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...
Time to add a new caveat, because from email it's not clear to some folks (mind you, if you don't read this it won't matter...) Being an open post, people (collectively, the Denizens) other than I post in the H&I. They sign their work (most of the time) - keep that in mind when you want to flame someone in email please - if it doesn't say "The Armorer" or "John" then I didn't write it! And honestly - if you don't like something said or posted... leave a comment, and hash it out (within the context of The Rulez which are clearly posted on the comment form, I would add).
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Hillary and McCain - New Hampshire goes for same ol' same ol'. The big losers in the primary yesterday? The pollsters. I admit, I just refuse to talk to them. They don't call much any more, thank heavens.
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In the comments on the 7 January H&I Fires, FuzzyBee and Mike D. had this exchange:
...Unfortunately*, for both the dog and the soldier, it is US military policy in Iraq to kill the dog! "Prohibited activities for service members under General Order 1-A include adopting as pets or mascots, caring for or feeding any type of domestic or wild animal" To help these soldiers and there "adoptees" Bonnie Buckley is working hard at http://www.militarymascots.org/ Mike
[*In the original version of this post, I inadvertently left off the "Un" from "unfortunately" which rather changed the meaning of what I was attributing to Mike. Mike is *not* a meany when it comes to dogs, I'm an incompetent when it comes to block-selecting test. I really really regret the error. -the Armorer]
Fuzzy responded:
Yes, I'm aware the order. It is also my understanding that regulations are being unofficially loosened in many, many cases (though I'v also heard stories of camps where dogs on base are shot at sight). But I know of at least half a dozen cases of Iraqi dogs being brought to the U.S. either by returning personnel or on behalf of the family of someone who was KIA. In fact, Blackfive has been following a case of the latter type.
This is my contribution to the discussion: Where's *my* chow?
Photo by Spc. Shawn M. Cassatt January 04, 2008 A unit pet eyes Soldiers' food at Combat Outpost Zagania in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. The Soldiers are from 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
Speaking of dawgs - SWWBO has a video of one just having the time of his life!
-the Armorer
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General Honore of "stuck on stupid" fame goes out in style. It sounds like retirement is not going to be the end of his service to the country. Congratulations and thank you, General. - FbL
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Video of Sunday morning's fracas from the USS Hopper......Maggie
*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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