H&I* Fires 28 SEP 2007

2007-09-29T04:55:58Z

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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Skippy-san could have written this, but didn’t. Wow is there a rather large amount of contractor hatred being tossed around lately or what?

(Anyone wondering what I meant by this should check out the comments section to this at Sir Lex’s.)
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So, what does this work out as per-capita I wonder? It does make me wonder a bit about why the Wife’s home state of Oregon is paying so much less than, say, Washington, but beyond that it easily breaks down to population. If you look at the map you’ll see that the most populous/high pop. density states are the one’s ‘paying the most’.
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Not quite sure what to make of this M. Hirsh piece about SecDef Gates and supposed on the Hill “Washington jujitsu” games being played.
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Bloodspite hasn’t gotten any play on the immigration issue in a bit, so these are for him.
1) Dishwasher from Guatemala, illegally here, decides to pack it all up and go home. Complication? He’s carrying $59k, cash, at the airport and that sets off all kinds of federal alarms.

2) A USA Today story about how things like the laws the city of Hazelton, PA put in place seem to be having some impact on the issue of illegal immigrants swamping social services. Make of that what you will, be it good or bad.
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And just because we can, let’s make today a Red Friday. To let our Northern Neighbors know we haven’t overlooked their contribution to the Long War and are glad they’re with us.
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ry (Now, about this typing elbow Chief.....)

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In support of Ry's Red Friday call - this will flutter from the staff at Castle Argghhh! today.

-the Armo(u)rer

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Oh - and if you haven't taken the opportunity to sign the "Support General Petraeus" petition over then in the right sidebar... well, go do it! It's not like it'll cost you anything. Well, except for that whole April 15 thingy. -the Armorer

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Strategy Page has a good joke. -the Armorer

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How many Armies in history did things like this? Especially as individual efforts on the part of soldiers, vice official policy?

During his tour of duty in Iraq, Army Sgt. Johnny Kempen thought he'd seen everything, until he met a little girl who saw nothing at all.
Kempen noticed one day, as soldiers threw candy to children in a tense Baghdad neighborhood, a little girl standing out.

Go to ABC News for the rest of the story of Zahraa, Sergeant Kempen and the residents of his hometown, Crandon, Wisconsin. -the Armorer

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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"

Comment from Skippy-san on 2007-09-28

2007-09-28T23:56:56Z

Thank you for the link. I stand by my thoughts-I think that there needs to be a more serious look at where contrator support makes sense and where we are going into an area we probably should not be going into. There is merit in some of the support things being given over to contractors ( until you start to look at their labor force and how little they are being paid in comparison to westerners-but that's a whole different argument)-however in the end combat is an extension of the national policy and will; and so should be under the jurisdiction of the national military. I truly believe that. Within the Navy at least-the whole outsourcing thing has gone more than a little too far.

Comment from JimC on 2007-09-28

2007-09-28T19:41:25Z

Way to go SGT Kempen and way to go Crandon, WI. This is a great story -- wish we got more stories like this in the media.

Comment from Mike Lehnherr on 2007-09-28

2007-09-28T15:42:35Z

Dammit!! Made my eyeballs sweat AGAIN! Even as a Rotarian I can say, "God Bless the Lions." ML

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2007-09-28

2007-09-28T15:05:54Z

I hold you guys, the Brits, the Ozzies, the Kiwis, and to a lesser extent, the Indians, to blame for the deplorable state of vowels in the Balkans. I demand you use only your fair share, and wish the UN would tax you sufficiently on your vowels to be able to distribute vowels for Bosnia, Serbia, et.al...

Comment from Damian on 2007-09-28

2007-09-28T14:58:42Z

On behalf of your cousins to the north, thanks for the sentiments, folks. And on a snarkier note, it's nice to see that you can learn to spell with the proper number of vowels when you put your minds to it. ;)

Comment from BillT on 2007-09-28

2007-09-28T12:21:09Z

--ry (Now, about this typing elbow Chief.....) "...elbow comma Chief..." And ya gots ta follow the Castle Style Book when referencing our Neighbo(u)rs and insert the U of Respect. Which is entirely different from the U of Elided Snarkage or the U of CLA...