March 2007 Archives
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Marine in Need
By John
Go. Now.
"Walked Out Carrying Our Shield, Not On It."
By Lt Col P
With a Hotel Tango to Michelle Malkin-- to whom I am ever willing to tango my hotel-- comes this outstanding post from Bill Ardolino about Marines and Iraqi Jundi foiling a suicide chlorine tank bomber in Fallujah. I'll let you go read the whole thing, but I want to highlight a few passages:
"As for the IAs, they proved themselves. The jundi did a great job and pretty much stopped the initial attack as the insurgents were trying to shoot/ram their way inside. The IA and IP [Iraqi Police] figured it out and opened up on them..." NOT, "the jundi did OK, they're coming along," but straight up praise for solid performance. I did some time in the Philippines with LtCol Clay Fisher in 91 and 92, and he's a card-carrying tough guy. If he says they did well, then they did all that and more.
"And then those of us still standing, most wounded and gassed, ran back in again, slugged it out ... Something to see. US Marines and Jundi still gasping for air, fighting side by side. Some jundi still in their sleeping sweats or shower sandals refusing to be evacuated, fighting back with their AKs and PKCs into enemy positions. Yes, some of these jundi got what it takes."
Actions like these are the result of a long hard process that began in 2004 with the first MiTTs and slowly matured over the last three years, due to good people like my friends Chris Davis and Erik Peterson and our own Capt Lightning. Lots of pain, sweat, mistakes, blood, and hard work. But it's paying off. And it needs to be supported and continued.
Anyone in Congress listening??
The Code of Conduct: Honor
By Bull Nav
First I saw a report that a Leading Seaman had written a letter admitting to crimes. Then I read Lex's posts here and especially here and it all really got me thinking...
I never gave much thought to most of the Code of Conduct for the first 15 years or so of my time in the Navy, except for Articles 1 and 6. That's what being in the service is all about. But the ones in between, the ones dealing with being captured…no.
Being on a submarine these days, you don't much worry about capture, you just hope you go quick should something happen. Not that you discussed it much. That would be bad luck, and sailors are superstitious, even if they say they aren't. The sea is a harsh mistress. So unless you take a direct hit from a USET-80, you are not going to experience the true horror of war, the true pain of being wounded or your best friend dying, and you certainly are not going to be captured. Oh no, you are going to die, and it is going to suck as you drown or as you are crushed by overwhelming sea pressure or freeze to death. Nah, capture is not even an option.
Not to mention the submarine way of warfare way was has gotten rather antiseptic: shoot a TLAM and watch it go away to deliver its deadly cargo. Or shoot a torpedo (not in vain, lately) and allow it to home to its final destination. Things blow up a long way off. No, we did not worry about capture.
These days, with the advent of a number of Navy reservists being called to backfill Army jobs in OIF and OEF, however, it has taken a new meaning and urgency for me personally, should I have to go. You read the words and it brings home how serious what we do is, how serious it is for the folks on the front lines. You kind of wonder about where guys like Scott Speicher or Keith Maupin or Ahmed Altaie are and how they are holding up.
Yes, there are now lots of opportunities for Navy folks, both active duty and reservists, to serve on the ground OIF/OEF/HOA. Folks who have spent their whole career on a ship or submarine (aviators I will classify differently since they have the SERE school requirement). In some cases, there may be folks who have never gone to sea or even been overseas who are getting the call. When you read it, the Code of Conduct that is, it really brings it home. I realize that for you Army and USMC types and to a certain extent Air Force, too, this is the way you live. For those of us who go down to the sea in ships, it is somewhat of a new ball game. Not bad, not scary, just new.
When I read the Code of Conduct, I think of the words inscribed on my class ring, the ones I read every morning when I put it on: "Honor Above Self." That was our class motto. That, to me, is the Code of Conduct.
Will America Turn Its Back My Sons?
By Slab
Allow me to introduce you to Cathy Floyd. Mrs. Floyd is the mother of one of my childhood friends, and her family has been friends with mine for ove 15 years. One of her sons is a graduate of the Citadel, that little trade school down in Charleston that tries to imitate VMI. Following his graduation, he commissioned into the Army as an infantry officer, and served a tour in Iraq with the Mississippi National Guard's 155 BCT. After his return, he was sent to the 82nd Airborne Division, where he expected to finish out his active duty commitment this spring and take a job in the civilian workforce. President Bush's surge put his plans on hold when his brigade received orders to deploy to Kuwait in January, and shortly thereafter was committed to Baghdad. On top of that, her youngest son is contracted through Army ROTC, and will also be commissioning into the infantry in just a few months.
You might expect Mrs. Floyd to be upset and bitter about the surge, given the suspension of her son's plans to leave the Army, and his unexpected return to Iraq. You might expect her to be grateful for Congress's attempts to force a withdrawal from Iraq by the end of next year, since it would likely spare her youngest son from serving over there if it came to pass. But then, you don't know her.
She eloquently expressed her views in a letter to the Charlotte Observer earlier this week, Will America turn its back on my sons?
Maybe one of these days I'll be able to adequately voice the sense of betrayal I feel as Congress votes on withdrawal. In the meantime Mrs. Floyd's words can stand in place of my own.
Our son is in Iraq.He is in the infantry. This is his second tour. His commitment was supposed to be over this spring. He is not getting out or coming home then. He is staying until his unit's deployment is over and their mission completed -- whenever that is.
His younger brother is in Army ROTC and expects to be commissioned into the infantry later this year. The Army did not pay either son's tuition. We did. They don't "owe" this to the government. Nobody wants this war over more than we do.
Read the rest.
300 Reviewed
By John
By commies.
No, seriously. From The Socialist Worker Online:
[300 is] a rank cesspool of racism, sexism, homophobia and “freedom-loving” pro-war propaganda....It shouldn't be a surprise. Because everyone knows that fighting terrorism has no tangible benefit outside of satisfying that uniquely conservative lust for blood. It's science.The film is riddled with historical inaccuracies, but it’s the ones that send clear right-wing messages that are the most alarming. The filmmakers go to great lengths to portray the Persians as evil, decadent, cruel and effeminate, unlike the manly men of Sparta......
The most dangerous aspect of 300 is its blatant call for the West to attack Iran. Iran, after all, used to be called Persia, and the film pulls no punches in exhorting the “free and rational” West to defend itself against the Persian hordes. Queen Gorgo even utters the tired cliché “Freedom is not free!”.....
It shouldn’t be surprising then that Miller’s next project is a comic book called Holy Terror, Batman! where the Caped Crusader goes up against Al-Qaeda in New York City.
And ideology aside, this guy is pretty sharp. "Iran, after all, used to be called Persia." So I tend to believe him when he takes a fictionalized account of a purely defensive battle fought over 2 millenniums back and interprets it as a super secret rallying call to launch a massive offensive against the Islamic State of Iran. To, you know, ensure that Xerxes stops defying the UN or something.
Hotel Tango: The Tank
Iran Blusters
By John
Iran: Britain Must Admit Navy Trespassed:
IYADH, Saudi Arabia -Iran's foreign minister said Wednesday that Britain must admit that its 15 sailors and marines entered Iranian waters in order to resolve a standoff over their capture by the Mideast nation.Manouchehr Mottaki's statement in an interview with The Associated Press came on a day of escalating tensions, highlighted by an Iranian video of the detained Britons that showed the only woman captive saying her group had "trespassed" in Iranian waters. Britain angrily denounced the video as unacceptable and froze most dealings with the Mideast nation.
Right. And for some things that make you go "hmmmmm," here's a couple of visual aids released by the MoD earlier today.
Accuracy <9 feet.
First map detailing initial location of boat crews, borders, and HMS Cornwall.
Second map, post Iranian snatch n'grab.
The Brits are calling shenanigans, but I think that's pretty much all they're going to do.
Hotel Tango: Lowry.
Bloggy Embeds
By John
In a nutshell, RedState has been invited by the Pentagon to go to Iraq. We want to send Jeff and AcademicElephant, who henceforth insists on being known by her real name, Victoria Coates. They'll leave during the last part of April. But, we need your help to make it possible.To send RedState to Iraq, we need to raise $7500.00. This presents a challenge to us now, one that it did not present last year. As you probably know, RedState is now owned by Eagle Publishing, Inc. A lot of you are probably asking why they don't just fork over the money. Well, frankly, there just isn't money budgeted for something like this right now, but the experience presents such an invaluable opportunity, we really want to do it. We need your help. Eagle is going to commit the first $2500.00 to the trip, which, given all the data the Pentagon has given us, will cost $10,000.00 total.
The .45 Turns 96
By Lt Col P
My Gunsite calendar tells me that tomorrow is the birthday of the M1911 .45 ACP pistol. In truth, I look upon the occasion more as the commissioning date for the pistol than the birthday, since it was on 29 March 1911-- hence the nomenclature-- that this magnificent weapon was adopted by the U.S. Army. (The Marines brought it on a few years later.) Six and one-half dozen; either way, the old warhorse is nearing the century mark and still going strong.
(The Kimber Warrior, discussed below.)
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Buff & Friends
By John
A B-52 Stratofortress from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, is escorted by Hornets from the Royal Australian Air Force March 21 en route to the Delamere Bombing Range as part of the Green Lightning exercise that ended last week in Australia. The Delamere Bombing Range facility in the Northern Territory is a world class military exercise site that allows many skills to be honed and tested.
Photo Courtesy of the Royal Australian Air Force
And What's the Deal With....
By John
Guinness? Seriously.
Seems like everyone I know who likes the stuff turns into this religious devotee of the famous Irish brew. I'm not criticizing, mind you (Lex would have my head). I just want to understand the phenomena.
It's great beer, sure. And I suppose my Irish Catholic roots dictate that I'm somehow genetically predisposed to liking the stuff. But loving? Like a puppy? Or a sister? Or a...heh, deity?
Tell me. Teach me.
And yes, I know that if you make a proper Irish carbomb, the stuff mixed with Jamison's and Bailey's will give you a delish chocolate milk taste. Right before the Bailey's curdles. Mmmmmm.
Chicom Flatop?
By John
Michael Goldfarb at the Weekly Standard reports:
I'd still contend that, as Brookes put it, Chinese carriers would be "nuthin’ but big, fat gray targets," but that doesn't change the fact that an aircraft carrier would boost Beijing's ability to project "soft power." And deploying a Nimitz-sized nuclear carrier would, like the ASAT test, show that China is to be considered a military superpower.
Agreed on all points. There seems to be some dispute over whether or not the report is credible. Peter Brooks at Heritage thinks it is:
Recent military news out of China includes double trouble. First, Beijing announced a jaw-dropping 18 percent jump in its defense budget - 5 percentage points more than last year's alarming rise -at the yearly meeting of the National People's Congress.On top of that came news from an unidentified Chinese admiral via a Hong Kong newspaper that China is pretty far along in aircraft-carrier R&D - and could have one in the water by 2010.
This isn't good news.
The existence of a Chinese "flattop" program has long been rumored. Sure, some military experts scoff at the idea - often pointing out that carriers don't fit with China's military doctrine of "asymmetry."
That is, China's military buildup has focused on developing capabilities that are best suited to take advantage of an opponent's weaknesses - rather than one of trying to counter its obvious strengths.
I've always chuckled at references to China's "asymmetrical" military doctrine. We're the boys with the force-multiplying toys, and China's the one with the big honking Army. Aren't we the asymmetrical ones?
But that's aside the point. This new nuke carrier sounds like a paper tiger to me. It looks good, it sounds good, but until the Chicoms actually put the thing to sea and master the craft of carrier flight ops (you know, the one we've been working on for 60+ years?) this sucker is just going to be a "big fat grey target."
Anti-War Bloggers Update Us on the Surge
By John
Fulfilling the Wish of the Electorate, Democrats Send a Message to Bush About Iraq.Just like to point you to my Townhall column from a few weeks ago. You know, the one titled "They Know So Much That Isn't So?" AMERICAblog got an honorable mention. Just sayin, is all.All through the Iraq debate, Republicans keep warning us about emboldening the terrorists in Iraq. Not sure how much more emboldened those terrorists in Iraq can get. Four years after George Bush told us the mission was accomplished, those terrorists in Iraq continue to engage the most powerful military in the world. That seems to have really emboldened them.
McCain and Lieberman keep trying to prop up Bush and his failed war policy by claiming progress where there is none.
Message sending. That's pretty much the business these days isn't it? As opposed to floating legislation that actually has chance of passing. Non-binding resolutions and timelines. Off to a flying stop, methinks.
Is the surge working? Hell, I don't know. I've heard good things, I've heard bad things. But anyone who tells you "no progress is being made" is trying to sell you something, not deliver an honest evaluation on the ground sit out there.
Unless, of course, you believe that John Avarosis of AMERICAblog knows something that General Petraeus doesn't.
**Update** Here's a more honest assessment, from The Tank:
The truth is certainly closer to CNN's Ware. I don't go venturing outside the IZ when I'm in Baghdad so I can't tell for sure—I'm in Fallujah. However, things are getting much better from what I hear from the Iraqis and us. I hear LTG Petraeus has been out and about walking around Baghdad and Ramadi. Despite the protection, that's gutsy stuff!Seems somewhat more....responsible, doesn't it?LTG Petraeus is VERY well respected by the Iraqis and the troops. One retired General told me "Solomon would have a tough time squaring away Iraq." Thankfully, LTG Petraeus is on that level of competence.
The Beast!
By John
Pinch and his trusty 70mm camera caught yesterday's Airbus flyby over DC.
That.sucker.is.huge.
The Hotel Tango
By John
Heh, Richard S. Lowry follows up on the last post with:
forgive my ignorance, but what does Hotel Tango stand for? I googled it and Hotel Tango has some significance in the Navy semaphore world.
Which forced me to google "semaphore."
Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in this military language of ours, where we assume that everyone can rattle off the entire military phonetic alphabet.
Hotel is the phonetic for the letter "H" and Tango is the phonetic for "T." So hotel tango is our little weird OPFOR way of saying "Hat Tip." It's, you know, a milblogger thing.
Three Dimensional Warfare
By John
Richard S. Lowry sends:
[Petreaus] has moved Stryker units into Diyala Province for mobility on the ground, and is also reaching out with small helicopter borne raids. He is using ground assault and air assault in conjunction, thus a three dimentional fight.
For another example of winning the war with smartness, check out how we duped a bad guy AA emplacement with a UAV.
Two Hotel Tangos to Richard S. Lowry
Two Carriers Now in the Gulf
By John
USS JOHN C. STENNIS, At Sea (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) entered the Persian Gulf on March 27, escorted by the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54).While in the Gulf, the flagship of the USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCSSG) and its air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, will conduct a dual-carrier exercise with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKE CSG). This marks the first time the Stennis and Eisenhower strike groups have operated together in a joint exercise while deployed to the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of responsibility.
U.S.S. John C. Stennis
Bubbleheads explains why no one should freak out:
It interests me that we're going for a "show of force" option that tends to minimize our ability to actually conduct any attacks on Iran; this is good news for those of us who don't think war with Iran is the right option at this time. While the Kos Kids might think that this is a precursor to an attack on Iran, in actuality the absolute worst initial conditions for a U.S. attack on Iran would be to have both (or any) carriers inside the Persian Gulf - that's the only place where the Iranian forces could conceivably hurt our capital ships......Putting the carriers in a better position to defend themselves (i.e. pulling the Eisenhower out of the Gulf) would have sent a stronger message to the Iranian military -- at the cost of appearing "weak" to those who don't understand the military at a tactical level.
Yup. And flying sorties from the Indian Ocean instead of the Gulf affords our flyboys a little more flexibility. Key in war, y'know.
Gun Day Monday: Shoot More, It's Your Patriotic Duty
By Lt Col P
Instead of directing you to my other blog-- where I can vent on punks who richly deserve it and not sully this august forum-- let's do Gun Day Sunday (or rather, Monday) right here this week.
If you've been following my other threads you'll know that I'm interested in calling attention to, and promoting, the theory and practice of widespread civilian marksmanship, especially as it relates to preparing for defense of the nation. I believe that that neglected and misunderstood aspect of American life is one of the conrnerstones of our defense and needs to be reinvigorated. Today let's take a look at how the civilian shooting industry plays an unheralded but vital role in national defense.
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Swiss F-18s on intercept
By Slab
I got these pictures off of another military-related website. Enjoy.
Here's the e-mail from the guy who took the pictures:
I took these pictures yesterday with my digital camera at 41,000' feet over Switzerland heading down to Naples, Italy for some training. Since we are a military aircraft the foreign countries that have interceptor aircraft always ask if they can intercept us for training. We were asked by Switzerland if we could be intercepted by their jets for training and since we had no passengers we said of course. I always forget to take my camera, but not yesterday. Some great pictures.
This One's for Bull Nav
By John
Because the silent service needs love too...
Hotel Tango: Pinch
New Destroyer Named
By Bull Nav
While I have a problem with some of the naming conventions we have chosen for our ships, submarines, and aircraft carriers, and with some of the individual names chosen of late, I have never had a problem with naming a combatant after MOH or Navy Cross winners. Which is why I was happy to see this yesterday:
You can read the whole article here.
One team--the Navy-Marine Corps team. ADM Arleigh Burke said upon the commissioning of the lead ship of the class bearing his name, "This ship was built to fight. You better know how." I think the crew will take it to heart. I would be honored to serve on it (even if I am a submariner).
New Parachute to Replace T-10
By Slab
I guess I'm the resident jumper on OPFOR. I certainly don't hold a candle to the guys at Blackfive, but somebody's got to do it over here.
PEO Soldier is apparently testing the T-11 Advanced Tactical Parachute System as the replacement for the T-10D Troop Back Parachute. From January to October, XVIII Airborne Corps will make 3200 test jumps with the new parachute. The new system also includes the T-11R, a new reserve chute that will improve upon the Modified Improved Reserve Parachute System (MIRPS) currently in use. The current "dope on a rope" parachute system has been in use, albeit with some modifications, since the 1950s.
The T-11 Advanced Tactical Parachute System
Key benefits of the new parachute will be a slower rate of descent, averaging about 18 feet per second, reduction of oscillation following deployment and lowering of the combat load, and a smoother deployment sequence. Expect to see fielding begin in 2008, and all T-10Ds are projected to be replaced by 2014.
PEO Soldier Tests New Parachute System
I didn't feel like any of my landings at Airborne School were that hard, but we jumped with significantly less weight than what would be carried on a combat operation in today's world. Our combat equipment jumps were performed with an ALICE pack that weighed probably 35-40 pounds, and M1950 weapons case containing a 2X4. The T-10D was designed for loads of up to 300 lbs, even though the instructors told us it is capable of safely handling loads of up to 500 lbs.
On our 2005 deployment with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Air Combat Element (ACE) asked us to revise our planning weight for Marines being transported by helicopter. We weighed a platoon of Marines with all of the equipment they would be taking ashore with them, including their sustainment load. The average weight came out around 325 lbs. Now you see why we need a parachute designed for a load of 400 lbs.
The T-10D Troop Back Parachute
By the way, if any of our readers are part of the test program, and want a Marine guinea pig, drop me a line.
Over the Range
By John
Hows about a little Sunday morning tactical airlift?
A C-130 Hercules flies over mountainous Afghanistan terrain March 22 on the way to deliver supplies to Bagram Air Base. Photo courtesy of the US Air Force
Hearing some interesting chatter from my pilot buddies. Apparently this type of airlift mission, C-130s and C-17s, is becoming a more sought-after career than the traditionally prized fighter/bomber slots. Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) candidates are seeing the twin airframes as a doorways to the Air Force special operations community, and as a way to have a more tangible effect on the ground mission (dropping paratroopers, PJs, rangers, supplies, etc).
Interesting.
Question
By John
Do times like these make Parliment wish that they had not gutted the Royal Navy?
They could never do another Falklands again, that's for sure.
Britain Warned about the 3/23 Kidnapping?
By Charlie
The warning came after the US received credible information that Iranian-backed extremists were plotting attacks on Western targets.
American intelligence analysts told their British counterparts that the arrest of the five Iranians would have a direct impact on southern Iraq. Crucially, they warned that there was evidence that Iran intended to step up attacks in the border area and around Basra, where British forces are based.
A security source said: "The intelligence was passed to the UK and was generally disseminated. The intelligence that led to the arrests showed that Iran was financing and facilitating operations on the border and in the South.
If there’s one thing Iran knows how to do, its take hostages. However, the world’s a different place than it was in 1979 –and we have 130,000 troops parked next door. These days, the capture of troops-as-hostages is usually a casus belli (see Israel last summer with the initiation of a hot war with Hamas and Hizballah.)
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Despite their domestic wobbly-ness, I expect the Brits to play hardball on this. We should play hardball too.
I also expect the anti-war crowd to forward the following premises: (1) the captured sailors were on a secret mission to attack Iran, which was only acting in self-defense when it graciously subdued them. (2) We should just do a hostage trade with the Iranians, trading captured Iranians in Iraq back to the Islamic republic.
The Right American Idols
By Lt Col P
From Sgt Hook, via our friends and colleagues at B5, cometh this outstanding link.
I dare you to watch, listen, and still remain unmoved.
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300
By Charlie
Thanks to the wonderful grey market, I got a chance to view “300” the new Gladiator/Braveheart/Sin City mash-up that was recently released into theatres. Myself, and a few other junior officers plopped the ripped DVD into a laptop, and passed another night away from home by taking in the latest Hollywood had to offer half a world away (God bless globalization!)
I’ve watched it 3 times now, and it’s not getting old.
Do Female Soldiers Get Any Privacy?
By Charlie
I caught this in SLATE today:
Given these dangers, how much privacy do women get when they're deployed in the Middle East? …It depends on what they're doing there. In Kuwait, where companies bound for Iraq stop for training and acclimatizing, the degree of privacy is up to the women. Male and female soldiers are expected to sleep cot to cot under large tents that house 50 to 60 people at a time. The women usually curtain off a single-sex section in the back with sheets and ponchos. But this kind of self-segregation carries the risk of alienating women from their platoon, depriving them of Army chatter, or making them seem as though they need special treatment. In particular, females in leadership positions can't afford to live apart from the male soldiers they command. For them this means changing clothes inside sleeping bags—a practice many male soldiers also adopt.
…Changing clothes inside the sleeping bag?? Get over yourself. If we expect soldiers to see combat, is it so unreasonable to expect them to see nudity?
Chalk this up as another reason I’m glad I’m serving with an infantry unit.
Iraqi Colonel Seeks Shelter in the South
By John
Iraqi Air Force Colonel jumps ship:
An Iraqi air force colonel who fled from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., where he was in training, is the subject of a wide-reaching manhunt, according to federal officials.The officer has not been identified, and officials at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could not confirm when he first went missing.
Officials at Maxwell referred all questions to ICE.
“ICE has joined the investigation into the whereabouts of an Iraqi military student, and his wife and two young children who disappeared while attending a U.S. Department of Defense training course in Alabama,” Richard Rocha, a spokesman for ICE,” said in a statement. “Now ICE is working with our international and national law enforcement counterparts, and does not suspect foul play in the disappearances. Furthermore, there is no indication that this case is a national security or public safety concern.”
Rocha said officials would not discuss specifics of the ongoing investigation.
Lt Col Patrick of Duty in the Desert writes:
Too much flicker ball could make anyone want to run. And those volleyball games with crazy rules? Don't ask.
Flicker ball is some stupid game forced upon hapless Squadron Officer School students at Maxwell. Never had to play it during my stint at Air University, but I did suffer under the official "Air Force" version of volleyball, the end result of fusing a 20 pound regulations book with competitive sports.
And yes, it was bad enough to make you want to go AWOL. Although not in Montgomery, AL though, yikes. Not much of an improvement from Baghdad.
Now before Mary Katharine or any Montgomery natives get all huffy-puffy at me for trash-talking a "jewel of the south," I know and acknowledge that there are parts of the city that are beautiful. The area around Maxwell, however, is a dump.
Also, you need to check out MKH's latest Ham Nation. Cracked me up. I know that has nothing to do with an Iraqi officer going AWOL, I just didn't want to start up another post to link.
Hotel Tango: Patrick
On Heroism, Courage, and Fab-u-lous Outfits
By John
I've been meaning to get this superb post on the success of 300 up for some time, but I didn't want to bump down Lightning's post on his glorious return from Germany.
I meet with some Hollywood movers and shakers. We are here to discuss a script that I have written and how to get it off the ground, but invariably the conversation has turned to the huge and "unexpected" box-office success of 300.He doesn't. And his response is great.A powerful Hollywood Agent says: “My girlfriend dragged me to see it 'cause all the guys are so buff.”
“That was so totally an 'Ab Filter', and lazily applied,” chimes in a Studio Suit, “didn't you notice, all the six-packs are exactly the same.”
A Powerful Producer theorizes: “My kids say it's like the greatest video game ever.”
Powerful Producer's Finicky Assistant points out: “The Queen's almost-see-through outfits, the little leather straps. May I just say: Fab-u-lous.”
Says a sleek Network Executive. “Actually, it's totally gay porn, all those piercings, so kinky, are you kidding me?” She's clad in an extremely tight Gaultier leather outfit — corseted by a hellishly complicated set of criss-crossing silver buckles. I have no idea how she draws breath.
I should keep my mouth shut.
Do I?
Also choice is this commentary from Libertas on 300, Hollywood, and why they can't figure out why flicks like Jarhead bomb while 300 thrives.
RUBS
By John
A general emailed in the past 24 hours threatening to kick me out. The first time the Army threatened to kick me out was in late 2005, just after I published a dispatch called “Gates of Fire.” Some of the senior level public affairs people who’d been upset by “Proximity Delays” were looking ever since for a reason to kick me out and they wanted to use “Gates of Fire” as a catapult. In the events described in that dispatch, I broke some rules by, for instance, firing a weapon during combat when some of our soldiers were fighting fairly close quarters and one was wounded and still under enemy fire. That’s right. I’m not sure what message the senior level public affairs people thought that would convey had they succeeded, (which they didn’t) but it was clear to me what they valued most. They want the press on a short leash, even at the expense of the life of a soldier.Some readers might recall that LTC Barry Johnson denied my embed requests in 2006, but after I wrote “Censoring Iraq,” somehow the door opened up. Strangely, a couple days ago, LTC Barry Johnson invited me to be a panelist at a symposium in Washington D.C. on ”the role of blogs and bloggers in the news environment today. The intent is to help PAOs better understand the issues involved.” Call me suspicious, but my whiskers tingled on that one.
You know, Mike's reference to the Gates of Fire incident got me thinking about his decision to join the fight.
Remember that scene in "We Were Soldiers?" When Joe Galloway tells SGM Plumley "I'm a non-combatant" and gets a gruff "ain't no such thing today" in return?
I think there is place in battle, a certain nexus of intensity where the line between combatant and non-combatant blurs, that washes away rank, profession, class, and belief. Societal norms evaporate, leaving a small group of Americans, brothers, fighting for their fellow countrymen.
In Vietnam, the Army told Joe Galloway to pick up a rifle and stand with his fellow citizens. In Iraq, they are trying to kick Mike Yon out of theater for volunteering to do the same.
Update: Bob Owens has more.
Totally Team Thompson
By John
After seeing Will Collier's campaign slogan:
I've spent the last 10 minutes laughing and gasping for air.
Which one is Safer?
By Bull Nav
Well, being someone who usually likes hard data before I spout off about a subject and seeing as how I have thought this for some time, but could not really back it up with anything, I was happy to see this headline today:
Michigan Congressman says Parts of Iraq are as Safe as Detroit
Now I can't verify it, but Rep. Walberg seems to think so after talking to folks who have come back:
During an interview Monday with WILS-AM in Lansing, Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, said the returning troops he has talked with "indicate to me that 80 to 85 percent, in a conservative fashion, of (Iraq) is reasonably under control, at least as well as Detroit or Chicago or any of our other big cities. That's an encouraging sign."
While I do make a monthly sojurn to Chicago to drill, I do not routinely head into Detroit, even though it is only 45 minutes away. Two reasons really: not a lot I want to do there and the perception of lawlessness.
Of course, the local politicians are a little upset.
"It's absurd to compare Detroit and Iraq in any way," James Canning, the spokesman for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, said Wednesday. "Unfortunately, for years people have beat up on the city of Detroit. Detroit is the word for negative. We are working very hard to transform that image of our city."
Interesting comparison overall.
Accurate? I can't say for sure, but Detroit does have a higher crime rate than the US as a whole and record numbers of people are leaving Wayne County where Detroit is located.
Read both articles and see what you think.
Marine Awarded UK DFC
By Bull Nav
Boy, I sure was surprised to see CBS reporting this:
A lot of American tourists come to London hoping to catch a glimpse of the Queen. But Maj. William Cheserak is no tourist: He's a hero, CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports.Great job, Major Cheserak.Cheserak, a U.S. Marine pilot, was honored on Wednesday in a way no American has been since the Second World War. He was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross — the most prestigious medal for airborne service the British have.
We don't get enough reporting on our heroes, but this was good to see. You can read the USMC press release here.
John Adds: Forgive me for jumping in, but Bullnav and I are in the same email chain from the very cool British milblogger David of Cabarfeidh.com, who just sent in a pic of Major Cheserak:
And the press release from the Ministry of Defence:
Major Chesarek, serving as an exchange officer with 847 Naval Air Squadron, was commanding a Lynx helicopter, providing air cover to the operation. Flying for over five hours, Major Chesarek elected to fly repeated passes at very low level, under heavy small arms fire and at least one near-miss from an RPG, in an attempt to distract and disperse the crowds who were preventing the ground troops returning fire.He continued this tactic in full knowledge of the tragic loss of his commanding officer and crew in a Lynx over Basra only a few weeks before. Major Chesarek also acted as a Forward Air Controller, successfully designating targets for fixed-wing air support, as well as coordinating low-level passes by the jets to support his own efforts to disperse the crowds, and was judged by the Commander of 20 Armoured Brigade to have played a pivotal role in the safe extraction of the Coalition forces.
Major Chesarek and his crew also landed immediately, despite the huge risks, to evacuate the causalty Private Norris had been treating.
ANGLICO Spring Break 2007
By Slab
Folks, I apologize for my long hiatus, as it has been quite hectic over the last two months. I spent most of February attending the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, GA. I've been considering posting a rant about the sorry state of BAC and what an embarassment it is to the United States Army, but I'll save that for another time. Suffice it to say, I now have my "lead sleds" and feel absolutely no sense of accomplishment, only a sense of relief that I am done with that travesty.
On to more fun topics...
2d ANGLICO takes firepower to Germany
The above article isn't all that great, but you have to admit that that is one good-looking dude in the picture.
2d ANGLICO's 1st Brigade Platoon just spent close to three weeks training with the German Army, most notably Panzer Artillery Battalion 215 and Fallschirmjaeger Battalion 313. We had the opportunity to fire some of their weapons, such as the G36, P8, and MG3, while a few of their soldiers had the opportunity to shoot some of our M4s and M9s. We participated in several athletic events, culminating in a 30K speed march which had to be completed in less than 5 hours.
The meat of the trip was our participation in their field exercises near Münster. We spent about a week in the field with PzArtBtl 215, training alongside their Forward Air Control (FAC) teams and their forward observers. We had the opportunity to control German Tornados dropping live ordnance, and to direct batteries of German Panzer Howitzer 2000s.
We also drank beer with them.
LOTS of beer.
A great time was had by all, and I am proud to say that 2d ANGLICO now has an excellent relationship with PzArtBtl 215. I just hope that when they come to visit us in the States that we show them even a modicum of the hospitality that they gave us in Germany.
Pictures after the jump...
Prost!
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Re: Reserves
By Charlie
I’m a National Guardsman. I’m a citizen soldier, part of an organization that traces its lineage to the Minutemen. Those Revolutionaries had civilian careers, just like we do today –and just like today those careers were abandoned when the country called them to arms.
Nowadays, the term “Minutemen” needs to be re-evaluated. I’ve been “mobilized” [a term that invokes a sense of “mobility” or movement.] for nine months now,, and I was stuck at a mob-station (MOBSTAT in Army lingo) for 3+ months starting July, 06. We trainied for months for a deployment, working on individual, small collective, and large collective tasks. The conventional wisdom goes: the Guard isn’t composed of “full-time” soldiers, so they need an extensive mob process to bring them “up to speed” for a deployment. With this extensive process, the Guard units obviously require intense oversight to ensure they are up to Army standards, so a Training Support Brigade/Battalion (TSB) should be put in charge of them, and Observer/Controller/Trainers (OC/Ts) should be pervasive, giving out valuable expertise to neophyte Guardsmen deploying. There’s the current party line.
Now here’s why the entire process of calling up and readying a unit for deployment is counter-productive and is probably leading to a decrease in retention of valuable combat-trained Guard soldiers, NCOs, and officers:
Read More »
Tonic to the Terrorists
By John
I've always loved the way Bryan Preston from Hot Air writes. Maybe it's because he's a former zoomie, I dunno. But irrespective of past military affiliation, the dude is dead-on with this piece:
I wasn’t naive on the effect that the left’s anti-war stance would have on the war. On my old blog I sounded that alarm often enough. And I’ll say it one more time: If you really want peace and if you really love the freedom to protest and denounce your leaders and your country, ramp down the anti-war rhetoric. Every word from the Cindy Sheehans and Michael Moores of the world is tonic to the terrorists. Each word against the war tells the enemy in Iraq and Iran and Syria and everywhere else that they can beat the United States by outlasting it. That’s a ghost left over from General Giap’s strategy in Vietnam, and it needs exorcising.
It sucks for anti-war types. I honestly don't believe that they are somehow wishing for a terrorist victory (aside from a few idiots), but they really do need to come to terms with the fact that their vision for Iraq is precisely the same as the Jihadi vision for Iraq.
And yes, regardless of what pundits claim, the "words from the Cindy Sheehans and Michaels Moores of the world" is pure ear cocaine to the bad guys. It emboldens, guys.
I don't think that either Bryan and I are demanding that anti-war types abandon their right to free thought, free speech, and free opinion. Personal accountability for the impact of their speech, however, would be nice.
The Reserves: Their Present and Their Future
By Lt Col P
This came across my desk the other day-- a CBO report titled, The Effects of Reserve Call-ups on Civilian Employers. It's almost two years old, but the points it raises are still valid, and possibly more so.
It made me think of some of the larger reserve issues in this war, and how the reserves and Guard are probably going to have to be re-structured to meet the challenge of a 50- or 100-year war.
Yes, it's the campaign in Iraq that is putting the pressure on the reserve components today, but to enact a massive policy change based on what has been and is happening in one case is not a good practice. I believe the Constitutional term is, "pissing up a rope."
No, I think the implication is how we can structure the reserve component to meet growing homeland defense and civil support tasks, Iraq now, Afghanistan now, another Iraq later, another Afghanistan later, and who knows what else, like NoKo, Iran, Red China... the list goes on. To build an active duty force large enough to handle all those would be costly and not cost-effective. The answer remains a total force comprised active duty units and their service reserve components, and a robust Guard force.
My immediate concern is the reserve. As it's structured today, the reserve (or at least my part of it) remains rooted in a Cold-War structure. (That it is proving mentally and physically agile despite those restrictions is much to its credit.) By this I mean that the policies governing its use are designed to call up units, deploy them, win the campaign, then bring them home and demobilize them. Mobilization for war was to have been the exception, not the rule.
Today, however, the exception is proving the rule. Units and individuals are being called up, and then called up again. And then again, with a promise of more. I'm not complaining, mind you-- this is why I signed up-- but I think it deserves some thought if we're to maintain our reserves' relevance to the fight, and keep reserve service as a separate and attractive career path, instead of a frying-pan-into-the-fire substitute for active duty. I wonder if we ought not look to the IDF and the old South African Defense Force to see how well they did (and did not) address the requirements of maintaining a ready and capable citizen force in an open-ended shooting war.
Again, not complaining, just thinking. My career, however long it goes from here on out, is on the descending leg of its trajectory. I'm concerned about the reserves ten years from now.
How say you?
Palm Pilots
By John
Cool piece of kit from our blogging brothers at Kit Up!
The Hatch CQB glove is amazing. It's made of Kevlar with a kangaroo skin palm. The cuff is long enough to cover your watch and fits nicely under your ACU cuff. The fabric is thin enough that you can do most tasks (including shooting) without removing the glove. I spent 3 months in training and 12 months operating in Iraq with these. I still have the pair (although they are nearly black now), and they still go to the field with me every time. Great gloves.
The description made me laugh. When it said "it's made of Kevlar with a kangaroo skin palm," I couldn't help but to think of that great line from Anchorman.:
"It's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.....They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time."
Buy a pair here.
In Come the Hawks
By John
Sudden urge to crank Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries....
Black Hawk helicopters prepare to pick up and transport Soldiers for an air assault mission near Samarra, Iraq, March 3, 2007. Photo Courtesy of the US Army
Good buddy of mine, Mike, just got back from a year's deployment spent flying 'hawks in the greater Baghdad AO. I asked him...."so, what was your mission?"
Mike replies: "oh, medavac, patrols, DV (distinguished visitor) transport, and air assault."
"What was involved in air assault?"
I could see Mike grinning on the other end of the phone. "That's when we pick up some rangers and drop them off in the bad guys' backyard, definitely the most dangerous flying I had to do out there. Sh*t got hairy dude."
He thought for a second.
"Man, those were the fun missions."
The Tank
By John
Well looky looky....National Review Online has joined the milblogging fracas with their milblog The Tank.
So far they've linked Military.com's blog page and Blackfive's definitive milblogging selection The Blog of War. Good start, methinks.
Big Hotel Tango to Pinch for the nod.
Rock Soup
By Bull Nav
When I saw reports this week that the "Surge," (the increase in troop levels in Iraq due to delayed rotations out and early rotations in) was now nearing 30,000 it made me think of Patton in France in September 1944.
In order to facilitate Operation MARKET GARDEN to take the Rhine River ports in the Netherlands, all fuel was diverted to Montgomery. This left absolutely nothing for Patton and Third Army who until this point had traveled farther and faster than any army in history. Now they were left not far from an un-manned Siegfried line. Germany was ripe for the picking, but for some gasoline. Patton was not one to wait and directed his staff and commanders to adopt a "Rock Soup," approach in order to stay on the offensive. That is they would start with a small probe and progressively ask for more forces and supplies until they were too committed to back out.
I can't help but wonder if there is some of this approach in GEN Petraeus as he ramps up in Iraq. First it was an additional 2600 MPs, then an aviation brigade. No one yet has said where the 10 additional Provincial Reconstruction Teams will come from, but certainly they will be add-ons, too.
Of course it could be that the commander on the ground sees the need for specific types of forces that will help him conduct the military side of the operation, asks for them, and then gets them. Because he is the guy on the ground making the call for what he needs. And it looks like it is working.
Either way, if more forces are needed and the ground commander is asking for them, then lets get the folks over there. We are not going to be out in a year or two years. We are in Iraq for the long haul...if we really care about them and our future.
Kurdistan Rising
By John
Michael Totten has a superb essay up on the skyrocketing economy in Kurdistan. Here's a few shots (all photos are Totten's):
Erbil’s new mall takes shape next to the souk
New apartment towers next to the Dream City project.
Businessmen without bodyguards or guns check email in the lobby of the luxurious Khan Zad resort hotel just outside Erbil.
Read the whole thing, seriously.
It's still Iraq, you know. Kind of. I wouldn't be surprised if the Kurds declared independence in a few years. Even though pretty much everyone claims that it'd be bad news bears if they do. Looking at these shots though, it's almost enough for me to overlook how much a sovereign Kurdistan would piss off the Turks and Iranians. Destabilizing business, I don't mind telling you.
Of course the place would have be stable to achieve any sort of instability, so I digress....
Anyway, I saw all that construction in Totten's report, and I couldn't help but to wonder if Kurdistan was just a bubble waiting to burst. Totten mentioned that the place is one of the most underdeveloped in the world, no power grid, sewer system, etc. Can the Kurds produce a consumer base large enough to match the growth?
Hotel Tango: Greyhawk
Pakistanis in Bed with Al Qaeda?
By John
Bill Roggio seems to think so:
It appears, like in the North and South Waziristan deals, that the government has openly negotiated with the Taliban and al Qaeda. “We hope that a North Waziristan-like deal is also reached between the government and tribal militants, led by Faqir Mohammad,” sources told Dawnon condition of anonymity. Faqir Muhammad is a senior leader within the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM, or Movement for the Implementation of Mohammad's Sharia Law), the “Pakistani Taliban” who has sent over 10,000 foot soldiers to fight alongside the Taliban during the U.S. invasion in 2001.TNSM is a banned terrorist movement inside Pakistan, and has been implicated in terrorist activity inside the country, including a suicide attack on Pakistani Army training base in Dargai in the Northwest Frontier Province in October of 2006. The attack killed over 45 soldiers. Faqir Mohammad is believed to have sheltered none other than Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's second in command. An attack in Damadola in January of 2006 on Faqir's compound was aimed at Zawahiri, but killed upwards of 5 senior al-Qaeda leaders, including Abu Khabab al-Masri, al-Qaeda's chief of its weapons of mass destruction program.
Read the whole thing.
Thank You Eagles
By John
I haven't been the best about covering the Gathering of Eagles, and that's my fault, my loss. SMASH did such a solid job covering the event on Michelle Malkin's blog during our guest blogging stint that I guess I felt like the message was already being effectively disseminated.
This week's Vent got me off my butt.
Not an unusual occurrence this week. Judging by the size of the Eagle crowd, their core message got alot of people off their butts.
With one notable exception, of course. The mainstream media.
The failure of media organizations to grasp the historical importance of this event is simply staggering. It goes beyond ideological slant, indicating a systemic breakdown in the mainstream media's ability to recognize what is and isn't newsworthy.
And the Gathering of Eagles was most certainly newsworthy.
Here a loose confederation of Americans, operating outside the organizational machine of professional protest organizations like A.N.S.W.E.R. and Code Pink, amassed an enormous presence, simply by appealing to the average citizen's inherent desire to support our troops and our veterans, to defend America's name, and to honor our brave fallen, memorialized on that wall.
Yet another run-of-the-mill protest from folks who bring the same tired, hateful message year after year dominated the headlines.
Juxtapose that against the Eagles. Who, in one short day, changed the political landscape in this country. Effectively negating a message of dissent with a message of inspiration. Of hope. Of support and of patriotism. The gathering all but destroyed the anti-war narrative of Iraq as another Vietnam, and of an America rising up in unison against "Bush's war."
And in one simple chant, they said it all..."U.S.A, U.S.A, U.S.A, U.S.A!"
USA, we love you. We believe in you. We'll fight for you. We'll die for you.
I've been pessimistic about Iraq for one, sole reason. That the only way we can lose over there is that America abandons its belief in itself and the ultimate justice of our mission. Watching that video, one thought kept running through my head.....
My God, we can win this thing.
Best St. Paddy's Day Line Ever
By John
Broke up five fights. Someone accidentally dumped a Guinness on me. I tried to wring it out of my sweater into a cup for them to finish it...I have some cut up knuckles (*cough* not sure why) to show for it.
I was punching my knee I laughed so hard.
Gun Day Sunday: A Proficiency Test for a Well Regulated Militia
By Lt Col P
Still positively giddy about the recent victory for the cause of liberty in the nation's capital, I've been giving more thought to the concept and practice of a "well regulated militia."
Go check it out and give me your ideas.
Hair of the Dog
By Bull Nav
That bit you. Sunday. After St. Patrick's. 'Nuff said...
This is Why We Call it "The Long War"
By John
Matt Lewis over at Townhall makes this superb point:
Senator Feingold said this yesterday:This is precisely why we should not be taking warfighting advice from folks who just don't "get" this Long War. In the vein of what Matt Lewis was pointing out, I'll repeat a frequent refrain here at OPFOR: "Afghanistan, too."“Now, for those who won’t believe that [cutting off funding] has ever been done or that it can't -- or they'd say – it can't be done, let me cite an example from not that long ago. On October 1993, Congress enacted an amendment sponsored by the senior senator from West Virginia cutting off funding – cutting of funding – for military operations in Somalia effective march 31, 1994.”
-- SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D-WI) 03/15/07, Congressional Record
But does he remember this?BIN LADEN: “We believe that the defeat of America is possible, with the help of God, and is even easier for us, God permitting, than the defeat of the Soviet Union was before.”
Q: “How can you explain that?”
BIN LADEN: We experienced the Americans through our brothers who went into combat against them in Somalia, for example. We found they had no power worthy of mention. There was a huge aura over America -- the United States -- that terrified people even before they entered combat. Our brothers who were here in Afghanistan tested them, and together with some of the mujahedeen in Somalia, God granted them victory. America exited dragging its tails in failure, defeat, and ruin, caring for nothing. America left faster than anyone expected. It forgot all that tremendous media fanfare about the new world order, that it is the master of that order, and that it does whatever it wants. It forgot all of these propositions, gathered up its army, and withdrew in defeat, thanks be to God.”
– OSAMA BIN LADEN, 2001(Matt Lewis) Once again, liberals would love to play right into the hands of the terrorists.
Many Americans, particularly the type that Lewis was illustrating, have a very tough time wrapping their heads around the deep psychological impact that the twin Islamist victories in Somalia and Afghanistan had on the brains of our enemies. Two superpowers toppled in 5 years. That's two major victories for Islamist terror groups, who have traditionally suffered from a horrible collective inferiority complex.
And the end result? WTC '93, Khobar Towers, African embassy bombings, USS Cole, and September the 11th.
History is speaking, and America isn't listening.
The Range and a Movie (then Dinner)
By Bull Nav
A good Friday night it was. First, I spent about an hour at the range which is in Canton and not altogether close to my house, but it is the closest indoor range (I could go out to the DNR range on the other side of the county, but it is 25, 50, and 100 yds. only, plus it is cold out). I put 100 rounds of Hornady 230gr. JHP .45ACP+P TAP through my Sig, which shot well as always.
This trip to the range served two purposes: 1) its been a couple of months and I needed to get back in shape and 2) a reliability run with the Hornady ammunition. I recently started using this ammo as my carry load and I wanted to verify that there would be no issues. No FTFs or FTEs I am happy to report. I also rented a Para Ordnance Warthog because I wanted to shoot a short-barrelled, ultra-sized 1911 and that is what they had to rent. Put 50 rounds of 230gr. FMJ through it and I did not like it too well. My main complaint was the short grip. I had to hold my little finger under the gun in order to hold it. Additionally, at 10 yards it shot to the left and low, and grouped a little too large for my liking. Need to keep looking (Kimber or Springfield or possible a Sig P220 Compact SAO). A good time, some good learning.
Then the movie. I was able to talk my wife into seeing 300 at the IMAX just down the road. The main reason was that there were no chick flicks, and our son was spending the night at a friend's house. If you see it, see it in an IMAX. Incredible experience. I liked the movie, but unfortunately I read Gates of Fire a couple of months ago and I have a different view of what it should have been. That being said, I agree with VDH who said it is as the Greeks would have envisioned it. Good show overall. I did think that Gerard Butler sounds like Shrek.
Anyway, we topped it off with a local Mexican restaurant. Just what we needed to get ready for St. Patty's...
Marines Spring A Counter-Ambush
By Lt Col P
From friend-of-Op-For Major Joe Winslow comes this oustanding footage of 1st Bn 25th Marines in action last year:
Thanks, Phat Joe!
ST PATRICK'S DAY UPDATE BELOW THE FOLD...
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Taking Care of the Fallen
By Bull Nav
There is an incredible story of dedication and committment in today's Detroit News:
It's been more than three years and 100 funerals since John "Skip" Bushart buried his 22-year-old son, one of Michigan's first casualties in the Iraq war...
He and friend John Dearing, whose son also died in Iraq, vow to continue attending the funerals of Michigan sons and daughters who die as a result of the war, and to present their families with flags.
They also have another mission
And they're working to have monuments erected in the hometown of every fallen Michiganian.
Patton said it, and many others have said it, too:
"Let me not mourn for those who have died fighting, but rather let me be glad that such heroes have lived."
These two gentlemen are the embodiment of that concept and are doing a great deal to keep their sons' memories alive and the others from Michigan who have been killed in action.
Additionally, Mr. Bushart is executive director of the Michigan chapter of Lest They Be Forgotten, a group dedicated to the memory of the fallen. Visit the website and do what you can.
There is a VMI connection amongst the Michigan fallen, CPT Lowell Miller '93, of Flint, was killed in August 2005.
More Hornets...
By Bull Nav
As promised, here is a picture I took of a Super Hornet next to a Hornet on the Big E last year.
You can clearly see the physical differences between the two aircraft. I am guessing those guys are going to be fired up when they start flying tanker missions on a regular basis...
Of course, the other thing you gotta wonder about is when the ASW version of the Super Hornet will come out. I guess that we will have to teach fighter pilots how to drop sonobuoys and torpedoes...
Up at Michelle's
By John
A profile of the Battle of An-Nasiriyah.
The Arab Street
By John
Is waving.
From Richard S. Lowry, who writes: General Petraeus's early successes - this picture says it all.
Submarine not missing
By Bull Nav
It appears that there were indications last night that USS SAN JUAN (SSN751) may have been in trouble
NORFOLK (NNS) -- During the early evening of March 13, units of the USS Enterprise Carrier Strike Group (CSG) received a series of indications that USS San Juan (SSN 751), a Los Angeles class submarine conducting pre-deployment training with the Enterprise CSG, was in distress.
However, the excitement was short-lived
Fortunately, the submarine established communications in the early morning hours of March 14, and indicated that there were no problems; hence, units were able to stand down from the search and rescue that was already well underway.
There are certain things a submarine can do to indicate it is in trouble. Shooting a red flare is one of them.
Losses of communications, followed by the reported sighting of a red flare, are distress indicators. These indicators, combined with establishing communications with only two of the three submarines operating with the Enterprise CSG, was sufficient information to activate missing submarine procedures.
Navy News has the whole statement. Once again we see that even during exercises, there is no room for error and that we take enormous risks every time we go to sea. The last time we lost a submarine was in 1968. I will have a cold one for those guys tonight...
UPDATE:The Sub Report has links to a lot of the articles out there about this issue.
UPDATE TWO: CBS News reported that a SUBSUNK message was sent at about 0330 this morning. That is significant because it meant the families were notified.
The timeline appears to be: 1930 - red flare sighted. Attempts made to contact all three subs. Two were contacted. The SJ was not. 2200 - SJ does not communicate per a previously agreed upon plan. 0530 - SJ communicates when it thought it was supposed to. It will be interesting to see what the investigation finds.
Yet another Distraction
By Bull Nav
So, everybody on TV and in congress wants AG Gonzales' head because 8 US Attorneys were fired. Big deal. Tell me when in the last two administrations the AG was not embroiled in controversy.
But tell me why you don't see this in the news these last couple of days:
Last Tuesday, after being on the job only 11 days, Attorney General Janet Reno had the Justice Department moving and shaking. She requested the prompt resignation of all 93 U.S. Attorneys around the country "to build a team" that represents "my views" and those of the President. Although expected eventually, the move triggered alarms at the Washington prosecutorial office, which has been probing the finances of a key Democratic floor captain, House Ways and Means chairman Dan Rostenkowski. Reno insists there was "no linkage"' between the dismissals and the probe, which insiders say will continue.
That quote was from the April 5, 1993, issue of Time Magazine.
Again, the country's focus should be on The Long War and Iraq. This is just a distraction (one of many).
Guest Blogging
By John
So posting might be a bit light this week, from me at least. I'll be guest posting at Michelle Malkin's until Saturday or so.
Post numero uno is up, on Borscht Fascism.
I'll still be trolling around these old digs though. I like the smell.
Those Bad Soldiers in Iraq
By Bull Nav
I saw this in the NYT this morning and it just set me off. The article starts
In May 2004, Specialist Justin J. Lillis got drunk on what he called “hajji juice,” a clear Iraqi moonshine smuggled onto an Army base in Balad, Iraq, by civilian contractors, and began taking potshots with his M-16 service rifle.
and then continues with two more examples of all the bad stuff our guys are supposedly doing over there.
Of course there is the obligatory Viet Nam reference for stress relief
“The treatment that they take for it is the same treatment that they took after Vietnam,” Dr. Kosten said. “They turn to alcohol and drugs.”
Also, not to be missed, is the blatant sensationalism
There is a high incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder among Iraq veterans, [Charles P. O’Brien] said, adding that “there’s been a lot of suicide in the active-duty servicemen.”
How many people are drinking in their off-time? How many suicides? No hard numbers are given and this is what I do not like. Certainly PTSD is a real problem as well as suicide, and they both need to be dealt with. Both cause an indescribable amount of pain for the families involved.
There is some data, however it is for criminal prosecutions. When you look at the chart, you find that over a 5 year period (2002-2006) there were a total of 665 criminal prosecutions, which works out to 133 per year. Now if we assume that 133 was the actual average for the last couple of years, and that we have had around 140,000 armed forces personnel in country per year, you find that only 0.095% of our total personnel there were prosecuted for crimes. I am not trying to diminish the fact that we have people who do illegal things, but we catch them and prosecute them. The other approximately 139, 877 folks who are doing the heavy lifting, who are doing great things getting Iraq back on its feet get smeared again. Those are the folks we need to hear about. Those are the folks who deserve the recognition and attention.
A Patchwork
By Bull Nav
I traveled this weekend from Michigan to New Jersey to visit family. Six states, 600 miles one way, long trip: left Friday evening late, came back Sunday.
"Be Prepared" was something I learned a million years ago as a Boy Scout, and it is an axiom that has served me well through life. Hence, before I travel, I always check the concealed carry laws in the states through which I will travel. My primary resource is the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gunowners (MCRGO) website, the group most responsible for getting the Michigan legislature and governor to pass "Shall Issue" concealed pistol license laws.
They are also responsible for working with the Michigan AG to establish reciprocity agreements with other "Shall Issue" states such that a Michigan CPL holder can legally carry in those states, and this is primarily what I am checking before I travel. Of the states I traveled through or visited, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Delaware have signed reciprocity agreements with Michigan (although the Ohio laws are somewhat ambiguous, that is being fixed this week); West Virginia has not (although work is being done on that); and Maryland and NJ are "Restrictive Issue" states, which means there is no reciprocity agreement in place. As anyone who is a CPL holder knows, "Shall Issue" means that if you pass a certified training course (involving a certain amount of range time), pass a background check (which used your fingerprints and includes ensuring no mental health issues), and pay the appropriate fees the appropriate agency (in our case, the county) cannot deny you a CPL and shall issue you one. The "Restrictive Issue" states usually have laws which require you to show cause why you need to carry (the Second Amendment notwithstanding).
So what is a law-abiding citizen to do when traveling like this? There are three choices as I see it: 1) carry illegally in the three states where there is no reciprocity agreement; 2) determine what requirements and restrictions you must meet in order to transport a firearm across those three states and attempt to meet them (which is problematic if you drive a pickup truck); or 3) don't carry on this trip. Obviously, 1) is a non-starter.
Not even going to go there.
With 2) you have some logistical issues surrounding what to do when you cross state borders. For number 3), you have the easiest with which to comply, but decidedly not the safest, from a personal protection standpoint.
Now, there are measures before the Senate and House to try to fix this, but with this Congress, I don't think they will make it out of committee. Which is a shame because our citizenry is the first line of defense against terrorist attacks in our country. I know the local and state police, as well as the FBI do what they can to prevent attacks (and crime in general) from occurring, but their primary tasks involve catching the bad guys AFTER they have committed a crime or conducted an attack. I know that we have not had any attacks since 9/11/01, but until we have rooted out the most evil of the terrorists, shut down their training and indoctrination camps, and secured our borders, we must remain vigilant and be prepared.
John adds: Bull Nav's post reminds me of a phenomenal true story from Robert Averch, titled Killing a Terrorist.
"Look," say Larry, " he was an Arab worker, we got along just fine. But the day I saw him wasn't one of the days he was supposed to be here. Also he was heading into the neighborhood supermarket, a place he never ever went into. Plus he was wearing an overcoat on a very hot day. It was all wrong."We posted the story before at OPFOR, and like Col P said, it's precisely why we have a "well regulated militia.""What did you do?"
"I was outside when I spotted him. I followed him inside and I looked at his face and he looked, I don't know, all drugged up."
"How did you know you weren't shooting an innocent man?"
"He sizzled."
"Excuse me?"
"He tried to self-detonate. There was a malfunction. I saw smoke. I didn't want to take a chance on there being a second trigger. We were in a supermarket. Women and children all around. I drew and and shot him in the chest."
"Shot him dead?"
Larry shrugs and half smiles: "Hey, us Bensonhurst kids had to grow up tough, right?"
"I guess."
"Some Things You Never Forget"
By Lt Col P
I saw this article in today's WaPo, "Some Things You Never Forget," and it immediately intrigued me. The second paragraph reads, "For 39 hours in March 1977 -- before the word "terrorism" entered our daily vocabulary -- 12 gunmen paralyzed the District in a three-point siege. The group of Hanafi Muslims held about 150 people hostage in three buildings, and before they surrendered, a young reporter was killed and dozens were injured, including D.C. Council member [and future Mayor and noted criminal Marion] Barry. A shotgun pellet pierced his chest, right above his heart, nearly killing him."
NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE. Wow. I read on.
One of the main targets was the B'nai B'rith International Center. Another was an Islamic center. I read on. "The 12 gunmen had several demands. They wanted the government to hand over a group of men who had been convicted of killing seven relatives -- mostly children -- of takeover leader Hamaas Abdul Khaalis. They also demanded that the movie "Mohammad, Messenger of God" be destroyed because they considered it sacrilegious."
And then... nothing. The rest of the article talked about the one man killed, as it properly should, and cited the terror of the hostages, as it should. But beyond that, no detail. Beyond being "Hanafi Muslims," who were the hostage takers and what was their agenda? Were they homegrown assholes or imported assholes? What happened to them?
I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if the WaPo soft-pedalled the Muslims-go-nuts-take-over-building-kill-innocents-demand-film-on-Big Mo-be-censored angle. Because if they didn't, well, that might raise some interesting questions. Such as, This was happening before 9/11? Yep. Before we invaded Iraq? Yep. Muslim fanatics hated us back then too?
Yep.
WaPo, you rolled over and played dead. Good dog. Don't worry, they'll probably come for you last.
Milblogging Conference Registration Open
By John
Well, pre-registration at least. Andi's got a bunch of seats reserved for members of the military community, family, active, reserves, vets, whatever. Register now if you fit the military category, and plan on attending.
Once this thing opens to the general public, seats go fast. Aquaman Superman fast.
March Madness!
By John
This is one of my favorite times of the year. What a great country we live in, where the NCAA Tourney meets up with St. Patrick's Day. To paraphrase the great Dick Vitale: it's a drunken delight baby! The genius of the bracketology is that it makes every tiny, irrelevant little game important to you. You'd never think you'd be screaming your lungs out over a....I dunno, Gonzaga vs. UNLV game, unless you've got the underdog picked to hit the sweet sixteen. Madness, indeed.
Anyway....
Our buddy Bubblehead has set up a CBS Sportsline bracket for milbloggers and (presumably) friends of milbloggers.
Greyhawk and I are in so far, email Bubblehead if you're interested too.
Bragging rights are at stake! Going to be a blast!
Back!!
By John
And man, oh man, was it sweet.
Vail is a resort beyond comparison. I've done most of the big ones in Colorado: Breck, A-basin, Steamboat, Winterpark, Keystone, etc...but Vail just tops them all. Biggest ski mountain in the United States. And it's a world attraction, too. We ran into tourists from all over the globe who had come to ski the famous trails or work the resort, including one very attractive blonde from Argentina who gave me the best deep tissue massage ever.
Yes, I had to pay for it.
Yes, it was worth every penny.
But anyway, if you're a skier or boarder, pro or recreational, you really have to make the trip to Vail at least once. It's kind of like a pilgrimage to Mecca for winter sports enthusiasts.
Good to be back. And many thanks to Bull Nav and Col P for keeping the fires burning while I was gone.
Small photo essay below the fold:
Read More »
Give Peace a Chance
By John
Richard S. Lowry, author of The Gulf War Chronicles and Marines in the Garden of Eden, continues his guest blogging series:
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE
Daily, we hear pundits in the government and the media call for America’s withdrawal from Iraq. They claim that the country is spiraling into civil war and that the violence unnecessarily continues to take American lives. They claim that the Iraqis are not stepping up to the plate to secure their own blessing of liberty. And, they bristle that last November’s elections prove that the American people have had enough.
Democratic presidential candidates claim that President Bush is unresponsive, yet they have not come up with any plan other than setting a date to remove our troops or threats of withdrawing funds for Iraq.
Late last year, the President realized that a change of course was necessary in Iraq. He read and considered the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. He also asked the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to produce a new plan for success in Iraq. After significant consideration of many views, President Bush decided to act. Donald Rumsfeld was replaced, as well as all the top commanders in Iraq.
Read More »
Op-For John On Townhall.com
By Lt Col P
Look who's posted on Townhall.com! Listed right there with my fellow Marines Oliver North and Thomas Sowell, and VDH too.
GO READ AND HEED. DO IT NOW!
Flash traffic for the folks in DC
By Bull Nav
Well. This is good news:
A ruling Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that strikes down the District’s 1976 handgun ban and holds that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms is “a landmark for liberty, and an affirmation that everything the gun rights community has been saying for years is correct,” the Second Amendment Foundation said today.
Here is the whole news release from the SAF. Unfortunately, I suspect we have not heard the last on this issue...
The Brown Water Navy Returns
By Bull Nav
For the first time since Viet Nam, we have a "Brown Water Navy."
Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 1, based at Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Little Creek deployed March 8 after a year of intense training with Marine forces.The deployment marks the first for a riverine squadron since the Vietnam War.
More than 100 riverine Sailors deployed to the Middle East to integrate with Marines from the II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) to conduct maritime security operations (MSO) along rivers and other inland waterways: denying the use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack; a haven for insurgent activities; or the illegal transportation of weapons, people or material in Iraq.
This has been a long time coming. The original intention was that the Navy will pick up this mission that the Marines are currently conducting in Iraq. When I read this,
“Our goal is to help the Marines and other units we’ll be working with to facilitate stability in the area,” said, Lt.j.g. Joshua Sprubeck, team officer for RIVRON 1.
it makes me think that they will be assisting, rather than taking over the mission. Navy News stand has the whole article here. These guys can definitely make a difference, and my hope is that they can allow the Marines to concentrate on ground missions, rather than Maritime Security Operations (MSO).
On the Flight Deck...
By Bull Nav
During my AT last year, I supported Enterprise Strike Group during their pre-deployment workups. While I was onboard the USS ENTERPRISE, I had the opportunity to get some good pictures. Here is a Super Hornet getting ready to launch. The Catapault Officer is touching the deck and in the next motion will point down the cat signaling the launch.
(Note: all my submarine pictures were taken with a conventional camera in the 90s. I need to spend some time getting them scanned in, so this will have to do.)
Planning for Victory, Legislating for Defeat
By Lt Col P
Let's draw together two or three threads.
The first is from one of our notable colleagues at B5, the magnificently obscene Uncle Jimbo. In a recent post he laments (and rightly so) our failure to prepare adequately for the post-war reconstruction of Iraq. He points us to an Army War College study that predicted the consequences of such a failure, with disquieting accuracy.
I delved into that report and one thing out of dozens really struck me. On page 13 is this passage: "In the spring of 1942, a School of Military Government was established at the University of Virginia, and thinking began there about postwar reconstructions of Germany, Japan, and Italy. This new emphasis produced Operation ECLIPSE [the occupation of Germany] and the impressive success described previously." In other words, they were planning to win the peace even as they were waging the war, and at a moment when things looked particularly bleak, I might add. That speaks volumes for the dedication of that generation to total victory, and the utter lack of defeatism.
The second is from Michelle Malkin today, as she writes on GEN Petraeus's words about how the campaign in Iraq will not be won by force alone. He is correct. In the same post are comments from Michael Yon on the yeoman work being done on reconstruction by other agencies from the U.S. government... NOT!
So we know that we should have prepared better. (Although how exactly the left would be spinning that today would be interesting to watch. "SEE!" I can hear it now, "See how well they prepared to occupy and rule Iraq after their war of conquest! They had their little regime and its puppets all lined up, now didn't they??")
And we know now what has to be done, and we also know that it is getting done, slowly but surely.
So why are we legislating for defeat? Why are we trying to pull the expensive rug out from under Petraeus's feet? Let's take another lesson from our WWII veterans and give it one hundred percent until the job is done, and stop planning to lose.
Iranian Official Alive and In U.S. Hands?
By Lt Col P
According to this report, yes.
Rumors have been swirling since his disappearance-- was he whacked, was he snatched, or did he just jump ship?
Fox News has it. (Note to Fox, get Rudi Bakhtiar to cover this, assisted by Reena Nainan. PLEASE.)
This is very interesting, if that report proves correct. And if it isn't correct, the mystery persists.
Need More Proof?
By Bull Nav
Then look no further than today's front page of your local news paper.
What am I talking about? Why of course Lightning's post and John's recent post (complete with a picture) on where America is with the war, or rather isn't. The front page of one of our local papers had major headlines this morning about a local murder, diversity, organ donation, and labor issues. You have to go to page 4A before you get to an article about Iraq (I can't even find that one online), and that is the ONLY article about any of our operations overseas. Nothing else. (A note about the Detroit Free Press: they do have an excellent series on the local Marine Reservists (1st Battalion 24th Marines) who are serving in Iraq right now. I have recommended it before. It is a very good series.)
I have been just casually looking at the other newspaper I read daily to see what news we get about the war, and there, too, it is buried somewhere in the center of the first section. I will say that for all their left-of-center leanings, we do usually get two or three stories a day about the war. For at least the last two weeks, however, there has not been a front page story on the war.
Why is it that if you go look at some of the overseas news houses, like the BBC, you get stories like this, which appears to be a lead story, and this which was a lead story a day or two ago. I have seen nothing in the American press, print or multi-media, about Operation Achilles. Why can't we get reporting on major announcements and operations? Things are going on, things are happening, good things. And yet when you pick up your local paper, the war is just another story, buried somewhere if there is even any coverage at all.
Sure, we have some major economic issues here in Michigan. With one of the highest unemployment rates in the country (just under 7%), the automakers in trouble, and other companies seeing the writing on the wall and leaving, the state economy is a major issue. There needs to be reporting on those issues.
But folks also need to be reminded daily that there is a LOT of work going on in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elswhere. Not just fighting, but engaging, rebuilding, helping these people get back on thier feet. You want to do something? Send emails to your local paper and ask these questions. Whether you are overseas or back here in the states, ask them why our efforts in the Long War are being under-reported or not reported at all. People here need to pay more attention to what our troops are doing. The only way that will happen is if it is reported.
Tank Porn for Tread Heads
By Lt Col P
Hotel Tango to Maj Joe Winslow of Regimental Signs for this nifty vid of the South Korean tank. Tanks, Phat Joe!
Read More »
News team in Iraq
By Bull Nav
This picture courtesy of Mike Yon who says it is,
Brian Williams, Richard Engle and
GEN(R) Wayne Downing. They are staying a few tents down from me.
Keep up the great work, Mike!
Supporting the troops
By Bull Nav
I was not aware of this program here in Michigan:
“We offer a full-service oil change with a brief safety inspection,” said Rob Hopp, owner of Auto Advantage. “We’re offering them to any military dependent, active or reserve.”The services are free once every 90 days with an appointment and a military dependent identification card, he said. The Oil Change Help program began just a few months after the fighting started in Iraq and will continue until at least Dec. 31.
The specific shops are at Oil Change Help.
This is great that these guys are doing this. I know it is somewhat removed from the majority of folks serving, but we do have a fair number of Reservists, National Guard, and active duty Air Force folks out there.
If you are a civilian, and you live near one of the oil change shops listed, give these guys your business. They deserve it.
Recommended Reading: The Story of the Arab Legion
By Lt Col P
I saw this morning, during my daily professional reading session, a letter to the editor of Marine Corps Gazette extolling the value of The Story of the Arab Legion for Marines (and soldiers) going to Iraq to work with the Iraqi Security Forces. I was especially pleased to see this as I was the one who recommended it to the writer of the letter, Major Philip Cushman. The book describes the formation and growth of the finest Arab force raised during the British control over the region, and its eventual transformation into the regular army of Jordan, through the eyes of its remarkable commander, John Bagot Glubb.
In his letter, Major Cushman (or "the most excellent Major KOOSH-maan," if you know him) notes that the book contains descriptions of combat in Ramadi, Fallujah, and other places in the 1920s which bear some resemblance to today. More importantly he also notes that the book "should be on the shelf of any Marine involved in advising Arab troops," and that he wished he had read it before his first tour in Iraq in 2004. He is correct in these assessments. Glubb's book is almost a how-to manual for raising, training and leading semi-regular and regular Arab forces, especially ones filling a constabulary role. Most significantly, it shows how one can transfer the loyalties of highly individualistic soldiers from the local to the national.
Regrettably, Maj Cushman also notes that the book is hard to find. I purchased my copy of the book in 1990, for some (then) exorbitant sum, forty or fifty bucks. (This was before amazon.com, and I found it by looking in the large hardbound volumes of "Books in Print," and having the ladies at the Camp Lejeune bookstore order it for me. Ha!) However, if you're headed over there, it would be a good investment in time and money to find a copy.
Submarine Week Friendly Reminder
By Bull Nav
I just wanted to make sure that everyone is tuning into the Military Channel at 2000 each night as they continue Submarine Week. Tonight is Size it Up - Subs.
Getting out in your spaces
By Bull Nav
Back when I was a young Junior Officer on my first submarine, my Department Heads, XO, and CO would always admonish us to "get out in your spaces." They did it and we needed to do it. This was especially true during our ritual Friday morning Field Day, in which the crew cleans and preserves the ship. This showed that you 1) cared about who your sailors were and that what they were doing was important, 2) showed an interest in learning about the ship (good, bad, ugly) because what better way to learn than to crawl around in the bilges with the guys who are the experts, and 3) demonstrated that you were not some knighted prince who sat in his stateroom issuing decrees and not following up on what was really being done. As a Department Head, I made it a point to balance my day so that I could get around to find out what was going on. This allowed me a personal view so that I could make changes if necessary or provide horsepower where needed to get things done more efficiently. As a leader, one of your primary functions is to take care of your men because they are the ones who do the heavy lifting and who stand the most chance of injury or death when the bad stuff happens.
That's why this testimony before Congress yesterday made me sick:
Kevin Kiley, the three-star general in charge of all Army medical facilities, seemed stumped as he testified yesterday about his responsibility for the Walter Reed scandal."I'm trying not to say that I'm not accountable," he told members of the House oversight committee.
But try as he might, he couldn't fix blame on himself.How could he not have known that wounded soldiers were living in squalid conditions across the street from his own home? "I don't do barracks inspections at Walter Reed," he said.
I just don't understand why some guys up there at the top don't get it. Our young Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deserve far more as do their commanders who do take care of them.
An absolutely incredible contrast was MGEN Weightman, who was fired last week as the WRAMC Commander :
Weightman, by contrast, turned around to the McLeods and spoke warmly, addressing Annette directly. "I'd just like to apologize for not meeting their expectations, not only in the care provided, but also in having so many bureaucratic processes that just took your fortitude to be an advocate for your husband that you shouldn't have to do," Weightman said, as Kiley finally turned to face the McLeods. "I promise we will do better."When the two generals were eventually excused, Weightman again turned to the McLeods and shook hands with them; though he spoke quietly, the words "I'm sorry" were clear. Kiley left the room without a glance backward.
You can read the whole thing in the WAPO here. Seems LTGEN Kiley could learn a thing or two from his former subordinate...
Update 07MAR: CDR Salamander has some words on this issue today.
A Moment To Relax...
By Lt Col P
I promised Big John that I'd be extra-special attentive along with Brother Rat BullNav, and maybe even Lightning and Good-Time Charlie since they're otherwise occupied. So maybe you'll indulge me in a moment of relaxation, the first in several days.
I took off thursday for an extended drill weekend. We took the whole unit into the field, which given our situation is not normal-- I'm in a Marine unit very similar to Lightning's, only in the reserve. We went to Avon Park, FL (BTW, not at all what I thought FL would look like), on friday a.m. and stayed til sunday a.m. I hadn't slept out in the field like that since 2003, and it felt good. Sort of. Except I think that global warming, if it exists, has made the ground harder. The Marines performed superbly, as usual.
I launched sunday afternoon, after AirTran did an admirable job of making up time, and I crawled into the rack with Mrs LtCol P and all three cats at about 0001. Up at 0445 to go to Quantico for a meeting I didn't have to attend, as it turned out, so I bowed out and headed back north to the office. And then home again to see Son & Heir.
So, gimme another 24 hours and I promise more of substance.
PS: I did have an email waiting for me that's worthy of note. It was a forwarded you-gotta-read-this-link-because-this-guy-is-absolutely-right kind of email. The link? Lightning's comment on how America's not at war, it's at the mall.
Navy Reserve support of OIF/OEF/GWOT
By Bull Nav
As I talk to people around here, I have realized that not many people are aware of the support that the US Navy Reserve is supplying for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and elsewhere. According to the latest numbers, there are 5883 Navy Reservists currently mobilized. While this is not a large number in comparison to the number of National Guard and Army Reservists mobilized, we still have folks out there (and, by the way, there are only about 130000 Navy Reservists total including both SELRES and IRR). They are there to backfill AR and NG requirements so that those guys can go fight. These include Provincial Reconstruction Teams, Mobile Training Teams, Embedded Training Teams, Seabees, and Navy Expeditionary Logistics Force functions.
This past weekend, approximately 450 Navy Reservists started their training at Williamsburg, VA, as Navy Customs Battalion SIERRA.
Rear Adm. Sharon Redpath, Commander Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, said the MCPON’s visit set a positive and important tone for the beginning of training for the Sailors preparing to conduct this vital mission for the country.“It’s fantastic that he was able to address this diverse group of reservists -- volunteers from the Individual Ready Reserve, Submarine Force and from all over the country -- and, on such a special day,” Redpath added.
This group's mission is to inspect material coming into and especially going out of Iraq. They work long hours to ensure trucks, troops, tanks, etc., don't take anything out that is not supposed to go out. This is the 5th iteration manned by reservists doing a necessary, but not glamorous or well-known mission. Read the whole article here.
The Pentagon Likes the New SECDEF
By Bull Nav
Today's WAPO says folks at the Puzzle Palace like the new guy:
At the Pentagon, where Gates has been greeted as a liberator, "you can already feel the stability," said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Charles F. Wald, formerly the deputy U.S. commander in Europe.
Note the choice of the word "liberator." But,
Gates has been welcomed largely because of who he is not rather than what he has done, noted a longtime friend who has held top national security posts.
You can read the whole article here . Secretary Rumsfield was either loved or hated. Althought I have no firsthand experience, he seems to have been an insufferable taskmaster. As a change agent, did he do the right things? Certainly we needed to move our military into the future after it languished in the 90s, when we tried to figure out what the next great threat was going to be. He came in with a bang and stirred the pot. Did he talk to much, did he rub folks the wrong way, did he not suffer fools? Yes. Was he effective? I think so. But I also think he was too overzealous in his insistence that our invasion force not be structured for an occupation in Iraq. I don't think he was able to find the balance between warfighter and technology that he was looking for. I also think he should have worked with the State Department to plan for the "war after the war." I think he will be more remembered for Iraq than his transformation of the military. Bottom line for now is that we still need a lot of folks to (use an oft-repeated cliche) "win the peace" and my hope is that we are getting there now. The new SECDEF has a LOT of work to do.
Oh, by the way, I still think this was a very impressive speech.
And...I'm...OUT!!!
By John
Not permanently. Simmer.
Haven't taken any time off since I spent a phenomenal couple of days boating from bar to bar on some of Minnesota's finest lakes last summer. So I'm going to take a week to forget about work, forget about blogging, and use my brand-spanking new K2 skis to explore Vail's legendary back bowls.
I'll be gone till Sunday, don't expect to hear from me! In the meantime, you're in good hands with the rest of our distinguished crew.
J'Accuse!
By John
A sad day for the VMI men at OPFOR:
One of our favorite bloggers, smiling and taking pictures with (gag) a Citadel cadet!
Michelle, say it ain't so!
Requiem for a Carrier
By John
Pinch memorializes my pop's old boat, the Big John.
She'll be missed, even if she was a million ton gas guzzler with a kind-of-gay slanted stack.
PS- hey this "Navy" category that Bull Nav created is kinda useful.
At the half...
By Bull Nav
VMI is down by only 1 point, 39-40, to Winthrop. Only 20 minutes to go. The Keydets are making it a game. GO KEYDETS!!!!!
John Says: Heartbreak. It came down to one three pointer at the buzzer. And we missed.
bullnav Says : Dang.
Update (John): Even in defeat, they held their heads high:
LEXINGTON, Va., March 3, 2007 – The VMI Corps of Cadets welcomed the Institute’s basketball team home Saturday night following a narrow miss in the team’s bid for the Big South Conference title earlier in the day.The team pressed Winthrop University’s Eagles to the final moments of the tournament at Rock Hill, S.C., in the Saturday afternoon meet. Read about the game here.
Hundreds of cadets swarmed the team bus when it pulled onto Letcher Avenue just before 9:30 p.m. Cheers and clapping greeted the players as they stepped off the bus and were escorted into the courtyard of Old Barracks. The cold and wind that met the team after the four-hour bus trip back to Lexington didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the cadets awaiting their return.
The crowd sand the Spirit and the Doxology as team members held the Runner Up trophy for all to see.
Welcome Home.
Weekend A.M. Prep Fires
By John
.....as the good Colonel calls it. I don't do these too often, but this morning is the exception, as I've got a couple of links that are too freakin' good to ignore.
War Cocaine - Teflon Don waxes on that warrior instrospection that has made milblogs so popular.
Time to Get Up - A Marine A4 pilot finds himself, and his A4, at the bottom of Subic Bay. It's no secret that Neptunus Lex is one of my favorite blogs. The dude was born to be a storyteller.
Swiss Invade Liechensten - Greeted as liberators?
Another Armchair General
By John
This chick kills me. Just kills me. From, where else? The Los Angeles Times:
Polls show the American public — and the troops themselves — to be deeply critical of the Bush administration's handling of Iraq and concerned about the war's devastating effect on the American military. We've watched the situation in Iraq go from bad to worse, from worse to worst and then from worst to unthinkably awful, as "insecurity" morphed into "sectarian violence," then into chaos and civil war.
The "war's devastating effect on the American military?" You mean wars can devastate militaries? Get out. Only this one isn't. Devastating, that is. I won't play the numbers game, it's lame, but on the off chance that she feels a sudden, striking urge to educate herself, she can google casaulties of past wars. Devastating. Yeesh, could we be any more dramatic?
We've seen the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq roughly tripled since the 2004 election. We've seen the war in Iraq fuel anti-U.S. sentiment worldwide; we've seen copycat suicide bombings increase in Afghanistan; we've seen the Iraq conflict further inflame tensions with Iran and throughout the Middle East; we've seen hostile states around the globe emboldened by the image of the U.S. caught in a quagmire; we've seen Al Qaeda regroup; we've seen Iraq become a top training ground for aspiring terrorists from all over.
Read More »
Caught in the Act
By John
Sneaky Brits stealing Air Force gas.
Didn't we go to war for this or something? You know, gas? At least that's what a giant paper mache head of Donald Rumsfeld told me the other day.
However, I digress. The fuel is all theirs if they're helping our Zoomie freedom fighters serve a giant helping of precision guided justice to the Taliban. You know, out there in that other theater.
No new Astronauts?
By Bull Nav
Can't help but wonder how this is related to this. I assume there is a connection...
VMI BB on ESPN: Saturday!
By Bull Nav
If you can't make it down tomorrow (I know I won't) at least tune in:
VMI Fans: Are you ready? Lets go! Rah Virginia Mil, Rah, Rah, Rah,......
That's right - get ready to do lots of Old Yells as the VMI Basketball Team prepares to take on a Winthrop University team that is undefeated in Conference play this year and ready to be ranked in the top 25 in the Nation.
Winthrop (the #1 seed), like both High Point (#2 seed) and Liberty (#3 seed) has beaten VMI (#6 seed) twice this season! Our Keydets are playing with lots of confidence and are not ready for this magical season to end.
9 buses of 400 cadets plus the pep band will be on hand tomorrow (Saturday) in Rock Hill SC when the Keydets tip it off at 2 pm in their bid to win their first Conference Championship since the 1976-77 season. The game will be televised Nationally on ESPN - yes the ESPN on your TV set at 2 pm!
Tickets are available, first come first serve, by calling the VMI ticket office
(1.540.464.7266) after that tickets must be purchased at the Winthrop Coliseum.
GO BIG RED!
VA Joe Asks Me Stuff
By John
Just in case any of you cared what I did with the first 23 years of my life.
Or how we got started.
Or why I call Charlie my 'heterosexual blogging partner.'
Lots of other great milblogger interviews there as well. Check em.
The Man Gauntlet
By John
Well Blackfive all but pulled out a white glove and slapped me across the face with his challenge.
88%. Matt won. I was starting to get cocky (even got the very UN-manly question on the Monet painting), until there was a 10 question barrage where you had to ID the delicious parts of a cow. I think I got two of those, tops.
By the way, some of these questions will have you laughing out loud. The "which one of these is a ninja" and "which one of these is a cougar" had me dying.
Take the Experience Old Spice Challenge.
Conference Call with Task Force Phoenix
By John
This morning I had the opportunity to listen in on a blogger conference call with Col. David B. Enyeart, Deputy Commander, Task Force Phoenix. Phoenix's responsibility is in training the Afghan National Army. From my notes below, you can see how that's not an easy task.
A quick word on how I did this. I was basically the type clerk in the courthouse for this call. I typed as quickly as I could, but I did miss things. Couldn't get the blogger who was asking each question in, although I do remember that Glenn Reynolds asked about the Drug War vs. the War on Al Qaeda, and the corruption issue (which I thought was a terrific question.) And I had to paraphrase Colonel Enyeart's responses. So reading the interview will seem much shorter than the actual 20 minute phone call.
Interview below the fold. All of the bullet points are from Col. Enyeart.
Update: If I knew Instapundit was going to record the whole thing, I wouldn't have bothered. Lesson learned. Here's the link to the Glenn & Helen Podcast, which includes the entire interview. Really, really interesting stuff.
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Submarine Week!!!
By Bull Nav
OK, if you don't have the Military Channel on your cable or satellite provider, get it now. Next Monday they start Submarine Week, and what will obviously be the greatest week in the history of the Military Channel. Watch and learn, and send me any questions you may have...
