H&I Fires 7 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.

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).

The Patton of Counter-insurgency h/t Bellmont Club

Cowboy Socialism

CBS starts asking about Obama:

In fact, a Nexis search of major world newspapers Tuesday yielded 2,568 hits for the words “Clinton” and “Hsu” versus only 426 for the words “Obama” and “Rezko.” Expanding the search to include all media outlets, the Clinton/Hsu query produced more than 3,000 hits, while Obama/Rezko turned up 1,741.

Mixed reviews for new Air Force Slogan: "Above All". It used to be "Aim High" and then it went to some horrible PR failure of "Do Something Amazing". The Air Force should have gotten their money back.

Those We Left Behind

Civilian Irregular Defense Corps on FM 3-0 on Civilian Information Counter-Insurgency. and Assymetrical Psychological Warfare
-Kat

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Meet Buster Martin, who intends to run the London Marathon. And if he finishes it - he's going to celebrate with a pint and a cigarette. I'm pretty sure he's going to win his age-group. The "Over 100" age group. Really. You go, dude! -the Armorer

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Simply too cool - the story of the recovery and on-going restoration of a P-61 Black Widow. H/t, Mike D. -the Armorer

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Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman and Private Luke Cole - two people you should know.

Especially Pte Cole - “My stomach was cut open, so I tucked my shirt in to keep it together and kept firing until more lads from the platoon arrived.” Tough trooper! H/t, Jim C. -the Armorer

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For any interested, attached is yesterday's resurrected VIDEO
***SAME WARNING*** Images and Language are crude as it captures the aftermath of what Armed Forces do best.

BOQ

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3ID/Taskforce Marne is doing fascinating work in south-central Iraq these days. From a 500-student technical school put together by a PRT, to a Rule-of-Law training program for Iraqi judges that includes a DVD of 90 years of Iraqi legal code, there's a lot going on. The Iraqi NCO Academy also continues to be well-received:

“There are times when we have to beef up the training,” [instructor] Hooks said. “A lot of times they don’t want to take breaks, they just keep asking for more.”

And finally, this striking quote from an area that 3ID has only recently entered:

“The people of Janabi approached us, saying they bet on the wrong horse,” Zimmerman said. “Many of them were former (al-Qaeda) members not even three weeks ago.”

The reconciliation of former al-Qaeda members has allowed progress in the area.

“They have actually gone out and dug up improvised explosive devices which they had planted, turned in weapon caches and have shown dedication toward working together with the Coalition and Iraqi Army forces,” Zimmerman said.

For more on Iraq, don't miss my interviews with 3ID's Deputy Commanding General, and Ambassador Charles Ries. - FbL

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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."