army Colonel Gordon Cucullu

Gordon Cucullu, a retired army colonel, was so appalled by these reports that he decided to see for himself. In a series of visits he inspected every corner of the camp and interviewed dozens of personnel, from guards and interrogators to cooks and nurses. The result—coming just as the Obama administration wants to close the facility—is a riveting description of daily life for both prisoners and guards. Cucullu describes the six camps reserved for different levels of compliance, details the treatment of prisoners, and examines their experiences in detail, including the techniques used to interrogate them, the food they eat, their medical care, how they communicate with one another, and the many ingenious ways they contrive to assault and injure their guards.

"If you want to know what has really happened at Guantanamo's detainee facilities and want to avoid the conspiracy whacko rubbish and self-serving lies of those released (while still being made aware of them) then this is the book for you. The author spoke to a wide spectrum of personnel involved in the facility, past and present, and actually VISITED Camp Delta and the now-defunct Camp X-Ray. Learn about the nature of the people who are held there... far from being innocent goatherds at the wrong place at the wrong time these are hardened Islamofascists who simply want to kill or be killed. Their version of Islam is death worship, plain and simple.

Also, the self-serving nature of the legal counsel attempting to secure "rights" for these insurgents and their actual conniving with the prisoners to help them in their despicable cause is also discussed and is very illuminating. Also the fact that al-Qaida actually trains their operatives to lie to the media in order to further goals, facts rarely discussed when statements by released detainees are repeated. Also, the fact that many of these released detainees return to the fight. Incredible.

The short bios of some of the inmates are especially telling, as well as the stories of some of the servicemembers involved in running the facility. If you automatically think the worst of America and its military you won't like this book. If you want to know what it's all really about, you'll love it."

Retired Colonel Discusses How Gitmo Prisoners Have Brutally Attacked Soldiers

I guess the mainstream media conveniently missed these stories. They would rather spew the propaganda that US troops are brutal fascists oppressing the poor Islamic freedom fighters. Liberalism is a dangerous mental disorder and they hide their treason behind the word dissent.

Life at GITMO

Wild Thing's comment.........

God bless our troops! GITMO is the perfect place for these terroriosts. Obama to unleash them into any other prison, or on our streets or at military bases is totally insane.

On LTC Cucullu's web site, InsideGitmo.com, you will find more than 500 supporting sources for his book, a discussion group, ongoing news and commentary about Guantanamo and the detainees, and Gordon's blog. His site is updated daily.

The rino's and the left are trying to spin the word “detaineee” instead of “terrorist” about those still at GITMO.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:50 AM | Comments (10)

February 20, 2009

Astronauts Arrive at Qatar To Visit Troops

U.S. Army Spc. Caroline Truesdale, from Asheville, N.C., Lt. Col. Robert S. Kimbrough, NASA astronaut, and Spc. Christine Wilson, from Lanoka Harbor, N.J., at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Feb. 2. "They make me want to go to space too!" said Army Truesdale, after talking with the team of space travelers. "They said it only takes 8 1/2 minutes to get there - but it'd be the longest 8 1/2 minutes of my life!" Kimbrough was a crew member during the STS-126 space mission in November 2008. He performed two spacewalks during his work on the International Space Station, logging a total of 12 hours and 52 minutes in extravehicular activities. Six STS-126 crew members were visiting service members in the Middle East and Germany, to show support while sharing experiences. The two-week trip is a first for Armed Forces Entertainment.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Jimmy Do, from Anaheim, Calif., meets Navy Capt. Stephen G. Bowden, NASA astronaut, at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Feb. 2. "I just wanted to shake their hands and thank them for coming," said Do. Bowden was a crew member during the STS-126 space mission in November 2008. During his work on the International Space Station, he performed three spacewalks. Six STS-126 crew members were visiting servicemembers in the Middle East and Germany, to show support while sharing experiences.

"I wish I had the time to become an astronaut," said U.S. Army Spc. Andre Reece, from Brooklyn, N.Y., after meeting Lt. Col. Robert S. Kimbrough, NASA astronaut, at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Feb. 2. "As a kid, everyone wants to be one at some point." Kimbrough was a crew member during the STS-126 space mission in November 2008. He performed two spacewalks during his work on the International Space Station, logging a total of 12 hours and 52 minutes in extravehicular activities. Six STS-126 crew members were visiting service members in the Middle East and Germany, to show support while sharing experiences.

Astronauts Arrive at Qatar

By Dustin Senger
Area Support Group - Qatar Public Affairs

CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar

“I am amazed at how down to earth they are!” said U.S. Army Capt. Shawn Reynolds, from Lavergne, Tenn., after meeting six STS-126 space mission crew members at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Feb. 2.

The astronauts were visiting U.S. service members in the Middle East and Germany, to show support while sharing experiences during the crew’s November 2008 space mission. The two-week trip is a first for Armed Forces Entertainment.

“I always dreamed about going to space as a tourist,” said Reynolds. “We’ve had other celebrities here, but astronauts have accomplished something very unique – truly astonishing.”

The six-person team included: Navy Capt. Chris Ferguson, mission commander, Air Force Col. Eric Boe, pilot; Donald Pettit, mission specialist; Navy Capt. Steve Bowen; mission specialist; Navy Capt. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, mission specialist; and Army Lt. Col. Shane Kimbrough, mission specialist.

"Although our jobs are different, we know its tough being away from family and friends – and being far from home,” said Ferguson in a NASA press release on Jan. 22. “As a military family, we know that support and a pat on the back go a long way."

“It’s a very joint environment here, but there is nothing more joint than NASA,” said Air Force Capt. Aubrey Davis, from Woodbury, Minn. “They were concise with explanations and allowed us plenty of time to talk to them. They have an intense mission that takes a lot of preparation.”

“Most of them are in the military, so they can relate to what we go through,” said Army Spc. Christine Wilson, from Lanoka Harbor, N.J. Five of the six visiting crew members are military officers. “Astronauts train at my home station, Fort Bliss. I pulled security for a shuttle landing once.”

“They make me want to go to space too!” said Army Spc. Caroline Truesdale, from Asheville, N.C. “They said it only takes 8 1/2 minutes to get there – but it’d be the longest 8 1/2 minutes of my life!”

“These are my heroes, right here,” said Army Spc. Andre Reece, Brooklyn, N.Y., after meeting the astronauts. “They have actually seen Earth! They told me it’s an amazing view.”

“I wish I had the time to become an astronaut,” said Reece. “As a kid, everyone wants to be one at some point.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (3)

February 19, 2009

In Country With Our Troops in Afghanistan

Army Capt. Paul Roberts, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, commander, gives the night security plan to Army 1st Lt. John Grant, 3rd Platoon leader for A Troop before dark. The scouts had to wait out the night in the location, securing it for transports coming through the area.

Combat Outpost: exclusive film from the Afghan frontlineAs US and the UK forces struggle for a way forward in Afghanistan, John D McHugh's unique film from one of the US military's most dangerous outposts shows just how western forces are losing ground to the Taliban

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO WACTH VIDEO

And there is also this article..........

6-4 Cavalry Scouts Take Tough Mission to Northeast Afghanistan

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

By Army Staff Sgt. David Hopkins
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

Cavalry Scouts of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, along with the Afghan national army, perform regular missions along the unpaved roadways in the Konar province of northeastern Afghanistan.

“We do about 20 to 25 missions a month,” said Army Capt. Paul Roberts, HHT commander, an Altus, Okla., native. “We do Combat Logistics Patrol over watch, night patrols, route recon.”

Recently, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Soldiers conducted a CLP over watch at one of the most frequently attacked locations along the main road running through their area of operations. They were called on to guard a convoy of supply trucks and military vehicles as they passed through the dangerous stretch to transport supplies to out posts in the region.

“CLP over watch missions are the hardest. They require the most combat power and there are a lot of moving parts,” Roberts said.

The location the scouts were watching has been attacked several times over the preceding months, including a large attack on a convoy last October wounding four American service members in a close-range ambush.

During the latest mission, the scouts sat on a plateau along the river where they have a vantage point along the road, while a group of Afghan national army soldiers headed up a mountainside to set up a position with a view from above.

As they scan the road, the valley and the hillsides, they watch cars and trucks, children playing in the small village, goat herders or any other movement for possible threat. They use binoculars, laser range-finders and the naked eye, and they watch and wait for the convoy to come through.

The scouts saw some suspicious signs along the road and on the mountain ridges, but the mission went off without incident. The supplies were delivered and no shots were fired. This is not always the case for the cavalry scouts. They are frequently attacked and have to counterattack. However, the scouts are well trained for such attacks and for the mission, and they are gaining experience with every operation they perform.

“I’m really proud of my guys,” Roberts said. “They’ve been doing exactly what I expect of Cavalry scouts. They are out there all the time doing a tough job.”

The scouts’ leadership has many hopes for the future of their troop, but their main hope is for the Afghan national security forces.

“My biggest hope for the future of the unit is for the ANSF guys,” Roberts said. “My hope is that all the ANSF guys get better and take on more responsibility, extending the face of the government, take the fight to the bad guys. Until then we’ll be there doing our job.”

A Headquarters and Headquarters Troop , 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, humvee sits on a plateau overlooking the route of a Combat Logistics Patrol that is coming their way to deliver supplies to the area. The scouts were there to watch for enemy activity and protect the patrol from attack.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Prayers for our troops and for all those fighting against the terrorists. I am praying too that Obama will see we cannot fight this war without giving our military all they need. He HAS GOT TO realize this and stop with the cut backs.

This is from Military news updates:

There are 38,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan today and about 19,000 other troops from 42 different countries.

The 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team was the most recent reinforcement to Afghanistan. The Fort Drum, N.Y.- based unit has begun operations in Regional Command East.

In addition, the 82nd Airborne Division's Combat Aviation Brigade based at Fort Bragg, N.C., will deploy to Afghanistan later this spring. Aviation assets are needed in the rough terrain of Afghanistan.

Army Gen. David D. McKiernan has asked for another brigade combat team, or its equivalent. McKiernan is the commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (12)

Fort Lewis Stryker Brigade Being Sent to Afghanistan

The deployment of the 5th SBCT marks the first time the Army has sent a Stryker brigade to Afghanistan.

http://www.patriotism.org/presidents_day/

Pursuant to President Obama’s decision today, Secretary Gates ordered the deployment of two additional combat units, totaling more than 12,000 troops, to Afghanistan.

The 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), from Camp Lejeune, N.C., with approximately 8,000 Marines will deploy to Afghanistan in late Spring 2009.

The 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division from Ft. Lewis, Wash., will deploy approximately 4,000 soldiers to Afghanistan in mid-summer 2009. This Stryker Brigade and the MEB will deploy to increase the capabilities of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Approximately 5,000 additional troops to support these combat forces will receive deployment orders at a later date.

Lewis SBCT part of Afghanistan increase

Army Times

Soldiers from the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, of Fort Lewis, Wash., will deploy to Afghanistan this summer as part of an increase in forces there, a senior Army official told Army Times.

The deployment of the 5th SBCT marks the first time the Army has sent a Stryker brigade to Afghanistan. The brigade is the Army’s newest Stryker brigade. Its approximately 4,000 soldiers are training at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.

He declined to say where the 5th SBCT might be stationed once they arrive in Afghanistan.

He did confirm that commanders on the ground in Afghanistan asked specifically for the capabilities of a Stryker brigade.

No decisions have been made about which brigade might backfill the 5th SBCT for its original mission in Iraq, the senior Army official said.

“The reasonable assumption is we’re planning to replace them in Iraq,” he said.

The long-standing requirement of two Stryker brigades in Iraq has not changed, he said. The two SBCTs in Iraq now are the 56th SBCT from the Pennsylvania National Guard and 1st SBCT, 25th Infantry Division, of Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

“There’s going to be some significant … work associated with backfilling [5th SBCT] in Iraq,” the senior Army official said. “With this announcement there’s going to be an increased frequency in deployments for Stryker brigades.”

Other Army units that have been called to boost boots on the ground in Afghanistan are 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, of Fort Drum, N.Y., and the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. The 10th Mountain soldiers are already in Afghanistan and the CAB is expected to deploy in the spring.

Other units, also known as enablers, likely will be sent to Afghanistan to support the combat troops, the senior Army official said. He declined to specify which combat support or combat service support units might be remissioned to Afghanistan.

Army Times has reported that the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve unit from Florida, will deploy to Afghanistan later this month instead of to Kuwait as had been originally planned.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (3)

February 18, 2009

Peterson Air Force Base Obama's Picture Removed After Complaints

Obama's Picture Removed After Complaints

news channel 13

There is also a VIDEO at the link above.

PETERSON AFB

What was only meant to announce store hours at the Peterson Air Force Base Commissary has turned into a racial issue.

Last week, cashiers took down flyers with a picture of President Barack Obama after several customer complaints. According to employees Melissa and LoVonda, the director ordered the photo down when someone said, ‘this wasn't Obama's day, and his picture shouldn't be on a flyer so it should be taken down.'

The two women tell NEWSCHANNEL 13 that when they went to speak with the store director, he wouldn't give them a reason why the flyers were taken down. "I asked if the flyers could be put back up and he said, ‘it's not a big deal and that no, he wouldn't put them back up.'"

Both say hearing that humiliated them and felt there was no discussion about why the flyers were taken down. "I felt like change has come and I really was proud to have a black President and to see these flyers up, it had a great impact," says Melissa.

They were told only one customer complained to managers, but a spokesperson from DeCA, the agency that runs the military commissary, there were several complaints.

According to Nancy O'Nell, the team investigated whether or not Presidents' Day Honors all Commanders in Chiefs or specifically George Washington.

She says when they realized it was for Washington; they took the flyers down and replaced them with new announcements without Obama's picture.

"We don't understand their claims of racism," says O'Nell.

Both Melissa and LaVonda disagree. They feel the flyers were appropriate and are upset that a customer could force this kind of change. "From my understanding, Presidents' day combines both past and future Presidents," says Melissa.

Wild Thing's comment.........

The woman is WRONG! She just wants to make trouble and see her Messiah! I have some words for this _____ and they are not pretty. So I will just say she is STUPID! Melissa & LaVonda need to go back to school.

"Washington's Birthday is the official name designated to what many of us know as Presidents' Day. During the month of February the birthday of two of our greatest President's takes place. Both George Washington who was born on Feb. 22nd and Abraham Lincoln born on Feb. 12th. However, Washington's birthday has been publicly celebrated since he was in office, before Abraham Lincoln was even born. Much of the debate over the name of the holiday springs from the fact that state's can follow their own holidays how they see fit and many of them chose to also honor Lincoln, calling the celebration President's Day. "

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (10)

February 17, 2009

Obama OKs Additional Troops for Afghanistan

Obama approves Afghanistan troop increase

cnn

President Barack Obama has approved a significant troop increase for Afghanistan, Pentagon officials told CNN Tuesday.

The new troop deployment is expected to include 8,000 Marines headquartered from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as well as 4,000 additional Army troops from Fort Lewis, Washington.

"This increase is necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires," Obama said in a written statement.

"The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan, and al Qaeda supports the insurgency and threatens America from its safe-haven along the Pakistani border."

Obama added that the troop increase in Afghanistan would be made possible in part by the impending troop drawdown in Iraq.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said the original mission in Afghanistan was "too broad" and needs to be more "realistic and focused" for the United States to succeed.

"If we set ourselves the objective of creating some sort of central Asian Valhalla over there, we will lose, because nobody in the world has that kind of time, patience and money," Gates said during a recent Senate hearing.

About 38,000 U.S. troops are currently serving in Afghanistan.

From AP news My Way

The new forces represent the first installment on a larger influx of U.S. forces widely expected this year. Obama's decision would get several thousand troops in place in time for the increase in fighting that usually comes with warmer weather and ahead of national elections in August.

The additional forces partly answer a standing request from the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, who has sought as many as 30,000 additional U.S. forces to counter the resurgence of the Taliban militants and protect Afghan civilians.

The new units are a Marine Expeditionary Brigade unit from Camp Lejeune, N.C., and an Army Stryker brigade from Fort Lewis in Washington state.

Wild Thing's comment.........

I put the second write up because the first one made it look like well it was just to kissing up to the freak Obama and he has been begged to send more troops to Afghanistan well not begged but sure as hell requested and he would NOT do it.

How many months or years does it take to respond to a commanders request for surge troops?

I want the credit to credit to go to Gen. David McKiernan where it belongs! God bless our troops and keep them all safe.

Also let us not foget the the ONLY cut made in the stimulus hand out socialist bill was the cut by 10% of our Military budget. What a great leader to cut the budget of our military ......NOT!

Obama who never servered a single day in uniform, Obama who even faked his Selective Service registration.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 PM | Comments (7)

February 15, 2009

Iraqi Insurgents Meet Our Air Force

Total of eight. That guy's armed." "Alright, we clear?" "Clear. Engage" "Firing." Then total annihilation.

Wild Thing's comment.......

I just love happy endings. You know those very touching meet and greet allah moments. heh heh

Ah..durka durka mohammed jihad!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:40 AM | Comments (8)

February 13, 2009

Three Brothers Come Together in Iraq

The Klein brothers, with C Company, 2nd Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment Air Ambulance, stand together in front of a UH-60 ‘Blackhawk’ Jan. 24, aboard al Asad Air Base, Iraq. The three brothers spent four days reunited for the first time since August thanks to an exchange program that gives soldiers the opportunity to work with different units.

Band of Brothers: Three Brothers Come Together in Iraq

By Cpl. Ryan Young
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq – Work may have felt less like endless hours in a helicopter hangar and a little more like time spent back in Iowa for three soldiers who share more than a common hometown.

Two brothers with C Company, 2nd Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment Air Ambulance, which supports Marine Expeditionary Force operations, reunited with their third brother in Iraq, Jan. 19-24, for the first time since August due to a temporary swap of maintenance personnel between two squadrons.

Army 1st Lt. Sheldon Klein, a UH-60 ‘Blackhawk’ pilot and Army Staff Sgt. Travis Klein, a UH-60 crew chief, were surprised when they heard they would get a chance to work alongside their middle brother, Army Sgt. Michael (Shane) Klein, a tactical helicopter repairman with the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade. The reunion was credited to a new exchange program that gives maintenance Soldiers the opportunity to experience different phases of maintenance and new command structures.

“Sheldon got back from leave and Shane arrived for the exchange program on the same day,” said Travis. “I had brothers sneaking up behind me in the halls.”

With the oldest and youngest brother continuously changing bases throughout the deployment, it was truly by chance that the brothers from Dysart, Iowa, were able to get together.

“We have too many moving parts to pull something like this off,” said Army 1st Sgt. Andrew Carrillo, the C Company 2-211th Air Ambulance first sergeant. “Personnel are constantly moving, and this reunion was extremely lucky.”

The three brothers are hard workers who have the mindset of getting their duties and responsibilities completed before they let themselves sit down and enjoy each other’s company, according to Army Sgt. Scott Blakesley, a technical inspector with C Company 2-211th Air Ambulance and a friend of the brothers.

“That is just how they were raised and I think it makes them deserve this reunion even more,” Carrillo explained.

Being able to work together was a huge plus for the brothers. Seeing each other performing their jobs keeps them focused on their own tasks with the thought that, at some point, one of their brothers is going to have to trust in the aircraft they work on as well as the skill of the pilot.

“As a pilot, being with my brothers makes me hold other pilots to a high standard, because I know one of my brothers could be flying with them at some point,” Sheldon said. “In addition, I’m sure my brother on the maintenance side is making sure his fellow Soldiers are taking that extra step to ensure the aircraft is ready, knowing it very well could be one of his brothers flying aboard.”

“We all try to spread that mentality to the other servicemembers by getting them to see each other as true blood brothers,” said Sheldon.

During their time together they took the chance to call their parents and families. The brothers agree that their families have played an important role in getting through the deployment, which made the ability to get together while in Iraq, a huge morale boost for both them and their families.

The Klein brothers also spent some of their time playing music together late into the night.

“We are limited on time and staying fairly busy with work but as we get time we have gotten together to do a little guitar playing,” Travis explained.

“There is a lot of music history in our family and we all enjoy playing together,” Shane said. “Sitting down playing music with Travis and myself on the guitar and Sheldon on the harmonica gives me the chance to clear my mind and it helps us reset. Once you are so far into a deployment, you might start feeling like you are losing your edge and this is like a reset button for me. I know I will be going back to work sharper.”

The next time the Klein brothers hope to meet up again is at home after their deployments are finished. Until then, they all agree that they are grateful for the time they spent together, helping them and their families out a great deal.

Wild Thing's comment.............

Thank you to all three of Klein brothers. God bless you and keep you safe.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:44 AM | Comments (2)

February 12, 2009

Vietnam Vets Serve in Iraq

Staff Sgt. Louis J. Swift pauses while performing pre-flight inspections on a UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter. Swift, a member of the 3-142 Assault Helicopter Battalion from the N.Y. Army National Guard is a Vietnam vet and a native of Detroit, Mich.

Chief Warrant Officer Steven M. Derry, 3-142 Assault Helicopter Battalion Air Movement Request officer in charge, goes over flight schedules in his office. Derry, a native of Corinth, N.Y. is a Vietnam veteran on his fourth deployment.

By Pfc. Jasmine N. Walthall
Task Force 449

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq

It takes a dedicated Soldier to serve through several wars and continue to wear the uniform, Soldiers like Staff Sgt. Louis J. Swift and Chief Warrant Officer Steven M. Derry. Swift and Derry are Vietnam veterans who currently serve with the 3-142 Assault Helicopter Battalion, a National Guard unit out of Ronkonkama, N.Y.

Swift is currently serving in Iraq as a crew chief and door gunner, jobs he has done for the past 24 years. He is responsible for ensuring his assigned aircraft is safe by performing routine inspections prior to take off.

“I enlisted for Vietnam from 1967-1973,” says Swift, a Detroit, Mich. native. “Then, I enlisted for a one-year term for Desert Storm in 1991.”

This is Derry’s second tour in Iraq. He is currently serving as the officer in charge of 3-142 AHB’s Air Movement Request section. His job includes viewing flight schedules for Soldiers in the battalion, as well as ensuring there is enough fuel and time to execute missions.

These men are quick to note the differences between serving in Iraq and Vietnam.

“Vietnam was a lot more active,” says Swift. “We got rocketed more often and this time it is definitely safer, where we were once flying in t-shirts, we are now wearing 40 pounds of body armor.”

Derry agrees, “It is definitely a lot calmer; there are not as many improvised explosive devices and our aircraft are not under attack as much.”

Serving in two different wars from very different time periods allows veterans to appreciate some of the similarities and differences between the past and the present.

“The attitudes have changed in the past years,” says Swift. “At one point, Soldiers were forced to deploy through the draft, but now that it is an all volunteer Army, there is more pride and dedication from the men and women who wear the uniform.”

Although the times were different, Vietnam still instilled values pertinent to the American Soldier.

“I gained respect for fellow humans,” says Swift. “I also gained pride in my country and in the military.”

This will be the last tour for Swift and Derry, and while they are sad to see their careers come to an end, they are proud to have served their country.

“I am proud that I am still a Soldier,” says Swift. “I am glad that they had me back and while I will be retiring at the end of this tour, it has been a good and rewarding career.”

“I set out to make a career in the military, and that is what I did,” says Derry. “The military allowed me to set up a retirement for my wife and children, and it will be missed.”

Wild Thing's comment........

I always imagine the troops today loving to hear what these Vietnam Veterans have to say, their experiences and the bond that happens betwen those serving makes it very special.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (4)

February 11, 2009

Letter From An Air Force Pilot

Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back.

Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall.

When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit.

The complaint:
'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base:

Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying
to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special?

Any response would be appreciated.

The response:

Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on
May 30, Memorial Day.

At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques
as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured..

A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.

The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and the Am erican Soldier.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr.

USAF

Wild Thing's comment.......

What an awesome letter!

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (15)

February 09, 2009

Changing of the Guard - Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Changing of the Guard - Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.....It's the Rifle Inspection part of the Ceremony.

Wild Thing's comment......

I think this is fascinating. I have seen it before in person and it is even more amazing to watch.

....Thank you JohnE PFC U.S. Army for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (10)

February 08, 2009

America's Last Draftee: "I'm a Relic"

Mellinger in Army jump school in 1972, left, and on patrol in Baghdad in 2005. Courtesy Jeffrey Mellinger

source

America's generals love to brag about their all-volunteer Army. That's because they tend to overlook Jeffrey Mellinger. He donned his Army uniform for the first time on April 18, 1972, about the time the Nixon Administration was seeking "peace with honor" in Vietnam and The Godfather was opening on the silver screen. Nearly 37 years later, he's still wearing Army green. Mellinger is, by all accounts, the last active-duty draftee serving in the U.S. Army.

"I'm a relic," Mellinger concedes with a self-deprecating laugh. But the last of the nearly 2 million men ordered to serve in the Vietnam-era military before conscription ended in 1973 still impresses 19-year-old soldiers. "Most of them are surprised I'm still breathing, because in their minds I'm older than dirt," the fit 55-year-old says. "But they're even more surprised when they find out this dinosaur can still move around pretty darn quick."

Mellinger was working as a 19-year-old drywall hanger in Eugene, Oregon, when he came home to find a draft notice waiting for him.

"I went down to the draft board and asked them if this was really serious," he recalls, "or if it was like an invitation." But it was an order, the first of many Mellinger would obey. He started his military career as a clerk in what was then called West Germany, and was looking forward hanging up his uniform after two years of service. "I was dead-set on getting out," he says. "We had a lot of racial problems, drug problems, leadership problems." But his company commander talked him into re-enlisting. The lure: the chance to join the Rangers, the elite warrior corps that Mellinger came to love (his 3,700 parachute jumps add up to more than 33 hours in freefall). Re-enlisting "was the best decision of my career," Mellinger says.

The Army sent him all over the world, including tours in Japan and Iraq. General David Petraeus, who served as Mellinger's boss during the draftee's final three months in Iraq in 2007, calls him "a national asset" who kept the top generals' aware of the peaks and valleys in battlefield morale.

"We lost count of how many times his personal convoy was hit," Petraeus says. "Yet he never stopped driving the roads, walking patrols, and going on missions with our troopers." (Mellinger's 33-month Iraq tour was punctuated by 27 roadside bombings, including two that destroyed his vehicle, although he managed to escape injury.) Mellinger now serves as the Command Sergeant Major, the senior enlisted man in the Virginia headquarters of the Army Materiel Command, trying to shrink what he calls the "flash-to-bang time" between recognizing what soldiers need and getting it to them.

The son of a Marine, Mellinger had been turned down by both the Marines and the Army when he sought to enlist. "I was not a perfect child," he says. He finds it strange that the compulsory military that launched his career no longer exists, but says the Army is better for it. "You get people who want to do this work," he says of today's nearly-all volunteer force. "If you had a draft at any other business in the world, you'd get people who maybe weren't suited to be accountants or drivers or mathematicians."

He doesn't have much patience for those, like Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., who want to bring back the draft. to ensure that war's burdens are equally shared. "We're doing just fine, thank you, with the all-volunteer force," Mellinger says. "Until the time comes that we're in danger of losing our capabilities to do our missions, then we ought to stick with what we have — there is no need for the draft."

Like many veterans of the Vietnam-era Army, he bridles at suggestions that the draftee force was riddled with misfits and druggies.

"We didn't run off to Canada," he says, taking a swipe at those who avoided the draft by heading north. "While it makes great rhetoric to stand up and say 'We don't want a draft Army because the draft Army was bad,' the facts don't support it," Mellinger says. "Just because they didn't run down and sign up doesn't make them less deserving of respect for their contributions." There's a sensitivity evident in being viewed as less of a soldier for having been drafted. "I'm proud to be a soldier, and I'm proud to be a draftee," he says. "I took the same oath that every other enlistee who came in the Army — there wasn't a different one for draftees."

His proudest moments are watching those he trained climb the military hierarchy themselves. "I can think of several soldiers who went on to become command sergeants major who were privates when I was either their squad leader or their drill sergeant," Mellinger says. But such memories also trigger his lone regret. "I wish I were as smart as I thought I was when I was moving into those duty positions."

Mellinger has told his wife, Kim, that this is his final Army posting, meaning he's likely to retire sometime next year. The couple has no children, although Mellinger has three grown kids from a prior marriage. The last draftee then plans to move to Alaska, where he spent much of his career, and spend his days reading history and running with his two Dobermans. "When I tell my wife it's my last assignment, she just rolls her eyes," he concedes. "This is my sixth 'last assignment'."

Wild Thing's comment.........

Great story and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Thenk you so much Command Sergeant Major Jeffrey J. Mellinger . God bless you!

Some additional information from ARMY.Mil.News

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (16)

Father of USS Cole Hero Speaks Out!

Petty Officer Gary G. Swenchonis, Jr from Rockport, Texas

Gary Swenchonis Sr., the Father of murdered USS Cole Sailor, Fireman Gary Swenchonis, Jr. speaks out about what Obama has done with GITMO and the news of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri one of the Cole bombers that the charges against him dismissed on 02/05/09 by Judge Crawford according to President Obama's order.

Please read his post at his blog.

His latest post:

Why We Chose Not to Meet with President Obama

Terrorism Politicians and Victims blog

His voice needs to be heard!

"President Obama: Do you know how much it hurts to see you drop the charges against our sons killers? First the Dictator of Yemen freed our son's killers. And now you sir. We had hoped for some justice here in our own country. But now it appears that politics are more important than justice and the truth. "

Thank you so much.

* Yankeemom

* Terrorism:Politicians and Victims

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (9)

February 07, 2009

Checking In With Our Awesome Troops

Coast Guard Armed Helicopters

The U.S. Coast Guard has increased its firepower to counter potential terrorist attacks on ships, bridges and other possible targets in the northern California region.

U.S. Soldiers Watching Super Bowl XLIII

Footage of Soldiers watching Super Bowl 43 in Iraq. Scenes include Soldiers wearing team shirts, yelling for their teams, getting beer at the cafeteria and soundbites. Provided by 343rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Package about what it is like to be a deployed Soldier in Iraq. This is a humorous question and answer session. Produced by Sgt. Michael Bierman.

Wild Thing's comment.........

God bless our troops!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (4)

February 04, 2009

Father-Son Duo Launch Fighter Jets

Father-son duo launch fighter jets, share history

Senior Airman James Downing Jr. explains to his father, Command Chief Master Sgt. James Downing Sr., the
changes that have taken place in launching F-15 fighter jets since he last served as a crew chief more than two
years ago in the 159th Fighter Wing of the Louisiana Air National Guard. The father/son team launched a jet
together , soon after the younger Downing returned from Fighter Aircraft Maintenance training at
Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Photo: Master Sgt. Dan Farrell, 159th Fighter Wing Multi Media Manager

By Staff Sgt. Kristi Moon
159th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Specialist

The Louisiana Air National Guard is rich in tradition; and father and son, Command Chief Master Sgt. James Downing Sr. and Senior Airman James Downing Jr. share their family traditions with the 159th Fighter Wing’s Bayou Militia.

The duo recently celebrated a milestone few other father and son teams could ever dream of, launching an F-15 fighter jet together.

“It was a pretty cool experience that not too many people get to do,” the younger Downing said. He returned from Fighter Aircraft Maintenance training in April and has been in the Guard for a little more than a year.

The elder Downing, now in charge of the Wing’s overall morale and well-being as the command chief, joined his crew chief son on the flight line June 6 to send off one of the unit’s jets for a training fl ight.

“It was a blast,” Downing Sr. said of working with his son. “It was definitely the highlight of my career.”

It had been more than two years since Downing Sr. had launched a jet in his former role as crew chief. “I was a little rusty, that’s for sure,” he said.

“I had to bring my dad up to date on some new parts,” Downing Jr. said. Some things had changed since his dad launched planes on a regular basis.

However, for someone with as much experience launching as Downing Sr., the basics can never be forgotten. Downing Sr. crewed jets for 17 years, worked in quality assurance, and served as the maintenance superintendent over several sections including weapons, crew chiefs, avionics, alert and C-130s.

The elder Downing is understandably proud of his four children, all of whom his wife, Kim, homeschooled, including Melissa, 20; James Jr., 18; Stephanie, 16; and Jonathan, 14.

“My goal is to be here when both of my sons are in the unit,” Downing Sr. said. By the time the youngest son joins the 159th Fighter Wing, Downing Jr. will be close to graduating from college and entering the active duty Air Force, with plans to fly fighter jets.

Before he goes, he hopes to repeat this launch experience with his dad and younger brother, too.

Going back even further, their father and grandfather, Senior Master Sgt. John Downing, retired in 1994 with 20 years of service with the 159th Weather Flight, beginning the Downing family tradition with the Bayou Militia.

Wild Thing's comment.........

We are a blessed country to have such awesome Americans. Our Veterans and our troops now are all special to all of us. Thank you all and God bless you.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:49 AM | Comments (4)

February 02, 2009

Story of Country Music Star USMC That Served in Iraq and Afghanistan

Country singer-songwriter Stephen Cochran is a former Marine and a wounded veteran. His back was broken in an ambush while he was serving in Afghanistan . Now, with his music career on track, Cochran also works to promote programs that help to meet the needs of wounded veterans.

Stephen Cochran was a normal 19-year-old with a dream of making music his life when the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks led him down an unplanned path to the Marine Corps.

Country singer-songwriter Stephen Cochran is a former Marine and a wounded veteran. His back was broken in an ambush while he was serving in Afghanistan in July 2004. Now, with his music career on track, Cochran also works to promote programs that help to meet the needs of wounded veterans.

“I dropped out of college. I walked away from a record deal,” he said. “I was engaged.”

He didn’t discuss his decision with his parents, or even his then-fiancée, who broke the engagement when he announced he’d enlisted. “It was really the first grown-up decision I’d ever made,” Cochran said.

The musician, born in Pikeville, Ky., grew up in Nashville’s songwriting and recording community. There, he learned the art of songwriting from his father. He made his musical debut on the radio at age 3 and had his first band by 15.

At 17, he was offered a record deal, but he and his parents agreed that he needed to go to college first. If this offer had been made now, they reasoned, there would be others after college.

While at Western Kentucky University, Cochran played lacrosse and continued to write songs and play music. True to his parents’ prediction, he was offered another record deal. But he wanted to finish school.

The company offered a promissory note, but then Sept. 11 happened.

“It was just so horrific,” he said. “It’s like I’d been called. I’d never been pulled so hard to do something.”

It may have been the audacity of the attacks, but more likely it was his family’s long history of military service that drew him to enlist, he said. Both grandfathers served, as did an uncle and several other relatives.

“I’ve always been raised very, very patriotic. It’s just what I had to do,” Cochran said of his decision to join the Marines.

It wasn’t long before he found himself in Kuwait with the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, waiting to cross into Iraq. He was 20.

Once the unit crossed the Kuwait-Iraq border, contact with the enemy was a daily ocurrence, Cochran said. When the unit’s tour was finished, the Marines had fought their way to Tikrit and back.

“We brought every man home with us,” he said. “They said we did 111 missions."

But daily battle takes its toll. Cochran said he thinks every Marine in his section showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Four months later, however, the entire battalion volunteered to go to Afghanistan with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. They figured nothing could be worse than Iraq.

They were wrong.

“In Afghanistan, everything was just dead. There was no foliage. The people wouldn’t look you in the eye,” he said, adding that he and his buddies had learned that usually meant they had something to hide.

In fact, after several months of daily fighting in Afghanistan, the Marines began to wonder just how wrong they’d been about nothing being worse than the fighting in Iraq.

“Some of us came up with a theory that maybe we had been killed in Iraq and now we were in hell,” Cochran said with a chuckle that belied the seriousness of the thought.

That theory may have been conceived during a mission where the Marines were outnumbered more than 2 to 1 and he lost one of his best friends.

“It was a suicide mission,” Cochran said. “We 100 percent knew there was going to be a casualty on this mission. We knew it.”

The mission initially sent a five-man team into what Cochran described as very hostile territory. When 26 insurgents ambushed the team, another seven-man team responded. Despite killing 14 insurgents before the fight was over, they’d lost one Marine.

“If you wanted to pick one man to represent the entire military, it was him,” he said about the Marine. “We were all trying to figure out different ports we could get drunk in. He was trying to get us into Bible study.”

About a month later, on July 14, 2004, Cochran was on his last mission, working security for convoys carrying equipment back to Kandahar, when he was injured.

Just 20 yards inside Kandahar, the vehicle he was riding in hit an anti-tank mine. He was thrown from the vehicle and broke the five vertebrae in his lower back.

When he woke in the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., a month later, he discovered he was paralyzed from the waist down and most likely never would walk again.

The record company that had offered Cochran the deal dropped him, saying they couldn’t put $1 million dollars into a paraplegic.

“I understand. It’s a business,” he said. “[But] I never believed I was never going to walk again.”

The doctors at Bethesda weren’t so hopeful. Despite the fact that Cochran’s spinal cord was intact, the bone and cartilage were severely damaged and were pulling on his spinal cord. The doctors’ best suggestion was to fuse the bone together to alleviate the pain.

Another option surfaced, however. Though his doctors in Bethesda, who were just beginning to see the types of injuries that became typical with servicemembers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, were vehemently against the idea, his mother -- and first sergeant -- pushed for the procedure. They finally won.

Kyphoplasty, a procedure used to restore fractured vertebra, usually is reserved for older patients suffering from degeneration of the vertebrae and cartilage. However, six months after an orthopedic surgeon at Vanderbilt Medical Center used essentially 4 pounds of cement to fix the crushed vertebrae in Cochran’s back, he was up and walking with the help of a walker.

Today, he’s back on the country music scene and has a deal with Aria Records. His debut album, “Friday Night Fireside,” has received more than favorable reviews.

While music is his passion, Cochran said, he found room for a second passion after his recovery: working to make sure wounded veterans have what they need to recover and live the fullest life possible.

He does this is by working with the Independence Fund, a nonprofit organization that, among other things, provides robotic wheelchairs to veterans confined to wheelchairs. The high-tech chairs can walk stairs and give the veterans their height back, Cochran said.

“They can look everybody in the eye,” Cochran said. “That’s the biggest thing. When I was in a wheelchair … I had to look up at everybody. It was a big shock to your confidence. This raises them up to where they can have a conversation and look you in the eye.”

It has the same technology as the Segway personal transporter, so it won’t fall over, he added.

As amazing as that piece of technology is, Cochran said, bigger things are on the horizon and he’ll do everything he can to make sure veterans have access to them.

“My goal is that the bigger I get in music, the bigger my pulpit can get to preach on my soapbox … and really get more people involved,” he said. “There’s a lot of people in the music business who talk a lot. We just need them to get their checkbooks out now.”

What Cochran said he would really like, however, is for veterans to never have to worry about what comes next.

“I want to have a foundation that covers you from the time you enlist or from the time you’re commissioned until we put you in the ground,” he said. “There is no reason a man shooting a basketball should have to not worry about anything in life, and a man that is ready to take a bullet should.”

An interview where he gives credit to the Marine Corp for teaching him never to give up.

Singing a great song I had never heard before......."When a Hero Falls"....

Wild Thing's comment........

Another examplle of the kind of person that serves our country, and the kind of man that the left will never understand in a billion years.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (3)

January 31, 2009

Marine Interrogates Renegade Camels ~ Hilarious!

A United States Marine guard interrogates a group of camels that wander up to the Entry Control Point (ECP) of the Camp Lemonier Anti-Terrorism Base in Djibouti, Africa.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (6)

Boy's Wrapped B-Day Present Is Dad Home From Iraq

newsmax

DAYTON, Nev.

Gabriel Hurles' sixth birthday party wasn't a surprise, but his present sure was.

The kindergartner was so engrossed in the cupcakes his mother brought to his class on Wednesday that he didn't notice the enormous wrapped box off to the side.

"That's one big, giant present," a 6-year-old classmate told him. "See what you got, Gabriel."

Gabriel peeled back the wrapping paper to find the surprise of his young life _ his father, an Army mechanic back in Nevada on leave from his second tour in Iraq.

"It's my dad!" he announced to his classmates at Sutro Elementary School in Dayton, a few miles northeast of Carson City. "Hi, Daddy."

Army Spc. Casey Hurles, 23, hadn't seen his son since he left in June. When he learned his leave would coincide with his son's birthday, he hatched a plan to hide out in the 4-foot-tall box.

"It was such a rush of emotion," said Hurles, who said he got butterflies in his stomach while waiting in the box.

After Hurles sat down and ate a cupcake with the birthday boy, teacher Dawn VanSickle presented him with a banner from the class that read, "Welcome Home. Thank you for your service."

VanSickle said she was happy to arrange the reunion in her classroom.

"One of the first things (Gabriel) shared about himself was that his dad was in Iraq and that he was waiting for his dad to come home," she said. "He talks about his dad all the time."

Hurles, who joined the Army four years ago, is a mechanic in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. He completed one tour in Iraq and is seven months into his second tour. He expects to finish sometime this summer.

Gabriel said he looks forward to playing with his dad over the next two weeks but understands why he has to leave again.

"He has to work," Gabriel said. "He works in the war."

Wild Thing's comment..........

I love this what a great story! God bless this family.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (6)

January 30, 2009

Warriors...In Their Own Words

What does it take to be a Warrior? Who fights for our freedom? Why do they do it? Hear it in their own words. Stories of Courage, Honor, Love.

Wild Thing's comment..........

These heroes deserve the respect and gratitude every day of every year into beyond. This is such a special video.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (7)

Letters From Iraq: Outside the Wire

386th Air Expeditionary Wing

My day began at 5 a.m. by attending the "guard mount" along with the other Airmen who would be conducting a patrol outside the wire. This morning a salty old Master Sergeant was in charge and methodically discussed the concerns of the day. His manner bespeaks of a veteran who has clearly performed the mission more than once and is able to convey a sense of confidence expected of one with his experience.

By Lt. Col. Greg Laffitte
887th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron

Lt. Col. Greg Laffitte is serving with the 887th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Camp Bucca, Iraq. He writes weekly commentaries about his deployment.

CAMP BUCCA, Iraq

My day began at 5 a.m. by attending the "guard mount" along with the other Airmen who would be conducting a patrol outside the wire. This morning a salty old Master Sergeant was in charge and methodically discussed the concerns of the day. His manner bespeaks of a veteran who has clearly performed the mission more than once and is able to convey a sense of confidence expected of one with his experience.

Assembled for this "o-dark-early" briefing are the troops whose ages range from 20 years up to 50. No surprises here as the 50 year old guy is yours truly. A quick scan of the audience reveals not only men but women as well. From my vantage point I see the faces of your sons and daughters poised and ready to accomplish their mission. I am proud to serve with them and realize these are America's finest.

My mission today was to provide emergency medical care in support of the Airmen patrolling sectors of the countryside. We would also provide security for a municipal meeting with local civic leaders where water supply concerns would be discussed. I was looking forward to this patrol as it would be my first time interacting with Iraqi citizens in their neighborhoods.

Once the guard mount was complete it was time to go. The convoy slowly headed out of the Forward Operating Base ensuring the 5 mph speed limit was not broken. Yes you can get a speeding ticket here and the troops don't want to have to see the "shirt" when that happens.

Our armored vehicles are heavy and have knobs and various pieces of structure that can really put a dent in your "nugget" if you hit your cranium while not wearing your helmet. Standing over six feet tall, I have to really be careful not to bang my head, especially while exiting the truck. Once strapped in you put your headset on and make sure your "comm" is good to go. It never ceases to amaze me how a group of Airmen can so quickly turn a mundane subject into a hilarious comedy. There had been some talk about stopping at a local roadside vendor and trying out the menu. As the onboard medic I voiced my concerns and within minutes the troops had the conversation "bottomed" out if you get my drift.

We arrived at our village and exited the truck. My first walk down an Iraqi street was not exactly what I had expected. Off to my left was a pile of debris where at least six puppies were nursing from their mother.

Off to my right was a medium sized dog who apparently was having a bad day and liked to show his teeth!

After walking for less than 10 minutes, I was greeted by a crowd of school-aged boys who seemed like they had finally met up with a long lost friend. I could scarcely believe the reception I was being given.

These kids were wanting to shake my hand and in broken English kept telling me, "America number one!"

We conducted our business then made our way to the municipal building where, this time, we were greeted by older Iraqi gentlemen who were as courteous as your best friend's family. I walked around the area keeping a constant look out for suspicious activity when I got hit.

The object was a soccer ball and the perpetrator was a 6-year-old boy with a passionate love of soccer. Within minutes this kid and I were kicking his soccer ball back and forth and having a good old time. Another boy whom I would have guessed to be about 14 approached me and in broken English began discussing professional wrestling. I somehow got the impression he thought I looked like some wrestler named The Undertaker whom he had seen on TV. My first up close and personal interaction with the people of Iraq was definitely a genuinely friendly exchange.

Iraq is a sovereign country as of Jan. 1, 2009. This is of enormous significance because the Iraqi government is clearly driving the bus now. American servicemen and women serving here appreciate that fact because it demonstrates how far we have come in creating stability and security in this country. The citizens of Iraq are definitely on the road to progress and are enthusiastic about an upcoming election only days away. Our role here is to defend the progress and protect against any insurgency which might attempt to disrupt that progress.

Before we departed the municipal compound, I noticed something worth mentioning in closing.

Standing to my left was an African-American Airman and to my right was a Filipino-American Airman.

Here were three ethnically diverse American servicemen united as one force protecting the rights of the Iraqi people who were also on the eve of a historic election. I think that's kind of cool.

Wild Thing's comment........

God bless our troops. They have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to have such great success. All the branches of service need to be thanked.

I pray Obama will hold off on pulling out of Iraq and at least listen to our military on how to do things. Obama in NO way is qualified to make such decisions like this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (6)

January 27, 2009

Let's Not Tell Obama ~ "U.S. Navy intercepts Iranian arms vessel"

U.S. Navy intercepts Iranian arms vessel

Covert operations aim to cut Tehran's supply lines to terrorists

wnd

The U.S. Navy is conducting operations aimed at intercepting Iranian ships carrying weapons to rearm Hamas in the Gaza Strip, informed defense officials told WND.

The setup, which has already halted a vessel carrying Iranian munitions in recent days, acts on intelligence information provided by Israel, Egypt and Cyprus, the defense officials said.

The U.S. Navy refused to comment, but informed sources said the U.S. last week intercepted an Iranian-owned vessel found to be carrying weapons, including rockets, mortar and artillery shells. It is suspected the ship was attempting to reach the Egyptian Sinai area. If successful, the delivery would have represented a major escalation by providing Hamas with artillery, something the terrorist organization is not thought to possess.

The ship is now docked at an Egyptian port on the Red Sea after being escorted by the U.S. Navy out of the Suez Canal, which leads to the Mediterranean, the defense officials said. Due to complicated maritime laws, the U.S. and Egypt may let the ship sail to the Mediterranean, where either Israeli or Egyptian naval units would need to decide whether to entirely halt the vessel.

According to the sources, aside from patrolling the seas, the U.S. has also sent the Army's Corps of Engineers to the Egyptian Sinai desert, bringing with them advanced machinery to help Egyptian troops locate weapons smuggling tunnels that snake along the Egypt-Gaza border.

Wild Thing's comment........

Obama just might order that all missions we are conducting in international waters to cease. I can see it being done quietly, and without any media coverage or analysis. At which time we will lose the bubble on what we know is going on out there. God protect our troops!

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (12)

January 25, 2009

A-10 Warthog Takes Out Taliban Bikers ~ Say Hello To Allah!

In this video, several Taliban try to make their getaway on bikes. An A-10 Warthog has a different idea.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (7)

January 24, 2009

Blackhawk Helicopter Video's ~ Awesome Troops!

......Thank you Chopper Doc.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (6)

January 21, 2009

Megyn Kelly At The CIC Ball in USA and Our Troops In Kabul

Megyn, was at the CIC Ball, and is reporting the military people had told her just earlier that Bush was a great friend of the military, they really liked him and would miss him.

And this from US camp Phoenix base in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday Jan. 20, 2009

US soldiers stand, as they watch a television broadcast live from Washington, showing the inauguration of Barack Obama.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Extra prayers for our troops!! It is a sad day for America to have Obama as CIC and President. I pray God will forgive our nation and have mercy on us.

I have heard from some in the military and they are not happy about this, at one of the military family forums I go to. One used the word devastated.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (10)

January 19, 2009

Ratchet the Iraq Dog Welcome Soldier Home Who Rescued Him

Army Spec. Gwen Beberg gets a kiss from her dog Ratchet after returning to the States from duty in Iraq and being reunited with her parents Pat and Ted Beberg and Ratchet. Beberg fought the military to get the dog out of Iraq and online petitions set up to encourage Ratchet's release garnered over 77,000 signitures.

Ratchet the Iraq dog on hand to welcome soldier who rescued him

Star Tribune Minn.

Ratchet's rescuer, Army Specialist Gwen Beberg, arrived home on Saturday, and their happy reunion made it clear that the bond that helped each survive Iraq was mutual. "I decided this was an animal I couldn't part from."

Let the record show that Pat Beberg got her daughter's first homecoming hug. But when Ratchet, the dog that Army Specialist Gwen Beberg rescued last fall in Iraq, moved in for a slurpy kiss, everyone in Fridley's VFW hall sighed with a collective, "Awwwwww."

"Hey, baby. Oh, you got so big -- Oh, you got so big," said the soldier to the pup. "Yeah, who's home? Who's home, huh?"

The two were reunited Saturday as Beberg returned to Spring Lake Park, completing a tour of duty that unexpectedly led to a cause célèbre. Rachet arrived in October, after Beberg's efforts, coupled with almost 70,000 people signing online petitions and a little congressional nudging, prompted military officials to loosen the prohibition on U.S. troops adopting pets in Iraq.

Friends, family and supporters gathered at VFW Post 363 to witness the reunion, as well as to pay tribute to Beberg for her service. "I wish every soldier in the world, past, present and future, came home to a welcome like this," she said to about 60 people.

Then she made a pitch for supporting Operation Baghdad Pups, a branch of SPCA International that rescues dogs and cats adopted by U.S. military personnel. More than 50 pets have been relocated to the United States.

Beberg adopted Ratchet as a month-old pup after fellow soldiers rescued him from a pile of burning trash. The pet's unconditional love proved a comfort to Beberg during a difficult stretch.

Her parents, Pat and Ted Beberg, have been caring for Rachet, a feisty substitute for the daughter they hadn't seen in person since September 2007. Beberg already is registered for fall classes at Northwestern Health Sciences University to study massage therapy. She also wants to train Ratchet to be a therapy dog.

So far, the transition from the scorching desert to subzero Minnesota has gone well.

Beberg bent low and nuzzled her dog, who acted as if he'd left her only that morning. "He loves Minnesota. He thinks it's one gigantic field of treats."

Wild Thing's comment......

Wonderful story and what this dog has meant to this soldier is a bond that is very special.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (11)

January 17, 2009

"Hey, I Wanna Be A Rockstar" ` Our Troops

Wild Thing's comment.........

LOL I love these! You can tell they have a lot of fun making these videos too. God bless our troops!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (2)

January 16, 2009

US Army in Iraq

Wild Thing's comment.......

I LOVE our troops, they work so hard, and then they go and do things like this. LOL God bless each one of them and keep them all safe.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (5)

January 14, 2009

Blackhawks Over Iraq

Wild Thing's comment........

Great photography from a Blackhawk and also of our awesome troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (9)

January 11, 2009

Last Days for Marine Were True Finest Hours

Gaspar Musso, USMC during WW11 days

Last days for Marine were true Finest hours

Daily News

Sometimes when old Marines die they do fade away into unmarked graves in Potter's Field.

Such might have been the case for Gaspar Musso, USMC 925050, who fought in the Battle of Tinian in the Marianas Islands in 1944 and who died Nov. 15 at age 84 in a Brooklyn nursing home.

Enter Police Officer Susan Porcello, a PBA delegate at the 68th Precinct in Bay Ridge and one of those big-hearted New Yorkers who still make this the best city on Earth.

NYPD officer Susan Porcello

"No way was I going to let this brave old Marine who fought for his country in WWII get buried in Potter's Field," she says.

Porcello first met Musso back in July when she responded to a 911 ambulance call to the retired insurance broker's one-bedroom apartment on, appropriately, Marine Ave.

"When my partner, Eddie Ennis, and I arrived at his apartment Gaspar seemed a little bit down about himself," Porcello says. "He said he felt alone in the world. We talked to him a bit and as I looked around his tidy apartment I noticed that he had served in the military - the Marines to be exact."

Porcello asked him about family and friends. "Look around you, what do you see?" Musso said. "I have no family or friends."

To which Porcello said, "Well, I'm your friend."

Right there, with those four beautiful words, Gaspar Musso was destined to die with the dignity he'd earned with a rifle in his hands, fighting in a USMC uniform, in a war that saved civilization.

If she didn't already wear a badge, you'd want to pin a star on Susan Porcello.

Musso, a diabetic with a host of other age-related maladies, had accidentally overdosed on his prescription medications. Porcello accompanied him to Lutheran Medical Center.

"I told him I'd be back to visit him and take him to a senior center where he could make some friends," said Porcello, who comes from a big Italian family with a mom, dad, three sisters and a brother.

"I told him I was making him my 'Grandpa,' and if he liked, he could spend Thanksgiving with my family. Eddie and I discussed alternating holidays with Gaspar so he wouldn't be alone for any of them."

Two days later Musso was placed in critical care. Porcello asked hospital staff where he'd be buried if he didn't make it. "Potter's Field," said one administrator.

"This infuriated me," said Porcello. "There was no way I was going to let a man who fought for our country be buried in Potter's Field. Not on my watch!"

Porcello told the hospital to keep her apprised of Musso's condition. She had a local priest visit him. Porcello even asked NYPD's Missing Person's Squad to search for next of kin.

No luck.

Musso had been an only child to Anthony and Marie Musso, both deceased. He had no other relatives. Musso's only friend, an upstairs neighbor, had died the year before.

After his health improved, Musso asked Porcello to become his official health proxy.

She transferred him to Caton Park Nursing Home, where he was treated extremely well. She visited him often, learning that Musso was born May 7, 1924, joined the USMC in December 1943, finished training at Camp Lejune in March 1944 and was fighting with the 2nd Marines on Tinian Island by July 1944.

"I visited Gaspar on Nov. 13, bringing him rosary beads, a Bible, and his reading glasses," she said.

"The next day, Nov. 14, I returned and found Gaspar sitting up in a chair, dressed in his own clothes. Looking great."

Porcello washed his hands and face, trimmed his nails and eyebrows and asked if he was coming to her house for Thanksgiving. "I'm trying!" he said. He also asked Porcello to bring him a Christmas wreath for his room.

The next morning Porcello received a phone call saying that Gaspar Musso had died peacefully in his sleep.

No way was she going to let her good friend be toe-tagged and buried in Potter's Field.

Porcello paid out of her own pocket for a wake at McLaughlin's on Third Ave. and a mass at St. Patrick's Church in Bay Ridge, where a crowd of good-hearted cops from the 68th Precinct filled the pews, six serving as pallbearers. Sgt. Angel Rosa of the 68th, also a Marine, arranged for a USMC honor guard at Musso's funeral.

Then taps blew over Gaspar Musso, United States Marine, as he was buried next to his mother at Resurrection Cemetery in Staten Island.

With the dignity he deserved.

Semper Fi

Wild Thing's comment.......

I cried when I read this, what a beautiful story and so touching to see a person reach out to a Veteran , one of our Heroes, like this. God bless Porcello for making a difference in this world.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

......And a Hat tip and thank you to Goth Guy for his blog, Gerbil Droppings.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (16)

January 10, 2009

Aircraft Carrier Named the USS George H.W. Bush Commissioned

Crewman aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush work on a display of a statue of the former president on the hangar deck of the carrier at the Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va

Aircraft Carrier Named the USS George H.W. Bush Commissioned

PLEASE CLICK HERE ALSO FOR A VIDEO OF ONE OF THE MARINES

NORFOLK, Va. — President George W. Bush landed Saturday on the USS George H.W. Bush, a new aircraft carrier named after his father — the ultimate honor for a decorated Navy pilot from World War II.

With just days left in his presidency, Bush and first lady Laura Bush joined his father, now 84 years old, and other Bush family members at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia for the commissioning of the nuclear-powered carrier.

"Laura and I are thrilled to be here to help commission an awesome ship and to honor an awesome man," Bush said. "So what do you give a guy who has been blessed and has just about everything he has ever needed? Well, an aircraft carrier."

The steel-gray vessel is more than three football fields long, one in the Nimitz class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers that are the largest warships on the world. Its price tag is just as hefty: $6.2 billion.

The mood was celebratory aboard the ship, spit and polished for its unveiling. The Marine One presidential helicopter ferried the president, his father and their wives to the ship.

It was sunny, but a chilly breeze blew across the deck of the ship as the president, his father and their wives got off the helicopter with their wives. The elder Bush, sporting a purple scarf inside his overcoat, walked with a cane from the helicopter to a golf cart. He got in the back seat with former first lady Barbara Bush; the president grinned and waved as he took the driver's seat with his wife by his side.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, one of the first speakers, said there is no one more worthy than the former president to have the last ship of the Nimitz class to bear his name — "the last of the World War II generation to serve as commander in chief."

The president's daughters, Jenna Hager and Barbara Bush, and Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, were among the estimated 20,000 people who attended the event. Also on hand were Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.

The Nimitz class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers was first launched in 1972. The USS George H.W. Bush is the 10th and final vessel of its type.

A bronze statue on the hangar bay deck of the 1,092-foot warship depicts the former president as a youthful, smiling pilot in his flight suit. On an upper deck, a "tribute room" presents Bush's life from his days in the Navy to his four years in the White House.

Bush joined the Navy on June 12, 1942, his 18th birthday and six months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. During the war he flew torpedo bombers off the converted aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals for his service.

On a mission over the Pacific in September 1944, Bush's plane crashed into the ocean after being hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. The future president parachuted into the sea and was rescued by a Navy submarine. He returned to combat and served until the end of the war.

Wild Thing's comment.......

I got to see this on TV today and it was wonderful. I only wish they could skip Obama when it comes time to have to do something for him. The friend of Ayers deserve NOTHING America given or done for him.

....Thank you Darth for sending the article to me.

Darth
U.S. Airforce
C-5 loadmaster
84-97

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:25 PM | Comments (14)

Great Fast Moving Tribute To Our US Military

Wild Thing's comment......

I love these tributes to our military.

.....Thank you Cuchieddie for sending this to me.

Cuchieddie
4/23rd 25th Infantry Division
2nd Tour Huey door gunner with the Robin Hoods
66-68

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:44 AM | Comments (5)

January 09, 2009

In Country With Our Army & Marines in Iraq

Army & Marines battling insurgents in Iraq

Wild Thing's commnent......

I love checking in with our troops. They are just so awesome!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:40 AM | Comments (4)

January 07, 2009

Soldier Rejoins After 38-year Service Break

Soldier rejoins after 38-year service break

Army Times

BAGHDAD

(Army News Service, Jan. 5, 2009)

Young men and women frequently follow the footsteps of their parents and grandparents by joining the military. Army Maj. (Dr.) Robert Sexton reversed that role when he followed his two sons into the military after a 38-year-break from his previous service.

Sexton was an unlikely candidate when he was commissioned in November 2007 in his mid-50s and assigned to serve as a physician with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 425th Civil Affairs Battalion, attached to the 4th Infantry Division here.

Sexton enlisted in the Army at 17 and left his native Cleveland in 1968 for Vietnam, where he would spend the next two years attached to the 101st Airborne Division, working with Korean troops on Army boats that provided transport, insertion and evacuation.

Sexton was honorably discharged at 20 and returned home only to become disillusioned with the social upheaval happening in the United States. He and his wife decided to move to her native country of Guatemala.

Sexton worked multiple jobs to support his family in Central America, but eventually decided to realize his desires and go to medical school in Guatemala.

"I had always thought about medical school, but because we were just married and right out of the Army and we had two kids, I had to work two and three jobs all of the time - landscaping, painting houses. There just was no time for studies," Sexton said. "But it had always stuck in the back of my mind, and I don't know why, but we visited a medical school down in Guatemala, and they had an open-door policy."

Sexton said he didn't think he would make it through that first year of medical school because of the language barrier. However, he said, because medical terminology is pretty much the same in every language, especially with the basic sciences, he passed even as his class of more than 1,200 first-year students was thinned to 120.

Sexton finished medical school in Guatemala and gained his residency. He planned on staying there and starting a practice. However, when violence and turmoil spread there, he relocated his family back to the United States in 1981.

Sexton regained his residency and was licensed to practice medicine in several states. Eventually, he ended up in Tucson, Ariz., where he practiced as a neonatologist, a doctor who works in intensive care for newborn babies, and started a private emergency medical practice with a close friend.

Nearly two decades later, Sexton and his family began a transformation of sorts as two of his sons joined the Marine Corps, both at 17.

Their decisions to join the Marines surprised and moved Sexton, he said, because they never talked about the military at home and he thought his children would get through high school and then go on to college. He began to feel the tug of inspiration.

Sexton's third son, who had joined in 1997, was due to get out of the Marines in 2003, but chose to re-enlist. "He insisted on going to Iraq, so he extended himself and went into Iraq on the first wave," he said.

"My two sons inspired me," he said. "Then, two years later, after reading what the Army had done over there, I got more and more inspired with everything I read."

Concluding that the fight against terrorism would be a long one, and feeling he could still make a contribution, Sexton accepted a commission to the Army in November 2007 and has been serving as a doctor in Baghdad since October.

"I figured we have less than 1 percent of the American people in the service, and some of those people are going to need a break sometime - and that's what I aim to do. I'm still physically fit. I thought I could make a contribution," Sexton said.

Sexton's decision to rejoin the Army after a 38-year break in service leaves him little possibility of earning a military retirement because of his age. Still, he said, he derives satisfaction from making a contribution to a noble cause - working with Iraqi forces to bring medical care and training to needy areas in Baghdad.

"He blows us away. He's pushing 60, and he's more physically fit than some of the younger guys here," said Army 1st Sgt. George Guerra, the battalion's senior enlisted leader. "We hardly ever see him because he's always gone doing these combined medical engagements. He's really into his work, and he loves it. He just wants to get out and do this work with the Iraqi people."

Sexton said he finds great satisfaction helping Iraqis by providing them with needed medical care, and he expressed a desire when his tour is over to go to other places with the Army where he can continue his work.

"I'll be going to Afghanistan next year with my old unit," Sexton said. "After Afghanistan, I would like to go to the Horn of Africa, because that's where I think civil affairs probably shines the most. I would like to do tours in Central and South America because of the language, and I wouldn't mind going to the Philippines."

Wild Thing's comment.......

I love reading abouto our troops and also how fathers and sons are serving. That happens a lot and speaks volumes as to how the entire family loves our country. It is a sacrifice made by the entire family when a parent and children both serve our country.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:40 AM | Comments (5)

January 05, 2009

Port Call; President Bush Wishes Guantanamo Troopers a Merry Christmas

Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Neil Ambrose, member of Port Security Unit 305 currently stationed in support of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, received a presidential phone call this morning with holiday greeting from President Bush, Dec. 24. Ambrose was selected as one of ten military service members world-wide to receive the call on Christmas Eve. The call, a tradition of President Bush, is express his appreciation for deployed members' service and to wish them a Merry Christmas. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detained enemy combatants, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the Global War on Terror. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning for and, on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.

Port Call; President Bush Wishes Guantanamo Troopers a Merry Christmas

Joint Task Force Guantanamo

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – It’s not every day a trooper receives a phone call from President George W. Bush. For Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Neil Ambrose, however, Dec. 24, was that day.

“It was an honor,” said Ambrose of speaking with President Bush. “I was shocked that I was selected out of hundreds of thousands of deployed members.”

“At first he called me by my name,” he continued. “He said, ‘Neil, this is President Bush, how are you today?’”

Ambrose replied that he was fine, and thanked President Bush for “all he’s done for the Coast Guard and military members over the past eight years.”

Ambrose chatted with the president, with Bush asking, “How’s the weather down there?”

“It’s warm,” Ambrose replied. “How would you like to join us?”

The call lasted a moment longer before President Bush delivered his traditional Christmas message.

According to Ambrose, President Bush said, “On behalf of Laura and myself, I want you to pass along to other deployed members that we appreciate your service and wish you a Merry Christmas, especially to the Mighty Coast Guard.”

“I specifically remember him saying, ‘the mighty Coast Guard,’” Ambrose said, smiling.

The Christmas Eve phone call has become a tradition for President Bush. Each year, he calls ten service members from all branches of the armed forces around the world to thank them for their service and pass on holiday wishes.

“Ambrose was selected above his peers because he’s a high performer and the right one to be chosen to receive a call from the president,” said Coast Guard Cmdr. Steven H. Pope, commanding officer of Joint Task Force Guantanamo’s Port Security Unit 305.

“I submitted his packet in October of this year,” Pope continued. “[It] had all the information that made him competitive to be selected out of all the other Coast Guard members.”

This isn’t the first time Coast Guard Port Security Unit 305 has answered the call. In 2005, Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Johnston was one of the lucky service members selected to speak to the president.

Pope was not the commanding officer of PSU 305 when the last presidential call to Guantanamo was received. However, he was thrilled to learn they were selected again.

“It’s a high honor to receive a call from the president,” said Pope. “Our unit is a tight family, and we’re all very proud and very happy that Petty Officer Ambrose was selected.”

Wild Thing's comment.......

I really am going to miss this, having Bush as CIC. I just want to enjoy each day for our troops with Bush as CIC until the dreaded day January20th.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:40 AM | Comments (4)

January 04, 2009

When In War Zones Listen to Warnings!

Iraqis say Americans shot woman without warning

cnn

An Iraqi TV employee who was shot and critically wounded on New Year's Day said the U.S. soldiers who fired at her gave no warning, her supervisor said Saturday.

Hadil Emad, a videotape editor with Beladi Satellite TV, was crossing a bridge over the Tigris River on her way to work when she was shot, the channel's editor-in-chief, Assam Sada, told CNN. He said Emad told him she heard no warning from the soldiers.

The U.S. military said in a statement the woman was acting suspiciously and failed to respond to warnings before she was shot.

"We condemn this criminal act and demand an explanation from the U.S. military," said Saied Abdul Hadi, the director of Beladi's news department.

The U.S. military said it is investigating the incident, which happened just outside the Green Zone, two hours after the United States handed authority of the zone to Iraq. Watch why the transfer is a milestone »

The bullet that hit Emad, 31, entered the lower half of her body, Sada said. The hospital removed her left kidney after the shooting and she remains in unstable condition, with damage to part of her liver and the lower part of her lung, he said.

U.S. soldiers left Emad on the ground after they shot her, Hadi said, but minutes later Iraqi security forces picked her up and took her to a hospital.

Emad was shot on the al-Jadriya Bridge that connects Baghdad's Karrada district, on a peninsula that juts out into the Tigris, within the western part of the city, Beladi TV and the U.S. military said.

The soldiers "followed approved defensive measures after the woman failed to heed repeated warnings by both Iraqi police and [U.S.] soldiers," the U.S. military said.

"The Iraqi police and soldiers observed the woman acting erratically. Concerned by the danger she might present to the security forces and civilians, given her repeated failure to respond to warnings, [U.S.] soldiers fired two rounds, wounding the woman."

The military said the area had been the target of car bombs and suicide bombings. The shooting happened while the U.S. and Iraqi forces were on a joint patrol, Beladi and the military said.

"Hadil Emad walks every day to work using the same road, but all of a sudden there was a U.S. patrol," Hadi said.

Wild Thing's comment.......

I call BS on this ! Our troops are highly trained and they have know better then anyone what they are doing.

This is not going to go anywhere, not only were our soldiers there but also with them " Iraqi police and soldiers observed the woman acting erratically"....plenty of eye witnesses that WILL tell the truth.

The war did not just start that day, it has been going on for several years, this woman to walk in a dangerous area then or anytime had to know to be careful, to be aware and STOP when the soldiers warned her.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM | Comments (8)

January 01, 2009

Our Awesome Troops

Wild Thing's comment.......

LOL I LOVE these, I have a few more of them and will post them in the next few days as well.

.....Thank you Jack for sending these to me.

Army Combat Engineers
67-69

Jack's blog is Conservative Insurgent

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (11)

December 29, 2008

In Country With the B-1s of the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

Guarding the Guardians of Freedom

By Master Sgt. Jeff Loftin
379th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA

Carrying the largest payload of any aircraft in the theater, the B-1s of the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron patiently guard the guardians of freedom from high above Iraq and Afghanistan.

The squadron, which once took part in the famed Doolittle Raids on Tokyo, is now responsible for close air support, non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and armed over watch for troops supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.

"We provide the kinetic firepower for any of the three operations in the theater," said Lt. Col. Kevin Kennedy, 34 EBS commander. "Right now we're primarily focused on OEF in Afghanistan. We provide a great deal of the firepower there."

The unit was one of the first to deploy to Afghanistan for OEF after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Now, in addition to the ability to lower the boom on the bad guys there, the aircraft of the 34 EBS feature Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods. The pod allows aircrews to detect and analyze targets on the ground through real-time imagery.

"Before we didn't have the television or infrared capability on the jet," said the colonel. "Now we have that technology. We can look at something on the ground with our targeting pod and the [joint terminal air controller] on the ground can also see it."

The unit's B-1s can also loiter for long periods over the AOR because of their fuel capacity, two pilots and two weapons systems officers on the aircrews.

"We have the ability to fly for a long period of time and the speed to move through the country fairly quickly," said Col. Kennedy.

The unit uses these capabilities on a daily basis. On a typical mission crews will fly for 12 hours, most of which is spent conducting armed over watch of troops on the ground or looking at requested areas of interest.

"If there happens to be a troops in contact situation, we'll check in with the JTAC who will bring us up to speed and if we need to deliver weapons we'll do that," said the colonel.

Col. Kennedy recalled one mission while here where the unit supported a convoy several times that had come under fire and had disabled vehicles.

"We got there and were able to help them find the enemy who was engaging them," he said. "The ground commander made the target decision, 'Yes, I want to target them.' We engaged them, dropped weapons on them and assessed how well we did. From that first engagement there was a follow-on engagement where the enemy went to get some additional weapons such as a recoilless rifle and moved to another location where a [rocket propelled grenade] team was trying to set up to take action against the Coalition convoys. That is the mission that stands out to me personally. It was our longest mission for which I have records."

One of the biggest challenges for 34 EBS aircrews is staying alert through the long sorties, according to Col. Kennedy.

"You have to be ready to execute at almost any minute," he said. "There are no rest periods while we're up there."

Because of the long missions, many of the unit's aircrew members have logged a large number of combat hours in the AOR. Capt. Jess Hamilton, the unit's chief of weapons and tactics, recently went over 1,000 combat hours in the aircraft.

"Doing the close air support mission is pretty rewarding for me," said the Sullivan, Ind., native. "There are guys on the ground getting shot at and you come in and handle that problem for them. Being an instructor pilot and the weapons officer for the squadron is also pretty rewarding. Teaching the new guys how we do business with close air support and then watching them go get the mission done is probably the most interesting part of my job."

Capt. Hamilton also had the distinction of dropping the first bomb from a B-1 equipped with the Sniper pod during a mission, Aug. 4. The 34 EBS is the first to use the pod on a B-1 in combat, which Colonel Kennedy called the biggest success of this rotation.

"I was out here last year and things have changed completely because of the sniper pod," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Schenewerk, non-commissioned officer in charge of intelligence for the 34 EBS, who also debriefed the crew after the first drop. "I was really proud to be a part of it because I knew that was a big capability we brought on line in six months. We got it in theater to the guys who need it - those on the ground."

Sgt. Schenewerk said the most interesting part of his job now is debriefing crew members after each mission.

"We sit down and watch the video and hear them talking to the guys on the ground," he said. "You can hear the gunfire coming in or going out. You can hear the guys needing support. That, to me, is by far the most interesting part of my job. Getting to see how things on the ground are actually going, not reading what is in the newspaper but actually witnessing it first-hand via the pod and the debrief."

Successful missions also encourage others who contribute to the unit's ability to guard the guardians of freedom.

"It's always fun to hear the crew members' stories when they get back," said Airman 1st Class Justin Monroe, a Richwood, Ohio, native who ensures crewmembers are current and qualified in all areas before each mission. "I feel I put a lot in toward helping with the war effort. I help put these guys in the air, and they drop the bombs."

About 300 people in several units at this Southwest Asian base contribute directly to the many successes the 34 EBS has had here. Some of its key partners include the 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (which deployed with the 34 EBS from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.), the 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, and the Combined Air and Space Operations Center. Each Airman knows that it takes teamwork to put bombs on target.

"This is what I signed up to do," said Sgt. Schenewerk. "I signed up after Sept. 11 to fight terrorism."

The Winston, Ore., native, said he loved supporting those guarding coalition ground forces.

"Being intelligence we're not the tip of the spear, but we're close enough to it that we get to feel some of the effects while they're out there employing that spear," he said. "We are doing what we're supposed to be doing and taking the fight to the enemy."

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 AM | Comments (6)

December 25, 2008

Christmas in Afghanistan

Wild Thing's comment........

Merry Christmas to all of our troops, God bless you and keep you safe.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (4)

December 21, 2008

Beautifully Done Video of Children in Iraq and Our Troops

In The Arms Of The Angels

....Thank you James M. for sending this to me.

* Gina Cobb blog

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:25 PM | Comments (7)

December 19, 2008

In Country With The 81st BCT~ Ramaldi Iraq

By Col. Ronald Kapral
81st BCT Commander
81st BCT Commander Col. Ronald Kapral

For most of us, the holiday season is a special time of year, but this year is different for us. Though we are not going to have the opportunity to spend the holidays with our loved ones, we must not forget them either. The sacrifices you are making are felt by the families and friends left back home. Be sure to remember them and thank them for all they are doing to support you and keeping the home fi res burning.

The holiday season can also be a depressing time. Be receptive to your fellow soldiers. Note any changes in their behavior. Remind them that they are not alone. If you suspect something is wrong, notify your chain of command or
the chaplain.

Soldiers need to maintain their vigilance, especially during this time of the year. The enemy is also aware of this season. Always be combat ready and never take anything for granted.

Finally, I want to take the time to personally thank you and your family for serving. Your sacrifices will never be forgotten. We are writing the history that our children will read about. You are making a difference. I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (7)

December 18, 2008

Tootsie Roll Goes To War ~ Great Story

On a Roll

Posted by Peggy Melanson

Source

Tootsie rolls and pops sweeten the lives of battle-weary men

When I was a little girl, I received 25 cents as a weekly allowance. During those days, it cost one cent for a Tootsie Pop, a penny for "littles" Tootsie Rolls and five cents for "biggies."

We were Navy people. My father served during WWII in Hawaii; my big brother, Charlie, served in Korea, and my baby brother, Jerry, served during Vietnam.

Not having any real idea what "War" was all about, I used to write to daddy in my little-girl handwriting, telling him of all the things my friends and I were doing. I remember asking him to please hurry home because Dubble Bubble gum was being rationed and we had to stand in line for just one piece. Being my big strong dad, I was sure he would do something about it.

Often, I placed my pennies in a wooden matchbox to save enough to send him some candy along with my letters. Once I'd saved enough money, I would troop across the street to Pete's corner store and proudly place all my pennies on the counter and ask how many Tootsie rolls and Tootsie lollipops my coppers could buy. Taking them home, I wrote my letter and wrapped the candies in old Boston Post newspaper pages and shipped them off. I always sent his favorite yellow Tootsie pops. When I could afford it, I sent "biggies" Tootsie rolls. Many times the post office didn't charge me for stamps. Now, I realize that it was probably the counter person who paid for the postage.

When my father finally came home, he brought me a real grass hula skirt from Hawaii -- and as a reminder of my gifts to him, two yellow Tootsie roll lollipops. Following that, he regularly reminded me of those little girl gifts and how happy they made him during the war. I also sent my two brothers Tootsie Rolls and Pops when they were in the Navy. They never forgot, either.

Even now, I distribute Tootsie Roll pops to my "One Woman Comedy Show" audiences thanks to Tootsie Roll Industries. It's fun to watch adults become children again while they search the basket full of lollipops for their favorite flavor.

Tootsie Roll Industries has been a long-time friend of men and women serving their country.

History tells about a time in November, 1950, during the Korean War. The First Marine Division with part of two U.S. Army combat teams and a detachment of British Commandos along with some South Korean Policemen -- about 15,000 in all -- faced 120,000 Chinese Communists. The confrontation took place at a mountain reservoir called Chang Jin (the Americans called it "Chosin.") Temperatures ranged from minus five degrees below zero in the day to minus twenty-five below zero at night. The ground froze so hard that bulldozers could not dig emplacements for Artillery. The cold impeded weapons from firing automatically. It also numbed minds and froze fingers and toes.

The troops were surrounded, outnumbered 10 to 1 and desperately in need of food and mortars. With freezing temperatures, military-supplied rations were frozen solid and inedible.

Using the code word "Tootsie Rolls" (that meant mortars, not candy) a radioman sent a message asking for ammunition.

Misunderstanding the call, the Air Force airdropped thousands of Tootsie Rolls to the trapped men in the Chosin Reservoir.

The men were close to starvation and the chocolate Tootsie Rolls (biggies) withstood the cold and provided food and energy. Some were kept close to the men's bodies to soften them and were often used to plug holes in fuel drums, radiators and gas tanks that had been riddled with bullets after enemy attacks. Once in place, the softened Tootsie Roll froze again and made a perfect plug.

The Air Force finally caught on and sent additional mortar ammunition.

On December 10, 1950, the men fought their way out of North Korea. Overall, seventeen Medals of Honor were awarded, thirteen during the officially recognized dates of November 15 to December 10, 1950. Rarely in the annals of military history has a force been up against such unfavorable odds, both in terms of numbers and the elements, and still prevailed.

In the 1980s, Marines who survived the battle formed an organization aptly named the Chosin Few. For many years, the group held reunions and Tootsie Rolls were always present.

Over the years, the survivors formed a special relationship with the company and the candies. "We are honored to share a bond with these heroic men and will always take pride in the small role we played in this epic battle," said Melvin J. Gordon, chairman of the board of Tootsie Roll Industries. "Tootsie Roll has been involved with every major U.S. military engagement during the last century, but this is the only incident we know of in which Tootsie Rolls saved lives."

One survivor, Bob Weisham of San Diego, said, "No matter where or when we get together, the tables always have handfuls of Tootsie Rolls on them. "It probably sounds funny that such small things as Tootsie Rolls can make a difference." He added, "For us, they made all the difference."

Tootsie Roll lollipops also helped serve the men in Vietnam. Carl Jacob, a member of Delta Company 196 Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam, sent the Tootsie Roll Company a photograph taken in 1970 depicting Jacob and several other members of his unit enjoying Tootsie Pops in the heat during some downtime.

More information about the Chosin Few and comments by other veterans whose lives have been impacted by Tootsie Rolls and Pops can be obtained on the Tootsie Roll website.

Wild Thing's comment.........

I LOVE this story!! One of my Uncles was one of the Chosin Few if only he could be alive today I would love to show him this story.

I typed this.....the chosin few with tootsie rolls.....into Google and pages and pages of stories came up. FANTASTIC to know about this. God bless our Veterans and our troops today and God bless the Tootsie Roll company too.

Ray Davis, USMC, recalls his experience with Tootsie rolls in Korea

Owing to its non-perishable quality and resistance to extreme weather conditions, the Tootsie Roll® has long been a popular military ration. Since World War II, U.S. troops stationed around the world have enjoyed Tootsie Rolls as part of their standard-issue MRE's, appreciating their great taste, portability, and inherent quality of supplying "quick energy."

Over the years, veterans have shared their Tootsie-related service memories, reflecting on a candy that provided energy and comfort during the most critical moments. Here are a few:

Tootsie Memories Veterans Remember

http://www.tootsie.com/gal_your.php

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (16)

December 15, 2008

President George W. Bush Visits Our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

President Bush visits our troops.

A man throwing a show at President George W. Bush during a news conference with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday. (The Associated Press)

As most of you probably already know a hate filled Iraqi journalist threw a shoe at George Bush in Iraq and Afghanistan on Sunday.
This is not just an “Iraqi Journalist” - this is an emigre journalist, working for an emigre news outlet out of Cairo, which was pro-Saddam Hussein and anti-Shiite.

The Left in the USA will seize on this and say, "see the Iraqi people hate us thanks to Bush." This misses the point, and they would be dead wrong. Back with Saddam there was no dissent. Instead there were rooms for torture. Under Saddam, this man and his family were feeding other people to the pigs - or the plastic shredders.
--- Wild Thing

If you really want to get pumped up, listen to the way the troops in Iraq greeted their Commander in Chief.

Headquarters 18th Airborne Corps Public Affairs

14 Dec 2008 Baghdad IQ

Troops reactions to President George W. Bush's speech to them in Iraq. Scenes include Gen. Odierno introducing the President, President Bush speaking at the podium, reaction shots and Bush shaking hands with troops s they applaud. Also see "Spc. Whitfield, 1st Lt. Benson, Capt. Howell, 1st Lt. Butel"

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

Bush departed the Green Zone by helicopter to Camp Victory, where he was greeted with cheers and whoops from the troops inside the enormous rotunda of the Al Faw palace. Speaking at a lectern beneath an enormous American flag that nearly reached the domed ceiling, he praised this generation of soldiers and reflected on the sacrifice of those who had died.

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

President George W. Bush paid a visit to the service members of Combined Joint Task Force-101 at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Dec. 15 during his last visit as president of the United States.

“I’m proud to be back in Afghanistan,” Bush said during his visit. “I am proud to be with brave souls serving the United States of America.”

Bush expressed his well wishes to the troops during the holidays and thanked them for their service in eastern Afghanistan.

“It was here in Afghanistan that the terrorists planned the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,” Bush said. “After that date, America gave the Taliban a choice: you can turn over the leaders of Al Qaida – or you can share in their fate. And when they refused, our just demands were enforced by the United States military.”

“Because of you, killers who wanted to take the lives of Americans back home have been brought to justice before they reached our shores,” he said to the troops.

Awesome Videos of our Troops and their Commander in Chief George Bush.

PART ONE

PART TWO VIDEO

PART THREE VIDEO

He called the surge "one of the greatest successes in the history of the United States military."

"Thanks to you," he told the soldiers, "the Iraq we're standing in today is dramatically freer, dramatically safer and dramatically better than the Iraq we found eight years ago."

After action report:

Probably over 1,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines packed the palace and stood for a couple hours (lots arrived way early to make sure they could get in).

The 4th Infantry Division had some band members there playing some great tunes and even doing vocals. Support folks had chow, snacks and beverages laid out for the crowd.

People were packed in like sardines. The backdrop for the stage was a gigantic flag that reached all the way to the ceiling, maybe about 70 feet.

General Odierno introduced the President. Started with, “Someone wanted to come see you to say goodbye, and to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays...”

The troops were jazzed and very energetic, though this was about 2200 at the end of a, no doubt, very long day for everyone.

A great cheer went up when he took the stage. The President talked about the early decisions to go into the war, UN resolutions, the success of the Coalition. He talked about the dark days during ‘04-’05, and the ultimate success of the surge. Many compliments for the unprecedented successes of the military.

The troops broke in several times with applause and “Hooahs!”.

Two things stood out. The first was when he said its sometimes hard to understand you’re making history when you’re in the middle of the action. Second, he said he was ordering everyone, as Commander In Chief, to call their families when “y’all get out of here tonight” and tell them “the Commander in Chief says ‘thank you’” for all the sacrifices made.

He spoke about the losses and injuries to friends and loved ones, and how the troops would someday be thought of in the same way as those who were in Normandy, Verdun, Korea and elsewhere.

He was very comfortable with the troops and talked about what he would miss most not being President which was not being CiC. Afterwards, he stayed for a bit and shook hands and signed autographs. This one was just for the troops - no civilians or contractors or TCNs, just our soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines. It was clearly a great morale booster.

President George W. Bush gestures the "hook'em horns" sign of the University of Texas to U.S. military personnel in the balcony, as he meets with U.S. military and diplomatic personnel Sunday, Dec, 14, 2008, at the Al Faw Palace-Camp Victory in Baghdad. White House photo by Eric Draper

Military reporter interviews the troops after the Baghdad visit:

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (20)

December 13, 2008

Silver Star Record For Unit In Afghan Cliff Clash

Dec. 12, 2008 Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland pins the Silver Star on one of 19 Fort Bragg Special Forces soldiers who were honored for their actions.

In this undated photo provided by the U.S. Army, Capt. Kyle Walton, right, and Master Sgt. Scott Ford, left, talk to an interpreter in Eastern Afghanistan. Both men will recieve a Silver Star Friday, Dec. 12, 2008 in the largest Special Forces award ceremony since the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/U.S. Army Photo, Sgt. David N Gunn) (Sgt. David N Gunn - AP)

Silver Star record for unit in Afghan cliff clash

Breitbart

"By the end of the six-hour battle deep within the Shok Valley, Walton would bear witness to heroics that on Friday would earn his team 10 Silver Stars, the most for a single battle in Afghanistan."

December 12, 2008

FORT BRAGG, N.C.

Capt. Kyle Walton remembers pressing himself into the jagged stones that covered the cliff in northeast Afghanistan.

Machine gun rounds and sniper fire ricocheted off the rocks. Two rounds slammed into his helmet, smashing his head into the ground. Nearby, three of his U.S. Army Special Forces comrades were gravely wounded. One grenade or a well-aimed bullet, Walton thought, could etch April 6, 2008 on his gravestone.

Walton and his team from the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group had been sent to kill or capture terrorists from a rugged valley that had never been penetrated by U.S. forces—or, they had been told, the Soviets before them.

He peered over the side of the cliff to the dry river bed 60 feet below and considered his options. Could he roll the wounded men off and then jump to safety? Would they survive the fall?

By the end of the six-hour battle deep within the Shok Valley, Walton would bear witness to heroics that on Friday would earn his team 10 Silver Stars, the most for a single battle in Afghaniston and possibly since the Vietnam War, although Army officials couldn't confirm that.

Army officials said an Air Force controller who guided air strikes from the ground was also nominated for a Silver Star but did not know if he had received it and Air Force officials couldn't immediately track down the case.

Walton, a Special Forces team leader, and his men described the battle in an interview with The Associated Press last week. Most seem unimpressed they've earned the Army's third-highest award for combat valor.

"This is the story about Americans fighting side-by-side with their Afghan counterparts refusing to quit," said Walton, of Carmel, Ind. "What awards come in the aftermath are not important to me."

The mission that sent three Special Forces teams and a company from the 201st Afghan Commando Battalion to the Shok Valley seemed imperiled from the outset.

Six massive CH-47 Chinook helicopters had deposited the men earlier that morning, banking through thick clouds as they entered the valley. The approaching U.S. soldiers watched enemy fighters racing to positions dug into the canyon walls and to sniper holes carved into stone houses perched at the top of the cliff.

Considered a sanctuary of the Hezeb Islami al Gulbadin terrorist group, the valley is far from any major American base.

It was impossible for the helicopters to land on the jagged rocks at the bottom of the valley. The Special Forces soldiers and commandos, each carrying more than 60 pounds of gear, dropped from 10 feet above the ground, landing among boulders or in a near-frozen stream.

With several Afghan commandos, Staff Sgt. John Walding and Staff Sgt. David Sanders led the way on a narrow path that zig-zagged up the cliff face to a nearby village where the terrorists were hiding.

Walton followed with two other soldiers and a 23-year-old Afghan interpreter who went by the name C.K., an orphan who dreamed of going to the United States.

Walding and Sanders were on the outskirts of the village when Staff Sgt. Luis Morales saw a group of armed men run along a nearby ridge. He fired. The surrounding mountains and buildings erupted in an ambush: The soldiers estimate that more than 200 fighters opened up with rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and AK-47s.

C.K. crumbled to the ground.

Walton and Spc. Michael Carter dove into a small cave. Staff Sgt. Dillon Behr couldn't fit so the Rock Island, Ill., native dropped to one knee and started firing. An F-15 made a strafing run to push back the fighters, but it wasn't enough.

Sanders radioed for close air support—an order that Walton had to verify because the enemy was so near that the same bombs could kill the Americans.

The nearest house exploded; the firing didn't stop.

"Hit it again," Sanders said.

For the rest of the battle, F-15 fighters and Apache helicopters attacked.

Behr was hit next—a sniper's round passing through his leg. Morales knelt on Behr's hip to stop the bleeding and kept firing until he, too, was hit in the leg and ankle.

Walton and Carter, a combat cameraman from Smithville, Texas, dragged the two wounded men to the cave. Gunfire had destroyed Carter's camera so Walton put him to work treating Morales who, in turn, kept treating Behr.

Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer, a medic from Pullman, Wash., fought his way up the cliff to help.

"Heard some guys got hit up here," he said as he reached the cave, pulling bandages and gear from his aid bag.

Walton told Walding and Sanders to abandon the assault and meet on the cliff. The Americans and Afghan commandos pulled back as the Air Force continued to pound the village.

Walding made it to the cliff when a bullet shattered his leg. He watched his foot and lower leg flop on the ground as Walton dragged him to the cliff edge. With every heartbeat, a stream of blood shot out of Walding's wound. Rolling on his back, the Groesbeck, Texas, native, asked for a tourniquet and cranked down until the bleeding stopped.

The soldiers were trapped against the cliff. Walton was sure his men would be overrun. The narrow path was too exposed. He sent Sanders to find another way down. Sometimes free-climbing the rock face, the Huntsville, Ala., native found a steep path and made his way back up. Could the wounded make it out alive? Walton asked.

"Yes, they'll survive," Sanders said.

Down below, Staff Sgt. Seth E. Howard took his sniper rifle and started climbing with Staff Sgt. Matthew Williams.

At the top, Howard used C.K.'s lifeless body for cover and started to shoot. He fired repeatedly, killing as many as 20 of their attackers, his comrades say. The enemy gunfire slowed. The Air Force bombing continued, providing cover.

Morales was first down the cliff, clutching branches and rocks as he slid. Sanders, Carter and Williams went up to get Behr, then back up to rescue Walding. As Walton climbed down, a 2,000-pound bomb hit a nearby house. Another strike nearly blew Howard off the cliff.

Helicopters swooped in to pick up the 15 wounded American and Afghan soldiers, as well as the rest of the teams. Bullets pinged off the helicopters. One hit a pilot.

All the Americans survived.

Months later, Walding wants back on the team even though he lost a leg. Morales walks with a cane.

The raid, the soldiers say, proved there will be no safe haven in Afghanistan for terrorists. As for the medals, the soldiers see them as emblems of teamwork and brotherhood. Not valor.

"When you go to help your buddy, you're not thinking, 'I am going to get a Silver Star for this,'" Walding said. "If you were there, there would not be a second guess on why."

Members of the Operational Detachment Alpha 3336 of the 3rd Special Forces Group endured a nearly seven-hour battle on a mountainside in Afghanistan's Nuristan province on April 6. (Courtesy Of Maj. Emanuel Ortiz Cruz)

From the Washington Post.............

10 Green Berets to Receive Silver Star for Afghan Battle

By Ann Scott Tyson

After jumping out of helicopters at daybreak onto jagged, ice-covered rocks and into water at an altitude of 10,000 feet, the 12-man Special Forces team scrambled up the steep mountainside toward its target -- an insurgent stronghold in northeast Afghanistan.

"Our plan," Capt. Kyle M. Walton recalled in an interview, "was to fight downhill."

But as the soldiers maneuvered toward a cluster of thick-walled mud buildings constructed layer upon layer about 1,000 feet farther up the mountain, insurgents quickly manned fighting positions, readying a barrage of fire for the exposed Green Berets.

A harrowing, nearly seven-hour battle unfolded on that mountainside in Afghanistan's Nuristan province on April 6, as Walton, his team and a few dozen Afghan commandos they had trained took fire from all directions. Outnumbered, the Green Berets fought on even after half of them were wounded -- four critically -- and managed to subdue an estimated 150 to 200 insurgents, according to interviews with several team members and official citations.

Today, Walton and nine of his teammates from Operational Detachment Alpha 3336 of the 3rd Special Forces Group will receive the Silver Star for their heroism in that battle -- the highest number of such awards given to the elite troops for a single engagement since the Vietnam War.

That chilly morning, Walton's mind was on his team's mission: to capture or kill several members of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) militant group in their stronghold, a village perched in Nuristan's Shok Valley that was accessible only by pack mule and so remote that Walton said he believed that no U.S. troops, or Soviet ones before them, had ever been there.

But as the soldiers, each carrying 60 to 80 pounds of gear, scaled the mountain, they could already spot insurgents running to and fro, they said. As the soldiers drew closer, they saw that many of the mud buildings had holes in the foot-thick walls for snipers. The U.S. troops had maintained an element of surprise until their helicopters turned into the valley, but by now the insurgent leaders entrenched above knew they were the targets, and had alerted their fighters to rally.

Staff Sgt. Luis Morales of Fredericksburg was the first to see an armed insurgent and opened fire, killing him. But at that moment, the insurgents began blasting away at the American and Afghan troops with machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades -- shooting down on each of the U.S. positions from virtually all sides.

"All elements were pinned down from extremely heavy fire from the get-go," Walton said. "It was a coordinated attack." The insurgent Afghan fighters knew there was only one route up the valley and "were able to wait until we were in the most vulnerable position to initiate the ambush," said Staff Sgt. Seth E. Howard, the team weapons sergeant.

Almost immediately, exposed U.S. and Afghan troops were hit. An Afghan interpreter was killed, and Staff Sgt. Dillon Behr was shot in the hip.

"We were pretty much in the open, there were no trees to hide behind," said Morales, who with Walton pulled Behr back to their position. Morales cut open Behr's fatigues and applied pressure to his bleeding hip, even though Morales himself had been shot in the right thigh. A minute later, Morales was hit again, in the ankle, leaving him struggling to treat himself and his comrade, he said. Absent any cover, Walton moved the body of the dead Afghan interpreter to shield the wounded.

Farther down the hill in the streambed, Master Sgt. Scott Ford, the team sergeant, was firing an M203 grenade launcher at the fighting positions, he recalled. An Afghan commando fired rocket-propelled grenades at the windows from which they were taking fire, while Howard shot rounds from a rocket launcher and recoilless rifle.

Ford, of Athens, Ohio, then moved up the mountain amid withering fire to aid Walton at his command position. The ferocity of the attack surprised him, as rounds ricocheted nearby every time he stuck his head out from behind a rock. "Typically they run out of ammo or start to manage their ammo, but . . . they held a sustained rate of fire for about six hours," he said.

As Ford and Staff Sgt. John Wayne Walding returned fire, Walding was hit below his right knee. Ford turned and saw that the bullet "basically amputated his right leg right there on the battlefield."

Walding, of Groesbeck, Tex., recalled: "I literally grabbed my boot and put it in my crotch, then got the boot laces and tied it to my thigh, so it would not flop around. There was about two inches of meat holding my leg on." He put on a tourniquet, watching the blood flow out the stump to see when it was tight enough.

Then Walding tried to inject himself with morphine but accidentally used the wrong tip of the syringe and put the needle in this thumb, he later recalled. "My thumb felt great," he said wryly, noting that throughout the incident he never lost consciousness. "My name is John Wayne," he said.

Soon afterward, a round hit Ford in the chest, knocking him back but not penetrating his body armor. A minute later, another bullet went through his left arm and shoulder, hitting the helmet of the medic, Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer, who was behind him treating Behr. An insurgent sniper was zeroing in on them.

Bleeding heavily from the arm, Ford put together a plan to begin removing the wounded, knowing they could hold out only for so long without being overrun. By this time, Air Force jets had begun dropping dozens of munitions on enemy positions precariously close to the Green Berets, including 2,000-pound bombs that fell within 350 yards.

"I was completely covered in a cloud of black smoke from the explosion," said Howard, and Behr was wounded in the intestine by a piece of shrapnel.

The evacuation plan, Ford said, was that "every time they dropped another bomb, we would move down another terrace until we basically leapfrogged down the mountain." Ford was able to move to lower ground after one bomb hit, but insurgent fire rained down again, pinning the soldiers left behind.

"If we went that way, we would have all died," said Howard, who was hiding behind 12-inch-high rocks with bullets bouncing off about every 10 seconds. Insurgents again nearly overran the U.S. position, firing down from 25 yards away -- so near that the Americans said they could hear their voices. Another 2,000-pound bomb dropped "danger close," Howard said, allowing the soldiers to get away.

Finally, after hours of fighting, the troops made their way down to the streambed, with those who could still walk carrying the wounded. A medical evacuation helicopter flew in, but the rotors were immediately hit by bullets, so the pilot hovered just long enough to allow the in-flight medic to jump off, then flew away.

A second helicopter came in but had to land in the middle of the icy, fast-moving stream. "It took two to three guys to carry each casualty through the river," Ford said. "It was a mad dash to the medevac." As they sat on the helicopter, it sustained several rounds of fire, and the pilot was grazed by a bullet.

By the time the battle ended, the Green Berets and the commandos had suffered 15 wounded and two killed, both Afghans, while an estimated 150 to 200 insurgents were dead, according to an official Army account of the battle. The Special Forces soldiers had nearly run out of ammunition, with each having one to two magazines left, Ford said.

"We should not have lived," said Walding, reflecting on the battle in a phone interview from Fort Bragg, N.C., where he and the nine others are to receive the Silver Stars today.

Nine more Green Berets from the 3rd Special Forces Group will also receive Silver Stars for other battles. About 200 U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have received the Silver Star, the U.S. military's third-highest combat award.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Thank you God for not letting this be worse then what happened. American heroes all. I am in such awe of our military. Our guys did a fantastic job against tremendous odds.

....Thank you Les for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (14)

December 11, 2008

Global Hawk UAV

They've become a fixture in the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan, a new breed of unmanned aircraft operated with remote controls by "pilots" sitting in virtual cockpits many miles away.

This is a photo of the Global Hawk UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)that returned from the war zone recently under its own power. (Iraq to Edwards AFB in CA) - Not transported via C5 or C17.

Notice the mission paintings (in black) on the fuselage.

It's actually over 250 missions...(and supposedly 25 air medals).

That's a long way for a remotely-piloted aircraft.

Think of the technology (and the required quality of the data link to fly it remotely).

Not only that but the pilot controlled it from a nice warm control panel at Edwards AFB.

Really long legs- can stay up for almost 2 days at altitudes above 60,000 ft..

The Global Hawk was controlled via satellite; it flew missions during OT&E that went from Edwards AFB to upper Alaska and back non-stop.

Basically, they come into the fight at a high mach # in mil thrust, fire their AMRAAMS, and no one ever sees them or paints with radar.

There is practically no radio chatter because all the guys in the flight are tied together electronically, and can see who is targeting who, and they have AWACS direct input and 360 situational awareness from that and other sensors The aggressors had a morale problem before it was all over.

It is to air superiority what the jet engine was to aviation.

It can taxi, take off, fly a mission, return, land and taxi on it's own.

No blackouts, no fatigue, no relief tubes, no ejection seats, and best of all, no dead pilots, no POWs.

Wild Thing's comment..........

Fantastic, this is amazing how this works.

....Thank you BobF for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (6)

December 08, 2008

In Country With Our Troops In Afghanistan

Task Force Eagle Assault Patrols Skies Above Southern Afganistan

A door gunner for an Army CH-47 helicopter scans the mountains and desert of southern Afghanistan during a mission

By Sgt. Paul David Ondik
Combined Joint Task Force - 101

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

In southern Afghanistan, the aircraft of 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, Task Force Eagle Assault patrols the skies over some of the most rugged terrain in the world.

In an area dominated by desert badlands, TF Eagle Assault is a lifeline for troops of almost a dozen nations.

“We will fly upwards of 2,000 missions,” said Lt. Col. Tommy Stauss, the unit’s commander. “It’s a very large area. It constitutes 20 to 30 percent of the country.”

Lt. Col. James Markert, commander of 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, and Sgt. 1st. Class Jody Thompson, 6-4 CAV, stand ready to receive their awards from Col. John Spiszer, commander of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. They both received awards for acts of heroism in times of combat.

Service Members Prove Themselves in Ambush

By 2nd Lt. Zack Moss
6th Squadron, 4th Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

The mountains of Konar Valley in eastern Afghanistan are some of the most treacherous and contested in the world. They are also home to Task Force Raider, 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas.

The squadron began to train for the challenges of the harsh Afghan environment the instant they were notified of their deployment. This training was put to the test during a mission this fall.

1st Platoon, Charlie Troop, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, a supporting Civil Affairs team, a platoon from the 2nd Kandak, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, of the 201st Corps of the Afghan national army and their supporting U.S. Marine Corps Embedded Training Team were traveling down the only improved road in the Nari District to check on development projects and resupply voter registration sites.

The movement south was uneventful until the patrol reached the Tsunel Valley.

The enemy was crouching among the houses on a hillside, waiting for the convoy. When the convoy came by, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired and impacted approximately five feet in front of the lead International Security Assistance Force truck, blowing a three-foot hole in the surface of a culvert.

“I saw an explosion to my front that opened a hole in the road, and the window cracked in front of me as bullets struck it, so I knew we were in an ambush,” said Spc. Brian Engel from San Antonio. “I drove to avoid the hole in the road and get out of the kill zone, but an RPG hit the engine of my truck.”

It was an all-out firefight and several Soldiers exited the vehicles as gunners from the vehicles fired on the enemy.

Pfc. Leonard Kroll, from Ontario, Calif., was fighting from outside the vehicle and helping Sgt. Daniel Ward, from Steamboat Springs, Colo., when he was struck just above the ankle by a bullet. As Ward continued to return fire he gave the order to Spc. Christopher Christensen from Fort Smith, Ark., and Engel to get Kroll into the truck to treat his injury.

Some vehicles from the convoy, despite damage, were clear from the enemy’s fire, but not all.

They had to get to the high ground; Ward’s truck was still in the kill zone, said Lt. Col. James Markert, 6-4 commander.

Sgt. Jammy Randell, from Smyer, Texas, took the lead, moving his scout team up the hill to establish an attack position on the high ground.

Randall, Markert and Pfc. Kirk Goff, from Swansea, S.C., engaged the enemy from approximately 400 meters away, suppressing the RPG team that was still firing at the ETT, ANA and Ward’s truck. Sgt. 1st Class Scott Huffman, from Copperas Cove, Texas, grabbed the medic and moved back down the hill to provide treatment for Ward.

Markert called for fire, and the first 155 mm shell exploded on the hill above the enemy positions.

Soon after, Alpha Troop arrived as the quick reaction force. They suppressed the enemy as some of the more seriously wounded were medically evacuated for treatment.

“We were lucky that even though there were quite a few wounded Soldiers, very few of the wounds were serious,” said Capt. Amanda Cuda, a doctor from Kailua, Hawaii.

The shooting stopped, but the fight wasn’t over. Artillery from a nearby base continued to explode onto the battle scene.

“We tracked them down and engaged with an appropriate level of force,” said Sgt. Maj. Gregory Turner from San Antonio. “Although well planned, we were expecting an attack so the enemy lost the element of surprise.”

The mission didn’t go as planned, but the battle drills that they had been practiced a hundred times did, leading to a successful battle without the loss of personnel.

“I was proud of the way my Troopers fought that day,” Markert said. “They demonstrated the aggressiveness and quick thinking expected in Cavalry units.”

Wild Thing's comment.........

Thank you to all our troops! Prayers for those that are injured and for all of our troops and their missions.

It is so wonderful that we can hear about how they are doing.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (12)

December 04, 2008

The Mission Of Our Awesome Troops At Guantanamo Bay

Guards patrol inside Joint Task Force Guantanamo’s Camp Six, Aug. 25. Camp Six is a maximum security facility which is modeled after a stateside federal prison. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detained enemy combatants, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the Global War on Terror. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning for and, on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.

Official Photo of Navy Rear Adm. David M. Thomas, Jr., commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detained enemy combatants, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the Global War on Terror. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning for and, on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.

Our Mission Remains the Same

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Vaughn Larson

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba

The incoming administration promised to close down Joint Task Force Guantanamo’s detainee operations during its presidential campaign, and news outlets regularly report about how those plans are proceeding and what changes may be required.

As the transition of White House policies commences, the commander of the JTF urged troopers here to focus on the mission at hand and not on speculation.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty about the future,” acknowledged Navy Rear Adm. David M. Thomas, Jr. “That can be cancerous to our organization.”

He allowed that the detainee camps will close – someday.

“Of course we’re going to close detainee operations,” Thomas said. “Both [presidential] candidates said we would. The challenge is how.

“I’m on two-year orders, and I’m six months into them,” he continued. “People who show up here will do their full tours – that would be my bet.”

As part of a presentation the admiral plans to give to every JTF trooper in the coming days, Thomas dispelled common myths about the mission here – and quelled the rumors about the future of Guantanamo Bay.

“There’s a whole lot more to Guantanamo than JTF,” he said, noting that this is the longest-serving overseas U.S. Naval base.

Thomas also responded to questions of legality – for example, a recent New York Times editorial referred to detainee operations here as an “outlaw prison” – by stating that the mission here is in accordance with international law, U.S. law and Department of Defense policies.

Part of the JTF mission is to support the military commissions.

“We don’t run those procedures,” he admitted. “Love ‘em or hate ‘em, it’s part of a broader policy. It’s the right discussion to be having.”

Claims from detainees of medical abuse? “Nothing could be further from the truth,” the admiral said. “You could not buy the quality of health care given to detainees.”

Thomas showed an image of Camp X-Ray, where detained enemy combatants were initially held in 2002 during a four-month period while permanent facilities were constructed.

“These are not the conditions today,” he stressed. “We have world-class facilities, and we continue to refine them.”

The approximately 250 detainees here today are housed in modern facilities based on federal Bureau of Prisons standards, Thomas explained.

“It’s just as you would expect from your government,” he said.

Thomas devoted much time and energy dispelling the myth of improper detainee treatment, and he praised the integrity of the guards here. He noted that guards interact with detainees on a regular basis.

“There is no remote-control activity here,” he said. “It’s person-to-person, and it’s stressful.”

The JTF commander said that guards perform their duties flawlessly, even without constant direct supervision.

“These are your kids – they’re my kids,” Thomas said of the guards, who average between 18 and 24 years in age. “They’re your neighbors’ kids, just doing their job here at Gitmo. People doing a very difficult job under extraordinary circumstances, and doing it well.”

Wild Thing's comment......

God bless our troops at Guantanamo Bay. It is such a perfect base for what they need to do there. I wish so much they would not close it.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (9)

December 03, 2008

A Soldier Is Never Too Busy To Protect His Friends

Wild Thing's comment........

I am in LOVE, this photo of this adorable puppy. I want to hug the puppy so badly. giggle Hope you all enjoy it too. What a marvelous way to start the day.

My parents had a St.Bernard when I was born and I grew up with them. We always had a lot of animals, kitties , dogs, horses, etc. But always one of the dogs was a St. Bernard. When I went out on my own I kept up the tradition up until the last year before we moved from California to Florida. My last Saint passed away, and we stayed with the smaller dogs due to the hot summers here in Florida. But I still would love to get another one someday. The hard part is they seldom live past 8 years old. So of course I do my best to spoil them rotten giggle.

Animals are the very best people. ( big smile)

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (12)

December 02, 2008

Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security

Washington Post

The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.

The long-planned shift in the Defense Department’s role in homeland security was recently backed with funding and troop commitments after years of prodding by Congress and outside experts, defense analysts said.

There are critics of the change, in the military and among civil liberties groups and libertarians who express concern that the new homeland emphasis threatens to strain the military and possibly undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military’s role in domestic law enforcement.

But the Bush administration and some in Congress have pushed for a heightened homeland military role since the middle of this decade, saying the greatest domestic threat is terrorists exploiting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, dedicating 20,000 troops to domestic response — a nearly sevenfold increase in five years — “would have been extraordinary to the point of unbelievable,” Paul McHale, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense, said in remarks last month at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But the realization that civilian authorities may be overwhelmed in a catastrophe prompted “a fundamental change in military culture,” he said.

The Pentagon’s plan calls for three rapid-reaction forces to be ready for emergency response by September 2011. The first 4,700-person unit, built around an active-duty combat brigade based at Fort Stewart, Ga., was available as of Oct. 1, said Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of the U.S. Northern Command.

If funding continues, two additional teams will join nearly 80 smaller National Guard and reserve units made up of about 6,000 troops in supporting local and state officials nationwide. All would be trained to respond to a domestic chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive attack, or CBRNE event, as the military calls it.

Military preparations for a domestic weapon-of-mass-destruction attack have been underway since at least 1996, when the Marine Corps activated a 350-member chemical and biological incident response force and later based it in Indian Head, Md., a Washington suburb. Such efforts accelerated after the Sept. 11 attacks, and at the time Iraq was invaded in 2003, a Pentagon joint task force drew on 3,000 civil support personnel across the United States.

In 2005, a new Pentagon homeland defense strategy emphasized “preparing for multiple, simultaneous mass casualty incidents.” National security threats were not limited to adversaries who seek to grind down U.S. combat forces abroad, McHale said, but also include those who “want to inflict such brutality on our society that we give up the fight,” such as by detonating a nuclear bomb in a U.S. city.

In late 2007, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England signed a directive approving more than $556 million over five years to set up the three response teams, known as CBRNE Consequence Management Response Forces. Planners assume an incident could lead to thousands of casualties, more than 1 million evacuees and contamination of as many as 3,000 square miles, about the scope of damage Hurricane Katrina caused in 2005.

Last month, McHale said, authorities agreed to begin a $1.8 million pilot project funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through which civilian authorities in five states could tap military planners to develop disaster response plans. Hawaii, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Washington and West Virginia will each focus on a particular threat — pandemic flu, a terrorist attack, hurricane, earthquake and catastrophic chemical release, respectively — speeding up federal and state emergency planning begun in 2003.

Last Monday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates ordered defense officials to review whether the military, Guard and reserves can respond adequately to domestic disasters.

Gates gave commanders 25 days to propose changes and cost estimates. He cited the work of a congressionally chartered commission, which concluded in January that the Guard and reserve forces are not ready and that they lack equipment and training.

Bert B. Tussing, director of homeland defense and security issues at the U.S. Army War College’s Center for Strategic Leadership, said the new Pentagon approach “breaks the mold” by assigning an active-duty combat brigade to the Northern Command for the first time. Until now, the military required the command to rely on troops requested from other sources.

“This is a genuine recognition that this [job] isn’t something that you want to have a pickup team responsible for,” said Tussing, who has assessed the military’s homeland security strategies.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the libertarian Cato Institute are troubled by what they consider an expansion of executive authority.

Domestic emergency deployment may be “just the first example of a series of expansions in presidential and military authority,” or even an increase in domestic surveillance, said Anna Christensen of the ACLU’s National Security Project. And Cato Vice President Gene Healy warned of “a creeping militarization” of homeland security.

“There’s a notion that whenever there’s an important problem, that the thing to do is to call in the boys in green,” Healy said, “and that’s at odds with our long-standing tradition of being wary of the use of standing armies to keep the peace.”

McHale stressed that the response units will be subject to the act, that only 8 percent of their personnel will be responsible for security and that their duties will be to protect the force, not other law enforcement. For decades, the military has assigned larger units to respond to civil disturbances, such as during the Los Angeles riot in 1992.

U.S. forces are already under heavy strain, however. The first reaction force is built around the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, which returned in April after 15 months in Iraq. The team includes operations, aviation and medical task forces that are to be ready to deploy at home or overseas within 48 hours, with units specializing in chemical decontamination, bomb disposal, emergency care and logistics.

The one-year domestic mission, however, does not replace the brigade’s next scheduled combat deployment in 2010. The brigade may get additional time in the United States to rest and regroup, compared with other combat units, but it may also face more training and operational requirements depending on its homeland security assignments.

Renuart said the Pentagon is accounting for the strain of fighting two wars, and the need for troops to spend time with their families. “We want to make sure the parameters are right for Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. The 1st Brigade’s soldiers “will have some very aggressive training, but will also be home for much of that.”

Although some Pentagon leaders initially expected to build the next two response units around combat teams, they are likely to be drawn mainly from reserves and the National Guard, such as the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade from South Carolina, which returned in May after more than a year in Afghanistan.

Now that Pentagon strategy gives new priority to homeland security and calls for heavier reliance on the Guard and reserves, McHale said, Washington has to figure out how to pay for it.

“It’s one thing to decide upon a course of action, and it’s something else to make it happen,” he said. “It’s time to put our money where our mouth is.”

Wild Thing's comment.........

I read this twice and did not see any mention of putting troops on the border. The illegals coming in is not what this is about. What on earth was I thinking, I forgot for a second that Bush loves the illegals coming in. So this article is not about that at all.

I love and respect our military- and our police...it’s just our politicians I don't trust. THEY are the ones who don't realize they are playing with fire. Under a conservative President this would be harmless news, good news, a feeling of being safe kind of news. Under Obama this takes on a whole different feel to it.

The various articles I have read since Obama's trip to Germany tell a lot about how the Pentagon is no fan of Obama. Add in to that fact Obama's friend the terrorist Ayers and his history with our Pentagon. Maybe that is why he has Gates on his team to try and get in better with the Pentagon, I am not sure.

The attempted attacks on our country happen every day all across the USA. I watch the incident map online and see the many things that our law enforcement have stopped. So that might also have something to do with this as well.

I still cannot get over that Barack Hussein Obama is the elected one.

http://www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/category/incident_reports/

https://www.globalincidentmap.com/user.php

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (15)

USAF Delivers Death To Our Enemies From Above!

Air Force- Warning to the taliban let the bodies hit the floor

Pride of America - USAF

Wild Thing's comment......

These are two really good videos of our USAF. God bless all of them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (6)

A Veteran Walks Among Us ~ 40 Years of Service

Senior Master Sgt. Edgar Newell, 380th Expeditionary Force Protection superintendent, thanks 2nd Lt. Sarah Rothlisberg after she presented him a plaque during a tribute at the start of the day's first shift Nov. 8, 2008. Newell is ending his last deployment prior to his retrirement after nearly 40 years of military service.

Senior Master Sgt. Edgar Newell, 380th Expeditionary Force Protection superintendent, addressed a formation after they paid tribute to him at a shift change Nov. 8, 2008. Newell is ending his last deployment prior to his retrirement after nearly 40 years of military service.

A Veteran Walks Among Us

By Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson
380th Air Expedtionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA

Senior Master Sgt. Edgar Newell stood among the 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airmen at guard mount Nov. 8, 2008. His face somber, the lines on his face filled with the shadows of two scores of deployments and military service. The sun was rising, casting the golden glow of dawn across the pale landscape.

When 2nd Lt. Sarah Rothlisberg, 380th ESFS, called him to the front of the formation, the 59-year-old veteran's eyes seemed to snap back from the reverie of days and deployments gone by ... days when the world seemed so different, yet so similar. Early days when the dawn of his career was a reflection of today's sunrise, emerging from the blanket of night to face new challenges.

Newell was honored on the eve of his final deployment. The 380th ESFS members stood watch; ears tuned to the words of a man who was watching the dusk roll in on a lifetime of service.

"My story is not a special one," Newell said. "I just have a lot of little special moments between the dates."

The senior non-commissioned officer claims a humble service, not deserving of any special recognition. His flight members disagree.

"Our lives as force protection Airmen will forever be changed and enriched due to Senior Newell's vast experience and exceptional leadership," said Rothlisberg, the 380th ESFS assistant operations officer. "It's been an honor and a privilege serving with him."

Richard Nixon was held in high esteem by the American people in 1969. Neil Armstrong was about to step foot on the moon. Twenty-year-old Newell was making his way to the local recruiter's office in Vineland, N.J.

As the decade drew to a close, the United States was in its fourth year of the Vietnam Conflict. More than 530,000 military members were facing increased resistance. The death toll was rising.

"I joined because I wanted to be a Marine," Newell, 380th Expeditionary Force Protection superintendent, said.

Forty years ago, uniformed service members were facing a volatile U.S. public for fighting in the Vietnam Conflict. The New Jersey native was not deterred. During a period of time when young men were dodging the draft, young Edgar stayed true to his dream and became a Marine.

As President Nixon was presenting jazz musician, Duke Ellington, the Presidential Medal of Freedom on April 29, 1969, Newell was swearing his oath of enlistment with the Marines.

He was trained as an infantryman and sent to the 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company at Camp LeJune, N.C., for nine months before heading off to Iceland for his first deployment.

Iceland was a Cold War bastion that dominated the polar approaches to Europe and North America. Its sea lanes were busy thoroughfares for nuclear submarines which dominated the strategic warfare of the 1970s. Though Marines guarded the American diplomatic presence there, there was also a contingent of ground forces who were arctic-warfare trained to counter any Soviet Spetznaz guerrilla invasions.

The year in Iceland forestalled his Vietnam assignment, but did not preclude it. His boots hit the ground in May, 1971. Newell headed home in September, 1972, after 16 months in-country as a grunt.

The years of 1971 and 1972 were the final phase of Nixon's Vietnamization program designed to provide a transition from an American-dominated conflict to a war fought by the South Vietnamese themselves. As American units drew down, responsibility for the fight was taken up by South Vietnamese regular units.

Newell, now in his mid-twenties, separated from the Marines and went to college where he earned a degree in forestry.

"I love trees," Newell said. "I love growing things."

Though his love for horticulture was uncontested, the satisfaction derived from military service had also taken root. Newell became a member of the Army National Guard from 1979 until 1982.

"I then rejoined the Active Marine Corps Reserves from 1983 to 1986," Newell said.

Though it had been 23 years since his first enlistment, Newell was far from his closing act. The sun was merely reaching midday on his veteranship. In 1992, six years after leaving the Marine Reserves, he donned yet another service uniform, this time for the New Jersey Air National Guard, where he has remained until the present.

Again, Newell had a front-row seat for military transformations as the NJANG underwent a major transition in 1993.

Its fighter forces were consolidated in Atlantic City, and its KC-135E Stratotankers from the 170th Air Refueling Group moved to McGuire Air Force Base, consolidated with the 108th Tactical Fighter Wing and became the two-squadron 108th Air Refueling Wing. The 177th Fighter Group in Atlantic City transitioned from F-106s (the last unit to fly the Delta Dart) to F-16s. Atlantic City provided key defense for the entire Northeastern seaboard.

"I have performed several different jobs in the military, from a platoon sergeant to the non-commissioned officer in charge of a [Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricant] section on a guard base," Newell explained. "I've never been without an agenda for the next day. Retirement will be different."

Newell donned the military uniform at a time when black youth were fighting for entrance into the same schools as white children. Activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated for fighting for civil rights. Woodstock was making rock 'n' roll history, and man walked on the moon for the first time. The first computer-to-computer link was established on the ARPANET; and on Oct. 29, 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled immediate desegregation of all school districts.

He changed uniforms from era to era and branch to branch.

Newell served his country through the radical hippie era and saw America's youth dancing Saturday Night Fever-style at discos. He carried the flag through the Reagan era and the Clinton years. He will lay his uniform to rest for the final time in the same town he started in, Vineland. Newell has come full circle.

As the sun set on Newell's distinguished and lasting military career, the first black president has been elected; people use webcams and satellite links to establish communications. Two score of military service finds the American public once again watching a battle play out on the evening news.

Today uniformed service members are approached by strangers, too. But hands are not raised to shake a closed fist and shouts do not spew words of hatred. Instead, open hands are extended in friendship and humble words of gratitude are orated.

No less so than Rothlisberg's gratitude, "I am truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to work side by side with this extraordinary man."

Veteran's Day brought a bittersweet reminder to those who've served with Newell as he greets the close of his career and his deployed brethren bid him farewell. For among them walked a true veteran: a Marine, Soldier, Reservist, Guardsman and Airman ... he served all.

Wild Thing's comment........

There are thousands of stories of our awesome troops. What a joy there is in sharing them and a tremendous pride in each one of our troops and Veterans that have made our country free and great!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (8)

December 01, 2008

Father (Vietnam Vet) and Son in Afghanistan Receive Silver Star Awards

Soldiers at CJTF-101 Headquarters,in Bagram look at the video teleconferencing screen as Retired Marine Staff Sgt. Gary Harris is presented with the Bronze and Silver Stars, back at Fort Campbell, Ky.

Brig. Gen. Steve Townsend pins a Bronze Star on the lapel of retired Staff Sgt. Gary Harris, 60, Friday at Fort Campbell. Harris was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star for his bravery in Vietnam.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Harris receives a handshake from Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, after being presented the Silver Star during an award ceremony at Combined Joint Task Force-101 Headquarters on Nov. 28.

Father and Son Receive Silver Star Awards During Special Long-distance Ceremony

By Spc. George Welcome
101st Combat Aviation Brigade

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

Nearly 30 years separate the conclusion of the Vietnam War and the start of the war on terrorism. While time, tactics and technology make today’s military very different from the one which fought in the jungles of Vietnam, a common denominator in the two conflicts has been the bravery and sacrifice of the American service member.

The Silver Star is the nation’s third-highest award for such displays of bravery and sacrifice. Chief Warrant Officer Jonathan Harris became one of the few Soldiers to receive the prestigious award on the evening of Nov. 28, but the fact that his father, former Staff Sgt. Gary Harris, was also presented at the same moment with a Silver Star made the event all the more meaningful.

Through a video teleconference during a ceremony at Combined Joint Task Force-101 headquarters, the Harris family watched from a conference room at Fort Campbell, Ky., as the younger Harris was presented the Silver Star by Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, CJTF-101 commanding general.

Meanwhile, Soldiers from CJTF-101 watched a video screen at Bagram as the elder Harris was pinned with not only the Silver Star, but also a Bronze Star he earned serving in Vietnam. Neither had been formally presented to him.

“It’s very rare that we present the Silver Star,” Schloesser explained to those in attendance at both Fort Campbell and Afghanistan. “We have a very high standard and we make sure that the few who do earn it have done so through selfless sacrifice. It’s clear that Mr. Harris did that, and it is also clear that the nation owes a debt to [former] Staff Sgt. Gary Harris. It was almost 40 years ago that he earned it, and I hope in some small way that we can pay back that debt by presenting him his award with his son’s today.”

Personal courage and selfless service could be said to run in the Harris family bloodline, as both father and son reacted similarly in their encounters with enemy forces. Both risked their lives to ensure the safety of their comrades.

The elder Harris displayed this courage on Aug. 15, 1969, as a squad leader in Vietnam.

He and his company were patrolling the outer perimeter near Gol Ree and were attacked with mortars and rocket fire. He quickly directed the members of his squad to return fire on the enemy.

As the attack died down, he moved his squad closer to the perimeter, which had been weakened during the barrage. As the enemy resumed its assault, he directed his squad to return fire once again, breaking the enemy attack. During the engagement, he risked his life by helping medics aid wounded Marines and helped bring them to safety.

The younger Harris also displayed bravery in the face of danger.

On July 2, 2008, Harris, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot assigned to Charlie Company, 5th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, landed his helicopter at a landing zone near Gardez, Afghanistan, to pick up Soldiers for transport when his aircraft came under attack by enemies using rocket propelled grenades, a heavy machine gun and various assault rifles.

With the aircraft on fire, Harris and crew managed to fly it a short distance before putting it down again. After safely exiting the burning helicopter, the entire crew took up a defensive position. They managed to contact a CH-47 Chinook that was in the area to help extract them from the battlefield. As the Chinook landed, the enemy resumed fire.

It was then that Harris, who was helping one of his wounded crew chiefs to the helicopter, exposed himself to fire by engaging and killing an approaching enemy combatant. He entered the helicopter only after ensuring that the members of his crew, the ground forces and the quick reaction force were safely aboard.

“Mr. Harris has been great since the incident,” said Sgt. DeeJay Norby, a crew chief who was also involved in the action at Gardez. “He didn’t get down or anything afterward; he went right back to business doing his job. It’s really awesome getting to fly with a great group of pilots and crew chiefs.”

This was not the first award that Harris has received during this deployment. He was also presented with the Air Medal with Valor device.

In his short address, Harris thanked his flight crew and the crew of the Chinook that performed the rescue operation.

“I’m so lucky to serve with so many great heroes,” said Harris. “Without them, the outcome might not have been so good.”

He also gave a heartfelt thank-you to his father, whose life and service set the example for him.

"Your son, Mr. Harris, exposed himself to direct fire and did incredible things, selfishly sacrificing potentially his life for his comrades," Schloesser said.

"I'm kinda jealous, Dad; you've got two medals and I've only got one," the younger Harris joked after receiving his medals at Bagram.

Gary Harris said he never talked about his medal with his son, but Jonathan had planned early on to follow his father into the military.

Jonathan enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1995, joined the Army in 1999 and is currently assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell.

“Every time people thank us for our service, I tell them to thank a Vietnam vet, so Dad I want to thank you today.”

Wild Thing's comment.........

This is fantastic! I love that they are Father and son.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (9)

Pilot Surpasses 3,000 Hours in A-10 Thunderbolt

Lt. Col. David Dressel, a pilot with the 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, poses in front of an A-10 Thunderbolt II at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. Dressel, a native of Watertown, Minn., has flown more than 3,000 hours in the A-10 and is on track to reach 500 combat hours during his current deployment.

Pilot Surpasses 3,000 Hours in A-10 Thunderbolt

By Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

The list of single-seat fighter pilots who have flown 3,000 hours in one particular aircraft is short. On Nov. 21, a new name was added to that list when Lt. Col. David Dressel, flew his 3,000th hour in an A-10 Thunderbolt II while flying a close air support mission over Afghanistan.

Dressel, a native of Watertown, Minn., began flying in 1991. The A-10 was his number one choice coming out of pilot training.

“When I was a senior in high school I was placed in a Minnesota mentor program where you go to school half time and work with an industry half time,” he said. “I was interested in aviation and was placed with a company that designed bullets for the military. I was put on a design team that built 30 mm shells for the A-10. I said this is awesome. The only plane that carried the 30 mm cannon was the A-10 – that’s what leads me down that road.”

From his first sortie in the A-10 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., 18 years ago, to flying combat sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Dressel has come a long way.

“You remember where you were when you hit 1,000 and when you hit 2,000 hours,” he said. “To hit 3,000 hours in a combat sortie was really special.”

Colonel Dressel, deployed with the 75th Fighter Squadron from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., is no stranger to combat. He has deployed in support of Operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He said there is no other place he would rather be than deployed.

“Our job is to support the guys on the ground,” he said. “Unlike other aircraft, that’s our main focus – providing close air support to guys on the ground, slugging it out day after day, 24/7.”

“Back home you rate your success on how well you performed,” he continued. “Here, you rate your success on how well the ground guys do. Our success comes down to whether or not the ground commander was able to accomplish his mission.”

Despite his accomplishments, this veteran pilot tips his hat to the new pilots he works with.

“It was seven years before I shot in combat,” he said. “When I came in, we were a nation at peace, now we are in a conflict. Anyone who signed up after 9/11 knew they were going to deploy and see combat. My hat’s off to them.”

Next for Dressel is passing 500 combat hours in the A-10 – something he is on track to accomplish during this deployment.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Congratulations to Lt. Col. David Dressel! Thank you!

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (8)

In Country With Our USArmy in Afghanistan

U.S. Army Soldiers engaging Taliban in a firefight in Afghanistan.

US Army take out Taliban position combat footage

Wild Thing's comment.......

These guys are so awesome!!!! I wish they could hear us cheering them on and thanking them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (4)

November 30, 2008

Marines Face 'profound' Differences In Afghanistan

Camp Pendleton's Maj. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser visits a market in Haditha, Iraq, earlier this month.

MILITARY: Marines face 'profound' differences in Afghanistan

North County Times

With relative calm in Iraq, focus shifts to nation's other war

For U.S. Marines, America's war on terror is now in Afghanistan, where, a top general warns, there are "profound" political, military and cultural differences from Iraq.

Nearly six years after the invasion of Iraq, the Marines are now largely in a monitoring role in the Anbar province, all but declaring victory in the massive region once considered untamable.

By this time next year, Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, commander of Marine Corps forces in the Middle East, predicted that as many as 15,000 of his troops could be in Afghanistan ---- 12,000 more than are there now.

By the middle of 2009, Maj. Gen. John Kelly, who has led Marines on the ground in Iraq since January, said he believes the number of Marines in Anbar can be cut from the current 23,000 to around 15,000 or slightly fewer.

Maj. Gen. John Kelly

"The Marines in Anbar have performed magnificently," Helland said last week aboard a military aircraft as he returned to his Camp Pendleton home after a two-week swing through Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Bahrain.

"What was once a volatile, brutal environment is now changing, as Iraqis are determined to defeat their enemies and bring stability to the country," he said.

While Iraq is a largely literate and modern society with oil revenue to fund its treasury, Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, with few paved roads.

The opium poppy is its greatest cash crop.

As the Marine Corps plans to draw down its forces in Iraq and move thousands more troops 1,200 miles to the east in Afghanistan if President-elect Barack Obama and Pentagon officials give the go-ahead, Helland was clear in a recent message that the differences between the two countries are stark.

"This is not Iraq," he wrote in a message to Col. Duffy White, who has taken command of the approximately 2,100 Marines now in Afghanistan. "Your units will have a large proportion of Iraq veterans who accomplished great things in the Anbar province.

"That said, remember that Afghanistan is not Iraq. The political, military and cultural differences are profound. Your unit must quickly adjust to working in a coalition environment. Once a mistake is made, the excuse that 'this is how we did it in Iraq' will not suffice," Helland wrote.

Shortly after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and toppling of the ultrafundamentalist Taliban from the government in Kabul, the Marines left that country largely to Army and NATO forces.

Their responsibility was Anbar, the expansive region of Iraq that borders Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Home to a majority Sunni population, the border saw thousands of foreign al-Qaida fighters cross into the region to join the home-grown insurgency.

But when the insurgency began killing Iraqis as part of an intimidation campaign, Sunni leaders and tribal sheiks turned and sided with U.S. forces and the protection and financial resources to be had.

The result is that Anbar is now one of the calmest regions of Iraq, military officials say, leading to one general's declaration earlier this month that the work today is far more about politics than combat.

In Iraq

Kelly is succinct in his appraisal as he prepares to return to Camp Pendleton in February.

"The war here is over," he said.

The future security for the rest of Iraq is now almost solely dependent on the Iraqi government and its ability to bring rival political and sectarian factions together and prevent internal strife, the two-star general said during an interview at his new office at Al Asad Airbase in Iraq.

His former headquarters in the city of Fallujah was turned over to the Iraqi army four weeks ago.

In Anbar, the remaining threat is "very, very manageable," he said, adding that use of lethal force is now at a minimum.

"The biggest arrow in my quiver is influence," Kelly said.

Helland said the next six to 12 months, and the decisions made by Obama when he takes office, will go a long way toward charting the Marine Corps' future in Iraq and its pressing desire to increase its forces in Afghanistan.

"I see the Marine Corps continuing to move into a strictly overwatch role in Anbar," Helland said, adding that the redistribution of troops will depend on conditions on the ground.

"The country has to continue to come together and have confidence in the credibility of its army and its police forces," he said.

"It's certainly a different place than it has been, and we have to be able to take the training wheels off sooner rather than later."

Grunts such as Sgt. Juan Mendez, a 27-year-old Chicago native on his sixth deployment, said the years spent combating insurgents and training the Iraqi army have paid off.

"I think the fact that most of the guys haven't fired their weapons once during this deployment shows that all of our good hard work has accomplished what needed to be done here," the mobile security unit section leader said during an interview at Camp Ripper, the Marine encampment at Al Asad.

For the Marines, it's clear their new focus in "the long war" against extremists is shifting from Iraq to the mountains and deserts of Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan

During an address to troops at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan's Helmand province this month, Helland made his prediction that up to 15,000 Marines could be fighting the Taliban next spring.

"What the commandant would like to do, quite frankly, is move the Marines out of Iraq," Helland said. "We want to grow our footprint and crush the enemies in Afghanistan."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently said he would like to see three additional brigade combat teams ---- at least 12,000 troops ---- sent to Afghanistan well before the country's September elections.

Over the last 18 months, the U.S. and NATO countries have increased their troop count in Afghanistan by 20,000, and commanders have asked for an additional 20,000, including 3,000 as soon as possible to bolster training of fledgling police forces.

During his visit, Helland took part in several closed-door meetings with commanders as the Marine Corps plans for the troop build-up they expect Obama will order after taking office.

Marine units from Twentynine Palms and North Carolina that have been in Afghanistan since the spring are being replaced this month.

Unlike Iraq, Afghanistan is landlocked, a unique challenge for Marines who rely on ships to transport their vehicles and major weapon systems.

"Infrastructure is a very, very big challenge," Helland said.

That's evident in part by the fact that decades-old Russian transport planes are now providing much of the heavy-lift capability, under a contract with the U.S.

The planes are among the few in the world that can hold the large, anti-mine vehicles that have stemmed the rate of fatalities from roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The freshly deployed Marines that arrived in Afghanistan this month include a helicopter attack squadron from Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.

Commanders say they expect the Taliban, which has traditionally retreated during the cold months, to continue a pace of attacks that has been the highest since the 2001 invasion.

"The campaign will go on through the winter," Helland said. "For the Taliban, it's fast becoming a fight for survival."

That said, Helland emphasized that Afghanistan presents a host of challenges different from Iraq, including brutally cold temperatures.

"The climate is different, the terrain is different and the human terrain is different," he said.

In his message to his new commander on the ground in Afghanistan, Helland also warned Col. White about civilian killings.

"Escalation of force must be applied judiciously," he wrote. "There is a low tolerance for collateral damage in Afghanistan."

Anbar took years, hundreds of millions of dollars and the lives of hundreds of locally based Marines and sailors to tame.

The same steadfastness is paramount for what has been called the nation's "other war," Helland said.

"Afghanistan will require the same amount of patience," said the three-star general, who also heads Camp Pendleton's 40,000-member I Marine Expeditionary Force. "It will take time."

How much time is unclear, and few are willing to put a number on how many years it will take to defeat the Taliban.

There's a saying in Afghanistan that provides a warning for Americans hoping for a quick resolution: "We have the watches; the Taliban has the time."

Wild Thing's comment............

I am so glad to read this, it is perfect timing since the post I did about the traitor Murtha and what he plans to try to insist on regarding Afghanistan and our military. It is almost as though the word is out about Murtha and his future trip and they want to make it very clear to Murtha and his ilk not to mess with the military, with the Marines, Army all of them. They are doing what needs to be done, they know the difference in the two countries and are letting him ( Murtha) know to stay out of it.

I might be wrong but this is my take on this article.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:48 AM | Comments (4)

A Toast To Marines

And this is another one that was made for the Marine Corps 230th Birthday. It is exceptional .

CLICK here to see 2nd video

Wild Thing's comment.......

This is a great video tribute to the Marines.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (4)

November 29, 2008

In Country With Our Troops In Afghanistan

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:48 AM

November 27, 2008

Strikers Prepare for Thanksgiving in Northeastern Baghdad

Pfc. Katty Marie Le Blanc, a native of Boston, and Spc. Reuben Jones, a native of Gainesville, Fla., both of whom serve as cooks with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, display eight of the turkeys that will be used for the brigade's Thanksgiving dinner throughout the Adhamiyah and Sadr City Districts of Baghdad.

Strikers Prepare for Thanksgiving in Northeastern Baghdad

By Scott Flenner
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WAR EAGLE, Iraq

Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, will enjoy a feast of fresh turkey with all the fixings this Thanksgiving holiday.

Three months ago, food service technicians and officers began planning for this celebration to ensure that every Soldier operating in their area was provided with a traditional Thanksgiving meal Nov. 27 – they have succeeded.

Warrant Officer Darryl Goddard, a food service officer with 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., who has been planning the Thanksgiving dinner at Forward Operating Base War Eagle, is ready for the challenge of feeding the more than 300 Soldiers there.

“I am ensuring that Soldiers at FOB War Eagle and 4th Inf. Div. are supported with a little taste of home … and I am working diligently to ensure they get the necessary feeling of home here in Iraq while in Iraq,” said the Norfolk, Va., native.

That taste of home includes more than 800 pounds of fresh turkey, which will be prepared and fixed at the larger dining facilities and then pushed out to the smaller combat outposts and joint security stations.

“Every Soldier will get a good Thanksgiving dinner based upon patrol schedule,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Dailey, a Palmerton, Pa., native, who serves as the senior enlisted leader for the 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div. “It will be a continuous operation throughout the day.”

But turkey is not the only traditional food being served to the troops this holiday season. Sweet potato pie, apple cobbler and Baskin Robin’s ice cream are just a few other treats to accompany the feast.

“I feel that it is important from a biblical standpoint and a moral standpoint for Soldiers on the battlefield be able to be comfortable and enjoy the Thanksgiving tradition that has been going on for centuries,” said Goddard.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates expressed his gratitude to the nation's service members and their families in his annual Thanksgiving Day message.

Here is the text of the secretary's message:

"In this season of hope, I want to say how uplifting it has been to get to know so many Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines during the last 24 months.

"Many of you are far from home, and I'm sure there's no place you would rather be than with your loved ones. But know that they, and all Americans, are free and secure because of what the men and women of the U.S. military are doing all over the world – from Fort Lewis to Fort Drum, from Korea to Kosovo, from Bagram to Baghdad.

"The holidays are a time to reflect on the kind of nation we are: a nation whose character and decency are embodied in our armed forces. Those who risk life and limb every time they set foot "outside the wire." The medical personnel, engineers, and civil affairs teams who improve the lives of thousands. And all are volunteers.

"To the families of our forces: thank you for sharing your loved ones to defend us all. To our troops: we admire your selflessness and pray for your success and safe return home. And to all: happy holidays."

Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (8)

November 26, 2008

In Country With ‘Ace High’ Soldiers

Heavy machine guns with barrels unearthed during a cache sweep in Dhabtiya, a village northwest of Baghdad lie in line during an inventory of the items Nov. 23. Soldiers from Troop A "Ace High," 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment "Strykehorse," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, conducted a cache sweep along the Grand Canal and seized 11 cache's over the two-day period.

‘Ace High’ Soldiers Strike Gold During Cache Sweep

By Sgt. 1st Class Brian Addis

2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team,
25th Infantry Division

JOINT SECURITY STATION SHEIK AMIR, Iraq

Soldiers from Troop A “Ace High,” 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment “Strykehorse,” 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, conducted a cache sweep in Dhabtiya, a village northwest of Baghdad, Nov. 24-25.

The two-day operation resulted in eleven cache finds.

Platoons from Ace High Troop, with the help of approximately 50 Sons of Iraq (Abna al Iraq) and Iraqi army soldiers conducted a deliberate east-to-west search along the north side of the Grand Canal Nov. 24. The search initially turned up an unknown type rocket and a 60mm mortar. An ensuing search resulted in four additional separate caches. The cache find was expected, but the size and contents of some of these caches were surprising.

“The size of the heavy weapons caches was not what we had expected,” said Capt. Matt Clark, commander, Ace High Troop, who is a native of Tucson, Ariz. “The discovery of the SA-13 missile [Strella] pod was definitely not something we had envisioned in the beginning.”

The first cache consisted of two AK-47s with magazines, an FAL rifle with magazines, three DSHKA barrels, a hand grenade, 100 meters of time fuse, a SA7 anti-aircraft missile, 120 links of 7.62mm rounds, a .30-caliber machine gun, four Italian anti-tank mines and a 120mm mortar tube.

The second cache consisted of four 155mm artillery rounds, five 130mm rockets with serviceable warheads and two 130mm rocket warheads. The third cache contained a 155mm artillery round and three 105mm projectiles.

The items found in the fourth cache were unserviceable due to corrosion and was much older than the other three. Items found were a flare pistol, four mortar bipods, five .50-caliber machine gun receivers, 10 12.7mm HMG receivers, 30 HMG barrels of various types and calibers with one being unknown, and a light machine gun receiver.

“I believe these caches were the property of al Qaida in Iraq cell that had a large influence in the area historically.” Clark said

Once all items were inventoried, EOD was called to the site and all unexploded ordnance/explosive cache items were reduced on site. All other serviceable and unserviceable weapons were turned over to the Iraqi army.

The second day of “Operation Gold Digger” began at approximately 10 a.m. Nov. 25 with Soldiers from Ace High Troop once again patrolling the flat lands of Dhabtiya along the Grand Canal. The sweep would complete the north side of the canal and push the search 200-300 meters south of the canal as well. The Soldiers discovered almost twice the number of caches than the previous day as seven caches were unearthed, inventoried and destroyed. Amongst the items found were 27 82mm mortars, five heavy machine guns, four 120mm mortars and six anti-aircraft guns.

The combined efforts of Iraqi security and coalition forces during the two-day event culminated in a successful reduction and erosion of enemy capabilities.

“The Iraqi army and Sons of Iraq were able to work together and contribute a great deal, which is beneficial in the progress towards a safer and more secure area,” Clark said. “General intelligence allowed us to focus the time and man power effectively and the success of the operation was a direct result of that.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (7)

Distinguished Service Cross Recipient Chooses a Third Iraq Deployment

Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Nein, 39, with the Kentucky National Guard's 223rd Military Police Company, at Camp Taji, Iraq, on Oct. 18, 2008. Nein was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions as a squad leader with the 617th Military Police Company during an ambush on March 20, 2005, during his second deployment. He is now serving on his third deployment. "I probably didn't have to be here this time, but I don't think that I would have missed it," Nein said. "We're helping transform the Iraqi police to be a more relevant force and a professional force."

Distinguished Service Cross Recipient Chooses a Third Iraq Deployment

By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill

CAMP TAJI, Iraq

He served in Iraq twice before. He was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for his actions as a squad leader here. He didn’t have to come back.

But Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Nein is back, on his third deployment in Iraq, his fourth overseas this decade. The first was in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2001.

Only the Medal of Honor trumps the DSC among awards for valor in battle. Nein was the first Guard member to receive the award and only the fourth service member during the Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The DSC was an upgrade from the Silver Star Medal that Nein was originally awarded for his actions as a squad leader with the Kentucky National Guard’s 617th Military Police Company during a March 20, 2005, ambush.

Nein and the National Guard’s Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester – the first woman awarded the Silver Star for direct combat action against an enemy – led a counterattack that saw 27 insurgents killed, seven captured and no deaths in their unit. Two Soldiers were wounded.

Nein still leads in Iraq, where he’s now serving with the Kentucky National Guard’s 223rd Military Police Company.

Five years of change

"I probably didn't have to be here this time, but I don't think that I would have missed it," Nein said. “I feel honored to be a part of this.”

This time, he is a platoon sergeant providing escorts for the 18th Military Police Brigade’s Iraqi Police Transitional Team.

Nein has seen five years of change firsthand. He first deployed here with the initial liberation force in 2003. He was back in 2005.

“I’ve seen a huge difference from 2005 to where we are now,” he said. “I can remember thinking in 2005, looking back at 2003, how much different it was.

“I can’t believe we’ve come as far as we have as far as getting their economy going. The violence is down greatly. It’s unbelievable how much different it is. They have come in five years in the democracy that they have what took us 232 years to get to.

“That’s what I don’t think people see – the great life that we live in the United States.

People look at that and think that it’s always been that way. It wasn’t. Forty, 50 years ago we were still fighting the civil rights movement. We have fought for 232 years to get to where we’re at. Yet in five years [Iraqis] have gone from a dictatorship to the ability to vote for who they want.”

Essential

Nein said the National Guard has played an essential role in Iraq’s transformation. One example is his own unit’s mission. “We’re helping transform the Iraqi police to be a more relevant force and a more professional force,” he said. “We’re out there every day evaluating their leaders, evaluating their recruits, evaluating their police stations to make sure that they’re up to par so that we can hand this mission over to them and they can take control.”

From Clark County, Ind., Nein enlisted in the National Guard in 1996. “I wanted to give something back to the people that have given me so much,” he said.

He has strong feelings about the Guard. “It’s one of the best assets the United States Army has,” he said. “It’s a relevant and ready force. We have gone in the last five years from a great force to an outstanding force. We can pick up and be anywhere in the world and accomplish a mission just like any other unit in the United States and perform to the equivalent level. I can’t say enough about the Guard.”

Despite Nein’s intense Guard pride, he sees all servicemembers here as a joint team. “I don’t see National Guard,” he said. “I don’t see Reserve Soldiers, and I don’t see active-duty Soldiers, because we’re all doing the same mission and we’re keeping up the great professionalism … meeting every bit of the same standards across the board.”

But Nein said the National Guard is unique because the Citizen-Soldier or -Airman who balances family, a civilian career and the Guard is unique.

Unique

“We’ve got Soldiers that just aren’t Soldiers – this isn’t all they’ve ever done,” Nein said. “We might have guys that have been in the National Guard for 20 years and have three and four deployments and have a lot of world experience, but they also have other careers that they’re able to expand on in the Guard.”

Nein sees the benefit of those civilian-acquired skills in his own unit. “I’ve got guys that are in law enforcement. I’ve got welders. I’ve got college students.”

Nein’s unit includes some stop-loss Soldiers. “They didn’t complain one bit,” he said. “They said, ‘This is my job, and this is what I’m going to go do.’ And that’s the heart of a U.S. Soldier, and that’s the heart of the United States citizen.”

When Nein looks at his own unit, he sees a microcosm of the Guard, a mosaic built from different life experiences and shared Soldier skills that gives the unit an ability to adapt to change.

“I see the best of the best,” he said. “I see the typical U.S. citizen who stands up to come here and leaves – just like with an active duty Soldier – their homeland to come and make a better place in the world without a complaint.”

Before this latest deployment, Nein took a leave of absence from the paper products company where he’s worked two decades to go full time with the Guard as a training NCO.

Continuous improvement

Here on the ground, after-action reviews are a key part of how Nein leads, seeking ways for himself and his Soldiers to improve. “Even if it’s just a standard escort mission that we do a thousand times while we’re here, every day’s going to be different, and every day we’ve got to try and make it better, and that’s how I look at every mission,” he said.

Out on escort missions, Nein thinks like his enemy. “I’m looking for how, if I was a bad guy, how I would kill me, the entire time out there,” he said. “I’m looking for where I would put an improvised explosive device; where I would set up an ambush; how I would do it if I was the bad guy.”

He passes that mentality along to his Soldiers as they scan for threats. “Don’t look at the actual object,” he tells them, referring to IED placement. “Look past it. Look at how you would set it up in the area – and you’ll see it way before you would ever if you were just looking for an inanimate object.”

He hopes other Soldiers will look at the day his unit was ambushed for lessons. “What did we do right?” he said. “Why were we able to survive something that we shouldn’t have been able to survive?

“I didn’t make up any of the tactics that we used. We took everything that the Army taught and that Soldiers before me had used and we developed it and we implemented it from Day 1. Anytime that a technique, tactic and procedure could have been better, we worked on it.

“It’s not what I did that made the day go right. It’s what the people before me did, that taught me and mentored me on battle tactics and TTPs and just doing the right thing each and every day. Because if you do that – the right training, the right leadership and the right equipment – there’s nothing that we can’t accomplish.”

Nein has been married for 19 years. The couple has two children.

“If it wasn’t for a good support channel, as far as my family being able to support me to allow me to go do these things, then I wouldn’t be able to do it,” Nein said. “My ability to do my job and not worry about what’s going on at home is because I have a great family and a great wife.”

March 20, 2005, might have ended differently for Nein and his squad, who were outnumbered five to one. Every day he serves here, Nein still faces risk.

“This is my job,” he said. “This is what I chose to do, and it’s what I’ll continue to strive to do. I love what I do.”

Wild Thing's comment.........

Thank you Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Nein I hope and pray you know how much your service means to all of us.

My Favorite quote - Wild Thing

""Freedom! No word was ever spoken that held out greater hope, demanded greater sacrifice, needed more to be nurtured, blessed more the giver, cursed more its destroyer, or came closer to being God's will on earth. And I think that's worth fighting for." General Omar Bradley

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (6)

November 25, 2008

Marine Makes Insurgents Pay the Price

A Marine sniper attached to Task Force 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Afghanistan, fires at targets on a range on Camp Barber, Afghanistan. The marksmanship skills of the Marines proved far superior during the Battle of Shewan, enabling the Marines to reduce the enemy force that was more than eight times the size of their own. (Photo by Sgt. Steven R. Cushman.)

Smoke billows from a 500-pound bomb dropped during the intense battle for the city of Shewan. During the battle, Marine snipers attached to Task Force 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Afghanistan, killed more than 50 insurgents and wounded several more. (Photo by Sgt. Steven R. Cushman.)

Marine Makes Insurgents Pay the Price

Military.com

Marine Corps News

Cpl. James M. Mercure

FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan

In the city of Shewan, approximately 250 insurgents ambushed 30 Marines and paid a heavy price for it.

Shewan has historically been a safe haven for insurgents, who used to plan and stage attacks against Coalition Forces in the Bala Baluk district.

The city is home to several major insurgent leaders. Reports indicate that more than 250 full time fighters reside in the city and in the surrounding villages.

Shewan had been a thorn in the side of Task Force 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Afghanistan throughout the Marines’ deployment here in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, because it controls an important supply route into the Bala Baluk district. Opening the route was key to continuing combat operations in the area.

“The day started out with a 10-kilometer patrol with elements mounted and dismounted, so by the time we got to Shewan, we were pretty beat,” said a designated marksman who requested to remain unidentified. “Our vehicles came under a barrage of enemy RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and machine gun fire. One of our ‘humvees’ was disabled from RPG fire, and the Marines inside dismounted and laid down suppression fire so they could evacuate a Marine who was knocked unconscious from the blast.”

The vicious attack that left the humvee destroyed and several of the Marines pinned down in the kill zone sparked an intense eight-hour battle as the platoon desperately fought to recover their comrades. After recovering the Marines trapped in the kill zone, another platoon sergeant personally led numerous attacks on enemy fortified positions while the platoon fought house to house and trench to trench in order to clear through the enemy ambush site.

“The biggest thing to take from that day is what Marines can accomplish when they’re given the opportunity to fight,” the sniper said. “A small group of Marines met a numerically superior force and embarrassed them in their own backyard. The insurgents told the townspeople that they were stronger than the Americans, and that day we showed them they were wrong.”

During the battle, the designated marksman single handedly thwarted a company-sized enemy RPG and machinegun ambush by reportedly killing 20 enemy fighters with his devastatingly accurate precision fire. He selflessly exposed himself time and again to intense enemy fire during a critical point in the eight-hour battle for Shewan in order to kill any enemy combatants who attempted to engage or maneuver on the Marines in the kill zone. What made his actions even more impressive was the fact that he didn’t miss any shots, despite the enemies’ rounds impacting within a foot of his fighting position.

“I was in my own little world,” the young corporal said. “I wasn’t even aware of a lot of the rounds impacting near my position, because I was concentrating so hard on making sure my rounds were on target.”

After calling for close-air support, the small group of Marines pushed forward and broke the enemies’ spirit as many of them dropped their weapons and fled the battlefield. At the end of the battle, the Marines had reduced an enemy stronghold, killed more than 50 insurgents and wounded several more.

“I didn’t realize how many bad guys there were until we had broken through the enemies’ lines and forced them to retreat. It was roughly 250 insurgents against 30 of us,” the corporal said. “It was a good day for the Marine Corps. We killed a lot of bad guys, and none of our guys were seriously injured.”

Wild Thing's comment.........

Aimed precise shots beat a company of rag heads with RPGs.

In the city of Shewan, approximately 250 insurgents ambushed 30 Marines and paid a heavy price for it.

250 terrorists vs. 30 Marines? The terrorists were outnumbered. HOO RAH!

“The biggest thing to take from that day is what Marines can accomplish when they’re given the opportunity to fight,” the sniper said.

Let’s hope “Great Leader” doesn’t take those opportunities away from our Forces. Or else, they might have opportunities to fight over HERE in a few years!

Semper Fi Marine!

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (8)

November 20, 2008

In Country With Our Troops ~ Thank you!

‘Screaming Eagles’ relinquish control of IZ’s largest FOB

Story by Sgt. Bill Addison
Photos by Maj. Jon Powers
JASG-C Public Affairs

The Joint Area Support Group- Central (JASG-C), took ownership of the International Zone’s (IZ) largest Forward Operating Base (FOB) from the Headquarter and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, under the watch of Maj. Michael Bobinis Oct. 27.

The transfer of authority marked an important step in streamlining overall ownership of the IZ under the JASG-C, which is made up of New Jersey Army National Guard Soldiers from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Bobinis recognized the daunting task ahead.

“We found out our five guys are replacing about 40 guys, so now we have a challenge ahead of us,” said Bobinis, a native of Bethlehem, Pa. With that challenge ahead of them, Bobinis and his team remain confident in their mission. The key, according to him, is teamwork. “We call it Team Prosperity. We want people to be proud to be part of Prosperity,” said Bobinis.

Part of his team is 1st. Sgt. Edward Santiago, noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) of the mayor’s cell. Santiago’s typical answer to the everyday challenges: “Too easy.” Does the mailroom need a Conex?

“Your tent is flooding and you need gravel? “Too easy.” Does a vendor need a tree branch cut down? “Too easy.” As a matter of fact, that turned into a big event. “There was a tree branch that people kept banging their head on, we went and cut it down for them. That gave us instant credibility with the people, and it’s spreading around the FOB. All it took was cutting down a tree branch.” Santiago, a New Jersey

Approximately 20 Iraqi children and their parents from outside Baghdad’s International Zone (IZ) enjoyed a day of
games and activities at the IZ’s Forward Operating Base Freedom Oct. 24, courtesy of the Joint Area Support Group- Central (JASG-C). Activities ranged from horseshoes with Sgt. 1st Class Robert Stephenson, to egg
tossing with Spc. Hyacinthe Luna, to swimming with Air Force 1st Lt. Jaimie Howard

IA Soldiers from 4th Bn., 31st IA Bde., 8th IA Div. salute for the Iraqi and U.S. National Anthems during the graduation ceremony of the Lionclaw Academy on FOB Kalsu Nov. 15.

FOB KALSU– Thirty-one Iraqi Army Soldiers graduated from the last class of the Vanguard Brigade’s route clearance course at Forward Operating Base Kalsu Nov. 15. The Lionclaw Route Clearance Academy, which began its first class July 20, taught four iterations of the course to Soldiers in the 31st Brigade, 8th IA Division.

“Today we stand here and celebrate the fourth graduation, and we’re celebrating for two reasons,” said Brig. Gen. Abdul Amir, 31st Bde. commander. “The first reason is because of you, the heroes who have graduated as a road clearance platoon, and the second reason is because now we have finished training four road clearance platoons. Now, we have one road clearance platoon in each battalion … so now we have more military fighting ability.”

Sgt. Thomas Dwyer from Forked River, N.J. of the Command Security Detachment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division stops to pass out soccer playing cards to Iraqi children while conducting a patrol in a local market in the city of Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 22, 2008. They are conducting the patrol to show a strong presence in the local community.

Wild Thing's comment........

More news that the left hates to see and the media turns a blind eye to.

God bless our troops. What a great idea about the games for the children to play. The photos show how much they loved it.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (2)

November 18, 2008

Retired General Cautions Obama on Iraq Tactics

newsmax

By: Dave Eberhart

U.S. leaders have reversed the Iraq situation from being a “bloody disaster” into one of increasing stability, and President-elect Barack Obama must take care not to squander those gains, says retired Army Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey.

McCaffrey also excoriates what he describes as the “misjudgments and denial” of Department of Defense leaders during the first years of the war, which he said burned through $750 billion and resulted in death or injury to 36,000 U.S. troops.

“The genius of the leadership team of Ambassador Ryan Crocker, General Dave Petraeus, and Secretary of Defense Bob Gates has turned around the situation [in Iraq] from a bloody disaster under the leadership of Secretary [Donald] Rumsfeld to a growing situation of security,” McCaffrey wrote in the far-ranging “after action” report he filed recently with the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy.

Newsmax obtained a copy of the report, in which the adjunct professor at the academy expressed hope that the Obama administration will be cautious in evaluating military options during the next six months.

“The available U.S. Army and Marine combat forces are insufficient to support continued robust presence in Iraq while also rapidly reinforcing our presence in the Hindu Kush [Afghanistan] with mountain infantry capable units,” wrote McCaffrey, who is an adjunct professor at the academy and a military analyst for NBC and MSNBC.

“The likely strategic outcome will be a more rapid forced drawdown than desirable in Iraq in order to enhance combat power for Afghanistan,” he wrote. “It will be a tricky balance — but in my judgment, we will pull this off successfully. Iraq will stabilize with the rapidly increasing power of the Iraqi Security Forces, while we reinforce the inadequate NATO combat power in Afghanistan.”

Developments during the weekend may have provided the Obama administration with breathing room, if they succeed in preventing the U.S. from being forced out of of Iraq after the U.N. resolution authorizing its presence expires at the end of this year.

On Sunday, Iraq’s Cabinet approved a security pact with the United States that would allow U.S. forces to stay in Iraq for three years after the U.N. mandate expires. The agreement is subject to the approval of Iraq’s 275-member Parliament, but no vote has been scheduled, according to an Associated Press report.

The agreement would provide for U.S. forces to leave Iraq by the end of 2011 and give Iraq the right to try U.S. soldiers and defense contractors accused of serious crimes committed off-duty and off-base. It also would prohibit the U.S. from using Iraqi territory to attack Iraq's neighbors, such as Syria and Iran.

If the agreement failed to move through the Parliament, McCaffrey said it would be “a shameful outcome, which would return our U.S. military units to their base areas and begin a unilateral withdrawal and the cessation of formal U.S. support for the Iraqi government.”

McCaffrey, who based his after report on fact-finding trips to the Middle East, wrote that he believes the U.S. “is now clearly in the end game in Iraq to successfully achieve what should be our principle objectives.” Among those objectives, he listed:

Withdrawing the majority of U.S. ground combat forces in Iraq in the next 36 months.

Leaving behind a functioning government and security forces.

Fostering the end of civil war among various factions.

Helping create an Iraqi nation at peace with its neighbors.

It would be devastating if the new administration rushed a withdrawal, he wrote, noting his concerns about Iraq’s lack of preparedness.

Wild Thing's comment......

I sure hope Obama listens to all the Generals, and especially General Dave Petraeus, and military about the war. He has his mind made up and has only shown that he will follow his own agenda so we will have to wait and see what he does. But if he does anything that makes it even more dangerous for our troops I hope and pray he gets it back at him10 fold.

General McCaffrey more than paid his dues, leaving his his lower arm was essentially amputated by a .50 bullet. It was reattached, but he never regained its use in SEA, and was a key factor in the rout of Saddam’s “vaunted” Republican Guard armored forces commanding the 24th ID (Mechanized) in the Kuwait and Iraq desert in February 1991. He led his people farther and faster than any unit in US history. His is a voice of influence.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (13)

November 15, 2008

Congratulations General Ann E. Dunwoody!

Dunwoody Becomes First Female Four-Star General

WASHINGTON

Call it breaking the brass ceiling. Ann E. Dunwoody, after 33 years in the Army, ascended Friday to a peak never before reached by a woman in the U.S. military: four-star general.
At an emotional promotion ceremony, Dunwoody looked back on her years in uniform, said it was a credit to the Army—and a great surprise to her—that she would make history in a male-dominated military.

"Thirty-three years after I took the oath as a second lieutenant, I have to tell you this is not exactly how I envisioned my life unfolding," she told a standing-room-only auditorium. "Even as a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was teach physical education and raise a family.

"It was clear to me that my Army experience was just going to be a two-year detour en route to my fitness profession," she added. "So when asked, `Ann, did you ever think you were going to be a general officer, to say nothing about a four-star?' I say, `Not in my wildest dreams.'

"There is no one more surprised than I—except, of course, my husband. You know what they say, `Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man.' "

Dunwoody hails from a family of military men dating back to the 1800s. Her father, 89-year-old Hal Dunwoody—a decorated veteran of World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam—was in the audience, along with the service chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, plus the Joint Chiefs chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen.

Dunwoody, whose husband, Craig Brotchie, served for 26 years in the Air Force, choked up at times during a speech in which she said she only recently realized how much her accomplishment means to others.

"This promotion has taken me back in time like no other event in my entire life," she said. "And I didn't appreciate the enormity of the events until tidal waves of cards, letters, and e-mails started coming my way.

"And I've heard from men and women, from every branch of service, from every region of our country, and every corner of the world. I've heard from moms and dads who see this promotion as a beacon of home for their own daughters and after affirmation that anything is possible through hard work and commitment.

"And I've heard from women veterans of all wars, many who just wanted to say congratulations; some who just wanted to say thanks; and still other who just wanted to say they were so happy this day had finally come."

Later Friday, at Fort Belvoir, Va.—her birthplace—Dunwoody was being sworn in as commander of the Army Materiel Command, responsible for equipping, outfitting and arming all soldiers. Just five months ago, she became the first female deputy commander there.

Dunwoody, 55, has made it clear that she feels no need for special acclaim for her historic achievement.

"The recognition makes her a little bit uncomfortable from the standpoint of the gender aspect—that we're making a big deal (that) she is the first female general officer," Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday in announcing that Defense Secretary Robert Gates would attend her promotion ceremony.

When she was nominated by President George W. Bush in June for promotion to four-star rank, Dunwoody issued a statement saying she was humbled.

"I grew up in a family that didn't know what glass ceilings were," she said. "This nomination only reaffirms what I have known to be true about the military throughout my career—that the doors continue to open for men and women in uniform."

Her nomination was confirmed by the Senate in July.

There are 21 female general officers in the Army—all but four at the one-star rank of brigadier. It was not until 1970 that the Army had its first one-star: Anna Mae Hays, chief of the Army Nurse Corps.

Women now make up about 14 percent of the active-duty Army and are allowed to serve in a wide variety of assignments. They are still excluded from units designed primarily to engage in direct combat, such as infantry and tank units, but their opportunities have expanded over the past two decades.

Dunwoody received her Army commission after graduating from the State University of New York in 1975.

Her first assignment was to Fort Sill, as supply platoon leader in June 1976, and she remained at Sill in various positions until she was sent to quartermaster officer school at Fort Lee, Va., in July 1980.

She later served in Germany and Saudi Arabia.

After graduating from the Command and General Staff College in 1987, she was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., where she became the 82nd Airborne Division's first female battalion commander.

She has numerous decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal and Defense Superior Service Medal.

Wild Thing's comment........

Heh heh wouldn't it just really tick off the Taliban if a woman was in charge of their whipping? hahahaha

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:40 AM | Comments (10)

November 14, 2008

Lawsuit Filed In Defence of Marine Vet’s Anti-Islam Decals

The car and decals the United States Military won't allow Jesse Nieto, a 25-year Marine veteran whose son Marc was killed by jihadists on the USS Cole in 2000,

Lawsuit filed in defence of Marine vet’s anti-Islam decals

Ann Arbor

CNA

A Marine veteran whose anti-terrorist and anti-Islam vehicle decals hindered him in visiting the grave of his fallen son at Arlington National Cemetery has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the military order which rebuked his display of the decals.

Jesse Nieto, a 25-year Marine veteran, served two combat tours in Vietnam. His youngest son, Marc, was one of the seventeen sailors killed in the terrorist bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in October of 2000.

Since 1994 Nieto has been a civilian employee at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. In 2001 he began displaying various decals on his vehicle expressing sentiments such as “Remember the Cole, 12 Oct 2000,” “Islam=Terrorism” and “We Died, They Rejoiced.”

On July 31, 2008, two military police officers ticketed Nieto for displaying “offensive material.”

After Nieto refused to remove all allegedly offending decals from his vehicle, the Base Magistrate issued a written order ordering Nieto to remove his vehicle from the base until all decals were removed. The order banned his vehicle from all other federal installations, and reportedly prevented him from driving onto the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.

The Ann Arbor-based Thomas More Law Center filed a federal civil rights lawsuit this week on Nieto’s behalf against the Camp Lejeune Commanding Officer and the Base Magistrate in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The lawsuit claims that the military’s ban on Nieto’s vehicle decals violates his constitutional rights to freedom of speech and the equal protection of the law.

“The banning of these decals is political correctness run amuck in the military,” charged Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center. “Our troops are being killed by Islamic terrorists, 9/11 was caused by Islamic terrorists, these terrorists want to destroy America, the Islamic countries persecute Christians, and now the military is victimizing a father whose son was killed by Islamic terrorists while serving our nation.”

Thompson speculated that the Marine command would have to eliminate the Marine’s Hymn because “the phrase ‘to the shores of Tripoli’ celebrates the Marine victory over Islamic forces in the Barbary Coast War and the Battle of Derne.”

The lawsuit alleges that military officials engaged in viewpoint discrimination prohibited by the First Amendment and violated the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantee by allowing some messages to be displayed but prohibiting others.

Further, the suit charges that the military’s ban on “offensive” speech is impermissible because there are no objective standards guiding government officials’ decisions, thus granting them “unbridled discretion” to determine the acceptability or the unacceptability of speech, a statement from the Thomas More Law Center reports.

Wild Thing's comment..........

Un-effing-believable !

To quote Martin Sheen, about the same hypocrisy he talked about in Apocalypse Now after the gunboat crew machine-gunned the sampan and he shot the only survivor.

"We'd cut them in half with a machine gun and give them a bandaid."

And this one from Col. Kurtz's take on things would also be appropriate:

"We train young men to drop fire on people, but we don't let them write 'F#CK' on the side of their airplane -- because it's OBSCENE!"

Scene HERE if anyone wants to see it.

Our troops are over in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for their lives against Islamic terrorists and our base commanders are ticketing our veterans for having anti-Islamist bumper stickers on their cars?

It's insane.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (13)

November 10, 2008

Semper Fi - Happy 233rd Birthday USMC

The Few, The Proud, The United States 233rd Marine Corps Birthday

A Birthday Message From The Commandant Of The Marine Corps

During the summer of 1982, in the wake of a presidential directive, Marines went ashore at Beirut, Lebanon. Fifteen months later, on 23 October 1983, extremists struck the first major blow against American forces—starting this long war on terrorism. On that Sunday morning, a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden truck into the headquarters of Battalion Landing Team 1/8, destroying the building and killing 241 Marines and corpsmen.

Extremists have attacked our Nation, at home and abroad, numerous times since that fateful day in Beirut. Their aim has always been the same—to kill as many innocent Americans as possible. The attacks of 11 September 2001 changed our Nation forever, and our President has resolved that this Nation will not stand idle while murderous terrorists plan their next strike. Marines will continue to take the fight to the enemy—hitting them on their own turf, crushing them when they show themselves, and finding them where they hide.

Only a few Americans choose the dangerous, but necessary, work of fighting our Nation’s enemies. When our chapter of history is written, it will be a saga of a selfless generation of Marines who were willing to stand up and fight for our Nation; to defend those who could not defend themselves; to thrive on the hardship and sacrifice expected of an elite warrior class; to march to the sound of the guns; and to ably shoulder the legacy of those Marines who have gone before.

On our 233rd birthday, first remember those who have served and those “angels” who have fallen—our reputation was built on their sacrifices. Remember our families; they are the unsung heroes whose support and dedication allow us to answer our Nation’s call. Finally, to all Marines and Sailors, know that I am proud of you and what you do. Your successes on the battlefield have only added to our illustrious history. Lieutenant General Victor H. “Brute” Krulak said it best when he wrote, “… the United States does not need a Marine Corps … the United States wants a Marine Corps.” Your actions, in Iraq and Afghanistan and across the globe, are at the core of why America loves her Marines.

Happy Birthday, Marines!

Semper Fidelis,

James T. Conway
General, U.S. Marine Corps

"We're surrounded? Good, now we can kill the bastards in any direction."
~ Colonel Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller; Korean War

Only seven chaplains have ever been awarded the Medal of Honor. Father Capodanno earned his on Sept. 4th 1967 while serving as the battalion chaplain for 3rd Bn. 5th Marines during Operation Swift in Quang Tin province Viet Nam.

Vincent Capodanno was born on February 13, 1929 in Richmond County NY, and grew up in a large Italian-American family on Staten Island. Graduating from Fordham University in 1949 he joined the Maryknoll Seminary in May of that year and was ordained a priest in June of 1948. He was a missionary in Taiwan and Hong Kong until 1965 when he saw the Viet Nam War heating up. Realizing the need for chaplains he joined the Navy and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the US Navy Reserves on December 28, 1965, arriving in Viet Nam in April of 1966.

He was assigned to the 7th Marines for his first tour, but when it was over he extended another 6 months and was assigned as the Battalion Chaplain for 3/5. During his tour Father Capodanno quickly earned a reputation as an infantryman’s chaplain. He was always in the field and would learn from the battalion intelligence officers which unit was likely to see the heaviest contact and make sure he was with them, often times incurring the wrath of the Battalion HQ staff who were very protective of him.

Father Capodanno regularly would share his salary, cigarettes, and rations and could always be counted on for a cold soda. He ensured that Marines who were forgotten when Christmas rolled around always received a gift through a relentless campaign he waged through friends back in the world. And when the hippie peace movement began to take a toll on the Marines morale, he reminded them of the nobility of their cause and of the evilness of the communist aggression they were fighting against. It was not long before Father Capodanno’s tireless efforts on behalf of his Marines earned him the nick name “The Grunt Padre”. On the night of September 3rd “The Grunt Padre” told Pete Morales, a Marine with H&S 3/5 that he was getting short, but that he intended on extending another 6 months. He said he loved his Marines and wanted stay where he was needed so much.

On September 4th 1967 the 3rd Battalion became heavily engaged with NVA forces outside the hamlet of Chau Lam. M Company was loading up on the choppers and everyone knew that there was a heavy fight going on. Ducking the Battalion HQ staff, Father Vincent grabbed his gear and rushed towards the waiting CH46’s. Doc Dave Magnenat, a corpsman with 3/5 saw him and for some reason he never understood asked him if he had forgotten a bible he had promised him. The priest said that he had indeed forgotten, ran back to his hooch and retrieved one for him. The doc tucked the bible away and wished the Father luck as he ran off to catch the last of the choppers heading into a Labor Day fight that would kill 15 Marines and wound 31 others that day alone.

3/5 soon became engaged with 2500 NVA soldiers, outnumbered 5 to 1. Every Marine that was there said that SWIFT was one of the toughest operations they had ever been in. It was in the middle of this fight that Father Vincent Capodanno would prove his love and devotion to his flock.

With the battle at it’s height Father Capodanno was constantly on the front line, tending to the wounded and ministering to the dying. When reports came in that the 2nd Platoon was about to be overrun, he left the relative safety of the company command post and ran across an open area raked with enemy fire to get to the beleaguered platoon. Disregarding the heavy enemy machine gun, automatic weapon and mortar fire he moved about the field administering the last rites and providing first aid to the wounded. When his right hand was partially severed by an enemy round he refused to be removed from the field. Moving from wounded to dead to wounded, he used his left hand to support his shattered right as he gave absolution to the wounded and dying.

Chaplains are easily identifiable on the battlefield, but mortar rounds are indiscriminate in their destruction. When a round landed close by, his arms and legs were peppered with painful shrapnel. He still refused medevac and instead with calm vigor he directed corpsmen to wounded men and continued ministering to his Marines, providing encouragement through his own valiant example.

Then he saw Doc Leal, a corpsmen who was treating a wounded Marine, go down. Despite his own wounds, he moved quickly, placing his self between the wounded corpsman and the line of enemy fire. Father Capodanno administered the Sacrament of the Sick to the wounded Marine while Doc Leal worked to save his life.

Fifteen yards away the same NVA gunner who had felled the corpsman lined his sights on Father Capodanno’s back. At fifteen yards he could not miss.

27 rounds tore through Father Vincent’s back, neck and head. The Grunt Padre fell dead along side the corpsman who was killed in the same burst of fire. They were both killed together, Father Capodanno giving the last rites to the wounded Marine, while Doc Leal worked to patch him up.

Jim Hamfeldt, a Marine there that day, says he wishes he could have taken those bullets instead. “But I would have had to stand in line for the chance because so many guys would have done the same thing”.

Father Vincent Capodanno, Lt., USNR CHC, was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously on January 7th 1969.

On May 21, 2006 the Vatican declared him a Servant of God, the first step towards canonization as a Saint.

Doc Magnenat still has the bible Father Vincent gave him before he boarded the chopper that bore him to his death. “I’ve used it a lot over the years. For the remainder of my military service it was the last thing into my sea bag and the first thing out. Wherever I went it had a place of honor and has always been available for anyone to read who desired to do so.”

Father Capodanno is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Staten Island, New York.

Wild Thing's comment......

Thank you to all who have served in the Marine Corps. To my Uncle Steve, Uncle Hank, Uncle Peter and my cousin James. They are no longer with us but they serve now in the Marines in Heaven.

I was thinking since this election how days like this and Veterans Day are so close to my soul and how much we need to hold tight to these days when we celebrate the various branches and their birthdays; and to all our awesome Veterans.

Our country has been so blessed with Heroes and men and women that served our country.

....

Thank you Mark USMC for the story about Grunt Padre, Navy Lt. Vincent Capodanno.

Thank you SSGT Steve USMC, for the Message From The Commandant of othe Marine Corps James T. Conway.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (22)

November 06, 2008

In Country With Our Warriors

A stack of captured AK- 47s and other enemy weapons that were turned in to Taji National Supply Depot

Operation Sabre Pursuit in Diyala nets several cache finds

DIYALA PROVINCE, Iraq – Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division – North Soldiers discovered several weapons
caches near Hamud, in the eastern Diyala Province, during operations in support of Operation Sabre Pursuit.
Iraqi Soldiers with the 18th Bde, 5th IA Div, and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Soldiers, unearthed 12 caches.

The caches included 60 mm mortar rounds with a mortar tube, a rocket propelled grenade launcher with various
grenades and several AK-47 rifles. Since the start of Operation Sabre Pursuit in the eastern Diyala
Province, IA Soldiers with the 5th IA Div. and MND-N Soldiers have discovered multiple small caches and disposed of six improvised explosive devices.

“The operation started south of Balad Rooz to deny the area as a safe haven to criminals in the Diyala and Baghdad provinces and to pursue them where ever they may go,” said Lt. Col. Paul T. Calvert, a 3rd ACR squadron commander. “Operations will continue to press forward until the objective has been accomplished.”

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Don Spillers, from MNSTC-I J4, opens a case of captured enemy weapons that were turned in by Coalition forces.

TAJI, Iraq

Since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition forces have captured tens of thousands of enemy weapons and stored them at the Taji National Supply Depot here. In May a group of Soldiers from Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq started sorting and inventorying them so that they can either be refurbished and issued to the Iraqi military and police or properly demilitarized so they cannot be used by insurgents in the future.

“We estimate we have about 80,000 small arms,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Amy Estes, officer in charge of the captured enemy weapons program. “We have counted more than 12,000 so far out of two warehouses and 45 shipping containers.”

The majority of the captured weapons are various makes and models of the Russian-designed AK-47. These rifles were made in China, Russia, Rumania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Iraq and several other countries. There are thousandsof machine guns including RPKs and RPDs—similar to the AK, but with a longer barrel and bipod, chambered for the same 7.62x39 ammunition—and several variations of PKs, belt-fed machine guns chambered for the more powerful 7.62x54R round.

The variety of captured firearms reaches back to the 19th century and has representatives from almost every armsproducing nation on earth. There are bolt-action Mausers, Enfields, Springfields and Moisin-Nagants; guns from the first and second world wars when British and German forces enlisted the aid of Iraq and neighboring states during battles in the Middle East and northern Africa. There were sporting rifles and shotguns from Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and the United States.

There are a host of submachine guns and assault rifles from Italy, Germany, England, Egypt, and everywhere else guns have been made. Among them are even Iraqi versions of famous guns like the Tariq 9mm pistol which is a licensed copy of the Italian Beretta model 951, and several copies of the German G-3 automatic rifle that had no makers’ marks and Arabic serial numbers.

Some of the weapons had been modified, others were just broken. There were sawed-off shotguns, many AK-47s with no butt stock, several SKS rifles that had been cut down into pistols, and what appeared to be a 1938 Mauser with a home-made silencer welded onto the barrel. Many were chrome or nickel plated and had various decorative embellishments.

Hundreds of captured handguns-many dating back to the early 1900s. The modern 9 mm pistols will be refurbished
and issued to the Iraqi Security Forces.

A turret gunner scans his sector as the MNSTC-I Rough Riders drive from Baghdad to Taji.

Wild Thing's comment........

Our troops are working so hard, I am so proud of them. I wish we could tell each one of them how much they mean to us and to our country.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (6)

October 21, 2008

Supporting The Troops With Project Promise Soldier

On November 7-11, Project Promise Soldier will hold an online event to raise money for our wounded veterans. They will post letters and essays, video and audio clips, poems and posts on Veteran's Day and soldiers in tribute to the sacrifice of these American heroes.

You are all most welcome oto submit your video clips, essays, and stories to Project Promise Soldier

Project Promise Soldier is a new non-profit dedicated to helping soldiers. The group is simple in mission and broad in scope. Project Promise Soldier recognizes that there is an unspoken promise we, as citizens, make to care for our veterans and their families. Project Promise’s mission is to be part of the network of organizations that care for our wounded soldiers; to give something back to those who serve and protect our country and our citizens and to keep that unspoken promise.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (1)

October 18, 2008

Loving Our Military

Wild Thing's comment........

I love these they are all really great!

....Thank you SSGT Steve, USMC for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (6)

October 13, 2008

Happy 233rd Birthday To Our US NAVY

Some 333,000 active sailors and more than 120,000 in reserve make it their duty to defend our country and come to the aid of others in their time of need. As the 233rd anniversary of the Navy comes to pass,

Maj. Gen. Robert Cone (center), Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan commanding general, joined by Seaman Michael Hooks (left), representing the youngest Sailor, and Cmdr. Stan Napierkowski, representing the oldest Sailor, prepare to cut the traditional birthday cake during a ceremony celebrating the U.S. Navy 233rd birthday, Oct. 13, 2008, at Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Thank you to all that have served and serve today in our US Navy. God bless and protect each one of you.
- Wild Thing

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 PM | Comments (14)

October 04, 2008

World War II Band of Brothers Meets Operation Iraqi Freedom Band of Brothers

Members of the 4th Sustainment Brigade, who provide escort security for convoy missions, pose in front of a M1151 gun truck with WWII vet Don Malarkey, 87, who was featured in the HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers.”

From left, Forrest Guth, Clancy Lyall and Amos “Buck” Taylor, WWII veterans and members of Easy Company as featured in the TV series “Band of Brothers,” pose for photos and sign autographs for troops during a week-long visit to the Middle East.

World War II Band of Brothers Meets Operation Iraqi Freedom Band of Brothers

By Maj. Carol McClelland

1st Theater Sustainment Command,

Public Affairs

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait

Six World War II veterans featured in the TV mini-series “Band of Brothers” visited Camp Arifjan recently where they encountered a team of Operation Iraqi freedom soldiers eager to show off their “office.”

Former Easy Company Soldiers visited to meet and greet troops and sign autographs. Spc. Matt Klinkenberg and some of his buddies wanted to meet the men they saw in the 10-part series that chronicles the experiences and stories of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.

“We’re hearing the stories from them in person that were portrayed on the show,” said Klinkenberg, a member of the 129th Transportation Company. “It’s cool meeting actual war heroes. It’s amazing.”

During the community center visit, gunner and truck commander Sgt. Daniel Moore and his buddies decided to act on an idea they had.

“At first we thought how cool it would be to get an M1151 gun truck up here with the .50-caliber machine gun on it. But then we remembered the arms room was not open, so we just brought the truck,” said Moore, a 23-year-old Chillicothe, Mo. native who’s assigned to 6 Transportation Battalion.

Thinking of the 80-plus-year-old war veterans navigating over gravel, the team drove the tactical truck to the fence closest to the building then arranged to have the fence unlocked driving it even closer. Eighty-six-year old South Philadelphia native “Wild Bill” Guarnere, who lost a leg in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, said he appreciated the gesture and complimented the growing crowd for their military service.

“We wanted them to see what 60 years difference in Army equipment brings and how we do things,” Moore said. The crew, who commonly spend seven hours a day for six to eight days inside the vehicle, showed off its up-armored protection platform that’s pre-manufactured to handle the warfighter’s defensive needs.

“Back home, we’d never get to meet these guys,” said 40-year-old Spc. Jeffrey Noble from Bloomfield, Iowa.

Spc. Deigo Dela Vega, a 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry, Ohio National Guardsman from Lima, Ohio, agreed.

“This is a really cool day for me.”

"Wild Bill" Guarnere, Edward "Babe" Heffron, Forrest Guth, Don Malarkey, Amos "Buck" Taylor and Clancy Lyall visit service members stop at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait Sept. 19, 2008 during their six day tour to visit deployed service members.

“Band of Brothers” Travel to Kuwait

Six members from the “Band of Brothers” visited service members in Kuwait, during a tour hosted by the United Services Organization Sept. 14-19, 2008.

The men, who served together in E Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during World War II, traveled 12 hours from the U.S. to thank deployed Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines for their service to our country.

The members were “Wild Bill” Guarnere, Clancy Lyall, Amos “Buck” Taylor, Forrest Guth, Edward “Babe” Heffron and Don Malarkey.

They were scheduled to make a stop at Camp Buehring, Kuwait to meet with service members before moving forward to meet with troops in Iraq.

They began their tour at the Camp Buehring stage, but when it came time to move forward, they were not able to make their trip north due to inclement weather.

However, that did not keep them from fulfilling their goal of meeting with troops to show their appreciation for their service. Instead of going into Iraq, the USO made it possible for them to make various stops around military camps in Kuwait to talk to servic emembers.

“They are happy as long as they are seeing troops,” said Dana DePaul, tour producer, USO.

“It’s an honor to come and visit,” said Lyall. “We wanted to boost the morale and show that we care.”

Although it has been over a half century since these men made their contributions to the 101st and World War II, which were made famous through the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers,” their stories and experiences are not much different from service members who serve in the military today.

“I am no different from any Soldier here,” said Lyall. “We just have good P.R. people,” he added jokingly.

Much like today, each servicemember served and fought for their country during a time of war. Some volunteered for different reasons and others were drafted.

But war-fighters of both eras faced their own unique challenges.

During World War II, some of the challenges lay in the fact that the fighting conditions were different, the climate was cooler and the technology was not as advanced.

Many challenges that today’s war fighters face involve improvised explosive devices and concerns of suicide bombers who threaten the lives and safety of service members and civilians.

These six men of E Company made the trip to show their appreciation for service members who are involved in the current war on terror and to let those service members know they understand some of the challenges that they face.

“We had an enemy,” said Guarnere, a staff sergeant with the unit. “Here, you don’t know who the enemy is.”

He also spoke of how, although it was extremely cold when they fought at Bastogne, he was amazed that service members fight in the hotter climates of the Middle East.

“The heat, the heat,” he said in an expression filled with much animation. “How you do it, I don’t know.”

During one of their final stops, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, many excited service members waited in a long line to shake hands, take pictures and show their appreciation for these six men.

“I think it’s amazing getting a chance to see real life heroes in person,” said Staff Sgt. Jarod Perkioniemi, public affairs, and a Farmington Hills, Mich., native. “It’s just a tribute that they came out to see us Soldiers.”

But these men were just as excited to see the troops who are currently making the same sacrifices they made over 60 years ago.

Wild Thing's comment.............

It is always an honor and privilege to post stories and photos of our troops serving our country. And to be able to post about the Band of Brothers trip to meet up with our troops is so very special.

Where the article speaks about “Wild Bill” Guarnere, who lost a leg in the Battle of the Bulge. I said an extra prayer for of thanks too for one of my Uncles that also lost his leg in the Battle of the Bulge. I wonder if they knew each other or if they ever met. The others in my family and Nicholas served in other conflicts and they would love this story too.

God bless all of these people and prayers for our country that these men and women are making so many sacrifices for each day.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (14)

Brothers Meet at 20,000 Feet

Maj. Eric Moraes, B-1B Lancer pilot for the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, stands in front of his aircraft. Moraes was recently reunited with his brother 20,000 feet over Afghanistan during a combat sortie Sept. 10, 2008. His brother, Capt. Jason Moraes, 380 AEW, flew the KC-10 Extender aircraft that refueled the B-1B. The brothers had been apart for a year when they met in the skies above the AOR for the 10-minute reunion.

Maj. Eric Moraes, B-1B Lancer pilot for the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, sits in the cockpit of his aircraft. Moraes was recently reunited with his brother at 20,000 feet over Afghanistan during a combat sortie Sept. 10, 2008. His brother, Capt. Jason Moraes, 380 AEW, flew the KC-10 Extender aircraft that refueled the B-1B. The brothers had been apart for a year when they met in the skies above the AOR for the 10-minute reunion.

Capt. Jason Moraes, KC-10 pilot for the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, prepares to head out on a night mission from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Sept. 17, 2008. Morales recently had the rare opportunity of refueling his brother's B-1B Lancer aircraft 20,000 feet over a combat zone.

Capt. Jason Moraes, KC-10 pilot for the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, prepares to head out on a night mission from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing

Brothers Meet at 20,000 Feet

By Master Sgt. Jeff Loftin
379th Air Expeditionary Wing

Public Affairs

Family reunions are always special, but for two brothers stationed at different bases in Southwest Asia their meeting at 20,000 feet over a combat zone is even more memorable.

During the encounter Sept. 10, Capt. Jason Moraes, a KC-10 Extender pilot for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, refueled his older brother's B-1B Lancer aircraft from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing.

"It's a very rare event to join up with your brother at 20,000 feet over Afghanistan," said Maj. Eric Moraes. "In the area of responsibility you're never quite sure which tanker will refuel you due to the fluidity of operations on the ground. To be more efficient and effective, the [Combined Air and Space Operations Center] is usually moving players around to best support the ground commanders."

The reunion occurred on Captain Jason Moraes first combat sortie in the AOR, and his brother's last.

"I was supposed to go home in July, but they kept extending me," said Major Eric Moraes, who has been deployed since June. "If I had left then I would have missed this opportunity."

His younger brother called him the weekend prior to the flight upon his arrival to the AOR. During the conversation Moraes said he was flying Sept. 10, 2008. He didn't realize at the time how his brother would use that information.

"I told the schedulers that my brother is flying Wednesday night and I would like to be on the sortie that is supposed to refuel a B-1," said Captain Moraes, deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. "I have to thank the KC-10 schedulers. They did an awesome job coordinating it."

The major did not know his brother had coordinated their rendezvous, but knew there was a chance they could meet.

"When I went to mission planning I saw there were two KC-10s we were going to rendezvous with," said the bomber pilot. "I thought 'I wonder if he is on one of them?' There was no time to call or e-mail him, so I thought 'I guess I'll find out.' We came up to our first tanker kind of at the beginning of our time in country. It wasn't him. When it came time for our second tanker, we made an initial call about 30 minutes out to get everything straight - altitudes, air speeds, rendezvous point. Low and behold there's my little brother on the radio. It was a pretty proud moment for me. There is my little brother flying over Afghanistan."

The moment was also exciting for his younger brother.

"I recognized my brother's voice instantly," he said. "It was pretty sweet to hear him on the radio."

Once the aircraft were joined for refueling, the brothers who had been apart for about a year were able to talk for about 10 minutes over an interphone between the aircraft.

"Being spread out makes family reunions kind of tough," said Major Moraes, deployed from Ellsworth AFB, S.D., "but when we do get together it's always good."

Reunions become more difficult to plan with the third sibling of the family also flying tankers for the Air Force. The oldest brother, Maj. Steven Moraes, flies KC-135 Stratotankers for the National Guard's 108th Air Refueling Wing at McGuire AFB, N.J. His service impacted his brothers' career choice.

"I decided to become a pilot since my older brothers enjoy being Air Force pilots," said Captain Jason Moraes. "Their stories on what they have done motivated me to become a pilot. From listening to their experiences, I wanted to follow in their footsteps."

The youngest brother said the best part of them all being pilots is the advice.

"I still look up to them, not only as my brothers, but as trustworthy pilots from whom I can gain experience and knowledge," he said. "Also, having Eric as a bomber pilot, I can hopefully get debriefed on what the tanker does well and what it needs to work on so I can pass along the information to my crew and fellow tanker pilots. I will also pass along the tanker community's way of thinking so that he can get a better idea of my side of the house. This will hopefully ensure that we are finding the niche to make sure operations go as smoothly as possible."

Both Major and Captain Moraes are proud to be serving in the Global War on Terror.

"I want to support the combat aircraft and the combat troops on the ground," said the younger brother. "I know I do not drop bombs or provide close air support, but I feel I am a key player by providing the gas for those, like my brother, who do. My brother, as well as the other fighter, attack and bomber pilots, plays a pivotal role in allowing the troops on the ground to do their jobs."

Their service to the troops on the ground provided them a rare opportunity for the unusual reunion.

"Being able to be refueled by my brother over the skies of Afghanistan had to be one of the highlights of my 12-year career," said Major Moraes.

Wild Thing's comment............

These brothers will remember this for the rest of their lives. I am so glad they got to meet like this. God bless our troops, they deserve the best Commander In Chief possible. I pray they are never exposed to the likes of B.Hussein Obama that has no concept of what our military is about, his vote against the war and his attitude toward General Petraeus is unforgivable.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:44 AM | Comments (6)

Reestablishing ‘rule of Law’ in Al Akad Neighborhood

Contractors arrive at the at the Al Akad station build site, Sept. 27, 2008, to conduct a ground survey and to estimate for the future construction of the Al Akad Iraqi police station. In past years, the station was destroyed by criminal attacks. Iraqi police and coalition force Police Transition Teams from the 340th Military Police Company, 18th MP Brigade and Multi-National Division - Baghdad, are in the process of reestablishing law and order in the area to protect the citizens within the Al Akad neighborhood and the new station build will accommodate the IP forces that will do so.

Iraqi contractors conduct a site survey of the landscape at the Al Akad station build site, Sept. 27, 2008. The station, which is in the process of being rebuilt, was destroyed by criminal attacks in past years. Iraqi police and coalition force Police Transition Teams are in the process of reestablishing law and order in the area to protect the citizens within the Al Akad neighborhood.

Reestablishing ‘rule of Law’ in Al Akad Neighborhood

By Sgt. Daniel Blottenberger

18th Military Police

BAGHDAD – A black kite rises to the sky off in the distance as a convoy of military police Soldiers travel down one of the most dangerous routes in Baghdad.

“They know we are here,” said Staff Sgt. Darrell Bamberg, a squad leader with the 340th Military Police Company, 18th Military Police Brigade, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, as his eyes scanned through his Gumvee window, Sept. 27, 2008, at the black kites with the assumption criminal groups were signaling the arrival of coalition forces along the route as they entered the Al Akad neighborhood.

“The guys over here don’t like us at all,” said Bamberg, referring to the criminal groups in the area of the proposed building site of a new IP station.

The surveying of a new IP station in the Al Akad neighborhood was the squad’s mission for the day, as well as escorting an Iraqi police general and several contractors to a new station build site in northeast Baghdad to conduct a site survey.

As the squad traveled the route, more black kites popped up parallel to their position and went down as they passed by en route to their destination. The squad is part of the 340th MP Co., and is an Army Reserve unit based out of New York.

“There are a lot of reports of criminal groups in the area,” said Bamberg, a native of the Bronx, N.Y., referring to an area that borders Sadr City where much of the violence that was once contained in Sadr City has crept into.

Upon arriving at the future build site, the Soldiers were met by many children – some asking for water and candy. Soldiers, with comforting smiles, handed out as much as they had available.

As the children smiled and ran away, two more children approached and set sail to a black kite that was within viewing distance of the convoy, which was parked at the remains of a former IP station.

The unit’s plan is to rebuild the Al Akad station to establish an IP force in the area, which will help to reestablish and provide rule of law for the citizens against criminal groups suspected of moving into the area.

“Our goal is to make this area secure for the citizens of Al Akad,” said Maj. Lawrence Clossum, commander, 340th MP Co., who is a native of St. Louis. “We are beginning the process of rebuilding a new station in Al Akad that will provide rule of law for the citizens of Al Akad.”

The Al Akad station existed at one point but was destroyed by criminal group attacks on the station in earlier months.

“We will have to level what’s left of the place and rebuild the station from scratch,” said Clossum, looking at the remains of the perimeter of the former IP station.

The station would be a symbol of perseverance to the criminals in the area, he added, and will demonstrate that the IP forces have the capability to protect its citizens and not back down to anyone as they rebuild their nation.

“We cannot let the criminals think they have won the fight here,” said Clossum. “It will take some time, but we will rebuild this station.”

The construction evaluation crew gathered the needed information at the site and the group loaded back into the humvees and journeyed back from where they came leaving the black kites waving in the sky behind them.

The mission was completed for the day, which signified one of the many opportunities for the Iraqi police and coalition forces as the combined forces strive to reestablish the police forces in the area to help rid the neighborhood of crime.

Wild Thing's comment...........

“We cannot let the criminals think they have won the fight here,” said Clossum. “It will take some time, but we will rebuild this station.”

I agree we cannot let them win or even think they have won.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM

September 30, 2008

Combat Helicopters

Wild Thing's comment................

Thanks to all our troops, this is an excellent video of the conbat helicopters and I wanted to show it to you.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (4)

September 25, 2008

Marine Plans To File Slander Suit Against Murtha

There's a two and a half minute video at link...HERE........ with the below story

EXCLUSIVE IN THE HADITHA CASE!

Former Marine lance corporal, Justin Sharratt, files suit against Congressman John Murtha

Second defamation suit to be filed by a Marine who Murtha said "murdered innocent civilians in cold-blood". Sharratt is a constituent of Murtha in Pennsylvania's 12th District. Press conferences tomorrow.

Marine Plans To File Slander Suit Against Murtha

WASHINGTON, PA (KDKA) ― A local Marine cleared in the deaths of civilians in Iraq says Congressman John Murtha made public comments that were unproven, untrue and unfair.

Now, Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt is planning to file suit in federal court against Murtha on Thursday morning.

The suit accuses the congressman of slander and violating the Marine's right to a fair trial and due process.

Sharratt was one of eight Marines charged after 24 Iraqi civilians were killed in Haditha. He was charged with three counts of unpremeditated murder.

It's alleged in the lawsuit that before the outcome of the case, Congressman Murtha made slanderous comments.

Three years after the deaths, seven of eight Marines have been cleared, including Sharratt. There's now a website, JustinSharratt.com, to let the world know that he has been cleared.

The eighth Marine is still waiting for his day in court.

KDKA contacted Murtha's office for comment on this suit but there's no word back from them yet.

Wild Thing's comment...........

OUTSTANDING!!! I hope there are six more lawsuits lined up and ready to go.
Jack Murtha, you are truly treasonous scum. I hope more news like this brings Murtha's detestable, treasonous words and actions back to the forefront of voters' minds.

And let's not forget Lt. Col. Bill Russell's who is running against Murtha!

"We now know that Congressman Jack Murtha's long, public indictment of American Marines was factually wrong. Instead of "cold blooded killers," court rulings reveal a dramatically different story of personal courage under fire. True heroism.

Lt. Col. Bill Russell's grassroots campaign is setting the record straight. By standing up for fellow veterans, military personal and average taxpayers, he's taking on one of Washington's most entrenched powerbrokers in what columnist Michelle Malkin calls a "David versus Goliath" contest.

A survivor of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Pentagon, Bill's campaign is a call to conservative reform and patriotic action."

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (5)

September 13, 2008

Deep Purple, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC and Quiet Riot Bands Visits CAB, Rocks Camp Taji

The classic rock 'n' roll band Big Noize played to a standing room only crowd their brand of 70's and 80's hits for service members and civilians on Camp Taji, Sept. 11, 2008.(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt, CAB PAO, 4th Inf. Div.,

Sgt. 1st Class Daryl Yost, platoon sergeant, Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad from Cumberland, Md., shows Carlos Cavazo, guitarist for the classic rock 'n' roll band Big Noize an AH-64D Apache helicopter on Camp Taji, Sept. 11, 2008. The band, comprised of members from Deep Purple, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC and Quiet Riot, visited the CAB and were at the camp north of Baghdad to entertain the troops with their musical selection of rock classics from the 70's and 80's.

Soldiers from the Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division ? Baghdad and the classic rock 'n' roll band Big Noize stand in front of an AH-64D Apache helicopter on Camp Taji Sept. 11. The band, comprised of members from Deep Purple, Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne and AC/DC visited the CAB and played a standing room only concert for service members and civilians stationed on the camp north of Baghdad. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt, CAB PAO, 4th Inf. Div.,

From left, Carlos Cavazo, guitarist, and Joe Lynn Turner, lead vocalist for the classic rock 'n' roll band Big Noize rocked the house for service members and civilians during a concert on Camp Taji, Sept. 11, 2008. The legendary band comprised of members from Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, Deep Purple and AC/DC played their rendition of classic rock 'n' roll songs from the 70's and 80's for a packed house on the camp north of Baghdad, Sept. 11, 2008.

1st Sgt. Rodolfo Lopez, Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad from Torrance, Calif., talks with Phil Soussan, bass guitarist for the classic rock 'n' roll band Big Noize, while he sits in the cockpit of a AH-64D Apache helicopter on Camp Taji, Sept. 11, 2008. The band, comprised of members from Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, AC/DC and Deep Purple visited the 4th Inf. Div.'s CAB to see the aircraft they use in the Global War on Terrorism. Later that night, the legendary ensemble band from the 70's and 80's played a standing room concert for more than 300 screaming Soldiers, Airmen and civilians who work and live on Camp Taji.

Classic Rock ‘n’ Roll Band Visits CAB, Rocks Camp Taji

By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt
Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division

CAMP TAJI, Iraq

In an effort to increase morale and bring the gift of music to Soldiers serving in Iraq, a rock ‘n’ roll band comprised of top-notch acts from the ‘70s and ‘80s visited Soldiers from the Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, and performed a live concert on Camp Taji, Sept. 11, 2008.

The members of Big Noize, a band consisting of members from Deep Purple, Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot and AC/DC, were provided first-hand knowledge during the day on combat aviation operations throughout MND-B by Soldiers from the CAB.

Later that evening, the band provided everyone working and living on the camp first-hand knowledge on how to rock.

“I got this project together, named Big Noize, and this is a perfect mixture of guys,” said Joe Lynn Turner, lead singer for the band who also sang for Deep Purple and Rainbow. “This is something we wanted to do – to help the guys [service members stationed in Kuwait and Iraq]. Also, we wanted to show the people back in the U.S. and the whole world all the great things going on over here.

“This is a life-changing experience for us, and we want to let people know all the sacrifices you are making for world peace,” he said. “Most people don’t realize – ‘To have world peace, you have to make sacrifices.’ With all the rebuilding going on in this country, it is unbelievable. You are doing a great, great job. You guys are the real rock stars.”

During the day’s events, the band was escorted to the Camp Taji Airfield where Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, showed off one of the AH-64D Apache attack helicopters.

Then after spending more than an hour taking turns sitting in the cockpit and being shown how the combat aircraft operates, the band was whisked to the Apache helicopter simulator, where each rocker took turns flying combat missions in the high-tech piece of equipment.

“This [the simulator] is way harder than I thought it was going to be,” said Carlos Cavazo, lead guitar player for the band who also was one of the founding members of the ‘80s rock band Quiet Riot. “There is so much to think about when you are flying in the simulator.

“I’ve always wanted to be an Army guy, and being here for ten days gives me a brief chance to do that,” said the head banger, whose classic songs include “Metal Health” and “Come on Feel the Noize.” Quiet Riot was an American Band whose success in 1983 and 1984 contributed to launching the glam metal scene during the ‘80s.

During their visit, Big Noize visited service members stationed in Kuwait and Iraq for ten days and they put on five electric guitar-pumping shows. The band consists of Turner’s lead vocal talents, Phil Soussan, who played bass guitar for Ozzy Osbourne, Cavazo and Simon Wright, who played drums for AC/DC and Ronnie James Dio.

Camp Taji was the last gig on the bands world wind tour, where the group belted out heavy metal classics to a crowd of more than 300 screaming Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and civilians working on the dusty camp surrounded by Iraqi farmlands.

Some of the hits performed by the group were “Crazy Train,” originally sung by Osbourne, “Smoke on the Water,” originally performed by Deep Purple, “Hells Bells” originally performed by AC/DC, and “Holy Diver,” originally sung by Ronnie James Dio.

“I grew up on classic rock, and this concert is the biggest morale booster since I’ve been here,” said Pfc. Johnathan Shufeldt, 23, Company G, 2nd Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., CAB. “My favorite songs they performed were by Ronnie James Dio. They rock, and I love Dio. These types of events definitely help you blow off steam from the long work days.”

Wild Thing's comment.........

Thank you to Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt for a great write up and photos.

I just love how the bands talked about our troops and what it meant to them ( the bands) to be able to go there and meet our soldiers. There are some wonderful quotes on how they felt about it that mean a lot.

God bless our troops!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (6)

August 23, 2008

A Glimpse At Airevac

Click HERE: SFGate Single Title Player Video

This is a really good video showing something few get to see about our Military Airevac.

....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:48 AM | Comments (6)

August 16, 2008

Pool opens in Adhamiyah, Iraq

Col. John Hort (center) along with members of the Iraqi Army and the Adhamiyah District Advisory Council, cut the ribbon to signify the opening of the Adhamiyah Community Pool.

by Sgt. Zach Mott

For most people in Iraq, a dip in the local watering hole is either impossible, or involves tempting fate in the ancient Tigris or Euphrates rivers.

“This is the only swimming pool in Adhamiyah district. All of the children go to the river and that’s very dangerous for them,” said Muhtad Hasan, a member of the Support Council of Adhamiyah who works with youth and education.

The project to refurbish the pool and recreation complex began in March under the direction of the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. That unit recently completed its 15-month tour in Iraq and was replaced by the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, who oversaw the project’s final days.

The $150,000-venture helped reopen the pool after violence and the subsequent damage from criminals left the facility uninhabitable more than three years ago.

During the opening festivities, children ran around the deck with smiles and happily showboated acrobatic feats to gain the attention of the ceremony attendees.

“It’s really money well-spent when you look at the thrill that it’s given these kids,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Barnett who commands 1st Squadron, 2nd SCR, which is currently attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

The adjoining recreation center has a boxing ring, a weight room and wrestling mats for children to practice their specific sport of choice.

“It’s an ongoing project,” Barnett said. “One of the first things they asked for, as far as community projects, was to get this pool re-established so the kids didn’t have to swim in the river.”

Temperatures in Iraq historically surpass 130 degrees during the unrelenting summer.

For the Soldiers who patrol these streets in northern Baghdad, the pool is a welcome sight to help the people they’re here to protect.

“This is a good example of what cooperation with the local government officials, the Iraqi Army, with the Coalition Forces -- what we can all do together to improve the quality of life here,” Barnett said.
“Every time a Soldier walks by on a patrol here he’s going to say, ‘Hey, you know, we helped facilitate that. We helped make a difference.’ ”

Wild Thing's comment..........

"Hey, you know, we helped facilitate that. We helped make a difference."

I hope and pray these soldiers know how much we appreciate all they do, and we know just as the Iraq's do too, that our troops make a huge difference in people's lives.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (4)

August 03, 2008

“Out guerilla the guerillas” Tiger Force, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

Uncommon Valor, Uncommon Bond - The Tiger Force - From Viet Nam to Iraq

Current Tiger Force Soldier

Above photo: Vietnam era Tiger Force Soldiers circa 1968. Top row, second from left, MoH recipient
SSG John Gertsch and Hank “Doc” Ortega.

A Tiger Force Soldier on a recent mission in Bayji, Iraq.

Story and Photos by Spc. Rick Rzepka
1st Brigade Combat Team
101st Airborne Division (AA)

Uncommon Bond

Tiger

This ain’t your father’s Army. Some say it’s a kinder, gentler Army, wary of political correctness and public perceptions. Some say that this has caused Soldiers to lose touch with their roots, to disconnect themselves from the past.

But for one Infantry platoon, at the heart of the fight in Iraq, some things never change and they are neither kind nor gentle.

Somewhere, in the dusty expanse of the Salah ad Din province in Iraq, the Tigers are lurking. They patiently wait for their prey in the city and in the desert. They are keenly aware, not only of their immediate surroundings, but of their heritage as well. They know they have some big boots to fill.

Tiger Force, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), is the most highly decorated platoon sized element in the U.S. Army. Over the past 48 years, Tiger Force Soldiers have earned two Medals of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, numerous Silver Stars for valor and countless other commendations. Names like Hackworth, Gertsch, and Gardner are synonymous with the Tiger legacy, which began in the sweltering jungles of Vietnam.

“Out guerilla the guerillas”

In 1965, as the Vietnam War picked up steam, Army brass recognized a need for more unconventional, guerilla style warfare. A young Lt. Colonel in the 101st Airborne Division named David Hackworth proposed that by utilizing small, highly trained units, Vietcong tactics could be effectively countered. The brass liked what they heard and the Tigers were born through highly experienced, hand selected volunteers from the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.

Their mission: “To out guerilla the guerillas,” according to Hackworth, or as MoH recipient Staff Sgt. John G. Gertsch said, “how to really be there, but not be there.”

“During the Vietnam years, Tiger Force went through many changes in the full spectrum,” said Hank “Doc” Ortega, who served as a Tiger Force medic in 1968. During their time in Vietnam, Tiger Force Soldiers ran the gauntlet of small unit operations, from scouts, ready reaction and long range reconnaissance. “We were basically the eyes and ears of the battalion commander,” he said.

“Here is a platoon deep-rooted in history and tradition,” said Lt. Col. Peter Wilhelm, “Above the Rest” Battalion Commander. “A platoon that I reserve for the best of the best,” he said.

Tigers today, still serve at the behest of the battalion commander in the surly
terrain of the Salah ad Din province. To pigeon hole the Tigers, would be to say that they simply serve as the battalion’s sniper and recon asset, but like their predecessors in Vietnam they have found themselves covering down on a wide array of missions and have been instrumental in taking high-value targets, weapons caches and IEDs off of the streets, as well as conducting various
non-lethal operations.

“We do what is necessary in the area of operations to defeat Improvised Explosive Devices, secure high –value targets and support the division’s effort,” said Sgt. Josh Smith, Tiger Force sniper section team leader. “Today’s
battlefield requires so much more out of every element,” he said. “There’s no
arguing that what we are doing today is the graduate level of warfare. You’ve got to think outside the box or wind up in a box.”

Tiger Force Soldiers investigate a building suspected of being used to store black market fuel in Bayji, Iraq.

The Bond

For Smith and other Tiger Force Soldiers, preserving the Tiger’s legacy is an important part of the job. “We do everything with the past in mind,” said Smith. “The bond that the current members have with the past members is unbelievable,” he said.

During a 101st Airborne reunion event dubbed “Week of the Eagles”, in the summer of 2000, Ortega and other Tiger Force veterans returned to Fort Campbell, KY, to give young Soldiers a glimpse into their past and have been dropping in on the Tigers ever since.

“We gave these young men back their history,” said Ortega. “We brought names like James Gardner and John Gertsch to life because we knew these men and served with them,” he said. “They are not just names on a wall to us, and the young guys deserve to be connected to that history.” In garrison, it is not uncommon for an old Tiger to stop by the battalion to see how the platoon is coming along.

During these visits, tales are swapped and the vets get a chance to check out the newest tools of the trade. “Back in the day they were using M-14 rifles with big old Starlight scopes and they were really impressed with the new gear,” said Smith. “They get a kick out of it and we get a kick out of doing it because it’s just old meets new.”

In today’s rapidly evolving force, Soldiers often overlook the history of their units and have little or no link with the warriors who came before them.

“I would say it’s very rare,” said Smith. “I’m in touch with at least a dozen Vietnam-era, Tiger Force vets, and a few in between,” he said. “We are very much a big extended family.”

Veterans of Tiger Force send care packages and essential items to their deployed brethren in Iraq and have acted as a support system through the hard times.

“December was a bad month for us,” said Smith. On Dec. 4,
2007, Tiger Force lost its Platoon Leader, Capt. Adam Snyder
and two fellow Soldiers, Sgt. Eric Hernandez and Pvt. Dwayne
White to an IED attack. The loss was devastating to Tiger
Force Soldiers both young and old.

“When we lost men on Dec. 4th of 2007, it felt the same to us vets as when we lost those we served with exactly the same,” said Ortega. “These young guys are our brothers.”

Tiger Force veterans were in attendance at each fallen Soldier’s funeral services and were there to provide support to loved ones. “They got in touch with the families, made trips for support and basically did everything they could to make them as comfortable as they could be in their time mourning,” said Smith. “You’re not going to see that level of dedication, 40 years later, in may other places,” he said.

For Ortega, supporting the Tigers isn’t a random act of kindness, it’s fulfilling the oath of honor and country.

“For my own part, my wife and I spent almost two months at Fort Sam Houston at the bedside of a Tiger who was wounded, assisting him and his family with his recovery,” said Ortega. “I would work in the aid-station if I
could.”

“Doc” Ortega’s selfless-service to his country and to the Tigers is the model upon which the latest generation looks up to.

“All I can hope for is that the new Tigers are as receptive to the older guys as we are,” said Smith. “They go so far above and beyond. So many people get out of the Army and leave it all behind,” said Smith. “They are who
we are.”

Ortega would like to see more of these uncommon bonds forged between warrior generations. “I think that more and more Vietnam-era veterans, especially of combat units, are making an effort to relocate their buddies and as a part of that effort, they are sometimes making contact with their younger counterparts at the reunions,” said Ortega.

“We need to make this sort of contact and support far less unusual.”

For Smith and the rest of the Tigers in Iraq, bridging the generation gap has bred a sense of respect and admiration to the Tiger name. “We’re just proud to know them, you know? “The best thing for us is for them to feel like
they’re still part of the team.”

Wild Thing's comment........

Great write up and thank you to all Tiger Force, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division !

Our military is soooo awesome! Thank you Veterans and our troops today.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:44 AM | Comments (4)

Sisters Pilot Afghan Skies

Army Chief Warrant Officer Amber Smith pauses for a picture in a OH-58 Kiowa during her deployment to Iraq in 2006. Chief Smith is now deployed to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, where her sister, Air Force Capt. Kelly Smith, a C-130 pilot, was deployed as well. The two sisters from White Salmon, Wash., spent a few weeks together at Bagram before Capt. Smith redeployed back home.

Army Chief Warrant Officer Lacey Smith smiles in the cockpit of a UH-60 Blackhawk. Her sisters, Army Chief Warrant Officer Amber Smith, an OH-58 Kiowa pilot, and Air Force Capt. Kelly Smith, a C-130 pilot, had overlapping deployments to Afghanistan. Chief Lacey Smith will overlap with Chief Amber Smith when her unit replaces her sister's in Afghanistan this fall.

Army Chief Warrant Officer Amber Smith (left) and Air Force Capt. Kelly Smith (right) celebrate at a graduation for their younger sister, Army Chief Warrant Officer Lacey Smith (center). All three Smith sisters are pilots in the armed forces.

Families ‘tied’ by War: Sisters Pilot Afghan Skies

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Rachel M. Martinez
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

They never planned on being pilots and Afghanistan was the last place they expected to see each other, but that’s just what happened for two sisters from White Salmon, Wash.

Air Force Capt. Kelly Smith and Army Chief Warrant Officer Amber Smith grew up in a family rich with aviation ties. Their grandfather flew in the Army Air Corps as a lieutenant colonel during World War II and a commercial pilot after that. Their grandmother and mother were flight attendants. Multiple others in the family became commercial pilots, including their father, uncle and a few cousins.

“Just growing up around it so much, I think we all loved airplanes,” Capt. Smith said. “We loved being around airplanes, going up in airplanes, hearing about them.”

However, both went off to college with no intention of going into aviation. Capt. Smith studied English and journalism at the University of Arizona and Chief Smith became a cheerleader at the University of Washington.

“I think each of us, at one point, started to rebel,” said Capt. Smith. “I know I did. I said I wasn’t going to be a pilot.”

That quickly changed. During her freshman year, Capt. Smith began to notice the A-10s and C-130s flying into Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

“It looked interesting and at that point I decided I didn’t want a desk job,” she said. “So, I started flying my dad’s little Cessna 150 when I was home the summer after my freshman year. After I soloed, I decided this is really fun.”

Capt. Smith transferred to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and became a flight instructor after graduating.

Chief Smith turned to aviation after two years of college.

“It came to a point where I had to declare my major and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” Chief Smith explained. “Flying had always interested me so I went and got my private pilot’s license in a fixed wing.”

Their father had encouraged them to look into the military for flying opportunities. Capt. Smith jumped first, enlisting in the California Air National Guard shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.

“[Sept. 11] hit me pretty hard because I had been planning on going to the airlines and interviewing that December,” she said. “I’ll never forget looking up with all my friends and seeing all our flights cancelled. It was almost like seeing my career go up in smoke.”

After graduating from basic military training at Lackland AFB, Texas, Capt. Smith was selected for the pilot board, got her commission and became a
C-130 pilot for the 146th Airlift Wing in Channel Islands, Calif.

“I always liked the C-130s,” she said. “I happened to meet this girl whose father is one of the colonels in our unit. He introduced me to everyone in the unit and I got to see all the planes. I thought it was really cool – I decided that was what I wanted to do. I had discovered something that I was really excited in.”

In 2003, knowing that she wanted to fly, Chief Smith enlisted in the Army. She chose her airframe, the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, almost by chance.

“I think you should pick an aircraft based on the mission, but I didn’t really know much about any of the missions,” she said. “I actually liked flying the TS-57 [in Army flight school] and thought helicopters would be similar – little did I know. I ended up getting Kiowa, which was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I’m really glad I got it – it has an awesome mission.”

Fully qualified on the Kiowa, Chief Smith was stationed with the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky. In late 2007, her unit deployed to Forward Operating Base Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Not long after deploying, Chief Smith began to receive e-mails from her sister, Capt. Smith – whose unit would be deploying to Bagram Air Field. They would be in different services, different locations, assigned to different units, but they found a commonality in their mission in Afghanistan – aiding troops on the ground.

“We have two completely different missions, but we both take care of the ground troops,” said Capt. Smith. “The C-130s do a lot of airdrops and it’s fulfilling because you are getting the beans and bullets to the guys on the ground.”

Chief Smith agreed.

“I love [the Kiowa] mission because we work in direct support of the ground units,” Chief Smith explained. “It’s awesome to help them because they are the ones with boots on the ground.”

Although not at the same base, the two sisters got the opportunity to see each other in May when Chief Smith’s commander allowed her to fly to Bagram for a two-day visit.

“I loved the day that Amber came to visit,” Capt. Smith said. “She came and got me up in the morning, we walked to the PX [post exchange] and got coffee, pizza, and massages. When you’re back home, you can have girls’ day – it was kind of like that, but Bagram style.”

Capt. Smith also got the chance to see Chief Smith when she flew C-130s down to Jalalabad. Their favorite moment came out of one of these trips.

“We were taking off out of Jalalabad, Amber was on approach and we heard each other on the tower radio,” Capt. Smith recalled with enthusiasm. “That was the coolest thing.”

“I thought, how often in our lives is that ever going to happen – in combat,” Chief Smith said.

Fellow pilots soon heard about the sisters.

“Everybody I work with knew my sister was here so whenever they would hear a female voice on the radio they would tell me that they heard my sister on the radio,” Chief Smith said.

“Me too,” added Capt. Smith. “Whenever guys in our unit would fly down to Jalalabad and hear a woman on the radio they would tell me they heard my sister. I have to tell them that there are other female pilots out there – we aren’t the only ones.”

Good news came for the two when Chief Smith’s unit relocated to Bagram. Although Capt. Smith redeployed back to California in mid-July, the sisters spent a few weeks together.

“The past two weeks that I’ve been here we have probably seen each other more than we have in the past five years,” explained Chief Smith. “We are hardly ever together – it seems like somebody is always gone.”

Capt. Smith and Chief Smith have each deployed twice and both agree it is easier being deployed together. Chief Smith went to Iraq in 2005 and Capt. Smith to southwest Asia shortly after.

“Here, we are both pilots and have the same type of intel,” explained Capt. Smith. “It was harder for me being home when she was in Iraq because I didn’t know what was going on. I had never been deployed, and that’s scary. I can see why family and friends worry because they don’t hear about stuff.”

As the older sister, Capt. Smith, 31, added that she doesn’t worry about her little sister, 26-year-old Chief Smith too much.

“Here, I get worried, but Chief Smith is a really, really good pilot – you can just tell she is,” said the proud older sister. “There is always that lingering fear – when things happen and I haven’t heard from her. But it’s not like I’m constantly worrying. I think I would be even more worried if I was stuck at home without a clue as to what was going on.”

Despite the fact there have been a few days the sisters have not been able to see each other or talk to each other because of work, they both agree having each other makes it easier.

“Just knowing that you have that other person who is here for you – not just a friend, but family is really nice,” Capt. Smith said.

It may be easier on them, but it’s not easier on their parents.

“I think they are handling this deployment better than the last one,” said Chief Smith. “Last time, none of us had deployed before, so it was like their first deployment too. They are doing better with it, but they’ll be excited when we are all home. They always say, ‘Be safe and we can’t wait to see you,’ but they are very supportive about it and very practical.”

Capt. Smith agreed.

“We are very, very fortunate because our mom realized from the get-go that it would be harder on us to know that they are worrying about us all the time,” she said. “So she does a good job of reeling my dad in when he would start whining about how worried he was. That would make it harder on Amber, for example, when she’s not only worried about whatever her job is but she’s worried about making sure mom and dad are ok.”

Capt. and Chief Smith aren’t the only ones their parents worry about. Younger sister Lacey, 25, is an Army Chief Warrant Officer and flies the UH-60 Black Hawk. Her unit, A Company, 101st Aviation, replaces Chief Amber Smith’s unit this winter.

Chief Amber Smith expects a few weeks of overlap with Chief Lacey Smith, just as she has with Capt. Smith. This will be Chief Lacey Smith’s first deployment.

“Amber and Kelly have given me great info about what all the different places are like,” Chief Lacey Smith said. “I am really looking forward to our upcoming deployment.”

Like her sisters, Chief Lacey Smith looks forward to supporting the troops on the ground – and the flying.

“I chose Black Hawks because of their mission diversity,” she said. “I’m not one for shooting things up, but love to have guys like Amber buzzing around us. Plus I love being able to meet and help soldiers.”

Wild Thing's comment........

A special thank you to Air Force Staff Sgt. Rachel M. Martinez for this story. And another very specail thank you for your service to the Smith sisters.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:40 AM | Comments (7)

July 23, 2008

160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) "Night Stalkers Don't Quit"

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (160th SOAR (A)) is a special operations force of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support to general purpose forces and Special Operations Forces. Its missions include attack, assault, and reconnaissance, and are usually conducted at night, at high speeds and low altitudes, on short notice, and in secret. The force is headquartered at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The 160th SOAR (A) is also known as the Night Stalkers and its motto is Night Stalkers Don't Quit (NSDQ).

More of the 160th -- God bless you all! Thank you! You guys ROCK! Their job is to take all our Special Forces to the Show, being their support, backup and rescue as needed. They have volunteered to be on a moments notice and go anywhere in the world to do the missions we never hear about. The Video is Great!, but only shows a small portion of their capabilities, because most are cutting edge.----- Wild Thing

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:50 AM | Comments (4)

July 22, 2008

When The Music Stopped

The National Anthem is played before every movie shown at a military theater. From a Chaplain in Iraq : I recently attended a showing of 'Superman 3,' here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through The National Anthem the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments; and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place. Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped.
What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter, as everyone finally sat down and expected the movie to start.

But here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier continued to stand at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice,
then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off:
'And the rockets red glare,
The bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave.'

It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq . I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.
Remember them as they fight for you! Pass this along as a reminder to others to be ever in prayer for all our soldiers serving us here at home and abroad. For many have already paid the ultimate price.

Written by
Chaplain Jim Higgins
LSA Anaconda
Balad Airport in Iraq , north of Baghdad

....Thank you Chief for sending this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:44 AM | Comments (11)

July 20, 2008

Soldiers Recount Deadly Attack On Afghanistan Outpost

Spc. Tyler Stafford, 23, a soldier from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), recounts the hours-long fight that killed nine of his comrades as he recuperates at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

"Just hardcoreness I guess," he said. "Just guys kicking ass, basically. Just making sure that we look scary enough that you don’t want to come in and try to get us."

This is one of many things that makes American Soldiers special. God bless and protect them.--Wild Thing

First-hand account of heroic outpost defense in Afghanistan

On Sunday, July 13, a remote combat outpost near the village of Wanat in Afghanistan's rugged Kunar province on the Pakistan border was nearly overrun by a combined force of some 200 Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters. The outpost was manned by men from the 173rd Airborne Brigade and Afghan Army personnel.

The attack was well coordinated and designed for one purpose -- to overrun the outpost and kill everyone in it. No way were the outnumbered Sky Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, C Co., 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment going to let that happen.

Today's Stars & Stripes contains a stirring first-hand account by one of the men from Chosen Company that should inspire us and make us all thankful for their service and sacrifice. Here are the opening paragraphs, to give you a taste; read the whole thing.

That was what Spc. Tyler Stafford remembered thinking as he stepped onto the medical evacuation helicopter. The 23-year-old soldier would have been loaded onto the bird, but the poncho that was hastily employed as his stretcher broke. His body speckled with grenade and RPG shrapnel, the Vicenza, Italy, infantryman walked the last few feet to the waiting Black Hawk.

Sgt. Jacob Walker, 29, recuperating at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, was wounded in Wanat, Afghanistan, when the forward operating base came under attack early Sunday morning.

Soldiers recount deadly attack on Afghanistan outpost

By Steve Mraz,

Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, July 19, 2008

Everything was on fire. The trucks. The bazaar. The grass.

It looked surreal. It looked like a movie.

That was Sunday morning in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province. At a forward operating base — maybe as big as a football field — established just a few days prior.

Outnumbered but not outgunned, a platoon-plus element of soldiers with 2nd Platoon, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team accompanied by Afghan soldiers engaged in a fistfight of a firefight.

After maybe two hours of intense combat, some of the soldiers’ guns seized up because they expelled so many rounds so quickly. Insurgent bullets and dozens of rocket-propelled grenades filled the air. So many RPGs were fired at the soldiers that they wondered how the insurgents had so many.

That was July 13. That was when Stafford was blown out of a fighting position by an RPG, survived a grenade blast and had the tail of an RPG strike his helmet.

That was the day nine Chosen Company soldiers died.

It was just days before the unit was scheduled to leave the base.

The first RPG and machine gun fire came at dawn, strategically striking the forward operating base’s mortar pit. The insurgents next sighted their RPGs on the tow truck inside the combat outpost, taking it out. That was around 4:30 a.m.

This was not a haphazard attack. The reportedly 200 insurgents fought from several positions. They aimed to overrun the new base. The U.S. soldiers knew it and fought like hell. They knew their lives were on the line.

"I just hope these guys’ wives and their children understand how courageous their husbands and dads were," said Sgt. Jacob Walker. "They fought like warriors."

The next target was the FOB’s observation post, where nine soldiers were positioned on a tiny hill about 50 to 75 meters from the base. Of those nine, five died, and at least three others — Stafford among them — were wounded.

When the attack began, Stafford grabbed his M-240 machine gun off a north-facing sandbag wall and moved it to an east-facing sandbag wall. Moments later, RPGs struck the north-facing wall, knocking Stafford out of the fighting position and wounding another soldier.

Stafford thought he was on fire so he rolled around, regaining his senses. Nearby, Cpl. Gunnar Zwilling, who later died in the fight, had a stunned look on his face.

Immediately, a grenade exploded by Stafford, blowing him down to a lower terrace at the observation post and knocking his helmet off. Stafford put his helmet back on and noticed how badly he was bleeding.

Cpl. Matthew Phillips was close by, so Stafford called to him for help. Phillips was preparing to throw a grenade and shot a look at Stafford that said, "Give me a second. I gotta go kill these guys first."

This was only about 30 to 60 seconds into the attack.

Kneeling behind a sandbag wall, Phillips pulled the grenade pin, but just after he threw it an RPG exploded at his position. The tail of the RPG smacked Stafford’s helmet. The dust cleared. Phillips was slumped over, his chest on his knees and his hands by his side. Stafford called out to his buddy three or four times, but Phillips never answered or moved.

"When I saw Phillips die, I looked down and was bleeding pretty good, that’s probably the most scared I was at any point," Stafford said. "Then I kinda had to calm myself down and be like, ‘All right, I gotta go try to do my job.’ "

The soldier from Parker, Colo., loaded his 9 mm handgun, crawled up to their fighting position, stuck the pistol over the sandbags and fired.

Stafford saw Zwilling’s M-4 rifle nearby so he loaded it, put it on top of the sandbag and fired. Another couple RPGs struck the sandbag wall Stafford used as cover. Shrapnel pierced his hands.

Stafford low-crawled to another fighting position where Cpl. Jason Bogar, Sgt. Matthew Gobble and Sgt. Ryan Pitts were located. Stafford told Pitts that the insurgents were within grenade-tossing range. That got Pitts’ attention.

With blood running down his face, Pitts threw a grenade and then crawled to the position from where Stafford had just come. Pitts started hucking more grenades.

The firefight intensified. Bullets cut down tree limbs that fell on the soldiers. RPGs constantly exploded.

Back at Stafford’s position, so many bullets were coming in that the soldiers could not poke their heads over their sandbag wall. Bogar stuck an M-249 machine gun above the wall and squeezed off rounds to keep fire on the insurgents. In about five minutes, Bogar fired about 600 rounds, causing the M-249 to seize up from heat.

At another spot on the observation post, Cpl. Jonathan Ayers laid down continuous fire from an M-240 machine gun, despite drawing small-arms and RPG fire from the enemy. Ayers kept firing until he was shot and killed. Cpl. Pruitt Rainey radioed the FOB with a casualty report, calling for help. Of the nine soldiers at the observation post, Ayers and Phillips were dead, Zwilling was unaccounted for, and three were wounded. Additionally, several of the soldiers’ machine guns couldn’t fire because of damage. And they needed more ammo.

Rainey, Bogar and another soldier jumped out of their fighting position with the third soldier of the group launching a shoulder-fired missile.

All this happened within the first 20 minutes of the fight.

Platoon leader 1st Lt. Jonathan Brostrom and Cpl. Jason Hovater arrived at the observation post to reinforce the soldiers. By that time, the insurgents had breached the perimeter of the observation post. Gunfire rang out, and Rainey shouted, "He’s right behind the sandbag."

Brostrom could be heard shouting about the insurgent as well.

More gunfire and grenade explosions ensued. Back in the fighting position, Gobble fired a few quick rounds. Gobble then looked to where the soldiers were fighting and told Stafford the soldiers were dead. Of the nine soldiers who died in the battle, at least seven fell in fighting at the observation post.

The insurgents then started chucking rocks at Gobble and Stafford’s fighting position, hoping that the soldiers might think the rocks were grenades, causing them to jump from the safety of their fighting hole. One rock hit a tree behind Stafford and landed directly between his legs. He braced himself for an explosion. He then realized it was a rock.

Stafford didn’t have a weapon, and Gobble was low on ammo. Gobble told Stafford they had to get back to the FOB. They didn’t realize that Pitts was still alive in another fighting position at the observation post. Gobble and Stafford crawled out of their fighting hole. Gobble looked again to where the soldiers had been fighting and reconfirmed to Stafford that Brostrom, Rainey, Bogar and others were dead.

Gobble and Stafford low-crawled and ran back to the FOB. Coming into the FOB, Stafford was asked by a sergeant what was going on at the observation post. Stafford told him all the soldiers there were dead. Stafford lay against a wall, and his fellow soldiers put a tourniquet on him.

From the OP, Pitts got on the radio and told his comrades he was alone. At least three soldiers went to the OP to rescue Pitts, but they suffered wounds after encountering RPG and small-arms fire.

At that time, air support arrived in the form of Apache helicopters, A-10s and F-15s, performing bombing and strafing runs.

When the attack began, Walker was on the FOB. He grabbed an M-249 and started shooting toward a mountain spur where he could see some muzzle flashes. Walker put down 600 to 800 rounds of ammunition.

He got down behind the wall he was shooting from to load more ammo and was told they were taking fire from the southwest. He threw the bipod legs of his machine gun on the hood of a nearby Humvee. A 7.62-millimeter caliber bullet struck Walker’s left wrist, knocking him to the ground. A soldier applied a tourniquet to Walker and bandaged him.

Walker and two other wounded soldiers distributed their ammo and grenades and passed messages.

The whole FOB was covered in dust and smoke, looking like something out of an old Western movie.

"I’ve never seen the enemy do anything like that," said Walker, who was medically evacuated off the FOB in one of the first helicopters to arrive. "It’s usually three RPGs, some sporadic fire and then they’re gone … I don’t where they got all those RPGs. That was crazy."

Two hours after the first shots were fired, Stafford made his way — with help — to the medevac helicopter that arrived.

"It was some of the bravest stuff I’ve ever seen in my life, and I will never see it again because those guys," Stafford said, then paused. "Normal humans wouldn’t do that. You’re not supposed to do that — getting up and firing back when everything around you is popping and whizzing and trees, branches coming down and sandbags exploding and RPGs coming in over your head … It was a fistfight then, and those guys held ’ em off."

Stafford offered a guess as to why his fellow soldiers fought so hard.

"Just hardcoreness I guess," he said. "Just guys kicking ass, basically. Just making sure that we look scary enough that you don’t want to come in and try to get us."

Wild Thing's comment.......

The Soldiers of Chosen Co. deserve to get their story out for the world to know what happened July 13, 2008. That was the day when Al Qaeda/Taliban learned no matter where, no matter how outnumbered, Americans will never never give in, will never never give up.

"Two hours after the first shots were fired, Stafford made his way — with help — to the medevac helicopter that arrived.

“It was some of the bravest stuff I’ve ever seen in my life, and I will never see it again because those guys,” Stafford said, then paused. “Normal humans wouldn’t do that. You’re not supposed to do that — getting up and firing back when everything around you is popping and whizzing and trees, branches coming down and sandbags exploding and RPGs coming in over your head … It was a fistfight then, and those guys held ’ em off.”

And cone again the quote where Stafford offered a guess as to why his fellow soldiers fought so hard.

“Just hardcoreness I guess,” he said. “Just guys kicking ass, basically. Just making sure that we look scary enough that you don’t want to come in and try to get us.”

God bless them all. Brave men doing what brave men do. How this country produces men like this is an amazing thing to behold. They most certainly carry the torch of their brothers before them in other wars.

And to B.Hussein Obama, who spent just a few hours in Afghanistan thinking, no hoping the world will now see him as a man with “Gravitas”. It's never going to happen!!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (7)

July 08, 2008

General Petraeus Draws Bigger Crowd Then Angelina Jolie

General Petraeus gets bigger crowds at his photo-opportunites in Iraq than Angelina Jolie did on her recent visit

General David Petraeus beats megastar Angeline Jolie as Iraq crowd-puller

Times online.co.uk

If Santa ever set up his Christmas grotto in a war zone, it might look something like this.

Hundreds of men and women, many of them armed, line up in a marble hall inside one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, waiting patiently for more than half an hour for their hero to turn up.

The object of so much adulation is General David Petraeus, the 55-year-old commander of US and allied forces in Iraq. General Petraeus, widely credited with the military strategy that has clawed Iraq back from civil war to a semblance of stability, is in such demand for photographs that his aides have had to organise special mass photo-ops every six weeks inside the Green Zone and at the other huge US base at Baghdad airport.

“He's a real leader at a great time,” said Master Sergeant John Fife of the US Air Force, who had brought a group of comrades and local Iraqi staff across the vast fortified compound for the chance to have their picture taken with the general, who devised Iraq's counter-insurgency strategy.

It's like being at Macy's again when I was nine with the Easter Bunny,” the sergeant admitted. Beside him one of his Iraqi staff, who for security reasons identified himself only as Salaam, described the occasion as a great honour. “I just want to say, ‘Thank you.' This man has done great things for my country,” he said, although he confessed that for his own safety he would hang the picture on his office wall in the Green Zone, rather than in his house in the “Red Zone”, the military term for the rest of Baghdad.

Despite the progress Iraq has made under General Petraeus, Salaam said it would be a long time before he risked hanging such a memento at home; if neighbours knew he worked for the Americans he could be killed by militias or kidnapped by criminals.

The crowd of more than 500 people was a cross-section of life in the Green Zone, the complex that has occupied the heart of the capital for the past five years: American soldiers with assault rifles; British, Australian and Italian troops; security contractors in wrap-around sunglasses; embassy officials in suits; cleaners; men in running gear with .45 automatics on their hips; and a woman dressed as though for cocktail party. All file past the commander, who shakes their hands and poses for the army photographer.

General Petraeus has often said that he has no ambition to run for public office, but this would be perfect training for any campaign trail. His smile never wavers throughout the 45-minute ritual, which, with military precision, gets more than 500 people across the wooden podium in a cafeteria of the Republican Palace.

Only at the very end does he look slightly bemused, when he finds himself posing in a group photo with eight Sri Lankan waiters, far from home and looking for a little celebrity action to relieve the tedium of their daily grind.

Then he steps off the stage and marches briskly back to the business of running the war.

Wild Thing's comment.........

This cannot be!! LOL

Didn't that witch Hillary declare that listening to General Petraeus testify about US performance under the 'surge' required a "suspension of disbelief"?????

I want to see every vicious Rat-weasel traitor driven out of office forever. Too much to hope for, but I can dream can't I?

I posted before about how Angelina Jolie went to visit the troops and to thank them. How she is pro gun and also how she has donated $1 Million to help the Iraqi children. She seems to be a good person.

But the thing is for these men and women that get a chance to shake the hand of General Petraeus and have a chance to exchange words with him had to have been really something to look forward to.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (4)

July 07, 2008

Raider Soldiers Celebrating Independence Day

Wild Thing's comment........

I am so glad our military does things like this for our troops away from home.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (4)

July 05, 2008

Gen. Petraeus and Independence Day Re-Enlistment Ceremony in Iraq

In Baghdad, General David Petraeus administered the oath of re-enlistment to over 1200 soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen in Al-Faw Palace, one of Saddam Hussein’s former cribs. This was possibly the largest re-enlistment ceremony in the history of our all-volunteer military.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin L. Hill: These warriors are doing what they joined to do … They can see the fruit of their labor and see the fruit of the sacrifices of those who have gone before them. It makes them feel good about what they are doing.”

A 50-gun salute will honor of the nation’s birthday, and then all will sing “God Bless America.” The ceremony will end with a medley of service songs. [All of that inside one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces!!

US soldiers from various branches of the military stand at attention during a mass reenlistment ceremony at the Al-Faw Palace, one of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's main palaces, in Baghdad on July 4, 2008. More than 1,200 US service members took a reenlisment oath on the 4th of July, the anniversary of US independence, led by top commander in Iraq General David Petraeus.

General David Petraeus, head of the Multi-National Forces-Iraq, salutes with other service members
in the video below. I LOVE it!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (9)

June 30, 2008

Airmen Having Fun With Zero Gravity

Airmen having fun with Zero Gravity on quick Decent into Baghdad

Wild Thing's comment........

I love our troops! It is so great to see them having fun when they get a chance.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (4)

June 28, 2008

The Democrats, Media and Our Troops

Our Media, Democrats and our Troops in Iraq

A combination of videos and photos showing the Democrat and the Media position on the war in Iraq as our troops become the victim of politics.

Thie is a before and after video that Sean Hannity made about Democrats and Iraq.

Listen to the Democrats mislead, distort, and otherwise lie about the Iraq War. The party of appeasement and defeat eschews democracy in favor of hypocrisy.

Wild Thing's comment.........

The left, Democrats and the media are the scum of the earth. The things they have said and done should fall under treason to our country. Their aid to the enemy simply by the comments they have made has put our troops lives in additional danger then they already are and I pray there is some kind of karma that will get back at these people doing these things.
Yes one way is to vote them out of office, but that takes time. I wish for something faster then that. Damn the left!!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (8)

June 25, 2008

Fallujah Security Strengthen in Numbers

Fallujah Security Strengthen in Numbers

DOD

Cpl. Jonathan C. Austin, communications chief and convoy commander with Company B, Iraqi Transition Team 8, Regimental Combat Team 1, slaps an Iraqi child "hi-five" during a patrol through Fallujah June 9. Austin, a Lincolnton, N.C. native, took a few minutes with some transition members to play soccer with neighborhood childeren during the operation.

FALLUJAH, Iraq– Marines geared for war walk in tactical columns through the once mean streets of Fallujah, ready for what may lay around the next corner.

“Mister, mister shokalata! Shokalata!”shout exuberant children from a crowded neighborhood as Marines and Iraqi police pass out candy.

Marines with Company B, Police Transition Team 8, Regimental Combat Team 1, have been working diligently over the past few months to help train Iraqi police to take over their respective areas and become self-supportive in day-to-day operations in the city.

Recent increases in the number of Iraqi police have drastically subdued the violence in the city.

“These guys are going out on a daily basis by themselves and coming back with suspect arrests,” said Lance Cpl. Andrew L. Walker, a 20-year-old police transition team member from Crane Hill, Ala. “For the most part, they are doing a really good job with many of the issues going on here.”

Marines with the transition team spend time mentoring Iraqi police and work with them to control the Mauallimeen area. Joint patrols in the city work to strengthen relationships with the IPs and Marines, and offer Marines a chance to evaluate how the police operate in various situations.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (2)

June 24, 2008

101st Uncovers Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device Factory (VBIED)

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division

1-33 uncovers VBIED factory
By Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy
3rd BCT PAO NCOIC

A routine gathering with local leaders resulted in the discovery of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device factory near Hamid Shaban.

Acting on a tip from an attendee at the meeting, Rakkasan Soldiers from Troop A, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), acted quickly and found what appeared to be a makeshift VBIED workshop about a mile away from the gathering.

“We came up with a quick plan and headed that way,” said Staff Sgt. Adam McMurray, a platoon sergeant from Aydlett, N.C., who provided command and control for the mission.

The Soldiers had to find their way to the house, about a mile away, without detailed directions or a grid coordinate.

Once at the location, the house was cleared by a team of Soldiers led by Sgt. Walter Nickel, from Pago Pago, American Samoa.

“After the house was cleared, we noticed that the kerosene heater was still on, the Chai (tea) was still hot,” McMurray said. “I mean, we had just missed these guys.”

The most valuable find was in front of the house – four vehicles suspected to be used as VBIEDs. One vehicle had wires running from the inside to the trunk. McMurray said it was blatantly obvious the vehicle was intended to be used as a VBIED.

The Soldiers found more explosives and a homemade rocket launcher.

“We found a bunch of paperwork ... a lot of explosives, mortar rounds and bomb-making materials and weapons,” Nickel said. “There was stuff just ready to get hooked up to explosives. It seemed to me they were just getting ready to do something, they were just getting things together.”

“We feel great that we found something that could’ve caused a lot of damage to Coalition Forces,” said Sgt. Jose Rivas, from Nashville, Tenn. “It was a long day but it was worthwhile.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (6)

June 23, 2008

4th Brigade Currahee Combat Team Says Jingle Air Is Key To Supplies

A Jingle Air, Mi-8 HIP heavy-duty helicopter, prepares for a cargo airlift operation to a forward operating base in Afghanistan, June 7. In May, Jingle Air moved 1.53 million pounds of cargo to service members out in the field and to forward operating bases throughout Afghanistan.

A Jingle Air, Mi-8 HIP heavy-duty helicopter, flies en route to forward operating base in Afghanistan during a cargo airlift mission, June 7. Jingle Air pilots hail from different countries and nationalities. Still, they all work together toward a common goal - to ensure the cargo gets to its destination.

Jingle Air Supplies Isolated Soldiers

By Sgt. Charles Brice
382nd Public Affairs Detachment

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan

Imagine being a Soldier out on the border of eastern Afghanistan and the only connection to the rest of the world is a pallet of supplies on the back of a foreign helicopter. That is what it is like for coalition forces cut off and isolated throughout parts of Afghanistan. With the troops focused on combat missions, the Mesopotamia Group created Jingle Air to move cargo in-and-out of hard to reach locations.

Jingle Air offers helicopter services throughout Afghanistan.

The name comes from the popular jingle culture which resides in Afghanistan. People decorating with colors, ornaments, bells and paintings on just about anything they posses, including their transportation, the trucks of Afghanistan are the most ornamented of them all.

“Jingle Air is a key logistic enabler, which allows 4th Brigade, Currahee Combat Team to conduct counter-insurgency operations in a area roughly the size of West Virginia,” said Maj. Jon Beale of the 801st Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, and Combined Task Force Currahee.

With a fleet of Mi-8 HIP heavy-duty helicopters and five flight teams, Jingle Air can move up to 3.2 million pounds of cargo throughout Afghanistan, said Capt. James E. Fager, officer in charge of transportation and logistical operations for the 801st BSB in Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan.

“Jingle Air’s track record speaks for itself,” said Fager, who explained the crew has conducted 20 emergency re-supply missions in conjunction with supporting many areas of operations.

Last month alone Jingle Air moved 1.53 million pounds of cargo to troops out in the field and to forward operating bases throughout Afghanistan.

“The pilots of Jingle Air are very motivated to fly and they take a personal interest in making sure the operations go well,” Fager said.

Jingle Air pilots hail from different countries and nationalities. Still, they all work together toward a common goal – to ensure the cargo gets to its destination.

“Jingle Air is a force multiplier and it allows us to move much needed supplies and equipment,” said Fager.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (2)

The “No Slack” Battalion The Screaming Eagle’s, Iraqi Volunteers and Iraqi Forces

Concerned Local Citizens near Samarra greet a Soldier from the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team near Samarra, Iraq. Together with Iraqi security forces and coalition soldiers, they have helped quell the violence in the once embattled city.

Screaming Eagle’s, Iraqi Volunteers and Iraqi Forces Have Al Qaida Reeling

By Sgt. Rick Rzepka
1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs Office

Al JAZZERA DESERT, Iraq

“Yesterday some men tried to kill me as I was driving my car,” said the man with a reflective belt draped across his chest. “They say that if I stay with the volunteers they will kill me, but I don’t care about that,” he said as he lit one cigarette with the stub of another.

The man is part of an all volunteer force called the Concerned Local Citizens, or “Sons of Iraq” and he and his compatriots have had enough. The violence, the killing, the overall lawlessness that was a hallmark of Samarra a year ago, left these men to make a decision: apathy or action. They chose the latter.

Today, hundreds of volunteers, spread throughout the greater Samarra area have banded together to secure the once turbulent city and its people from enemy extremists. In doing so, they have allowed coalition forces to focus their attention on dismantling a waning al Qaida in Iraq.

“CLC leaders and IP leaders are taking care of a lot of the footwork in securing the population centers, which lets us take the fight to al Qaeda and their safe-havens,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jason Martin, Gator Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment.

Martin and his Soldiers are part of the famed “No Slack” battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, which has a reputation for an intense work ethic and exceptional Soldiering.

Since arriving in Iraq in October of 2007, the battalion has seen the security situation in Samarra and its periphery go from fragile to firm due to greater cooperation and effectiveness of Iraqi Security Forces, the volunteers and Coalition forces.

“The last few months have been a huge change,” said Martin. “Between Iraqi police, Iraqi Army and CLCs, we’ve been able to push further, which has led us to more HVIs (high value individuals) and more caches.”

Martin said that in the last month alone, Gator company has unearthed five to six hundred military grade munitions including rockets, mortars and artillery shells, which are commonly used by enemy fighters to make improvised explosive devices.

Often times, villagers will walk Coalition and Iraqi Security forces right on to a cache site without fear, said Martin.

“What’s happening is the CLCs in the area have pushed out the major key leaders of al Qaida in the area out into the desert,” said Martin. “Now the villagers feel safe enough to say, hey look, these guys used to be here and they left this cache and Ill take you to it. They are huge caches, buried deep in the ground,” he said.

By manning checkpoints on the dusty roads outside of Samarra, the CLC volunteers are able to keep enemy fighters from permeating the population. They take pride in their work as protectors and are able to provide for their families as well.

“The CLCs in Samarra are the best CLCs in Iraq,” boasted one volunteer working a checkpoint outside the city. “We do it for our family and country,” he said.

“They are looking at the future. They are talking about schools for their kids and grandkids and they are starting to see the importance of that,” said Martin. “The hope is there and they are looking for results from their own government.”

The presence of CLCs and Iraqi security forces gives people the sense that Iraqis are securing themselves, said Spc. Mathew Gozalkowski, Gator company Soldier. “They know what right looks like,” he said. “They know where the insurgents might hide caches and possible safehavens and they know who belongs in their respective neighborhoods and who doesn’t.”

As the population continues to turn against extremists in the Samarra area, groups like al Qaida are unraveling quickly, said Gozalkowski. “The CLCs in the area have caught on like wildfire,” he said. “The people around the al Jazzera desert are standing up volunteer groups with out any contract,” he said, meaning that they aren’t getting the nominal fee of $300 per month that is typically paid to CLCs across Iraq.

“They are doing it because they are tired of seeing what the insurgents have done to their homes.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (6)

June 20, 2008

General Pete Pace Receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom

On the day he left his post as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace (USMC) went down the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and left three sets of his four General's stars on index cards with notes to each of the three men who died in the platoon he led in Vietnam.

"These are yours- not mine!" Pace wrote.

President George W. Bush places the Medal of Freedom on retired U.S. Marine Corps General Peter Pace, former chairman of the Joint chiefs of Staff, during a ceremony at the White House in Washington June 19, 2008

"One of my great privileges as the President has been to meet so many outstanding Americans who volunteer to serve our nation in uniform. I've been inspired by their valor, selflessness, and complete integrity. I found all those qualities in abundance in General Peter Pace. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pete Pace was a skilled and trusted advisor in a time of war. He helped transform our military into a more efficient and effective force in America's defense.
General Pace experienced the blessings America offers at an early age. He was born in Brooklyn to an Italian immigrant father who sometimes worked two or three jobs at a time to make ends meet. He was raised by a mom who instilled in him the sustaining power of faith. Together his parents raised four children who each went on to great achievements in their chosen fields. That childhood gave young Pete Pace an early glimpse of what he would later call "the incredible benefits that our nation bestows on those who come to our shores."

Pete Pace attended the Naval Academy, and as a young Marine soon found his way to Vietnam. The age of 22, he took command of a platoon engaged in heavy fighting against the enemy during the Tet offensive. Pete quickly won the respect and the trust of his unit and formed a bond with all those who served with him. That bond only strengthened throughout his military career.

He was the first Marine to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And he performed his duties with a keen intellect, a sharp wit, and a passionate devotion to our country. He won the admiration of all who knew him. And that includes a soldier in Afghanistan who came up to General Pace last year during his farewell visit to that country, and said simply: "Sir, thanks for your service. We'll take it from here."

On his final day in uniform, General Pace took a quiet journey to the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. He searched the names engraved in the sleek granite, and then found a spot where he placed his four stars that had adorned his uniform. Along with those stars he attached notes addressed to the men who died under his first command some four decades ago. The notes said: "These are yours -- not mine. With love and respect, your platoon leader, Pete Pace." General Pace ended his military career the same way that he began it -- with love for his country and devotion to his fellow Marines.

For his selfless service to his country, and for always putting the interests of our men and women in uniform first, I am proud to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to General Pete Pace."

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you Gen. Pace and God bless you!

Last year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared Pace, a four-star Marine general with 48 military decorations on his chest, to be “incompetent.” What incredible effrontery. Reid-who never wore the uniform-could have said he didn’t agree with Pace’s decisions or with the politically unpopular war in Iraq. He could have said he disliked the way Pace executed his responsibilities in advising the President. But incompetent? This kind of public disparagement of a military hero is disgraceful.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (4)

June 18, 2008

Charges Dismisssed Against Lt.Col. Chessani

Source: Defend Our Marines

A military judge has dismissed charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis.

Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges Tuesday against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after defense attorneys raised concerns that a four-star general overseeing the prosecution was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha.

The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled, but Folsom excluded Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement.

Chessani was the highest-ranking officer implicated in the case.

CAMP PENDLETON

In a stinging rebuke of the government's handling of a high-profile war crime case, a military judge Tuesday dismissed dereliction of duty charges against the commander of a Marine squad that killed 24 civilians in the Iraqi city of Haditha.

The dismissal of charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani came after a finding that then-Lt. Gen. James Mattis was unlawfully influenced by a Marine attorney who participated in an investigation of the killings and then became the general's top legal adviser.

The ruling by Col. Steven Folsom, the judge presiding over Chessani's case, was a major blow to the government, which has seen charges against seven of the eight men accused with criminal wrongdoing in the 2005 killings dismissed or withdrawn. Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich is for now the lone Haditha defendant.

Folsom ruled the participation of Col. John Ewers as an investigator and report writer in the Haditha killings and his later appointment as Mattis' top legal aide constituted unlawful command influence.

Ewers' depth of involvement, he said, "tainted" the charges against Chessani beyond repair.

"Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice," Folsom said. "The appearance of unlawful command influence is as devastating as actual manipulation of a trial."

A dismissal, he said, was necessary to maintain public confidence in the military justice system.

Prosecutors were given three days to appeal. If they choose not to but want to continue the prosecution, Folsom said, a new investigation must be conducted. Approval of any new charges must come from a senior Marine officer who has had no association with the case, Folsom said.

Chessani, who remained stoic throughout the hearings, showed no reaction when the decision was announced at the end of an hour-long session inside a small base courtroom.

The highest-ranking man charged in the Haditha killings had been scheduled to go on trial by court-martial on July 16.

After Tuesday's hearing, Chessani and his wife, Alissa, the parents of six young children, declined comment.

"We're cautiously optimistic the government won't refile the charges," said one of his attorneys, Brian Rooney. "We hope that it's over. It should be over. We believe it never should have got this far."

Chessani commanded Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment at Haditha.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Thank you Lord!! What a grave injustice the PC idiots imposed on this man, and all the other Haditha warriors!

Only Sgt. Wuterich left to be exonerated.

Please God, it would really be justice if Murtha was punished for what he did to these men.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (6)

June 15, 2008

Joseph R. Tomczak Cadet's Essay On Why Returning After Spring Break

First year cadets at the Air Force Academy are allowed to leave the Academy without penalty up through the end of first-year Christmas break.

Those who came back were assigned to write a paper on why they chose to return.

Here is one young cadet's masterpiece, which has begun to be widely publicized...

Why return to the Air Force Academy after Winter Break?

"So after our sunburns have faded and the memories of our winter break have been reduced to pictures we've pinned on our desk boards, and once again we've exchanged T-shirts and swim suits for flight suits and camouflage, there still remains the question that every cadet at U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs has asked themselves at some point: Why did we come back?

Why, after spending two weeks with our family would we return to one of the most demanding lifestyles in the country? After listening to our 'friends' who are home from State or Ivy League schools chock full of wisdom about how our war in Iraq is unjust and unworldly, why would we return?

And after watching the news and reading the papers which only seem to condemn the military's every mistake and shadow every victory, why would we continue to think it is worth the sacrifice of a normal college life?

Is it because the institution to which we belong is tuition- free? Anyone who claims this has forgotten that we will, by the time we graduate, repay the US taxpayer many times over in blood, sweat, and tears.

Is it because the schooling we are receiving is one of the best undergraduate educations in the country? While the quality of the education is second to none, anyone who provides this as a main reason has lost sight of the awesome responsibility that awaits those who are tough enough to graduate and become commissioned officers in the U.S. Air Force.

I come back to the Academy because I want to have the training necessary so that one day I'll have the incredible responsibility of leading the sons and daughters of America in combat. These men and women will never ask about my Academy grade point average, their only concern will be that I have the ability to lead them expertly; I will be humbled to earn their respect. I come back to the Academy because I want to be the commander who saves lives by negotiating with Arab leaders... in their own language.

I come back to the Academy because, if called upon, I want to be the pilot who flies half way around the world with three mid-air refuelings to send a bomb from 30,000 feet into a basement housing the enemy... through a ventilation shaft two feet wide. Becoming an officer in today's modern Air Force is so much more than just command; it is being a diplomat, a strategist, a communicator, a moral compass, but always a warrior first.

I come back to the Air Force Academy because, right now, the United States is fighting a global war that is an 'away game' in Iraq - taking the fight to the terrorists.

Whether or not we think the terrorists were in Iraq before our invasion, they are unquestionably there now. And if there is any doubt as to whether this is a global war, just ask the people in Amman, in London, in Madrid, in Casablanca, in Riyadh, and in Bali.

This war must remain an away game because we have seen what happens when it becomes a home game... I come back to the Academy because I want to be a part of that fight.

I come back to the Academy because I don't want my vacationing family to board a bus in Paris that gets blown away by someone who thinks that it would be a good idea to convert the Western world to Islam.

I come back to the Academy because I don't want the woman I love to be the one who dials her last frantic cell phone call while huddled in the back of an airliner with a hundred other people seconds away from slamming into the Capitol building.

I come back to the Academy because during my freshman year of high school I sat in a geometry class and watched nineteen terrorists change the course of history live on television. For the first ti me,every class currently at a U S. Service Academy made the decision to join after the 2001 terror attacks.

Some have said that the U.S. invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan only created more terrorists... I say that the attacks of September 11th, 2001 created an untold more number of American soldiers; I go to school with 4,000 of them. And that's worth more than missing a few frat parties.

Joseph R. Tomczak Cadet,
Fourth Class
United States Air Force Academy

(U..S. Senator Wayne Allard (R-Colorado) had Cadet Tomczak's essay read into the Congressional Record, and at
a meeting of the Air Force Academy Board of Visitors he presented Cadet. Tomczak with a framed copy of the essay.)

Wild Thing's comment........

Cadet Tomczak is the son of Retired Air Force Col. Robert J. Tomczak and Nathalie Tomczak of Tampa, Florida.

God bless our troops and those deployed and those waiting to be deployed.

....Thank you Mark.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (4)

June 14, 2008

Checking In With Our Troops In Pictures

PEARL HARBOR HOMECOMING - Friends and family members wave signs and shout to U.S. Navy sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee as she makes her way to Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, after a four-month deployment, June 7, 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class James E. Foehl

An Air Force B-1B Lancer aircraft moves out of position after receiving fuel from a KC-135R Stratotanker during a mission over Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway)

A U.S. Army Soldier is greeted by a young Iraqi girl outside her home as Soldiers inspect a cleaning project in her small village in the Thawra 1 neighborhood of the Sadr City district of Baghdad

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:40 AM | Comments (2)

June 12, 2008

Tail Gunners Have To Be Ready For Any Mission

Command Sgt. Maj. Chad Cuomo, Task Force Storm’s senior enlisted leader, settles into the gunner seat of a UH-60 Black Hawk before heading out on a mission.

CAMP TAJI, Iraq

“Be Know Do” has been a part of the Army leadership doctrine for more than a decade, and many leaders have interpreted it in many different ways.

For two of Task Force XII’s most senior noncommissioned officers, this leadership mantra takes them miles away from the safety of their offices and into a more mobile work station. It’s an alternate work environment that puts them in some potentially dangerous situations.

But still, as they say, the view here is a whole lot cooler than any corner office on Camp Taji.

Task Force XII’s Command Sgt. Maj. H. Lee Kennedy, along with Task Force Storm’s Command Sgt. Maj. Chad Cuomo, help shoulder the workload of UH-60 Black Hawk crew members by serving as crew chiefs and door gunners on missions each week. The task force’s senior officers, all of its pilots, are called on to take to the skies regularly.

The same is true for the senior enlisted leaders as well, who also don their flight gear and mount up for missions. Flying a helicopter as a pilot rarely means washing windows or loading a passenger’s bags for them.

The door gunners, however, regardless of their rank, have to be ready for any mission.

“I believe, as a leader, that I should lead from the front and that I should not ask my Soldiers to do something that I wouldn’t do myself,” said Cuomo, a native of Troy, N.Y.

“If we were doing ground convoys, I’d be in those too. There should be no difference in going outside of the wire. Whether it’s flying or driving, the leader should lead from the front.”

Their Soldiers appreciate their effort and their “can do” attitudes.

“I think it’s great that they get out here and help us with the mission,” said Sgt. Ian McDougal, a crew chief in Company A, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment. “ Seeing higher ranking Soldiers doing the same job as us really means a lot to the younger Soldiers.”

Both Cuomo and Kennedy are crew chiefs by profession. Combined, the two leaders have more than 50 years of Army aviation experience.

“When a young 19- or 20-year-old Soldier sees a 50-yearold sergeant major wandering around, they say ‘that old man doesn’t know anything about the Army today … what he knew 20 or 30 years ago is obsolete;’ but it’s not,” said Kennedy, a native of Abingdon, Va. “We still use those same tactics and procedures from back then because all those things are standard.”

And like their officer counterparts, the command sergeants major don’t just fly once in a while to get flight-pay, Kennedy and Cuomo are incorporated into the flight schedule and act as replacements when an additional crew chief or door gunner is needed for a mission.

“If a Soldier gets medically grounded or can’t fly for whatever reason, they come to (us) to fill in for them; we do that on a regular basis,” said Cuomo.

“I normally try to fly at least once a week, depending on my meetings and work schedule, but I try to fly as much as time permits.”

Even though he outranks all the crew chiefs and door gunners he works with, Kennedy sais he doesn’t expect to be treated any differently when it comes to the mission.

“As leaders, we should follow the standard harder and set the example truer,” he said. “If I’m cut some slack on any section or piece of that mission, then the other Soldiers should be cut slack too; I must follow exactly what my Soldiers are tasked to do – to the letter.”

“When you’re part of an aircrew,” added Cuomo, “you all have the same level of responsibility; and if one member of the crew starts to slack, it puts everyone’s life at risk.”

The Soldiers also respect it when their leaders get out there and know how to follow the rules while flying and can conduct up-to-date aircraft maintenance, said Kennedy.

“No matter what the rank of the person seated across from me on the aircraft, I’m confident in their abilities to perform their duties because we all train to the same standard,” said McDougal, a native of Eugene, Ore.

Being such a “seasoned aviator” has its advantages and disadvantages, said Kennedy.

“I guess rumor has it that since I’m 51, I’m a little slower getting in and out of the window,” he said. “That may be true; but as far as (scanning my sector) and getting out there doing preflight checks and maintenance, I’m right up there with the 19 year-olds.”

Even though their “Be Know Do” leadership technique may take a little more effort than it used to, Kennedy and Cuomo said they hope to motivate Soldiers by helping shoulder the workload and letting them know the standards must be kept – regardless of the Soldier’s rank.

“I can perform at the same skill level as any other door gunner, and I think that it’s sometimes second nature to me because I’ve been doing it so long,” said Cuomo. “I hope that (my flying) shows the Soldiers that I care and I’m willing to do the same things they’re doing. I think they should be extremely proud of everything we’ve accomplished here in Iraq.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (7)

Chief Warrant Officer Fought Hard For Chance To Go To Iraq

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christian Smith, a Villa Grove, Ill., native, stands at the open hood of a military humvee May 16. Smith is the squadron maintenance technician for 4th Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, Task Force XII, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

TF XII maintainer fought for chance to come to Iraq

CAMP TAJI, Iraq

“Chief, what the heck are you doing?”

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christian Smith, a maintenance technician who had just tripped and fallen to the ground, looked up at his confused motor sergeant. Smith, who hails from Villa Grove, Ill., but was on a deployment to Iraq, had fallen a lot lately.

Something was wrong with his left leg, and he didn’t know what – all he knew was that it made him fall.

“I don’t know,” said Smith. “I just fell. It happens all the time.”

“Well next time, yell ‘incoming’ and I’ll go down with you,” said the sergeant.

The year was 2003, and Smith was deployed with a military police brigade. Over the course of the deployment, he noticed his muscles growing alarmingly weaker.

“It was very humbling – to say the least,” said Smith. “There wasn’t much I could do about it then, but I knew that once I got back from (Iraq), I was going to have to go see a doctor and find out what was going on.”

In February 2005, after multiple visits to doctors, Smith underwent surgery for a herniated disc in his back to help relieve pressure on what his doctor thought was a pinched nerve. It didn’t help. By this time, he couldn’t move the toes of his left foot, and he continued to grow weaker.

Still more visits to more doctors led him to a neurologist. Late in September 2005, he was diagnosed with multifocal motor neuropathy.

“It’s a condition where my body thinks there’s something wrong with the nerves,” said Smith.

“It’s attacking my nerves, and it doesn’t allow good conduction for the signals that tell the muscles to move – but there’s treatment for it.”

He began treatments right away. Every three weeks, he underwent an intravenous immunoglobulin treatment at a local hospital. By this time, Smith’s unit was on mobilization orders for deployment, but he was scheduled to stay with the rear detachment.

“Within four or five days, I started noticing a lot more strength, and by 10 days after that, I could wiggle my toes and keep my left foot up,” he said.

“I went back to the unit and told them the treatment was working. At that point, it was a matter of how the Army medical system was going to handle this.”

The unit deployed. Despite his objections, Smith stayed at Fort Hood.

“The doc said, when he diagnosed me, that this is a legitimate medical condition that would definitely keep me from deploying,” he said.

“He asked me why I’d want to deploy if I didn’t have to."

“It’s one of those things where, having grown up playing sports, you spend all that time practicing with a team; and, all of a sudden, they go to an away game, out of town, and you’re stuck at home,” he added. “It’s not a good feeling.”

A year and a half later, Smith found himself facing the same situation, this time with a new team. He was newly assigned to Troop R, 4th Squadron 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, once again on orders for Iraq.

The treatments were working, and Smith said he was determined not to get left behind again. He began what he called a very frustrating process to make himself deployable.

Once again, the doctors said no. A chain of emails revealed one medical professional after another who believed he had no business deploying.

They cited the risk for contamination with possible secondary effects of anaphylaxis or renal failure. They said his understanding of the condition was “oversimplified.”

“My response to those emails was rather lengthy,” he said. “They thought I was oversimplifying the condition, and I thought they were over-exaggerating it.”

In his response, he said he outlined his own research – discussing the shelf life of the medication and the plan that he and squadron surgeon, Maj. Sean Hollonbeck, had come up with to administer the treatments.

“The Army is attempting and perfecting new things in the theater of operation every day,” he wrote. “Why not this?”

“I didn’t think he’d get to go based on seeing the email traffic from the doctors in theater,” said Capt. Jeffery Hernandez, his troop commander. “I never tried to talk him out of it though. He had such a desire to be with the troops and support the mission.”

“I guess I just felt like I’m in the Army to do a job,” Smith said. “Having been left back once, I told my wife, if I can’t deploy and go do what I’ve trained to do, then I shouldn’t be doing this anymore.”

After a successful month at Fort Irwin, California’s National Training Center, during which an enlisted combat medic successfully administered the treatment, the Army finally relented. Smith deployed to Multi-National Division – Baghdad as part of Task Force XII in November, 2007.

Wild Thing's comment.......

What amazing people we have in our military. We are so blessed as a country for these warriors.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (4)

Gunfighters Taking Flight

Spc. Theodore Nelson, (top) AH-64D Apache Longbow crew chief from Company C, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, conducts final pre-flight checks with Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip Mann, pilot Co. C on May 26. The 1-1 ARB Gunfighter air and ground crews work around the clock sustaining air operations and are part of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kan., flying in support of Task Force Iron, 1st Armored Division, in northern Iraq.

An AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter gunship from the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, prepares for a night mission on May 31. The 1-1 ARB Gunfighter air and ground crews work around the clock sustaining air operations and are part of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division

Gunfighters Take Flight

By Maj. Enrique T. Vasquez
Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

TIKRIT, Iraq

Since the days of early aviation, Army pilots have played a key role in the outcome of ground battles and air missions. For pilots flying the AH-64 Apache Longbows of the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment in northern Iraq the legacy of influencing the fight continues through careful mission preparation and teamwork. These pilots known as the Gunfighters are part of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division’s efforts to sustain a constant presence over the skies of northern Iraq in support of Task Force Iron.

However, before the Gunfighters jump into their cockpits and head-out into the skies of Multi-National Division-North they must plan meticulously prior to each mission.

“Pilots are briefed on the five Ws- who, what, where, when and why- in respect to the operations portion of the brief. The crews receive instructions on what the ground commanders want along with any changes in procedures or radio frequencies,” said 1st Lt. Peter Huang, a battle captain for 1-1 ARB.

“Furthermore, pilots receive any changes in battlespace and any updates as to what friendly forces are in the area of operations.”

Just as the operations officer gives a detailed briefing so does the intelligence officer. Everything the enemy might be doing or trying to do is briefed to include the careful articulation of possible enemy courses of action.

“We find patterns and trends the enemy might be engaged in like IED, small arms fire and emplacements. We give the pilots an assessment so they know what to look for, how the enemy might act and what to expect,” said Staff Sgt. Floyd Perry, 1-1 ARB intelligence analyst.

Although the Apache is a two-seater helicopter, both pilots in an AH-64 Apache Longbow has a certain job to perform. While both are capable of flying the aircraft, the duties of the command pilot and the co-pilot gunner called the CPG; are distinctly different in a combat situation.

“The pilot, maneuvers the helicopter so that the CPG can fire,” said Lindeman.

“The advantage to being the CPG is that you have laser and you can shoot missiles or the 30mm cannon.”

“There is nothing better than catching someone emplacing IED. The ground units are always appreciative of us being there.”

There are several types of missions Apache crews often fly. The missions vary between counter IED reconnaissance, to ground support.

Apache pilots say they can see the positive contributions they are making in defeating insurgents.

“The violence has scaled down quite a bit since we got here,” said Menold.

“We used to catch a lot of insurgents emplacing IEDs. However, there are not as many emplacers as there used to be. We are definitely having an impact on IED activity,” said Menold.

Wild Thing's comment........

More good news about our awesome troops, news that puts the media and the left in such a bad mood. heh heh

God bless our troops!!!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (2)

June 09, 2008

U.S. Military Captured Arms Dealer Who Is Also Commander of an Assassination Squad

U.S. Military: Leader of Basra 'Assassination Squad' Captured in Iraq Raid

USCG GRADUATION Congratulations Class of 2008!

BAGHDAD

U.S. soldiers in Baghdad captured an Iraqi arms dealer and "assassination squad" leader responsible for trafficking Shiite extremists in and out of neighboring Iran for training, the military said Sunday.

The arrest came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was visiting Iran and was expected to raise with its leaders the long-time U.S. allegations that Tehran arms, trains and funds Shiite Muslim militiamen inside Iraq. Tehran denies the charges.

The Iraqi prime minister, himself a Shiite, is struggling to keep Washington happy while reassuring Iran, the largest Shiite nation, that a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security agreement would not make his country an American launching pad for attacks on Iran.

The U.S. arrest campaign against Shiite militiamen with alleged ties to Iran was likely to be on the agenda for al-Maliki's talks with Iranian officials.

U.S. soldiers, acting on intelligence from other Shiite militiamen already in custody, captured the Basra-based "special groups" leader late Saturday at a hideout in eastern Baghdad, according to a military statement.

"The wanted man is alleged to be a commander of an assassination squad in Basra, an arms dealer with connections to Iran and a document counterfeiter," the statement said.

He also arranges transportation of criminals into Iran for training, and then back into Iraq, it said. One of the leader's aides was also arrested without incident.

The U.S. military uses the term "special groups" to describe Shiite fighters defying a cease-fire order from anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose militiamen fought American and Iraqi forces for seven weeks until a May truce.

Meanwhile, the military said in another statement that it captured six more suspected Sunni extremists Sunday in the northern city of Mosul, including an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq leader and another man who is a wiring expert in charge of a bombing cell there.

Two women were injured when American soldiers "breached the door of a target building" during the arrest raid, the statement said. Both were treated at the scene and then transported to an Iraqi hospital, it said.

Mosul is believed to be one of the last urban strongholds of al-Qaida in Iraq, and U.S. and Iraqi forces have battled with militants there in recent months.

Violence continued Sunday in Baghdad, where four new police recruits were killed in an attack on the National Police headquarters on the city's west side, where a blast went off near a gate where recruits were gathering, police said.

Another 22 people were wounded in the attack. Police gave conflicting reports about whether the attack used mortars or a roadside bomb.

A mortar shell landed just outside Baghdad's Green Zone midmorning, killing three employees and wounding seven others, police said. The mortar was apparently targeting the Defense Ministry, which is inside the U.S.-guarded diplomatic zone, but fell short, they said.

Mortar and rocket attacks were once a daily occurrence in the Green Zone in central Baghdad, but have fallen off in recent weeks.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Three cheers for our troops!

For those who hoped to see the US fail in Iraq, much hinged on the Iranians and their support for their proxies, the Mahdi militia. Fortunately, coalition forces are cutting them down and removing their potential to threaten the elected government of Iraq. These are sad times for Liberals and all of those who wanted the US to fail in Iraq .

....Thank you Darth for the link and information this is great news!

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:48 AM | Comments (7)

June 08, 2008

Task Force XII Soldiers Battle Heat

Several Soldiers in 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment perform nighttime maintenance on an AH-64 Apache Longbow. Performing larger maintenance jobs at night is one way these maintainers try to reduce the possibility of heat injuries.

Task Force XII Soldiers Battle Heat: Troops on Flight-line Work Hard on Trying to Stay Cool

By Sgt. Brandon Little
Task Force XII Public Affairs Office

CAMP TAJI, Iraq

It’s highly unlikely that a terrorist will take the day off because it’s just too hot outside or that he’ll bring in a doctor’s note recommending he stay indoors and not blow things up until it gets cooler outside.

The enemy doesn’t take time off from what he does because of increasing temperatures, so Task Force XII aviators can’t afford to either. However, working outside in these plus 100 degree temperatures can have a strenuous effect on a Soldier’s body.

Since the sun doesn’t show them any sympathy, Soldiers working on the flight-line must take certain precautions to prevent themselves and their buddies from becoming another heat casualty statistic.

“Working outside can be pretty rough at times,” said Spc. Rene O’Neil, an AH-64 Apache Longbow maintainer in Troop N, 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. “Our workload has been steady for the last couple of months but the temperature has increase by about 20 degrees.”

These aircraft maintainers are responsible for conducting preventative maintenance, checks and services to keep Task Force XII helicopters flying around the clock.

“Our aircraft have to be serviced either every 14 days or after they’ve been flown for 25 hours,” said O’Neil, who hails from York, Penn. “We have to pay close attention to the flight schedule to know which aircraft is due for PMCS, because an aircraft can’t overfly a PMCS.”

Conducting a PMCS on an aircraft means first inspecting it for leaks or visible damage; all while braving the brutal sunrays and extreme heat bouncing off the concrete airfield.

"If the temperature walking around the base is 100 degrees, it’s probably somewhere between 120 and 130 degrees on the flight-line, "said 1st Sgt. Jon Martin, the top enlisted Soldier in Company C, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment.

“I’m from Dallas so I’m kind of use to this type of heat, but it’s important for us to watch out for one another and bring each other water,” said Spc. Justin Khounborinh, an Apache maintainer in Troop O, 4th Sqdn., 3rd ACR. “There are plenty of first aid kits and Combat Life Saver bags out here, and we’re all CLS qualified.”

“Everyday (1st Sgt. Richard Bonney) makes sure we have plenty of water and ice out here,” said O’Neil. “He’s always making sure we take breaks and rotate between time in the sun and time in the shade. We also work as a team to get work done faster and we try to save big jobs that can wait until it gets a little cooler.”

In addition to drinking water, these Soldiers must take other precautions to protect themselves from the sun’s wrath.

“We try to make sure that the Soldiers are wearing sunscreen and boney hats if they have sensitive skin,” said Martin, a native of San Diego. “We also make sure that all the Soldiers have gloves when they’re working because the parts on those aircraft get hot enough to burn your hand.”

A Soldier’s diet and physical fitness can be key factors when trying to prevent heat injuries, he said.

“We really try to stress the importance of physical fitness, because if you’re out of shape your body will definitely tell on you in weather like this,” said Martin. “I also let the smokers and coffee drinkers in my company know the effect it will have on them in this heat.”

Prior to deploying, Soldiers in Task Force XII also received classes and training on heat injury symptoms and ways of preventing these injuries.

Taking time to ensure Soldiers have protection against heat injuries helps keep aircraft flying even if the enemy decides it’s a little too warm outside to cause trouble.

Wild Thing's comment........

God be with our soldiers and protect them. I read in another article last summer that each soldier drinks an average of a gallon of water a day in the heat.

There are so many things that our media could cover about our troops. What it is like to be there in the heat, or in the cold in the winter and so many other things. All safe information to share about our awesome troops, to help people understand what they are up agaisnt and understand more about being at war.

I really do believe IF we had a media that loved America even if the left politicans and liberal American's did not, it WOULD make a difference. It would be right in their face each night how great our soldiers are doing.

Instead we either get no news or only slanted bad news.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (12)

June 07, 2008

Hoping Murtha Will Face Punishment About Haditha

Haditha: No Massacre, No Cover-Up

Frontpage Mag. com

By Ben Johnson

THIS WEEK YET AGAIN PROVED THE PARTY OF DEFEAT'S KING WEARS NO CLOTHES

On Wednesday, a jury found Lieutenant Andrew Grayson "not guilty" of covering up the (un)massacre at Haditha.

The 27-year-old had been accused of multiple counts of making false official statements and one count of attempting to deceive by making false statements. A charge of "obstruction of justice" had been thrown out the day before.

More than simply another exoneration of those accused of wrongdoing in Haditha – the sixth of eight accused – this verdict will go a long way to redefining Haditha and refuting those who insist on slurring "baby-killer" Marines and the United States herself.

In the atrocity story churned out by left-wingers and "mainstream media" newscasters (but then, I repeat myself), four U.S. Marines murdered 24 blameless Iraqi civilians on November 19, 2005, as their victims cowered, some "as if in prayer." The then-ascendant face of American surrender, John Murtha, made this story his own in a dramatic press conference in May 2006, insisting his fellow Marines acted "in cold blood" even as an internal investigation was taking place.

The story at once illumined the Left's imagination like nothing since Abu Ghraib. More than a massacre, its obsessive observers saw in Haditha a "cover-up," a conspiracy.

The official press release stated these civilians had died during an explosion, rather than by gunfire, yet investigators understand they were killed by ammunition fired at close-range. The narrative became set: the Bush White House ordered American soldiers to slaughter innocent civilians every opportunity they got (My Lai by the dozen); the service covered up the story; and a compliant media hid it all from the American people. The fact that Time magazine broke the story gave them little pause. They became keepers of the dirty secret: America, a genocidal nation since 1492, is at it again.

"Mainstream" members of the Party of Defeat also took advantage of the allegations, using them to promote a six-month timetable for withdrawal.

Had such a withdrawal gone through, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi would be the acknowledged emir of the al-Qaeda-controlled sphere of Iraq, recruiting Europeans for actions outside Iraq.

The Haditha lie is dying a bitter death not unlike that of the Jordanian terrorist – again, in spite of the Left, and in a way that is unacknowledged by the Left. Wednesday's verdict leaves but one person each charged with any form of wrongdoing: one for the "massacre" (Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich) and one for its reporting (Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani). Sgt. Wuterich no longer faces "murder" but reduced "manslaughter" charges, and there are already questions of unlawful command influence in Chessani's case. Lt. Grayson's attorney, Joseph Casas, said he looks for both to follow his client's footsteps.

"I think [Grayson's acquittal] sets the tone for the overall whirlwind Haditha has been," Casas stated. "It's been a botched investigation from the get-go. I believe in the end all of the so-called Haditha Marines who still have to face trial will be exonerated."

Previous acquittals also paved the way. In August 2007, the judge stated Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt was not merely "not guilty" but actually "innocent" of any illegal action whatsoever. Either, or both, Wuterich and Chessani may yet be convicted of some crime, but the narrative of a slaughter and cover-up is long gone.

This is a necessary corollary of the fact that there was no such "massacre." The defendants – who are, it is too infrequently pointed out, U.S. Marines who pledged to give their lives if necessary to keep America safe from terrorists – have maintained the "insurgents" initiated the firefight; hid among civilians (as terrorists often do); and the Marines heard rifles cocking in the smoke-filled room when they inadvertently killed the Iraqis (whom they also pledged to protect from terrorists at the cost of their lives).

The investigation attempting to prove "murder" never made sense. In June 2007, Lt. Col. Paul Ware told the prosecution flatly, “The account you want me to believe does not support unpremeditated murder. Your theories don’t match the reason you say we should go to trial.” Relatives would not allow doctors to autopsy the bodies, and the house in question had been freshly repaired and painted before investigators could retrieve additional evidence. Photographs of the scene revealed the curtains and walls were riddled with bullet holes – indicating a two-way firefight. And these "cold blood"-ed killers have broken down in tears at the remembrance of their actions.

The disgraceful John Murtha doesn't even blush over his.

Now leftist hopes of a conspiracy cover-up have also disappeared like gunsmoke dissipating in the atmosphere.

The apparent explanation is that Lt. Grayson was following procedure. The Associated Press reports:

"Grayson said the charges appear to be the result of a misunderstanding. He has always maintained he was following Marine Corps policy that prohibits the keeping of pictures on personal computers of Iraqi bodies."

One can see the logic of Lt. Grayson's position: he could not allow anyone to possess such pictures in the aftermath of the damage done by the amateur photographs a few enlistees made keepsakes of Abu Ghraib. What would the media have done if it found pictures of dead women and children on a laptop? Had Lt. Grayson allowed them to keep such photos, the DailyKos and The Huffington Post would have accused him of enabling the military's inherently sadistic voyeurism.

Instead, he says he followed procedure and, in return, faced the full legal brunt of his own government. Lt. Grayson is still driven to the point of tears when he remembers the day he first heard of the charges, and the fact that he was facing 20 years in prison: "It was surreal. You can't quite believe you're hearing all this."

Much the reaction patriotic Americans have while reading left-wing accounts of Haditha, Iraq, or the United States.

Wild Thing's comment.......

This is an outstanding article! It’s great to see some sources picking this up .

Hopefully Murtha will suffer a fate similar to a death by a thousand cuts with the articles that have been and will be printed.

Murtha Must Go blog

Someone should start a movement to deny Murtha the honor of a military funeral when his time comes!

....Thank you Mark for sending this article.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:50 AM | Comments (8)

June 02, 2008

Marines in Ramadi

Wild Thing's comment........

We get so little news on our troops. And there are stories of what they do, the captures, kills, ( Yipee! ) , building up the places war has taken down, running water again and in some places in Iraq where it never existed before. Wonderful stories of all the good things our Heroes do.

This video is just another one of the many aspects of this war and how important each part of what our warriors do.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (2)

May 31, 2008

Army Ranger Talks To Neal Boortz

Army Ranger talks to Neal Boortz about his mission in Iraq.

Wild Thing's comment.....

God bless our troops and this Army Ranger. I pray so hard they know how much we all appreciate all they do and how proud of them we all are.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:44 AM | Comments (6)

May 30, 2008

Visiting Our Troops "Mtv " Cribs Afghanistan

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (4)

May 27, 2008

In Country

A crew member of a U.S. military Black Hawk helicopter wears a helmet painted with a skull at LZ Washington helipad in the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad May 26, 2008

Four of six Iraqi teenage boys purportedly being trained as suicide bombers stand next to a police official, inside the police headquarters of Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, on Monday, May 26, 2008. Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said that initial investigations show they were being trained by a Saudi militant who was killed in military operations.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (8)

Jones Beach Airshow vs. Code Pinkos

Gathering of Eagles

We came, we saw, we triumphed!

Some very irate moonbats stormed away from Jones Beach on Saturday after Eagles warned the unwary visitors to the Memorial Day weekend Airshow that treasonous misfits were disrespecting our fallen heroes. Eagles preceded the moonbats down the boardwalk, educating the many people there as to the disrespect the anti-war crowd were showing to our fallen heroes, their families and to America.

Whenever they stopped to read the names, they were surrounded by a cacaphony of shouts “Shame on You!”.

Another IVAW fraud was outed by Chaplain Dez after he claimed to be a sergeant in the U.S. Army, yet could not tell her his MOS. Fraud and deceit are the stock in trade of the entire anti-war movement and goes hand in glove with their policy of using the names of our fallen heroes for their own craven political theater even when asked by gold star families (who have lost a loved one) to stop using those names.

At one point an amazing increase in volume of prerecorded music from a recruiter vehicle helped drown out the moonbat litany and saved our voices for their next stop. At another stop they read the name of the son of a gold star father, Mo Fletcher, who was with us. When I turned to him he made a single comment “They aren’t fit to lick his boots”.

By the end of their parade they had gained exactly zero converts and had been booed, birded and looked upon with scorn by the vast majority of those who saw them.

When the hapless moonbats abandoned the field of action the Eagles finally got to watch the great airshow already in progress!

Wild Thing's comment........
GREAT photos and what an awesome day. I am so glad too the code pinko's left and the Air Show continued with no problems.

....Thank you Rhod for these awesome photos.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (12)

Bay Area Man Brings Coffee To Combat Zones

"I walk in the front door, I look at the counter, and I'm not in the desert anymore."

( CBS 5 )
A Bay Area man is working to make sure troops overseas get their caffeine fix. He has taken several risks to set up cafes in war zones.

A Saudi Arabian princess asked Jason Araghi set up the country's first coffee shop, and that's how Green Beans Coffee was born. Now he has 70 cafes in 9 countries including Iraq and Afghanistan.

Many of his cafes are serving troops on overseas military bases. Araghi came up with the idea of taking a shipping container and converting it into a café which is litarally dropped onto a base.

Wild Thing's comment........

He’ll be ridiculed and perhaps run out of town since he is based in San Francisco.

I am always glad for anything that makes our troops happy and a little bit of home is wonderful for all of them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (4)

May 23, 2008

Our Soldiers Having Some Fun

Soldier's are at check point and they decide to make the Iraqi's dance while the other soldier searched their car for explosives.

LMAO part way through the Video our soldiers must have laid the camera down in their Humvee so the Iraqi's didn't know they were being taped because the tape is sideways. But even so it is so funny and well worth watching. This had me laughing so hard at how our soldiers had them dancing and copying their gestures for fear of doing something wrong. heh heh

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (6)

May 22, 2008

FLEET Week Photo's From Les

From Les, thank you for taking these photos. These were taken from the Jersey side of the Hudson River and the ships were passing close to the New York side.

And this from Les......

"I was standing next to a
proud couple whose son was flying the lead F-18 in the fly over. He
is career Navy with 18 years of service including tours in Bosnia,
Afghanistan, and Iraq as well as being a top gun instructor."

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:20 PM | Comments (11)

May 21, 2008

Family of Haditha Defendant Speaks Out for First Time

Bittersweet Memorial Day: Family of Haditha Defendant Speaks Out for First Time

War Chronicle Defend Our Marines
by Nathaniel R. Helms

Three days after Memorial Day, the Marine Corps will court-martial the officer personally responsible for capturing the Al Qaeda terrorist who organized the ambush that triggered the so-called “Haditha Massacre”.

On Wednesday, May 28, 1st Lieutenant Andrew Grayson will stand general court-martial for obstruction of justice and lying to investigators about the events at Haditha and attempting to obtain a fraudulent discharge from the Marine Corps. Last September the government dismissed two counts of dereliction of duty against Grayson.

Two weeks ago military judge Maj. Brian Kasperczyk set the stage for Grayson’s court-martial during a final motion hearing at Camp Pendleton, California, Grayson’s lead defense counsel Joseph N. Casas—a former Marine infantryman and Navy lawyer—presented five final motions for the court’s consideration:

* Sever the Attempted Fraudulent Discharge case from the Haditha charges because they are unrelated and prejudicial;

* Allow co-defendant Lt Col Jeffrey Chessani to appear as a character witness by granting him immunity to testify;

* Mandate that the government be held accountable for its failure to comply with the so-called “ Speedy Trial” act by dismissing the charges;

* Address the “Undue Command Influence” issues raised by Rep. John Murtha’s (D-PA) slanderous public name calling by compelling him to testify;

* Address the failure of Army Col. Gregory A. Watt and other interrogators to provide Grayson his Miranda “legal rights” warning by suppressing any statements Grayson made to them about Haditha before he was identified as a suspect.

Kasperczyk denied them all without issuing findings of fact or a basis in law, Grayson's defense team said.

Grayson, 27, joined the Marine Corps in May, 2003. He has served two combat tours in Iraq and was on another extended overseas tour in Africa when he was recalled to the United States last December to stand court-martial.

He is the first Marine charged in the Haditha incident to go to trial.

“We are ready to go to battle,” Casas said Monday.

Three enlisted men and two other officers who served in 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines at Haditha have already been exonerated and one enlisted man and one other officer still have trials pending.

Grayson is currently an intelligence officer with 2nd Counter-Intelligence Human Intelligence Exploitation Company at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He is currently living near Camp Pendleton while he waits for his court-martial to begin.

He was attached to 3/1 at Haditha when the infantry squad was ambushed. He was not at the scene of the ambush when it occurred.

Marine Corps intelligence operatives were advised of the scheme to demonize the Marines by an informant named Muhannad Hassan Hamadi after he was captured by Grayson’s intelligence team on December 11 2005 and decided to cooperate.

He revealed that the ambush was carried out by multiple cells of local Wahabi extremists and well-paid local gunmen from Al Asa’ib al-Iraq [the Clans of the People of Iraq] that were led by Al Qaeda foreign fighters, intelligence documents show.

Always an exemplary Marine officer, Lt. Grayson was nominated for a Bronze Star medal before the investigation into Haditha began. Casas said the recommendation was written in February 2006, about the same time government agents were probing the deaths.

Grayson is charged with ordering the destruction of roughly 70 digital images of 24 men, women and children killed by Marines in the counter-attack after the ambush was sprung. The photographs were taken hours after the incident by Staff Sgt. Justin Laughner, a Marine intelligence specialist who worked for Grayson.

Fifteen of the dead were innocent civilians, the rest were insurgents killed while hiding among them, the government acknowledges. The tragic deaths of the civilians caught in the cross-fire triggered the infamous "Haditha Massacre" reports that played on the world stage for almost a year before the story was debunked and media interest dwindled away.

Charges arose from a former subordinate, a miffed investigator, and embarrassed administrators

Grayson’s troubles began about two months after Laughner took the pictures when the lieutenant ordered the sergeant to delete them from his laptop computer. While testifying under immunity at a preliminary hearing June 14, 2007, Laughner said Grayson told him to delete the photos so they could not be part of a statement being prepared for top-ranking officers and a Time magazine reporter.

Laughner said he felt the order amounted to obstruction of justice but that he complied and later lied when asked whether any pictures had been taken. During Grayson’s Article 32 evidentiary hearing Laughner testified during cross examination by Casas that he had also been ordered to destroy the images by two senior non-commissioned officers on his team within days of taking them because they had no intelligence value.

Grayson’s defense team said their client issued his order to Laughner in compliance with standing general orders not to keep images of dead civilians and combatants unless they had intelligence value.

They said Grayson gave the order weeks after it had already been given by Laughner’s team chief and company Gunnery Sergeant and before he was apprised they were evidence in a criminal investigation. By then the photographs had circulated throughout the battalion as Marines passed the images from computer to computer.

In any event no actual harm was done by their presumed destruction. Ever since Laughner’s photographs were discovered in the camera he used that day the prosecution has passed them around like baseball cards at every evidentiary hearing.

In September 2007 government prosecutors at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina offered Grayson complete exoneration of all charges in return for admitting he lied to investigators about the case. He publicly refused, saying doing so would impugn his honor.

On December 13, 2007 Grayson was additionally charged with lying to two colonels during Col. Gregory Watt’s informal “AR15-6” investigation of the Haditha, Iraq massacre allegations in March 2006. Watt’s limited inquiry eventually led to the indictment of four officers from 3/1 for dereliction of duty and related offenses.

Grayson became embroiled in the investigation when Watt discovered that one of the lieutenant's subordinates had taken digital photographs of the crime scene that were later destroyed. Watt says that Grayson lied to him and another officer about the existence of the images, calling him “arrogant” and “uncooperative.”

The same day the Marine Corps charged Grayson with fraudulently attempting to obtain a discharge.

Grayson had already been discharged for 17 days when the Marine Corps decided it had “erroneously issued” him his cherished DD214 discharge certificate. To correct the error the Marines issued Grayson a DD215 – usually reserved for correcting administrative errors to the original form – and recalled him to active duty.

After six weeks of examining the document Judge Kasperczyk did not find a single error on the DD214 that could be construed as a lie, but he denied the defense motion to have the complaint dismissed anyway. Casas then filed an appeal with the Navy/Marine Corps Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. It was denied the next day because such appeals are only granted for “extraordinary circumstances,” the court ruled.

Dozens of observers who served in the Armed Forces claim that the fraudulent discharge complaint would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious. Anybody who has served in the military knows it is easier to escape from a locked box than sneak out of the service, they unanimously agreed.

One old salt said it defies credulity for anyone to accept that a Marine can talk his way past three or four steely eyed sergeants major and warrant officers—to say nothing of a division staff of captains, majors, colonels and generals—on his way out the door.

“Can’t be done,” said retired Master Gunnery Sergeant John Crocker, a Missouri native who served 30 years in the Corps including 10 as an Administrative Chief. “Not even a doggie [soldier] could get away with that. It should cost whoever let it happen if it was an error.”

Lt Grayson's family speaks out

There is a hidden cost associated with the prosecution of Grayson and the other seven Marines who were pilloried by the press and deserted by the Corps, the prosecution’s legion of critics is eager to point out. It is the harm already done and still being inflicted upon the Haditha defendant’s families.

For 18 months Grayson’s family has literally been tortured emotionally and financially by the devastating consequences of his impending court-martial, they said.

Grayson and his wife Suzy have lived in 12 different places while she puts her medical studies on hold so she can stay near her husband as the Marine Corps turns his life upside down, according to her mother, Christine Rudinsky, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

“I have just returned from the last of his motion hearings, and I must say it was a very, very depressing experience,” she wrote last Thursday, the first time she has publicly spoken about her son-in-law’s situation since it emerged. “Prior to this, I had been hopeful that this was all a silly misunderstanding, that Andrew would be completely exonerated, and that he and my daughter would be able to resume their lives together.

“I am now thinking that was very wrong. I am very fearful that the government has decided that someone must pay and who better than the lowest ranking, non-career officer out there?”

Despite the pain, Grayson’s parents were equally confident that those in authority would eventually determine that justice is a two-edge sword. With two sons proudly serving the Corps they thought it could be no other way until now.

“We have maintained silence as the military legal system has persecuted our son and the two remaining Marines who were charged. We have been mute, always with the expectation that the Corps would realize that justice was not to be found in the court martial of men who performed their duties with distinction,” Grayson parents Robert and Denise Meyer said in an email written on Sunday.

“Our eldest son serves as a Captain at MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Deport), Parris Island. He will have completed 6 years in 2008, working with a team to prepare and meld the men of the Corps.

“Our youngest you know as Andrew Grayson. While Greg served in Okinawa and Korea, Andrew served in Iraq and Africa. Make no mistake, there is an incredible amount of pride in all our children. Andrew worked with a team on his first tour, and told of his determination in bringing about the electoral process in the zone he supported. They were successful, demonstrated by the election in Iraq.

“The second tour was as long as the first and on his return, he maintained a sense of accomplishment. His final deployment was to Africa. It was cut short when he was returned to the U.S. and was charged as one of the Haditha 8.”

Despite the emotional ups and downs that have marked the passage of time since Grayson was charged eighteen moths ago his parents have not forgotten what service means to the families of those who serve the nation.

“We are thankful every day that our son and the others under charges are alive and with us. Those that are recognized on Memorial Day had parents, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters who do not have our fortune,” they reminded us all.

Wild Thing's comment........

This Memorial Day will also make the second anniversary of Congressman Murtha's media blitz: perverting a sacred holiday for political gain in a mid-term election.

We've seen five Marines charged and cleared over the past seventeen months. Thoughts and prayers are with the families of the three remaining accused.

The fact that others also told Laughner to delete the photos make this prosecution all the more ludicrous. The fact that others had given Laughner the same order only came out during cross-examination in the Article 32. Seems that investigators and prosecutors never probed this because they were myopically focused on Grayson.

Also, Lt Grayson's prior service record is a big problem for the prosection. He is a good Marine with absolutely no motive to conceal anything. Lt Grayson didn't even know the Marines who fought in Haditha that day. He had zero reason to cover anything up.

It breaks my heart that the Haditha Marines and their families have to continue living this nightmare.

Murtha needs one Marine to fall. No one in my lifetime has turned on the Marine Corps the way Murtha has. He is keeping his fingers crossed that one of these last three Marines will be convicted . Murtha has betrayed these warriors and I will never forgive him.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (18)

Rally for Coast Guard Graduation May 21st

Godspeed to the Coasties

The Gathering of Eagles, a patriotic organization dedicated to honoring our men and women in uniform and those who are honorable veterans, announces our latest event in honoring the graduates of the Coast Guard Academy by welcoming their families and supporters to their graduation ceremony on May 21, 2008.

We will be in front of the entrance on Mohegan Ave, at the intersection of Williams and Mohegan from 7 AM to 1 PM that day, waving flags, carrying patriotic signs and singing patriotic songs in an effort to welcome the families to what is a most honored event; the graduation of their loved ones from the Coast Guard Academy.

All interested persons are encouraged to bring home made signs welcoming the families and Coasties, American Flags and Coast Guard flags.

The Vide President of the United States, Dick Cheney, will be the honored speaker at this event, so signs and banners welcoming him are encouraged also.

Please join us on this date, May 21, 2008, from 7 AM to 1 PM to welcome the friends, families, and supporters of the Coast Guard!

....Godspeed to the Coasties

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:50 AM | Comments (4)

Fleet Week ~ The Navy Is Coming To New York City

US Navy Official FLEET Week website

May 21- 28, 2008

Thousands of Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen from U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships will be in town for Fleet Week New York.

Hosted nearly every year since 1984, Fleet Week New York is the City's celebration of the sea services. This annual event also provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding Tri-State area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness first hand the latest capabilities of today's Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Team.

Fleet Week includes dozens of military demonstrations and displays throughout the week, as well as public visitation of many of the participating ships.

Thank you ! To all our troops in the US NAVY we thank you.

The website has photos from last year's FLEET Week and also the schedule for this years events.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (4)

May 20, 2008

In Country With Our Troops Via Their Videos

"we had a little free time while we were in iraq and took a minute to make this video for all of you in the states to enjoy! hope you like it! just because we are a group of military police doesnt mean we dont know how to have fun! "

And this is his other one, this is awesome!

"one of my favorite songs. hope you guys really listen to the words and look into the eyes of all the soldiers. everyday we are out there giving our lives and ask nothing in return. and yet there are still people that mock and hate us for it! sad but true! "

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (6)

May 17, 2008

America Responds To Michelle Obama

She said

America responds

It comes down to the fact that Michelle Obama is NOT proud of America and I will add even if her husband wins the Presidency she will not be truly proud. It will only be a win and nothing more.

Real pride in America comes from the souls and hearts of Americans that know how and why our country is like non other, why we have been able to live in the land of the free and it is NOT because of any politician.

So a HUGE thank you to our Veterans, our troops today to all of our military and every branch of the service we can never ever repay you for what you do and make possible for our entire country.

....Thank you Mark for the link.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (10)

May 16, 2008

Marines Cannot Be Denied!! Fallujah Stomping!

This is a video from 2004. But it is worth seeing even now. This was during the fight for Fallujah. USMC doing what it does best.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (2)

In Country With The 101st Airbourne

BALAD, Iraq -

As the ramp slammed down in the muck, the rain came howling in drenching the men who leapt off the back of the Chinook helicopter. The troopers hurried into the field of sloppy mud where they slipped and slid through the landing zone to reorganize in the pitch black Iraqi night.

Not even the moon was friendly on this mission, which would prove to be a testament to the guts of Army Infantrymen and to the determination of Charlie Company Soldiers to make even the most remote hamlets in the Salah ad-Din province safe from al Qaeda’s treachery.

Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division conducted Operation Helsinki Feb. 15 to clear out al Qaeda fighters from an area here that has typically not received much attention from Coalition Forces.

Helsinki was a combined counter-insurgency operation, which was conducted in partnership with the Iraqi Army, to help enable legitimate governmental organizations and to provide security for the citizens in the Bichigan peninsula, said 1st Sgt. Timothy Seeber, Charlie Company First Sergeant. Seeber called the Bichigan area, west of Balad, an al Qaeda safehaven that AQI flees to in order to avoid being killed or captured.

“AQI is on the run here and they know we have the means and mobility to kill or capture them where they hide,” said Seeber.

Helsinki began with a pre-dawn air assault into the fertile farmlands of the Bichigan area, which were heavily soaked with the early morning rain. With mud smeared on faces and firearms, Charlie Company Soldiers spent the day moving from house to house questioning residents and searching for AQI weapons caches along with Iraqi Army Soldiers.

The search turned up two weapons caches and resulted in the apprehension of a suspected AQI operative.
Since Charlie Company moved from FOB Caldwell near the Iranian border in early December, they have been instrumental in capturing three of the Balad area’s high value targets and have discovered numerous weapon caches, said Staff Sgt. Tommy Pafford.

Much of the success that Charlie Company has had is due largely to spending a great deal of time out among the people and to the Sons of Iraq movement, which has enabled U.S. and Iraqi Forces with quality intelligence about AQI operations in the area, said Pafford.

Spending time outside of the relative comfort of FOB Paliwoda has paid dividends for Charlie Company who often find themselves operating in austere conditions.

“Staying outside the wire overnight in the mud and cold is the norm for us,” said Pvt. First Class Michael LaChappelle, who along with his fellow Charlie Company troopers found himself without a helicopter ride back to base due to poor weather conditions.

After spending much of Operation Helsinki cold and wet, the “Rock” Soldiers would have to bear the elements under a foggy, black Iraqi sky until the weather improved.

“My guys would walk to the end of this Earth if they were asked to,” said Pafford. “They realize that this war is bigger than us."

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (4)

May 15, 2008

Paratroopers Join Afghan Forces to Take Control of Bridge, Checkpoint

Paratroopers Join Afghan Forces to Take Control of Bridge, Checkpoint

BY Staff Sgt. Brandon Aird
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
Public Affairs Office

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan

Operation Mountain Highway II began in Afghanistan's eastern Nuristan province in late April.

The operation started April 22 when Soldiers from International Security Assistance Force and the Afghan National Army made a simultaneously night air assault onto three mountains above Gowerdesh Bridge.

Afghan and American Soldiers created Observation Posts Mace, Hatchet and Brick, which enabled the Afghan Border Police and ANA to drive up from the south and seize the bridge April 26.

"It was (a very) synchronized air assault to get everybody in," said Capt. John Williams, commander of the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry's Headquarters and Headquarters Troop. "Over four months of planning was put into this operation."

During the planning phase, ABP members participated in training on weapons, vehicle searches, first aid and reacting to enemy contact, said Capt. Kafi Gwira, an ABP embedded tactical trainer from Chicago. The ABP were also issued new uniforms, weapons, ammunition and equipment for the operation.

"We got them ready to seize the bridge for good this time," said Gwira. "The ABP will now maintain a presence at the bridge at all times."

The ANA built three local observation posts near the bridge during the first few days of the operation, which were handed over to the ABP a few days later.

"The reason why this bridge is so critical is that it's one of the last ones left for insurgents to use," said Williams. "If they can't use the Gowerdesh Bridge, this severely limits their capabilities in this area."

The bridge has been a key altercation point between insurgents and Afghan forces over the last year. Numerous firefights between ISAF and insurgents have occurred near the bridge, and last summer insurgents drove off the ABP and destroyed their security checkpoint.

"They need strong positions, which is why we provided the engineers to build the bunker positions at the bridge," said Williams. "They also needed local OPs, which we're building near the bridge. So now we can see all the area around us. The enemy can't come here unimpeded like they have been."

ISAF forces will continue to operate two of three larger observation posts to support the ABP, but once the bunkers and fighting positions are built the ABP will take over operations there.

Operation Mountain Highway II is an ongoing operation, but Williams said it's already considered a great success.

"Since we have secured this bridge, we can now bring development to this region," he said. "We can fix the road and bring economic and government development here. The insurgents have lost the upper hand in this area."

The 1-91st is part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, a U.S. Army Europe unit based in Vicenza, Italy.

Wild Thing's comment........

God bless our Airbourne!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (6)

"Operation: Rock The Casbah"

"Operation: Rock The Casbah" by the 2-3 Mafia, from "Outside The Wire". Filmed Feb-Apr 2007.

Wild Thing's comment.......

LOL I love this and also how the citizens get involved as well.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (14)

May 14, 2008

To Our Troops Thank you

You Raise Me Up

The music of Josh Groban and starring our awesome soldiers.

....Thank you John for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (10)

Screaming Eagle's Stay Connected to Vietnam-era Brethren While Serving in Iraq

Tiger Force Soldiers scan rooftops in Bayji, Iraq during a recent mission. From Vietnam to Iraq, Tiger Force Soldiers have been at the tip of the spear.Tiger Force, which is part of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, is the most highly decorated platoon sized element in the U.S. Army. Tiger Forces Soldiers, past and present, maintain close ties. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Rick L. Rzepka)

Tiger Force Soldiers investigate a building suspected of being used to store black market fuel in Bayji, Iraq

Uncommon Bond: Screaming Eagle’s Stay Connected to Vietnam-era Brethren While Serving in Iraq

By Spc. Rick Rzepka
1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division

BAYJI, Iraq - This ain’t your father’s Army. Some say it’s a kinder, gentler Army, wary of political correctness and public perceptions. Some say that this has caused soldiers to lose touch with their roots, to disconnect themselves from the past. But for one Infantry platoon, at the heart of the fight in Iraq, some things never change and they are neither kind nor gentle.

Tiger Force, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), is the most highly decorated platoon sized element in the U.S. Army.

Over the past 48 years, Tiger Force Soldiers have earned two Medals of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, numerous Silver Stars for valor and countless other commendations. Names like Hackworth, Gertsch, and Gardner are synonymous with the Tiger legacy, which began in the sweltering jungles of Vietnam.

Their mission: “To out guerilla the guerillas,” according to Hackworth, or as MoH recipient Staff Sgt. John G. Gertsch said, “How to really be there, but not be there.”

“During the Vietnam years, Tiger Force went through many changes in the full spectrum,” said Hank “Doc” Ortega, who served as a Tiger Force medic in 1968. During their time in Vietnam, Tiger Force Soldiers ran the gauntlet of small unit operations, from scouts, ready reaction and long range reconnaissance. “We were basically the eyes and ears of the battalion commander,” he said.

“Here is a platoon deep-rooted in history and tradition,” said Lt. Col. Peter Wilhelm, “Above the Rest” Battalion Commander. “A platoon that I reserve for the best of the best,” he said.

Tigers today, still serve at the behest of the battalion commander in the surly terrain of the Salah ad Din province. To pigeon-hole the Tigers, would be to say that they simply serve as the battalion’s sniper and recon asset, but like their predecessors in Vietnam they have found themselves covering down on a wide array of missions and have been instrumental in taking high-value targets, weapons caches and improvised explosive devices off of the streets, as well as conducting various non-lethal operations.

“We do what is necessary in the area of operations to defeat IED’s, secure high –value targets and support the division’s effort,” said Sgt. Josh Smith, Tiger Force sniper section team leader. “Today’s battlefield requires so much more out of every element,” he said. “There’s no arguing that what we are doing today is the graduate level of warfare. You’ve got to think outside the box or wind up in a box.”

For Smith and other Tiger Force Soldiers, preserving the Tiger’s legacy is an important part of the job. “We do everything with the past in mind,” said Smith. “The bond that the current members have with the past members is unbelievable,” he said.

“We gave these young men back their history,” said Ortega. “We brought names like James Gardner and John Gertsch to life because we knew these men and served with them,” he said. “They are not just names on a wall to us, and the young guys deserve to be connected to that history.”

In garrison, it is not uncommon for an old Tiger to stop by the battalion to see how the platoon is coming along. During these visits, tales are swapped and the vets get a chance to check out the newest tools of the trade. “Back in the day they were using M-14 rifles with big old Starlight scopes and they were really impressed with the new gear,” said Smith. “They get a kick out of it and we get a kick out of doing it because it’s just old meets new.”

In today’s rapidly evolving force, Soldiers often overlook the history of their units and have little or no link with the warriors who came before them.

“I would say it’s very rare,” said Smith. “I’m in touch with at least a dozen Vietnam-era, Tiger Force vets, and a few in between,” he said. “We are very much a big extended family.”

Veterans of Tiger Force send care packages and essential items to their deployed brethren in Iraq and have acted as a support system through the hard times.

“December was a bad month for us,” said Smith. On Dec. 4, 2007, Tiger Force lost its Platoon Leader, Capt. Adam Snyder and two fellow Soldiers, Sgt. Eric Hernandez and Pvt. Dwayne White to an IED attack. The loss was devastating to Tiger Force Soldiers both young and old.

“When we lost men on Dec. 4th of 2007, it felt the same to us vets as when we lost those we served with…exactly the same,” said Ortega. “These young guys are our brothers.” Tiger Force veterans were in attendance at each fallen Soldier’s funeral services and were there to provide support to loved ones. “They got in touch with the families, made trips for support and basically did everything they could to make them as comfortable as they could be in their time mourning,” said Smith. “You’re not going to see that level of dedication, 40 years later, in many other places,” he said.

For Ortega, supporting the Tigers isn’t a random act of kindness, it’s fulfilling the oath of honor and country.

“For my own part, my wife and I spent almost two months at Ft. Sam Houston at the bedside of a Tiger who was wounded, assisting him and his family with his recovery,” said Ortega. “I would work in the aid-station if I could.”

“Doc” Ortega’s selfless-service to his country and to the Tigers is the model upon which the latest generation looks up to.

“All I can hope for is that the new Tigers are as receptive to the older guys as we are,” said Smith. “They go so far above and beyond. So many people get out of the Army and leave it all behind,” said Smith. “They are who we are.”

Ortega would like to see more of these uncommon bonds forged between warrior generations. “I think that more and more Vietnam-era veterans, especially of combat units, are making an effort to relocate their buddies and as a part of that effort, they are sometimes making contact with their younger counterparts at the reunions,” said Ortega

“We need to make this sort of contact and support far less unusual.”

For Smith and the rest of the Tigers in Iraq, bridging the generation gap has bred a sense of respect and admiration to the Tiger name. “We’re just proud to know them, you know? “The best thing for us is for them to feel like they’re still part of the team.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (4)

May 12, 2008

Ahkmeds Used Car Lot and A News Reel Special

Military Police Squad Leader
Baghdad, Iraq

46thMP CO/ 1775th MP CO

"We are hanging out back behind a iraqi police station we shot this video with all the shot up/blown up police cars. unfortunately mathe was shooting the video so you dont get to see the blown up front end of the last truck, but thankfully he also didnt catch some of the more morbid things inside the truck. enjoy! "

LOL this is another video he made.

Military Police faux news video 08 Jan 07
He did this like the very old time news reels

Wild Thing's comment.......

I LOVE our troops!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (6)

May 11, 2008

Children's Book Explains Why Mom Deploys

Sgt. 1st Class Sharon G. McBride

"My Mommy Wears Combat Boots," was written by Sgt. 1st Class Sharon G. McBride before her second deployment, partly to explain to her daughter why she would be gone.

Children's Book Explains Why Mom Deploys

WASHINGTON

Army News Service

A new children's book, written by a former Soldier and single mother, helps to explain why mom deployed and how to cope with the emotions associated with her departure.

"My Mommy Wears Combat Boots," written by Sgt. 1st Class Sharon G. McBride, is geared to young children and toddlers to help explain why mom had to leave and how to manage feelings of anger, sadness and loneliness.

McBride was motivated to write the book just before her second deployment after her daughter was born. She scoured the internet and book stores looking for a children's book that would help explain the situation, she said, but could find none that seemed appropriate.

"What was available was geared toward daddies," McBride said, "And I thought that would confuse her more."

At a loss, McBride decided to write her own book. The original copy was written on the computer and illustrated by hand-drawn sketches, and then bound at the neighborhood Kinkos, she said.

The book helped to explain to McBride's daughter, Lyssa, why she had to deploy.

"Kids are egocentric," McBride said, "They don't understand duty and honor, they only want mom or dad back."

The main character of the book, a young girl bear-cub, has to deal with her mother going on deployment. The cub experiences many emotions: anger, frustration, sadness, loneliness, and even guilt.

"My Mommy Wears Combat Boots" explains that those emotions are normal, and it is OK to feel them, McBride said. The book presents ways of dealing with those emotions with the help of a care-giver-in this case, Grandma. In the book, McBride illustrates that proper forms of emotional expression, such as running outside or screaming into your pillow, are acceptable, but hitting grandma or shouting at the family pet is not.

Published Feb. 28, 2008, the book is based on McBride's experiences with her daughter during deployment. The first time she deployed, McBride left without explaining to her daughter why she was going; she said that was her main mistake.

"I should have talked to her like a little adult," McBride said.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (6)

May 10, 2008

Soldiers Taking Requests It's The Mahmudiyah Rock Show

6am, Friday, May 9th, Iraq...
311 - Amber
for Evan in Los Angeles

ps - i need requests

special thanks to my camera man Mike

Here is another one:

6am, Monday, May 5th, Iraq...
Purple Haze. I had a fan today. One of the EODT guys from Africa stopped to watch the Mahmudiyah Rock Show. Hopefully more will come tomorrow to watch as i liberate iraq with the power of rock music... hahahaaha, o man, that sounds so rediculous

ps - i need requests

special thanks to my camera man Mike

Wild Thing's comment........

If you go to their page at YouTube you can see they have several video's they have done from requests. giggle
I love the great attitidue our guys have!
They are all labeled by Vol. 1 and through the rest of them.

Here is their page at YouTube

http://uk.youtube.com/user/MHirschman9226

God bless you guys! You all ROCK! If you check in here to peek at this post, I want you to know that this is blog , Theodore's World , is heavy on support for all of you and everyone here is either a Veteran or has someone serving in the war or has had familhy members serving in other wars over the years.

Lots of awesome Vietnam Vets and Gulf War Veterans here.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 PM

In Country in Afghanistan

U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan Love Their Job

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (4)

May 08, 2008

In Country With The Striker Brigade

Striker Brigade, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

.......

Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Dailey also known as CSM to the troops

Top 10 CSM Dailey Facts:

10. The leading causes of death in the United States are 1. Heart Disease 2. CSM Dailey 3. Cancer (note: in Iraq, the number one cause of death is CSM Dailey.)

9. Outer space exists because it’s afraid to be on the same planet as CSM Dailey.

8. CSM Dailey gave Mona Lisa that smile.

7. Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after learning that CSM Dailey was joining the U.S. Army.

6. CSM Dailey can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.

5. CSM Dailey is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

4. In Pamplona, Spain, the people may be running from the bulls, but the bulls are running from CSM Dailey.

3. CSM Dailey uses pepper spray to spice up his steaks.

2. If you spell CSM Dailey in Scrabble, you win. FOREVER

1. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool CSM Dailey once and he will roundhouse kick you in the face.

Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Dailey and how he feels about Global Warming

"Schmobal Warming! Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Dailey, the top enlisted Soldier of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, singlehandedly works to end global warming.
This photo was actually taken in Iraq ... in July! Temperatures during that month routinely soar above 120 degrees.
Note the look of determination on CSM Dailey’s face as he allows the snow to land on his ground.

The microphone is a direct line to the snow clouds so that he can tell them when he’s had enough of their tomfoolery."

source: The Striker Bolt

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you Striker Brigade and Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Dailey! God bless all of you and thank you for all you do!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (2)

May 07, 2008

Coffee Choice of our Troops Maxwell House

LMAO I love this! God bless our Troops!

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (16)

3rd - 89th Cavalry Regiment Conduct Operations Targeting Mahdi Special Groups

3-89 Cavalry conducts operations targeting Mahdi Special Groups in northern Rusafa

CLICK HERE TO WACTH VIDEO slideshow of operations in the Rusafa district, Baghdad

Written and photos by Bill Ardolino

The US soldiers and Iraqi police living at Joint Security Station Al Qanat at the Northeastern edge of Baghdad’s Rusafa district have “a front row seat” to the fight taking place in Sadr City. As US and Iraqi Army forces clash with the Mahdi Army, hissing RPGs and small arms fire periodically crackle during the day and are punctuated by occasional orange explosions and red tracers streaking out of the Sadr City skyline at night. Two to four Apache attack helicopters constantly prowl the airspace over the battlefield, randomly popping flares as they search for targets.

The characteristic whoosh and boom of a hellfire missile sounds when they find one. But although JSS al Qanat is only 200 meters from the Route Pluto, the main thoroughfare that marks the border to Sadr City, the fighting has not significantly spilled over into the northern part of the Rusafa District.

Northern Rusafa is largely composed of middle and upper-class residences, in contrast with the slum of Sadr City and the downtown urbanity of the lower half of the district. The area includes several government agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior and the Police Academy, and is home for some high ranking government officials and their families.

The district is mostly Shia with a significant Sunni minority, though American personnel point out that most residents “don’t care” about the religious distinction. Many shop owners and other businessmen live across the border in Sadr City, while many residents of Rusafa work in the Shia slum.

Members of the Mahdi Army also commute to their jobs in the district: multiple improvised explosive device/explosively formed penetrator cells lay roadside bombs targeting Iraqi security and coalition forces. Militia operatives also conduct intimidation and black market business activities – notably selling stolen fuel - to fund their organization.

Black market gas fuels the militias

US and Iraqi forces are executing operations to degrade the financing and military activities of Mahdi cells in Rusafa. While conducting a patrol of Northeastern Rusafa on Sunday, Second Platoon of Charlie Troop of the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division stopped to question four men selling unauthorized fuel out of plastic cans on the side of the road. Fuel is an especially valuable commodity in Iraq, because corruption drives up legitimate prices and residents need it to run generators that augment an unreliable electric grid.

Please go here to read the rest of the article, thank you so much.

Wild Thing's comment........

....."My family and I are confused – why is the Mahdi Army fighting the Iraqi security forces?” said the elderly man. “What do they need, what do they want? We don’t know. I think it’s crazy. They try to destroy my country and they have support from Iran, who send the weapons and explosives, and now the militias are soldiers for Iran.”

BINGO! I would like to see them make short work of the Mahdi Army.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (4)

May 05, 2008

Shoot and Scoot

By Pfc. Christopher Grammer
50th Public Affairs Detachment

KUWAIT - “As a unit we provide accurate and responsive fire support for units out there on the ground and make sure they get all the fire support they need to accomplish the mission,” said 2nd Lt. Daniel Duffy, a fire direction officer for the 4-27th Field Artillery Regiment.

The 4th Battalion., 27th FA Regt., used the U.S. Army Central ranges near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, to calibrate the 155mm guns of its Paladins before moving north into Iraq.

“We have several different types of charges and propellants that we use,” Duffy said. “Each propellant is manufactured in different lots so they respond differently, therefore we have to determine how much variance there is between lots so that we can account for that during fire missions and provide more accurate fire.”

The Paladin is the most advanced artillery piece currently in use by the U.S. military today. The development of the M109 series was in answer to the need to have a faster, more reliable, highly mobile and extremely lethal replacement for the Howitzer.

The Soldiers of 4th Bn., 27th FA Regt., have the ability to perform many different fire missions due to the versatility and mobility of the Paladin, and its ability to fire different types of rounds.

Besides conventional munitions the Paladin can fire high explosive, illumination and white phosphorous rounds from a distance of about 30 kilometers away, said Sgt. Christopher L. Brown, a Howitzer crewmember with the unit.

Using “shoot and scoot” methods the artillerymen can lay down heavy fire on an enemy position and move out to another position in a manner of 30 seconds thus protecting the crew.

The Paladin is the most advanced artillery system currently in use by the Army today. Only the United States Army uses the Paladin.

A Soldier with the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, gets powder charges ready to use while calibrating the 155 millimeter gun of a M109 A6 Paladin. The artilllerymen have been training in preparation for combat operations in Iraq.

An M109 A6 Paladin fires a round downrange near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, as the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armor Division, calibrates its gun systems. The Paladin is a mobile artillery weapons system capable of firing rounds at a range of up to 30 kilometers.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (4)

May 04, 2008

Thank You Marines of Tilt-Rotor Squadron 263 VMM-263

From left: U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. George J. Trautman, Lt. Col. Paul Rock, Capt. Sara Faibisoff and Sgt. Danny Herrman answer questions about the initial combat deployment of the MV-22 Osprey during a press briefing at the Pentagon, May 2, 2008. All four Marines participated in the Marine Corps' first operational Osprey squadron. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess

Marines Report Osprey Has Proven Itself in Iraq

Freedom is not Free website

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2008 – The MV-22 Osprey has proven itself in Iraq, and Marine officials are applying the lessons learned in the first operational deployment of the tilt-rotor aircraft to current operations.

“We’re immensely proud of the Marines of Tilt-Rotor Squadron 263, who took on the challenging task of the first combat deployment of the Osprey,” Lt. Gen. George J. Trautman, deputy commandant for Marine Corps aviation, said here today.

The MV-22 takes off and lands as a helicopter, but flies like an airplane.

Trautman, squadron commander Lt. Col. Paul Rock, MV-22 pilot Capt. Sara Faibisoff, and crew chief Sgt. Danny Herrman briefed Pentagon reporters on the squadron’s deployment to Iraq. The unit deployed from Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., in September 2007 and returned last week.

Trautman said the decision to send the MV-22 to Iraq was the right one. It gave the Marines and soldiers in Anbar province “the best assault support aircraft” ever made, he said.

The MV-22 handled every mission it was assigned, Rock said. The unit flew more than 2,500 sorties during its seven-month deployment, with each of its aircraft flying an average of 62 hours per month. Rock said before the deployment, officials forecast each MV-22 would fly around 50 hours per month.

The aircraft was easier to maintain than the CH-46 helicopters it replaced. The 46 is 1950s-based technology, and mechanics put in 24 hours of maintenance on those aircraft for every hour in the air. The MV-22 took about 9.5 hours of maintenance for every hour of flight.

The squadron deployed with 10 aircraft. “On any given day, about seven aircraft were mission ready,” Rock said. “That was more than sufficient to meet our daily taskings.”

The biggest surprise for the Marines was the vastly increased payload and greatly increased range the Osprey brings to the mission. Herrman said that, in loading the aircraft, he would often run out of cubic space rather than exceeding the weight the aircraft could handle.

The range and speed of the aircraft also were pleasant surprises. Faibisoff told of flying a medical evacuation mission on Christmas Day. She picked up a Marine with a ruptured appendix in a remote base well south of Al Asad Air Base. The aircraft was able to launch and get the Marine to medical help in 56 minutes -- well within the “golden hour,” a rule of thumb that gives an ill or injured person the best chance for survival if treated within the first hour of being stricken.

“We were off deck within 15 minutes of receiving the call and headed for a zone about 90 miles south of Al Asad,” she said.

Computer software makes the aircraft easy to fly, and it was able to handle the desert environment, Faibisoff said.

The aircraft flew raid operations and scout missions, and conducted tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel. The squadron also flew alert missions and casualty evacuations.

“The overwhelming majority of what we did was general support -- taking people, gear, combat equipment all over the very large battle space,” Rock said.

The combat conditions in Anbar province had improved to such a degree that the aircraft never had to fly into a landing zone while hostilities were under way. Still, Rock said, squadron aircraft came under small-arms fire once and rocket fire once.

“Taking advantage of the aircraft’s performance (means that) somebody’s opportunity to engage us is very short,” he said.

The Marine Corps is looking at adding an all-aspect, all-quadrant weapon on the MV-22.

“The system we’re looking at now with the [U.S.] Special Operations Command is an all-aspect weapon that would be mounted in the belly of the aircraft,” Trautman said. The weapon will fire in any direction and be controlled by a gunner inside the airplane.

Another MV-22 squadron is operating at Al Asad Air Base today. The service will create two more squadrons each year.

“We’re on a journey to exploit a new and revolutionary technology,” Trautman said. “We’re going to continue to learn lessons and we’re going to continue to improve and we’re going to work hard to exploit the capability this aircraft.”

Wild Thing's comment........

There is also this from this last March this is really interesting.....

Marine Ospreys Will Get 360-Degree Gun
Military.com

ARLINGTON, Va. - It can fly like an airplane, hover like a helicopter, and soon it will be able to spew rounds like Schwarzenegger.

The Marine Corps' MV-22 Osprey will get a minigun that can fire in all directions, said James Darcy, a spokesman for the Osprey at Naval Air Systems Command.

The Osprey already has a machine gun in the rear of the aircraft, but with the minigun, it would become the only Marine transport helicopter in use with a gun that can fire forward, Darcy said.

The Corps has the option to buy 12 gun systems for Ospreys under a contract with BAE Systems and U.S. Special Operations Command, Darcy said.

The 7.62 mm minigun will go in the rear of the aircraft, while a separate turret with cameras will allow a controller inside the Osprey to see targets, Darcy said.

The weapon system's computer will take into account the speed and position of the aircraft to determine how much the gunner has to lead the target in order to hit it, he said.

Darcy said the gun will also have software to make sure the minigun doesn't shoot off the Osprey's propellers when the aircraft is in airplane mode.

However, the gun will most likely be used more often when the Osprey is in helicopter mode, he said.

The minigun will fire about 3,000 rounds per minute and have a maximum range of about 1,000 meters, said Dave Adamiak, of BAE Systems.

The major factor in determining what weapon with which to fit the Osprey was size limitation, he said.

The entire system needed to fit into two holes in the aircraft's floor, each known as a "hell hole," which is used to attach cables to external cargo, such as a Humvee, Adamiak explained.

Weapon systems such as the .50-caliber machine gun were simply too big to fit in the space available, he said.

The weapon system weighs between 700 and 800 pounds, meaning the Osprey will have two to three fewer seats for troops, Adamiak said.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (12)

May 03, 2008

Lt. Col. Travis "Flak" Willis Reaches Combat Hours

Lt. Col. Travis "Flak" Willis, an F-15E Strike Eagle weapon systems officer, sits in his ‘office' after returning from a milestone mission here. Colonel Willis reached 1,000 combat hours March 31 while flying his 335th mission while deployed with the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. (Courtesy Photo)

Lt. Col. Travis "Flak" Willis is congratulated by Brig. Gen. Mike Holmes, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, after returning from a mission here. Colonel Willis reached 1,000 combat hours March 31 while flying his 335th mission while deployed with the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. (Courtesy Photo)

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

Rewind 17 years to 1991. Then 1st Lt. Travis Willis flew his first combat sortie in an F-111F Aardvark on night one of Operation DESERT STORM.

Fast forward 1,000 combat hours to March 31, 2008 when aircrew and maintenance members of the 335 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron congratulated Lt. Col. Travis "Flak" Willis. The F-15E Strike Eagle weapon systems officer achieved the aviation milestone on an Operation ENDURING FREEDOM mission over the skies of Afghanistan, which happened to be his 335th mission.

From his first combat hour to his 1000th, Colonel Willis credits his success to two things: training and maintenance.

"The way we train day to day is the key to our success in war" said Colonel Willis. "It takes about 2.5 years to train an F-15E pilot or WSO to be combat ready. We have folks on the deployment who just completed their training and are mission ready. I know for a fact because I see them flying over in OEF doing a fantastic job. Our success depends heavily on Air Education and Training Command teaching them their basic flying skills and earning their wings."

The students then head to the 333rd Fighter Squadron and 334th Flying Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C, where they're taught to fly the F-15E Strike Eagle.

"The job these two training squadrons do impact the entire F-15E fleet across the world. Finally, the young F-15E pilots and WSOs are trained on how to employ the F-15E in combat by the 335th. In fact, the pilots and WSOs today are better prepared than when I was a young WSO."

It's also the young maintainers who keep today's aging aircraft in the air and in the fight. Throughout his career, Colonel Willis has always been impressed by Air Force maintainers.

"Even though our jets are starting to get a little long in the tooth, you know they are the best maintained aircraft in the world," he said. "The crew chiefs, back shops, weapons loaders are all top-notch and have pride in their jobs. They go into combat with us every day. You have absolute faith in your maintainers and the aircraft."

Previously, Colonel Willis was the VT-10 Wildcats Skipper, or squadron commander, at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida. VT-10 is a joint Navy and Air Force squadron that trains officers to be WSOs and naval flight officers for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.

"It's brilliant; some of the young WSOs I trained two years ago in VT-10 are flying here today with the 335th Chiefs, and it is great to see what a wonderful job they are doing," said the Texas native.

"Flying in the Air Force is open to anyone and we need the best and brightest," added the colonel. "A lot of people don't imagine themselves flying jets in the Air Force. All you need is the desire, drive and focus…the Air Force will provide the training and the opportunity."

Lt. Col. James Jinnette, 335 EFS commander, appreciates Colonel Willis' influence in his unit.

"We're a very young squadron, with 22 first-time deployers," said Colonel Jinnette. "Flak's incredible breadth of combat experience, gained over nearly two decades and multiple tours in two aircraft types really inspires our aviators at all experience levels. He's a fantastic instructor, and I credit him with helping many of our youngest officers achieve remarkable things here in Afghanistan. They have been exceptional, and it's due in no small part to his leadership."

Colonel Willis has flown combat missions in Operations DESERT STORM, PROVIDE COMFORT, NORTHERN WATCH, DENY FLIGHT, ALLIED FORCE, SOUTHERN WATCH and ENDURING FREEDOM.

This breadth of experience has given the colonel a deep understanding of the importance of air power in the combat zone.

"We bring massive firepower into the fight quickly, with precision and flexibility. If needed, we can strike deep, well beyond the ground forces ability to project power or engage the enemy in conjunction with the ground forces. My hats off to the great job the folks on the ground are doing here in Afghanistan. The combined air-ground team is very effective."

Over the years, Colonel Willis has not lost his enthusiasm for his job and looks forward to deployments.

"Everyone should want to deploy, regardless of your job," he added. "Some of my best memories in the Air Force are from deployments."

Wild Thing's comment.......

Congratulations to Lt. Col. Travis "Flak" Willis! God bless you and thank you!

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (14)

April 30, 2008

Marines Launch Operation In Southern Afghanistan

U.S. Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrive at a forward operating base in southern Afghanistan

Marines Strike Taliban-Controlled City

Force Of Several Hundred Launches Operation In Southern Afghanistan

CBS News

U.S. Marines in helicopters and Humvees flooded into a Taliban-held town in southern Afghanistan's most violent province early Tuesday in the first major American operation in the region in years.

Several hundred Marines, many of them veterans of the conflict in Iraq, pushed into the town of Garmser in predawn light in an operation to drive out militants, stretching NATO's presence into an area littered with poppy fields and classified as Taliban territory.

U.S. commanders say Taliban fighters have been expecting an assault and have been setting up improvised explosive devices in response. It wasn't known how much resistance the Marines would face in Garmser, where the British have a small base on the town's edge but whose main marketplace is closed because of the Taliban threat.

The assault in Helmand province - backed by U.S. artillery in the desert and fighter aircraft in the sky - is the first major task undertaken by the 2,300 Marines in the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which arrived last month from Camp Lejuene, North Carolina for a seven-month deployment. Another 1,200 Marines arrived to train Afghan police.

Maj. Tom Clinton, the American commander at Forward Operating Base Dwyer, a British outpost 10 miles west of Garmser, said the Taliban had undoubtedly seen the Marines moving into the area in recent days.

But he said the fact that the Marines were assaulting the town by helicopter and were moving through by foot was likely a surprise.

"There's all kinds of reports of (Taliban) commanders telling their guys to grab their stuff and get out there" to fight, said Clinton, 36, of Swampscott, Massachusetts. "It's no secret they know we're here. It's just a question of when and where" an assault would happen.

The Marines' mission is the first carried out by U.S. forces this far south in Helmand province in years. An operation late last year to take back the Taliban-held town of Musa Qala on the north end of Helmand involved U.S., British and Afghan forces.

Helmand province is the world's largest opium poppy-growing region and has been a flashpoint of the increasingly violent insurgency the last two years. British troops - who are responsible for Helmand - have faced fierce battles on the north end of Helmand.

Most U.S. troops operate in the east, along the border with Pakistan, but Britain - with 7,500 troops - and Canada - with 2,500 troops in neighboring Kandahar province - have not had enough manpower to tame the south.

Militants set off more than 140 suicide bombs. Taliban fighters have been increasingly relying on roadside bombs and suicide attacks after being routed in force-on-force battles in the past.

"I think if it was me I'd be laying a ton of IEDs down and leaving some guys behind to shoot and run. I don't expect a lot of leaders to stay around," Clinton said of the number of fighters the Marines might face.

Marines had prepared on Monday by cleaning weapons and handing out grenades. The leader of one of three companies involved - Charlie Company commander Capt. John Moder - said his men were ready.

"The feeling in general is optimistic, excited," said Moder, 34, of North Kingstown, Rhode Island. "They've been training for this deployment the last nine months. We've got veteran leaders."

Many of the men in the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit served in 2006 and 2007 in Ramadi, the capital of the Anbar province in western Iraq. The vast region was once al Qaeda in Iraq's stronghold before the militants were pushed out in early 2007.

Moder said that experience would inform how his men fight in Afghanistan. "These guys saw a lot of progress in Ramadi, so they understand it's not just kinetic (war fighting) but it's reconstruction and economic development."

But on the initial assault, Moder said his men were prepared to face mines and improvised explosive devices and "anybody that wants to fight us."

One Marine in Charlie Company, Corp. Matt Gregorio, a 26-year-old from Boston, alluded to the fact the Marines have been in Afghanistan for six weeks without carrying out any missions. He said the mood was "anxious, excited."

"We've been waiting a while to get this going," he said.

And this...............

1st Lt. Adam Lynch, 27, served in 2006 and 2007 in Ramadi, the capital of the Anbar province in western Iraq. The vast region was once al-Qaida in Iraq's stronghold before the militants were pushed out in early 2007.

Lynch expects the Marines, who arrived last month on a seven-month deployment, will help calm Helmand as well.

"If you flood a city with Marines, it's going to quiet down," Lynch said in between sets of push-ups on Helmand province's sandy ground. "We know for seven months we're not here to occupy, we're just here to set conditions for whoever comes in after us."

Taliban fighters have largely shunned head-on battles since losing hundreds of fighters in the Panjwayi region of Kandahar province in fall 2006, and it's not clear that Taliban fighters will stay to face the Marines in regions they operate.

The Marines' presence in southern Afghanistan is a clear sign that neither Britain nor Canada _ which operates in nearby Kandahar province _ have enough troops to control the region. But commanders and troops say the countries are working well together.

British Capt. Alex West helped deliver supplies to a remote and dusty firebase in Helmand province about a week ago.

"We spent the last operations borrowing kit (gear) off you, so it's about time you borrow stuff from us," said West, 29, of Colchester, England. "All of us have been in operations where the American have helped us, so we're happy to help."

Wild Thing's comment........

This video has various stories about our troops as well. Thank you all that are serving our country, prayers for your safety.

There is a pause after each story on the video.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:44 AM | Comments (2)

April 27, 2008

The Troops " Gotta Dance" ~ Loving it!

Wild Thing's comment........

LOL I love this! Bursting with pride in our troops and so happy when I see them getting to have some fun like this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (3)

April 26, 2008

In Country With Some AirStrikes and Laser Bomb Strikes

Airstrike On Insurgents Filmed By Marines

Happy Birthday Soldier ~ Laser guided bomb strike on Iraqi building

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (8)

April 23, 2008

Large Cache Found with Iranian-Marked Weapons

An Iraqi soldier with the 1st Iraqi Army examines one of more than 160 mortars found during Operation Charge of the Knights in Basra April 19. Some of the markings on the weapons indicate a manufacturing date in 2007. U.S. Army photo.

Iraqi Army Soldiers Discover Large Cache with Iranian-Marked Weapons

BASRA

The Iraqi Army discovered a large weapons and munitions cache in a house located in the Al Hyyaniyah area of Basra April 19.

Soldiers from the 1st Iraqi Army discovered the cache during the search phase of Operation Charge of the Knights. The cache consisted of a large number of weaponry with Iranian markings.

The cache included a 240 mm high-explosive war-head and approximately 160 mortars. Some of which were less than 12 months old.

The cache also contained approximately 25 artillery shells, more than 20 complete improvised explosive devices, large quantities of IED components, several explosively formed projectiles and dozens of grenades and fuses. Also included was more than 20 blocks of plastic explosives, homemade anti-personnel mines packed with ball bearings, hundreds of meters of detonation cord, improvised rocket launching rails, and thousands of rounds of small-arms ammunition.

Operation Charge of the Knights is ongoing with the Iraqi Army working in conjunction with the Iraqi Police to maintain pressure on Special Groups and criminal elements by denying them sanctuaries and safe havens through Basra and Iraq.

“Operation Charge of the Knights has been an Iraqi planned and executed operation from the very start,” said Lt. Col. Neil Harper, deputy public affairs officer for Multi-National Corps - Iraq. “The Iraqi Army demonstrated their capability to protect the people of Basra against Special Groups and criminal elements that are ignoring the rule of law.

“The success in finding these large caches was also due in part by numerous tips from concerned local Iraqis. This is another great example of Iraqis dealing with their own issues, and they should be admired for their bravery,” Harper said.

Wild Thing's comment........

Are those shells still in their individual shipping containers????

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (16)

Our Troops Update After Raid in Sadr City

This edition features stories on the operational update after a raid in Sadr city and the continuing training of the Iraqi forces, a Joint Air Assault Mission and MP's who patrol on foot to connect with the community. Hosted by Tech Sgt. Greg Bluethmann.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (6)

April 21, 2008

Marine Singing RWB in Fallujah, Iraq ~ LOVE it!

Marine singing (Courtesy Of The Red, White, and Blue) in Fallujah Iraq

Wild Thing's comment.......

This soldier is so cute and I love his enthusiam. LOL Ths is great!

God Bless Our Troops!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (8)

April 19, 2008

Warriors In Their Own Words

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO

We have always had warriors, from as far back in history as one can go — warriors are timeless.

Warriors have a moral code and are not simply trained killers (as they are all too frequently portrayed).

If we did not have warriors, we would undoubtedly be speaking another language, German, Japanese, Chinese, or Russian.

Warriors are born, they are not created. Certainly they are trained, but to be a warrior is a calling.

We should be forever grateful to our warriors and to their families who are all so courageous.

We should honor our warriors. Warriors are NOT, as they are commonly portrayed, victims with no where else to go but the military.

This project will show people what intelligent, honorable, and brave people we have standing in the way of the free world’s demise.

"Our Mission is to Honor Our Warriors and to raise funding through our documentary, portrait book and exhibit --to aid wounded service members, their families, and the families of the fatally wounded."

LETTERS FROM THOSE SERVING NOW

Sergeant Michael A Thomas Personal Narrative "3 A.M. IN BANGOR, MAINE"

"As I walked off the plane, I was taken aback; in the small, dimly lit airport, a group of elderly veterans were there waiting for us, lined up one by one to shake our hands. Some were standing, others were confined to wheelchairs, and all of then wore their uniform hats. Their now-feeble right hands stiffened in salutes, their left hands holding coffee, snacks, and cell phones for us.
"As I made my way through the line, each man thanking me for my service, I choked back tears. Here we were, returning from one year in Iraq where we had portable DVD players, three square meals, and phones, being honored by men who had crawled through mud for years while little more than the occasional letter from home. A few of them appeared to be veterans of the war in Vietnam, I couldn’t help but think of how they were treated when they came back to the U.S., and yet here they were to support us."

"These soldiers – many of whom had lost limbs and comrades – shook our hands proudly, as if our service could somehow rival their own."

"We later learned that this VFW group had waited for more than a day in the airport for our arrival."

Wild Thing's comment.......

This video is first class and the reason it is so awesome is because of our soldiers. Listen to their words, they speak from their heart and soul how they feel. It has me crying but that is what tears are for too. Grateful and awe inspiring tears of pride in our American's that give so much for us to be free and for others too to learn what freedom is about.

....Thank you John 5 (VN 69/70) for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 PM | Comments (10)

"Patches" a C-130E Has Been Added To 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

In Vietnam in 1968, the Herk resupplied the besieged Marine garrison at Khe Sanh. Exposed to enemy fire, C-130s often performed pallet insertion of desperately needed material.

Members of the 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit prepare to do maintenance "Patches." The aircraft was inducted into history when Lt. Col. Howard Dallman, 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron, landed his crew and aircraft under heavy enemy fire from the People's Army of Vietnam to re-supply besieged Marines in Khe Sanh on Feb. 5, 1968. Col. Dallman received the Air Force Cross and his crew received the Silver Star for their effort to re-supply the Marines in Khe Sanh. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Domonique Simmons)

Senior Airman Richard Herling and Tech. Sgt. Kevin Sanderson, 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit C-130 crew chiefs go through a job guide to ensure all preparations are completed to remove and replace a window on "Patches," the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron's newly-acquired C-130E.

C-130 Unit Gets a New Bird With an Old History

By Senior Airman Tong Duong
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

U.S. Air Force, coalition and sister service forces have relied for years on the steady stream of supplies and equipment flown in by crewmembers of KC-135 Stratotankers, C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster IIIs and other airlift workhorses.

One aircraft new to Southwest Asia carries something more - a rich history dating back more than 40 years.

The 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron recently added "Patches" a C-130E, Tail No. 62-1817 into its fleet, from Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

"She's a great lady," said Lt. Col. Daniel Tulley, 746th EAS commander, from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. "I've seen a picture of her at Air Mobility Command headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and it was interesting to read about her crew's contribution to history. I'm proud to have her on our ramp."

According to Alan Marsh, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing historian, the People's Army of Vietnam launched what became a 77-day battle at Khe Sanh on Jan. 21, 1968. During this time, overland supply routes to U.S. troops at Khe Sanh were cut off and attempts to land aircraft were threatened by artillery fire from the North Vietnamese. Most supply efforts during this period were attempted by airdrops.
On Feb. 5, Tail No. 62-1817 and her crew flew into the storm of enemy fire to deliver much needed supplies to the Marines besieged at the outpost. Lt. Col. Howard Dallman and his 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron crew loaded ammunition and a medical evacuation team at Da Nang and headed for Khe Sanh. Confronted with overcast weather and no communications with Khe Sanh, Colonel Dallman landed the C-130 under heavy enemy fire.

One shell hit the aircraft and ignited a fire, threatening the cargo boxes of ammo loaded in the plane. The crew stayed with the C-130 as it taxied down the runway and took additional hits by enemy fire, blowing out a tire. One engine quit when a mortar round exploded and threw dirt into it.

After the fire was extinguished, the valuable cargo was unloaded and the tire repaired, the C-130 crew took off, again sustaining hits from the enemy. Colonel Dallman received the Air Force Cross for his efforts to re-supply the Marines at Khe Sanh and all crew members received the Silver Star.

Decades later, Tail No. 62-1817 is still bringing the fight to the enemy, this time in the Middle East.

"It gives our crewmembers and maintainers a sense of pride to know that one of their aircraft has been through something that significant," Colonel Tulley said. "It reflects on the entire Air Force fleet, and is a testimony to the maintainers and crew members who fly them that these planes are still around and parked next to the newer C-130Js, doing the same missions."

Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Seay, 746th Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chief, has worked on "Patches" more than once, and said her history is what he finds most interesting about her.

"This is my third time deploying with her," he said. "It's great to be able to work on a 45-year-old aircraft with so much history."

He said it's especially meaningful because his father served in Vietnam.

At his home station, Pope Air Force Base, N.C., Sergeant Seay enjoys maintaining all C-130 aircraft, but prefers to work on the older planes.

"I would rather work on E models (built in the early '60s) than the newer C-130Js (built in early 2000) because of their history and the significance of what they've done for our country," he said. "I've worked on many different variations of C-130s, from older Vietnam-era planes to ones that have seen recent campaigns such as the AC-130 gunships they have at Hurlbert Field, Fla., but I've got to say, 'Patches' is probably the most interesting of them all."

Since its activation in February, the 746th EAS has accomplished several combat airdrops, leaflet drops, and combat re-supply missions using its E, H and J model C-130 aircraft, Colonel Tulley said.

With the addition of another airframe, the 746th EAS can continue to impact the mission here and make history for future generations.

"Mobility Airmen and the planes we fly often make the greatest impact with sustained performance over time," Colonel Tulley said. "It's when you look back at the results after a period of time you realize the profound impact. For example, every one of our 19,000 passengers airlifted has been spared the danger of traveling via ground convoy, you can't measure the lives and injuries saved through the consistent, reliable airlift mobility assets provide."

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (6)

April 18, 2008

Update On Haditha Case

Murtha, NCIS Sec, and Several Marine Generals Demanded in Unlawful Command Influence Motion

Thomas More Law Center

ANN ARBOR, MI

April 14, 2008

Military prosecutors are desperately fighting to prevent the testimony of Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, Secretary of the Navy Donald Winters and several top Marine Generals, including former Marine Commandant Michael Hagee and the current Commandant James Conway.

The requested witnesses will show the dirty hand of unlawful command influence—considered by the courts as the “mortal enemy of military justice.” The hearing on the motion to produce the testimony of these high ranking officials will begin tomorrow morning at Camp Pendleton, California.

The Unlawful Command Influence motion (click here to read motion in pdf) was one of seven motions brought on for hearing this week by the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Court decisions on unlawful command influence require the military judge to avoid even the “appearance of this evil” in his courtroom. The Law Center, along with two detailed Marine lawyers, is defending Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, the highest ranking military officer charged in the November 19, 2005, Haditha incident.

Law Center attorneys Rob Muise and Brian Rooney, as well as detailed military defense counsel, Lt. Col. John Shelbourne, USMC, and Captain Jeff King, USMC, will present oral arguments on the seven motions to military judge Colonel Stephen Folsom, USMC.

“It was obvious from the outset that Lt. Col. Chessani was being made a political scapegoat. Even before the investigation was completed, Congressman Murtha publicly accused the Haditha Marines of “cold blooded murder” and officers of covering it up. Murtha claimed he got his information from the highest level of the military,” said Richard Thompson, Chief Counsel of the Law Center.

The criminal charges against Lt. Col. Chessani stem from a house-to-house, room-by-room battle four of his enlisted Marines engaged in on November 19, 2005, after being ambushed by insurgents in the town of Haditha, Iraq. Even though Lt. Col. Chessani immediately reported the events of that day to his superiors, including the death of 15 noncombatant civilians caught in the crossfire, nobody in Lt. Col. Chessani’s chain of command, all the way to General Casey showed any interest in conducting an investigation because they understood this to be combat action—not a law of war violation.

However, months later, a Time magazine story instigated by an insurgent propaganda agent, caused Pentagon officials to order the largest investigation in the history of the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS). As a result, Lt. Col. Chessani, one of America’s most effective combat commanders in Iraq, now faces dismissal (an officer’s equivalent of a dishonorable discharge), loss of retirement, and imprisonment of up to 3 years.

Thus far, after 30 months of investigation costing millions of dollars, the cases against three of the four enlisted men charged for their part in the Haditha incident have been dismissed.

If defense attorneys are able to produce some evidence of unlawful command influence, the burden will shift to prosecutors to show beyond a reasonable doubt that:
(1) the predicate facts alleged by the defense are untrue
(2) the predicate facts alleged do not constitute unlawful command influence; or
(3) the unlawful command influence will not affect the proceedings.

This burden is high because command influence deprives service members of their constitutional rights. It is important to note that the court will determine not only whether there was actual unlawful command influence, but also whether there was an appearance of impropriety that would taint the public’s perception of the fairness of the court-martial.

On May 17, 2006, months before the investigation was completed, Congressman Murtha held his first news conference on the Haditha incident. Murtha said he had been told by the highest levels of the Marine Corps that there was no IED, there was no firefight, and the Marines “killed innocent civilians in cold blood.”

The next day, Murtha again spoke about Haditha and confidentially proclaimed “All the information I get, it comes from the commanders, it comes from people who know what they’re talking about.” “It’s much worse than reported in Time magazine.”

He told a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer that Gen. Michael Hagee had given him the information on which he based his accusations.

Murtha’s claim of cold blooded murder and cover-up fly in the face of previous investigations conducted by Army personnel.

The first investigation conducted by Army Colonel G. A. Watt found “there are no indications that [Coalition Forces] intentionally targeted, engaged, and killed noncombatants.” A second, by Army Major General Aldon Bargewell concluded there was no “cover-up” by the chain-of-command, and that “[The inaccurate press release that launched Time magazine’s investigation] was not the result of any intent to conceal misconduct . . .”

When Colonel Watt’s findings were given to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on March 10, 2006, one Pentagon official recalled, “Rumsfeld told aides that the case promised to be a major problem. He called it ‘really, really bad -- as bad or worse than Abu Ghraib.’”

Several sources, including Generals Hagee and Conway, have told defense counsel that Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld decided to set up an oversight “body” to keep tabs on the investigations and prosecutions of the Haditha cases.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Murtha took this to the media to try and convict these innocent men. Boy, that’ll be rich if the defense gets Murtha, Winter and Generals Hagee and Conway on the stand to question. Lets all pray it comes to pass.

Given what Murtha has said, may constitute contempt of court (releasing to much info and speaking about a trial in progress).

And why isn't Rumsfeld called too. GRRRR

Let's hope and pray the Judge rules for the defense! It'd be in the best interest of justice for LtCol Chessani, plus expose Murtha for the liar he is. Getting all the military brass sworn testimony would put a quick end to the Haditha trials with all charges dismissed.

This Undue Command Influence goes all the way up the chain of command -- Military AND Civilian. Rumsfeld and his crew of misfits KNEW before he made that fateful decision that there was no truth to the allegations.

I was surprised when I watched the PBS report on Haditha. Even PBS concluded that the Iraqi deaths—the alleged civilians—resulted from Marines following the rules of engagement under the fog of war.

I’ve been trying to follow this case from the beginning. It just sickens me to see the willingness on the part of some to let our Marines and other military men and women suffer complete devastation to their lives all for political purposes. Falsely accusing these men, putting their families and them through living hell and financial ruin for some PC purpose is reprehensible. I hope the truth will come out and Murtha, especially, will pay for these traitorous lies.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Lawyers to Expose 'Unlawful Influence' in Haditha Case April 14, 2008

April 14th, 2008

This burden, Rooney explained “is high because command influence deprives service members of their constitutional rights. It is important to note that the court will determine not only whether there was actual unlawful command influence, but also whether there was an appearance of impropriety that would taint the public’s perception of the fairness of the court-martial.
Speaking from California today where he will be appearing at the hearings Tuesday, Rooney told Newsmax in an exclusive interview that “We’ve laid out a pretty thorough, well-thought-out case why unlawful command influence has reared it’s ugly head.

“We want these people put under oath, put under the crucible of cross examination and let the chips fall where they may. That’s what the American people deserve because there have been so many accusations about whether or not [former Marine Corps Commandant] Gen. Hagee or anybody else called the Marines cold-blooded murderers or that the officers covered it up."

According to Rooney, who as a Marine Captain served during the bloody battle of Fallujah, “Murtha’s claim of cold blooded murder and cover-up fly in the face of previous investigations conducted by Army personnel.

The Center recalled that the first investigation conducted by Army Colonel G. A. Watt found ‘there are no indications that [Coalition Forces] intentionally targeted, engaged, and killed noncombatants.’ A second, by Army Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell concluded there was no ‘cover-up’ by the chain of command, and that ‘[The inaccurate press release that launched Time magazine’s investigation] was not the result of any intent to conceal misconduct . . .’”

DAMN ok look at this, it is the latest...this post began with the dates April 14th, 2008. This article is the latest dated April 15th, 2008

Charges against Haditha commander upheld .....(Murtha skates again)

NC Times

CAMP PENDLETON -- A military judge on Tuesday again refused to dismiss charges against the highest-ranking officer accused of wrongdoing in the slaying of 24 Iraqi civilians following a roadside bombing in the city of Haditha in 2005.

The judge, Col. Steven Folsom, ruled there was sufficient cause for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani to proceed to trial by court-martial at Camp Pendleton.

Folsom made a similar finding last month.

The judge's latest refusal to dismiss charges of dereliction of duty and violating a lawful order by failing to order an investigation into the civilian deaths was followed by a series of other rulings, including findings that a lengthy pretrial hearing into the validity of the charges and a subsequent recommendation that Chessani face trial were proper.

Folsom also turned down a defense attempt to compel Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., to testify about a briefing he received from Marine Corps commanders regarding the Haditha killings.

"It's important for the public to know what the congressman was told," Chessani attorney Brian Rooney argued, suggesting that Murtha's comments and the actions of senior Marine Corps officials led to the charges.

For months, Chessani's attorneys have attempted to force Murtha and several current and former Marine generals to testify in support of their contention that the charges against him stem from undue influence from top Marine commanders and represents a selective prosecution.

Folsom did delay ruling on whether former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee, who has acknowledged briefing Murtha and others members of Congress in 2006, should be required to testify on the question of undue command influence.

Chessani, 44, also is accused of violating a lawful order for failing to order a full-scale investigation into the civilian deaths. The Colorado native faces up to 30 months in jail and dismissal from the service if convicted and sentenced to the maximum punishment.

Chessani was in command of Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment in Haditha when the civilians were killed. His attorneys argue that his initial reports to his superiors in Iraq reflected at least 15 civilian deaths, and that no one above him believed the incident warranted an investigation.

Tuesday's hearing became testy at times, with Folsom telling Robert Muse, Chessani's lead attorney, there's no evidence that his client ever suggested to superiors there may have been wrongdoing by the frontline troops under his command at Haditha.

"Show me the evidence that he ever reported a suspected law of war violation," Folsom said.

Chessani's trial was slated to start later this month, but has been rescheduled for June so defense attorneys can interview people named on a recently expanded list of potential government witnesses.

Rooney said last week that prosecutors have never offered Chessani a plea deal and that he isn't seeking one.

"It is not in his constitution to say he is guilty of something he is not guilty of," Rooney said.

Chessani was relieved of command when battalion returned from Iraq in April 2006 and now works as an anti-terrorism officer.

His defense is being led by the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., a Christian-based firm that does not charge for its services. He also has two Marine Corps attorneys assigned to his defense.

My second comment on this............

Col. Folsom sure shows me he does NOT want the whole truth to come out, sure doesn’t look like it.

Murtha slithered out of this one like the snake he is.

The only hope is that Hagee will be compelled to testify. His testimony would be about his conversations with Murtha so at least we’d get that on the record.

"Show me the evidence that he ever reported a suspected law of war violation," Folsom said.

WHY on earth would Chessani report a 'law of war violation' when there was nothing to report, NO war crimes, even according to the chain of command!

The Prosecution's case is in tatters and they're desperate to pin anything on anyone. Folsom is dirty like Murtha is dirty, they're on the same team only with different agendas.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:50 AM | Comments (12)

April 17, 2008

Aussie Trooper Stationed in Iraq Shares With His Dad About U.S. Troops

A must read from an Australian whose son is in Iraq:

Gentlemen

I am an Australian and my son is an Australian - as far as we are concerned there is no place on God's earth better than Australia , and there are no people better than Australians.

That was until the past week or so.

My son is in the Australian Army and he is currently on deployment in Iraq . I can not go into his duties in great depth, but shall we say that he and his fellow army buddies are on a glorified guard duty looking after the Australian Embassy. They don't go out looking for "action", though it is a different story in Afghanistan , there the Aussie troops chase the baddies over the hills and into the valleys..

My son and I just ended a long 'phone conversation and here are some of his comments, believe me this is what he said. We have all seen the bullshit emails written by some clown in his lounge room pretending to be at the coal face, but this is what was said.:

Before I came over here I thought we (the Australian Army) were pretty shit hot..... was I ever wrong!....The Yanks (I hope you don't mind me using that word) are so professional from the top to the bottom that it is almost embarrassing to be in their company, and to call yourself a soldier....don't get me wrong, we are good at what we do but the Yanks are so much better.....they are complete at what they do, how they do it and their attitude is awesome....they don't complain they just get on with the job and they do it right.
“I carry a Minimi (SAW) so I am not real worried about a confrontation but I tell you I feel safer just knowing that the US Marines are close by....If we got into trouble I know that our boys would come running and we could deal with it but they would probably be passed by a load of Hummers. No questions asked, no glory sought, the Americans would just fight with us and for us because that is their nature, to protect those in need of protection.

“We use the American Mess so you could say that we are fed by the Americans.....they have every right to be pissed at that but they don't bitch about that they just make us feel as welcome as possible....what gets to me is that the Yanks don't walk around with a "we are better than you attitude" and they could because they are, they treat us as equals and as brothers in arms. If nothing else, coming here has taught me that the Americans are a truly great Nation and a truly great bunch of people.

“Let's face it they don't HAVE to be here, they could stay in America and beat the shit out of anyone who threatened them, BUT THEY ARE HERE because they believe they should be here, and the Iraqis would be screwed if they weren't here.....When I come home, you and I we are going to the US, we will buy some bikes and we are going riding...."

The reason why I am sharing this with you is because I realize that you (as a nation) must get pretty pissed with all the criticism you receive by the so-called "know it alls" who are sitting at home - safe. The reality is that they are safe, just as I am, because of America . If the world went arse up tomorrow there is little we ( Australia ) could do about it, but I know that the Americans would be there putting themselves on the line for others. That to me is the sign of greatness.

The most precious thing in my life is my son, I look at him and I thank God that I am fortunate enough to be able to spend time in his company. We laugh, we discuss, we argue, we dummy spit, we have the same blood. I am not happy that he is where he is but that is his duty. He joined the Army to protect and to defend, not to play games. I mightn't like it but I accept it.

My reasons for not liking it are selfish and self centered. I felt assured that he would be safe because he is in a well trained army with an excellent record, BUT NOW, I feel a whole lot better knowing that he is with your sons, daughters, brothers and sisters.

Whilst he was growing up, I was always there to look after him, I would not let harm befall him and I would always put myself before him to protect him. I can't do that now. When it comes to looking after him now he and his mates will do the job, but also THANK GOD FOR AMERICA.

Gentlemen, I have rambled on for too long. But as I finish I say to you, as a foreigner and outsider, a nation is only a collection of its people and its attitude is the attitude of its people, collectively and as individuals. I am really glad you are here on this Earth and I respect you as a nation and as people.

Stand up and feel proud because you deserve it, there is no one else who will do what America does without question. The next time someone howls you down, take some comfort in the fact that America is defending their right to act like an idiot.

Finally, thank you for looking after my son.

Peter Turner

....Thank you Rhod for the link to this.

* Blackfive

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (12)

April 15, 2008

The Greatness of the US Cavalry

From the site of the video:

From Gettysburg to the Buffalo Soldiers, from Custer's ranks to Patton's tanks, from Ia Drang to Baghdad, the US cavalry has always gained the highest laurels.

Wild Thing's comment........

This is awesome, the music, the images and most of all our US Cavalry! Thank you!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (5)

April 13, 2008

Barrett M107 .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (8)

A Video Tribute To Our Troops

Wild Thing's comment.......

The song is called Home by Chris Doughtry. The video was made by a Vietnam Veteran, a Marine and at YouTube he says....." I made this to Chris Daughtrys song Home. I know it doesn't fit perfect but I think it expresses the feelings of the troops in Iraq and Afhghanistan. As a former Marine who served in Vietnam I salute these young men and women and I pray for them."

....Thank you Tincan Sailor for sending this video to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (6)

April 11, 2008

In Country With Our Troops

Senior Airman Melissa Gallardore places retaining rings on a wheel from the main landing gear of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft at Balad Air Base, Iraq, on March 29, 2008. Gallardore is a crew chief with the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron deployed from the Montana Air National Guard. DoD photo by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter, U.S. Air Force.

U.S. Navy sailors watch from the fantail as aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 2 streak to a night landing on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during flight operations in the Pacific Ocean on April 7, 2008. DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class James R. Evans, U.S. Navy.

A U.S. Army soldier ducks away from the blast of a 120-mm mortar during operations south of Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan, on March 26, 2008. Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Battalion, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team are firing the mortar in hopes of flushing out anti-coalition militia suspected of attacking an Afghan supply truck. DoD photo by Spc. Derek Niccolson, U.S. Army

Wild Thing's comment.......

Our military is so totally awesome. I am so very proud of every one of them. Thank God for these men and women and their love for our country. And thank God too for the Veterans that went before them to lead the way.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (5)

Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 167 Celebrated Its 40th Anniversary April 1st

A Marine assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), test fires his weapon from his seat aboard a UH-1N Huey before an aerial-reconnaissance mission.

Gen. Randolph Alles, the commanding general of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) accepts a piece of birthday cake from Lt. Col. Michael E. Watkins, the commanding officer of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167. April 1 marked the 40th anniversary of the squadron.

A Tradition of Excellence: Warriors Celebrate Four Decades of Success

By Cpl. Scott McAdam
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

AL ASAD, Iraq

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing celebrated its 40th anniversary April 1.

The Warriors, originally Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 167, were founded aboard Marble Mountain Air Facility in the Republic of Vietnam on April 1, 1968, under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 16.

This ceremony is unique because we are celebrating our 40th anniversary in a combat zone under the command of MAG-16 once again, explained Capt. Somer A. Chambley, UH-1N Huey pilot, HMLA-167.

Though the war today is much different than the war 40 years ago, the squadron’s mission remains the same – to support coalition forces.

“Our mission is to provide offensive air support, utility helicopter support, armed escort and airborne supporting arms coordination during naval expeditionary operations or joint and combined operations,” said Chambley.

“Often times the squadron would provide several of these same missions as part of the same operation,” she added. “Our squadron patch, which closely resembles our original patch, has symbolism that represents all these varied missions.”

As with any other element of the Marine Corps, every mission the Warriors accomplish supports Marine infantrymen on the ground.

“There is no doubt that the men and women on the ground are carrying the heavy load of this conflict,” Chambley said. “They are taking the fight to the enemy.”

Throughout their history, the Warriors have accomplished many firsts and participated in numerous significant operations around the globe.

During the squadron’s deployment to Vietnam, Lt. Col. T.F. Miller, then commanding officer of HML-167, dropped the first helicopter bomb using the Helicopter Trap Weapon. In May of 1971, HML-167 was the last operating helicopter squadron in Vietnam, completing over 60,000 combat flight hours during the war.

“Utility helicopter support was our bread and butter during Vietnam –fulfilling a wide range of missions in support of friendly forces,” said Chambley.

After returning from Vietnam, the squadron received the Marine Corps’ first UH-1N Huey, becoming the initial UH-1N squadron for the Marine Corps. With the new airframe, HML-167 also acquired the responsibilities as the training squadron and model manager for the UH-1N.

Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 167 received its first AH-1T Cobra in January 1984 and became the first light/attack squadron on April 1, 1986.

Though the squadron switched designation, their mission didn’t change; it only expanded with the addition of the AH-1 and improved technology.

“Today, we still do those same missions, but we also provide an anti-armor capability and forward air controller capability,” added Chambley.

In 1989, the squadron added three AH-1W Super Cobras to their already deadly arsenal.

One year later, HMLA-167 supported the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit with the evacuation of more than 3,000 American citizens and foreign nationals from Monrovia, Liberia, the largest non-combatant evacuation since Saigon in 1975.

Other large operations HMLA-167 took part in include: Operation Urgent Fury, Beirut, and Desert Storm, in addition to several Marine Expeditionary Units (Special Operations Capable) and Marine Air Ground Task Force deployments.

In 2004, the Warriors deployed to Al Asad Air Base as a full squadron and are currently on their fourth deployment in support of OIF.

Through the last four decades, the Marines with HMLA-167 have demonstrated success and look forward to future accomplishments.

“I could not be more proud of this squadron and of our history,” said Lt. Col. Michael E. Watkins, commanding officer, HMLA-167. “I believe the high-caliber of people we have in the squadron are the right ones to carry on our fine history and traditions.”

Wild Thing's comment........

There is something very special when I see a story lilke this and the connection from those who served before and those serving now. There really is no break at all in the awesome brotherhood. I love it so much.

God bless those serving now and keep them safe. And I pray too they kill lots of bad guys. haha

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (6)

Fresh Eggs Available Once More For Deployed Soldiers

Fresh eggs are prepared at the Ironhorse Dining Facility for Soldiers and civilians here April 7. Eggs had not been allowed into Iraq after a March 2007 bird flu outbreak in Kuwait. However, the efforts of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sabrina Nero, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., brought eggs back to patrons of the dining facilities all over southwest Asia. Nero serves as the command food advisor with Company B, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Aaron Rosencrans, MND-B PAO)

Fresh eggs available once more for deployed Soldiers
By Spc. Aaron Rosencrans, MND-B PAO

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq

Baghdad Soldier made it possible for deployed troops to once again enjoy fresh eggs as one of their breakfast options after the nutritious staple was banned from Iraq for one year.

After receiving a plethora of requests from Soldiers and the command group, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sabrina Nero, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., took it upon herself to find a way to once again get fresh eggs on the menu; Nero serves as the command food advisor with Company B, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B,

"When the 4th Inf. Div. got here, everyone, including the command staff, was wondering where the eggs were, so I went to find out why there were no eggs here," Nero said.

Receiving the mission, Nero immediately got a copy of the memorandum, which banned fresh eggs that originated in Kuwait after a bird flu outbreak in March 2007.

"I read the memorandum from the state department and found a technicality that would allow eggs back into Iraq," she explained. "The technicality was the Iraqi Government didn't want poultry products shipped into Iraq that had originated from Kuwait. If it originated in Kuwait, that meant we couldn't get the product."

She said she noticed the letter never said Soldiers couldn't have eggs - it stated the eggs couldn't come from Kuwait.

Nero wondered where else she could procure eggs since Kuwait was off limits.

"I went and talked to the food safety officer, and she gave me a list of all the approved sources where we could source eggs outside of Kuwait," she said.

Nero then pieced together the necessary paperwork for a proposal to crack open alternative sources of fresh eggs and poultry from other countries surrounding Iraq.

She submitted a proposal to her chain of command for approval from Lt. Gen. James Lovelace, commanding general of U.S. Army Central and Coalition Forces Land Component Command.

Nero said there was some hesitation as to whether or not to accept the proposal because all food products were shipped through Kuwait; but in the end, she got a green light from all levels and eggs began to roll into Iraq.

To her surprise, her efforts not only affected Iraq but also Afghanistan and other neighboring countries where U.S. troops were stationed.

"Since the military houses its food in Kuwait, eggs became available for all Soldiers in southwestern Asia," she said. "All it took was one person to stand up and point out the technicality. We were just the ones to push the issue."

Soldiers seemed appreciative of the new addition to the breakfast menu at the Ironhorse Sports Oasis.

"I was already eating breakfast every day, but now that they got real eggs, it makes it even better," said Pfc. Manuel Silvas, a native of Houston, who serves as a generator repair specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, STB, 4th Inf. Div. "The eggs give me more motivation to wake up in the morning and get some chow."

Spc. Benjamin Heath, a native of Overland Park, Kan., and regular breakfast eater said he is happy he can now add eggs to his morning routine. Heath, who ordered three eggs, cooked over medium, serves as an administrator with the Inspector General, Co. A, STB, 4th Inf. Div.

Thinking proactively, Nero said Soldiers can rest easy if there's an outbreak of bird flu at one of the suppliers.

"Even in the event there is a producer who has an outbreak of the bird flu or has some sort of health issue with their products, there are other facilities we can procure our eggs from," she said. "This way, we won't have an interruption in our supply of poultry products from neighboring countries."

Aside from the recent addition of eggs to the menu, Nero said she had another project on the table for Soldiers this summer and was willing to share the inside scoop.

"The menu board meeting begins this month, and we're working to bring sherbet back to Baghdad," she said. "The sherbet should be available by this summer if all goes well. There has been a great demand for a low-calorie alternative to ice cream, so I've been working to bring this back for Soldiers who want to eat something sweet, but don't want all the calories."

With Nero's time in Iraq coming to a close, she said she feels she can leave country knowing she accomplished something good for the Soldiers.

"I'm just happy I'm leaving knowing the Soldiers got their fresh eggs," she said. "It goes to show if you want something done, all you need to do is raise your voice and it will happen."

Wild Thing's comment........

I love this story!

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:40 AM | Comments (6)

April 10, 2008

3rd Bn., 73rd Cav. Regt. Paratroopers ~ Great Success

3-73 Cavalry Is on Point

By Spc. Jamie Avila
1st Brigade Combat Team
82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

IRAQ

On a daily basis, paratroopers of Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division patrol villages to search a number of houses suspected of harboring criminals in a attempt to find them or information that would lead to arrest of those involved in illegal activities against Iraqi and coalition forces.

Although every patrol does not result in the capture of a criminal, it does result in valuable information through the constant interaction and rapport with the local people.

Over the past eight months, paratroopers of Troop C, 3rd Sqdn., 73rd Cav. Regt. have captured numerous suspects, of which 17 remained detained in U.S. facilities and 14 remain detained in Iraqi security force’s detention facilities.

“We’ve detained about fifteen guys since we’ve been here, which is less than a year. We’ve been getting good intel (intelligence) that we can act on while were out there doing patrols,” said Staff Sgt. Shane J. Weigel, a squad leader for 1st platoon.

According to 1st Lt. Aaron Doutt, platoon leader for 1st platoon, Troop C has reduced the number of illegal weapons throughout the area, lowered the improvised explosive device threat and reduced the number of indirect fire attacks on Convoy Supply Center Scania.

The 3rd Bn., 73rd Cav. Regt. paratroopers attribute their success to the way they do things, which is different from what past units did before them.

“The biggest thing that we do different than the last unit is the amount of local national engagement and the specific targeting that we do ... all our paratroopers are familiar with the top TWN list and the active targeting process,” said Doutt.

“Our success is largely due to the way we conduct operations. What makes Charlie Troop different from the guys who have done this in the past is that we’re a reconnaissance troop. We like to dismount and walk into villages all hours. It keeps them on their toes,” said Doutt.

Prior to their deployment to Iraq, these paratroopers went through countless hours of training at both Fort Bragg and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.. Focusing their training on infantry tasks to include search and seizure procedures, clearing rooms and buildings, combat lifesaving techniques and various other battle drills. Upon arrival in Iraq and able to see and interact in their area of operations, these paratroopers have continued to refine and train on their tactics, techniques and procedures.

“All around we have a pretty mature group of guys. They know what we expect of them because of all the training we did with them back at Bragg,” said Weigel.

“We are always critiquing ourselves and trying to find better and more effective ways to engage the locals and enemy,” said Doutt.

Charlie Troop continues to remain focused on their mission to support the overall mission of the squadron. These guys are usually working long hours with very little rest and their work is appreciated by their chain of command.

“They’re out there trying to hunt down the people who have been attacking us with rockets. They come back, get a few hours of sleep, get their trucks ready and they’re back out doing it again. They do that everyday without us hearing any complaints,” said Capt. Jim Pilkauskas, Troop C commander.

“They have exceeded my expectations and I’m very happy with the effort these guys are putting forward. They’ve been very successful and will continue to be succesful,” he added.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (2)

Apache Longbow Pilots Awarded Air Medals

An AH-64D Apache Longbow belonging to 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, heads out on a mission.The 1-1 ARB “Gunfighter” air crews work around the clock sustaining air operations and are part of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley Kan., flying in support of Task Force Iron, 1st Armored Division, in northern Iraq.

By Maj. Enrique Vasquez
Combat Aviation Brigade
1st Infantry Division

TIKRIT, Iraq

Four AH-64 Apache Longbow pilots assigned to the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, “Gunfighters” where awarded Air Medals for their actions during a combat air patrol while flying in support of Task Force Iron in northern Iraq.

Mission Commander Lt. Col. Mike Mahony, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Duane Crawford, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Coy Pennington, and Capt. Nate Thompson, received their Air Medals for their actions.

The Apache pilots flying in two gunships distinguished themselves while providing direct combat support to Multi-National Division-North ground forces near Tikrit, Iraq.

After conducting two hours of security operations with ground forces about 40 miles south of Contingency Operating Base Speicher, the team was contacted by Blackhorse Troop, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment. They asked the Gunfighters to assist the Sons of Iraq, who were being engaged by black-hooded enemy with automatic weapons.

Shortly after receiving the call, Thompson in the trail aircraft quickly located the five enemy fighters moving in a palm grove. The crews maneuvered their Apaches to maintain contact with both the enemy and friendly forces while coordinating actions between the aircraft and the Soldiers on the ground.

Crawford in the lead descended into small arms range and dropped flares above the enemy location in order to get them to surrender. Mahony radioed the ground forces to maneuver thus preventing the enemy from escaping. This allowed Pennington and Thompson to close in and positively identify the weapons employed by the enemy forces.

With both Apache helicopters in position, the enemy made the mistake of moving toward the friendly ground forces. “We knew that we had cut the enemy off from escape, and we could not allow the insurgents to get into close combat with the ground forces,” said Mahony.

The two Apaches responded with 30mm chain gun fire and within minutes the threat to friendly ground forces ceased. Three enemy insurgents were killed and the two others surrendered.

After the initial enemy force was defeated, the AWT refueled at a forward arming and refueling point and provided route security for Blackhorse vehicles as they returned to base.

Other enemy forces alerted by the Apache’s gunfire set up an ambush in an attempt to shoot down the aircraft. As the helicopters passed, the enemy launched rockets and fired heavy machine guns from numerous locations at the aircraft. The Gunfighter pilots maneuvered and escaped further ground fire.

The decision was made to break contact with the enemy and return to base. The ground forces and the AWT all made it safely back to their bases.

In a ceremony, March 7 Mahony, Thompson, Pennington and Crawford were all awarded the Air Medal for their actions. Col. Jesse O. Farrington, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, commander pinned the Air Medal on the pilots in front of the other Soldiers of the task force.

“You guys are the quiet professionals with a huge reputation,” said Farrington. “You’re so clinical and precise in all that you do and you deal with the craziness of the battlefield in a calm and deliberate manner that speaks highly of your great outfit.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:44 AM | Comments (4)

April 08, 2008

The Real Criminals In The Haditha Nightmare

Haditha: Still a Lie By Michael Reagan

Frontpage

You’d hardly know it if you relied on the mainstream media, but the government’s case against the Haditha Marines took another body blow last month that may be the beginning of the end for this whole sorry attempt to severely punish eight heroic United States Marines for doing what they are trained to do.

In a surprise development on the day Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum’s court martial was scheduled to begin, all charges against him were dropped without explanation.

Tatum, facing charges of reckless endangerment and aggravated assault that could have sent him to prison for 18 years, was the fifth Marine -- and the second of three enlisted men -- to be exonerated, leaving only one enlisted Marine still facing court martial.

Tatum’s exoneration should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the real facts in the case. During an ambush by insurgent forces in Haditha, 15 civilians and nine insurgents were killed by Marines of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. The incident began when an IED explosion killed a Marine and wounded two others. In the wake of that explosion, a squad of Marines came under insurgent gunfire.

The 15 civilian deaths, which came during house-clearing operations, were the result of a time-honored insurgent tactic of hiding themselves among civilians when ambushing U.S. forces, hoping to score a propaganda coup when the civilian shields are killed in the ensuing crossfire.

Full details of the incident on November 19, 2005, were supplied in great detail to the entire command structure the very night of the engagement, and the incident was regarded for what it was -- a tragic result of an enemy ambush. No further action was required or taken.

Months later, however, Time magazine published a story reporting that the Marines had gone on a rampage, wantonly killing innocent civilians to avenge the death of their fellow Marine killed in the IED explosion.

Using Time magazine’s fallacious account of the civilian deaths, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Rep. John Murtha went on a rampage of his own, telling every media outlet that would listen that the Marines had committed “cold-blooded murder.” He first claimed that his information came from a briefing from the Marine Corps Commandant, but when that claim was disproved he admitted that his source was Time magazine.

Murtha’s charges were broadcast far and wide, and before any investigation of the incident could get underway, the media joined Murtha in finding the Marines guilty of a massacre.

In the ensuing media firestorm that broke out, many news reports here and abroad compared the Haditha deaths to the infamous My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War.

Neither Murtha nor the mainstream media bothered to check Time’s sources -- two known insurgent propagandists and insurgent-friendly Haditha residents living under the guns of insurgent killers who were the only authority in town.

It wasn’t because the real facts were not available to any reporter willing to investigate the Haditha case, yet only one news source bothered to look into the case.

As early as May 31, 2006, NewsMax.com had begun to poke holes in the case, and from that time down to the present, NewsMax (and FrontPageMag.com - Eds.) continued to report the truth about Haditha and defend the Marines who were innocent of the charges eventually leveled against them.

Yet all this time, the media and Rep. Murtha continued to peddle the insurgent lie that a massacre had taken place in Haditha, even though all murder charges had long ago been dropped in favor of lesser charges.

There was a crime, but it was the media and Rep. Murtha who committed it against heroic Marines whose careers have been destroyed and some of whose families were bought to the edge of bankruptcy defending their sons.

Thanks to NewsMax readers, who contributed over $500,000 for their defense, some of that burden was lifted.

And thanks to John Murtha and the leftist media, these Marines can now join my Dad’s wrongly accused Secretary of Labor Ray Donovan in asking where they go to get their reputations back.

Wild Thing's comment........

I LOVE it and Michael is right too, the crime was committed by media and Rep. Murtha !!!! Time mag. & old bag of gas Murtha should be sued for every penny these families can get out of them. That demented old traitor and the traitorous Times rag should go down in disgrace for the dispicable accusations leveled against our men in uniform.

I really really want to see both Murtha and McGirk get their just desserts. I cannot stand looking at either one of them.

....Thank you Mark for sending this article to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:48 AM | Comments (10)

Hooah! The Redleg Soldiers of Howitzer Battery

An M109A6 Paladin fires its 155mm Howitzer from Badoush prison, just outside Mosul, Iraq, in support of ground forces in Mosul, Iraq, on March 29. The Howitzer, belonging to Howitzer Battery, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Hood, Texas, is firing illumination rounds to expose enemy movement in Mosul. Photo by Spc. John Crosby.

King of Battle Still Reigns
By Spc. John Crosby
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

MOSUL

The urban terrain of Operation Iraqi Freedom limits the use of large cannons and field artillery units. The days of all out destruction and artillery raining down from the skies seem to be over.

But there are still uses for these Soldiers and instances in which destruction with precision accuracy is vital to the U.S. Army’s mission success.

The Redleg Soldiers of Howitzer Battery, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment are one of the few field artillery units executing their area of expertise in Iraq today.

The term “Redleg” comes from a time when Cannons were much simpler and the field artilleryman’s uniform was much different. The Army blue uniform for artillerymen had a two-inch red stripe on the trousers and horse artillerymen wore red canvas leggings, distinguishing themselves from other Soldiers.

The Cannons used by Redleg Soldiers were towed by man, horse or mule, providing no protection to the crew operating it. Misfires, muzzle bursts and exploding weapons were not uncommon. Accuracy and reliability were questionable.

Today, the U.S. Army’s M109A6 Paladin self-propelled 155mm howitzer is a tracked vehicle that can reach out and touch a target accurately from 30 km away.

Howitzer Battery uses several strategically placed Paladins located at Badoush Prison located just outside the northern Ninewa province city of Mosul, to support ground troop movement in the area. They conduct an average of three fire missions a night from the combat outpost there, mostly illumination rounds.

“Our role is to support troops in contact with indirect fire, whether it be with 155mm high explosive rounds, Excalibur (guided munitions) or illumination rounds,” said Howitzer Battery Fire Directions Chief, Staff Sgt. Gustavo Martinez.

“We can use guided munitions to support any task or mission and pinpoint areas or buildings,” Martinez continued. “We use illumination rounds to light up an area at night to limit or reveal enemy movement.”

The Paladin is operated by a four man crew consisting of a driver, gunner, cannoneer and chief of section. Howitzer Battery crews work 24 hour shifts in the Paladins at Badoush, on call to support ground troops in contact. After a 24 hour shift, the crew will take 48 hours off to conduct maintenance, chores and guard duty around the combat outpost.

Paladin Gunner, Spc. James Simpson, of Howitzer Battery said working in such a tight quarters with his fellow teammates can lead to skirmishes at times but nothing to serious. His crew works together fluidly.

“You get to know your section and work together really well,” said Simpson.

Still, such a work schedule can lead to boredom. The crews of Howitzer Battery conduct training between fire missions to keep busy.

“We get a lot of training done, more than we did back in Fort Hood,” said Chief of Section, Staff Sgt. Freddy Perdue of Howitzer Battery. “You gotta do something while we’re all in there together for 24 hours straight. But we enjoy our jobs helping the people out there, especially the maneuver forces.”

Perdue said he enjoys doing what he was trained to do. While many Redlegs are taking on the role of a foot soldier in Iraq today, Perdue and Howitzer Battery are carrying on the Redleg legacy.

“Being in the war we are fighting now we can adapt to anything,” said Martinez. “A lot of the guys in our battery are doing infantry tactics and things of that nature. As far as the field artillery guys that are actually doing the field artillery mission, it’s important. You never know. There could be a patrol out there that comes into direct contact with a large group of insurgents and we are here to help by providing indirect fire in a matter of minutes.

Wild Thing's comment........

Goodbye terrorists! Sending you back to Iran and Syria asap!

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (11)

24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Outside The Wire

Sgt. Cody Gaeta, radio operator, Personal Security Detachment, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, NATO International Security Assistance Force, monitors his Marines as they protect other Marines from the battalion during a heavy machine gun shoot, here. Gaeta's experience in Iraq was helpful in keeping the nerves of his Marines in check during their first excursion off base.

A Marine with Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, NATO International Security Assistance Force, escorts an armored vehicle outside of their Kandahar Province, Afghanistan base. The Marines began going outside the wire to test fire their heavy machine guns, mortars and rockets.

Outside the Comfort Zone: 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Marines Leave the Wire for the First Time

By Cpl. Randall Clinton
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Public Affairs

KABUL, Afghanistan

“Condition one on first load.” It feels surreal as the command echoes over the radio. The Marines understand the words, but are obviously still coming to terms with its meaning as they force rounds into their weapons.

There is a new sense of urgency in the way the driver grips the steering wheel, the passengers stare out windows and the radio operator strains to hear each new message.

Each piece of trash blowing around the Afghanistan countryside is an Improvised Explosive Device, each movement of the locals is suspect, each boarded up window hides a sniper – the mind plays awful tricks on man. All vehicles stop. The radio mutters “possible,” as in possible IED. Marines don’t flinch, but in this moment you realize the frailty of life. As soon as you process that “possibility” the convoy continues. Somehow the farther out the vehicles travel the easier it is to digest, anxiety turns to alertness – this is outside the wire for the first time.

“It was like, I have no idea what is out there. I have no idea what is going to happen,” recounted Pfc. Conan Hudson, turret gunner, Personal Security Detachment, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, NATO International Security Assistance Force.

From his seat he would see it all transpire, his mind already racing with possibilities.

Skewed reality.

Maybe Marines have unique perspectives about life and its limitations. They are “born” at recruit training, reciting the names and accomplishments of heroes -- Dan Daly’s stamina, Chesty Puller’s bravado and Jason Dunham’s sacrifice. So when they talk about driving into a war zone to practice firing machine guns, their perspective of danger is slightly skewed.

Perched atop an armored humvee in a gun turret he did the basics, “I made sure my ballistic shield was clear and my weapon was good to go. That’s all I had on my mind. As long as that was good, I’m good.”

The built-up anxiety of a seven-month pre-deployment training cycle, coupled with weeks spent preparing for missions, unleashed fury on Hudson. Once outside the gate it was “exactly what I’ve seen” and yet completely unreal.

These were the first 24th MEU Marines leaving the wire and Hudson was in front.

“It is extra scary because you are the first one who sees everything,” he said. “Visibility is bad; there is dust, especially for the gunner. You have no windows, no shields, you just have to take it all in and look out for these (insurgents) guys.”

He was searching the vast Afghan desert for everything and anything.

“I had, like, super hearing and super sight,” he said.

This was different from every other humvee ride Hudson had ever been a part of… this was real. “It’s your life! Back (home) no one is shooting at you,” he said, explaining his amplified awareness.

But he is here, not ‘back there,’ and his vision is essential for more than just himself. “I’m the eyes for the whole convoy. I’m the first one, so I’ve got to look out for anyone on the side of the road, IEDs, potholes and wires.”

“Man, there are too many potholes,” he quipped, still feeling the bruises from being tossed around.

Hudson’s vantage point allowed him to view the terrain, scanning for danger, but that’s not what he saw.

“At first it’s like, you’ve got ears and eyes and all you are thinking about is bombs, guns, enemy, enemy, enemy; when you see those (Afghan) kids you are like, 'wow.' It changes your mind, but you have to stay focused no matter what.”

Making it real.

While officially named mission 001 and 002, the Marines of BLT 1/6 hesitate to use a word that conjures memories of their firefights inside of Iraq’s worst neighborhoods. So the name might be a misnomer, but delve deeper into the psyche of these men and you find that putting boot to ground, or in this case powder-thin dust, is an important threshold to cross.

Week after week, more Marines arrive at the base. More Marines wait for the call from their commander, ordering the start of operations. When the time came for the first contingent of Marines to break from the weapons maintenance, acclimation hikes and rules of engagement classes, the question of if they wanted to go never came up – this is what Marines do. They were going.

“Today was just a test fire of (M203 grenade launchers) and (M2 .50 caliber machine guns),” said 1st Lt. Micah Steinpfad, executive officer, Company A, BLT 1/6, 24th MEU, ISAF.

Steinpfad is cautious about calling this a mission, comparing this to the hornet’s nest these Marines walked into during their last deployment to Iraq would be unthinkable, but this was the first chance for his Marines to get outside the camp.

“The more you can push Marines out, get them talking to the local people, the more they start to comprehend what is actually going on out here. The closer they get to the enemy and civilian populations, two very different things, I think the more real this becomes … the more real their sacrifice becomes,” he explained.

Butterflies and bullets.

As the Marines rolled out to the range, they got a first-hand look at the Afghanistan country-side and instantly compared it to their pre-deployment training.

“At first it was kind of nerve racking, I mean you get all this IED training on what can be hidden. There was a lot of trash, so lots of places to hide stuff. (My) imagination was kind of running wild,” said Lance Cpl. Erick Harber, humvee driver, Personal Security Detachment, BLT 1/6, 24th MEU, ISAF.

Harber, in enemy territory for the first time, realized that all the training in the world couldn’t prepare him for the baking flour-like dust that covers the country.

“When we were back at Camp Lejeune, we were rehearsing and stuff, but you don’t get the dust you get here. I mean there were a few times (here) we ran into dust clouds and couldn’t see in front of the hood of the humvee. It’s tough and your mind is a lot more active,” he recounted.

So how long did it take the 19-year-old, Columbus, Ind., native to get accustomed to the dirty, bumpy and slow driving required to navigate the unique landscape? About halfway through his first mission.

“I was a little nervous at first, but once I got out there, especially once we started heading back, it got a lot easier,” he said with more than a hint of pride.

Sgt. Cody Gaeta, an Iraq veteran, explained that confidence is contagious and exercises like this help it spread.

“If I see my guys have more confidence then it will build more confidence in me towards my guys, knowing I'm doing a good job training them on what they need to do,” explained Gaeta, radio operator, PSD, BLT 1/6, 24th MEU, ISAF.

Gaeta experienced the fear of leaving camp for the first time as a lance corporal in Iraq.

“I was pretty scared,” he said, but noted that his first mission was slightly more disorienting than the mid-day movement to a machine gun range. “I was with a (reconnaissance) battalion so we did a little bit more than a normal battalion. Plus, we went out at night and it’s a lot harder to go out at night because you can’t see.”

“The more we went out the easier it got,” he said, a lesson he hoped his Marines picked up on this day. “It helps when you say “you are going out today,” and you get to leave. Even if it is like how we left today – for a short period. It’s a lot better than spending that short period in the tents.”

The ride home.

“On the way out there it was a little tense because it was my driver’s first time ever having to drive in this (outside the wire), and then on the way back he knew there wasn’t anything that was going to happen. It was a tension breaking that eased his mind a little bit,” explained the 4th-year Marine.

Focusing the Marines on their upcoming tasks was also on the mind of Cpl. Timothy McLaughlin, commanding officer’s driver, PSD, BLT 1/6, 24th MEU, ISAF.

“It is kind of hard, because you need to keep their mind the right way. Don’t let them get complacent. (Going outside the wire), it keeps them where they are not bored,” he said.

Standing exposed, miles away from your fortified base, is a feeling shared only by those who have done it, a right of passage in an infantry unit. The experienced train the next generation of fighters, prepare them as best as they can, but it seems to be understood that some things need to be experienced, not taught.

So when Hudson thinks about an inexperienced turret gunner turning to him for guidance he quickly responds, “Make sure your weapons work, and make sure you have eye protection because of the dust. There are sandstorms that come out of nowhere.”

It’s nothing profound, just the basics, because the last thing a Marine needs to do is over think the situation.

“Basically you just have to experience it for yourself,” he reasoned.

McLaughlin understands that axiom now, after having lived it in Iraq.

“I didn’t know what to expect until I got out there and my training kicked in, and then you are used to everything,” said McLaughlin, a field radio operator during his last tour.

Steinpfad, with combat experience from BLT 1/6’s Iraq deployment, explained that the entire battalion can learn something from stepping off-base, not just their newest Marines.

“I don’t think it matters what deployment you are on. You build off past experiences and I think every time you push outside the wire you learn something new. Whether it be on your first deployment, halfway through your first deployment, doesn’t matter if you are halfway through your third deployment,” he said. “The enemy is always adapting, and you always have to adapt to those changes. As the enemy continues to change, we will continue to learn as we push out… every single time.”

Wild Thing's comment.......

Awesome! God bless our troops and keep them safe. I am always so glad when there is something to share about our troops in Afghanistan. There is a lot of information out there, but I will always be VERY careful about what I post about. It is so important not to post things that could put our troops in more danger.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (6)

In Country With Our Troops

ZODIAC PATROL - U.S. Marines carry Zodiac boats into the Euphrates River below the Haditha Dam in Iraq to conduct security patrols with Provisional Security Forces. The Marines are assigned to Company W, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler Hil

Wild Thing's comment........

The name of the second photo at the site was called The Circus. I sat here looking at it and felt so happy. Here is a child, that has no fear, he knows the soldier is his friend and has been there to make life better. HE knows and yet those in our Congress want to make it that we are insurgents like a few have said. I would bet my lilfe that this wee child does not think of this American Hero nearby is an insurgent but a superman that came to resuce his country.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:40 AM | Comments (4)

April 07, 2008

Soldiers Restore Honor to Old Glory ~ Honor restored (as if it could ever really be lost)

Pilots from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 238th General Support Aviation Brigade, a National Guard unit from Shelbyville, Ind., conducted a flyover at the flag-raising ceremony held at Forward Operating Base Delta, Iraq, March 22. More than 150 U.S. Soldiers and civilians attended the ceremony for a flag that had lain on the grounds of a Georgia apartment complex for almost a week in February until it was taken by Dan Turner, a passerby, who sent it to Iraq to have its honor restored. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Stacy Niles.

Soldiers Restore Honor to Old Glory

By Sgt. 1st Class Stacy Niles
214th FB PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA

More than 150 U.S. Soldiers and civilians restored honor to a U.S. flag that lay lonely and forgotten on the grounds of a Georgia apartment complex for almost a week in February.

The flag was retrieved by a passerby who could not stand seeing the flag treated in such a manner.

Having passed the discarded flag twice, Dan Turner took the flag the third time he saw it lying on the ground and sent it to his friend Chief Warrant Officer 4 Thomas Golden of the Joint Forces Headquarters Forward, Georgia National Guard.

“This flag was being used as landscape art and a business flagging without the daily outdoor ceremony it deserved. In the end it simply was allowed to lie in the mud of the Irwin Bridge right-of-way for a week while managers, landscape personnel and employees, residents and neighbors simply ignored it lying on the ground,” wrote Turner in a letter to the apartment complex, sheriff’s department, judges and the editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

After taking the flag, Turner e-mailed Golden and asked if he would fly the flag at Forward Operating Base Delta, Iraq. Turner cleaned the flag and shipped it to Golden who was more than happy to restore the flag’s honor before returning it to Turner.

“The U.S. flag for me is more than just a piece of cloth to be flown or displayed as a matter of convenient patriotism or decoration. It is the one true symbolic representation of what our nation and her principles stand for,” Golden said. “Also, many great men and women have served in uniform, and in many cases, died for advancing freedom and democracy as well as the preservation and perpetuation of our freedom, liberty and way of life we enjoy every day which our flag symbolizes.

“It’s our flag, and people don’t always pay it the respect it’s due,” he said.

Turner and Golden, who have been friends for more than 16 years, share a strong sense of patriotism which is shown annually on Memorial Day weekend when they drive to Marietta National Cemetery to place wreaths on the graves of Turner’s father and brother. Turner’s father fought in World War II and his brother died in Vietnam at the Battle of Hue. Turner’s mother served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.

After placing the wreaths on the graves, Golden and Turner walk the entire cemetery to pick up and replace any flags that may have fallen after being placed by Boy Scouts.

“Dan and I feel as though no flag, no matter how small or great, can be left upon the ground if we have the ability to take action and correct the situation,” Golden said, “which is exactly what Dan did by ‘rescuing’ the current flag.

“Unfortunately, our society has come to take for granted the sacrifices that have been made throughout our history to ensure our way of life will survive and endure no matter the source or location of the threat. It is for these and many other reasons I feel so strongly that our flag should never be allowed to be desecrated in any form or fashion,” he said.

Title 4, Section 8 of the U.S. Code says the flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water or merchandise. The section goes on to say that the flag should never be fastened, displayed, used or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled or damaged.

To restore the flag’s honor, Golden and Soldiers from 214th Fires Brigade organized a flag-raising ceremony March 22 attended by Soldiers and civilians.

“I’m really thankful that a lot of folks came out,” Golden said. “What made it even better was its simplicity. People came because they wanted to and they came out of respect.”

The ceremony offered a way for those who believe in the flag to be united, said Chap. (Maj.) Michael Hoffman, the 214th FB chaplain.

“I appreciated this citizen taking the time to remember and act on what the flag stands for,” Hoffman said. “Being a part of the ceremony and restoring honor is just a way for us to be included with him in honoring both the flag and our nation.

“I wonder what people were thinking, but I am grateful for this man taking the time to do something. I am inspired by him taking the initiative to do something,” said Hoffman of those who allowed the flag to remain on the ground. “You can say how you feel about this country, but this guy proved it by what he did.”

Turner was charged with theft for taking the flag, but he expresses no regrets in doing what he did.

“I wanted to make this issue a statement and I’m willing to bear the consequence of my actions to the sheriff as directed by the judge or the property owner,” said Turner in his letter. “There is no excuse for common theft, yet I felt compelled to take action now and worry about the consequences later.

“I find no pride in breaking the law, but there are mitigating circumstances that put me over the line,” Turner said. “Allowing this flag to lie in the mud was a disgrace; however, my lack of action would have been even more disgraceful. I acted on the behalf of all those that did not, could not or would not take action.”

Wild Thing's comment........

What an amazing and wonderful thing to do. Awesome!

But it is a disgrace what the local authorities and apartment complex owner did. No no fines for the dirtbags who desecrated the symbol of our Republic??????!!!!

I guess the Sheriff can’t find something better to do than arrest this flag-rescuer, he needs to be turned out of office at the first opportunity.

There is no need to “restore an American flag’s honor”, for it can NOT be taken, lost, defiled, burned out, torn out or stamped out.

It exists permanently and indestructible in the hearts of all Americans who have fought or died defending the concepts for which she stands...

It’s place in our hearts is either that of an honored icon or our hearts are turned against it and its meaning...

Did our warriors returning from Vietnam “lose their honor” simply because morons called them murderers, spit on them or celebrated the lies being told about them by traitors like Kerry and Fonda? Of course not...

Honor can never be diminished by the dishonorable conduct of dishonorable morons or traitors...

Those who fail to show the proper respect to our flag - dishonor themselves, not our flag..

Those who burn our flag, dishonor themselves and publicly proclaim themselves as ignorant and undeserving of the blessings available under that flag..

I dream of the day, when the intentional desecration of the American flag in America is considered grounds for receiving a violent thrashing that will bear witness for the remainder of the moron’s life..

The “folks” in Atlanta who allowed this disrespectful treatment of the flag -— would enjoy sitting in on a Rev. Wright’s sermon alongside of Senator Obama -——— who not only refuses to wear a flag pin but even refused to salute the flag during the playing of our National Anthem.

Thank you Mr. Turner!
And God bless our troops in Iraq!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (6)

Our Troops and Iraqi Security Forces Find Largest EFP Cache To Date

Iraqi Security Forces discovered a cache in a 6-ton truck in a garage in al Qasim, Iraq, April 2. The cache contained more than 1000 EFP components, more than 3000 pounds of explosives, 45 Katusha 107 mm rockets and stands.

ISF find largest EFP cache to date
By 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq

A tip led Iraqi Security Forces to the largest explosively-formed penetrator cache found to date in Multi-National Division - Center's area of operation, April 2. The munitions were discovered in a 6-ton truck in a garage in al Qasim.

The cache contained more than 1000 EFP components, more than 3000 pounds of explosives and 45 Katusha 107 mm rockets and stands. Also included in the cache were more than 10 devices used to detonate improvised explosive devices, 250 PKC rounds, 10 60 mm mortar shells and one 60 mm stand.

The rockets are believed to have been manufactured in Iran.

"The ISF continue to confiscate the lethal tools of the enemy, disrupt the enemy's freedom of maneuver, and apprehend key members of the (criminal) leadership," said Capt. Michael Ranado, battle captain for 31st Military Transition Team, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. "The IP (Iraqi Police) and IA (Iraqi Army) have successfully provided security for the people of the Babil province and continue vigilantly to do so."

The cache was moved to the Joint Coordination Center in Hillah.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:48 AM | Comments (6)

April 05, 2008

Brothers Reunite in Iraq

Army Staff Sgt. Shane Hansen (left), a section sergeant in Company D, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, poses for a picture with his older brother, Army Sgt. 1st Class Zane Hansen, a platoon sergeant in Troop T, 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, at Camp Taji, Iraq. Photo by Sgt. Brandon Little,

Army Staff Sgt. Shane Hansen (left), a section sergeant in Company D, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, talks about childhood memories during a visit with his older brother, Army Sgt. 1st Class Zane Hansen, a platoon sergeant in Troop T, 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

CAMP TAJI, Iraq

April 4, 2008

by Army Sgt. Brandon Little serves in the Task Force 12 Public Affairs Office

Throughout their military careers, Army Staff Sgt. Shane Hansen and his brother, Army Sgt. 1st Class Zane Hansen, have always been on opposite sides of the world.

Over the years, as they got married, had children and were stationed in different places, they haven’t had many chances to see each other. But an unexpected mission change, combined with a little good fortune, brought them together in Iraq.

Shane, who is stationed in Katterbach, Germany, deployed to Logistics Support Area Anaconda in July; Zane, who is stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, learned in November his unit also would deploy to Iraq.

When Task Force 12 received the mission of becoming the aviation task force for Multinational Division Baghdad, the Hansen brothers found their first opportunity to be stationed together.

“I was excited when I found out we would be here together, because the last time I saw (Zane), before this deployment, was at our parents’ house in August of 2004,” said Shane, a section sergeant in Company D, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment. “We usually get to see each other about once every five years.”

Even though the brothers, natives of Wichita, Kan., live and work less than a half mile away from each other here, they still remain worlds apart.

“Right now, I’m working night shift, and (Shane) works day shift; it seems like every time my shift changes, so does his,” said Zane, a platoon sergeant in Troop T, 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. “Since we’ve been stationed here together, we’ve only seen each other about three or four times.”

“Our different shifts and different ‘reset’ days makes it difficult to see each other unless we really put forth an effort to going over to where the other one works,” said Shane, who has been in the Army for 12 years.

Their families have mixed feelings about the brothers being stationed together in Iraq.

“Our wives are happy that we are stationed here together, because they feel we have someone to talk to,” said Shane, a UH-60 Black Hawk maintainer. “Our parents don’t like the idea of us being here together, because if something happens, it might happen to both of us; but our older sister isn’t too worried about us being here.”

Both brothers are on their second deployment; Zane previously deployed to Bosnia and Shane to Afghanistan. Zane joined the Army a little more than a year before Shane.

“When I joined the Army in 1994, I got stationed in Korea,” said Zane, an AH-64D Apache Longbow maintainer. “When he joined the Army and got stationed in Hawaii, I was stationed in the states.”

Communicating with each other was difficult for the first couple of years because there was no Internet access; but now, it’s definitely gotten a lot better, Shane said.

Zane has been in aviation for his entire career, but Shane started out as a signal soldier.

“I really didn’t like that job, and Zane would always tell me about his job and all of the cool things he did,” said Shane. “He wasn’t the only reason I chose this job, but he definitely helped me make my decision.”

The brothers are living up to a long legacy of military service in their family. Their grandfathers served in the military during World War II. Their father also served in the Army; he joined shortly after the Vietnam War.

Growing up, they had plenty of good times mixed with a little bit of mischief, they said. Although they try to stay professional, and call each other “Sergeant Hansen” when around other soldiers, childhood memories sometimes resurface.

“All of (Zane’s) soldiers want to know about him,” Shane said. “Every once in a while, one of them will come up to me and ask me questions about him, and I’ll give them a tidbit of information about some of the things he did growing up.”

Shane has been selected for promotion to sergeant first class and said he would like to be stationed back in the United States in the future. Zane said he and his wife are discussing the idea of asking to go to Europe.

Wild Thing's comment........

How wonderful that they got to meet up like this. Great story and I am so happy for them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (6)

April 04, 2008

Special Forces Special Operations Firefight in Iraq

Special Operations Firefight in Iraq ( Special Forces )

OH yessssss Good one! God bless and protect our troops.

....Thank you Cuchieddie for this video.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (6)

Water Freezes in the Desert

Water bottles placed in a very cold refrigerator, freeze instantly when brought outside into the hot sun. The water is just regular non carbonated bottled drinking water.

Credit to user "fiedag" for the following explaination;

"Very pure H2O often will not freeze at 0C, as there are no little nuclei around which little ice crystals can form. It is known as supercooled water. If you disturb it, you accelerate the reaction. The fact it freezes from the top suggests that some microscopic crystals had already formed and risen to the surface of the water."

Wild Thing's comment........

I thought this was so neat how it does this. LOL What fun to do this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (6)

Man Owes His Life To A Fellow Marine

"Once a Marine Always a Marine"

Here is proof of that. In the Chicago Sun-time March 21, 2008. Brian Troy of Rockford IL, a Marine in the 1980's. suffered several heart attacks before receiving a new heart in 2006. He didn't know who the donor was but felt it was a Marine.

Eventually he found out the heart was from Ricky Martinez who was shot on April 26, 2006 while driving home from a Cubs game with friends. Martinez had signed up after 9/11 and served 2 tours in Iraq.

'His heart seems to fill my chest'

From Sgt. Grit newsletter

Chicago Sun Times

Brian Troy is constantly reminded of the fellow Marine who saved his life.

Every time his heart beats.

Troy lost 40 pounds and was in a coma for a month before he received a heart transplant in 2006.

He was not certain who the donor was, but he suspected it was a young Marine whose murder was in the headlines.

Troy, 43, sent several letters to the donor's family through the Gift of Hope organ donor network. The network would not disclose the name of the donor or his family members.

The donor's father finally replied in December.

And Troy -- a Marine in the early 1980s -- learned his hunch was right: He was carrying the heart of murder victim Ricky Martinez Jr., 23, a Marine who patriotically signed up after 9/11 and served two tours in Iraq.

"His heart seems to fill my chest," Troy said. "When I sit in my recliner, the whole recliner twitches with his heartbeat. ... I think they are happy their son's heart went to a good person."

Last month, Martinez's parents trekked to visit Troy at his home in Rockford, where they cried, laughed and shared childhood photos of their son. Troy hopes to see them again Saturday in Chicago to promote organ donation and support legislation to stiffen penalties for attacks on veterans.

The tragedy that saved Troy's life happened in a flash of gunfire April 24, 2006.

Martinez was driving from a Cubs game when one of his passengers was mistaken for a rival gang member. Steven Bryant fired a .45-caliber pistol at Martinez's car, Cook County prosecutors say.

A bullet hit Martinez in the shoulder and traveled up his neck to the base of his skull. Bryant, a 22-year-old already convicted of a killing and on the street again, was arrested and charged with murder.

Five days after the shooting, Martinez died.

The next day, Troy received an urgent call from Loyola University Medical Center that a heart was ready for him.

Troy is an electrician who suffered through many heart surgeries between 2002 and 2006. His mother also suffered from heart disease and died in 1996 at age 51.

After surgery in February 2006, Troy was in a coma at Loyola for about a month. He returned home in April 2006 to wait for a heart.

"This was it, live or die," Troy said of the call from Loyola to rush to the hospital to receive a new heart.

He and his wife jumped into their Hyundai, and she drove 100 mph.

"I was half praying the cops would not stop us and half praying they would," Troy joked. "I had a motion-picture fantasy that we would get a police escort."

After an 11-hour operation, Troy woke up in a sunny room.

"I came to the realization that I have a heart. I am alive! And I am hungry!"

His wife, Denise, said she asked a nurse about the new heart.

"I said, 'Is there anything you can tell me about the donor?' She said, 'No, only that it's a healthy 23-year-old.' Well, from the newspapers, we were 99 percent sure it was Ricky Martinez's heart."

'My son had such a big heart'

Troy sent his first letter to Martinez's family about four months after the transplant, but there was no answer. More than a year later, he sent another letter. Then, about three months ago, just after Christmas, Troy received a letter from Martinez's father, Ricardo Martinez Sr., confirming Martinez was the donor.

The next day, Martinez's father called.

Troy said he stared at the caller ID and refused to pick up the phone. He wasn't ready to talk to Martinez's family.

But the phone rang again, and this time, he summoned the courage to answer.

"There was a lot of crying and a lot of talking," he said.

Troy slowly began to learn about his hero. Martinez had applied to the Chicago Police Department. His father told Troy that the Police Department sent Martinez an acceptance letter. It arrived a month after his death.

"We chitchatted about what a great son Ricky was. He was kind of a mama's boy, and he was a respectful son. His father was proud he was going to become a cop."

Troy and Martinez's parents grew close over the phone and decided they needed to see each other.

So on Feb. 10, Martinez's family made the trip from Chicago to Rockford. Troy hugged Martinez's mother at the door.

"She brought family albums of Ricky when he was small," Troy said. "I loved his big, cheesy smiles. I was only privy to his picture as a Marine, and he's not smiling in that one."

Troy learned that Martinez was more than 6 feet tall and a fitness buff. "Ricardo told me that his heart needs a lot of exercise," Troy said. "He said, 'You need to exercise for him.' "

Now Troy thinks of himself as part of Martinez's family.

And Martinez's mother, Adalila Cruz, feels the same bond.

"I love him because part of him is my son," she said of Troy.

"He is part of my family. He seems very grateful and thankful for what my son did. It shows you what kind of a person my son was. Even after his life was gone, he kept helping."

Wild Thing's comment.......

I don't know who said it, "ONCE a MARINE ALWAYS a MARINE", I know that I will be a Marine even after the life has left this body." said by Robert D. Hawkins Sgt of Marines 64 -69 Third Battalion Platoon 342

I saw this story in Sgt. Grit's newsletter that I get in my email, and wanted to share it with you. This story is very special that like the top quote says..... Once a Marine Always a Marine.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (14)

News From Our Troops In Country

CAMP STRIKER — Attack helicopters from Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division have stepped up in the fight against criminal elements south of Baghdad.
Since March 24, Apache and Kiowa helicopters have killed 36 enemy fighters in support of troops on the ground.

The recent fighting against criminals south of Baghdad and in Wasit Province has highlighted the benefit of air support to Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, but it isn’t something new, said Col. Dan Ball, commander of 3rd CAB.

“We’ve always taken the fight to the enemy,” Ball said.

VIDEO HERE

The 3rd CAB, based out of Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga., has been deployed to Baghdad International Airport since May. The 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment Apaches and the 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment Kiowas support Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces in the area stretching across the Tigris and Euphrates rivers south of Baghdad.

Earlier in the 3rd CAB’s deployment, the fight was primarily against al-Qaeda in Iraq fighters south of Baghdad as they tried to feed sectarian violence in the capital.

When small groups of criminals began clashing with Iraqi Security Forces, Ball said, it was natural for his helicopters to support the fight.

“As opposed to Sunni extremists, al-Qaeda in Iraq for instance, we have Shi’a extremists we’re going after (as well). We don’t differentiate,” he said. “This is an ISF-led fight and many of our engagements down south have been in support of ISF.”

Since March 22, Multi-National Division – Center, the division 3rd CAB supports, has detained more than 200 criminals, killed 40 Shi’a criminal fighters, found more than 60 weapons caches - of which 20 were turned in by Iraqis - and found and cleared nearly 30 improvised explosive devices on area roads.

As the ISF takes the fight to Shi’a criminals, areas south of Baghdad continue to improve, Ball said. Schools are opening, agriculture and businesses are improving and people are working toward a better Iraq, Ball said. “Everywhere we turn, we’re making progress in MND-C.”

(3rd CAB, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO)

Troops Kill 14 Suspected Terrorists in Iraq, Capture 49 Others

Iraq's Human Rights Minister attended the trial and made it clear what she expected:

Coalition and Iraqi forces killed 14 suspected terrorists, detained 49 others, and seized dozens of weapons in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said.

In Baghdad and Qayyarah today, coalition forces detained a dozen suspected terrorists during raids targeting al Qaeda in Iraq operations, including propaganda and suicide-bombing networks. In addition, troops captured two foreign fighter aides and an additional suspect in the operations.

In a separate operation in the Iraqi capital today, coalition forces captured two suspected terrorists tied to a Baghdad car-bombing network. In other raids, troops nabbed two suspected terrorists east of Taji, two in Mosul and three others in Samarra.

“Al Qaeda in Iraq is an adaptive, barbaric enemy, but they will be allowed no safe haven,” said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. “Iraqi and coalition forces will continue to disrupt their networks and capture or kill their members, improving security for all Iraqis.”

During operations in Iraq yesterday:

-- A Hillah special weapons and tactics unit advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained 20 suspected vehicle smugglers in Basra. In addition, the Hillah unit recovered two illegal sedans, various guns and ammunition, and $262,000 in U.S. currency. The combined force also destroyed two boats used for smuggling goods in the oil-rich southern Iraq city.

-- Iraqi security forces and U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained a suspected improvised-explosive-device-cell leader allegedly responsible for IED and indirect-fire attacks against Logistics Support Area Anaconda.

-- The Mosul Iraqi special weapons and tactics unit and U.S. Special Forces soldiers in Mosul detained a suspected terrorist allegedly involved in kidnapping, torturing and murdering local Iraqi security force members.

-- Members of the “Sons of Iraq” citizens security group stopped a suicide bomber from detonating his explosive device in Kirkuk province. A military official said their actions prevented “a possible tragedy” from occurring on Hawijah’s Market Street.

-- Iraqi army and coalition soldiers discovered 15 weapons caches in Diyala and Salah ad Din provinces, and an IED factory in Ninewah. The caches contained more than 60 mortar rounds, 14 107 mm rockets, small-arms munitions, and more than 60 pounds of bomb-making material. The IED factory contained more than 3,500 pounds of additional explosives.

Iraqi special operation forces, advised by their U.S. counterparts, killed 14 criminals March 31 during operations in Basra. The Iraqi-led mission aimed to capture the criminals in an abandoned school that lawbreakers were using to mount operations and store weapons and munitions, military officials said.

Iraqi forces received small-arms fire throughout the operation. Both Iraqi and U.S. forces returned fire, while a coalition aircraft provided close-air support requested by ground forces. The combined forces killed 14 armed individuals and rescued six Iraqi security force members who were being held at the compound.

Elsewhere in Iraq March 31, Iraqi national police members detained three suspected insurgents in the New Baghdad district of the Iraqi capital. The suspects were attempting to smuggle weapons in their vehicle, military officials said. Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, reported Iraqi national police confiscated five rockets, two mortar rounds, two hand grenades, three blasting caps and a 9 mm pistol. The detainees are being held for further questioning.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:40 AM | Comments (6)

April 01, 2008

Lessons In The Cards

Below are two examples of the playing cards in the U.S. military deck on achaeological preservation.

FORT HUACHUCA

Sierra Vista Herald

GIs have a new deck of cards, but it’s more than just for games.

The playing cards are being used as an avenue to teach soldiers the importance of protecting heritage sites in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the two battleground areas, there are hundreds of sites that go back thousands of years, and America’s armed force members need to know the importance of protecting those areas, said Laurie Rush, cultural resource manager at Fort Drum, N.Y., and one of the leaders in developing the decks of playing cards for the Department of Defense.

“We are using archaeology as tool to help win hearts and minds of Iraqis and Afghans,” she said over lunch last week at the culture summit held by the Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca.

To her, understanding a nation’s heritage is one of the key factors in appreciating a culture.

Rush calls herself a social scientist with an interest in ensuring today’s generation saves what generations of the past developed. She has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Indiana University at Bloomington, a master’s degree from Northwestern University in archaeology and a doctorate in medical anthropology from Northwestern.

There are 119 known archaeological sites in Iraq, 160 in Afghanistan and an untold number of others yet to be discovered, she said.

While war is destructive, care must be taken to ensure sites are protected from destruction, Rush said.

And in Iraq, much of western civilization is tied to sites like Babylon that are mentioned in the Bible, she said.

Many American soldiers are Christian and know Bible stories. Rush said the object is to help instill in them and others the importance of protecting so much that is part of civilization.

As forces move through the desert, they are traveling over areas that have been part of civilization for untold centuries, she said.

To some, there may be no signs of civilization, but “the desert is not empty,” Rush said.

Some archeological sites are easy to see. They have tell-tale signs of human occupation. But, Rush said, more is underground, and those areas can be destroyed as soldiers dig to make protective areas for their camps and even when creating slit latrines during operations.

What is beneath the surface is as important as some above ground site, such as a building.

In the Middle East, mounds called tells look like places with just dirt, but most of them are manmade.

In the deck of the cards, the 10 of spades shows a photo Tell Rimah in Iraq with the words, “A mound or small hill in an otherwise flat landscape could be a sign of ancient human occupation, proceed with caution.”

The cards were developed to allow soldiers to relax while being educated.

During the early part of the Iraq war a deck of cards with the 52 most wanted Iraqi supporters of Saddam Hussein, including him, were pictured to help GIs know who the wanted were.

With the heritage site cards, each suit highlights specific areas, with spades being about digging, diamonds about artifacts, hearts about respect and clubs about preservation.

The 10 of clubs shows a bulldozer at work with the words, “Heavy excavation equipment can do great harm to archeological sites. Be aware and prepare to stop!”

The 10 of diamonds shows an ancient tablet stating, “Mesopotamia is considered the birthplace of writings as evidenced by this ancient clay tablet with cuneiform script.”

The tablet is on the back of every card with words in Arabic and Pashtu reminding the card players to “Respect Iraqi and Afghan Heritage.”

The 10 of hearts shows the large Buddhas in Afghanistan before they were destroyed by the Taliban with the words, “Religious monuments, such as the Bamian Buddhas in Afghanistan, are often targets for intentional destruction. Protect them when possible.”

And each suit is an individual puzzle. Soldiers can arrange them to create an image, once they find the right pattern.

The wild card in the deck states, “Remember!! When artifacts are looted and ruins are destroyed, valuable pieces of the cultural puzzle disappears forever.”

Rush said the object of the heritage resource preservation, which is part of the Department of Defense’s Legacy Resource Management Program, is to support the mission while showing respect.

The enemy will use sites as areas from which to attack, and soldiers can return fire. But, Rush said, the idea is to use only the amount of force needed to protect themselves.

The Department of Defense has taken heat from social scientists and others in academia for not protecting sites and museums. Rush said there has been a turnaround in the complaints as the military works more closely with organizations such as the Archaeological Institute of America and United Nation agencies.

American military installations are helping train GIs in the importance of protecting archaeological sites. Training, which occurs in heritage areas on military post, shows how a mission can be done while not disturbing a region’s history.

On Fort Drum, replicas of what soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division will come upon in Iraq have been built using fake mud bricks purchased from the local Home Depot, Rush said.

As soldiers return from overseas, they also provide information about the differences they have seen, especially in regards to cemeteries, which are different throughout Iraq.

Although she hasn’t been to Iraq or Afghanistan, Rush participated in a Bright Star Operation in Egypt where she and her colleagues were part of the exercise to help military planners and commanders understand the importance of historic sites.

Egypt was a perfect training ground for the program. Like many places where ancient civilizations flourished, one has to be careful where they dig or drive, Rush said.

Some of the best people to approach when involved in operations are the locals, Rush said. Those people know their history and the heritage of the areas.

Archaeology is now part of the military’s global operations guidelines.

In the future, the Defense Department will hopefully establish a Center of Excellence for Heritage Training and Planning, she said.

“We need to use archaeology as one of our combat tools,” Rush said

As part of the Department of Defense’s program to make soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen aware of the importance of historic heritage, 60,000 decks of special playing cards have been produced.

Another 50,000 have been ordered by the military’s National Guard Bureau.

Pocket guides about heritage preservation also have been produced, and the Dutch and Austrian military are asking for them to be translated into their languages. The pocket guides also will be produced in Arabic.

The guides provide background on what is an archaeological site and an artifact, and what to do if a site is encountered.

The playing cards and pocket guides remind GIs they must follow the rules of engagement and there can be no collecting, graffiti or vandalism at archaeological sites.

Wild Thing's comment........

I think the cards are neat and for sure something for our guys to save. My concern is though I sure as heck don't want them worrying about the sites on the cards and not themselves being safe. To have to think twice or even ONCE when they need to fire back would make these cards a very bad idea to say the least.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (17)

American Sniper Hung Out To Dry

Evan Vela is serving a 10-year prison sentence - but he may have been acting in the best interest of his country.

American sniper hung out to dry

NY Daily News

On a mountain ridge in Afghanistan in June 2005, on a mission to capture or kill a Taliban commander, the four Navy SEALs were discussing ... the American media. Three shepherds, including a 14-year-old, had crossed their path, and the SEALs had to decide what to do: kill them, or let them go and risk exposure to Taliban forces.

On elevated ground near Iskandariyah, Iraq, two years later, American snipers faced the same dilemma: kill or release two civilians who had discovered their hideout, Genei Nesir Khudair al-Janabi and his 17-year-old son, Mustafa.

The SEALs and snipers, facing stunningly similar situations, would make radically different choices - with radically different results.

In Afghanistan, fearful the media would report the killing of unarmed Afghan farmers and worried they might be charged with murder, the SEALs let the shepherds go. The shepherds then alerted the Taliban, who returned with about 100 warriors.

The four SEALs fought valiantly down the sheer mountain. Three, including Michael Murphy of Patchogue, L.I., died in the firefight.

Meanwhile, the Taliban downed a U.S. rescue helicopter carrying 16 special operations fighters, killing all aboard. Marcus Luttrell, one of the initial four, was the operation's lone survivor, as he recounts in his book of the same name.

In Iraq, the snipers released Mustafa - but their section leader, Staff Sgt. Michael Hensley, considered it too dangerous to release the elder al-Janabi.

Hensley, worried that noise by al-Janabi would attract the possibly armed, military-aged men he said he saw about 100 yards away, ordered Sgt. Evan Vela to shoot al-Janabi. Vela did.

President Bush pinned a Navy Cross on Luttrell in July 2006. Vela was court-martialed. Last month, a military panel found him guilty of murder without premeditation; he has begun serving a 10-year prison sentence.

Americans should be deeply disturbed by the contrast. If Luttrell and his fellow SEALs had done what Vela did, they all probably would be alive today. The media and our military, with the latter quick to charge murder, are impeding the judgment, mission and survival of our fighters.

One of Vela's court-martial prosecutors, Maj. Charles Khufahl, argued, "It was murder, plain and simple. United States soldiers do not kill unarmed, detained individuals." But is it so simple?

The Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibits killing an unarmed civilian detainee - unless he represents an imminent threat. But how can we expect a soldier to determine, in a split second, what represents such a threat? Does a civilian who, if released, might bring back armed fighters qualify?

Yes, says the creator of the Navy's counterterrorism SEAL Team Six, retired Cmndr. Richard Marcinko.
"I'd have killed them," he said, referring to the shepherds in Afghanistan. He told me the code is "like the Ten Commandments, short and sweet and subject to interpretation." And rules of engagement vary from theater to theater and according to mission, set by the commander for the overall operation.

Smaller units require more flexible rules because they cannot hold a detainee. Hensley testified at Vela's trial that, under the rules governing them, the snipers were permitted to kill if they felt threatened.

Yet Vela, Hensley and another sniper, Spec. Jorge Sandoval, were charged with murder.

Hensley, who ordered the kill and admitted to placing an AK-47 near al-Janabi's body, was convicted of lesser charges, as was Sandoval. Their light sentences included short prison time or confinement and demotion.

"The strictly correct military decision would ... be to kill them ... because we could not know their intentions," Luttrell writes in his book. But he feared "the liberal media ... and the prospect of many, many years in a U.S. civilian jail alongside murderers and rapists."

Most recruits are highly motivated to defend our country and way of life. They don't sign up to be murderers. The media would have them always give civilians the benefit of the doubt. If only we would extend the same benefit of the doubt to our fighters.

On today's battlefield, facing an enemy without uniforms and children who could be suicide bombers, our military deserves this understanding more than ever.

"The government has chased some of the finest men out of the army" by not supporting them, Vela's father, Curtis Carnahan, told me.

Our military should have told the Iraqi government "that sometimes there are hard choices that have to be made" and that civilians will sometimes be killed, Vela's attorney, James Culp, told me.

At the very least, Vela deserves the same light sentence given to Hensley and Sandoval.

Evan Vela made a wrenching but necessary decision. He is not a murderer.

Wild Thing's comment........

Our military brass makes me sick. They are willing to sacrifice the lives of 19 Americans so two Taliban sympathizers could go on killing Americans. Damned arm chair generals would rather see 20 of their own men die than kill one or two enemy sympathizers.

You can’t fight a PC war and expect to win.

Liberalism hamstrings our military, then liberals complain that their hamstrung military is in a “quagmire” and therefore must withdraw. It’s a crazy, vicious cycle, and it ultimately spells our doom. Hard decisions such as what Hensley made, instructing Vela to kill the unarmed father of a boy the soldiers had just released, are unfortunate. But they are many times necessary.

We MUST not fight a PC war.

We cannot, repeat cannot fight an antiseptic war with restrictions on ruthlessness and expect favorable results and minimization of casualties. The people putting in place these idiotic conditions have never looked at the evil in a foe's soul as he trained his weapon on your upper torso. When it comes to combat, never give your enemy an even chance, never mind a substantial leg up.

Where the hell is our common sense as a people?

From another article that give a lot more detail about Evan Vela:

Iraq's Minister of Human Rights, Wijdan Mikhail Salim, however, does not see the case as either a justified kill or a horrific accident by an exhaustion-impaired soldier.

She was attending today's proceedings, she told TIME, because, "I want to be sure that any American soldier who wrongs an Iraqi will go on trial. [Vela] killed an Iraqi man, an unarmed man. He must be punished."

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (14)

March 31, 2008

Death To The Emeny From The Sky

Genghis Khan: The Greatest Happiness is to scatter your enemy and drive him before you. To see his cities reduced to ashes. To see those who love him shrouded and in tears.

Soldiers kill 12 criminals in separate operations
BAGHDAD
Multi-National Division

Baghdad soldiers killed 12 criminals after a small arms and rocket-propelled grenade attack in northern Baghdad March 30.

At approximately 1 a.m., a 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division patrol was attacked, and Soldiers pursued the criminals as they fled.

An air weapons team arrived on scene to provide support. After positively identifying the attackers, the air weapons team engaged and killed the 12 individuals.

“We are exercising great effort to protect the people of Baghdad,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, MND-B spokesman. “We are only targeting criminals and those acting outside the rule of law. We will continue to defend ourselves and the citizens of Baghdad.”

Soldiers kill 8 criminals in separate operations

Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory

Baghdad Soldiers killed eight criminals in separate operations late March 29 and early March 30.

While on patrol in northeast Baghdad, Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment encountered and engaged a three-man rocket-propelled grenade team, killing all three.

MND-B Soldiers later came under fire by a three-man gun team on a nearby rooftop. The soldiers returned fire in self-defense and killed the three criminals.

While manning a checkpoint in Kadhamiyah, soldiers from 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment were attacked and called in a an Apache air weapons team for support. The air weapons team fired two Hellfire missiles and killed two.

“These criminals show how little they regard the lives of innocent Iraqis,” said Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff, MND-B. “We will continue, along with our Iraqi Security Force partners, to target individual criminals, criminal networks and anyone involved in violent crimes ignoring al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr’s ceasefire pledge.”

Soldiers kill 25 criminals

Multi National Forces

Baghdad Soldiers killed 25 criminals in eastern Baghdad March 30.

Soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, were traveling in a combat patrol to investigate a possible point of origin for an indirect fire attack when their Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.

Immediately after the IED attack, Soldiers discovered a second IED in the area and attempted to secure it.

While attempting to secure the IED, they were attacked with indirect fire, rocket propelled grenades and small-arms fire from a house in the vicinity of the IED strike.

An aerial weapons team was called in to support the Soldiers on the ground. A mortar team was spotted on the roof of the house where the attack was coming from, and the AWT defended the Soldiers on the ground and killed 25 criminals.

One Soldier was injured in the IED attack.

“We will defend ourselves when attacked by armed criminals,” said Lt. Col. Steven Stover, MND-B spokesman. “We are not the aggressors, but we will defend ourselves and the Iraqi people with all resources available to us.”

Wild Thing's comment........

" criminals "

Criminals? Ah that is one way to refer to them I guess, I can think of better ones though.

This must be how they are calling it now.

terrorist = al-Qaeda or Taliban
criminals = Moktada al-Sadar’s Madhi Militia

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:50 AM | Comments (10)

In Country With Paratroopers from the 173rd Special Troops Battalion

Paratroopers from the 173rd Special Troops Battalion and Afghan border police patrol the bridge between Afghanistan and Pakistan

By Sgt. Nathan Bowen, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
DOD

NANGAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan

As part of their ongoing effort to enhance communication and cooperation, Afghan and Pakistani border security forces at Torkham Gate met with the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s Special Troops Battalion commander to address security and communication issues and the upcoming opening of the Khyber Border Coordination Center.

Preventing insurgent operations in the border area requires constant communication between the Afghan and Pakistan border forces, said Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Milhorn, the battalion commander. He said he hopes to improve the chances of catching insurgents by supplying the Afghan and Pakistani border police with radio equipment so they can speak directly with each other.

The recent improvements at Torkham Gate, such as installing an X-ray machine to scan incoming cargo trucks and people who regularly cross the border into nationwide databases, are just some of the processes put in place to more efficiently regulate border operations.

Pakistan Army Col. Qaiser Alam stressed the importance of the Afghan and Pakistani border police and the U.S. military pooling their resources to combat a common enemy.

“A terrorist is a terrorist,” Qaiser said. “He has no nationality, no religion, no color.”

The meeting moved to the roof of the border checkpoint on the Pakistan side to take in a full view of the bustling Afghan border station across the bridge, and plans were discussed about future changes. Qaiser said he hopes for newer facilities on his side of the border, alleviating some of the burden from the Afghan side.

No paperless communication exists among the Afghan, Pakistani and U.S. forces, and although they’re only a few hundred feet apart, the checkpoints work independently of each other. Improving the forces’ cooperation ultimately will benefit both sides, officials said.

“Estimates by experts indicate that (Torkham Gate) has the potential to generate $350 million in revenue each year – money that could be put back into government projects,” said Army Maj. Scott Sonsalla, Special Troops Battalion’s executive officer. “Our goal is to improve the country through prosperity and security. Closing the border to illegal traffic does both.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (4)

Soldiers Field New Improved Outer Tactical Vests

Pfc. Joe Piotrowski, with the 6th Iraqi Army Division Military Transition Team, 4th Infantry Division, dons his Improved Outer Tactical Vest March 14, before a mission in Baghdad. He said the new vest is more comfortable than the Interceptor Body Armor and has a better carrying system for his equipment. Photo by Spc. Aaron Rosencrans, Multi-National Division-Baghdad.

First Combat Test: Soldiers Field New Improved Outer Tactical Vests

Story by Spc. Aaron Rosencrans
Multi-National Division - Baghdad Public Affairs

BAGHDAD

After stomping around for a few days with the new Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV), 4th Infantry Division Soldiers reported both pros and cons about the new tactical gear. The new vest has several design differences and some added features, which keep the Soldiers in mind when they're in times of trouble.

The first noticeable difference in the vest design is the way Soldiers don the IOTV. Rather than slipping into it like a jacket, as with the Interceptor Body Armor, they lift it over their head and pull down, which sometimes requires another person to help get the vest on properly.

Soldiers can also detach the fasteners on the wearer's left shoulder, and slip into the vest from the side.

Another key design change is the addition of a quick release lanyard that reduces the vest to its component pieces, which allows the wearer to get out of the vest easily in case of an emergency situation.

Though the troops had mixed feelings about the new vest, they ultimately said they understand the IOTV is a new piece of equipment and they will work with it the best they can.

"I noticed right away how the weight is more evenly distributed with the new vest," said Pfc. Joe Piotrowski, a native of Chicago, who serves as an infantryman with the 4th Inf. Div., Military Transition Team, Multi-National Division - Baghdad. "However, there's more Kevlar on the inside of the vest, so it got twisted easily and made it uncomfortable."

Piotrowski said he managed to fix the twisted Kevlar inside the vest and hasn't had the problem since.

One of the perks of the new design was a flush front, where Soldiers have more room to attach accessories to carry weapon magazines and other necessary equipment.

"Tactically, it's better because I have more places to put my magazine pouches to make them more accessible," said Piotrowski. "Also, you don't have two sides to worry about; you get to work with the whole front flap, which is nice. I like the built-in side plates as well. They're a lot better than the other ones."

Turner and Piotrowski both said the quick release system was a good feature to have in case of an emergency; however, it needed to be reworked to prevent it from pulling the vest apart when it wasn't intended.

"The quick-release feature was a good idea..., but I hear it's a pain to put back together," said Piotrowski. "If something does happen where you're submerged under water or something like that, it'll be a lot better to take this vest off rather than the other one where you have to take it off like a jacket. The new system will just fall off of you."

He added that the quick-release system should be modified so it’s not as easy to pull, just to ensure the vest doesn't fall apart during combat operations.

Soldiers have added tape to the cord on the quick release system to prevent it from loosening accidentally.

Due to the added components of the IOTV, Soldiers now understand it's not just their weapon and vehicle they need to properly maintain, but their armor as well.

Turner said it's more important to perform preventative maintenance checks and services than with the old system. He explained how he had seen a vest malfunction on a Soldier while climbing into a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

The IOTV was issued to Soldiers who initially received the IBA for their deployment and have 120 days or more remaining on their tour. For the most part, Soldiers are adapting to the new system, and they are working with the IOTV to make it better as the days go on.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Hopefully these are more protective BUT not weigh a ton. The last I heard was that the weight of having all their gear on is around 85 pounds. Not sure what it would be with this new Tactical vest.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (8)

March 30, 2008

Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot A Story To Share

Army Chief Warrant Officer Fred White, a Black Hawk pilot with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, demonstrates the preparations he makes before a flight March 18, 2008, at the 3rd CAB flight line in Baghdad. White lost two fingers in a 2003 roadside bomb blast and overcame his injuries to become a pilot. Photo by Spc. Emily J. Wilsoncroft, USA

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq

March 21, 2008

When Army Chief Warrant Officer Fred White sits down at the controls of a Black Hawk helicopter, he looks just like any other pilot in his battalion. He wears the same flight suit, the same helmet and the same air of confidence – the only difference is that at the end of the day, his wrist might be a bit sore.

White suffered injuries that led to the loss of the first two fingers on his right hand in a 2003 roadside bomb attack in Iraq.

Now an aviator and communications officer with the 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, White was not always a pilot. He enlisted in the Army in 2001 as a cavalry scout.

“I always wanted to be in the Army,” he said. “Cav scout seemed like a cool job. I knew I didn’t want to be infantry, but I did want to be in combat arms.”

During the second year of his enlistment, White’s unit became attached to 3rd Infantry Division for the initial push up to Baghdad from Kuwait in the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“There was a lot of fear and uncertainty when we originally crossed the berm,” he said, “but after that, it became more of a daily routine.”

The routine included route clearance, convoy security, vehicle security, observation post setup and maintenance – “pretty much anything that needed to be done in Sadr City,” as White put it.

On Sept. 5, 2003, the routine was disrupted.

“We were pulling security for the engineers that day,” White recalled. “We were on our way to the site, going down Highway 5.”

As the convoy passed under an overpass, it was hit by a remotely detonated 120 mm mortar round.

“It blew up my truck,” he said. “I was the gunner, and the blast threw me against the back of the turret. … My driver took shrapnel in the side of his neck; the (vehicle commander) lost his left thumb and his right eye.”

White -- who was hit by shrapnel in his hands, legs, face and buttocks -- lost his fingers as a result of the attack.

For many soldiers, that would have been the end of the road as far as a military career was concerned. But White, who fully recovered from his injuries after less than a year, decided he wanted to be a pilot.

White said that although the doctor had cleared him medically, the ROTC medic said he wasn’t fit for the Army. “So I (turned in) my warrant officer packet and was picked up for flight school.”

Although there were some who tried to tell White he wouldn’t make it through flight training, he said, his injury didn’t hold him back at all.

“Flying is more of a mental thing,” he said. “You have to be physically coordinated, but a lot of it’s in your mind. You have to think three-dimensionally to maintain control.”

One of the controls in the helicopter resembles a joystick, he explained, on the front of which is a radio control that functions through a trigger-type mechanism.

“I just sewed up the first two fingers on my glove and changed my hand position,” White said, demonstrating how he wraps his wrist around the control. “I was set on proving the people who doubted me wrong, and I adapted so I could succeed.”

White’s battalion commander, Army Lt. Col. Alex Covert, was quick to note the young warrant officer’s success.

“Fred is an above-average UH-60L Black Hawk pilot,” Covert said. “He has flown over 150 hours in combat under the harshest conditions flawlessly.”

Aside from White’s skill as a pilot, Covert also lauded his perseverance and devotion to his military career.

“I cannot describe in words what it takes for a young soldier, … wounded in combat, to not only continue to serve his country, but to take the initiative, become a warrant officer, an outstanding Army aviator and serve as a (battalion communications officer) in combat,” he said. “His selfless service is clearly an example for others to follow.”

White plans to stay in 2-3rd Aviation Regiment, based at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., for at least the near future.

“All the experiences I’ve had in the Army have led me to where I am right now,” he said. “I have no regrets, no resentments. I know I’m lucky to still be here, and I appreciate that.”

Wild Thing's comment.......

Thank you Army Chief Warrant Officer Fred White.

What a wonderful story of courage and dedication.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (10)

Comedians Visit Troops

Comics Steve Treviño, far left, and Scott Kennedy sign autographs and talk with 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade Soldiers following a comedy show, March 22, at the 3rd CAB flight line dining facility at Camp Striker, Iraq.

Spc. Emily J. Wilsoncroft,
3rd Combat Aviation Brigade,
3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – After a long day of work at the Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division flight line, Falcon Soldiers were treated to dinner and a comedy show, March 22, at the flight line dining facility.

Scott Kennedy, Butch Bradley and Steve Treviño made a stopover at the Dining Facility to perform and visit with Soldiers during their tour, which was sponsored by the USO.

The three comics kept their audience in stitches, often singling out individual Soldiers to good-naturedly pick on.

“The show was really funny; it was something different to do,” said Staff Sgt. Joseph Navaret, a Black Hawk pilot with Company B, 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment.

Navaret, a Chicago native, was one of the pilots scheduled to fly the visitors out to a small forward operating base the following day.

In response to Treviño’s challenge to “give us an exciting (helicopter) ride,” Navaret chuckled. “Oh, I’ll give you something,” he laughed.

All three comedians said they genuinely enjoyed performing for the Soldiers.

“The whole point is that I don’t want any Soldier to feel forgotten,” Bradley said.

“We’re going to be here until (Soldiers) aren’t,” Kennedy added. “It recharges me to see how appreciative everyone is. Bringing them a little piece of home is how I serve my country.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (2)

March 29, 2008

Charges Dropped Against Another Marine Accused of Haditha Killings

Charges Dropped Against Marine Accused of Haditha Killings

Coast-to-Coast Bus Tour by War Heroes

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.

The Marine Corps on Friday dropped charges and gave full immunity to a serviceman who was accused of involuntary manslaughter in a squad's killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha in 2005.
The case against Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, 26, was dropped as jury selection was about to begin for his court-martial.

The government has been seeking Tatum's testimony against the squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich.

In February, Tatum received an order to testify against Wuterich and an unrequested immunity order that said anything to which he testified would not be used against him in his court-martial. On Friday, a new immunity order was issued along with the dismissal of charges.

In addition to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, Tatum had been charged with reckless endangerment and aggravated assault.

Tatum's attorney, Jack Zimmerman, said there was no agreement with the government before the dismissal.

"Absolutely, there is no deal," he said.

Zimmerman said Tatum would testify if called as a witness in future trials but that he would testify as a neutral witness, not a government witness.

The case stemmed from a squad's assault in response to a roadside bombing of a convoy that killed one Marine and wounded two others. The government says Wuterich and another Marine shot five men at the scene and the squad leader then ordered his men to clear homes with grenades and gunfire, killing unarmed civilians. Wuterich faces nine counts of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and obstruction of justice.

Message from the defense lawyers

"All charges were dismissed with prejudice against LCpl Tatum this morning, on the day his trial was to begin on allegations stemming from actions in Haditha, Iraq on 19 November 2005. The government said it was done to further the truth seeking function. We emphasize that LCpl Tatum will testify truthfully if called as a witness but there is no deal for his testimony. It became clear to the experienced prosecution team that the right thing to do was to dismiss all charges against LCpl Tatum. We believe the evidence shows that LCpl Tatum reacted to an enemy attack the way he was trained to do. "

"This result is consistent with the recommendation of the Article 32 investigating officer who recommended last summer that no court-martial be held in this case."

JACK B. ZIMMERMANN
KYLE R. SAMPSON
LTCOL MATTHEW W. CORD, USMCR
MAJ JEFFREY V. MUÑOZ, USMC

From the LA Times

"Lance Corporal Tatum will testify truthfully if called as a witness," said his attorney, Jack Zimmerman.
He said his client was relieved by the news and considered it an affirmation of his contention that he and his squadmates responded to a perceived threat as they had been trained to do.

UPDATE:
Michelle Malkin has a write about Gary at Let Freedom Ring makes the case for indicting John Murtha.

From Gary's site at Let Freedom Ring:

"Let’s highlight that conflict between rep. Murtha and the Marine Corps spokesman because it highlights extremely important information.
If Gen. Hagee did indeed brief Rep. Murtha on May 24, 2006, that means that Rep. Murtha couldn’t make these accusations based on irrefutable facts; at least he couldn’t do that on May 17, 2006.

That brings us to our first ‘counts’ against Rep. Murtha: Violating the Haditha Marines’ constitutional protection of (a) being presumed innocent until provent guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and (b) violating their due process rights.

Another accusation Rep. Murtha made was that the officers in charge of the 3/1 Marines covered up their findings of what happened on November 19, 2005 in the city of Haditha. That’s absurd because we know that Captain Jeffrey Dinsmore put together a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation, which was sent up the chain of command. That isn’t speculation; that’s his sworn testimony. The fact that the people further up the chain of command said that there isn’t anything to investigate says it all.

Rep. Murtha told ABCNews’ Charlie Gibson that he knew there was a cover-up “someplace.” As I’ve said before, if you think something is true but can’t prove it, then you should say that “I believe that there is a coverup someplace.” You don’t say that you know there’s a coverup.

That’s the second count in the indictment. Rep. Murtha made false accusations against the Haditha Marines. What’s worse is that he made those accusations without verifiable proof of wrongdoing. Knowingly filing false charges against someone is a crime.

The third count in the indictment is possibly the weightiest of charges. Murtha’s connections within the Pentagon are deep. He’s built a mini-empire by acting as a ‘recruiter’ for companies in the military industrial complex. When they want a new hardware, Rep. Murtha gets it for them. As a result, they paid particularly close attention when Rep. Murtha made an accusation against the Haditha Marines.

With his clout, Rep. Murtha did everything except play the role of judge, jury and executioner. In civilian court, he would’ve been accused of poisoning the jury pool, which is another violation of the Haditha Marines’ due process rights."

Wild Thing's comment........

I am so happy that charges against Stephen have been dropped. NOW, let’s do the same for the others!

Eight were charged. Five have had all charges dropped. Three will stand trial.

The next scheduled court martial is for Lt Col Chessani on April 28.

SSGT Frank Wuterich, and his proceedings have been delayed indefinitely.

Another Haditha Marine that won't be railroaded by the despicable John Murtha.

Thank you God and God bless this man and his family and the other Marines as well in this horrible lies and court trial they have been through.

...Thank you Mark for the UJPDATE on this.

for the UPDATE

* Michelle Malkin blog

* Let Freedom Ring blog

* Boot Murtha Homepage

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (14)

March 26, 2008

America's Enemy Within Afraid Of Real Heroes

Minneapolis high school cancels former student’s and Iraq vets’ talk

911 Families for America

The veteran’s bus tour featuring decorated veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is stopping in the Twin Cities today. But controversy at Forest Lake High School forced the tour to make a change in plans. Capt. Pete Hegeseth founded the group Vets for Freedom. He is an Iraq War vet and a Forest Lake High School graduate. He received word yesterday that the school did not want the bus rolling through, calling the talk too political for a public school. He said parents and an outside group threatened to protest if they came. Instead, the group spoke at the Forest Lake American Legion. Dozens of students at Forest Lake High School were so upset that they skipped school to go see the speech

Students Skip School To See Iraq Speech

A veteran's bus tour featuring decorated veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is stopping in the Twin Cities today.

But controversy at Forest Lake High School forced the tour to make a change in plans.

Capt. Pete Hegeseth founded the group Vets for Freedom. He is an Iraq War vet and a Forest Lake High School graduate. He received word yesterday that the school did not want the bus rolling through, calling the talk too political for a public school.

He said parents and an outside group threatened to protest if they came.

Instead, the group spoke at the Forest Lake American Legion.

Dozens of students at Forest Lake High School were so upset that they skipped school to go see the speech.

"My brother's in the armed forces...it's a slap in the face for people with family members in the armed forces," said student Elijah Miller.

The non-profit, non-partisan group does talk about staying in Iraq, but Hegeseth said the current speech has been adjusted for public school students. He said it's about sharing experience.

"I was out there for three days outside the neighborhood outside the green zone and I didn't hear a single shot fired or a single explosion," Heggeseth told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. "Markets were open, the Iraqi Army was out on the street corner--that's not political, that's what I saw first hand," Hegeseth told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

School officials repeatedly denied our requests for comment on the situation.

Wild Thing's comment.........

"He said parents and an outside group threatened to protest if they came"

Can you imagine, it is not only the school saying no but it says...... parents too, sure the outside groups are probably CODE PINK's and ANSWER ETC. But parents?!!

OK so here we go, parents like this are teaching their kids the steps in being a good liberal, a good American hating communist military loathing citizen. Now kids this is how mom and dad want you to feel about our military, this is how we want you to disrespect and show zero support to those that fought for your being able to live in the land of the free.

No thank soldier is not on our side he is the enemy. We don't like people like that. And we certainly don't encourage the things they do by going to hear them speak or applauding them and cheering for them.

Yep nice huh, my guess is that is exactly the conversation that goes on in the house of liberals with their mush brained kids.

God bless these soldiers. And God bless the students and families that were not like the leftie's that wanted no part of this very special time in their lives.

* Blackfive ....thank you for the video

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (19)

Visiting With our Troops

Capt. Aaron Bowman, commanding officer of Naval Station Mayport, presents a command coin to 8-year-old sea cadet Jesse Carter for having the best uniform during a uniform inspection. (U.S. Navy photo)

With a little help from Command Senior Chief Don Abele, three children lead hundreds of invited guests in reciting the pledge of allegiance while aboard USS Constitution during the ship's 2nd underway demonstration of the year. The three masted, wood-hulled frigate was towed about three miles to Castle Island area where she gave a 21-gun salute to the nation for USS Constitution Day. At 209 years old, USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, manned by 64 active duty U.S. Navy Sailors and visited by nearly half a million tourists annually.

Wild Thing's comment........

I loved seeing this, what wonderful children and they are being taught how special our military is which always makes me very happy.

God bless the children and our troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (6)

March 25, 2008

Iran 'behind Green Zone attack' ~ Gen.David Petraeus

Plumes of thick black smoke rises from central Baghdad's Green Zone after a rocket attack March 23, 2008. Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses the Iraqi parliament and U.S. embassy, was hit by a sustained barrage of rocket or mortar bomb fire early on Sunday, witnesses and officials said.

BBC news

The most senior US general in Iraq has said he has evidence that Iran was behind Sunday's bombardment of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

Gen David Petraeus told the BBC he thought Tehran had trained, equipped and funded insurgents who fired the barrage of mortars and rockets.

He said Iran was adding what he described as "lethal accelerants" to a very combustible mix.

There has as yet been no response from Iran to the accusations.

In response to the news that 4,000 US military personnel have now been killed in Iraq, he said it showed how much the mission had cost but added that Americans were realistic about it.

He also said a great deal of progress had been made because of the "flipping" of communities - the decision by Sunni tribes to turn against al-Qaeda militants.

The extent of this had surprised even the US military, he said.

'Promises violated'

In an interview with BBC world affairs editor John Simpson, Gen Petraeus said violence in Iraq was being perpetuated by Iran's Quds Force, a branch of the Revolutionary Guards.

The attacks led to 15 civilian deaths
"The rockets that were launched at the Green Zone yesterday, for example... were Iranian-provided, Iranian-made rockets," he said, adding that the groups that fired them were funded and trained by the Quds Force.

"All of this in complete violation of promises made by President Ahmadinejad and the other most senior Iranian leaders to their Iraqi counterparts."

The barrage hit the Green Zone on Sunday morning. Some rockets missed their targets killing 15 Iraqi civilians.

Later in the day four US soldiers died when their patrol vehicle was blown up by a bomb in southern Baghdad, putting the total number of US fatalities above 4,000.

This and other bloodshed on Sunday came despite an overall reduction in violence since last June, when the US deployed an extra 30,000 troops for the surge.

Days earlier, Mr Bush marked the fifth anniversary of the invasion, saying that it had made the world a better place.

Wild Thing's comment........

It will always tick me off that this was allowed.

Ahmadinejad On Iraq Visit on March 3 of this year.

http://www.theodoresworld.net/archives/2008/03/ahmadinejad_on_iraq_visit.html

To let him come ofr a visit like that when for a long time now we have been told by our awesome military how Iran is sending insurgents and weapons to Iraq.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (8)

March 24, 2008

Marines reunited with Iraqi Puppies

Marine First Lt. Nathan Nielson plays with his dog Gus on Saturday at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas with society volunteer Diane Johnson, left, and Susan McBride of Animal House Pet Care. Gus is one of a litter of 7 puppies that were transported from Iraq to the society where they were housed and cared for, including medical attention, for about a month until their Marine owners returned from deployment in Iraq Saturday morning.

Marine Capt. Jamisen Fox plays with his 4-month-old Turkish sheepdog named Kirby on Saturday at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas. Kirby is one from a litter of 7 puppies that were transported from Iraq to the society where they were housed and cared for, including medical attention, for about a month until their Marine owners returned from deployment in Iraq on Saturday morning. Fox said the parents of the puppies were stray dogs hanging around their camp in Iraq and the Marines started feeding them. They then became camp watchdogs and when they had a litter of puppies the Marines adopted the puppies and sent them home to America.

Marines reunited with Iraqi puppies in Encinitas

North Country Times

A group of Marines are reunited with seven puppies they adopted while deployed in Iraq. The parents of the pups served as guard dogs for the Marines

VIDEO

ENCINITAS

When Marines in Border Transition Team 1/5/2 returned from deployment in Iraq on Saturday morning, something very special was waiting for them.

Seven Iraqi puppies, raised by the Marines, were reunited with their owners at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas.

The seven white puppies ran around on the grass, chewed treats (and sometimes leashes) and generally acted like puppies.

The petting and hugs were extra meaningful to the Marines, who, having been back in the U.S. for less than 12 hours, had been waiting weeks to be reunited with their dogs.

The story started at a combat outpost on the Syrian border, where the team was training Iraqi border police.

A female dog that visited the camp looking for food delivered a litter of eight puppies. After one starved to death, it was clear that the mother couldn't care for the puppies, and the Marines took charge of raising them.

The puppies are now just over 6 months old.

"Immediately after they were born, we knew we'd have to take them back to the states," said Marine Capt. Jamisen Fox, who is adopting Kirby and Princess from the litter. "Leaving them there wasn't an option."

"They definitely helped us out while we were out there," said 1st Lt. Nathan Nielson, who is going home with Gus, the puppy he says he was drawn to.

"I think we definitely had a chance to bond, especially under the circumstances," he said.

It wasn't an easy option. Included in the list of activities by a Marine Corps general order, just after possessing illegal drugs and destroying historical artifacts, is "Adopting as pets or mascots, caring for, or feeding any type of domestic or wild animal." Because of this, none of the resources of the armed services could be used in moving the puppies.

"I was starting to get the feeling we'd spent a whole lot of time and a whole lot of money and nothing would come from it," said Steve Ronk, founder of Operation Cookie Jar, who took charge of getting the puppies' passage booked.

Ronk said that because there are many wild dogs in the Middle East, they're seen as pests more often than pets, and the future looked bleak for the puppies when the Marines were sent home.

According to Ronk, to ensure their safety, Operation Cookie Jar and the Marines at the outpost arranged for a private security firm to drive the canines from the Syrian border into Baghdad, where they would fly to the U.S.

Once in the U.S., the American Legion cared for the puppies until they arrived at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society, where they were spayed or neutered, microchipped, tested for various health problems, vaccinated, and sent to their own "boot camp," where they learned basic obedience at no cost to the Marines who would adopt them.

"They don't get enough credit for what they do over there," said Jim Silveira, president and CEO of the Rancho Coastal Humane Society, adding that the happy, active puppies have been great fun to take care of. "The staff and the volunteers all love them ... they've been cute little guys to have around."

Wild Thing's comment........

I love this story, and that it has a happy ending makes my heart smile.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (6)

Attack On 507th Altered Training Of Support Troops

Attack on 507th altered training of support troops

El Paso Times

Fort Bliss no longer has a 507th Maintenance Company. But the March 23, 2003, ambush that left 11 soldiers dead as the 507th struggled to keep up with U.S. forces rushing toward Baghdad has memorialized the unit in Army history and training.

The ambush initiated changes, officials said, at the root of armoring Humvees and other trucks, treating supply missions as combat missions and training every soldier as a combat arms soldier. Now, supply and support units are harder to attack and are better equipped to fight, according to officials with Army Training and Doctrine Command units at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., that track history and train leaders.

"Tactically, it was a small event," said Charles Collins, a civilian instructor with the Combat Studies Institute, a military history think tank that creates historical surveys and educational courses. "Emotionally, it was a huge event for the Army because it did expose a weakness."

The ambush drove home the fact that U.S. troops were fighting enemies who blend into the neighborhood and then reappear -- armed and with deadly intent. It was, for the most part, a new type of war.

Among the 507th company prisoners of war were Johnson; Lynch; Spc. Joseph Hudson; Spc. Edgar Hernandez; Sgt. James Riley; and Pfc. Patrick Miller. Two pilots from Fort Hood also were captured and kept with members of the 507th.

Among the 507th members killed were Estrella, Piestewa, Spc. Jamaal R. Addison; 1st Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy; Pfc. Howard Johnson II; Spc. James M. Kiehl; Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata; Pvt. Brandon Sloan and Sgt. Donald R. Walters. Two other soldiers who were not a part of the 507th, but were with the company at the time, also were killed.

Almost immediately after the ambush, soldiers arriving in Kuwait were put through battle drills that burned into their brains the appropriate responses to ambushes, snipers and other attacks, said Col. Steven Mains, director of the Center for Army Lessons Learned, also at Fort Leavenworth.

Nearly as quickly, those changes were relayed to training and doctrine centers in the United States, Mains said. In 2004, a new logistics convoy handbook was issued that addressed the importance of pre-combat checks -- making sure a unit has the right weapons and that they are functioning properly.

Over time, supply truck cabs were armored and had tracking and mapping equipment installed. And nearly every one was equipped with a heavy machine gun. All those changes started with the 507th ambush and continued as the Army collected more information on enemy tactics, Mains said.
Every supply mission was now a combat mission, which required intelligence briefings and detailed planning on routes and security.

"It had a profound effect on how the Army trains its non-combat soldiers," Reese said.

Before the ambush, combat support soldiers rarely fired their weapons unless they were doing their annual qualifications, Reese said. Commanders wanted the soldiers practicing their supply jobs, and past experience indicated they would be operating in rear areas where they would rarely need combat skills.

"There used to be a cultural attitude in the Army," said Collins, a retired soldier. "The Army has made great strides in overcoming that cultural attitude. Any unit, whether a postal unit or a supply unit, will be in training that prepares them for something like this."

More of the story HERE

Wild Thing's commnet........

This happened 5 years ago, and I remember it well. At the time this happened, I didn't have a blog, but I was posting daily at one of the Vietnam Veteran forums. One of the posters there was a relative of one of the POW's ( Spc. Edgar Hernandez) and we all joined in with her in our prayers and concerns daily till he was released. The POW's were finally released and as this article says the military made a lot of changes after this attack.

Prayers for all our troops every day for their safety.

...Thank you Jim for sending this article to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (6)

March 19, 2008

Operation Iraqi Freedom Begins March 19th, 2003

It began.......

Some of the good things going on because of Operation Iraqi Freedom

"I don't think you can overstate the importance that the rise of Islamic fundamentalism will have to the rest of the world in the century ahead-especially if, as seems possible, its most fanatical elements get their hands on nuclear and chemical weapons and the means to deliver them against their enemies." --Ronald Reagan

Wild Thing's comment........

All of us here at Theodore's World want to thank you all serving our country. You are in our prayers and thoughts daily.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (4)

March 18, 2008

Air Force's F-117 Stealth Fighters Making Final Flights

Air Force buffs, prepare to salute a true American hero as it makes it way into the annals of military history: the F-117 stealth fighter. The planes -- one of the most enigmatic members of the military's arsenal -- will be making their final trip on April 21st from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico to Tonopah Test Range Airfield in Nevada, the home of their first flight. The aircraft is being replaced by a newer model, the F-22 Raptor, and the government says it has no plans to bring the radar-dodging planes out of retirement. In all, there have only been 59 F-117s that have rolled off the assembly line, 37 of which have already been taken out of the skies, and another seven which have crashed. We'll miss you, F-117, and all the totally awesome, completely secret stuff you did.

DAYTON, Ohio

(AP)

The world's first attack aircraft to employ stealth technology is slipping quietly into history.

The inky black, angular, radar-evading F-117, which spent 27 years in the Air Force arsenal secretly patrolling hostile skies from Serbia to Iraq, will be put in mothballs next month in Nevada.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, which manages the F-117 program, will have an informal, private retirement ceremony Tuesday with military leaders, base employees and representatives from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

The last F-117s scheduled to fly will leave Holloman on April 21, stop in Palmdale, California, for another retirement ceremony, then arrive on April 22 at their final destination: Tonopah Test Range Airfield in Nevada, where the jet made its first flight in 1981.

The government has no plans to bring the fighter out of retirement, but could do so if necessary.

"I'm happy to hear they are putting it in a place where they could bring it back if they ever needed it," said Brig. Gen. Gregory Feest, the first person to fly an F-117 in combat, during the 1989 invasion of Panama that led to the capture of dictator Manuel Noriega.

The Air Force decided to accelerate the retirement of the F-117s to free up money to modernize the rest of the fleet. The F-117 is being replaced by the F-22 Raptor, which also has stealth technology.

Fifty-nine F-117s were made; 10 were retired in December 2006 and 27 since then, the Air Force said. Seven of the planes have crashed, one in Serbia in 1999.

Stealth technology used on the F-117 was developed in the 1970s to help evade enemy radar. While not invisible to radar, the F-117's shape and coating greatly reduced its detection.

The F-117, a single-seat aircraft, was designed to fly into heavily defended areas undetected and drop its payloads with surgical precision.

A total of 558 pilots have flown the F-117 since it went operational. They dub themselves "bandits," with each given a "bandit number" after their first flight.

Feest, who is Bandit 261, also led the first stealth fighter mission into Iraq during Desert Storm in 1991. He said the fire from surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns was so intense that he stopped looking at it to try to ease his fears.

"We knew stealth worked and it would take a lucky shot to hit us, but we knew a lucky shot could hit us at any time," he said.

Incredibly, not one stealth was hit during those missions, he said

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (6)

March 13, 2008

Marines Deserve Better Thanks Than This

A Tracy man calls out the Berkeley city council and a protest group for their actions against U.S. Marine Corps recruiters.

Tracy Press

By Craig Dander is a Tracy resident

In December 2006, U.S. Marine Capt. Richard Lund and staff moved from the old Federal Building in Alameda because it was scheduled to be torn down. He found a new location at Shattuck Square in Berkeley in proximity to the University of California, Berkeley, campus and many other colleges.

Lund is a Marine with more than eight years of service. He flew transport helicopters during most of this time, with two stints in Iraq and a tour in Sumatra, where he delivered humanitarian aid to victims of the 2004 tsunami.

He requested to come to the Bay Area to serve recruiting duty. He is the selection officer for the northern Bay Area; it is his job to recruit, interview, screen and evaluate college students and college graduates who show interest in becoming officers in the U.S. Marine Corps. Once they have formally committed to pursuing the program, his job is to help them apply and prepare for the rigors of Officer Candidate School and the challenges of life as a Marine officer.

To be eligible for the program, you have to either be a full-time college student or a college graduate. High schools students are not eligible to become officers.

Being a Marine officer is not the easiest path in the world; leading Marines requires incredible self sacrifice, and in today’s Marine Corps., succeeding in one’s quest to become a Marine officer almost guarantees a trip to Iraq.

Recently, the Berkeley City Council, in a 6-3 vote, approved a declaration proposed by council members and led by councilwoman Linda Mayo that the U.S. Marine Corps close its Berkeley recruiting center. The document went on to say that the Marines were “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.”

That same night, the council went on to approve a parking permit right in front of the Marine Corps offices and a noise permit — both free of normal fees collected by the city— to the antiwar group Code Pink.

These Code Pink folks try to characterize themselves in the media as a “bunch of grandmothers” who just want to see the boys come home from a stupid war. Nothing could be further from the truth.

They painted across the front doors of the Marine office in Berkeley: “Recruiters are traitors!” They’ve thrown animal feces at the Marines entering and exiting the building and posted signs that say things like, “Marines — the few, the proud, the insane!”

Councilwoman Mayo described Lund as a traitor in an interview on National Public Radio. She suggested that the Marines “take advantage of those in society with the fewest options … and they exploit the poor and impoverished to acquire more Marines to fight their war.”

She might be surprised to find that many young men and women seek out the Marines because they are an elite fighting group and the best amphibious assault force on the planet. They join because they want to be a part of something worthwhile and fulfilling. Often, these young people are fulfilling lifelong dreams in the pursuit of the Marine Corps.

We are an independent nation with an all-volunteer fighting force. We must maintain a military or be allied with those who do. Marines fight by order of the president. They have no power to change political policy here or abroad, so to insult them as a group or as individuals in such a hate-filled manner is misdirected at best. It’s not “their war,” and it should be remembered that they serve when and where they are asked to fight.

The Berkeley community has a tradition of respecting free speech and the rights of others. It’s a shame that those traditions have not been on display here. Instead, people with an utter disdain for the Marines, in the name of ending the war, demonized them as was done during the Vietnam era. They treat them as unwanted interlopers, and the council, in its arrogance, evidently thought endorsing this kind of message was for the greater good.

The Berkeley City Council and Code Pink are elitist, segregationist and self-righteous in both word and action.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of these United States of America, and I give my heart to the U.S. Marines and all the armed servicemen and -women who have given me the freedoms my family takes for granted each day. May God bless them all with a lifetime of abundance as they return home from active duty!

Wild Thing's comment........

If you go to the link you can also read the comments at the Tracy Press article. Many are from family members of those serving now.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:40 AM | Comments (4)

March 12, 2008

Afghanistan - "The Coldest Winter" (Mar.2008)

Wild Thing's comment.........

So many lies to our troops, if ithey have weapons or not, how old the weapons are that they do have when our soldiers find them, and the patience our troops show these people. Amazing!

"We have to look constantly at ways to do it better and do it differently", states Woods.

Prayers for our troops, for their safety and thank God for every single one of them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)

Chuck Norris Visits Troops In Iraq

poses for a picture with Staff Sergeant Amy Forsythe during his visit to Camp Falluja, 50 km (30 miles) west of Baghdad

Chuck Norris Visits Troops In Iraq

source

3/10/08

Chuck Norris is helping to inspire U.S. troops in Iraq - after soldiers erected a shrine to the tough guy in their base.

The troops in Baghdad have created a shrine out of cardboard and Post-It notes to the seemingly invincible actor.

CLICK IMAGE OF CARDBOARD SEE SEE LARGER IMAGE

"Chuck Norris puts the laughter in manslaughter."
"The fastest way to a man's heart is with Chuck Norris's fist."
"Chuck Norris doesn't tea bag, he potato sacks. Booya!"

Norris has made the trek to Iraq several times to visit with troops over the years, including Falluja.

"The Marines love him. He's like a mythical legend," Staff Sergeant Amy Forsythe, who is stationed at the base in Falluja, told Reuters.

"He's helped us a lot. The appeal is also his martial arts, and sheer physical presence ... I don't think I go a day without hearing a Norris joke," said Corporal Ricardo Jones.

Norris' appeal has reached Iraqis as well. "I've seen his videos, he's a hero," said police trainer Khaled Hussein. "He saves the city, he protects women and children and he fights crime wherever it is. We should all be like Chuck Norris."

Sergeant Joe Lindsay says, "The jokes all add to his legend. They're not derogatory. He's an icon."

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:48 AM | Comments (11)

Outside the Wire: Documentary Series

Former Marine and television news producer JD Johannes traveled to Iraq in 2005 with his old Marine Corps unit to produce syndicated TV news reports for local stations.

From those reports comes a view of the war that only the grunts who operate outside the wire experience.

From a dust-up with Al Qaida outside Abu Ghriab, to a night raid on the home of an insurgent leader, you will see what the Marines saw and hear the story in their own words of why they joined, volunteered for the deployment, why they fight and what it is like to go outside the wire and into combat.

"Outside the Wire " website

Extended trailer for 3 upcoming documentaries on the Iraq War. JD Johannes travels outside the wire as an embed with the US Military.
"The DVD…which is actually a Double Disc documentary trilogy is so close to be released it is maddening. (Individual episodes will also be sold on DVD.)

The three episodes, with all the special features, will give you 190 minutes of Iraq as only those who operate outside the wire get to see it.

There are more documentaries in the Outside the Wire Series to come."

From the website

About the Documentary Series:

The 'Outside the Wire' series of four documentaries about Iraq started when JD Johannes went to Iraq with his old Marine Corps unit in 2005 to produce syndicated television news reports.

Johannes returned to Iraq in 2007 to see 'The Surge' and the 'Anbar Awakening' first hand.

The 2005 trip resulted in the the release of the original 'Outside the Wire: Call Sign Vengeance' which follows one Marine infantry platoon through their deployment to the Fallujah area in 2005.

The 2007 trip resulted in three documentaries: 'Danger Close', 'Anbar Awakens' and 'Baghdad Surge'.

'Danger Close' is an up-close, in-depth look at a complex attack by Al Qaida on small, distant U.S. Army outpost on the edge of the Euphrates river valley. JD Johannes was the only reporter to witness the attack and followed the US Army paratroopers into combat--nearly getting himself killed.

'Anbar Awkens' shows the greatest turn-around of the Iraq War--the tribes of Al Anbar province joining with the coalition to fight Al Qaida--from the perspective of the Jumayli tribe. The Jumayli tribe--with no prompting from the Coalition--turned on Al Qaida and engaged in a serious gun-battle with Al Qaida before formally joining with the coalition.

'Baghdad Surge' is a look at the surge from asphalt level. This episode follows a U.S. Army infantry Captain through a 'day-of-the-surge' and the modern three-block-war.

The interviews with Soldiers and Marines were conducted at the Combat Outposts they lived and worked at by JD Johannes.

With the exception of digital animations and brief clips of insurgent video--everything was shot by JD Johannes.

Nothing was staged, recreated or rehearsed. The bullets, bombs, blood and bad guys are all real.

Wild Thing's comment........

I missed the show I didn't know about it ahead of time or I would have posted about it for all of you to know as well. I just went to their site though and signed up for their newsletter and to be able to get the DVD when it is released.

* Yankeemom

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (4)

March 11, 2008

Spc.Monica Lin Brown~ Medic Awarded Silver Star

Spc. Monica Lin Brown from Lake Jackson Texas of 82 Air borne stands guard at a forwarded operating base in Khost, Afghanistan.

Medic Stationed in Afghanistan Becomes 2nd Woman to Be Awarded Silver Star

CAMP SALERNO, Afghanistan

A 19-year-old medic from Texas will become the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest medal for valor.

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown saved the lives of fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees in the eastern Paktia province in April 2007, the military said.

After the explosion, which wounded five soldiers in her unit, Brown ran through insurgent gunfire and used her body to shield wounded comrades as mortars fell less than 100 yards away, the military said.

"I did not really think about anything except for getting the guys to a safer location and getting them taken care of and getting them out of there," Brown told The Associated Press on Saturday at a U.S. base in the eastern province of Khost.

Brown, of Lake Jackson, Texas, is scheduled to receive the Silver Star later this month. She was part of a four-vehicle convoy patrolling near Jani Kheil in the eastern province of Paktia on April 25, 2007, when a bomb struck one of the Humvees.

"We stopped the convoy. I opened up my door and grabbed my aid bag," Brown said.

She started running toward the burning vehicle as insurgents opened fire. All five wounded soldiers had scrambled out.

"I assessed the patients to see how bad they were. We tried to move them to a safer location because we were still receiving incoming fire," Brown said.

Pentagon policy prohibits women from serving in front-line combat roles — in the infantry, armor or artillery, for example. But the nature of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, with no real front lines, has seen women soldiers take part in close-quarters combat more than previous conflicts.

Four Army nurses in World War II were the first women to receive the Silver Star, though three nurses serving in World War I were awarded the medal posthumously last year, according to the Army's Web site.

Brown, of the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, said ammunition going off inside the burning Humvee was sending shrapnel in all directions. She said they were sitting in a dangerous spot.

"So we dragged them for 100 or 200 meters, got them away from the Humvee a little bit," she said. "I was in a kind of a robot-mode, did not think about much but getting the guys taken care of."

For Brown, who knew all five wounded soldiers, it became a race to get them all to a safer location. Eventually, they moved the wounded some 500 yards away and treated them on site before putting them on a helicopter for evacuation.

"I did not really have time to be scared," Brown said. "Running back to the vehicle, I was nervous (since) I did not know how badly the guys were injured. That was scary."

The military said Brown's "bravery, unselfish actions and medical aid rendered under fire saved the lives of her comrades and represents the finest traditions of heroism in combat."

Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, of Nashville, Tenn., received the Silver Star in 2005 for gallantry during an insurgent ambush on a convoy in Iraq. Two men from her unit, the 617th Military Police Company of Richmond, Ky., also received the Silver Star for their roles in the same action.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Do not mess with women from Texas! Tah dah!

God bless and protect this brave warrior Sgt. Monica Lin Brown, and all our awesome troops!

And I hope her friends and family learn that it is their job, not hers, to bring that award out and make sure it's displayed. Show it proudly in their home. Too many people take their Silver Star and hide it away ~ their excuse is "Just doing what I was supposed to do". I hope her loved ones show their pride in her when she gets home.

What a great story!

..... Thank you Tom for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:48 AM | Comments (14)

March 09, 2008

Marines Find Ramadi More Welcoming Than Berkeley

Marine "inside the wire." The year before no one could remove their Kevlar (helmet) outside the building.

DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONT LINES
Marines find Ramadi more welcoming than Berkeley
California city officials would banish them

WND

By Matt Sanchez

BERKELEY

"The Marines are unwelcome here." These weren't the comments of a banana republic dictator or the rantings of a religious radical. These were the words of Tom Bates, the elected mayor of Berkeley.

It's difficult to match up the animosity of the residents of Berkeley, Calif., USA, with the residents of Ramadi, Anbar, Iraq. I met Ramadis who were so happy to have the Marines among them that they literally hugged and kissed them on the streets. Children made high-five signs when they saw Marines of the 3rd battalion 7th Marines on patrol and residents insisted they come in to drink chai and eat goats the hosts were willing to kill in their honor.

One resident grumbled the Marines of the 2nd battalion 5th Marines never stayed long enough after dinner. Iraqis are very hospitable and dinner can last several hours and long into the night.

Of course, Ramadi was no cakewalk. In 2005, the Marines told of having to run during the entire patrol. A moving, erratic target made it harder for an eager sniper to pick off a Marine. That was a tough time for the 3rd battalion 7th Marines Kilo Company, as told by Cpl. Tar Po.

Po was born in Burma. His family fled that Southeast Asian nation because of the political situation. Thanks to an aunt, the corporal's parents moved the family to California when he was just five years old. Po sailed through the school system until he hit a few bumps in his teenage years.

"I was hanging out with the wrong crowd," said the corporal, in his early 20s. He participated in the JROTC to join the Navy, but decided to join the Marine Corps after meeting a gunnery sergeant who impressed him.

"He kept me out of big trouble," said Po, who later confessed that he wanted to join the Corps to "blow things up." His teenage years were turbulent and the corporal still regrets putting his parents through so much grief. He joined the Marine Corps on an "open contract" and eventually became a 0311, "a grunt", a rifleman.

Like many young men and women recruited during a time of war, Po had no illusions. Most of the people I spoke to in Iraq and Afghanistan had joined after the start of hostilities. They signed up during a time of war.

We were standing in Ramadi, the sun was beating down hot and we were in full battle rattle. After loading up the vehicle for a convoy we headed for the chow hall, a makeshift building where Marines served meals out of robust Mermite containers. It was going to be a long day.

"I wanted to come to Iraq," said Po in a quiet voice that made him seem younger.

Choosing to come to a war zone is difficult enough for war protesters back in Berkeley to understand, but it makes sense to any military recruiter. To Po's generation, the generation whose parents posted "Baby on Board" signs in their rear window, the idea of risk and danger are not only appealing, for the few, there is a yearning to rise to a challenge so as not to fall to mediocrity.

Po got his share of danger when on Oct. 11, 2005, while rolling down Michigan Avenue, his convoy was hit by a pressure plate IED. .

After such a severe injury, Po could have left the Marine Corps. He could have gotten out and no one would have blamed him. His scar was an impressive gash across his arm, there were marks from the needle surgeons had pushed in and out of his skin. But Po chose to go back.

After only a couple of weeks in country, Po was injured again during a patrol. His arm was split open. Within hours, he was out of the country, on a military flight to Germany, at least that is what he was told. He actually doesn't remember much until he got back home to California.

It's one thing to go into the "unknown" to test one's limits, this is the motive for many who seek adventure or just want to see what they can stand. It's quite another to be wounded seriously and head back to a war zone.

At home, Po spent much time recuperating, but rest wasn't always on his mind.

"I really felt that I had let the other Marines down, like I wasn't doing my job."

The events that changed the corporal's life weren't strictly limited to his wounds.

"I respect my parents more than ever, they were there for me the whole time. I'm sorry I put them through so much."

After surgeries, therapy and much pain, the next question was obvious.

"No, I've never regretted becoming a Marine. It's one of the best experiences of my life."

Down the Bay from Berkeley, the Fremont Marine recruiting station is next to a shopping center, and just a stone's throw away from the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Station. This is an affluent area nestled near a chain of hills that run along the San Francisco Bay. If you visit the recruiting station, you'll see a few Marines hanging out with a couple of "poolees", young men and women who are about to join the Marine Corps. These are the ones who have passed the battery of tests that the majority of applicants will fail.

"Of every 10 people who are interested, only about three are qualified," said Staff Sgt. Felton C. Williams, the U.S. Marine Corps recruiter for the Fremont area. After completing the first part of the process, the screening, the poolees will become recruits at Marine basic training. Anywhere from 10 to 30 percent of those recruits will not finish the initial training.

Groups like Code Pink and The World Can't Wait shouted for a ban against the Marines and yet young men and women will seek out the Corps, looking for something they can't find elsewhere.

"It's business as usual. We aren't planning to move that office," Gunnery Sgt. Pauline Franklin said Monday. "We've been recruiting qualified men and women for 232 years. That's not going to stop now."

"We failed our city," said Gordon Wozniak, who was one of three council members who voted against the original declaration. "We embarrassed our city."

"It hurts to see what some of the people back home, saying the war is pointless," said Po wincing, the gash on his bare arm impossible to hide. It was a bright sunny day in Ramadi and we were about to convoy to a meeting at the city council. In fact, we were going near the road where Po was wounded.

"They just don't know," said the corporal. If anyone had the right to complain about the presence of Marines in a city, surely it was this young Marine who was on his second tour.

Who will defend the citizens of Berkeley should they come to some danger? The answer is those same Marines who are willing to be wounded and still return to duty. After a couple of days and a bit of pressure, the mayor of Berkeley and most of his city council members have capitulated in defeat.

Fortunately, as "intruders" the Marines are made of much tougher stuff. If the Marines were able to tame Ramadi, a city that was proclaimed the religious capital of al-Qaida in Iraq by members of that organization, the Marines won't be swayed by a couple of people protesting.

Despite all the commotion about Berkeley, there was an upside to this story.

"More people inquired about becoming a Marine officer," said Officer Selection Officer Captain Richard Lund with some hesitation. Not everyone who wants to become a Marine can, but those who do, like Cpl. Tar Po, truly are the few.

Wild Thing's comment........

God bless our military and God bless our Marines. Great story and what an ending to it too where more people are interested in becoming a Marine.

....Thank you Les for sending this story to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (8)

March 07, 2008

Marines Cooking in Iraqi Kitchen

Marines cooking food in Iraqi kitchen

Wild Thing's comment........

I love this, total dedication with their missions, friendships made, fun when there is time allowed and there is a Brotherhood that will always exist.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM

March 05, 2008

A Bad Time for Murphy’s Law

Combined Joint Task Force-82
Public Affairs Office

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan

It’s a simple law: “If it can go wrong, it will.” Murphy’s Law is known and experienced by people all over the world.

Sometimes the law is followed by a special clause: “At the worst possible time.”

Paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division’s Long Range Surveillance Detachment are no strangers to the law or the clause that often follows it.

During a fire fight Sept. 9, 2007, near the village of Qaleh Saleh, Tag Ab District, Kapisa province, Afghanistan, Army Sgt. Jonas Jerome Allen and Spc. Charles Villasenor had a little run in with Murphy’s Law.

Fortunately for the two Paratroopers and their fellow Soldiers, a second law came into effect after the first. This time the law wasn’t named after Murphy; it was named after Sir Isaac Newton.

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,” is Newton’s third law of motion.

Paratroopers from the LRSD, along with a Marine Corps Embedded Training Team and soldiers with the Afghan National Army’s 3rd Kandak, 3rd Brigade, 201st Corps, were on a mission to assess damage from an earlier engagement when the unit began taking enemy fire.

Allen was manning a .50 caliber machine gun in one vehicle while Villasenor was behind a MK-19 grenade launcher when the fighting began.

“When we began taking fire, I began suppressive/terrain denial bursts at a low wall about 130 meters (429 feet) to my front,” Villasenor, a native of Santee, Calif., said.

Soon after the fighting began, Murphy’s Law came into effect.

“I fired four to five bursts and I had to reload due to a break in the link; when I charged the weapon I noticed that the right side charging handle was still towards the back of the weapon,” Villasenor said.

“During his reloading there was a malfunction with the MK-19,” said Spc. Christopher L. Baker, who was driving the truck Villasenor was manning the gun on at the time. “When he couldn’t fix the malfunction I called ‘gun down’ over the radio.”

“When I heard over the radio that [Villasenor’s] gun was down, I was still shooting my weapon and we were taking contact from a house and the rooftop,” Allen, then a specialist, said. “I glanced at [Villasenor’s truck] and saw that the gunner was having trouble and I knew we need the MK-19 rocking.”

“I could not fix the gun at that time because what I had was a major malfunction and it requires the weapon to be almost completely disassembled in order to fix,” Villasenor said.

“The driver, Spc. Baker, made the radio call, ‘gun down,’ and I had him back away from our position,” Villasenor said. “I yelled over to the Marine gunner to take our position due to the downed gun.”

“At this time, while taking small-arm and [rocket propelled grenade] fire … Sgt. Allen waved for our vehicle to pull up beside his,” Baker, a Newaygo, Mich. native, said.

Enter Newton’s Law.

“I jumped out and told the gunner (Villasenor) to get out and get into my turret,” Allen, who is Ranger-qualified, said.

“At that time, we were still taking sporadic small-arms and RPG fire when we jumped out and switched trucks,” Villasenor said.

Allen had more experience operating the MK-19 than Villasenor. He also had additional training from his team leader on major malfunctions, Allen said.

Once the two gunners swapped trucks, Villasenor began to fire the .50 cal., while Allen began to work on the malfunctioning weapon.

“I jumped into the turret and saw that the charging handle was stuck behind the bolt and I knew the only way to fix it was to disassemble the weapon system,” Allen said. “I knew I had to hurry because we were taking RPG’s and small-arms fire and I’d rather fire at the enemy than to have the enemy fire at me.”

Allen said he disassembled and reassembled the weapon as fast as he could.

“I just was thinking that if I hurry up and fix the MK-19, I could start engaging the enemy and kill them,” he said.

Once he repaired it, he had the driver of the truck move him into a better position then he put it to use.

“After checking the weapon, we both decided to stay where we were,” Villasenor said. “He had more knowledge on the MK-19 and I am more proficient on the .50 cal.”

“I fired the MK-19 into the house and the rooftop we were receiving contact from and after I unloaded an ammo can of 40 mm rounds, I reloaded it and kept engaging the enemy until we stopped taking contact,” Allen said.

Both troopers feel the weapon was necessary in the fight.

“I can say that if I didn’t fix the MK-19 the fire fight could have lasted longer because there is something about a loud boom that the enemy don’t like and it always usually gets quiet, meaning they stop firing or can’t fire once the MK-19 starts firing and blowing things up,” Allen said.

“There is no telling what would have happened. I do know that in a fire fight each heavy weapon is essential,” Villasenor said.

During the battle, the two laws caught up with each other. Murphy’s Law came into play when the weapon malfunctioned. Newton’s law answered Murphy’s with an opposing reaction from Allen.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (6)

Come Fly Along

The music is The Champions" track from "The Mass" by Era.

"If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed, if you will not fight when victory will be sure and not so costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no chance of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves." Sir Winston Churchill

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (5)

March 03, 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen the USS New York

USS New York, With Steel From World Trade Center, Set for Christening

By 2nd Stryker Cav. Regt. PAO, MND-B

Here she is, The USS New York (LPD 21), made from the World Trade Center!

It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.

It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite , LA to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003 , 'those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence,' recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. 'It was a spiritual moment for everybody there.'

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the 'hair on my neck stood up.' 'It had a big meaning to it for all of us,' he said. 'They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back.'

The ship's motto is ........ 'Never Forget.'

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (12)

March 02, 2008

Update On Specialist John Johnson and His Wife After Car Accident

From my post on November 6th 2007

Specialist John Austin Johnson was injured in Baghdad, Iraq, with Traumatic Brain Injury. His wife, Lisa and their three children, Logan (2), Ashley (5), and Tyler (9) left Ft. Bliss (El Paso, TX), to drive to San Antonio to be with him. They were in a horrific car accident and all three children died.

The Texas Chapter of Operation Homefront

This is an UPDATE on how they are doing:

"A former Fort Bliss soldier and his wife on Thursday opened the bright red door to a new home and what they hope will be a fresh start after a tragic car accident claimed the lives of their three children.

“It’s just more than I could have ever imagined,” Lisa Johnson said, smiling, as she and her husband, Army Spc. John Austin Johnson, toured the couple’s first home. With the help of Operation Homefront, the PGA Tour and KB Homes, the Johnsons purchased the 2,400-square-foot home and moved from Fort Bliss to a small San Antonio suburb.

“For them, this is really more than they’ve ever had in their lives,” said Amy Palmer, a co-founder of Operation Homefront, which helps wounded warriors returning from battle…Injuries from Austin Johnson’s two tours and the five explosions left the family in debt and led to bankruptcy, she said.

Operation Homefront raised $140,000 to help the Johnsons pay off their debt, complete their bankruptcy proceedings, buy a car, finance their home and move them from El Paso to San Antonio. The PGA tour raised $78,000, while KB Homes furnished the home.

Contributions paid for about half the cost of the $154,000 home. With the organization’s help, the couple secured an affordable $600 monthly mortgage payment for the remainder, Palmer said.

The Johnsons have more help, too, from generous donors in the El Paso area who contributed to an account that FirstLight Federal Credit Union established for the family.

The account closed Thursday with more than $86,000 in donations that came in over about two months, said Charles Morris, the credit union’s vice president of marketing.

“It could never fill the void or make up for the emotional damages and the trauma this couple has gone through, but it certainly will help,” Morris said.

Along with the financial generosity from El Pasoans, the Johnsons’ new home will have a long-lived reminder of their two years at Fort Bliss. Travis Elementary School, which Ashley and Tyler attended, dedicated an evergreen tree to the children and sent it to the Johnsons."

Wild Thing's comment........

I am so glad to hear how they are doing. So many times when we all post things we seldom find out updates. Please continue to pray for this family, healing is a slow process. Thank you all so much.

.....Thank you so much Mark for the link for information.

* Michelle Malkin

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (11)

March 01, 2008

Bloodhound 17 Nabs 16 Caches in 10 Weeks

Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Connell, a native of Polson, Mont., inspects an Iraqi checkpoint while patrolling with his team in Baghdad, Feb. 14

Bloodhound 17 Nabs 16 Caches in 10 Weeks

BAGHDAD, Iraq

His call sign is Big Dawg 17, but you might as well call him “Bloodhound 17” after he and his 30-man platoon sniffed out a total of 16 buried ammunition and weapons caches over a 10-wek period.

Sgt. 1st Class Connell, 40, a native of Polson, Mont., has the reputation of being tough, but fair, on his men. He is on his fifth consecutive year as a platoon sergeant, and he runs his platoon one way – his.

Connell is currently assigned to 1st Platoon, Battery B, Fires Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. His current tour of duty in Iraq marks his second stint, and he barks out orders like a drill sergeant.

“Take Bravo 17 (an up-armored humvee) down to maintenance and get it fixed,” he bellowed, “It blew cherry juice all over Route Lincoln.”

For his Soldiers, his instructions are well understood as they hurry to follow his guidance.

“The man is determined, said Spc. Ronald Butler, who hails from Bennett, Iowa. “I’ll just leave it at that.”

At the beginning of December, his platoon took over an area northwest of Baghdad in what used to be an al-Qaida stronghold that historically was a prime spot for hidden munitions and homemade explosives.

After a few days of searching, his platoon observed suspicious holes near an abandoned building. Four days later, the Soldiers seized munitions from two finds. In the first seizure, the captured a 2.75-inch rocket with 450 AK-47 rounds and 150 heavy machine gun rounds. At the second site, they nabbed four tank rounds.

By the time Christmas rolled around, approximately two months later, the platoon had sniffed out a total of 16 caches, including one on Christmas Day.

“I had to shell out $150 dollars to buy the platoon pizza,” said Connell reflecting on his platoon’s expensive find. “I promised them (his platoon) if they found a cache on Christmas, they’d get pizza from me.”

Maj. Tim Hunt asked Connell who it was that he and his platoon were so successful in finding the illegal munitions and weapons, to which Connell replied in his typical bluntness: “Sir, we just kick a lot of dirt.”

Hunt is from Dupont, Wash., and serves as the squadron’s executive officer.

Connell enlisted with the National Guard in January 1987 and is an artilleryman by trade. Four years later, he joined the active-duty ranks. He said he has spent the majority of his 21 years career behind the breech of a cannon, launching 100-pound projectiles into impact areas many miles away from his position.

The war in Iraq changed all of that for him – and many others. His first deployment was in northern Iraq, he said, and most of his time was spent raiding houses and looking for suspected terrorists – a duty formerly thought of as a job specifically for an infantryman. It was valued experience he carried through with him for his current tour.

“I’m amazed at how knowledgeable he is of the area,” said Spc. Matthew Pawlikowski, a native of Garfield, N.J., who serves as the platoon’s armorer.

The platoon’s largest cache to date was found in early February, the day after a car bomb exploded under a local sheik. His platoon took immediate action after receiving a tip. After two hours of searching, Connell was the one who found six 120mm mortar rounds and a complete 120mm mortar system buried underneath a staircase.

Another hour of searching yielded the discovery of a buried water tank filled with more than 4,000 pounds of munitions that included rocket-propelled grenades, grenades, detonation cord and mortars. An explosive ordnance disposal team was called in to destroy the seized cache.

As to what his plans are for when the deployment is over, he said “I’ll spend time with my newborn son.”

He also said he hopes to get an assignment with the University of Montana, where he would relish the opportunity to serve as an assistant instructor for the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps program so he can pass his knowledge to the Army’s next batch of fresh, young second lieutenants and, of course, to teach them “to kick a lot of dirt.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM

U.S. Soldiers, Iraqi Army Discover Huge Weapons Cache

Soldiers from Company A, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), uncover a huge cache of spent and unused munitions, Feb. 25, west of Owesat. Photo courtesy of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

U.S. Soldiers, Iraqi Army Discover Huge Weapons Cache

Friday, 29 February 2008
By Capt. Allison Flannigan
101st Airborne Division Public Affairs

CAMP STRIKER

Soldiers of Company A, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) discovered a significant weapons cache, Feb. 25, just one day after Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers turned in three caches in Yusufiyah.

While establishing a checkpoint, Soldiers from 1st Platoon, Company A, conducted a security sweep. Staff Sgt. Jon Hood, from Kansas City, Mo., noticed a plastic bag on the ground.

When he kicked the bag and heard a clink, he looked down and discovered several rounds uncovered by the rainy weather. Seeing the exposed rounds, Hood and his fellow Soldiers started digging and unearthed the largest cache the brigade has found since arriving in October.

“There was a lot more to that little cache than we thought,” Hood said. In all, more than 300 live mortar rounds, between 56 mm and 155 mm, were intermixed with more than 8,000 mortar shells. With the help of local Sons of Iraq, the unit spent more than 26 hours digging up the cache.

This is the largest cache I’ve seen since I was a platoon leader with 3rd Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom I,” said Capt. Terry Hilderbrand, of Atlanta, Ga., commander of Company A. “This is definitely the largest cache we’ve pulled up since we’ve been here.”

The discovery of the massive munitions stash came one day after Soldiers from Company C, 3-187th Inf. Regt. received three caches from their IA counterparts.

Iraqi troops from 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division recovered three large caches from Qarghuli Village and Shubayshen, and turned the munitions over to Soldiers at Patrol Base Yusufiyah.

In total, the three caches yielded one complete improvised explosive device, 190 pounds of unknown bulk explosive, 40 pounds of dynamite, (74) 82 mm mortar rounds, (18) 122 mm artillery rounds, (38) 60 mm mortar rounds, 400 additional projectiles between 23 mm and 155 mm, hundreds of assorted munitions pieces, several radios and documents.

Wild Thing's comment........

FANTASTIC! God bless our troops!

It is so amazing the tremendous amount of weapons they find. Just the thought of all of that being there and taking into consideration how much of it was probably moved to the countries nearby.

Each time they find these weapons my first thought is how these will NOT be aimed at our troops, and then I feel such pride in ouor soldiers immediately after that.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (4)

February 27, 2008

We ask and they respond

They give up everything.

Home.

Family.

Comfort.

Life.

Why?

Attacked by demonstrators.

Attacked by media.

Vilified by spurious claims.

Crucified at every turn.

Why do they do it?

Maybe

Just maybe

It's because they truly are

The best of us.

Let us all remember that the next time we read the headlines that say otherwise.

Never Forget

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (8)

February 26, 2008

Vietnam Veteran Back In War Zone

1st Sgt James "Grumpy" Spears

washington times

CAMP WRIGHT, Afghanistan

Shot down over Vietnam on his first tour of duty in 1972, 1st Sgt. James Spears is back in the U.S. Army — one of hundreds of retired soldiers whom the Pentagon has ordered to suit up and serve the nation once more.

"If you cut me, I"d probably bleed Army green, but this is definitely my last deployment" said the 54-year-old veteran, who is better known to his fellow soldiers as "Grumpy."

Sgt. Spears said he did not expect to end up in a war zone dodging bullets and rockets, and that such business should be the work of younger warriors.

Retired in 1995 after 24 years in the Army, Sgt. Spears felt the call of duty after watching the World Trade Center's Twin Towers crumble in 2001 and picked up the phone just to let the Army know he was there if he was ever needed.

"I guess they put my name on a list somewhere, but, for the life of me, I didn't really expect them to call me back to service," he said. But in 2005, the Defense Department rang his home number in Daleville, Ala.

"A Pentagon colonel told me that I could come back now or, if I did not act then, she wouldn't give me a choice as to where I was deployed." With mixed feelings, Sgt. Spears called her back an hour later.

Now, while he often longs for the golf course, Sgt. Spears finds himself in a mentoring role to some 80 soldiers, struggling to keep them working together smoothly.

As the "human resources manager" for NATO and the Army"s 173rd Airborne Brigade"s Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kunar Province, Sgt. Spears keeps the soldiers in line with stentorian growls across the mess hall and quiet, reassuring chats in his quarters.

Just knowing there is a veteran of the Vietnam War, a far bloodier conflict than those being fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, is reassuring to some of the young soldiers who seek his advice.

But Sgt. Spears said he worries as would a father about the strains caused by the lengthy military deployments in both theaters.

"In general, we have excellent morale, but the Army is definitely overstretched and undermanned here in Afghanistan," he said. "I'm really afraid that some guys and girls will snap. I've seen it already — people with severe combat-related stress."

Sgt. Spears has two sons who joined the Army and one who served two tours as a helicopter crew chief in Iraq.

He said his wife of 32 years, Sherry, had only one piece of advice for him when he deployed last year: "Keep your head down, Grumpy."

A soldier's life hasn't changed much since Vietnam, but there aren't any easy comparisons between the two wars, Sgt. Spears said.

"I'm not sure this is an ideologically driven war in the respect that Vietnam was pretty much communism against capitalism," he said. "But even there, you had an enemy that would show their face and occasionally fight in real uniforms."

Sgt. Spears pointed toward a ridgeline and noted that Kunar province sits across only a couple of mountain ridges from Pakistan, where the September 11, 2001, mastermind, Osama bin Laden, is thought to be hiding.

"I can't tell you why they haven't caught him with all their gee-whiz toys," he said. "But I don't believe in conspiracies either, like we have him in a box somewhere."

Wild Thing's comment........

I love the stogy!

Thank you Sgt. Spears and all the other Military, even just one of them is worth more than the 534 dummies in Congress.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (12)

Update On Nubs, the Iraq war dog

Nubs, the Iraq war dog, arrives at his new home

from Leatherneck.com

Friends will care for mutt until Marine buddy returns

By Michael Stetz
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 23, 2008
EARNIE GRAFTON / Union-Tribune

**** If you go to THIS LINK there is a wonderful video of Nubs on his arrival it is GREAT! ....it is just a tiny bit down the page from the top.

Marine Capt. Eric Sjoberg and his wife, Chrissy, greeted Nubs at Lindberg Field. They will be looking after the German shepherd/border collie mix for Maj. Brian Dennis.

Nubs wasted no time melting hearts. Big, tough Marines said things like, “Oooohhh,” and gently stroked his fur as they cradled him.

Reporters and camera crews swarmed around him. The German shepherd/border collie mix was sweet, gentle and a little on the scrawny side when he arrived at Lindbergh Field in San Diego yesterday evening. But he should gain a few pounds now that he'll be fed regularly.

Life in Iraq can be tough on a dog. Count Nubs among the luckiest. He got out thanks to a San Diego-based Marine, Maj. Brian Dennis, who befriended him and then had him flown home.

“It's amazing, he's finally home,” said Capt. Eric Sjoberg, who's going to care for Nubs with his wife Chrissy until Dennis, a Marine buddy, returns from Iraq in the spring.

Nubs licked Sjoberg's face. He panted patiently as cameras filmed and snapped pictures.

“You're seeing first-hand why the guys over there fell in love with him,” Sjoberg said.

Nubs is about 2. When young, his ears were slashed off because an Iraqi thought that would make him tough and alert. That's why Dennis named him Nubs. That's all he had left of his ears. And that was hardly Nubs' worst moment. Once, he was stabbed with a screwdriver. Dennis patched him up as best he could, but didn't think Nubs would make it. The wound was deep. He slept with him that night to keep him warm as temperatures dipped to 18 degrees.

Dennis fell for the dog hard. The e-mails he sent to friends spoke of his life in Iraq and they always seemed to mention this tough little dog, said Maj. Chris Collins, his roommate in San Diego.

“It seemed that something bad would always happen,” Collins said. “He'd get into a fight or something. Nubs was always in bad shape. ” Dennis, who is based at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, is serving along the border between Iraq and Syria, where he is helping to train Iraqis. It's rough terrain. Nubs and other dogs lived in an old Iraqi fort and survived on food scraps. Nubs ran wild. He had no owner, no home, no collar, nobody to play fetch with, no one to bring a slipper to, no Alpo, nobody to scratch behind his ear. No name, even, until Dennis came along.

But even Dennis didn't think the relationship would last. He's in a war zone, after all. When Dennis and his team were ordered to move 70 miles away, he figured life with Nubs was over. It wasn't. Nubs somehow tracked the Marines to their new location, showing up two days after they did. Dennis was amazed. How'd he do it? He was convinced then that he couldn't leave this dog behind. He couldn't keep him in Iraq, of course. It's against the rules.

So he wrote home, saying he wanted to take Nubs back to the U.S. “We thought he was crazy. We didn't think it was possible,” Sjoberg said. Friends rallied, raising more than $3,500, and the wheels were put in motion. Yesterday, after a couple stops along the way, Nubs came home. And soon he'll be frolicking in the sands of a local dog beach, far away from the stark desert sands of Iraq.

Wild Thing's comment........

I am soooooo happy about this, Nubs arrived safely and will be taken good care off. Now I can hardly wait for Maj. Brian Dennis to get home to his pal Nubs.

Previous post about Nubs and Maj.Brian Dennis.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:48 AM | Comments (6)

February 25, 2008

Facilitator of Intelligence and Suicide Operations For Al-Qaida Sent To 72 Virgins

The identification card found on Abu Karrar, also known as Arkan Khalaf Khudayyir, an al-Qaida in Iraq intelligence and suicide operations facilitator in Diyala Province. Karrar was killed Feb. 17 during a Coalition operation near Khan Bani Sad. Department of Defense photo.

Al-Qaida in Iraq Intelligence and Suicide Operations Facilitator Killed

BAGHDAD

A terrorist killed during an operation Feb. 17 has been positively identified as Abu Karrar.
Karrar, also known as Arkan Khalaf Khudayyir, was a senior intelligence leader involved in the al-Qaida in Iraq network in Baqouba. He was also a terrorist facilitator for the suicide bombing network in the Diyala River Valley region, which conducts attacks in Baghdad, to include attacks by female suicide bombers. Reports indicate the network has been disrupted by recent successful Coalition operations in the area.

Karrar was killed when Coalition forces conducted an operation near Khan Bani Sad Sunday afternoon. As Coalition forces arrived in the target area, they observed Karrar and another suspect fleeing their vehicle. Karrar brandished a weapon with the perceived intent to fire on Coalition forces. The assault force engaged, killing both men. Coalition forces discovered an AK-47 and ammunition in the vehicle, and they destroyed the vehicle to prevent further use for terrorist activity.

“Iraqi and Coalition forces will relentlessly pursue terrorist leaders, like Abu Karrar, who plan al-Qaida’s indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Another good news day for our troops! I guess we better whisper about this so Pelosi, Reid, Murtha, Kerry etc. don't get upset.......NOT! haahahahahha

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:50 AM | Comments (6)

February 23, 2008

Dog Saved by Marine Maj.Brian Dennis Gets Home in US

While on patrol in Iraq last October, Marine Maj. Brian Dennis and his squad got to know a dog who came around and took scraps of food. One night in late December, Dennis found the dog in bad shape. It was bitten, stabbed, nearly freezing and close to death. Dennis treated the dog, whom he called Nubs, and slept with him that night to keep him warm.

Dog Saved by Marine Gets Home in US

SAN DIEGO (Feb. 22)
AP Iraq news

It began with a simple act of kindness to save an abused, injured dog from becoming one more victim in the Iraq war.

But what followed for Marine Maj. Brian Dennis and the mutt was a tale of friendship and loyalty that spanned miles and overcame long odds - one set to take a turn Friday with the anticipated arrival here of the Marine's best friend.

"This dog who had been through a lifetime of fighting, war, abuse ... is going to live the good life," Dennis told his family in an e-mail from Iraq.

The tale unfolded in October, a few months after Dennis deployed to Iraq from San Diego to work as part of the military team building infrastructure along the Syria-Iraq border and training Iraqi forces to take over.

Dennis, 36, of St. Pete Beach, Fla., had volunteered for the assignment. It was a departure from his role as a fighter pilot. He had seen the country from the air, but it was different on the ground.

Dennis wrote stories home about the reciprocal relationship that desert dogs, strays wandering outside border towns, had with Iraqis.

"The dogs get to eat the Iraqi scraps and have a home in the middle of the desert," he wrote in an e-mail. "The Iraqis get an incredible early warning system; these dogs hear anything approaching from miles away and go nuts and scramble to defend their territory."

While on patrol in the Anbar province, Dennis spotted what appeared to be a gray and white, male German shepherd-border collie mix. He named the dog Nubs after learning someone cut the ears off believing it would make the dog more aggressive and alert.

Within weeks, Nubs was greeting Dennis during routine patrol stops along border communities. The Marines fed him bits of their food and by November, the Marine and his unit were keeping an eye out for the dog, which routinely chased their Humvees when they departed.

Life on the run, however, was taking a toll on the dog. He had lost a tooth and been bitten in the neck. In late December, Dennis found Nubs near death in freezing temperatures. The dog had been stabbed with a screwdriver.

Dennis rubbed antibiotic cream on the wound and slept with Nubs to keep him warm.

"I really expected when I woke up for watch he would be dead," Dennis wrote. "Somehow he made it through the night."

Dennis thought he had seen the last of the dog days later when his squad headed back to its command post some 65 miles away. He couldn't take the dog with him and watched as it tried to follow the Humvees away from the border.

Two days later, while Dennis and a comrade were working on a Humvee, he looked up and saw the dog staring at him.

"Somehow that crazy damned dog tracked us," he wrote Jan. 9.

But the reunion was short lived. Military policy prohibits having pets in war zones, and Dennis was given four days to get the dog off the base or kill him.

The decision was easy: Nubs was going to San Diego. The logistics, though, were anything but easy.

With help from his Iraqi interpreter, Dennis managed to find a Jordanian veterinarian to get the care and paperwork needed to get the dog to the states. He also negotiated the red tape to get Nubs across the border into Jordan.

His family and close friends helped raise the $3,500 needed to get the dog from Amman, Jordan, to San Diego, said his mother, Marsha Cargo.

"I just can't believe it. Out there in the middle of nowhere these two find each other," Cargo said.

A colleague in San Diego agreed to care for the dog and have it trained until Dennis returns in March from Iraq.

"We anticipate a real steep learning curve for Nubs," Capt. Eric Sjoberg said. "We want him to learn to just be a dog."

For now, though, Dennis will settle for the knowledge that Nubs is finally safe - and waiting for his master to follow him.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Whew what a story, yes I am crying!!!! I love stories like this, they stay with a person for a long time. My prayers for Maj.Brian Dennis to stay safe and soon to be with his trusted friend Nubs.

....Thank you Mark for sending ithis story to me. I love it.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (6)

OOOHRAH! Semper Fi! Carry On!

This is the squadron patch Alex Raymond designed for the Marines in May 1945. He blended images of a masked (pilot's goggles) Flash Gordon style warrior; the Marine Corps emblem; red and white uniform with a field of blue stars; the warrior with wings (probably representing the air crew); the sword as a lightning bolt (representing perhaps aircraft which strike from above) and standing on an aircraft rocket. The squadron adopted the new name 'The Rocket Raiders'. It was listed as one of the best-designed squadron patches of World War 2.

"U.S. Marines are the most peculiar breed of human beings I have ever witnessed. They treat service as if it was some kind of cult, plastering their emblem on almost everything they own, making themselves look like insane fanatics with haircuts to ungentlemanly lengths, worshipping their Commandant almost as if he was a god, and making weird animal noises like a gang of savages.

They'll fight like rabid dogs at the drop of a hat just for the sake of a little action, and are the cockiest s-o-b's I have ever known. Most have the foulest mouths and drink well beyond man's normal limits, but their high spirits and sense of brotherhood set them apart. Generally speaking, the United States Marines I've come in contact with, are the most professional soldiers and the finest men and women I have ever had the pleasure to meet.

There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a secondhand opinion. All militaries harden their recruits, instill the basics, and bend young men to their will. But the Marine Corps provides its members with a secret weapon. It gives them the unique culture of pride that makes the Marines the world's premier warrior force.

The Navy has its ships, the Air Force has its planes, the Army its detailed doctrine, but 'culture', the values and assumptions that shape its members is all the Marines have. They call this culture, Esprit de Corps.

Alone among the U.S. military services, the Marines have bestowed their name on their enlisted ranks. The Army has Army Officers and soldiers, the Navy has Naval officers and sailors, the Air Force has Air Force Officers and airmen---- but the Marines have only Marines."

General William Thornson, US Army

Wild Thing's comment...........

Thank you Marines from this Navy Vet wife. I see where the left is continuing there attacks and protests at the Marine Corps Recruiting Centers in various places. It breaks my heart to see this happening. I wanted to find something that we seldom see patches from past wars that were used by the Marine Corps. I thought the one above was very special.

...Thank you Bob for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:45 AM | Comments (7)

February 22, 2008

Checking In With EOD and Soldier Arm Wrestling

Explosive Ordinance Team (EOD) in action compilation

US Soldier Arm Wrestles Iraqi
US soldier and Iraqi have some fun arm wrestling. Honestly I was surprised at the outcome, thats one big Iraqi.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (6)

Pat Dollard's Young Americans To Air This Spring

This spring, Pat Dollard's Young Americans will air on cable television, the result of years of work. But there's a good reason for the time it has taken: Pat Dollard is a man obsessed with reality, his reality of the war he experienced while embedded with the 3rd battalion 7th Marines in Ramadi.

WND

In an article written for Vanity Fair, Pat Dollard is excoriated as a pro-war cheerleader. Surprisingly, The New York Times also gave an unflattering portrayal of Dollard.

Despite the criticism from places both expected and not, Dollard's Young Americans will be a make or break endeavor.

At a studio in Santa Monica, Pat and his editorial assistant Donnie "dB" Bracamontes put the final touches on the third episode in the Young American series. Critics who complain Hollywood has not accurately portrayed Iraq will need to be careful for what they wish.

Dollard trumps the pretenders by giving such an engaging view of Iraq, I found myself watching the 30-minute episode half-way out of my seat. The episode showed the Marine response to a major bombing at the Ramadi glass factory. What follows is not just a CNNesque report on raw violence, but a pulsating pictorial of the effects of terror.

The first five minutes were exhilarating and frightening. I found myself nodding my head and anticipating what was going to happen, because I had been there before.

Dollard himself makes no pretense of objectivity, his website sells "Jihad Killer" shirts and during Young Americans the audience will hear Dollard's voice give on-the-spot editorials.

"You see, you liberals, this is what you're supporting!"

There really is no substitute for being there, but it takes an entirely different personality to choose a place because it's dangerous.

In 2005 and 2006, Ramadi was reputed to be the most dangerous place on the planet

"I went to Ramadi because I knew it was going to be the next Fallujah," Pat said, referring to the 2004 Battle of Fallujah, when Marines cordoned off the city and swept through to weed out entrenched terrorists dreaming of jihad.

By the time I saw Fallujah in 2007, I met some of those Marines who helped to clear out the town nicknamed "The City of Mosques." But even those riflemen had an eerie reverence for the violence in Ramadi.

The battles of Fallujah were extremely violent, but Ramadi was supposed to be the capital city of the al Qaida-proclaimed Islamic Republic of Iraq. Unlike Fallujah, Ramadi was the city that had kept the Marines under siege, and not the other way around.

Young American editor dB Bracamontes won a Clio Award for editing, and has worked on the trailers for major releases: Transformers, Batman Begins, I Am Legend and the list goes on. In a city where people make a lot of money pretending to be someone else Bracamontes is the real deal working behind the scenes to make so many others stand out. Although dB is accustomed to demanding directors, Dollard is obsessed.

"I knew I had to go over [to Iraq], because Hollywood would never make this film."

It's one thing to believe in a cause ? Dollard says he was not at all surprised by 9/11 ? it is entirely another to risk bodily harm in order to prove a point. So far, Dollard is right, Hollywood has not attempted to make an accurate film on Iraq, and Dollard has paid a high price to prove this point.

On a night patrol, Patrick Dollard and his Marine escorts were hit by an IED. Lt. Almar Fitzgerald and Cpl. Matthew Conley were killed in the violent assault. Dollard still has physical problems from that night, but speaks less of his own injuries and more of the Marines who lost their lives.

This is the mood permeating Young Americans, a blend of dread, suspense and violence mixed in with sorrow, reflection and humor. In other words, this is precisely what being in Iraq is like.

"This isn't Dog the Bounty Hunter, this is the real thing," Dollard said when we talked about the rush of going on night house raids in places where the participants had no intention of making speeches for the cameras.

Over half a year and 600 hours of footage in the formerly most dangerous place on earth has had a spill-over effect into how Dollard perceives the world today.

"The best of spiritual America, the spirit of America is in Iraq," is how he describes it. Being spared when so many around him died has had a profound effect on this documentarian. "I'm a God man myself."

A part of this literal cultural warrior still is in Ramadi. "I feel contempt for the average civilian," Dollard says. "I can't stand that I live in a culture, especially in Hollywood, where measure of man is self-indulgence."

Young Americans debuts this spring on Showtime.

Wild Thing's comment........

I am looking forward to seeing Young American's. Thank you Pat for the support you have given our troops, for your blog, and for this movie, and also for your kindness. Wishing you all the best you deserve it! What Pat has done is awesome and I am sure the finished product will be the best ever.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (6)

In Country With Our Heroes

Raining Brass
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Tyler Carroll fires an AT-4 during live-fire training, at the Udairi Range Complex in Kuwait. Marines of Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, from Camp Pendleton, Calif., are training as part of their current deployment to the Pacific and Arabian Gulf. Photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Bryson K. Jones.

Puppy Love

U.S. Army Sgt. Doug Bowyer, takes a moment to pet a puppy that a group of Iraqi children brought to show him in Al Rashid, Baghdad. Bowyer is assigned to the 318th Tactical Psychological Operations Company. Photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Greg Pierot.

Paratroopers capture Special Groups criminal leader
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad soldiers detained a Special Groups commander during an operation in Baghdad’s Sha’ab neighborhood Feb. 20.
The detainee is suspected of involvement in multiple murders and other criminal activities.

Paratroopers with 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, detained the suspect at approximately 7 p.m. after a tip on his whereabouts.

The suspect is a known Special Groups leader and financier believed to receive funding from Iran that was earmarked to support the Diyala criminal network, said Maj. Cameron Weathers, the 2nd BCT intelligence officer.

The money is typically used to pay and equip Special Groups criminals, procure vehicles and support criminal activities against innocent Iraqis.

“These criminal elements who insist on ignoring al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr’s ceasefire pledge are certainly not working in the best interest of Iraqis,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, MND-B spokesman. “We will continue our efforts to bring these criminals to justice.”

Stryker Soldiers capture IED cell member
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD – Soldiers with Multi-National Division – Baghdad captured a suspected key member of an improvised explosive device ring Feb. 19.
Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 14th infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, detained the suspect near the Nassir Factory, northwest of Baghdad.

The suspect is allegedly an al-Qaeda member and IED facilitator that is part of a terrorist IED ring.

He is suspected of multiple IED attacks against Coalition and Iraqi Security forces.

The suspect is being held for further questioning.

Time for a Drink

Staff Sgt. Chuck Shuck and his K9 partner, Sgt. 1st Class Gabe, both with 178th Military Police Detachment, 20th Military Police Battalion, take a break to hydrate during a cordon and search operation in the village of Shukran, near Forward Operating Base Q-West. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Amanda Morrissey

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (6)

February 21, 2008

AAFES Calender

This picture is off an AAFES (The Army & Air Force Exchange Service) calendar for this year.
It is so precious I just wanted to share it with you.

God bless our troops and keep them safe.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (8)

US Envoy Warns Over Iraq Pullout

Mr Crocker became the ambassador in Baghdad in March 2007

Baghdad

The US ambassador in Baghdad has cautioned of the dangers of over-hasty withdrawals of military forces in Iraq.
Ryan Crocker's warning comes as Democratic candidates in the US presidential race talk of setting timetables for pulling out troops.

The ambassador told the BBC a recent improvement in the current security situation was not irreversible.

He warned a new cycle of violence could start up if withdrawals were not handled very carefully.

Democratic contender Barack Obama has said he favours a full withdrawal by the end of next year, while Hillary Clinton says she will set a timetable within two months if she is elected.

Ambassador Crocker did not comment directly on the candidates and their views, but he stressed his own long-standing conviction that future withdrawals should depend on conditions on the ground - not on timetables set in Washington.

Tensions

To remove that consideration, he said, would be to take an unacceptable risk.

"For all the progress that has been achieved over the past year there are still a strong sectarian tensions," Mr Crocker said.

"There is still an al-Qaeda presence, there is still foreign interference particularly in Iran.

"Now all of these things can spark a new cycle of instability and violence if we're not very very careful and closely linked with the Iraqis on what the next step should be."

The current American troop surge is to be finished by July. After that, US military commanders and Mr Crocker advocate a pause for assessment before reducing troop numbers below the pre-surge levels of around 130,000.

The ambassador said Iran was continuing to support extremist militias in Iraq despite official support for the Iraqi government.

He hoped the visit by the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in early March would prompt Iran to bring its practices into line with its policies.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Isn't it wonderful how Ahmadinejad will be going to Iraq for a visit in March. After all we know about this vile man, Iranian support for insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan and looking back just taking the things about Iraq and Ahmadinejad and these are only a few things as examples:

General Petraeus Accuses Iran of Fueling Iraq Violence

Teheran Smuggled In Missile That Shot Down RAF Helicopter In Iraq

Austrian Sniper Rifles From Iran Found In Baghdad Home

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (6)

February 18, 2008

New Marine Corps Challenge Coin

History of the challenge coinMarine Corps News

Story by Cpl. Wil Acosta

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (March 4, 2005) -- Military Unit Coins. Throughout the Corps, one can find these medal artifacts displayed proudly by Marines at their desks and in their offices. Some are simple and colorless. Others are ornate, filled with intricate designs and etchings. All of them have a story behind them.

The following story, which dates the history of military coins back to the 1st World War, was passed on throughout the network of senior enlisted Marines via email.

During World War I, American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly formed flying squadrons. Some were wealthy young men who left colleges such as Yale and Harvard in order to enlist in the military.

In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered solid bronze medallions embossed with the squadron emblem for every member of his squadron. He carried his medallion in a small leather sack about his neck.

Shortly after acquiring the medallions, the lietetenant's aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire during a mission. He was forced to land behind enemy lines where he was captured by a German patrol.

In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck.

He was eventually taken to a small French town near the front lines where he managed to escape during a night bombardment. During the attack, he donned civilian clothes and fled without personal identification.

After escaping, the brave pilot succeeded in avoiding German patrols until he reached the front lines. With great difficulty, he crossed no-man's land and stumbled into a French outpost.

Unfortunately, the French in this sector had been plagued by German saboteurs, who sometimes masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Not recognizing the young pilot's American accent, the French thought him to be a saboteur and made ready to execute him.

Just in time, the American remembered his leather pouch containing the bronze medallion. He showed the medallion to his would-be executioners. When the French captors recognized the squadron insignia on the medallion, they gave the pilot enough time to confirm his identity. Instead of shooting him, they gave him a bottle of wine.

Eventually the pilot made it back to his squadron, where it became a tradition to ensure all members carried their medallion or coin at all times.

This was accomplished through a challenge. A service member would ask to see the coin. If the challenger could not produce his coin, he was required to purchase a drink of choice for the member who had challenged him.

If the challenged member produced his coin, then the challenging member was required to pay for the drink.

This tradition continued through the war and for many years after while surviving members of the squadron were still alive.

Today, military service members often trade these coins while deployed. In some cases a coin can be earned meritoriously for a job well done.

Regardless of how they are required, the history of the challenge coin remains a part of military tradition, and Marines will continue to display them proudly for years to come.

Wild Thing's comment........

I love this story and also that the Marine Corps has the Challenge Coin. LOL This one is especially on topic shall we say, heh heh

....Thank you Steve for sending these images of the Challenge Coins to me. They are awesome!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (8)

February 16, 2008

101st Airborne in Iraq ~ Awesome Video

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you to all 101st Airbourne! This is such a wonderful video and we are all so proud of you.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 AM | Comments (3)

MPs Search For Explosives In Mosul

Soldiers from the 552nd Military Police Company, from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, say a group prayer in Mosul before entering the city to search passenger vehicles for weapons and bomb-making materials Feb. 14. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Patrick Lair)

Sgt. Angela Mathern and Vinny, a bomb-detection dog, both of the 51st Military Police Detachment, from Ft. Lewis, Wash., walk through traffic in downtown Mosul during a search of random vehicles for weapons and bomb-making materials Feb. 14. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Patrick Lair)

Soldier and Vinny, a bomb-detection dog, both of the 51st Military Police Detachment, from Ft. Lewis, Wash., inspect a cargo truck in downtown Mosul during a search of random vehicles for weapons and bomb-making materials Feb. 14. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Patrick Lair)

An Iraqi policemen walks by a storefront in downtown Mosul as Iraqi police and U.S. Military Police conducted random searches of vehicles in Mosul for weapons and bomb-making materials Feb. 14. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Patrick Lair)

Coalition Forces Soldier and Vinny, a bomb-detection dog, both of the 51st Military Police Detachment, from Ft. Lewis, Wash.,inspect a cart carrying propane tanks in downtown Mosul during a search of random vehicles for weapons and bomb-making materials Feb. 14. Soldiers from the 552nd Military Police Company, based out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, provide security. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Patrick Lair)

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM

February 15, 2008

Iraq Vet Comes Home and Gets Evicted

Iraq Vet Comes Home, Gets Evicted

Couple Asks Property Manager To Add Husband Onto Wife's Lease

OMAHA, Neb

KETV.com

VIDEO is also at the website

A Nebraska National Guard soldier recently back from Iraq is fighting an eviction notice from his landlord.

Trista Jelinek rented an apartment at Villa Vinee, near 78th and Harney streets, in August.

The couple has spent most of their marriage apart as Tommy Jelinek served in the military.

I was looking for an apartment, and I say straight up, 'My husband is in Iraq. He'll be living with me when he comes back in October,'" Trista Jelinek said. "They at no time said, 'Hey, if your husband doesn't qualify for an application, he can't live here."

When Tommy Jelinek returned from Iraq in October, he said he introduced himself to apartment management and moved in with his wife.

"They gave me the key," said Tommy Jelinek. "They gave me the parking pass, said, 'Welcome back,' and at that point we figured we'd done everything to let them know the situation."

Last month, Villa Vinee informed Tommy Jelinek that he must apply to be on the lease. He did. But when a credit check came back showing delinquent debt, Jelinek was denied a lease.

Management sent Trista Jelinek a notice warning her of an unauthorized resident living in her apartment, and said she must rectify and remedy the breach. In other words, the wife was welcome to stay, but the husband must go. If not, Trista Jelinek would be evicted.

"Give me a break," said the couple's attorney Richard Dinsmore. "They pay their rent. They're model citizens. He serves in Iraq, and this is the welcome home you get back?"

Dinsmore said that Tommy Jelinek was unable to pay some medical bills while overseas, but said that most of that debt has been paid off. Dinsdale filed for a temporary restraining order to stop the eviction and a judge granted it.

"As we said in the petition, to require a wife to evict her husband after they've been separated for 18 months is humiliating. It's debasing. It's unconscionable, and some other words I can't come up with," Dinsmore said.

The couple said they hopes they can settle the matter out of court.

"We definitely feel obligated to fight this, because we believe we are truly in the right, and were up-front with these guys," said Tommy Jelinek. "We just want to be treated fairly."

The attorney for Villa Vinee property manager Robert Hancock and Co. said the company's leasing policies are based on fair housing laws. She said the property is reviewing the policies to make sure they meet intentions. She said the property manager is hopeful it can reach a resolution in the best interest of both the Jelineks and Robert Hancock and Co.

If not, a hearing is scheduled for Feb. 20.

Wild Thing's comment........

If a person truly support our troops I think they should work with this couple after all they have paid their rent on time like it says. It is bad enough that Vets and our active duty troops even have to pay any of their medical bills. They should have complete care and coverage after all they have done for all of us and for our country.

....Thank you Lynn for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)

February 13, 2008

Checking In With Our Troops

Soldiers from Bravo Company, Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Task Force Gladius wait for a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at the landing zone at Forward Operating Base Morales-Frasier on Jan. 20, 2008. The Chinook will air lift them into the Surobi District of Afghanistan to protect another CH-47 that made a hard landing there. DoD photo by Sgt. Johnny R. Aragon, U.S Army. (Released)

Anglers vie for bragging rights

Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bobby Carter Jr., a native of Smith, Ala., who serves as a maintenance officer with the Iraq Assistance Group, Multi-National Corps - Iraq, proudly displays the 14-pound carp he caught during Operation: Catch Fish at Z Lake Feb. 9. Carter's catch earned him the tournament's grand prize for largest fish. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Samantha Schutz, 4th Inf. Div.)

Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers relax behind their fishing poles at Z Lake Feb. 9 while competing in Operation: Catch Fish. The all-day fishing tournament provided MND-B servicemembers and civilians an opportunity to relax and relieve stress while participating in some friendly competition. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Samantha Schutz, 4th Inf. Div.)

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - More than 300 servicemembers and civilians from across the Multi-National Division - Baghdad area of operations gathered Feb. 9 o enjoy one of the world's favorite pastimes - fishing.

The idea of Operation: Catch Fish was brought to fruition by the joint efforts of two pro-fishermen from Florida and senior leaders from the military's Central Command, Joint Inter-Agency Coordination Group; Multi-National Corps - Iraq; and the Armed Forces Entertainment group.

The competitors cast their first lines mid-morning and continued late into the afternoon at the local fishermen's paradise: Z Lake.

The idea for the tournament was born in September when Air Force Maj. Steven Mathews, a native of Los Fresnos, Texas, who serves as an action officer with CENTCOM, JIACG, introduced himself to a new boss.

Mathews mentioned fishing as one of his hobbies, and his boss introduced him to Joe Mercurio, who hosts the Florida-based "Professional Tarpon Tournament Series" television show.

"Joe is a good American who supports his troops," said Mathews. "You know, I want to go fishing with those guys, and I thought it would be a good thing to do."

Mathews, with help from Mercurio and other troops in his unit, began ramping up for the project just after Christmas. He coordinated with MNC-I and AFE to set up the schedule, which brought forth Operation: Catch Fish to more than 20 locations in Iraq and Kuwait throughout a 10-day period.

Mercurio and his co-host, Kristen Berset, along with another Floridian pro-fisherman, Eric Mannino, coordinated with various sponsors to acquire nearly 12,000 pounds and $20,000 worth of donated equipment, prizes and giveaways.

Everyone competing in the tournament had the option of either using their own equipment or fishing with brand-new, sponsor-donated rods and lures. After the competition, the donations were given to the Camp Liberty Morale, Welfare and Recreation center.

Spc. Adam Hartley, a native of Big Point, Miss., who serves as a gunner on a personal security team with Company D, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, used a new rod in honor of his first time fishing since Hurricane Katrina.

"I used to fish out my bedroom window," said Hartley, adding he once lived in a houseboat.

Before being displaced by the hurricane, Hartley and his family participated in many small fishing competitions. In fact, the family even claimed 5th place honors in a semi-professional bass fishing tournament in Louisiana.

Grabbing top honors for the day was Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bobby Carter, a native of Smith, Ala., who serves as a maintenance officer with the Iraq Assistance Group, Multi-National Corps - Iraq, who hooked a 14-pound carp.

"It's a great feeling," said Carter, who has competed in small tournaments in the United States. "I can't win one back home, but now I can say I came to Iraq and won a fishing tournament."

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help create fond fishing memories for deployed troops is what Berset said drew him to the idea of being part of Operation: Catch Fish.

"The most interesting thing is being able to talk to the troops," Berset said. "Of course, I get to hear all their stories about going out and securing these neighborhoods, but mostly what I hear is fishing stories. It seems like everyone has a fishing story."

Mercurio, Berset and Mannino not only plan to use footage from the tour to produce episodes for their television shows in Florida and on ESPN2, but they also want to put together a documentary to tell the troops' stories.

"This has been an unbelievable experience for the three of us. We want to thank you all for your sacrifices for us, our country and our freedom," said Mannino.

The organizers said they hope to make Operation: Catch Fish an annual event, and the MWR center plans to add smaller-scale fishing tournaments to its monthly program schedule in the future.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (6)

February 12, 2008

Troops Having Fun And Visits With Our Awesome Military

Airmen having fun

Lillian Garcia sings Anthem in Iraq with troops

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (2)

February 09, 2008

Gathering of Eagles Mobilizing Against The Marine Hating Pinkos

Radical leftist group, Code Pink, convinces the Berkeley, CA City Council to kick the Marine Recruiters out of town.

Sen. Jim DeMint’s office put out an excellent video

The Petition at Move America Forward

Well a unique opportunity has arisen on short notice to confront the founders of Code Pink the communist insurgent group that is responsible for the Berkeley Insult to the United States Marine Corps. All three of the founders, Medea Benjamin, Gael Murphy and Jodie Evans will be at Carroll Community College in Westminster, MD, next Saturday, February 16th, to recieve ‘Vagina Warriors Awards’ from the Women in Black.

This is the perfect opportunity for us all to show how appreciative we are of their efforts to slander our military and our Marines!

February 16th
Who: Code Pink founders
What: Vagina Warrior Awards
Where: Carroll Community College Ampitheatre
1601 Washington Rd
Westminster, MD 21157
Map Link: http://tinyurl.com/2ywjlx
When: Saturday, February 16, 2008
Gather at 6:00pm to greet attendees as they enter.

And this is another rally being put together in Berkley if anyone lives in the area and would like to go.

From Move America Forward website

DATE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2008

* LOCATION: 2134 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. WAY – BERKELEY, CA - CLICK HERE for MAP

* TIME: Council Meeting Begins at 7:00 PM
(We are asking people to be there early, however – if possible, start arriving by 5:00 PM)

*** Also… If you can, please join us for our “picketing” of the City Council Chambers. We will be out there at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way beginning at 5:00 AM for the morning news. We will have a presence all throughout the day – the next newscasts are at 12:00 Noon, so we’ll want a good size presence at that time as well.

.....Thank you Mark for the headsup link for the information Michelle has.

* Michelle Malkin

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 PM | Comments (6)

Checking In With Our Troops

A U.S. Army Soldier from Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division watches a K-9 handler share water with his dog in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, Jan. 29, 2008. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Shawn M. Cassatt)

A U.S. Soldier guards several AK-47 assault rifles while visiting an Iraqi concerned local citizen house in Khatun, Iraq, Jan. 24, 2008. The Soldier is assigned to 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson.

"The Ratline"

As students (Rats) enter Virginia Military Institute (VMI) — the nation's first state-supported military college — they must adjust to the physical and psychological challenges designed to test their stamina, courage, and resolve. The school's discipline and traditions have produced many outstanding graduates since VMI was founded in 1839. Today's students react to the rigorous regiment.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (6)

Announcing Vets on the Hill - April 8, 2008!

Vets for Freedom is gathering our nations veterans for a second "Vets on the Hill" event on April 8th. So, if you are a veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan, or another theatre of the Global War on Terror sign up today to travel to Washington DC and tell Congress that support of General Petraeus and our fellow troops is a must for continued success in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"If you’re a veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan, or another theatre of the War on Terror, sign up below to show up on April 8 and tell Congress to support General Petraeus and our fellow troops as they continue to succeed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sign up through our web-portal below, and within two weeks your travel will be arranged. Veterans will be flown in to Washington, DC late on Monday, April 7th, will participate in events and meetings on Capitol Hill on April 8th, and will be flown home on the evening of the 8th. Attendance will only require one day off of work, and Vets for Freedom will cover all travel expenses for the trip—travel, lodging, and food.

Ask any of the 250 veterans who joined us on Capitol Hill in September, and they’ll tell you what a great trip it was—especially since we helped stop Congress from voting to undercut the troops. Join us!

Please sign up early. By signing up in the next two weeks, Vets for Freedom can schedule meetings for you with the Senators and Representatives from your home state.

There is no reason not to attend. You have 8 weeks notice, travel will be reimbursed, and our cause is just. Tell your buddies. Meet them in Washington, DC. And together, tell your representative where you stand."

Vets For Freedom website

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (4)

February 07, 2008

Team Theodore's Response to the Berkley anti - Marine Stance

40 years ago yesterday the 6th of February, was the very day the Marines were in Hue retaking the city which the communists treacherously occupied during the Tet truce which they had signed. The Marines were vastly outnumbered, the weather was bad and no helicopter logistical support was available. All the bridges were blown and no land convoys could provide support.

The Marines were endowed us with a secret weapon, not often mentioned when Hue is talked about is the interesting fact that their regimental commander, Colonel Stanley Hughes, had earned a Navy Cross as an enlisted Marine on Guadalcanal. He earned another there in Hue. Our Marine officers and enlisted Marines of today just like Hughes and others know what a few Marines can do when things look grim.

Those in Berkley against our awesome Marines don't have a clue the price paid by not only our Marines but every branch of our military. The pity is for their children that they will teach their sick and ungrateful thinking to. My hope is that as they grow up they learn the real truth and pass that respect for our troops on to future generations. ~ Wild Thing

" In September 1967, the squadron returned once again to MCAS El Toro and painted the Red Devil insignia on their new McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms. Re-designated as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, the squadron returned to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, as a MIG-alert squadron and subsequently deployed to Da Nang, Vietnam, and Nam Phong, Thailand. Here they continued to fly air-to-ground sorties in addition to playing a key fighter role in Operation LINEBACKER missions over North Vietnam. The only "last" in VMFA-232's history occurred on 1 September 1973, as the Red Devils became the last Marine squadron to leave Southeast Asia." ~ VMFA 232 (Red Devils), Phantom Phixer (F4-J)

America's Marines

The Silent Drill Platoon takes New York by storm.

Production of America's Marines gets a warm reception at Independence Hall, and later at the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation dinner.

The Silent Drill Platoon visits the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico, Virginia, and performs before a crowd in front of the museum.

Filming of America’s Marines kicked off September 11th at the Golden Gate bridge

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (15)

February 05, 2008

Surprise Awaits Soldier Returning From Afghanistan

Surprise awaits soldier returning from Afghanistan

It was a homecoming to cherish for Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Allen. The Apache helicopter pilot spent a year in Afghanistan before returning home on Saturday night to the Pinal Air Park.

While Allen was away, friends and family refurbished his 1964 Plymouth Belvedere. Dozens of friends and family were on hand at his arrival Saturday night to surprise him with the car.

Allen stared in disbelief before cracking a smile and embracing his family.

He said, "I was very excited to be home. This here is just over the top, unbelievable!"

Allen's friends came up with the idea during Thanksgiving. It took more than a dozen hands and a few donations to make fixing up the car a reality.

Rich Gomez is one of the friends who donated his garage to the project. "They're doing a job that we can't do. They're putting their life on the line for us. This is just something, [a] small thing we could do. I knew it was close to his heart."

Allen said while he was deployed, he often thought of projects he could do when he returned. "I was really motivated when I got home. I was going to work on this thing, but now I don't have to! I'm done!"

VIDEO

Wild Thing's comment........

Welcome Home Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Allen and thank you!

Great story. God bless them all!

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (12)

February 02, 2008

In Counrtry - Thank You Troops!

Airman 1st Class Amber Motske (left) instructs Senior Airman Cassandra Hernandez on how to strike using her baton Jan. 24 during self-defense tactics training at an air base in Southwest Asia. The self-defense training familiarizes Airmen with how to use non-lethal force to defend themselves. Both Airmen are assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and are deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Patrick Dixon)

A Marine and a Cab Driver in Iraq.
A US Marine and a Iraqi Civilian get into a conversation about insurgents. hehheh Itis safe for the cab driver, the Marine is just having some fun. Then telling the guy he will only be there for an hour.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (7)

January 29, 2008

‘Legends of Wrestling’ Tour Rolls Into Bagram

Army Pfc. Michael Grandi Jr., Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, holds the WCW Championship belt with wrestling greats (from left to right) Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart, Diamond Dallas Page, and Nicholai Volkoff during the "Legends of Wrestling" tour that came to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Jan. 26, 2008. Photo by Spc. George Welcome, USA

Diamond Dallas Page and the group of servicemembers and civilians who were tough enough to survive the intense "Yoga for Regular Guys" workout give the wrestling legend's famous "Diamond Sign."

Former professional wrestler Diamond Dallas Page checks a soldier's posture during an hour-long session of his "Yoga for Regular Guys" workout. Page, along with other wrestling greats, visited troops at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Jan. 26, 2008

By Spc. George Welcome, USA
Army Spc. George Welcome serves in public affairs with 101st Combat Aviation Brigade

Special to American Forces Press Service
DOD

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan,

Jan. 28, 2008

When the “Legends of Wrestling” tour rolled in here Jan. 26, servicemembers and civilians gathered at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation clamshell to take part in the festivities.

Professional wrestling greats Nicholai Volkoff, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Diamond Dallas Page, and legendary manager “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart took pictures and signed autographs for wrestling fanatics. Trivia questions were asked of the crowd, those who gave correct responses won hats and T-shirts.

For some die-hard wrestling fans, the event was a dream come true.

“I became a wrestling fan in 1999 after constantly seeing it on TV,” said Army Pfc. Michael Grandi Jr., a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, who has attended numerous live wrestling events.

“I had constant adrenaline pumping during the event,” he said of meeting his idols. “It was really cool how laid-back they were. And none of the soldiers were bothering them; they took pictures, got their autographs and moved along. There was a mutual respect.”

The meet-and-greet session lasted for just over an hour, with the stars posing and chatting with all comers.

Afterward, those who stayed were treated to an inspirational speech by Page, former three-time World Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Champion. In his address, Page told of how he overcame a turbulent family life, a learning disability and other issues to achieve his dreams through a process he called “living life at 90 percent.”

“I once heard (football coaching legend) Lou Holtz say, ‘Life is 10 percent of what happens to you and 90 percent of how you react to it,’” Page said. “In our personal lives and our professional lives, we are constantly hit with one adversity after another, most of which we have no control over. The one thing we have control over is our mindset.”

Page introduced the audience to his no-impact workout system, which he calls “Yoga for Regular Guys.” Page said he scoffed at the idea of yoga until a spinal injury threatened to keep him out of the ring.

“When I got injured, my wife tried to get me to do yoga,” Page said. “But I always thought yoga was for sissies. I learned that flexibility was the key to youth, not just in the body, but in the mind. I wanted to get back to wrestling so badly that I started doing it. ”

At the completion of his rousing speech, Page received a standing ovation from the audience. After signing more autographs and taking photos with fans, he led all those who stayed behind through an intense hour-long session of Yoga for Regular Guys.

The program, which consisted of slow-count isometric exercises, static holds and various yoga poses, managed to raise heart rates and get the crowd sweating.

“I liked it a lot, it was an awesome workout,” said Army Chief Warrant Officer Stephen Cranford, Company C, 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade. “I am going to get the DVD and keep doing it. Once I get better, I will introduce it to my guys for (physical training).”

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank God for our troops and thank God that people go to see them. They truly LOVE it so much! This is so great, our troops are physical people and so are wrestlers so the match up of fun and respect is appreciated by our troops I am sure.
For those that are blessed to be able to go see our troops it leaves a place in a persons heart for eternity.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (6)

January 26, 2008

Walk Right In ~ LOL

Extremist sniper walks into Coalition hands (Baghdad)

4IBCT, 1ID Public Affairs

BAGHDAD

Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers were given a gift when a sniper walked into their control during a small arms engagement in West Rashid, Jan. 22.
“Black Lions,” of Company B, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, were hunting for three men believed to have been firing at them, when two men attempting to flee the cordon entered a house occupied by MND-B Soldiers.

One of the men was positively identified at the scene as a known sniper, while the other is an alleged extremist.

The suspected sniper and extremist were taken to a Coalition Detention Facility for further questions.

This is part of Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers’ on going offensive operations in support of Operation Phantom Phoenix, to kill or capture al-Qaeda and Shia/Sunni extremists to deny them rest and sanctuary in Baghdad and the surrounding rural areas.

Wild Thing's comment........

LOL I LOVE this, the bad guiy sniper walked right into their control. heh heh. God bless our troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (8)

Our Awesome Military

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Tyler Carroll fires an AT-4 during live-fire training, Jan. 18, 2008, at the Udairi Range Complex in Kuwait. Marines with Company C, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Pendleton, Calif., are training as part of their current deployment to the Pacific and Arabian Gulf. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Bryson K. Jones

...New Taliban Secret Weapon LOL

Aviation ordnancemen mount an air-to-air missile onto a Super Hornet on the flight deck aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Persian Gulf, Jan. 22, 2008. The ordnancemen are assigned to the "Raging Bulls" of Strike Fighter Squadron 37. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Justin Lee Losack

INPROCESSING RECRUITS
New soldiers in U.S. Army basic combat training roll up their sleeves in preparation for immunizations during in-processing January 16, 2008 at Fort Jackson, S.C. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Micky M. Bazaldua

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (6)

January 23, 2008

'19' Waycross For OUr Troops

An amazing song..hitting home ..for many of us. The song 'Nineteen' by the group WAYCROSS- A song realizing the sacrifice our young men & women take everyday to be in in uniform fighting for what they believe so strongly in...the USA

Wild Thing's comment........

Yes this made me cry but it made me so proud too. Proud to be an American and so very proud of our troops and our Veterans. They deserve our utmost respect every day, not just when we hear news about them or see a soldier walking by in a uniform, but every single day to say inside our hearts how fortunate we are and indebted to our Veterans, our troops and to those that gave their all or came back wounded.

All this crazy politics going on there is one thing that is consistent in our lives and that is the dedication of our military to protect us, and fight for us. We here at Theodore's World thank you with all our hearts.

....Thank you John 5 (VN69/70) for this video

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (10)

January 19, 2008

We keep coming to take you away, A-ha!

Operation Phantom Phoenix air strikes take out al-Qaeda training area (Arab Jabour )

By Sgt. Jason Stadel, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

Irag

Air strikes dropped 10,000 pounds of munitions Jan. 16 on bunkers in Arab Jabour used by al-Qaeda as training sites for new recruits.

Intelligence led the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga. to the location of the AQI bunkers. Air Force B-1 Bombers dropped 19 GBU-31s on the site.

“This operation maintains the momentum of Operation Thunderbolt by denying enemy sanctuaries and enemy caches, ultimately downgrading their capabilities,” said Maj. James Wilburn, daytime chief of operations, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div.

South of Zambraniyah, Soldiers from the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regt., 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. found two booby-trapped houses while on a foot patrol.

Air support was called by 6-8 Cav. to destroy the houses. Navy F-18 jets dropped a 500-pound bomb on each of the houses.

Operation Marne Thunderbolt, a part of the country-wide Operation Phantom Phoenix, continues to relentlessly pursue al-Qaeda and other extremists elements operating south of Baghdad.

Wild Thing's comment.........

I hope that class was in session when this special delivery was made. OH yessssss!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)

The New Marine Commercial

The Commercial and The Rest of The Story

"We traveled to 10 different states and 15 locations across the U.S. to create the "America's Marines" commercial. In the process, we captured so much incredible footage, we made the extended version featured here. If you haven't watched it yet, please do, and then come back to this blog when you're done.
The commercial includes amazing locations, powerful images of proud Marines and the discipline that makes them The Few, The Proud. We hope that you feel equally proud that these noble men and women are defending our nation.

But the America's Marines story is much bigger than 60 or even 90 seconds of video can describe. So we are using this web site to gather, collect and share individual stories of people we met and events we attended throughout our tour. From former Marines to relatives of Marines, and from combat veterans to proud Americans, the people who came out to meet us made it abundantly clear that the Marine Corps is much more than a branch of the military – it is a way of life. "

Wild Thing's comment.........

Their website has a lot of videos of Marines telling why they enlisted and how they feel about being a Marine. It is a wonderful website. Our.Marines.com

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (10)

January 18, 2008

Chicago Lawyer That Damaged Marines Car Goes Before Judge~ OOHRAH Judge!

Chicago Lawyer goes before judge for damage to Marines car. Judge is a former Marine.

Regarding: Anti-Military Lawyer Damages Marine's Car on Eve of Deployment

The lawyer Jay Grodner arrested, pled guilty, has 30 hours of community service and a $600 fine to be paid to the Semper Fi Injured Marine Fund.

"The case was called at 13:33, and the Defendant did not show up. There were 2 heavy hitter State's Attorneys here to handle it. The Judge increased his bond to $20,000.00 or 10 percent cash, and put out a warrant for his arrest.

The Defendant called at 13:40 to say that he will be a half an hout late and was waiting for the media to leave. The Judge said in open court that if he does shows up he will be taken into custody, and if he doesn't he is fair game for any law enforcement agency that wants to pick him up. Will report further developments as warranted."

The presiding judge is a former Marine. Circuit Court Judge William O’Malley was a lance corporal in the early 1960s and is known around the Chicago Courthouse for wearing a Marine Corps pin on his lapel and celebrating the Corps’ birthday each November.

"The update: At 1400 hours the defendant showed up, and was told that he was half an hour late. The Judge stated on the record that the defendant had done the same thing during the previous court date, and he said that the defendant called and said that wanted to wait for the media to leave. The Judge said "That is not the way I run my courtroom." He increased the bail and took him into custody and told him to try and work out a deal with the State. About 25-35 marines and assorted military were there.
The case was recalled at 14:22, and the State said that the defendant had asked for permission to put his belt and such back on. The Judge said, "Treat him like all the other prisoners." The defendant was brought out and the plea deal that they had worked out was entered into the record.

The Judge asked him if he had committed the specific acts he was accused of. The defendant hemmed and hawed, and the Judge raised his voice to make him say yes or no. The defendant agreed, and the Judge read the facts into the record. Several times, the Judge said if there were no deal, he would be given a court date just like any other defendant, and he could try and make bail soon.

The deal: 1 year Social Service Supervision, restitution of 600 dollars to be paid to Social Services and which would go to the Injured Marine Semper Fi fund, to be paid by February 25th, 2008, and $50/month in supervision fees.

The Judge then, in as angry a voice as I have ever heard him use, scolded the defendant, saying that the Marine license plates the complaining witness had were not vanity plates or about ego, but the proceeds go toward the Marine and Navy scholarship fund for the children of fallen soldiers, sailors and marines. These Marines protect his very existence "so people like you can enjoy their freedom." He further said that the reason there were so many in the courtroom and so much public interest is that the Marines have a tradition since 1775 that "No Marine gets left behind." Several Hoorahs in the courtroom.

And then the deal was done, and he was taken away by the sheriffs to be released later."

Wild Thing's comment..........

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! This makes my day! I love, LOVE this, Judge a Marine how cool is that!!! S hearty OOOH-RAH!! Semper Fi to Marines everywhere!!!! God bless this Judge and God bless Sergeant McNulty!

The write up was done by wp91 a commenter at Blackfive.
Thank you soooo much!

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 PM | Comments (8)

January 17, 2008

MEDEVAC Crews - DUSTOFF

UH-60 MEDEVAC Callsign Dustoff

In a scene all too familiar to US Servicemen past and present, a UH-60 MEDEVAC Helicopter, always call signed Dust-off, evacuates US Army Paratroopers and Afghan Army soldiers who were ambushed near Forward Operating Base Bella in November.

The team of soldiers, comprised of Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, soldiers from the Afghan National Army, and two Afghan interpreters, had traveled less than 2 miles on foot to a nearby town of Aranas in the mountainous Nuristan Province. They set out early in the morning for what was supposed to be a positive and productive day of Shuras with local government officials and elders from surrounding villages. The terrain was unforgiving and impossible to pass in vehicles. The distance was short, yet time consuming to navigate, especially on foot and with the weight the modern day soldier carries. After the day's activities were finished in Aranas, the combined team set out for their return foot march back to Forward Operating Base Bella. The mountains of the area, scattered with cliffs and valleys, offered a hideout for Taliban insurgents who waited for the opportune moment to attack the team of US and Afghan Soldiers returning to base.

As a result of the attack by Taliban fighters, the combined team of Paratroopers and Afghan Soldiers sustained great loses. At that point, and after the area was secured, Dust-off leaped into action, and conducted what ended up being a 31 hour medical evacuation mission consisting of multiple lifts and eight separate air crews. The crews’ undying determination and commitment to their missions would not allow them to give up on their tasks.

Consider this scenario: The Crew Chief operates the hoist, as he pulls a casualty into the aircraft. This is a one person operation that is difficult to perform when the casualty is in a SKED, especially when the casualty has the added weight of body armor and equipment. The Medic rides the hoist to the ground and back up, time and time again. Imagine performing this operation 20-25 continuous times wearing Night Vision Goggles (NVGs), the Crew Chief continuing to advise the pilots of aircraft drift and rotor clearance as the mountain side is dangerously close. He ensures the hoist is ready for the next lift and watches the Medics hand and arm signals as he also directs the positioning of the aircraft. It becomes apparent this task is physically exhausting and difficult to master in routine conditions, let alone this punishing-unforgiving terrain at night.

The cabin of the aircraft becomes crowded, and the difficulty the Crew Chief and the Medic have maneuvering recovered personnel inside becomes increasingly challenging. Dust-off has a crew of 4: Pilot, Copilot, Crew Chief, and Medic. During one of the earlier MEDEVAC missions the previous night, Dust-off, with its normal crew of 4, extracted 8 casualties, and 1 non-injured soldier in a single lift for a total of 13 on board. That operation was conducted under zero-lunar-illumination NVG conditions with no supplemental lighting used in the rear of the aircraft due to the tactical situation, adding dramatically to the level of difficulty.

Dust-off departed the pick-up (PZ) zone after 31 combined hours of medical evacuation, and without further incident. Dust-off was PZ clean.

Had this mission not been captured by the AH-64 gun cameras, this would have been another example of selfless service occurring in this battle space on a daily basis that we never get to hear about and from countless service members across the spectrum; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and our Civilian brethren included.

Wild Thing's comment........

In the Vietnam War DUSTOFF helicopter was a Huey marked with a distinctive red cross on a white background on the nose, top, bottom, and sides. It identified their mission, and distinguished the ship from helicopters with different missions. It also provided Charlie (the enemy in Vietnam) with a more-than-adequate aiming point!

That is still the same today....it announces to the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Please say a prayer for our soldiers that give and give so unselfishly for us. Thank God for our troops and our Veterans.

A special thank you to Captain Dave, he reads this blog and also comments on here sometimes. He is a dear friend and was a Dustoff pilot, DUSTOFF22 in Vietnam.

After each of the shows with Bob Hope, when I would go on to see more of the troops, it was the Dustoff pilot that would give me a ride many times to go further in country to visit our troops. What an honor it was to meet them and get to know them.

Perhaps the mission of DUSTOFF and MEDEVAC is best said by author John L. Cook in his book "Rescue Under Fire".
It was written about the heroes in the Vietnam War........

"There is no question that these were truly
exceptional men, performing on an exceptional
level throughout the war. There were other intangibles
that went into building the DUSTOFF legacy,
creating an environment that drove these men to a
level of performance far above what could reasonably
be expected. While many of their peers back in the states
were dodging the draft, burning the flag, and protesting
the war, the DUSTOFF crews simply kept flying missions,
aware that their efforts were being jeered by an uninformed
and ungrateful public at home. In spite of all this, they
kept doing what had to be done. Perhaps this is the
ultimate expression of courage, honor and dedication
which defined the men of DUSTOFF.
In the end, however, nothing can fully
explain these truly magnificent men."

* Combined Joint Task Force

* Yankeemom's blog

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (15)

Gen. Petraeus visits Combat Outpost 9

Gen. Petraeus visits Combat Outpost 9

By Spc. Jaime Avila

Petraeus met and spoke with Paratroopers of the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

(U.S. Army photos by Spc. Jaime Avila)

Gen.Petraeus hands out "coins of excellence" to Paratroopers

Gen. David H. Petraeus, speaks with Paratroopers about their equipment during his visit.

Wild Thing's comment.........

I LOVE seeing General Petraeus on his visits to the troops. Looking at these photos I can feel his deep respect for them and the care he takes. We are so fortunate to have the General and all of our awesome troops defending our country and all they do.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:50 AM | Comments (6)

Troops Ignore Cold To Finish Victory 455

Army Cpt. Janelle Lohman, Information Operations executive officer, Joint Fire Cell, MNC-I, assists a Soldier who is regeristering to participate in the Camp Victory 455 Fun Run

Troops ignore cold to finish Victory 455

By Army Spc. Stephanie Homan, MNC-I PAO

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq

About 400 runners showed up at the Victory main stage on the morning of Jan. 6 to battle the chilling temperatures together as they participated in the Camp Victory 455 Run.

The creation of the run, which followed a 4.55-mile course around the camp, began in November when a group of avid runners, who try to participate in all the runs around Victory Base Complex and in the International Zone, decided they wanted to jump off the track for once and organize a run for others.

Army Staff Sgt. Corey Fink, Information Assurance NCOIC, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, and Huntersville, N.C. native, enjoys running to stay fit. She said the group wanted to give back to all those who have organized runs.

"We wanted to prove that any individual, unit, or group can organize a run," Fink said.

The group had shirts promoting the race designed and located a sponsor.

Because the NASCAR Performance Network agreed to sponsor shirts for the run, Army Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Coble, Joint Fires Cell Information Operations Assessments Chief, MNC-I, said they named their run similar to that of a NASCAR race.

"Once we knew NASCAR was going to sponsor the T-shirts we wanted to have a race theme," said the Tulsa, Okla. native. "Ultimately we decided that 455 would be a perfect number in honor of our 455 day ‘extended vacations' here in Iraq. It seemed like a great way to wind down this tour for many of us."

The first 250 runners to finish received an official Camp Victory 455 T-shirt, while the rest received Morale, Welfare and Recreation Fun Run shirts.

The 1st place male and female runners were awarded a trophy and a gift certificate. The 2nd and 3rd place finishers were awarded a silver medal with a gift certificate and a bronze medal with a gift certificate, respectively.

However, the prizes didn't stop there. At the end of the award presentation, the group raffled off other prizes to all participants, to include an iPod Shuffle, a Fossil watch, gift cards from AAFES and an autographed NASCAR hat.

Finishing first for the males was Army Staff Sgt. Roderick Reeves, 535th Military Police Battalion, Raleigh, N.C., with a time of 27:47. Army Capt. Hilary Mann, 716th MP Bn., 18th MP Brigade, took 1st place for the female category.

Wild Thing's comment........

I love that NASCAR supports our troops. All of this is so good for our troops, to get a break in what they do, the competition and awards. This is all just great.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:40 AM | Comments (4)

January 15, 2008

Army Chinooks Help Carry Work Load

Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment prepare their aircraft for missions in which they transported 25,000 total pounds of gear. 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment considers this to be a light day after so far transporting 28,000 passengers and almost 2 million pounds of cargo since August. Photo by: Cpl. Andrew M. Kalwitz, USMC.

Army Chinooks Help Carry Work Load

By Cpl. Andrew M. Kalwitz
2nd Marine Logistics Group

AL TAQADDUM

Though they are a flock of merely eight, the Army’s CH-47 Chinooks move thousands of pounds of gear and scores of personnel daily. Despite their small number of aircraft, the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment has handled a large workload since beginning operations in August. With greater capacity, the Army’s Chinooks have spared the Marine Corps’ aircraft approximately 28,000 passengers and almost 2 million pounds of cargo.

“They just needed something to fill the gaps until they could get another stateside unit into the rotation,” said Capt. Nelson Gray, a Milan, Ohio native.

Gray said the battalion’s Chinooks have already flown more than 300 missions. The overachieving aircraft can already carry 2,000 lbs. more than the Marine Corps’ Sea Knight, but that’s not all.

The Chinooks can also lift an external payload of nearly 13,000 lbs. by hooking the gear up to a sling under the belly of the aircraft. That’s more than twice the Sea Knight’s maximum lifting capability.

“It’s the best aircraft in any military inventory that I’ve seen yet,” said Capt. Zachariah Morford, a commanding officer for one of the battalion’s companies. “Our aircraft flies faster, higher, farther than anything in the Army inventory and now that we’re stacking up against Marine aircraft, we’re more than holding our own.”

The Soldiers are on a constant flight rotation, taking to the skies both day and night for the entirety of their deployment. A lot of maintenance comes with that kind of tempo, especially if the battalion plans to sustain it for the remainder of their 15-month deployment.

“Without us, we couldn’t move troops or supplies so it’s satisfying to see these things take off and go,” said Staff Sgt. Samuel Ayres, a Chinook mechanic with the battalion.

Morford said he especially enjoys working in a Marine environment as many of the few and the proud are unfamiliar with the Chinook’s capabilities.

“People wear a couple different uniforms, but all haircuts look the same and the food tastes the same,” said the Gainesville, Fla., native. “There are fewer differences than I would’ve at first imagined. They have a very mission focused perspective and we’ve been able to fit right into that.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)

January 14, 2008

Army Closes Ray Barracks in Germany

The main gate of Ray Barracks in Friedberg, Germany, is shown here in 1963 Photo

Lt. Col. Thomas Salo, commander, 102nd Signal Battalion, and Jeurgen Jaeger shut off the main power supply to the KN-4100 telephone switch during a closing ceremony Monday on Ray Barracks. Photo by Sgt. Elizabeth A. Sheridan U.S. Army

Army Closes Ray Barracks in Germany

Army.mil news

Sgt. Elizabeth A. Sheridan serves as NCOIC for 5th Signal Command Public Affairs

FRIEDBERG, Germany
Army News Service

The voice of Elvis Presley echoed through Ray Barracks one last time Monday, returning for a brief moment to his old military stomping grounds.

With Presley's "Hound Dog" reverberating off the cement walls, Lt. Col. Thomas Salo, commander, 102nd Signal Battalion, and Jeurgen Jaeger, 102nd Signal Bn., shut off the main power supply to the KN-4100 telephone switch during a closing ceremony for building 3705 on Ray Barracks.

The barracks were "The King's" home in Friedberg from October 1958 to March 1960 when he served as a member of the 1st Battalion, 32nd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division during his tour in the U.S. Army.

"The historical aspects of this post warranted a ceremony, here in this former home of Elvis," said Salo. "Thousands and thousands of people were able to communicate from lines connected to this building; it is the end of an era."

The massive telephone switch, installed in 1986, enabled 102nd Signal Battalion to provide communications to the Friedberg and Giessen military communities with 400 DSN lines and 20 commercial lines. By 1996 the capacity was bumped up to1400 DSN lines and 40 commercial lines.

"This is not the first communications site to close, and it will not be the last," said Salo.

The garrison closure ceremony for U.S. Army Garrison Giessen, which encompassed Ray Barracks, was held Sept. 28, 2007. And 3705 is the last building on Ray Barracks to be turned over to the Department of Public Works for release back to the host nation, explained James Neufeld, chief of the Operations Management Cell in Hanau.

"It is fitting that commo is the first in and last out," said Salo. "We do not turn off until the last customer is gone. They're gone, so its time to flip the switch."

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (6)

January 09, 2008

Awesome Speech Fits Our Troops ~ Inch by Inch

Wild Thing's comment..........

This is a speech, Inch by Inch", that Al Pacino's made in the movie " Any Given Sunday". Someone took this speech, the audio of it and put it with images of our troops. This video is excellent!

For the words of the speech see here.................

Al Pacino's Inch By Inch speech from Any Given Sunday

I don't know what to say really.
Three minutes
to the biggest battle of our professional lives
all comes down to today.
Either
we heal
as a team
or we are going to crumble.
Inch by inch
play by play
till we're finished.
We are in hell right now, gentlemen
believe me
and
we can stay here
and get the shit kicked out of us
or
we can fight our way
back into the light.
We can climb out of hell.
One inch, at a time.

Now I can't do it for you.
I'm too old.
I look around and I see these young faces
and I think
I mean
I made every wrong choice a middle age man could make.
I uh....
I pissed away all my money
believe it or not.
I chased off
anyone who has ever loved me.
And lately,
I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror.

You know when you get old in life
things get taken from you.
That's, that's part of life.
But,
you only learn that when you start losing stuff.
You find out that life is just a game of inches.
So is football.
Because in either game
life or football
the margin for error is so small.
I mean
one half step too late or to early
you don't quite make it.
One half second too slow or too fast
and you don't quite catch it.
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They are in ever break of the game
every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch.
Cause we know
when we add up all those inches
that's going to make the fucking difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.

I'll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know
if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy
who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.

That's a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
That's football guys.
That's all it is.
Now, whattaya gonna do?

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (5)

Paratrooper Keeps Flag Carried by Dad in Vietnam

Pfc. Alexander Cesario of Somerville, N.J., a forward observer with A Co, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, displays his father Adam's American flag on a rooftop in Baghdad's Suleikh neighborhood.
As a Soldier in Vietnam, the elder Cesario flew the flag every day - including a three day period when he was missing in action - and his son now carries it with him on patrols in Iraq. Photo by Sgt. Michael Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs.

Flag of My Father: Paratrooper Keeps Flag Carried by Dad in Vietnam

Story by Staff Sgt. Mike Pryor, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

Like any Soldier, Pfc. Alexander Cesario always makes sure he has all his essential equipment before he goes outside the wire. For Cesario, that means his weapon, radio, and night vision goggles, as well as one special, personal item – an American flag his father brought home from Vietnam.
Cesario, a Somerville, N.J., native serving as a forward observer with Company A., Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, has carried his father’s flag with him on every mission since being deployed to Iraq a year ago.

The flag was first acquired by Cesario’s father, Adam, 61, when he was a young paratrooper serving in Vietnam. The elder Cesario never let a day go by without unfurling the flag, no matter where he was or what he was doing.

“(My dad) flew that flag every day, even if he had to put it up on a radio antenna,” Cesario said.

At one point, a mission went wrong and Cesario’s father was cut off from the rest of his platoon. For three days, he had to hack it out of the jungle alone, with the Vietcong in hot pursuit. But even on the run, he still managed to raise the flag each day.

“He didn’t stop moving at all for those three days, except to fly that flag,” Cesario said.

When Cesario’s father returned from the war, he put the flag into safekeeping. He was so protective of it that even family members were rarely allowed to handle it.

“It was like his prized possession,” Cesario said.

Nothing could make the elder Cesario part with the flag until Alexander, 19, was deployed to Iraq this year. After he began patrolling the streets of Baghdad, Cesario decided he wanted to carry on his father’s tradition. After some arm-twisting, he convinced his dad to mail him the flag.

The flag arrived with step-by-step instructions on how to take care of it, Cesario said. He recalled the final step with a laugh: “If you lose it, don’t bother coming home.”

Despite the threat of exile, Cesario takes the flag with him everywhere. It is his way of paying tribute to his father, he said.

“I wanted to honor him,” Cesario said, “It meant a lot to him, and because of that, it means a lot to me.”

Cesario keeps the flag tucked into the front flap of his body armor, close to his heart. He said he’s looking forward to redeploying and returning the flag – now a veteran of two wars – to its rightful owner. Eventually Cesario, who is single, said he would like to pass the flag on to his own son, when he has one. There’s only one problem.

“I’ll have to pry it away from my dad first,” he joked.

Wild Thing's comment.........

I love this story, it made me cry, our country has such totally awesome troops and Veterans. We are so blessed!!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (8)

January 07, 2008

How To catch a Terrorist?

LOL this is really funny.

...Thank you Tom, I needed good laugh.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (8)

January 02, 2008

In Country With Our Heroes

Hmmmmm wonder why our MSN missed all these things going on. There is such great news to report about our troops and how the war is going. And the Media is working overtime NOT to tell us about it. --- Wild Thing

US Army Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System fires a 227 mm rocket at a building that terrorists were using to store explosives in the open desert near the northern Iraqi city of Bayji.

American heroes clear out al-Qaeda Terrorists West of Baquba, today, Tuesday, 01 January 2008 Company B Soldiers found two suicide vests that were completely ready, with grid coordinates of Iraqi police stations in the area, grid coordinates of Coalition force bases and combat outposts in the area. Also taken were 18 large-caliber mortar shells filled with explosives and three fire extinguishers filled with explosives. Other heroes found five potential car bombs in the town of Hadid and took in a total of 13 terrorists.

Iraqi children, freed by America, under the guidance of Coalition forces, make sit-upon pillows during the day of fun sponsored by the Green Zone Committee.

Iraqis Liberated by America fight back against the Axis of Evil.
Concerned Local Citizens Deliver Weapons Cache to Battery Commander 10th Field Artillery Regiment with members of the Concerned Local Citizens group in front of a portion of the large weapons cache the group delivered to Forward Operating Base Hammer.
The cache consisted of 23 rocket motors, two 82 mm mortars, four 81 mm illumination shells, one rocket-propelled grenade, one 115 mm high-explosive tank round, one 106 mm high-explosive anti-tank round, and several other explosive items, including an artillery fuse.

Soldiers’ Best Friend on the Battlefield - Monday, 31 December 2007....Udi, a United States military working dog stationed at Forward Operating Base Kalsu.

In Diwaniya, south of Baghdad, Iraqi soldiers display assorted arms, munitions and roadside bombs. 126 terrorists were arrested by the end of the three-week operation.

In Kut, 170 km (105 miles) southeast of Baghdad, a raid December 27, 2007 killed 11 terrorists. The terrorists are Islamic Mehdi (Mahdi) murders who receive weapons, and funding from Iran.

In Basra, Iraq, displayed are weapons taken from five terrorists on Monday.
Note they have UAV drones

From 'Iran with love', on the search for Iranian-made weapons.
Some of the Iranian-made rockets which have murdered Iraqis,
Americans, and others, since at least April 2007, when these were shown publicly in Iraq.

All the above has been taken from DOD, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Yahoo, AP, AFP, Reuters.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)

January 01, 2008

Apache's 30mm Cannon Takes Out Insurgents and Their Truck

Apache's 30mm Cannon Takes Out Insurgents and their Truck

Wild Thing's comment........

This video was added on December 28, 2007 so it is recent. Good one troops!

Have a wonderful New Years Day everyone.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (16)

December 31, 2007

The 1st Cav

.....Thank you John 5 (VN69/70) for this video.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (8)

December 30, 2007

General Patreus Year-end Letter To His Men and Women Under His Command

Following is the year-end letter that David Petraeus, commanding general of coalition forces in Iraq, sent to the men and women under his command.

Petraeus Detects 'Newfound Sense Of Hope On Which We Can Build'
Investors Business Daily

Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and Civilians of Multinational Force-Iraq:

"As 2007 draws to a close, you should look back with pride on what you, your fellow troopers, our Iraqi partners and Iraqi coalition civilians have achieved this year.
A year ago, Iraq was racked by horrific violence and on the brink of civil war. Now levels of violence and civilian and military casualties are significantly reduced, and hope has been rekindled in many Iraqi communities.

To be sure, the progress is reversible and there is much more to be done. Nonetheless, the hard-fought accomplishments of 2007 have been substantial, and I want to thank each of you for the contributions you made to them.

In response to the challenges that faced Iraq a year ago, we and our Iraqi partners adopted a new approach. We increased our focus on securing the Iraqi people and, in some cases, delayed transition of tasks to Iraqi forces.

Additional U.S. and Georgian forces were deployed to the theater, the tours of U.S. units were extended and Iraqi forces conducted a surge of their own, generating well over 100,000 more Iraqi police and soldiers during the year so that they, too, had additional forces to execute the new approach.

In places like Ramadi, Baqubah, Arab Jabour and Baghdad, you and our Iraqi brothers fought — often house by house, block by block, and neighborhood by neighborhood — to wrest sanctuaries away from al-Qaida-Iraq, to disrupt extremist militia elements and to rid the streets of mafialike criminals.

Having cleared areas, you worked with Iraqis to retain them — establishing outposts in the areas we were securing, developing Iraqi security forces and empowering locals to help our efforts.

This approach has not been easy. It has required steadfastness in the conduct of tough offensive operations, creative solutions to the myriad problems on the ground, and persistence over the course of many months and during countless trying situations.

Through it all, you have proved equal to every task, continually demonstrating an impressive ability to conduct combat and stability operations in an exceedingly complex environment. Your accomplishments have given the Iraqi people new confidence and prompted many citizens to reject terror and confront those who practice it.

As the months passed in 2007, in fact, the tribal awakening that began in Al Anbar Province spread to other parts of the country.

Emboldened by improving security and tired of indiscriminate violence, extremist ideology, oppressive practices and criminal activity, Iraqis increasingly rejected al-Qaida-Iraq and rogue militia elements.

Over time, the desire of Iraqis to contribute to their own security has manifested itself in citizens volunteering for the police, the Army and concerned local citizen programs. It has been reflected in citizens providing information that has helped us find far more than double the number of arms and weapons caches we found last year. And it has been apparent in Iraqi communities supporting their local security forces.

As a result of your hard work and that of our Iraqi comrades in arms — and with the support of the local populace in many areas — we have seen significant improvements in the security situation.

The number of attacks per week is down some 60% from a peak in June of this year to a level last seen consistently in the early summer of 2005. With fewer attacks, we are also seeing significantly reduced loss of life. The number of civilian deaths is down by some 75% since its height a year ago, dropping to a level not seen since the beginning of 2006. And the number of coalition losses is down substantially as well.

We remain mindful that the past year's progress has been purchased through the sacrifice and selfless service of all those involved and that the new Iraq must still contend with innumerable enemies and obstacles.

Al-Qaida-Iraq has been significantly degraded, but it remains capable of horrific bombings. Militia extremists have been disrupted, but they retain influence in many areas. Criminals have been apprehended, but far too many still roam Iraqi streets and intimidate local citizens and Iraqi officials.

We and our Iraqi partners will have to deal with each of these challenges in the new year to keep the situation headed in the right direction.

While the progress in a number of areas is fragile, the security improvements have significantly changed the situation in many parts of Iraq. It is now imperative that we take advantage of these improvements by looking beyond the security arena and helping Iraqi military and political leaders as they develop solutions in other areas as well, solutions they can sustain over time.

At the tactical level, this means an increasing focus on helping not just Iraqi security forces — with whom we must partner in all that we do — but also helping Iraqi governmental organizations as they endeavor to restore basic services, to create employment opportunities, to revitalize local markets, to refurbish schools, to spur local economic activity and to keep locals involved in contributing to local security.

We will have to do all of this, of course, while continuing to draw down our forces, thinning our presence and gradually handing over responsibilities to our Iraqi partners.

Meanwhile, at the national level, we will focus on helping the Iraqi government integrate local volunteers into the Iraqi security forces and other employment, develop greater ministerial capacity and capability, aid displaced people as they return and take the all-important political and economic actions needed to exploit the opportunity provided by the gains in the security arena.

The pace of progress on crucial political action to this point has been slower than Iraqi leaders had hoped. Still, there have been important steps taken in recent months.

Iraq's leaders reached agreement on the Declaration of Principles for Friendship and Cooperation with the U.S., which lays the groundwork for an enduring relationship between our nations.

The United Nations Security Council approved Iraq's request for a final renewal of the resolution that authorizes the coalition to operate in Iraq.

Iraq's leaders passed an important pension law that not only extends retirement benefits to Iraqis previously left out, but also represents the first of what we hope will be additional measures fostering national reconciliation.

And Iraq's leaders have debated at length a second reconciliation-related measure, the Accountability and Justice Bill (the de-Baathification Reform Law), as well as the 2008 National Budget, both of which likely will be brought up for a vote in early 2008.

Even so, all Iraqi participants recognize that much more must be done politically to put their country on an irreversible trajectory to national reconciliation and sustainable economic development. We will, needless to say, work closely with our embassy teammates to support the Iraq government as it strives to take advantage of the improved security environment by pursing political and economic progress.

The new year will bring many changes. Substantial force rotations and adjustments already under way will continue. One Army brigade combat team and a Marine expeditionary unit have already redeployed without replacement. In the coming months, four additional brigades and two Marine battalions will follow suit.

Throughout that time, we will continue to adapt to the security situation as it evolves. And in the midst of all the changes, we and our Iraqi partners will strive to maintain the momentum, to press the fight and to pursue Iraq's enemies relentlessly.

Solutions to many of the tough problems will continue to be found at your level, together with local Iraqi leaders and with your Iraqi security force partners, in company and battalion areas of operation and in individual neighborhoods and towns.

As you and your Iraqi partners turn concepts into reality, additional progress will emerge slowly and fitfully. Over time, we will gradually see fewer bad days and accumulate more good days, good weeks and good months.

The way ahead will not be easy. Inevitably, there will be more tough days and tough weeks. Unforeseen challenges will emerge. And success will require continued hard work, commitment and initiative from all involved.

As we look to the future, however, we should remember how far we have come in the past year. Thanks to the tireless efforts and courageous actions of the Iraqi people, Iraq's political and military leaders, the Iraqi security forces and each of you, a great deal has been achieved in 2007.

Thus, as we enter a new year, we and our Iraqi partners will have important accomplishments and a newfound sense of hope on which we can build.

As always, all of your leaders, our fellow citizens back home and I deeply appreciate the dedication, professionalism, commitment and courage you display on a daily basis.

It remains the greatest of honors to serve with each of you in this critical endeavor.

Sincerely,

David H. Petraeus"

Wild Thing's comment........

General Patreus is a leader with gravitas. The success of the surge is the most underreported story of 2007. God bless General Petraeus, and our brave troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (17)

War News From The Front ~ Gen. Petraeus Positive and Cautious ~ Dems Pout

Gen. Petraeus Positive, Cautious on Iraq Progress

BAGHDAD, Dec. 29
Washington Posthttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/29/AR2007122901169.html

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, delivered a positive but cautious assessment Saturday of progress in Iraq over the previous year,citing the drop-off in violence over the latter half of the year but warning that insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq remains the country's preeminent threat.

Petreaus said the number of weekly attacks in Iraq -- such as roadside bombs, mortars and sniper fire -- has fallen by about 60 percent since June, down to about 500 a week by late this month. The number of Iraqi civilians killed in December through the 22nd appeared to be about 600, according to a graph over the past two years provided by Petraeus using combined Iraqi and U.S. figures. The highest death toll during this period was last December, when about 3,000 civilians were killed

"The positive security trends and the factors that produced them are changing the context in many parts of Iraq. While progress in many areas remains fragile, security has improved," Petraeus said during a briefing for reporters inside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. He added that success "will emerge slowly and fitfully, with reverses as well as advances, accumulating fewer bad days and gradually more good days. There will inevitably be more tough fighting."

The downturn in violence is generally attributed to three factors that emerged over the year: the arrival of 30,000 additional U.S. soldiers, the emergence of tens of thousands of Sunni militiamen who aligned with American troops against al-Qaeda in Iraq, and the decision by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to call for a six-month cease-fire. Petraeus also cited a drop-off in fighters coming into Iraq from Syria and Saudia Arabia, and a decline in weapons believed to be manufactured in Iran being used in recent months.

For a time this year, U.S. officials in Iraq described Shiite militias as the most damaging and destabilizing force in the country, but Petraeus identified al-Qaeda in Iraq as the top threat.

"We call it sometimes 'the wolf closest to the sled,' it is the most significant enemy that Iraq faces precisely because it is the enemy that carries out the most horrific attacks, that causes the greatest damage to infrastructure and that seems most intent on reigniting ethno-sectarian violence," he said.

He said al-Qaeda in Iraq has been diminished by aggressive military operations and by the rise of the Awakening groups, and the insurgents have responded by attacking these groups.

In an audiotape released Saturday purported to be from Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda warned Iraq's Sunnis against joining such tribal councils or participating in any unity government. "The most evil traitors are those who trade away their religion for the sake of their mortal life," bin Laden said, according to a translation by the Associated Press.

Petraeus said the al-Qaeda in Iraq network and its affiliates have moved into northern Iraqi provinces such as Nineveh, Diyala, and Salahuddin, after coming under pressure from U.S. and Iraqi forces in Baghdad and Anbar provinces. The one Iraqi province that has not had a reduction in attacks is Nineveh, where insurgents operate in and around the provincial capital of Mosul.

In recent days there have been two major bombings in northern provinces, one in the oil refinery town of Baiji and another in Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province, that killed at least 26 people. Contrary to other trends, the number of suicide car bombs and suicide vest attacks have risen for each of the past three months, though the frequency is still below peak levels this year. There have been about 50 "high-profile" explosions in the first three weeks of December, according to U.S. military figures.

"There will be bombs," Petraeus predicted about the future of Iraq. "If the metric is that there are no car bombs or no suicide vest bombs, I think that would just be an unrealistic metric."

Also Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was flown to London for medical examination after suffering from what his aides described as fatigue. Reuters quoted an unnamed official saying Maliki, 57, would undergo tests on his heart.

Earlier in the week, Maliki was examined at a U.S. military hospital in the Green Zone, said Col. Steve Boylan, a U.S. military spokesman. His doctors and advisers recommended he go to London for a check-up, said Sami al-Askiri, an adviser to the prime minister. A statement from the Iraqi government described him as "fully healthy," but suffering exhaustion.

Wild Thing's comment........

It must be absolutely killing the media to have to report the good news on Iraq, most especially because the key to the turnaround was the surge -- the surge so strongly dismissed and opposed by the left.

But wait........ the media is not reporting hardly anything about our troops and how they are doing. They only reported when we were being hit by the enemy.

The GOP should be SCREAMING THIS OUT ... LOUD for American Ears... The Democrats were WRONG ABOUT THE SURGE!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (10)

December 28, 2007

Soldiers Share Best Possible Gift

Sgt. 1st Class Francisco aRamirez, 11th Signal Brigade, and his son, Spc. Donald Ramirez, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, talk about their experiences of being deployed in Iraq. Spc. Ramirez, who is stationed at Baquba, Iraq, arranged to come to Camp Victory to visit with his father for a few days.

sierra vista herald

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq — They are separated by a 30-minute helicopter ride but in this war-torn country it might as well be a continent away.

But Sgt. 1st Class Francisco Ramirez and his son, Spc. Donald Ramirez, were given a special Christmas gift — time with each other at dad’s place.

“He called me a day before (Christmas Eve) saying he was coming to visit,” said the 45-year-old father.

Donald, 21, said “It was my unit who was sending people on four-day passes.” Most headed to Qatar, but the younger soldier used the time to be with his dad.

Dad remarked, “I was happy. We were trying to get together before we left (Iraq).”

The older Ramirez, who has 22 years in the Army, has a year left on his 15-month deployment, while his son has six months remaining with the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, a Stryker unit out of Fort Lewis, Wash.

Calling Forward Operating Base Warhorse at Baquba home, the former Buena High School baseball pitcher said, like his father, he is a Signal Corps soldier. Francisco is the plans non-commissioned-officer-in-charge for the 11th Signal Brigade. Donald is a 2004 graduate of Buena High School.

“I worry about his safety,” dad said. “But, he’s a good, level-headed kid.”

Christmas day was a time to call family members, especially another son, Donald’s 20-year-old brother Daniel, who works at the Barnes Field House on Fort Huachuca.

Family members got a two-for-one when they answered, dad said — him and Donald.

“We spent most of our time catching up,” Francisco said. “He’s planning to get married.”

As for his future wife — who hasn’t been formally asked to marry him — Donald said “she has a promise ring, as I do.” The ring is on the finger where eventually the wedding band will be after he and Melissa Dangel marry.
For fatherly advice, Francisco told his son “Be good to her and treat her with respect.”

The father and son exchange movies as Christmas gifts, with Donald giving his dad “Knocked Up,” and Francisco giving “War” to his son. The two lived in dad’s billets, as the older Ramirez’s roommate was on leave.

Unlike most GIs at this camp, the Ramirezes did not partake in the Christmas feast at the dining facility.

“We went to Burger King for brunch and had pizza for dinner,” the father said.

The two hadn’t seen each other for more than a year and although Francisco was supposed to retire in June 2008, he pulled his papers to deploy in the hopes of connecting with Donald in Iraq.

The older Ramirez had only been back from an Iraqi deployment for year before heading out on his current stint.

When he returns in early January 2009, he will resubmit his retirement papers.

As for Donald, whether he will make the Army a career is up in the air. Part of the decision is based on Melissa, he added.

If the answer is yes, then he will re-enlist while in Iraq so his bonus will be tax free.

As for advice from a noncommissioned officer, which is mixed with the feelings of a father, Francisco said he told Donald to find a good NCO “and stay away from the knuckleheads.”

Friday, the two will say their farewells again.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:40 AM | Comments (10)

December 27, 2007

Don't Screw With The USA and That Includes You Dems!

Wild Thing's comment........

I love this song by Twisted Sisters. I was looking at some other video's using this song and they were great, then I saw this one also listed and loved it!!

To Murtha, Reid, Pelosi, Ron Paul, and anyone else that does not get it, turn up the volume and eat sand! Our troops ROCK and they are doing an awesome job. You think you can stand there and say we should not fight back, we should let the enemy keep attacking us and then expect us to just have a sit down with them and do lunch? OMG you are totally insane and that is just for starters.

You want Kumbaya and my answer to you is MORE FIREPOWER. So just get out of the way because we have the most powerful military in the whole world and they DO have an answer to people like you. Listen to the words to the song and get a clue!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (11)

December 22, 2007

USMC Silent Drill Platoon ~ Totally Awesome!

This is a 2007 performance of the US Marine Drill Team at a recent Denver Nuggets Basketball game.

Wild Thing's comment........

The very first time I ever saw the USMC Drill Team I was in awe of what they do. That same awe is always there each time I see them. This is so wonderful that they had them at the game. I wish more of this kind of thing would happen. Keep our military in the lives of the citizens, let them see how fantastic they are and how we wouldn't even have the freedom to play sports without our Veterans and troops keeping us free.

.... Thank you so much Mark for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (7)

December 18, 2007

In Country With Our Troops Along The Euphrates River

Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division found and destroyed a network of underground tunnels used by al-Qaeda in Iraq to store weapons, hide fighters and launch attacks against Coalition Forces northwest of Iskandariyah, along the Euphrates River

Enemy tunnel network discovered, destroyed by Marne Roundup forces

BAGHDAD, Iraq

A network of underground tunnels used by al-Qaeda in Iraq to store weapons, hide fighters and launch attacks against U.S. forces was discovered and subsequently destroyed by Coalition Forces Dec. 16. It was the first known find of a tunnel system in the Multi-National Division - Center area.

Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division found the tunnels as they were searching an area northwest of Iskandariyah, along the Euphrates River. Immediately prior, they discovered a cache of improvised explosive device components and were investigating when the tunnels were unearthed.

The tunnels provided access to numerous al-Qaeda fighting positions. Inside the tunnels were several DSHKA rounds, leading troops to speculate the tunnels may have served as enemy firing positions for anti-aircraft guns, as well as hiding places for AQI fighters after they launched attacks.

Soldiers called in Coalition air teams to destroy the tunnels. After an initial engagement with one Hellfire missile and three rockets, heavier air support was called in and dropped two bombs on the target, completely collapsing the network.

U.S. and Iraqi soldiers are in the area as part of Operation Marne Roundup.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (2)

December 17, 2007

Pararescue Jumper Motto: That Others May Live

National Geographic's Rescue Warriors: Band Of Brothers about the US Air Force pararescue troops was on TV yesterday morning and watching it a person could see clearly what these brave warriors go through in their training. I urge everyone .. if you ever see it replayed, make sure you watch it. It's compelling, and much of it the libs would definitely consider torture if it was done to the enemy, the savage terrorists.

These highly trained and specialized troops go through extreme training for rescue operations, as well as combat .. water choking and horrible discomfort included. It's part of the training, because they have to be prepared to rescue and treat victims everywhere....including in hostile land and water environments. They are put through routine discomfort in their training, as any thinking person knows.

Air Force Pararescue...One

Air Force Pararescue....Two

At one point, the instructor, who was angry at the lack of efficiency of one of these particular troops, had them all get in a sodden mud pit, fully clothed, and sprayed them and their "patients" on the ground with ice cold water from the hose, outside in 30 degree temps.

While the pj was shaking and trying to get an iv line into the patient. All the while, the instructor is barking orders, while berating and belittling his efforts. They must be able to take care of business efficiently and save victims, under great pressure.

At the very least, what our troops endure to teach and toughen them up in training for battle should certainly be allowed on our sworn enemies to save lives.

The Pararescue Jumper motto says it all to me: That Others May Live

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (6)

December 15, 2007

Huge Taliban Defeat ~ An Eyewitness Account

Eyewitness Account of Huge Taliban Defeat

abc news The Blotter

Afghanistan's government flag was raised Wednesday on what had been one of the biggest strongholds of the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan and a leading world center of heroin production.

The town of about 45,000 people was secured at about 9:30 a.m. as Afghan troops, steered by British soldiers and U.S. Green Berets, drove out remnants of the Taliban resistance from Musa Qala in the opium poppy region of northern Helmand.

As the only journalist to join NATO forces entering the town, I found it a ghost town abandoned by both the Taliban and its residents at the end of an eight-day coalition operation. The offensive was one of NATO's biggest in the country since Operation Anaconda in 2002.

" Embedded with a team of British troops and a detachment/"A–team" of U.S. special forces, I watched the Taliban being pounded these last few days with overwhelming force -- vapor trails circled in the clear blue sky over the Helmand desert as B1 and B52 bombers backed by A10 tank busters, F16s, Apache helicopters and Specter gunships were used to kill hundreds of Taliban fighters.
The operation was launched last Tuesday with an attack across the Helmand River by British Royal Marine commandos, a thrust from the west by light armor of the U.K. Household Cavalry Regiment; all this, however, was a feint for the main airborne landing from the north of a battalion of soldiers of Task Force Fury from the 82nd Airborne.

Faced with a full brigade of NATO forces, a brigade of Afghan government fighters and the defection of a key Taliban commander, the Taliban chose not to flee at first but to fight a desperate battle.

I joined one feint attack of Afghan soldiers last Friday that came under fierce Taliban fire in a village on the outskirts of Musa Qala -- AK47s and heavy machine gun fire opened up on us as we advanced across open ground. The British and Afghans counterattacked backed by U.S. special forces who opened up with 50-caliber fire and by calling three F16 strikes and a B1 bomber strike.

On Sunday, as the 82nd Airborne advanced to take positions north, east and south of the town, I watched the sky being lit with large explosions from heavy ordnance dropped from the air to support the U.S. advance.

U.S. forces believe the Taliban were backed by a large strength of foreign fighters, including those linked to al Qaeda. Soldiers who I accompanied found one dead fighter whose notebook revealed he was from Pakistan.

While hundreds of Taliban are believed to have been killed, two British soldiers and one American soldier lost their lives. All the deaths, however, resulted from vehicles striking mines left not, it is believed, by the Taliban but by Soviet forces in the 1980s.

On Monday, after days of fierce fighting -- more ferocious than NATO commanders had expected -- the Taliban called it quits and fled the town. Afghan troops entered the town on Tuesday and completed their occupation on Wednesday after only token further resistance.

NATO forces now hope to launch a program of reconstruction that will persuade the local population to turn their backs on the Taliban.

In a controversial move, Musa Qala had been abandoned the previous year after British troops lost seven lives defending a base in the town from waves of Taliban attacks. Although handed over, in theory, to the elders of the town last October, it was taken over by the Taliban by February and became one of the few major places in Afghanistan where the Taliban could operate in the open, trying to set up their own local government and courts.

Last year's British-backed deal was criticized openly by U.S. commanders and the recapture of the town heals an open wound that undermined claims by NATO that the Taliban were being defeated militarily."

Wild Thing's comment........

This is a fascinating account. And the hypocrats are deeply saddened.

What is tragically ironic is that the three coalition fatalities he mentions seem to have been caused by Soviet era landmines.

Our troops are the greatest! And it seems our allies played a big role in this one too.

Hell on Earth was delivered to these serial killers. Amazing what our side can do without gaggles of left wing mediots interferring with our military.

.....Thank you Tom for sending this article to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (14)

December 09, 2007

SitRep From Iraq

SitRep From Iraq: Young Enlisted Marines Hand Dan Rather his ARSE!

The 'Snuffies' give "Mr." Rather what in common parlance is know as a "B---ch Slap"! (Verbally, of course ... dammit!)
January 2005

A Marine's Thoughts--from Iraq

"Hope everyone is well.
Elections right around the corner here. Everything is going very well (except for the visit we just had from Dan Rather and his freakin' entourage from hell). A more pompous (but scared and nervous) bunch of individuals I have never met before. Actually, keep your eyes out for Rather's report on our company in Lutufiyah (Golf Company, 2nd Bn, 24th Marines from Madison, Wisconsin). Should be interesting. The report should air on 60 Minutes II on Wednesday night your time, if somebody could tape it for me. I would really like to see what they keep in the report and what they edit out. Rather, that lowlife clown, kept trying to bait my young Marines with loaded questions and they kept putting it right back in his face. Best part was when he asked one of the Marines why they don't like the media. The answer he got was, "that you idiots make the terrorists look like giants whenever they explode a bomb. They're not; they're nothing but a bunch of cowards. But they do know that you guys in the press will eventually beat down public opinion with your constant focus on only the negative." Rather just looked at these guys with a scrunched up face, and did not give an answer back. I think he was ready to leave the "Mad Ghosts" area as soon as he could. Funny part, none of us were really sad to see him and his traveling circus hit the road.

Bottom line on this whole thing is that on Sunday, we will be involved in a historic event of immense proportion. A democratic election in Muslim country has never before taken place in this region. These people, over the ages, decades, and centuries of their existence, have always lived under the direct rule of one monarch type of leader or another. This is a momentous occasion, to say the least.

Occasionally, we do have some fun here. The attachment I have sent was forwarded to me by a friend at Headquarters, Marine Corps. Sad part is that it is pretty accurate.

Keeping this one very short, due to the short-fused time hack on the 60 Minutes II story."

Wild Thing's comment.......

This was written in 2005 but it so good and things like this never get old, never. I wanted to share it with you. Thanks Mark for sending this to me. I lvoe things like this. God bless our troops and this Marine!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (3)

December 06, 2007

In Country With Our Troops Baghdad

Coalition forces capture weapons and foreign terrorist facilitators, 10 detained
By MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
Dec 5, 2007

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition forces detained 10 suspected terrorists during operations Wednesday to disrupt al-Qaeda operations in central and northern Iraq.

In Baghdad, Coalition forces captured a wanted individual believed to be involved in terrorist media and propaganda operations. The wanted individual is allegedly associated with foreign terrorist facilitation networks operating in the region and weapons facilitators recently detained by Coalition forces during operations Nov. 17 and 18. Additionally, the ground force discovered a large amount of terrorist propaganda materials on site.

Farther north, Coalition forces captured another wanted individual believed to be involved in weapons facilitation and car-bombing attacks in Tikrit. Reports indicate the suspect is associated with other al-Qaeda in Iraq weapons facilitators operating in the southern belt terrorist network.

During an operation in al-Hadid, the ground force detained a wanted individual involved in al-Qaeda in Iraq media and propaganda operations. The suspect is allegedly associated with several al-Qaeda in Iraq members recently detained or killed by Coalition forces, to include the terrorist media cell leader for the Diyala province who was killed during an operation Dec. 4.

The other operations in Samarra and Mosul, Coalition forces detained seven suspected terrorists while targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq associates involved in improvised explosive device attacks and foreign terrorist facilitation.

"Our operations are steadily chipping away at the al-Qaeda in Iraq networks," said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. "We will continue to pressure these terrorists who conduct brutal attacks on the Iraqi people until al-Qaeda cannot recover."

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (1)

December 05, 2007

Soldiers Overcome Afghanistan Terrain Challenges

Army Spc. Joel M. Ogden from Buffalo, N.Y., replaces a flat tire on a Humvee in the Spera district of Afghanistan’s Khowst province after a drive through a wadi. Photo by Staff Sgt. Luis P. Valdespino Jr., USMC

U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division soldiers drive a Humvee up a hill to the Spera district center in Afghanistan’s Khowst province.

A Humvee belonging to 82nd Airborne Division soldiers sits in a wadi after a tire fell off on return from a recent mission in Afghanistan’s Khowst province. Photo by Staff Sgt. Luis P. Valdespino Jr., USMC

Soldiers Overcome Afghanistan Terrain Challenges

Staff Sgt. Luis P. Valdespino Jr., USMC

KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan
Dept. of Defense

Dec. 4, 2007

Mentoring Afghan national security forces puts coalition soldiers everywhere in Afghanistan, which means a lot of wear and tear on their vehicles. But that’s not stopping them.

Soldiers recognize that the dirt and rocky roads, mountain sides and random paths are hard on even the toughest of all-terrain vehicles, so the troops handle mechanical breakdowns in stride.

During a recent morning mission in western Khowst, soldiers with Anti-tank Platoon 4, Company D, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, drove from Shamal district center to Spera district center, then to Spera village. Along the way, they experienced many challenges brought on by the rough Afghanistan terrain.

The soldiers had a four-vehicle convoy and experienced mechanical difficulties early on. They drove primarily through a wadi, but traversed up and down several hills as well. At their first stop, the Spera district center, soldiers had to change a flat tire on one Humvee. They also decided to tow one of the Humvees because a front left wheel had become wobbly.

“It’s really difficult to maintain the vehicles in this terrain,” said the AT-4 platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class William J. Holman, from Flora, Ill. “We do what we can. But it’s a big heartache lots of times.”

After their business at the Spera district center, AT-4 soldiers followed Afghan National Police by vehicle convoy to Spera village to assist in searching for Taliban and other enemy fighters. This trip was also through a wadi. The roads at Spera village were too narrow for the towing and towed Humvee. They parked just below the village, from where soldiers stood guard.

The other two Humvees were positioned in the village to provide additional security. Several soldiers and Afghan police were dismounted throughout the village to provide more protection as needed. The platoon commander, Army 2nd Lt. Marc D. Laighton, from Erda, Utah, assisted Spera district police in searching through random compounds.

Once the searches were finished, AT-4 had to decide on the return route. Holman and Laighton decided to drive through the wadi because it might be a shorter trip than the road. Unfortunately, a few miles into the drive, the wobbly wheel on the towed Humvee fell off. “This is the second time we’ve had a wheel fall off (in a wadi),” Holman said.

Holman and a few soldiers climbed a nearby mountain to ensure the area was secure. The Humvee driver, Army Sgt. Ryan A. Siddall, removed the tire from under the vehicle to determine the cause of the breakdown. Once he determined additional maintenance assistance would be needed, a message was sent to the company headquarters, from where a mechanic and parts could be sent.

It would be several hours before maintenance assistance could be sent, so the soldiers made due. They created a secure perimeter, kept themselves warm, and made use of night vision goggles to remain on the lookout for possible attacks. The soldiers rotated shifts hourly as lookouts in the gunner turrets to remain alert.

Night fell by the time help arrived, but the soldiers went right to work. Army Sgt. David L. Wight, from Joplin, Mo., was the mechanic sent over from AT-3 at Camp Clark. Wight worked from about 11 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. before realizing another trip would have to be made. This time AT-4 split up, with two vehicles making their way to Camp Clark for picking up a gear box and the other two remaining at the site of the break-down.

After returning in the morning, Wight spent another hour making final repairs. Like the other soldiers, he took it in stride. “It wasn’t too bad,” Wight said. “It’s all easy.”

At about 9:30 a.m., all of AT-4 had returned to the Shamal district center, their current home in Afghanistan, just in time to prepare for a visit from their battalion commander and stand by for their next mission.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Adapt, improvise, and succeed. BTW, there’s something funny about the phrase “the wheel fell off in a wadi” if you say it out loud. Okay; too much coffee for me. hahahaha

Love our troops!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (8)

December 03, 2007

Once A Marine, Always A Marine

AL QA’IM, Iraq – Cpl. Robert Jordan, the armory’s senior custodian for Company L of Task Force 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, stands with the M-249 semi-automatic weapon in the Company L armory at Camp Gannon, Husaybah, Iraq. Nearing his 40th birthday, Jordan craved the opportunity to once again wear the uniform of a United States Marine after leaving the Marine Corps almost 10 years ago.

Once a Marine, Always a Marine
By Cpl. Billy Hall, 2nd Marine Division

AL QA’IM, Iraq (Nov. 29, 2007) -- The phrase, “Once a Marine, always a Marine,” implies the title of U. S. Marine lasts a lifetime after serving your country as one of the few and the proud.

For one Marine, the memory of his years in the service was not enough to satisfy his devotion to duty and love for the Marine Corps.

Nearing his 40th birthday, Cpl. Robert Jordan, the armory’s senior custodian for Company L of Task Force 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, craved the opportunity to once again wear the uniform of a United States Marine after leaving the Marine Corps 10 years ago.

Jordan graduated from Chester W. Nimitz high school in Irving, Texas, and shortly thereafter stepped on the infamous yellow footprints at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Nov. 27, 1987.

Jordan took on the now non-existent military occupational specialty of dragon gunner and received orders to Marine Corps Barracks, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After several years, Jordan was up for voluntary separation due to the downsizing of the Marine Corps.

Longing to work with Marines and weapon systems again, Jordan volunteered to help drill a reserve unit in Shreveport, La., from 1993-1995. He decided working with Marines was not as good as actually being one, so Jordan ended up signing a three-year contract as an active-duty field wireman from 1995-1998.

Jordan, again, left the Marine Corps in 1998 to give civilian life a chance. Five years later, he realized that serving his country is his calling.

“Everyone was meant to do something: cooks, doctors, lawyers” Jordan said. “I believe God created me to be a war fighter.”

At the age of 34, Jordan entered a Marine Corps recruiting office with full intentions of re-enlisting, but the recruiter told him that it was not possible.

Heartbroken yet not defeated, the maturing veteran ran into a Coast Guard recruiter who went to his church. The Coast Guard offered Jordan a four-year contract as a gunner’s mate. Because of the increased role of the Coast Guard after 9/11 and Jordan’s past military experience, he had little trouble joining.

Ironically, the Coast Guard sent Jordan to Marine Special Operations Command at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., to help train Marines from 2003 to 2007. Working as an instructor for Marines and utilizing his knowledge of weapons, Jordan developed a passion for teaching.

“My students have told me that I have a way of breaking things down, so they can understand,” said Jordan. “If it’s a Mark-19 or smaller, I can teach you how to shoot it.”

Jordan enjoyed his time in the Coast Guard, but when presented with the option of re-enlisting and a promotion to petty officer first class, he had something else in mind.

“Some people asked if it was a mid-life crisis,” Jordan said. “It was just devotion to duty and being a Marine at heart.”

With the full support of his wife, Jordan took the opportunity to re-enlist as a corporal in the Marine Corps in 2007. He was assigned to Company L, 3rd Bn., 2nd Marines and is proudly working as senior custodian of the armory at Camp Gannon, Husaybah, Iraq.

Jordan continues to look to the future and hopes to one day become a Marine Corps recruiter to help others appreciate the Marine Corps as much as he has.

Wild Thing's comment........

I love this story, the way the various things happened to bring him back to the Marines. When things are meant to be thingis like this will happen. I am constantly in awe of what awesome men and women we have defending our country now and our Veterans. We truly are a blessed Nation and I pray more and more people will never let a day go by they do not realize who gave us our freedom and who fights for others to have it as well.

Thank God for the Coast Guard as well, We have an fantastic and dedicated Coast Guard and too little is written about them.

My best wishes to Cpl. Robert Jordan and thank you sir for serving our country.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:48 AM | Comments (8)

Five Family Members Deployed

Five members of Cathy Hammack's family are serving in Iraq. Her husband, two sons, brother-in-law and son-in-law all are serving with the 111th Engineer Brigade. They are Sgt. Maj. Keith Hammack, husband (second from right); Capt. Keith Hammack, Jr. , son (second from left); Spc. Casey Hammack, son (top); Sgt. Roy Hammack, brother-in-law(right), and Sgt. Casey Phalen, son-in-law (left).

FRG Coordinator Has Five Family Members Deployed
US Army News

BY Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill

This West Virginia National Guard family readiness assistant ought to know a thing or two about her job: five members of Cathy Hammack’s family are serving in Iraq.

Her husband, two sons, brother-in-law and son-in-law all are serving with the 111th Engineer Brigade. That’s Sgt. Maj. Keith Hammack, husband; Capt. Keith Hammack, Jr., son; Spc. Casey Hammack, son; Sgt. Roy Hammack, brother-in-law, and Sgt. Casey Phalen, son-in-law.

“Working with family programs helps me,” Mrs. Hammack said. “It’s the only thing that keeps me sane. I have a good support network with my real family, my military family and my work family.”

She assists Family Readiness Group leaders across the state of West Virginia.

You could say military service is a Hammack family value, but Cathy Hammack also says the family has reaped rewards. “The three oldest are benefiting from that Guard [college] tuition,” she said.

She married into the National Guard when she was 17. “It’s always been a part of my life, my whole married life,” she said. “I’ve been married three-quarters of my life, so it’s always been there.”

The multiple deployments weren’t an accident. Some of the family volunteered when they heard others were going. “If I want to go, I want to go with dad,” Spc. Hammack told his mother. “I’m going to have to go eventually.”

The Hammacks use e-mail and Webcams to stay in touch. “The Webcam’s nice,” Cathy Hammack said. “You can see their faces, and you can see their rooms – and the five boxes of stuff that I sent them that are still unopened.”

Her daughter, Christina Phalen, isn’t deployed – but she hasn’t broken the family tradition. She’s a full-time staff sergeant in the Air National Guard.

Military service is a long-standing Hammack tradition. Sgt. Maj. Hammack’s father was in the Air Force and National Guard; Cathy Hammack’s father was in the Air Force.

“I’m really proud of all of them,” she said. “We’re just patriotic people. You’ve got to have a love of country in order to go through this many deployments. I couldn’t do this without the support of my military family and my regular family. I couldn’t do it without this great support network.”

Wild Thing's comment........

A big thank you to Cathy Hammack and her family.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (12)

Stryker Dad Comes Home To A Big Surprise

LAKEWOOD, Wash.

At first she couldn't get the furniture she paid for, but now, thanks to a call to the Problem Solvers, she has a living room full of new furniture and even more.

KOMO 4 News was there as a local military wife got a welcome home surprise for her soldier husband who's on leave from Iraq. It's the perfect surprise for his aching back.

Friday was delivery day at Alycia Anderson's home. A big mattress and box spring arrived. And the best part -- it was free. Anderson greeted the delivery with a huge smile.

But just two weeks ago, she wasn't smiling. New living room furniture she had ordered from Home USA Warehouse to surprise her husband never arrived. When she asked for a refund, the company wrote her a check, but that check bounced.

Anderson called the KOMO 4 Problem Solvers. The company wrote her a new check, which cleared the same day. Home USA Warehouse insisted it was an honest mistake.

But Anderson had had enough. She took her business across the street to Mor Furniture, and her new living room furniture got delivered the next day. But that's not all she got.

Mor Furniture, who advertises on KOMO 4, wanted to do something nice for Anderson, so the company contacted the Problem Solvers and offered to buy her and her husband a new bed. The company knew Alycia was getting the furniture to surprise her husband Stephen who's on leave from Stryker duty.

"I definitely thank them for that," said Stephen. "It's going to be much better on my back, I'll tell you that."

Wild Thing's comment........

How wonderful it would be if more people would do things like this for our military. Every once and awhile we hear of this kind of thing and it is so great.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)

November 29, 2007

Exoskeleton Turns Humans Into Terminators

Exoskeleton Turns Humans Into Terminators
Nov. 21: An experimental robotic exoskeleton for military

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (3)

November 26, 2007

I Won't Back Down ~ Our Troops Rock!

I wont back down-by Johnny Cash

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (12)

November 24, 2007

Rocket Man

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Mott lays down a row of M-792 .25-mm High Explosive Incendiary rounds into a pit on Ali Air Base, Iraq.

Airmen of the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal team unloaded just under 1,800 pounds of expired munitions to ensure they will not be used against U.S. forces. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jonathan Snyder.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (8)

November 20, 2007

Soldier Re-Enlists Hours After IED Injury

Soldier re-enlists hours after IED injury

4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division PAO
Multi-National Division – North PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq

A U.S. Soldier re-enlisted in the Army just hours after being seriously wounded in an improvised explosive attack near Zaganiyah, Iraq, Nov. 13.

Spc. Christopher Hoyt, an infantryman with 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, Wash., suffered severe lacerations to his legs and torso when an IED exploded near him while conducting a dismounted patrol. Two of his fellow Soldiers were killed in the attack.

Hoyt was rushed to the emergency room at Logistics Support Area Anaconda, where he decided to re-enlist for four more years in the Army.

“He said he wasn’t finished,” said Hoyt’s battalion commander Lt. Col. Mark Landes, who re-enlisted the Soldier. “He said, ‘I still have a job to do.’ I’ve never seen the like.”

Command Sgt. Maj. John Troxell, the brigade’s top noncommissioned officer, was also on hand for Hoyt’s reenlistment.

“It takes a person of very strong character to go through an incident where another Soldier five feet away was killed and he was severally wounded and still say ‘I believe in what we are doing and I want to stay on the team. I want to support the United States Army and my country.’

“Spc. Hoyt is the epitome of what a Soldier should be,” Troxell continued. “He is a model for what all men and women should be, and that is very patriotic and very selfless.”

Hoyt, whose hometown is Clemente, Calif., is currently recovering in an Army hospital in Germany.

Wild Thing's comment........

What totally awesome Americans we have in our military. Men like Spc. Hoyt deserve our respect and appreciation. Those that do not get it, do not want to support our troops, will never know the bursting pride and humble feeling it is to be able to say thank you sir, Spc. Hoyt for serving our coutnry.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (9)

Local Children Find Mortar And Bring To Soldiers

Local children find mortar, Concerned Local Citizens find caches

By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE Kalsu, Iraq

Three weapons caches were found in separate incidents in the Hawr Rajab and Arab Jabour regions Nov. 11.

Concerned Local Citizens in Hawr Rajab located a cache consisting of one 155mm mortar and one 130 mm mortar round. The CLCs brought the ordnance to Paratroopers of Troop B, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska, who were conducting a roadside security mission.

Local children in Arab Jabour discovered a 57 mm mortar, which they brought to Soldiers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., Fort Stewart, Ga.

The third cache was discovered in Arab Jabour by Soldiers of Company A, 1-30th Inf. Regt. while conducting operations in the area.

The cache consisted of one 120 mm mortar and one 125 mm mortar.

"It is good to have the [improvised explosive devices] or bombs off the streets because it makes the community safer," said Sgt. 1st Class Gerald Newton, from Texarkana, Texas, 1-30th Inf. Regt., tactical command post noncommissioned officer in charge. "The more we work with the CLCs the safer we can make their communities."

All three caches were destroyed in controlled detonations by explosive ordnance disposal teams.

Wild Thing's comment........

Good! Of course this would be very upsetting to Reid, and Pelosi and others to know that there actually were people wanting our troops to help them and that they were glad our soldiers were there.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (2)

A Soldier And His Son ~ A Welcome Home

Staff Sgt. Jeremy Horkey holds his nine-month old son, Colton, while standing in formation Wednesday to be dismissed from active duty with the 79th Military Police Company.

''He's big,'' Horkey said of Colton, who was born after Horkey was deployed for Iraq. Horkey was given leave to be home for Colton's birth, but he hadn't seen the boy since.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)

November 19, 2007

F-16s Destroy Insurgent Mortar Team

November 17, 2007

(by Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky)

2nd BCT, 3rd Infantry Divison Public Affairs via F-16.net

F-16.net

Two Air Force F-16s destroyed a mobile insurgent mortar team consisting of three al-Qaeda members, a mortar launcher and van Nov. 14 in Adwaniyah using Maverick laser-guided missiles.

Paratroopers from 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, currently attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, responded to an initial small arms fire engagement against a Concerned Local Citizens checkpoint in Adwaniyah. After driving the insurgents away, the Paratroopers performed an aerial reconnaissance of the surrounding areas.

While conducting the scouting mission, Coalition aircraft spotted the insurgent mortar team loading a van with a mortar tube and tripod. A pair of Air Force F-16 fighter jets were called to engage the van after three men entered it and began driving away.

The jets engaged the van with one Maverick laser-guided missile, resulting in the destruction of the weapons systems and three enemies killed.

The insurgent casualties brought the estimated deaths of al-Qaeda members in Iraqi to 20 over the past two days. On Nov. 13, an estimated 15 insurgent fighters were killed in a day-long battle in Adwaniyah.

Al-Qaeda has stepped up attacks in the recent days due to the implementation of a Concerned Local Citizens program in Adwaniyah. Al-Qaeda has been attacking the newly-formed program in an attempt to stop residents from standing up against them.

"This operation is typical of al-Qaeda in our operational area. They attempt to use intimidation and attack where they think they can cause the local population to feel unsafe," said Maj. Stephen Lutsky, plans and operations officer, S3, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. "We were prepared this time and worked in conjunction with both the Iraqi army and Concerned Local Citizens to ensure they stopped al-Qaeda from destroying the security we have emplaced in the town of Adwaniyah. They will try again and will fail again."

An example of the success similar Concerned Local Citizens programs are experiencing, was seen in two separate incidents Nov. 14 in Arab Jabour and Hawr Rajab.

In both instances, concerned citizens brought a suspected member of al-Qaeda to Coalition Forces.

One detainee was taken to Soldiers of Company A, 1st Battalion, 30th Inf. Regt., 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., Fort Stewart, Ga., and the other to Paratroopers of Troop A, 1-40th Cav. Regt. Both men were detained for questioning.

Wild Thing's comment........

I love military euphemisms:

“The jets engaged the van with one Maverick laser-guided missile, resulting in the destruction of the weapons systems and three enemies killed.”

In other words, we blew the crap out of them.

Way to go F-16s!!! And to the pilots!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (12)

Paratroopers Sign Up for Another Tour

Photo - One hundred forty-one paratroopers from 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, re-enlisted Oct. 14 on Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, in a ceremony conducted by Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of Multi-National Division–Center. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Marcus Butler

Paratroopers Sign Up for Another Tour Deployed soldiers participate in mass re-enlistment ceremony

By Sgt. Marcus Butler
4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne)
25th Infantry Division

BAGHDAD— One hundred forty-one paratroopers decided to stay Army in a mass re-enlistment ceremony held on Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq.

The paratroopers from 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, made the decision to continue their service in the Army after being deployed for over a year.

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of Multi-National Division–Center, made a special trip to FOB Kalsu to lead the oath of enlistment for these paratroopers.

“To re-enlist this many paratroopers after being deployed for a year is truly amazing,” said Master Sgt. Douglas Goodwin, senior career counselor for the 4th BCT (Abn.), 25th Inf. Div. “It says a lot about the leadership and the patriotism of these paratroopers.”

After the ceremony, Lynch thanked each paratrooper and posed for pictures.

To this date, the Spartan Brigade has re-enlisted nearly 1,300 soldiers; approximately 70 percent of them have decided to stay with the brigade for another tour.

“Soldiers are special people and to see these paratroopers making a commitment to continue serving their country when the operational tempo is so high proves they trust in their leadership,” Goodwin said. “It also shows how much they believe in what they are doing and stand proud as United States paratroopers ready to defend our country against the ever-growing threat of terrorism."

Wild Thing's comment........

We support you and thank you for all you do.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (11)

November 16, 2007

Unit Honors Vietnam Veterans With Run in Afghanistan

Army Pfc. Zachary Wierman, in black t-shirt, a signal support system specialist, passes on a bayonet decorated with the national colors to Army Pfc. Brian Fitzsimons, an automated logistical specialist during a 24-hour running race Nov. 8. Both Soldiers are in Co. B, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion, deployed to Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan

Unit Honors Vietnam Veterans With Run in Afghanistan
Jalalabad, Afghanistan

By 2nd Lt. Monika Comeaux

173rd Brigade Support Battalion
American Forces Press Service

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FENTY, Afghanistan

"On the 8th of November, the angels were crying as they carried his brothers away. ... There were few men left standing that day," sings the country duo Big & Rich in their ballad commemorating the fall of 48 American Soldiers from 173rd Airborne Brigade in 1965 in Operation Hump in Vietnam.

Forty-two years later, members of 173rd Airborne Brigade, other Service members and civilians deployed honored the fallen Soldiers of Operation Hump by participating in a 24-hour relay.

The event celebrated unit cohesion, teamwork and esprit de corps, officials said. Participants ran along a nearly three-and-a-half mile route lined by miniature American flags and passed a bayonet, which is depicted on the unit patch of the 173rd ABCT, to one another in lieu of a baton. The event was made even more special by having a Vietnam veteran, Rick Petersen from the Facility Engineer Team, participate.

"I think it is a great idea. I think it is great that everybody is going to come out here and support one another. It is great for camaraderie," said 2nd Lt. Kate Fullenkamp, a quartermaster officer and platoon leader in Company A, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne).

Her platoon of 40 entered with two seven-person teams. There would have been more volunteers, but mission requirements did not allow all of her Soldiers to participate, she said.

"We had more than seven people who wanted to do this, but we picked the best seven," said Pfc. Ikechuku Odi, a combat engineer with Road Clearance Patrol 4, Company A, 70th Engineer Battalion, deployed from Fort Riley, Kan.
Ever since they found out about the race, the engineers ran two laps every day when they didn't go outside the wire, in preparation for the challenging race. When Odi heard about the race, he thought, "We are going to win this," he said.

"Our tactic is simple: run as fast as you can," he said, after completing his first lap in a little over 22 minutes.

"Some people are out here for the physical aspect, ... but there are people that are out here because it is fun and you enjoy it and you will always remember it, for sure," Fullenkamp said.

The rules of the run were pretty simple. "Basically it is a 24-hour relay with seven-man teams. One runner must be running at all times," said 1st. Sgt. Drake F. Sladky, Company C, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion. An avid sportsman, he was one of the masterminds behind the event.

Sladky said many in the 173rd Airborne liked the idea of organizing another run after running a 10-kilometer race shortly after the unit's arrival in Afghanistan. Originally they were aiming for New Year's Day, but then they received a disk containing the music video, "8th of November," from James Bradley, a member of the 173rd Association. "We knew that we had to do some sort of race in commemoration of that date," Sladky explained.

"Everybody in the company helped out, mostly by getting sponsors for the race day and organizing the registration," Sladky said. As a result, a total of 21 teams signed up.

"We were really lucky; we started early and got sponsors. ... The 173rd Association sent the race T-shirts. Niles Harris (the Vietnam veteran who was the inspiration for the country song and was himself injured on Nov. 8, 1965) sent about 200 autographed T-shirts," Sladky said.

Some of the shirts ended up as prizes, but the majority were sent out to subordinate units of the 173rd who are deployed to other forward operating bases and weren't able to participate in the run. Prizes included name-brand golf clubs, shirts, hats and a multitude of other things. No team went home empty-handed.

Odi was right when he said he thought his team was going to win. On the 9th of November, 2007, perhaps the angels were smiling a little as his team carried their prizes away.

The winning team completed a total of 51 laps, covering, fittingly, just over 173 miles in the 24-hour period, and consisted of: Staff Sgt. Luis D. Rivera, Pfc. Ikechuku Odi, Pfc. Vincent A. Fiorillo, Pfc. Joshua M. Contryman, Sgt. Eric E. Chappel, Sgt. Bradley J. Edmonds, and Spc. Tin T. Tran -- all combat engineers.

Wild Thing's comment........

This is so special, I love this. God bless our troops and the Brotherhood that is beyond a lifetime between our troops today and our Veterans.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (4)

Military Meet and Exceed Recruiting Goals

All Military Components Meet, Exceed Recruiting Goals

American Forces Press Service

The first month of fiscal 2008 was a success for all active and reserve military components.
In a meeting with Pentagon reporters today, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said all components met or exceeded their recruiting goals for October.

On the active-duty side, the Army made 101 percent of its goal of 4,500, with 4,564 recruits. The Navy made 100 percent of its goal of 2,788 recruits. The Marine Corps made 102 percent of its goal of 2,720, with 2,788 enlisting. The Air Force made 100 percent of its goal of 2,656.

The Guard and reserve components “did very well” in October, Whitman said. The Air National Guard made 134 percent of its goal of 609 accessions, actually signing up 818 airmen. The Army National Guard also had a very good month, signing up 123 percent of its goal of 4,311 soldiers. The Army Guard signed up 5,305 men and women.

The Navy Reserve made 112 percent of its goal of 818, signing up 918 sailors, and the Army Reserve made 104 percent of goal, signing up 3,297 against 3,169. The Marine Corps Reserve and Air Force Reserve both made 100 percent of their goals of 890 and 681, respectively.

The services’ monthly goals are not constant. “The goal numbers go up and down based on what they have to achieve at the end of the year,” Whitman said.

Recruiting officials set goals, and military training personnel set class seats based on historic data showing when Americans traditionally enlist. For example, there are higher goals and more class seats for June, when most high school seniors graduate.

But the turnout is encouraging, Whitman said. “This is good news,” he said. “In the first month of this fiscal year, in terms of recruiting in active duty and reserve-component forces, it looks pretty good right now.”

Wild Thing's comment........

Was it Murtha or Reid that said our Military is BROKEN beyond repair! The idiot dems continue to try and undermine our fine young military force for their political agenda but I think most Americans are awake to the threat and are patriotic.

God Blees our great military and the brave soliders who defend our lives and liberties.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)

In Country With Our Troops ~ Thank You

A Concerned Local Citizens group found a buried weapons cache in Arab Jabour, Nov. 12. The cache was so large it took three controlled detonations to destroy it. Photo courtesy of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs.

Concerned Local Citizens Group Turns in Large Weapons Cache

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU

A Concerned Local Citizens (CLC) group found a large weapons cache in Arab Jabour, Nov. 12.

The cache was so large that three controlled detonations were needed to destroy it.

A CLC reported a buried weapons cache to Company A, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. The CLC led Company A Soldiers to the location of the cache where several barrels containing the munitions were buried.

The cache consisted of (24) 60mm rounds, (25) 82 mm mortar rounds, two 120 mm mortar rounds, three 122 mm projectiles, three rifle grenades, one 60 mm mortar tube, (20) bundles of propellant, (20) pounds of homemade explosives, (40) feet of detonation cord and an anti-tank mine.

After assessing the cache, an explosive ordnance disposal team was called to destroy it.

Throughout Iraq, the CLC groups have made a noticeable impact on the insurgency. The information they provide results in more weapons found and terrorists captured every day. These brave volunteers are taking a stand for the stability, safety and development of their country.

Pop Smoke U.S. Army cavalry scouts from Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division are clouded with green smoke as they await to be picked up by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters during operations in Sheik Abraheim, Iraq, . U.S. Army photo by Spc. Bradley J. Clark.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (8)

November 12, 2007

More Soldiers Issued Safer Vehicles in Iraq

The new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle undergoes initial inspection upon its arrival to Balad Air Base, Oct. 27. The MRAPs Design, including its “V” shaped hull, will provide greater protection from explosions for Soldiers out on combat logistics patrols. Photo by Spc. Thomas Keeler, 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command.

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA — The military’s newest fighting vehicles are now on the ground at LSA Anaconda.

Lt. Col. Jeff Meo, 402nd Army Field Support Brigade commander from Army Material Command, says the MRAPs will provide more protection for Soldiers out on combat logistics patrols.

“The MRAP is mine protected with a ‘V’ hull, which allows it to ‘push off’ the explosion when it’s hit,” said Meo.

In addition to being up-armored, the interior seating has also been redesigned.

“The MRAP has seats that flex with an explosion, and what that does is absorb a lot of the energy so Soldiers aren’t injured,” he said.

This shipment of five MRAPs to LSA Anaconda is the first of many. Manufacturers are scheduled to deliver 4,600 of the vehicles into theater over the coming weeks and months.

“They are pushing these things out the door as fast as they can,” said Meo.

(Story by Spc. Thomas Keeler, 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command)

Wild Thing's comment........

I love that they keep on working on making things better and better for our troops. To keep them safe as much as possible is so important.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (12)

Marine Staff Sgt. Matt Bateman Who Beat 70 Iraqi Roadside Bombs

The Marine who beat 70 Iraqi roadside bombs DISARMING DUTY: Marine Staff. Sgt. Matthew Bateman just returned from third tour in Iraq as an EOD, Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician who job is to detonate or disarm IEDs, Improvised Explosive Devices.

Veterans Day means more after you've stared down death for a living.
Orange County Register

Over here, death waits in discarded rice bags. In motor-oil cans. Even in the carcasses of dead dogs on Iraqi roadsides.

That's where the bombs lie hidden. Waiting.

Most U.S. troops hope they never see an "improvised explosive device," or IED – the No. 1 killer of Americans in Iraq. But Marine Staff Sgt. Matt Bateman goes out looking for them every day.

That's his job.

On this day, he's been called to a small pile of rocks in the median strip of an intersection northwest of Baghdad. He's arrived with his two-man demolition team and a camera-laden robot. The robot has identified the IED and now is delivering a charge of TNT to destroy it.

Suddenly the robot hits a snag. It's stuck. Someone must leave the Marine cordon and retrieve it. By hand. It's Bateman who makes the 100-yard walk alone.

He's seen buddies die. Seen firefights. Seen what IEDs can do to trucks and tanks and men.

"Some days, you get nervous or butterflies," he says. "But you have to stay focused so the feeling doesn't turn into fear or panic or overtake you."

For 100 yards he keeps his focus. Then something catches his eye: blinking lights in the pile of rocks. The IED has been triggered.

He thinks: I hope this doesn't hurt.

WORST DAY

They're the go-to guys, the celebrities, the rock stars of Iraq – members of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team, or EOD.

Someone in a convoy or patrol sees a possible roadside bomb, they call EOD.

"It's rewarding to see we make a difference," says Bateman, 36, a husband and father of two from Camp Pendleton. "We help guys out. They're really thankful and that's one of the rewarding parts of the job."

The downside?

He lifts his right arm to show a wristband: "Michael 'Mikey' Tayaotao, USMC Nov. 9, 1979 – Aug. 9, 2007. Fallen But Never Forgotten."

"I'll tell you my worst day there," he says.

They were responding to an IED that halted a 35-vehicle convoy on a major supply route in western Iraq.

"I hate to say it was routine," Bateman says. "But we handled it without major incident."

Then a second IED was found near the back of the convoy. The team moved in:

Sgt. Mark Zambon controlled their Talon robot, with its four cameras and robotic arm. Sgt. Tayaotao drove their 20-ton, armored truck – in military-speak a "Mine Resistant Ambush Protected" Cougar that could withstand most IED blasts – and set up the explosive charges used to detonate IEDs. Bateman was team leader.

They'd responded to as many as five IEDs in a day, so two at one scene wasn't unusual. But the second IED wasn't an IED. It was bait. The real bomb lay nearby, waiting to be triggered – by a footstep.

JUST WENT NUMB

As Tayaotao began to investigate, he triggered a booby trap that killed him.

"My brain didn't want to accept it," Bateman says. "But I realized we had to do something."

As leader of his EOD team and a security force of some 20 other Marines, Bateman had to give orders: Call a corpsman, reset security, call in a helicopter, clear a path to his fallen comrade, conduct a post-blast assessment, collect evidence.

Everyone turned to him: "What do we do next?"

In this strange place, people like to put bombs in the road,Bateman writes in an e-mail home. It's my job with my team to go and make it safe. On top of that, people like to shoot at us sometimes while we are working. What a strange place.

One thing the bombs and shooting taught him: No one ever died from not having a cool car. From not having the latest cell phone. From going without MySpace and YouTube.

I don't miss football or baseball,he writes. I don't need to seal myself off from my family while I sit in my room playing X-Box. I know I am a family man and I am very happy and proud of that fact.

His wife, Anita, would write him two or three e-mails a day and check her inbox every few hours.

"He was constantly on my mind," she says. "I couldn't watch the news. Knowing he's a target, it's very stressful."

At first, Bateman couldn't even grieve his buddy's death.

"It was too big to process at once," he says, "so everyone just went numb for a while.
It wasn't until 48 hours later, when Bateman finally could call Anita on the phone, that his emotions bubbled up.

"I just kept everything bottled up," he says. "And when I finally got on the phone with her, I got to let go of it."

OUTSIDE THE WIRE

Over here, they call it "outside the wire." As in, "Every time we went outside the wire, I'd say a little prayer."

As in, "Every time we went outside the wire, we had a security team."

As in "Every time we went outside the wire, we had on our uniform, boots, body armor, helmet, extra gear hanging on our body armor, pistol on our hips and a rifle. Even if it was 125 degrees."

Outside the wire – the fenced security of their base – is where most Marines spend most of their time in Iraq. That's what Bateman hopes people remember this Veterans Day.

"People forget the sacrifices made, not just in this war but in all wars," he says. "That there are men willing to say, 'I'll do this,' so we can have our barbecues or our day on the beach."

"Hopefully people won't take for granted those things they have that are comfortable to them," he says.

He can't anymore, because he knows life outside the wire. That's where more than 3,850 Americans have died in this Iraq war. Where more than 28,000 have been wounded. Where he watched his buddy Mikey die.

And where he faced his own death in a pile of rocks with blinking lights inside.

THE THINGS YOU HAVE

A chess match – that's how Bateman sees his job on the bomb squad.

"We constantly change our procedure because we know they're watching us every step," he says.

One time their armored truck ran over an IED while driving to investigate an IED. Another time they found an IED that was fake, not with a booby trap but with a note naming insurgents in town. He never found out if it was real or a trap. Another time, they took small-arms fire as soon as they stepped out of their truck to investigate an IED.

On successful days, it's exhilarating.

"Afterwards, we do a mental touchdown dance," he says. "We crossed the goal line. Everyone comes back with all their fingers and toes."

On this day, however, he is not so sure: The robot is stranded with TNT in its claw. Next to an IED ready to explode. He sneaks in. That's when he sees lights blinking in the rock pile.

The IED is trying to explode. But on this day, Bateman's crew is able to jam the signal – a procedure that doesn't always work. He is able to walk away. To live another day.

"It was a rush, coming out of the other side of it, wow," he says. "Not a rush like, 'Wow, skydiving – I can't wait to do again.' But, 'That was exciting – I hope that never happens again!'"

After facing and defeating more than 70 IEDS in Iraq, Bateman finally returned to his wife and children at Camp Pendleton last month. His routine? Mow the lawn, clean the kitchen, play with the kids and occasionally grab a good, old-fashioned In-N-Out burger.

I know now,he wrote in an e-mail last summer, that it is so important to want the things you already have.

And to appreciatethem, he might add today.

"You don't have to do anything amazing," he says of Veterans Day. "You don't have to buy a vet dinner or donate to a cause. Just please remember them for a moment. That's all a lot of us ask, just that acknowledgment."

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you Staff Sgt. Matt Bateman! You are in our prayers and we are so grateful for all you do.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (6)

November 10, 2007

Happy 232nd Birthday To The United States Marines

Since 1775 they have been answering thier nation's call. Thank you from a gratefull nation to all of you who have answered that call, but past and present. May God bless each and every one of you and keep you safely in His arms.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (21)

November 08, 2007

Go Ugly Early! ~ Upgraded A-10s Prove Worth In Iraq

A/OA-10/A Thunderbolt II
Primary function: A-10, close-air support; OA-10, airborne forward air control. Speed: 420 mph. Dimensions: Wingspan 57 ft. 6 in.; length 53 ft. 4 in.; height 14 ft. 8 in. Range: 800 miles. Armament: 30 mm seven-barrel Gatling gun; up to 16,000 pounds of mixed ordnance, including 500 pound Mk-82 and 2,000 pound Mk-84 series low/high drag bombs, incendiary cluster bombs, combined effects munitions, mine dispensing munitions, AGM-65 Maverick missiles and laser-guided/electro-optically guided bombs; infrared countermeasure flares; electronic countermeasure chaff; jammer pods; 2.75-inch rockets; illumination flares and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. Crew: One. Inventory: A-10, 129 and OA-10, 75; Guard, A-10, 76 and OA-10, 26; Reserve, A-10, 44 and OA-10, seven

by Staff Sgt. Markus Maier
U.S. Central Command Air Forces Combat Correspondent Team
AFPN

AL ASAD AIR BASE, IRAQ

A new version of the A-10 Thunderbolt II has been flying over Iraq providing close-air support for the ground troops from Al Asad Air Base for nearly two months.

As part of the Precision Engagement Upgrade Program, the Maryland Air National Guard's 175th Wing has been converting it's A-10s from A to C models.

"We are the first A-10C model squadron to deploy to combat," said Lt. Col. Timothy Smith, the 104th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander. "We just transitioned to the aircraft six months prior to coming here, and the C-model was officially declared combat ready just two weeks before we deployed. I am very proud of our unit. We've put in a monumental effort, as individuals and as a group to get to this point."

The A-10C might look the same on the outside, but the recent upgrades have turned the aircraft, which was originally designed to battle Russian tanks during the Cold War, into an even more lethal and precise close-air-support weapons system.

A few of the key upgrades are a "first ever" for the aircraft, said Capt. Rich Hunt, a 104th EFS A-10C pilot. One of them is the situational awareness data link.

"Previously, for me to keep track of all the other airplanes that are around me or to help us perform the mission, I would literally have to write those down with a grease pencil inside my canopy or write them down on a white piece of paper on my knee board in order to keep track of all that," Captain Hunt said. "Now I have a color display that has all of the other airplanes that are up supporting the same mission across all of Iraq right now. And they are all digitally displayed through that data link on my map. So now, especially at night when awareness is a little bit lower, I can look at that beautiful map display and know exactly what other airplanes are around me."

The new system also provides the pilot with other critical information, such as what the other airplanes might be targeting, what munitions they have on board and fuel levels.

"That awareness provides us with a ton of valuable information in a very user-friendly manner," the captain said. "(It allows us) to do our mission with a lot clearer understanding of exactly what is going on around us in the battle space and what our wingmen may be targeting."

Another vital feature the data link offers is secure communication.

"All of the data that goes across that data link display is secure," he said. "Using that data link, I can also text message. We use that in more of a command and control situation. For example, if we are flying a mission hundreds of miles away and our operations desk here gets information through the classified computer network of a mission that we may have to support, they can text message right to my airplane -- and only to my airplane -- and tell me exactly what I need to know."

Something else the new C-model provides to the pilots is the integration of advanced targeting pods, which have also been upgraded. The new pods include long-range TV and infrared cameras with zoom capabilities and a laser target designator.

"Primarily, we still use the pods for weapons strikes," Captain Hunt said. "However, in Iraq we find ourselves supporting the troops on the ground by doing a lot of counter improvised explosive devices missions."

The pods infrared capability can be used to detect buried IEDs by picking up on their heat signature.

The new targeting pods have also been outfitted with the ROVER downlink capability, allowing the aircraft to transmit the live video feed to a joint terminal attack controller on the ground. This allows for more precise strikes with less chance of a chance for collateral damage.

"In Iraq that is especially important because it's a very difficult situation when we provide close-air support in such a densely urban environment," the captain said. "By the controller being able to look through my targeting pod real time, we can compare exactly what we are looking at and make sure we have an absolutely 100 percent positive identification of the target."

Another upgrade that increases the A-10's precision is that it can now employ the Global Positioning System-guided joint direct attack munitions.

"Sometimes we find ourselves where we have to destroy a terrorist stronghold location. But in the house across the street are friendly Iraqi civilians," Captain Hunt said. "We know we have to destroy the stronghold, but we don't want to cause any collateral damage whatsoever. So the JDAM has been outstanding for us. We've had unbelievable success where we've been able to strike the stronghold without causing any damage to the houses around it.

"Between the situational awareness data link, the targeting pod with the ROVER down link to the controller on the ground and the JDAM, the A-10C on this deployment has been an amazing success for us," the captain said.

The A-10 has been around the Air Force since the 1970s and with these new upgrades will remain well into the future.

"As technology moved further ahead, we stayed pretty far behind," Colonel Smith said. "And now, all over sudden, we have leapfrogged all the way pretty much to the front edge of all the technology for everybody."

But the colonel also said while they are the first unit to fly the C-model in combat, their main focus is not on the upgrades.

"In our minds we are just flying like we normally do," Colonel Smith said. "We don't see ourselves as the first A-10C model in combat, we see ourselves as A-10 pilots out helping the guy on the ground. I have great respect for the men and women on the ground. They are the ones who are really putting their lives on the line when they are out there. Our job is to ride shotgun for them -- to sit there in position, and ready for them when they need us. And now we have more tools available to do it faster and more precisely."

Wild Thing's comment........

How’s that saying go...Don’t bother running, you’ll just die tired!

This is a great video.......A-10 "Warthogs from hell"

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (14)

M134 Gatling Gun Minigun

One of the most amazing -- and fearsome -- weapons in America's arsenal is the M134 Minigun produced by Dillon Aero. GI Factory host Kelly Perdew sure got a thrill riding around in a Huey and tearing up the landscape at 3,000 rounds per minute.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (9)

November 05, 2007

Tip Leads Coalition Troops to Explosives Factory

A Soldier from 1st Platoon, Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., holds up a 12-inch copper plate (the largest size found in Iraq) used to pierce armored vehicles when fired from an explosively formed projectile (EFP). The plate was part of a large EFP cache recently discovered in a home in Husseiniyah. Photo by SSgt. Russell Bassett, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Concerned Local Citizen Tip Leads Coalition Troops to Explosives Factory
(Story by Staff Sgt. Russell Bassett, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division)

A Concerned Local Citizen (CLC) led Coalition forces to a home Wednesday where explosively formed penetrators (EFP) and improvised explosive devices (IED) were being constructed in Husseiniyah.

Soldiers of Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, Wash., discovered a large cache of explosives at the home, including (10) fully-assembled EFP of various sizes (including one 12-inch EFP, the largest size found in Iraq) and (89) copper plates of various sizes used in making EFP. Also, more than (200) pounds of C-4 explosive, other explosive materials including TNT, and numerous other materials used in manufacturing EFP were found.

“We are getting these weapons off the street, which feels great,” said Sgt. Damon Farmer, team leader with 1st Platoon, Battery A, 2-12 FA, who was one of the Soldiers who first discovered a buried container filled with explosives in an outbuilding by the home. “That stuff isn’t going to blow up my truck. It isn’t going to kill U.S. Soldiers and it isn’t going to kill Iraqis.”

EFP are one of the enemies’ most dangerous weapons, because they are able to pierce armored vehicles. According to 4-2 SBCT officials, the EFP are effective approximately 50 percent of the time, a much higher percentage than the enemy’s other weapons. The EFP is a favored weapon of anti-Coalition Shia militias.

“In our area of operations the EFP threat is significant, and there was enough material there to make (100) EFP, so we may have saved approximately 50 lives and eliminated about two months of (enemy) militia activity,” said Lt. Col John Drago, 2-12 FA commander, noting that the discovery would not have been possible without Iraqi help.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (7)

November 02, 2007

In Country With Our Troops and Those That Appreciate Them

Oct. 31, 2007 - NASCAR racing legend Richard Petty takes a turn at the helm of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) under the instruction of the helmsman of the watch. Petty flew aboard Lincoln to meet Sailors, sign autographs and film segments for an upcoming movie project. Lincoln and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 are underway off the coast of Southern California participating in Composite Training Unit Exercise, an exercise designed to enhance the interoperability between Lincoln and its strike group. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James R. Evans

Capt. Caroline Jensen connects the communications receiver to her helmet ensuring she is in contact with personnel on the ground before taking off in an F-16 Fighting Falcon from Balad Air Base, Iraq. Captain Jensen is assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and is deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia)

Hawaii - Five-year-old Anthoney Kaites held a sign as he waited for his father, Marine Sgt. Santiago Kaites, to arrive at Marine Corps Base Hawai'i at Kane'ohe Bay after a seven-month deployment to Iraq.

Cpl. Jaymes Murphy, 20, from Arlington, Texas, was on his first deployment to Iraq after joining the Corps in 2005. "It was different. It was long, it was hot, and there was a lot of sand," said Murphy, who was at Al Asad. "I'm glad I got to experience it during my first term (in the Corps). He was met by his wife, Danielle, who said the reunion was "borderline amazing."

There will be a readjustment period for the Marines, but one family clearly hopes it's quick. On the back window of a Nissan Pathfinder in the parking lot was written "Welcome Home Dad" in temporary paint. On the side window, the family added:
"There's a load of dishes for you."

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (14)

A-10 Pilot Capt. Scott L. Markle Awarded Mackay Trophy

A-10 pilot awarded Mackay Trophy - Capt. Scott L. Markle was presented the Clarence Mackay Trophy during a ceremony Oct. 29 in Arlington, Va. Captain Markle, an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot with the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, received the award for his actions while supporting troops in contact with the enemy along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

He is credited with destroying three machine gun nests and killing forty Taliban fighters. His actions saved the lives of 15 soldiers who were outnumbered three to one by the enemy. (Air Force Photo/Andy Morataya)

Wild Thing.......Holy Moly! How tall is that? ....OH wait I just found out here it is......it is 3 Feet tall. HERE

According to the award citation submitted to General T. Michael Moseley, United States Air Force Chief of Staff, Markle’s support mission was re-tasked on takeoff to support a U.S. Special Forces team in contact with Taliban fighters along the Afghanistan- Pakistan border. “Captain Markle arrived on scene to find the team engaged in hand-to-hand combat and expecting to be overrun by the enemy,” according to the citation.
“Unable to employ weapons due to the close proximity of the team, he flew a dangerously low pass over the enemy while dispensing self protection flares. After the ground controller noted the effectiveness of the pass in momentarily ceasing the enemy’s fire, Captain Markle performed three additional passes, allowing the team to pull back farther each time.”

Under Captain Markle’s protection, the entire Special Forces team – outnumbered on the ground by three to one – egressed the “kill zone” with zero casualties.

“The distinctive accomplishments of Captain Markle reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force,” as stated in the citation. Using a 30-millimeter gattling gun at danger-close range, Captain Markle is credited with destroying three machine gun nests and killing 40 Taliban fighters during the flight which was confirmed during a battle damage assessment survey the next day.

According to the nomination narrative, the ground commander and his team personally thanked Captain Markle and credited him for saving the lives of the 15 members of the U.S. Special Forces team involved in a pre-planned Taliban ambush.

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you Capt. Scott L. Markle for your service and for all you have done in this war.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (12)

November 01, 2007

Miss Utah Gives Back as National Guard Soldier

Miss Utah- Sgt. Jill Stevens

Sgt. Jill Stevens, Utah National Guard member and the 2007 Miss Utah, smiles after crossing the finish line at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., Oct. 28, 2007. Photo by Staff Sgt. Mary K. Flynn, USA

Miss Utah Gives Back as National Guard Soldier
By Staff Sgt. Mary Flynn, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

The 2007 Miss Utah is no stranger to the physical and mental discipline required to knock out 26.2 miles. She ran the Marine Corps Marathon here on Oct. 28, finishing in about 3.5 hours.

It’s the third marathon she’s run since winning the pageant title in June. “I love challenges,” she said. “That’s why I joined the military.”

No, that’s not a misprint. For one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer, Miss Utah becomes Army Sgt. Jill Stevens of the Utah National Guard. She trades in her high heels and gown for combat boots and combat uniforms, her bouquet of roses for a combat medic aid bag, and her sparkling tiara for a beret or patrol cap.

Wearing the uniform, she said, feels more natural to her. “I’m first-off a soldier, always,” said Stevens, who had originally laughed at the idea of participating in a pageant. “I don’t do heels. I didn’t even know where to buy them!”

Having deployed as a combat medic with 1st Battalion, 211th Aviation Group, in April 2004 to Afghanistan, Steven’s lifestyle isn’t what one would expect of the typical pageant winner.

The 25-year-old previously shared the same opinion of pageant contestants that many people hold. “I thought that all these girls do is wave their hand, look pretty and do nothing,” she said. “I didn’t want to be associated with that.”

She soon discovered, however, that the organization actually had a lot in common with the military. The Miss America program promotes education and teaches leadership, she said. It also promotes fitness and well-being, while focusing on bringing out one’s best.

“I saw a great opportunity that would open doors,” she said, referring to the titleholder’s position as a chance to start organizations or pass bills to create change. “(These women) can move people to action and really make a difference.”

One way Stevens has chosen to make a difference is by raising funds and awareness for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a support network for families of those who have died in service. TAPS offers peer support and assists survivors through a wide variety of programs, including programs for youths.

“I’m running for my battle buddies and their families, people who have lost loved ones over there,” she said.

While in Washington for the marathon, Stevens met with families and visited soldiers recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. “I thought of them along this run,” she said. “I’m doing this for them.”

Stevens said she intends to participate in more marathons before her reign as Miss Utah is over. In each one, she will run for TAPS.

Stevens was first exposed to the National Guard when recruiters set up a booth in her high school. Beyond the tuition assistance and hands-on medical experience she would receive as a combat medic, she said she was drawn to the challenge that being a soldier presented. “I wondered, ‘Can I hack that?’” she recalled.

Today, the recent graduate of Southern Utah University has a bachelor’s degree in nursing, 12 marathons under her belt, six years as a combat medic in the Utah National Guard, and she’s just applied for a direct commission to become an Army nurse.

Stevens said she attributes much of her success to her experiences in the Guard.

“The military has really, truly provided me with a lot of opportunity” in addition to teaching her to make the best of a difficult situation, she said. “I turned Afghanistan into a positive experience, an incredible experience, and I’m able to share it."

Since her return from Afghanistan in April 2005, Stevens frequently has been invited to give talks on her experiences. She said it’s an opportunity to give back, one that has only been fueled since her venture into pageantry

Her schedule is packed with speaking engagements at junior high and elementary schools, where she discusses her platform: “Ready When Disaster Strikes: Emergency Preparedness for Everyone.” She also teaches the importance of living life to the fullest.

“I love giving back,” she said, citing her opportunities as a soldier, a medic, a nurse and now, a titleholder. “It gives me the best feeling in life; it’s my passion.”

Stevens will compete for the Miss America crown in January.

Wild Thing's comment........

I am so very proud of all our service men and women. This is a great story and how neat it is , because if young girls saw this, read it and would get motivated to also serve our country from the inspiration of seeing others like Jill doing this.............well I think it is awesome.

Our media wil NOT tell great stories about our troops. They should because there are tons of these great stories out there.

One thing else too, our troops are not just numbers to us like they are to our sick media and the horrible lefties. They all have a story why they joined, who they are as a person, their reasons for joining and why they want to make a difference. I am honored to be able to share them when I see them because you are all so awesome too in so many ways and you all know the sacrifices our troops make and their families and loved ones as well.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (18)

October 31, 2007

Four-legged Soldiers Keep Their Noses To The Ground

Sgt. Richard Miller, from Floresville, Texas, a military policeman with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., encourages his specialized search dog, Gabriel, before a search exercise at Forward Operating Base Hammer Oct. 24. Miller uses Gabriel in cordon and searches, cordon and knocks, raids, route sanitation and route clearance missions to sniff out explosives, munitions, weapons and ammunition. Photo by Spc. Ben Hutto, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER
By Spc. Ben Hutto
3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

The German shepherd trots from rock to rock, ears pricked upward and nose pointed towards the earth, intent on his mission.

Several feet away, his handler, Sgt. Richard Miller, from Floresville, Texas, a military policeman with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, silently watches as the dog gets closer to the C4 explosive he has hidden under some rubble.

The specialized off-leash search dog looks back at his handler and sits down beside the hidden explosive.

"Good boy," Miller says, walking toward Gabriel. "Good job, Gabe."

The dog's tail swings back and forth as his trainer approaches. His mission accomplished, the dog eagerly awaits his reward.

Miller focuses the dog on the explosive while he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a worn-out orange cong. He tosses it in front of the dog and watches as he snatches it up and runs back to his handler.

The next few moments are filled with praise as Miller tosses the cong and Gabriel retrieves it.

"That's the whole reason the dog does what he does," explains Sgt. Timothy Kinsey, from Pueblo, Colo., a military policeman with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. "We work to get paid. The dogs work for their reward. Gabriel is very focused on his reward. He'll do anything for those congs."

The 3rd BCT has three working dogs and they've been extremely busy since their arrival at Forward Operating Base Hammer.

"They are doing a good job," said Sgt. 1st Class Tommy Jamison, from Elmira, Ore., the provost sergeant for the 3rd BCT. "I've had to learn about them, but they have been great assets."

Jamison explained that the battalions in the 3rd BCT had to learn how to use the dogs on combat missions.

"They were skeptical at first," Jamison said. "The Soldiers had their TTPs (techniques, tactics, and procedures) and those needed to be changed to accommodate the dogs, so that caused some friction. It was hard to explain to leaders that the dogs needed air conditioned vehicles and tents to rest, but once they saw the benefits, everyone accommodated them."

Kinsey explained that there are limits to what the dogs can do.

"Some Soldiers have a hard time understanding that the dogs have the mentality of a four year old," Kinsey said. "When a dog is tired, they are tired. I can't tell them to suck it up and drive on. They love what they do, but they have limits."

The dog's sense of smell makes them perfect for detecting hidden contraband that Soldiers can overlook.

Miller explained that a dog can register and discern 10,000 - 40,000 scents at one time.

"The best way I can explain it is that if you were to walk into a fast food place you would smell the meat cooking on the grill and the mop bucket they are using to clean up a spill," Miller said. "A dog will smell the fat in the burger charring, the meat cooking, the sesame seeds on the buns, the pickle juice, the type of perfume the cashier is wearing and a thousand different other scents all at the same time."

That sense of smell allows dogs like Gabriel and Jim to smell a coil of detonation cord under a pile of rubble from 10 feet away.

"It takes a lot of luck and good information for the dogs to be effective," Miller said. "We have to be in an area where there is something. Sometimes things can be buried too deep or they have been moved, but the dogs are very accurate if something is there."

The accuracy of the dog's ability can be directly attributed to the training that the handlers give them on a daily basis.

"Every day is a training day," Miller said. "We conduct training as often as possible. It keeps the dogs sharp and helps us maintain our rapport with them."

That rapport is critical out in the field.

"The main thing between a trainer and a dog is their rapport," Kinsey said. "We have to notice the dog's behavior and make decisions based on that. A dog's normal temperature is between 101 and 103 degrees. If its body temperature gets up to 106, the dog starts shutting down and begins to die. Out here in the desert, that is a big risk we have to monitor."

Miller throws Gabriel's cong around a few more times before calling an end to the training session. The handler roughly shakes the dog and encourages him.

"Normally, specialized off-leash search dogs stay with the same handler their entire military career so we should be together a while," Miller said.

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

Wild Thing's comment........

I love reading about the dogs that help our soldiers. I love the team work and the bonding that goes on.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (7)

October 30, 2007

Shiver Me Timbers Matey!

U.S. destroyer pursuing hijacked ship in Somali waters, military says Washington

A U.S. destroyer has entered Somali territorial waters in pursuit of a Japanese-owned ship loaded with benzene that was hijacked by pirates over the weekend, military officials said Monday.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke entered Somali waters with the permission of the troubled transitional government in Mogadishu, U.S. officials said. In recent years, warships have stayed outside the 12-mile limit when chasing pirates.

The ongoing operation was confirmed to CNN by two military officials familiar with the details.

Gunmen aboard two skiffs hijacked the Panamanian-flagged Golden Mori off the Socotra archipelago, near the Horn of Africa, said Andrew Mwangura, a spokesman for Kenya's Seafarers' Assistance Programme.

The Golden Mori radioed for help Sunday night. The Burke's sister ship, the USS Porter, opened fire and sank the pirate skiffs tied to its stern before the Burke took over shadowing the hijacked vessel.

When the shots were fired, it was not known the ship was filled with highly flammable benzene. U.S. military officials indicate there is a great deal of concern about the cargo because it is so sensitive.

Benzene, which U.S. authorities have declared a known human carcinogen, is used as a solvent and to make plastics and synthetic fabrics.

U.S. and NATO warships have been patrolling off the Horn of Africa for several years in an effort to crack down on piracy off Somalia, where a U.N.-backed transitional government is struggling to restore order after 15 years of near-anarchy.

In June, the destroyer USS Carter Hall fired warning shots in an attempt to stop a hijacked Danish cargo ship off Somalia, but the American vessel had to turn away when the pirated ship entered Somali waters.

In May, a U.S. Navy advisory warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 miles off the Somali coast. But the U.S. Maritime Administration said pirates sometimes issue false distress calls to lure ships closer to shore.

The pirates are often armed with automatic rifles and shoulder-fired rockets, according to a recent warning from the agency.

"To date, vessels that increase speed and take evasive maneuvers avoid boarding, while those that slow down are boarded, taken to the Somali coastline and released after successful ransom payment, often after protracted negotiations of as much as 11 weeks," it advised.

The agency issued a new warning to sailors in the Gulf of Aden, between Somalia and Yemen, after Sunday's hijacking was reported.

Wild Thing's comment........

Time for the Hippies to make new signs I guess.

I'm sure of one thing, our Navy will kick your a## if you fight them on the water, under the water or over the water.

Also I saw this.............

Pirate attacks increase worldwide
CNN
Pirate attacks worldwide jumped 14 percent in the first nine months of 2007, with the biggest increases off the poorly policed waters of Somalia and Nigeria

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)

October 25, 2007

Recent Raid Produces An Intelligence Bonanza

U.S. commanders in Iraq say a recent raid produced an intelligence bonanza that could lead to future successes in the battle against Al-Qeada.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (11)

Soldiers Help Celebrate Sadr City School Renovation

U.S. soldiers and Iraqi National Police officers talk to students at the Yarmook Girls School in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood during a visit to the school to see improvements made during a recent renovation effort sponsored by the Iraqi government, Iraqi police, and the U.S. military.

From left to right: Army Capt. Alex Carter, a civil affairs team chief attached to 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division; an Iraqi police officer; Brig. Gen. Ali Ibrahim Daboun, commander of 8th Brigade, 2nd INP Division; Army Staff Sgt. Brandon Lantz, a civil affairs linguist; and Army Lt. Col. Dan Barnett, commander of 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. Photo by Sgt. Mike Pryor, USA

BAGHDAD
Oct. 24, 2007
DOD

When students at the Yarmook Girls' School in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood returned from summer vacation last month, they found that their school had received an extreme makeover thanks to the government of Iraq and the U.S. Army.

U.S. soldiers and Iraqi National Police visited the recently renovated school Oct. 22 to see the improvements and hand out backpacks and soccer balls to the students.

The renovations to the school totaled $200,000 of improvements, including a new roof, a new lighting system, repairs to cracks in the pavement and stairs, and a paint job, said Glen Allen, Va., native Capt. Alex Carter, a U.S. Army civil affairs team chief who helped oversee the project.

"Nine other schools in Sadr City also have been renovated over the past few months, as part of the same program that refurbished the Yarmook Girl’s School, "Carter said.

"The school improvement program was made possible by cooperation among the Ministry of Education, the local neighborhood councils, school officials, the Iraqi National Police, and the U.S. Army’s 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, which operates in the Sadr City area," he said.

“What makes this special to me is that this really validates how effective we are working with the Iraqi police in Sadr City,” Carter said.

The top Iraqi police official present at the school visit, Brig. Gen. Ali Ibrahim Daboun, commander of 8th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, said he also was pleased by cooperation between the Iraqi government, the Iraqi security forces, and the U.S. military.

He said he hopes that the school improvement program would show the 2.5 million residents of Sadr City that they are a priority of the Iraqi government.

“In the past, they were neglected, but the new government will serve them,” he said.

(Army Sgt. Mike Pryor is assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.)

Wild Thing's comment........

Of course our media doesn't want us to know about this. God bless our troops and keep them safe. I am so proud of them, they are truly amazing.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (4)

October 24, 2007

Camp Pendleton Marines Aid In Calif. Wildfire Relief

Additional 550 Marines from Camp Pendleton are preparing to deploy to the fire area

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.

Marines here joined disaster-relief efforts for California wildfires Monday night by supplying food, water and hundreds of cots to residents on the base and in surrounding communities.

Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said that 12 Defense Department camp pendleton fire fighting teams, with 12 engines, are already working the blazes and more than 17,000 National Guardsmen are potentially available if needed.

In addition, he said, 550 Marines from camp pendleton are preparing to deploy to the camp pendleton fire area.

Wildfires have destroyed much of Southern California, forcing mass evacuations and burning hundreds of homes. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for seven counties including San Diego County Monday.

Camp Pendleton has allowed 20,000-23,000 civilian vehicles to travel through to the greater San Diego area, said Col. J.B. Seaton III, commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

“We feared what we would have to face,” said Abby Deloach, a Fallbrook resident who sought refuge with her husband. “We guessed there would be something here. Even if we had to sleep in our car we would feel safer (on base) anyway.”

Within two hours of notification, Marines stocked the field house with food, water and beds.

Camp Pendleton’s Paige Field House was utilized to house the refugees looking for shelter.

The field house will shelter and supply people in need for as long as the resources are needed, said Kerri Latimore, manager of Paige Field House.

The Paige Field House was on standby, waiting for the call telling them their facility would soon become an evacuation center.

“We need to take a bigger part in the community,” said Sgt. Fernando J. Urena, 27, from Los Angeles. “It makes me glad that Marines rose to the occasion.”

Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton has also offered its resources for refueling civilian and government aircraft. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar remains on standby to assist with firefighting efforts.

The Marine Corps is not only looking after displaced civilians, but also service members who need assistance.

“The Navy Marine Corps Relief Society is offering financial assistance for any military service member who has been evacuated and might need money for food or gas,” said Roxanne Clouse, the Deputy Director of the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society here.

Wild Thing's comment........

This fire has to be the worst in history for Calif. Just guessing but it is worse then the two that Nick and I survived when we lived in Malibu. I know what it feels like to have choppers over our house, flames over 100 feet right next to our home and kerchiefs on our faces so we could breath. Being told to leave, not wanting to but knowing you have to go and getting our animals in a safe place. Going back to see if we can see our home if it is OK or not.......all of it a feeling I would not wish on anyone and will never forget.

Prayers for all in the wake of this horrible fire and for those that have been effected by this fire. Prayers too for the safety of those fighting this fire.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (13)

October 22, 2007

U.S. Army Choppers in Action ~ LOVE it!

Thunderstruck

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (12)

In Country With Our Troops - Sadr City

Coalition forces were engaged in a heavy firefight this morning killing an estimated 49 criminals during operations in Sadr City.

The operation’s objective was an individual reported to be a long time Special Groups member specializing in kidnapping operations. Intelligence indicates he is a well-known cell leader and has previously sought funding from Iran to carry out high profile kidnappings.

Upon arrival, the ground force began to clear a series of buildings in the target are and received sustained heavy fire from adjacent structures, to include automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades, or RPGs. Responding in self-defense, Coalition forces engaged, killing an estimated 33 criminals. Supporting aircraft was also called to engage enemy personnel maneuvering with RPGs toward the ground force, killing an estimated six criminals.

Upon departing the target area, Coalition forces continued to receive heavy fire from automatic weapons and RPGs and were also attacked by an improvised explosive device. Responding in self-defense, the ground force engaged the hostile threat, killing an additional estimated 10 combatants.

All total, Collation forces estimate that 49 criminals were killed in three separate engagements during this operation. Ground forces reported they were unaware of any innocent civilians being killed as a result of this operation.

“We continue to support the Government of Iraq in welcoming the commitment by Muqtada al-Sadr to stop attacks and we will continue to show restraint in dealing with those who honor his pledge. We will not show the same restraint against those criminals who dishonor this pledge by attacking security forces and Iraqi citizens,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. “Coalition forces will take the necessary action against these criminals to protect the Iraqi people against future terrorist acts.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)

Troops Find 41,000 Pounds Of Homemade Explosives

Cache containing 300 bags with 100 lbs of homemade explosives was discovered west of Tarmiyah, in the Salah ad Din by CF, 18 Oct. A total of five caches with approximately 41,000 pounds of munitions was discovered during the operation. (U.S. Army photo)

41,000 pounds of homemade explosives seized
By Multi-National Division - North PAO

TARMIYAH, Iraq - Coalition Force Soldiers discovered and destroyed one of the largest weapons caches found in the Salah ad Din Province in the last 15 months Oct. 18.

CF discovered five weapons caches which contained approximately 41,000 pounds of explosives as well as 35 projectiles west of Tarmiya.

The caches were then destroyed by EOD without any additional damage or any casualties.

The fifth cache alone contained 300 separate bags of homemade explosives, each weighing 100 lbs. The crater from the blast measured 100 feet wide, 100 feet long and 30 feet deep.

"A discovery of this magnitude deals a crippling blow to the enemy," said Col. Bryan Owens, commander, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. "We will continue to do what is necessary to take weapons from the enemy and provide peace for the Iraqi people."

The caches were initially discovered by a Coalition Forces helicopter in the area.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (4)

October 21, 2007

Soldiers Show Zero Tolerance For Attacks

Atlanta, Ga., native Capt. Andrew Steadman, commander of Headquarters Company, 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, out of Vilsek, Germany, questions a local man about attacks on coalition forces during a cordon and search of Baghdad's Adhamiyah neighborhood, Oct. 15. Photo by Sgt. Michael Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs.

Soldiers show zero tolerance for attacks in Adhamiyah

BAGHDAD
By Sgt. Mike Pryor
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

If the people in the Adhamiyah District’s Abu Hanifa Market hadn’t already heard about the afternoon’s grenade attack on a U.S. Soldier, they heard about it when Lt. Col. Jeff Broadwater showed up.

“Who threw the grenade!?” Broadwater shouted, stalking from shop to shop as an Apache gunship circled overhead. “Where are they? Show me where they are and I will take them out of here!”

Not half an hour before, a Soldier from Broadwater’s unit, the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, had been wounded by a grenade thrown at his patrol. Now, in response, Broadwater was bringing the full weight of U.S. military to bear in the hunt for the culprits.

“We’re sending a message that attacks will not be tolerated,” said Broadwater, a Fort Knox, Ky. native, as dozens of Iraqi and U.S. troops fanned out through the stalls and shops of the market and helicopters continued to buzz through the sky.

It was a show of force with a purpose. In Adhamiyah – a mostly-Sunni neighborhood in eastern Baghdad which until recently was a hotbed of insurgent activity – the 3-7 Cav. “Sabers” have made dramatic improvements to the security situation by taking a zero tolerance approach to attacks.

“Any time there’s an attack we do an immediate mass response. We flood the area with as many people as we can,” said Staff Sgt. Eric Bull, a section leader with 3-7’s Troop C, from Perryville, Ark. “We don’t want to give the insurgents time to rest.”

“They punch us, we punch back harder,” explained Capt. Andrew Steadman, who commands a quick reaction force of Stryker vehicles based in Adhamiyah.

It’s a policy that began during the Sabers’ first days in the area, when insurgents tried to test the unit’s mettle with grenade and rocket propelled grenade attacks. When they did, they received a ferocious response from the Saber Soldiers, said Roanoke, Va., native Staff Sgt. William Schilling, of Troop B.

Since then, the well of “opportunists” – not hardcore insurgents, but locals willing to shoot a few rounds or lob a grenade at Coalition forces to earn some quick cash – has dried up, Schilling said.

Insurgent leaders have been forced to resort to desperate tactics like paying children to do their attacks for them, said Kisimmee, Fla., native Maj. Ike Sallee, the squadron’s operations officer. The Sabers recently captured a nine-year-old boy who had been paid to throw a grenade at one of their patrols. (The boy was later returned to his parents.)

Broadwater said the Sabers’s tactics have put the insurgents on the ropes, and the numbers seem to back up that claim. There has been a 70 percent overall decline in attacks since the 3-7 took over responsibility for Adhamiyah four months ago, said Sgt. Tim Luna, a squadron intelligence analyst.

When attacks do occur, such as the grenade attack at the market that wounded one Soldier Oct. 15, they are met with an overwhelming response. Even as the wounded Soldier was being evacuated, Broadwater was ordering scores of Soldiers in Humvees and Stryker vehicles to move in to secure the area. Fifteen minutes after the attack, there was a vehicle at every intersection around the market, and dismounted troops had begun searching from building to building.

A few blocks down, Steadman’s Stryker Company was also in position after responding to the call. Soldiers were everywhere: taking a knee at the corners, scanning the sector from positions on the roof, trudging up and down narrow flights of stairs inside an apartment complex, and working their way from courtyard to courtyard. Inside the houses they were polite and professional, careful to make as little of a disruption as possible as they searched.

“We don’t come in to scare people, it’s just to show them our presence and let them know we’re here and we mean business,” said Garden City, Mo., native Spc. Lonnie Pearson, of Headquarters Company, 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. Pearson said most residents were friendly and helpful when the Soldiers knocked on their doors.

“They want the bad guys out of here just as bad as we do,” he said.

It wasn’t long before the Soldiers located a witness who had seen the grenade being thrown. He gave them a detailed description of the suspects. The description went out over the net and was passed down to every Soldier. But it was apparently too late. The grenade throwers had managed to slip through the net. Several hours after it began, Broadwater called the search off.

Later that evening, after he had visited the wounded Soldier in the hospital, Broadwater said he felt encouraged by the resolve of his Soldiers – and by the reactions he had seen from people in the community.

“The people see that we’re not going to let (attacks) go unanswered, and they appreciate that,” Broadwater said. And though the insurgents who threw the grenade hadn’t been apprehended, Broadwater was confident he had delivered his message to them.

“We will find you,” he promised. “It may not be this time, but sooner or later, we will find you.”

Wild Thing's comment........

I love true military leaders, kick ass and do what needs and has to be done. OH yessssssss!!!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (4)

October 17, 2007

General Peter Pace Leaves Stars At The Wall

U.S. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shakes hands with a retired Marine during the Columbus Day Parade along Fifth Avenue in New York City, N.Y., Oct. 9, 2006. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen

This about cards left at the Wall...from Old Sarge's blog:

At the Vietnam Wall we saw something unbelievable. We noticed three small index cards at the base of the Wall. I knelt down for a closer look and noticed that a 4-star general's rank was pinned to each card.

The cards were personally addressed and said something like:

These are Yours - not mine! With Love and Respect, Your Platoon Leader, Pete Pace 1 Oct 2007
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs had laid down his rank for his boys who died in Nam. Oct 1 was the day he stepped down as Chairman."

Thank you Old Sarge for the sharing what you saw. Below is more information that I would like to add to this post. - Wild Thing

“I find myself at the end of 40-plus years of service hopelessly behind in trying to give back,” he continued. “Because the more I have tried to give, the more that has been given to me. It’s been an incredible cycle that makes me feel humble to have had the opportunity to associate myself with so many wonderful Americans.” General Peter Pace

With Pace it has always been about the Marines who lost their lives while he was their platoon commander, especially Guido, who took a bullet for him.

Pace said he can still remember the names and see the faces of the Marines whom he served with in Vietnam.

An excerpt from the article about his visit to Farinaro’s High School:

The lance corporal’s death also had a profound impact on the young lieutenant. “We were on patrol one day outside Da Nang, and Guido was killed by a sniper,” Pace said. “As I stayed with him, a sense of rage came through me, and as the platoon leader, I started calling an artillery strike on the village where the round had been fired.

"I never want to lose that," he said. "Under the glass on my desk is a picture of Lance Cpl. Guido Farinaro of Bethpage, N.Y., a 19 year-old corporal killed by a sniper. He was the first Marine I lost in combat. I keep his picture as a reminder that he and Lance Cpl. Chubby Hale, and Lance Cpl. Buddy Travers and Cpl. Mike Witt and Staff Sgt. Willie Williams and all the others died following 2nd Lt. Pace's orders. I can never repay that."

(Google the name Guido Farinaro....)

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace hugs U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Andrew Kinard at the Pentagon Sept. 27, 2007, following his final press conference as chairman. Pace, who will be retiring Sept. 30, 2007, after more than 40 years of service, will be turning over his position as chairman to U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen Oct. 1, 2007. Kinard, who lost both legs to an improvised explosive device in Iraq, now works at the Pentagon. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

Men and women of the Defense Department line the halls and applaud Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Marine Gen. Peter Pace on his last official day at the Pentagon, Sept. 27, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by Cherie A. Thurlby

MINEOLA, N.Y., Sept. 19, 2007 – The reason the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited Chaminade High School here was on the wall as he entered the building today: a simple plaque with the names of graduates killed in combat.

Midway down the list of 55 Chaminade graduates killed in combat was the name Guido Farinaro, Class of 1967, killed in Vietnam in 1968.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace came to this Catholic school to honor Lance Corporal Farinaro, the first Marine to die following 2nd Lt. Peter Pace’s orders. The four-star general keeps a picture of the young lance corporal under the glass on his desk in the Pentagon to remind him of the sacrifices young servicemembers make.

Rev. James C. Williams, the president of the school, invited Pace to address the 1,700 students of the all-male school.

“This is selfish on my part to want to come here to Chaminade,” Pace told the students. “I’ve been invited to several Gold Star Masses and have not been able to attend. I did not want to leave active duty without coming to the place from which the single most influential military person in my life graduated.”
During Pace’s talk, the normal restlessness of young men disappeared. You could hear a pin drop when the general told the student body that he wanted to come to the school “to have a chance to look you in the eye and tell you of just one of Chaminade’s incredible graduates.”

Pace wanted the students to know that their lives will make a difference. “I want you to know about one Chaminade graduate whose life made a difference,” Pace said.

Guido Farinaro was a 1967 graduate of the high school, Pace said. “As with all classes in Chaminade, the vast majority went on to college, but Guido joined the Marine Corps,” he said. “When asked why, he said he was born in Italy, raised in the United States and had the opportunity to attend this incredible school and felt the need to pay back the country before he did any more schooling.”

Pace met the young lance corporal in February 1968 during the Tet Offensive in Hue City, Vietnam. Pace was the third leader of the 2nd Platoon, Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines in as many weeks. The platoon was a skeleton, with only 14 Marines left. “Guido was one of them,” Pace said to the assembly. “He and I served together until July 1968, and I came to know Guido as a great young man.”

The lance corporal’s death also had a profound impact on the young lieutenant. “We were on patrol one day outside Da Nang, and Guido was killed by a sniper,” Pace said. “As I stayed with him, a sense of rage came through me, and as the platoon leader, I started calling an artillery strike on the village where the round had been fired.

“My platoon sergeant, who was my age – 21 or 22 -- didn’t say anything at all,” Pace said. “He just looked at me. And I knew in the look that he gave me that what I was doing was wrong.”

Pace called off the strike and led the platoon to do what he should have done in the first place – a dismounted sweep of the village. “We found nothing but women and children,” he said. “Had that artillery strike been conducted, I do not know how I could have possibly lived with myself.”

The lesson for Pace was immediate. “Regardless what you do in your life, hold on to your moral compass,” he said. “When you are emotionally least capable of defending yourself is when the biggest challenge will come. If you don’t have an idea of what you will let yourself do and what you will not let yourself do, you may find that you have done something that you would never believe yourself capable of doing.”

He said his epiphany came in combat, but it doesn’t have to. “I learned that day, to think through what was going to be happening each day thereafter, and to think through what I would allow myself to do and not do,” he said.

It could come in a meeting, a test, a temptation, whatever. “If you have thought through who you want to be at the end of each day, you will see that person,” he said. “But, if you have not, you may not like the person you end up being.”

This was one way the lance corporal’s life changed the young officer’s life. Guido Farinaro and all the other Marines who died following his orders made Pace realize what he should do with his life.

Pace never received a scratch during his 13-month tour in Vietnam. Farinaro was standing next to Pace when he was shot by the sniper. Another Marine was walking in front of Pace when another sniper shot and killed that Marine instead of Pace. “Some died, others did not. I still truly do not understand,” he said. “But because of Guido and the others I lost, I determined that I would continue to serve in the Marine Corps until I was no longer needed, and to try to serve in a way that paid respect to their lives.”

Pace said he was determined to give those Marines and servicemembers in his charge what he could not longer give to the men he had lost, and that he built his military career around that idea.

And as he faces the conclusion of his four decades of service when he retires at the end of the month, Pace said that was the last lesson he learned from the young Marines he commanded.

"I’m very calm about what comes next because of what I learned from Guido and Guido’s death, which is we don’t control when we’re going to die. We do control how we live,” he said. “In every disappointment there is a new door of opportunity. Every time in my adult life, when something happened that I wished had not happened, or I did not get what I thought I should get, in retrospect has turned out to be a blessing.

“I am not a volunteer to leave the armed forces of the United States,” he continued. “I still owe Guido and his fellow Marines, and now so many others, more than I can ever repay.”

Pace told the young men that he has no idea what he will do in the future, but that it will include another opportunity to serve. He asked the young men to serve, too.

“I ask you to embrace the path that God lays out for you: do the very best you can on that path and take care of the people near you who look to you for leadership,” he said.

Wild Thing's comment........

I cried while doing this post, how could I not. Just to be able to say this man is an American and served in our military, I owe him so much and am so grateful. He is a man of honor and an American Hero. We lost a great leader when we allowed Pete to be pushed overboard.

It is unforgiveable that Bush threw Pace under the bus yet failed to shove the despicable likes of Ike Skelton, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha, et al, down the chute to the Yuri I. Nosenko Suite of the Vidkin Quisling Wing of the seventh subterranean level of Leavenworth.

Shall the nation now reelect the dual diablos who loathe the military.

God Bless you,General Peter Pace!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (16)

In Country With America's Heroes

C-17 crews make record airdrop - As 16 bundles from the lead C-17 Globemaster III drift to the ground, a second C-17 drops more bundles to a drop zone Oct. 11 in Afghanistan. A total of 62 cargo bundles were dropped from two C-17s in two passes.

This was the first time a combat cargo drop of this magnitude has taken place from two C-17s in formation over one drop zone.

The planes and crews are part of the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)

U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Register provides security for fellow soldiers at an unoccupied house in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 9, 2007. Register is assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Julian Jimenez provides security during combat operations in Balure, Iraq, on Oct. 5, 2007. Jimenez is assigned to Bravo Company, 6th Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Cavalry Division. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Weismiller, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM

October 13, 2007

Happy 232nd Birthday To Our US NAVY

Happy 232nd Birthday U.S.Navy

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Joe R. Campa Jr. and Rear Adm. Michael A. LeFever, director of Military Personnel Plans and Policy Division, ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange in celebration of the Navy's 232nd birthday. Sailors from the Bronx Naval Operational Support Center joined Campa and LaFever for the closing bell. Photo courtesy of New York Stock Exchange Media Relations

U..S. Naval Academy Brigade Staff and Color Guard stand in special formation on the steps of Bancroft Hall in honor of the 232nd birthday of the United States Navy. Midshipman leaders spoke to the 4,400 Brigade of Midshipmen about the Academy’s heritage and unique role in naval history. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christopher Lussier

Thank you to all that have served and serve today in our US Navy. God bless and protect each one of you.
- Wild Thing

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (9)

Navy Being Downsized

America’s Elegant Decline
The Atlantic.com

Hulls in the water could soon displace boots on the ground as the most important military catchphrase of our time. But our Navy is stretched thin. How we manage dwindling naval resources will go a long way toward determining our future standing in the world.
Beware pendulum swings. Before 9/11, not enough U.S. generals believed that the future of war was unconventional and tied to global anarchy. They insisted on having divisions to fight against, not ragtag groups of religious warriors who, as it turned out, fought better than state armies in the Muslim world ever did.

Now the Pentagon is consumed by a focus on urban warfare and counterinsurgency; inside military circles, the development of culturally adroit foreign-area officers (FAOs) and the learning of exotic languages have become the rage. My own warnings about anarchy (“The Coming Anarchy,” February 1994 Atlantic) and my concentration on FAOs and Army Special Forces in recent books may have helped this trend.

But have we pushed it too far? We may finally master the art of counterinsurgency just in time for it to recede in importance.

Today, while we remain fixated on street fighting in Baghdad, the militaries of China, India, South Korea, and Japan are modernizing, and Russia has maintained and subsidized its military research-and- development base by selling weapons to China and others. Though counterinsurgency will remain a core part of our military doctrine, the Pentagon does not have the luxury of planning for one military future; it must plan for several.

Wild Thing's comment........

This feels very weird to me. First it is our Navy's birthday and then I happened to see this article. It feels like a pat on the back and a slap in the face all at the same time.

The last thing that we should be doing is shrinking the size of any branch of our armed forces.

I think our war ships are awesome and I hate to see us getting rid of them. Our enemies will always be looking to hit us where we are weakest, relative to them.

"From time immemorial, the purpose of a navy has been to influence, and sometimes to decide, issues on land. This was so with the Greeks of antiquity; the Romans, who created a navy to defeat Carthage; the Spanish, whose armada tried and failed to conquer England; and most eminently, in the Atlantic and Pacific during two world wars. The sea has always given man inexpensive transport and ease of communication over long distances. The sea has supplied mobility, capability, and support throughout Western history, and those failing in the sea-power test – notably Alexander, Napoleon and Hitler – also failed the longevity one." ---First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Alan West

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (9)

October 11, 2007

In Country With Our Troops

Marines with 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, sweep through the desert on the outside of the city. The company, known as the Animals, frequently goes on patrols lasting more than six hours and regularly covers a dozen miles each day.

EXPEDITIONARY PATROL BASE - DULAB, Iraq
(Oct. 10, 2007)

“Enjoy it while you can maggots,” rasped the drill instructor into the darkness of the squad bay, “This is the most sleep you will see in the Corps, especially if you are allowed to become grunts.” The Marines with Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, now agree with the phantom from boot camp.

In the small patrol base which borders on the village of Dulab, near the edge of the Euphrates River, sleep truly is a commodity. The Marines of Company A, known as the “Animals,” spend most of their time on foot patrols in or around the city or in overwatch positions for Iraqi Security Forces. Any free time is spent trying to catch up on their shut-eye.

“We have a lot of area to cover and not an abundance of people to cover it,” explained 2nd Lt. Andrew D. Markoff, a platoon commander with the company. “We try to push into the desert, cover the river, and steal the night from the enemy, plus it’s all on foot. It adds up after a while.”

The platoon who occupies the patrol base, 1st Platoon, is constantly on the move.

“I would say the average length is about five to eight miles per patrol,” said Markoff, Raleigh, N.C., native. “And if we are doing an overwatch position, you can tack about six hours on to the middle of that patrol.”

Most of the Marines agree the lack of sleep is a welcome price for the progress being made in the area.

“The Iraqi Security Forces are much easier to work with this year,” said Lance Cpl. Patrick K. Mason, a squad leader with the platoon. “Last deployment we were focused on creating the IP force, but now these guys have experience. You don’t have to be afraid to go on patrols with them anymore because you’re more confident in their capabilities.”

The Iraqi soldiers and police have begun operating on their own with either little or no support from the Animals.

“Compared to last year, this is a pretty big step,” said Lance Cpl. Cameron J. Jensen, a team leader with the platoon. “This proves were doing our job here. They aren’t perfect yet, but it won’t be long. They lack the natural discipline that Marines have, but slowly they are learning not to talk during an operation, take a knee when you stop, keep a low silhouette on the horizon, stuff like that.”

The Marines in the company are being urged to foster the differences between the two security forces. Their goal is to get the Iraqi police away from a military mindset, and into the local police mindset.

The job sounds much easier than it really is. It is common for a group of police to arrest someone, and bring them to the Marines to be detained. The Marines ask what the crime was and if there is proof. The police will vouch that ‘this man is bad.’ When asked for witnesses, more police will agree ‘everyone knows he is bad.’ The legal process is, however, making headway.

Coalition forces kill nine terrorists; detain 21 suspects
Oct.10,2007
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces killed nine terrorists and detained 21 suspects during operations Monday and Tuesday to disrupt al-Qaeda in Iraq networks operating in central and northern parts of the country.

South of Baghdad, Coalition forces conducted an operation targeting an associate of al-Qaeda in Iraq operating in the southern belt. The targeted individual is reportedly responsible for providing guidance on operations against Coalition forces. Upon arriving to the target area, the ground force was engaged by an armed individual throwing a grenade. Responding in self-defense, Coalition forces returned fire and observed several individuals maneuvering from the target area. The ground force called for supporting aircraft to engage the fleeing men, killing three terrorists. Eight suspected terrorists were also detained during the operation.

In an operation south of Mahmudiyah, Coalition forces targeted an associate of al-Qaeda in Iraq believed to be a military leader in Yusufiyah. Reports also indicate he is responsible for coordinating the movement of foreign terrorists and suicide bombers for attacks against Coalition forces. Upon arrival to the target area, the ground force discovered three armed individuals in a field. Coalition forces called for the individuals to come out from their location, but they did not comply. Perceiving a hostile threat, the ground force engaged, killing two of the three armed terrorists. The third armed man fled the area and was engaged and killed by supporting aircraft. One of the terrorists killed was wearing a military-style assault vest. The ground force also discovered grenades and blasting caps which were safely destroyed on site. As Coalition forces continued to secure the area, they encountered an individual armed with several grenades. Responding in self-defense, the ground force engaged and killed him. In addition, one suspected terrorist was detained during the operation.

Near Bayji, Coalition forces captured an associate of al-Qaeda in Iraq believed to be involved in weapons facilitation and providing false documentation to facilitate travel for senior terrorist leaders. In addition to the targeted individual, the ground force detained four other suspected terrorists on site without incident.

Farther north in Mosul, Coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists while targeting an associate of al-Qaeda in Iraq believed to be responsible for security for the terrorist network in the city. Reports also indicate that the targeted individual is involved in kidnapping operations in the area.

Coalition forces captured another wanted individual during an operation west of Samarra. The suspect is alleged to be a leader of a Sunni extremist group affiliated with al-Qaeda in Iraq and is involved in kidnappings and improvised explosive device production. Intelligence reports indicated that the target area was used as a weapons cache site. In addition to the targeted individual, the ground force detained three other suspects.

South of Samarra Monday, Coalition forces conducted a precision operation targeting associates of al-Qaeda in Iraq alleged to have ties to senior terrorist leaders. Acting on time-sensitive intelligence, Coalition forces pinpointed the exact location of the wanted individuals and supporting aircraft engaged, killing two terrorists.

“Terrorists who attempt to attack civilians, Iraqi security forces and Coalition forces will be found, and they will be captured or killed,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, Multi-National Force – Iraq spokesman. “We will not allow criminals to interfere with the progress the Iraqi people and their elected government are making.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (4)

October 07, 2007

10/7/2001 Operation Enduring Freedom Begins In Afghanistan

This is the day in 2001 that bombing began by our awesome troops in Afghanistan.

War has come to our shores. It was committed on American soil. We have been able to live in Freedom only because of those who have fought in the past wars giving life, limb and all the sacrifices for us to live in Freedom and go about our day without fear.

On September 11, 2001, that comfort, that feeling of living in a land that would not be attacked ended.

William T. Sherman said it succinctly, "War is hell."

The day has come for this Nation and its people to understand that there is a risk in losing its freedom, and in reality there always has been. We have ONLY stayed free because of the sacrifices of our military, our warriors.

This is about saving the future of America. Aristotle said, "We make war that we may live in peace."

Those in our military are our Nation's warriors. And our MILITARY, our Warriors, are America's TRUE HEROS!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (5)

October 06, 2007

U.S.Military Pulls Plug On 6 al-Qaeda Outlets

Media hubs in Iraq mark new battlefield

USA Today

WASHINGTON

The U.S. military says it has captured at least six al-Qaeda media centers in Iraq and arrested 20 suspected propaganda leaders since June.

The seizures of the centers underscore the importance al-Qaeda has placed on media, primarily the Internet, as a tool to communicate to its members and use against U.S. forces in Iraq. The group's media emphasis continues to increase, intelligence analysts say.

Al-Qaeda is keenly aware that the battle is ultimately for the "hearts and minds of the ummah," the community of Muslim believers, says Gordon Woo, catastrophe analyst for RMS, a London-based firm that consults private companies on terrorism risks. Woo notes that Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden's deputy, said in 2005 that most "of this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media."

The progress against al-Qaeda's media operations stems from new offensives aimed at al-Qaeda sanctuaries and an emphasis on blunting the terrorist group's extensive propaganda operations, U.S. officers say.

"One of our goals is to target these propaganda networks, and we've had more success over the past three months," says Air Force Col. Donald Bacon, a staff officer at Multi-National Force-Iraq.

Those seizures have sharply curtailed the amount of videos and other communications posted to the Internet from Iraq, Bacon says.

Recent U.S. efforts have made it difficult for al-Qaeda's Internet operations, but such successes are hard to define and may only be temporary, says Rita Katz of the SITE Institute, which monitors terrorist websites. The SITE Institute noted al-Qaeda in Iraq's recent distribution of a 20-minute video, called "The Astray Arrow," alleging the failure of the coalition's offensive in Diyala province, Operation Arrowhead Ripper.

Al-Qaeda's media output in Iraq dipped starting five or six weeks ago, Katz says, but it has since recovered.

The group often uses the Internet to raise money and attract recruits, the U.S. military says. Al-Qaeda's militants are ordered to film every attack they conduct on coalition or Iraqi forces, Bacon says. Music is often added to the edited package, for effect.

For some Arab viewers who don't regularly view Western media, the overwhelming impression from the videos could be that militants are winning. The benefit for militants is to turn a single attack into a larger strategic weapon.

Along with the raids in Iraq, the Pentagon also is developing plans to attack computer networks and websites used by terrorists, military records show.

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, told Congress last month that the "war is not only being fought on the ground in Iraq but also in cyberspace."

Petraeus has "placed a greater command emphasis on the media war," says Maj. Winfield Danielson, a military spokesman in Iraq.

The terrorist group's media centers are nondescript from the outside but jammed with production equipment, Bacon says. One house raided recently in Samarra, north of Baghdad, included 12 computers, 65 hard drives and a filming studio.

The U.S. military says it has uncovered media operations in the past, but not as many as in recent months. It is not clear how many centers exist, Bacon says.

Wild Thing's comment........

It sounds like they are gutting the heart and twisted soul of the al-qaeda internet over there. They already have gotten a lot of the brains. Our troops are doing such hard work and a lot of success!! God bless each one of them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)

October 05, 2007

Apache 30mm Gun Takes Out 4 Insurgents

4 Insurgents eliminated and one little dog escapes

And watch how fast the dog in the upper right of the picture moves out of the way.

....Thank you Tom and Bob for sending this to me. This is GREAT. I love how fast the dog moves out of the way too. Thank God the dog is ok and the insurgents aren't.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (9)

October 03, 2007

~ Welcome Home Justin Sharratt ~

Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, center right, poses with his sister, Jaclyn Sharratt, right, and his mother and father, Theresa and Darryl Sharratt, in San Clemente, Calif., PHOTO taken .....December 2006

A note from the family..........

"The Sharratt family, Darryl, Theresa, Jaclyn and Justin, thank you for your unyielding support and prayers. Yes, Justin is HOME. The hugs were long and the tears flowed. We are fortunate and thankful that God chose to return him to us. We, as a family, can now look to the future.

With the return of Justin our ordeal of the past 20 months has come to an end. I assure you we will not rest till LCpl Tatum, SSgt Wuterich, Lt Grayson and LtCol Chessani are exonerated.

God Bless

God Bless Our Haditha Marines
Darryl, Theresa, Jaclyn and Justin"

For you Justin!!

Wild Thing's comment........

Welcome home, Justin! As with all the troops serving our great Nation, thank you, for your service. Salute!
And I thank all of you on here, Team Theodore for your support for these men and your prayers for them and their families.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (11)

From a Marine Hero: The 5 Things I Saw that Make Me Support the War

Marine Hero: The 5 Things I Saw that Make Me Support the War
Townhall

Marco Martinez, a recipient of the Navy Cross, is author of the new book Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero (Crown Forum).

Liberals often like to say that "violence is senseless."
That’s wrong.

Violence isn't senseless. Senseless violence is senseless. And I should know. Before being awarded the Navy Cross and having the privilege of becoming a Marine, I was a gang member. Sometimes it takes having used violence for both evil as well as good to know that there's a profound moral difference between the two.

People often ask me whether I still support the war. I never hesitate when answering: "Absolutely I support completing the mission," I tell them, "Now more than ever."

I was honored to have been given the opportunity to fight in Iraq on our country’s behalf. And it was that experience—and five things I saw firsthand—that illustrate the foolishness of those who would equate American military power to that used by thugs and tyrants.

1. Mass Graves
I was part of a group that was tasked with guarding Saddam’s mass graves. And let me tell you something: anyone who could look straight down into those huge holes at the skeletons and remains and see what that monster did to 300,000 of his own people would have no doubt that we did the right thing in removing him from power. Saddam’s henchmen would tie two people together, some with babies in their arms, stand them at the crater’s edge, and then shoot one of the people in the head, relying on the weight of the dead body to drag them both into the hole. This would save on rounds and also ensure that both people died, one from a gunshot, the other by being buried alive.

2. Tongue-less Man
You never know how precious freedom of speech is until you meet somehow who has had it taken from them—literally taken from them. During a patrol we came upon two hungry Iraqi men scavenging for food. When our translator began speaking with the men I noticed that one of them had a stub for a tongue. Through the translator we learned that the tongue-less man had spoken against the regime and that Saddam’s henchmen had severed his tongue. Saddam had quite literally removed the man’s freedom of speech.

3. Adrenaline-Fueled Fedayeen Saddam
I couldn't for the life of me understand why the ninja costume-wearing terrorists we encountered in a series of hellish firefights just wouldn’t go down—even after being shot. Once my fire team and I cleared a terrorist-filled house in a close quarters shootout, I saw dead bodies all around the kitchen. I looked up at the countertops. Scattered everywhere were vials of adrenaline, syringes, and khat (pronounced "cot"), a drug similar to PCP that gives users a surge of energy and strength. That’s when we realized that our zombie-like attackers were zealots who came to fight and die.

4. Human Experiment Pictures
I still can’t shake the pictures out of my head. We discovered them inside a strange laboratory we found inside a Special Republican Guard barracks that had been plunked down inside an amusement park. When I cracked open the photo album, my jaw dropped. There in front of me were the most horrifying images of experiments being performed on newborn and infant children. Picture after picture, page after page, the binder was filled with the most extreme deformities and experimental mutations one could imagine. One baby had an eye that was shifted toward the middle of its head. We turned the books over to our lieutenant as valuable pieces of intelligence.

5. Bomb-Making Materials In a Mosque
Well after the invasion we were tasked to conduct city patrols and build rapport with local sheiks and mosque members. On one occasion we revisited a mosque where the sheik had previously been warm and friendly. Yet this time something seemed a little off. As we made our way through the mosque compound, we were told there were certain "praying houses" we weren’t allowed to enter. But when a Marine walked through a side hallway and passed by a door that had been left ajar, he spotted a huge bottle of nitroglycerin and assorted bomb-making materials.

When I think about my gang member past I shudder in shame. But if there was one lesson I learned from my past it is that there is a profound moral difference between using violence to destroy lives and using violence to save lives. Terrorists do the former; soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines do the latter.
Antimilitary liberals need to learn the difference between the two.

Marco Martinez became the first Hispanic American since Vietnam to be awarded the Navy Cross and the first Marine to receive that honor in the War on Terror. Raised in New Mexico, he now attends a community college in Southern California while working full-time in nuclear security.

Here is Sgt. Martinez’s Navy Cross citation:

The President of the United States
Takes Pleasure in Presenting
The Navy Cross
To

Marco A. Martinez
Corporal, United States Marine Corps

For Services as Set Forth in the Following

Citation:
For extraordinary heroism while serving as 1st Fire Team Leader, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 12 April 2003.

Responding to a call to reinforce his Platoon that was ambushed, Corporal Martinez effectively deployed his team under fire in supporting positions for a squad assault. After his squad leader was wounded, he took control and led the assault through a tree line where the ambush originated. As his squad advanced to secure successive enemy positions, it received sustained small arms fire from a nearby building.

Enduring intense enemy fire and without regard for his own personal safety, Corporal Martinez launched a captured enemy rocket propelled grenade into the building temporarily silencing the enemy and allowing a wounded Marine to be evacuated and receive medical treatment. After receiving additional fire, he single-handedly assaulted the building and killed four enemy soldiers with a grenade and his rifle.

By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Corporal Martinez reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Wild Thing's comment........

Saying you support the troops but not their mission is like saying you support firefighters... but not putting out fires.

God bless our our troops, all of them and all their families as well.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (14)

October 01, 2007

Marines Martial Arts Program

Marines from Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, grapple against each other.

The Marine hits the ground, stares at the hot sun, and waits for a moment before sitting up. The instructor calls out, “Alright, your turn! Execute a hip throw!” With a devilish smile, the Marine thinks payback

Groans and occasional smiles flourished as approximately 20 Marines and sailors from Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, honed their martial arts skills and warrior ethos during a Marine Corps, Martial Arts Program

The course trained the leathernecks to qualify for their green belt, the third belt in the Corps’ five-belt martial arts system.

Staff Sgt. Ronald Sampson, a Combined Anti-Armor Platoon section leader with Weapons Co., who led the course, explained that their goal was to have the company qualify for green belt before the Dec. 31, 2008 deadline set by the Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James T. Conway.

However, Marines and sailors of Weapons Co. view the training as something more important than meeting a deadline.

"It builds the fighting spirit," said Cpl. John Cunningham, a machine gunner with Weapons Co. "It gets everyone in a combat mindset."

The seven-week course combines existing and new hand-to-hand and close combat techniques, with morale and team-building functions in what the Marine Corps calls the "Warrior Ethos.” Some of the techniques the war-fighters trained on were unarmed combat, edged weapons, weapons of opportunity and rifle and bayonet maneuvers.

As war-fighters who are accustomed to engaging the enemy with heavy firepower, the MCMAP training made for an addition to their typical training, explained Sampson. The students would participate in the course around their daily schedule.

"It's a fun way of doing (MCMAP), getting out there and sparing each other. Everyone wants to get out their and do it. As someone who has no background in martial arts, this is pretty interesting and a great learning experience,” said Cunningham, a native of El Segundo, Calif.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (9)

In Country With Our Troops ~ We Thank You

"I was with that which others did not want to be, I went to where others feared to go, and did what others failed to do. I asked nothing of those who gave nothing, and reluctantly accepted the thought of eternal loneliness that I feel. I have seen the face of terror, felt the stinging cold of fear, And enjoyed the sweet taste of a moments love. I have cried pain and hope, But most of all I have lived times others would say were best forgotten. At least some day I'll be able to say, That I was proud what I was, A Soldier." ~anonymous

Soldiers uncover weapons cache in orchard

By Spc. Ricardo Branch
3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

FALLUJAH

U.S. soldiers scoured the orchard of a small Iraqi village near here with the help of Iraqi Community Watch members.

Moving with weapons at the ready and armed with the latest bomb-finding materials, the soldiers of Troop B, 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi Community Watch personnel were looking for a weapons cache used by the enemy.

“We received information from a local that people were coming in here, removing weapons from a cache and then transporting them on the back of a truck,” said Army Spc. Josh Sones, a Troop B cavalry scout. “They obviously had more stuff still here, so we took a patrol here today to find out.”

The 21-year-old said that upon arriving in the area, the searchers began looking for signs that someone else was in the area looking to find the cache.

“This cache wasn’t hard to find,” Sones said. “It was between two fig trees in an apple orchard. Finding something like this makes you feel like you’re making a difference here because you get a real good sense of accomplishment from finding it.”

Although the cache was not a large one, the soldiers said they are pleased to confiscate anything used by insurgents.

“Every bit helps out here,” Sones said. “Without weapons and munitions, they can’t do anything to us besides [stage] peaceful protests.”

Uncovered from the weapons cache were items commonly used to build improvised explosive devices: gunpowder, fertilizer, copper wire spools, a timer, blasting cap initiators, batteries and a couple 120mm artillery rounds. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the cache in place.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)

September 27, 2007

First Deployed Navy Riverine Unit Since Vietnam War

HADITHAH DAM, Iraq– A sailor with Riverine Squadron 1, Riverine Group 1, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, in support of Regimental Combat Team 2, does an operational check on his night-vision goggles before setting off on a night patrol through Iraq’s waterways. As the first deployed Navy riverine unit since the Vietnam War, the squadron had the responsibility to not only accomplish the mission, but to also pave the way for future riverine forces.

Navy’s MIO joins Corps in ground combat operations

HADITHAH DAM, Iraq

For decades, Marines have protected and fought for the United States and her allies on the ground, utilizing stealth and skill to become known as one of the world’s most elite fighting forces. Now, the U.S. Navy is striving toward that goal in the Corps’ footsteps with their new riverine force.

The Navy officially stood up the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, responsible for fielding a new Riverine force in Iraq, Jan. 13, 2006, in Little Creek, Va. Sailors in the new command began training June 2006, in preparation for their upcoming deployment. Less than a year later, during March 2007, Riverine Squadron 1, Riverine Group 1, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, deployed to Iraq’s waterways in support of Regimental Combat Team 2, in Al Anbar Province.

The numerous islands, wadis (oases), inlets and coves throughout Iraq’s waterways posed a problem to the naval patrol unit, but they were prepared. The squadron has a Maritime Interdiction Operations Team attached to each of its three detachments as support for ground combat operations.

“Basically, our team covers anything within range of the boat’s crew-served weapons,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Garrick A. Bowles, the lead petty officer with the MIO team attached to Detachment 3. “Our purpose is to deny enemy access to the shoreline and islands, find and destroy caches, and search and sweep buildings near or on the coastline.”

“We’re proud to carry on the tradition of riverine warfare. The last time the Navy had this type of specialized unit, other than the Seals, was during Vietnam, but we’re hoping it sticks around for a while this time,” said Bowles, a Virginia Beach, Va., native.

A Riverine Patrol Boat with Riverine Squadron 1, Riverine Group 1, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, in support of Regimental Combat Team 2, powers down the Euphrates River as the sun goes down. As the first deployed Navy riverine unit since the Vietnam War, the squadron had the responsibility to not only accomplish the mission, but to also pave the way for future riverine forces.

When the riverines began operations along the Euphrates River, their huge level of success was a surprise even for those within the unit.

“Those guys found so much stuff it was incredible,” said Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Bennett, a boat captain with the detachment. “They got a lot of weapons, huge caches with anti-aircraft guns, arty shells and a lot of dangerous stuff.”

“This is going to sound unbelievable,” explained Bowles, “but we probably destroyed over a ton of weapons and ordinance, literally a ton. We searched over 150 clicks (about 94 miles) of islands and shoreline, all the way from the (Hadithah) dam to the Syrian border.”

As the first deployed Navy riverine unit since the Vietnam War, the squadron had the responsibility to not only accomplish the mission, but to also pave the way for future riverine forces.

“Although we got rid of weapons and did the usual ground combat thing, we also created (standard operating procedures) to help the guys who come along after we leave,” said Bowles, who is serving on his fifth deployment.

Wild Thing's comment........

This is great and it is making another differnce for all our troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (5)

A Hero and His Bride

The US marine Ty Ziegel suffered horrific burns in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq. After months in hospital, he was eventually able to return home — and marry his childhood sweetheart.

When Marine Sergeant Ty Ziegel woke up from his coma, he was still in a fog of drugs. He knew his fiancée, Renee, was there and sensed her love for him. She had been playing with his feet because there was so little of him she could touch. He was told of his injuries but was so out of it, he thought: “Whatever.”

As the scale of his injuries sank in, his heart tightened. One arm was a stump and his remaining hand had only two fingers. Later, his big toe was grafted on in place of a thumb. One eye was blind and milky, as if melted, and his ears had been burnt away. The top of his skull had been removed and inserted by doctors into the fatty tissue inside his torso to keep it viable and moist for future use. He was a mess.

Renee received the news that he had been blown up from his mother and father, who asked her to come over. They didn’t dare tell her until she reached their house. The next morning, on Christmas Eve, they flew together to the Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas and set up a vigil at his bedside.

“He was a strange charcoal colour, but Ty still looked like himself,” says his mother, Becky. By the time his burnt flesh had been removed, he didn’t.

“I don’t remember saying it to Renee, but I’d have understood if she’d said, ‘Yeah, I’m out of here,’” Ty says.

He had seen other badly wounded soldiers and marines get dumped by their girlfriends in hospital. Sometimes they would be cruel to their girlfriends and chuck them pre-emptively to spare themselves hurt. But quietly and with little fuss, Ty, 24, and Renee, 21, resolved to stick it out.

They were married in October, in their home town of Metamora, Illinois, a small farming community in the Midwest. Friends, family and Marines were present: it was as if the whole town had turned out. The wedding was planned to the last exquisite detail by Renee and her mother, Donna, who spoke regularly on the phone because Ty was still undergoing operations in Texas.

“I did the male part of the wedding planning,” says Ty. “They’d ask me questions, but I always gave the wrong answer, so eventually they stopped asking me about it.”

Renee felt sick with nerves before going up the aisle, but she had no second thoughts. She looked radiant in a white dress. “You’re beautiful,” Ty told her. He wore his combat medals and a Purple Heart for being wounded in action.

Donna had been shocked when she found out the extent of Ty’s injuries, but she told her daughter she simply had to “follow her heart, and that we’d make it work, if she wanted it”. Today she is convinced that they will never part.

Ty was on his second tour of duty in Iraq and had been patrolling the streets in a truck with six marines around al-Qaim, an entry point for foreign fighters on the Syrian border. He had been there for five months, and the mission had become routine.

“Mostly we just rode around and came back. The atmosphere was not particularly menacing. They weren’t shooting guns at us any more.”

Suddenly a suicide bomber blew himself up by his truck. “It felt like somebody just blasted me in the face really hard,” Ty recalls. “I was rolling around on the bed of a truck, yelling the whole time I was conscious. The guy next to me kept putting me out – I guess I kept relighting.”

He was put in a helicopter and his clothes were cut off.

“I kept saying I was cold, and they put a poncho liner on me.” He continued to shiver under the flimsy covering.

“I remember saying, ‘Oh, thanks, a poncho liner!’ before passing out.” Ty had taken the full force of the blast. The marines travelling with him mostly escaped injury, though one had to have a foot amputated when it failed to heal.

Ty’s sense of humour kept his spirits up through the long months of recovery. His deadpan wit was one of the reasons Renee had fallen for him. She was just 15 when Ty, an athletic, handsome 18-year-old, began working as a mechanic at her dad’s garage.

They were barely more than children then, and kept their relationship a secret from Renee’s family. It was more of a flirtation. They would mess around at the garage, both in their greasy overalls and T-shirts. It changed when Ty, a reservist, invited Renee to the Marine Corps ball in nearby Peoria. He looked dashing in his dress uniform; she stepped out of a green pick-up truck in a beautiful long, red gown.

“He wouldn’t let me leave his side,” Renee remembers. “I never said, ‘Do you want to go out with me?’” Ty chips in, “but it was clear I wasn’t going to be hanging out with any other girls.”

When Ty was sent to Iraq for the first time, they had just started dating. Renee avoided watching the news and carried on with life as a schoolgirl, while Ty experienced the excitement of the Iraq invasion, storming through the desert to Baghdad. It was thrilling to be part of such a successful operation.

Three weeks after Ty returned home from his first tour, Renee’s father died in a freak quad-bike accident. She was devastated. “I made Ty stay with me, whether he wanted to or not,” she says. “I was sure he’d get sick of me.”

On her 18th birthday, Ty arranged for a single rose to be sent to Renee every hour for four hours. The first note said: “Happy birthday.” The second: “I love you.” The third: “Renee Nicole Kline, will you…” By then, she guessed what was coming. The last words were: “marry me”. And then he walked in with more roses. “They are hopeless romantics,” says Becky, who tended her son with Renee and grew to know her future daughter-in-law inside out.

Becky recalled that on Valentine’s Day in hospital in 2005, Ty was so wounded he could hardly speak. She and Renee taped a pen to the splint on his hand and he wrote as best he could on a dry erase board: “Ty and Renee”.

“Well, we think it said ‘Ty and Renee’,” Becky laughs. “Then doctors removed his ‘trake’ – the tracheostomy tube in his neck that had been feeding him when his lips were too burnt – and he said, ‘Renee, will you be my valentine?’ I cried.” His next words were: “Do you want to make out?” Months passed before they could, but at that moment she knew that he hadn’t really changed.

Renee had feared that while Ty was in a coma, he would emerge brain-damaged. In addition to his burns, shrapnel had entered his brain.

“The only thing that might have changed my mind or made me leave him was if the brain injury had made him into some sort of psycho.”

Ty gets headaches sometimes, but he just takes an aspirin and gets on with it. In hospital he saw soldiers and marines with fewer injuries than him behave more self-pityingly. “Anger has a lot to do with the person,” he says. “I’ve seen guys who had no complaints, really, act pretty pissed off.”

Ty has a plastic skull now, and the old one is still stuck in his insides. He taps the side of his waist, where there is a slight bulge. The lump of bone will be removed one day but he is in no hurry to undergo another operation. There will be plenty of those ahead: he hopes the sight in his blind eye can be restored, though he doubts he is going to rebuild his nose – it involves too many awkward skin grafts.

In Metamora, people know him well enough not to stare a lot, but he gets plenty of looks elsewhere. Mostly he shrugs it off. “I give people the benefit of the doubt. If you were me, I might look at you.” If they are particularly rude, he will turn and say: “So what were you going to ask me?”

On the plus side, Ty claims: “I can be a lot more of an ass and get away with it.” It is also a long time since he has bought dinner. “I tried to take Renee out on her birthday and somebody paid for it. People know you are in the military and they want to thank you.”

He did not join the marines to get thanks and he does not feel strongly about the war one way or the other.

“I’m not political and I don’t complain.” His younger brother is also in the marines and may be deployed in Iraq. Sometimes it bothers Ty, but they both signed up, so that’s that, he says stoically. At one stage he hoped to remain in the marines, but when he thought seriously about it for 10 minutes, he decided to quit. He is living on his pension now while Renee works part-time in a bar. In the spring, he hopes to build a house on a plot of land near his family: “When that’s done, it will be the last house I’ll live in.”

Renee and Ty are thinking about having children soon. “We want to be young, cool parents,” says Rene.

Wild Thing's comment.........

I was born in Peoria, Illinois, and grew up there till I moved to Dallas, Texas. I still have a few distant relatives that live in Peoria. Metamora is just across the Illinois river. It is a very small town and surrounded by a lot of farms. I used to go to Metamora and spend some of my summer weeks of vacation at a farm my sister lived on that my Dad owned. From visiting there and meeting people at the local stores and coffee shop everyone knew someone else that knew someone is the best way to describe the town of Metamora. If you know Joe then Joe knew someone else that you knew...like that.

I am sharing about all of that because even though I have been away from this area for so many years, since my parents passed away, I remember a family in Metamora with the last name of Ziegel. They would never remember me I am sure, but the last name is familar.

Either way the important thing is that this man is a Hero and we here at TW want to thank Ty Ziegel and wish him and his bride all the best in their future as one.

The awesome wedding photos were done by Nina Berman. There are more photos at her site of the couple.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (8)

September 26, 2007

Hostages Saved By The SBS

By strength and by guile ... crack SBS troops like ones who carried out rescue

Hostages saved by the SBS
The Sun .co.uk

Crack Special Boat Service commandos snatched two Italian hostages from the Taliban yesterday in a dramatic helicopter shoot-out.

Elite Navy unit troops in choppers chased an insurgent gang fleeing across the remote Western desert in the Afghan badlands, trading bullets as they flew.

All nine rebels were killed after airborne snipers shot out the engines of their two vehicles.

A second Special Boat Service team dropped on the ground to help out.

The Sun has been given an exclusive account of the daring rescue — dubbed “a classic, textbook counter- terrorism operation”.

Politicians in Rome heaped glowing tributes on the Poole-based special forces for their heroics last night.

The 48-hour-long mission to recover the two soldiers — believed to be military intelligence officers — was launched on Saturday as soon as they were snatched alongside their Afghan interpreter.

It is thought they were betrayed by their local driver, who delivered the three-man team to a Taliban ambush near the town of Shindand, in the Iran border province of Herat.

Coalition spy chiefs used electronic intercepts to trace the captives to a remote compound in next-door Farah province.

The base was swiftly staked out by Italian special forces who parachuted into the area at night to avoid detection.

At dawn yesterday, the SBS team waiting with four Lynx helicopters was scrambled when the hostages were seen being driven out of the compound in two 4x4 jeeps.

The four Lynxs — top speed 210mph — carried a total of 20 commandos and swiftly caught up with the convoy.

They began to “buzz” the jeeps with low passes to force them to stop — but the gunmen refused, and opened up on the Lynxs with AK47s and machine gun fire.

Immediately returning rounds, two SBS snipers — armed with jumbo .5inch calibre rifles — then disabled the two speeding vehicles with pinpoint shots through their engine blocks. The marksmen moved on to take out the fighters individually as they ran to cover from the death-trap vehicles.

At the same time, two choppers landed nearby and dropped off 16 commandos who finished off the remaining members of the gang.

A medivac helicopter hovering high above the Lynx choppers then landed seconds later to evacuate the two Italians and interpreter, who had gone missing two days earlier.

They were all wounded — either in the original firefight when they were snatched or during the shootout.

One Italian soldier was critically ill in hospital last night suffering from a head wound. An Italian diplomat in Kabul said it was not clear who the abductors were.

Taliban insurgents, who have been behind a series of abductions, said they had not kidnapped the Italians.

But the militants are on the run and do not have regular contacts with their comrades.

NATO spokesman in Kabul Major Charles Anthony said the alliance had evidence showing the kidnappers were Taliban.

He added: “This successful operation is evidence of the International Security Assistance Force’s resolve to deal with acts of terrorism in Afghanistan. It was a very well executed rescue mission.”

As word of the extraordinary success spread in Rome last night, Italian senator Alfredo Mantovano added: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the British troops who made a decisive contribution to the rescue of the two Italians.”

Italian PM Romano Prodi said the rescue represented “a bad defeat for the kidnappers and also a warning for the future. We never had a moment of uncertainty”.

The kidnap of Westerners in Afghanistan is a tactic used more and more by the Taliban. Western Afghan police chief Ali Khan Husseinzada said: “According to our intelligence information Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Hamid had taken the Italians.”

There was uproar a year ago when the Rome government allegedly paid a £1million ransom to free an Italian journalist snatched in Helmand province.

Like Army sister-service the SAS, the SBS practice for months until their hostage rescue drills are perfect.

The daring rescue follows a series of successes by the SBS in Afghanistan. Top of the list of fatal blows against the fanatical fighters was the assassination of the Taliban’s notorious military chief Mullah Dadullah in May after months of painstaking surveillance.

Their heroics have come at a price. In July, L/Cpl Michael Jones, 26, was killed and three comrades wounded in a raid to take out a senior Taliban leader in remote Nimruz province.

While the SAS largely carry out special forces’ operations in Iraq, the SBS — motto, By Strength and Guile — have been given Afghanistan as their exclusive territory.

One of its four sabre squadrons of 80 men is permanently based there, operating across the south. The 7,700 regular British troops there concentrate on opium-swamped Helmand. Last night it emerged the rescue had been carried out by C squadron. Most of the unit’s men were ex-Royal Marines.

In line with normal policy, the MoD refused to discuss the operation to protect the troops’ identities and tactics.

Wild Thing's comment........

Congratulations to the SBS for their mission accompolished and prayers for those that paid a high price in this mission. Thank you to all our troops and to those fighting in this war along with us.

To those in Italy that read this blog, please know how much it means to we Americans to have allies in this fight for what has to be done to make this world a safe place.

....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (11)

September 21, 2007

From Britain New Armored Truck

September 19, 2007:

Britain is equipping its commando and infantry units with a new armored truck, the four ton Supacat MWMIK 4x4. It is armored on the bottom to give protection from mines, but is largely open up top.

The vehicle mounts 12.7mm and 7.62mm machine-guns, as well as a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. The Supacat chassis has been around for a while, and comes in 6x6 versions as well. It has excellent cross country capabilities. Top speed of the MWMIK is 80 kilometers an hour, and the vehicle normally carries four people.

The initial buy, mainly for the SAS commandos, was 130, but more are planned.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (10)

September 16, 2007

60th Anniversary Celebration Of Air Force

Tech. Sgt. Kirby Pyka and Senior Master Sgt. Elma Taylor raise the Air Force flag during a ceremony as part of the service's 60th Anniversary celebration Sept. 14 at Camp Eggers in Kabul.

CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- Coalition servicemembers and Airmen assigned to the Combine Security Transition Command-Afghanistan gathered to pay tribute to six decades of air and space power by celebrating the Air Force's 60th anniversary Sept. 14 here.

The celebration, titled "Heritage to Horizons: Commemorating 60 years of Global and Space Power," began with the raising of the Air Force flag. The event included a moment of silence in observance of POW/MIA Day, a cake-cutting ceremony and a video presentation highlighting the service's history, contributions and sacrifices made by the men and women of the Air Force, past and present.

Army Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, CSTC-A commanding general, who served as guest speaker for opening ceremonies of the celebration, said the Air Force's commitment to core values -- integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do -- "is inspiring."

"Together with the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard forces, the United States Air Force is the best in the world," General Cone said. "Although the Air Force is the youngest of the four services, it's achieved so much in such a short time due to its ability to travel and cross boundaries at the speed of sound and, in my opinion, was naturally postured to captured the new technologies of the 'new age' which increased its lethality, capabilities and relevancy."

"Thank you for your service to the armed forces of the United States, your service to Operation Enduring Freedom, and your commitment to carry your full share of responsibility for the United States."

Chuck Norris visits deployed Airmen Chuck Norris poses with security forces Airmen from the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia. The "Walker, Texas Ranger" star, who served as an Air Force security forces Airman before becoming an actor, is visiting deployed servicemembers. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Tia Schroeder)

Wild Thing's comment........

God bless our US Air Force and a big thank you to everyone of you for all you do.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (9)

Chief Machinist’s Mate Ervin Mateer, 85, Retires

070908-N-8148P-385 SAN DIEGO (Sept. 8, 2007) - Chief Machinist’s Mate Ervin Mateer, 85, of Riverside, Calif., passes through the sideboys during his retirement ceremony on board Navy Operational Support Center San Diego. Mateer entered the Navy on April 17, 1942, in Los Angeles and served his country for 65 years. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Margaret A. Peng (RELEASED)

Chief Machinist’s Mate Ervin Mateer, 85, of Riverside, Calif., escorts his twin brother through the sideboys during his retirement ceremony on board Navy Operational Support Center San Diego. Mateer entered the Navy on April 17, 1942, in Los Angeles and served his country for 65 years. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Margaret A. Peng (RELEASED)

Wild Thing's comment........

Way to go CMM Ervin Mateer! Woo Hoo! I would love to know more of his story, but this is all I could find.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)

September 15, 2007

To Democrats - STOP Playing Politics With Our Troops!

09/10/2007 - Strong Man - Sgt. Lester Peterson with 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, Task Force Military Police, reaches deep down inside for everything he has to hold two ATVs during the Hercules Hold event of the Al Asad (Iraq) Strongman Competition, Aug. 12, 2007. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Anthony Guas

Persian Gulf - USS Enterprise turns downwind after launching Carrier Air Wing 1 aircraft in support of the global war on terrorism in the Persian Gulf, Sept. 9, 2007. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Cassidy Norman

JOINT OPERATION - U.S. Army soldiers from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and Iraqi army soldiers conduct an operation in Iraq, Sept. 7, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (8)

September 11, 2007

A Note To Our Politicians

....Thank you so much John 5 (VN 69-70) this is so good.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (4)

September 09, 2007

Paratroopers Take Fight to Taliban

Maj. Christopher Milstead, attached to Task Force Bayonet, watches as a 500-pound bomb lands on a Taliban position after a small firefight during Operation Destined Strike in Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan

Paratroopers Take Fight to Taliban BY Sgt. Brandon Aird, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team

American Forces Press Service, Sept. 5, 2007) - The tense paratroopers and Afghan National Army soldiers sat in silence surrounded by darkness.

The previous hours were spent huddled together rehearsing the mission, "Destined Strike," which was to be an air-assault into the Taliban's backyard.

The whoop, whoop, whoop sound of the CH-47 "Chinook" helicopter's rotary wings reverberated in the Soldiers' ears drowning out all chance of another sound. Some of the Soldiers said last minute prayers while others day dreamed of loved ones back home. Squad leaders made last minute checks in the dark.

When the Chinook landed all thoughts came to the task at hand. The Soldiers jumped off the noisy helicopter onto a quiet, moon-lit mountain above the Chowkay Valley in Kunar province. The mountain is over 7,000 feet above sea level.

The Taliban's biggest advantage in past firefights has been their ability to dominate the high ground, but not this time.

Soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team's 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment and elements of the Afghan National Army's 2nd Kandak, 201st Corps, conducted Operation Destined Strike Aug. 21-25. The U.S. Soldiers were members of the 2nd platoons of the 2nd Battalion's A, C and D companies.

"We came here to show the local populace that coalition forces aren't afraid to come into the Chowkay Valley," said 1st Lt. Kareem F. Hernandez, Company A, 2nd Platoon leader.

After the initial insertion, the Soldiers pulled security and waited for daybreak. During the night, they searched with night vision devices for 15 individuals spotted earlier near their position by an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Once dawn broke, the U.S. and Afghan Soldiers put their gear-laden rucksacks on, and broke trail down the mountain to the first farming village. The village and fields were hand cut out of the mountainside.

1st Lt. Hernandez said he was surprised at the reaction he received from the first villager he encountered.

"It was the first time in this country I had someone admit he knew who the Taliban were. He showed me where they had been coming through to attack us," 1st Lt. Hernandez said. "I've never had that happen before. They always act like they have no clue what I'm talking about."

1st Lt. Hernandez learned the Taliban in the area were from the Korengal Valley. The trip from the Korengal Valley to the Chowkay Valley takes the insurgents two to three hours, according the local villager.

As Company A's 2nd Platoon continued to the next village, rain started falling, along with bolts of lightning. During the ensuing storm, Taliban fighters attacked Company A's landing zone, which was now occupied by the company commander and an overwatch element.

"They took small arms-fire and two RPG's from the northwest," 1st Lt. Hernandez said.

In response, Soldiers fired small arms, 120mm mortars and 155mm artillery at the Taliban positions. The Soldiers called in for air support, and fighter jets dropped four 500-pound bombs on enemy positions, ending any plans the Taliban had to move the Soldiers from their position.

After the short firefight, 1st Lt. Hernandez's platoon and C Company's 2nd Platoon spent the next few days moving to their extraction point for pick up by a helicopter.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (4)

September 05, 2007

Excerpt From Ghosts of Anbar

Excerpt From Ghosts of Anbar, Part III of IV A Model for Success ~~ The Persuasive Power of Character
written and presented by Michael Yon

This footage shows SSGT Rakene Lee, USMC, as he clears a culvert under a road that is in the area where an IED has reportedly been planted. It was taken by writer/photographer Michael Yon, while embedded with US Marines in Anbar Province. It is included in the 4-part "Ghosts of Anbar" dispatch and is best viewed within that context.
Read the full article here

From Michael's reporting:

Back in 2005, many Iraqi Soldiers and Police preferred to hide their identities.Today it seems that most Iraqi Soldiers and Police want their photos taken. Their confidence is growing and their attitude toward the terrorists is increasingly one of being more the hunter than the hunted.
Now I started to understand why the Army officers had been telling me the Marines are more advanced in counterinsurgency.

Normal Marines have morphed into doing vintage Special Forces work. Many of our Army units are excellent at this work, but the Marines, at least these particular Marines, did seem to have an edge for it.

They were even studying Arabic in their filthy little compound. Lightweight study, but they were showing the Iraqis they were making the effort. The Iraqis appreciated it. I have yet to see an Army unit undertake such a clear effort to learn Arabic.

The Marines there live in disgusting conditions. They have two toilets. One is a tube. For more serious business, there are the small plastic baggies called WAG bags. Do your business, seal it up and put it into a garbage can. They don’t complain.

Iraqi Soldiers and Police constantly emulate Marines and Soldiers. When he got back from missions, SSG Lee would work out. The Iraqis would watch and start doing their own exercises. This form of mentoring happens naturally because Lee is just being Lee, and the young Iraqis see it and want to be it.

It’s a cultural touchstone. A man like SSG Rakene Lee is not someone they would overlook. Physically, the man is amazingly strong. But what is most amazing is the strength of his moral fiber. Whatever the man talked, he walked. After all of al Qaeda’s false promises, the people here have learned a hard lesson about the true value of character.

U.S. forces start with a built-in challenge because of their reputation for accomplishment, what some call the “man on the moon syndrome.” This refers to the expressed disbelief that a nation able to put a man on the moon cannot quickly restore basic services. U.S. agencies trying to fan enthusiasm for their efforts should avoid making unrealistic promises.

In some cultures, failure to deliver promised results is automatically interpreted as deliberate deception, rather than good intentions gone awry. In other cultures, exorbitant promises are normal and people do not expect them to be kept. Effective counterinsurgents understand local norms; they use locally tailored approaches to control expectations.

Managing expectations also involves demonstrating economic and political progress to show the populace how life is improving. Increasing the number of people who feel they have a stake in the success of the state and its government is a key to successful COIN operations. In the end, victory comes, in large measure, by convincing the populace that their life will be better under the HN government than under an insurgent regime.

Over the next several days, I saw how much the Iraqis respected Rakene Lee and the other Marines who were all courageous, tactically competent, measured, and collectively and constantly telling even the Iraqis to go easy on the Iraqis.

Over days of operations, I found Lieutenant Hamid to be courageous, intelligent, and with natural leadership abilities. Hamid asked me to publish his photo. He said he wants al Qaeda to come to Sadr City and look for him.

One night, after a long day out in the sun, when we were all were exhausted, I sat talking with Hamid. He told me how he’d lost his girlfriend of two years.

She’d been studying banking in Baghdad, and when Hamid told her of his intentions to join the Iraqi Army, she replied that not only would she not marry him, but that she would break up. He said it was a very tough decision. Hamid’s father had been a soldier in Saddam’s Army, as had other relatives including uncles, some of whom died fighting.

When he told his girlfriend that he must go to the Iraqi Army, she left him. He told me, with remarkable sadness, “Women are crazy.”

Hamid said that he was so sick for two weeks he could hardly eat, and finally he went to a hospital and a doctor gave him an IV. When Hamid returned to duty, he decided he would be a soldier for life and might not ever get married. And then he said it again, “women are crazy,” but this time we laughed.

The Marines and his own commanders think highly of Hamid.

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you Michael for bringing us this great progress on the ground .. one soldier .. one heart .. at a time. God bless our troops and keep them safe.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (2)

September 03, 2007

In Country With Our Troops

....Thank you to SSgt Steve, USMC for this awesome graphic you see at the top of this post.

Smoke bellows from an 81mm mortar tube while Marines with Mobile Assault Platoon 3, Weapons Company, Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, cover themselves for protection during a Fire Support Coordination Exercise here. Many Marines were new to forward scout observing and firing from a mortar tube. Photo by Cpl. Eric C. Schwartz.

Anatomy of TF 1/4's indirect firepower

By Cpl. Eric C. Schwartz
2nd Marine Division

CAMP AL QA’IM

The ground shook ferociously as the 81 millimeter mortar round ripped through it, propelling debris everywhere and destroying any living thing in its area of impact. Forward observers up on a hill viewed this destructive force through their binoculars, ready to call in air support.

Weapons Company, Company C, and Headquarters and Support Company, Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, proved their devastating capability of denying any offensive against Camp Al Qa’im during the Fire Support Coordination Exercise.

“It’s like the hand of God,” said Sgt. Randy L. Whitmore, a Reno, Nev., native, and forward observer field instructor with Headquarters and Support Company. “It reaches down from the heavens and brings death to the wicked.”

“Indirect fire is a combined team effort,” said Gunnery Sgt. J Boyle, an artillery operations chief with the battalion’s Mobile Assault Platoon 3, Weapons Company.

Unlike a rifle, considered an extension of a rifleman, indirect fire is a being combined of three parts.

“Forward observers are the eyes, fire-directional control is the brain, and the gun line is the brawn,” Boyle said.

As much as this mechanical life-taker destroys the enemy’s spirit and fighting force, it is also a savior to its allies.

“In battle, infantry units can use this long-range weapon to give them a bigger cushion, saving lives and keeping people out of harm’s way,” said Lance Cpl. Michael Walk, a fire-directional controller and Sierra Vista, Ariz., native, with MAP 3.

Marines who were new to calling-for-fire trained in the art of forward observation while communicating with fire-directional controllers near the gun line. The FO would use a compass to find the distance and direction for their chosen target, communicating this information to the FDC.

“This is these Marines’ first time calling for fire and they are making a good effort,” said Whitmore.

The FDC would input the direction and distance of the target into a specially designed notebook computer, which outputted data explaining air temperature, barometric pressure, air density and wind speed.

“All four of these affect the trajectory of the mortar,” Boyle said.

The computer can also find the accurate target location comparing the distance of the mortar’s location to the inputted information. This new system gives much more information to the FDC than the M16 plotting board, traditionally used by FDCs.

“You still want to check your grid with the M16 plotting board because the mortar ballistic computer is usually correct but it’s good to double-check your coordinates,” Walk said.

Mortarmen adjusted their M252 81mm mortar tubes to the FDC’s new coordinates. One Marine dropped the 81mm mortar round down the tube, crouching down below the explosive noise while another Marine simultaneously braced the bottom of the tube for a more accurate impact.

”I was really nervous the first time I dropped the mortar down the mortar tube,” said Lance Cpl. Blake Gorecki, a Minneapolis Native, and machine gunner with MAP 3. “My hands were sweating and my heart was racing.”

This long-armed creature, in theory, should work perfectly, hitting the target on precisely the same spot each time; but it is still effective even when it doesn’t hit the target, as long as it impacts near the enemy. The thunderous noise smashes easily through the sound of rifles cracking, reminding the enemy how fragile their bodies really are; if they are still alive after impact.

A ground-based missile interceptor is lifted from its transport to be placed into its missile silo during a recent emplacement at the Missile Defense Complex at Fort Greely, Alaska. Eighteen interceptors are emplaced in two fields on the 800-acre complex.

Marines train Iraqis to keep judges safe
BAGHDAD
It’s not news to read that politicians, famous athletes and even entertainers have bodyguards protecting them from dangerous people, but in Iraq, judges need protection from the same people they sentence.

This is why the Al Qa’im court system has a new personal security detachment trained by Marines of Viking Red Section, Mobile Assault Platoon, Regimental Combat Team 2.

“Part of setting up Iraq’s infrastructure is creating a normal working society,” said U.S. Marine Cpl. Dustin Barlag, a Cincinnati, Ohio, native, and vehicle commander with MAP. “A normal working society protects its people by sentencing criminals in a court of law.

“As these judges are sentencing criminals, their lives get endangered more and more,” Barlag said. “If Iraq’s judicial system is to be fair, but stern, the judges need to feel safe from any reprisals. This is why there was a PSD created for the judges.”

The newly appointed PSD of Al Qa’im’s courts were eager to learn from the experienced Marines, who had been trained in personnel-protection techniques by a private security firm.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)

August 28, 2007

Lima Company 3/1 turns routine patrol into payday

Lima Company 3/1 turns routine patrol into payday

NEAR KARMAH, Iraq
August 25, 2007

Using the term “Motivating Marine Corps day” in the morning is usually an indicator of sarcastic optimism throughout the ranks. Generally speaking, “motivating” can mean tired, frustrated and dirty. Rarely is the term prophetic.

Today, however, what began as a standard counterinsurgency patrol in Al Anbar Province turned into a truly motivating day as Marines from Lima Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion 1st Marines uprooted several large weapons caches, Homemade Explosives (HME) and a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device factory.

Canvassing the remote desert region near Combat Outpost Chicago, Weapons Platoon Marines swept several routes and fields before a local citizen tipped them off and pointed them toward suspicious sites in the area.

Conducting a search based on this lead, Marines discovered numerous weapons, including a mortar tube, hundreds of automatic weapons rounds (of varying caliber and munitions type), a Simonov SKS rifle and American-made flares.

The citizen then escorted Marines to two buried containers, both filled to the brim with enemy “accelerants,” including a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launcher with several rounds and boosters, a 14.5mm anti-aircraft weapon with seven receivers, grenades, mortars, rifle magazines, primers and IED trigger mechanisms.

Continuing the search in close proximity to the buried containers, a house, identified as a car bomb factory, contained evidence of a massive HME-mixing operation, including tarps, several pair of rubber boots and a children’s swimming pool (used as a mixing vat).

Personnel from Combat Logistics Battalion 13’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal section destroyed the caches after site exploitation was complete.

Successful days like today are becoming surprisingly routine. As BLT 3/1 continues counterinsurgency operations here, willing locals are frequently offering up information on insurgent activity and weapons cache sites. The constant accomplishment is causing some Marines to make confident, early morning predictions of success.

“I woke up this morning, and I just knew it was going to be a ‘motivating Marine Corps day,’” said Lance Cpl. Randy Cantrall, a native of Peoria, Ariz. “And it was. It was beautiful.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)

How Marines Pulled Fallujah Out Of Hell

2nd Lt. Nick DeLonga, 1st Platoon, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines

How Marines Pulled Fallujah Out Of Hell

August 27, 2007
NY Post ....for complete article

FALLUJAH, Iraq

Fallujah and the Marines have some history. In 2004, one savage battle ended when the Marines were pulled out for political reasons. Later that year, they had to finish the job.

And they did. They took down the terrorists' stronghold in a week of fury.

With a fundamentalist tradition, Fallujah seemed to fit al Qaeda perfectly. Robbed of their Saddam-era privileges and out for revenge, even secular locals had aligned with the terrorists. Despite the Marine victory, violence simmered on.

The extremists and insurgents believed they could wear America down. But between 2004 and 2007, two things happened: We wore them down - and al Qaeda wore them out.

With foreign fanatics butchering the innocent and enforcing prison-yard "Islamic laws" that far exceeded the Koran's demands, it belatedly dawned on the insurgents that, while we intended to leave eventually - on our own terms - al Qaeda meant to stay.

A wave of suicide bombings earlier this year, culminating in a massive attack on a funeral procession, made the population snap. The people of Fallujah may never love us, but they hate al Qaeda with the rage of a betrayed lover.

Since May, the change has been stunning. When the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines were last in Fallujah, in 2006, they took casualties from snipers and roadside bombs. The city was violent, bankrupt and partly in ruins.

Now the battalion's back. And welcome. Marines banter with the locals where, six months ago, it was risky to ride in an armored vehicle.

Paradoxically, the violence of the past set the only possible conditions for the sudden reconciliation. The Iraqis had to grasp that we meant business. Now the 1st Platoon of the battalion's Fox Company lives and works in the Hadari Precinct with the Iraqi police.

The new police are recruited from vetted locals, and the policy has paid huge dividends. The locals know who doesn't fit, and they've got an immediate interest in their neighborhood's safety. Most encouragingly, the reformed police are popular.

Fallujah still isn't a place to buy retirement property, but it was encouraging to sit down with 1st Platoon's commander, 2nd Lt. Nick DeLonga, and his Iraqi counterpart, 1st Lt. Mohammed.

We went for a stroll in the streets. The Marines still wear full combat gear: Despite security measures, a sniper might still sneak into the city. But there was no threat from the locals in the market. The worst mood the Marines encountered was aloofness. More often, they were welcomed with a polite greeting.

People are relieved that their streets are safe again. And the kids are out in regiments, surrounding the Marines in hope of candy or just a bit of attention.

"Crash," is a Basra-born interpreter (a "terp") who, more than anything else in the world, wants to become a U.S. Marine. He lives and works with the Marines, studies their rituals, works out with them - and carries himself like a Marine. Crash also carries a weapon for self-defense - a right he earned after pulling wounded Marines to safety in combat.

"His" Marines are doing all they can to help him enlist.

And the locals are out in front of us in the fight against al Qaeda. Which is a big thing.

In a "swarm," identification cards are provided to all, beginning with the local movers and shakers. Volunteers are vetted to join the police or armed neighborhood-watch groups. And revitalization programs go into gear.

Capt. Mason Harlow, the Fox Company commander, was wounded by shrapnel two years ago. In Fallujah. Now he's back, overseeing the Hadari District and two others. His Marines haven't been attacked for months. And his former enemies are doing his work for him.

Capt. Harlow didn't think he'd live to see the day.

Wild Thing's comment........

The lefties must truly hate stories like this. In your face Dems, and God bless our Marines and also Army Task Force 2-2 Infantry and Task Force 2-7 that fought in Fallujah.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (2)

August 22, 2007

Revolutionary Guard Troops Killed By U.S. Forces In Iraq

Revolutionary Guard Troops Killed By U.S. Forces In Iraq

BAGHDAD, Aug. 16 (UPI) — Three gunmen killed by U.S. troops in Iraq this week were members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps, a U.S. military statement said in Baghdad.

The U.S. Army statement said that in several anti-insurgency attacks this week, a total of nine gunmen were killed. However, in one raid in northeastern Baghdad targeting a leader of the Iranian Guards’ foreign fighters known as Al-Quds, three of his aides were killed by U.S. forces, Kuwait’s KUNA news agency reported.

The unidentified leader was arrested on suspicion of supplying arms to Iraqi insurgents, the statement said.

Iran has repeatedly denied coalition allegations it provided training and weapons to Iraqi rebels. Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Defense said it was planning to designate the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist operation, which would disrupt the group’s considerable foreign business transactions.

In another security operation, the military statement said six terrorists were killed in northern Baghdad. The raid also netted machine gun rounds and components used to make explosive devices, the report said.

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you brave fighting soldiers of the red, white and blue. God Bless the United States Military!

72 X 3 = 216, that’s alot of virgins on standby. Since we had kidded they all look like Helen Thomas....

here she is waiting for them.
Sorry could not get a burka to sohw up this small wiithout looking like a Halloween outfit. heh heh

I get so tired of these units being referred to as “elite”. The best training offered by the Iranians is a joke compared to the standard training given to American Soldiers. Elite means Special Forces, Rangers, Seals, and units like the SAS.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (11)

August 20, 2007

In Country With Our Troops and Olivia

Olivia, a military working dog, sleeps beside her trainer inside a Stryker vehicle after a mission in Mosul, Iraq. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

BAGHDAD
American Forces Press Service

Iraqi and Coalition forces are pursuing extremist leaders in Iraq’s remote areas in coordinated “quick strikes” launched this week, the commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq told Pentagon reporters Saturday.

Operation Phantom Strike is a series of joint operations that extend from Operation Phantom Thunder, a corps-level offensive that began in June targeting al-Qaeda, Sunni insurgents and Shiia extremists in, near and around Baghdad, said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno.

“With the elimination of safe havens and support zones due to Phantom Thunder, al-Qaeda and Shiite extremists have been forced into ever-shrinking areas. It is my intent to pursue and disrupt their operations,” Odierno said.

Over the coming weeks, the general said, combined forces will conduct quick-strike raids against extremist sanctuaries and staging areas. Using precision-targeting operations, troops will target terrorist leaders and members of lethal improvised-explosive-device and car-bomb networks, he said.

“We will continue to hunt down the leadership, deny them safe haven, disrupt their supply lines and significantly reduce their capability to operate in Iraq,” Odierno added.

In the first 24 hours of one “quick-strike” raid, Multi-National Division-North Soldiers captured and killed several enemies and seized weapons caches in the Diyala River Valley. Called Operation Lightning Hammer, this operation targeted extremists as they tried to re-establish sanctuaries, the general said.

Odierno highlighted some successes of Operation Phantom Thunder, which launched June 15. In 142 battalion-level joint operations, Iraqi and Coalition forces detained 6,702 suspects, killed 1,196 enemies and wounded 419 others. Combined forces also killed or captured 382 high-value targets, he said.

Troops also cleared 1,113 weapons caches and scores of IEDs and car bombs. “The number of found and cleared IEDs, (car bombs) and caches are approximately 50 percent higher than the same period last year due, in large part, to effective tips provided by concerned Iraqi citizens,” the general added.

Odierno warned that high-profile attacks may rise as two important dates approach. In the early weeks of September, Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month, begins. U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq, is slated to present an anticipated report to Congress around the same time.

“Our enemy is ruthless and will no doubt attempt to exploit the upcoming Ramadan season, as well as influence political opinions in the coming weeks by increasing attacks with particular emphasis on high-profile terror attacks,” he said.

But extremists’ efforts are increasingly hampered by civilians who cooperate with coalition forces as troops ramp-up raids around the country, Odierno said.

“Al-Qaeda and other extremist elements will have to contend with an Iraqi population that no longer welcomes them,” he said, “as well as quick-hitting offensive operations by Coalition and Iraqi forces.”

MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq - Iraqi and Coalition troops found a suspected torture and execution house near Mahmudiyah, Iraq, and detained six local men Aug. 12.
Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., checked the house, which local sources said was used as a torture facility.

They found wire whips and a short-handled maul in the house, as well as two casings from AK-47 rounds.

Six local men were in the house across the street. When the troops went to speak with them, the house was found to contain Jaysh al-Mahdi, or Mahdi militia, DVDs, what appeared to be mounts for heavy machine guns and rocket adjustment equipment, as well as a 9mm pistol with two magazines and a collapsible police-style baton.

The Soldiers questioned the men, who denied any involvement with Jaysh al-Mahdi and said the house across the street was a local meeting place.

One of the men had a cell phone with text messages concerning the placement of heavy machine guns.

The men all tested positive for explosive residue on their hands. They were detained and taken to the Iraqi Army Compound in Mahmudiyah for further questioning.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (8)

August 13, 2007

The Haditha Test: Rules of Engagement 101

The Haditha Test: Rules of Engagement 101

Nat Helms is a Contributing Editor to Defend Our Marines. He served three tours in Vietnam and, most recently, is the author of My Men Are My Heroes: The Brad Kasal Story (Meredith Books, 2007)

You are in the lead armored HMMWV escorting a four-vehicle convoy along HWY 1. There is a flash behind you followed by a loud explosion as one of the NTVs [Non Tactical Vehicles] in the convoy disappears in a cloud of dust and smoke.

You see two males 200m [meters] away from you mount a motorcycle and speed away.

Three males in a roadside stand 100m up the road run into a nearby house, but you start taking small arms fire from a different house 150m west of your position. What do you do?

A. You should respond with deadly force to the hostile fire coming from the house, remain vigilant to the other possible threats in the area.

B. You should engage the fleeing men on the motorcycle first because they are beyond effective range if you wait.

C. Engage everywhere you see movement because there’s no telling who detonated the IED.

Another question:

The convoy you are in suffers an IED attack on the unpopulated outskirts of Ramadi. As you focus your attention on the location of the IED, you notice two individuals in civilian clothes and no weapons jump up out of fighting hole 40 meters away from where the IED exploded and run away from you. You quickly ascertain the individuals were within command-detonation range of the IED. Command detonation is a common method of detonation. What can you do?

A. Nothing because you don’t have enough information to know for certain that the fleeing men detonated the IED.

B. You can engage with deadly force, ONLY after you fire a warning shot first.

C. You may engage the individuals with the necessary force, including deadly force, to prevent their escape.

Stumped? The answers are:

1.) A. You should respond with deadly force to the hostile fire coming from the house, remain vigilant to the other possible threats in the area.

2.) C. You may engage the individuals with the necessary force, including deadly force, to prevent their escape, according to Bargewell Exhibits 002873 thru 002876.

Sound eerily similar to other reports you might have read about the incident at Haditha, Iraq? Not really!

The exhibits are attachments of training aids of Capt. Randy Stone. Stone was the SJA of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines’ at the time of the Haditha incident. He used them to teach 3/1 Marines the ROE in Iraq. They are found in Maj. Gen. Eldon A. Bargewell's once-secret 104-page report on his Haditha cover-up investigation leaked to the Washington Post last April. Bargewell found no specific cover-up, concluding instead that there was no interest at any level in the Marine Corps chain of command for investigating allegations of a massacre, the Post reported.

Little wonder. At the time Tim McGirk, Time magazine’s inventive reporter in Iraq, was sending emails to Stone’s superiors at 1st Marine Regiment that a berserk Marine had killed a car and a closet full of innocent Iraqi men in retaliation for killing his brother. Then his buddies lined up three households full of women and children and gunned them down execution style. McGirk later revealed he had obtained the information from two Iraqis that Marines already knew were insurgent counter intelligence operatives looking for someone to scam. McGirk didn’t and took the bait.

“Bargewell found that Huck's division staff viewed the allegations of inappropriate killings as part of insurgent 'information operations' and an attempt to make the Marines look bad,” the Post reported.

"No one recommended an investigation until a Time magazine reporter began asking questions about the attack in January 2006. Maj. Gen. Richard A. Huck, the division commander, dismissed the allegations as insurgent propaganda," according to the Washington Post report of April 27, 2007.

No kidding!

Bargewell exhibits 002873 thru 002876 were introduced as evidence during the Article 32 hearing of Stone 18 months later. He was subsequently accused of dereliction of duty for failing to adequately investigate the matter. Last Thursday Lt. Gen. J.N. Mattis – the convening authority for the investigation - dismissed all the charges against Stone and LCpl Justin L. Sharratt, a SAW gunner accused of murdering three brothers.

Ironically, Stone was a poster boy for President George W. Bush two years ago during a speech celebrating V-J Day.

“Captain Stone proudly wears the uniform just as his grandfathers did at Iwo Jima. He's guided by the same convictions they carried into battle. He shares the same willingness to serve a cause greater than himself. …,” Bush said in an August 30, 2005 speech at the Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California. Less than three months later Stone would become enmeshed in the Haditha tragedy.

Stone used the PowerPoint slides Bargewell obtained to teach the Rules of Engagement (ROE) to his fellow Marines preparing to engage in combat in Iraq. Labeled “Situation 12” and “Situation 13,” they were training aides aimed at giving Marines combat scenarios to consider. Every Marine is required to know the Rules of Engagement during deployment, he testified.

Seven months later Stone was at the center of massacre allegations leveled by McGirk when he emailed the 1st Marine Regiment brass his nonsensical allegations of murder and mayhem at Haditha. By then his allegation were more refined, less hysterical in tone, Marines who read them said.

Stone, like the rest of the Regiment’s officers, dismissed McGirk’s missives as the ranting of a confused person. They didn’t know they were doing so at their peril.

What do you do when a reporter from a nationally prominent news magazine makes inane, unsupported allegation of murder and mayhem?

A. Ask him what he has been smoking.

B. Rely on the truth to set you free.

C. Depend on the knowledge your superiors will put the matter to rest with cool reflection and an appropriate response.

D. All of the above.

E. None of the above.

Stumped again?

- Nathaniel Helms
Defend Our Marines

Wild Thing's comment........

An excellent piece by Nat Helms. In comparison to Tim McGirk, McGirk is not qualified to sharpen Nat’s pencils. Amazingly the Media and Murtha would have us believe that Marines almost always forget the lessons drilled into their head immediately after contact with the enemy.

That somehow the first loss of life or sign of blood is enough to send them on a sociopathic rampage. Just another example of how the Media and Murtha have sought to destroy the image of The Marine Corps in the public eye.

According to the prosecution, none of these answers would have been acceptable for question 1 in Haditha. They tried to claim the ROE’s did not allow a response until the Marines could verify a specific shooter, aiming at them, whites of their eyes type of nonsense.

I sent faxes to Murtha and called his office on Friday. I realize it probably won't make a difference but it made me feel better that I tired to let him know how I felt and what I thought he needed to do.

John Murtha’s Contact information:

Telephone:
800-289-2642 from Western PA
814-535-2642
202-225-2065

Snail Mail:
647 Main St, Suite 401
Johnstown, PA 15901

Fax:
814-539-6229 — District
202-225-5709 — Washington

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (2)

In Country With America's Heroes

Soldiers from the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, in Camp Taji, Iraq prepare for a chance to speak with bikers at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, S.D. via a live satellite feed Aug 6. From left to right: Pfc. Mario Morales, Pfc. Valentin Alvarado, Pfc. Thomas Gutierrez and Sgt. Chris Delacruz. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp

CAMP TAJI (Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp serves with 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs.)

Soldiers from the 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 1st Cavalry Division attended the Sturgis bike rally at Sturgis, S.D.

Well, not exactly.

But thanks to a live satellite feed and the ability to watch events at the rally via streaming video, the Ironhorse Soldiers had the next best thing to being at an extravaganza which draws more than a half a million motorcycle enthusiasts each year to the small burg of Sturgis—a town with a population of about 6,000 people.

The Aug. 6 live video feed allowed Soldiers the opportunity to see events happening in Sturgis. Through a satellite connection, bikers at the rally in Sturgis could see what the Soldiers were doing.

The event was sponsored by the Broken Spoke Saloon, which provided live entertainment for the troops in the form of a band along with motorcycle-themed events, which Soldiers on Camp Taji watched on a big screen.

The Soldiers who are bikers took the opportunity to give shout outs to fellow bikers in Sturgis as well as to send messages to their families.

The Ironhorse Brigade also provided some live entertainment to its troops in the form of a rock band that played for 30 minutes just prior to the events in Sturgis kicking off.

“This type of event brings peoples spirits up and their morale, giving us a little taste of home,” said Pfc. Valentin Alvarado, an infantryman, Headquarters Troop, 1st BCT, who hails from Roswell, N.M. “The fact that the folks in Sturgis took the time to set this up for us shows that they appreciate what we’re doing out here.”

“It feels nice to be a part of something like this. The only thing missing is some barbecue and it would feel exactly like home,” said Pfc. Thomas Gutierrez, also of Headquarters Troop and a Lockport, Ill., native.

Gutierrez and Alvarado, who although not motorcycle bikers, are part of a low-rider bicycle club on Camp Taji and they showed off their highly polished bikes via live video to the folks in Sturgis.

“We like to show off our bikes and we think it’s great for our bike club to be able to have the opportunity to participate in this,” said Gutierrez, who explained that the club takes great pride in its bikes in much the same way that motorcycle enthusiasts take pride in their machines.

“Being able to interact with folks (in Sturgis) makes us feel good, especially with us being out here in a combat zone,” said Sgt. Chris Delacruz of Company B, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, who is also a member of the low-rider club. “It helps to break up the monotony of working eight to 12 hours a day with no days off and allows us to relieve a lot of stress.”

Coalition Forces Kill An Estimated Three-to-Five Terrorists, Detain 13 Sunday, 12 August 2007

BAGHDAD, Iraq

Coalition Forces captured 13 suspected terrorists with ties to extremist militia Special Groups in a pre-dawn raid Sunday in Sadr City.

Coalition Forces conducted the raid to capture or kill highly-sought weapons facilitators with connections to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps – Quds Force in Iran. Those detained are suspected of facilitating the transport of weapons and personnel from Iran into Iraq. They are also believed to have facilitated the transport of deadly Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) from Iran into Iraq to be used against Coalition Forces.

As Coalition Forces were departing the area, they encountered and destroyed a light utility truck that posed a threat to the force. Coalition Forces attempted to signal the vehicle, however when the vehicle failed to respond, Coalition Forces fired on the vehicle with small arms fire.

During the raid, Coalition Forces confiscated a computer hard-drive, documents and photographs.

A Coalition air strike also engaged the same light utility truck, destroying the truck and killing an estimated three to five people in the truck believed to be terrorists.

“Coalition troops continue in their pursuit of unhelpful foreign influences here in Iraq," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I Spokesperson. “Those foreign influences are hindering the prospects of peace and stability in Iraq, and we will continue to dismantle their networks."

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM

August 11, 2007

Let's Visit Our Awesome Military

A flight medic assigned to the 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) stands by as a UH-60A Black Hawk shuts down on the flight line in Balad, Iraq, Aug. 6, 2007. The flight medic will standby until the aircraft is entirely shut down to ensure that the area around the Blackhawk is clear, and that the main and tail rotor are slowing down properly. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Maryalice Leone

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meets with five Navajo Code Talkers who served as U.S. Marines in World Warll, at the Pentagon, Aug. 10, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen

Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Charles Baldwin, Air Force chief of chaplains, helps distribute humanitarian aid packages to women and children, Aug. 7, 2007, at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Craig Seals

U.S. Army Spc. Bryan J. Lowney, a crew chief assigned to the 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) sits atop a UH-60A Black Hawk as he checks the main rotor blades while stopped at Al Taqqadum, Iraq, Aug 6, 2007. These checks are done to ensure that the UH-60A Black Hawks have not sustained any damages and that they are ready at any moment to take off. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Maryalice Leone

U.S. Army Spc. Megan M. McKinzie, a crew chief assigned to the 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) straps her helmet in preparation for a run up aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Aug. 6, 2007. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Maryalice Leone

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (2)

August 08, 2007

In Country ~ Hey Lefies Surge Is Working

Airmen Play Key Role In Developing Iraqi Police

Photo - Staff Sgt. Aaron Downing secures the area around a Humvee during "battle drills" performed before each mission at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq. Sergeant Downing performs duties on a Police Transition Team here, and the drills are designed to simulate any possible situation the team may encounter while conducting missions outside the wire. The PTT's goal is to help the Iraqis establish a functioning, independent police force. Sergeant Downing is assigned to the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Det 1. Photo Master Sgt. Steve Horton.

3 Aug 07
by Master Sgt. Steve Horton
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq (AFPN)

Airmen roll out of the gates from here in armored Humvees and drive dangerous roads into Tikrit and the surrounding areas five days a week to do their part in helping Iraq transition to a peaceful democracy.

For the Airmen assigned to the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Det. 6, arming up and putting on more than 50 pounds of body armor and equipment in 115-degree heat is part of their role as members of Iraqi Police Transition Teams.

As coalition forces and Iraqis fight the insurgency, Iraqi police stations are established in neighborhoods with police transition teams to help get the process started.

The 45-person detachment operates at the provincial and district levels of the Iraq police, while Army PTTs operate at the station level in the Salah ad Din province, an area that covers approximately 25,000 square kilometers and has more than one million citizens.

The mission of each PTT is to coach, mentor and assess the Iraqi police, said Maj. Erik Bruce, the Det. 6 commander. The provincial police level is roughly the equivalent of a state, the district level roughly a county, and the station level deals with each individual Iraqi police station, he said.

"The goal of each team is to help the Iraqis establish a functioning independent police force," Major Bruce said. "This is not something the Air Force has done before, but overall, we're having a positive impact on the (Iraqi police) and the security environment in Iraq as a whole."

The major works with his counterpart at the provincial police headquarters, a former two-star Iraqi general, now the provincial director of police, to help plan security operations, create policies regarding logistics, finance, communications, budget and personnel management for the province.

"He's effective as a leader. His Iraqi army experience gives him good operational background in command and control of forces and conduct of operations targeting insurgents and terrorists," Major Bruce said. "He knows how to hold people accountable. He knows how to lead people into action and how to run a staff, so I'm fortunate in that regard."

When some of the responsibilities of the teams include overseeing the accountability and distribution of 10,000 weapons and 1.4 million rounds of ammunition, as well as the monthly expenditures of the $61 million 2007 budget, it's important for the PTT members to establish an effective working relationship with Iraqi police leaders they deal with.

"The day-to-day interaction is the easy part," said Capt. Greg Bodenstein, the 732nd ESFS Det. 6, chief of the Tikrit District PTT. "It's just using people skills to figure out what motivates these people. It's good to see the development in thinking and how we've influenced them." , echoed the captain's comments.

"If you go into these situations fired-up and motivated, the Iraqis take that spark and make it a fire," said Master Sgt. Killjan Anderson, the 732nd ESFS Det. 6, assistant team chief for the provincial PTT. "I get excited about it.

"You're able to see the results of what you're doing when you spark something that helps them get going," Sergeant Anderson said. "You see the results right away. The rate of change is very fast and very rewarding. You can see how you make things better for people."

Through the almost daily engagements with the Iraqi police leadership, the transition teams have to constantly reassess their priorities based on many different factors.

"You take away a lot of respect for the Iraqis trying to make a difference," he said. "It takes incredible courage from these people to work at making things better despite the odds against them."

It's because of that courage that the Airmen of the 732nd ESFS Det. 6 will show their courage and continue to traverse the dangerous roads of Iraq to do their part in helping the Iraqi police grow into a functioning independent police force.

Tanker Truck Loaded with Explosives
AL-AZAEM, Iraq - Soldiers from the 3rd Iraqi Army Division stopped a tanker truck loaded with 5,000 pounds of explosives Aug. 6 following a shoot-out with unknown enemy forces in the Sinjar area near the Syrian border.

The 3IA Soldiers were conducting a cordon and search of the village of Al-Azaem when they were engaged by 12 enemy forces with small arms fire. The IA returned fire killing three and capturing the remaining nine.

In addition to the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, they also discovered a PKC machine gun with over 900 rounds and over 1,000 rounds of AK-47 and 9mm ammunition.

"This is a significant interdiction by the 3rd Iraqi Army Division," said Lt. Col. Michael Boden, deputy commanding officer, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. "The importance of stopping this VBIED, especially due to the size of it and amount of explosives contained within, before the terrorists had a chance to employ it against the citizens of Iraq, undoubtedly saved many lives."

The VBIED was reduced in place and the weapons and ammunition were consolidated by the IA forces. No IA forces were injured during the operation.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Elements of the 8th Iraqi Army Division, with U.S. Special Forces as advisors, detained a suspected insurgent recruiter and organizer for the rogue Jaysh al-Madhi militia operating in An Najaf during an intelligence driven operation in southern Iraq Aug. 4.

The alleged rogue JAM insurgent is suspected of using local charities as a front to screen and recruit individuals by offering them $500 to emplace IEDs.

He is also suspected of facilitating cross-border training, garnering financial support, and transporting equipment and weapons (to include Explosively-formed penetrators and improvised explosive devices) with Persian militant groups to be used against Iraqi and Coalition Forces. EFPs and IEDs are responsible for many Coalition Force deaths in the area.

He is suspected of supplying the IED that killed two Coalition Soldiers in Karbala and is linked to other deadly attacks in Diwaniyah, An Najaf and Karbala.

In a separate operation Aug. 5, Iraqi Special Operations Forces, with U.S. Special Forces acting as advisors, detained a suspected al-Qaeda emir in Radwaniyah.

The alleged Sunni extremist commander is believed responsible for conducting attacks against Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces southwest of Baghdad. Another suspected extremist was also detained. Both individuals are currently being held for questioning and further investigation.

No U.S. or Iraqi Forces were harmed in either operation.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (4)

Iraqi Citizen Leads U.S. Soldiers To Cache

Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., uncover a weapons cache that buried in the ground along Route Malibu near Rushdi Mullah, Iraq, Aug. 4. A concerned Iraqi citizen led the Soldiers to the cache. U.S. Army photo.

Pictured are weapons that were found in a cache along Route Malibu near Rushdi Mullah, Iraq, Aug. 4 which consisted of a ZSU-1 anti-aircraft weapon, 200 12.7mm heavy machine gun rounds and four 57mm rockets. A concerned Iraqi citizen led U.S. Soldiers to the cache. U.S. Army photo.

Concerned citizen leads U.S. Soldiers to cache

RUSHDI MULLAH

A concerned Iraqi citizen led Coalition troops to a weapons and ammunition cache along Route Malibu, near Rushdi Mullah.

Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum N.Y., followed the man to the cache site, where they uncovered weapons buried in the ground.

The cache consisted of a ZSU-1 anti-aircraft weapon, 200 12.7mm heavy machine gun rounds and four 57mm rockets.

An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the contents of the cache in a controlled detonation.

Wild Thing's comment........

I like this, to see the Iraqi's wanting to do the right thing. This may only be about one citizen in this story but it has been happening and don't you just know that Reid, Pelosi, Murtha etc. hate stories like this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (2)

August 05, 2007

Go Army! New Army Ad

US Army Commercial Targeting Video Gamers

I love the way the soldier taps on their TV screen. heh heh

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (5)

August 04, 2007

U.S.Coast Guard Established Today

U.S.Coast Guard Established today, August 4, 1790

Coast Guard Sikorsky HH-3F "Pelican" Helicopter attempts a daring rescue in high seas.

August 4 is celebrated as Coast Guard Day to honor the establishment on that day in 1790 of the Revenue Cutter Service, forebear of today's Coast Guard, by the Treasury Department. On that date, Congress, guided by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, authorized the building of a fleet of ten cutters, whose responsibility would be enforcement of the first tariff laws enacted by Congress under the Constitution.

The Coast Guard has been continuously at sea since its inception, although the name Coast Guard didn't come about until 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service was merged with the Lifesaving Service. The Lighthouse Service joined the Coast Guard in 1939, followed in 1946 by the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection.

On November 1, 1941, President Roosevelt signed an order transferring the Coast Guard from the Treasury Department to the Navy Department. A few weeks later the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and the Coast Guard's reserve system was put to the ultimate test. On the night of December 7, amid rumors of Japanese invasion, twenty Coast Guard Auxiliarists from the 13th District took their boats out of Seattle on the service's first wartime patrol cruise. In May, 1942 the Secretary of the Navy authorized uniforms for the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

During the Vietnam conflict several Coast Guard cutters were taken off their normal stations and sent to Southeast Asia. Auxiliarists put their boats to work on patrol duty.

The years 1992 and 1993 saw the Auxiliary's ingenuity and dedication tested by disasters precipitated by weather and international politics. Auxiliarists evacuated hundreds of people from the path of Hurricane Andrew, and from the scenes of devastating floods in the Midwest.

In 1994 a military coup in Haiti released another surge of immigrants heading for Florida. The Coast Guard and the Auxiliary mobilized in the largest search-and-rescue operation since the Second World War.

Coast Guard Day is primarily an internal activity for active duty Coast Guard personnel, civilian members, reservists, retirees, auxiliarists, and dependents, but it does have a significant share of interest outside the Service. Grand Haven, Michigan, also known as Coast Guard City, USA, annually sponsors the Coast Guard Festival around August 4. Typically it is the largest community celebration of a branch of the Armed Forces in the nation.

In addition to celebrating their own day every year, Coast Guard members also participate as equal partners in Armed Forces Day activities.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (11)

Fighting Words

A video honoring the contributions made by American soldiers to the safety and security of the world and advising the media darlings that their opinion is not honored any more than they honor the positive contributions of the American Soldier everywhere!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (5)

August 03, 2007

In Country Taking Out Insurgents

Insurgent Headquarters Discovered then Destroyed

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)

August 02, 2007

In Country With The Marines

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:48 AM

Cavalry Scout Putting Pork on Bullets

Cavalry Scout Putting Pork on Bullets

LOL I love it.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (12)

Marcus Luttrell Operation Redwing Seal Team

Marcus Luttrell Seal Team 10 Lone Survivor

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM

August 01, 2007

I love this ~ Insurgent is targetted after planting IED

Insurgent is targetted after planting IED

Some great quotes...........

"You don't hurt 'em if you don't hit 'em."
- Lieutenant-General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller

"Sometimes it is entirely appropriate to kill a fly with a sledge-hammer!"
MAJ. HOLDREDGE

"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his."
General George Patton, US Army

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (5)

In County With Our Troops ~Iraq Various Bases

Hero's Highway

Airmen and volunteers from the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group put up the American flag that hangs in the Air Force Theater Hospital's Hero's Highway at Balad Air Base, Iraq.

The Hero's Highway was moved from the tent hospital to the new facility July 21. Wounded servicemembers travel under this flag as they make their way from the helicopter pad to the hospital. The new facility, which opens Aug. 3, will have about 97,000 square feet featuring 20 intensive care units, 40 beds and up to eight operating tables. (U.S. Air Force photo/1st Lt. Shannon Collins)

1st Lt. Jamie Hovis, from the 82nd Airborne Division (right), donated a kidney to her sister, Jackie. Hovis will soon rejoin her unit in Iraq.

Soldiers send a 105 mm howitzer round downrange during a fire mission outside Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq.

General recognizes pilots for daring rescue mission

BAGHDAD — The top U.S. general in Iraq presented awards to four Apache pilots for their part in the July 2 rescue of two other pilots downed by enemy fire during ceremony Friday in the Victory Base Complex .

U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Forces-Iraq, honored the four pilots of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, and eight others who helped rescue the pilots.

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Allan Davison and Chief Warrant Officer Micah Johnson, both AH-64D Apache attack helicopter pilots for Company A, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Davison and Johnson landed their attack helicopter in a hostile area and evacuated the two downed OH-58 Kiowa helicopter pilots of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade.

Apaches only have two seats, so Johnson, the front seat pilot, let one of the Kiowa pilots take his seat in the Apache while he and the other Kiowa pilot strapped themselves to the outside of the aircraft and sat on the wings, said Johnson.

"It looked like they were both in pretty good shape, but one of them kind of looked like he had been through enough, like he was a little shocked, as I would be, too. I told him to get in front," he said.

Once the pilots were strapped in, Davison, the pilot in command, took off and headed to BaghdadInternational Airport where the pilots were dropped off.

While this was taking place, their Apache wingmen were circling above providing security.

Those two pilots, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Seung Choi and Chief Warrant Officer Troy Moseley, received Air Medals for their efforts.

Although happy at being awarded medals and recognized by the top commander in Iraq, the pilots said their greatest reward was finding the downed pilots alive.

"We've seen a lot of aircraft shoot-downs," Johnson said in an interview after the rescue. "Every one that we've all probably seen, it's resulted in burning aircraft and black smoke and usually catastrophic loss of life. If not loss of life, then there have been serious injuries. Just to see those two alive, it was amazing. It was great."

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (4)

July 29, 2007

Checking In With Our Troops ~ Thank you All

Soldiers of Company D, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., pose for a photo with a cache of weapons they unearthed after several local citizens near Patrol Base Inchon chased away anti-Iraqi forces from the cache and told U.S. forces about it. The cache was full of explosives. Courtesy photo.

Local residents lead Soldiers to huge weapons cache
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) PAO

PATROL BASE INCHON — The rural areas south of Baghdad have long been a trouble spot for Coalition Forces. The fertile land was given by Saddam Hussein to Baath Party members and close friends, and the ties made it a hotbed of terrorism.

Increasingly, however, residents are combating terror in their areas.

On July 23, a local Iraqi man came to Patrol Base Inchon, near the Euphrates River, staffed by Company D, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., and elements of the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division. He told troops that several other residents had chased a group of anti-Iraqi forces away from a weapons cache. He asked Soldiers to remove the weapons.

Several local residents guarded the cache and placed a fluorescent marking cloth to alert helicopters that they were not hostile.

Soldiers of Company D moved out to find the cache and were met on the road by some of the local residents, who guided them to the cache, which was next to a canal.

The cache contained 210 57mm rockets, 25 82mm rockets, eight 120mm mortars, a large rocket, and a bag of homemade explosives.

An explosive ordnance disposal team detonated the contents of the cache with a controlled explosion.

Although most rockets and mortars found in caches are not suitable for firing as intended, they are commonly used as improvised explosive devices.

“It’s a significant breakthrough in one of our most problematic areas,” said Maj. Kenny Mintz, 2nd BCT’s operations officer. “We have had a series of people turn in caches in the Qarghuli tribal area, which has historically been a source for supplies for IEDs and munitions for terrorist attacks.”

Mintz, a San Diego native, said he feels the change in residents’ behavior is due to a realization that al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations are not what they had bargained for.

MUQDADIYA, Iraq -- A group of Soldiers need to clear a tall, dark building, possibly housing terrorists in the city of Muqdadiya, just north of Baqouba, Iraq. The Soldiers have received reports of booby-traps in the area and are unsure if the building itself is a trap. What are they to do? This is where the Soldier’s four-legged friend, Nero, comes in.

Nero is a military working dog serving with Staff Sgt. Zeb Miller, his handler, at Forward Operating Base Normandy, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08. Nero’s job – search the building, its doorway and the surrounding area, making sure no explosives are around to harm the Soldiers trying to clear the building.

With Nero’s efforts, and the efforts of many other military working dogs serving in Iraq, Soldiers’ lives are being saved everyday.

Ultimate Fighting Champions (from left to right) Heath Herring, Jorge Rivera, Kenny Florian and Amber Nicole Miller, the Octagon Girl, greet and sign autographs for the maintenance crews of the C-130 Hercules July 24 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Kim Allain)

Aggressor at Red Flag Alaska Strike Eagle fully loaded - An F-15C Aggressor from the 65th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., flies over a mountain range on a refueling mission at Red Flag-Alaska July 25. Red Flag-Alaska enables aviation units to sharpen their combat skills by flying simulated combat sorties in a realistic threat environment. More than 80 aircraft and 1,500 servicemembers from six countries are participating in the exercise July 12 to 27. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Tana Stevenson)

Hundreds of mortar rounds were uncovered by troops from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment July 23 in Baghdad%u2019s Rashid District. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the munitions in place. (U.S. Army Photo)

Baghdad troops seized a large cache consisting of mortar tubes, munitions and significant amounts of homemade explosives in the southern portion of the Iraqi capital July 23.

Troops from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, discovered an 82mm mortar tube, along with 260 82mm mortar rounds, 11 120mm mortar rounds, 120 blocks of homemade explosives amounting to more than 31 lbs., and numerous components for explosively-formed penetrators and other improvised explosive devices in the eastern portion of the Rashid District, near the Tigris River.

“The discovery of today’s weapons cache will reduce sectarian indirect fire attacks on both sides of the Tigris River in southeast Baghdad,” said Maj. Robert Picht, the 4th IBCT’s fire support coordinator and a native of Bergenfield, N.J. “It also sends a strong signal to the insurgents that we will remain vigilant in our pursuits to identify and cut off their supply lines.”

An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the cache in place after troops cordoned off the area.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (3)

July 26, 2007

Marine Strong ~ This Would Make A Great Ad For The Marines

This would make an awesome commercials for the Marines. Just a thought, heh heh

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (8)

July 25, 2007

In Country With Our Troops ~ Iraq

US soldier is seen during a patrol in Baghdad.

The US military has said its troops have found Chinese-made missiles which they believe were smuggled into Iraq by groups in Iran in order to arm groups fighting US-led forces.
(AFP/Olivier Laban-Mattei)

Three insurgents killed emplacing roadside bomb

Camp Victory
4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div. Public Affairs
Multi-National Corps – Iraq

BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division – Baghdad troops opened fire on insurgents emplacing a roadside bomb, killing three and wounding at least one more July 21 during continuing clearing operations in the Rashid District.

Troops from Company B, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, witnessed five men out after curfew excavating a hole by the side of the road in a Doura neighborhood of southern Baghdad. The location was an area historically used by insurgents to employ deep-buried improvised explosive devices against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces.

When one of the men was positively identified with an AK-47 assault rifle and appeared to be pulling security for the other diggers, the troops requested permission to engage.

After investigating the area where the insurgents were digging, the troopers found three bodies, the assault rifle, a pistol, two shovels and an axe. They also identified blood trails leading south.

Under Iraqi law, citizens are permitted to keep one AK-47 and a full 30-round magazine in their homes for protection. Handguns or weapons heavier than an assault rifle are not allowed.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (3)

A Soldiers Life

The Reasons They’re All Fighting For
Our liberties and freedoms are a rich, daily blessing
And our hearts should be thankful to stay,
For this country we live in and those who serve us
In the military day-after-day.
Where would we be... not even free
If soldiers didn’t serve in their youth.
Because their willingness to defend us, possibly to death
Is for a nation which is founded on Truth.
So here lies a thank you which pales in comparison
To the gift that they give to us all.
Thank you, oh thank you, to those dressed in uniform
Who fight for the sake of the call.
Thank you is not enough to the families left behind
Who carry on without their loved ones there.
May God bless you richly with courage and grace
For those moments when life isn’t fair.
Thank you to the veterans, weathered and worn
Who served in wars we didn’t see.
Thank you for your service & all you endured
To prove that freedom isn't free.
Thank you to the soldiers who serve us right now
...pressing on through fatigue and through fear.

We pray for the presence of Christ to hover closely
And that you feel Him incredibly near.
May the gratitude we feel fuel your heart today
Whether peace time or a country at war.
God bless our military...may we pray in remembrance
Of the reasons they’re all fighting for.

© Sheila Gosney

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (4)

July 24, 2007

1st Cav Soldiers Sing Toby Keith's "Beer For My Horses"

1st Cav Soldiers Sing Toby Keith's "Beer For My Horses"

Wild Thing's comment.........

Love our troops! God bless them all and keep them safe.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (4)

July 23, 2007

Every Marine to be a Kung-Fu Fighter

Every Marine to be a Kung-Fu Fighter
Military.com

ARLINGTON, Va. - First the Marine Corps made Chuck Norris an honorary Marine. Now the Corps wants all Marines to follow in his footsteps.

All Marines must now qualify for their tan belt in the Corps' version of martial arts by the end of 2007, Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway said in a recent Corps-wide message.

The move mostly affects those who joined before 2001, when the service made the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program part of basic training and the Basic School, said 1st Lt. Brian P. Donnelly, a spokesman for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

The Corps originally hoped to have all Marines earn their tan belt by the end of fiscal 2003 and then have Marines attain higher belts by the end of fiscal 2004.

Now the higher belts are no longer goals but requirements for Marines, Donnelly said in an e-mail to Stars and Stripes.

"All infantrymen will be trained to green belt by the end of CY [calendar year] 2008," Conway said in the July 16 message. "All other combat arms Marines will be trained to gray belt by the end of CY 2008."

The changes apply to all Marines, including reservists, said retired Lt. Col. Joseph C Shusko, director of the Martial Arts Center of Excellence.

"A Marine is a Marine," he said.

The tan belt shows that Marines have mastered basic skills such as how to fall, move, throw punches, choke an opponent and counter someone coming at you, Shusko said.

The gray belt is the next step up and shows Marines have learned techniques such as lower-body strikes, chokes and how to get out of a headlock, he said.

The green belt is third in the series and shows Marines have learned skills such as how to rip muscle from bone, Shusko said

The martial-arts training also teaches Marines how to hone their mental skills as warriors, Shusko said. This involves learning about other cultures such as the Spartans, Zulus and Apaches.

Another component of the training is character development, which ties the physical skills Marine learn with what they do as good citizens, he said.

Conway praised the character development aspect of the martial-arts training in the message.

"It has, at its center, the Marine Corps ethos that includes our core values of honor, courage, and commitment, as well as the legacy of selfless and honorable services passed from one generation of Marines to the next," Conway said in the message.

The switch to mandatory martial arts training came after Training and Education Command recommended revamping the program as part of changes to Marine character training, Shusko said. Those changes include moving the climactic "Crucible" exercise — where Marines march about 40 miles over 54 hours with little food or sleep — to the end of basic training.

Wild Thing's comment........

OK I have to say this and if I am wrong that is ok, but something stinks about this.

I don’t see a big change of training here. But what I do see is an aggravating display of politically correct warring. Ordering a more detailed and extensive hand-to-hand combat training regimen means our young Marines have orders to dance more and more with enemy combatants instead of just killing them and moving on. Obviously winning points via a PC war is all that matters lately and is going to get a lot more of our boys killed.

Training is good. Having to play PC games with your enemy is bad, very bad.

Commandant Gen. James Conway is big on "rules of engagement" and "battlefield ethics". The guy is a political hack, and I can only wonder how many Marines will lose their lives because they hesitate for a split second to squeeze the trigger as they wonder if they will end up in court martial.

Again this is just my immediate reaction to this story. I am all for training to the max, to be ready for any situation that comes up. As long as it is not meant to put our soldiers in a PC fighting war.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (15)

July 22, 2007

Checking In With Our Troops

CHOPPER UPKEEP — U.S. Army Spc. Alan Palancle (left) and Pfc. Matthew Kearl make repairs to the infrared sensor of a Black Hawk helicopter nicknamed "Dr. Beatdown" in Balad, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Michele R. Hammonds

Fill 'er up - A KC-135 Stratotanker from Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., refuels an F-16 Fighting Falcon from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, over the Pacific Alaska Range Complex during Red Flag-Alaska July 16. Red Flag-Alaska is a multinational air combat training exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Jones)

13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, splash through the shallow water on the edge of Lake Thar Thar in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq prior to conducting cordon and search operations.(Official USMC photo by Corporal Kyle J. Keathley)

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:44 AM | Comments (4)

July 21, 2007

In Country With America's Finest

Tipsters lead to capture of south Baghdad’s most wanted terrorist, cache 2nd Brigade Combat Team 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs Office

AL-DHOUR — With two well-timed phone calls, Iraqi civilians made a few Soldiers’ day recently.
The first tipster called Troop C, 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., and alerted them to a cache south of the village of Al-Dhour, south of Baghdad.

The troop responded, located the buried weapons, and was only five minutes into the process of digging them up when they got another call.

A man claimed he had the 2nd BCT’s top high-value target and would deliver him to coalition custody. The man and Capt. Adam Sawyer, Troop C commander, agreed on a pickup site.

The Soldiers hastily re-buried the cache and moved out. When the vehicle arrived, they stopped it and took the most wanted man and two other men into custody.

Some of the Soldiers were still able to see the cache from their vantage point, and were surprised to see a civilian pickup truck stop there and begin hastily loading the weapons into the bed of the truck.

They engaged the vehicle with an M-240 machine gun. The men tried to flee, but the Troop C Soldiers detained them all and called an explosive ordnance disposal team to destroy the weapons.

Sawyer, a native of Reading, Pa., was jubilant about the operation.

“All of this was possible because of sources we’ve developed, through local-national engagements and working with the residents of the area,” he said. “It’s our work with the people in these areas, our relations with them, paying off."

The primary target is allegedly responsible for shooting down an AH-64 helicopter in April 2006, the abductions of two Soldiers in June 2006, and complex attacks on patrol bases and terrorist acts against both coalition forces and Iraqi civilians.

Additionally, he is believed to be the leader of an al-Qaida network, known to prey on the general public through intimidation and murder against those resisting compliance to the al-Qaida demands and decrees.

One of the detainees had been wounded in a previous engagement, and was taken to a coalition hospital for treatment. The other six are being held for further questioning.

Iraqi informants lead U.S. Soldiers to weapons, IED caches

RUSHDI MULLAH — Iraqi informants led coalition forces to three massive caches north of Rushdi Mullah, July 18.

Accompanying the informants were Soldiers of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., who helped seize the caches just 20 miles south of Baghdad.

“Over the last several weeks, the number of Iraqis who have been sharing tips with us is astounding,” said Maj. Web Wright, a spokesperson for the 2nd BCT. “There has been a turning of the tides against al-Qaida in this area. The people are tired of them and are turning their backs on AQI.”

All three caches were found buried in 55-gallon drums within 100 meters of one another.

The contents of the caches included 13 rocket propelled grenades, 150 bags of Russian mortar propellant charges, two 57 mm mortar rockets, an armor-piercing rocket propelled grenade, four cylindrical explosive charges, two square explosive charges, two hand-launched star cluster flares, a Russian fragmentary hand grenade, 25 mortar propellant charges, 100 12.7 mm DiSHKA heavy machine gun rounds, 20 25 mm rounds, a 75-round Ak-47 ammunition drum, three sniper rifle scopes, two mortar sights, 10 cell phone chargers, five radios, a pressure plate, a machine gun lower receiver, two 7.62 mm machine gun barrels, two bottles of glucose, four vehicle cell phone chargers, an improvised explosive device command wire initiator, a hands-free telephone headset, an eight-battery holder, four cell phone batteries, a 4.8 voltage rechargeable battery, a seven-piece antenna, two flip-open cell phones, four Motorola talk-abouts, a cordless phone, a cordless phone base, a toy cell phone improvised explosive device (IED) initiator, two phone cords, an antenna extension, two keyless-entry devices with IED initiator switches, two magnets, two circuit boards and various nuts and bolts.

Radio and cell phone accessories are commonly used to detonate IEDs.

An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the ordnance.

http://shock.military.com/Shock/videos.do?displayContent=138052&ESRC=navy-a.nl

Soldiers from the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment detained one of the Multi-National Division-Center’s most wanted insurgents, along with four other individuals early Friday morning near Jisr Diyala.
Leaders from 3-1 Cav. gained intelligence early Friday morning that the known insurgent and a number of his associates were within their area of operations.

Soldiers conducted a surprise raid and captured the individual with no U.S. forces injuries or damage to equipment, by surrounding the house following a 2-mile walk into the suspected insurgent’s neighborhood. It was well-known to the Soldiers that the individual was on the look out for Army aircraft and would move if he heard helicopters approaching.

The detained “high-value individual” is believed to be responsible for the recent increase in explosively formed projectile improvised explosive devices and indirect fire attacks against Coalition Forces east of Baghdad. He is also suspected of intimidating Iraqis that work with U.S. forces, as well as, kidnapping and murdering rivals of his cell.

In addition to his terrorist activities, the detainee is a member of an organized crime network in the Mada’in Qada, which is part of the Baghdad province. Coalition Forces believe the detainee has extorted the local population through his water distribution company and gas station enterprises.

The 3-1 Cav. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team and is from Fort Benning, Ga. The unit deployed to Iraq in March 2007.

Wild Thikng's comment........

Our troops ROCK! Prayers for them every day and for their families.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (7)

July 20, 2007

In Country With Our Troops and Those That Visit Them

Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division are ready for the unexpected as they prepare to clear a house in Ar Raqqah, Iraq

Capt. Aaron Bright (right) and Sgt. Stephen Byers, both from the 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, unearth anti-tank missiles and their hand-held launchers near Baghdad

ATLANTIC OCEAN - Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Rich Franklin signs his name for a Sailor during an autograph session on the mess decks aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Dr. Michael Gervais, President of Pinnacle Performance Center, Inc.; UFC fighters Rich Franklin and Mike Pyle; and UFC referee "Big" John McCarthy visited the Truman for two days to help increase morale for the Sailors. Truman is underway in the Atlantic Ocean participating in the Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMTUEX) in preparation for deployment to the Persian Gulf. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Kevin T. Murray Jr.

Kenny Florian, as well as fellow UFC fighters Heath Herring and Jorge Rivera, will soon ship out for a two-week visit with our servicemen and women stationed overseas in Afghanistan and Qatar.

“… I will be in countries like Afghanistan and Quatar to meet the brave soldiers, who put their lives on the line for us every day. If I can help these people even just a little bit, this trip will be a success for me. I will definitely let our solders know how much we all appreciate the incredible work they are doing. Their jobs, which they volunteer for, are difficult and extremely dangerous. "

Also light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz is also heading to the Persian Gulf with a crew of his own to support our soldiers.

Globetrotters Military Tour .......this is from Dec. of 2006. I just found it and it is really well done.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (2)

July 19, 2007

Democratic Leaders Refuse to Meet With Veterans Group

Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo., right, speaks to members of the group Vets for Freedom prior to the start of a news conference supporting the war in Iraq, Tuesday, July 17, 2007, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Democratic Leaders Refuse to Meet With Veterans Group Vets for Freedom.org

Vets for Freedom expresses disappointment that veterans were not able to meet with Congressional leadership from both sides of the aisle in Congress today. While many Republican Senators, including leadership, made themselves available for questions and input, interaction from Democratic leadership was noticeably absent. In spite of that, Vets for Freedom members remain committed to speaking with elected leaders on both sides of the aisle.
Republican leadership (and some Democrats, although not leadership) made room in their busy schedules—on very short notice—to speak with veterans. These veterans flew in on their own dime to ask Congress to give General David Petraeus the time he needs to fully implement the surge of American forces in Iraq. Veterans are very grateful and thankful for the time that these Senators took to spend with them.

Five days in advance of today's events, Vets for Freedom meeting requests—for 5 minutes—were submitted to the Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House. Repeated attempts were made to contact and meet with the Democratic leadership.

"In the end, they made a disappointing decision to decline meeting with veterans who have first-hand knowledge of the situation on the ground" said Pete Hegseth, an Iraq War veteran and executive director of Vets for Freedom. "It is especially disappointing because Democratic leadership's misguided policy—a declaration of defeat—will lead to a national security disaster for the United States."

Vets for Freedom is a nonpartisan organization established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its mission is to educate the American public about the importance of achieving success in these conflicts by applying our first-hand knowledge to issues of American strategy and tactics—namely "the surge" in Iraq. Vets for Freedom is the leading voice representing troops and veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. For more information, please visit www.vetsforfreedom.org.

Wild Thing's comment........

How does someone snub our military and our Veterans? How does a person sleep knowing they had a chance to say thank you, or talk to our Veterans or our troops and say no or ignore their request of an invitation????

It is just not a part of me to understand this, not even a little.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (14)

July 18, 2007

Operation Ithaca’ Surprises, Pummels, al Qaeda Forces

Operation Ithaca’ Surprises, Pummels, al Qaeda Forces
Department of Defense
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON
July 17, 2007

American and Iraqi military forces broke up al Qaeda operations in the Diyala River valley during “Operation Ithaca,” conducted July 12, a U.S. military officer said today.

Operation Ithaca targeted Sunni-backed al Qaeda forces in and around the villages of Haimer, Abu Nasim and Jamil, located about 20 kilometers north of Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province, said Army Lt. Col. Andrew P. Poppas, commander of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division’s 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, which took part in the anti-insurgent offensive.

The operation was a great success and caught al Qaeda “completely by surprise,” Poppas said, noting U.S. ground troops were inserted into the battle space at multiple landing zones by helicopter.

Meanwhile, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthogs,” Army attack helicopters, and Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters fired on the insurgents from the air, Poppas said. Unmanned aerial vehicles kept an eye on insurgent movements during the battle, he added.

Each of the aircraft was assigned “very specific, detailed areas” for engaging the al Qaeda forces, Poppas said. In this way, he noted, the enemy lost the ability to control the battle and was blocked by coalition air or ground troops at every turn.

“In a direct firefight, American soldiers are going to win every time,” Poppas said, noting there were no U.S. casualties during the operation.

Twenty-nine al Qaeda operatives were killed and 23 others were captured during the operation. Also, three enemy weapons caches were discovered and a safe house was destroyed. Additionally, eight Iraqis who’d been held hostage by the insurgents were freed.

Local Iraqis fed up with al Qaeda had delivered hand-written maps and other information about the enemy that were used during pre-operational planning, Poppas said.

“We had some very specific intelligence that was provided to us from the local populace,” Poppas said. Unmanned aerial vehicles and other means were used to confirm the information.

Ongoing surge operations in and around Baghdad are putting the squeeze on al Qaeda and other insurgents, causing them to flee Iraq’s capital city to places like Baqubah to the north, Poppas explained.

The insurgents “have got to go somewhere” out of Baghdad, Poppas continued, noting his forces were positioned to intercept and deal with such relocations.

Poppas said his troops have worked closely with 5th Iraqi Army Division soldiers.

“We do all of our patrols combined,” Poppas said of his unit’s relationship with local Iraqi troops. “My experience with the Iraqi army units that I have fought alongside personally (with) is excellent.”

Poppas said his soldiers’ morale is excellent, citing their “impressive” and “phenomenal” performance during Operation Ithaca. Their battlefield prowess is the result of training as a unit for more than two years, he said.

“You deny the enemy’s ability to react to you, because you’re on top of them,” Poppas pointed out.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:44 AM | Comments (4)

July 16, 2007

Haditha Case Seen As Losing Strength

Long post for a reason see my comment at the end.

Evidence against Marines called weak
San Diego Union-Tribune ....for complete article
July 12, 2007

For months, military officials expressed confidence in their case against several Camp Pendleton Marines accused of murdering 24 men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq.

But now, legal analysts say the prosecution's case is in jeopardy. They spoke after investigative officers recommended that two of the seven Haditha defendants should be spared courts-martial, largely because of weak evidence.

A third defendant was recommended for trial yesterday. "I think that unless they get a Marine eyewitness to roll over, they are going to have a hard time prosecuting the cases," said Jane Siegel, a former Marine judge and longtime defense lawyer in San Marcos. "The government has to know that as the investigation gets older and older, the case gets colder and colder and harder and harder to prove."

The final decision on courts-martial rests with Lt. Gen. James Mattis, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton. Last month, an investigative officer recommended that Capt. Randy Stone not be tried on charges of failing to investigate the Haditha killings. The officer issued his report shortly after Stone's pretrial hearing.

A report made public Tuesday by Lt. Col. Paul Ware, a career Marine prosecutor who strongly urged that all charges against Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt be dismissed.

Sharratt is one of three Marines accused of going on a rampage against the 24 Iraqis after a roadside bomb killed a fellow Marine on Nov. 19, 2005. In his report, Ware labeled allegations against Sharratt "unsupported" and several times called them "incredible."

He also suggested that some of the dead Iraqis were insurgents, as the defendants have maintained.

Ware, who presided over the pretrial hearing for Sharratt last month, said accounts by Iraqi witnesses seemed inconsistent with the forensic evidence available.

Such evidence showed that "each was shot facing forward, from a distance, and with a 9 mm pistol, which I find inconsistent with an execution or persons reacting to an execution," Ware wrote.

He noted that relatives of the dead Iraqis refused to allow the U.S. military to exhume the bodies to conduct autopsies. He also said the Iraqis had a powerful motive to lie, given that the Marine Corps would sometimes pay $2,500 to the family of an Iraqi civilian killed by U.S. forces.

Giving credence to the statements of these Iraqi witnesses would set "a dangerous precedent that, in my opinion, may encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps mission in Iraq," Ware wrote. "Even more dangerous is the potential that a Marine may hesitate at the critical moment when facing the enemy."

Lawyers for other Haditha defendants hailed Ware's findings as a possible turning point in the case.

The investigative officer who oversaw the pretrial hearing for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, the highest-ranking Marine charged in the case, recommended that he be court-martialed for dereliction of duty and other similar charges. Chessani led the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, which included all the defendants.

Prosecutors have accused Chessani of failing to properly investigate the killings. His lawyers say he trusted his subordinates, who told him that the Iraqis died in a battle between U.S. forces and insurgents. The recommendation to court-martial Chessani "glorifies paper-pushing over fighting and has the unintended consequence of dampening the spirit of the most ferocious fighters on Earth," said Richard Thompson, an attorney for Chessani.

Wild Thing's comment.........

I know this is a long post and I apologize, sometimes I just have to put certain things together....... It all comes from my heart so I hope you understand.

Coverage of this is hard to find. The main newspaper covering this is the San Diego Herald Tribune as the San Diego press is covering the hearings. Can you imagine any American citizen being prosecuted for murder when prosecutors aren’t even sure who was murdered? The Hamdania Marines might as well be citizens of a Third World country for the all the justice they’ve received. And this isn’t even newsworthy outside of San Diego? This disgrace to the Corps and our country just keeps on rolling along, well below the radar.

Most of the evidence that has been sited is from the enemy. People that have been proven to aid the insurgents, liars, fakes more lies upon lies.

I support the Haditha Marines and impact of these cases on our Rules of Engagement, our will to continue the war, is already being felt. I daresay we could never have fought and persevered in WWII with the same PC mentality. The war against radical Islamicism is a war worth fighting. They represented me in this war, I will stand up for them.

They volunteer to put their lives on the line to save ours. The media and the Left has gone over and above to portray them as the “bad guys” since the war started.

Murtha’s “cold blooded murder” comment hit a raw nerve with me and the inconsistencies just didn’t add up. The more I read and heard, the madder I got. The rush to judgment and the deliberate failure by many to look at the facts
only made me madder.

Esprit de Corps” and “Semper Fidelis”. Never turn your back on those who taught you what duty, honor and courage were all about.

I was reading a speech by Patton and even though he was Army and not a Marine his speech is awesome and has a lot of things in it that pertain to what is happening with these Marines as well as those in our government and citizens not wanting to fight the terrorists but have stupid sit downs and talk with them which is a totally insane idea. So I am putting Patton's speech here for you to read. He had me cheering and laughing as well.

God bless our past warriors, Patton and Chesty and others like them that knew how to lead the hearts of men and spoke the truth always.

General Patton arose and strode swiftly to the microphone. The men snapped to their feet and stood silently. Patton surveyed the sea of brown with a grim look. "Be seated", he said. The words were not a request, but a command. The General's voice rose high and clear.

"Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about America wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bullshit. Americans love to fight, traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. You are here today for three reasons. First, because you are here to defend your homes and your loved ones. Second, you are here for your own self respect, because you would not want to be anywhere else. Third, you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight. When you, here, everyone of you, were kids, you all admired the champion marble player, the fastest runner, the toughest boxer, the big league ball players, and the All-American football players. Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win all of the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost nor will ever lose a war; for the very idea of losing is hateful to an American."

The General paused and looked over the crowd.

"You are not all going to die," he said slowly. "Only two percent of you right here today would die in a major battle. Death must not be feared. Death, in time, comes to all men. Yes, every man is scared in his first battle. If he says he's not, he's a liar. Some men are cowards but they fight the same as the brave men or they get the hell slammed out of them watching men fight who are just as scared as they are. The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared. Some men get over their fright in a minute under fire. For some, it takes an hour. For some, it takes days. But a real man will never let his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his country, and his innate manhood. Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base. Americans pride themselves on being He Men and they ARE He Men. Remember that the enemy is just as frightened as you are, and probably more so. They are not supermen."

"All through your Army careers, you men have bitched about what you call "chicken shit drilling". That, like everything else in this Army, has a definite purpose. That purpose is alertness. Alertness must be bred into every soldier. I don't give a fuck for a man who's not always on his toes. You men are veterans or you wouldn't be here. You are ready for what's to come. A man must be alert at all times if he expects to stay alive. If you're not alert, sometime, a German son-of-an-asshole-bitch is going to sneak up behind you and beat you to death with a sockful of shit!"

The men roared in agreement.

Patton's grim expression did not change.

"There are four hundred neatly marked graves somewhere in Sicily", he roared into the microphone, "All because one man went to sleep on the job".

He paused and the men grew silent.

"But they are German graves, because we caught the bastard asleep before they did".

The General clutched the microphone tightly, his jaw out-thrust, and he continued.

"An Army is a team. It lives, sleeps, eats, and fights as a team. This individual heroic stuff is pure horse shit. The bilious bastards who write that kind of stuff for the Saturday Evening Post don't know any more about real fighting under fire than they know about fucking!"

The men slapped their legs and rolled in glee. This was Patton as the men had imagined him to be, and in rare form, too. He hadn't let them down. He was all that he was cracked up to be, and more. He had IT!

"We have the finest food, the finest equipment, the best spirit, and the best men in the world".

Patton bellowed. He lowered his head and shook it pensively. Suddenly he snapped erect, faced the men belligerently and thundered.

"Why, by God, I actually pity those poor sons-of-bitches we're going up against. By God, I do".

The men clapped and howled delightedly. There would be many a barracks tale about the "Old Man's" choice phrases. They would become part and parcel of Third Army's history and they would become the bible of their slang.

"My men don't surrender", Patton continued, "I don't want to hear of any soldier under my command being captured unless he has been hit. Even if you are hit, you can still fight back. That's not just bull shit either. The kind of man that I want in my command is just like the lieutenant in Libya, who, with a Luger against his chest, jerked off his helmet, swept the gun aside with one hand, and busted the hell out of the Kraut with his helmet. Then he jumped on the gun and went out and killed another German before they knew what the hell was coming off. And, all of that time, this man had a bullet through a lung. There was a real man!"

Patton stopped and the crowd waited. He continued more quietly.

"All of the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters, either. Every single man in this Army plays a vital role. Don't ever let up. Don't ever think that your job is unimportant. Every man has a job to do and he must do it. Every man is a vital link in the great chain. What if every truck driver suddenly decided that he didn't like the whine of those shells overhead, turned yellow, and jumped headlong into a ditch? The cowardly bastard could say, "Hell, they won't miss me, just one man in thousands". But, what if every man thought that way? Where in the hell would we be now? What would our country, our loved ones, our homes, even the world, be like? No, Goddamnit, Americans don't think like that. Every man does his job. Every man serves the whole. Every department, every unit, is important in the vast scheme of this war. The ordnance men are needed to supply the guns and machinery of war to keep us rolling. The Quartermaster is needed to bring up food and clothes because where we are going there isn't a hell of a lot to steal. Every last man on K.P. has a job to do, even the one who heats our water to keep us from getting the 'G.I. Shits'."

Patton paused, took a deep breath, and continued.

"Each man must not think only of himself, but also of his buddy fighting beside him. We don't want yellow cowards in this Army. They should be killed off like rats. If not, they will go home after this war and breed more cowards. The brave men will breed more brave men. Kill off the Goddamned cowards and we will have a nation of brave men."

"One of the bravest men that I ever saw was a fellow on top of a telegraph pole in the midst of a furious fire fight in Tunisia. I stopped and asked what the hell he was doing up there at a time like that. He answered, "Fixing the wire, Sir". I asked, "Isn't that a little unhealthy right about now?" He answered, "Yes Sir, but the Goddamned wire has to be fixed". I asked, "Don't those planes strafing the road bother you?" And he answered, "No, Sir, but you sure as hell do!"

"Now, there was a real man. A real soldier. There was a man who devoted all he had to his duty, no matter how seemingly insignificant his duty might appear at the time, no matter how great the odds. And you should have seen those trucks on the rode to Tunisia. Those drivers were magnificent. All day and all night they rolled over those son-of-a-bitching roads, never stopping, never faltering from their course, with shells bursting all around them all of the time. We got through on good old American guts. Many of those men drove for over forty consecutive hours. These men weren't combat men, but they were soldiers with a job to do. They did it, and in one hell of a way they did it. They were part of a team. Without team effort, without them, the fight would have been lost. All of the links in the chain pulled together and the chain became unbreakable."

The General paused and stared challengingly over the silent ocean of men. One could have heard a pin drop anywhere on that vast hillside. The only sound was the stirring of the breeze in the leaves of the bordering trees and the busy chirping of the birds in the branches of the trees at the General's left.

"Don't forget," Patton barked, "you men don't know that I'm here. No mention of that fact is to be made in any letters. The world is not supposed to know what the hell happened to me. I'm not supposed to be commanding this Army. I'm not even supposed to be here in England. Let the first bastards to find out be the Goddamned Germans. Some day I want to see them raise up on their piss-soaked hind legs and howl, 'Jesus Christ, it's the Goddamned Third Army again and that son-of-a-fucking-bitch Patton'."

"We want to get the hell over there", Patton continued, "The quicker we clean up this Goddamned mess, the quicker we can take a little jaunt against the purple pissing Japs and clean out their nest, too. Before the Goddamned Marines get all of the credit."

The men roared approval and cheered delightedly. This statement had real significance behind it. Much more than met the eye and the men instinctively sensed the fact. They knew that they themselves were going to play a very great part in the making of world history. They were being told as much right now. Deep sincerity and seriousness lay behind the General's colorful words. The men knew and understood it. They loved the way he put it, too, as only he could.

Patton continued quietly.

"Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the bastards who started it. The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home. The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo. And when we get to Berlin", he yelled, "I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging son-of-a-bitch Hitler. Just like I'd shoot a snake!"

"When a man is lying in a shell hole, if he just stays there all day, a German will get to him eventually. The hell with that idea. The hell with taking it. My men don't dig foxholes. I don't want them to. Foxholes only slow up an offensive. Keep moving. And don't give the enemy time to dig one either. We'll win this war, but we'll win it only by fighting and by showing the Germans that we've got more guts than they have; or ever will have. We're not going to just shoot the sons-of-bitches, we're going to rip out their living Goddamned guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun cocksuckers by the bushel-fucking-basket. War is a bloody, killing business. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shoot them in the guts. When shells are hitting all around you and you wipe the dirt off your face and realize that instead of dirt it's the blood and guts of what once was your best friend beside you, you'll know what to do!"

"I don't want to get any messages saying, "I am holding my position." We are not holding a Goddamned thing. Let the Germans do that. We are advancing constantly and we are not interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy's balls. We are going to twist his balls and kick the living shit out of him all of the time. Our basic plan of operation is to advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or through the enemy. We are going to go through him like crap through a goose; like shit through a tin horn!"

"From time to time there will be some complaints that we are pushing our people too hard. I don't give a good Goddamn about such complaints. I believe in the old and sound rule that an ounce of sweat will save a gallon of blood. The harder WE push, the more Germans we will kill. The more Germans we kill, the fewer of our men will be killed. Pushing means fewer casualties. I want you all to remember that."

The General paused. His eagle like eyes swept over the hillside. He said with pride.

"There is one great thing that you men will all be able to say after this war is over and you are home once again. You may be thankful that twenty years from now when you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what you did in the great World War II, you WON'T have to cough, shift him to the other knee and say, "Well, your Granddaddy shoveled shit in Louisiana." No, Sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say, "Son, your Granddaddy rode with the Great Third Army and a Son-of-a-Goddamned-Bitch named Georgie Patton!"

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (11)

July 15, 2007

PPE Stops Round, Saves Marine

Sergeant Travis Tollison, 3rd platoon guide with India Co. stands with the 7.62mm round that hit him in his back SAPI plate while performing operations in Al Anbar Province earlier this month. The Marine Corps is constantly making advancements for better and more efficient body armor. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Timothy M. Stewman

By Lance Cpl. Timothy M. Stewman, 13th MEU

NEAR KARMAH, Iraq
(July 14, 2007)

Over the past decade there have been significant advancements in body armor. During that time there have also been heated debates concerning the performance and effectiveness of the body armor being used by Marines.

One Marine with Battalion Landing Team 3/1 got to see first-hand just how effective his issued body armor is.

“We were out doing a vehicle mounted patrol and we dismounted, that’s when I heard the first shot,” said Sgt. Travis Tollison, India Company, 3rd platoon guide. “I tried to find out where the original shot came from and I heard a second shot. I went into the prone position when I realized that I had been hit. I reached to my lower back and was beginning to feel pain. The round had gone through my Camelbak and I felt the water which, at the time, I thought it was blood. When the corpsman looked me over I only had a bruise on the left side of my lower back. The round had embedded into my back SAPI (Small-Arms Protective Insert) plate. I believe without the plate, I would be telling a whole different story.”

The Marines in his platoon don’t hesitate to give Tollison a hard time about the incident. It usually consists of an impression of how he looked when he realized that he had been hit. The guys get a good laugh from the incident, but they know just how fortunate Tollison is that his gear did what it was supposed to.

With all the controversy surrounding civilian companies claiming to have more effective gear for combat, Marines and their family members have considered the use of civilian body armor over government issued. Recently Headquarters Marine Corps made the decision to prohibit the use of civilian body armor in combat. Marines on the front lines understand the functionality of the body armor and have confidence in the protection it provides.

“There are always going to be things to complain about when it comes to body armor, especially with the addition of the side SAPI plates,” said Tollison, an Anderson, S.C. native. “Though the weight isn’t exactly pleasant, the payoff is protection that is combat tried and tested.”

One thing about combat body armor is that technology is constantly advancing. The Marine Corps continually researches and develops new and more effective ways to keep the men and women who serve in combat safer. For now, the body armor being used today is holding its own, protecting Marines.

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank God he is ok!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (4)

July 14, 2007

Charlie Company Conducts Mounted Patrols

Marines assigned to Mobile Assault Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, patrol the city of Haqlaniyah during a mounted patrol

Charlie Company conducts mounted patrols

HAQLANIYAH, Iraq
By Cpl. Rick Nelson, 2nd Marine Division
(July 13, 2007)

Marines assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, continue to conduct operations throughout Haqlaniyah with ongoing mounted patrols throughout the city.

“Our mission is to keep the main service routes clear and stop locals from smuggling weapons and [improvised explosive device] making material (into the city),” said Sgt. James C. Faraci, platoon sergeant, Mobile Assault Platoon, Charlie Company, 1/3. “We also provide security for dismounted patrols, re-supply check-points and do IED sweeps.”

Faraci describes his platoon as the “jack of all trades.”

“When we first got here there weren't many people in the streets, now they're everywhere, and a lot of the shops are opening back up,” said Faraci, a Brooklyn native. “I think we make it a lot safer for them to move about as they please. The biggest thing is the constant patrols; they are helping out a ton.”

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan E. Knotts, corpsman, MAP, Charlie Company, 1/3, said the dismounted patrols help keep the enemy from running free throughout the city.

“They know we're here, which gives the insurgents a lot less room for maneuverability,” said Knotts, a Fort Collins, Colo., native.

At any given time Charlie Company will have a mounted unit patrolling in Haqlaniyah, added Faraci.

“We usually do (several) patrols a day,” said the 27-year-old Faraci. “So we're outside the wire a lot.”

Faraci said the biggest threats for his Marines are the IED's in the area.

“We've been lucky so far with the IED's,” he said. “But now we have to worry a lot more about grenades being thrown in the turret and [rocket-propelled grenades] being used.”

Although threats in the city remain, Faraci said Haqlaniyah has changed a lot since their arrival in late March.

“When we first got here and I went on my first patrol, I was really knit picky and all I wanted to do was get to know the area to see who's supposed to be there and who's not supposed to be there,” Faraci explained. “Now that I know the area I'm still very cautious, but the Marines can just tell if something’s not right. If the people shy away and won’t talk to us, then we know someone who isn't supposed to be there is around.”

Knotts said he’s pleased at the rate the deployment is going so far, but it isn't what he expected.

“I was a little unsure, not knowing what I was getting into,” said Knotts. “We heard our area was pretty intense, and it was when we first got here but not nearly what I imagined. It's calmed down a lot since then.”

Knotts recalled his second day in Haqlaniyah when a grenade landed in the vehicle in front of him during a patrol.

“It was a pretty crazy feeling, but now I know what to expect and can deal with it a lot more,” Knotts said.

Although the tempo of hostile actions has slowed down, Knotts said he knows there's always a threat of attacks picking up any day.

“I come back after a convoy and relax and just prepare for the next patrol,” Knotts said. “This helps me to stay alert and not become complacent. I realize I have a job as a corpsman to take care of my Marines, and keeping that in mind would keep anyone alert.”

Faraci, who deployed to Iraq in 2004, said the thought of the Marines who were killed in action during his first deployment to Iraq is what keeps him going.

“I expected this deployment to be going just like it was in Ramadi in 2004,” Faraci added. “I thought we'd be getting attacked all the time, but all I can say is if it stays like this I will be really happy. I just want to get all of my Marines back to their families in one piece.”

Wild Thing's comment........

Thank you Charlie Company, you are all in our thoughts and our prayers.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (2)

July 12, 2007

In Country With Our Marines 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines

Marines from Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, search a home during Operation CHINA SHOP 2. The operation, conducted over four days from July 5-8, was aimed at gathering census information in the rural areas north of Kharma, along with seeking and destroying enemy weapons caches and logistic points.

Jugs of nitric acid were found at many homemade explosives factories uncovered during Operation CHINA SHOP 2. Marines from Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, conducted methodical searches during the operation.

BLT 3/1 wraps up CHINA SHOP 2
By Sgt. Andy Hurt, 13th MEU

NEAR KARMAH, Iraq (July 11, 2007)

Units from Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, concluded counter-insurgency Operation CHINA SHOP II July 8 in Al Anbar province here.

The battalion, serving as the Ground Combat Element for the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, continued census surveys and carried out sweeps and methodical searches for weapons caches beginning July 5.

In the course of 96 hours, elements from the battalion, including India and Weapons companies and Light Armored Reconnaissance assets, covered more than 400 square kilometers north of Karmah, sniffing out numerous weapons caches, explosives factories and Improvised Explosive Devices.

Among the explosives-making factories, large quantities of nitric acid, ammonium nitrate and chlorine were discovered. Raw homemade explosive materials totaled nearly 30,000 pounds. Artillery shells, rifles and mortar rockets were also uncovered by the battalion. All munitions were reduced in place by Combat Logistics Battalion 13 Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians.

The operation has been dubbed a success by unit commanders. “The incidents with IEDs are definitely being reduced in surrounding areas,” said 1st Lt. Mike Geiger, a platoon commander from Weapons Company, BLT 3/1. “We’re exploiting logistics areas, places where insurgents bed down, and taking away their safe harbor here.”

In addition to taking away enemy accelerants, BLT 3/1 has also been tasked with a census operation, allowing the opportunity to speak with local populace, a piece of the war traditionally known as “hearts and minds.”

“We talked to one farmer and told him we were going to be around for a few days,” said Geiger, “and he said ‘Thank God.’”

Geiger described the rising dangers for locals here, as insurgents conduct illegal checkpoints, hijack consumer goods, and rob civilians along routes. The presence of Coalition Forces here, said Geiger, inhibits such activity.

“The insurgents are conducting ‘murder and intimidation’ operations, and as long as we’re here, they can’t do that.”

The Fayetteville, N.C. native also submitted the evidence uncovered by the searches as indication that insurgents are continuously utilizing the rural region as staging and recuperating areas.

“In some houses where we found explosives, there were bedrolls, human waste … it’s not like we’re chasing ghosts here.”

Junior Marines conducting aspects of the operation say they felt a lasting positive impact made from a precursor mission, Operation CHINA SHOP.

“Every little thing we did made a difference, taking IEDs out of the hands of the enemy and the ‘hearts and minds’ stuff,” said Lance Cpl. Nick Velasco, a weapons company mortarman and native of St. Paul, Minn.

Velasco, who is on his first deployment here, said he felt a moment of clarity, realizing the importance of coalition presence during CHINA SHOP II.

“During our screening mission for LAR, some guys were able to sit down, actually sit down with a family and just talk with them. One of the guys was arm wrestling with a kid … it just shows they’re not afraid of us and know we’re here to help them.”

Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Phillip Chandler was again pleased with the efforts and success of his Marines under difficult circumstances.

“Marines did a great job going out using an analytical mindset in order to find out where these guys are hiding this stuff,” he said. “It’s a ‘needle-in-a-haystack’ type of search.”

Looking ahead, Chandler noted the battalion is “beginning to focus efforts on combined operations with the Iraqi Army.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (3)

July 11, 2007

In Country With Our Troops in Irag and Afghanistan

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Frank Bareale of New Jersey, a pilot for 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance), washes down a Black Hawk helicopter at Forward Operating Base Taqqadum, Iraq, on Saturday after the night's medevac missions.

Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry Regiment soldiers from the Minnesota Army National guard pass time playing spades in transition housing on Sunday at Forward Operating Base Taqqaddum, Iraq. The guardsmen are in their final days in Iraq after having their tour extended to 16 months.

A soldier acts as a lookout July 2 while comrades from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, search a house for Taliban insurgents in the village of Biabanak in Afghanistan's Kandahar province.

Sgt. Jake Richardson, left, 1st Lt. Travis Atwood and Staff Sgt. Michael Mullahy take cover while Mullahy prepares to fire an AT4 rocket launcher at an insurgent position during a firefight in Baghdad's Adhamiya neighborhood. The firefight resulted in one insurgent dead and three captured. Mullahy is a squad leader with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment.

Paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, search a bedroom in a suspected Shia militant's house in the pre-dawn hours of June 27, in the Hurriyah neighborhood of Baghdad. The paratroopers captured the suspect they were looking for in the house, along with videotapes of attacks on U.S. troops, a list of Mahdi Army formations, fake identifcation papers and other evidence of insurgent activity.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)

An 82nd Airborne Cook's Job in Afghanistan

An 82nd Airborne cook takes care of the soldiers around him.

Wild Thing's comment........

I have always loved how every part of our military is important. Like a chain with links that all support each other.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (10)

July 10, 2007

Soldier Trades Teaching For Infantry Life

Soldier trades teaching for infantry life
Monday, 09 July 2007
By Spc. Chris McCann
10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE YUSUFIYAH

Cpl. James Hogan left a job he loved, teaching high-school history and economics in Superior, Wis., to enlist in November 2005 to be a part of American history.

“I was teaching history and about the wars, and I felt it was my patriotic duty to serve, like the guys who went before me,” Hogan said. “I don’t want to sit on my deck at 60 years old and tell people I had a chance to serve and didn’t.”

Hogan graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Superior, and began teaching at a Catholic middle school, then at a high school in Maple, Wis. In addition to teaching American history, he taught economics, criminal justice, social science and sociology, and coached football, girls basketball, and track and field.

But he gave it all up to join the Army.

“The students were surprised. Some were sad, and some were probably happy,” he said, laughing. “I always wanted to teach, and I was no good at math, I don’t like science, and my vocabulary is terrible. But I love politics and history, and I love this country.”

Hogan works with Company A, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), out of Fort Drum, N.Y. His unit is the military transition team that has been training 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with them day in and day out,” he said of the Soldiers in his company.

“From the different personalities, meeting people from all over the United States, I’ve learned a lot. I really respect everyone in the Army, whatever they do, but these (infantry troops) are the ones putting in blood, sweat and tears.”

A willingness to be on the ground and on the front lines is a respect-earner. One of his heroes, he said, is Theodore Roosevelt.

“He really solidified my desire to join the Army,” Hogan said. “He quit the Navy to join the Army and then formed the Rough Riders, because it always bugged Teddy Roosevelt that his father didn’t fight in the Civil War when the country needed him.

“I like his maverick spirit, he did what was in his heart, and he sure wouldn’t be making decisions based on poll numbers if he were president today.”

Hogan has a rather maverick spirit himself, which serves him well with Soldiers both older and younger than him.

“I’m 33 years old,” he said. “In civilian life, I would have been teaching some of these guys, but they’re teaching me the ways of the infantry here,” he said. “It’s tough being older, especially as an enlisted Soldier. I didn’t become an officer because that’s not what I wanted. I’ve had responsibility. I just wanted to be a grunt. And it’s tough to get smoked by a guy nine years younger, but that’s when you just have to swallow your pride.”

Hogan plans to return to teaching – and coaching – when his term of enlistment ends, but he’s toying with the idea of going into the chaplaincy.

“I’m a man of faith,” he said. “I want to study scripture more in-depth, and I want to serve Soldiers in a more personal way. Guys have been laying it all on the line here for five years now, and the turmoil and struggle and separation from family is hard. I feel I could help, and give strength to them to hang in there.”

If he doesn’t choose that road, however, he said what he’s learned in the Army will serve him well as a teacher.

“I think I’ll get more respect as a teacher – I can bring in my photos and things from Iraq, and that would be really good. If I go into the chaplaincy, I’d like to be an Army Reserve or National Guard chaplain so I could still teach.

“It’s an honor to serve my country alongside all my fellow Soldiers in uniform,” Hogan said, “and I’m thankful for the opportunity to do it.”

Wild Thing's comment.........

Our country is made up of such awesome people in our military. It is such a privilege to be an American and to know even in some small way a little something about those that serve our country. Thank you Cpl. James Hogan and all our troops and Veterans.....you ROCK!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)

July 09, 2007

National Guard Soldiers Patrol Qarabagh

U.S. Army Sgt. Paul L. Wilkerson, a forward observer with Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery Regiment, Kentucky National Guard, pulls security at a school in Mushkay, Afghanistan, June 15, 2007. The unit stopped there during a mounted patrol in the Ghazni province. Army photo by Sgt. Jim Wilt

By U.S. Army Sgt. Jim Wilt
Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Affairs Office

QARABAGH, Afghanistan, July 2007

“Get down! Get down! Get down!,” yelled Air Force Master Sgt. Jason Davis, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, seconds before shrapnel started raining down on the soldiers and bouncing off their Humvee.

"I pray every time I go out. I pray every night when I lie down."

U.S. Army Spc. Greg A. Race

A day earlier, if not for the warning of a local farmer, the soldiers’ truck would have struck the double-stacked antitank mine.

The warning enabled the soldiers to stop before they hit the mine and safely dispose of it possibly saving their lives and the lives of farmers and children working in the area.

Soldiers from Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery Brigade, Kentucky National Guard, were conducting a mounted presence patrol in a village outside Qarabagh when they were warned about mines in the area June 14.

“God is watching over us,” said U.S. Army Spc. Greg A. Race, an artilleryman with Battery A.

Unfortunately the convoy coming to destroy the mines didn’t receive the same warning before they hit a mine on the same road less than a kilometer from the halted patrol. They hit the mine just hours after the first mine was discovered.

The troopers credit the farmer with keeping a bad situation from getting worse.

“Most likely we would have hit that one and they would have hit the other one when they came in to get us,” Race, a native of Piner, Ky., said.

It also shows the impact the troopers are having in an area where people have been scared into silence by the Taliban.

“A farmer stopping and telling you there is something in the road shows we’re having an effect on the area,” Race said.

The Guardsmen have been patrolling in the area since they arrived here in March.

Their squad leader, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Linneman, said they had patrolled the same road just days earlier.

The artillery unit, which is acting as military policemen, has been conducting mounted patrols because “more people see you out and about in the area,” Race said.

Most of the soldiers in the unit prefer a mounted patrol despite the dangers of mines and improvised explosive devices.

“The armor [on the trucks] works,” said U.S. Army Spc. Steven M. LaFever, a track mechanic and native of Louisville, Ky.

Race also sees several advantages to having vehicles during patrols such as having armor, crew-served weapons, and the ability to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.

“We cover more ground,” he said. “We see a lot more faces."

Though the men of Battery A have armored vehicles, they don’t always use them. They are not afraid to get out of the armor and put a little wear on their boots. During their mounted patrols they stop to talk with the people, investigate suspicious activity and check on reconstruction projects in the area.

Despite the advantages of patrolling in vehicles, the men also know the dangers.

“I pray every time I go out. I pray every night when I lie down,” Race said.

Whether mounted or dismounted, Race sees risk.

“I’m a big believer that if it’s your time, it’s your time,” he said. “I’ve been like that forever.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (8)

July 07, 2007

In Country With America's Heroes

U.S. Army Spc. Justin Emrich inspects the M-240B machine gun on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter prior to take off at Bagram Airfield in the Parwan province of Afghanistan on June 29, 2007. Emrich is assigned to the General Aviation Support Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Bracken, U.S. Army

1-30th Infantry brings in wanted suspect

BAGHDAD — An insurgent on the Multi-National Division-Center’s wanted list was captured June 2.
Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, captured the man during a raid in the Arab Jabour area. The man is a prominent member of a local terrorist cell that obtained and transported improvised explosive devices, IED-making materials, mortars, and sniper rifles in the Arab Jabour area.

Big guns play big part in eastern Afghanistan

JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Few things are as frightening on the battlefield as incoming artillery. But these essential assets are more than loud bangs heard sporadically on the forward operating bases in eastern Afghanistan. The “king of battle,” as artillery is called, has become increasingly important.

Everything from the incredibly unforgiving terrain to the ability of insurgents to dissipate into the civilian population has made clear the significance of indirect fire support.

“In this fight, fire support is very important,” said 1st Lt. Duane Mantle, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Airborne) assistant fires support officer, from Warren, N.J. “As soon as we make contact, the first thing the Soldiers look for is to bring in fires on the enemy.”

Although the manner in which wars are fought today are different from past wars in many respects, the adaptability of the 155mm Howitzers of Battery B, 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, on Forward Operating Base Blessing and other indirect assets providing support to paratroopers based along the Pech River Valley, has been proven extensively in just a short time after arriving in theater about a month ago.

“It’s not like the previous wars when they lined up and we would mow them down,” said Mantle. “Fires have a lot of different effects. When we fire the 155s from here, the enemy doesn’t hear the round coming in. It immediately puts the enemy on the defensive and has a tremendous demoralizing effect.”

The rounds can also be used to fix enemy combatants.

“That’s a huge part of this conflict, separating them from the population, but we can do it when they are on a ridge firing on us,” said Mantle.

As artillery is called in, it disrupts the enemy’s movement or causes them to seek cover, providing U.S. or Afghan forces a variety of options.

The Soldiers, who man the guns at FOB Blessing, understand the impact they have placing timely and accurate fires on the enemy. It is a job they take seriously for good reason.

“Last deployment we had a fire mission to support some troops in contact,” said Sgt. Stephen Murphy of Bravo Battery’s 2nd Platoon, a native of Berwick, Penn. who had just finished a fire mission with his section. “One of the Soldiers who was there came to us afterwards and said we had saved his life. He even showed us pictures of his family. I was like ‘Roger. I’ll be faster next time.’”

Just hours later, the 155mm Howitzers at FOB Blessing pounded the mountains of the Pech River Valley in support of multiple fire fights. Within a few hours, the battery had fired 111 rounds simultaneously supporting three separate sites.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (6)

July 06, 2007

Captain Richards Dubbed Them The Kit Carson Scouts

G.I.’s Forge Sunni Tie in Bid to Squeeze Militants

BAQUBA, Iraq, June 30 — Capt. Ben Richards had been battling insurgents from Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia for three weeks when he received an unexpected visitor.

Abu Ali walked into the Americans’ battle-scarred combat outpost with an unusual proposal: the community leader was worried about the insurgents, and wanted the soldiers’ help in taking them on.

The April 7 meeting was the beginning of a new alliance and, American commanders hope, a portent of what is to come in the bitterly contested Diyala Province.

Using his Iraqi partners to pick out the insurgents and uncover the bombs they had seeded along the cratered roads, Captain Richards’s soldiers soon apprehended more than 100 militants, including several low-level emirs.

The Iraqis called themselves the Local Committee; Captain Richards dubbed them the Kit Carson scouts.

“It is the only way that we can keep Al Qaeda out,” said Captain Richards, who operates from a former Iraqi police station in the Buhritz sector of the city that still bears the sooty streaks from the day militants set it aflame last year.

The American military has struggled for more than four years to train and equip the Iraqi Army. But here the local Sunni residents, including a number of former insurgents from the 1920s Revolution Brigades, have emerged as a linchpin of the American strategy.

The new coalition reflects some hard-headed calculations on both sides. Eager for intelligence on their elusive foes, American officers have been willing to overlook the past of some of their newfound allies.

Many Sunnis, for their part, are less inclined to see the soldiers as occupiers now that it is clear that American troop reductions are all but inevitable, and they are more concerned with strengthening their ability to fend off threats from Sunni jihadists and Shiite militias. In a surprising twist, the jihadists — the Americans’ most ardent foes — made the new strategy possible. Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, a predominantly Iraqi organization with a small but significant foreign component, severely overplayed its hand, spawning resentment by many residents and other insurgent groups.

Imposing a severe version of Islamic law, the group installed its own clerics, established an Islamic court and banned the sale of cigarettes, which even this week were nowhere to be found in the humble shops in western Baquba to the consternation of patrolling Iraqi troops.

The fighters raised funds by kidnapping local Iraqis, found accommodations by evicting some residents from their homes and killed with abandon when anyone got in their way, residents say. A small group of bearded black-clad militants took down the Iraqi flag and raised the banner of their self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq.

“They used religion as a ploy to get in and exploit people’s passions,” said one member of the Kit Carson scouts, who gave his name as Haidar. “They were Iraqis and other Arabs from Syria, Afghanistan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. They started kicking people out of their houses and getting ransom from rich people. They would shoot people in front of their houses to scare the others.”

Collaborations like the one with the scouts in Baquba are slowly beginning to emerge in other parts of Iraq. In Baquba they face some notable obstacles, primarily from the Shiite-dominated provincial and Baghdad ministries that are worried about American efforts to rally the Sunnis and institutionalize them as a security force.

But with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s government showing scant progress toward political reconciliation and the American military eager to achieve a measure of stability before its elevated troop levels begin to shrink, American commanders appear determined to proceed with this more decentralized strategy — one that relies less on initiatives taken by Iraqi leaders in Baghdad and more on newly forged coalitions with local Iraqis.

A West Point graduate, Idaho native and former Mormon missionary who worked for two years with Chinese immigrants in Canada, Captain Richards commands Bronco Troop, First Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment. When the 31-year-old officer was first sent to Buhritz in mid-March as part of a battalion-size task force, he encountered a deeply entrenched foe who numbered in the thousands.

Many of the members of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia were ensconced in a sprawling palm grove-laden sanctuary south of Baquba and east of the Diyala River. The area, which is still under the group’s control, is still so replete with arms caches, insurgent leaders, fighters and their supporters that American soldiers have taken to calling it the Al Qaeda Fob, or forward operating base in American military jargon.

The insurgents also had a firm grip on the city, the provincial capital of Diyala, which Abu Musab al-Zarqawi made the center of his self-styled Islamic caliphate before he was killed in an airstrike near Baquba last year. The key supply and communications lines between the insurgents’ rural staging area and the city ran through the Buhritz, making it vital ground for Al Qaeda.

The militants’ hold on the region was facilitated, senior American officers now acknowledge, by American commanders’ decision to draw down forces in the province in 2005 in the hopes of shifting most of the responsibility for securing the region onto the Iraqis. That strategy backfired when the Iraqi authorities appointed overly sectarian Shiite army and police regional commanders, alienating the largely Sunni population, and otherwise showed themselves unable to safeguard the area.

“Up until Captain Richards went in and met the 1920s guys, we fought,” recalled Lt. Col. Mo Goins, the commander of the First Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, which held the line in Baquba until reinforcements began to arrive in March. “That is what we did. Small arms. Mortars. I.E.D’s.”

Captain Richards’s soldiers arrived in Buhritz in mid-March as part of a battalion-sized operation. Unlike many earlier operations, the Americans showed up in force and did not quickly withdraw. The residents saw an opportunity to challenge Al Qaeda, and for a week, the two sides battled it out in the streets.

Initially, the Americans stood on the sidelines, concerned that they might be witnessing a turf fight among insurgents and militias. “We were not sure what was going on,” Captain Richards recalled. “We were not sure we could trust the people not to turn on us afterwards.”

But after the militants gained the upper hand and more than 1,000 residents began to flee on foot, the Americans moved to prevent the militants from establishing their control throughout the neighborhood. The soldiers called in an airstrike, which demolished a local militant headquarters.

The meeting between the residents and the Americans was Abu Ali’s initiative. The locals wanted ammunition to carry on their fight. Captain Richards had another proposal: the residents should tip off the Americans on which Iraqis belonged to Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia and where they had buried their bombs.

At first, no more than a dozen of the several hundred Sunnis who were taking on the militants served as Kit Carson scouts, but they made a vital difference. Unlike Anbar Province, where the American military has formed similar alliances, Diyala lacks a cohesive tribal structure. Nor did another Sunni insurgent group, the 1920s Revolution Brigades, deliver fighters en masse.

Even so, some of the main obstacles that the Americans have faced in institutionalizing the arrangement with the scouts have come from the United States’ ostensible allies in the Iraqi government. According to Captain Richards, the provincial police chief, Maj. Gen. Ghanen al-Kureshi, repeatedly resisted efforts to hire the local Sunnis.

Captain Richards rejected a group of Shiite police recruits from Baghdad, fearing they might be penetrated by Shiite militias. Determined to get his scouts hired, he loaded 50 scouts and other residents on his Stryker vehicles and drove them to the provincial headquarters over the insurgent-threatened roads.

Today, the police number only 170, a fraction of the police force in adjoining areas. The small police force, made up of scouts and Sunni residents, was provided with only two trucks, seven radios and a paltry supply of ammunition that the Sunni residents have managed to supplement by buying ammunition on the black market from corrupt Interior Ministry officials in Baghdad. Another 150 scouts participate as unpaid monitors in a neighborhood watch program to guard key routes in and out of the area that Captain Richards oversees.

“The people in the community think that he is actively trying to prevent the Buhritz police from establishing themselves because the Shia government does not want a legitimate Sunni security force in Diyala Province,” Captain Richards said, referring to General Ghanen, the provincial police chief.

Colonel Goins had a more charitable view of the provincial chief’s actions, saying that he was coping with personnel and weapons shortages, as well as Interior Ministry guidance to build up the force in other areas. “Right now, his resources are extremely limited,” Colonel Goins said.

The new police and neighborhood watch monitors appear to work well with the local Iraqi Army unit and police officials. But a local Iraqi Army commander expressed doubts that the scouts, in uniform or not, amounted to a disciplined, military unit that could take and hold ground.

During a quick visit to two villages, Guam and Abu Faad, the Americans and their Iraqi allies tried to persuade welcoming but still wary residents that they needed to overcome their fears of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia and provide tips for their own security.

The American military is trying to expand the alliance into the western sector of the city, which a Stryker brigade recently wrested back from Qaeda militants. During the recent American assault in the western sector, soldiers from Blackhawk Company got a glimpse of an alliance the Americans hope to see. An Iraqi seemingly emerged from nowhere, announced himself as a member of the 1920s Revolution Brigades and warned the soldiers that insurgents could be found on the far side of a sand berm around the corner. The tip was accurate.

Wild Thing's comment...........

This is long but very interesting and informative.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:40 AM | Comments (8)

June 30, 2007

Checking In With Our Troops

Spreading good will - Staff Sgt. Joe Filipek and other members of the U.S. Central Air Forces expeditionary band "Thunder Roll" feed infants during a visit to an orphanage near Camp Lemonier, Djibouti. The band was visiting the area for a five-day concert tour. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)

06/27/07 - U.S. Army Soldiers secure the area surrounding a fire burning within the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment's command point area at Forward Operating Base Warhorse in Iraq June 27, 2007. DoD photo by Senior Airman Steve Czyz, U.S. Air Force.

Welcome to the Air Force - Cadet 2d Class Carl Gatwald inspects basic cadet trainees as they inprocess as the Class of 2011 June 28 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. The 1,304 members of the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 2011 arrived to inprocess and begin basic cadet training here. (U.S. Air Force photo/David Armer)

06/26/2007 - Mounted Patrol - U.S. Army Pfc. Arthur Wallace, a soldier from Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, secures communications equipment to the front of his vehicle with zip ties after a mounted patrol near the village of Mostowfi, Afghanistan, June 4, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Justin Holley

OAK HARBOR, Wash. (June 28, 2007) - An A-6 Intruder is lowered by a crane into place at the gateway display on Highway 20 at the north end of the city. More than 50 Sailors and civilians from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island volunteered their time to rehabilitate and paint the aircraft for its use as a display. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bruce McVicar

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (6)

June 26, 2007

In Country Outback Treats Our Troops and Torture House Found in Baqubah

A sign proclaiming Outback Steakhouse is displayed at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, June, 2007 For one night U.S. Army Soldiers at the base were treated to food from the restaurant. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Clifton)

Troops Find Execution House, Illegal Prison in Baqubah
DOD

BAQUBAH, Iraq, June 25, 2007 – Iraqi security forces and Task Force Lightning soldiers discovered an execution house and an illegal prison in the Baqubah neighborhood of Khatoon yesterday during the sixth day of Operation Arrowhead Ripper.
The two buildings were in the same area as a torture chamber and illegal courthouse linked to al Qaeda, which were found on the fourth and fifth day of the operation, officials said.

Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, discovered the execution house using information from local citizens, who said it had been used by al Qaeda. Soldiers searching the house found five bodies buried in the yard behind the building and bloody clothes in several rooms inside it.

Located nearby, a house had been converted into an illegal prison, with several numbered rooms and bars covering the building's windows. Several blindfolds were found inside.

Elsewhere in Baqubah, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, identified a house that was filled with explosives and had been booby-trapped. The soldiers cleared the area and destroyed the house through the use of attack aircraft and indirect fire.

"The fact that we continue to find these booby-trapped houses filled with explosives and torture chambers only reaffirms that al Qaeda has no regard for the safety and welfare of the people of Baqubah. They only want to see death and destruction," said Army Col. Gary Patton, chief of staff for Task Force Lightning.

Iraqi and coalition forces also discovered 10 weapons caches throughout Baqubah yesterday. These included four anti-tank mines, three rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 18 rocket-propelled grenades with boosters, 13 AK-47 assault rifles, nine hand grenades, two flak vests, thousands of rounds of ammunition and a box of al Qaeda propaganda.

Since the beginning of Operation Arrowhead Ripper, at least 58 al Qaeda operatives have been killed, 60 have been detained, 23 weapons caches have been discovered, 52 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed, and 17 booby-trapped structures have been destroyed.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (8)

June 25, 2007

In Country With Our Troops At FOB Kalsu and Al Asad

Two of the New Orleans Saintsations sign the shirt of San Juan, Puerto Rico, native, Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Cortes, Company A, 725th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, during their visit to Forward Operating Base, Iraq, June 23. (Photo by Sgt. Marcus Butler)

One of the Saintsations hands back a group photo signed by all of the Saintsations after their performance June 23 during their visit to Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq. (Photo by Sgt. Marcus Butler)

Saintsations sensational at FOB Kalsu
By Sgt. Marcus Butler, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division

KALSU, Iraq – The New Orleans Saintsations were able to spread some cheer during their visit to Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, June 23.

The Saintsations partook in a meet-n-greet as well as performed a variety of dance routines and audience participation skits.

Arriving that morning, the Saintsations began their visit by walking around FOB Kalsu talking and joking with the servicemembers before their show began.

“We are so honored to be here today to perform for you,” said Dianne, one of the Saintsations. “We came here to support you, our troops, to show you that we love and appreciate everything that you do for us.”

“This event was a great morale booster for everyone,” said Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Cortes, 725th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division and San Juan, Puerto Rico, native. “From start to finish, the show was awesome, especially when the Saintsations called up people to dance.”

After the show, the Saintsations posed for photos and all sat down and signed pictures, calendars and even t-shirts to show the Soldiers how much they care.

“All of the Saintsations that visited FOB Kalsu came on their own accord. There was no one forcing them to come here, they all volunteered,” said Capt. Michael Schulte, 725th BSB, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.

To thunderous applause, the Saintsations exited stage left leaving behind wonderful memories and smiles on the crowd’s faces.

Cpl. Tom Mitsch, a powerline mechanic with Marine Attack Squadron 231, sands the blades on the intake of an AV-8B “Harrier” belonging to the “Ace of Spades” on the Al Asad flight line.

Story and photo by Cpl. Zachary Dyer
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (FWD)

AL ASAD — A Marine on the ground in Iraq needs to be able to count on a friend or two. He has the Marine to the right, but he also has Marines flying a few thousand feet over head that he can count on.

The Marines of Marine Attack Squadron 231, known as the “Ace of Spades,” are making sure they do everything they can to provide the Marines outside the wire with the close air support they need.

Flying AV-8B “Harriers,” the Aces have been supporting their fellow Marines since they arrived aboard Al Asad in the middle of March.

“The Harrier’s role is to provide close air support to the Marines on the ground,” said Maj. Mark Riedy, the Aces’ executive officer. “Recently things have quieted down, so when we go out there we’re searching various points for enemy activity, suspicious activity, (Improvised Explosive Devices) and those types of things. We pass that information along to the Marines on the ground, and then if we have troops in contact we are there to support them.”

Since their arrival, the Aces have succeeded in adapting to the deployed environment and fulfilling their mission, according to Lt. Col. Brian Annichiarico, the VMA-231 commanding officer.

“I think the Marines have done fantastic,” said Annichiarico, a Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., native. “This is the first squadron deployment in a few years, and everybody was chomping at the bit to come. We tried to prepare them mentally as much as we could to come over here, and they have far exceeded my expectations. They’re just phenomenal.”

Previously, the Aces have deployed with Marine Expeditionary Units, and there are stark differences between a deployment with a MEU and a deployment as a whole squadron to Iraq.

Besides flying off a 13,000 foot runway instead of the flight deck of a ship, and the extreme heat, the Aces had to adjust to an increased operational tempo. The pilots of VMA-231 have flown an average of 40 hours per month during their deployment, which is about four times what they would fly back in the states, according to Riedy, an Allentown, Pa., native.

The Aces have flown almost 1,700 hours and have supported over 940 joint tactical air requests since they deployed to Al Asad.

Both Annichiarico and Riedy say they are proud of the way their Marines have adapted to their new environment and their new deployment.

“As long as they see us launching and dropping ordnance and coming back, they stay pretty motivated,” said Riedy. “We’ve been trying to make a habit out of telling them what we’re doing, showing them maps, showing them areas that we’re going to. Telling them that it’s not just about dropping bombs, that we’re out there providing support to the Marines.

It is not the work of just a few Marines that has made the squadron successful in Iraq, but the efforts of every person that allows the Aces to do what they do best, according to Annichiarico.

“You have a circle out there, and anywhere you touch the circle something will break down,” said Annichiarico. “If a maintainer doesn’t fix a jet or a helicopter, then that helicopter or jet can’t fly, and the guys on the ground don’t get the support. If they guys on the ground don’t get the support they need, then there may be additional risks that you accept, and so on and so forth. It never ceases to amaze me how that whole chain works. The reason it works so well is because of the individual efforts of the Marines out there.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (10)

June 24, 2007

Heroes Interviews

Marine Corps Sgt.Maj. Bradley A. Kasal mp3 (4MB) - WDAY AM 970
Please CLICK link to listen to the fantastic interview. Thank you so much.

Thank you Sgt. Maj. Bradley Kasal.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)

In Country With The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

Wonderful video with great music and photos.
These are some of our Heroes, deployed to Mosul, Iraq, with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

Thank you Pfc. Bradley Clark for the link to your blog. And thank you for serving our country.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (2)

June 23, 2007

Checking In With Our Troops ~ Thank You!

An Afghanistan National Police Sergeant informs U.S. Army Capt. Aaron White, the Commander of Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, that he has two special agents that have gathered lots of information concerning the Taliban in the Ghazni province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Justin Holley

A cloud of smoke and dust envelopes U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael Mullahy seconds after he fired an AT-4 rocket launcher at an insurgent position during a firefight in Baghdad's Adhamiyah neighborhood June 16 which ended with one insurgent dead and three captured. Mullahy is a squad leader with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael Pryor

Lt. Col. Mark McCauley (from left), Col. Charles Smith and Maj. Mark Mitchum, pilots with the Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing walk to their respective F-16 Fighting Falcons June 20 for their final flight in that aircraft. Pilots from the 192nd are transitioning from the F-16 to the F-22 Raptor and belong to the first Air National Guard unit to fly the Raptor. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Rogers)

The Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing is the first Air National Guard unit in the country to fly the F-22 Raptor. The transition from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the F-22 took place June 20.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (9)

June 22, 2007

In Country with Operation Arrowhead Ripper

In Baqouba, 60 klicks northeast of Baghdad, American heroes valiantly begin the surge with Operation 'Arrowhead Ripper' isolating terrorists outside the city limits.10,000 soldiers, attack helicopters and armoured fighting vehicles began the offensive against al Qaeda. Today, at least 41 al Qaida terrorists were killed and several bomb and weapon caches destroyed.

In Baqouba, the start of the night air assault

US soldiers moving down a neighborhood street in Baquba, during Operation Arrowhead Ripper. At least 41 insurgents have been killed in the past two days by US-led troops in an assault on Al-Qaeda networks in the restive province of Diyala, northeast of Baghdad

In Baqouba, Sunni ‘militants’ pose for Reuters

Wild Thing's comment........

To our awesome troops we humbly thank you. To Reuters, nudge here for you, maybe if you had a gun along with your camera you could take out a few of the insurgents when they pose for you. I know I would be tempted to shoot them if I was a Reuters photographer. OOHRAH!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (7)

June 21, 2007

Marcus Luttrell Answers To ROE

RE: Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell
NRO
by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
Smith is a contributing editor for NavySEALs.com. A former U.S. Marine rifle squad leader, parachutist, and shipboard counterterrorism instructor, Smith writes about military/defense issues and has covered conflict in the Balkans, the West Bank, and Iraq.

The interview further down is from NRO and Smith is the interviewer.

Marcus Luttrell and his three buddies had to make an impossible decision. Afghani goat herders disrupted their secret mission to track a Taliban leader. Killing them would be a violation of the ROE (Rules of Engagement). Holding them would reveal their position. Letting them go would likely bring the Taliban upon them.

Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, and the desperate battle in the mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. But it is also, more than anything, the story of his teammates, who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left-blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers.

A six-foot-five-inch Texan, Leading Petty Officer Luttrell takes us, blow-by-blow, through the brutal training of America's warrior elite and the relentless rites of passage required by the Navy SEALs. He transports us to a monstrous battle fought in the desolate peaks of Afghanistan, where the beleaguered American team plummeted headlong a thousand feet down a mountain as they fought back through flying shale and rocks. In this rich , moving chronicle of courage, honor, and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers one of the most powerful narratives ever written about modern warfare-and a tribute to his teammates, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Luttrell, who’s riveting new book ‘Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10’ is fast top seller, talks to Breitbart.tv in front of the U.S. Capitol about courage, the consequence of decisions, and the meaning of his Navy Cross.

If you don't have trust in us as a military, as a fighting force, as special forces; then I don't understand why you would send us over there.
I use the analogy — and I'm not trying to insult anybody — but an interviewer asked me that same question; and I was like, 'Look, how long have you been married?'

He was like, 'ten years.'

I was like, 'Do I come into your bedroom and tell you how to make love to your wife? No I don't. Alright? I assume you know how to do it.'

I've been doing this [being a special operations warfighter] for a long time. So have the generals and the admirals and the colonels who tell me how to fight. So I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't come onto our battlefield and tell us how to win this war.

We know how to do it. It's our job.

If you're a politician, you deal with politics.

I'm a soldier. I deal with war.

Wild Thing's comment............

I agree let the soldier deal with war and stop messing with our troops missions, their minds and their morale.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (18)

June 19, 2007

Wounded Soldier Reaffirms Commitment To Fight

Private First Class Daniel Weber, cavalry scout, 2nd Platoon, Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment reenlists June 13 at the helicopter landing pad on Forward Operating Base Marez, Iraq. Just hours prior to Weber reenlisting, he was wounded in and improvised explosive device attack. (Photo by Ted Tae, Platoon Magazine)

Wounded Soldier reaffirms commitment to fight
By Pfc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq

Soldiers reenlist in the Army everyday, but for one Soldier with the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, reenlisting was an experience far from ordinary.

Frankenmuth, Mich., native, Pfc. Daniel Weber, cavalry scout, 2nd Platoon, Troop B, 1-9 Cav., reenlisted June 13 only hours after being involved in an improvised explosive device attack in Mosul, Iraq.

“I was planning on reenlisting that day for a while now,” said Weber. “Why should I let something like this change my mind?”

Weber’s company commander, Capt. Bradley Nelson, was in a convoy heading to Forward Operating Base Marez for a meeting and Weber just hitched a ride so he could reenlist.

“We were riding along just fine when we heard over the radio that Delta Troop was in some trouble, so we decided to turn around and help them out because we had a medic with us,” said Weber.

When the convoy had decided to turn around, Weber, along with his fellow Soldiers, was surprised at what happened next.

An improvised explosive device detonated right beside their vehicle.

The concussion of the blast rattled through the vehicle, blowing Weber out of the vehicle.

“I knew we got hit,” said Weber. “I thought I was dead. I slid on the concrete for at least 20 meters.”

As Weber lay on the ground his adrenaline began to take control of him.

“I couldn’t feel my legs, but I realized I had to stand up and get back to my truck for cover,” recalls Weber.

Weber ran over to his commander and helped him back into the vehicle and then recovered his driver’s weapon.

“The blast forced my door open all the way trapping the driver in the vehicle,” said Weber. “As I helped him fix the door I could feel my sleeve stick to my arm and that’s when I knew I was hurt.”

The convoy regrouped and rushed to an Iraqi military base nearby, where Weber was seen by U.S. Navy doctors.

“The docs thought my arm was broken but they weren’t sure, so they cleaned me up and rushed me over to the Iraqi troop medical center for an X-ray,” said Weber.

Weber’s X-ray came back negative.

Right after Weber received the results of his X-ray, Nelson told him that he could be on a flight to FOB Marez, if he still wanted to reenlist.

“My sergeant asked me if it was something I still wanted to do,” said Weber. “I want to re-up to get the guys that did this.”

After a short helicopter ride, Weber landed and reenlisted on the landing pad.

“After it was all done, everyone came up to me and thanked me for my service and reenlisting,” said Weber. “Colonel (Stephen) Twitty thanked me and then (Command) Sergeant Major (Stephan) Frennier gave me a coin and thanked me. After that (Lieutenant) Colonel (Keitron) Todd and (Command) Sergeant Major (William) Beever thanked me.”

Weber’s family might have mixed emotions about what happened, but they all share pride for him and what he is doing.

“My two brothers are in the military and both of them are extremely proud that I decided to reenlist,” said Weber. “My wife and mother were shocked and worried, but in the end, they are also very proud of me.”

Weber chose to reenlist for several reasons.

“My wife is going to school, so I wanted to stay in to help support her,” said Weber. “I also did it because I love my job and I love all the outstanding support I get from everyone.”

Weber reenlisted for six years.

Wild Thing's comment..............

Our country is blessed to have the best military in the world. Not only for our power which is awesome and our training which is extensive. But also because of the might of each and every one of our service members. The might, will, determinationi and love of their families and our country.

They want to be a part of making sure our country remains the land of the free and secure for their families, loved ones and for all. There is a special inner being that comes with those who serve, something those that say no to serving don't have. Something that sets them apart from all the rest.

We honor them and their service for we know without them and our Veterans from all the wars we would be nothing as a country and as a people.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (18)

June 18, 2007

Awesome Letter From The Desert ~ A Must Read

I recently attended a showing of "Superman 3" here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorioum we use for movies as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.

Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter as everyone sat down and expected the movie to start.

Here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier stood at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand Soldiers ..........

'...and the rockets red glare, bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?'

It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.

Chaplain Jim Higgins .
LSA Anaconda is at the Balad Airport in Iraq, north of Baghdad

Wild Thing's comment...........

This is from Letters from the Desert blog. I loved it, it was so touching and wanted to share it with you all.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)

In Country With Our Troops

FOB HAMMER

Following in your parents’ footsteps takes on new meaning for a 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat team Soldier.

Pfc. Stephanie McCulley, a combat medic with 3rd HBCT, from Uniontown, Pa., followed the steps of her grandfather, who raised her. They both served in the Army. They both served in combat, and they both earned a Bronze Star Medal as a private first class.

“My grandfather raised me,” said McCulley. “He was more of a dad than a grandfather. I lived with him and my grandmother from the age of 2 until I graduated high school.”

Ronald Jobes instilled a strong sense of patriotism in McCulley at a young age.

“He would always put up a flag for my grandmother on her birthday because it was the same day as Flag Day,” said McCulley. “I remember that he fell and broke some ribs twice, but he still did it. It was very important to him.”

The man who McCulley affectionately called “Pap Pap” is much more than a patriotic father figure, however.

During World War II, Jobes fought with the 398th Infantry Division in France. From January 1945 to March 1945, Jobes routinely volunteered for dangerous night patrols to hinder the Nazi defensive preparations in his sector. Jobes went out an average of three nights a week for three months. His service and commitment did not go unnoticed by his superiors. As a private first class, Jobes was awarded the Bronze Star for his exemplary performance in Eastern France.

“I didn’t even know I had been awarded the thing until I re-enlisted for my second tour,” said Jobes. “We didn’t have a formation or anything like that. We just did our duty as best we could. Every patrol was pretty much the same. I don’t recall any one time that I earned it, but they gave it to me.”

Sixty-two years later, Jobes’ granddaughter would earn the same award for her service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For McCulley, receiving the same award as her grandfather was a special moment.

“I think it is interesting that we both received our awards as privates first class,” said McCulley. “Col. (Wayne) Grigsby told me my grandfather would be proud after he pinned it on me. I couldn’t help but smile after that. “

While on a combat patrol with her platoon, the lead convoy vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. McCulley reacted instantaneously.

Leaving the safety of her humvee, she ran through the thick smoke with her section sergeant, Staff Sgt. Michael Henderson, from Vidor, Texas, to the disabled.

“I felt the IED before I heard it,” explained McCulley. “They train us to wait and let Soldiers bring the casualties to us, but I knew if anyone was alive in that truck; they were barely alive. I didn’t have time to wait. I didn’t feel much at the time. I just hopped out of our truck and ran to the truck.”

Henderson was not surprised to make it to the vehicle with McCulley by his side.

“She did what she was trained to do and then some,” said Henderson. “I knew she wouldn’t stay in the truck. That’s just the type of Soldier she is.”

Two of the three Soldiers in the vehicle were dead, but the third was alive.

Henderson and McCulley quickly freed him from the wreckage and went to work stabilizing the seriously wounded soldier.

“It’s important to remember that neither of them knew what was on the other side of that cloud,” said Capt. Steven Hemman, their team leader in the 3rd HBCT, from St. Louis. “Both of them could have run into small-arms fire or a secondary IED, but they didn’t think about that. Their only thought was getting to that vehicle and taking care of their battle buddies. I think that says something about them both.”

Hemman, who was there and nominated both Soldiers for the Bronze Star, was impressed with McCulley’s performance.

“I can’t say enough about how she performed,” he said. “I know without a doubt that if she had not performed how she did we would have lost three Soldiers that day.”

Sacrifices of a sole bread winner : Single father labors in Iraq for kids at home

By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - Nearly three years ago during his first tour to Iraq, things were a little different for Sgt. Chester Temple, a supply specialist for Battery A, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment.

He had a wife and twin premature babies to worry about - a boy, Trey, and girl, Abbey, who weighed just a little less than three pounds each and could fit in the palm of his hands.

Shortly after their birth, he had flown home to Fort Hood, Texas on emergency leave to see them for the first time but then had to return to Iraq. Later, when his tour was over in early 2005, his wife moved far away leaving him custody of the ailing twins. Eventually, a painful divorce left him a single father raising his children.

For his second deployment to Iraq, Temple had to leave his son and daughter in the care of his parents, who live in Killeen, Texas.

"The kids are doing really well now, they're nearly three years old and healthy," said Temple, who calls Fort Hood his home. "I had no worries leaving them with my parents. I'm glad to know that my babies are being taken care of."

He said he worried more when his children were younger and dealing with health issues. It's easier now.

"My son has become a chunk, getting big," Temple said. "His sister was always bigger than he was, but now he's outgrown her. But they're both healthy and happy."

Temple's father is a retired Soldier and his mother now works at home with her own business, processing physician's orders for nursing homes via computer. They are able to easily watch Abbey and Trey and take turns doing so, Temple said.

"My parents are great people. I was raised by the best," he said. "I really appreciate what they're doing for me and the sacrifices they're making at home. I've got pretty good kids and they're not that hard to manage," added Temple. "They're communicating well now and can tell you when they're hungry and thirsty."

"I also call them on the phone," he added. "They tell me they love me and miss me. Trey will usually tell me what he's watching on TV and Abbey will look at the phone trying to figure out how I got in there."

To stave off depression and keep his mind off his family, Temple said he often keeps himself busy so the time goes by quicker.

"The best thing to do is for me to engulf myself in my work," said Temple. "When I can't contain thinking about them, a telephone call always softens things up and makes it easier to cope. It can be lonely (without your family), but I joined the military for a sense of pride-my family heritage." Temple noted that not only did his father retire from the Army, but both of his grandfathers, most of his uncles and three brothers have all served in the military.

When he gets back home from this deployment, Temple said he has a lot of things he wants to do with his kids. Most of the things they like to do together involve being outdoors, but there is one special place he likes to take them.

"They love to look at the animals at the zoo in Waco," said Temple. "I plan on taking them first to the zoo and then out to eat."

For Father's Day this year, Temple said he hopes to convey a simple message to people who ask him why he's in Iraq when he could instead have chosen another career path that would have allowed him to have been home with his kids.

"I love this," he said. "Too often the American people as a whole forget the price that's been paid for freedom. They'll take the freedoms they have for granted and lay them by the wayside.

"People in Iraq have never had true freedom before, but you can see they love the taste of it," Temple said. "We're helping them to get those freedoms. Everybody needs to think about that, especially when so many people have laid their lives on the line for it."

Wild Thing's comment..........
Love it when we share the stories of our troops and how they are doing. Each one has their own story to tell. I am so proud of all of them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (2)

Iraqi Air Force Another Step Closer To Being On Their Own

Iraqi Air Force makes milestone landing at combat outpost

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Air Force landed a milestone mark towards independence Wednesday by flying an Iraqi government official to a combat outpost in east Baghdad.

A UH-1 Huey, flown by members of the Iraqi Air Force Military Transition Team flew Iraqi Minister of Defense Ali Allawi to Combat Outpost “Old Mod,” marking the first time an Iraqi aircraft has landed there.

The UH-1 Huey consisted of one Iraqi pilot, one American pilot and one American gunner, said U.S. Army Sgt. Class Eric D. Radecki, the operations noncommissioned officer-in-charge for the 1st Brigade, 11th Iraqi Army Division’s MiTT, which is comprised of members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

“Prior to this you’d see a lot of higher ranking Iraqis flying on American birds,” Radecki said. “Now that they’re flying on Iraqi aircraft, it’s one more step to doing things on their own, without our support.”

Wild Thing's comment........
Good and the more they do things themselves the better it is going to be. Our soldiers have worked very hard training them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)

June 12, 2007

A Very Special Thank you and Prayer for One of Our Own Here at TW

Congratulations to a brave man, one of the sons of a dear friend of our blog.

This is not just a blog but a little home online and we all take such pride and gratitude in those that are serving our country.

Here is the message from Rhod that I wanted to make sure you all got to see. It is also in the post about Special Forces but it might not be seen so I wanted to make sure you all got to see it.

Thank you Rhod and please let your son doing this know how proud of him we are and that our thoughts and prayers are with him every day.

Wild Thing

Thank you everyone. Of the 365 who applied, only 123 (I think) made the grade. His brother told me they covered about two hundred miles with ruck in the 28 day selection process.
Apparently names were called during the last formation, and those called retired to a room, where they believed the news would be a rejection.

Then the major cranked up Sadler's "Balland of the Green Berets" and there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

He's going to learn Arabic for his field of operations. Very troubling along with the pride.

Thanks to everyone once again. There isn't a guy or gal here who isn't a Special Force to me and to America. We're all part of this resistance. Every one of us.

Posted by: Rhod at June 11, 2007 06:40 PM

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (5)

June 10, 2007

Making of a Special Forces Soldier

CLICK above to WATCH Video

For over 40 years, Army Special Forces trainees have roamed the pine forests of central North Carolina in an elaborate and unusual military exercise known as Robin Sage. This final two-week test in a yearlong journey to receiving the trademark green beret requires the soldiers to recruit and train a guerrilla force.

They are in high demand not only in Iraq and Afghanistan but also for low-visibility missions in festering trouble spots around the world. They specialize in commando raids on terrorists, training foreign troops, and raising guerrilla forces.

Last year, the Pentagon rolled out a plan to add a total of 13,119 military and civilian personnel to the current force of 46,223 by 2013. That's a very tall order since the great majority of those who try out fail to pass the arduous training. It is a challenging task to quickly expand the country's most elite units—whose members are carefully chosen and groomed at great expense—without jeopardizing the force's high mental and physical capabilities.

While the training is physically demanding, the premium is on finding recruits with the right combination of mental and personality traits. Selection chief Maj. Ed Flick said a battery of psychological tests is administered, and the officers go through additional role-playing exercises to test recruits' reactions in different settings.

On a crisp morning, for instance, trainees awoke from a late-night march and four hours' sleep to be sent to the log pit, where they worked in teams to balance and maneuver telephone poles on command until they were exhausted. Instructors yelled at the laggards, the only time in the entire month when they receive such hectoring.

"Most often we want to see how they do with no feedback," Flick said, "because we are looking for people who can operate without constant guidance in uncertain environments."

Once selected, the soldiers are trained in special operations techniques. A course in survival, evasion, resistance, and escape is now mandatory for all trainees, instead of for just officers. The training includes prisoner and hostage situations.

For complete article you can go here, it is several pages long and really interesting.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (13)

June 09, 2007

F-15 Landing With Just One Wing ~ Awesome!

Check out this amazing account of an F-15 surviving a mid-air collision and then landing on just one wing!..........

This is awesome!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (4)

June 04, 2007

"We support the troops but not the mission" ~ See What Troops Think About This BS

NBC reporter embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq for 4 years asks them if they buy the "We support the troops but not the mission" mantra. The answer is "NO."

....Thank you to all our troops!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (3)

June 03, 2007

Every Friday in The Pentagon is Memorial Day ~ Media Won't Tell About This

Every Friday in The Pentagon is Memorial Day

God Bless ALL of you, & ALL WHO SERVE IN HARM'S WAY.
McClatchy Newspapers

This is written by Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a year tour of duty in Iraq and is now back at the Pentagon.

Here's Lt. Col. Bateman's account of a little-known ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday morning.

It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for America Web site.

"It is 110 yards from the "E" ring to the "A" ring of the Pentagon. This
section of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is
broad, and the lighting is bright. At this instant the entire length of the
corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all
crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands
here.

"This hallway, more than any other, is the `Army' hallway. The G3 offices
line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner. All Army. Moderate
conversations flow in a low buzz. Friends who may not have seen each other
for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew.
Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air
conditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this area.
The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares.

"10:36 hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of
the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the
building. This clapping is low, sustained, hearty. It is applause with a
deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the
hallway.

"A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in
the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the
first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are
still suppurating. By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a
private first class.

"Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as
they applaud, soldier to soldier. Three years ago when I described one of
these events, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The
applause a little wilder, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in
the burden ... yet.

"Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair,
also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the
sentiment. We have all been there now. The soldier's chair is pushed by, I
believe, a full colonel.

"Behind him, and stretching the length from Rings E to A, come more of his
peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field
grade officer.

"11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I
laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. `My hands hurt.'
Christ. Shut up and clap. For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has
come down this hallway - 20, 25, 30. Fifty-three legs come with them, and
perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts.

"They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a
private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the
generals. Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their
chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this
hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and
smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of
them seem amazed and are smiling shyly.

"There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her
19-year-old husband's wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband
is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never
shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps
more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given
on their son's behalf. No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is
ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger
wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd
have themselves been a part of this parade in the past.

"These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers,
and we welcome them home. This parade has gone on, every single Friday, all
year long, for more than four years." Did you know that? The media hasn't
told the story.

Wild Thing's comment............

With so much happening in our world and especially in our country it means even more to hear of things that show us once again why America is the land of the free and truly the home of the brave. This could be filed under little known facts and how sad that is that it is little known. No thanks to our media for being too busy telling us the latest on Paris Hilton instead of the remarkable men and women that serve our country.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (6)

June 02, 2007

U.S. Military Launches Strike Against Al Qaeda Target in Somalia

U.S. Military Launches Strike Against Al Qaeda Target in Somalia
Fox News

The U.S. military executed a strike against a suspected Al Qaeda target from a Naval warship off the coast of Somalia Friday, a U.S. official confirmed to FOX News.

It is not know whether the intended target(s) were hit.

This military action comes six months after the U.S. launched two airstrikes in the troubled East African nation against terror suspects sought in connection to the the 1998 Al Qaeda bombings of U.S. Embassies in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (3)

June 01, 2007

Basic Rifle Marksmanship

..........Thank you LLoyd

I love this!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (6)

May 31, 2007

Feel The Power Baby! OH Yeah!

US Navy ships in Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman

Navy ships in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman area. Scenes include aerial footage of individual and multiple ships in formation including the USS Stenis, USS Bonhomme Richard and USS Rushmore, helicopters flying with ships, and some interior footage looking out from inside the helicopters.

Posted by Wild Thing at 11:35 AM | Comments (6)

Child Seeks Protection Behind One of Our Soldiers

Potent symbols: Iraqi boy shelters behind U.S. soldier
Chicago Tribune

It’s a picture of the scene after a bombing in Baghdad yesterday. Adding to the chaos of the bombing which killed at least 21 people and injured at least 66 was a shooter, maybe targeting people in the crowd.

Amid all the Iraqis who are running from the gunfire was a U.S. soldier, standing tall, perhaps looking in the direction of the gunshots, not apparently looking for cover.

An Iraqi boy seeks shelter behind the soldier, a member of the 82nd Airborne Division.

Wild Thing's comment..........

The boy knows who will not kill him but will save him. This must disappoint the wishes of the cut and run crowd, to see one of our very brave soldiers standing tall and the child knowing where he can get behind him to be safe. God bless all our troops!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (7)

Army Paratroopers Share Thoughts On Surge

U.S. Army Spc. Antonio Garcia, from San Angelo, Texas, a paratrooper with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, pulls security while his platoon leader talks to the owner of a house during a cordon and search operation in Sha'ab, Baghdad, May 2007. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael Pryor

By Sgt. Michael Pryor
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division

BAGHDAD — In the first days after his battalion began operating in east Baghdad’s Sha’ab neighborhood, Capt. Will Canda said he often saw the beds of Iraqi police trucks stained red with dried blood.

“It was like they had just come from a butcher shop,” said Canda, a Westcliffe, Colo. native and commander of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment.

Like wagons rolling through plague-stricken villages in medieval times, the police trucks were being used to pick up the bodies of murder victims found littering the neighborhood.

That was in February, when Canda’s battalion became one of the first units to move into a battle space as part of Operation Fardh al Qanoon – which translated, means “enforcing the law” and is the name for the strategy to stabilize violence in Baghdad by pushing thousands of additional U.S. and Iraqi forces into the city’s neighborhoods.

Since then, troops have continued to pour in, dotting Baghdad with small outposts and joint security stations.

Top U.S. commanders have cautioned that any verdict on the overall success of the plan will have to wait until after all units are in place and conducting operations. But Canda and his paratroopers have been on the ground long enough to begin drawing their own conclusions.

Three months after they arrived in Sha’ab, the bodies are gone, the murders have stopped, and the neighborhood has come back to life, Canda said.

“It’s night and day from when we got here,” he said.

It’s an impressive claim considering the challenges facing the paratroopers when they first arrived here in early February.

One obvious problem was the sheer size of the region. The battalion’s area of operations comprises a huge section of east Baghdad, including the Sha’ab, Ur, and Sadr City neighborhoods.

Twenty percent of the city’s total population lives within this area of operation, said Maj. Trey Rutherford, the battalion’s operations officer. That equals out to a rough ratio of one paratrooper for every 26,000 Iraqis.

But the numbers weren’t the paratroopers’ only obstacle. They also faced an entrenched and hostile militia organization, an inefficient local government and a breakdown in essential services for the population.

None of these problems have been completely solved yet, Rutherford said.

“We’ve still got a ways to go,” he said.

But, he said, the accomplishments are already starting to pile up. The battalion has sent almost 200 criminals into the Iraqi justice system. People in the area are slowly beginning to look to the government for protection, rather than the militias. The economy is booming, thanks to improved protective measures at the markets. And the local government is starting to play a more active role, beginning at the neighborhood advisory council level, Rutherford said.

Most importantly, said Canda, security has improved. Life for the people of Sha’ab is returning to normal, to the way it was before the killing and bombings turned a walk to the market into a life or death gamble.

“I know that we’ve made a difference and made this area safer. Every time I go out, people tell me that,” said Spc. Herrick Lidstone, of Littleton, Colo., a radio operator with Bravo Company.

The battalion runs operations out of Coalition Outpost Callahan, a fortress-like building that was once an upscale shopping center. The place was empty and abandoned when the paratroopers arrived, but it’s now a constant blur of activity.

Day and night, the stairs are crowded with soldiers either on their way out on a mission or coming in from one. The whirring, clanging, hammering sounds of the motor pool continually echo through the COP as mechanics patch up damaged vehicles for the next patrol.

Each time the paratroopers leave the wire, the mission is different.

A typically hectic day might find them handing out Tylenol and tooth brushes at a medical assistance operation in the morning, doing detective work to track down members of a bomb-making cell in the afternoon, and kicking in doors on a full-combat raid at night.

“We ask them to do a thousand different things,” said Rutherford, “and we ask them to do it every single day.”

It’s a steep learning curve, said 1st Lt. Andrew Smith, a platoon leader with Charlie Company from Apopka, Fla.

“When I leave Iraq, I’ll have been a salesman, a cop, a politician, and a school principal,” Smith said.

Some of the paratroopers wish they could hand the “hearts & minds” missions off to some other unit.

“I didn’t sign up to hand out soccer balls,” said one sergeant.

But gaining the support of the population is the key to making the surge work, said Sgt. John Reed, a Bravo Company squad leader from Sanford, Fla. The people are the base that military, political, and economic progress has to be built on, he said.

“Without a base, without a foundation, you have nothing,” Reed said.

The results of the paratroopers’ efforts to engage the population are clearest during their daily patrols through the zigzagging streets of Sha’ab. Out on the streets, where people used to lock their doors in fright when Americans appeared, the paratroopers are now greeted warmly.

One afternoon 1st Lt. Rusty Bodine, of Fairfax, Va., was out trying to get residents to fill out an employment survey.

He knocked on one door and was welcomed in by the man of the house, who was dressed in a rumpled shirt and bare feet. He looked like he might have just woken up. While he looked at the survey, his sons brought out extra chairs and stools for the paratroopers to sit down.

While Bodine and the man talked, Reed and Sgt. Unberto Espinoza wandered into the next room. The man’s wife was there watching television surrounded by three of her children and several neighborhood kids. The kids swarmed around the two paratroopers, barraging them with questions.

“What is your name?” “Where is your home?” “You speak Arabic?”

Two teenage daughters peeked their heads out from behind a curtain, then disappeared again, giggling, when the paratroopers looked back. Stools and chairs were brought out, then cups of tea. When one of the paratroopers took out a picture of his baby son, the whole family passed it around, each one giving it a little kiss.

When it was time to leave, the family asked the paratroopers to come back the next day. They waved from the doorstep as the trucks drove away.

Inside the Humvees, everyone was feeling good. At more and more houses, they were getting similar receptions. Each one was a little victory for the paratroopers, who had worked hard to bring the people to their side.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Stories like this the Media and the liars about our troops would rather die then tell us about. Stories of the success of our troops no matter how big or small, or how many times our troops WIN battles, take caches of weapons and capture insurgents is just too much for our terrorist loving Media to admit to. And God forbid people like Pelosi, Reid and Murtha etc. would tell about these things when they go on political talk shows to push THEIR agenda of how we cannot win and never will.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (8)

May 29, 2007

God Bless Chief Warrant Officer Jim Funk

Chief Warrant Officer Jim Funk, an Iowa National Guard Black Hawk helicopter pilot from Ames, has been serving in Iraq since October. He wrote a letter to friends and family blasting American media coverage of the war.

Carlson: Shift news to successes in Iraq, soldier urges
JOHN CARLSON'S IOWA
Des Moines Register

A tired and disgusted Iowa soldier fired off an e-mail a few days ago, telling family and friends how things are going in Iraq.

A Blackhawk helicopter pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Jim Funk has flown more than 80 combat missions since he arrived there in October.

He described his Boone-based unit's successes after 5,000 hours of flying out of LSA Anaconda, a huge American base north of Baghdad. He talked about the tragedies he and his fellow Iowans have witnessed and his worries of becoming complacent as he goes on mission after mission.

Morale?

"We're treading water," the Ames man told the people closest to him. "We continue to kick butt on missions and take care of each other, even though we know the American public and government DOES NOT stand behind us.

Ohhhh, they all say they support us, but how can you support me (the soldier) if you don't support my mission or my objectives. We watch the news over here. Every time we turn it on we see the American public and Hollywood conducting protests and rallies against our 'illegal occupation' of Iraq."

His greatest frustration? The performance of the people who deliver the news to the American people.

I'll let him say it, in his own words, in the letter, which found its way to me:

"Hello media, do you know you indirectly kill American soldiers every day? You inspire and report the enemy's objective every day. You are the enemy's greatest weapon. The enemy cannot beat us on the battlefield so all he does is try to wreak enough havoc and have you report it every day. With you and the enemy using each other, you continually break the will of the American public and American government.

"We go out daily and bust and kill the enemy, uncover and destroy huge weapons caches and continue to establish infrastructure. So daily we put a whoopin on the enemy, but all the enemy has to do is turn on the TV and get re-inspired. He gets to see his daily roadside bomb, truck bomb, suicide bomber or mortar attack. He doesn't see any accomplishments of the U.S. military (FOX, you're not exempt, you suck also).

"Let's give you an example. A couple of days ago we conducted an air assault. We lifted troops into an area for an operation. The operation went well and our ground troops killed (insurgents) and took several prisoners, freed a few hostages and uncovered a weapons cache containing munitions and chemicals that were going to be used in improvised bombs.

"The next morning I woke up and turned on AFN (Armed Forces Network) and watched the nightly news (NBC). Nothing, none of that reported. But the daily car bomb report was reported, and the file footage was not even from the event. There was a car bomb in the Sadr City area and your news report showed old car bomb footage from another part of town from some other time.

"So we really set the enemy back that night but all the enemy had to do was turn on the news and be reassured that the enemy's agenda (objective) was still going to be fed to the American public.

"We, the soldiers, keep breaking the back of the enemy. You, the media, keep rejuvenating the enemy.

"How hard would it be to contact the PAO (public affairs officer) of the 1st CAV, 36th CAB, 25th ID or the Marines and ask what did you guys accomplish today - good and bad? How about some insurgent blooper videos? Now that would be something to show on the evening news.

"Media, we know you hate the George Bush administration, but report both sides, not just your one-sided agenda. You have got to realize how you are continually motivating every extremist, jihadist and terrorist to continue their resolve to kill American soldiers."

It's a punch in the nose to the news media from Funk, 39, a full-time employee of the Iowa National Guard.

Why did he write it?

"I am just tired of busting my butt over here and coming home every night and turning on the TV (Armed Forces Network) and hearing how we are failing miserably," he told me in an e-mail.

You may agree with what Funk has to say. You may not.

Many in my business certainly won't. But Funk is a soldier, fighting a war, who has earned the right to be heard.

.....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.

Wild Thing's comment......

Just a thank you to Jim Funk from me. Thank you for serving our country and thank you for saying what had to be said.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (6)

May 27, 2007

Turning a Battle Into a War Crime

Turning a Battle Into a War Crime
by Harold C. Hutchison
May 24, 2007

One of the dirty little secrets about recent claims of massacres is that all too often, they really are not massacres. The latest case of this now appears to be Haditha, with testimony now emerging that shows that at least eight of the 24 "victims" were armed terrorists. If so, Haditha would have more in common with the 2002 battle of Jenin (also claimed to be a massacre) than it does with My Lai.

The efforts to falsely claim a massacre occurred in Jenin are instructive. After the 2002 battle, the Palestinian Authority claimed a massacre had occurred. The mainstream media and human rights groups quickly echoed their claims. However, further investigations showed that not only had the body count been exaggerated, but that most of those confirmed killed were, in fact, terrorists and not civilians.

In the case of Haditha, the testimony from an intelligence officer and a liaison officer that at least eight of the dead were terrorists calls into question the claims of a massacre and cover-up. In this case, it seems that the civilians' deaths may have been part of a firefight that resulted after an ambush. The initial Haditha investigations uncovered some apparent discrepancies in the Marines' stories, and a criminal investigation by NCIS was launched. This, and claims from human rights groups in the media, led to some criminal charges being filed earlier this year.

In this day and age, it doesn't take long for a misleading story to spread out. In 2005, Newsweek reported that guards at Guantanamo Bay flushed a Koran down a toilet, triggering riots that led to a number of injuries and deaths. Earlier that year, the false claims were about torture at the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, most notably in a speech by Senator Richard Durbin on the Senate floor. In both cases, the charges were investigated. In both cases, the claims proved to have little, if any, bearing to what really happened.

As was the case with Jenin, many of the claims of torture were found to be generally unfounded, and in the few cases where lines were crossed, corrective action had been taken, in some cases immediately (one such case involved an interrogator who smeared a detainee with red ink after that detainee spat on her). Worse, the lies were already spread around by the time the truth was determined and not reported.

If the testimony about Haditha bears out, then it will just be the latest example of media misreporting. At that point, though, the real cover-up will begin. Very little, if any, effort will be made to correct the record. Politicians like John Murtha, who repeated the most inflammatory charges, will get a pass. The troops are able to fight the terrorists, and usually win. Fighting false accusations from terrorists that get repeated by the media, human rights groups, and politicians is much harder. The worst thing about this is that the myth of the "Haditha massacre" will be used to by various terrorist groups for recruiting, and the new recruits mean that there is a greater chance that troops will get killed.

Wild Thing's comment.......

This is an excellent article and I agree so much with what he said. Too many jumped the gun, with an anxious heart to lay into our awesome troops. I have to wonder more about THEIR support for our military then I wonder about if our troops did something wrong or not. This is freaking WAR! And I am totally sick and tired of people judging every breath our soldiers take, every move they make and every shot that is fired.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (6)

May 24, 2007

Our Awesome Troops in the Gulf of Oman

US issues nuclear warning to Iran as armada enters Gulf

USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Gulf of Oman.

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), USS Nimitz (CVN 68), and USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) strike groups

Guided-missile destroyer USS O'Kane (DDG 77) steams through the Gulf of Oman while an SH-60H Seahawk, from the Eightballers of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 8, moves into position

US issues nuclear warning to Iran as armada enters Gulf

afp.com
The United States threatened new UN sanctions to punish Iran's nuclear drive as it ratcheted up tensions with the biggest display of naval power in the Gulf in years.

A bristling US armada led by two aircraft carriers steamed into waters near Iran for exercises Wednesday, hours before UN watchdogs said Iran was expanding its uranium enrichment program in defiance of international sanctions.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran continues to enrich uranium -- which can provide fuel for civilian reactors but also make nuclear bombs.

That prompted warnings from US officials of further UN punishment unless Iran curtails its nuclear development -- which the Islamic republic insists is devoted to civilian energy.

"Iran is once again thumbing its nose at the international community," US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said, even as US and Iranian envoys prepared for historic talks on Iraqi security in Baghdad next Monday.

Iran denied obstructing IAEA inspections, but White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the report by the United Nations atomic watchdog was damning.

The IAEA assessment "is a laundry list of Iran's continued defiance of the international community and shows that Iran's leaders are only furthering the isolation of the Iranian people," he said.

The US Navy said the Gulf exercises were not directed at Iran but Mustafa Alani, senior analyst with the UAE-based Gulf Research Center, said it was no coincidence the powerful flotilla arrived on the day of the IAEA report.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (9)

May 23, 2007

Underwater Warriors / Deeper Waters

Underwater Warriors is a foundation, which provides a powerful alternative of rehabilitation to our wounded soldiers through SCUBA.

This video takes place off the coast of the serene tropical Island of Cayman Brac. You will see the beauty and continued courage of our wounded heroes as they move forward with confidence and wonder in the freedom they find beneath the sea.

You will also see a sculpture of the mythical world of the sunken city of Atlantis as envisioned by local Cayman Brac artist, "Foots", which provides a healthy environment for new coral growth and marine life.

You will also see a sunken Russian Frigate, which was exciting to explore with the soldiers. Famed underwater photographer Lawson Wood took all these photos.

" I am so proud to have been chosen to be the spokesperson for the Underwater Warriors Foundation. If you are interested in further information on the Underwater Warriors foundation, please visit "....www.underwaterwarriors.org

Wild Thing's comment......

Greaty video and wonderful photography.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)

May 21, 2007

In Country with AH-1 Cobra in Combat Iraq

Awesome Gun Cam Footage!!

1LTCobraPilot:

"All this footage is either from my personal camera I had in Iraq, and recorded footage from the Cobra I was flying that records use of the weapons system. With the exception of the brief CNN footage about the battle of Tikrit which I played a major role in. I flew with the Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 269. Semper Fi!"

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (5)

Soldiers Perform Own ‘extreme makeover’

Pvt. Ramon Negron, artilleryman, 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, pulls guard at Forward Operating Base Gains Mills, Kirkuk, Iraq

Soldiers perform own ‘extreme makeover’

Story and Photos by
Spc. Mike Alberts
3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

The military transition team Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, commenced their own extreme makeover of remote Forward Operating Base Gains Mills located in the northern Kirkuk Province, Iraq.

3-7’s modest MiTT of fewer than 20 Soldiers shares Gains Mills with the Iraqi Army’s 1st Strategic Infrastructure Brigade whose job it is to protect Kirkuk’s valuable oil infrastructure, among other things. Soldiers live and work with their 1st SIB counterparts to more effectively mentor and train them.

“When we got down here last August, Gains Mills was maybe 200 meters in each direction,” said Sgt. 1st Class David Noel, non-commissioned officer-in-charge MiTT life support, 3-7 FA. “The previous group had four people in living spaces designed for two, an underground septic tank that didn’t work, [bacteria-laden] water that really wasn’t fit to shower in, and practically no gym,” said Noel.

Noel, a Philadelphia, Pa., native, is a veteran of a previous combat tour in Afghanistan with 3-7 FA. There, he tolerated living in a mud and straw hut without laundry or showers. This time around, though, he was the one responsible for ensuring that Soldiers had adequate “life support” while at war. Noel refused to allow his Soldiers to live like he had.

“The first four months here we had everybody up everyday [from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.] working on improving this place,” he said. “It was tough, but thanks to our Soldiers the hard work paid off.”

“We more than doubled the FOB in terms of physical size and constructed a bunk house and additional rooms so that every Soldier has his own living quarters. We re-routed septic piping and flow equipment to make the showers run well. We added two 10,000 gallon fiberglass containers and deviated existing well-water into these containers for clean showers. We replaced all hot water tanks and gravity feed tanks to virtually eliminate all sorts of mild preventable medical problems like rashes. We also added heaters and ventilation for the bathrooms.”

Of course, no FOB would be tolerable with an adequate gym. Noel’s team transformed a dark 20 by 20 foot room that masqueraded as gym space to three interconnected workout spaces that include a weightlifting room containing five different weight lifting units and dozens of dumbbells, a cardio room with four cardio machines and a matted grappling room.

“Life and living conditions here at Gains Mills are considerably better than Afghanistan,” said Capt. Thomas Mears, MiTT assistant team chief, 3-7 FA. Mears, also a combat veteran, recalled much rougher times during his previous deployment.

“In Afghanistan, living conditions were really bad and so was communication with family. I remember that we had three phones for almost 450 Soldiers and just a couple computers. Here, we have the ability to call home without much waiting, and internet capability. We now also actually have flushing toilets and a shower trailer.”

But it’s not only the seasoned Soldiers that appreciate the niceties of Gains Mills. Private Ezequiel Widrick is on his first combat tour. Widrick, a Texas native, is a field artilleryman that is currently tasked to assist with security.

“Being here is good. I really appreciate the support we get from home and from our leaders here,” said Widrick. “Its very comfortable down here and most of that is because our leaders care about us and because we’ve got a lot of good non-commissioned officers.”

Wild Thing's comment......

Our troops are just so awesome. They deserve the best we can givei them and do for them. I pray so hard our country would know in their heart how much we should appreciate all our military does. Stop the bickering from the left and sign anything and put it through asap that helps our troops. Do everything they can to provide for our military all they need for as long as they need it and afterward too when they come home.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM

May 15, 2007

Three Of Our Soldiers Missing and Updates

UPDATES: see below

5 U.S. Soldiers Dead, 3 Missing After Attack in Iraq's 'Triangle of Death'
Fox News

BAGHDAD — U.S. and Iraqi troops searched house-to-house and combed fields with their bare hands Saturday after American troops and their Iraqi interpreter came under attack in the notorious "triangle of death" south of Baghdad, leaving five dead and three missing.

The military said the patrol was struck in a pre-dawn explosion near Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad -- an Al Qaeda area where two U.S. soldiers were found massacred after disappearing at a checkpoint nearly a year ago.

An emergency response unit arrived at the scene and found five members of the team dead and three others missing.

UPDATE:

al-Qaida Says It Has Missing U.S. Troops

BAGHDAD - Thousands of U.S. soldiers searched Sunday for three Americans who were missing after their patrol came under attack in an explosion that killed four of their comrades and an Iraqi army translator.

The Islamic State in Iraq, an al-Qaida front group, said it had captured several soldiers in the attack, but offered no proof to back up its claim, posted on an Islamic Web site.

On Sunday, U.S. spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell confirmed that the Iraqi interpreter was among the dead _ and that all the missing were Americans. He said about 4,000 U.S. troops were involved in the search.

"Everybody is fully engaged, the commanders are intimately focused on this, every asset we have from national assets to tactical assets ... are being used ... to locate these three missing soldiers," Caldwell said

UPDATE: May 15th

Iraqi Terror Group Warns U.S. to Stop Search for Missing GIs

BAGHDAD — An Al Qaeda front group that claims it has captured American soldiers warned the United States on Monday to stop searching for them.

The U.S. military also said for the first time it believes the three missing soldiers were abducted by Al Qaeda-linked militants after an attack that included three roadside bombs.

"What you are doing in searching for your soldiers will lead to nothing but exhaustion and headaches. Your soldiers are in our hands. If you want their safety, do not look for them," the Islamic State of Iraq said on a militant Web site.

Wild Thing's comment..........

Please pray for these missing soldiers and all of our troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (17)

May 14, 2007

A Nose for Patriotism

An aging Iowa Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker, displaying patriotic nose art, is about to retire. The KC-135, assigned to the 185th Air Reserve Wing in Sioux City, was flown to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., where the aircraft will be officially retired. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot)

Wild Thing's comment.........

I have always loved nose art, when I saw this I wanted to show it to you.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)

May 11, 2007

Bombed-out Building Has New Mission ~“Hell Raiser’s Hideout”

Pvt. Richard Gray (left) of Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, Pfc. David Flores of Company C, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, prepare to square off during the “Black Jack Boxing Fight Night Tournament” May 5, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Robert Yde.

Bombed-out building has new mission
By Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim
2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE UNION III

In the movie, Field of Dreams, it was the words, “If you build it, they will come,” that motivated a farmer to build a baseball field in an Iowa corn field.

As Spc. Timothy Dunbar, of Lowell, Mass., looked out onto a bombed-out floor of the former Ba’ath Party Headquarters, just outside his bedroom window, those similar words rang through his head.

Just days before christening a boxing ring that’ll be used for the first-ever, “Black Jack Fight Night,” Dunbar and a few other soldiers put some finishing touches on a boxing ring they built for the tournament.

They dubbed the location, “Hell Raiser’s Hideout,” and during the upcoming boxing smoker, soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment and 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, both units with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, will square off in the ring.

“Several months ago, the battalion commander and I talked about hosting a boxing smoker,” said Miami native Command Sgt. Maj. Calvin Morman, 3-82nd FA’s top noncommissioned officer. “After our conversation, my response was, ‘Roger Sir, I got it.’ Because of the (operational tempo) of the battalion’s mission and the troop surge, time passed. Out of the blue, the brigade asked us to host a boxing smoker with one of our sister battalions, 4-9 Cav.”

According to Dunbar, Morman asked him to do some research on boxing ring dimensions. He went online to find out what the dimension should be and put it on paper. Later, he offered up his services in building the ring.

“Originally, it was just going to be some wood and rope,” he said. “From there, we got a great welder and started putting it together in little pieces. From that, we just kept adding and adding details … even the lights above.”

Dunbar and his roommate, Pfc. Justin Netherland, of Hamburg, Miss., both have backgrounds in boxing. They used to train and fight in the “Golden Gloves” amateur level during their youth. Two other Pfcs., Timothy Iuchs, of Sedalia, Mo. and Jared Decker of Oskaloosa, Kan., never boxed in their life, but said they wanted to help out.

“We just wanted to make it as real as possible against the environment around us,” said Dunbar, who pointed at the war-damaged building that surrounds the ring. “I mean, it’s just like home, but with the feel of Baghdad all around us.”

Morman, along with others from 3-82nd, who have seen the ring transform from just raw materials said it is as close to the real thing as humanly possible. “I think it would be very similar to a real fight-night except for the location,” Morman said.

“You won’t see a fight night like ours. The location for this event is a run down foyer in the middle of the former Ba’ath party headquarters. Its rugged appearance adds something more than any fight televised. Not even ‘Rocky’ had this type of setting.”

According to Dunbar, during this project, everyone came by the “Hell Raiser’s Hideout” to lend a hand. Welders, such as Sgt. John Klempnow of Bay City, Mich., helped fabricate the corner posts. Staff Sgt. James Martin, of Bowling Green, Mich., helped by constructing the flooring.

Martin, who has helped build houses in the past, said helping build the ring was interesting because he had never done it before. Dunbar added that much of the work started in the evening when they were done with their day’s mission requirements. In all, Dunbar said the ring took more than 300 man-hours to build.

“We’d come out here and work on it four or five hours a night,” he said. “Sometimes, we’d be out here until two in the morning working on this. Every step of the way, we asked, ‘How do we make it look like a professional ring?’” Dunbar said a local painter added the writing on the ring, turnbuckles and the skirt.

The team is anticipating people’s reaction as they enter the ‘Hell Raiser’s Hideout.’ Building the ring and organizing the event has been really great for Decker.

“It’s just fun to have something to work on and pass the time,” Decker said.

Decker, who is an avid baseball fan, used to head up a homerun derby in the hideout before they built the ring there. “This is nice, but I lost my baseball field,” he said.

Although building the ring was fun, it did come with its set of challenges, Dunbar said.

“The turn posts - it didn’t help that the ground was unleveled,” he recalled. Though they had a limited budget, Dunbar said they did it at a mere fraction of what it would cost to just purchase the materials and build a ring, even without labor costs.

Through all the minor setbacks, the team built the ring and threw in a little more for the spectators and fighters because they wanted to put on a good show, said Dunbar.

“I want people to feel like this is an old Tyson/Holyfield fight when you see all the lights lit up,” Dunbar said. “I used to box. Not all the guys had the ‘big game,’ but every boxer here will feel like a celebrity. Even if you are not a fan of boxing, you’ll like this.”

For Spc. Chris Thomas, who is a Military Transition Team member from Camden, N.J., the ring is “amazing.” Thomas, who has an amateur record of 3-0, has been using the ring the last few weeks to train up for his fight.

“The canvas – this material is good, and these guys put a lot of time into it,” he said. “It’s perfect; it’s like any other ring. It’s as real as it gets.”

Wild Thing's comment.......

I think this is great, I am just so proud of our guys. I would love it if some of our professional boxers would go there to visit the troops to thank them for all they do, you just know they would love that support too.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (7)

April 30, 2007

iPod Armor

Wild Thing's comment.......

I don't have an ipod, and I don't want one. But I am thrilled that this soldier had one.

Posted by Wild Thing at 09:21 AM | Comments (4)

April 27, 2007

Appeal For Courage

Appeal For Courage

This site is an Appeal For Redress in support of our mission in Iraq.

An Appeal For Redress is an authorized means for active duty military to submit a grievance to Congress. It can be signed by Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard military personnel.

It is authorized by DoD Directive 1325.6 and DoD Directive 7050.6 (pdf).

The wording of the Appeal is:

As an American currently serving my nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to fully support our mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat. I also respectfully urge my political leaders to actively oppose media efforts which embolden my enemy while demoralizing American support at home. The War in Iraq is a necessary and just effort to bring freedom to the Middle East and protect America from further attack.
If you are active duty, reservist or national guard, please Sign this Appeal.

This Appeal will be delivered to members of Congress.
We are currently working with members of Congress to make a presentation.

Most service members fully support the war in Iraq and feel calls to retreat by Congress and emphasis by some in the media on negative aspects while ignoring positive ones acts to motivate our enemy while demoralizing our support at home, directly increasing the threat we face and resulting in greater American casualties.

Questions and answers:

1. Can I get in trouble from my command for signing this?

No. Although as active military we are limited in what we can say, this appeal is in support of our mission and our chain of command. Also, any military member can sign an appeal as authorized by DoD Directive 7050.6.

2. I'm a vet/retired, how can I help?

Please see the support page for methods to help. If you have a specific idea or skill you think could help, please email us at committee@appealforcourage.org
You can also sign this petition.

3. What is the purpose of the appeal?

The primary purpose is to offer military members a chance to submit to Congress our desire for Victory in Iraq, and halt calls for retreat. It is also intended to express the damage done to our efforts by those calls for retreat.

4. What will be done with the Appeal?

It will be delivered to Congress, we are currently working to contact a member of Congress or the Senate to accept the Appeal.

Appeal For Courage Demographics

Wild Thing's comment.......

Thank you so much for serving our country. The numbers have climbed over the last 48 hours for the Appeal For Courage. The Air Force and Navy are almost at a tie for signatures. Please pass this on to all active duty and reserves. More signatures are needed. All Military can sign. They need to use their home computer, not a mil address, and sign when they are not on duty hours. Thanks to all at Appeal For Courage for their hard work on this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)

April 24, 2007

Ooh-rah, Devil Dog! Corporal Tyler Rock Has A Message For Reid

Corporal Tyler Rock, 1/6 Charlie Company, on the left, at my old home, Camp Hurricane Point, Ramadi.

Marine Corporal From A Bunker In Ramadi: “I Got A Message For That Douche Harry Reid”

This Email To Me, Harry, And America, Direct From A Grunt On The Front Lines Of Ramadi, Is Just Hours Old.

Today, from Corporal Tyler Rock in an outpost in downtown Ramadi. His first sentence is in response to an email from me:

“yeah i know how you feel. its going to be very weird leaving this place and going back to america. weve been here for almost an entire year and have lived in the center of it the whole time. its crazy that when we got here it was so hectic and now its calmed down so much. so it was awesome to be able to see that turn out.
yeah news worth reporting…. well ramadi was once dubbed by everyone as the worst city in the world. but we have done such a great job here that all the families in the area have worked with us on driving out the insurgency and that we work directly with the IA and the IP’s. the city has been cleaned up so well that the IP’s do most of the patrols now and we go out with them to hand out candy and toys to the children. you can tell that the people want us here to protect them from the thugs and gangs (insurgents). granted they would rather have peace and quit but they know that if we arent here they will be thrown around by the insurgents. a good example is this one mission we did. long story short we got blown up in multiple buildings and had to run into a families house. i spent my christmas holidays covered in ash from the mortar fire and the IED’s, sleeping under a dirty rug i found in the house. everyone was sleeping way to close for comfort just to stay warm. anyways. a family was there and they obviously didnt want us there. atleast at first. the daughters were very sick so our corpsman treated them. they didnt have electricity so we got them a generator for power, they were cold so we got them gas heaters, we got them food and water and then we gave them $500. by the end of the week long visit with them we were drinking tea with them. when we left we cleaned their house better than it was when we got there. i even have pictures with the family. they told us that they liked marines and they would help us as much as they could and they gave us some information on the insurgents in the area. we ended up catching a HUGE target down the road from there house because of it.

yeah and i got a qoute for that douche harry reid. these families need us here. obviously he has never been in iraq. or atleast the area worth seeing. the parts where insurgency is rampant and the buildings are blown to pieces. we need to stay here and help rebuild. if iraq didnt want us here then why do we have IP’s voluntering everyday to rebuild their cities. and working directly with us too. same with the IA’s. it sucks that iraqi’s have more patriotism for a country that has turned to complete shit more than the people in america who drink starbucks everyday. we could leave this place and say we are sorry to the terrorists. and then we could wait for 3,000 more american civilians to die before we say “hey thats not nice” again. and the sad thing is after we WIN this war. people like him will say he was there for us the whole time.

and for messages back home. i have a wife back home who is going through a tough time. i just cant wait to be back home and see everyone. haha and i cant wait to go back home and get some starbucks. i love it when those people serve me. hahaha”

Wild Thing's comment........

There you go Harry Reid...YOU DAMN traitor!..straight from the front lines.

* Pat Dollard

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (9)

April 15, 2007

Officials Honor Audie Murphy Club Inductees

Officials honor Audie Murphy Club inductees

Saturday, 14 April 2007
By Sgt. Kevin McSwain
13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

LSA ANACONDA — Eight Soldiers were inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, an elite group for noncommissioned officers, April 6.

The ceremony, held in Sustainer Theater, recognized soldiers throughout Iraq for their professionalism and outstanding performance based on the Audie Murphy merit board.

The Soldiers inducted into the Audie Murphy Club were:
Staff Sgt. Jason Fiedler, 411th Engineer Brigade
Staff Sgt. Rafael Ramirez, 657th Area Support Group
Staff Sgt. Jose D. Garcia, Company B, Brigade Troops Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, 1st Calvary Division
Sgt. Mandi Brassell, 45th Sustainment Brigade
Staff Sgt. Michael Thornton, 22nd Personnel Service Battalion, 45th SB
Staff Sgt. Marada Blakely, 164th Corps Support Group
Sgt. Carlos Bermudez, 164th CSG
Staff Sgt. Charles Duke, 82nd Sustainment Brigade.

The event, hosted by the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), had more than 200 servicemembers in attendance. As part of the official party, Brig. Gen. Michael Terry, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) commanding general, gave words of encouragement to the newest inductees and to the soldiers who aspire to be a part of the organization.

“Going forward I want everyone to take initiative to become a member of this organization,” he said.

The commanding general said the group of noncommissioned officers receiving their medallions in this ceremony should feel even more pride than those who receive the same honor in the United States.

“Earning this membership alone is difficult,” he said. “Earning it in this combat environment is remarkable.”

Terry challenged all the senior noncommissioned officers in the room to prepare their soldiers to become an inductee into the Audie Murphy Club.

“If you have any soldiers remotely interested in this honor, you must begin preparing them now,” he said.

As Terry spoke about Audie Murphy, he educated soldiers in the audience on the history of this brave soldier and introduced the guest speaker, Multinational Corps-Iraq Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Ciotola.

Ciotola began by giving the audience a word of advice he received from Command Sgt. Maj. Terry Fountain, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) command sergeant major.

“In everything you do, there is a chance to train,” he said. “There is always time.”

As he spoke, he explained what his quote meant while he talked about the achievement of the soldiers who were being inducted at the ceremony.

“Take every opportunity to do it all to the best of your ability,” he said.

Ciotola said this was an opportunity to recognize the hard work each soldier put into being selected into the club.

“This is an opportunity to lift these soldiers up during this ceremony,” he said. “And there is no other group of people I would want to be with right now on my birthday.”

Ciotola said the eight soldiers being inducted have done more than just say what they could do, they proved it.

“Their deeds are the personification of their words,” he said. “You all made a choice to excel, to become the best, and be a part of the Audie Murphy Club.”

The inductees received an Army Commedation Medal, an Audie Murphy Club medallion and coins from all three members of the official party.

When a Soldier is inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, they are given a medallion, which is approximately 2 inches in diameter. The medallion is suspended by a broad powder-blue ribbon, which represents the traditional color of the infantry.

The club, which originated in Fort Hood, Texas, only inducts exceptional noncommissioned officers who exemplify the characteristics of the soldier the club was founded in memory of.

Audie Murphy was one of the greatest combat soldiers in the history of the United States serving during World War II. He was decorated with every single American medal for valor, along with three French and one Belgian medal.

Wild Thing's comment.........

God bless all our troops and their families. We have such awesome men and women serving our country. I pray they always know how much we appreciate all they do.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)

April 11, 2007

In Country With Our Awesome Troops

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM

April 09, 2007

Guns And TNT Found At Sunni Lawmaker's Home

Iraqi army Brigadier Qassim Moussawi, a spokesman for the Baghdad security operation, right, gestures as he speaks during a press conference while US military spokesman Maj. Gen William Caldwell looks on, in Baghdad (AP Photo/Mahmoud al-Badri)

Guns, TNT found at Sunni lawmaker's home