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 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:18:27 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification More from Blake... "Somewhere in Kuwait" Since I can’t write about ongoing logistics operations for operational security reasons, I thought I’d take some time to say a few nice things about the members of a sister service who did an awful lot of work under lousy conditions to enable the 101st to deploy in a timely manner. More specifically, I’m talking about the United States Coast Guard. Everybody knows about the newsworthy and impressive things the Coasties do: helicopters hoisting hurricane victims from the roofs of their flooded houses in New Orleans; motor lifeboats busting through waves taller than they... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html Mon, 19 Sep 2005 06:24:29 -0600 Heh, John - that comment is as close to "topical spam" as has ever appeared here! Congrats! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-32053 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-32053 Wed, 21 Sep 2005 11:07:08 -0600 I'm convinced that COasties are really all pirates at heart. Damn straight we are. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-32026 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-32026 Tue, 20 Sep 2005 17:29:49 -0600 Blake, thanks so much for the additional background information. Very cool how everything fits together. Your respect for them is obvious, but I loved your line about Coasties being pirates at heart! LOL http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-32023 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-32023 Tue, 20 Sep 2005 07:33:52 -0600 And the famous Private Schmedlap-in-the-Sandbox puts everything in perspective! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-32022 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-32022 Tue, 20 Sep 2005 06:41:46 -0600 Kudos to anyone who assists the 101st in getting to their final destination in Iraq. We eagerly await your arrival. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-32017 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-32017 Tue, 20 Sep 2005 04:05:30 -0600 while insuring that we do so within the international regulations for marine safety. Since I have to stay current on the safety regulations myself as part of my job, we don't have any trouble communicating. And since my brigade has now figured out that when I tell them to do something in a certan way it's generally because it's the easiest way to do things the right way, the process just moves trippingly along. Which is not to say that there aren't little tricks that get played here and there. For example, I and the other 22 guys at Fort Campbell who do this job have embroidered baseball caps that sort of serve as our badges of office. I misplaced mine in a staging yard at Blount Island one morning and the Coasties found it and held it for ransom. Brownies, I think it was, since PO1 Walker of the Marine Safety Det indicated that he wanted a change from doughnuts. I'm convinced that COasties are really all pirates at heart. But they're all fine people, and professional as can be about what they do. It's always a privilege to work with them. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-31982 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-31982 Mon, 19 Sep 2005 12:12:44 -0600 http://www.genx40.com/archives/2005/july/hellomachinegun]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-31980 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-31980 Mon, 19 Sep 2005 11:39:09 -0600 Very kewl! I didn't know about the kinds of things the Marine Safety Detachments do. Fascinating. It's also great to see such effective cooperation between the Coast Guard and the Army (Blake's with Army, right?). http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-31976 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-31976 Mon, 19 Sep 2005 08:54:47 -0600 You gotta love those Coasties! When my husband and I went to NYC a few weeks ago, we got on the Circle Line and headed over to Ms. Liberty and Ellis Island. Each ferry had four US Coast Guard members on board, looking after us. They road up on top of the captain's cabin, out in front of the bow, and provided security before, during and after the trip. It was very reassuring. A friend of mine in Red Cross (who also happens to be our CFO) retired from the Coast Guard last year. He was Navy before joining the USCG, and absolutely loved it. I'm with Blake on the courage of the Coast Guard- they do some crazy stuff on the water! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-31974 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/09/getting_to_the_fight_part_4.html#comment-31974 Mon, 19 Sep 2005 07:55:52 -0600