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H&I* Fires, 09 JUL 2007

July 9, 2007 | | Comments (36)

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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What a goat ----.
Still, be wary when whacking at Powell, the man who decided to send the Blackwater teams out shorthanded. We don’t know the whole story yet. We don’t know how critical the exec they were bringing in was, or how shorthanded they were all over. I can’t say this is the most even handed and objective report I’ve ever read either.

So go easy. He may have become the monkey having relations with a football, or he could’ve been someone with ten jobs and only enough forces for two. We simply don’t know a lot of things based on this article, but we're starting to get a decent picture.

Jeebus, what a flaming cluster ----.
--ry
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I'm putting up two flagpoles out at the Castle. SWWBO and I are considering having a Castle flag... this is my proposal - whattaya think?

And if you think you can do better - please do!

Castle_Argghhh_flag_clean_web.jpg

For those who don't read Greek - the words up top are the Spartan's response to Xerxes' demand that they lay down their arms - "Molon Labe." Literally, "Come, take" but more commonly referred to as "Come and take them." There is a US history connection, too - the flag of the Texians at the Battle of Gonzales.

The bottom is latin for "In this sign, Victory."

I dunno what the colors look like on your monitors - but the red is intended to be crimson.

-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".

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36 Comments

By Trias on July 9, 2007 9:09 AM
I really don't get it. Is this company here to do the more dangerous jobs so that their deaths won't be included as a US military statistic for the media? Are they a way of more "boots on the ground"? How good is their structure of responsibility and degree of oversight? Is it in their financial interest to make sure the fight lasts as long as possible? As I see it at this time the US military should be doing these jobs.
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 9, 2007 9:24 AM
Blackwater get's those jobs in-theater because they are either contracted by private firms for private security, or they are contracted by the US or Iraqi governments to do jobs that the governments in question can't, or don't want, to do. The Army didn't want to get detailed out providing security details for VIPs, for example - and oft times, what Blackwater or people like them could provide was better, qualitatively, than the Army would have provided... a lot of these guys being retired/former SpecOps types, etc. You raise a legitimate point, Trias. One of the attractions of Blackwater (heck, contractors in general) is that they are hired by task, with little to no training requirement, etc, on the part of the government, and can be let go at will. And we are, lemme tell ya!
 
By Pogue on July 9, 2007 9:43 AM
Personally I'm OK with contract operations for the most part, even with the paramilitary aspects such VIP protection. I get concerned with Blackwater because of their emphasis on Special Operations experience. I think, at least for a while, they had a tendancy to bite off more than they can chew forgetting that as a civilian contractor they don't have the same sort of support SOCOM provides.
 
By lex on July 9, 2007 9:45 AM
I like yer flag. Think it would look better in Navy blue, though. Also, donning my pedantic peckerwood cap, I believe the literal translation from the Greek is "having come, take." Summat to do with the aorist active participle in the first word, and the imperative case in the second, I recollect.
 
By Boquisucio on July 9, 2007 9:59 AM
Love the flag. Though the puppy may have to be redesigned - lest it gets mistaken for a sock-puppet.
 
By Barb on July 9, 2007 10:07 AM
I love the flag - but the colors on screen are a little off, to be sure. The red doesn't look crimson, as it should, and the yellow should be a regal gold. I would also suggest that some of the details of the crossed cannon should be incorporated (perhaps in a darker color like brown/bronze) to help the image stand out clearly against the background :-)
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 9, 2007 10:17 AM
So, Brab, are you volunteering to do detail work I'm utterly incapable of? Lex - I'll defer to your greater knowledge of Greek.
 
By J.M. Heinrichs on July 9, 2007 10:35 AM
"In Hoc Signo Vincit" has a more traditional ring to it. I do note you are maintaining the Arty's penchent for two mottos. Cheers
 
By J.M. Heinrichs on July 9, 2007 10:37 AM
"Xerxe's" ?? CHeers
 
By Trias on July 9, 2007 10:54 AM
I see thanks for clarifying. The flag is pretty good and you are right the colour i get is something perhaps slightly orange or dare i say pink here. But nitpicking is easy and entertaining. I think the image needs to be put higher up it looks kinda unbalanced as is. I agree with the cannons needing some prominence. Maybe just slightly changing their colour or providing a gap will work. What's wrong with sock puppets? I'd be lost with out my friend, Fleas.
 
By Neffi on July 9, 2007 10:54 AM
Hmmm... I think that Greek motto actually translates as "In Debt to Miss Victoria". Brab is right- highlight some details on those tubes...
 
By AW1 Tim on July 9, 2007 11:09 AM
John, I like the flag. However, the traditionalist in me would like to see you return to the old colors of yellow with gilt crossed cannon. Back when artillery was direct fire and horse drawn. Ah well... Thing is, with that color and design you have, there's always the chance you'll be mistaken as a Marine artillery detachment... I agree with Lex. Navy blue is always the better choice.. heh :) Respects,
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 9, 2007 11:33 AM
CAPT H - you're correct on the latin. I was channeling the US 14th FA Regiment, vice the more traditional usage.
 
By MajMike on July 9, 2007 12:08 PM
along the lines of Lex's pedantry, i'm thinking more of the pluperfect, followed by a subjunctive (not to be questioning wikigreeky or nothing)
 
By ry on July 9, 2007 12:48 PM
John did more than I proll'y could trying to explain. But if you want to go to the local library there's been a couple of books written lately about the whole military contractor in Iraq issue, Trias. Lemme know if you want titles 'cause I can find them easily enough. (And yes, I will get around to emailing you at some point. I only have a few goof off minutes of 'puter time, the rest is researching health insurance, real estate, and child protective services bureaucracy. Sorry.)
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 9, 2007 1:13 PM
MajMike, *do* please elaborate...
 
By Princess Crabby on July 9, 2007 1:59 PM
You want my favorite foreplay phrase on your flag???? Whatever floats your boat. It's always been lucky for me. Tim - Navy blue is always a better choice.....isn't that part of another saying? When sailors have fun don't they end up (something I can't write here), *blued* and *tatooed*?
 
By bad cat robot on July 9, 2007 2:11 PM
random ideas: split up the Words of Leonidas to center the Rottweiler logo properly on the field. Something like this --- MOLON[space][space]{doggie head}[space][space]LABE which would add a nice visual emphasis to the meaning. I also vote for some kind of dark outlining of the gold graphical elements for clarity. And I vote that Brab should do it ;-) Is there going to be a bulk order so Denizens can have one too?
 
By MajMike on July 9, 2007 2:26 PM
well, i'm not as good as faking linguistic supremacy at the drop of hat as a certain someone more nautical, but.... the MOLON part, being intended as clause indicating an action to be completely finished, yet at an undetermined future time, seems to me to need a pluperfect form. thence, the following action, (LABE), since it is conditional on the prior completion of the other action, seems to be needing a subjunctive form. of course, i never got better than a B in Latin anyway, and will defer to Boq (who certainly established his dead language credibility in re: Rudolphus)
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 9, 2007 2:42 PM
BCR - hmmmm. Nice idea. As for multiple flags, after I get a cost, I'll see what the rates are. Flags across the country! Take that, La Raza, Aryan Nation, et.al... MajMike - we do understand that Molon Labe is *greek*, right?
 
By Hunter on July 9, 2007 2:48 PM
On my monitor, that flag color comes out...ahem, a bit magenta, pronounced pinkish. Engineers Lead the Way, "Essayons"
 
By Barb on July 9, 2007 2:50 PM
John - You really don't want me to take a shot at it. I have no artistic talent per se, I just know what I like. All of the artistic talent in my generation of the family is resident in my little sister, who makes a living doing graphics. I'll see if she has any spare time (in her current corporate re-branding hell) to take a stab at it, though. And I will purchase a flag as well, if/when a bulk order is to be made :-)
 
By jim b on July 9, 2007 2:56 PM
Good choice of colors. Marine Corps Colors, to be sure. You could go to Navy Blue and Yellow but the many would confuse you with the Boy Scouts. The would even expect adult leadership. Semper Fi
 
By jim b on July 9, 2007 2:59 PM
No wait Navy Blue and Yello is Cub Scouts .. my bad.
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 9, 2007 3:07 PM
Heh. US Army artillery colors are Crimson and Yellow. The Marines just know a good thing when they see it. If I had to be mistaken for something, I'd rather be mistaken for a Marine than a *shudder* sailor!
 
By jim b on July 9, 2007 3:14 PM
I totaly understand John. I did go to the US Army Field Artillery School at Fort Swill. So I recognize the Artillery connection. I did get better later in life and became a Rifle Company Commander. So I am a slit personality, in that I had two MOS's
 
By MajMike on July 9, 2007 3:43 PM
yeah, yeah. greek schmeek. just sayin' that the whole bit about aortas and stuff, it should diagram out this other way in a different dead language.... that, and the flag should be cavalry red over white.
 
By kilabe on July 9, 2007 3:52 PM
come join the PSYOP campaign against the islamofacists. They think they are slick, lets show them what free minds can conjure up.
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 9, 2007 4:42 PM
that, and the flag should be cavalry red over white. And with the crossed cannons, too, eh? Hah!
 
By Justthisguy on July 9, 2007 10:12 PM
Rodman Columbiads are Kewl&Modderin, but I think something with cascabels would be purtier. And there's that hole in the image where the trunnion oughta be. No offense, like the idea, just tweakin' the details.
 
By Ledger on July 10, 2007 12:28 AM
It’s a little late now – except for the lawyers. I don’t know what the reason for the thin Blackwater team. But, I sense this story was planted by the plaintiff’s lawyers to bolster and expand their case against Black Water. [newsobserver] “The families of the four men killed… sued Blackwater in Wake County Superior Court in an effort to find out what happened. Blackwater countersued the estates of the four men in federal court, successfully arguing for arbitration, in which the proceedings are closed to the public and the investigation of the incident can be much more limited.” See: Blackwater manager blamed Let’s hope Blackwater is better managed now. On a different note: I think the Castle Flag looks good. You should trade mark it. You never how lucrative the Castle might be.
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 10, 2007 6:53 AM
JTG - the "hole" *is* the trunnion!
 
By J.M. Heinrichs on July 10, 2007 11:14 AM
Boy: Mister Gunner, what's that hole there called? Gunner: Son, that's called a 'trunnion'. Boy: I've never seen something like that; what does it do? Gunner: It supports the gun by sitting on the cheeks of the carriage. Boy: But this is a hole. Don't real trunnions stick out? Gunner: Only if they are 'outies'. But this gun is special: it has an 'innie'. Cheers
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 10, 2007 1:35 PM
Sigh. Try the veal, folks. JMH will be here all week.
 
By Masked Menace on July 10, 2007 1:59 PM
Hey, I'd like to see you do something better when you've only got two colors to work with. Feh. :-)
 
By John of Argghhh! on July 10, 2007 2:55 PM
I say you did *very* well, MM. And the cost of color in custom-flag production is a large consideration. For those who don't know, MM produced the basic design of the simplified Castle logo used here. And *I* like it.
 
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