Cindy Sheehan has been cuffed and stuffed in Karl Rove's latest tour de force. Fresh from goading the Democrats into proving they are too far around the bend to actually govern by failibustering, he now has tarred all of the opposition with moonbat dust and the waft of patchouli. I fully support the right of any Congress Critter to bring whichever buffoon they wish as their honored guest to the President's State of the Union speech. It takes a deluded sense of what is helpful to think that inviting, perhaps the biggest nuttah on their team to make a scene at the State of the Union is a plus. Lest I be considered unkind to Mme. Sheehan, I did pen this when she first poked her head out. Dear Mom, a letter from the son who by now really wishes she would just hush.
The fun has been watching the left wing of the left somehow convince the rest of those left of center that they must join them at the drum circle where they are poking pins in a life-size Cheney doll. Keep MovinOn people because you have already moved well out of any chance of running anything important. I heartily hailed the elevation of Howard Dean to his current role of bankruptor of the DNC and voice of everything other than reason. The Kossacks and their demi-legions of haters have taken control in a bloodless coup and now they are for all intents the Democrats. God I can't wait to watch the next election as every time a Dem candidate fails to toe the PC line the mighty left side of the blogosphere will beat them into Islam, I mean submission.
I really don't care what W said, I know what he is about and I support a good bit of it. More important to me is that the left, and it's inability to see that we are a force for good, remains on the sidelines and not conceding games we are winning.
Nice story on the amazing feats of the Navy SEALS, I mean dolphins there Matt. I get all those Marine, I mean marine critters confused, now which ones spin the balls on their noses, oh yeah the SEALS. (time to get off your ass Froggy you had two days off, just playin' you take a break and we will ensure no clowns go un-beatdown)
Mine Clearing With Dolphins - Pictures of the week
Posted By Blackfive
Working from the USS Comstock, Naval Special Clearance Team One (NSCT-1) is conducting deep/shallow water mine counter measure operations as they go through their annual training exercise in January. U.S. Navy photos below by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Sandra M. Palumbo:
PACIFIC OCEAN. (January 16, 2006)- A Marine Mammal System (MMS) dolphin
from Naval Special Clearance Team One (NSCT-1) rests his head on the
edge of the Shipboard Forward Deployment (SFD) pool prior to receiving
a snack in the well deck of the USS Comstock (LSD 45).
PACIFIC OCEAN. (January 17, 2006)- Personnel attached to the US Naval Special Clearance Team One (NSCT-1) prepare their combat rubber raiding craft F-580 (CRRC) before deploying off the stern gate of the USS Comstock (LSD 45) and starting their night evolutions.
PACIFIC OCEAN. (January 17, 2006)- Personnel attached to the US Naval
Special Clearance Team One (NSCT-1) carry their combat rubber raiding
craft F-580 (CRRC) off the stern gate of the USS Comstock (LSD 45)
after re-boarding and completing their night evolutions.
PACIFIC OCEAN. (January 18, 2006)- ET1 Chris Percht and QM2 Cole Hutton
of US Naval Special Clearance Team One (NSCT-1) use hand signals to
guide a combat rubber raiding craft F-580 (CRRC) onto the stern gate of
the USS Comstock (LSD 45.
PACIFIC OCEAN. (January 18, 2006)- HT2 Sean Kennedy of the US Naval
Special Clearance Team One (NSCT-1) feeds an MK 7 Marine Mammal System
(MMS) dolphin after she returns from night operations.
Here's a brief sample of what I want to hear tonight (sort of tongue-n-cheek):
1. Saudi Arabia and China are overtly trying to own us through our deficit - we are going to pay off their debts early and begin owning them. If not, they will control our monetary supply and our ability to control our own trade in a few decades. Outside of terrorism, they are our biggest threat.
2. We are going to increase spending to rebuild Iraq. Contrary to reports stating the opposite, we are going to ensure Iraq is a success. We are going to decrease spending in legislative pork barrel projects. If you don't like it, don't vote for me in 2008.
3. We are going to increase spending and expand operations in the Veterans Administration and the DoD:
We are going to significantly increase spending on the VA hospitals and administration of benefits. We have more disabled veterans and more veterans seeking benefits than we have had in decades. We will add funds to develop better prosthetics, burn treatments, and clinics to help our wounded veterans recover. The VA sucks, let's fix it (new campaign slogan). We will create an Ombudsman for the VA and military hospitals to represent patient needs.
We are going to create a new Presidential Ombudsman for the military. His name is Brigadier General Uncle Jimbo and he will investigate issues and allegations for our military community. When I want to know if the Corporals have the equipment they need to do the job, I won't ask just Rummy who will just ask General So-and-So who will probably ask some Colonel to look at his Cold War era TO&E and respond. Instead, I'll ask Rummy AND BG Uncle Jimbo - BG UJ will talk to the Corporals and we'll finally figure out this crap. Uncle Jimbo, call me, we'll have a burrito later.
We are going to empower unit commanders at all levels to purchase equipment that they need BEFORE deployment.
We are going to increase military pay above the cost of living adjustment.
And, during long deployments and training exercises, we are going to start paying military spouses salaries commensurate with their deployed soldiers (and in some cases, one or two ranks above - Laura had me add that). Had to survive an 18 month deployment with no financial or moral support? You get the same pay as your spouse during the deployment and a new minivan (I tried for a convertible or SUV but Laura says that they're just not practical).
4. We will go into whatever country is housing Bin Laden and we will kill him. We will not allow government lawyers and State Department wusses to get in the way of our mission any more. Then, we will go into whatever country is housing Al Qaeda and we will kill the ones supporting terrorism. Then, all of you nations *cough, Syria* that support terrorism *cough, Iran* overtly or covertly *cough, Saudi Arabia* will not receive any aid or support *cough, Indonesia* from the State Department. Adios, muchachos *cough, Mexico*.
5. The ACLU wants to kill you...really.
6. The UN wants to control America...really.
7. Homeland Security will actually secure the homeland. Start with exponentially increasing effectiveness of Immigration and Borders and Port Security. Develop a National Guard ready brigade concept for disasters. Invest in technology AND people. The TSA needs work, too, I know, I know.
8. Iran - The people of Iran are good people. The government of Iran are a bunch of crazy bastards. CRAY-ZEE! *finger pointed at ear, circling gesture*
We don't want to hurt the Iranian people. That would be bad. Baaad.
But I can't say what we'd do because Uncle Jimbo wants it to be a surprise...heehee.
9. I want to personally thank the people the countries that stood by us in Iraq - during some of the toughest times of our lives - our friends deserve our constant recognition.
Thank you, United Kingdom.
Thank you, Poland.
Thank you, Italy.
Thank you, Australia.
Thank you, Japan.
Thank you, El Salvador.
Thank you, Netherlands.
Thank you, Ukraine...*continues on through the list*
10. Add your own State of the Union issue(s) in the Comments:
OK I'm done bein' controversial, wasn't my goal in the first place, but hey "You bake a pie you eat a pie" right?
Now we slide right along to shameless blog pimping. My home blog is on a site where both of the newspapers here in Madison, WI live online. All their columnists have their pieces online and up until this month I was beating all of them for monthly hits, but one of them is actually 750 hits up on me with only one day left this month. This is not just my gargantuan ego, although I would do it just for that, but I must win, because I will rub their real newspaper noses in it. I won Nov. and Dec. but I need some help to seal the trifecta. Even better is that one of them is Washington Correspondent for The Nation, the most-beloved mag of the very left, John Nichols. He edits the Op-Ed page of our Progressive paper The Capital Times and I must break him.
So I have some stories that haven't seen the bright light of the Blackfive stage and that ought to have a grin or two somewhere.
Round one of the actually not true stuff I made up to see what would happen
Any assistance in this is greatly appreciated as my circumstances now place me inside the building where they make the newspapers. What, you ask? You heard me, but I can neither confirm nor deny anything I have just hinted at. However smart money says an infiltration of the MSM is well underway. This could get good.
To say that things are hectic at work right now is an understatement, and the schedule (and deadlines) are tight. Yet, all my plans changed in the blink of an eye this morning when I found out that a certain unmentionable group was going to protest at the funeral of Army Specialist Matthew Franz in Lafayette, Indiana, today. For me, there was no choice or debate, and I knew what I had to do. I re-arranged things, and I drove to Lafayette on my lunch break.
No, I am not going to name the group or any associated with them, for that is how they gain power -- on more than one level I suspect. They are not worthy of mention, thought, curse, or consideration.
The only one's deserving of consideration this day were the soldier being laid to rest and his family. They deserve more than I can give, but what I could provide was my body between them and those things.
As I suspected might be the case, I was not alone. Quite a few turned out to pay respects, and to be a living barrier. If you have read of such things before, then you may have heard of Rolling Thunder. They work to help our veterans, our missing, and to provide support to those who serve now. One of the things they do is stand for those lost, and as a shield for those left behind.
A new chapter of Indiana Rolling Thunder is forming in Lafayette, and today they came together with others of like mind. I am joining them, and if you live in or near Lafayette, or in NW Indiana, I urge you to do so too. You can contact Steve Barrick at bezrus_1 at yahoo dot com to get more information, and I thank him for his permission to post this address, and for his invitation to me to join.
For the unmentionables, it apparently was not a good day. They were very few in number, perhaps at most five, and they came and left early.
For the rest, well, more than a hundred gathered outside, and came to attention as Specialist Franz began his final journey. Lafayette honored one of its own, there and beyond. May the light shine on those left behind, and warm them in the days ahead.
The Armor Project began by trying to help protect our un-armored Humvees with kevlar blankets that are DoD spec. And, Soldiers being Soldiers, found other uses for the armor blankets as well.
The kevlar blankets are needed for vehicles that are not armored (inside the wire) and for vehicles that are armored. For example, I mentioned before that some Bradley Fighting Vehicle commanders wanted them for added turret protection while they sat at check points. Other uses include using the blankets for added floor protection from blasts. Here's a newspaper's blog that demonstrates why the blankets are needed (from a year ago).
Soldiers' Angels has requests for forty six (46) more blankets from units in Iraq. At $935 per blanket, that's $43000 needed.
You can go here, make a tax-deductible donation, and help protect our troops.
...NBC
News aired an "exclusive" story in 2004 that dramatically recounted how
al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar, the San Diego terrorists who would later
hijack American Airlines flight 77 and fly it into the Pentagon,
received more than a dozen calls from an al Qaeda "switchboard" inside
Yemen where al-Mihdhar's brother-in-law lived. The house received calls
from Osama Bin Laden and relayed them to operatives around the world.
Senior correspondent Lisa Myers told the shocking story of how, "The
NSA had the actual phone number in the United States that the
switchboard was calling, but didn't deploy that equipment, fearing it
would be accused of domestic spying."...
Debra Burlingame's brother was the American Airlines pilot of Flight 77. Be sure to read the whole piece and send it to your friends and family.
"Grab it before the Pentagon orders it burned..." - Vanity Fair
"...nonpartisan patriotism is the common thread tying together these reflections, love letters and stories of combat. They make for riveting reading." - The Washington Post
Winner of the 2006 Gold Medal for Anthologies - Military Writer's Society of America
"This collection is an excellent introduction to an emerging form of war reporting." - Booklist
"...there is much to tell, and celebrate, in the tough, day-to-day work that our soldiers are doing in one of the most challenging environments any army has ever faced..." - The Philadelphia Inquirer
"...the collection is riveting...a worthy tribute." - The American Prospect
Click here
for more information and list of blogger/authors
Former Paratrooper and Army Officer, "Blackfive" started this blog upon learning of the valorous sacrifice of a friend that was not reported by the journalist whose life he saved. Email: blackfive AT gmail DOT com
Retired Special Operations Master Sergeant, Jim Hanson ("Uncle Jimbo") is now focused on writing about the military, politics, intelligence operations and foreign policy. Email: jimbo AT unclejimbo DOT com
Writer, photographer, and raconteur C. Blake Powers is the Laughing Wolf. He is independent in politics and covers topics including journalism, military, weapons, preparedness, space, science, cooking, food and wine, product and book reviews, and even spirituality. Email: wolf1 AT laughingwolf DOT net Laughing Wolf's Amazon Wish List
Grim -- an Old Norse name that means 'one who wears a mask' -- blogs on issues of intelligence, information operations, and foreign relations. Email: grimbeornr AT yahoo DOT com
Instapinch
Bill Paisley, otherwise known as Pinch, is a 22 year (ongoing) active and
reserve naval aviator. He blogs over at www.instapinch.com on a veritable
cornucopia of various and sundry items and will bring a tactical naval
aviator's perspective to Blackfive. Readers be warned: any comments of or
about the F-14 Tomcat will be reverential and spoken in low, hushed tones.
Email: wpaisley AT comcast DOT net
Mr. Wolf has over 26 years in the Army, Army NG, and USAR. He’s Airborne with 5 years as an NCO, before becoming an officer. Mr. Wolf has had 4 company commands. Signal Corp is his basic branch, and Public Affairs is his functional area. He recently served 22 straight months in Kuwait and Iraq, in Intel, PA, and senior staff of MNF-I. Mr. Wolf is now an IT executive. He is currently working on a book on media and the Iraq war. Functional gearhead.
In Iraq, he received the moniker of Mr. Wolf after the Harvey Kietel character in Pulp Fiction, when "challenges" arose, they called on Mr. Wolf...
Email: TheDOTMrDOTWolfAT gmail DOT com
Deebow is a Staff Sergeant and a Military Police Squad Leader in the Army National Guard. In a previous life, he served in the US Navy. He has over 19 years of experience in both the Maritime and Land Warfare; including deployments to Southwest Asia, Thailand, the South Pacific, South America and Egypt. He has served as a Military Police Team Leader and Protective Services Team Leader and he has served on assignments with the US State Department, US Air Force Security Police, US Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. He recently spent time in Afghanistan working with, training and fighting alongside Afghan Soldiers and is now focused on putting his 4 year Political Science degree to work by writing about foreign policy, military security policy and politics.
McQ has 28 years active and reserve service. Retired. Infantry officer. Airborne and Ranger. Consider my 3 years with the 82nd as the most fun I ever had with my clothes on. Interests include military issues and policy and veteran's affairs.
Email: mcq51 -at - bellsouth -dot- net
Chris Carter is a former USAF firefighter and now civilian firefighter who covers military history, national security, and baseball. Find out more at his website.
Twitter: @CrushingChris EMAIL: crushnik AT yahoo DOT com
Tantor is a former USAF navigator/weapon system officer (WSO) in F-4E Phantoms who served in the US, Asia, and Europe. He is now a curmudgeonly computer geek in Washington, DC, picking the taxpayers pocket. His avocations are current events, aviation, history, and conservative politics.
Twenty-three years of Active and Reserve service in the US Army in SF (18B), Infantry and SOF Signal jobs with operational deployments to Bosnia and Africa. Since retiring he's worked as Senior Defense Analyst on SOF and Irregular Warfare projects and currently ensconced in the emerging world of Cyberspace.
Major Pain --
A Marine who began his blog in Iraq and reflects back on what he learned there and in Afghanistan. To the point opinions, ideas and thoughts on military, political and the media from One Marine’s View. Email: onemarinesview AT yahoo DOT com
Uber Pig was an Infantryman from late 1991 until early 1996, serving with Second Ranger Battalion, I Corps, and then 25th Infantry Division. At the time, the Army discriminated against enlisted soldiers who wanted use the "Green to Gold" program to become officers, so he left to attend Stanford University. There, he became expert in detecting, avoiding, and surviving L-shaped ambushes, before dropping out to be as entrepreneurial as he could be. He is now the founder of a software startup serving the insurance and construction industries, and splits time between Lake Tahoe, Boonville, and San Francisco, CA.
Uber Pig writes for Blackfive a) because he's the proud brother of an enlisted Civil Affairs Reservist who currently serves in Iraq, b) because he looks unkindly on people who make it harder for the military in general, and for his brother in particular, to succeed at their missions and come home in victory, and c) because the Blackfive readers and commenters help keep him sane.
COB6 spent 24 years in the active duty Army that included 5 combat tours with service in the 1st Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group . COB6 was enlisted (E-7) and took the OCS route to a commission. COB6 retired a few years back as a field grade Infantry officer.
Currently COB6 has a son in the 82nd Airborne that just returned from his third tour and has a newly commissioned daughter in the 4th Infantry Division.
