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H&I Fires* 29 Jul 07

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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Hard to believe I'm the first one here to set up the H&I post, all you folks to the east must be busy. Be sure to scroll down and catch Bill's note from the edge, and Kat's take on developments in the Pat Tillman story.
I'm going to grab a second cup of coffee, and head over to Andi's to read her second installment on those Worthless Military Wives / Mothers. She's just hitting her stride, too. Part one is here. - Barb

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Oops! As Bill properly points out in his comment below, today is the commander's Natal Day. Use the comments for your wishes and virtual gifts...
Happy Birthday, John! My gift is this heavy artillery wagon, complete with crew.
- Barb

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As was noted in the comments - the Armorer was busy today, getting the present he got himself... the new Assault Tractor of Argghhh! (armored cab sold separately).

Good thing I was gone, too - geez, you guys embarrassed me with the whole respect-based thingy in the comments. Sniff, sniff. Dang hydro fluid, gets in yer eyes sometimes.

Anyway - driving the new Assault Tractor is serious business - as you can tell from the look on the operator's face. Plus side - I may fire it up on cold winter days... just to smell the smell of diesel in the morning. It smells like... border duty.

Driving is serious business!

As for reminding me of the closing percentage gap between Bill's age and mine... thanks, I guess...! 8^ ) -the Suddenly Auld Armorer

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John, since you enjoy playing Whatzis so much, here's a gift from Bill to puzzle over.

Click for larger image

-the Adjutant

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*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires.

Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute.

*Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is*

The UAVs (oops, can't call 'em UAVs anymore - they're now Unmanned Aerial Systems... some Colonel got his Legion of Merit for that change...), er, um UAS's we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now.

I call the post that because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to. It's also an open trackback, so if someone has a post they're proud of, but it really isn't either Castle kind of stuff, or topical to a particular post, I've basically given blanket permission to use that post for that purpose. Another term of art that might be appropriate is "Free Fire Zone"

40 Comments

So I note that no one else has commented about someone having a Birthday today. He's probably playing with his new tractor (or does that come tomorrow?).
 
Happy Birthday, John!!!
 
Happy birthday!
 
So I note that no one else has commented about someone having a Birthday today. TT - You've got dibs on being the first one, even if the felicitations *were* a tad early...
 
Brab! Excellent - Lego arty! Wheeeeee!
 
I hate to say this on the anniversary of your internatal day, Sir, but I think it may be a good idea that you've chosen to quarantine yourself, out in the countryside. Just stay away from the 'phibians, please, you may be contagious: I mean, as if the Dreaded Artillery Fungus weren't bad enough, we have the even more horrifying Redleg Disease. I swear, sometimes I think being Arty. is pathogenic and contagious. I seem to be catching it myself. Is there a cure
 
Happy Birthday! Good thing I'm not close enough to invade your personal space, huh? I might be tempted to give you a very chaste (so SWWBO doesn't get mad at me) birthday kiss. So instead...some fireworks? http://www.wvdot.com/crossings/Graphics/Civil%20War%20Cannon.jpg
 
So, Sir, are ya gonna open the one *I* sent you? There are public health concerns, you know. Contact tracing can be embarassing, but if we want to stop the spread of contagious Artillerism we must bite the bullet, and screw our courage to the sticking place, and own up to having the disease, so that it can be contai... uh, *spread*, that's it! The 'phibians are just going to have to put up with it.
 
Happy Birthday, John! And I don't care whether you like 'em or not, I'm sending you a big (((HUG)))
 
Still getting Tonka Toys at your age?
 
Hey, Murray, I hadda get a little diesel engine to practice on before I got a full-size one...
 
JTG - methinks I'll just leave yours in the containment facility, donchaknow!
 
Happy Birthday. Now ya'll varmit o the countryside you'll need one of these to stare at and pretend you know how the crops will do.
 
Sir, with all due respect, and wishing you a Happy Birthday Anniversary, Artillerism is everywhere, even among the insects so we might as well get comfortable and adapt to it. Ppfbbthptbbt! (Or, rather, *POW*!)
 
Happy Birthday!!!
 
Barb - that's easy - the ramjet beverage cooler for the AH-1 series aircraft...
 
And BlueStarBeth - yer enthusiasm is commendable!
 
Nope -- but it'll sure help ya with varmint control...
 
Happy B'day....
 
I just find it really sad that with all that space you're still track deprived.
 
I have to make this go backwards a bit, and go make nice to the Fuzzybear for her birthday, which I have not yet done. In my defense, may I say, as every guy says when pressed to think of a gift for a female, I dunno what to get a wummun? The FbL is obviously not yer typical wummun, and our relationship is entirely virtual and textual. Nonetheless, could somebody direct me at some servers which might contain some links, which might point to some content which the Fuzzybear might like?
 
Crud! Late as always I be, but here's my gift to ya in proper, dark, creepy, BloodSpite format :)
 
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag!
 
Feliz Cumpleaños al Gran Artillero de Placencia
 
That's a kewl gun - Now I'm envious :-)
 
Bloodspite - the only problem with that piece would be slapping in the magazine could get to be annoying...
 
The external store... izzat an airshow smoke pod or summat?
 
Hmmm...I believe that Whatziz is part of the smoke system (probably) of the AH-1's used by the Sky Soldiers Flight Demostration Team/ Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, Tara Field, Atlanta. ...and Happy Birthday!
 
Yeah, what I said, only with more detail...!
 
Ayup!
 
*grin* Except for the On/Off switch, it's the *entire* smoke system -- sucker's completely self-contained. With me, you get Context. Unaltered and un-PhotoShopped. The photo wasn't taken at Atlanta, though. Nor was it taken at an AirShow. Nor at an enroute fuel stop. Any guesses?
 
Bloodspite - the only problem with that piece would be slapping in the magazine could get to be annoying... But think of the extra GoogleHits from "I bayonetted myself". You'll be the entire Top Ten...
 
Happy Birthday and ...... Green acres is the place to be Farm living is the life for me Land spreading out, so far and wide Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside. The photo was taken in the "Smoking Section" of the Huey Park.
 
With me, you get Context. Unaltered and un-PhotoShopped. Not any more we don't get context... Snerk! As for where - wherever you got your check ride - Bragg or Rucker. Good shot, Jim - at Bill, not me.
 
Shopping for the wife is easy, whatever she TELLS you to get. Or more often whatever she tells you've already bought her (stop by the atm on your way to work because its currently empty in this situation).
 
Here's a nice picture sequence of the SkySoldiers Cobras doing the thing..."smoke on". "Even Rocky had a montage" http://www.armyav.org/Slides/pictures.htm
   
Not Bragg and not Rucker. Geez, talk about target fixation...
 
This makes me nostalgic for the "Silver Eagles" OH-6 Precision Flying Team! http://www.eaglelead.com/index.htm
 
Mine didn't post. Rats. Well, congrats on the full size Matchbox Car/tractor thingy. Here's yer dinner: Steak grilled to barely medium well...a hint of pink. Baked potato with the requisite artery clogging toppings of sour cream, butter and cheese. Yer pick or all three. Chives, salt and pepper Mesclun salad, basalmic vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil Chocolate cake and apple pie with whipped cream. I will be feeding BillT. Many Happy Returns.