Monday's Meme

And if this doesn't blow the new format right through the portcullis, nothing will.

Tagged.

Me.

Out of a galaxy of million-candlepower xenon searchlights in the blogosphere, she picks the neutron star in the bunch to enlighten all y'all. Of course, I wasn’t exactly a moving target.

"Yup. And 'midst the threshers and makos and Great Whites, some of us are just

*ahem*

pilot fish."

And some of us are nothing more than tomorrows SOS, stuff on a shingle, just waiting to be cut up.

*sigh*

So she Ginsus me with a meme.

However, before I spill my guts through an act of electronic seppuku, I believe I’ll tender my tender tormentor a peace offering -- something that will show her I understand why she expressed her repressed emotions by jerking me around with a %$#@! meme exhibiting curiosity about my mundane existence. Since her alter-ego, Princess Leia In A Sandpaper Thong Cheese Danish Bikini, has moaned

But then I have always had a weak spot for quiet, solid men.

and since I damnsure ain’t neither understand her need to bitchslap me cry out to me in this manner, I’ll dedicate this to her as a little warmer-upper for the seriosity to follow.

And now to the main event. The rules state:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog (easy enough -- not really necessary, though, since most of Villainous Company lurks here anyw -- Sly! *Not on the drapes*!!).

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird (easy enough -- everything about me is random, weird, or both).

• During my thirty-seven years in the Army, USAR and ARNG, I never had an Army Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner (I *delivered* a whole bunch, though, and dished out cranberry sauce and stuffing on several occasions).

• All my ARNG Raters recommended “Promote immediately” or “Promote Ahead of Contemporaries” in the remarks block of my OERs -- and all my promotions were delayed, on average, by three years. I kept a file drawer full of promotion packets to replace the ones Higher kept *losing*. One time I submitted three -- and said that way they could continue to lose one each month and not have to bother me for a while. It didn't sit well with HRO *at all*...

• I was knocked on my keister by lightning three times within the same month (June 1971) -- and got a nice letter from a two-star (not for getting hit, for what I was doing when I got hit -- which, in turn, resulted in my getting hit, but nobody else).

• I’m a character in a book that’s currently in draft (it’s not about me and I made her promise she wouldn’t turn me into a water-walker).

• Horses and I have an agreement: I don’t drop onto their backs from overhanging tree limbs and they don’t bite me on the butt and drag me off.

• I can’t wear short-sleeved shirts (souvenir of Agent Orange called porphyria cutanea tarda -- the whole "bleeds through the skin" deal freaks people out, for some reason).

• I owe John a bunch of cartoons.

Hey, the requirement was that I share seven facts -- not that I share and *explain* them. Unless, of course, it’ll get John posting privileges at The Corner. And ry lets HF6 read the X-Men #1 he *thinks* he hid behind the adult novelties dispenser towel rack in the oubliette.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
As if. This place is the Meme Graveyard.

4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Not. A. Chance. But Argent, AFSis, ALa, Barb, Foxfier, Cricket and Michelle Malkin all dodged the bullet. Fuzzybee, HF6 and Maggie were previously victimized. And Murray would have tried to launch a rock at me (hey, we're practically neighbo(u)rs these days).

5. Present an image of martial discord from whatever period or situation you’d like.
That can be read on many different levels.

This is only one of them.

And *that* can be read on many levels, too…

Vets for Freedom "Heroes Tour" Kick-off

I should've put this up earlier, but things got busy.

Vets for Freedom is kicking off the "National Heroes Tour" in San Diego tomorrow (Friday) to draw attention to their mission as they travel to Washington, DC to meet with legislators ahead of General Petraeus' expected testimony in April. Events will include appearances/speeches by heroes like Bud Day, Marcus Luttrell and David Bellavia, as well as local heroes. There will be a book signing in Pendleton in the morning, then a party on the deck of the Midway Museum at 6:30 p.m., including a parachute team landing and F-18 flyover, and music and food until 10:00 (Hugh Hewitt will be broadcasting from the ship starting at 3:00).

All events are free. Uncle Jimbo of Blackfive and I will be there to cover the news for the blogs.

Hope to see you there!

Hmmm. It's lunch, I got mail.

Press release on Dole Institute Milblog Panel. Note that two of the guests, Holt & Carroll will meet with military and journalism faculty, classes and students on Jan29 & 30.

Jan. 17, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Earle, Dole Institute of Politics, (785) 864-4900 .

Dole Institute to host panel discussion on military blogs
LAWRENCE — As a follow-up to a successful program in early 2007 on political Weblogs, the Dole Institute of Politics will host a panel discussion about another dynamic and growing community on the Internet: military blogs (also known as “milblogs”).

Blogs from the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan have allowed readers at home to connect with soldiers, contractors and civilians who are serving their countries, and they have forced the Pentagon to rush headlong into this 21st century medium.

Milblogs began to appear shortly after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. They saw a dramatic increase in usage following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. According to Joshua Patterson, a KU graduate student studying journalism, Milblogging.com had indexed more than 1,800 military blogs in more than 30 countries as of Dec. 1, 2007.

“Milblogs and soldier blogs are often gripping and graphic firsthand accounts of the author’s life and experiences,” said Jonathan Earle, interim director of the Dole Institute. “This program will give our audience a window onto a new and fast-changing part of the so-called ‘new media.’ I can’t recall a similar program anywhere else in the country.”

The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, at the Dole Institute. It is free and open to the public.

Like last year’s “Blog to the Chief” program at the Dole Institute, this discussion will be moderated by David Perlmutter, associate dean of KU’s William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications and author of the books “Visions of War” and “Blogwars.” The panel will feature Charles J. “Jack” Holt, chief of New Media Operations for the Department of Defense, and leading military bloggers Ward Carroll, editor of Military.com and Milblog.com; and John Donovan, lead blogger of Argghhh! The Home of Two of Jonah’s Military Guys.

Holt is a career Pentagon civilian employee. He served with the National Guard at the National Guard Bureau and was deployed to Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia. The New Media Outreach program, which he leads, studies how new technologies inform the public of defense policy and operations.

During his 20-year Navy career, Caroll served in four F-14 squadrons, accumulating more than 2,800 flight hours in operations that included five extended aircraft carrier deployments to hostile regions. Carroll has worked as a writer and cartoonist for Approach magazine and is the author of five books, including “Militia Kill.” He currently blogs at Defensetech.org and his personal site, wardcarroll.com.

Donovan is a retired soldier who served for 20 years as an artillery expert, military historian, training and simulations expert and weapons of mass destruction response planner. He currently works as a defense contractor for the Army, working on everything from simulation development to operational analysis. He has worked on projects ranging from developing an analytic personnel management model to future Army concepts, structures and equipment. As a blogger, he covers military affairs, firearms, military history and politics.

There's an advantage to being local. I'm cheap, they don't have to fly me in or put me up. I just get a free dinner out of it. As I understand it, Dave is going to take advantage of my localness and have me do with his fall semester classes what he's having Ward Carroll and Jack Holt do for his spring semester classes.

At least that's what my ego hopes, ennyway... 8^ )

Following through.

You may remember that I got invited to the White House and, with my Band of Brothers, got to spend an hour with the President of the United States, forever being branded a sycophant in the process.

I asked a question.

"Mr. President, since you clearly see the war as necessary, and lasting beyond your administration, how do you set the conditions to ensure that the effort will continue beyond 2008, regardless of who wins the White House?"

His answer was along the lines I expected, and neutrally stated. Mr. Bush responded, "The private rhetoric of the occupant of the Oval Office may be much different from their public rhetoric once they have access to the information the President has access to." He added that "Iraq has asked for a permanent political, economic and military relationship with the US" which I took to mean that Mr. Bush would be putting formal relationships into place that would make it more difficult for his successor to just repudiate things.

Well, some Dem candidate rhetoric has changed over time, and it was reported that President Bush had been talking to the candidates about that very issue - not painting themselves into corners - and, of course, now we have this... that formalization of relationships thing. Which, mind you, isn't a new idea, however, as Austin Bay notes: If you're a wire-service editor, eight months is an eon -- but if you're trying to politically reinvent Mesopotamia, it's a millisecond.

Heh. Follow-through. Here's the short version.

U.S.-Iraq Declaration Of Principles For Friendship And Cooperation

The U.S. and Iraqi "Declaration of Principles" is a shared statement of intent that establishes common principles to frame our future relationship. This moves us closer to normalized, bilateral relations between our two countries. With this declaration, leaders of Iraq and the United States commit to begin negotiating the formal arrangements that will govern such a relationship.

Ø Iraq's leaders have asked for an enduring relationship with America, and we seek an enduring relationship with a democratic Iraq. We are ready to build that relationship in a sustainable way that protects our mutual interests, promotes regional stability, and requires fewer Coalition forces.

Ø In response, this Declaration is the first step in a three-step process that will normalize U.S.-Iraqi relations in a way which is consistent with Iraq's sovereignty and will help Iraq regain its rightful status in the international community – something both we and the Iraqis seek. The second step is the renewal of the Multinational Force-Iraq's Chapter VII United Nations mandate for a final year, followed by the third step, the negotiation of the detailed arrangements that will codify our bilateral relationship after the Chapter VII mandate expires.

The UN Chapter VII resolution that is binding under international law gives the MNFI legal authorization to “take all necessary measures to preserve peace and security”. Both the U.S. and Iraq are committed to Iraq moving beyond an international presence based on a UN Security Council Chapter VII mandate.

Iraqis have expressed a desire to move past a Chapter VII MNFI mandate and we are committed to helping them achieve this objective.

After the Chapter VII mandate is renewed for one year, we will begin negotiation of a framework that will govern the future of our bilateral relationship.

The Declaration Is A Continuation Of A Commitment That Began This August

The governments of Iraq and the United States are committed to developing a long-term relationship as two fully sovereign and independent states with common interests.

Ø The August 26 Communiqué signed by the five political leaders – Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, the three members of the Presidency Council, and Kurdish leader Ma'sud Barzani – on August 26, 2007, and endorsed by President Bush states: "The leaders considered it important to link the renewal of UN Resolution 1723 for another year with a reference to the ending of Iraq's Chapter VII status under the UN Charter and the concomitant resumption of Iraq's normal status as a state with full sovereignty and authorities and the restoration of Iraq's legal international status, namely the status that it had before UN Resolution 661 of 1990. In this context, the leaders affirmed the necessity of reaching a long term relationship with the American side … that is built on common interests and covers the various areas between the Republic of Iraq and the United States of America. This goal should be realized in the near future."

Ø President Bush endorsed the August 26th communiqué:

· President Bush: "I welcome and accept the expressed desire of the Iraqi leadership to develop a long-term relationship with the United States based on common interests. The United States is committed to developing this relationship and to strengthening diplomatic, economic, and security ties with the Iraqi government and its people." (President George W. Bush, Remarks, Kirtland AFB, NM, 8/27/07)

· President Bush: Iraq's leaders "understand that their success will require U.S. political, economic, and security engagement that extends beyond my presidency. These Iraqi leaders have asked for an enduring relationship with America. And we are ready to begin building that relationship – in a way that protects our interests in the region and requires many fewer American troops." (President George W. Bush, Address to the Nation, The White House, 9/13/07)

The Declaration Sets The U.S. And Iraq On A Path Toward Negotiating Agreements That Are Common Throughout The World

The U.S. has security relationships with over 100 countries around the world, including recent agreements with nations such as Afghanistan and former Soviet bloc countries.

The relationship envisioned will include U.S.-Iraqi cooperation in the political, diplomatic, economic and security arenas. The United States and Iraq intend to negotiate arrangements based upon a range of principles:

Ø Political and Diplomatic: The U.S. and Iraq have committed to strengthening Iraq's democratic institutions, upholding the Iraqi Constitution, supporting Iraqi national reconciliation, and enhancing Iraq's position in regional and international organizations, so that it may play a constructive role in the region.

Ø Economic: Both countries have agreed to support the development of Iraqi economic institutions and further integration into international financial institutions, to encourage all parties to abide by their commitments made in the International Compact with Iraq, to assist Iraq in its efforts to recover illegally exported funds and properties and to secure debt relief, and to encourage the flow of foreign investments to Iraq.

Ø Security: To support the Iraqi government in training, equipping, and arming the Iraqi Security Forces so they can provide security and stability to all Iraqis; support the Iraqi government in contributing to the international fight against terrorism by confronting terrorists such as Al-Qaeda, its affiliates, other terrorist groups, as well as all other outlaw groups, such as criminal remnants of the former regime; and to provide security assurances to the Iraqi Government to deter any external aggression and to ensure the integrity of Iraq's territory.

The full text is in the Flash Traffic/Extended Entry.

Hey, they're just words. But, as the Left likes to remind us... words have meaning. Nothing will be easy. But if you don't start walking the walk, nothing gets done.

Follow through. The Iraqis have to, and we'll see if the next Administration has the stomach to follow through. The American people do - if they have strong leadership, and see distinct signs of progress that includes the continued shifting of the major burden for Iraq to Iraq.

Blogworld Expo

I'm sitting in the "Right vs Left: Who's Winning the Battle of the Blogosphere?" which is, interestingly, not well attended. Many of the people here at the Expo are in the "How to do it, and how to make money at it" sessions. Good for them.

I'm looking over Markos Moulitsa's shoulder as he is either live-blogging things, or, more likely, answering email. He's also reading, reading, reading...

Hugh Hewitt just asked Markos about what the Progressive side of the 'sphere was doing to grow their own bloggers... and Markos said, "We've got something working - but I'm not going to tell you what it is... " which is a fair enough answer.

I even stood next to Markos last night as he was hanging with his posse at the party at the Hard Rock last night - and I didn't feel any urge to spontaneously combust...

We managed to mix last night with no fireworks. This isn't to say we *truly* mixed, like any large group we were clustered in friendly clan-septs, but there was nobody out trying to provoke, proselytize, or pander to anyone, either. We were all just crashing the open bar, gnoshing on the prime rib, the exotic potato dishes (hey, Peruvian Purple mashed potatoes topped with carmelized onions with apple-smoked bacon stuck in it... or the new potatoes with caviar. *That* was an acquired taste, and I'm not managed to find it. Did I mention the chocolate fountain?

The political panels have been pretty good, too, with people mostly managing to stay on topic and not get into politics. It's really been a civil gathering, with people just here to have a convention, network, catch up on tech, and catch up with friends.

The military panels have been excellent - and while also sparsely attended - are at least as well attended as the political sessions. Again - most of the people here seem to be interested in the tech stuff.

I've been asked to do some name-dropping. Okay. People I've met, renewed acquaintances, swapped stories and cards with...

Matty O'Blackfive, Uncle Jimbo, Hugh Hewitt, LaShawn Barber, Markos Moulitsas (okay, I met him, we didn't chat - hey, the only thing we have in common aside from we love our children is that we were both artillerymen), Jerome Armstrong, Rachelle Jones, Andi Hurley, Carla Lois, Ward Carroll, Tim Boggs, Thomas Nichols, Chuck Ziegenfuss, John Hinderaker, Dean Barnett, Mary Ham, Ravi Singh, Steven Schippert, Michael Medved just to name a few, and I'll drop other names later.... Gina I mentioned yesterday...

For me, this was worth the expense of getting here (I booked *late* because I wasn't sure I could here at all...) and I plan to come again next year.

Update: Interesting, Hugh just asked the panel if they thought that bloggers would find themselves in appointed political positions after the next election?

Most of the panel doesn't think so. Hugh brought up the possiblity that one reason why there won't be many is that many young bloggers have written with such passion, and sometimes lack of judgement, that they'll be anathema for appointed positions - and several panelists brought up that it might not be what they wrote, but what others wrote... both in terms honest comments/writings, and "black ops" commenting designed to get the blogger in hot water.

Update: Politics finally showed up with Markos joining in from the floor. The subject that triggered it- Iraq. We're no longer on the topic of the impact and effect of the left and right blogs, but... simply politics.

The Progressives posited that the only definition of success in Iraq is - troops home. No other definition is possible.

I asked the question of Afghanistan, how did that fit into that frame - and I clearly wasn't clear - no one answered my question on the substance, and took it instead as an accusation of isolationism on the part of Democrats.

I just wanted them to state a position in re the war on terror, vice the Iraq campaign in the war. But the political filters were to strong for me to get through. Heh.

Jeralyn Merrit did state that if someone attacks us, we should fight back. But she doesn't believe in preventative war, regime change, much less societal change. As she see's it - there's more than enough societal change she wants to effect in the US that we don't need to be spending that effort elsewhere.

Joe Sudbay said something interesting - the Progressive bloggers see themselves, just as we on the Conservative side do - a conduit *around* the MSM and a way to get stories out that the MSM won't carry. And they have the same problem interacting with their side of political power structure as we do.

Interesting indeed.

Updating again, this time with more name-dropping. Lessee, NZBear, some guy named Instapundit (okay, I simply basked in his passing glow, he was talking to some very serious looking woman and it didn't look like a good time to play groupie), Steve Eggleston, Ano Kohnsen, Sarah Walters, Jill Army...

...and last, but not least, I really do know Kos' last name is Zuniga, but for whatever reason, it wasn't reaching my fingers when I was typing during the panel. My inexplicable bad.

A quick BlogWorld Expo post.

I got orders from PVIT 6 this morning before I left regarding PVIT - PUSH PUSH PUSH!

So, I won't talk about the blog panel hosted by my buddy Dave Perlmutter that had a scad of big name bloggers that span the spectrum where it became apparent my blogging approach isn't as bad as I sometimes think. Nope. I won't talk about the undercover White House types, or the not-so-undercover DoD types I ran into. Or running into Mary Katherine Ham and finding out she knows me on sight. Or, I might be on Hugh Hewitt's show this afternoon... Or discovering I have fans (no groupies, SWWBO, I'm behavin')

Nope I'll get to the important stuff. That might get me in trouble with SWWBO. Okay, maybe I'm misbehavin' a *little.*

Gina! Gina of Pinups For Vets has endorsed Project Valour-IT and the Army Team!

And she has provided a personalized poster and calendar that will be available on a PVIT auction website near you, probably this evening.

Yep - that very one - with that lipstick mark there that is real, and I watched it be put in place! But I'm behavin' SWWBO - I didn't collect any personal marks - just some hugs from Carla of One Soldier's Mom and Andi of Spouse Buzz.

The Armorer is having a good time - but it would be much better if SWWBO was here.

Speaking of innovative ways to donate... organize the Power of Many.

John,

I don't know how it may be entered, but on my motion at an American Legion meeting, the post (AK Dept, Ketchikan Post 3) has agreed to sponsor a troop with a $600 donation. During discussion, we may be doing this quarterly.

Maybe a mention to all your readers to approach their Post (Legion, VFW, SAMS, etc.) and set up the same thing. If ever there is a group that understands what our men and women are going through right now, it is those of us who have been there.

Hunter
Ketchikan

Thanks, Hunter. Thank you very much.

Things that make the frustrating moments worth it.

And this is going to be a month of frustration, with the slow access and long hours cramping my style, I assure you! But, that's the way it's goina be until I figure out a way to make this blog pay as much as being a Beltway Bandit (Midwestern Edition)!

From the email bag:

Sir,

I am currently at my folk's house for a few days and I just wanted to send you a private note thanking you. I am a rather recently commissioned 11A who will be deploying soon to the Box for a 2nd time. The 1st time was during the march up back in '03 when I was an E-3 11B with the 3-7 Cav. I left college in December of '01, halfway through my sophomore year, because I wanted to go to the 'Stan and fight those who attacked us on their turf. I left the Army after my enlistment was up and returned home to civilian life and to finish school.

My dad, who is so gifted with foresight, that my brothers and I call him "Elrond", told me back then that he thought I had done enough and that he had a feeling that the war would be waiting after I finished my degree. I have to tell you, having my dad say that he thought I "Had done enough" is like praise from Caesar. My dad was medically retired from the Army as an O-3(P) back in '71 after he was shot in the hip and leg by some AK-47 wielding NVA
(who had about 2 seconds to live after he fired, my Dad's Top lit that NVA up). He was on his third tour and was on one hand happy about his likely upcoming promotion and on the other dreading it. It ended up being a moot point. You were a Major, so I think you can relate on both the pros and cons.

So, being brainwashed by the Bushhitlerhalibutron types, poor deluded victim me actually wanted to go back to the Army and I was commissioned thru ROTC and I will be going back as a platoon leader instead of a PFC. The amount of sheer idiocy, ignorance and laziness present on a college campus is staggering. I must say, I thought my head was going to explode on more than one occasion from being in such close proximity to those dolts on a daily basis.

Well, enough about me and my Dad. I just wanted you to know that we really like your site and appreciate the effort you and the others put into it. Dad says he knew a bunch of Tuttle types back in 'Nam and to this day he still appreciates them. He loves the TINS stuff, as do I. By the way, he found your little corner of the web back on a July 1st, a year or two ago when he was looking for articles to pass on to me about my favorite Civil War General, John Buford. If I remember right, you titled it "General Buford has his day." I was glad to see it, he is a rather obscure and forgotten man who did his country a great service. My dad and I have been regular readers ever since.

Sincerely,

Mike

Yeah, that was worth another couple of months.

Maybe more, if LT Mike sends us OPSEC-free dispatches. It's been a while since we've had a Correspondent (literally) in Iraq.

I know it said private note - but I did a little tweaking and sterilizing to protect the innocent.

Because 'Muricans need to know there are families like that one, with multigenerational service, and still serving, even if *my* family has taken a break after three generations and a combined 3 wars, 52 years, and (in one generation-Dad!) 7 Purple Hearts. BTW, because I know you want to know, I believe the record for Purple Hearts is 8. But not all 'Hearts are created equal. The national cemeteries are full of wartime-dated headstones where the occupant has only one Purple Heart, those are the ones that mean the most.

Sundry Sunday

An old farmer in Georgia had owned his farm for several years. He had a *huge* pond in the back, fixed up real nice; picnic tables, volleyball net, a horseshoe pitch -- like I said, real nice. And he'd properly shaped and graded the pond for swimming when he built it. One evening, the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn't been there for a while, and look it over.

As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee.

As he came still closer, he saw the noise originated from a bunch of young ladies skinny-dipping in his pond. He coughed to make the ladies aware of his presence and they immediately swam to the deep end of the pond. One of them shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!"

The old man replied, "Calm down, now, hon -- I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim or make you get out of the pond nekkid--

"--I'm just here to feed the alligator..."

V-29 swears he *didn't* make that up.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
So far, the Kill Bill Match the TINS! to the Radio Call Contest has produced some enlightening results: Brab and NinjaFluff (with Pogue flying CAS) want to see me crisped, the starch-wing contingent wants me to go trolling for flak, Sis wants to see me ventilated, ry's opting for a Blue-on-Blue and Two Who Shall Remain Nameless want me to go up for a rematch with the heat-seeker. At least Cassie hasn't shown up to fling the trivet. Or engage in rampant foot-tapping, followed by a faire la moue et la flounce.

However, if the trend holds, *most* of you will be able to -- ahem -- brag about your prescience...

The Castle is prepping it's next "Man in the 'Stan"

Who, oddly enough, is another sailor. S'okay with me, I've been trying to get a pet sailor for this place for some time. Small downside, he *is* of the aviation community, like *that's* a perspective not over-represented around this place... and the Castle continues the trend of having land-locked sailors not doing Navy things as our correspondent from Afghanistan.

Nothing wrong with that - it encapsulates the war, in many respects, and the transformation, in fits and starts, of DoD.

Any, meet Mr. T's Haircut- who will be posting here and over at the 'Phibian's place (but we're senior, we invited the Haircut first). He'll hone his skillz talking about getting ready to go and getting there, and then really start earning his non-existent pay...

A Haircut goes to war.

Note: I chose the Nome de guerre MR T’s Haircut as a way to express life in my contribution to the blogs. “In Short”, the Haircut really does make the man.

I am an active duty Sailor who has over 20 years in the Naval Service. I am the proverbial Son of a Sailor, so that makes my Son, the Son of a … well you get the picture. I am an aviation Warrant Officer and have flown as a crewmember in rotary and fixed wing aircraft. I am married, enjoy NASCAR and Fishing. I support the Constitution and in particular, I support the 2nd Amendment. My opinions are my own.

I am pleased to have been asked by John the Armorer to replace Joe as “the Man in the ‘Stan” Correspondent. I am due to deploy to Afghanistan in May – June of 2008. I will pass on my observations as an “Individual Augmentee” supporting the good fight as I join the sister service, the Army, as a “Fleet of One”.

Due to my sarcastic sense of humor and habit of crossing the PC line, I have decided to remain semi-anonymous when I make my contributions to the Castle. I also love to read and post on CDR Salamander’s blog and have been asked to contribute by our fine Phibian’ and agreed to contribute my observations from time to time to his fine website as well.

So please tune in as I give a Sailors perspective of a deployment of an Individual Augmentee, deploying to a combat zone singularly and with the normal cast of characters that a Sailor would be used to deploying with.

To put it in perspective, when a Sailor normally deploys, he does so after completing numerous mind numbing qualifications on a weapons systems or aircraft platform. He further must pass a series of drills and exercises as part of the crew or team in integrated combat scenarios. This usually consists of weeks of deployments leading up to a long duration exercise and then finally deployment. By this time the deployment is anti-climatic and the Sailor plans for the inevitable return home to port to turn around and begin the cycle anew… in other words, this entire IA thing is going to be fun! - MTH

Welcome aboard, Sailor!

Everything Old Is New On the YaddaYaddaYadda...

John seems to be obsessing with quizzes lately, so I figured I'd recycle this from one of my first appearances. As always, you get context -- during the last couple of days of our Boz rotation, we watched our replacements finish making a hash out of everything assuming their responsibilities for everything and everyone in the MND-North AO, thereby leaving us with nothing to do except scratch our nu precious little in the way of meaningful work.

Devil, meet idle hands. Idle hands, meet keyboard.

Took darn near an hour, but I ratcheted up a quiz, slapped it in e-mail, triggered "Everybody Who's Anybody In SFOR Except For The CG" in the "To:" block and clicked "Send."

Now, it's your turn to see if *you* are smart enough to Get Out of Bosnia...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
There will be a written examination as the culmination of the SFOR-10 rotation experience. Since there will be no time available to conduct a review of the subject material, you will find a representative sample of the examination below. A passing grade will entitle you to receive your choice of either two college credits from the University of Maryland (Eagle Campus) or one boarding pass on a military aircraft departing Tuzla on the day that you thought you were supposed to be leaving…

Read each question thoroughly. Answer all questions. Time limit: four hours.

· General Knowledge: Describe everything you know in detail. Be objective, specific and concise.

· World History: Describe the evolution of all major religions from their earliest known origins to the present day. You may substitute Zoroastrianism for any other contemporary fire-worshipping Indo-European religion. Prove which is the one true religion in a manner that will convince everyone else.

· Combat LifeSaving: You will be given a double-edged razor blade, a piece of gauze and a bottle of muscatel. Remove your own appendix. Do not suture until your work has been examined by a proctor. You will have 15 minutes to complete the operation.

· Public Speaking: 2,500 fire-worshipping, gauze-clad muscatel drinkers armed with double-edged razor blades will storm into your classroom as soon as you have finished reading this. Calm them using any ancient language except Demotic Egyptian or Mycenaean Greek. Do not use passive voice.

· Biology: Create life. Estimate the subsequent differences in the rise of human culture if this life-form had developed 500 million years ago, giving special emphasis to the effects on the next Presidential election in Peru. Prove who will win and why.

· Music: Write a piano concerto. Orchestrate it and accompany yourself with flugelhorn and drum. You will find a piano in the middle drawer of your desk.

· Psychology: Evaluate the emotional stability, degree of adjustment and repressed frustrations of each of the following individuals: Alexander the Great, Amenhotep II, Gregory of Nicosia, Joan of Arc and Hammurabi. Support your evaluation with at least three quotations from each person's work, cross-referencing as appropriate. It is not necessary to translate.

· Sociology: Estimate the sociological problems which might accompany the end of the world. Construct a 1/32nd-scale experiment to test your theory.

· Political Science: You will be given a two-Euro coin. Proceed to the nearest pay phone and start World War III. Report on its socio-economic consequences, if any.

· Management Science: Define both management and science and their intrinsic relationship with the works of J.R.R. Tolkein and H.P. Lovecraft. Create a generalized algorithm that can be used to optimize all managerial decisions. Design the systems interface and prepare all software necessary to program this algorithm onto an Apple MacIntosh. Use only those applications found in DOS 3.0.

· Engineering: You will find the disassembled parts of a Civil War-era Sharps rifle in various drawers of your desk. You will also find an instruction manual for making gunpowder, printed in Sanskrit. In 10 minutes, a hungry Kodiak bear will be admitted into your room. Take whatever action you feel appropriate. Be prepared to justify your decision to PETA.

· Economics: Develop a realistic plan for refinancing the National Debt. Trace the possible effects on plate tectonics, the wave theory of light and the overcrowding of CB radio channels.

· Epistemology: Take a position for or against truth. Prove the validity of your position.

· Physics: Explain the nature of matter. Your answer must include an evaluation of the impact of the development of quantum mechanics and Boolean algebra, plus the possible effects of beta radiation on the Hubble telescope’s infrared imaging systems.

· Philosophy: Sketch the development of human thought and estimate its significance. Compare this with the development of the other kinds of thought.

· Military History: Explain why the United States never lost a war in which the Army used mules.

· Extra Credit: Define the universe. Give three examples.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Betcha John gets a higher score than Jonah on this one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I *know* Demotic is a script and not a language -- geez, guys, this is a *joke*...

Watch this space...

Breaking news...

Today, the Armorer and a group of milbloggers participated in a tiny bit of history.

We got to meet the President of the United States. And talk with him for an hour.

With two of us linking in courtesy of the 3rd Infantry Division in Baghdad, we sat down a little before 10AM in the Roosevelt Room of the White House and literally had a chat with the President.

President Bush observed, that as far as he knows, this was the first time that a sitting President had hosted a group of bloggers for a chat at the White House. If that's in fact true - then we got to make a little history today. If it's not true, I'm sure the Peasants with Pitchforks will quickly disabuse us of the notion!

Present from the White House were:

President Bush
General Lute
Kevin Sullivan
Mark Pfeifler
Dana Perino
Tony Snow.

The milbloggers present were:

The Armorer of Argghhh!
Matt Burden of Blackfive
Mrs. Greyhawk of Mudville Gazette, standing in for the deployed Greyhawk
NZ Bear of the TTLB and the Victory Caucus
Steve Schippert of Threats Watch
Ward Carroll of Military.Com
CJ from A Soldier's Perspective
Mohammed of Iraq the Model

Linking in from Iraq were:

Bill Roggio of the Long War Journal
Bill Ardolino of INDC Journal.

More to follow - I just wanted to get this out there because it was, in fact, a good time. I've got several posts worth of stuff from the chat - but I'm just going to leave you with this group photo:

Lookit those s**t-eating grins.

I'm still stunned.

To quote President Bush "I looked at my schedule today, and I found it interesting that I would be sitting down with bloggers."

No more interesting than we found it, sir. Trust me on that.

Update: Hi to NRO visitors! For anyone coming in via a link - here's a link to my second post on the visit - covering the first impressions of the meeting.

First Impressions of meeting with the President.

President George W. Bush meeting with military bloggers in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Friday, Sept. 14, 2007. White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

The sit down with President Bush was, I've got to note - fun.

It was serious. He talked to us, and with us, not at us. And, unusual for the personality types that populate the blogging world - we listened. We got in our questions, and I think they were good ones, and the President made his points, which were a mixture of the thrust of his message this week and new (to me, anyway) stuff in response to our questions.

Make no mistake - he knew we were going to generally be a receptive audience, and we were. The staff knew our blogs, and they knew that while some of us have not always been fans or happy with things as they are, they knew we were not going to storm the Bastille, either.

I had a list of questions, most of which ended up being asked by others. So, as the other bloggers put up their posts, I'll link to them, so you can both see what I was interested in, but let the relevant blogger run with the question and the answer. And I'll put up a post about my question and his answer.

The President acknowledged, so to speak, the rise of the blogosphere - which he seems to see as complementary to the MSM, a view to which I subscribe, as well. We're another vector that people can use to disseminate or gather information - whether the MSM is gate-guarding it because of their biases, or simple economics. There are only so many air minutes, so many column inches, and the MSM is a business. They have to make editorial decisions.

If anything, the blogs hearken back, really, to an earlier time in the growth of the Republic.

We're the "broadsides" of this era. As Larry Schwiekart and Michael Allen describe them in their book, A Patriot's History of the United States (page 42):

"...Americans' literacy was widespread, but it was not deep or profound. Most folks read a little and not much more. In response, a new form of publishing arose to meet the demands of this vast, but minimally literate, populace: the newspaper. Early newspapers came in the form of broadsides, usually distributed and posted in the lobby of an inn or saloon where one of the more literate colonials would proceed to read a story aloud for the dining or drinking clientele. Others would chime in with editorial comments during the reading, making for a truly democratic and interactive forum."

That covers blogs pretty well, I think. Though there are some pretty deep and profound ones, and there are ones which are growing into news outlets that have many trappings of the MSM, as well. With their strengths and weaknesses.

And today, the President just gave blogs some props.

And while the venue may have held milblogs - it's props for all bloggers who take their vocation or avocation seriously - and I think that's true for blogs of the Left, Middle, and the Right, the Poliblogs and the Milblogs, and the harder-to-characterize blogs as well.

And that's a good thing - because I think that our greatest strength and contribution is: "Others would chime in with editorial comments during the reading, making for a truly democratic and interactive forum."

Sure, there's trolls and scary places and people who don't know argument from excrement - but if you have something to say, and create the environment, you can open a pub like Castle Argghhh! where others chime in, you can learn something, and even though you're #1 in Google for "I bayoneted myself today" and you have an Outhouse Naming Contest, in America, you can still get invited to the White House to talk to the President.

And that's just cool.

And Barney is one *fine* looking Scotty.

And this is where I say that I wouldn't have been sitting at that table today if it hadn't been for Dusty, Bill, and the Denizen/nes of Argghhh! - because you guys make this worth doing for four years.

Thank you all, very, very, much.

There's some other people I owe, as well, but I know they prefer to remain anonymous. Thank you, too. You know who you are.