previous post next post  

H&I Fires June 4, 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...

What? No one had anything to say today? Great. Guess that means I get to lead off with my own.


Soldiers' Angels Kansas City
had a very successful mission on Sunday. We held a Poker Run and BBQ to raise money for First Response Back Packs for our wounded troops. I will have video and a full report up tomorrow (frankly, I was too tired last night to download and edit anything). We were on WDAF Fox 4 this morning, but the video is not up. We had over 150 motorcycles plus walk ups. One of the American Legion Riders and his wife collected and donated $1200 separate from what was raised from the actual event. Stand by for details.

Other local things of interest:

Military Husband Says Goodbye to Soldier Wife in Belton

Over the weekend WWII Doctors and Nurses Reunited

I missed this one a few weeks ago: Four Brothers Prepare for Deployment

National Guardsman completes Hospital Hill Run in Wheelchair
-Kat (Not blogging from work; on delay blogging from home)

My brief contribution, recounting an argument with my brother over local Marine who is having a hearing on whether he will be sent to courts martial over wearing his uniform to an anti-war rally and cursing a superior officer, although he was technically discharged. On the other hand, he was an IRR. Argument: Is this about free speech or is this about violating the UMCJ?

Now you know why the civil war was "brother against brother".
-Kat

*********************************

I was busy today. Gimme a break. For those who wish to see more pics of what-we-hope will be the new Castle Argghhh! demesne, click here. -the Armorer

*********************************

What's a UN Peacekeeper to do? Get sued, of course. -the Armorer

*********************************

Coming up tomorrow: Representative Boyda's official position on gun laws. Hint: Her die-hard democratic urban blueblood base isn't going to like it. But the bulk of the rural areas she represents will. -the Armorer

**********************************

Corporal Benjamin Ashley, a soldier of the 1st Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, and a native of Independence, Missouri, was buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery today. The denizens of Fort Leavenworth turned out to render honors as the funeral cortege passed. The Patriot Guard Riders were there in strength, and, thankfully, Phelp's Whelps were not.

Corporal Ashley going to his final formation.

Rest in peace, Redleg.

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

*********************************
Okay, I admit it - if this was a format for Presidential Debates (regardless of party)... I'd watch. -the Armorer

********************************
Then ya wonder what's in the water coolers and latte machines over at MSNBC. Check out Scarborough asking if Fred Thompson's wife... "works the pole". Heh. -the Armorer

********************************

*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".

2 Trackbacks

TrackBack this entry at http://www.thedonovan.com/cgi-bin/mt41/mt-tb.cgi/7293

Discharge Suggested For Anti-War Marine from Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator on June 5, 2007 12:42 AM

A military panel in Kansas City, Mo., has recommended a general discharge for an Iraq war veteran wh Read More

From MYFOX Kansas City COLUMBIA, MO. — Four brothers are all headed to serve our country in Iraq. The Stahlschmidt family said each son wants to be a soldier, but the emotion of sending four brothers to Iraq is overwhelming. Despite knowing the... Read More

7 Comments

Heh. I was actually giving Ry a hard time since he is the other one that generally gets the H&I's up. He must be celebrating the summer vacation a little early. ;)
 
Sorry, but I'm actually a tad busy on my end. Lots of headshed activity that precludes blogging or being on 'puter much. What're you guys gonna do if I actually do take a vacation? Proll'y enjoy the blissful silence from my little corner of The Castle.:) On the massacre thing. I'm of two minds. What do people expect? that was a hopeless situation. 450 lightly armed Blue Helmets with a complicated chain of command and ROE filled with MOther May I?s that can only be answered by someone sleeping in Turtle Bay(and can't possibly have his sleep interrupted dontchaknow) vs a 1000+ militia with little qualms about doing anything? What is it about 'chance of sucess' aspect of Just War Theory people were yammering about in last years Israeli-Hezbo war? That was a no-win. THey did the best they could it seems to me. Sure, they did help the massacring mob---but in so doing they saved a large number of women and children. It's called triage. It isn't the mega-happy ending but that was impossible to begin with(the ROE). On the other hand. I'd rather we told most of the JWT yammerheads to STFU and let the Blue Helmets play hard and mean when necessary without a bunch of bs ROE(that's why the Marines are part of Barnett's SysAdmin force). In this instance I'd rather be talking about 450 posthumous heroes, but in the end they made a tough choice that produced some real positive results. I can't argue with that. Particularly when they have such Byzantine ROE. Poor wastards.
 
Trudy(SHHTBO)says that anyone who watched the proposed debate format and laughed is a deeply disturbed individual. In the interest of full disclosure, she said it while rolling on the floor and holding her sides as I added a mock translation of the conversations.
 
Hey my mom said I could read the site!
 
I have finally given the CLU2 permission to roam here at Argghhh! It was a decision I arrived at for several reasons: The writing, the generally well behaved demeanor of the Denizens and the fact that real heroes are not AlGore milking a steer while he steps in its carbon uh...print. He will soon be 15 and did come here whenever there were weapons posts, but what tilted for me was John's analysis of the gun purchase.
 
Kokesh has been (or will be) recommended for a General Discharge. Whether higher will do that, and whether Kokesh will continue to beat his head against the wall for free publicity by appealing, who knows. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4861746.html
 
Welcome, CL2! *Do* read responsibly! 8^ D
 
© 2008 John Donovan
All rights reserved.