BlackFive

U.S. Army soldiers jump from a hovering CH-47 Chinook helicopter during the helo-cast event on day two of the Best Sapper Competition, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 20, 2010. The Best Sapper Competition gives engineers throughout the Army the opportunity to compete in a grueling six phase and three day competition to determine who are the best engineers in the Army. DoD photo by Benjamin Faske

The 1st battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland are talking about a STALLION in the Afghan Army...

...Ajab Han, a sergeant in the ANA working with British troops from the 1st battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland at a patrol base in the Sangin valley, has found 177 IEDs during his three years in Helmand.

 "I know where they put them now," says Sergeant Ajab. "It helps to know the terrain. I can also think like the insurgents, stay one step ahead of them, and keep my soldiers, and ISAF soldiers safe."
<...>
Capt. Will Wright, the platoon commander from 1 Scots mentoring team, working alongside Sergeant Ajab and his soldiers said, "Patrolling with the ANA gives us such an advantage. They see things we sometimes don't, they are brave beyond words...

Over at You Served, the boys have put up a new book "Rage Company" for auction to benefit Soldiers' Angels. 

The winner of the book receives an iPad!

I haven't read Rage Company yet, but the excerpt at You Served (in the post linked above) has me thinking I will buy the book soon.

John Donovan has the details.

Another must read today.

Most of you know that the title above is part of the Soldier's Creed.

Go over to Army Live (click here) and read about one way to never leave a fallen comrade.  

It's a must read.

[H/T David Marron at Thunder Run]

First, they buzz one of our ships:

An Iranian maritime patrol aircraft buzzed the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower at sea in the Middle East last week, passing within 1,000 yards of the ship, but American defense officials sought to downplay the encounter as relatively common...

Of course, they were also complicit in the deaths of thousands of US troops in Iraq.  And WE ARE STILL FIGHTING THEM IN IRAQ.

Then, the UN has put Iran in charge of the Commission on Women's Rights.  This is not an Onion Article, people...Thanks a lot, U.N.:

Without fanfare, the United Nations this week elected Iran to its Commission on the Status of Women, handing a four-year seat on the influential human rights body to a theocratic state in which stoning is enshrined in law and lashings are required for women judged "immodest."

Amidst all of this, we are planning on easing sanctions on Iran...

The US is planning to soften sanctions on Iran. President Ahmedinejad will speak at the IAEA's conference on the NPT. Tehran's police chief said law enforcement will crack down on suntanned women.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/today-in/2010/04/white_house_to_soften_sanction.php#ixzz0mb3MmVpf

Soldiers in Afghanistan doing Lady Gaga's "Telephone." Quite possibly the best music video filmed in a war zone. If you don't find this entertaining, then there is something wrong. More on the video here

Photo of the Day: USS Green Bay visits Pearl Harbor

Women to serve on U.S. submarines

Communists celebrate 35th anniversary of end of Vietnam War

Iran: Iranian reconnaissance plane buzzes USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Navy downplays incident: “From our perspective, this is not something to get excited about – this is not out of the ordinary – this is within the bounds of what has happened in the past.”

How Iran and al-Qaeda made a deal

White House seeks to soften Iran sanctions

AfPak: Pentagon report says the Taliban’s abilities are expanding and its operations are increasing in sophistication despite recent U.S. offensives

ISI says Taliban leader Hakeemullah Mehsud is not dead

Pakistan’s catch and release program frees top Taliban commanders

Army to Seek Death Penalty Against Fort Hood Shooter

Lawyers say Drone Pilots Could Be Tried for ‘War Crimes’

Military History: It’s official: Stalin ordered execution of 20,000 Polish military officers in Katyn and other places of Russia in 1940, according to a top secret Soviet Communist Party archives.

Republished with permission of the Victory Institute

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“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were Treated and Appreciated by their Nation.”

- George Washington

(HT Storm)

Elise Cooper for BLACKFIVE

Dale Brown’s latest novel, Executive Intent, combines military technology with political intrigue. There are a lot of confrontational episodes between the United States military and America’s old adversaries, Russia and China. Mr. Brown uniquely explores how Americans need to be aware of Russia’s re-emergence and China’s new status as super powers.

 

The book begins with an encounter between one of America’s aircraft carriers and a Chinese fighter plane, a Sukhoi-34. Brown uses the plot to explore the need for America to have a base in space that can fire anti-ballistic missiles to protect America and her allies. The story takes off when China and Russia join forces to threaten the US. What unfolds is a combination of military and political decisions based on the technology at hand. He weaves together stories that build up to a high climax. It is a fascinating theory in which Brown explained that, “If Russia and China put away their differences and worked together to harass the US, it would be a serious problem. We could lose control over a particular ocean or region. What I wanted to do is create a level of anxiety in the world.”

There are a number of questions Mr. Brown poses to the reader through a suspenseful plot. How should America respond to a threat by another super power? Should there be military bases in space? Should weapons be allowed on those bases? Is there a need to develop a strong missile defense system? What happens when political figures, America’s leaders, turn out to be pacifists, and how will that affect America’s national security? He answers these questions through action-packed encounters where technology plays a leading role.

Blackfive.net asked Brown why he wrote a book centering on a military space base considering the US signed a treaty that forms the basis of international space law. He commented that “Military pundits are fearful of a military space race. The US is finding more competition with nations such as China, Russia, and India. They point to the space treaty and say it prohibits weapons in space. It prohibits weapons of mass destruction in space, but does not prohibit lasers or defensive missiles.”

One of the main points of the book is how politics affect the military. Brown points out that the military is run by civilians and the Commander-in-Chief, the head of the military, is the President. He explores how politicians ultimately make the final decision in how to respond to threats. He commented that “we have the technology to do that, it’s the political will we need. One of the sub-plots of the story is that the President was putting on blinders regarding the use of technology.”

Although the book is an enjoyable read, the characters need to be better developed earlier in the story. As the plot progresses, Brown develops the character’s personalities more. It is obvious that his fans crave a book that concentrates on the latest weapon system and technology. He admitted that “the humans are not the main characters of the story. I think the technology and the weapons are the main characters.”

The book has something for everyone. A military buff will be able to look into the technological future in the next 2 to 5 years. There is also a suspenseful, insightful plot that centers on the political personalities affecting our national security. Overall the book is an interesting read.