We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:00:45 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2010 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification “Because we were in the Army before -- during the war.” When most of the Iraqi RW pilots talk about “the war,” they’re referring to the Iran-Iraq dustup -- they call OIF “the fight.” Most of them do, anyway… “So, they call us Saddam’s Soldiers. Feh. We did not fight for Saddam. American soldiers do not fight for Bush. Soldiers fight for the land, the country, the people! Not for the leader! The leader always changes and the land remains! But they call us ‘Saddam’s Soldiers and look down on us. "They don’t know. “They don’t know… “I was stationed... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:33:51 -0600 Hey! I'm irregular only in that I scrupulously obey all traffic laws, which is quite irregular around here. I ALWAYS stop for yellows. Unfortunately, the ABS wasn't up to road conditions tonight and I got rear-ended, somewhat. No, belay that. If the ABS _had_ been up to road conditions, I'da got rear-ended a lot harder. Light turned yellow at optimum bad decision point, road not quite dry, guy in Merc had just changed one tire, and when he tried to swerve, he couldn't, having somebody right beside him in next lane. Oh, and it's Friday the 13th and my cat is still mad at me. F-150's back bumper moved one inch on one side; Mercedes-Benz mortally wounded. I'll not complain about the 12 mpg again. For a while, anywa http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74256 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74256 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:07:56 -0600 Speaking of irregularities, what's up with the double-archiving when Strikethrough GWOT gets included in the category? [Oddly enough, when you post it from over there, it doesn't show up in my control panel that you've selected a category - but you are, obviously. That's an artifact of my testing. The Web Mechanic is going to try to update our backoffice this weekend... which might fix things, or blow things up so thoroughly I decide to just use that as an excuse to go dark...] {Not so odd -- *I* can't see it in MT until something other than H&I gets published. BloggerSpeak, folks -- hang around when he answers and get even *m9re* bewildered. Hey, AFSis! I can see your house from up here!} http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74240 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74240 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:43:48 -0600 Oh, fine -- and you snark me when I *don't* run off at the mouth, too. Hmmpf -- *somebody* got an atomic wedgie because AKO released the picture of the crate the new boom-tube came in and mislabeled it as the howitzer... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74239 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74239 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:37:46 -0600 Ya need some kaopectate to help with that irregularity there Chief? We'd hate ya ta be all irregular and stuff round here. Hard enough cleanin' up after Ry and JTG. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74237 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74237 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:30:41 -0600 Not too many people have the advantage of being a Vietnam Vet, and have access to "Saddam's Soldiers" to compare notes. Well, considering the number of surviving VietVet helicopter pilots who stayed in the game, are bilingual, have recent experience instructing in SWA, are qualified flight sim operators, can still pass a flight physical, blog (irregularly) and are currently in Iraq, yeah, your chances of getting somebody *else's* perspective on it might be a tad slim...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74235 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74235 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:27:41 -0600 "The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." - G.K. Chesterton]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74227 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74227 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:18:45 -0600 Yes, it was meant as a compliment. Not too many people have the advantage of being a Vietnam Vet, and have access to "Saddam's Soldiers" to compare notes. It is an interesting thought process. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74226 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74226 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:59:20 -0600 Very interesting thought process. Thanks, Twin. Uhhh -- I think... ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74219 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74219 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:04:30 -0600 Yeah, not so much. But that's ok - there is very little I enjoy more than listening to them talk. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74216 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74216 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:48:10 -0600 get us to shut the hell up for a while No luck on that, eh, HF6?]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74209 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74209 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:03:07 -0600 get us to shut the hell up for a while Heh. Good post whirly-bird man. Good post.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74208 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74208 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:57:36 -0600 Interesting comparisons, Bill. Many have said that Iraq is the "new" Vietnam.... but no one has said that it's the "new" Vietnam to the IRAQI's. Most who have said that are trying to draw parallels between the wars being unpopular, a lost cause, and an unnecessary attack by the United States. You're the first to draw the parallel between the fighters themselves. Very interesting thought process. You've found kindred spirits in the hearts of the Iraqi pilots- and not just because you're both air jockeys. *smile* Welcome Home, Bill. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74203 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74203 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:42:03 -0600 Good post baby. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74198 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74198 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:44:52 -0600 Almost every post surprises me, sir. Keep it up! We've got your six. Airborne, all the way! Alan Briley, RN Former paratrooper http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74195 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74195 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:10:38 -0600 Thanks for the quiescent moment Unkabill. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74194 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74194 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:07:11 -0600 You're doing a good thing, Bill. On many levels. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74191 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74191 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:28:54 -0600 Good post, Bill. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74189 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74189 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:08:38 -0600 On the plus side, I'm able to tell the new kids some of the history of their new home. Changes their perspective on the rotary wing guys quite a bit... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74188 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74188 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:24:11 -0600 Let’s make sure that defeat, bitterness and confusion don’t happen again. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74185 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/06/they_call_us_sa.html#comment-74185 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:24:46 -0600