H&I* Fires, 7 APR 2007

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

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Toluca Nole sends us this:

From Marine Corps to teaching, his standards show he cared for kids

He was a big, broad-shouldered man, 20 years a Marine, three stints in Vietnam.

The gruff master sergeant had lots of opinions that he gladly shared, especially if they involved adults he disliked.

But Bruce Martin was different around kids, and they liked him for it.

He had a quick, booming laugh, a sincere interest in children and a desire to help them better their lives.

So he led Boy Scout troops, coached soccer and taught school.

"He loved being with kids," said his wife, Judy Martin. "He wanted to make a difference."

She was speaking before Bruce's funeral Wednesday. The Scenic Heights resident died Sunday of cancer. He was 67.

A life well lived, indeed. Read more about MSG(R) Martin here.

Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam.

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From CAPT H... Deteriorata. A little blast from the past. -the Armorer

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A Day in the life of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines.

A U.S. Marine from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit offloads a South Korean tank from USS Tortuga (LSD 46) April 1, 2007, in South Korea at the close of exercise Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integration/Foal Eagle 2007. The annual joint command post and field training exercise demonstrates U.S. resolve to support South Korea against external aggression while improving combat readiness and joint/combined interoperability. DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Brandon Myrick, U.S. Navy. (Released)

Except the "tank" isn't a tank. It's an M109-series 155mm Howitzer. Sigh. Captioners.

U.S. Marines and Navy Sailors receive training in martial arts while attending the Lioness Program in Al Asad, Iraq, March 29, 2007. The Lioness Program trains female military personnel in self-defense as well as the proper way to search female Iraqis. DoD photo by Sgt. James R. Richardson, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

From left, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Richard C. Kim talks with Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Corps - Iraq, and Brig. Gen. Ali Ibrahim Daboun, commander of the 8th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, outside the Sadr City Joint Security Station in Sadr City, Iraq, April 3, 2007. Odierno is meeting with Kim, Daboun, and the Sadr City Police Chief Col. Abdul Zahra Hamid Shimmari to discuss security operations in the area. Kim is commander of the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. DoD photo by Sgt. Curt Cashour, U.S. Army. (Released)

I can empathize with LTG Odierno. My helmet, which was custom-made because my head is bigger than the standard sizes allow for - it looks like it was pounded on my head, too. Whereas BG Daboun looks lost in his...

Water vapor forms around a U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptor as it maneuvers over the 42nd Naval Base Ventura County Air Show in Point Mugu, Calif., on April 1, 2007. DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason R. Williams, U.S. Navy. (Released)

U.S. Navy Fireman David Zavaleta says goodbye to a family member prior to boarding USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in San Diego, Calif., April 2, 2007. The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, Carrier Air Wing Eleven and Destroyer Squadron Group Twenty-Three are deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tiffini M. Jones, U.S. Navy. (Released)

H&I* Fires, 6 APR 2007

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

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Pentagon to alert National Guard troops.

If their assignment to Iraq is ultimately approved by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, it would be the first time full Guard combat brigades were sent back to Iraq for a second tour.

Whatever you think of what happened with the Brits the Iranians snatched - here's a bit of journalistic decision-making I can support:

Britain insisted the crew was on a routine operation when seized — but Sky News reported Thursday that Royal Marine Capt. Chris Air said in an interview days before his capture that his crew was gathering intelligence on Iran during their patrols. Sky said it held the interview because it thought it could hamper the crew's release.

Heh. Here's some tortured speaking from the FBI regarding their slain agent yesterday:

"Preliminarily, information suggests the agent may have been fatally wounded as a result of the accidental discharge of another agent's weapon during a dynamic arrest situation," the FBI said in a statement Thursday night.

Do official spokespeople go to class to learn to speak in that stilted a fashion?

A little video gun pr0n, via Strategy Page - the Battle of Haifa street. I just hope the guy firing the Barrett inside a building was wearing hearing protection.

Also from Strategy Page - a little old fashioned tactical intel work regarding the 'flak traps' that were scoring our helos:

American troops in Iraq figured out how Iraqi terrorists had managed to ambush American helicopters with heavy machine-guns and get away with it. The Iraqis had used trucks with the machine-gun mounted in the back, and a tarp over metal supports (a common feature of military trucks) to conceal the weapon. The tarp was rigged so it could be quickly pulled aside, as well as the metal supports for the tarp. This enabled the heavy machine-gun to immediately open fire. There were four of these trucks, and they roamed around areas that American helicopters were operating above. One of these trucks was spotted, with its machine-gun revealed, by a UAV, after informants indicated that this was probably the weapon responsible. U.S. intelligence then analyzed video and other data they had, and put more UAVs over areas believed frequented by the trucks. On the ground, intelligence operatives began beating the bushes for information on these mobile flak traps. Soon the four trucks were identified and, one by one, destroyed with smart bombs.

Read the rest here.

Lastly, Denizen Jim B of the fedora and Scoresby fame - takes on Congressman Dennis Moore (D, Kansas).

Okay I am banging a drum so sue me

Congressman Dennis Moore

He provided aid and comfort to terrorists by voting for the pork loaded supplemental bill for military spending. You know the one that the President warned them he would veto. The one that put a date certain on the pullout from Iraq and the one that gives hope to terrorists? Yea that one.

Well tonight he held a “Listening meeting on ‘No Child Left Behind’” because he definitely does NOT want to listen to questions on his vote on that junk bill. But that’s exactly why I was there. Ma was there too just in case I needed bail.

This would be where I note Jim has a son who's a soldier. Jim was a Marine. He has a son-in-law in the Army. Jim is also an educator and a Democrat. Jim's got some square shoulders in a round hole, don't he? Read the whole thing here. Just do it. It's fun.

Lastly, there's this:

Top-secret data on an advanced US military system was leaked because Japanese officers were swapping porn files at work, a newspaper said Thursday.

Snerk. Really, you can't make this up. -the Armorer.

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Because I miss football, have never cared for Baseball, and am currently appalled by whats going on down here in "Hawg Country" I present to you

Hog-Gate Part 1 and Hog-Gate Part 2

Will this be the end of Houston Nutt? Will Frank Boyles actually leave? Will the Hawgs actually do something besides the same play over and over next season? Did Nutt really have unauthorized *ahem* "workouts' with a local TV Anchorwoman? Find out on the next edition of "As the Hog Turns" (Sounds like a bad BBQ advertisement)
-BS

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Thought for the day:

"When I'm not on active duty, I dream about it." - Army Dr. (Col.) Everett Spees, 73, who treated Soldiers on the battlefields of Vietnam and is now back on active duty as a cardiothoracic surgeon in Landstuhl, Germany.

Word. -the Armorer

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Men in Black in Afghanistan

Who do you trust? Media or Military or none of the above?

For the conspiracist in you: Haliburton and KBR Split

You may remember this soldier from blackfive. Blackfive and many blogs pushed a fund raiser for this soldier to get his house built through "homes for our troops". It didn't help him adjust. Nothing did. In fact, his whole situation seems to have been compounded by living someplace that had never been good for him in the first place. And, I am not certain what story the NYT was trying to push because, in the end, it seemed this was about personal self-destruction, not about a failure of any part of the system. It did mention Rep. Murtha several times and that this young man's story is what made him "change his mind" about the war so long ago.

From that, with no disrespect, I often wonder if old war fighters are the best at determining our national security? As a recent post here said, how do you make appropriate national security decisions based on your feelings of guilt and regret? Particularly, for a war you fought a long time ago? While I've had harsh words for Rep. Murtha, I've also felt my own guilt because I feel like his decision making processes have been impaired by this previous experience. I am supposed to comprehend and have empathy for how it would shape his decision making. Yet, because I feel his actions are so egregious, I have a lot of difficulty feeling any empathy for his previous experience. And, maybe because I feel that way about Rep. Murtha, I may not have felt the sympathy I should have for this young man in the story. We are complicated beings, are we not?- Kat

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Here's a good rant for a Friday - Chuck suggests some ways to properly fund Military Healthcare.
- Barb

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The Brits and their Press Conference regarding the captured boarding party..

This is one reason you haven't seen me commenting on this. I just knew there had to be a backstory we were unaware of. I think Ralph Peters has done himself a disservice in his relentless bashing of the members of the boarding party, to include todays shrill screed - whatever merit there might be in his commentary on the Brit government's handling of the situation.

From Mario Loyola at National Review Online:

Released Brits give a Press Conference [Mario Loyola]

In a press conference just concluded in England, the recently released British sailors and marines cleared up several things. Right up front, the commander of the group said that no matter what we may have heard them say while in captivity, they were definitely in Iraqi waters when captured.

The senior Royal Marine officer shed light on the tactical situation: They were conducting the search of an unregistered transport vessel when they saw Iranian fast-boats approaching. They descended to their own boats, but were quickly surrounded by the Iranians, who came armed with heavy machine guns and RPGs. The sailors report that they were surrounded instantly and rammed several times; the Iranians trained their weapons on them and seemed very angry ("unstable" was a word one of the sailors used). It was the Royal Marine commander who realized that there was no option but to surrender – to fight back would have been suicide for many of them and would have caused an international crisis. Furthermore, the base ship HMS Cornwall could not have intervened to save them because the waters in which the incident occurred were too shallow. [Intervention was probably impracticable for other tactical reasons as well]. The sailors said several times that it was clear the Iranian operation had been well-prepared and had clear intent.

They soon found themselves bound and blindfolded and put up against a wall; when they heard weapons being cocked in the background, several of them thought they might be summarily executed. The sailors were blindfolded in solitary confinement almost the entire time. They were interrogated nightly, and told that if they didn’t admit wrongdoing and apologize they faced seven years in prison.

The female sailor was the particular target of abuse. She was told by her captors that all the rest of her comrades had been released, and for several days she thought she was alone in Iran.

In general, they were clearly angry at the Iranians, and lamented the whole ordeal as a “media stunt.”

Accessorizing in the Arsenal

As we've modfied our spendy-habits to allow us to do things like put Kid Through College, Pay Down Debt, and attend the Milblogger Conference, addition of firearms to the Arsenal Holdings has been greatly slowed.

I've contented myself with doing some accessorizing. In this case, the Castle's CUGR.

By adding a nice Saiga VEPR POSP 4x24 V range finder scope. I know, I know, stamped reciever rifle with a scope... better not bang it too much if I want it to hold its boresight.

For those with the bandwidth - here's a higher res version.

I've been slack on gun/militaria/ordnance pics of late. I'll try to make up for it.

The curious case of Specialist Town, continued.

If you need to catch up - click here for the original post.

In my post on the subject, I slapped around a lot of people, reserving especial contempt for the "Un-named Official" used as a source by Josh Kors, the author of the article.

Mr. Unamed Official Who Handles Discharge Papers? If he's done no more than act as Kor's source, then he's just a crapweasel, pure and simple. Unworthy of the soldiery he or she serves. The DA IG would take that complaint. His congressional delegation would take that complaint. And if their representation are Republicans, and Unamed Official believes that their CODEL wouldn't act on it - then any Democrat with an axe to grind for political gain (Representative Murtha or Waxman come to mind) would have been happy to latch on to it - and would probably also latch on to it just for the right reasons, with political gain being a nice side benny. So, Mr. or Ms. Unamed Official - if this was your first action in this saga - shame on you. You're a faithless servant. If you did the above and this was your last resort, fine. But if that's the case, somehow you neglected to inform Mr. Kors - or he thought that was unworthy to include in the tale. Which, given how juicy it would be... I doubt it.

Now while this is a mildly popular place to visit, posts like this just usually cause some head-nodding, the occasional comment, and are left up for Googlers to peruse, and that's the end of it. We have no delusions (well, tiny ones, anyway) of grandeur about our impact here, excepting as one more voice among many, the total cacophony of which sometimes drags eyes our way.

This time it was different. I was contacted. By Mr. Un-named Official.

Let me see if I can answer some of your questions and reply to your comments since I am the "Mr. Unnamed Official".

Let me give you a small portion of what personally happened to me. I am an Iraq War Veteran who came home from Iraq with many issues, one being mental related. So I too sought help from the Mental Health professions at the Army Hospital . On the first visit and within the first 15 minutes of the one on one with the Psyche I was told that I could be out of the Army within 2 weeks if I took a personality disorder discharge. I went home that evening and looked up AR 635-200 chapter 5-13 and read about it (being the army geek that I am). I went back the next day and told my doctor that I didn't feel that a personality disorder was what I had. My doctor immediately started the paperwork to begin the MEB process. 4 months later my 10 year military career came to an end with the PEB giving me a 30% disability rating which made me medically retired. I now receive half my base pay, all military installation benefits to include commissary and PX privileges and Tricare Prime for me and my family. Even though I will have this disability for the rest of my life, I find myself lucky that I went home that evening and read the regulation. Jon Town believed his doctor and chooses not to read the regulation. Jon Town was an infantry soldier who listens to his leaders, he was trained to listen and respond to orders. If someone tells him to do something, he does it. No questions asked. He trusted a doctor, a jag officer and his unit commander. All these people are part of the Discharge system.

After being discharged, I decided the only thing I knew was soldiering and I missed being around troops. So I went to work as an out processor. Myself and another 20 year retired veteran are the only two that do this part of the out processing here at our installation. We were both there the day Jon Town came in. The 20 year vet (Paul) was so disgusted when he heard Town's story and after taking care of more and more Iraq vets with personality disorders said to me "we need to do something about this".

I agree with you that their were many in-house organizations that this could have been brought to, but we felt it was better for the discharged soldier to tell the story rather than an employee of the Defense Department.

Josh Kors doesn't finish the story so let me. Jon Town went to his congressman who made this a big issue with my installation and the Pentagon. After many months of work, Jon Town's debt to the military was wiped away and he also received payment for Separation Pay due to the fact that he had served over 6 years and was involuntarily discharge. The Pentagon asked Town, in his words "To shut up about this", which obviously he didn't.

Paul and I give out the phone number of numerous Veterans Service Organizations and Veterans Advocacy agency to help these soldiers fix this issue. We also have helped some of these agency's fix this issue with the DOD. We have had numerous visits from Senator Kit Bond (R), Senator Barbara Boxer (D), and Senator Barrack Obama (D) who have come to fix this problem.

The number of personality disorders here at this installation has declined severely since Josh Kors started writing his piece. I know that the article was slanted and I tried to help Mr. Kors stay unbiased since this is not a political issue. I didn't know that it was going to be in the Nation (my fault, should have asked), I'd rather it had been on the cover of USA Today or Time. Something that has a better reputation than the obviously far-left leaning The Nation. Our sole purpose of getting this story out was to show the American people that we as a nation must take care of our Veterans. We owe it to every American hero.

Lastly, I would like to apologize for a few things. One, I wish Mr. Kors had understood or maybe I should have explained better the difference between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veteran Affairs. Second, I remain unnamed for selfish reasons, I need to feed my children and I just don't trust the Federal Government.

Hopefully you understand me a little more. Please feel free to ask me anything else.

This is why I put the "if" qualifiers in my screed. This is also an advantage of blogging, vice the newspaper and especially television. I can give this piece the same prominence as I did the original bit - without squeezing out other news, etc.

If you've got questions, ask them in the comments. I'll send the link to Mr. Un-named Official and see if he has any answers for you.

How Government Contracts Work

This one from Walt, one of the old farts former crewchiefs in the 162d AHC:

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Three contractors are bidding to resurface the Congressional Parking Lot -- one from Florida, another from Tennessee and the third, New Jersey. They go with a House official to examine the parking lot.

The Florida contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. "Well," he says, "I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me."

The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me."

The New Jersey contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the House official and whispers, "$2,700."

The official, incredulous, says, "You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?"

The New Jersey contractor whispers back, "$1,000 for me, $1,000 for you, and we hire the guy from Tennessee to do the work."

"Done!" replies the House official...

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Heh. Who sez I don't comment on political stuff?

News of the Kansas Guard.

Appropos of an entry in today's H&I Fires post about National Guard Brigades rotating back into Iraq...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 5, 2007
No. 07-045

35th DIVISION TO DEPLOY TO KOSOVO IN 2007; ADDITIONAL TROOPS ON ALERT FOR IRAQ

Approximately 200 soldiers of the 35th Division, headquartered in Leavenworth , will deploy to Kosovo later this year to become the headquarters unit for Task Force Falcon, a multinational peacekeeping force. The 35th Division includes soldiers from Kansas , Missouri and Illinois .

When the 35th Division soldiers mobilize in July 2007, they will go to Camp Atterbury , Ind. , for additional training before deploying to Kosovo for their year-long mission in the fall of 2007.

“The soldiers of the 35th Division served admirably as peacekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina back in 2003,” said Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the adjutant general. “Domestically, they served as the headquarters down in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, where they managed more than 15,000 soldiers and airmen from a number of National Guard units. These soldiers are capable, enthusiastic and dedicated to their mission of preserving freedom at home and abroad. I know they’ll take on this latest mission with that same degree of professionalism.”

Once in Kosovo, the 35th Division will become part of the Balkans Nine peacekeeping mission. The task force will include approximately 1,500 soldiers from the U.S. Army active component, Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

For its last deployment in 2003, the 35th Division was awarded the Army Superior Unit Award. Training for the Operation Enduring Freedom mission began in 2002 with approximately 1,500 soldiers from 23 states. The division assumed authority in Bosnia on March 23, 2003. Coinciding with NATO force reductions, the division entered the Bosnian mission as a Multi-National Brigade consisting of 1,500 U.S. soldiers and another 1,700 soldiers from NATO and other nations participating in the Bosnian peacekeeping mission. These included battalion size units from Russia , Turkey , Spain and Poland , and a tank company from Denmark . They completed a successful tour of duty in September 2003.

Iraq Deployments in 2008

The 35th Military Police Company, in Topeka is now alerted for deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit will leave within the next few months to begin training at Fort Dix before arriving in Iraq . They will take approximately 170 Soldiers, their entire company, with them. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 635th Armor will complete filling any positions that might remain.

Two other Kansas National Guard Units are on alert for a potential deployment to Iraq . Additional information will be released on the units and their deployment dates once military orders are received. Currently, approximately 850 Kansas National Guard soldiers are serving in Iraq . There are no Kansas Guard units in Kosovo at this time.

H&I* Fires, 5 APR 2007

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

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Over at Stop the ACLU - ACLU 1, Boy Scouts 1, the series continues.

A new American Legion Post, in Japan. SFC Paul Smith Post 2222. H/t, Hunter D.

This news just tickled CAPT H to no end.

Bob Owens takes on Montel Williams. I admit, I've never watched Mr. Williams, not being much interested in the whole "heart on my sleeve" genre of TV. I wear mine on the web... -the Armorer

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Just for the sake of doing something different here's a brief round up of some non-Denizen blogs I haunt/lurk/torment

Harvey gives the latest Bad Family Introduction

Noble Eagle says Stupid is as Stupid Says- I couldn't agree more

Red Georgia Clay has a good reason why a Man needs a good Wife

Conservative UAW Guy has a run down of a School invasion by Christians.....read it you'll understand. And I agree with him.

Nobody Move! points out something that happened yesterday that the Larger-Blogosphere missed. Me included

That 1 Guy is showing us pictures of Angels. I never knew he was so religious. Must be trying to make up for all those Jeebus cracks.

Thunder and Roses has an excellent screed on Cowardice
and the Internet. (Possibly not work safe. Watch your 6)

Commissar posts a video with some guy going nuts....and all the Commenters go nuts....me as well.

Triticale mentions illegal...furniture?

Lair of the Gecko apparently is in a killing mood

Val lets her dog goose the Fayetteville Mayor. Some would argue her dog should have bit him instead :)

Digger talks about Hugh Hewitt being a pain to Tancredo.

-BloodSpite
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Dude! Stope the /br abuse! Good round-up, though. - the Armorer

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Suddenly - the government makes sense. Sorta. But only if you aren't reading this aloud or something. H/t, Jim C. -the Armorer

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Patrick Lasswell: A Dormant Hell in Iraq. In some respects, what the insurgents are striving to restore, and we are working to prevent - by *either* side. -the Armorer

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If you read over at John's joint ops bunker (milblogs), you might remember the lady who was asking for rocks from every state to build a memorial garden for her son. It's completed and the story is here.

Hillary says we need a new GI Bill of Rights. (I wonder, of course, why we don't just enforce the old one?)

And, for those who are jonesing for a little more video action, check out the rescue of a kidnapped victim and the reaction of his family or scroll down to see the Nebraska National Guard at War (recommended - mature for language).

And Soldiers' Angels European Command is chock full of good stuff this morning. In case you've forgotten about our allies, two German Sailors receive medals for Operation Enduring Freedom.

NATO Training Mission - Iraq: the Italians are there.

The french are there: ("les pistards" = ground crew?)

Finally, something that we missed here previously: Last surviving WWI Female US Veteran died at 109. I don't know where John keeps the bugler, but feel free to dance in memorium.

-kat
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A Correction of a correction. (Think Kat inadvertently removed John's update with Harvey's post so I get to redeem myself by putting it back up here :) )

Harvey's Famous I am Huff Po a beautiful nose thumbing at Huffington Posts' rant regarding Malkin and the John Doe Project

Go Get'em Harv!

-BS

[Indeed! Rude wench! -the Armorer]

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PS I demand a recount! - A Very Frazzled BS who is flailing around the yard to drag all the plants under cover like mad.....
Update: Too Late! It's here.......What happened to Spring?

Charlotte Winters, Last Post.

Kat mentioned it in the H&I Fires today, but I thought she deserved a post of her own.

The last surviving female World War I veteran, Charlotte Winters, died March 27 in Boonsboro, Md. She was 109 years old.

Winters served in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a yeoman, including service at a gun production facility at the Washington Navy Yard. She continued to work for the Navy in Washington until her retirement in 1953.

The Naval Reserve Act of 1916 enabled the Navy to begin enlisting women in mid-March 1917. Nearly 600 were on duty by the end of April 1917. That number grew to more than 11,000 by December 1918, shortly after the armistice. These women were popularly known as ‘Yeomanettes.’

They all held enlisted ranks and served in support positions, mainly secretarial and clerical, and almost all served in the U.S. Many worked in government and naval offices, in defense companies and hospitals. They were all released from active duty in July 1919. Two of them ultimately became Naval officers in the Reserve, Capt. Joy Bright Hancock and Lt. Eunice Whyte.

Funeral services were held on Friday in Boonsboro, Md., with interment following at the Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Frederick, Md.

The U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard presented military honors during the interment ceremony.

2LT John T. Donovan, Field Artillery, National Army of the United States, no doubt pulled her up a chair at Fiddler's Green.

Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam.

Heh. But where's the official blogger?

April 4, 2007

Sebelius appoints congresswoman, representative of Army Secretary to Governor’s Military Council

Expanding the range of expertise available to the group, Governor Kathleen Sebelius has appointed Congresswoman Nancy Boyda and Mark Edwards, an aide to the Secretary of the Army, to the Governor’s Military Council.

“ Kansas has a long, proud military tradition. We’re home to several key bases and thousands of veterans. The Governor’s Military Council is working hard to make Kansas a great place for current and retired military personnel to live, as well as to welcome the new military families who are arriving at our bases. These two new members of the council, Rep. Boyda and Mr. Edwards, will help us continue these very successful efforts,” said Sebelius.

Boyda, Topeka , represents Kansas ’ Second District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Edwards, Junction City , serves as one of two civilian aides to the U.S. Secretary of the Army for Kansas .

The Governor’s Military Council was formed by executive order in January 2006. It’s composed of no more than thirty members, all appointed by the Governor, and is currently chaired by former Lieutenant Governor John E. Moore. Base and post commanders serve as ex-officio members.

The council develops and implements strategies to optimize the military presence in Kansas and works to foster close, effective cooperation among the installations, the public and the private sectors. The council also aims to enhance the quality of life for all military personnel, both active and retired, while promoting Kansas as a desirable location for all Department of Defense retirees.

Finally, the council develops opportunities for individuals retiring from military service to use their talents and skills as members of the Kansas workforce.

Members of the council serve at the pleasure of the Governor, receive no compensation, subsistence allowance, mileage or expenses from the State of Kansas and meet upon the call of the chairperson.

What I wanna know is... when do I get appointed as the Military Blogger to the Council?

I raised the issue with the PAO person who sends me these releases (Missouri Adjutant General take notice - Kansas treats bloggers better than you do, so they get more exposure, eh?). Her response was *not* encouraging...

LOL. I wouldn't hold my breath on that one!

Yeah, prolly so. But.. Here's the Governor's Executive Order regarding the Council.

Section 4 being the relevant one:

The Council's duty will be to initiate, act upon and consider all necessary strategies to:

Optimize the military presence in Kansas through removal of operational impediments, increasing operating efficiencies, and recruitment/acquisition of new missions and force structure;

Actively foster close, effective cooperation among the installations and public and private sectors throughout the State;

Aggressively pursue initiatives to enhance the quality of life for all military personnel, active and retired;

Promote Kansas as a desired location for all Department of Defense retirees;

Assist in the transfer of technology between the military and the private sector to enhance the competitive posture of both in the national and global market;

Explore and develop outreach opportunities for individuals retiring from military service to use their talents and skills as members of the Kansas workforce;

Assist in the development, coordination and execution of strategy required by any future change in missions proposed by the Department of Defense.

Hmmm. I was stationed here, twice, once at each Army base in Kanas. Lived here as a family member, twice, again, at each Army base in Kansas. I'm retired. I live in a military city. I work in the private sector, for a firm that does both public and private sector work. I'm in the American Legion. I'm a disabled veteran, member of the DAV. I'm a leader in my community and the region (via my Rotary and charity work). And my Google page rank is the same as the Governor's (a 6) and better than the Adjutant General's (a 5)...

And I'm one of the biggest bloggers in Kansas and the biggest milblogger. (Yeah, yeah, like being a catfish in a goldfish bowl, I know).

Seems like a slam-dunk to me!

News from CENTCOM.

The headlines are links.

Bush - Troops’ Hard Work in Iraq Will Impact the World

Gates - Still ‘So Far, So Good’ in Iraq

Baghdad Surge Produces Early Successes, Official Says

Delay in War Funds Will Hurt Military Readiness, Morale Says Bush

CENTCOM Chief Visits Afghanistan, Meets With Military Leaders

General Petraeus Goes to Market

Iraqi citizens aid security forces

Iraqi, U.S. Soldiers bring smiles to schools

Afghan government, Coalition partners aid flood victims in Laghman

Iraqi Police Graduates Key to the Future

The Rock Fort Files, Part Trois

Oh-kayyy, continuing the tour (and referencing some of the comments) from the intro and part two, I showed you the business end of the murder holes above the drawbridge (and which are also featured along the Watch Wall). However, they are *holes* and you wouldn't want your fellow defenders stepping into one while performing guard duty at o'dark thirty, right? To preclude that, you pop murder hole covers on top of 'em. No big deal, until you get to a staircase, right?

Nope. Still no big deal. Just takes a tad more wood.

Okay, looks like everybody's got the theory and practical application (open cover, peer into hole -- if hostile person appears, drop something heavy or sharp on him) of murder holes.

Next up, embrasures. Holes piercing the defensive walls to allow the use of projectile weapons.

Comme çi...

All the embrasures at La Rochepot were originally designed for use with crossbows or arbalests, and when the hand-gonne arrived, said embrasures had to be modified to accommodate the difference in diameter between a quarrel and a barrel.

They kept the organic bench rest, though.

Hey, kat! This is what a firing port looks like from the *other* side. The extension leaf is original hardware, the staple and retaining pin aren't. Note the triangular opening which allows you to snipe with a crossbow. Pop the port open and you can snipe with a field piece.

A castle's gotta have a donjon, right? In this case, in 1789 or so, the representatives of Liberty, Fraternity and Political Correctness decreed that the donjon had to go. It was plainly a remnant of the aristocracy (despite an ancestral demonstration of Fashion Courage) and, worst of all, it was visible to the townsfolk -- a quotidian reminder that there was -- ummmmm -- a *castle* on top of the hill.

So, they started tearing it down.

Got it 90% demolished and then some unsung genius said, "Hey, if we're gonna turn this place into a tourist attraction two hundred years from now, we've gotta have a donjon for that certain castle je ne sais quoi." Unfortunately, the stone had already gone south to build a manse or a barn or something. So, since they had no hope of restoring the donjon with it's original stone, the baronial (but egalitarian) descendants stuck up a sign saying, "Yeah, this used to be the donjon. Anything else on your mind?"

The present descendants are usually out of town during tourist season. Something about harvesting chips in Monaco...

All righty, then -- to the comments.

Barb, I'm sorry, but I couldn't get into the dungeon -- the door was blocked with comic books, mostly old Asterix and Obelix and pre-1978 Métal Hurlant.

However, I wandered out along the moat (it's *dry*, remember?) and got this shot...

Cricket - the kitchen's thirty feet wide and extends for most of the length of the east wall, which is probably seventy feet long. Five stoves and a scad of copperware.

NevadaDailySteve - If there was ever any stained glass in the chapel windows, it fell victim to the ages, but there's more edged weaponry in the armory and barracks than you can shake a stick at -- although our cute li'l tour guide said that most of the goodies were sold off in the 1960's to defray operating expenses. No interior pix allowed -- they sell 'em in the gift shop, though, to take care of those pesky operating expenses. Along with miniature knights, field pieces and toy Airbus A-380s. *shrug*

BCR - No Albigensians were harmed during the production of this post. Final editing was accomplished using recycled carbon-neutral electrons. Ummmm -- just don't ask about the balrog and methane, okay?

Murray - A castle isn't *quite* like a monastery. Monasteries don't generate Comment Parties and Castles *do*. As in, below. At least, I *think* it's a Comment Party -- they're obviously communicating...

Warning: Extremely Work Unsafe, unless you happen to work at the National Gallery, the Tate, the Guggenheim, the Louvre...

The "miscegenation of military awards" week continues...

First it's Kiwis getting US medals. Now it's an American getting a Brit medal.

BZ, Major Chesarek!

Marine Receives Distinguished Flying Cross at Buckingham Palace From DefenseLink By Gunnery Sgt. Donald E. Preston, USMC Special to American Forces Press Service LONDON, March 23, 2007 – A U.S. Marine appeared before Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace March 21 to receive the United Kingdom's Distinguished Flying Cross for saving lives and in recognition for his bravery during combat operations in Iraq.

Marine Maj. William D. Chesarek Jr., is the first U.S. servicemember to be so honored since World War II.

Assigned as an exchange officer with the Royal Air Force's 847th Naval Air Squadron, Commando Helicopter Force, based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset, England, the U.S. Marine flew the RAF’s Lynx Mk7 helicopter -- the aircraft he used to dodge insurgent's bullets and rocket-propelled grenades.

Through flight school training at Pensacola, Fla., and Corpus Christi, Texas, he mastered the Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter -- a two-seater armed with Hellfire, Sidewinder and Sidearm missiles.

Marine Maj. William Chesarek displays the Distinguished Flying Cross he received from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, March 21. Photo by Sgt. Mick Howard

When he joined the RAF squadron in 2005, he traded in the Super Cobra for the Lynx.

"It's a very agile aircraft," said Chesareck, whose call sign is “Punchy.” "Its maneuverability is significantly enhanced, compared to a Cobra. It's like comparing a Mustang to a Porsche. They're both great, but different."

Flying the evening of June 10, 2006, Chesarek was providing radio communication relay for British ground troops conducting a company-sized search operation near Amarah, Iraq. Listening to radio transmissions, he overheard that a vehicle involved in the operation had became disabled and a crowd of insurgents was firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at the company.

According to his award citation, "Chesarek elected to fly low over the area in an attempt to distract the crowd and if possible, to engage the insurgents." Because the crowd was so close to the ground troops, instead of engaging his machine gun, he "opted instead to provide bold, harassing, very low level flight over the area in an attempt to disperse the crowd."

However, radio traffic from the ground told Chesarek he was now the target and was drawing small-arms fire, and that a rocket-propelled grenade had just passed the rear of his aircraft.

The rest is in the Flash Traffic/Extended Entry

H&I* Fires, 4 APR 2007

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

You're advertising here, we should get an ad at your place...

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If Novosti isn't the Russian equivalent of the Onion - then this is Good Reason #44 to own a MANPAD (Man portable air defense missile - i.e., Stinger). H/t, Dusty.

Chuck, over at From My Position, expresses his frustration (okay, it goes beyond that) with a proposed gun registration scheme introduced into the Pennsylvania Legislature (by some people who apparently are unable to look north at the fiasco that is the Canadian attempt to do the same thing). Good thing he stuck the disclaimer in at the end.

Captain Ed points out that the UN is at least an accomplice-after-the-fact in the Nork counterfeiting scheme. It's time for the UN to go the way of the League of Nations - and try to build a better mousetrap. Just as the UN incorporated changes from lessons learned regarding the League, so to a replacement organization could benefit from some changes. Not that it's ever going to happen, any more than the UN will ever reform itself from within.

Don Surber points out a Compassionate Conservative (and a little irony, too). H/t these three, Fuzzybear, who had an early day today. -the Armorer

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Austin Bay on Marc Danziger (Armed Liberal at Winds of Change) on Iraq:

"As most of you know, I'm a liberal Democrat (pro-gay marriage, pro-choice, pro-progressive taxation, pro-equal rights, pro-environmental regulation, pro-public schools) who supported and supports the war in Iraq. As I tell my liberal friends, "Did I miss the part where it was progressive not to fight medieval religious fascists?"

I think that is going to make it into the notable quotes on the sidebar. Read the rest here at Strategy Page.

The Castle is targeted by Dangerous Kiwis. -the Armorer

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Boo-ya! Gimme summa dis!

WASECA, Minn. -- A family's plan to open an obstacle course for tanks and other armored vehicles on the outskirts of Waseca has some neighbors concerned.

Tony Borglum and his family want to let customers drive tanks, scout cars and armored personnel carriers through an obstacle course that would likely feature small hills and varying terrain, according to their application for a permit from Waseca County.

Borglum said he got the idea after visiting a similar course in England last summer.

"Driving them around was a lot of fun and there was a lot of people doing it," he said. "Businessmen, bankers and kids were all doing it and having a good time."

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Putting together the "Wednesday Heroes" post, I came across a little blurb over at the the central dump that "Killer Chick" was being awarded the distinguished flying cross (four years after the fact - wheels of the military do grind very, very slow. In light of the post below, small complaint regarding why our heroes don't get much media time. By time you give them the medal, the whole story is sort of moot; might want to speed that up just a little - info war and all that). More on "Killer Chick"

Lots of chatter about changing ROE for British after the kidnappings. I disagree. Most likely change will come to the SOP. Like treating all boardings as "routine" and sending the over sight flight away? Gone.

The Brits are being released per Iran. A gift. In exchange for? Probably won't be known for awhile. Crazy AJ says it's on account of Mohammed's Birthday and the "passing of Christ" this week. More like the passing of the buck (like economic guarantees) though what exactly occured in the "direct talks" is unknown. Press notes "oil prices drop" after release. For a few days anyway.

Why are there so few MIA and POW in this war? Are we that good? Or, are they that bad?

Latest round of Economic Warfare about to commence. Chavez will be nationalizing his oil shortly and the Ayatollah sent "Mohammed's Birthday" message to the people in which he uses the words "economic warfare" at least four times. Guess he gets it. Round up of links and story here

Finally, if you miss being shot at by the enemy, here's some video to chill your jones (h/t Instapundit)

-Kat

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I've simply *got* to check my AKO mail earlier in the day.

Do you remember the flap last year when the U of Washington denied (with some idiotic libtard language) a request to build a memorial to Pappy Boyington? Well, they decided instead to build a memorial to all 7 Husky Medal of Honor winners. And they need $100,000 to make it happen.

Go here to donate. For today (4 Apr) only, if you put "KVI" (local talk radio station, if it matters) in the comments box, your donation will be matched, up to $25,000 in total donations matched.

Thanks for the help.

The Heartless Libertarian

Act as you see fit. The Castle made a donation of 3 digits to the left of the decimal. -the Armorer

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