BAGHDAD - It seems that the Brett Favre-Green Bay Packers saga is
such a worldwide phenomenon that it's being used by detainees in
American military camps.
According to a military official, detainees at a Wisconsin National
Guard camp in Iraq are using Brett Favre as a manner of getting at the
guard troops there.
"They know Favre by name," said First Lieutenant Tim Boehnen, who is from New Richmond, Wis.
"One of the big words they know now is shenanigan. They'll
constantly talk about 'Favre shenanigans,' 'He's so good for the
Vikings,' and 'The Packers have got to really feel bad about that
one.' "
According to Boehnen, it started when troops there started decorating their camp in Packers colors.....
Once the decoration job happened, detainees became curious.
"They obviously then started up the conversations, and started
talking about Brett Favre. They soon learned about Favre going to the
Vikings, and things just started going downhill from there."
Boehnen said soccer is the main sport that detainees pay attention
to there, so there's not exactly a Vikings fan club chapter in Iraq.
"They'll hear guards talking about it, and then they pick up a lot
of stuff from that, too," said Boehnen. "They're very crafty. They
learn different stuff from different ways."
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt.
Sean Cain, with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, performs a
radio check during a security patrol in the Nawa district of the Helmand
province, Afghanistan, on Nov. 9, 2009. The 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment
is a ground combat element deployed with Regimental Combat Team 7, which
conducts counterinsurgency operations in partnership with Afghan National
Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. DoD photo
by Lance Cpl. Jeremy Harris, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)
[After the USAF Pink Smoke photo, had to put something else on the front page of the blog...]
Students in the Combat Airman Skills Training Course use a smoke diversion tactic while practicing patrol maneuvers on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Nov. 12, 2009. U.S. airmen assigned to the 421st Combat Training Squadron teach the course to prepare airmen for upcoming deployments. The squadron is assigned to the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
A note about a good cause you can help with a couple of clicks.
Friends:
Many of you may know of a friend of me and Court is author and
Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell. He is one of the hosts of the Outdoor
Channel's Beretta's Wild and Raw. They are competing in the Golden
Moose Awards and if they win (with your vote) their show will continue
and they will be able to take wounded vets out on many of their hunts
featured on the show.
Please go to: http://www.outdoorchannel.com/GMARegister.aspx and
register. Then when you are able to vote, please vote for Beretta's
Wild and Raw in each of the sections (the last section they are not an
option so please choose whichever show you like)
Thank you in advance for taking the time to do this and please
pass on to your friends. Marcus asked for our support and I think its
a great opportunity to help wounded veterans get into the wild and
enjoy themselves.
Best,
Judy Mayka
:: Comments left behind ::
You heartless man. I have work to do. And you just put THAT link out there?? I have worrrrrrrrrrrrk to doooooooooooo!
By the way, as so often happens (oddly enough) here, as soon as something appears on this site, I see something similar on tv. Fox just profiled Projecthealingwaters.com which takes vets out and teaches them fly fishing as part of their healing process Check out their site. http://www.projecthealingwaters.org/
Similar to Wild and Raw... taking our wounded vets out into God's country to heal.
There is a good piece today in the Washington Post by David Gerson about the soup sandwich that the decision-avoiding process about Afghanistan has become. He discusses the leaks from pro and con sides re. a troop increase and points out a major problem for achieving success if he does send more forces.
Military-civilian tensions are growing and have become reflected on the
ground in Afghanistan. One key to the success of the surge in Iraq was
the close cooperation of Gen. David Petraeus, in charge of military
operations, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who led the civilian efforts.
McChrystal and Eikenberry seem to have a different relationship.
That is putting it mildly, if I was Eikenberry I would keep an eye out for McChrystal's old buddies at JSOC and their black helicopters. If Obama decides to send more troops he should also fire Eikenberry. You cannot have the top civilian there in direct opposition to the strategy. I don't see any way for them to work together effectively, and Eikenberry was never a good choice in the first place. The President also needs to boot Richard Holbrooke from his role as chief agitator since he is no longer someone Karzai will tolerate. The administration tried to orchestrate a coup of sorts to remove Karzai or force him to share power w/ Abdullah. Both Eikenberry and Holbrooke were involved and now are tainted. Boot them and replace them with someone who knows the area, people and culture. Like maybe Zalmay Khalilzad.
Gerson continues
A dysfunctional process on Afghanistan has begun to narrow the range of
good outcomes. The time and the options in Afghanistan are limited. "As
an analogy," says David Kilcullen, an expert on counterinsurgency
strategy, "you have a building on fire, and it's got a bunch of firemen
inside. There are not enough firemen to put it out. You have to send in
more or you have to leave. It is not appropriate to stand outside
pontificating about not taking lightly the responsibility of sending
firemen into harm's way. Either put in enough firemen to put the fire
out or get out of the house."
That is precisely correct and half steps won't cut it. Make the call sir!
:: Comments left behind ::
So Uncle Jimbo is this the plan you would like to see:
President Obama is going to surprise everybody. The Right the Left and the Middle. In the second week of December he will speak to the nation and inform us of his Afghanistan plan. First he will fire Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Richard Holbrooke then he will announce that he is sending in 48,000 additional troops into Afghanistan to be in place over the next 3 months. He will also state that a major offensive is currently underway and that we are taking back provences currently under Talban control in the south and the east. In addition he will inform America and Europe that 100's of drone, cruise missiles, and bombers are currently bombing strong hold positions in both Afghanistan and Pakistan as they sit around the winters fire pits. Allahu Akbar! The Obama winter offensive. Now back to your regularly schedule programming.
Well that sounds like fun. You could target the fire pits w/ thermal imaging. Somehow I kinda think that level of ruthlessness doesn't reside in the current administration.
I spent some time yesterday talking with a senior editorial member of an influential conservative publication. We discussed a number of things including Afghanistan, and he had some interesting thoughts I wanted to put out into play.
First is that Obama will wait until after he gets the Nobel to make his announcement about a troop increase so he won't catch flak from his left for warmongering when he is accepting a "peace" prize. And also that he will make his first trip to A-stan around Xmas and after he announces some increase, he thought around 30K.
That pushes the announcement back past 10 December and makes a ton of sense when you consider that the politics seem to be driving this.
The second was an idea to marginalize the Pashtun tribes that support the Taliban by empowering the Tajiks. This makes sense as some of the only times of stability in Afghanistan have come when one group is able to suppress another and force them to play nice. The Tajiks make up 27% of the Afghan population and if you add in the Uzbeks and Hazara you have a Northern Alliance redux. Another interesting piece of that is that the leader of the Northern Alliance, until his assassination by al Qaeda just before 9/11, Ahmed Shah Masood has a son who is now 20 years old. There could be a nice Lion King Circle of Life effect if a new Lion of the Panjshir replaced the old one.
It has always made sense to train Afghan security forces to patrol areas where their own tribe lives, kind of a National Guard concept. It would not be an awful idea to try a little harder and spend more effort and energy among those who have been our allies in the past. Train up a formidable Northern Alliance based military to secure their own areas and then use it to pacify the Pashtuns. It would surely be ugly, but it would get us out of the fray, and it just might work. Hmmmmm.
:: Comments left behind ::
"There could be a nice Lion King Circle of Life effect if a new Lion of the Panjshir replaced the old one."
I had the privilege of speaking at the monthly luncheon for the Returned & Services League of Australia yesterday at the Australian Embassy. The group has members who have served in a number of conflicts and I met some amazing people. Thanks again to B5 reader Mario for the invite. I shot this w/ my tiny cam again, I'm starting to like it.
:: Comments left behind ::
Excellent job UJ. Yep, you done good. But I gotta ask...who'd you take that suit off of?
Good job UJ. I have given many speeches in my lifetime for business and charitable work but I never had a beer at the podium. I think I need to start speaking to groups of Australians. LOL Keep up the good work and thank you, as always!
Boy I hate writing this, but it's what we do. A great friend of many of ours and a magnificent patriot can use our help. "Concrete Bob" Miller had a heart attack and is in the hospital. His wife called this afternoon and asked if we could keep him in our prayers. I am not much for praying, but God will hear from me. They put a stent in today, but it looks like they are going to do a multiple bypass operation because of some blockages on a couple of arteries.
I know you all will send some love his way. I have no doubt he will pull through and bring that big lip caterpillar to our next get together. That's him in the middle at the 9/12 march representing for Warrior Legacy Foundation. You get well brother, I'm looking forward to more of that BBQ sauce. His wife was a little worried he might be mad about her telling us about this. I say, let him get up off his butt and do something about it. See you soon Bob.
:: Comments left behind ::
I just called to talk to Liz. Bob answered the phone. Good grief Bob - you're supposed to be resting! He sounded good and is VERY positive. Told me he was eating chicken wings, canned vanilla frosting and peanut butter last night as a "snack" while watching NCIS when the heart attack started. Well DUH!
I love you Bob. Get better and tell Liz we are here for you both ANY minute of ANY day or night.
C_Bob, what are you doing having a heart attack? You are one of the regular common sense Patriots around here. No more heart attacks! Prayers heading your way for a speedy recovery. My sister had one last year and is doing just fine now. Of course your doctor has probably told you by now to lay off the canned vanilla frosting and peanut butter for a snack! At least you were watching NCIS and not Obama. An Obama speech can give any normal red blooded Patriotic American a heart attack. LOL Get well soon.
C-Bob, quit malingering. Don't we give you enough lurv and attention here, you gotta go get more from the nurses?
Bypasses are almost routine now. I'm expecting you up on your feet and back here giving libtards what-fer.
But I'll storm heaven and the saints for their intercession as well. God bless! And don't watch CNN in the hospital. It'll just give wrong readings on the monitor in the nurses' station.
I worked with Bob about a year ago. I moved away to GA to work at Moody AFB. He is a great man and an honorable man. If any of you guys talk to him let him know that Randy Fox set get well brother. Come see me in GA and you have my email. Later.
Randy I will definitely pass along your message. Bob has his laptop at the hosptial (yeah) and will probably be reading here and see your comment. I know he stopped by here earlier tonight.
Bob, this is totally unacceptable! If you needed a break you could have chosen a less stressful way of asking for it! Less stressful for your friends at any rate...
Seriously, I love you man! Take it easy for a while and I hope to see you well soon. :)
C_Bob - lay off the peanut butter. Wings and vanilla frosting are OK. And no sausage or cheese for a week. OK 2 days. All right, not until tomorrow morning.
Seriously, take it easy, do what the doc says and get better.
I just got goosebumps from hearing that. But it's good to know he is in good spirits. Spiritual warfare under way! And a story...
When B5 planned the Mother Of all Baby (MOAB)showers for DJ, I could not get to DC. I asked around for anyone in NC heading that way to take my loot there. Concrete Bob emails me and says "Oh, I just live an hour from the border, I'll meet you and take it." Heh. It was further than that, but I thought, SOB, what nice guy! There is nobody more generous or sincere. In the end, I mailed it directly to the hotel.
Speedy recovery....and damn, you'll have to change yer diet, Bob...Or an ass kicking might be in order!! :)
Ya know.... it's just not fair that eating chicken wings, vanilla icing and peanut butter can result in such a fantastic backside for Bob.. and extra belly and thighs for me!! Just.Not.Fair.
But then again... I'm not the one getting a bypass. Get well soon, CB!
Please know that there are prayers being said up in Northern Michigan for you sir! Be well, obey the Dr.'s AND Nurses. Thoughts and prayers are with you and your wife at this time!
I just checked in with CB. He sounded great. He and his lovely bride are relaxing and watching TV. He said he hopes to get disconnected from a lot of the "wires 'n stuff" later today and have more freedom to roam the halls of the hospital at which point I said, "uh oh." He laughed and agreed. He's checking on line from time to time (I heard him tell a nurse his laptop was CLOSED as we were talking) and is very touched by all of the thoughts and prayers. Must be on some good drugs because I think he mentioned something about marrying Uncle Jimbo.
Bob,
Prayers and good thoughts headed your way. Get well soon because I sleep better at night knowing that you are out there Giving 'em Hell! To paraphrase Robert Frost - "You still have Miles to Go ...". Look forward seeing you at the Milblogs Convention next year! Ricky John
"...I was honored to fight for freedom, and I’d do it again.”
(08:19AM)
THIS is a story.
The NYT has a great (!) story up in their obits about COL Lewis Millett, who just passed away. A Medal of Honor recipient, his story is one of the most unusual you will ever read about.
BLUF: He went from the US to the Canadian army in WWII, back to the US, convicted of desertion (and fined 52 dollars) and then fought in Korea and Vietnam. Honored for the famed Bayonet Hill charge, his legacy will long live on.
Captain Millett was wounded by grenade fragments, but his men took the hill. President Harry S. Truman
presented him with the Medal of Honor in July 1951. As the citation put
it, “His dauntless leadership and personal courage so inspired his men
that they stormed into the hostile position and used their bayonets
with such lethal effect that the enemy fled in wild disorder.”
As an antitank gunner in Tunisia, he earned the Silver Star after he
jumped into a burning ammunition-filled halftrack, drove it away from
allied soldiers and leapt to safety just before the vehicle exploded.
Not long after, he shot down a German Messerschmitt Me-109 fighter that
was strafing Allied troops. Col. Millett, who was firing from machine
guns mounted on a halftrack, hit the pilot through the windshield.
God Speed, Colonel. There are so few like you anymore...
Wolf
:: Comments left behind ::
Man the day that I had today was so stunning that my heart is still racing.
I was in Aachen. I parked behind the University Hospital. Running in a northward direction was a path that lead to the spur of a distant hill. I suspected from my earlier reading that the farm house on the high ground across from the spur was the house where the German officer of the Greyhound Division who was caring a message from the Commanding General of the Greyhound division to US units offering to surrender the city was captured by the SS before he could deliver the message. I was not supposed to go to the high ground however. An inner voice told me that I should follow the valley floor to the other side of the Spur. As I headed in to the Valley I came to a pond on the left side of the road. The path then took a 90 degree turn to the right. After a few meters was another path to the left. I continued straight ahead. The shoreline of the pond on the right continued off away from the path. After a short distance I came to a building on the left hand side of the road. There was a white wall topped with barbed wire and a small court yard in front of a building built in to the hillside. You will know that you have come to the correct building when you see the 2 cherry trees that grow up and along the wall to the left of the door that are being very carefully trimmed like a grape vine usually is.
The door to the courtyard was open and so was the door to the building behind it. A dark haired and athletic looking man stood beside the entry way. I asked him if this building was a cold war bunker. He said that no it was the pump house for sewage from the hospital. Well I thought that may be the truth or even the partial truth because I know enough about German cold war bunkers to know that they usually have a cover story. The man told me that if I was interested in such things that if I went to the top of the hill there was a WWII anti aircraft bunker. I thanked him and continued a short ways up the path when I saw still another pond on the right hand side of the path. I walked over to the pond. Unlike the other pond which was surrounded by a fence and weeds and trees, this pond was in the middle of a meadow. As I stood there on the shore a carp surfaced at my feet it open its mouth and I could see a gold coin inside of it's mouth so I bent down to get it and it disappeared under the dark waters. I was a bit preturbed that this carp took me for a fool so I thought next time I will act more quickly. Well the carp came back, and it may have in fact been a different carp, it again flashed a gold coin at me and this time I lunged for it.
The carp was to fast. I thought hey wait a minute this could be a zen moment so I must not grasp for things. Sure enough a few moments later a northern pike appeared this time with a DVD in its mouth that it allowed me to take. Written on the DVD in red water proof ink are the words Follow the North Star, but there was a smudge after Star so maybe it should say North Stars. So I looked around and the man by the pumphouse was looking at me suspiciously.
(Now you may say that there is no way that such fish could live in such a pond. My answer to that is to say, go to Kerkrade Netherlands. In Kerkrade there is a large old monastery. In front of the monastery are 2 small ponds which anyone can find which lie on both sides of the road that pass in front of the monastery on the way between Landgraf and Herzogenrath. If you drive past these often enough you will sometimes see people fishing in these two small ponds with very large fishing poles. The ponds in this area may be small but they are deep and they do not freeze over in most winters.)
I wondered about which way to go next. An intuition told me that I had to stay in the hidden terrain. There might be an old AA site on top of the hill but that is not why I was in this area. I went back to the trail that ran off to the left from my original direction of travel.
I took that path which after a short distance came to a T. The right up hill the left remaining in the gully or small valley along the Wildbach or wild stream. There was a sign there that said that. I walked along in this direction for perhaps 10 minutes. When I came to a small village behind the spur. The village appeared very charming. As I got closer the path entered a small park like area. There was a large spring with water coming out of the hillside from several different places. The water collected in a large pool and then flowed out in a small stream which I followed. I then came to still a second spring and like the first it had water flowing out of the hillside into a large pool from even more places than the first spring.
The stream flowing out of this pool merged with the other spring stream and together they flowed in to the Wildbach. Next to the second spring that I came to was and information table it described a number of very rare plants and animals that are present in the area of these springs and the very interesting characteristics of these springs. The shield was decorated with diamonds to show the reverence that naturalists have for this small area. Ahh another zen moment.
So I walked to the edge of the small village to learn its name if I remember correctly it is Seffelt. On the way back in to the village I had to decide whether to go back the way that I had come or take the path up the hill from the springs which I learned are called the seven springs during my trip in to the village. There was a resturant called the seven springs resturant. I decided to go up the hill because if figured that this path would eventually connect to the path that went up the hill from the other side of the spur. When I reached the plateau I was soon presented with another fork in the road. I could go to the right on a mud path in to fields and along a treeline in the right general direction or I could take a paved path in to the trees also in the right general direction. My path was a very winding path. Eventually it I noticed slabs of reinforced concrete in the weeds to the left of the path. I had reached the AA site so I knew that this path would lead me back to the two ponds, near my starting point. Sure enough after a short distance the path headed down hill. In a few minutes another path merged with my path from the right. That was no doubt the other path that I could have taken. The way that I had gone had certainly been more interesting though. So for the rest of the way home now that I knew that way my thoughts were will this DVD play on my region free DVD player and if so what will be on it. Now you the reader probably think that what is on the DVD will be the main point of why I am writing. You are wrong. I have already made my main point and that is that I find the most correct path under the circumstances. Other paths might bring you to the same place but the ones that I choose are the most interesting.
So anyways I arrived home and tried to play the DVD. At first there was a few moments of static. Then a black screen with a small white point of light high on the screen. Then a voice said parody is the midwife of wisdom. Then there was static and then the screen went black.
Now you may say why in the hell are you spending so much time to write a children's fairy here
where only responsible serious intelligent people hang out? You just might wonder, how naive can this person be?
Well on the way home a tow truck pulled out in front of me. As I followed behind it I read on the back of the truck cab:
Herr Strange
Resistance
Schleppen (Towing)
0241-122234
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha now that is damned funny.
MOH Citation: "Capt. Millett, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. While personally leading his company in an attack against a strongly held position he noted that the 1st Platoon was pinned down by small-arms, automatic, and antitank fire. Capt. Millett ordered the 3d Platoon forward, placed himself at the head of the 2 platoons, and, with fixed bayonet, led the assault up the fire-swept hill. In the fierce charge Capt. Millett bayoneted 2 enemy soldiers and boldly continued on, throwing grenades, clubbing and bayoneting the enemy, while urging his men forward by shouting encouragement. Despite vicious opposing fire, the whirlwind hand-to-hand assault carried to the crest of the hill. His dauntless leadership and personal courage so inspired his men that they stormed into the hostile position and used their bayonets with such lethal effect that the enemy fled in wild disorder. During this fierce onslaught Capt. Millett was wounded by grenade fragments but refused evacuation until the objective was taken and firmly secured. The superb leadership, conspicuous courage, and consummate devotion to duty demonstrated by Capt. Millett were directly responsible for the successful accomplishment of a hazardous mission and reflect the highest credit on himself and the heroic traditions of the military service."
This guy's real life heroism exceeds John Wayne's on-screen activities...
"Use grenades and cold steel!"
What a man!
Our country is poorer without him; but Heaven is richer.
Got it, had to a little searching. Curt's a troll, long winded but a troll. And, from reading his posts, a whacko troll. He's just trolling a lot of milblogs.
Not to take anything away from the good Colonel, but there are many stories in similar vain from OEF/OIF. Chontosh, Dunham, Murphy, Monsoor, ad nauseum.
The men (and women) of the latest generation are every bit as heroic as the ones from the Greatest Generation. They both deserve our undying respect and admiration.
COL Millett would never get that Medal of Honor today, for three reasons:
1. He was leading an offensive operation. Only things like falling on grenades and other forms of desperate defense qualify as "heroic" these days. "Offense" is too close to "murder" for the delicate sensibilities of the bureaucrats in charge of reviewing battlefield awards.
2. He had the temerity and unmitigated gall to survive the battle. Live heroes are so....inconvenient. They might say things that their political "betters" could find embarrassing, and their combat-proven street cred might encourage others to actually listen to them. Dead heroes, OTOH, can't run for elected office, write letters to the editor or to their Congressman, or start blogs.
3. Then there's the matter of that non-regulation mustache. (Assumes command voice of senior REMF commander, ahem: "Regulations are made to be followed, Captain! I don't care how long you've been in combat, how many assaults into enemy fire you've led, or how often you've been wounded. If you can't get even trim the ends of your 'stache, how can we expect you to be a true leader of men?")
Godspeed, COL Willett, you're in good company where you are now. It's not that our country is poorer without him, although it is. On the contrary, it is far richer for him having lived.
Take my hand take my whole life too because I can't help falling in love with you.
So there I was just a few hours ago being led down a road lined with Pheasants which my dog was scaring up right and left when I came upon it. I can not reveal its exact location because then I would have to explain why of all the areas that I could have been in I was in that area. That could be embarrassing.
It was on the left side of the road, a field. The other side of the road was a soccer field.
The field was an abandon cherry orchard. Yet the trees in it were not old but very young.
The area around the trees was filled with reeds something like cattails or bamboo. Many of these reeds were being used for support by climbing flowers. Although it is the middle of November the flowers were in full bloom. They were beautiful flowers with 2 shades of purple. Such a sight would have been beautiful in June but now in the middle of November is was absolutely stunning. It was not make believe it was REAL.
Yet who knows in our society today what is real and what is make believe? People spend their whole lives fooling themselves and fooling others. The only rule left in American society is let the best psychopath win. Why there are actually some Americans who enjoy killing and getting shot at. People who do not buy in to their love lines, I did it all for you, are considered loons. The thing is I have a lot of experience with loons. Perhaps the best thing that can happen to those who worship violence rather than truth and justice is that they should receive counseling from Major Hassan. Of course no one will admit to themselves that they worship violence anymore than an alcoholic will admit that he has a problem. It is always the other guy with the problem. It is a very easy problem to develop because the truth is violence works. Those that worship violence just become blind to its side effects.
Take my hand take my whole life too, I can't help falling in love with you.
UJ, or Matt, could you do something about this asshat? Really, we can put up with lewzer and John Boy, but this guy is seriously whacked. He'd be in a mental hospital on a 48 hour hold if he was anywhere around here.
NAIROBI, Kenya – Somali pirates
attacked the Maersk Alabama on Wednesday for the second time in seven
months, though private guards on board the U.S.-flagged ship repelled
the attack with gunfire and a high-decibel noise device.
I mean seriously guys, the Maersk Alabama again? I guess you can't blame them, there are too many shipping companies that still don't arm their boats. The noise device is a nice touch, but I think the gunfire is a much better deterrent. Dead papas don't hijack boats.
:: Comments left behind ::
We put our soldiers in jail for killing combatants...
I can't believe all these boats haven't been armed by now. I also can't believe that we haven't stomped on these maggots. They gang raped and impregnated one of the Canadian hostages and they named the bastard child Osama. They're practically begging for an ass whooping. If it was up to me the Marines and SEALs would be all over these faggots.
I was going to disagree with Skeptic about this country being retarded, but then I realized that Blackwater's post provided iron-clad proof of that statement.
"I mean seriously guys, the Maersk Alabama again? I guess you can't blame them, there are too many shipping companies that still don't arm their boats. The noise device is a nice touch, but I think the gunfire is a much better deterrent. Dead papas don't hijack boats."
A lot of ports won't actually permit armed merchant vessels to enter their waters, although I think there was UN treaty or something that eased the rules on that recently.
I was once impregnated by a faggot rapist, fortunately my private health care covered an abortion.
We could use a little civility in our use of pejorative terms. And yes I realize the irony of that coming from me, but I think I tread that line fairly.
Grypt you fool... don't you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk... ice cream. Ice cream, Grypt, children's ice cream. It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works. I... uh... I first became aware of this during the physical act of love. Yes, a profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I... I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence.
The problem is many of the ship owners are against arming their ships, believing it will lead to more dangerous weapons being used against the ships as well as increasing the risk to the crew. For example, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners which comprises 75% of the worlds fleet is against arming their ships and cites those two concerns. Whether those are rational fears is another thing.
One solution could be increased use of convoys with or without naval escorts. It's seen limited use so far off East Africa. Of course this adds a marginal cost to the merchant ship operations as it means increasing their time to port but so does any other solution. Even without a specific naval escort, convoys would give naval forces in the area a more limited battlespace to monitor, improving the chances for protection.
I have heard that in WW2 no convoy escorted by blimps lost a ship to U-boats. An option might be to arm blimps that can be towed by merchant vessels. If they are attacked, the blimp can Hellfire the pirates and then come on down to machinegun the wreckage. If they aren't attacked, the blimps can be released for rearming/reuse before they enter port.
A less imaginative option would be to have Seals/GSG9/Spetsnaz/special forces of your country of choice board ships as they enter an identified area of risk and debark as they exit said area.
Shut your cake hole and join the military. Put your money where your mouth is. I'd love to be a fly on the wall watching you break down and emerge a broken gamer who still hates and has an agenda.
If you are already in the military, then all I can say is, YOU ARE RETARDED, not this country.
Where do scumbags like you come come from? Are you a maggot that crawled out of a pile of shit and and landed on top of a Nintendo game console, or are you so rabidly liberal that you would rather change the nation that has inexplicably spent more money in it's brief time on this earth protecting the weak, emboldening the vanquished, and investing our national treasure in the future of a free world so that evil has to think twice before it begins vanquishing the weak?
Are we perfect? No.
Are we magnanimous,? Fuckin A twitty!
Do we have standards of decency that we expect others to live up to?
I'm with Elm Creek. Part of the cost could be out of the training budget. And you're paying them all the time anyway, and I'm guessing it's the nature of these folks to want to get on the field.
Disgusting situation.
It's not going to get any better with the vampires in charge.
Really incredible events occurred today in Aachen Germany near the technical university.
Initial reports say that 3 fish were involved but it may have only been 2. A further report will be issued later when the more complete picture is available.
Thank you for the laughs, del ray. Like the wrestler said "Take it easy". Your doctor has to be getting concerned about your blood pressure. We would not want to lose the unintentional comedic genius you bring to this blog. Now, go watch your NASCAR and try not to beat your ex-wife and kids today, ok?
Sgt. Daniel Schmitt, flight medic for the General Support Aviation
Battalion out of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., assigned to Forward
Operating Base Ghazni, Afghanistan, looks on while on a training
mission with the Polish infantry on Forward Operating Base Ghazni. The
medics performed training with the Polish to teach proper procedure on
loading and unloading patients onto a UH-60 helicopter. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Corey
I like that new style flight helmet. The one piece cover across the mouth probably helps eliminate background noise, unlike the old boom mike setup. Not sure how comfortable it would be to wear on a long flight though.
The Coming Afghan Decision - How Much Is Driven By Politics?
(11:30AM)
Richard Fernandez of the Belmont Club writes a very well done essay on the present Afghanistan decision making process. He compares Andrew Sullivan's apologia with David Kilcullen's concerns about the time involved in reaching a decision. You can disregard the Sullivan part except to understand that he thinks it is just marvelous that Obama is taking so much time considering all the options and doing his homework before making a decision to change the strategy there.
Fernandez reminds us of a very important point that seems to have escaped many as they await the decision. The strategy President Obama is planning on changing is his own. In March of this year he said:
Good morning. Today, I am announcing a comprehensive, new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This marks the conclusion of a careful policy review that I ordered as soon as I took office. My Administration has heard from our military commanders and diplomats. We have consulted with the Afghan and Pakistani governments; with our partners and NATO allies; and with other donors and international organizations. And we have also worked closely with members of Congress here at home. Now, I'd like to speak clearly and candidly to the American people. … So let me be clear …
This is surely something the administration would like you to forget. And thus you hear all the nonsense that's been coming out lately (and has gotten pushback from former VP Dick Cheney) that Afghanistan was just left adrift by the former administration. It is nonsense because the basis of the March "careful policy review" was that which the former Bush administration had done.
However that's not really the point – the point is that a "comprehensive, new strategy" for both Afghanistan and Pakistan were announced by this administration. A new general, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, was named to implement that strategy. Now, suddenly, they're involved in reviewing that strategy.
What, if anything, has changed?
The event that has been blamed is the national election in Afghanistan. And, as mentioned, it has been coupled with the baseless claim that the Afghan war was left adrift by the Bush administration. The former problem, while serious, isn't a show stopper (see Iraq). The latter problem is simply untrue. What has changed is the politics surrounding Afghanistan. The polls show a deeply divided United States with the majority not favoring an escalation and many favoring we leave altogether. Given his domestic political problems trying to ram an unpopular agenda through Congress - which has succeeded in splitting his base as well as firing up the political opposition - he needs something with which to bring his base back in line. Afghanistan may be that issue.
Consider too who he has involved in his review: VP Joe Biden who is pushing a minimalist "super ninja" strategy. He wants to use special operators and drones to kill al Qaeda. Let Pakistan and Afghanistan sort themselves out politically. Obviously if that means the Taliban takes over Afghanistan again, well, so be it. The fact that Biden was wrong about every aspect of Iraq as he suggested strategy then doesn't seem to matter. Also included is Sen. John Kerry. He's considered such a lightweight when it comes to military matters that he's usually ignored outright when he pontificates on matters about which he obviously hasn't a clue. He thinks Gen. McChrystal's plan goes "too far, too fast". The fact that Kerry has somehow managed to include himself and is apparently being taken seriously by Obama tells you how little Obama knows about any of this and how out of his depth he is on the issue.
Lastly, there's David Axelrod, who claims he "doesn't have a seat at the table" when these policy reviews take place, but attends every one of them anyway. While he may not have an official seat at the policy review table, he owns the table of chief political advisor and Obama sits at that table daily. Axelrod's job is to divine the political winds and keep Obama sailing in the fair ones.
Thus the strategy review. When Gen. McChrystal accepted the job to implement the Obama administration's new March '09 comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, he began what all new commanders do – a commander's review. In that review he takes the strategy and mission and he games them out. He attempts to ascertain, to the best of his ability, what it will take in terms of resources to accomplish the mission the strategy outlines. Once he has ascertained that, he submits his plan to his commander – in this case, directly to the President.
It isn't a complicated process – the boss gives you a mission. You analyze the mission, determine what it takes to accomplish the mission and you go back to the boss with a plan and a request for resources. That's precisely what happened.
However, in the interim, politics began to rear its head. In July, right in the middle of the assessment process, Obama's National Security Advisor and former Marine General Jim Jones showed up in Afghanistan and made it very clear that requests for more troops would not be a welcome event. Speaking to Marine commanders there he was quite clear:
Now suppose you're the president, Jones told them, and the requests come into the White House for yet more force. How do you think Obama might look at this? Jones asked, casting his eyes around the colonels. How do you think he might feel?
Jones let the question hang in the air-conditioned, fluorescent-lighted room. Nicholson and the colonels said nothing.
Well, Jones went on, after all those additional troops, 17,000 plus 4,000 more, if there were new requests for force now, the president would quite likely have "a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment." Everyone in the room caught the phonetic reference to WTF — which in the military and elsewhere means "What the [expletive]?"
Nicholson and his colonels — all or nearly all veterans of Iraq — seemed to blanch at the unambiguous message that this might be all the troops they were going to get.
The "17,000 plus 4,000 more" troops were a part of that March '09 "new" strategy based on the former administration's plans. Jones made it very clear that regardless of what these commanders thought they needed to do the mission they'd been given, they'd better plan on doing it with what they had. And later, in another interview, Jones dismissed any additional troops requests or their need by claiming that all commanders in the field ask for more troops, whether they really need them or not.
Apparently, however, Gen. McChrystal decided, Jones admonishment notwithstanding, that he couldn't with clear conscience, heed that advice and accomplish the mission given (although rumor has it he cut his initial estimate of troops needed from 60,000 to 40,000). He went ahead and submitted his plan at the end of August asking for more resources and troops.
Back to that fairly simple process I outlined above. Once you submit your plan to your boss with the request for resources necessary to accomplish that mission you normally then sit down with him and explain and defend your plan. That, of course, has never happened. And that 20 minutes on the tarmac in Airforce One while in Copenhagen did not give McChrystal the opportunity to do that. That meeting was driven by bad press and politics, not a desire to meet with and discuss the plan McChrystal had submitted. The required meeting, to date, still hasn't happened. But numerous "war council" meetings continue to happen. And as word leaks out, it appears politics – not a mission to succeed in Afghanistan – is taking center stage.
On October 31st, in their Washington Post article, Anne Kornblut and Greg Jaffe made it clear that Obama was seeking a political decision vs. a military one:
The military chiefs have been largely supportive of a resource request by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, that would by one Pentagon estimate require the deployment of 44,000 additional troops. But opinion among members of Obama's national security team is divided, and he now appears to be seeking a compromise solution that would satisfy both his military and civilian advisers.
A worse scenario cannot be imagined. But it is in perfect keeping with how a politician would work vs. a Commander in Chief. Compromise is the bread-and-butter of politics. It is about keeping constituencies satisfied, if not happy. Contentment means votes. But compromise in terms of military strategy usually means disaster. Attempting to satisfy "both his military and civilian advisers" means he's looking for the best political solution, not the best military solution.
And since such a solution is hardly obvious, he dithers. Sullivan mistakes that for slow, considered and methodical decision making. But in reality, it is a method of stalling as old man himself. Ask for more information, reject the options presented, send your minions back to the drawing board – all the while making the argument or implication that it is the fault of those presenting the options for not getting it right, not the CiC. Of course, anyone with any military experience knows that's nonsense since it is the "commander's guidance" from which any options are derived.
That brings us back to David Kilcullen. If you're not familiar with Kilcullen, he's considered to be one of the gurus when it comes to counter-insurgency warfare. And Kilcullen gets to the very nut of the problem with this "process" that Sullivan mistakenly praises:
David Kilcullen, one of the world's leading authorities on counter-insurgency and an adviser to the British government as well as the US state department, said Obama's delay in reaching a decision over extra troops had been "messy". He said it not only worried US allies but created uncertainty the Taliban could exploit.
Speaking in an interview with the Guardian, he compared the president to someone "pontificating" over whether to send enough firefighters into a burning building to put a fire out. …
Kilcullen expressed concern that Obama might deny McChrystal the 40,000 extra troops and split the difference between the four options, the kind of fudge common in domestic politics.
"Time is running out for us to make a decision. We can either put in enough troops to control the environment or we can credibly communicate our intention to leave. Either could work. Splitting the difference is not the way to go," Kilcullen said.
"It feels to me that all these options are dangerously close to the middle ground and we have to consider whether the middle ground is a good place to be. The middle ground is a good place on domestic issues, but not on strategy. You either commit to D-Day and invade the continent or you get Suez. Half-measures end up with Suez. Do it or not do it."
There is no "third way". At least not a credible one. In this sort of warfare, to use a poker analogy, you either fold or you're "all in". Domestic political considerations should have absolutely no place in these sorts of deliberations and decisions. But it is clear they do.
That is also clearly a disservice (to put it mildly) to every man and woman in uniform serving our nation today. It is also something which may easily get many of them killed.
So let's remember President Obama's words at NAS Jacksonville when he told those gathered there:
And while I will never hesitate to use force to protect the American people or our vital interests, I also promise you this-and this is very important as we consider our next steps in Afghanistan:
I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way. I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary. And if it is necessary, we will back you up. Because you deserve the strategy, the clear mission, the defined goals and the equipment and support you need to get the job done. That's the promise I make to you.
Gen. McChrystal, based on the commander's guidance issued by the president in his March '09 strategy for Afghanistan, has done his review and submitted his plan to accomplish the mission outlined in that strategy. Now the commander wants to change the strategy.
Is it any wonder that many doubt Obama's commitment to success in Afghanistan, military or otherwise? Is it any wonder that many are concluding that he's looking for "off ramps" well before talking about "on ramps". And is it any wonder then, that those considering how this process is progressing have come to the conclusion that it's not about the military or winning in Afghanistan – it's about the politics of getting re-elected before pulling the plug.
If that's the case, President Obama will be seen as spending the lives of American soldiers in an attempt to protect his political viability. There is nothing most could think of which would be more despicable than that.
:: Comments left behind ::
"Ask me for anything. Anything but time" - Napoleon
I think the "Commander-in-Chief" position is unique. Any decision an American President makes will be political. I was reminded of this the other day when watching a history channel program that discussed the long debate AKA dithering that took place between Churchill and Wilson, etc. on whether or not America would enter WWII and how. In hindsight it seems obvious that it was the correct decision, but it wasn't necessarily that way to the people that lived in those times. And if say, America had gone into WWII earlier, how much bloodshed would have been avoided and what kind of world would it be today?
"The event that has been blamed is the national election in Afghanistan. And, as mentioned, it has been coupled with the baseless claim that the Afghan war was left adrift by the Bush administration. The former problem, while serious, isn't a show stopper (see Iraq)."
Afghanistan seems to be a pretty different animal than Iraq. For one thing you do have overwhelming ethnic majorities in large parts of Iraq. Afghanistan seems much more fractured and into smaller areas. And even more tribal in overall culture than Iraq is.
And of course the other really huge problem is that a majority of Americans no longer support keeping troops in Afghanistan. Bush had this same problem with Iraq.
President Obama reminds me of a 10 year old child that is making news today. This child refused to stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance stating that all Americans do not have liberty and justice. So he will not stand until all gays and minorities have what he views as full and complete liberty and justice. As the teacher requested him to stand he told her to Go Jump off a Bridge (I guess he views that as Liberty and Justice). Of course his parents are supportive of his stance.
President Obama needs to understand the reason he has freedom as all Americans do, it is because we have stood up against evil in this world. What Al Queda and the Taliban have done not only against America and the World, is evil. If President Obama does not know what evil looks like and how to address it then it becomes more understandable why he cannot support McChrystal's plan, and he will just tell the General to Go Jump off a Bridge and the left will be supportive of his stance.
People complained that Bush was breaking the military by stretching it out on various fronts.
In truth, they were jealous that they lacked the power to sabotage the military's morale and combat readiness. It was offensive to their morality that Bush could order troops to deploy to a schedule Democrats and Obama supporters didn't like. So they voted in Obama, hoping that he'll do what Bush didn't do: substantially curtail the military's barometers of status, maintenance, and progress.
And of course the other really huge problem is that a majority of Americans no longer support keeping troops in Afghanistan. Bush had this same problem with Iraq.
Bush certainly had problems with Obama voters. Unlike Bush, however, Obama isn't facing a fifth column of internal power mongers in his political opposition. His opponents are either his own supporters, which he can manipulate and deceive on a dime, as he has proven already, or people who actually are interested in the US's national security.
Afghanistan seems to be a pretty different animal than Iraq.
Coming from people who couldn't even figure out the solution to Iraq's problems, nor support that solution when it finally came out, these protests and excuses for Obama don't sound as good as they once did.
Bush somehow started with Generals like Casey, with the "Iraqi face" gig, but ended up elsewhere. That must have failed disastrously precisely because all Casey cared about was 'diversity'. With that as a goal, combat readiness for the initial Iraqi troops sent into Fallujah was obviously de-prioritized for stuff the Flag officers demanded. An image of loyalty and rock solid combat troops was better than the reality. Just like the image of loyal jihadists in the US military is better than the reality of a fully integrated combat branch.
Bush started with Casey, but ended up with Petraeus.
Now Obama starts out with the end product of someone like Petraeus, and is going back to the Jones and Caseys. If generals always prefer fighting the last war, politicians prefer creating problems that either never existed or have already been fixed, just so they can maintain more political control in order to spite their real priorities, their domestic competitors.
Casey and Jones are has beens and Political Whores. Period.
Gates is an Administrator and never served.
Dave Petraeus is an American Soldier as is McCrystal. They are fighting this war and having to explain it to a Commander in Chief that is essentially an over age in grade 10 year old that is in way over his head. Everything but photo ops and posturing are above Obama's Pay Grade. The Manchurian Candidate is in office and deployed Soldiers have Hell to Pay.
That idiot in the White House gets a bunch of our guys killed, or worse captured, and it is seen as political in cause, he may be go down in history as the first President to incite our military to mutiny.
You can only push people so far, then they push back.
It's almost comical how so many folks talk about how unqualified Sarah Palin is to be President, when she's no less qualified than the bozo we have now.
Yep, the Bower in Chief is in way over his head. Everything but photo ops, bowing and hanging with his Chi-town homeys is way above his paygrade, Old Trooper.
I knew the whole effort was in trouble when the press leaked the "don't ask for more troops" meme from former Gen. and current ass-kisser Jones. I'm now waiting patiently for Johnnie Boy to come in here and tell us, yet again, that the JCS recommend a full year stateside between deployments, therefore we can't send anyone anywhere, ever.
McChrystal's boss is NOT OBama. McChrystal's boss is Gen Petraeus. But let's get back to those 40,000 troops. Does anyone know where there are a couple of fresh divisions ready to go ? The Jpint Chiefs has said NO TROOPS that are not rested for one year. That means NO TROOPS (in large umbers) for at least 8 months. Unless you (plural) think that you know more than the Joint Chiefs on how to wage war I'd go with what the JCS say. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125720469173424023.html
As for Obama's qualification to be POTUS that is covered by the Constitution of the United States of America. As for the mutiny part that is covered by the UCMJ.
McChrystal is Obama's hand picked commander. Petraeus has endorsed McChrystal's plan. NATO has come in behind McChrystal. Who better to present and defend the plan than the General that wrote it?
The "rest troops for a year" is an arbitrary constraint. Until the withdrawal can be effected in Iraq and the expanded force becomes a reality, it remains nothing more than an arbitrary constraint.
One hundred percent of "the coming Afghan decision" is driven by politics. Da One makes pretty speeches, but his promises aren't really promises, they are what his handlers think his audience wants to hear.
The left is just unhappy that the "surge" in Iraq worked and we are withdrawing in good order. They can't afford to have the same thing happen in Afghanistan.
Obama says, "I will never rush the solemn decision to send you in harm's way. And if it is necessary, we will back you up. Because you deserve the clear strategy and defined goals, equipment and support you need to get the job done. That's the promise I make to you."
Unfortunately, Obama has already ordered troops into harm's way. The troops he's already ordered, he is NOT backing up. Those troops he already ordered, he is not giving the support to get the job done. Why should anyone believe his brave, principled words when he is smack dab in the middle of betraying them with the troops already there? Those are empty words, already proven untrue before they were spoken.
The public is forgetting people are already in Afghanistan when they discuss this question. The time for "I will never rush...and you deserve the support you need to get the job done" was February 2009. It's a little late for these words now.
I suppose Obama could say he will always give the troops everything they need to get the job done EXCEPT the ones already in Afghanistan today. Clearly, those guys don't count. Wouldn't want the appearance of being forced into a decision by the military, which is an adolescent political justification that reveals his unconcern about the real-world, factual, on-the-ground consequences in Afghanistan. It's ego, pure and simple.
You really have to give props to McChrystal. He took a chance putting it out there, but in doing so, subordinated personal and political costs to the needs of his men and mission. He'll no doubt continue to get attacked, which will only add to his stature.
This puts the decision squarely in Obama's lap. He'll own the decision. He'll also own any casualties or losses on the battlefield brought about by lack of troops.
All this analysis is just pure bullshit. Obama never had any intention to win in Afghanistan. His only thought there was to try and show up his predecessor. In O's mind talk equals action. His interest is to end this with a minimum of political damage. His motivation has always been political in everything he has done. This war is no different. Wait. Remember his words when he announces that he has determined the "correct" course of action. Remember them in five years when the shit is even worse. Remember and don't ever forget this is the payback for years of pc-namby-pamby-half-assed bullshit passed off as intellectual and "proper" thinking.
Maybe it's time for the war-fighting brass to accept that they are at war not only with the foreign jihadis, but also with domestic enemies in our "leadership" just as dead set on destroying the nation the military is sworn to protect for their own gain.
Maybe it's time to take a spin on Clausewitz and begin treating politics as an extension of that war. Maybe they should recognize there is nothing but loss to be had in treating with our domestic enemies in any honorable manner. Maybe it is time to start learning from these domestic enemies and begin to use coercion, blackmail, or any other advantage to squeeze them for every ounce they are worth. Maybe it's time to start fighting very differently where-ever the Fifth Columnists are not watching, both here and abroad.
Either that, or we can wait for a forfeit to be called in this round of our Great Struggle in resistance of the Dar al-Islam's barbarity, and spend our days waiting sheepishly for the next occasion in which the jackals strike us from within our own midst, the next time they rejoice in their (and perhaps also our own) streets, the next genocide, the next invasion, the next sabotaged battle. How long will we repeat our failures before we learn? How long will we allow ourselves our and our loved ones be savaged by jackals and bled by the parasites who so eagerly enable them? How dark a place must this world be made before we choose to see the light?
I think it is extremely pathetic that Obama is hurtling full speed towards having his legacy be merely that of "The First Black President", when he has the opportunity to win this war. Hopefully he will not go down in history as the President responsible for irrevocably fracturing and polarizing a nation that cannot afford the debt-in lives wasted or money spent foolishly.
The current situation reminds me of past experience in Viet Nam under Lyndon "Micro-manage" Johnson. Our current POTUS, aka Ditherer-in-Chief, will not diminish the bravery and motivation of troops in the field. He will however cause them to be measurably more enthusiastic about their survivability than taking risks for a cause not supported at home by the politicians.
Things will be on slow simmer for the jihadists until KSM arrives in NYC. It will be an interesting spring after the winter storms in Afghanistan. I worry about a TET style offensive if we cede Afghanistan to the Taliban/al Qaeda which will free up a sizable number of jihadists for a new assignment. Our borders are still wide open.
Well, John Boy, it didn't take you very long at all to trot out the "gotta rest for 8 months, one year, forever'" meme yet again, did it?
I believe someone asked you a while back for your recommendations, or plan, if you will. Still waiting for a positive contribution from you. But then, I suspect we'll be waiting for a long time, for any thing constructive from you.
I think you're confused on something there, John Boy. The JCS is a political command, so, for the most part they do what the politicians tell them to do.
Yes, he is. Please. Obama is not his immediate superior, but he is the Commander in Chief; he can issue direct orders, and has absolute hiring and firing authority.
"As for Obama's qualification to be POTUS that is covered by the Constitution of the United States of America."
Pish Posh. The Constitution states who is *eligible,* not qualified. There is a huge difference with respect to common meaning (i.e. not as used technically in the 20th amendment), as we are once again discovering. To remind you:
No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.
Feel free to argue that every citizen over the age of 35 is qualified to be President, but I can think of a few who are not -- many of whom are elected officials.
You know Biden only wants to see how many SF people he can get killed. It's cause when they get out of the military, they start being a nuisance like Jimbo there.
"The polls show a deeply divided United States with the majority not favoring an escalation and many favoring we leave altogether."
Bullshit.
The polls don't say that at all. They are not scientific, and they are not evenly weighted.
What the so called polls by liberal poll takers who weigh their samples heavily toward their own base say is this.
We are polling mind numbed robots (who rarely vote) and want to believe that war is a terrible thing, while living a life of freedom and excess without giving a second thought to what their roles may be in the present and future regarding the defense of their country's historic obligations to it's self and the rest of the world as the most powerful nation on earth.
People who have voiced an opinion in these poles do not represent those of us who stay home at night and take care of our families and have an emotional connection to our nation, it's history, and it's manifest destiney.
These poll takers have an agenda. We who have an ounce of common sense know damned well that the same media who extol there poll findings, are polling the brain washed morons that they have created over the last few decades.
Who gives a rats ass about liberal media polls.
The people that participated in the polls probably had no idea what they where alluding to when they gave an answer.
I can prove this day in and day out.
I work with morons who barely know who George Washington is, and couldn't say the pledge of allegiance if someone put a gun to their heads.
None of them know what an insurgent is, and the they have no clue about the surge, or counter insurgency operations.
I repeat.
Polls don't mean shit, and any slug in Washington who quotes a CNN et al poll is a phony and a manipulator.
Other than that, I appreciate the article, it was right on. The next article should be about COIN operations here at home.
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. Greek Philosopher, Plato 429-347 BC
Johnny, I know the Chain of Command and have a working knowledge of the UCMJ, US Code, the US Constitution and based upon my Experience, over 28 years as a Commissioned Officer, You are the last one in the world that I would consult on those subjects. I was Combat Arms in Three Undeclared Wars and later served on Corps Level Staff. Spare me your nuggets of wisdom. As I am now Retired, I reserve the Right to be critical of The Pretender in Chief and the Members of the Peanut Gallery that Obama surrounds himself with to include John "Short Tour" Kerry, Axlerod or Gates. Between Afghanistan and Iraq I got 8 months in CONUS.
One more Burn Notice Photo with Someone You Should Know
(10:23AM)
Lt. Col. Mark Bieger (center left), the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry
Regiment commander, stands with Spc. Peter Jank, a Chicago, Ill.,
native, while Bruce Campbell and Jeffrey Donovan, cast members from the
television show "Burn Notice," hold the U.S. flag, Nov. 12, at Joint
Security Station Nasir Wa Salam, Iraq. Bieger reenlisted Jank while the
two actors assisted. Photo by Spc. Luisito Brooks.
I recognized Mark Bieger's name as soon as I saw it.
I bought one of Mike Yon's pictures of Mark and the little girl
because I thought that the singularly picture represents the
essence of the American Fighting Man (and Woman).
One of the few shows that I will DVR is Burn Notice (the others are the Amazing Race and Castle). I like Burn Notice because the main character describes how he actually goes about doing some of the super-cool spy stuff and the other characters are really great. And then of course any show with Bruce Campbell is an automatic must-watch in my house...
Actor Jeffery Donovan shoots at the unit?s firing range at Combat
Outpost Meade, Iraq, Nov. 13. A morale, welfare and recreation tour
brought Donovan and fellow actor Bruce Campbell of USA network's show
"Burn Notice" to entertain the Soldiers.
Actor Bruce Campbell shoots a squad automatic weapon as brass, sparks
and links fly at the firing range on Combat Outpost Meade, Iraq, Nov.
13. A morale, welfare and recreation tour brought Campbell and fellow
actor Jeffery Donovan of USA network's show "Burn Notice" to entertain
the Soldiers.
A report from Agence France Presse indicates that the number of
American veterans who died in 2008 because they didn't have healthcare,
is 14 times higher than the military death toll in Afghanistan, for the
entire year.
Why they are comparing these two disparate groups I have no earthly idea, well beyond the fact that it allows them to mention our war dead in pursuit of a political goal. Oh you want to know what that is.
Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, David
Himmelstein, is also the co-founder of Physicians for a National Health
Program, which co-authored the study.
Physicians for a National Health Program, certainly a non-partisan, trustworthy bunch eh?
He says in the AFP article that he favors a national health care program similar to those in Britain and Canada.
Well that's a shocker. There is no real science in this pile of garbage, just some cherry picking of unrelated piles of numbers. Our healthcare for veterans could surely use some work, but I don't want these maroons handling it.
Maroons ??? I am urban and hip, well as much as any 62yo hopes to be, but I have never heard anyone slurred by calling them a "maroon" before your usage. I mean in Jamaica in cockpit country they still have people who are proud to be called maroons, but I can't see any logical connection here.
Bugs Bunny, Dude. He would refer to dumbasses with "What a maroon" or even "What an ultra maroon". I assumed an intentional mis-pronunciation of moron, although I have been called a racist for using it previously.
I'd have to read the study. But having seen a fair number of veterans through our practice for 23 years, I'd have to say that there is far more to this than said. They have access --whether or not they're together or not to obtain it is a another thing altogether.
Sounds slightly confusing. Without them understanding how contracting works at present, it's a wash.
"Maroon" is Bugs Bunny is saying "Moron" in a Flatbush/Brooklyn accent.
The nonexistent racist reference is because one of the definitions for the word "Maroon" is an escaped slave. But only in the West Indies. Are you in the West Indies? If so, you "shoulda taken that left toin at Albukoikee."
The SNAFU here is the failure to understand the nature of statistics and whether you can do simple substitutions in statistics like you can with arithmetic. You can't.
They didn't bother to actually sample Veterans, they sampled a general population, and assumed they could substitute the same correlation in a subset. Wrong.
What these maroons are saying is, if 20% of X is A, and Y is a subset of X then 20% of Y is A.
Nope.
It's like saying "20% of fruits are citrus. Apples are fruits, therefore, 20% of apples are citrus.
Failure to understand basic statistics- in an ideal world, should get someone laughed out of Harvard.
I think I can produce a study that shows the number of French civilians who died in combat in WWII was greater than the number of French military who died in combat. I might be able to do a study that shows the number of US military who died fighting for France in WWII was greater than the number of French military who died fighting for France.
If you wanna fight a war of phony stats, I'm loaded for bear.
Anything AFP reports automatically gets a 90% reduction in credibility scale. Put that aside, let's examine the statistics used, i.e., Statistics of deaths on two totally unrelated groups -
(1) the total number of American veterans vs. the number of currently deployed in Afghan theater;
(2) the age span of American veterans vs. currently deployed in the Afghan theater
And that is just a starting point.
I would wager donuts that comparing deaths of American veterans vs. general public due to lack of healthcare, the statistics would show a completely different story, none of that 14 times higher nonsense.
Just to show my ignorance, I thought ALL American veterans have healthcare and/or health insurance coverage?
"I might be able to do a study that shows the number of US military who died fighting for France in WWII was greater than the number of French military who died fighting for France"
I know you are just using this as a example, but in WWII, before the armistics,French incurred 240,000 casualties when they defended a line North West of Paris.
Champus/Tricare standard; can't go to school (voc rehab) without it.
My older brother didn't retire, just got too dang poor, the VA picked up his medical for cancer, heart attack and diabetes. Must be awful poor care hmmm, seeing as he didn't die from it yet.
