Guess Who Joined the Soldiers' Angels Board of Trustees?

Posted By Blackfive

Soldiers' Angels press release is below:

Top Milblogger 'Blackfive' Makes Long Relationship with Nonprofit Official

PASADENA, Calif., July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leading military support nonprofit Soldiers' Angels announced this morning the appointment of military veteran, IT executive and blogger/author Matthew Currier Burden to its Board of Trustees, approved by unanimous vote on July 11. Burden is expected to focus on a variety of projects for Soldiers' Angels, using his skills and contacts in technology, active duty military and politics to help the 200,000-member organization continue to care for America's military personnel, veterans, and their families.

A longtime supporter, Burden has worked closely with Soldiers' Angels in an unofficial capacity since 2003. "I've been doing a lot of soldier support on my own and with SA on a variety of projects for the last six years, but I wanted to do more by taking an official role," he explains. "I'm looking forward to using my military and social media experiences to assist Soldiers' Angels any way I can."

After enlisting at age seventeen, Burden served in the 82nd Airborne, Special Forces and the Defense Intelligence Agency as he moved from enlisted to officer. He started the influential military blog Blackfive in 2003 to address the unreported stories of America's heroes and in 2006 edited Blog of War, a collection of essays from military blogs. Burden recently co-founded the Warrior Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit committed to protection and promotion of the reputation and dignity of America's Warriors, and is President of independent reporting and advertising production company SOG Media. He holds masters degrees in business and computer science and is currently an IT executive in Chicago.

Soldiers' Angels founder Patti Patton Bader warmly welcomes Burden. "It is truly an honor to serve wingtip to wingtip on the Board of Trustees with Matt," she enthuses. Board of Trustees Vice-chairman Richard M. John adds, "We are very excited to have Matt join the Board. His wealth of knowledge and contacts with the military, bloggers, and other military support organizations will be vital to Soldiers' Angels continuing to accomplish its mission. Matt has demonstrated time and again that his first concern is the welfare of our service members, and we look forward to having his formal input and participation as a Board member."

Established in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families through a variety of hands-on projects and volunteerism. For more info, see www.soldiersangels.org or call 615-676-0239. Tax ID# 20-0583415. CFC# 25131.

Leon Cooper - Someone You Should Know

Posted By Blackfive

Our favorite essayist, Bill Whittle, interviews Leon Cooper for PJ TV.  Leon was an Ensign at Tarawa during WWII commanding the landing craft, and was an eye witness to the hell of Red Beach.

Graphic content warning (language describing combat).

Check it out here.  It's worth your time.

Mountain Fire

Posted By Blackfive

U.S. Army soldiers fire mortar rounds at suspected Taliban fighting positions during Operation Mountain Fire in Barge Matal, a village in eastern Nuristan province, Afghanistan, July 12, 2009. U.S. and Afghan forces secured the remote mountain village, which was overwhelmed by insurgent forces several days before. The U.S. soldiers are assigned to the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment. Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller

Khan Nechion Castle in the hands of our Marines

Posted By Blackfive

Khan Nechion Castle was built by Alexander the Great and was once a fortress for the governors of that area of Afghanistan.  The Taliban took it from the Afghans.

And now some Marines and Afghan National Army soldiers took it back.  After securing and improving the castle, the Marines intend on giving the castle back to the local government in the next week or two.

This is b-roll (rough footage).  Other than the firefight at the beginning, the interviews at the end with some Marine Corporals and Privates is worth the time to watch.

Tranporting President Obama's Limo

Posted By Blackfive

U.S. Air Force airmen and aircrew personnel offload a presidential limousine from a C-17 GLobemaster at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, July 8, 2009, as part of the U.S. military support for U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Ghana July 10-11.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jerry Fleshman

Hand Signal

Posted By Blackfive

A U.S. Marine signals members of his squad toward several CH-46 Sea Knights, CH-53 Super Stallions and other aircraft that participated in the training extraction of his platoon from their position during a long-range helicopter raid on Camp Pendleton, Twentynine Palms, Calif., July 8, 2009. The Marines are assigned to Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Marine and Navy teams are testing interoperability before a deployment certification exercise.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jeffrey Belovarac

Last Australian Victoria Cross Awardee Passes On

Posted By Blackfive

A Blackfive reader (and Aussie)  sent me this request:
 

Can you do me a favour and announce that Edward "Ted" Kenna VC has passed away 2 days after his 90th Birthday in a Geelong nursing home, today Thursday July 9, 2009.

Ted Kenna was awarded the Victoria Cross, Australia's highest Military Award, for an action in 1945.  His story is quite amazing.  Perhaps one story is the fact that he married the nurse who cared for him after the war.  The Telegraph UK has a very nice obituary.

His Official citation reads:

War Office, 6th September, 1945.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to:-

No. VX. 102142 Private Edward KENNA, 2/4 Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Military Forces.

In the South West Pacific at Wewak on 15th May, 1945, during the attack on the Wirui Mission features, Private Kenna's company had the task of capturing certain enemy positions. The only position from which observation for supporting fire could be obtained was continuously swept by enemy heavy machine gun fire and it was not possible to bring Artillery or Mortars into action.

Private Kenna's platoon was ordered forward to deal with the enemy machine gun post, so that the company operation could proceed. His section moved as close as possible to the bunker in order to harass any enemy seen, so that the remainder of the platoon could attack from the flank. When the attacking sections came into view of the enemy they were immediately engaged at very close range by heavy automatic fire from a position not previously disclosed. Casualties were suffered and the attackers could not move further forward.

Private Kenna endeavoured to put his Bren gun into a position where he could engage the bunker, but was unable to do so because of the nature of the ground. On his own initiative and without orders Private Kenna immediately stood up in full view of the enemy less than fifty yards away and engaged the bunker, firing his Bren gun from the hip. The enemy machine gun immediately returned Private Kenna's fire and with such accuracy that bullets actually passed between his arms and his body, piercing his clothing. Undeterred, he remained completely exposed and continued to fire at the enemy until his magazine was exhausted. Still making a target of himself, Private Kenna discarded his Bren gun and called for a rifle. Despite the intense machine gun fire, he seized the rifle and, with amazing coolness, killed the gunner with his first round.

A second automatic opened fire on Private Kenna from a different position and another of the enemy immediately tried to move into position behind the first machine gun, but Private Kenna remained standing and killed him with his next round.

The result of Private Kenna's magnificent bravery in the face of concentrated fire, was that the bunker was captured without further loss, and the company attack proceeded to a successful conclusion, many enemy being killed and numerous automatic weapons captured.

There is no doubt that the success of the company attack would have been seriously endangered and many casualties sustained but for Private Kenna's magnificent courage and complete disregard for his own safety. His action was an outstanding example of the highest degree of bravery.

Godspeed, Ted Kenna.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!!!

If you Tell a Big Enough Lie Over and Over Again...

Posted By Blackfive

Over at Montrose Toast, DJ Elliot exposes a big lie about Saddam Hussein that our detractors like to put forth time and time again.

The Big Lie Propaganda approach is:  If you state a big enough lie often enough, people will believe it.

This concept took off when the National SOCIALIST German Workers Party (Hitler) used it in the 1930s and 1940s and the Communist (Stalin) adopted it from them.

In this article, Murdoc askes "Spot Anything Questionable?":

"Early in the Iran-Iraq War, an AK-47-toting Iranian soldier watches smoke rising from burning oil refineries near the Iranian city of Abadan. The Iraqis under Saddam Hussein, armed and supported by the United States, used mostly M16s. Photo: Henri Bureau/Sygma/Corbis"  From Wired

What is being furthered in the caption is the big lie that the United States armed Saddam...

[link is http://home.comcast.net/~djyae/site/?/blog/view/10/ ]

Evan Pertile - Follow Up

Posted By Blackfive

St Jude's has a video about Evan and I'll post it below.  You all have helped make a difference.  Please watch the video and then leave a note of encouragement to Evan here.

Thanks!

~Blackfive, Out.

Mountain Warriors Under Fire

Posted By Blackfive

It was a simple mission that ended as anything but. Army Sgt. Justin Puetz with the 5th MPAD is there as Soldiers from Task Force Mountain Warrior come under fire.

Where in the World?

Posted By Blackfive

The place named after Captain Henry Miller Shreve of the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Shreveport.

I'm looking forward to visiting beautiful downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, later this week.  If any of you are in the area, give me a holler at blackfive-at-gmail-com.  It should be a temperate 99 degrees so I'll be eating right and drinking lots of fluids...

On the Careful Offensive

Posted By Blackfive

When I was on vacation, I saw this video shown on the cable network news channels, but only part of it. The whole video from CJTF-82 is valuable because it shows (1) the concern that we have for collateral damage, (2) the effectiveness of our air crews, (3) the bravery of our grunts and (4) why you never bunch up (looking at you noobs at Benning)...

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Combined Joint Task Force-82 has released video of an air weapons team engaging and killing insurgents when responding to the insurgents' complex attack on a small patrol base in Paktia province May 27.

The video shows 14 insurgents carrying automatic rifles, rocket propelled grenades and a mortar round fleeing the scene after they attacked the outpost with indirect fire, rocket propelled grenades and smalls arms fire.

The pilot of an Apache AH64 helicopter is heard verbally checking to make sure the militants are far enough away from any qalats, or Afghan homes, so that shooting the militants will not endanger any civilians.

The attack helicopter checks six times to ensure there will be no collateral damage before receiving permission to engage the insurgents.

After the helicopter engages the insurgents from the air, U.S. troops continue fighting the insurgents on the ground. [B5 note: you see US soldier engaging with hand grenades]

The entire fire fight lasted more than five hours. Afghan National Army and ISAF service members conducted an assessment of the area, finding at least 15 militant forces killed, numerous small arms and a mortar system.

No ANA or International Security Assistance Forces were injured during the attack. The incident resulted in no civilian casualties.