H&I Fires* 24 Aug 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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The Dissident Frogman runs a school for the Agence France Presse on the difference between bullets and cartridges... and why their war correspondents and editors are incompetent bumbling buffoons. Hey, ignorance is okay, it's fixable for heaven's sake. If you're reading this and don't know the difference between a bullet and a cartridge, that's okay. That doesn't make you a buffoon. It just means you have a life and are interested in rather more important things. And after you watch the Frogman's video, you will be over-qualified to work for AFP, so if that's your dream, DON'T CLICK THAT LINK! If you are trying to "report the news" influence world opinion and affect US policy, well, if you don't have basics like that down... you're an incompetent bumbling bufoon. BTW - the Frogman's pretty good racking, clacking, and catching... bet he'd never get M1 Thumb.

Those who know, know. -the Armorer

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Never give up your dream - hey, I'm only 9 years away from my comeback! -the Armorer

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A fellow who wears a Canadian Forces uniform, who spent a year in Kabul working for the Strategic Advisory Team - Afghanistan (SAT-A), has finally had enough of the misinformation in the press, and goes on a rant. It's worth your time.

On a bit of a side-note, for those of you who don't know about SAT-A, follow this link - it's a very interesting idea being executed quite well. The basic idea is that a number of years ago, Hamid Karzai expressed a need for staffing expertise in a private conversation with our Chief of Defence Staff General Rick Hillier (who was then then a lower ranking general commanding our forces in Afghanistan), since the Afghan civil bureaucracy was close to non-existent. Hillier took some of his brightest staff officers and "embedded" them with various Afghan civilian ministries in Kabul. It was such a success that when Hillier became CDS, he formalized the arrangement on an ongoing basis. Not many people have heard of SAT-A, though, because the personnel keep a low profile (live communally in a big house in Kabul, grow beards, wear civilian dress to work, etc). But it's tough to over-estimate the good they're doing with long-term capacity-building as well as the short-term impact on the Afghan government. - Damian

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Soldiers' Angels at the VFW Convention: I know, you're thinking, "How exciting can a VFW convention be?" Well, four presidential candidates, two medal of honor winners, one president and scores of heroic men and women returned from various wars including the current. It was pretty darn interesting. Lots of pictures.

Also interesting, we met lots of vets who told us there stories. Some let us video tape. I recall a book recently out and a story in the paper claiming that the "baby killer, spitting" stories were myth. Everyone that I talked to could remember the date and place that they returned from as well as the event whether they were spit at, called names, or various other activities. To these guys, it is no myth. Basic theme here? Never again.

General Sir Richard Dannat appeals to the British: Shake the Hand of a Squadie!

Then, you always have to wonder where these reporters have been the last few years when you read something like this:

"We simply cannot as a nation stand and continue to put our troops at continuous risk of loss of life and limb without beginning to take some decisive action," he told reporters after a White House meeting with Bush's top aides.

Warner's new position is a sharp challenge to a wartime president that will undoubtedly color the upcoming Iraq debate on Capitol Hill. Next month, Gen. David Petraeus, the top military commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker are expected to brief members on the war's progress.

Warner's NEW position? I mean, I try not to dog on the media unless it is really egregious, but these little subtleties where they try to make some statement an anti-Iraq Republican made seem like "new" so they can bolster their meme that the war is losing support (just as it is starting to turn) is either deliberate or the reporter pool was a little low this week so they had to pull a new one out from under the rock they congregate under. I mean, Warner has been anti-Iraq for almost two years now suggesting we should leave. This is not "new". Unless, of course, you've been hiding under a rock for two years.

-Kat