BlackFive

To all of you who celebrate the day, I wish you and yours a Very Merry Christmas.  To those who celebrate other events, may they be rich and full for you. 

While Christmas Dinner in Iraq will always be one of my most treasured memories, today gave me a gift I treasure as much, or even more.  May your day be filled with true blessings of the season and of the day. 

LW

UPDATE: Realize part of this was cryptic, even for me, so the story of my Christmas Gift is now up.

A quick post to wish all of you readers out there a VERY Merry Christmas!  I know I've not been posting quite as much as I'd like, but man, this coming year is going to be crazy!

It's cozy here, snow is falling, and everyone is hunkered down.  I want to tell all my brothers and sisters out there in Iraq and Afghanistan that we're thinking of you- and we're not taking your service for granted!

For the families, take some solace in the fact that we here at B5 will always be on the watch, always vigilant on behalf of our warriors out there.  We'll continue to spread your words and deeds far and wide...

We love you all, and we wish you home soon!

God Speed,

Mr. Wolf

Via Small Wars Journal, an obituary.

Retired Army Col. Robert L. Howard, 70, who died Wednesday in Waco, was a Medal of Honor winner who at the time of his death was believed to be the most-decorated living American soldier. Howard will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery...

Howard, who grew up in Opelika, Ala., enlisted in the Army in 1956 at the age of 17 and retired as a full colonel in 1992.

In Vietnam, he served in the U.S. Army Special Forces and spent most of his five tours in the secret Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observation Group, or MACV-SOG, which was an unconventional force whose members were assigned to deep-penetration reconnaissance and interdiction missions. He was nominated three times for the Medal of Honor, which he was awarded in 1971 for the rescue of a seriously wounded platoon leader who was under enemy fire...

I will here follow SWJ's example and direct you to his Medal of Honor citation.

Thank you, sir, for all you did for us.  Our respects to your family at this time.

This is the card that we sent out to the voters in my district.

Check out the new website and email me (blackfive AT gmail DOT com) with any feedback. Thanks!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

This just goes to show you the importance of ROTC in our colleges.

Nobody who had studied cavalry tactics would have ever tried that.  You'd have thought that nobody who'd studied football would have tried it; but failing that, the cavalry would have straightened them out.

ROTC:  If not for the good of our nation, people, for the good of our National Football League!

One of the favorite tropes of the hater left and the smarty pants crowd is how W and Rummy screwed the pooch and failed to capture bin Laden when he was sitting ripe for the taking in the easily accessible Tora Bora resort. I have been knocking this argument down for more than 5 years now with this being the most recent and succint version when F John Kerry poked his bone head into play.

1. We invade A-Stan with small number of Spec Ops guys and partner w. Northern Alliance and in amazingly successful operation kick Taliban and al Qaeda asses.

2. Many of them die, some run to Paktia province, some (incl. bin Laden) run toward Pakistan and stop in highly-fortified Tora Bora.

3. We do the math and since Tora Bora is way the hell up high in the mountains figger out we would have a wicked time resupplying any troops we managed to get up there w/ our limited helicopter support (operating at or above their ceiling) and also they would be ambush bait for bad guys who are real good at that.

4. So we decide to try the same thing that worked to kick their asses already. We partnered with local tribes to provide the manpower while we sent Spec Ops support and massive air power.

5. We push up there and even the Spec Ops guys have a helluva time because of the terrain. The local tribes more or less screw us and take the money but don't fight much.

6. We still kills hundreds of Taliban and AQ but bin Laden slips off to become a ghost.

7. A talking point for the ignorant left, their enablers and military geniuses like F John Kerry is born.

8. Rinse and repeat whenever the left needs a club to try and lose a war.

Next freakin' slide.

Former CNN Pentagon correspondent and current blogger Jamie McIntyre shows his good judgment in joining me noting this conventional wisdom ain't so established or wise. I almost joined in another beatdown when as he notes the once moistened and now simply arid bint Maureen Dowd saw fit to flap her collagen infiltrated lips.

Well this is some excellent work. Turning a guy we conducted a specific raid for loose to a  country nobody recognizes, who then cuts him and his buddy loose immediately. WTF?

Some thoughts on the cruise missile attacks on AQ camps in Yemen, juxtaposed with plans to release more Gitmo detainees there. Sounds like stocking the ranch to me.

It's kinda funny that just as the shrieking socialist, chicken littles are wrapping up their complete waste of time in Hopenchangen, huge snow storms hit there and DC. The one here is pretty awesome. We are 12 hours and about 12 inches into it and it is picking up steam if anything. Heh. I added pics of my neighbors Christmas decorations for comparison. What a difference a day makes.

TankerBabe's poor little pig barely has his snout above the snow.

My neighbor who is way into Halloween, is shockingly, way into Christmas. Looks like a kick ass winter storm is heading to DC as well, I'm in. I guess it's time to record another edition of Walkin' in a Sniper Wonderland.

And this is right across the street.