Comments for H&I Fires* 23 July 2008

H&I Fires* 23 July 2008

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:59:22 -0600

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. ******************************** This photo is only mildly amusing. Until you notice (as pointed out in comments), the expression on the portrait of Jesus in the background. Stand by with the brain scrubber: Nude yoga??!! A theft ring involved Marines stealing secret American files on terrorists... in order to conduct counter-terrorism. Hunh?? - FbL ******************************** One can't help but wonder if the plumbing was up to code... hailstones belching forth from... the toilet? H/t, Kevin. -the Armorer ******************************** Red meat for Atilla. One of the best personal milblogs out there is The War on Big Tobacco. This post will resonate with a lot of folks around here, I suspect. If you haven't been reading him yet, you've been missing out. - FbL [You *definitely* want to read SSG Tobacco's post. Oh, yes. -the Armorer] ******************************** If you liked the link above, you'll probably appreciate SSG Tobacco's follow-up post. Aw heck, just read the whole blog. It's both great writing and a study in the life and growth of an NCO who is moving from weekend warrior to full-time soldier - FbL ******************************** City in Poland unveil's Ronald Reagan statue thanking him for his role in ending Communist rule in Poland. One note, the author says they think it is the first kind of statue in Europe. I'm not sure if he is talking about presidents in general or Reagan in particular. I do know that, according to Totten, there is a big honking statue of Bill Clinton in Kosovo. Obviously, thanking him for saving them from extermination. Speaking of that, Radovan Karadzic, looking like Santa Claus, was captured and is about to stand trial. What is that saying? The banality of evil? They caught him working in a health clinic. Kind of like getting an appointment with Dr. Mengele down in Brazil. You'd want to be real careful signing any "do not resucitate" or "living will" papers. -Kat ********************************

Comment from Justthisguy on 2008-07-25

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:04:44 -0600

Oh, Sergeant Michael Z. Williamson, Indiana Air Nat'l Guard, the SF writer, is currently deployed "over there." He has a LiveJournal at http://sgtmadmike.livejournal.com . There is a lot of expert bitching there, while accomplishing the mission anyway. I have a particular fondness for him, as he has personally exempted me from his plan to put all Florida voters through a wood chipper when he becomes Dictator. (He's not eligible to be President, being foreign-born.) I think he was one of the first people to build a pink AR-15 for his little daughter.

Comment from Justthisguy on 2008-07-25

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:40:09 -0600

I took the advice and read about half of BT's posts. Whee! Cigar-snob Jewish computer-nerd infantry Sergeant! Good stuff!

Comment from BillT on 2008-07-24

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:39:28 -0600

John -- Nope, they bailed 'waaay before the new Big Unit Commander was sent in. Which is the reason he *was* sent in, because the previous Big Unit Commander had infected most of his subordinates with Prince of Darkness Syndrome and unit retention went right down the tubes. Manning numbers looked good solely due to the constant inshuffle of new recruits, but MOSQ numbers were atrocious.

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2008-07-24

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:38:28 -0600

...they all retired or transferred out.

Which, I'm guessing, is rather what was hoped for, if they wouldn't embrace the new regime.

Dusty - I found Townie's post odd, too. As for John, well, I'm guessing he may have a morale slump since he's a missileer, and they've been taking a lot of heat lately due to the highly publicized faux pas in the nuke business.

In other words, he's living the life that the missileers led back when I was in the nuke business, and we all lived it, the compleat Zero Defects environment.

Of course, if Senator Obama is elected, John's life in the silo should ease up a lot. Apparently, they'll be able to pull duty from home or something, and only drive out to the silos now and again, since we won't be on "hair trigger" alert....

Comment from BillT on 2008-07-24

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:57:16 -0600

FuzzBee -- If it's the unit I think it is, I know their Overlord from 'way back, and why he was specifically assigned. He's not a micromanager, but he wants things done *right* (as well as according to regulation) and he *will* call people on the carpet -- but never in public. We go 'waaaaayyyyy back, and if I ever addressed him by his rank instead of his name, he'd be hurt. I doubt there's anybody at Sarge Tobacco's level I know -- they're all retired or they transferred out...

Comment from Ymarsakar on 2008-07-24

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:43:21 -0600

CDR Salamander really hates what the diversity bullies are doing to his Navy. I assume things are even worse in the Air Force. It's hard to fight a war when you're too busy playing politics about who gets what law passed about the AF.

Comment from Instapilot, Attila, Whatever on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:52:54 -0600

John,

Read the OPFOR post. One of the weirdest I've read in awhile. Obviously, he's pissed. Incompetent, arrogant senior leadership. Imagine. As for those of us who've seen their sister services at work from the inside, well, the same reactions can be generated in Air Force observers.

I wish he was more specific (and I'm assuming he can't be) so I could offer more of a response. Suffice it to say we ALL have more than our fair share of idiots. And heroes.

As for John saying he's sufficiently demoralized to pine for the more noble yesteryear of the Army Air Corps, I say, "knock yourself out." In fact, interservice transfers are still being offered, are they not?

Comment from FbL on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:47:54 -0600

BillT, I was wondering if you'd pick up on the details of his unit and what that might say to you... ;)

Comment from BillT on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:26:45 -0600

...you find out it's a National Guard unit that hasn't kept up their health on their own time. Literally almost every one of them failed their last PT test.

Dollars to doughnut holes I know exactly which outfit it is. *And* why their officers are acting like fifth-grade hall monitors...

Comment from Ymarsakar on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:15:22 -0600

So, troop walks up to clearing barrel, and, instead of dropping mag and clearing breech, he racks it back to clear the breech, lets it go forward, *then* drops the magazine.

Fatigue kills, precisely because it screws up people's logic circuits when they are tired. Got to be real extra careful about certain things when you are physically exhausted, which I assume he was.

Hopefully, they won't repeat this reversed process with which end of the barrel the bullet comes out of.

Also, if they get dehydrated on a 3 mile run, even with 70 pound packs... they also reversed the order in which they should be drinking water. It's not supposed to be drunk at the end of the march. They might have been so out of breath they just "forgot" to drink the water. Bad idea.

Literally almost every one of them failed their last PT test.

Guess it is boot camp again ; )

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:26:54 -0600

Ymar - I'll take Fuzzy's call on the health issue, as I haven't read the whole blog, it being new to me, but that (out of shape reservists training in preparation for a deployment) is pretty much how I saw it.

As for the negligent discharge... pretty much the only way it can happen, even if you have a broken extractor or somesuch. They should have been marching with magazines loaded but nothing up the spout. So, troop walks up to clearing barrel, and, instead of dropping mag and clearing breech, he racks it back to clear the breech, lets it go forward, *then* drops the magazine. Points the weapon into the clearing barrel, and... he discovers why we have clearing barrels, so that the errant boat-tailed menace goes into the sand of the barrel and not randomly through walls and other, possibly organic, impediments to its passage. First moves in making sure a weapon is clear and safe - check the safety, remove the magazine. Everything else after. Always unload first. Always.

Comment from FbL on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:16:17 -0600

*butting in on Ymarsakar's question*

When you read Big Tobacco's whole blog, you find out it's a National Guard unit that hasn't kept up their health on their own time. Literally almost every one of them failed their last PT test.

Comment from Ymarsakar on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:10:42 -0600

John, what's your view on why SGT T's troops were falling out? Heat stroke? Dehydration? Not drinking enough water at the right intervals? Cardiovascular health problems due to lack of exercise?

And don't tell me the accidental discharge was because the guy unloaded the mag but forgot to check the breech.

Comment from Ymarsakar on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:58:26 -0600

"Clearly, they were stupid and broke the law trying to protect their country and community," Wilson adds in an e-mail. "But that only goes to highlight the F&&*K up intel/info sharing problems we still have in the US government."

I think our intel sharing programs in the US gov is working perfectly well. The passing on of vital information to the New York Times hasn't been prosecuted, have they? The passing on of vital information from the CIA and FBI to the press hasn't been prosecuted, let alone convicted, have they?

So what's the big fat problem? The civilians are being informed by the press and our government agents.

*looking for the brain scrubber again*

What brain scrubber, you mean this thing I'm holding in my hand? It has a flashing green light on it that says "active" on the LCD screen, if you want details. I'll turn it off now and send it to ya later.

As I was saying, until these prosecutors can prosecute and convict the traitors in the CIA and other Executive bureaucratic branches, they need to beat their temples against a brick wall everytime they prosecute "people that break laws that preserve national security". There is no law about national security when it is not enforced against the people already breaking it.

Btw, this brain scrubber doesn't actually do anything, from what I've seen. Why do ya'll want to use it for Yoga classes?

Comment from FbL on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:32:06 -0600

Fdcol, I tried to respond to your post but couldn't bring myself to do it. Let's just say that if you've ever been in a yoga class... the mind recoils at this prospect.

And that's the best-case scenario.

*looking for the brain scrubber again*

Comment from kat-missouri on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:01:17 -0600

I really enjoyed that Big Tobacco. he is a funny guy. Got him on the blog list yet?

Comment from fdcol63 on 2008-07-23

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:34:39 -0600

Nude yoga ...... I can think of several positive aspects to this activity. LOL