Archive Logo.jpg

March 17, 2008

H&I Fires 17 March, 2008

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).

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May the road rise up to meet you and the wind be at your back
May the sun shine upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields
And may there always be a rainbow above you

Start off this day right with a little love for our allies in the GWOT: They started it. We were going to finish it. 1 Military Cross and 1 Commendation h/t Op-For

TA to Roust Unwilling Weekend Warriors

UK set to have same social security problem as the US: half of adults on benefits in 60 years

Speaking of our British Allies, every St. Patrick's Day for the last few years, I think of my British friend Wendy. Sorry I was such a clod back then.

McCain just upped the ante. Wonder how long before Hillary and OB-Won get a clue? I know Hillary's been there more than once, but I don't think Obama has, ever. Still, long election season to go.

Florida: Hey, hey! Ho-Ho! Droopy Pants Have got to Go!

Battle of the Bloggers: Taliban, Al Qaida duke it out on the internet h/t Cannoneer

Lying to Recruits Maybe Code Pink will go protest these guys.

US Captured Mohammed Rahim AQ head honcho in Afghanistan August 2007.

Intelligence on other leaders has apparently improved

Anatomy of an IED: For Use Against Coalition Forces.

Goes with this story: Walling Mosul

How to make a black hole (let's hope no one figures out how to make it into a weapon)

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ..."

Raid spotlights Colombia, Venezuela's different military philosophies

Advocate for the Veteran

Sadr Ceasefire Over? I've been wondering that over the last few days when they announced the Katyusha missiles being fired into the Green Zone. Katyusha missiles being the favored Hezbollah weapon to lob into Israel. Hezbollah being supported by IRGC (Iranians). Etc, etc, etc

Iraq Economy via the Rock of the Marne
-Kat

****************************************

One tribe, one vote, indeed. And the last line is gold. - Damian

****************************************

*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."

Denizens | Permalink | Comments (6) | General Commentary
Comments on H&I Fires 17 March, 2008
Tim briefed on March 17, 2008 12:00 PM

The best line from Fusileer Hields:

Hields said: “It turned out the bullet had smashed a rib and gone out of me again without touching any internal organs which was very lucky. It was just a flesh wound really.

HE'S INVINCIBLE!!!!!!!

kat-missouri briefed on March 17, 2008 1:46 PM

Yeah. Liked that one, too.

FbL briefed on March 17, 2008 8:38 PM

Anybody else get a bit sick and angry when reading that "shadow of death" story? He's obviously hurting and mourning, so I'm resisting the urge to say angry and unkind things about him. But I cannot read that and think highly of him.

wolfwalker briefed on March 17, 2008 9:54 PM

Not relevant to any of the posted items, just something I thought y'all might want to be aware of:

Last night I saw a trailer for an upcoming movie. A movie about service in our Armed Forces. And about the damage that said service can wreak on the lives of those who perform it.

The title: "Stop Loss"

Three guesses as to its slant, and the first two don't count.

For five years Hollyweird has been churning out antiwar and anti-armed-forces movies. Every single one has been an ignominious flop. Yet they STILL haven't gotten the point. Boggles the mind, it does.

kat-missouri briefed on March 17, 2008 10:49 PM
Anybody else get a bit sick and angry when reading that "shadow of death" story? He's obviously hurting and mourning, so I'm resisting the urge to say angry and unkind things about him. But I cannot read that and think highly of him.

FbL...at first, when I read that, I thought the same thing. But, then, I realized that he wasn't just talking about his friend, or taking pictures of his friend. He was talking about doing all of these things without appreciation for the consequences, without appreciating that the pictures of the dead were not pictures of inanimate objects without relation to anything or anyone, but people.

It took the death of his friend for him to realize it.

I admit, when I read it, my first reaction was "welcome to the club". But, I refrained, because his reaction was no more or less than that of a man who had suddenly felt mortal and realized the people around him were mortal, too.

John of Argghhh! briefed on March 18, 2008 6:19 AM

Heh. Sorry, Fuzzybee, I didn't have a negative reaction, either.

Just a thought about, "Welcome to the meadow where the Iron Crosses grow..."

All in all, I thought it was a pretty good bit, and I'm glad Kat linked it.