H&I Fires* 8 May 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).

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Senator John McCain:

McCain attended the U.S. Naval Academy from 1954 to 1958, and was commissioned as an ensign in June of that year. He retired in April 1981 with the rank of captain. In that time he received 17 awards and decorations. Besides the Silver Star Medal, McCain also received the Legion of Merit with a combat "V" and one gold star, a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Star Medal with a combat "V" and two gold stars.

For those that don't know - "V" is an identifier for valor. Gold stars mean for the Navy what oak leaf clusters do for the Army - a subsequent award of the same medal. Mind you, flying combat missions over Vietnam no more qualifies you for the high strategic job of CinC anymore than conning a Swift Boat on the Mekong does, or flying CAP for the US mainland in an F106, despite what people might want to claim. All three jobs were dangerous, some more often than others, and in different ways. H/t, Mike L. -the Armorer

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Recipe for hilarity... two goats, two dogs, SWWBO, and a skunk. In the barn. At night. With the Armorer watching bemusedly from the open tailgate of the Castle F150, with a cat in his lap.

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For those that don't know - "V" is an identifier for valor. Gold stars mean for the Navy what oak leaf clusters do for the Army - a subsequent award of the same medal.

That would be the same for the Air Force.

Mind you, flying combat missions over Vietnam no more qualifies you for the high strategic job of CinC anymore than conning a Swift Boat on the Mekong does, or flying CAP for the US mainland in an F106, despite what people might want to claim.

True enough, but only one of the three this sentence indirectly refers to obviously tried to associate his service in Indochina with his suitability for the highest office in the land, by "Reporting for Duty!" at his nominating convention. Just sayin'.

All three jobs were dangerous, some more often than others, and in different ways.

Mmmmmmmm, no. Disagree, respectfully. Based on my rather limited experience, CONUS CAP is a little less dangerous than rolling in for a LALD (low-angle, low-drag) delivery with releases well inside small-arms range (to say nothing of the heavier stuff) using dumb bombs in a relatively unsophisticated fighter in the most heavily defended enemy nation since the Second World War...and then going back to the carrier. I'd wager the brown water op was not even equivalent, although it was certainly #2 on that list.

Granted, Mac ain't Ronnie but he's no slouch when it comes to the single biggest threat we face right now. And seeing as how "...Support the Common Defense..." is fairly high up on the Founders priorities, I think McCain is a better choice (no contest for me, but you knew that). Basically, all things being equal, I want a C-in-C who's character has been demonstrably tested to some degree. Of course, the Nutroots will eventually start a 9/11 Troofer-esque routine on McCain ("he was never tortured...") but that'll be an indication that even they think it's important.

Personally, I want an adult for a president. While I VEHEMENTLY disagree with some of John's (McCain, not Donovan) positions (suppression of political speech as defined in his campaign finance reform legislation being #1), I know I'm getting someone who won't cave when things get dicey, domestically or internationally. I also feel--and this is just as important--that with the Mac-ster, I'm getting someone who sincerely believes this country is special and good and honorable and just...or tries to be, as much as it can, in this imperfect world.

Finally, I was taught how to understand and cherish a code of honor by many of John's fellow Hanoi Hilton inmates. These were, and are, men. Men who had their arms trussed up so tightly behind their backs that their sternums split down the middle while hanging from the rafters. In this environment, when offered a chance to bug out, McCain said, "Stick it."

Alas, McCain is notorious for not talking about his past, his achievements, his character or his many private good works since returning from Vietnam. That's a shame because I think it would make America's choice easier in the vast "mushy middle" who otherwise has to listen to Michelle Obama tell us how tough life's been for her and her husband.

Maybe that's why Hamas wants Barack to win.

Rant over.

-Instapilot

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Heh. Stomped on my VE Day stuff, too, puttin' up that rant. Sigh.

One more time, with feeling...

63 years ago today - VE Day.

Above -- At Piccadilly Circus in London, a U.S. soldier gives a hug to a motherly looking English woman celebrating Germany's unconditional surrender. (Photo credit: U.S. National Archives)

Interesting how the LA Times covered it that day...

Heh. I still want to take back the "V-for-Victory" handsign. It's a sad commentary on the parlous state of history education when I approach "Peace Sign" flashing younglings at protests they get all confused when I walk up, shake their hand and say "Hey! I'm with you! I'm for Victory too!" They usually stare blankly, and I don't think it's because the weird bearded fat guy came up and shook their hand... -the Armorer, prodded by Jim C.

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In terms of H&I Fires, is this what's referred to as calling in a strike on oneself...?: I just got off the phone after 30 minutes with MG Rick Lynch.

Maggie in 5... 4... 3...

If I'm still alive, I'll have a report on the interview tomorrow.

We covered a lot of interesting ground, including his thinking behind the proactive relationship 3ID has with local and new media, the "broken" army, and progress/issues in development of the Iraqi military and police forces.

*headed for the bunker* - FbL

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Looks like the rant bollixed the sidebar, too -- the Blogspawn and Denizen links have gone straight into the garderobe...

Whoop! H&I hat trick! -- Bill

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Not on my machine, Bill. -the Armorer

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Is a strike into Iran getting closer and more finalized? This seems to assume so. I wonder if we'll have a major bruhaha over the legality of it all. (Looks in the general direction of the usual suspects.)
--ry
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My apologies for stomping all over John's VE Day post...should have seen it coming.

OK. Now then. This is the first b**ch slap I have seen come out of the McCain camp. Superb. Let's hope the team keeps it up. Ooorah! -Instapilot

H/T to Andy McCarthy at The Corner (Buy his book!)
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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 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 that particular topic. It's also an open trackback, so if (Don Surber uses it this way a lot) 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".