Op For

Ops Begin in Kandahar?

2010-03-18T13:41:44Z

Military.com is reporting that the next major move against the Taliban has begun:

"U.S. operations to push back Taliban forces around Kandahar have "already begun" and will steadily build in coming months, the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan said on Wednesday.

"Gen. Stanley McChrystal told reporters that the U.S.-led offensive on the Taliban's spiritual heartland had started with initial military and political efforts, including operations designed to secure key roads and districts surrounding the southern city.

""And instead of putting a date certain on which there would be a climactic military operation, I tell you, that process has already begun," McChrystal said by teleconference from Afghanistan."

Put some emphasis on that last line. Even more so than Marjah, this appears to be a slow-moving (deceptively, perhaps) inexorable push to squeeze out the fuckos, shore up the Afghan security forces, and create the conditions in which the civil population can emerge and rebuild.

The ISAF site reports other (related?) ops.

One more note on Afghanistan: "Special Forces now Report to McChrystal". It's about time. For the perils of fragmented C2, please see Not a Good Day to Die. Quick update... UJ at B5 has comments too.

"Man Spends 4 Days Stuck in Car in Snowbank"

2010-03-17T13:06:07Z

WOW. That is something of an ordeal-- especially with "diabetes, liver troubles and a history of heart problems"-- and thank God everything turned out well.

Lots of lessons contained therein, if the facts are as reported. Do you have a car kit? What would you have done? Might be nice to have a gun too. They tend to be useful in tight corners.

BTW, a great book to read on winters in that general area is Indian Creek Chronicles: A Winter Alone in the Wilderness.

Adios, OPFOR

2010-03-15T21:53:55Z

Readers, it's time for me to move on from OPFOR. A sincere thanks to all of you who have read daily, added us to your feeds, commented, discussed, argued, complained, and otherwise participated in a wonderful four year chat on the state of all things military. I'll be leaving the site in the most capable hands of LtCol P and our cast of outstanding military professionals (they're much better bloggers than this guy anyway) -- though we'll certainly need a voice to fill the Air Force vacancy (take note, Col P!).

I'll be separating from the Air Force and moving on to some exciting new things in DC, where I'll continue filling cyberspace with my peculiar brand of hot air, as well as exercising my 2nd Amendment rights -frequently, I hope!-with the good Colonel.

It's been a real honor to blog for Military.com, alongside their terrific team of bloggers. Many thanks to Christian Lowe, Ward Carroll, Chris Michel and the entire Military.com team for picking up a dopey little blogspot milblog called The Officers Club and helping turn it into something great.

I hope each and every one of you continue reading, laughing, and soaking in all the wealth of experience our bloggers bring to the table. Sincere thanks, farewell, and best wishes to all that I've been honored to call our loyal readers.

In the Bonds,
John Noonan

Marines Gone "Rogue"??

2010-03-15T09:27:34Z

"Or Leading the Way?"

"DELARAM, AFGHANISTAN -- Home to a dozen truck stops and a few hundred family farms bounded by miles of foreboding desert, this hamlet in southwestern Afghanistan is far from a strategic priority for senior officers at the international military headquarters in Kabul. One calls Delaram, a day's drive from the nearest city, "the end of the Earth." Another deems the area "unrelated to our core mission" of defeating the Taliban by protecting Afghans in their cities and towns.

"U.S. Marine commanders have a different view of the dusty, desolate landscape that surrounds Delaram. They see controlling this corner of remote Nimruz province as essential to promoting economic development and defending the more populated parts of southern Afghanistan."

I'll refrain from comment-- you be the judge!

A short excerpt from New Dawn.

2010-03-14T22:40:46Z

Within hours of the Blackwater ambush on the last day of March 2004, the Marines moved to cordon off the entire city. Inside, the enemy prepared for the inevitable assault. Major General James Mattis and Lieutenant General James Conway, however, recommended restraint. The Assistant Division Commander, Brigadier General John Kelly, sought to temper America’s response in the Division’s daily report:

We have a well thought out campaign plan that considers the Fallujah problem across its very complicated spectrum.

]]> This plan most certainly includes kinetic action, but going overly kinetic at this juncture plays into the hands of the opposition in exactly the way they assume we will. This is why they shoot and throw hand grenades out of crowds, to bait us into overreaction…We should not fall victim to their hopes for a vengeful response. To react to this provocation, as heinous as it is, will likely negate the efforts of the 82nd Airborne Division paid for in blood, and complicate our campaign plan, which we have not yet been given the opportunity to implement.

Counterinsurgency forces have learned many times in the past that the desire to demonstrate force and resolve has long term and generally negative implications, and destabilize rather than stabilize the environment.

The Marine commanders did not want to further disenfranchise the people of Fallujah. They told their corps commander, U. S. Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, that they could find the perpetrators of the ambush and bring them to justice within two weeks. Sanchez passed on the Marines’ recommendation. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, however, was not impressed with the suggestion for a tempered response and ordered the Marines to attack. Conway and Mattis had delivered their recommendation as to how they thought they should respond, but when they received their orders, they—like any good Marines—unflinchingly obeyed them.

The Fight Begins: Operation Vigilant Resolve

On April 5, 2004, U.S. Marines charged into the city, destroying enemy positions and killing every enemy combatant who stood in their path. One of the Marines driving into Fallujah was Gunnery Sergeant Nicholas Popaditch. Angered by the heinous murders of the Blackwater contractors and the insurgents’ claims that Fallujah was the graveyard of Americans,“Gunny Pop” couldn’t wait to get into the fight…

Read Gunny Pop’s story and those of dozens more American heroes in “New Dawn: The Battles for Fallujah,” coming to a bookstore near you in May, 2010. Visit www.fallujahbook.com to learn more about New Dawn and Richard S. Lowry’s coming book tour.

A Mother Remember Her Son Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe

2010-03-14T15:06:41Z

From today's Sunday Telegraph, "Mother's Day: Today Will be Hard," a mother's thoughts of her son killed in Afghanistan.

We were all so proud of Rupert. He was a wonderful son, brother, husband and father, though frantically untidy. In other ways he was very organised but his filthy jeans were always left on the stairs for mummy to pick up. He was also very good with people, which made him a very fine soldier. John and I hadn’t realised quite how highly regarded he was – as parents you don’t – until we read the obituaries, and heard the tributes at his funeral. General Dannatt called him “an outstanding commanding officer and a born leader”; Des Browne, with whom he had worked at the MOD, called him “the best of the best”.

5 Myths About Afghanistan

2010-03-14T14:47:03Z

From today's Washington Post, "Five Myths About the War in Afghanistan." Having been a Red Team Leader, this article represents the type of thinking Red Teams should be providing to their Commands, questioning assumptions.

Major John Moder '98-- Heard from Today!

2010-03-12T20:40:35Z

The ever-vigilant Brother Rat BullNav, perched high up in a virtual crow's nest scanning the mil news wavetops, zapped this great piece of news to us:

MarSOC officer awarded Bronze Star

Staff report
Posted : Friday Mar 12, 2010 9:37:04 EST

The officer in charge of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command’s assessment and selection received a Bronze Star with “V” device on Tuesday for his actions in Afghanistan.

On May 30, 2008, Maj. John A. Moder, 36, repeatedly exposed himself to Taliban sharpshooters and rocket-propelled grenades during a firefight in the Garmsir district of Helmand province. Then-Capt. Moder was serving as commanding officer of Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Over the course of a 14-hour fight, Moder “fearlessly” led his Marines from bunker to bunker, killing several insurgents with an M240G machine gun and an M4 assault rifle in support of Operation Azada Wosa.

“Calm and courageous under fire, he remained at the front of his company in constant contact with insurgent fighters,” according to the citation. “He was conspicuous throughout in his leadership and heroism. Capt. Moder’s resolute leadership and courage in the face of a determined enemy reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.”

Moder, who has deployed four times since Sept. 11, 2001, received his commission in 1998 after graduating from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va.

Well done, Marine. You make us proud!

Firearms Friday: Safety, Safety, Safety

2010-03-12T11:09:24Z

A tragedy barely averted near Quantico, with my editorial comments in [brackets]:

"Woman Hurt in Bizarre Gun Accident

"DUMFRIES, Va. - A shotgun went off [no, it did not!] as a man was practicing loading it [with no regard for Rule 3] inside his home in Dumfries. The buck shot traveled through his house and into his neighbor's home [no shit! it tends to do that], injuring the woman. She is expected to live [thank God]."

The article, if correct, states that this is the THIRD time the man has discharged a firearm negligently. If those are indeed the facts-- it's hard to know for sure because the article is not well written-- then I'm sorry but some sort of action is warranted. (I'll be happy to dial it back in case the facts are otherwise.) For that guy, a retired Marine who should know better, "safety" is a little switch somewhere near the trigger and not a constant mindset.

This should be a good object lesson for all of us not to fall into the same negligent habits. Safety, safety, safety.

Development of Counter Insurgency

2010-03-11T00:24:39Z

There is a new blog section at Washington Post, the Political Bookworm, today there was a guest blog by Historian Mark Perry in which how the first steps were taken in turning insurgents to the US side. One of the actors in this drama was my Brother Rat, Colonel John "JC" Coleman USMC, then Chief of Staff of the I MEF Camp Pendleton California. Here is the blog, "Time to Talk to Terrorists." Rah Va MIl 76 76 76.

Women of Hope

2010-03-10T09:47:39Z

Here's a slightly late, but I believe wholly appropriate, nod to International Womens Day: the Women of Hope Project.

"The Women of Hope Project is an organization by women for women to restore hope and dignity to women who have been oppressed and denied personal freedom, health, opportunity, and respect. We hope to create a sisterhood to encourage and provide resources to help these women recover from the traumatic devastation of 23 years of war."

Sound a little too touchy-feely for us? You might think again, because I have seen the WoHP at work in Kabul, and I think it is one of the best NGOs on deck today, and also one of the most effective movements for positive change. If we want a stable, prosperous, functional Afghanistan, it will be organizations like Betsy's WoHP that effect the change, one family at a time. I used to chat with her every friday morning at the Camp Eggers bazaar, and became deeply impressed with how much she has done, starting from scratch.

"With the airline industry in limbo, Betsy took a year’s leave and made a trip to Afghanistan. She saw the plight of thousands of women and children who were left to fend for themselves in a male dominated society that was bereft of able bodied men to take care of them after 25 years of war. While she returned several times with donations to help the women, she knew that this was not going to fix the long term problem of helping the women to learn to support themselves. After many prayers and sleepless nights trying to figure out what to do, Betsy hit upon an idea that she thought might solve their problem. ..."

One of their signature projects is the bottle burqa, which is a great triple-poke in the eye for the Taliban. The folks at GOP Counterculture blogged about the one I sent to them-- yes, I'm the "good friend just returned from Afghanistan", and Mudville picked it up too:

Of course, this isn't the only thing they make and it's really a small part of their offerings, but it appeals to my sense of humor and defiance. Folks, if we want to win the campaign in Afghanistan and help them (re)build their nation, we will need to support organizations like WoHP. Betsy is doing things no military or governmental agency has done or can do. Visit her site, and give a little to the very best of causes.

Fallujah -- the real Hurt Locker

2010-03-08T12:52:55Z

To the cast and crew of “The Hurt Locker,” Congratulations and thank you for bringing this powerful message to the American public about an heroic EOD team working in Baghdad. This film provides a microcosm of what it is like to be fighting a 21st Century war in the Middle East. Imagine The Hurt Locker on an epic scale.

]]> In Fallujah in 2004, the soldiers and Marines were not able to call in Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams to diffuse IEDs. In Fallujah, the soldiers and Marines were forced to drop bombs on urban minefields. On one occasion a string of IEDs two blocks long was detonated by a single GPS-guided bomb.

In Fallujah a handful of soldiers were not pinned down by a single enemy sniper. In Fallujah American M1 tanks were pinned down by riflemen and grenadiers lurking in every window. In Fallujah, 8000 American troops were locked in mortal combat with 4000 diehard jihadists for several weeks.

In Fallujah, over 100 American soldiers, sailors and Marines were killed during the 2004 fighting and hundreds more were wounded. Many lives were lost and everyone’s life was changed forever. Nine Navy Crosses and twenty-two Silver Stars were awarded for gallantry during Operation Phantom Fury—many posthumously.

Read the true stories of American heroes fighting the most intense battle since Hue City, Vietnam in New Dawn: The Battles for Fallujah, available in bookstores in May, 2010.

Captain Queeg Is Alive and Relieved

2010-03-08T09:20:47Z

Pat Lang at Sic Semper Tyrannis has had a very interesting discussion on the relief by the Navy of Captain Holly Graf as Commanding Officer of the USS Cowpens. There are several embedded links in the Sic Semper Tyrannis I would suggest all to follow those as they paint a very disturbing picture of life under her command.

"Yet voters still came"

2010-03-07T21:50:40Z

Iraq takes another step forward.

"Polls closed across Iraq on Sunday as the war-weary population awaits results from the national election that will decide the future of the country's still-fragile democracy.

"The election tested the mettle of the country's shaky security as insurgents killed 31 people across Iraq, unleashing a barrage of mortars intent on disrupting the historic day.

"About 19 million Iraqis were eligible to vote on a government that will oversee the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The election is critical in determining whether Iraq can overcome the jagged sectarian divisions that have defined it since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003."

Imperfect and marred by violence in places; however, that country (so far) refuses to quit. The Iraqis might march/lurch/step/stagger, but it's always forward. They are building that rarest of commodities in the Mideast-- a tradition of open elections that happen on time.

Imagine that.

Good for them. We wish them nothing but the best, because a functional stable prosperous Iraq with enduring representative government is good for the Iraqis, good for the Mideast, good for us and good for the world.

Firearms Friday: What, Only 21 Countries??

2010-03-05T21:47:16Z

"USA Gun Owners Buy 14 Million Plus Guns In 2009 – More Than 21 of the Worlds Standing Armies Combined"

OK, once you look at the stats, it ain't a bad showing. I was pleased to have done my little part. :-)

Good work, fellow Americans! Keep it up.