You're advertising here, we should get an ad at your place...
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On 9 May, I ran a request for assistance:
A request for assistance:Dustoff339C has responded. Unfortunately, I was a little too zealous in cleaning up my email - so, Scott - if you are still checking, please send me your contact info which I will forward to Dustoff339C at his request.I must try to communicate if possible to Dustoff 339C, an old army medic as he calls himself. I was really screwed over by LTG Kiley personally and would like for this guy to email me at this email address. PLEASE! It would be so great to get in touch with this person as I could use a ltter of support right now to clear my name. Scott (Doc in New York)
Moving on - Dusty notes this story in the Canadian press, about "Springtime in Islamberg" a place in the United States. A tale of separation. Blackfive notes a tale of assimilation, Pakistan-born Commander Kahn assuming command of a Navy squadron - but he's got some commenters who see a bogeyman behind every Koran.
The military has banned You-tube and MySpace access from .mil domains. My checking with PAO people indicates it's a bandwidth issue... although they do acknowledge an OPSEC side-benny (one rather suspects that 1st IO sees it in reverse terms). The Army PAO says the order will not affect the on-base Internet cafe's CONUS/OCONUS or deployed. I am also moved to note that many businesses do the same thing for exactly the same reasons - productivity, bandwidth, and security. Nonetheless - there is an irony to it... will the ban apply to MNF-Iraq and their very own YouTube site? Just curious. -the Armorer
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Yesterday, I got an email from Dave the Heartless Libertarian - about a tough week for Fort Lewis.
Also, PGR spotting yesterday...Ft Lewis-based units have lost 9 soldiers in the last week, with 7 of those belonging to the last line battalion I was assigned to, 5-20 IN (Sykes Regulars) of the 3-2 SBCT. Six of those soldiers were killed in a single IED attack, and were all from the same squad. Because so many were lost in a single attack, the memorial service had to be moved from the usual location in the Main Post Chapel to Soldiers' Field House, the biggest gym on post.
The other two casualties were from 1st SFG and 4-2 SBCT, that brigade's first since they arrived in country.
Saturday morning when I was taking the boys to get their hair cut (yes, both my sons have high and tights) I noticed a few motorcycles, one sporting a Patriot Guard Rider sticker. Didn't think much of it, figuring they were just part of the regular contingent that waves flags in support of the troops from the Berkeley Ave overcrossing.
About an hour later, leaving the PX parking lot, there was an MP car sitting in the first intersection, although the signal was working and the LT standing by the car wasn't doing much, just staring down 41st Division Rd in the direction of the airfield. There was another MP vehicle in the next intersection, this guy actively directing traffic.
Then, as I passed through the main gate, about a dozen bikes pulled out of the post permit office parking lot right in front of me, joining another dozen or so waiting on the I-5N ramp. That's when it clicked-there must have been a funeral, with the deceased being buried at Mt Tahoma National Cemetary. And the PGR guys don't have post passes, so they use that parking lot as their 'attack position,' so to speak, for the ride north.
God Speed, guys.
Godspeed, indeed. -the Armorer
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Bill, over at INDC Journal - on one way the media gets it wrong, unintentionally, one wire report at a time. -the Armorer
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Update on Fort Lewis, Heartless Lib sends:
Note: the memorial service for the six soldiers from 5-20 killed in the IED attack on 6 May will be held today at 1500 in Soldiers' Field House on Fort Lewis.
-the Armorer
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Denizen Alan of GenX@40 has a fascinating post of blogging, consequences, and consequential actions. -the Armorer
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Goodness. The Neocons and the President have lost Grouchy Old Cripple Denny on the war in Iraq. Though not in the manner you might expect. -the Armorer
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]]> *A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires.Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute.
*Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is*
The UAVs (oops, can't call 'em UAVs anymore - they're now Unmanned Aerial Systems... some Colonel got his Legion of Merit for that change...), er, um UAS's we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now.
I call the post that because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to. It's also an open trackback, so if someone has a post they're proud of, but it really isn't either Castle kind of stuff, or topical to a particular post, I've basically given blanket permission to use that post for that purpose. Another term of art that might be appropriate is "Free Fire Zone".
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