July 1, 2006
Argghhh!
How'd I miss this! Jim, I *knew* you were ill, but damn, fella, this is taking it too far.
Little SciFi authors (and we who love to read 'em) have lost a great friend.
Flip side - the Other Side has now been blessed with the arrival to two Dyed-in-the-Wool Curmudgeons, as Jim joins Acidman Over The Rainbow.
How'd I miss this? I've been so busy I haven't been keeping up with my Snarkatron.
Raise a glass my friends - to Army Security Agency Analyst, Greenwich Village Coffee shop manager, but most importantly - A Father of Science Fiction - Jim Baen.
Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam.
Whatziss for a Saturday.
This item is complete, less the straps that fit the slots.
For full credit: War, Nation, Purpose.
It's 9 inches across, measured diagonally.
Perhaps another view will help.
I'm probably late on this, especially since I tend to be a...
...World Cup? Oh, that interests me as much as the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals kind of guy - but -
Anti-Americanism Has Reached A New Low by James Dunnigan June 30, 2006
Anti-Americanism has reached a new low. FIFA, the international sports organization for football (soccer to Americans) refused to allow U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (and warships at sea) to view any of the current World Cup games being played in Germany. The U.S. AFN (Armed Forces Network) has no budget for sports programming, and usually gets a free feed for major sporting events, in the same spirit that movie studios and TV networks provide free access to their product for troops in combat zones. FIFA demanded money, and would not budge on that. While soccer is not a major sport in the United States, it's estimated that a quarter or more of the troops are fans, and would enjoy seeing some of the World Cup matches. However, once this situation became known, several wealthy Americans stepped forward to correct the situation. The first one to make a move was media magnate Robert Murdoch, who ordered his Fox Network to make arrangements, and pay whatever FIFA was demanding, to get the soccer games to the troops, as soon as possible. This was accomplished in 24 hours.
BTW - I actually support the FIFA in that it's their product, they can do what they want and we can draw whatever conclusions we wish and modify our behaviors to suit - I would no more compel them to give their product away than I would do so to General Motors.
This is about High Fiving those who *did* make it possible for the troops to catch the games.
H/t Jim Dunnigan of Strategy Page - and Rupert and whatever other wealthy 'Muricans stepped up to the plate.
June 30, 2006
Someone you should meet.
Private First Class David Nicholas Crombie.
"The last call I got from him, I think it was Memorial Day weekend, he said, 'Mom, I saved an Iraqi soldier today -- it was so cool. I put my training to effect; I saved someone. I'm scared, but it's so great doing this.' "
Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam.
We can't highlight each of them, but we can highlight a representative sample. This post will remain on top all day.
Denizens in the Assault.
Castle Adjutant Brab and Bad Cat Robot keep an eye on the Moonbats.
H/t, Princess Crabby. I've been remiss while shutting down this contract and moving out of the office.
Getting an early start on the 4th of July...
Over in Iraq.
» Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator links with: Bin Laden praises al-Zarqawi as "the lion of holy war"
Whatziss for the smarty-pantsed crowd.
This isn't as unfair as it looks.
1. It's been mentioned on this site, in conjunction with these kinds of posts, within living memory, even of those of you who slay brain cells with alcohol with reckless abandon.
2. It's been pictured on this site, in other contexts.
3. It's about 1/3 the size it appears to be in the pic.
Go ahead, impress me.
Oh, here. A hint.
Update: Okay, Monteith got it. Striker spring for the Mills bomb (this one a No 5). Was hazarded as a guess on this post, is seen here with the striker, and has been viewed before (in context) in this pic.
Okay. That was an easy one. Let's continue the adventure. Tomorrow I'll put up something a little more challenging.
June 29, 2006
Someone you should meet.
The six soldiers walked out to the chopper and lifted Sergeant Lisk's body into it. The door went back up. The helicopter flew away.The soldiers saluted a final time.
In the darkness, as the sound of the helicopter faded, Colonel MacFarland addressed his soldiers.
"I don't know if this war is worth the life of Terry Lisk, or 10 soldiers, or 2,500 soldiers like him," Colonel MacFarland told his forces. "What I do know is that he did not die alone. He was surrounded by friends.
"A Greek philosopher said that only the dead have seen the end of war," the colonel said. "Only Terry Lisk has seen the end of this war."
The soldiers turned and walked back to their barracks in the darkness. No one said a word.
The NYTimes isn't entirely worthless. Even if I possibly walked away from this story with a different take than they intend. But, maybe not.
Read the rest here. H/t, Cassandra.
Speaking of Cassandra - she had a *lot* more time to put words to the thoughts today on this subject than I did.
» Villainous Company links with: The Cost Of Freedom
» Villainous Company links with: The Cost Of Freedom
» Villainous Company links with: The Cost Of Freedom
Trias - this post's for you.
Wounded Warrior Program leads Soldiers, families through recovery By Katisha DraughnJune 28, 2006
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 28, 2006) – Staff Sgt. Jarod Behee was patrolling in Iraq last spring when his life forever changed, courtesy of a sniper shot to the head.
The bullet left the California National Guardsman critically wounded, and he’s since endured numerous surgeries to decrease the swelling of his brain and repair damaged blood vessels.
Enter the Army Wounded Warrior Program, which has assisted Soldiers who’ve been severely injured while supporting the Global War on Terror since April 2004. Their injuries range from loss of limbs and sight to extreme burns and brain injuries.
“We want them to know there is someone here for them,” said Sgt. Maj. Robert McAvoy, lead NCO for the AW2. “They’ve been through a traumatic event, and they don’t need anything worse.”
The AW2 supports Soldiers and their families through a three-phased process. Phase one is notification and evacuation; phase two is the medical care and board evaluation; and phase three involves helping Soldiers reintegrate into the Army or transition to civilian employment.
“We’re there to assist and advocate for them as they face the bureaucracy in front of them, whether it be normal Army systems or the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) as they transition into the civilian world,” McAvoy said.
When Behee’s wife, Marissa, was informed of her husband’s accident, AW2 officials immediately linked her to a Soldier/family management specialist.
“The program has been great to us,” said Marissa. “Our [specialist] called every week and was always there to listen to me and help. It was good just to have someone to vent to and talk to about my frustrations.”
While Behee moved between hospitals and eventually to private rehabilitation facilities, Marissa had her own share of hard times. Beyond being a military wife and a mother to their 5-year-old daughter, Madison, Marissa become a constant bedside supporter to her injured husband. But looking out for his wellbeing and managing his TRICARE coverage isn’t always easy.
“We’ve had good days and bad days, and we’ve hit every worse-case scenario there is,” she said. “But I don’t give up because I know that there are better days to come.”
The AW2 has helped the Behee’s and other families see better days by helping them meet financial needs. If a family has trouble paying personal and medical bills, for example, AW2 officials coordinate with non-profit organizations to seek donations that will help Soldiers and families.
William M. Years has been a Soldier/family management specialist with the AW2 for almost two years.
“When I see the light in Soldiers’ eyes and see them interact with their families again, I know I have made a difference,” he said.
Years is paired with Soldiers and families living in numerous states, to include New York, Vermont, Rhode Island, Michigan, Kentucky and Europe. He visits them often, and provides information on military benefits, transportation needs, monetary issues, loans and counseling.
“We help do things that the Soldier’s unit may not be able to,” Years said.
Thanks to efforts of AW2 officials, Behee goes through intense physical therapy at the Casa Colina Rehabilitation Center in California. He has regained considerable movement in his left arm and hand, and can now walk without assistance.
The hospital has also given the Behee’s a house on hospital grounds, making it possible for Marissa’s parents to live close by and help out.
“His injury has been a blessing in disguise because it has brought our family together and helped us realize what is important,” said Jan Szymanski, Behee’s mother-in-law.
The AW2 stays with Soldiers for five years from the date they restart their Army careers, until they transition to the civilian community or retire.
“We want our Soldiers to know they are always Soldiers, and our Army and nation will not leave them or their families behind,” McAvoy said.
For more information call (800) 237-1336 or visit www.aw2.army.mil.
To read about a wounded Soldier who has overcome some of the greatest obstacles of his injury, go to http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=9231.
I'm sure there are flaws in the program. No program meets every need, or all needs well. And I'm sure it took too long to get going, as the leadership resisted the idea that significant casualty-producing combat would last this long.
But there *is* a program.
Now if the Executive would ask and/or Congress would fund the VA for health care as readily as they are willing to fund credit checks... but of course, the data fiasco affects 26 million vets who might vote. The health care bill (for which there wasn't 160 million laying around like there is for credit monitoring)... well, that doesn't affect as many people, now does it?
Can I have a 'Hoo-ah! please?
Not so much for the guy on the left, as the guy on the right. The guy on the left gets plenty of attention.
Staff Sgt. Christian Bagge, who lost both legs in Iraq last year when a roadside bomb hit his Humvee, runs with President Bush June 27 on the South Lawn of the White House. Photo by William Moss.
» Welcome To Andi's World links with: Sick and Twisted
» Welcome To Andi's World links with: Sick and Twisted
June 28, 2006
Acidman sings...
...for those who never met Rob, or heard him sing, I'm hosting a song sent me by a friend of his.
John, Jen (Jinxie, from Ala's) sent me an audio clip of Acidman singing and playing guitar. It's a strange song, about his ex breaking up with her new boyfriend, and him telling her she can "come home anytime", but I like it, and the music itself is very nice. Anyway.... Jen sent it to me to pass on to you. I think you'll like it too. Dbie
1. Do *not* hotlink this file. Link the post.
2. Do my server a favor and "right click and save as", save it to your machine and play it locally. Your quality will be better, my server will be happier. If you don't know how to do that, you should learn how just as a matter of politesse!
Okay, The Armorer's Stern Warnings® haven been given - I give you Rob Smith...
Update: From the comments, LoopyLibertarian of Chromed Curses adds:
This was originally posted by Lil Toni who was sent the file by Rob's good friend Catfish. I just want to acknowledge them for bringing this music to us.
Update II. Heh. (Looks at Trackbacks) I finally got linked by Acidman. Now *that's* reach, folks.
» Gut Rumbles links with: Rob's Music
» Gut Rumbles links with: Rob's Music
» Gut Rumbles links with: Rob's Music
The Flag Burning Amendment
The Flag Burning Amendment failed by 1 vote. Good, sez I, as I don't like amending the Constitution for issues like this. There are other remedies the Congress can take - legislative remedies to remove the issue from the purview of the Courts (all perfectly legal under the Constitution) and put the issue back with the Legislative bodies, where it properly belongs. When the Courts decide, the issue is vigorously debated by lawyers in front of lawyers. When the 51 legislatures decide - the issue is argued by a heckuva lot of people, and a greater societal consensus is formed, while leaving room for experimentation and regional values to assert themselves, vice New York, Washington, and Los Angele's values being imposed on everyone. As for me - as I have said before - I've worn that flag on my shoulder as an aiming reference point for people who hate the flag and all it stands for - I say let 'em burn 'em. It just makes target identification easier. In a political sense, people, get a grip!
I think, though, that AP writer Laurie Kellman missed the boat in this bit of analysis that opens her piece:
By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer Wed Jun 28, 6:39 AM ET WASHINGTON - The narrow defeat of a proposal to ban flag desecration marks the second time in a month Senate Republicans have lost bids to amend the Constitution in ways designed to inspire social conservatives to vote in the midterm elections.
The failure of the questions *are* exactly what they intend to inspire the voters to vote. To change the demographics of the Senate and House to make things like that pass.
I would note a significant difference in approach between the parties on the issues... the Democrats seem to prefer to find a judge or 5 to get their agenda passed if they can't otherwise, thereby bypassing the people (who are obviously stupid or deluded) altogether in favor of a an unelected oligarchy (who are smarter and wiser than the collective 'we' are) - the Republicans prefer to send the issue to the states, where the people have a voice in the process, and a super-majority have to agree. Which is the more democratic way of accomplishing legislative and policy objectives?
You can read the whole piece here.
Heh. The issue makes for strange bedfellows. ;^ )
» Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator links with: Flag amendment faces close Senate vote
» Silicon Valley Redneck links with: Forget the flag - burn a politician!
» The Prodigal Sheep links with: American Idols
A little window into Europe.
While I would argue *no* state has the ability to match that first sentence at the indvidual level, setting that aside - this report from Belgium is a dark window into today's Europe.
The Belgian state is no longer able to guarantee the security of its citizens. On Saturday afternoon Guido Demoor, a 54-year old Flemish train conductor on his way to work, was kicked to death by six “youths” on a crowded bus near Antwerp’s Central Station. The incident recalls the rush-hour murder ten weeks ago of Joe Van Holsbeeck, 17 years of age, in a crowded Brussels Central Station on 12 April.
I find it interesting how supportive the Cardinal is. Good on him.
Another colleague told the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad: “After the Van Holsbeeck murder some whined that no-one had intervened. Guido did intervene and paid with his life.” After the assassination of Joe Van Holsbeeck Belgium’s Cardinal Danneels had said that Joe was a victim of “the indifference in Belgian society” because no-one had come to his rescue when two youths stabbed him to death for not handing over his MP3 player.Today the Cardinal issued a statement saying: “Guido Demoor acted very bravely. The fact that he paid with his life does not mean that he acted wrongly.” In contemporary Belgium it is heroic for an unarmed adult to tell immigrant youths to calm down.
I wonder what, besides anguished hand-wringing and pompous bloviating, will result?
June 27, 2006
General Gordon Sullivan on Billpayers.
In the H&I post today, I discussed the upcoming budget crunches and ways they are going to be met, mostly, I predict, by mortgaging the future and the warfighters.
Here's a little insider email running around the opinion makers of the retired General Officer corps, from former Army Chief of Staff Gordon Sullivan.
Friends---I have been observing very carefully the ongoing saga regarding the approval of the Supplemental for 2006. What my analysis suggests to me is the signals for the future of our Army are not good. Oh, I know there are many in town who will tell you that it is too soon to tell how things will evolve but I see too many signals to conclude otherwise. Needless to say this bothers me because by any measurement the Army as an institution has accomplished every mission it has been assigned. Furthermore, the leadership has looked to the future in a very enlightened and programmatic way which suggests to me a forward look which is both imaginative and practical. Yet the near future funding profile is beginning to look and smell a lot like what we lived through in the early 90's when Army leaders were forced to dramatically reduce the size of the Army, increase mission responsiveness and attempt to move onto the information age while being told we were in a strategic pause and fiscal resources available to the DOD would be used to fund other programs which I feel are nice to have, but not required. Just my opinion.Think about what our Army leaders and Soldiers have set in motion and are accomplishing:
+ Fighting /Nation Building- Iraq, Afghanistan, elsewhere
+Sustaining the force/Recruiting -Retention- Reset
+Resourcing the augmentation of the Southern Border/Expanding Homeland security missions
+ IGPBS- Integrated Global Presence /Basing Strategies {Come home from Europe /Asia - rotation to Eastern Europe}
+ BRAC
+TransformationI am starting to see signs indicative of a shifting of priorities in the funding steam without a change in strategy or requirements. Without appropriate fiscal resources, provided in a consistent stream, the Army cannot be expected to execute the national strategy and every other mission in as effective a manner as originally intended. This funding stream must flow for the next six years at least or the responsible parties must recast the National Defense Strategy as well as accept that all enabling programs are not feasible. Unless all appreciate the relationship of dollars to programs priorities will dictate tough choices and Army capabilities will diminish.
Part of my concern is that many opinion leaders in Congress and elsewhere believe that as long as the war goes on, their funding focus must be on current operations and not funding modernization programs like the Future Combat Systems, modularity and equipment reset so critical for active and reserve force readiness. Likewise, while all would applaud a successful outcome in Iraq and Afghanistan I fear that should hostilities end, the funding stream will end abruptly in order to recreate the illusion of a "peace dividend" instead of continuing funding for reset for at least two years as well as funding for the Army to refresh itself. In the coming days, I believe we must begin to speak out and let the public know that Army funding must be supported in the near term, but viewed in the long term during which multiple, high cost, long term missions of increasingly complexity such as those envisioned in the QDR and National Defense Strategy will continue.
Now when it should be only too obvious that our endeavors in Iraq and Afghanistan must be supported it is becoming painfully and clearly obvious that some are taking their eye off the ball. For instance, we have seen dithering over supplemental funding critical to Army operations which must maintain a steady state. Additionally, I also detect an indication that weapons which were either killed or modified during QDR deliberations are somehow creeping back into the FYDEP planning process. This doesn't surprise any of you I am sure, but watch how the numbers dance. I have no access to POM fiscal guidance 08/13 but the way folks are hedging their bets is not a good sign.
I am no longer in a position of responsibility and am simply one of those proud to be a Soldier. As such I am concerned that in the heat of battle aka "LONG WAR" Army leaders will find themselves forced into making choices between today and tomorrow and unfortunately could wind up being forced to make decisions with negative long term impact. I understand the Army ethos and our oath and the primacy of mission just as I understand that the defense of America is a shared responsibility between elected, appointed and uniformed people as well as our citizens. I believe now is the time to accept facts as they are--we are in a fight which must be continued to a successful conclusion and we must be prepared to face unknown crises. We are about to see if the resources are available to those who are carrying the load on the ground, Army and Marines, are forth coming.
I hope I am wrong, but I fear I am not. It is time to watch things very closely and accept the fact we might soon be facing a serious strategy resource mismatch which will in turn stretch our magnificent Army to the breaking point .
Gordon Sullivan
I should note I'm not on General Sullivan's email list, and probably got this with at least six degrees of separation. (Note to Sir - feel free to add me, however!)
Castle Argghhh! Style Manual Change
From today's Stand-to:
In dealing with Islamic extremists, the West may be giving them the advantage due to cultural ignorance, maintain Dr. Douglas E. Streusand and Army Lt. Col. Harry D. Tunnell IV. The men work at the National Defense University at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C.
Okay. So, whattaya mean, fellas?
A case in point is the term "jihadist." Many leaders use the term jihadist or jihadi as a synonym for Islamic extremist. Jihad has been commonly adapted in English as meaning "holy war." But to Muslims it means much more. In their article, Steusand and Tunnell said in Arabic - the language of the Koran - jihad "literally means striving and generally occurs as part of the expression 'jihad fi sabil illah,' striving in the path of God."This is a good thing for all Muslims. "Calling our enemies jihadis and their movement a global jihad thus indicates that we recognize their doctrines and actions as being in the path of God and, for Muslims, legitimate," they wrote. By countering jihadis, the West and moderate Muslims are enemies of true Islam.
The men asked Muslim scholars what the correct term for Islamic extremists would be and they came up with "hirabah." This word specifically refers to those engaged in sinful warfare, warfare contrary to Islamic law. "We should describe the Islamic totalitarian movement as the global hirabah, not the global jihad," they wrote.
jihadist Hirabah.
Another word constantly misused in the West is mujahdeen. Again, in American dictionaries this word refers to a holy warrior - again a good thing. So calling an al Qaeda terrorist a mujahid legitimizes him.The correct term for these killers is "mufsidun," Streusand and Tunnell say. This refers to an evil or corrupt person. "There is no moral ambiguity and the specific denotation of corruption carries enormous weight in most of the Islamic world," they wrote.
mujahideen mufsidun. Okay.
I'll be implementing this at Castle Argghhh! (to include, over time, editing the archives).
Addendum: Bollixed link fixed (in case anybody wondered why you got linked to your e-mail). The original report is available here--do the "right-click, save as" trick... --cw4(ret)billt
What the heck.
Bill having snarked me today, and his Whatziss having been figured out pretty quickly - let's try another one. Following Bill's rule of showing the whole thing, sorta.
But while this has been alluded to in posts in the archives, it has not been pictured.
So, Grognards - whatziss? Purpose, nomenclature, etc.
WHATZISS "DÉNOUEMENT" STUFF?
Okay, SangerM gets the brag. He undoubtedly remembers looking down at it on more than one occasion...
It's the skid toe shoe for Hubert.
MajMike was savvy enough to guess that Sanger knew what he was talking about, but he muffed the location. Nope, not vegetation-dings, either, John. The chipped areas are from gravel 'n' stuff kicked up by the rotorwash in "unimproved" LZs (never did see an "improved" LZ, except the hot ones that got worked over by suppressive fires) and the abrasions (red circle) are from contact with the towbar during ground-handling. The towbar attaching ring is on the inside of the skid, just aft of the skid shoe and the bar angles up when it's hooked to a tug; hence, the abraded area is always on the side facing toward the fuselage. In this case, the fuselage was to the right, so the toe shoe was on the left. Elementary, my dear Mikey.
A little tip-toe on the skid-toe, eh, AFSis? Makes getting in-and-out of a Huey a whole bunch easier than a Cobra...
Over at Milblogs...
Interesting discussions regarding Effects Based Operations, pro and con.
Plus, ArmyLawyer dispenses legal guidance on political activity by active duty service members... which is acted upon by Commander Salamander, and is instantly contested by Soldier's Dad.
Now ArmyLawyer needs to take a gander at DOD Directive 1344.10 Enclosure E-3 and opine for us.
Thankfully, the Retired Reserve isn't covered, so I can play, regardless.
So, if you live in Murtha's district and would like to see someone else represent you... consider Diana Irey.
Just sayin'. Cuz I can.
Whatziss, indeed...
“Whatziss?” sez John. And, after a torrent of guesses (“It’s the nano-black hole that ry installed in the garderobe to to keep from having a Kevin moment.” “It’s an aerial view of Tehran on the Day After.” Et cetera…), the dénouement.
“Nope, it’s the ventilation hole in the spike of an uhlan's pikelhaub from the Franco-Prussian War. Snerk.”
*sigh.* But do *I* post a picture like this
and say, “Whatziss?”
Nope. Not I. You guys get to see the *entirety* of the whatziss.
Yup, that’s the whole thing.
And it even comes with clues--you may not have consciously absorbed the information, but if you saw The Green Berets, or Hamburger Hill, or We Were Soldiers Once… or even Cartoon --uhhhhh--Platoon, you should be able to dredge the image up through the neuron net.
Ummmm--and it's been cleaned up. A *lot*...
Heh.
[Apropos of Bill's comment - it could be here. Or here. Or several other places. If you are new to the Castle, you should *definitely* click the first link. Actually, you should click through and read *both*. -The Armorer]
June 26, 2006
Acidman, RIP.
June 26, 2006 News... This is Sam. Rob has passed away. They found him at 2:00 this morning slumped over on the couch. He did not shoot himself and no pills or alcohol were found in the house. When I find out anything else I'll let you know. Out of respect for my family please do not leave nasty comments.~Sam
Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam.
[Wherever he is, Rob is pissed right now that I used such sappy, if appropriate, music. Hee! Have one on me, fella!*]
And I should note - Acidman was one of the first big bloggers to link to SWWBO and blogroll her. And he *never* once, linked to me, or blogrolled me. Rob was *not* good for my ego - but he did make me laugh. The world is briefly a smaller place without Rob in it.
» La Shawn Barber's Corner links with: Rob at Gut Rumbles…
» Righty in a Lefty State links with: The Acidman departs
» basil's blog links with: Picnic 2006-06-27
» Outside The Beltway | OTB links with: Rob Acidman Smith, RIP
» My Side of the Puddle links with: Unexpected Influences
» Classical Values links with: Rob Smith, R.I.P
» Classical Values links with: Rob Smith, R.I.P
News from other fronts.
Task Force Rebuilds School, Clinic in YemenBy U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Robert Palomares
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa
ADEN , Yemen , June 20, 2006 — The quiet, yet steady, humanitarian efforts of U.S. and coalition forces continue to foster stability in the region.
Thomas Krajeski, the U.S. Ambassador to Yemen , and U.S. Navy Capt. Stephen Johnson, the chief of staff for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa , were on hand to officially dedicate the Zenab Girls’ Secondary School and the Al Mansura Clinic here on June 6.
"We believe the school will inspire young women to learn and we are confident that it will provide educational opportunities for future leaders. This work represents another step towards peace and prosperity throughout the region", U.S. Navy Capt. Stephen Johnson.
“I am happy to be here with you all today to dedicate - or rather, to rededicate - the Zenab Girls’ School,” Krajeski said.
“This project is for you,” he said to the young women who will study at the school.
“We - the United States, our coalition partners and Yemen together - believe in your potential, and have great hopes for your futures,” the ambassador added.
The $256,000 project, which was sponsored by Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, included adding a third level to the existing building, replacing all electrical and plumbing fixtures, reinforcing all of the walls and painting the building.
“Yemeni women are scaling new heights in their achievements and their opportunities,” Krajeski added during his remarks. “But we have more to do to ensure that our young women have as many doors open to them as our young men.”
"We believe the school will inspire young women to learn and we are confident that it will provide educational opportunities for future leaders,” Johnson said. “This work represents another step towards peace and prosperity throughout the region.”
After the school dedication, the ambassador and chief of staff then traveled to the Al-Mansura Clinic, where the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa civil affairs team repaired the roof, repainted the clinic rooms, upgraded all of the windows and doors, and installed brand new electrical systems.
Dr. Elham Fahim, director of the clinic, welcomed Krajeski and Johnson and took them on a tour of the facility.
“This clinic represents a long-term investment in future generations of this community, the country of Yemen , and the entire region,” said Johnson.
“The clinic sees up to 200 patients a day,” Dr. Fahim said.
“That is less than we used to see, because there are more clinics being built around the city. But there is a need for more,” she said.
“The clinic provides a variety of needed services to the community, such as primary care, general practice, pediatric care, as well as vaccinations,” Dr. Fahim said.
“This clinic is good here, but there is a great need for care in the rural areas, because the mothers do not have the means to come here,” she concluded.
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, which is based at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti , is focused on detecting, disrupting, and ultimately defeating transnational terrorist groups operating in the region.
Things that make me go, "Hunh."
I use a spam blocker. Frustrated with a recent onslaught of spam for ci@lis, I took a brute force approach and just added ci@lis to the block list.
Which caused Ry no end of frustration this weekend, trying to post a comment in his chat with Trias in the comments to this post (a fun discussion if you've not been following it).
"Yeah, so?" I can hear your fingertips drumming in the desk.
It blocked the comment because of the word "socialism" in Ry's comment.
There's a joke in there, somewhere...
A hint! A hint!
For yesterday's Whatziss?
You guys are sniffing all around it - though many of you are *right* next to it - you are looking at it 3200 mils (180 degrees) off.
This hint is in keeping with that, in grammatical, if not rhetorical, terms.
I see Gwedd finally got it! Neffi knows his grenade butts, as he amply demonstrated.
This would have been clue #2 of the day, had it been needed.
But that's it - the ring puller used by Mills Bombers.
This one being a No 5.
Public Service Announcement:
Bored with the same old dull, sit-in-chairs-listening-to-bloggers-earnestly-discuss-how-important-they-are kind of conference? (Hey, I was there, I was as self-important as anyone, and lord the Press made sure we knew about YearlyKOS!)
Interested in attending about the most dangerous gathering of bloggers since YearlyKos? The Gunblogger Rendevous in Reno, Nevada! Well, dangerous if you're Sarah Brady, or The Senators SchuBoxerClinStein The pic says it all!. C'mon, Blogs, guns, booze, and gambling. Pretty much what we're fighting for around the globe, ain't it? At least *the bad guys" think so.
SWWBO and I are going to try to be there, too - client willing and the creek don't rise.
H/t to Ride Fast and Shoot Straight for the pic.
June 25, 2006
Otay - For a lazy Sunday while I paint...
...what used to be Prodigal Son's Crib, but will soon be the Armorer's Retreat, you guys can puzzle out this thingy.
Yes, it's on the web.
Last century, prior to 1950. This is a battlefield recovery.
Think expansively. Rapidly.
It's hard to see - but that straight part to the left ends in a hook.
.
Mebbe it's just Clobbering Time.
.
Just sayin'
.
"The Iraqis don't want Saddam back - they want the stability. But they want the stability without being fed into industrial chippers."
. -The Armorer, on Hugh Hewitt, 27 December 2006.
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