We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:02:25 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification To open: American soldiers can find some things unerringly. SWWBO and I took a blog-break this weekend. I kinda checked the comments, to make sure the PG-17s weren't being whacked on with hammer and tongs, but other than that, we pretty much took a break. SWWBO has been harder hit than I by whatever bug we've been sharing, but we pretty much were just alcohol-infused slugs this weekend. I *did* score SWWBO a one-hour massage (from her favorite salon) for Mother's Day. Many of you kept the torches lit, and the mailbox gnome was kept busy sorting. Speaking of lit... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html Mon, 09 May 2005 09:14:50 -0600 Concur with MrEd, if for no other reason than reading that again, just now, reminds me of a horrible groaner godawful bad joke about the frog who was eaten by an eagle. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24579 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24579 Thu, 12 May 2005 21:31:37 -0600 I'm not nearly as interested in the weed pic as in the jumper at the end of the post. Is there any possibility of getting that in hi-res? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24494 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24494 Wed, 11 May 2005 10:17:59 -0600 *Intent* matters. And trust me, even in that fog, second-hand dope-smoke does not produce a buzz. Cruel? C'mon, they don't even remember it. Helk, by the time they reached the bottom of the stairs they didn't remember why they wet their pants! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24489 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24489 Wed, 11 May 2005 10:01:09 -0600 John - if you were breathing the air there, you were ingesting 2nd hand. So the Armorer's Sis isn't completely wrong ;-) Oh - and that thing with the paddy wagons - cruel! ...heh... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24487 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24487 Wed, 11 May 2005 09:10:36 -0600 I didn't think that, Ry. It was just a general editorial statement. For the record (although the Armorer-Sister does not believe) the closest the Armorer has come to ingesting any illegal substance was when he was working as a cop and providing security at rock concerts in the Multi-purpose Hernia (Hearnes Building) at MU. The stoners in the upper corner seats watched through a fog of weed-smoke. It was always fun at the end of a concert to ask them to file down the stairs quietly, turn left at the door and board the waiting paddy wagons. They wet their pants all the way down the stairs, where, of course, there was nothing waiting for them but their cars... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24484 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24484 Wed, 11 May 2005 07:18:34 -0600 I'm 'hurt' that you'd think I'd ascribe nefariousness to you John(I just don't wanna smell it). Sob. Oh, and the wife thinks you're a bad influence when I said I felt bad for not buying ammo on national ammo day today. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24475 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24475 Tue, 10 May 2005 23:41:36 -0600 Castle Argghhh! has no *official* opinion on weed. The Armorer is not a fan of the Drug War, but I don't know what Dusty and Bill think. PG-17 not sensitive to drug usage, but the Castle does not endorse officially criminal activity... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24463 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24463 Tue, 10 May 2005 16:57:02 -0600 Hmm. Does the botanical picture draw fire from Pg-17? At least you didn't post that picture on 4/20. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24462 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24462 Tue, 10 May 2005 16:35:55 -0600 That hot sauce looks like a good "non lethal" weapon to try on the Eurotrash protesters who voice support for terrorists. Mmmm, on second thought, maybe biologicals would be better. Less obvious. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24454 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24454 Tue, 10 May 2005 08:31:27 -0600 Umm, I shoulda wrote "slots." Slats are movable. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24453 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24453 Tue, 10 May 2005 03:07:27 -0600 Don't be so hard on Mr. Lazar. I'm a fan of extreme cases too. Besides, you can always dilute. Though the nasty part of my mind does imagine a Super Soaker full of that stuff as a (not quite) "less than lethal" weapon. On that funny-lookin bush in the parking lot: Maybe they should let it live a little longer, let it express its sexuality, so they could determine by experiment how dangerous it is? Disclaimer: I don't recommend that people likely to be in combat soon, or even normal doodah folks, inhale reefer fumes. They tend to mess up yer perceptions in unpredictable ways. Or so other people tell me. On the Para-Diver (or whatever you call'em): Two things: 1. Seems like those fins would affect yer aero qualities, besides being the cool, expensive kind with slats. 2. Looks like fun to me, regardless of any actual military utility. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24452 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24452 Tue, 10 May 2005 03:00:01 -0600 John *eh-hem*, I mean great owner of Argghhh, I enjoyed following up on all the information here and there. I especially ha... I mean especially liked the foil in the waste basket game. I've wasted 15 minutes of my life and at best could only get 4 :( That pic, the final one, is awesome...I love that! Good stuff. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24450 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24450 Mon, 09 May 2005 22:18:50 -0600 John *eh-hem*, I mean great owner of Argghhh, I enjoyed following up on all the information here and there. I especially ha... I mean especially liked the foil in the waste basket game. I've wasted 15 minutes of my life and at best could only get 4 :( That pic, the final one, is awesome...I love that! Good stuff. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24449 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24449 Mon, 09 May 2005 22:18:28 -0600 It's a pity that it's not the Navy of yore, they could make themselves some rope. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24448 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24448 Mon, 09 May 2005 21:27:27 -0600 You *ain't* dumb... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24447 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24447 Mon, 09 May 2005 20:11:02 -0600 Is that cannabis sativa, or am I just dumb? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24446 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24446 Mon, 09 May 2005 20:01:34 -0600 There is a difference, Jack. As I *think* I said, but admittedly not in my best-ever prose, there must not be a prosecutable smoking gun in Karpinski's case. Apparently there *is* sufficient evidence in the NJP cases, though because of the Privacy Act nature of it, we aren't going to see what that might be. As for Karpinski, they got her as they could get her - and, entirely possibly, she would have fallen for the shoplifting thing, regardless. But Abu Ghraib made certain she would. It's not the accountability you are looking for Jack (nor I) but I know enough about how these things work that I know they aren't going to take a weak criminal case to court. And the individual has the right to refuse NJP and demand a Courts Martial. The fact that the intermediate field grade officers did not indicates there probably were sufficient smoking guns, or their sense of shame motivated them to take their lumps. Karpinski made it clear when she went public that she was going to fight things. And her story has shifted with time. They did what they could with the tools at hand - and the point being made about it *not* being for Abu Ghraib serves two related purposes. One - it damages her ability to claim that it was, especially since she apparently accepted the outcome and two, most importantly, it leaves open the ability to prosecute should evidence arise, without raising any "double jeopardy" issues. Karpinski is *still* vulnerable. She should have had the courage to resign her position and retire anyway - but she's not that kind of officer, obviously. Many are not. I should note you can resign a position without resigning your commission - as I said in my comment on your post - General Officers have a different status from the rest of us. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24441 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24441 Mon, 09 May 2005 15:56:20 -0600 John, I think I have a reasonable grasp on the lost pay and benefits, not to mention the career-ending humiliation associated with the Karpinski demotion. I am just trying to help both myself and my readers wrap our minds around why the action was NOT stated to be taken for Abu Ghraib but instead for a shoplifting offense. I am not trying to say at all that the punishment did not fit the crime, I am just wondering why the punishment is not being said to be FOR the crime. Am I making sense in asking it this way? In my mind, there IS a difference, even if the end result is the same. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24440 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24440 Mon, 09 May 2005 15:39:14 -0600 Cheers for the link, John. :) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24439 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24439 Mon, 09 May 2005 15:35:49 -0600 BAAAWAAHAAHAH!!! Request memo of the day: FROM: NMCB OIC TO: BASE COMMANDER, FOB SANDSPIDER SUBJ: BASE IMPROVEMENT 1. TO IMPROVE PARKING SPACE AND REMOVE EXCESSIVE UNDERBRUSH THAT MAY CONCEAL INSURGENT ACTIVITY, AFTER TAPS REQUEST PERMISSION TO ALLOW MY DETACHMENT TO REMOVE AND BURN THE OVERGROWTH IVO BATTALION PARKING AREA. 2. NO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OR PERSONNEL AUGMENTATION REQUIRED. VERY RESPECTFULLY, LT CHEECH MARTIN, OIC NMCB-15 "Construimus, Batuimus" "SEABEEs Can Do!" http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24437 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24437 Mon, 09 May 2005 15:10:36 -0600 Sandhurst seems to do a pretty good job at turning a young princeling into the stuff to lead british soldiers into war like a man. How does the line go? "It took an act of congress and 90 days to make me an officer, it took the British Empire 500 years to make officers like him." Harry could prove me wrong, but I expect the tough old Sgt Majors over at Sandhurst will hammer the impurities out of that boy. Still, I think if I could pick anywhere to do my post secondary education over again, it'd be there...Especially if I could go in knowing what I know now. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24431 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/okay_back_to_work.html#comment-24431 Mon, 09 May 2005 09:40:24 -0600