BLACKFIVE

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The red symbolizes our military backgrounds, and the white symbolizes the peace that we all desire. The dagger represents justice, the wings represent swiftness, and the shield represents protection.

My Other Accounts

The Authors

Blackfive
Former Paratrooper and Army Officer, Matthew "Blackfive" Burden 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
Jim Hanson
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
Subsunk
Subsunk is a retired US Navy Submarine Officer.
Email: Subsunk at subsunk AT tds DOT net
The Laughing Wolf
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 Beorn
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
Pinch Paisley
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
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
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.
COB6
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.
H.H. Gunza
Gunza is a Sapper and OIF vet. Stay tuned...
Driven
"Driven" is an OIF vet, Sergeant and team Leader in the 82nd Airborne Division...
Uber Pig
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.

Email: enlisted swine (at) gmail (dot) com.
McQ
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: mcq5 -at - bellsouth -dot- net

The Authors Emeritis

Froggy
Froggy is 16 year Navy SEAL corpsman and vet of the War on Terror. Visit Froggy Ruminations here.
Major Pain
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

Recommended Resources

abu muqawama
COIN - All Day Every Day
Central Command
Official Web Site
Counterterrorism Blog
Counter-Terrrorism Issues. Period.
Danger Room
Wired's Military Tech Blog
DefendAmerica
DoD Official Site
Defense Tech
Military.com's Tech Blog
Media Myth Busters
Debunking the myths created by the MSM
MilBlogs
"Free Speech from Those Who Make It Possible..."
Military.com
The Big Daddy of all Military sites
Pritzker Military Library
Information Rich
Pundit Review Radio
Someone You Should Know Podcasts
Small Wars Journal
COIN and Limited Warfare Experts
Strategy Page
Military News, Intelligence and History
The Long War Journal
Read what the Generals are now reading...
The Tank
NRO's Defense Blog
ThreatsWatch
Intelligent and On Target
Victory Caucus
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Warrior Legacy Foundation

Mission: To protect and promote the legacy of America's Warriors.

Join us!
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The front has the logo and the back has our unofficial motto from the military code of conduct:

I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free.

The Blog of War

"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