June 30, 2007
H&I* Fires, 30 JUN 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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In honor of BloodSpite’s campaign against the immigration reform bill I present Tapscott’s post about the effect of the New Media on policy debate.
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A sign that some of the positives in Iraq are actually making print media is this story, “Half of Baghdad Now Under Control” in USA Today. The ‘Surge’ is in progress. And why do we still keep calling it that? The surging part ended when last unit was on station. Now they are onto some other element of an operational plan. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. At least the ‘escalation’ tag some wanted to hang on this didn’t really stick. (h/t Dunnigan’s FYEO group)
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According to some turnabout on obstructionism isn't fair play. Cry me a freakin' river.
--ry
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'Tis done.
We've got the keys to the Castle.
And the ranges are open.
Pistol...
Rifle...
There's splashes of lead, bits of copper, GSR, and casings all over the place now. I've marked my territory.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
And SWWBO can knock an item off of her list: owning a farm.
A big thank you to Mike, our agent, Karen, the listing agent, our new neighbors, Cheryl and Allan, Dewayne for the work he did, and Karen the mortgage lender for making this all easy.
But most importantly, thanks to Floyd & Doris Camp, for making this place what it is - and Mom and Dad, for making our assumption of the feoffe-in-trust possible.
June has been a damn good month for this place. Dusty got his new rating, Bill got his new job, and we got a new Castle. Woot!
A report from Remodel He11 and a note on genetics.
My sister's live-in remodel continues. I was going to say, "apace" but this is anything *but* "apace." It does have a pace, but it ain't a real fast one.
When last I wrote, a hole had been started in my yard. The next day the hole was made larger. That also meant that two mountains of dirt from the hole had been constructed on the lawn. Who needs grass anyway? A small amount of lumber had also appeared.Then.…..they went away. No activity for two days (really four because of the weekend).
On Monday, two guys came and put a couple of stakes in the hole. Then they left and didn’t come back. I hope they get paid by the job.
On Tuesday, a bunch of guys came and pounded stakes into the bottom of the hole, wound some strings around the stakes, poked some new rebar in the dirt, and created a form for the foundation. I don’t know how long they were there, but at least there was some progress.
On Wednesday, a cement mixer came. They put a pipe up over my roof and dumped cement into the bottom of the hole and filled the forms. You know what Dodger did when that happened. The trend is strengthening.
On Wednesday evening, it began to rain. A lot. It rained a lot all night long and into the morning. When we arose this morning, we had a lovely cement pond surrounded by a muddy moat, ringed by eroding mountains of dirt. But we have the beginnings of a foundation, so all is good.
For those who have been following this saga, and remember the discussion of the pile of rebar snakes, concrete, and how delicate certain strains of grass are to be mauled by a bobcat - here's proof.
Moving on to genetics, or "The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree." The Castle Guard Force consists of the Exterior Guard, a force of two dogs scrup'ls and the 8 felines who consitute the Interior Guard. All are foundlings of one sort or another. I used to wonder if there was a marking on my forehead which reads "sucker" in Cat and Dog.
Heh. It's either that or a pheromone or something. Why do I say that? This note from the Armorer's Father will explain:
There is a new resident in the old house. Dee Corn called me Tuesday evening upset about a kitten that was living in her back yard. Very young and constantly crying. Her two dogs were not pleased, but she was slipping water and milk to the creature. She called for advice but and before I could think of a good excuse to avoid it she was at my door with this very young teeny black and white fluff ball.The kitty decided I was mama. climbed up my leg using ice climbing crampons and stuck her nose in my eye, mewing pitifully.
Of course she spent the night, much to the disgust of my other two housemates. She slept with me, or to be more accurate, we occupied the bed together. She cried most of the night resting on my chest. Damncat wouldn't speak to me (except at meal time) and Biby was an aggressively nasty hostess.
Yesterday was the first window replacement day so I spent most of the day trying to keep the animals from escaping and keeping the little one away from the feet of the workmen.
Last night was calm. The crying had stopped, but I still had a little body clinging to me most of the night.
Today Damncat has adopted his the "if I ignore it will go away" stance, but the BIB is still hissing & growling & sputtering. She blames me of course & won't let me come close except to fill her dish.
We have an appointment with John Williams tomorrow.
I have tentively named fuzzball Elizabeth - Lizzie for short, at least until I can come up with more appropriate like fuzzball or darned cat or needlefoot (I look like a drug addict)
You can also see where I learned my naming conventions. Given we have cats named Barnacle, Little Girl, Rest Stop... And Dad had one named Noname... Damncat is pretty obvious - but Biby (more correctly, the acronym BIB) - well, that's short for Bitch In the Basement.
And she is.
But she's family. And now, so is Lizzie. That little pointy-ended fluffball doesn't know how good she's got it.
Propsicle
I didn't get the chance to wander through the official museums at Bragg, but the unofficial ones kept the trusty digicam busy.
Stuff like this.
For the grognards with dialup, shoot me an e-mail and I'll send you the hi-res (they're a tad large). For everybody else, the profile ("Ooooh! *Rivets*...") and a fairly unusual nose-on shot.
Oh, for the good ol' days of authorized personal markings...
Hurry Up and Wait. Postscript (Maybe)
Your Horoscope for Today, Virgo: Today is not an auspicious one for travel plans, especially if they involve a distant destination.
Okay, thanks to a certain major carrier cancelling a buncha flights ("We can get you as far as Charlotte or Atlanta, but then you'll have to take a cab to Jersey..."), my original 10-day sojourn south of Messrs Mason 'n' Dixon's chalk line has turned into a fortnightly foray. And still no luck on the elusive Flyable AH-1F.
*grump*
I'd have paid more attention to that horoscope, but us Virgos are notoriously skeptical -- as well as being passionate, artistically-inclined lovers who are totally devoid of a sense of humor. Ummm -- waitaminnit. I misread this -- Jupiter's in trine, Saturn's in the parking lot and Mercury's in Chinese tuna. So, ix-nay on the assion-pay.
Especially since my present domicile isn't within walking distance of anything but the parking lot of the mall, and *that* closed at 8pm due to electrical storms.
I sense something otherworldly about this.
A touch from the Beyond.
The hand of...
...Carborundum.
Hmmpf -- I'll remember this, dude (unless that short-term memory deal kicks in, anyway). Think you got nonplussed in Nam Can? Messed up at Moc Hoa? Upset in the U Minh? Once I get Cobra Current, you'd better have those newbies primed to hit the ground at a flat-out, dead run, bruddah!
*grin*
I can see the pinion-flurry now...
June 29, 2007
H&I* Fires, 29 JUN 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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A sign of something that looms over the horizon: Putin lays claim to vast chunk of the Arctic. Right of way, territorial claims, and such that result from accessibility gained by receding polar ice are issues that are being argued right now in many places.
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Heh. I know the feeling. The left lane’s the passing lane and not the ‘I’m too lazy to pay attention to changes in traffic so I’ll just sit here’ lane.
But then there’s the problem of the jackalope who comes screaming down the road at 90mph and just expects you to get out of his way, traffic or no, and then tailgates you flashing their headlights and such.
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This sucks. VBIED have gone to London. JRobb’s Bazaar of Violence sounds more and more reasonable all the time, regardless of TDAXP’s slagging the idea.
--ry
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Two items for your consideration, whose only connection is that they both involve special forces:
- Facta Non Verba - which, if you remember your Latin, means they won't talk about it
- Odourless underwear is worth the money
- Damian
Update: I've been able to find out some additional information on the decorated SOF members (cleared through the appropriate official channel), which I've posted as an update to the Facta Non Verba link. I'll admit I was surprised to find out one of the soldiers recognized was a female member of CANSOFCOM, and that the citations themselves will remain sealed for at least twenty years.
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Perspective is everything...
"Congratulations, you passed."
Sweet words after two months of training for a type rating in the MD-11. 215 tons of airplane controlled by my left hand...typing commands into the Multifunction Control Display Unit. Of course, if two engines decide to explode shortly after takeoff there's a little hand flying involved but hey, whatever it takes.
So... it's off to IOE--Initial Operating Experience--flying revenue trips with a check airman watching me trying my best not to kill both of us and giving me official blessing to "fly the line," i.e., be a regular crew member along with the rest of the anointed.
Got some pretty important guidance from the evaluator after the check, too.
"OK, once I input into the system the fact that you passed the check, go to the website and order your catering for the Hawaii trip."
"Say what?" (I knew my first ride was to Honolulu but this subtle nuance escaped me up to that time.)
"You know, what you want to eat on the flight."
"Uhh, OK."
New bean logs on to the pilot website...
Ah, there's a hot link to "International Catering"...lessee what pops up...
Two (not one, two) meals listed: Hot dinner; Hot breakfast. Choices...the stuffed halibut looks nice...or do I want barbecue? Salad choices, beverage choices, a list two pages long.
Gawd. I knew I bid this jet for a reason. That and the pay raise, a'course.
Knuckle-draggin' Hawg driver dies and goes to heaven--nice food, nice destinations, nice hotels, flying airplanes--JUST flying airplanes, no OERs to write, no dumb-ass projects to do, no all-nighters to pull. Show up, fly, leave.
The flying is as much computer management as it is stick and rudder because flying a behemoth is taxing when you do it for an hour, much less eight, and it's more fuel-efficient if you let Betty do most of the mundane maneuvering. Besides, this jet was designed for passenger comfort. God forbid the martinis are spilled in First Class 'cause an engine quit, so the autopilot and flight director systems are pretty cosmic.
Granted, these carry boxes but why rip out all the cool automation? OK, fine. We all gotta make sacrifices.
Me? I'll hand fly it on depature and approach as much as they'll let me but it's nice to know that, launching out of London in weather that makes it difficult to find your hand at the end of your arm, you can hit that "Autoflight" tile (yeah, "tile," not "button"--whatever) and Betty nails all the headings, altitudes and airspeeds while you sit back and just, well, watch.
Anyway, I ain't done yet...two more trips culminating in a line check, but it sure beats sitting in a cubicle staring at the ceiling.
Would I trade it for a Hog assignment? If the nation called, I would go without hesitation.
But there is life after the speed jeans (G-suit) are hung on the peg for the last time and trust me when I say I don't feel guilty enjoying the new lifestyle.
Let's have some fun.
It's going to be a busy day. We close on the new demesne this afternoon.
Which means rounds downrange this evening!
While we wait for that... caption this:
And SWWBO is soliciting suggestions and advice.
Yeah, I know, this place is supposed to be a milblog... but I gotta have *fun* too!
Ah, cruel fate.
I coulda been a data collector on this exercise... had the war not changed the schedules.
SHOALWATER BAY, Australia (June 26, 2007) An Australian army Soldier fires his weapon during a training exercise in support of Exercise Talisman Saber 2007 (TS07). TS07 is designed to enhance the combat readiness and interoperability between U.S. and Australian military forces, is conducted in Australia and focuses on crisis action planning and execution of contingency response operations. This biennial event is the largest-ever joint/combined training exercise in the region consisting of more than 9,000 U.S. and 7,500 Australian personnel conducting land, sea and air evolutions. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James E. Foehl
Hurry Up and Wait, Part Deux
Well, today was "Draw the Last of the Flight Gear" Day. While popping a pair of new boots, two sand-colored T-shirts, a set of gloves, et cetera into a shopping cart that had never seen actual sunlight, a late-twentysomething A-10 driver eyed my lanky, grey-haired carcass and fished, "Going to the Sandbox?"
"Ummmm -- the periphery of one of 'em, yeah."
"Hauling people or cargo? Or both?"
Heh. Time to play the "My Ops Are Blacker Than Your Ops" game.
"Neither. Gunships."
*eyes opening wider* "Whoa! You're flying Spectre?"
"Nope. Cobras. Goggle stuff."
"Cobras? *Helicopters*?"
"Yeah. I like to get close enough to see the look on their faces."
*blink* "Uhhhhh."
*grin*
New kids. I love it when they go speechless...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
However, karma must equalize, so my payback was that the Cobra I was supposed to fly for recurrent training isn't flyable anymore. Got feelers out to the usual places (there actually *are* a couple of de-mil'ed Cobras with civil registrations out there), but in the meantime, my employer decided -- and rightly so -- that
1. it would be a waste of funds to keep me cooped in a motel here in the scenic South and
2. my scrounging talents would be better utilized at the personal level, rather than electronically.
Yup. I have a mission (and contacts) to obtain some unobtainables. Still working the telecommuting details, but tomorrow this afternoon, I launch into the Danger Zone.
New Jersey.
And KtLW's honeydew list.
I'd almost rather be getting shot at...
Kansas Casualty.
TRANSITION TEAM OFFICER KILLED IN AFGHANISTANCaptain Darrell C. Lewis, 31, died of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgents using rocket propelled grenades, mortars and small arms fire June 23 in Vashir City, Afghanistan.
Lewis was a mobilized Army Reserve air defense artillery officer serving on a transition team assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. His home of record is Washington D.C.
He entered the Army Reserve in June 2002 and deployed with the 1st Infantry Division transition team in January 2007. This was his first deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
To date, 114 Fort Riley Soldiers have been killed while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Hoist your tankards, lads and lasses - Duck Hunter *fighting as Infantry* inbound to Fiddler's Green.
Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance. In Memoriam.
June 28, 2007
H&I Fires, June 28, 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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Today is Crime Day! Because that's what was in my email, mostly...
CAPT H sends, "Granny, get your gun!" Granny's got some pretty harsh ROE! I hope that second shot doesn't land her in jail.
Lou M. sends us this about an auld Marine who didn't need a gun to deal with his perp.
Jack Lewis has some things he wonders about... some examples:
Why after serving two terms in the House of Representatives and eight years in the Senate, Dan Quayle was considered "unqualified" to serve as Vice-President by much of the Media Elite, yet after serving only two years in the Senate, Barack Obama's qualifications are never questioned by those same Media Elite?If when I assemble a jigsaw puzzle of the Mona Lisa, I can't then claim I painted the Mona Lisa, why do companies buy parts from overseas, pay Americans to put the parts together, and then claim it was "Made in America"?
Why are Bill Maher, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert allowed to say as reprehensible and as outrageous stuff as they want, but Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh are almost daily excoriated for stuff nowhere near as offensive?
Check out his others, here.
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Speaking of prosecutors being blinded by the kliegs... Fitzgerald (who at least got a reluctant conviction in a Martha Stewart-esque display of prosecutorial zeal), that idiot Nifong, now let us add... Ronnie Earl and his pursuit of Tom DeLay.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals today refused to reinstate criminal conspiracy charges against former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and two co-defendants.-the ArmorerDeLay, R-Sugar Land, and political consultants Jim Ellis and John Colyandro were accused of conspiring to violate state election laws in the 2002 elections for the Texas House. But lower courts threw out the indictment on grounds that conspiracy to violate the election code was not a crime until 2003,
A majority of the Court of Criminal Appeals agreed.
DeLay, Ellis and Colyandro were charged with plotting to funnel illegal corporate campaign contributions to several Republican House candidates in 2002, when the GOP gained its first House majority of modern times.
The three also were charged with money laundering, but a trial on those charges has been held up pending a resolution of the conspiracy charges.
DeLay's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, said he was pleased with the ruling but sorry that it took so long and resulted in DeLay's resignation from Congress, where he represented Houston's southwest suburbs for more than 20 years.
"Ronnie Earle indicted Tom DeLay for a crime that didn't exist, wasn't on the books," DeGuerin said.
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Sigh, Eric, you're harshing my mellow, dude. (see his comment on the "Range" post.)
Just work with me here.
For you - this will be your vehicle... So, think in scale terms...
The map is where things are supposed to be... I can't build it until I own it (after 1500 local tomorrow).
And if your tank is one of these... then there's plenty of room, 'k? -the Armorer
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How 'bout a little Gunner Zen while we're at it, too?
That's some fancy shooting. Or lucky. -the Armorer
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It's a good thing critters can't vote. Mr. Romney would have lost 10 votes at the Castle. And quite possibly two more bi-pedal votes, as well, if he were a candidate we were interested in. -the Armorer
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Cdr. Salamander added his voice to the question of Internet Misogyny and requested the ladies' imput, including mine. - FbL
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ARROWHEAD RIPPER UPDATE
Yesterday's SIGACTs from FOB Tacoma.
Alexandra Zavis of the LA Times with 5-20 IN
Joshua Partlow of the Washington Post with the 3/2ID
Michael Gordon of the New York Times with Comanche Company, 1-23 IN
Drew Brown of Stars & Stripes with the 296th BSB
In other AOs-this report from LTC Matt Green of Ft Lewis, leading an advisory team to one of Baghdad's Iraqi police commanders.
-HL
Smith's Right
We are not paying enough attention to this.
Pirate-Held Crew Runs Out of Food and Water [W. Thomas Smith Jr.]
It appears the world — including the Royal Danish Navy — has forgotten the pirate-seized crew of the Danica White
A Danish cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates earlier this month has run out of food and fresh water at sea, a Kenyan maritime official said on Monday.
The MV Danica White and its five Danish crew members were carrying building materials from Dubai to Kenya when it was seized off Somalia in the world's most dangerous waterway.
"The news we are getting is that food has run out in that ship and there is no water," said Andrew Mwangura, director of the Mombasa-based East African Seafarers Assistance Programme.
What's above is copied directly from W. Thomas Smith, Jr.'s entry over at "The Tank". Follow the link in the title to Smith's post over at The Tank and there's some back and forth with my pal Steve. I published it at my place and sent out a few emails. I really feel it's wrong that we let this slip from the public eye.....Maggie
P.S. I wanted to slip it into the H&I Fires, but it was unpublished and I couldn't figure out how. I guess I'll never get the drop on anyone up there, like Ry, Kat and Bill. You can move it if that's more appropriate....M
What really peeves me about the immigration bill.
Besides the bill itself, which I think is unworkable and unusable as written - except by illegals who will be able to game the system with near impunity is the real, palpable disdain with which several Senators seem to regard their constituents.
A post by Stanley Kurtz on National Review's "The Corner" blog:
Pants Down [Stanley Kurtz]Here’s something new. The first true Internet-Age presidential campaign was in 2004. The first major Internet-Age Supreme Court nomination was Harriet Miers, in 2005. Now, in 2007, we’ve got what is arguably the first truly major down-and-dirty Roberts-rules-of-disorder parliamentary battle fought under the searchlight of the blogs.
The Internet was critical to the immigration bill’s first failure. If not for the blogs, the bill’s deceits and flaws would not have been so well or quickly exposed, and "comprehensive reform" would probably otherwise have passed within a couple of days. Now we’re at yet another new level. The public is being exposed to a basket of legislative tricks–of a sort that are rare in any case, and surely of a kind that have never been subjected to mass and rapid-fire public exposure. The undemocratic character of all that is happening here is being conveyed to the public in short order and with clarity–often through the medium of Senate aides themselves.
Do the Senators now called "Masters of the Universe" understand this? Presumably, senate aides, who certainly read the blogs, have communicated to their senators how dangerous it is to be exposed in this fashion. But maybe some senators still don’t get it. They seem to think they can get away with backroom maneuvers in an era when blogs are serving as virtual fly-on-the-wall cloakroom cameras.
Earlier today, in "Off the Table," I argued that passing this bill is not going to make the immigration issue go away. On the contrary, the blogs-eye-view we’re getting of all this sausage making is going to be frozen in the public memory for a very long time. It’s going to inspire new campaigns, and it’s going to haunt the Masters of the Universe–and the Amnesty 8, too. I still don’t think they quite realize this. In fact, the Masters’ false belief that quickly passing this bill is going to somehow get this issue off of their backs is the method behind this their deceptive madness. They don’t seem to realize that they’ve already been caught with their pants down.
The influence of the blogs (no, not mine, in this fight or context) is growing, and defining their niche in the news business. And doing so strongly, by their nature not having many of the time and content constraints that broadcasters/cable news operations have, nor the structural issues that print media has.
What's happening in the Senate is nothing short of disgraceful, as the ugly workings of ramming through unpopular legislation in an arguably un-democratic fashion is laid bare - and it's being done in a high-handed, bi-partisan display of stunning oligarchic arrogance.
I had this discussion in May, with Nancy Boyda, my Rep in Congress. How the Internet (re: the blogs and the way they feed the news-cycle - and feed off of it) are going to change the way politicians do business. That the old paradigm most of these Senators were used to just wasn't workable anymore.
You're seeing it in action now.
Boyda, being at the beginning of her career, has a unique opportunity - to build a new way of doing business-as-usual. By recognizing that you can't be "all things to all people" because we feeders-of-the Internet just aren't going to allow it. Pols are going to have to keep track of their positions, and changes to them. The key thing is the follow-up to explain *why* they changed. So, of course, as with McCain-Feingold, their instincts are to regulate criticism out of the picture...
Flip-flopping sticks as an accusation when you can't or won't explain the change.
If you can/will explain the change (and have been consistent) - then it's grown-up behavior, right?
Not that loons on the extremes of either side will *ever* be satisfied, therefore, don't bother trying to satisfy them, really. You're never going to make them happy without rigid, lockstep obedience to doctrinaire positions.
But the key pieces in the blurb from The Corner is what dominates local water-cooler talk, and the disgust is bi-partisan in regard to the bill and the Senators from both parties trying to ram it through who are clearly disgusted with having to take into account popular will.
Most people understand a need for reform in the system - and most people don't see this bill as the venue for it - and are appalled at the way the political class is behaving, and that's regardless of party affiliations - it's a huge swell of "a pox on all your houses."
� Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator links with: Immigration bill faces key test
� Airborne Combat Engineer links with: Final cloture vote on Immigration Amnesty bill ~ 10:30 DST
� Techography links with: Points of Interest
Why I don't watch TV news.
Michael Medved's opening paragraph today...
The sad case of pregnant, murdered Jessie Davis and her married lover (and alleged killer) Bobbie Cutts threatens to dominate cable news for months to come – especially now that Paris Hilton’s out of jail and the justice system has established the paternity of Anna Nicole’s baby.
...especially now that Paris Hilton’s out of jail and the justice system has established the paternity of Anna Nicole’s baby.
And the fact that those stories lead, nay, *dominate* the news is *our* fault - meaning consumers, and I suppose, in a sense, it's a death spiral of sorts. As more and more of us abandon the TV news because it just gets more and more tabloid... the people who *do* still watch it are increasingly of the type who want... tabloid news. Local news has always been bad in KC, but now it's simply a joke. If you live here, and take your sense of community from the news - then you're living in a war zone, complete with kidnappings and murders all the time, with a tornado looming outside your door anytime there's a thunderstorm.
And heaven forbid if it's a cute white chick who's kidnapped. That will push the gangbangers (who are far more dangerous than the lone murderous loon) off the tube so we can worry about the pretty white girl in breathless tones.
And, sadly, there *are* a few neighborhoods in KC where that just might be true, where the 'bangers are warring amongst themselves and the innocents are caught in the crossfire. But that's *not* where most of us live.
Absolutely *not the fault* of the victims and their families - I don't mean to imply that at all, and I don't fault the families for using every means at their disposal to try and get their kids back.
This is a more general commentary on the producers and remaining consumers of the product.
I don't have an answer to it, I'm just venting.
But I do wish more newsies would do what Mika Brzezinski did on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show.
Be embarassed by what the producers put in front of them.
H/t, Toluca Nole
Kansas Casualties.
First, a Kansan in the 82nd Airborne Division.
FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- An 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper died as a result of injuries sustained from enemy small arms fire in Salah Ad Din, Iraq Monday.Corporal Eric C. Palmer, 21, of Maize, Kansas was a rifleman with 1st Bn., 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 3rd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 82nd Abn. Div.
Palmer joined the Army in September 2004. He completed Infantry One Station Unit Training in December 2004 and the Basic Airborne Course in March 2005 at Fort Benning, Ga.
He reported to the 82nd Abn. Div. in March 2005 and was assigned to 1st Bn., 505th PIR as a Rifleman.
Palmer's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, and the Parachutist Badge.
Palmer is survived by his father, John Palmer, and his mother, Dena K. Palmer, both of Maize, Kansas; his brother, Travis Palmer, and his niece, Camryn Palmer, both of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
From the 1st Infantry Divsion, Fort Riley:
Private First Class Andre Craig Jr., 24, died of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device June 25 in Baghdad, Iraq.Craig was an infantryman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. His home of record is New Haven, Conn.
He entered the Army in October 2005 and began serving with the 1st Infantry Division in March 2006. This was his first deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
To date, 113 Fort Riley Soldiers have been killed while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Hoist your tankards, boys and girls - two more infantrymen headed for the table at Fiddlers Green.
Heh. The legend of the 'Green says it's for mounted soldiers... but I've never believed that the denizens of the 'Green would turn away any weary grunt needing a brew.
Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance. In Memoriam.
June 27, 2007
"Going to war with a pencil"
Canadian artist Richard Johnson spent some time embedded with U.S. forces in Iraq in 2003, capturing their lives with nothing more than a pencil and paper.
He's doing the same thing with Canadian soldiers in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan right now, and blogging about it too.
Johnson isn't sitting back at KAF, either. He's out at the FOB's, going on patrol with the troops, dismounting and following in their footsteps, ducking during the inevitable TIC's, and trying to give each of us a glimpse into the life of ordinary soldiers doing extraordinary things through the lens of his experience.
Here's an excerpt of the text he puts up with his drawings, taken from a patrol he joined on his "day off":
The heat starts to take a toll. Every time the tank stops soldiers alternate turns to drink. Civilian families are waved inside by the interpreters and the ANP. I snag a water from the ever-prepared Corporal Tu. My camera makes one last grinding sand-filled attempt to focus and dies. I grab the spare.We move on metre after choking metre, after km after km before eventually leaving the buildings for open fields. Gunfire erupts from the lead tank’s coaxial machine gun. It hurtles forward, crushing a stone wall and rumbling into the field. The soldiers duck by the wall. Then they are joined by others, then hustled by their sergeants to work to the right along the road flanking something I cannot see. Gunfire erupts again and I drop to one knee. I am the only one though. Everyone else can tell friendly from enemy gunfire. The tanks continue moving and firing.
We leave the road into the vineyards. The checkpoint is spotted and the infantry sweep forward. We stage one last time in cover before making the last rush to the wall of the checkpoint and inside. Almost everyone is exhausted. Some soldiers — each carrying at least 65lbs of gear — are completely soaked in sweat, no part of their uniforms remain dry. Many collapse to the ground behind the barricade.
Service takes different forms, and is expressed with different talents. Soldiers fight. This artist has chosen to pay tribute to those soldiers, and has found his duty there. - Damian
IPB - Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield. 26 JUN 2007
Is a nuclear Iran and DPRK a future reality we’re just obstinately ignoring?
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Can Iraqinization, i.e. a nationalism centric approach, succeed over the short to mid-term? Not according to this author at Democracy after spending time as an advisor during 2006 in Al Anbar with MEF I.(Free registration reg.) (I sent this to Lex some time last week to help deal with a troll infestation so if you’re seeing it again it’s ‘cause o’ that.)
A three state partition of Iraq may have taken a hit to its viability on 21JUN.
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J over at Armchair is looking for some good ideas from Progressives on issues of Defense, but also questioning the entire ‘defend it all’ strategy that seems to be in place.
Another post from J but this time he’s assailing the idea of terrorist use of nuclear weapons. His main point is that terrorists can achieve their objectives without the added difficulty, and ergo no impetus for them to go that way.
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Barnett makes another plea for more ‘Purpleness’ in thinking and bifurcation of the Services into SysAdmin and Leviathan with ‘Amphibs must be multi-purpose’.
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This one needs a little explanation before you dive down the rabbit hole on it.
In gaming there’s a style of play called Live Action Role Playing(LARPing). It has morphed into what is now called Alternative Reality Gaming, analogous to Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games(MMORPG, or simply MMO). It is role playing on a grand scale with scripts and events written by a central team as opposed to LARPing which was rather do-it-yourself for small groups who did what they had time and inclination to do on the cheap. ARG is massive in the same sense that World of Warcraft is massive, but ARG is in-the-flesh instead of only over the ‘Net.
So, the band Nine Inch Nails releases their new album Year Zero. They also start their own ARG of the same name. Which takes you to this.
I can’t help but notice that this is what people of a certain community, a self named and proclaimed community, seem to really think. This is what they view as happening and the road we’re headed down.
Of course, you would’ve already known that without going to the website if you got the Year Zero reference and seen the videos supporting the album.
--ry
KANSAS NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIER WILL RECEIVE MEDALs FOR SERVICE IN OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
Kansas Army National Guardsman SFC Lloyde Mattix, recipient of the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge for service in Iraq.
Sgt. 1st Class Lloyde F. Mattix will be presented with a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge during a special ceremony on Saturday, June 30, 9 a.m., at the National Guard Armory in Newton , Kan. Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the adjutant general, will present the awards to Mattix who deployed as a platoon sergeant with Battery B, 1st Battalion 161st Field Artillery in support of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34 Infantry Division to Operation Iraqi Freedom.Mattix will be awarded the medals as a result of injuries he sustained as a result of indirect fire in Iraq on Feb. 22. During the attack, Staff Sgt. David Berry of Wichita was killed and seven other Kansas National Guard soldiers from the same battalion were wounded.
“It will be with great honor and pride that I will present these awards to Sgt. 1st Class Mattix,” said Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, Kansas adjutant general. “He is to be commended for his dedication and bravery and the many sacrifices he has made.”
"When the dust settles, this unit will be the longest deployed and most combat decorated outfit per capita in the Kansas Army National Guard since World War II," said Lt. Col. Dave Johnson, Battalion Commander.
The Soldiers of Battery B, 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery will have been awarded 13 Purple Hearts, 17 Bronze Stars, one Meritorious Service Medal, 29 Army Commendation Medals and 125 Combat Action Badges.
Well done, SFC Mattix!
Castle Argghhh! Range Complex.
I mentioned to Bill in the comments on another post that I would be taking my M2 Aiming Circle and trotting it and some aiming posts out to do an unofficial survey of the demesne. One reason to do that is I believe that the fence lines on the east side have been adjusted to the advantage of my neighbor to the east (by mutual agreement with the previous owner) - and I think I know why, having to do with the movement of his cattle herd to water. I have no problem with it - but I want to establish the property line to see if I need to get an actual survey in - as I don't believe that land will be running cattle for that much longer, the owner having moved into a nursing home two weeks ago, and the family member taking over wants to subdivide and sell for housing, I'm suspecting. Good luck getting water meters...
Anyway, Bill said to give Neffi an Instamatic and have him do an aerial survey. So I did.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Castle Argghhh! Range Complex*. Heh.
Slightly larger version here.
Tank Table VIII doubles as Neffi's landing area. Prolly ought to check in with the tower on approach, Neffi.
� politburo diktat 2.0 links with: John Donovan’s new home
I want to take this at face value...
...but it's kind of hard, passing now, in the current environment. It may be well-meant, but it just feels wrong to me, passing this at this time, with the leadership of this House working to "welcome home" a whole new group of vets, as it were. What do the Viet vets among us think?
110th CONGRESS1st Session
H. RES. 189
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a `Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day' should be established.IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 16, 2007
Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California (for herself, Mr. FILNER, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CARDOZA, Ms. CARSON, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. EMANUEL, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. HOBSON, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, and Mr. WYNN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a `Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day' should be established.Whereas the Vietnam War was fought in Vietnam from 1961 to 1975, and involved North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in conflict with United States Armed Forces and South Vietnam;
Whereas the United States became involved in Vietnam because policy-makers in the United States believed that if South Vietnam fell to a Communist government then Communism would spread throughout the rest of Southeast Asia;
Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces began serving in an advisory role to the South Vietnamese in 1961;
Whereas as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incidents on August 2 and 4, 1964, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Public Law 88-408), on August 7, 1964, which effectively handed over war-making powers to President Johnson until such time as `peace and security' had returned to Vietnam;
Whereas, in 1965, United States Armed Forces ground combat units arrived in Vietnam;
Whereas, by the end of 1965, there were 80,000 United States troops in Vietnam, and by 1969 a peak of approximately 543,000 troops was reached;
Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Treaty of Paris was signed, which required the release of all United States prisoners-of-war held in North Vietnam and the withdrawal of all United States Armed Forces from South Vietnam;
Whereas, on March 30, 1973, the United States Armed Forces completed the withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam;
Whereas more than 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces lost their lives in Vietnam and more than 300,000 members of the Armed Forces were wounded;
Whereas, in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in the District of Columbia to commemorate those members of the United States Armed Forces who died or were declared missing-in-action in Vietnam;
Whereas the Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue among the people of the United States;
Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces who served bravely and faithfully for the United States during the Vietnam War were caught upon their return home in the crossfire of public debate about the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War;
Whereas the establishment of a `Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day' would be an appropriate way to honor those members of the United States Armed Forces who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War; and
Whereas March 30 would be an appropriate day to establish as `Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that there should be established a `Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day' to honor those members of the United States Armed Forces who served in Vietnam.
June 26, 2007
H&I Fires, June 25, 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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News from MNF-I:
Night air assault mission nets insurgents
Moving doesn't faze 'Dirty Deuce'
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Speaking of Iraq, and certain people who are heading in that general direction to train gunship pilots...
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From north of the border...
She has had the rare honour of serving her country at the same time as serving those who serve.And Julie Brown, amongst many other brave civilians who have done a tour in Afghanistan, is a special kind of war veteran.
"It was life changing," said Brown, who has been back from Kandahar just one week after six months of working in the famous Tim Hortons franchise at the Kandahar Airfield. "I was so proud to be able to do my part to help these fine men and women who sacrifice so much."
Read more about Julie Brown and Tim Horton's rest here. H/t, CAPT H.
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Lt. Gen. James Mattis gives an interesting interview.
CAMP PENDLETON ---- Faced with an increasingly skeptical Congress and overwhelming public opposition to the conflict in Iraq, the general in charge of Marine Corps forces in the Middle East is calling for a national dialogue on what the military calls "the long war."
There's an article and audio.....Maggie
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Extreme Makeover, Iraqi Insurgent Edition... H/t, Mrs. G, at Milblogs. -the Armorer
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Indiana Loses Another Son.
The 87th Hoosier to die fighting in the front that is Iraq in this Long War is Specialist Carter Gamble Junior of the 3rd Infantry Division. A good man has died trying to make a better world than the one he woke up in. Godspeed, Specialist Gamble.
Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance. In Memoriam.
Sheepdogs, wolves, sheep.
See if you can find the sheepdog in this crowd.
� small dead animals links with: Sheepdog: Airborne!
Iranians invading Iraq...
From several sources, I've been sent this.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces have been spotted by British troops crossing the border into southern Iraq, The Sun tabloid reported on Tuesday. Britain's defence ministry would not confirm or deny the report, with a spokesman declining to comment on "intelligence matters".An unidentified intelligence source told the tabloid: "It is an extremely alarming development and raises the stakes considerably. In effect, it means we are in a full on war with Iran -- but nobody has officially declared it."
"We have hard proof that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps have crossed the border to attack us. It is very hard for us to strike back. All we can do is try to defend ourselves. We are badly on the back foot."
The Sun said that radar sightings of Iranian helicopters crossing into the Iraqi desert were confirmed to it by very senior military sources.
Okay.
You *know* there's a but, right?
Bob Owens, of Confederate Yankee, apparently doesn't sleep at night so that I can...
Anonymous Sources: Iranian Forces Invade IraqWell, we saw this coming:
Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces have been spotted by British troops crossing the border into southern Iraq, The Sun tabloid reported on Tuesday. Britain's defence ministry would not confirm or deny the report, with a spokesman declining to comment on "intelligence matters".An unidentified intelligence source told the tabloid: "It is an extremely alarming development and raises the stakes considerably. In effect, it means we are in a full on war with Iran -- but nobody has officially declared it."
"We have hard proof that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps have crossed the border to attack us. It is very hard for us to strike back. All we can do is try to defend ourselves. We are badly on the back foot."
The Sun said that radar sightings of Iranian helicopters crossing into the Iraqi desert were confirmed to it by very senior military sources.
[Heh - great minds - same bit I excerpted for my post before I checked in with Bob... Bob continues]
No doubt, certain harpies will "question the timing" before the sun comes up.
Jimmy Buffett Update: Searching for that lost shaker of salt.
Preferably, that salt will come in large grains.
I was careful last night when this claim was made to note in the headline that this story was linked to anonymous sources within the British government, and now that the Sun article has been published, I see nothing solid to which we could hang a credible claim on, other than the names of two British soldiers said killed by Iranian-placed bombs, Corporal Ben Leaning, 24, and Trooper Kristen Turton, 27.
According to Defence Internet these two soldiers were part of The Queen's Royal Lancers Battle Group, in Maysan Province, Southern Iraq, on Thursday 19 April 2007.
Bob concludes...
Nothing in Yon's account of that day or his follow-up dispatch mentioned suspected Iranian involvement.Independent of Yon's account, I contacted a senior U.S. officer in Iraq last night, and he was unable to confirm anything about the Sun story, other than that he had read it.
Like the "smoking gun" story I burned as groundless from the Independent, this story does not have any credible supporting evidence to date.
I'll post more updates as I have them.
To get those missing details - and those updates - visit Confederate Yankee by clicking here.
The Road to Honour.
Soldiers Americans should know.
Corporal Stephen Bouzane
Private Joel Wiebe
Sergeant Christos Karigiannis
In a brilliant and emotional show of support, a sea of red and white lined the overpasses east of the city last night in honour of the three soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan last week.Hundreds of people stood on several overpasses from Northumberland County to Durham, most either wearing Canada's colours or waving a Canadian flag, as the convoy carrying the three fallen members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry made its way along Hwy. 401.
For the Commonwealth soldier, the equivalent of Taps is the Last Post.
Therefore, now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam of the fallen of the "Princess Pats." -the Armorer
Hey, Punc-til-iouuuus!
*Someone* has been notably absent of late. However, this may draw her out from behind the tapestry in the Great Hall. Throw the rocks at slick870 (my "former" enlisted buds send me stuff, too)...
Two brooms were hanging in the closet and, after a while, they got to know each other so well, they decided to get married.
One broom was, of course, the bride broom and the other the groom broom.
The bride broom was a vision of loveliness in her white dress. The groom broom was suavely handsome in his tuxedo. The wedding was, naturally, the social event of the year.
At the wedding dinner, the bride broom leaned over and whispered to the groom broom, "I think I am going to have a little whisk broom."
"IMPOSSIBLE !!" said the groom broom...
The punchline's in Extended Entry/Flash Traffic. Open it up if you dare...
June 25, 2007
H&I Fires, June 25, 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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I see that Sugar Buttons has beat me to my "steal the march" strategy of posting the first entry of the day just after midnight. He is upping the ante after I challenged him with "still got it". LOL
Quick note on a long post about an important subject. This is my full report on the Heart of American Summer 2007 Veterans' Stand Down on Friday.
There are a lot of veterans, future veterans and those who are family, friends or general supporters of our military who read here. I am probably not reporting anything you don't know. The long and short of it is, there are many homeless and indigent veterans. Not all of them are drug addicted. Not everyone is homeless. I saw a number of vets who I surmise are living on limited social security and/or veterans benefits. Barely. I'll tell you the same thing that they say about war: until you've experienced it, you don't know.
On a happier note, we were also at the Belton Community Days Parade. I'll have some video and a report on that soon. And don't forget, KC area folks, we'll be at the Rally in the Alley, Parkville, MO on Saturday, June 30, from 3pm until the crowd goes home or the bands lose their voices. Be there or be square.
-Kat
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News from MNF-I:
Local Iraqi council meets with Coalition forces
General describes Phantom Thunder
'Ace of Spades' the ace in the hole for Marines on the ground
Up Armor Team saves lives of fellow logistics Marines
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Today's entry in the Stupid Criminal Files... - FbL
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Scat XXVII Makes his last takeoff...
Sorry to be so scarce around these parts lately, but I've been, well, busy. After two months and change, I successfully completed the check for a type rating in the MD-11/MD-10...bottom line, it was lotsa reading (the tech manuals alone are over 3000 pages), testing, evaluating, simulating, yadda, yadda, yadda. But. I'm done. However, before I, um, imbibe to celebrate the end of my academic incarceration, I wanted to officially acknowledge The End of An Era--bad news that hit me like a cue ball in the forehead at a Hill 180 crud game. (Those of you who know what that means, tell the ones who don't.)
To quote everyone who knew him, appreciated him for his contribution to America in general and American air power in particular, "S**t."
That was my reaction, anyway. It was like losing a much-loved uncle...and I'd never met him. Wasn't that lucky. But I think I'm alive because of him.
General Olds was a modern-day Billy Mitchell in a lot of ways. At least he got a star, too...which is pretty amazing, given his "bad" attitude, proudly displayed all those years fighter guys had to put up with people who thought war, as we all knew it, was a thing of the past. Nukes were king. Close-in knife fights in airplanes? Pshaw! Gone forever like the biplanes of yesteryear! How bad was it? Wellllll...in the 60s, the US's principal fighter was built without an internal cannon--who needed a gun when you were given those fancy-schmancy radar guided AIM-7s? Dogfights? Pffftt! Just a waste of gas to give the jocks a way to entertain themselves between nuclear Operational Readiness Inspections. Banned.
For those of you who study history, especially military history, you probably see where this is headed. Ready for the next fight? Not on your life...and it WILL be YOUR life.
To which Robin replied, "Bulls**t."
Olds questioned everything (bad for him), thought for himself and never quit (good for us). He continued to practice and think about fighter tactics and wasn't afraid to call a spade a spade. Money Quote:
He recounted how, on one mission as he flew his F-4 Phantom up the Gulf of Tonkin on an air strike against North Vietnam, he told his backseater, "Think about us flying a Navy plane, carrying World War II bombs, a gun sight in front of my face not as good as the one I had in P-38s, and going up there to bomb some railroad yard. We'll face a sky full of flak, missiles and MiGs, but don't worry about it because I've got it on good authority that none of this is happening."
Probably his most famous act was leading Operation Bolo over Hanoi in 1967. It was classic American martial ingenuity that shook the enemy so badly they grounded their jets for three months. Forehead slap-simple in concept (albeit not in execution) and yet physically and psychologically devastating. Bold tactics, violently executed with no losses. Questions?
Guys who survived Vietnam and went on to be general officers paid attention to Olds' emphasis on realistic training, out-of-the-box thinking and aggressive approach to aerial combat tactics, weaponry, exercises and all the other stuff that makes a good air force truly great. That's what I meant earlier when crediting General Olds with saving my bacon. The people who taught me were taught by him and what they taught kept 1) out of enemy jails and 2) out of the national cemetery system.
All of us military goons have our own personal heroes. I think John's is Tony McAuliffe...not sure who Bill's is, Chief Novosel maybe? Robin was mine. I'm not alone.
It takes a lot to make an attack pilot cry but, godd@mmit, this comes REAL close. To the day I die, I'll always remember the pictures of him after a mission "downtown" (Hanoi)--shite-eatin' grin, sweaty and pumped up, flight cap mashed down on his head and looking like he had the world by the short ones. He did.
So here's to you, Boss. I'm thinkin' that martini and big-@SS ceegar tastes pretty good right now. God knows you've earned it.
Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam.
[Armorer's addendum - Scat XXVII? Click here and all will be made clear.]
Is it 1936-38?
...Déjà vu all over again?
Food for thought for the "Blame America First" crowd... as, in the biggest sense, it doesn't matter if it *is* our fault, if it all goes south, because *someone* is going to have to retrieve it, or let 'em have their way.
Not arguing for pre-emption, arguing for mental toughness and preparation - and clear-eyed vision, something lacking on both sides, but *especially* on the left when it comes to the perils at hand.
Joshua Muravchik, in the Opinion-Journal today:
The apparent meaning of all of this pointless provocation and bullying is that the axis of radicals—Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah—is feeling its oats. In part its aim is to intimidate the rest of us, in part it is merely enjoying flexing its muscles. It believes that its side has defeated America in Iraq, and Israel in Gaza and Lebanon. Mr. Ahmadinejad recently claimed that the West has already begun to "surrender," and he gloated that " final victory . . . is near." It is this bravado that bodes war.A large portion of modern wars erupted because aggressive tyrannies believed that their democratic opponents were soft and weak. Often democracies have fed such beliefs by their own flaccid behavior. Hitler's contempt for America, stoked by the policy of appeasement, is a familiar story. But there are many others. North Korea invaded South Korea after Secretary of State Dean Acheson declared that Korea lay beyond our "defense perimeter." Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait after our ambassador assured him that America does not intervene in quarrels among Arabs. Imperial Germany launched World War I, encouraged by Great Britain's open reluctance to get involved. Nasser brought on the 1967 Six Day War, thinking that he could extort some concessions from Israel by rattling his sword.
Democracies, it is now well established, do not go to war with each other. But they often get into wars with non-democracies. Overwhelmingly the non-democracy starts the war; nonetheless, in the vast majority of cases, it is the democratic side that wins. In other words, dictators consistently underestimate the strength of democracies, and democracies provoke war through their love of peace, which the dictators mistake for weakness.
Today, this same dynamic is creating a moment of great danger. The radicals are becoming reckless, asserting themselves for little reason beyond the conviction that they can. They are very likely to overreach. It is not hard to imagine scenarios in which a single match—say a terrible terror attack from Gaza—could ignite a chain reaction. Israel could handle Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria, albeit with painful losses all around, but if Iran intervened rather than see its regional assets eliminated, could the U.S. stay out?
Hurry Up and Wait. In Reverse...
Well, I'm impressed. It only took a week to get me
1. inprocessed with my new employer, to include Import/Export certification,
2. back up on flight status (took more time to find the doc's office than it did to get a Class II Physical),
3. up to speed on the country (customs, threat, food, threat, politics, threat, geography, threat, weather patterns, threat, language(s) and threat) -- *big* hat-tip to SOCOM,
4. qualified as a counter-ambush/counter-terror driver (glad I had previous experience commuting on I-195 to Ft. Monmouth), and
5. [entry not entered -- OPSEC and all that. Gotta keep you guys guessing about *some* things...].
Meantime, I've still got some flight gear to get from the Air Force; they had to order me a helmet, since they only stock XL and XXL. I refrained from commenting, for a change (I never snark someone who's gonna give me something and *hasn't* ordered it yet). So, I'll be tieing up loose ends for a couple of days -- meantime, I figured I'd show you a bit of Bragg that the tourist brochures don't include on the itinerary.
This'n is for John. After all, ADA *is* sorta-kinda artillery.
But as far as I'm concerned, this thing is best viewed as a static display.
For the Soldiers Angels who drop in and visit (and all the Denizennes doing double-duty with SA), this retreat is tucked into a quiet corner.
Why'd I take a picture of it? Because. Just because...
Last, but never least, this'n is for the SB Brigade.
Heh. That muffled thunderclap you just heard was Maggie enroute to sign up for Jump School...
See you guys later.
[Addendum: I keep getting Line 71 Runtime Errors in the Snarkback Comment box -- durnburn hi-tech 'trons -- so I'll have to do a John for replies. BTW, kat, *all* my posts used'ta get popped in just after midnight, but one morning I woke up at zero-dark-thirty still sitting in front of the monitor...]
June 24, 2007
H&I* Fires, 24 JUN 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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Dangit! I was number 50,003! Congrats to Adjutant Brab for crossing the 50K visits mark! Here's one reason why you should go visit...
Too fun - the war in Europe has receded enough for there to be some nostalgia... and with that comes re-enacting. In this case, re-enacting Polish Cavalry charging German troops... H/t, Kevin G.
Canadians At War - the Spectral Flea sends us thither - to the National Post, to read about the QRF in action.
Speaking of the Flea... in a stunning display of the rot that has set in in the Brit armed forces (where there are *still* hugely competent warriors, who chafe at this) we find that the Iranians tried to pick a fight with the Aussies *five* times before shifting fire to the Brit Navy. One is almost surprised Nelson didn't topple from his column.
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From MNF-I
Admiral surprises Soldiers with candid, detailed answers
Coalition forces seize multiple weapons caches
Citizens gather to join ranks of Lutifiyah's Iraqi Police
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Fred Thompson as boyfriend extraordinare? - FbL
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Heh. I can beat Fred Thompson and since Sugar Buttons was kind enough to provide a TINS this morning, I thought I'd share my own TINS (no guns involved) from the VA Stand Down: I still got it!
Preparations proceed apace for the Castle Relocation.
Yesterday SWWBO and I went out to the soon-to-be new Castle Argghhh! to check on the eviction proceedings of the squatter.
The farm not having had any dairy/beef activity in two years and little to no human activity since the estate sale in March, a critter had taken up residence in the nice, comfy, dry and easy-to-work dirt in the barn.
As we intend to put Willy and Pete, the Destriers of Argghhh! into that facility, the squatter needed encouragement to relocate.
We took the approach many governments do to squatter villages. We had it bulldozed, or, in this particular case, bobcatted. Then we dumped about 13 tons of gravel on top of it, as the place needed leveling and some other site-prep work prior to installation of the stalls. We hope the squatter was out food-gathering and not buried in his tunnels - but if you aren't bright enough to get out from in front of the bulldozer, perhaps your little corner of the gene pool needed some chlorine, anyway.
Regardless, the work was well done, and there was no evidence of the squatter having returned, a good thing.
SWWBO and I then went to do a little shopping. Browsing, really, as we weren't intending to buy just yet. We checked out the farm supply places for their stockage, and pricing on fencing materials, and went out looking at various types of atv/utility vehicles, as one is going to be needful to put out fencing, bringing in firewood, during pasture burns and such. We also did some general "driving the back roads" rubber-necking. Doniphan County, Kansas (two counties north of us, we were headed for Saint Joseph, Mo) is really pretty country, and is completely unlike what most of you *think* Kansas looks like.
Doniphan, Atchison, and and northern Leavenworth counties are all part of the "Glacial Hills" region of Kansas, marking the greatest extent in the region of the glacial epoch of the 2nd Ice Age, circa 700K years ago. The legacy of that is loess soils (a product of the grinding action of ice on rocks, and requires real efforts to control soil erosion, as it's poorly bonded together essentially being rock flour...) and glacial till (sandy, clayey dirt mixed with non-native stone that's been scooped up, carried, and then deposited by the retreat of the glacier), which in our case manifests as a lot of pink granite and very loose soil littering the countryside (that's what's caught my eye thus far, I haven't really done a rock-type survey yet) in addition to the limestones of the Lower Shawnee group that provide the bulk of the stone in the region.
There's also oil in this area - and with gas prices at their current level, there are currently a lot of horse-head pumps nodding up and down. According to the maps, there is an active well on the parcel to our west, and several active wells to our north and east. Yes, the mineral rights come with the land. No, we're not intending to become oil barons.
Back to what we were doing, away from the geography lesson (hey, that's my undergrad degree, I've had to brush it off a bit, I admit).
We intend to *walk* the fences to check them, because we can both use the exercise - but I'm not walking the line (especially along the rocky cliff by the creek) *and* schlep fencing materials with me. Nope. We'll walk 'em and then drive up there to fix 'em as needed. As we're actually going to be a bona-fide farm (crop: brome hay - should be able to make enough to pay the taxes on this place and supply the needs for our horses and mebbe some select horsey friends) we'll even qualify for the farm equipment sales tax exemption - as long as we buy a vehicle with bench/bucket seats, and not a four-wheeled motorcycle. We're looking at Polaris Rangers, John Deere Gators, Kawasaki Mules, etc.
I'm also in the market for a smallish tractor - but that may wait until next year, after we see how expenses run this year. I've got a buddy with a tractor, a trailer, and a truck to pull it with that I might be able to con into bringing out my way if I have a need... Right Leavenworth Centurion? 8^ )
Anybody need a thirty-year-old milking machine?
Just checkin'.
Today will be a trip to Cabela's to procure gun-fodder, targets, and target stands, as we expect to host a small shooting party at the new demesne on July 4th. We'll also take a gander at and endure sales-people pushing the Kawasaki Mules at us.
Speaking of all that... 'tis time to Sit, Shower, and Shave, and head off to Cabelas!
While I'm doing a Urban Yuppy Farmer-wannabe post I might as well use this space to put up installment three of the Armorer's Sister's live-in remodel...
The rebar snakes have slithered away. ☺Yesterday they began to dig a big hole in the mud. Although there is not enough data to establish statistical significance, I believe we have a trend. Dodger’s urinary adventures appear to be correlated with bobcat use. They use it and he pees. We’ll have to track the trend for a while before we know if the hypothesis is correct.
Boomer, the large-and-in-charge tuxedo cat apparently spends the entire day supervising the project from the window, including telling the workers what to do. They think he is funny.
While they were excavating, they also broke the cable line to 2 television sets and my Internet connection. Teenage girls get VERY upset when there is no Internet because that is how they connect with the outside world. Come to think of it, we weren’t too pleased either. When I left this morning the project supervisor (human, not feline) was outside fixing it. I did not rub his face in the fact that many people are following this little journey, but I may include him on the list.
You will be relieved to know that the ice dispenser has been repaired and now dispenses ice and not parts. Boomer supervised that, too. Including climbing into the repairman’s tool bag. It’s a good thing he likes cats.
Installment two, should you need to catch up - is available here.
TINS! Whatever Can Go Wrong, Will Do So
And it will do so at the worst possible time, even if you've done everything to insure it wouldn't.
This one's for you folks who pop in on weekends. Remember Fuzzybear Lioness agonizing over her Excellent Gate-Crashing Exploit? Wonder what she'd have had to say if she'd been along on this particular magic carpet ride...
Every year, every Army Aviator gets a birthday present from Fort (aka "Mother") Rucker -- his (okay, okay, or *her*) very own Flight Physical. However, just to insure that unwrapping this particular present isn't all beer and skittles, Mother also sees to it that some units don't have ready access to an Army Flight Surgeon and must make do with the services of an Air Force Flight Surgeon (and who knows where *their* hands have been).
Army Flight Surgeons habitually sit patiently in their dank lairs corner offices in the local Clinic - Wellness Center - Whatever, patiently awaiting the arrival of whomever happened to have the misfortune of being born during that particular quarter of the year. Generally speaking, they're usually accessible except, of course, on Wednesdays, when they're out on the links with every other doctor within six counties. Visiting one is relatively simple -- hop in your car, find a Fort, slow to a crawl so the gate guard can see your access decal, produce your ID card for scrutiny and you're over the major hurdle.
Air Force Flight Surgeons view their demesne from behind massive desks of exotic wood situated in the center of their I Love Me offices, situated at the hub of their brightly-lit suite of examining rooms. A reservation for an appointment is, naturally, de rigeur; but since they golf on Mondays (to avoid the crowd of lesser docs), they're pretty much Doctor-Is-In on Wednesdays. However, availing oneself of the services of an Air Force Flight Surgeon entails travelling to the ethereal realms of -- an Air Base.
Which means getting past Base Security. The guys who are firmly convinced every Army Aviator has a burning desire to steal a multiengine, starched wing, fuel-bladder-with-a-cockpit.
So, the optimum solution is to fly *over* the APs, have a ground guide direct you to nestle the helicopter 'midst the aluminum overcast, get picked up by the crew bus and deposited in the vicinity of the Flight Medicine Edifice.
Weeeeelllll, that's how it's *supposed* to go. Nip back upstream and re-read the first sentences. I'll wait...
Okay, cutting to the chase: I'd made the reservation for the appointment, gotten the reservation, confirmed the reservation, refrained from eating anything containing cholesterol for 72 hours (followed by a 12-hour water-only fast), notified my Ops I'd need a Loach, computed the weight and balance form, did the aircraft performance planning, filed the Flight Plan, obtained the PPR (it means Prior Permission Required, Barb) to land at The Air Base, notified Base Ops that I'd be shutting down and would not require fuel, that I planned to be there for at least three hours and would request a Fire Guard when I was ready to depart.
I preflighted my trusty OH-6 and launched from home station. Ten minutes out from The Air Base, I called Base Ops on UHF to notify them I was inbound and gave them my PPR number. Five minutes out, I called Tower on VHF and announced that I had the numbers; I'd been listening to ATIS (not ADIZ -- whole different ball of wax) for wind data, landing runway, altimeter setting -- gotta do *something* when you're solo in a Loach, so you might as well find out what's going on at your destination before you get there. Tower cleared me to land and taxi to the ramp, where I could expect a ground guide to park me someplace I wouldn't contaminate the F-16s.
I entered the ramp and hovered in place, then spotted two blue boxvans approaching from different areas of the Jet Farm. Converging, actually. On *me*. With extreme rapidity. Just as I thought, "Well, gee, this is really nice of 'em, but I don't *need* a ride to the -- "
*screech of brakes* Out of each van popped
a. an AP with M9 in one hand and a Motorola Brick in the other,
b. two APs with M16 magazines firmly inserted into M16A1s and
c. one AP with an M60 attached to a fifty-round belt.
Ain't a single blank adapter on nuthin'. Copper jackets twinkled from the fifty-round belts, with orange noses in the appropriate locations. "Swell," I thought. "After they ventilate me, the Flight Surgeon can fill out the paperwork for my physical at the same time he does the autopsy..."
"Put your hands up and get out of the helicopter," comes The Voice of Doom from the ninth AP, hiding behind a van with a Brick in one hand and a loudspeaker in the other.
Bear in mind that I'm still at a three-foot hover, looking down the barrels of six automatic weapons.
"Put your hands up. Get out of the helicopter. This is your last warning!"
I key the mike on UHF and ask, "Hey, Ops, Guard 267 -- do you have commo with the A-Team out here?"
"Roger that."
"Could you please tell Hannibal Smith that I've gotta *land* before I get out? This thing doesn't have a Hover Button."
"*snort!* Roger, 267. Don't rip them too much after you get out -- they were just briefed that there's an alert pending and this place is secure against all threats except helicopters..."
*sigh*
Howsomever, I *did* pass my Flight Physical, and with no sign of elevated blood pressure.
Probably because my heart didn't start beating again until a couple of hours later...
.
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.
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
The Road to Honour.
Hey, Punc-til-iouuuus!
H&I Fires, June 25, 2007
Scat XXVII Makes his last takeoff...
Is it 1936-38?
Hurry Up and Wait. In Reverse...
H&I* Fires, 24 JUN 2007
Preparations proceed apace for the Castle Relocation.
TINS! Whatever Can Go Wrong, Will Do So
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