August 2007 Archives

« Previous · Home · Next »

Get Some

By John

Being an Air Force guy, I sincerely believe that there's nothing finer than a well crafted joke made at a Marine's expense.

But that shouldn't be confused with the fact that I love Marines.

Here's just another reason why, from Michael Yon:

Some of our own commanders believe that units who are not “in contact” or fighting here are perhaps not out beating the bushes enough. If there is a criticism of Marines on this, I heard Marines and American Army officers say on many occasions that some of the higher Marine command is stuck in the kinetic mindset, and this is very frustrating for Marines and Soldiers who realize that WHEN NOBODY IS SHOOTING IT MEANS YOU ARE WINNING.

Even though they're whupping ass over there in Anbar, Marines are getting pissed that they're running out of targets.

Are these guys great or what?

Anti-War Film "Stuns" Venice

By John

VENICE (Reuters) -

A new film about the real-life rape and killing of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl by U.S. soldiers who also murdered her family stunned the Venice festival, with shocking images that left some viewers in tears.

"Redacted", by U.S. director Brian De Palma, is one of at least eight American films on the war in Iraq due for release in the next few months and the first of two movies on the conflict screening in Venice's main competition.

Inspired by one of the most serious crimes committed by American soldiers in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, it is a harrowing indictment of the conflict and spares the audience no brutality to get its message across.

De Palma, 66, whose "Casualties of War" in 1989 told a similar tale of abuse by American soldiers in Vietnam, makes no secret of the goal he is hoping to achieve with the film's images, all based on real material he found on the Internet.

"The movie is an attempt to bring the reality of what is happening in Iraq to the American people," he told reporters after a press screening.

Never trust someone who sells truth with a work of fiction.

Just sayin'.

You want reality? Read milblogs.

Where do I sign up?

By John

Best use of YouTube in college recruiting to date. I love the emphasis on roughness.... lots of hitting, obstacle negotiation, and PT going on.

Although I can't say I ever heard the theme music from Conan the Barbarian during my days in barracks.

Blog World Expo

By John

In Vegas, baby.

You guys are going right?

Military.com will be sponsoring the milblogging booth and panels, here are the details as released by the Expo folks this morning.

I just received the latest info from Andi and the folks at Military.com. This is an all star lineup. The panelists will include Matt and Uncle Jimbo from Black Five, John Noonan from Op-for, Tim Boggs, and many more.

Michael Yon has agreed to do a live video feed from Iraq (as long as we can get the technology to work).

You have to hear Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss tell the story about how Project Valour-IT run by the amazing ladies at Soldiers Angels was created after Captain Ziegenfuss suffered wounds to his hands in Iraq.

Here are the panels:

HEY, WHAT’S A MILBOG?
Moderator: Christian Lowe
Thursday, November 8 (1:30 – 2:30)

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG:
MILBLOGGERS,THE DOD AND THE MEDIA
Moderator: Ward Carroll
Thursday, November 8 (2:45 – 3:45)

FROM THE FRONT
Moderator: Ward Carroll
Friday, November 9 (10:15 – 11:45)

MEANWHILE, BACK ON THE HOMEFRONT
Moderator: Andi Hurley
Friday, November 9 (1:30 – 2:30)

A sincere thank you to Military.com for sponsoring the Milblog track and to Andi, John Noonan, Ward Caroll and others for helping put this all together. You don’t have to be in the military or have family serving to appreciate what these amazing individuals have done. In fact you are a civilian you owe it to yourself to attend at least one of these sessions while you are at BlogWorld.

This thing isn't military exclusive, we're just a small part. But if you're someone who uses, reads, or profits from blogs or the online community you're going to want to be there.

Upgraded Warthogs

By Slab

Hershel Smith of The Captain's Journal has a piece on the upgraded A-10C Warthog. With the new mods, the A-10C now has capabilities nearing those of the AV-8B Harrier. Herschel believes in the A-10 as a counterinsurgency tool. Excuse me if I withold judgment for a while.

Update: My entry was cut a bit short, and I didn't get to elaborate much. Mike points out in the comments that it's not fair to blame the A-10 drivers for the incident in Nasiriyah. Indeed, the battalion air officer was found to be ultimately culpable for the incident, and as Richard Lowery will tell you in Marines in the Garden of Eden, 1/2 was embroiled in a chaotic and confusing situation, with an entire company of Marines farther north than anyone suspected at the time. However, I'm not completely willing to give the A-10 community a pass on this one. A-10s attacked friendly units on several occasions in Operation DESERT STORM. One A-10 made multiple passes on a Marine convoy that was south of a berm that clearly delineated the boundaries of where they were allowed to engage. They killed 7 LAV crewmen during the opening stages of the Battle for Khafji, and 9 British soldiers in another incident. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, A-10s attacked AAVs from 1/2, and a few days later attacked a British patrol from the Blues and Royals north of Basra. Last year, a section of A-10s strafed Canadian troops during Operation MEDUSA, and killed Pte Mark Anthony Graham. There are too many incidents to be ignored, and while every A-10 pilot may not be a blue-on-blue waiting to happen, is it any wonder that Marines, especially our terminal controllers, get apprehensive when these guys are on station?

Pain Train Coming?

By John

Newsweek: "We are going to get hit again" -

Aug. 27, 2007 - Al Qaeda has an active plot to hit the West. The United States knows about it but doesn’t have enough tactical detail to issue a precise warning or raise the threat level, says Vice Admiral (ret.) John Scott Redd, who heads the government’s National Counterterrorism Center. In an interview at his headquarters near Washington, D.C., Redd told Newsweek’s Mark Hosenball and Jeffrey Bartholet that the country is better prepared than ever to counter such threats. But he also believes another successful terror attack on the U.S. homeland is inevitable.

Well, tis the season....

Hotel Tango: The Tank

Vets for Freedom Respond

By John

I know that quite a few of you guys read the NYT's op-ed from the 82nd Airborne guys, seven of em, a few weeks ago. Here's a chunk:

The claim that we are increasingly in control of the battlefields in Iraq is an assessment arrived at through a flawed, American-centered framework. Yes, we are militarily superior, but our successes are offset by failures elsewhere. What soldiers call the “battle space” remains the same, with changes only at the margins. It is crowded with actors who do not fit neatly into boxes: Sunni extremists, Al Qaeda terrorists, Shiite militiamen, criminals and armed tribes. This situation is made more complex by the questionable loyalties and Janus-faced role of the Iraqi police and Iraqi Army, which have been trained and armed at United States taxpayers’ expense.

Basically, they're pessimistic. And they have a right to be, they spilled the same blood in the same mud as servicemen who support the effort. I respect the fact that they had the guts to write a piece like this. However, I tend to agree more with Vets for Freedom, and their response in the Weekly Standard:

ON SUNDAY, seven soldiers from the 2nd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division stationed in Iraq penned a passionate opinion piece in the New York Times that further illustrates the complexity of what is "really" happening in Iraq. Of the almost 3,000 soldiers from the Army's storied 82nd Airborne Division currently serving in the hottest of Iraqi neighborhoods, seven felt confident enough in their misgivings to sign an opinion piece. They should not be surprised that many of their comrades--including the seven undersigned here--find their work to be misguided.

The 2nd Brigade is responsible for two dangerous areas of Baghdad: Adihamiyah and Sadr City. Airborne troopers there have seen the worst al Qaeda and the Mahdi Army can throw at them and the Iraqi people. But the whole story is that the Iraqis and soldiers in their sector have not yet been fully affected by the surge of troops and operations, which have barely been in place two months.

Currently, American and Iraqi Forces are clearing sections of southern Baghdad before turning north to the 82nd Airborne's neighborhoods. As such, the portrait these soldiers painted, while surely accurate and honest, is more representative of pre-surge Baghdad: sectarian strife, lawlessness, and indiscriminate slaughter.

This is not, however, the picture elsewhere in Iraq, or even most of Baghdad. Additional American combat brigades first surged to the outlying areas around the capital, disrupting the flow of suicide bombers and car bombs and denying haven to al Qaeda.

The result? Attacks against civilians are at a six-month low and large al Qaeda-style truck and suicide bombings have dropped 50 percent in Baghdad. With additional troops and a sound strategy, the same results can occur in even the worst areas of Baghdad, including the 82nd Airborne's sector.

You really should read the whole thing.

Pete Hesgeth, co-founder of VFF, followed up on this piece in an interview with our good friends at Pundit Review Radio and Bruce McQain from QandO, you can listen here. It's a superb interview.

Book Review: Supreme Command

By John

This one comes from Colonel Hank Forsmen, VMI '76, so it'll be far more serious and cerebral than any review coming from this guy. Col H wrote this back in 02, so it is a bit dated, not that the date really matters, given the subject material.

Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen, and Leadership in Wartime

A quick read of the Washington Post or The New York Times in recent weeks and months will see quite often the name of Eliot A. Cohen. Mr. Cohen is an academic. He has experience both as a reserve military officer and a former political appointee in the Department of Defense. He is the favorite academic of his mentor Under Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfweitz and his boss Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and other members of the neo-conservative cabal who advise President Bush. Mr. Cohen work on the relationship between the military and civilian leadership is a must read by all who wish to profess a knowledge of current military thought and strategy. His work, somewhat modeled on Gerhardt Ritter’s seminal work on the relationship between the German General Staff and the Kaiser, The Sword and the Scepter, (4 Volumes originally written in academic German, 2000 plus pages. The English translation is as ponderous)) will never achieve that works reputation for heft and breath of scholarship and analysis.

Mr. Cohen’s thesis is that the proper relationship between the civil and military is one of which the military is subservient to civil authority. He cites as his examples Lincoln’s relationship with the Union Army in the Civil War, Clemenceau relationship with the French Army in World War I, Churchill’s relationship with the British Army in World War II, and finally David Ben-Gurion’s relationship with the Israeli General Staff in the 1948 War for Independence. While one in theory would like to agree that at all times and in all places the military should be totally subservient to civil authority, reality, pragmatic common sense and experience have demonstrated time and time again it is balance between military and civil authority which achieves success.

Read More »

Air Power!

By John

So Blackfive has a great post up on the worst military recruiting commercials of all time that's worth a look. I was most pleased to see that the Marine Corps lava monster commercial made Matt's list, an ad that no doubt elicited an uproarious whiskey tango foxtrot!!??? from Marines worldwide.

Not to toot my own service's horn here, but I challenge any of the branches to top the Air Force's moving Lullaby tv spot:

Still gives me goosebumps.

Although a more realistic version of today's Air Force can be seen here:

On OPSEC

By John

So I chatted briefly (very briefly) with the AP last week:

Report: Official Military Sites Breach Security More Than Bloggers

An Army investigative report obtained through a Freedom of Information request found that official Army Web sites violated operational security more than military bloggers.

The report was obtained by the Washington, D.C.-based Electronic Frontier Foundation under a FOI request and published in Wired Magazine.

Rebecca Jeschke, spokeswoman for EFF, confirmed her organization had obtained the information through an FOI request and given copies of it to Wired. She also e-mailed copies to the Associated Press on Aug. 18.

The documents were sent to EFF by Will Kammer, chief of the defense directorate for FOI requests made to the National Security Archive.

Dave Foster, spokesman for the Army at the Pentagon, said he would seek comment on the report but it might not be available until today.

“This is about control, not operational security for the Pentagon. They’ve got an unchecked release of information coming from theater, and it makes them nervous,” said Air Force Lt. John Noonan, a blogger. Noonan, who asked that his unit not be identified, said soldiers are motivated to stay within the rules so they don’t get into trouble.

Has anyone asked why the Pentagon is more susceptible to breaches than bloggers? It's the accountability, stupid. Soldiers and soldiers alone are responsible for comments made on their blogs (see Scott Thomas Beauchamp), whereas the folks who maintain these DoD websites have layers of bureaucracy to hide behind.

Who do you think is going to be more careful?

Picture of the Day: Buff Goes Swimming

By John

A 2nd Bomb Wing B-52H Stratofortress flies over the UNSN 2nd Lt John P Bobo, a maritime pre-positioning ship, during a maritime intercept training mission, Aug 24. Photo Courtesy of the US Air Force.

That's the PR line, at least. I think it's the Air Force equivilant of a silverback gorilla pounding its chest above a weaker, lesser opponent. That's how we pronounce dominance, Merchies Squids!

On the nightstand

By John

So far, I'm giving it my highest review of "pretty awesome," but I admit I'm only 175 pages in. This guy Smith, former British general, seems to be a walking encyclopedia of warfare. Check out this passage on revolutionary war, the type of conflict that radical Islam believes itself to be fighting, and tell me if you think Al Qa'ida gets it:

In this formulation of the antithesis, revolutionary war, force is being used to form the people's intentions as to their governance: throughout all lines of operations the revolutionary is working to increase the acceptance of the people to be governed by the revolution. The strategic and theater-level objectives are all to do with forming or changing the will of the people, not that of the opponent, and it is only at the tactical level, and at a time of the revolutionary's choosing that force is applied directly to acheive its destructive potential. These ideas gathered weight and were put into effect in both Russia and China. It was Lenin who drew on Clausewitz's thinking on weak against strong opponents, with his discussion of a "people's war," which should rely on popular support, and his argument that no single event could decide the outcome of such a war. In engineering the Russian Revolution there is no doubt Lenin applied this thinking a very successful way. Indeed, the ideas Lenin derived from his own experience have had a major impact on modern guerilla strategies.

In Iraq, Al-Qa'ida has sought to change the will of the enemy, not the people, a failure which is most evident in Anbar. They choose spectacular and violent attacks on Iraqis, aimed at affecting the will of the American people, instead harnessing the power of Islam to revolutionize the Iraqi countryside. And it is a failure that is working in our favor.

If Bin Laden had appointed Fidel Castro to run his Mesopotamian operations, we would have been screwed.

Anyway, if you're into military theory, buy this book. I'm totally digging it.

Brits Step Up

By John

Now, more than ever, Britain must stay in Iraq -

Al-Qa’eda is an international criminal organisation that declared war on the West in the 1990s, and is determined to subjugate us. If we cut and run from one crucial battleground, it will be a betrayal of our allies in both America and Iraq and a victory for all Islamist extremism, Shia as well as Sunni. Moqtada al Sadr, the Shiite leader in southern Iraq, was crowing in the Independent only this week that his militia had driven the British out.

The choices are not easy. We are in the midst of a world-wide war and British forces are overstretched and underresourced, fighting as they are in both Basra and Afghanistan. With only 100,000 men and women our armed forces are fewer in number than at any time since the Victorian era. It’s a disgrace and it is the responsibility of both Conservative and Labour governments. The present crisis, however, is the result of the thoughtless cuts imposed over the past decade by the man who is now Prime Minister.

As a result, there are now two issues for the government in Iraq — force protection and effectiveness of mission. Like Donald Rumsfeld, the man British commentators love to hate, we never sent enough troops to Iraq. At first we were pretty condescending to the Americans, insisting that our light touch, learned in Northern Ireland, was far more effective than their alleged heavy-handedness. We were wrong. Basra is not Londonderry. Our ever-lower profile was seen by local militias — and the public — as weakness. As a result the militia grewstronger and stronger, and now Basra is a town of warring gangs. We never committed enough — and we reduced our numbers much too soon. We now have only 5,000 men and women in Basra. That small force must protect itself, must continue training the 10th Iraqi Division (we’ve done that quite well), must help protect the southern end of the Americans’ major supply route from Kuwait to Baghdad, and must remain in charge of Basra’s provincial security until we judge Iraqi forces strong enough to take it over. Because of our mistakes (not the famous American ones) none of that is now easy. The force in Basra must remain for now in support of the Iraqis and must have means to be effective: our responsibility only ends when the Iraqi forces we are training can defend the area against the Iranian-controlled Shia militias and criminal gangs. They still need us for now.

To echo the author in a later passage, "quite right." I was particularly pleased to see a major British periodical recognize that Britain must cease the gutting of her Armed Forces. America needs a strong England, but -more importantly- England needs a strong England.

It's not just Britain, either. Even after 9/11, NATO continued to cut forces as part of an elongated post-Cold War drawdown. I think that it's time to beef up again. Germany can't afford to spare a handful of helicopters to help in Afghanistan, Norway's northern coast is being buzzed by Russian strategic bombers, France, Britain, Holland, Denmark, and Spain are having an awful time with Islamist militants, and the United States has just learned a very important lesson on the benefits of troop strength in Iraq.

Whether or not we'll ever see that type of alliance-wide force increase is questionable though. One of the crappiest things to happen since 9/11 is that somewhere along the road, fighting Islamist terror has been branded as a sort of right-wing, conservative issue. Which means left wingers in NATO's governments are pushing back against the fight based on the simple fact that conservatives support it.

Which kind of sucks, I think.

Hotel Tango: Goldfarb

Tactical Tailor's MALICE pack

By Lt Col P

Does any one have a MALICE Pack, or know someone who does? Please email me (ltcolp at op-for dot com) or post a comment with the pros and cons of this piece of gear, especially if you have jumped with one and subjected it to good hard use.

(If you have negative comments, keep them on the up-and-up, no need to bash anyone.)

Airborne Heroes, Fort Benning Place-Names

By Lt Col P

While going through the Airborne Course at Fort Benning, I noticed that several of the training areas were named after Medal of Honor recipients from the Airborne forces. I waited and waited for some period of instruction to begin with a brief lecture on who these men were and what they did. Sadly, I never heard a word.

I think this is a major gap in the programme of instruction at Benning. The Airborne forces do not lack for real heroes, and it would be a small but far-reaching step to tie the training of today with the courage and sacrifice of yesterday.

So, allow me to introduce to you PFC Elmer Fryar, for whom the drop zone is named, and PFC Joe Mann, for whom the ground branch training area is named.

Let their names not just be letters on signs.

Read More »

4... 3... 2... 1...

By Lt Col P

Via the 10-8 Forums, the last four seconds of a worthless pig's life...

I don't know about you, but that made my day.

Air-Borne!!!

By Lt Col P

I just graduated from the US Army Basic Airborne Course at Ft Benning, following not only in the footsteps of our man Slab, but of countless thousands who have gone through that same course, in that same place, since August 1940.

I was not the only VMI man in Bravo Company, 1-507th PIR. Cadets Daniel Brode '09 and Andrew Washbish '09 were there with me, and acquitted themselves honorably. Cadet Brode was in my stick, and on two jumps was the first man out the door!

For those of you who haven't gone, and might thinking of going, this youtube clip (minus the soundtrack) is a good depiction of a C-130 combat equipment jump.

Read More »

Picture of the Day: Deep Freeze

By John

A maintainer looks as National Science Foundation Members get off a C-17 Globemaster III during the Operation Deep Freeze winter fly-in around the Pegasus Runway Aug. 20 in Antarctica. A C-17 and 31 Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., began the annual winter fly-in augmentation of scientists, support personnel, food and equipment for the U.S. Antarctic Program at McMurdo Station. WinFly is the opening of the first flights to McMurdo Station, which closed for the austral winter in February. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)

Finally

By John

Well it's about damn time:

OCALA - Veterans and active duty service members who are out of uniform soon may be able to salute the flag along with their uniformed comrades.

A bill, recently passed by the U.S. Senate and now headed to the House, seeks to change a section of the United States Code which currently specifies that veterans and service members not in uniform must place their hand over their heart rather than render the military salute.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., introduced the bill hoping to clear up confusion over whether veterans and active-duty personnel should salute the flag. He said those who are currently serving or have served in the military have earned this right.

"To salute is a form of honor and respect, representing pride in one's military service," Inhofe said. "Veterans and service members continue representing the military services even when not in uniform."

Hotel Tango: The Tank

Iranian PSYOP??

By John

By PSYOP COP

I’ve been keeping an eye on the news concerning Iran and the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. It seems that the Iranians are trying to take care of some business on their side of the border reference the Kurds. It only reinforces my opinion that we should give the Kurds their nation and help them foment trouble in northern Iran and Syria, while leveraging them hard to lay off of claims in Turkey. I believe it can be done.

As Crapgame said in “Kelly’s Heroes,”: “Make him a deal… a DEAL deal. Who knows… maybe the guy’s a Republican.”.

This little tid-bit from Reuters…

...makes it appear that the Iranians have been engaging in a little PSYOP of their own. Now, hold your horses. The Iranians are probably not readying for an attack (just yet). This is probably designed to instill fear in the Kurdish population and give them a moment of pause. There’s apparently no evidence on the leaflet as to who the source is, so this would be classified as grey PSYOP.

“Grey PSYOP?” you ask.

There are three types: white, grey, and black. The types mainly deal with their source. White PSYOP can be directly traced back to its legitimate source. For example, I hand an Iraqi kid a leaflet reading, “don’t throw rocks at American troops.” This product would have a product number on it (a bunch of letters and numbers that mean something to PSYOP’ers but are gibberish to everyone else). You know who made it by looking at it.

Grey PSYOP is product whose source is unknown. Usually, this is not nefarious in nature and we (the Americans) engage in grey PSYOP all the time. For example, if I disseminated a product that had a message that read, “support the Iraqi government” but had no product number on it, that could be considered grey PSYOP. Basically, the target audience doesn’t know who made it.

Black PSYOP is fun, but also illegal (well, for us anyway… you know how it is… the bad guys get to have ALL the fun). Black PSYOP is produced so that the target audience believes the source is someone who it is not. For example, say I go into a Sunni area one night or early one morning and I spray-paint, “Sunnis suck” on the homes and walls in the area. Sunnis wake up, see the graffiti, and think, “damn Shi’ites… let’s go kill them.” That’s black PSYOP. Now, this is a simple example… you can actually get far more creative than this, but ummm…. yeah, it’s illegal and the official line of the United States government is that it or its representative do not engage in the dissemination of product whose origin is implied (or stated) other than what it really is.

Don’t ask me why it’s illegal. I’m not a lawyer. I’m just PSYOP Cop.

Here endeth the lesson.

PSYOP COP is a VMI alumnus with experience in the Army's psychological operations field.

A Pox on Recalls

By John

Another one for the bloated Air Force bureaucracy files...

Received a phone call from the Squadron this morning, but I was in the shower so I missed it. This was the voice mail:

Lt Noonan this is Capt XXXX, informing you of a format five recall due to Hurricane Dean. (My immediate thought "Ok. I live in the Rocky Mountain northwest"). Please report to the squadron in uniform and inform your flight commander if you have any relatives in the Caribbean. Thank you.

Huh?

A group wide recall was instituted over this?

Color me a bit frustrated. I don't have to work today until 10pm, so visiting the squadron in the morning is a bit irritating.

Common sense would dictate that if anyone (a) had any family stranded and (b) needed the Squadron's help with emergency leave, funds, etc... that person would be intelligent enough to...you know, ask for help.

We make too much work for ourselves in this business.

Picture of the Day: Valiant Shield

By John

Nothing wakes you up on a Monday like a subtle, perfectly low-key display of air and sea power....

A B-52 Stratofortress leads a formation of Air Force and Navy F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-15 Eagles, and F-18 Hornets over the USS Kitty Hawk, USS Nimitz and USS John C. Stennis Strike Groups during Exercise Valiant Shield exercise Aug.14 in the Pacific. The forces participated in Valiant Shield, the largest joint exercise in the Pacific this year. Held in the Guam operating area, the exercise includes 30 ships, more than 280 aircraft and more than 20,000 servicemembers from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Photo Courtesy of the US Air Force.

That's cool and all.....but who invited the Coast Guard?

The Week in Review

By Lt Col P

My schedule doesn't permit me to blog during the day, so permit me, if you would, to post some things that came in over the transom this past week. And apologies to those who sent them, I wanted to get to them earlier.

From Damian at the Torch comes some commentary on Canada's new Minister of National Defence.

In the email he added, "Not sure if any of you guys would particularly care, since your nation doesn't engage in the political version of musical chairs known as the "cabinet shuffle," but Canada has a new Minister of National Defence (MND): the Honourable Peter MacKay. He moved over from Foreign Affairs (like going from SecState to SecDef), so he knows the Afghan file from the civvie side. No military experience, but not many pols in Canada have time in uniform. ... And he'll be getting good advice from the soldiers in charge - our Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is General Rick Hillier (who previously had an exchange stint as 2IC of III Armoured Corps in Ft. Hood) and he's the best CDS we've had in at least my lifetime..." Many thanks, Damian; I think this audience is very interested in what is going on north of the border.

Also re "Afstan," Agent 91 sent me an article, to which he appended, "Unbelievable!"

Germany refuses NATO request for helicopters in Afghanistan

Media: AFP
Byline: n/a
Date: 15 August 2007

BERLIN, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - Germany has turned down a request fromNATO to send military transport helicopters to strife-torn southernAfghanistan, a spokesman for Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said on Wednesday.

"After studying a request from SACEUR (The Supreme Allied CommanderEurope), we decided that we could not comply with this request," thespokesman told a press conference.

He said Germany had already deployed six military helicopters in northern Afghanistan, where about 3,000 German troops are serving in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which along with US-led coalition troops is trying to support the Kabul government.

Sending helicopters to the south would have prevented those in thenorth from operating effectively, the spokesman said.

NATO made the request for the helicopters on July 30 to Germany, France, Greece, Spain and Turkey.

Germany has resisted pressure from NATO to send troops and equipment tothe south where the Taliban are fighting US-led forces.

It has however sent Tornado reconnaissance jets to assist NATO forces in the south.

Two German police officers and a German foreign ministry employee werekilled in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday, when they were blownup in a bomb attack claimed by Taliban extremists. A fourth German was wounded in the bombing which produced Germany's biggest loss of life in Afghanistan since May.

Copyright 2007 Agence France-Presse

Six helicopters. SIX. HELICOPTERS. "We decided that we could not comply with this request." Couldn't or wouldn't, mein Herr?

Lastly, by way of the 10-8 Forums, comes a very good report from the NYPD on the homegrown radical Islamist threat. READ AND HEED.

Taps

By John

Sad, sad day for the VMI family.

Navy identifies 3 aviators killed in crash off carrier.

The three aviators aboard a radar plane that crashed off the coast of North Carolina were declared dead Friday after the Navy called off its search for survivors.

Atlantic Fleet Naval Air Force spokesman Mike Maus identified the men as Lt. Cameron N. Hall, 30, of Natchitoches, La., Lt. Ryan K. Betton, 31, of Collinsville and Lt. j.g. Jerry R. Smith, 26, of Greenville, Maine.

Betton and Hall were instructors with Norfolk-based Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 120; Smith was a student.

The weather and seas were calm Wednesday night as the E-2 Hawkeye practiced carrier takeoffs and landings from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman. The plane crashed around 11 p.m., shortly after its catapult launch off the carrier deck.

Maus said searchers covered 2,100 square miles of sea and found some debris from the twin-engine turboprop plane.

“Most of it was pretty small pieces,” Maus said. “The majority of it apparently sunk.”

The water there is about 3,000 feet deep, he said. An investigating board will determine whether it’s necessary to recover the wreckage to determine the cause of the crash, Maus said.

Lt. Ryan K. Betton, left, Lt. JG Jerry R. Smith, middle and Lt. Cameron N. Hall

Betton – whose nickname was “Tater” – graduated in 1998 from the Virginia Military Institute, according to a statement from his family. He had been an instructor pilot with the Norfolk squadron since 2005, after a tour aboard the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk with Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 115.

VMI is such a tightly knit family that any and all losses, no matter how distant (I never knew Ryan), feel close and personal.

Thoughts and prayers are with the family, as Tater slips the surly bonds of this earth, to touch the face of God.

LtCol P adds... Very sad news. The Roanoke Times has some more detail about Tater and his family.

Ivan the Terrible

By John

Russian Long Haul Bomber Flights Return!

CHEBARKUL, Russia (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin said on Friday security threats had forced Russia to revive the Soviet-era practice of sending bomber aircraft on regular patrols beyond its borders.

Putin said 14 strategic bombers had taken off simultaneously from airfields across Russia in the early hours of Friday on long-range missions.

Looks like it's up to the Canadians and their F-18s to fight them off, we've BRAC'd most of our northern fighter bases. Trying to think of what's left. Alaska has F-15s and F-22s, Oregon National Guard has F-15s, South Dakota National Guard has F-16s, Montana National Guard has F-16s, Michigan National Guard has 16s, Vermont has 16s, and Massachusetts has 15s.

Okay, so maybe we're not doing too bad.

Still, I'm not too terribly worried here. With Russia's early warning systems in such disrepair, and our cruise missile/stealth bomber technology, we could completely decapitate their NC2 infastructure right quick.

So catch up, Ivan! I miss the bipolar world.

Bolt from the Blue

By John

I don't know about you guys, but there's just something I love about the word "scramjet."

Is this thing going to be like ICBMs? Motto: Delivery in 30 minutes or less, or the next one's free?

Click the image for more.

Army Brass, Not Bloggers, Violate OPSEC

By John

No surprises here. Awesome work from my buddy Noah Shachtman.

Army Reports Brass, Not Bloggers Breach Security:

For years, the military has been warning that soldiers' blogs could pose a security threat by leaking sensitive wartime information. But a series of online audits, conducted by the Army, suggests that official Defense Department websites post material far more potentially harmful than anything found on a individual's blog.

The audits, performed by the Army Web Risk Assessment Cell between January 2006 and January 2007, found at least 1,813 violations of operational security policy on 878 official military websites. In contrast, the 10-man, Manassas, Virginia, unit discovered 28 breaches, at most, on 594 individual blogs during the same period.

The results were obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, after the digital rights group filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act.

"It's clear that official Army websites are the real security problem, not blogs," said EFF staff attorney Marcia Hofmann. "Bloggers, on the whole, have been very careful and conscientious. It's a pretty major disparity."

The findings stand in stark contrast to Army statements about the risks that blogs pose.

Shachtman also posted the Army's rather weak attempt at damage control, from spokesman Gordon Van Vleet:

There are many more Army web sites and web pages available for review on traditional Army web sites than there are BLOGs and BLOG pages, therefore because of volume alone, it must be expected that there will be more violations found on the traditional web sites.

I'm calling shenanigans. So is Noah:

Um, no. For two reasons:

1) While the audits do show that more official pages were scanned than blog pages, it is nowhere near the 65-to-1 ratio of .mil-to-.com security violations.

2) The Army itself doesn't have a very strong handle on how many pages were scanned, really. In The Army Web Risk Assessment Cell's presentations, numbers contradict one another, or are transposed from one month to the next. For example, AWRAC came up at different points with five separate figures for the number of .mil pages scanned in September 2006. The documents show that the number of breaches may have been as high as 4,052 on official military sites, and as low as 14 on blogs.

It was said at both milblogging conferences and begs repetition, the Army needs to look inward before dedicating resources towards policing blogs.

She's Baaaaack

By John

Okay. So maybe Lex is right. Perhaps it is a guy thing.

But y'know....

Certain causes can transcend the gender line. Pin Ups for Vets is one of em, I think.

A few years ago, I started seeing news articles about under-funded Veterans’ healthcare programs. Then, there were stories about older Veterans who lay in bed day after day, never receiving any visitors. Reports started surfacing on TV about the severe injuries sustained by our troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The more I heard about the uphill battles of our Wounded Warriors, the more convinced I was of the need to produce a project that would bring in funds to support all of our hospitalized Veterans.

My late Grandpa Lou served in the army for 4 years during World War II. I wanted to do something to honor his name. I always loved the romance of those bygone eras - especially the 1940’s - and I drew inspiration from the World War II pin-up girls, whose photos and paintings boosted morale for our soldiers fighting overseas.

I came up with the idea to recreate a nostalgic pin-up calendar that would serve three purposes:

1. The calendars would be sold to raise funds for our hospitalized Veterans.

2. The calendars would be delivered as gifts to our ill and injured Veterans with messages of appreciation from the donors.

3. The calendars would be sent to our deployed troops to help boost morale and to let them know that Americans back home are thinking of them.

Yeah, and last year's calendar worked so well that Gina was nominated for the prestigious "Outstanding Young Californian" award, and made an awful lot of folks in the desert happy campers. Like these dudes

Gina's calendar works for the same reason that the original pin ups worked back in World War II, it's nice to be reminded of what you're fighting for.

Buy your copy here. And take note, you can buy a copy for a soldier or a hospitalized veteran at the same link.

Today

By John

Is National Airborne! Day. Punch outta here and spend the afternoon at Blackfive, his coverage is awesome.

A Modest Proposal on Base Defense

By John

That last post got my brain churning.

Remember those loser Al-Qa'ida wannabes, the Fort Dix Six?

Right after they were busted by a one-hour photo clerk, our base sprung into action. Instead of a partial gate ID check (driver only), they took the drastic action of a 100% gate ID check!

This struck me as particularly stupid. The Fort Dix Six all had IDs as pizza delivery drivers, so I didn't really understand how making the Colonel's wife show her creds with the Colonel in the vehicle enhanced security.

It reminded me of a story relayed to me by one of our OSI agents. A couple of years back, the federales busted a local Dominoes driver for passing information to "a foreign intelligence agency." Everyone knew the guy, he'd deliver his pizzas and chat up the customers. Turns out he wasn't just being friendly, he was fishing for information about the base and base ops.

The point here is that bad guys can get on the base if they want to, period.

So anyway, while security forces aggressively check old ladies' and little kids' IDs, they also forbid licensed concealed carriers from carrying their firearms on base. An entire base full of trained Airman, not one of them allowed their constitutional right to carry a weapon (unless they serve as base cops).

What I'm asking here is simple. What would be a more effective way of defending your installation? Treating your Airman like men and allowing concealed carry, or upping the mandatory ID check?

The former seems a bit more proactive, I think.

Soar Falcons, Soar

By John

No doubt this guy was also on the business end of an extended, O-course safety briefing/powerpoint presentation.....

This is your Air Force!

And looks like a dummy M-16 to boot!

Question though. Is that any worse than the real M-14s with their firing pins removed that we carried as VMI cadets?

Hotel Tango: Military Motivator

British Carriers Revisited

By John

By PSYOP COP

Not that I’m one to wander from my lane, but I thought many would be interested in reading this article.

I’m glad the British are getting back into the carrier business. Not that they ever “technically” left, but “Harrier carriers” just aren’t the same. The British learned this painful lesson in 1982, but I guess it still took them 25 years to correct it.

A couple of interesting things to note:

First, one of the weaknesses of the smaller carriers that Britain fielded during the Falklands campaign was that they lacked a real AEW capability. The lack of that capability is what really bit them in the arse, not the short range and limited intercept capabilities of Harrier jump-jets. The Harriers actually acquitted themselves nicely, killing (I believe) a dozen or so Argentine aircraft in air-to-air combat. With an E-2C around, the British would not have lost as many ships as they did to aerial attack though.

Secondly, the artist’s concept shows a straight-deck and not the angled-deck (a British concept, by the way) that permits simultaneous launch-and-recovery operations. Even with a ramp for STOVL operations, an angled-deck could still be incorporated into the design to permit this valuable capability.

Lastly, I would have rather seen one of them commissioned as the Ark Royal. I always liked the sound of that name for an aircraft carrier.

Beer & Artillery

By Lt Col P

I find myself these days in Columbus, GA, and am pleased to report that the place has a nice downtown and historic district.

Dating back to the early 1800s, Columbus was a river port that played a significant role in the Civil War. It is said to have been the site of the last battle of that conflict. Fortunately, many antebellum structures either survived the unpleasantness or were rebuilt, resulting in a tree-arched avenue lined with old homes, and a fine old monument to the Confederate war dead, complete with a delightfully defiant inscription.

Two other sites of interest also caught my eye. The first is The Cannon Brewpub, easily identified by the (working) 1/2-scale model of a Civil War bronze cannon by the front door. I found the service indifferent, the food very good, and the beer outstanding. Strongly recommended. Beer and artillery-- what's not to like?

The second is the National Civil War Naval Museum, a large and ambitious undertaking housing the resurrected hull of an ironclad built in Columbus, as well as many many other truly fascinating exhibits. I am not sure this museum gets the press it deserves. The website doesn't do it justice, so perhaps you'd better just come on down and see it. I spent a morning there and enjoyed every minute.

I'm going to visit the Infantry Museum at Ft Benning next.

Agent 91 Reports from Kabul

By Lt Col P

Our man Niner-One just sent me his first missive from Kipling country.

Greetings from ISAF HQ,

After a month here at ISAF, I have settled into my job. Life at ISAF HQ is pretty good. I work in the CJ9 section here at (Civil-Military affairs, CIVMIL for short). I am in the PRT section, working with RC-East (82nd AIRBORNE). My job is to keep the PRTs up to speed on what is going on at HQ and to go out and visit them periodically in order to get a boots on the ground look at how things are going there.

The Peace Jirga is going on now, so a lot of attention from ISAF is focused on that. The sooner the Afghans and Pakistanis decide that they want peace to break out, the sooner it will. But, there are a whole lot of people here who seem to be ready to kill each other for the foreseeable future.

Having a ship driver on a multi-national (37 countries in ISAF) staff hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean is certainly a new experience. I have zero CIVMIL background, but learned a lot fast. It is actually very interesting work, especially the interface with the non-military organizations like the UN, EC, and the NGOs. People talk about a clash of cultures between the branches of the armed forces. I challenge them to sit in meeting with the UN, European commission and OXFAM for an hour and a half.

I will try to send more frequent updates. For now, that’s it.

Agent 91 out.

Re the NGOs, I was in Somalia twice, 93 and 94, so I feel your pain. Keep us posted on the goings-on, and keep your head on a swivel outside the wire!

Leadership Discussion: Bright Lights and Dim Bulbs

By Lt Col P

As a military officer or non-commissioned officer, would you like to be handed a dim-witted go-getter or a smart slacker?

Scott Thomas Beauchamp and Jessica Lynch

By Richard S. Lowry

There is a disturbing trend in the mainstream media today. All too often, journalists are much more concerned with deadlines than getting the story right and many bias their stories to support their inner beliefs.

This trend reared its ugly head as the sordid details of Scott Thomas’ ramblings in The New Republic were exposed as fabrications. Putting all the political infighting aside, there are two basic issues. Beauchamp misrepresented the facts. The New Republic published his work without adequately substantiating the details - and the American reading public suffered.

Unfortunately, most American news consumers believe everything they read. Journalists should understand that this places a responsibility upon their shoulders to "get it right."

Freedom of the press brings an enormous responsibility. Our founding fathers knew that a free press would encourage truthfulness in government. How can the government be held accountable when the media cannot be trusted to accurately inform the American people?

An excellent example of how irresponsible reporting can undermine public understanding is the Jessica Lynch story. From the day of her rescue, military officials clearly stated that the story of her capture was not confirmed, yet editors throughout this country propagated the Washington Post claims that she "went down fighting." The Post article quoted no credible source. Yet today, most Americans believe that the US military lied to them about Ms Lynch when, in fact, it was the American media that "lied."

Journalists MUST understand that they have a responsibility to us all to do the best they can to tell us the truth. Shame on The New Republic and Private Beauchamp for violating this trust.

Richard S. Lowry
http://www.marinesinthegardenofeden.com

Thunderbirds in the Backyard

By John

So last month Bullnav was plenty eager to show off his Blue Angels pictures, from their practice demos flown directly over his neighborhood.

Well buddy, I'll see you your pictures and raise you a video.

Here's a quickie clip (six seconds) of the Air Force's fighter demonstration team, The Thunderbirds, buzzing directly over my backyard. I think that the field back behind the house was some sort of ground reference point for the T-birds, they spent the better part of three afternoons zipping around directly overhead. I'll set up with some real camera equipment next year, I think.

This was the perfect Saturday afternoon, by the way. I woke up at 7am and got coals glowing in my smoker, spent the entire, beautiful sunny day on my back porch drinking beer, smoking a Texas style brisket, and enjoying my own private air show overhead.

Yeah, life was pretty freakin' okay.

Picture of the Day: Welcome Home

By John

Elmendorf AFB is the third recipient of the Air Force's new toy....

Six F-22 Raptors taxi following touchdown at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, during a ceremony marking the aircraft's arrival Aug. 8. The F-22s will join the active duty 3rd Wing and Air Force Reserve Command's 477th Fighter Group here. The 477th FG becomes the first Air Force Reserve unit to operate and maintain the F-22. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown). Photo Courtesy of the US Air Force.

Culture Battle

By John

"The selective use of history should not be used to justify the status quo."

So says Colonel Hank Foresman, who is assigned to the Third Army. More importantly, he's VMI class of 1976.

Colonel Foresman:

If we truly want to succeed in Iraq and in Afghanistan, we must embrace a future that is a radical break with our past. Merely changing our organizational structure is not sufficient. We must be willing to break with our past as we execute in the present and prepare for the future.

Video teleconferences, meetings and PowerPoint presentations are how decisions are made in the Pentagon. No decision is made without countless hours spent making slides by "action officers" and countless revisions by those above them. No decision is made until all the general officers are on board. No decision is made without total agreement. Staffing actions are routinely sent back to the drawing board because some general has a better idea, further slowing a process that already moves at a snail's pace. The system is not designed for quick decisions, as all decisions must work their way through a vast bureaucracy before the ultimate decision can be made. Decisions are made in a system designed for an Army at peace, not an Army at war.

As I have mentioned, transformation is more than organizational change — it is a change to how we think of war. The greatest threats to transformation are those who would turn back the hands of time to an earlier day when the Army would concentrate on fighting major combat operations or grand wars and ignore the rest.

Wars of the 21st century will not be state-on-state but rather will involve states taking on organizations and groups that share a common ideology, culture and outlook and to whom the state, and state boundaries, mean nothing. They will wage their wars, holy or otherwise, wherever they must so that they can achieve their goal, whether it be greater Islam or otherwise. They do not wear the uniforms of a state, nor do they fight in the same manner as conventional armies. The wars of the 21st century will not be fought on the open plains of Europe or in vast sands of Middle East. They will be fought in the urban sprawl of our increasingly urban planet. They will be battles for the hearts and minds of a local populace where the U.S. and the Army will be seen as the invader and occupier and not as the liberator.

I could not agree more, this whole piece is outstanding. I was particularly taken with his comments on the bureaucratic leadership style that evolved from technological advances. Sometimes I wonder if the military is even a face-to-face business anymore.

One thing I would add is the frustrating new trend of "leadership by committee." I can't speak for the other services, but the Air Force (my command in particular) is in love with "Tiger Teams," committees formed to accomplish a specified task. Tiger Teams are slow, cumbersome, and rarely achieve the desired results. Bold and innovative new ideas can be shot down by a show of hands, and as a result, they help foster in a new class of warrior who is terrified of making a decision without first consulting a committee.

What's worse is that Tiger Teams ensure that no one can be held responsible for success or failure. It's a way of weaseling away from the normally high standards of accountability that the military places on its leadership.

Anyway, end rant. Great piece by Colonel Foresman, ya'll should really read the whole thing.

10 Greatest War Films of All Time

By John

So it's a list format, and that means just about everyone will disagree in one way another.

Still, I'll ask anyway.

What are the 10 greatest war films of all time?

My picks:

10 ) The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Obi-Won Kenobi reminds us why we have the Code of Conduct.

9) The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) Errol Flynn meets my favorite poet, Tennyson. Awesomeness and vengeance ensue.

8) The Longest Day (1962) Top down look at the D-Day invasion, complete with dumbass Nazis waiting for Patton to storm across the channel and attack Calais.

7) Alexander Nevskiy (1938) Commie porn! A Russian prince mobilizes the peasants and whups Kraut tail. This is one of the few products to come out of the Soviet Union that didn't suck. The other one was Tetris. (Okay, entertainment wise...at least. What can I say? They made great tanks).

6) The Battle of Algiers (1966) Even though this documentary on the nasty Algerian Liberation Front was the product of a smug Italian socialist who lionized the thugs who laid the groundwork for modern terrorism, this is one of those films that can't be ignored. It should be mandatory viewing for all officers and NCOs who are deployed (or deploying) to the Middle East.

5) Zulu (1964) Splendid historical drama on the Battle of Rorke's Drift. Plus, proof that Lieutenants are useful!

4) Lawrence of Arabia (1962) Is this tale of a British intelligence officer's guerrilla campaign against the Ottoman Turks still relevant today? You betcha!

3) Saving Private Ryan (1998) I remember watching grown men leave the theater in tears. Powerful and brilliant.

2) Apocalypse Now (1979) Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is one of those few Vietnam films bearing that rare distinction of not being total crap.

1) Patton (1970) My personal favorite. George C. Scott as Patton was one of the greatest performances in cinematic history. Plus, there's mention of VMI!

Here's what you won't see.... any of those crappy "military ruined my life" flicks. We like to talk about heroes on OPFOR, not sniveling cry babies like Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July.

You also won't see Band of Brothers. That gets a category of its own. One because it's a mini-series, not a movie. Two, because it was such a splendid bit of film making, I honestly think that it is beyond compare. There isn't a first year cadet at any senior military college or academy that can make it through the year without doing a pushup or seeing Band of Brothers. That's a fact, folks.

Das Boot, Tora Tora Tora, The Guns of Navarone, and The Sands of Iowa Jima all get honorable mentions. Yeesh there are so many excellent World War II flicks.

Notice most of them were made back in the good old days, back when Hollywood knew what it meant to be a hero?

Anyway, what are your favorites?

*Update* Robert Averch emails:

I forgot to mention that The Lighthorsemen are buried in Israel and Jewish volunteers (not Muslims) tend to their graves on a regular basis. Among them, my very good friend, blogger Treppenwitz.

Here's more on the Battle of Beersheba, the fight which inspired the film. I hate to take the lazy man's way out and use the Wikipedia reference, but they've actually posted an impressive write up.

Political Statements Pt II

By Slab

In my previous post Political Statements in Uniform, I challenged SGT David Aguina's decision to speak publicly at YearlyKos 2007 while wearing his Class A uniform. I pointed out that he violated DOD Directive 1344.10, DOD Instruction 1334.1, and AR 670-1 by speaking in uniform at the convention. Let me go ahead and make one thing clear: I am not seeking the court-martial or non-judicial punishment of SGT Aguina. It is the place of his chain of command to decide how to handle the situation; nonetheless I don't believe that the severity of his offense merits court-martial or NJP. What I am trying to do is explore the legalities of the situation.

Several of our readers have pointed out that SGT Aguina's statement was not overtly political in nature. I will give you that. However, I would argue that while the substance was not political, his statement was politicized merely by the venue (i.e. the YearlyKos convention) in which he chose to express it. The entire incident created the perception that he was making a political statement to counteract YearlyKos and VoteVets' Democratic influence, and that he wore his uniform to legitimize and add credence to that statement. And as my senior drill instructor at Parris Island was fond of saying, "Perception is reality."

Another commenter, Christoph, pointed out that SGT Aguina's status as a reservist meant he could not be charged under the UCMJ, and asked if we had a method to enforce uniform policies on off duty reservists. I promised Christoph an answer, but as yet have been unable to deliver.

10 USC 802, or Article 2 of the UCMJ, says the following while listing persons who are subject to the UCMJ.

(3) Members of a reserve component while on inactive-duty training, but in the case of members of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States only when in Federal service.

This seems to clearly state that the UCMJ would not apply to a case such as SGT Aguina's. However, both AR 670-1 and DOD Instruction 1334.1 apply to members of the reserve components, with no stipulation that the members be participating in "inactive-duty training" (which I take to mean drill or annual training). So, the question remains how the DOD and the Army would go about enforcing those regulations. While I have not read Title 10 in its entirety, I can't seem to find anything that clarifies the issue. Frankly, I'm stumped at the moment. I will continue to research as I find time available this week, but if someone could help point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.

To digress for a bit - Joel, another commenter, and fellow Institute man, had this to say about my opinion on political activism in the military:

Our voices NEED to be heard. And we cannot remain silent out of some sort of anachronistic "we're all Americans" mindset. The political parties of this country do not think like that. To stave off disaster (which, ultimately those in uniform pay for... not civilians), we need to be more politically vocal.

I have to emphatically disagree. We should be advisors to our civilian leadership on military matters. I actually believe that is what Joel was trying to say, that we should advise our political leadership, but it is the last sentence of his comment that concerns me the most. We should not be politically active as military professionals. We do not involve ourselves in the electoral process. Politicization of the military is something that has been specifically avoided in our nation's history, and with ample reason. The day that I believe the U.S. military has forgotten that is the day that I turn in my letter of resignation, as I have no desire to serve in a military that has lost sight of one of its guiding principles.

I do not serve my country as a Democrat or Republican - I serve as a United States Marine.

What Price Defense?

By Bull Nav

Well, once again, a federal judge has decided that the Navy can't use active sonar in scheduled exercises, this time off the coast of southern California.

The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California today enjoined the U.S. Navy from using mid-frequency active sonar during 14 naval training exercises planned for the rich biological waters off Southern California through 2009. Mid-frequency active (or MFA) sonar is used by the Navy to detect submarines but has caused whale strandings and other harm to marine animals around the world. The court concluded that the injunction was necessary given the “near certainty” that use of MFA sonar during the planned SOCAL exercises will cause irreparable harm to the environment.

So where are we supposed to train? Where do our operators develop the visual and acoustic recognition skills to detect, track, classify and ultimately engage submarines?

In trainers?

I don't think so.

Anti-submarine Warfare (ASW) is a very difficult endeavor. It is very manpower and asset intensive, and the successful ASW campaign relies on highly skilled operators. How do they get that way? By training on live targets. By being able to distinguish real targets from fish, whales, or geologic formations. By constantly rebuilding and refining these skills. During the Falklands War, the Royal Navy launched over 200 ASW weapons for not a single Argentinian submarine sunk. It was a constant threat, and it will be in the next war.

Additionally, the lawyers act as if the Navy just wants to go out and blast sound into the water.

“Once again, a federal court has told the Navy that it cannot ignore basic environmental laws merely for convenience,” said Greg Fayer, a litigator at the Los Angeles law firm of Irell & Manella, co-counsel with NRDC in the lawsuit. “With simple precautions, the Navy can train effectively without endangering the majestic creatures that share our oceans.”

It is not convenience. The areas are picked for a purpose, the purpose of training sonar operators and the ASW team. The simple precautions referred to in most cases negate the effectiveness of the training event and do not allow the ships to simulate combat conditions. Ships, aircraft, and submarines practicing ASW may not be a part of the GWOT, but it is preparation for whatever lays ahead 10, 15, 25 years down the road. We need to maintain those skills now in a realistic environment .

14 exercises over the next two years...

If we can't find the bad guy submarines, then who will protect our warships and the merchant ships upon which this country and the world depend for trade the next time the ballon goes up?

He Said, She Said

By John

Conflicting reports from both the Army and The New Republic. Our own Richard S. Lowry fired off an email to Col. Steve Boylan this morning and got this response:

Hi Richard,

An investigation of the allegations was conducted by the military and
found the allegations were false. In addition, members of Thomas'
platoon and company were all interviewed and no one could substantiate
his claims.

The rest of will or won't happen is to be handled internally within the
unit and are not discussed publicly.

Best,

Steve

Steven A. Boylan
Colonel, US Army
MNF-I CG, PAO

Basically, that's same reply that The Weekly Standard received from Major Steven L. Lamb.

However, The New Republic is challenging The Weekly Standard's anonymous sourcing

We’ve talked to military personnel directly involved in the events that Scott Thomas Beauchamp described, and they corroborated his account as detailed in our statement. When we called Army spokesman Major Steven F. Lamb and asked about an anonymously sourced allegation that Beauchamp had recanted his articles in a sworn statement, he told us, “I have no knowledge of that.” He added, “If someone is speaking anonymously [to The Weekly Standard], they are on their own.” When we pressed Lamb for details on the Army investigation, he told us, “We don’t go into the details of how we conduct our investigations.”

Yeah, but.....does it matter? TNR's defense seems to ride solely on whether or not Beauchamp signed paperwork, which neither Lamb nor Boylan will admit is true, arguing that such information is part of an internal investigation.

But they both state that Beauchamp was lying, as fact.

That's telling. In the Army's mind, this whole affair has already been put to bed. Beauchamp lied. He'll be punished. Any other details are unit-specific and not subject to release.

As for TNR's anonymous sources, they're lying to the Army or they're lying to TNR.

*Update* McQ:

Obviously Lamb isn't denying anything about what has been determined concerning Beauchamp, he's instead saying he has no knowledge about the source of the anonymous quote the Weekly Standard has used.

That's it. That's all this statement says. Well, except TNR is standing by their anonymous sources in the face of the Lamb announcement and trying to begin a "the Army is secretive about their investigation" paint job which I'm sure will emerge as their new attempt to save themselves from charges of journalistic misconduct.

*Update 2* Goldfarb replies:

Three points:

(1) They neglected to report that the Army has concluded its investigation and found Beauchamp's stories to be false. As Major Lamb, the very officer they quote, has said in an authorized statement: "An investigation has been completed and the allegations made by PVT Beauchamp were found to be false. His platoon and company were interviewed and no one could substantiate the claims."

(2) Does the failure of the New Republic to report the Army's conclusions mean that the editors believe the Army investigators are wrong about Beauchamp?

(3) We have full confidence in our reporting that Pvt Beauchamp recanted under oath in the course of the investigation. Is the New Republic claiming that Pvt Beauchamp made no such admission to Army investigators? Is Beauchamp?

I think all three of those questions can be answered by Hugh Hewitt's plank theory.

Rivalries

By Bull Nav

When are these guys gonna stop? I mean, when you see a headline like this:

Air Force: Hornet couldn’t kill Raptor

The article touts the Raptor's perfect record:

The F-22’s debut combat exercise was at Northern Edge in June 2006. According to Air Force data, the dozen F-22s in attendance racked up an unprecedented kill record of 144-0 the first week alone and suffered no losses overall.

But one did get "shot down."

When one aggressor went down, it was able to fly out and regenerate so quickly that an F-22 pilot thought the enemy was still “dead,” and got shot down himself for the mistake.

But...

One thing is for sure: The plane that took down the Raptor was an F-15 or F-16, but not an F/A-18F. When asked whether a Superbug might have claimed a kill, one Air Force public affairs officer scoffed, “Not bloody likely.”

I guess the Raptor must be better; after all, the Air Force said so...

"America is Very Good"

By John

Big thanks to Steve Schippert for digging this up.

Says Schippert:

From CBS (one of the major networks with zero embedded journalists in Diyala Province in July) comes a report on a tour through the Haifa Street markets now safe for business in Baghdad. And the journalist's lack of understanding of the step by step process clear and hold campaigns when he calls the new Haifa Street security misleading. And he ends by characterizing General Petraeus' walk greeting Iraqis as "warming up his campaigning skills here" in preparations for his September report to Congress.

Steve showered the report with a bit more skepticism that I would've liked. Given the anti-war nature of the MSM, beggars can't be choosers with these quasi-positive stories. I've complained in the past about the media failing to highlight the soft victories like the Haifa street, so good on CBS for doing the right thing (although the "campaigning" line irked me, too).

Hotel Tango: The Tank

Al-Qaeda on the Run

By Richard S. Lowry

In March of 2003, Abu Musab al-Zargawi was holed up in his mountain terrorist training camp in Eastern Iraq. He had already been fighting Americans for quite some time. He had been wounded fighting in Afghanistan in 2002 but managed to escape to Baghdad, where he was treated and brought back to health in an Iraqi hospital. Once recuperated, he established a terrorist training camp along the Iranian frontier. He selected a mountain perch that would be easy to defend and would also provide a quick escape route into Iran. His men controlled a 300 square kilometer finger of land that protruded into Iran, just east of the ghost town of Halabja.

Read More »

I Have Seen the Horror

By John

Michael Yon:

Five weeks ago, I came into a village near Baqubah with American and Iraqi soldiers. Al Qaeda had openly stated Baqubah was their worldwide headquarters — indeed, Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed just a short drive away.

Behind the village was a palm grove. I stood there, amid the crushing stench of death, and photographed the remains of decapitated children and murdered adults. I can still smell the rotting corpses of those children.

Clearly, not every terrorist in Iraq is Al Qaeda, but it is Al Qaeda that has been intentionally, openly, brazenly trying to stoke a civil war. As Al Qaeda is now being chased out of regions it once held without serious challenge, their tactics are tinged with desperation.

This may be the greatest miscalculation they've made in their otherwise sophisticated battle for the hearts and minds of locals, and it is one we must exploit.

In fact, some Sunni insurgents who formerly were allies of Al Qaeda have turned on them simply because Al Qaeda has proven it will murder anyone — and in the most horrible ways. One of these groups is called the 1920 Revolution Brigade, which turned on Al Qaeda and joined forces with the U.S.

On July 16, I was with American Army forces, Iraqi Army forces and 1920 fighters when together they went off to hunt Al Qaeda. The 1920s guys were in front of us. They got hit by a bomb that was almost certainly planted by terrorists. A major gunfight ensued.

Anyone who says Al Qaeda is not one of the primary problems in Iraq is simply ignorant of the facts.

I, like everyone else, will have to wait for September's report from Gen. Petraeus before making more definitive judgments. But I know for certain that three things are different in Iraq now from any other time I've seen it.

1. Iraqis are uniting across sectarian lines to drive Al Qaeda in all its disguises out of Iraq, and they are empowered by the success they are having, each one creating a ripple effect of active citizenship.

2. The Iraqi Army is much more capable now than it was in 2005. It is not ready to go it alone, but if we keep working, that day will come.
3. Gen. Petraeus is running the show. Petraeus may well prove to be to counterinsurgency warfare what Patton was to tank battles with Rommel, or what Churchill was to the Nazis.

And yes, in case there is any room for question, Al Qaeda still is a serious problem in Iraq, one that can be defeated. Until we do, real and lasting security will elude both the Iraqis and us.

Hotel Tango: INDC Journal

Political Statements in Uniform

By Slab

I'm sure everyone by now is familiar with Friday's incident at Yearly Kos. Jon Soltz, a moderator for one of the panels, silenced a soldier who stood up to speak in support of the surge. Why? Because the sergeant in question was in his Class A uniform.

Jon Soltz was right.

He could have handled it better, there's no doubt of that, but according to the basic principles that the military is supposed to follow, he was in the right and the as-yet-unnamed sergeant was not. That soldier had no place attempting to make a public statement in uniform, and by doing so, not only did he violate Paragraph 4.1.1.3 of DOD Directive 1344.10 and Section j of Paragraph 1-10 of AR 670-1, but he set himself up to be silenced by the moderator. If he had attempted to make his statement while wearing civilian clothes and an Army baseball cap, for instance, and Soltz had still shut him up, then conservative bloggers could point out that the moderators were silencing dissenting viewpoints. As it is, we are left with Soltz enforcing DOD and US Army regulations, and the sergeant unable to voice his views because of his choice of attire.

Simply put, if you are a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, you do not make political statements or appear at political conventions in uniform. It does not matter if you are speaking for or against the President's policies. It is not infringement of your right to free speach, it is your responsibility as a servicemember of this great nation. One of the reasons we are "this great nation" is that our military services do not involve themselves in the political process. Individual servicemembers may involve themselves, but not while wearing their uniform, which implies official capacity.

And I've seen the argument that the convention was not political in nature. Please don't attempt to blow smoke up anyone's... well, let's just not kid ourselves. If Kos is involved, it's just as political as the Democratic National Convention. Perhaps even more so.

Some of you may have noticed that I try to keep myself more removed from politics than other milbloggers. That is because I subscribe to the viewpoint that was summed up by a character in Anton Myrer's book Once An Eagle:

When I serve my country as a soldier, I'm not going to serve her as a Democrat or as a Republican, I'm going to serve her as an American.

Dragon Skin SOV 2000 Certification Revoked

By Slab

The Department of Justice announced yesterday that they are revoking Pinnacle Armor's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) certification for the SOV 2000.1/MIL3AF01. Some of you may recall that Soldiers For The Truth loudly trumpeted the SOV 2000's certification back in December of last year. What many overlook is that the SOV 2000 was certified for Level III, which does not include armor piercing ammunition, and was not being considered to replace the Interceptor.

Add to this the Air Force's call for the debarment of Pinnacle Armor following their purchase of falsely labeled SOV 2000 vests, and it looks like Mr Neal has some 'splainin' to do. Mr Neal claims that the National Institute of Justice gave him verbal permission to label his armor Level III compliant eight months before the NIJ released their letter actually certifying the SOV 2000.

The saga continues.

Requiem For The Military Club System

By Lt Col P

This post goes under "Taps" because I think it's the only appropriate place for it.

I am now on my AT at a major Army post in the southeast U.S. (More on that, later.) I went to the O Club last night to get a proper dinner, since I have been mostly just subsisting for the last few days. That place was dead. One young couple having dinner, and a pair of what I think were newly minted lieutenants at the bar (they smelled like cash sales). And me. Maybe things picked up later on, since I left at about 1945, but somehow I think not.

What has happened to the club system?

Yes, the absence of many units from their home stations has robbed the clubs of their patrons, but there has to be more to it. It used to be that the club and its appendages were the heart of the base's officer corps. I know that the changes in the military that began in the 80s are partly responsible, where expansion forced many personnel off base and shifted to a more civilian-centric lifestyle. This was evident in 1990 when I reported to Camp Lejeune, but the Club was still going strong.

In the absence of regimental messes such as British and Commonwealth forces have (had?), the O Club formed the place where lieutenants were socialized into the service, and where a battalion or squadron's leadership could settle down for a cold one or two and hash out some problems. Lieutenants, Lieutenant Colonels, and Lieutenant Generals were all welcome. A new Lieutenant might get glared at and growled at, but he learned when to linger at the bar and when to take his beer into a dark corner.

The Club is where the Lieutenant once got a good part of his education, as opposed to his instruction. It reminds me of a comment that a Marine battalion CO (VMI '87) made to me about two years ago, when he was contrasting his formative years at Lejeune before the Gulf War versus his command now. On the positive side, he said, the training and equipment available to his Lieutenants today, because of the war, is extraordinary. On the other hand, it's not normal, and he lamented his inability to "socialize" his young men into what can only be called the "normal" Marine Corps-- peacetime rotations, limited funds, endless exercises. Part of that life was the CO taking his boys to the Club for a beer or two, there to learn all sorts of things. Like, say, that the battalion S-4 is not just the worn-out naysayer he appears to be, but is a pretty sharp character with a wealth of experience. (See John Masters' classic Bugles And A Tiger for a great treatment of this most important part of a young officer's training.)

I don't know how to bring the clubs back. You can make people join, like we were all forced to join. "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO JOIN, LIEUTENANT, YOU'LL HAVE TO GO SEE THE BASE C.G. AND TELL HIM WHY." But I'm not sure that's a good idea, and it wouldn't work anyway. No, people have to want to join. My solution? Turn it over to some senior lieutenants and let them figure it out.

Read More »

Editing Out The Last Scene

By Lt Col P

Damian at The Torch sent me a great link to his post from a Canadian soldier serving in Kandahar. (I must apologize, as he sent it a couple days ago and I haven't been able to get to it til now.) It says so many of the things that our soldiers and Marines are saying from Iraq and Afghanistan, but I like the title-- "Will We Edit Out The Last Scene?"

Not long ago, the Mayor would have come to the KPRT and asked for help fixing everything. As the City will repair the road on its own, this is a good sign of progress. The Mayor and City engineers feel confident enough in their abilities and that of their staff and equipment to take on these significant road repairs by themselves.

That right there is one of the "Tenth Steps" that I have mentioned before. Iraq and Afghanistan are places where it's not two steps forward and one step back, but rather ten steps up and nine back. But that tenth step, while oft times quiet and unnoticed, is momentous. Good work, KPRT; we'll do our part to spread the word.

It's Official

By John

Beauchamp was lying. Bob Owens has the confirmation from MNF Iraq:

Col. Steven Boylan, Public Affairs Officer for U.S. Army Commanding General in Iraq David Petraeus, just emailed me the following in response to my request to confirm an earlier report that the U.S. Army's investigation into the claims made by PV-2 Scott Thomas Beauchamp made in The New Republic had been completed.

He states:

To your question: Were there any truth to what was being said by Thomas?

Answer: An investigation of the allegations were conducted by the
command and found to be false. In fact, members of Thomas' platoon and
company were all interviewed and no one could substantiate his claims.

As to what will happen to him?

Answer: As there is no evidence of criminal conduct, he is subject to
Administrative punishment as determined by his chain of command. Under
the various rules and regulations, administrative actions are not
releasable to the public by the military on what does or does not
happen.

The New Republic owes the US military an apology and its readers a refund.

Better Living Through Bathroom Etiquette

By John

Heh, alright this was pretty funny.

Pictures of the Day: Dayton Airshow

By Bull Nav

Some of you have requested some pictures from last weekend's Dayton Airshow, so I thought I would oblige you all.

In spite of the horrible ending to the day, it was a truly impressive airshow.

First off is the P-51/F-4/F-15 Heritage flight. The big celebration was to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the USAF

Read More »

Army's Investigation Complete

By John

Not looking good for TNR:

After a thorough investigation that lasted nearly a week the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division has concluded that the allegation made by Private Thomas Scott Beauchamp, the "Baghdad Diarist", have been

"refuted by members of his platoon and proven to be false"

Ace writes:

Anyone willing to venture a guess why TNR broke its vacation and rushed out a half-assed non-confirmation YESTERDAY, conveniently beating this report to market?

Uh yeah, and to preemptively discredit the Army's investigation, apparently. Remember this?

Although we place great weight on the corroborations we have received, we wished to know more. But, late last week, the Army began its own investigation, short-circuiting our efforts. Beauchamp had his cell-phone and computer taken away and is currently unable to speak to even his family. His fellow soldiers no longer feel comfortable communicating with reporters. If further substantive information comes to light, TNR will, of course, share it with you.

Noted.

Air Force to Stand Up SOC COIN Squadron?

By John

Found this interesting bit from the most excellent Captain's Journal:

Chief of Staff General Michael Moseley has told Jane’s he is considering the creation of a new counterinsurgency (COIN) squadron of A-10A Thunderbolt II aircraft for the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).

Gen Moseley said he is mulling the possibility of putting a squadron of A-10A close-support aircraft inside AFSOC to serve the Special Operations Command, which has the lead engagement role in the US-declared global war on terrorism.

“There’s a variety of … counterinsurgency aircraft and other things out there that we’ve been looking at that would facilitate AFSOC’s partnership with the Special Operations Command,” Gen Moseley told Jane’s on 12 July.

“I’ve even asked: is it reasonable to put a squadron or so of A-10s into Special Operations Command?”

The A-10 is widely used to provide close air support to coalition and friendly forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, it can be used against all ground targets including armoured platforms.

Gen Moseley’s interest in a new A-10 COIN squadron follows recent reports of a new AFSOC proposal for an “irregular warfare” wing. Possible aircraft being floated to fill a strike role in the wing have ranged from a modified air-to-ground Beechcraft AT-6B to an Embraer Tucano or Super Tucano.

However, Gen Moseley cautioned that he is not yet fully committed to the idea of a COIN air unit but is considering it because he believes the USAF needs to be able to meet the “full spectrum” of threats — from COIN to state-on-state conflict.

“I don’t know if I’m wedded to [the COIN unit] so much as I would like to know the pluses and minuses,” said Gen Moseley.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft — known informally as the Warthog — may offer some key advantages if Gen Moseley decides to establish the COIN squadron. The A-10 was specifically designed to be highly survivable in close air support missions. It is highly maneuverable at low air speeds and altitudes, boasts a long loiter time and also a titanium cockpit and redundant flight controls.

If established, the A-10 COIN squadron would be the first dedicated strike aircraft unit for COIN since the Douglas A-1 Skyraider: a propeller-driven ground-support aircraft used in the Vietnam War. The aircraft made a name for itself carrying large bomb loads, absorbing heavy fire and demonstrating prolonged endurance — traits similar to those possessed by the A-10.

“We fought all the way through Southeast Asia with A-1s living in the special operations world,” noted Gen Moseley.

The Texan has primarily served us as a trainer aircraft, sending a prop driven bird back into the combat Air Force would certainly be interesting. Here's what it'd look like:

I know some South American nations, Columbia is one, have used the Tucano in a CAS role with solid results. In a perfect world, the Army would drop its objection to the Air Force developing offensive helicopters and Congress bumping funding so that we could stand up a few COIN wings armed with a variety of airframes, as opposed to just a single squadron.

But to be honest, I'm just interested in seeing the Air Force find its niche in this new war.

CAIR Cares

By John

About themselves.....more than they care about the First Amendment, apparently.

I think the first comment over at Hot Air says it all.

CAIR. Pwnd.

You guys really should watch this video.

Those dudes at CAIR? Never been a fan.

Now Its Official

By Bull Nav

And Maggie can rejoice.

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced Aug. 2 that President George W. Bush has nominated Adm. Gary Roughead for reappointment to the grade of admiral and assignment as chief of naval operations, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Roughead is currently serving as commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va.

Statement on Scott Thomas Beauchamp

By John

The New Republic:

Beauchamp's essay consisted of three discrete anecdotes. In the first, Beauchamp recounted how he and a fellow soldier mocked a disfigured woman seated near them in a dining hall. Three soldiers with whom TNR has spoken have said they repeatedly saw the same facially disfigured woman. One was the soldier specifically mentioned in the Diarist. He told us: "We were really poking fun at her; it was just me and Scott, the day that I made that comment. We were pretty loud. She was sitting at the table behind me. We were at the end of the table. I believe that there were a few people a few feet to the right."

The recollections of these three soldiers differ from Beauchamp's on one significant detail (the only fact in the piece that we have determined to be inaccurate): They say the conversation occurred at Camp Buehring, in Kuwait, prior to the unit's arrival in Iraq. When presented with this important discrepancy, Beauchamp acknowledged his error. We sincerely regret this mistake.

In the second anecdote, soldiers in Beauchamp's unit discovered what they believed were children's bones. Publicly, the military has sought to refute this claim on the grounds that no such discovery was officially reported. But one military official told TNR that bones were commonly found in the area around Beauchamp's combat outpost. (This is consistent with the report of a children's cemetery near Beauchamp's combat outpost reported on The Weekly Standard website.)

More important, two witnesses have corroborated Beauchamp's account. One wrote in an e-mail: "I can wholeheartedly verify the finding of the bones; U.S. troops (in my unit) discovered human remains in the manner described in 'Shock Troopers.' [sic] ... [We] did not report it; there was no need to. The bodies weren't freshly killed and thus the crime hadn't been committed while we were in control of the sector of operations." On the phone, this soldier later told us that he had witnessed another soldier wearing the skull fragment just as Beauchamp recounted: "It fit like a yarmulke," he said. A forensic anthropologist confirmed to us that it is possible for tufts of hair to be attached to a long-buried fragment of a human skull, as described in the piece.

The last section of the Diarist described soldiers using Bradley Fighting Vehicles to kill dogs. On this topic, one soldier who witnessed the incident described by Beauchamp, wrote in an e-mail: "How you do this (I've seen it done more than once) is, when you approach the dog in question, suddenly lurch the Bradley on the opposite side of the road the dog is on. The rear-end of the vehicle will then swing TOWARD the animal, scaring it into running out into the road. If it works, the dog is running into the center of the road as the driver swings his yoke back around the other way, and the dog becomes a chalk outline." TNR contacted the manufacturer of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle System, where a spokesman confirmed that the vehicle is as maneuverable as Beauchamp described. Instructors who train soldiers to drive Bradleys told us the same thing. And a veteran war correspondent described the tendency of stray Iraqi dogs to flock toward noisy military convoys.

Although we place great weight on the corroborations we have received, we wished to know more. But, late last week, the Army began its own investigation, short-circuiting our efforts. Beauchamp had his cell-phone and computer taken away and is currently unable to speak to even his family. His fellow soldiers no longer feel comfortable communicating with reporters. If further substantive information comes to light, TNR will, of course, share it with you.

Now externally that looks pretty solid, but I'm suspicious of TNR's blaming the Army for their lack of a complete account. I can't help but to wonder if TNR suspects that the Army might be preparing a report that burns them to the ground.

So, I'm reserving judgment until the Army wraps up their investigation. If Beauchamp's accounts are corroborated, then I hope that he'll be brought to justice under the UCMJ. Desecrating human remains is certainly a crime, although it's difficult to justify holding him accountable simply for transcribing the dog-killing story and mocking the disfigured woman. I suppose it could fall under Conduct Unbecoming, but that's for the Army to decide.

None of this detracts from the fact that, of the 160k troops in Iraq, TNR choose a real dirtball to serve as their correspondent. When other soldiers are out building schools, providing medical care, and running security operations for the Iraqi people, TNR decided to highlight a real slug of a mechanic who mocks the disfigured and disrespects the dead for kicks.

Hotel Tango: Baldilocks

*Update* Mike Goldbarb writes:

So we're back to where we started: Has anyone ever seen a badly disfigured woman at Camp Beuhring, or any other camp in the Middle East which might subsequently be revealed as the scene of the crime?

*Update 2* Being a Zoomie and not knowing an awful lot about Bradleys, I was willing to bite on TNR's fact-checking of the plausibility of the dog-killing story. But Jeff Emanuel, being a Zoomie who does know an awful lot about Bradleys, disagrees:

The third story, that of the Bradley Fighting Vehicles being used to purposely run over dogs, still doesn't appear -- to me, who has very little experience in them, but who also has a decent amount of time on the roads around FOB Falcon and western Baghdad -- to pass the smell test. Part of the reason for this is the way that TNR went about "corroborating" the incident, reportedly speaking to the manufacturers of the Bradley about its driving specs, including its agility and acceleration. Further, they had a soldier, who had allegedly "seen it done more than once," tell them how a dog is run over ("when you approach the dog in question, suddenly lurch the Bradley on the opposite side of the road the dog is on. The rear-end of the vehicle will then swing TOWARD the animal, scaring it into running out into the road. If it works, the dog is running into the center of the road as the driver swings his yoke back around the other way, and the dog becomes a chalk outline"). However, to me -- again, as someone who has been there -- this rings very, very hollow.

You can also read another take from Jeff here. He's a former "operator," special forces guy, so he's worth a listen.

*Update 3* Ace holds TNR upside down by the ankles and shakes. And, via Ace, Stephen Spruiell responds to this:

The recollections of these three soldiers differ from Beauchamp's on one significant detail (the only fact in the piece that we have determined to be inaccurate): They say the conversation [in which he and a fellow soldier mock a disfigured woman] occurred at Camp Buehring, in Kuwait, prior to the unit's arrival in Iraq. When presented with this important discrepancy, Beauchamp acknowledged his error. We sincerely regret this mistake.

With this:

That's a rather significant detail to flub, given that the author's intent was to illustrate the morally deadening effects of war.

Maybe it was the anticipation of war that blackened STB's soul.

*Update 4* Bryan Preston:

And what’s [Foer] asking us to do today? Why, he’s asking us to trust his relaying the word of a bunch of anonymous sources. “I can’t show you any evidence or introduce you to a single corroborating witness…”

Oh, he has “corrorborating witnesses,” or so he says. But they’re all anonymous. And they might all be the same person. We have no way of evaluating what the witness or witnesses say, because conveniently for TNR they’re not identified.

Well, that part Foer blamed on the Army....for "shutting down" his investigation.

22 MEU Sails For Points East, VMI In The Lead

By Lt Col P

22nd Marine Expeditionary Force sailed yesterday from its base at Camp Lejeune, NC. Its destination has not been made public, but one might hazard a guess.

With the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan taking up the lion's share of the Marine Corps's resources, the MEUs have not gotten the attention they previously enjoyed. Nevertheless, they have still deployed from both coasts and Okinawa, sometimes going straight to Iraq or Afghanistan, other times providing the same forward presence as before and engaging in a round of foreign exercises for ever-important theater security cooperation. A MEU is an extraordinarily flexible and powerful organization, and a potent threat to our enemies.

When the current campaigns wind down, the MEU SOC deployments will re-emerge. The requirement for them never diminishes.

AND I AM PLEASED TO RELATE THIS-- 22 MEU's ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, is commanded by my Brother Rat and good friend, LtCol Matt StClair. A 300-PFT'ing, joint-schooled, no-nonsense fighting man with an exceptional resume. Note that he too is a History Major!

Read More »

Picture of the Day

By Bull Nav

Occasional reader and commenter Old Tanker sent me a few pictures from the Battle Creek Airshow back on 01 JUL. This is one of my favorites (and his pics were a WAAAY better than the ones I took).

Fat Albert performing a JATO.

That was the second time in 3 years of watching the Blue Angels perform that we got to see them start the show with JATO.

Awards

Subscribe

VMI Links

Military.com

Friends of OPFOR

Authors

Categories

Archives

Search

Credits