Military

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  Stars and Stripes

• ‘Haunted hotel’ declared off limits

  7 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — The Air Force has joined the Marines in placing the ruins of a hotel complex in Nakagusuku off limits. Following an order in effect for Marines and sailors on...

• 7th Fleet readies for joint Japan exercise

  7 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  About 8,500 U.S. military personnel will join Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for a war exercise near Japan from Nov. 10-18. Annualex 21G will focus on aspects of air, undersea and surf...

• Misawa plans health insurance mandate

  7 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  The recent hospitalization of an uninsured visitor to Misawa Air Base is helping drive a new base policy that would require guests to have overseas medical insurance.

• Some programs focus on military caregivers

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  While the military has developed numerous programs to help servicemembers and their families deal with deployment-related stress, it has only recently launched efforts to help those who provide that support.

• Army struggles to ease strain on troops

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Hiring more mental health counselors, asking soldiers to keep tabs on each other's mental health and working to remove the stigma of getting psychological help are all well and good.

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  Wired: Danger Room

• Next Step in Russian PR Blitz: Rehabilitate Stalin

  Nathan Hodge

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:11 pm

  Glance at this week’s headlines from Russia, and it’s tempting to agree with Economist scribe Edward Lucas: It’s beginning to look a lot like Cold War Lite. Polish magazine Wprost broke the news of recent war game in which Russia practiced nuking Poland. And Aleksandr Shlyakhturov, Russia’s military intelligence chief, warned of a new war with Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Scary! But never mind the alarming headlines. Russia is trying to create a kinder, gentler image. According to the EU Observer, Russia has launched a PR campaign that is…

• Mourners Gather Online in Aftermath of Ft. Hood Rampage (Updated)

  Nathan Hodge

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:54 am

  A day of mourning has been declared at Fort Hood, Texas, after a deadly shooting rampage that left 13 people dead and 30 wounded. A picture is now emerging of the alleged gunman, Maj. Nidal Hasan,who reportedly opened fire inside a crowded medical processing center. Investigators, meanwhile, continue piecing together what happened. Already, several instant social network support groups have sprung up. This Facebook page counts nearly 10,000 members; this one has 2,200 followers. For news and instant updates, the Killeen Daily Herald has an excellent Twitter feed: Readers can find out where…

• Psychic Spies, Acid Guinea Pigs, New Age Soldiers: the True Men Who Stare at Goats

  David Hambling

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:50 am

  “More of this is true than you would believe,” we’re told, just a few minutes into the movie version of The Men Who Stare At Goats, which opens today. But how many of the film’s outlandish military research projects really happened? Turns out there’s plenty of material in the movie which sticks quite close to the truth — though reality is a bit more complicated. (Warning: minor spoilers ahead.) Psychic spies? True. The non-fiction book which serves as the movie’s basis features Colonel John B. Alexander. He served as a Special Forces commander in…

• Review: New Movie Can’t Top Real-Life Men Who Stare at Goats

  Noah Shachtman

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:49 am

  Maybe the greatest conspiracy of all was turning The Men Who Stare at Goats into another middlebrow Hollywood action flick — complete with a saccharine ending. In a 2004 hilarious and mind-bending book, British journalist Jon Ronson recounts his efforts to uncover a loose network of military investigators with truly wacky ideas — from psychic spies to acoustic weaponeers to commandos who believed that they could stop animal hearts just by concentrating hard enough. But that book, The Men Who Stare at Goats, was tragic, as well. These often well-meaning researchers inadvertently…

• Feds Eyed Ft. Hood Killer for Posts Praising Suicide Bombers (Updated)

  Noah Shachtman

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:10 am

  Before he allegedly killed a dozen and wounded 31 more at Ft. Hood, Maj. Nidal Hasan may have gone online to praise suicide bombers. “If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory,” a commenter named “NidalHasan” wrote on this Scribd.com document about “Martydom in Islam.” The comments — and others like them — drew the interest of federal law enforcement authorities, they tell the Associated Press’ Lara Jakes. An official investigation was never opened. But…

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  ProPublica: National Security

• Gitmo Chart Update: Six Detainees Released to Palau

  ProPublica

  3 Nov 2009 | 7:26 am

  by Christopher Flavelle, ProPublica - On Saturday, the Obama administration transferred six Chinese Muslim detainees from Guantanamo to the Pacific island nation of Palau. The six men are among a group of ethnic Uighur detainees who the Obama administration has decided are not a security risk, but it has had a hard time figuring out what to do with them. The men fear persecution in China, but no other country has yet agreed to accept all of them—including the United States. The Uighurs filed a habeas corpus case in U.S. court challenging their detention, and in October 2008, a federal…

• On Gitmo, Supreme Court Will Hear Uighurs’ Case

  ProPublica

  20 Oct 2009 | 11:07 am

  by Christopher Flavelle, ProPublica - The Supreme Court agreed today to hear an appeal by Uighur detainees held at Guantanamo on whether those detainees can be released into the United States. The New York Times’ Adam Liptak summarizes the story so far: the detainees, members of China’s Muslim minority who were captured in Pakistan in 2001, were ordered released by a federal judge last October. In February an appeals court reversed the ruling, “saying that judges do not have the power to override immigration laws and force the executive branch to release foreigners into the…

• Gitmo Update: 38 Cases, 2 New Releases, and 1 Showdown

  ProPublica

  14 Oct 2009 | 2:14 pm

  by Christopher Flavelle, ProPublica - More than a year after the Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo detainees can appeal their detention in U.S. courts, at least 17 prisoners remain in U.S. custody despite judges’ orders for their release. To help track the progress of those cases, ProPublica launched a feature tracking each detainee’s petition. Today we updated that feature, after a number of recent developments. Last week, the government released two detainees. The first was a 34-year-old man named Khalid Al Mutairi, whom a judge ordered released in July after finding the…

• Labor Dept., Congress Plan Improvements to System to Care for Injured War Contractors

  ProPublica

  13 Oct 2009 | 8:15 am

  by T. Christian Miller, ProPublica - The Labor Department has launched a series of changes to improve the controversial federal system designed to provide medical care and disability benefits to civilian contractors injured in war zones, department officials say. The agency has stepped up enforcement, set new goals to speed delivery of benefits and begun tracking the performance of the insurance carriers that sell the highly lucrative policies for war zone workers, a senior official said. The department is "reaching out to the carriers who are on the front lines to get them to perform at a…

• Why Many Guantanamo Detainees Ordered Released Are Still Stuck There

  ProPublica

  12 Oct 2009 | 7:59 am

  by Christopher Flavelle, ProPublica - This story was co-published with Slate. Read our summary of the judge's remarkable ruling, which we've also posted in full. When President Obama took office and ordered the detention center at Guantanamo closed by next January, the biggest challenge was supposed to be the hard cases. Those were the ones in which the detainees were too dangerous to be let go but in which the evidence was insufficient for an American court, or had been obtained through torture, or would endanger national security if it became public. But a case decided last month in a…

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  Op For

• USMC Birthday Ball 2009

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:07 pm

  I attended the celebration of the 234th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps last night at the Embassy in Kabul. I had heard several times before that in the more remote capitals of the world, the annual Birthday Ball was quite the event for the diplomatic community. It's 100% true. Wow. From beginning to end, it was a memorable evening, quite possibly the best I've ever attended. At least five VMI grads there too-- 82, two 91s, 94 and 89. Of course, we will all get together next week for Founders Day, and I'll have pics for that.

• The Annual Muster of the 116th Infantry Regiment, Stonewall Brigade

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:40 pm

  In the day of yore; the yeomanry would gather annually for the muster of the local militia. Tomorrow night I shall participate in that ancient tradition.

• New Digs

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:29 pm

  Upgrade time! What do you guys think? Made it a little more Institutey since VMI runs through our blood. Font's a little bigger, have all kinds of sharing options under each post now, and trimmed a bunch of shit I thought was cool three years ago (podcasts) and have since seen the light. Thanks to the rest of the OPFOR guys for their inputs, hope you all enjoy! Also -- big thanks to Sekimori Design. They do good work.

• Breaking at Military.com

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:15 pm

  One Officer, Two Soldiers Suspected in Hood Rampage Update from LtCol P... As of 1130 Kabul time, Fox News is reporting 12 dead and 31 wounded, with the shooter-- an Army psychiatrist-- critically wounded but alive and in custody. The gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, first said to have been killed, was wounded but alive in a hospital under military guard, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. He was shot four times, and was on a ventilator and unconscious, according to military officials. "I would say his death is not imminent," Cone said. Yeah, they need to keep him under guard. So, he was…

• Manual of Arms

  4 Nov 2009 | 10:09 pm

  By way of Tony-Sahib, a great online source for firearms manuals. Free too, by the looks of it.

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  Honor, Duty, eMail

• How You Can Help the Fort Hood Soldiers and Families

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:05 pm

  *Update* Chaplains are accepting donations to assist Fort Hood Soldiers and Families. Checks can be mailed to:Chaplain's Funds Office761st Tank Bn, Bldg 44Fort Hood, TX 76544Please annotate the memo line with Fort Hood Tragedy11/06/09 @ 9:30 AM - We know that so many of you want to show your support for our Ft. Hood Soldiers and their families. Earlier this morning we spoke with the Fort Hood Public Affairs Officer and they stated that though no official statement had been released on how civilians can extend their support they believed it was ok to send cards and letters. If this is…

• Moment of Silence for Fort Hood Victims Today

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:47 am

  Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has declared a moment of silence for U.S. military forces worldwide as a show of respect of the victims of the tragedy that unfolded yesterday at Ft. Hood. The moment of silence is planned for 1:34 p.m. CST today — exactly 24 hours after the shooting. All U.S. military forces around the world are being asked to take part. As a part of the military community, all eMOM volunteers will join in pausing to honor our brave heroes and their families at Fort Hood, and all who are serving around the world.We kindly ask that all eMOM members do the same.# # # If…

• Supporting Soldiers at Fort Hood

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:32 am

  We know that so many of you want to show your support for our Ft. Hood Soldiers and their families. Earlier this morning we spoke with the Fort Hood Public Affairs Officer and they stated that though no official statement had been released on how civilians can extend their support they believed it was ok to send cards and letters. If this is something you would like to do, we kindly ask that you keep all messages positive and upbeat and send them to: Lt. Gen. Robert W. ConeBldg. 1001, Room W1051001 761st Tank Battalion Ave.Fort Hood, TX 76544-5005You may also leave your messages of support…

• We Will Never Forget

  11 Sep 2009 | 8:44 am

  # # #If you've been searching for a way to support our troops easily, you've found it! Participate in one of our many projects or register with eMOM and sign up to eMail/Mail our military one-on-one. Connect with eMail Our Military (eMOM) on twitter at: @MailOurMilitary, follow our blog feed at: @eMOMs or connect with us through one of the services below.If you're reading this via email or in your feed reader, stop by and add your comments.[ Tags: eMOM, eMailOurMilitary, Military Support, Troop Support, Supporting Our Troops, Messages of Support, Moral Support, eMail The Military, eMailing…

• August Updates and Information

  1 Aug 2009 | 11:05 am

  Greetings Friends, Followers and Fellow Troop Supporters! We're so pleased to have you with us here at eMail Our Military and following along. Welcome to August! July was incredibly busy. We saw a huge number of civilian registrations that kept our volunteers working around the clock. If you haven't heard back from us please bear with us as your patience is appreciated. We're answering all email and mail in the order it's been received and we will take care of everyone. In August we'd like to focus on having more of you connecting with us on Facebook too. We have a large number of military…

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  BLACKFIVE

• A Hero's Salute

  blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pm

  I believe that this young man is a medic with someone's blood on his shirt.  Words do not describe the pride I feel or the gratitude that we have such people in our military:  A first responder to a lone gunman's attack at Fort Hood Nov. 5 renders honors at retreat after aiding his fellow soldiers. U.S. Army photo More photos of the incident below and after the Jump:  Post police take cover when a gunman fires shots at the Fort Hood Soldier Readiness Processing Center Nov. 5, 2009. U.S. Army photo  SWAT team members approach a building with a gunman inside.

• Fort Hood Shooting - Aftermath

  blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:58 am

  First, Soldiers' Angels is gathering cards for the families of the fallen and the wounded. SOLDIERS' ANGELS STANDING BY FOR FT. HOOD-- Collecting cards and NEW stuffed animals for the families and children of the fallen/wounded heroes. Please send cards and stuffed animals/blankets/anything NEW that may brighten the life of a child to: Soldiers' Angels Warehouse4408 PanAm Expressway San Antonio, TX 78218 WE WILL FOCUS on the HOLIDAY OUTREACH as a major push. Next, as the media tried to make PTSD an issue (across all networks), I called a few producers to let them know that Hasan had never…

• A warrior wades in

  blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:57 am

  Officer Kimberly Munley is a warrior. When the murderous bastard at Ft. Hood started killing she stopped him and God bless her for that. I have avoided writing anything about this as my thoughts ought not to be paraded in public. This is a time to honor the dead, care for their families and give our thoughts and prayers to the wounded.I will only say I'm glad the son of a bitch lived and we get to kill him properly. Do we still have firing squads?

• Of the Troops, For The Troops....

  blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:43 am

  I work with quite of few former infantrymen, and I get quite a bit of crap from them.  Yesterday though, I only heard one thing from them as they watched the news coming from Fort Hood. Thank God for the Military Police Corps... There are going to be recognition of the heroes and inevitable recriminations from what happened at Fort Hood.  The US Army has some explaining to do in regard to how an animal like this was allowed to continue to serve after some of the things that are initially coming out about his religious beliefs, his speech and his internet traffic.  This was an attack on…

• Fort Hood Shootings

  blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)

  5 Nov 2009 | 2:57 pm

  Update: RedCross.org has a  safe list when they are getting info on who is okay on Fort Hood. Update:  FBI Counter Terror Unit now looking into it. Gee, thanks, fellas. Update:  Shooter was muslim convert in the Medical Corps. Update:  FoxNews:  The FBI Ruled out terrorism Seriously? Update:  ABC News: Shooter: Major Malik Nadal Hasan  Update:  LTG Cone briefs.  12 Dead.  31 wounded.  1 Shooter killed was a soldier.  the other two may be accomplices or shooters.  Weapons were handguns.  UPDATE:  Wounded now at THIRTY. UPDATE:  MSNBC has more info (emphasis is mine):…

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  Defense Tech

• Semi-auto Grenade Thrower

  christian

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm

  So, while we’re waiting around for the XM-25 to make it into the armory, why not just strap this bad boy onto your M4 and rip out the 40 mike-mike? Hope you all have a ‘blast’ this weekend… – Christian

• Market for Acoustic Defense Systems Heats Up

  christian

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:09 am

  This article first appeared in Defense Technology International. A few years ago, when Inferno, an acoustic device developed in Sweden, was being presented in Johannesburg, the potential customer asked if the company had any documented proof that it worked as a “sound barrier.” The answer from the makers of Inferno was no, they didn’t have any studies, but they offered to demonstrate it to the customer’s satisfaction. Maurice Goldman, North American managing director for Inferno, says the potential customer offered two employees a month’s salary if they would stay in the room while…

• Fort Hood Rampage

  christian

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:26 pm

  For all you DT readers with connections down there or interest in what’s going on around this terrible Ft. Hood shooting rampage, be sure to keep tabs on Military.com for the latest updates from around the Web. – Christian

• Keep it Simple

  christian

  5 Nov 2009 | 1:36 pm

  You know, it’s been said that the U.S. Army is the best equipped force in the world but I’m really more amazed by what we don’t have that other armies do than what we do have, or what we want to have that others don’t. Take, for example, the four shot 25mm XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System currently in the works (the XM25 is itself an offshoot of the doomed XM29 OICW thingie).  It’s supposed to be effective out to 500 meters against point targets, will have a built in multi-spectrum electro-optical sight, and will have the ability to individually program the burst time…

• Airbag Defense

  christian

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:34 am

  I was shocked to see a recent post on our sister site, DoD Buzz, about a new defensive countermeasure to RPGs being developed by Textron. The system, called TRAPS uses an armored air bag to absorb the impact of an RPG, rendering it inert. According to Greg Grant’s story, the TRAPS uses radar to detect the incoming RPG and deploy the airbag on the zone of the vehicle being targeted. DT readers might remember my mad scientist friend David Woroner, head of Survival Consultants International, who developed a patent on a multi-layered IED protection system that uses airbags to absorb the blast…

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  Army Strong Stories

• Guest Lecture - P.W. Singer,

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:05 pm

  Before I get into the meat of this post, here's a quick note about the JAG School's 'Non-attribution Policy' -- in order to encourage the free expression of ideas and foster robust discussion, the opinions offered by students, faculty, and guests are to be kept private.  This allows us to have really great discussions about really tough topics without the stifling effect you might expect because of fear for negative career effects.  And our guests can rest assured that anything they say won't be used against them or taken out of context after a visit here.  Out of respect for…

• Catching up!!!

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:53 pm

  Since I last wrote the new residents have settled in and are performing exceptionally well…in spite of me having a lot of other things going on! It’s a good thing I have a Director and terrific staff of mentors to cover the Program – which incidentally is one of the best things about practicing dentistry in the Army – it’s one big “group practice” where we cover for each other, learn from each other, and consistently help one another with dentistry and with life. So, while Team Hawaii has been holding down the fort, I’ve been: Ziplining in Maui…

• Approaching Veterans' Day: An Amazing Photo

  4 Nov 2009 | 8:08 pm

  With the approach of the 91st anniversary of the Armistice ending the First World War, a date which has evolved into what we now mark as Veterans' Day, I thought I'd post an interesting photo that was recently sent to me. The noted American photographers Arthur S. Mole and John D. Thomas took a series of "living photographs" during the war which were used to help drum up support for the war effort. This particular shot was taken in the summer of 1918, at Camp Dodge, Iowa (now the headquarters post of the Iowa National Guard). It's an amazing photo, and to think of the logistics…

• These Concerts are OK

  4 Nov 2009 | 5:01 pm

  The U.S. Army Field Band continues its tour across America in the great state of Oklahoma.  During intermission duirng the concert in Muskogee, this young man walked up on stage and got behind the drum set.  MSG Bill Elliott gives him an impromptu lesson. When the Concert Band and Soldiers' Chorus arrives at a location, the nearly 100 Soldiers all scatter to find some place where they can warm-up for the concert.  SSG Meghan Whittier has found a secluded place in the basement of the hall in Pryor, Oklahoma to prepare for her performance. At every concert by the Musical…

• Marth Raddatz Re: Women at War

  1 Nov 2009 | 9:37 pm

  Interesting articles about and by Martha Raddatz on women at war:   Link   Link   "I can't help but think most Americans think women aren't in combat," says Specialist Ashley Pullen who was awarded a Bronze Star for valor in 2005 for her heroic action in Iraq where she served with a military police unit. "We're here and we're right up with the guys." Female U.S. Army soldiers conduct modern army combatives. U.S. Army Photo.  

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  Michael Yon - Online Magazine

• Smithsonian Air&Space on Kopp-Etchells Effect

  Smithsonian

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:11 pm

  November 04, 2009 Helo Halo Luminous halos twirled above a Boeing CH-47 Chinook on a recent night around 11:30 p.m. local time at Forward Operating Base Jackson in Sangin, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, as helicopters ferried casualties and supplies in and out of the base. The photographer was independent journalist Michael Yon, a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who has covered Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Philippines with a camera. Helicopter pilots don't have a name for the effect, but one explained to Yon, "Basically it is a result of static electricity created by friction…

• Great Britain Loses one of its Finest

  Michael Yon

  2 Nov 2009 | 9:34 pm

  03 November 2009 British soldiers at war are an incredible group.  Courageous, competent, and committed in very difficult conditions.  An email came today from London, from a BBC correspondent who has been to Afghanistan saying that Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid had been killed. To see the article in the BBC was deeply saddening: Soldier Killed While Defusing 65th Bomb. On a side note, the British soldiers are conservative.  Though this is not very important, it’s difficult to imagine that Olaf had only destroyed 64 bombs before being killed.  Just on this single mission, during which all…

• Adopt-a-stan

  Michael Yon

  18 Oct 2009 | 5:03 pm

  18 October 2009By Michael Yon The inbox was peppered with hyperlinks to Dexter Filkins’ story in the New York Times, Stanley McChrystal’s Long War.  One message came from Kathryn Lopez at National Review, asking if I had seen the article and for any thoughts. It should be said that I respect the work of Dexter Filkins.  Mr. Filkins is a seasoned war correspondent whose characterizations of Iraq ring true, while Stanley McChrystal’s Long War resonates with my ongoing experiences in Afghanistan.  Despite the great length of the article, the few points that did not resonate were more…

• MARKET GARDEN

  Michael Yon

  12 Oct 2009 | 6:42 am

  Market Garden A Remembrance During Time of War Kandahar City, Afghanistan Slowly, surely, the city is being strangled.  Signaling the depth of our commitment, security forces are thinner in Kandahar than the Himalayan air.  During the days and evenings, there were the sounds of occasional bombs—some caused by suicide attackers, and others by firefights.  The windows in my room had been blown out recently and now were replaced.  We came here to kill our enemies, but today we want to make a country from scratch. A world away from Afghanistan, over in Holland, was approaching the 65th…

• Two Firefights: One Video

  Michael Yon

  26 Sep 2009 | 8:17 pm

  05 October 2009 In July, British soldiers and I boarded a CH-47 helicopter at Camp Bastion for the flight to FOB Jackson at Sangin where fighting is brutal.  The helicopter was so stuffed with men, gear and supplies that the cargo was not even strapped down.  We steadied the long stack with our hands and prayed that the pilots not begin flying violent evasive maneuvers.  The tail gunner partially lifted the ramp to prevent bundles from tumbling into the skies, and that was it for securing the bundles.  Just a week before, a giant MI-26 helicopter was shot down on final approach to this…

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  The Long War Journal

• Iraqi forces search for Qods Force agents

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:28 pm

  A US military map of Iran's operations inside southern Iraq. This 2007 map formed the basis of The Ramazan Corps and the ratlines into Iraq. Click to view full size. Iraqi officials in Al Kut are seeking four suspected Iranian Qods Force operatives behind attacks on security forces. Members of the Iraqi security forces put up wanted posters with photos of the Iranian operates on the streets in an effort to detain the men. The Qods Force agents are wanted for "armed operations against Iraqi security personnel and civilians," an Iraqi security official told Voices of Iraq. "The security…

• Pakistani Army enters key Taliban town

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:11 am

  Pakistani troops have entered the last major Taliban stronghold in South Waziristan. Twenty-four Taliban fighters have been reported killed during fighting over the past 24 hours, according to the Pakistani military. The soldiers are storming the town of Makeen, where former Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud lived. "The house of Baitullah Mehsud has been raised to ground," according to a press release published by the Inter Service Public Relations, the Army's public affairs office. Twenty-one Taliban fighters are reported to have been killed during the first day of fighting in Makeen.

• Two US paratroopers missing in western Afghanistan

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:45 am

  Two soldiers serving with the International Security Assistance Force and operating in western Afghanistan have been reported missing. The two soldiers, whose names and home countries initially were not announced, have been missing for two days, ISAF, the umbrella command for NATO and allied forces operating in Afghanistan, reported today. The two soldiers were later identified as US paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division. The Taliban claimed they have found the bodies of two paratroopers. The soldiers went missing during "a routine resupply mission in western Afghanistan," ISAF said in…

• US Army major behind Fort Hood murders expressed sympathy for Islamic terrorists

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:50 pm

  Major Nidal Malik Hasan. An Army major behind the murders of 13 US soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, expressed sympathy for suicide bombers and support for terrorists waging war against US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Police shot and wounded Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist, after he went on a killing spree outside a readiness center for troops preparing to deploy to Iraq. Hasan, a Muslim American, opened fire with handguns on soldiers at the center. Eleven US soldiers were killed and 31 more were wounded before Hasan was shot by members of a SWAT team and detained by police. Initial…

• Army retakes fort in South Waziristan

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:22 am

  The Pakistani military said it has retaken control of the Ladha Fort in South Waziristan after heavy fighting in the region. The Ladha Fort, which has been under Taliban control since August 2008, was retaken today, the military said. Back in July 2008, the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force responsible for security in Pakistan's tribal areas, abandoned the Ladha Fort and all of the outposts in the Saam region in South Waziristan. The Frontier Corps claimed the Ladha Fort was vacated at the wishes of local tribal leaders and would be converted into a hospital, but local reports indicated…

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  Mudville Gazette

• The Valour-IT Auctions

  Greyhawk

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:07 pm

  ...with some fantastic, rare, and one-of-a-kind items end this weekend (many today). If you can't find something for yourself, you'll probably find something for someone on your Christmas list - and 100% of the proceeds goes to help wounded troops through project Valour-IT. Browse and bid here.

• Ft Hood: the view from Iraq

  Greyhawk

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:06 pm

  From one of the many deployed soldiers with family at Ft Hood:I've been deployed to Iraq for the past four months, and I've figured out how to cope with the stress that comes from being thousands of miles away from my family. But I wasn't prepared for what happens when violence intrudes on my loved ones, who are supposed to be safe at home while I am in a combat zone. It flipped all of my attitudes toward deployment upside down. And the aftermath of the attacks at Fort Hood, allegedly committed by a fellow Muslim, also raised a different set of concerns -- not just about my family's safety,…

• Aftermath (part 2)

  Greyhawk

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:21 pm

  The Associated PressWASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is pushing back a trip to Capitol Hill aimed at discussing the proposed health care overhaul with lawmakers. Obama had planned to head to the Capitol on Friday. Now the White House schedule shows Obama planning to visit the Capitol on Saturday. On Friday afternoon, Obama plans to visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center.The trip report:WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama spent nearly two hours visiting wounded U.S. soldiers Friday afternoon. The president met with 19 soldiers being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital, as well as…

• The fallen

  Greyhawk

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:58 am

  From a story on one of the soldiers wounded at Ft Hood: "Lunsford is in stable condition at the hospital in Temple, Tex., where hundreds waited in line to give blood for the wounded." First responders use a table as a stretcher to transport a wounded soldier to an awaiting ambulance at Fort Hood Nov. 5, 2009. U.S. Army photo. Staff Sgt. Joy Clark, 27, was standing in line when shots rang out, says her father, Jerry Nelson of Des Moines. "She heard some noise and the soldier in front of her went down," he says. She tore off her jacket and knelt to apply it to his wound. "That's when she got…

• Know your mass murderer: Nidal Malik Hasan

  Greyhawk

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:24 am

  A "socially awkward, quiet type":Hasan was born in Arlington to Palestinian immigrants from near Jerusalem who later settled in Vinton. Neighbors on Vinton's Ramada Road remembered him as a "studious" boy who went by "Michael." While his brother Eyad -- "Eddie" -- would play football with Zachary Garlick, 21, who lived across the street, Michael didn't come out to play much. "Michael was more school and less play," said Zachary Garlick. "He'd get home and he'd have his book bag, and he'd go straight inside." That quiet demeanor and apparent social awkwardness would follow Hasan into…

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  MilBlogs

• AfPak & Vietnam, what we should be reading

  CDR Salamander

  28 Oct 2009 | 4:28 pm

  In a media dominated by Baby Boomers and their resulting cultural reference, it is little wonder that we hear a lot about Vietnam vs. Afghanistan; just like we did with Vietnam and Iraq. That is no shock, what is though is a day when CDR Salamander finds himself in rough alignment with the WaPo's Richard Cohen. Does he read my blog? No, I don't think so. However, he is getting close. He is reading Sorley. As it turned out, South Vietnam was ultimately defeated because Congress turned its back on it - not pretty or necessarily honorable but effective. Yes, yes, great Caesar's ghost --- yes.

• Valour-IT '09

  Greyhawk

  27 Oct 2009 | 6:58 am

  It has begun: Join a team here!

• In memoriam: Sgt. Christopher M. Rudzinski

  Greyhawk

  21 Oct 2009 | 7:58 am

  Generations of Valor -- [Anne Morse/NRO] Mike Rudzinski, is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the son of a Vietnam vet, and the father of Chris Rudzinski, who served in the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq. His son's time in the sand "was much more perilous than mine," Rudzinski wrote. When asked why so many sons of Vietnam veterans saw their sons volunteer for service in Iraq, Rudzinski replied "I believe Chris joined because he loved his country and he loved his family and he wanted to do something for both. I'd like to think that my dad and I were an inspiration to Chris: after all, my…

• Does the Army Owe You Money???

  Soldier's Mom

  20 Oct 2009 | 11:22 am

  Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay What is it? Soldiers, veterans and survivors of those whose service was involuntarily extended under Stop Loss between September 11, 2001 and September 30, 2008 can apply to receive $500 for every month, or portion of a month, they served under Stop Loss. The 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act established and largely funded the payment for all military services, but dictated that each service process and pay their own applicants. The Army estimates that 136,000 of the approximately 174,000 eligible servicemembers served in the Army. What has the Army…

• Congrats to the Pritzer Military Library!

  12 Oct 2009 | 9:24 am

  Blackfive: Pritzker Military Library has been named one of 10 recipients of the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation's highest honor for museums and libraries. The annual award, made by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) since 1994, recognizes institutions for outstanding social, educational, environmental, or economic contributions to their communities. The Pritzker Military Library will receive the National Medal at a ceremony to be held in Washington, D.C., including a $10,000 award in recognition of their extraordinary contributions. Read more…

• 
  Headlines

• Reservist Earns Silver Star in Iraqi Save

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:55 pm

  Smoke hid the carnage. Some 200 yards toward safety, Vanlandingham realized one Iraqi vehicle was missing. He told his sergeant to reverse the Humvee and ordered a Mark-19 grenade launcher to cover one roadside, two 50-caliber machine guns to cover the other. Vanlandingham then ran into the kill zone.

• Pak Army Enters Third Taliban Stronghold

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:39 am

  The Pakistani army entered the last of three militant strongholds targeted by a major offensive in the northwest on Friday, as gunmen wounded a senior army officer and a soldier in the capital.

• Fort Hood Suspect Emptied Apartment

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:02 am

  An Army psychiatrist suspected of opening fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood cleaned out his apartment in the days before the rampage that left 13 people dead, a neighbor said Friday.

• Two US Troops Missing in Afghanistan

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:58 am

  Two American soldiers disappeared in western Afghanistan after a routine resupply mission, and more than 25 NATO and Afghan security forces members were wounded during the search mission for them, the alliance said Friday.

• Army Says Civilian Officer Shot Gunman

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:48 am

  The top commander at Fort Hood is crediting a civilian police officer for stopping the shooting rampage that killed 13 people at the Texas post.

• 
  Counterterrorism Blog

• Transnational Terror: Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Chicago Plot

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:57 pm

  Three names have been doing the rounds in India these days: Maulana Ilyas Kashmiri, David Coleman Headley (a.k.a Dauod Geelani) and Tahawur Hussein Rana; one hard core veteran Jehadi and two motivated ‘would be’ terrorists. They are in the news for plotting major assaults in India. Among them, Ilyas Kashmiri who was rumored to be dead early this year, in fact survived three drone attacks in Pakistan’s Waziristan region, belongs to the Al Qaeda- Harkat-Ul- Jihad- Al-Islami (HuJI) lineage and heads the Qaeda’s deadly 311 brigade. He still carries a head money of US $ 600,000 dollars.

• NEFA Foundation: Response from Gaza to Solidarity Calls from Shabaab al-Mujahideen

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:58 am

  The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a letter from an unnamed Palestinian Islamist in the Gaza Strip, posted on several prominent jihadi forums, thanking the top commander of the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia for announcing a new campaign to launch military attacks on Israel. The letter explained, "You brought us pleasure a few days ago when you went out to a precious solemn march (in solidarity with Palestine and its Muslim oppressed people). How glad were we with regard to this precious march, which we saw as a preliminary beginning (for the recruitment) of the world…

• Interview with Taliban Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid re: the UN Guesthouse Attack in Kabul

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:50 am

  The NEFA Foundation has obtained an English transcript of an interview with Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid regarding the October 28th attack on the UN Guesthouse in Kabul that left 11 dead, including 5 UN workers. According to the interview, “A great number of foreigners, who are to monitor the coming runoff elections, are staying in the guesthouse. Being equipped with weapons, the Mujahideen succeeded to enter the guesthouse and opened fire on security guards pointblank inside the compound of the guesthouse. When security forces from other parts of the city arrived at the scene,…

• Fort Hood: The largest "Terror act" since 9/11

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:14 pm

  Fort Hood attack The Fort Hood killings, perpetrated by Major Malik Nadal Hasan, a psychiatric by training, no matter what the judiciary reports will conclude is for now the largest single Terror act in America since 9/11. This quantitative finding will take into consideration dramatic change in the data released by authorities. The shooting inside a US military installation that led to the killing of many personnel compels us to ponder. Over the past few years and months authorities have stopped attempts on similar attacks. The Fort Dix Jihadi plot, dismantled in 2006, aimed at performing a…

• Climate Change and Terrorism

  5 Nov 2009 | 11:49 am

  Just before the world's attention swings over to the climate change conference in Copenhagen [COP15] I thought it might be worthwhile to pause and consider the security implications of this subject. The CIA announced it was opening a Climate Change Center to do just that, back in September. How will this shift in the global climate shift national security priorities? The only group I am currently aware of that has touched this in some way is the Global Business Network - they have a white paper available here. I have put down some thoughts over on the company blog - as well as some data on…

• 
  washingtonpost.com: Faces of the Fallen

• Spec. Joseph L. Gallegos

  27 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Spec. Joseph L. Gallegos

• Sgt. Issac B. Jackson

  26 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Sgt. Issac B. Jackson

• Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez

  26 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez

• Maj. David L. Audo

  26 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Maj. David L. Audo

• Sgt. Fernando . Delarosa

  26 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Sgt. Fernando . Delarosa

• 
  Blogs of War

• On the NSA and Privacy

  Blogs of War

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:10 pm

  Sometimes gentlemen do read each other’s mail: NSA has its problems, like any other large organization; problems with management, problems with bureaucracy, problems with change of any kind. But you know what it also has? A brilliant and dedicated work force that would work 24 hours a day, seven days a week if needed in a crisis. A work force that provides much of our country’s “actionable” intelligence and does it with the utmost respect for the privacy of Americans. I was there. I know. However, the world yawns at that ever-so-honorable pursuit. And if the world…

• Need to Know: 11/06/2009

  Blogs of War

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  Adobe is Bad for Open Government They have their place, but in terms of transparency and openness, I’m afraid they do more harm than good. Relying on them only yields frustration from the people who use the data government publishes the most, and they should be considered a bell or a whistle on top of the foundation that an agency should do to be fully transparent: putting data online, obeying the 8 principles of Open Data to the fullest extent. Simulator helps attack controllers train The JTAC Virtual Trainer is a system of training applications and simulators providing joint terminal…

• Profile: Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan

  Blogs of War

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:51 pm

  This profile will be updated as details emerge. His name is being reported as both Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan and Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan with minor spelling variations in both formats so some clarification is needed in this area. Cassy Fiano has a screen grab of the shooter’s photo from a CNN broadcast on her blog. Fox News conducted a phone interview with a man claiming to be the alleged shooter’s cousin. He painted a picture of a “good American” who was upset about an upcoming deployment to Iraq, mistreatment from fellow soldiers, and current mission of our military. His…

• Mass Shooting at Fort Hood

  Blogs of War

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pm

  Breaking. Few details are available: Officials at the Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen say seven people are dead and at least 12 are wounded in a mass shooting on the Fort property. You can watch live coverage via Fox News Dallas. More on Fort Hood at their official website (which appears to be down at the moment) and Wikipedia. Update: ABC News has identified one of the suspected shooters as Major Malik Nadal Hasan. Follow the story on Twitter.

• Offshored Manufacturing Undermines National Security

  Blogs of War

  5 Nov 2009 | 11:22 am

  A nation without the ability to produce goods (not to mention weapons) has to choose its wars carefully: Despite a six-year effort to build trusted computer chips for military systems, the Pentagon now manufactures in secure facilities run by American companies only about 2 percent of the more than $3.5 billion of integrated circuits bought annually for use in military gear. That shortfall is viewed with concern by current and former United States military and intelligence agency executives who argue that the menace of so-called Trojan horses hidden in equipment circuitry is among the most…

• 
  Last-Of-Iraqis

• Countless, useless checkpoints

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:43 pm

  Yesterday I had an interview with a French TV channel , the subject was about the checkpoints and it’s effectiveness specially after the two bloody days with the “quality explosions” as the media say…well, I though it’s a good subject to discuss specially that many of people who haven’t been in Iraq doesn’t really know much about this subject.Checkpoints are everywhere, and I mean literally

• Another day at the office, another bloody day in Baghdad

  26 Oct 2009 | 9:36 am

  I was working in the clinic as usual when I heard two explosions, with very short interval between them. Well, that’s something normal, no problem…about thirty minutes later the phone of one of my female colleagues rang and it was her husband, he said he miraculously made it, he was in the ministry of justice when the explosions happened “it was something that can be described, it was something

• I’m back (Explosions and H1N1 with neglect)

  21 Oct 2009 | 3:16 am

  I know it has been a really long time since I last posted but dear readers it was for many reasons, to begin with I was really busy and I really couldn’t find time to write anything, then there was the internet censorship thing and later I received a threat from an international organization aimed to kill Iraqis!! But here am I again…please spread the word. Let’s begin with the explosion thing

• Crossroads

  28 Jun 2009 | 1:16 pm

  I strongly doubt that any person with the slightest interest in the politics don't look at these days as a very important crossroads and a milestone. The US troops will withdraw from the Iraqi streets and be deployed in their bases and Iraq will gain its "sovereignty" as they say in the next few days, but what is behind the news? What is really happening on the ground? And what are the possible

• Watch the kids

  23 May 2009 | 9:50 pm

  Few days ago we were getting back home at night from a visit to a relative of us, when we reached our neighborhood; two blocks away from my house, we noticed a gathering of people at the door of one of the houses, it was clear from the faces of the people and the way they were acting that something unpleasant happened. I stopped the car and got out to offer my help in case they needed it.

• 
  Military Top Stories Center

• Pak Army Enters Third Taliban Stronghold

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

• Army Says Civilian Officer Shot Gunman

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

• Czech, US Discuss Military Cooperation

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

• Fort Hood Suspect Emptied Apartment

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  An Army psychiatrist suspected of opening fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood cleaned out his apartment in the days before the rampage that left 13 people dead, a neighbor said. The suspect's motive isn't known, but friends said he may have been struggling with a pending deployment.

• Two US Troops Missing in Afghanistan

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

• 
  A Soldier's Perspective

• Interview With Wife at Fort Hood

  CJ

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:37 pm

  This is a powerful interview of the wife of a Soldier that was injured at Fort Hood during the recent shooting.

• Coast Guard 1705 Memorial (Tissue Alert)

  CJ

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:03 pm

  A brilliantly done memorial to the seven Guardians and two Marines tragically lost while engaged in search and rescue operations on October 29, 2009. It's somber, so you may need tissues.

• WAAY-31 Covers Williams Middle School Incompetence

  Emily

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:13 pm

  Yesterday, I was interviewed by the local media about our treatment by the school and their attempts to destroy Cj's career. Cj was not interviewed – he was at work at the time and fears retribution if he is. Last night, Cj and I went to the school board meeting and Cj was finally allowed to speak. After he spoke, the people in the room gave him a round of applause and board members expressed their displeasure with the way he was treated. He provided them with a complete copy of his statement since he didn't get to finish. There is a 4 minute limit on speaking and Cj still…

• USO and VAULT Partner on Campaign to Send Messages of Support to U.S. Troops

  CJ

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:59 pm

  The approaching holiday season is a time of hope and family for millions of Americans, but hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops stationed around the world will likely celebrate far from home again this year. In an effort to boost morale with messages of support and gratitude, VAULT is partnering with the USO and country music act Montgomery Gentry on “The Uniform of Heroes: The Taste of Support” campaign. Entering its second year, the program provides a unique opportunity for people to send hand-written postcards to “any service member” stationed worldwide. Beginning today, people are…

• Survival Straps

  CJ

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:37 pm

  One of YOU recently entered me into a contest over at www.SURVIVALSTRAPS.com to win one of their bracelets. Well, my name was chosen, much to my surprise. I had never heard of the company. But, I looked into it and can't believe what a cool idea this is. I love to watch Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel. The host, Bear Grylls, is a former British Special Forces operator who puts himself in situations in which one would have to rely on the environment to survive with very little. One the most important tools that seems to be common in each episode is a flint and steel and…rope…

• 
  Secrecy News

• New State Secrets Policy Yields Familiar Result

  Steven Aftergood

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:22 am

  The government’s proposed use of the state secrets privilege in a pending lawsuit was reviewed under the new state secrets policy that was established in September to limit use of the privilege, Attorney General Eric Holder announced on October 30.  But upon review the government decided that it was necessary and appropriate to assert the privilege anyway.  Furthermore, the government did not merely seek to withhold particular items of evidence from disclosure in the case, Shubert v. USA, but sought to terminate the proceeding altogether (pdf). “As part of our internal…

• JASON Cautions on Predicting Terrorist Events

  Steven Aftergood

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:18 am

  Attempts to predict the occurrence or the likelihood of extreme acts of terrorist violence on the scale of 9/11 should be discouraged because the available data are too sparse to permit the reliable modeling of such “rare events,” according to a new report to the Pentagon (pdf) from the JASON defense advisory panel. In a nutshell, “it is simply not possible to validate (evaluate) predictive models of rare events that have not occurred, and unvalidated models cannot be relied upon.” On the other hand, the JASONs said, it may be possible and useful to assume that rare…

• More New Publications Received

  Steven Aftergood

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:16 am

  A new book delves into “the secret history of federal drug law enforcement” and the role of the Drug Enforcement Administration.  See “The Strength of the Pack: The Personalities, Politics and Espionage Intrigues that Shaped the DEA” by Douglas Valentine, TrineDay, 2009. Former Congressional Research Service scholar Morton Rosenberg authored a detailed account of the principles and practices of congressional oversight entitled “When Congress Comes Calling” (pdf). It was published by the Constitution Project in July and is available in full-text online.

• Military Censorship of Photographs in World War I

  Steven Aftergood

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:13 am

  During the course of World War I, tens of thousands of photographs were withheld from publication by the U.S. military.  These included images that might have revealed troop movements or military capabilities, pictures that were liable to be used in enemy propaganda, or those that could adversely affect military or public morale. The development of military controls on publication of photographs during WWI was described in a 1926 U.S. Army report (large pdf) that is illustrated with dozens of images that had been withheld, with a description of the reasons their publication was not…

• Confusion Reigns in Intelligence Secrecy Policy

  Steven Aftergood

  2 Nov 2009 | 8:33 am

  The decision last week by the Director of National Intelligence to declassify the FY2009 budget for the National Intelligence Program is inconsistent with other ODNI classification actions and highlights the confusion over the proper scope of national security secrecy that prevails in the U.S. intelligence community today. On October 30, DNI Dennis C. Blair announced that the total appropriation for the National Intelligence Program (NIP) in FY 2009 was $49.8 billion.  (Under the terms of a 1997 law, the President could have withheld the FY 2009 budget figure if he filed a statement with…

• 
  Stryker Brigade News

• Ft. Hood

  Todd

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:46 am

  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of those killed and wounded at Ft. Hood yesterday. The Army homepage is a good starting point if you are looking for official information.

• Iraqi Army, U.S. Troops on the Hunt

  Todd

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:32 am

  Story by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell BAGHDAD, Iraq – As Iraqi Security Forces continue their missions inside the city, here, insurgents and criminal groups find themselves forced out to the rural areas. Recently, insurgents used a local farm on the western outskirts of Baghdad to attack a U.S. convoy. U.S. infantrymen from 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, combed the area with Iraqi Army Soldiers, Nov. 4, to prevent insurgents from gaining a foothold in the area. "A lot of weapons come through this area into Baghdad," said Spc. Daniel Pacheco, from San Antonio. "Our job is…

• Cordon and Knock in Afghanistan: Combat Advisors See ANA in Action

  Todd

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:21 am

  Story by Sgt. Stephen Decatur KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Afghan Soldiers in armored humvees led a combined convoy of Afghans and Americans down Highway 1 in the early morning. As dawn broke they passed an Afghan national police checkpoint and dismounted by an ANA combat outpost. Their objective was Shah Hasan Kheyl, a village about a kilometer off the road. Starting in August 2009, small embedded training teams dispersed throughout Afghanistan started getting replaced with combat units from 4th Brigade Combat Team (Task Force Fury), 82nd Airborne Division to serve as combat advisors. The…

• IA Led Joint Patrol Protects Aqur Quf

  Todd

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:11 am

  Story by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell BAGHDAD – On a dusty road in northwestern Baghdad, Sgt. Kegan Cline kneels beside a wall, resting his M-14 sniper rifle as a group of Iraqi girls in blue school uniforms walk by, giggling and pushing each other, Nov. 3. The Worcester, Mass. native, smiled briefly and nodded at the girls, knowing that his presence, combined with Iraqi Army Soldiers, allows the girls to walk around safely. "It feels great that we're here serving a purpose," said Cline, assigned to Company A, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry…

• Stryker Battalion Uncases Colors

  Todd

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:02 am

  Multi-National Division Baghdad CAMP TAJI, Iraq - Making the arrival of 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, official, here, north of Baghdad, the Stryker Soldiers held an uncasing of the colors ceremony, Oct. 29. "We are at the right place at the right moment with the right Soldiers for this job," said Lt. Col. Michael Lawrence, the battalion's commander. "This is not the first time we have uncased these colors and that is because this unit works hard and will succeed at whatever we do." "I can't tell you how proud I am to see each and every one of you…

• 
  An Army Wife's Life

• Please subscribe to the new feed for updates!

  Candace April

  16 Oct 2009 | 7:54 am

  Google is taking over the planet, but you already knew that...For some reason, though, I cannot claim my old feed at feedburner to redirect it to my new blog. In the interest of time (and my sanity), I have burned a new feed for the new blog in case the old one does not re-direct automatically.So, if you are a subscriber, would you be oh-so-kind to subscribe to the new fee:By Feedreader: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ArmyWivesLivesBy E-mail Digest

• Updates!

  Candace April

  14 Oct 2009 | 5:51 pm

  Thank you for all your supportive comments and for being so patient. We are going to be moving permanently to a new Wordpress blog at ArmyWivesLives.com sometime next week. I figured out how to import all your insightful and amazing comments from Haloscan into Wordpress.I have an awesome designer fixing all my coding mistakes and cleaning up the theme and then we'll be ready to launch.Once that happens, I'll contact all of you fabulous MilSpouses who have offered to post!Then, I plan to get a community up and running.In the meantime, stay the course, friends! Y'know: hurry up and wait. Y'all…

• A Work in Progress

  Candace April

  18 Sep 2009 | 9:40 am

  I'm in the process of transferring this blog to self-hosted Wordpress and adding a community.Would you like to be a contributor at the new site? Just let me know if you are interested by sending me an e-mail or leaving a comment.Although the new site will be "Army Wives Lives", Military Spouses of all branches are welcome to make themselves at home!Looking forward to getting the new digs set up.

• HELP! My Husband is Joining the Army and I Don't Like It!

  Candace April

  1 Apr 2009 | 3:52 pm

  An anonymous reader comments:Hey Molly my husband is looking into a career In the army, I don't like the idea because he will never be home and could always be deployed and could die. I am 19 he is 26 years old and we have a 5 month old daughter I didn't not sign up to be a military wife I don't like the idea of moving every other year and not being able to see him everyday and then spending long time periods away from him I guess my question is what is being a military spouse really like. He will be entering as a E3 but I don't want to hear the lie from the recruiter I want to ask some one…

• Loving the Sedentary Life

  Candace April

  19 Mar 2009 | 1:21 pm

  Civilization begins when societies become sedentary. And although there is a lot to recommend active duty, and many pluses to its nomadic way of life, I'm glad to have a reasonably permanent, permanent address that is mine and not my parents.We are doing home improvements. In fact, we just remodeled our basement using a basement finishing system with these guys. If you happen to be on Long Island and want to get your basement finished, tell them Candace sent you because I get a referral if you use them (which I do recommend)! I'll post pics once I get the kids stuff down there.We may even get…

• 
  Training for Eternity

• God, Words, and Lima Beans

  Chaplain Lewis

  24 Oct 2009 | 12:31 pm

  There are a lot of ways to say things.For instance, instead of using the word “rich” you could say “affluent”.Or instead of using “gossip” you could use “quidnunc”.One might say, “I like waffles!”Or one might say, “Waffles are massively preferable to lima beans.”It is the art of wordsmithery, which may actually not be an art at all, at least not in the sense that you might visit a Wordsmithery Gallery.Rather, it is a way of saying or writing things and events, in such a way as to make them more readable.Generally, when I retell the story of something that happened to…

• One of Those Days

  Chaplain Lewis

  6 Jul 2009 | 11:25 am

  There are days I really don't want to be a chaplain.I'm not really sure how I got there, but there I was standing in the operating room of the hospital on our FOB watching doctors and nurses of varying sorts work on a US Soldier, trying desperately to keep him alive.Several hours earlier a group of our guys had begun a patrol or a convoy or something other military activity and at some point encountered some very bad men with very bad intentions. I wish I could report what happened to them but I can't because I really don't know. All I know is that there I was, several hours later watching…

• D-Day Remembered

  Chaplain Lewis

  6 Jun 2009 | 9:23 am

  American Cemeteries on Foreign SoilAisne-Marne, France- 2,289 interred, 1,060 missing rememberedArdennes, Belgium – 5,329 interred, 462 missing rememberedBrittany, France – 4,410 interred, 498 missing rememberedBrookwood, England – 468 interred, 563 missing rememberedCambridge, England – 3,812 interred, 5,127 missing rememberedEpinal, France – 5,255 interred, 424 missing rememberedFlanders Field, Belgium – 368 interred, 43 missing rememberedFlorence, Italy – 4,402 interred, 1,409 missing rememberedHenri-Chapelle, Belgium – 7,992 interred, 450 missing rememberedLorraine, France…

• Doing the Math

  Chaplain Lewis

  13 May 2009 | 9:23 am

  Today began like every other day in this vacation spot known as Afghanistan. My alarm went off, like normal. I hit snooze, like normal. It screamed at me again, like normal. I turned it off, like normal. And like normal, I rolled over to take a few well earned moments as I slowly made the transition from hating my alarm clock to laying there a little too long and on into actually being awake. It was just about this point in my day, roughly 2 minutes old at the time, that "normal" took a detour.As I lay there, almost waking up, with the morning light breaking into my window,…

• Catching a Buz

  Chaplain Lewis

  23 Apr 2009 | 3:08 am

  I think Robert Di Nero explained it rather well as Al Capone in 'The Untouchables' when he said in his thickest, 1920ish, prohibition-like, Mafioso accent, Enthusiasms! What are mine? What draws my admiration? What is that which gives me joy? Baseball! A man...A man stands alone at the plate. This is the time for what? For individual achievement. There he stands alone. But in the field, what? Part of a team.Baseball. Our national pastime. What could be better than sitting in (or if your 10 years old, under) the bleachers, eating a hot dog, and watching the big game? The smell of freshly cut…

• 
  AF.mil Top Stories

• Airmen train future journalists

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:36 pm

• Changing how we do business

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:26 pm

  Change has always been a part of the Air Force. You see it every day here with the way Airmen support the fight. The B-1B Lancer, designed to penetrate into enemy territory, is now using a targeting pod and global positioning satellite-aided weapons to conduct close-air support. In previous conflicts, air control squadrons needed to be within line-of-sight of the aircraft being controlled. Now Airmen control the fight from thousands of miles away. For my own platform, engineers designed the Joint Surveillance Target Attack System to detect Warsaw Pact-era tank columns crossing the…

• Academy physicians discuss H1N1 lessons learned

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:06 pm

  Senior medical officials who successfully slowed the spread of H1N1 flu virus at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., published what they learned in an October article featured in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Catherine Witkop, a preventive medicine physician from the Academy's 10th Medical Group, told participants in a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable Nov. 5 that medical officials at the Academy acted quickly to set up a team to look at some of the virus's characteristics. more...

• Airmen learn traditions during Kyrgyz Cultural Day

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pm

• C-17 aircrew scores touchdown in mission with NFL greats

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pm

• 
  USO Girls

• Dusting Off the Mullet Wig

  Jamie

  2 Nov 2009 | 6:13 pm

  Ah yes, another Halloween at the USO with Caroline providing the costumes for our shift. It was a slow day so we pretty much had to entertain ourselves. Caroline, Dan (as Joe Dirt), Sissi, and Bud The cupcake fairy The angel and the devil, which one should I be? Miss Jr Pre-Teen Santa Barbara and she stole my crown!

• Wordless Wednesday

  Caroline

  28 Oct 2009 | 6:51 am

• We're BACK!

  Jamie

  26 Oct 2009 | 5:10 pm

  Just a little preview of our dance skills at Baby's Corn's wedding this past weekend. Will post more pics after a few more naps and catching up on work emails. And of course the always random patriotic sighting...

• TSO Needs your Prayers

  Caroline

  15 Oct 2009 | 8:41 am

  TSO and I are meeting up in Chicago tomorrow to spend the weekend with my parents. He seems to be doing fairly well so far, no panic attacks yet. He has met my parents twice before but this will be the longest he's spent with any member of my family. I have been incredibly sensitive to his fears and concerns about hanging out with my dad, mostly by egging on those fears, but I think this weekend could swing in his favor because at one point my parents did say that they were going to get the slide projector out, but not to worry they would only show him one carousel...Either way I thought I'd…

• Wordless Wednesday

  Caroline

  14 Oct 2009 | 7:09 am

• 
  The Sandbox

• WE'RE EVERYWHERE!

  David Stanford

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:25 am

  WE'RE EVERYWHERE!Name: Air Force WifePosting date: 11/6/09Spouse: deployedMilblog: SpouseBUZZ For thirty years (since I was about 5 years old) I have wanted to go to Disney World. How much have I wanted to go to Disney World? I would pick Disney over a cruise to Hawaii. I would pick Disney over a world tour (at least the first time).  I would pick Disney World over dinner with Abraham Lincoln if a time machine existed and I were somehow able to secure a special invitation to the White House in 1864.Disney World has been a really big deal on the airforcewife list of things to do.

• WELCOME TO THE REAL WILD WEST

  David Stanford

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am

  WELCOME TO THE REAL WILD WESTName: Mike T.Posting date: 11/4/09Returned from: AfghanistanMilblog: c/o Afghan Lessons Learned For those of you who will be stationed out in Western Afghanistan for your tour, as I was, I have some advice:1. Do not listen to the bullshit that people state about the West: It's dangerous like everywhere else.2. The West is mainly desert near the Hari Rud to about Shindad, which starts to become mountainous. From there to the main city of Herat you will find various builds of infrastructure. Herat is the cultural center of Afghanistan. Read The Great Gamble. This is…

• A FEW MEMORABLE WORDS

  David Stanford

  1 Nov 2009 | 9:46 pm

  A FEW MEMORABLE WORDS Name: KPosting date: 11/2/09Returned from: AfghanistanMilblog: Embedded in AfghanistanBRIBERYMarine: “Since we just had an IED blow up outside the base, just down there in the town, I think we should search the town down there.”ANA commander: “No, not a good idea.”“Yes, it is a good idea. We can’t let them get that close to us. The villagers at least need to know that if they aren’t our eyes and ears out there, then we’ll put them through some inconvenience by searching their homes.”“I don’t want to do it.”“I know you don’t but we have…

• HERO

  David Stanford

  30 Oct 2009 | 9:36 pm

  HEROName: Old BluePosting date: 10/30/09Returned to: AfghanistanMilblog: Afghan QuestRecently, an email came in from an officer who quoted an ANP* chief in a district in which I did some work as a mentor. The ANP chief said that he was looking forward to winter so that the leaves on the trees could no longer the Taliban and he could kill them all. Fair’s fair, after all. They’ve repeatedly tried to kill him.He’s been wounded twice since I’ve known him.We were getting ready to do a conference for trainers from all over the Army and some of our Coalition allies, and it was brought up…

• GEAR FOR AFGHANISTAN

  David Stanford

  28 Oct 2009 | 5:31 am

  GEAR FOR AFGHANISTANName: Bouhammer, Old Blue, WOTN, Vampire 06Posting date: 10/28/09Milblog: Afghan Lessons Learned For Soldiers This is one of a series of posts designed to help and inform the thousands of troops headed to Afghanistan, some of whom had expected to deploy to Iraq. Those who thought they were headed to Iraq now find themselves behind the power curve in coming up to speed on the peculiarities of Afghanistan. The first version of the list below was published in January, 2007, and is the single most popular post ever put up on Bouhammer.com. It lists good equipment to have,…

• 
  The Stupid Shall Be Punished

• Please Support Project Valour-IT

  Bubblehead

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:04 pm

  It's almost Veteran's Day, so you still have time to donate to Project Valour-IT, a wonderful organization that provides adaptive laptops for disabled Servicepeople. The drive is running through November 11th, so if you can, please contribute to this worthy cause through Team Navy. (You can find more information through this post by the Navy team leader.)

• Prayers Going Out For Soldiers At Ft. Hood And Their Families

  Bubblehead

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:28 pm

  Reports of a shooting incident at Ft. Hood indicate that 11 are dead (plus a shooter) and 31 are injured. Initial reports indicate that the dead shooter is Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan, and that two other soldiers have been detained as suspects. The dead major is reportedly a psychiatrist. My prayers are going out to the victims, their families, and fellow Soldiers.We all know that initial reports of incidents are often in error, so hopefully this was a case of one guy losing it, and not a coordinated attack -- hopefully the two suspects are found to just have been in the wrong place at the wrong…

• Inadvertently Humorous Submarine Fiction

  Bubblehead

  4 Nov 2009 | 6:45 am

  Anyone remember this blurb from The Hunt For Red October?"The engineers went about their duties calmly. The noise in the engine room spaces rose noticeably as the systems began to put out more power, and the technicians kept track of this by continuously monitoring the banks of instruments under their hands. The routine was quiet and exact. There was no extraneous conversation, no distraction. Compared to a submarine's reactor spaces, a hospital operating room was a den of libertines."Discuss. Remember, though, that we have some wives reading, so you should avoid stories that go something…

• Another Sub Skipper Relieved For Cause

  Bubblehead

  31 Oct 2009 | 9:40 am

  Haven't found an official Navy statement, but Navy Times and a couple of Honolulu newspapers have a story about the CO of USS La Jolla (SSN 701) being relieved for cause yesterday: Cmdr. Doug Sampson, who had been in command of the Los Angeles-class submarine since October 2007, was relieved of command by the commodore of Submarine Squadron One, Capt. Stanley Robertson, the Navy said.“This action was deemed necessary due to the failure of Cmdr. Sampson to meet the high Navy standards necessary to remain in command,” the Pacific Fleet submarine force said in a statement......Lt. Cmdr.

• USS Texas Surfaces Through Ice

  Bubblehead

  31 Oct 2009 | 9:33 am

  USS Texas (SSN 775) recently became the first Virginia-class submarine to operate in the Arctic; here's photographic evidence:This occurred during the boat's transit from Groton to her new homeport of Pearl Harbor. From the CSP article:“Words can not describe how impressed I am with my crew’s performance and professionalism,” said Cdr. Robert Roncska, Commanding Officer of USS Texas. “The ship performed extremely well in the cold, under-ice environment and I am honored to carry on the tradition of arctic operations by our awesome submarine force.”Though the submarine force has…

• 
  Army of Dude

• Funny Name, Serious Movie

  Alex

  28 Oct 2009 | 5:49 pm

  When I think of sublime director-actor couplings in cinema the past thirty years, only a few come to mind. Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski, The Coen Brothers and John Goodman, Tommy Wiseau and himself. Another pair is sure to join the list: Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon. Greengrass is the shaky cam zen master, taking the helm for the excellent Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatium, United 93 and Bloody Sunday. His new collaboration with his protege is Green Zone, slated for March 10 of next year:If you're wondering about the title (was REMF For A Dream taken?), it's based on the book Imperial Life…

• Make It Rain!

  Alex

  21 Oct 2009 | 2:55 pm

  Have you been stop-lossed? Like wads of cash? You can get $500 bucks for every month you were retained by the pleasure of the government. Grab your DD-214 and go here to start the registration process. The full press release provides email contacts for alternative routes. You have one year to do this, so get to it!

• VA to call students to discuss GI Bill, timeshare opportunities in Florida

  Alex

  20 Oct 2009 | 4:50 pm

  The VA will be conducting a special telephone outreach this week to students enrolled in the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The staff will be ready to answer questions you may have, the most pressing likely being, "Where my money?" But wait, there's more! The full release:Representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be telephoning Veterans across the country to explain their education benefits under the new Post-9/11 GI Bill and ensure beneficiaries are able to receive payments due them.“The Post-9/11 GI Bill is one of our highest priorities,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs…

• The Defenders Need You

  Alex

  7 Oct 2009 | 5:25 pm

  If you've been following the news from Afghanistan, then you no doubt have heard about the Taliban assault on COP Keating that left eight soldiers dead and the outpost destroyed. What the media hasn't told you is that the soldiers stationed at the remote outpost not only lost their comrades but all of the gear inside the base. The American Legion has stepped in and is currently accepting donations for a relief fund:In the battle for Combat Outpost Keating, the men of Bravo Troop 361 Cavalry lost every possession they had, save for the clothes on their backs. Following this blog posting is…

• Square One

  Alex

  4 Oct 2009 | 11:25 am

  If you picked up your emergency VA check last week but your bank refuses to cash anything written hastily on the back of a cocktail napkin, the VA has a solution:VA is soliciting the support of local and national banks to honor and cash these emergency checks written to our Nation's Veteran-students.In many cases these checks are handwritten and could pose concerns of fraud from banks. Therefore, VA has established the following special customer service call-in numbers for banks to verify the validity of any US Bank check brought to them by a Veteran.1-800-827-2166Banks calling these numbers…

• 
  Defense Industry Daily

• South Africa to Cancel its A400M Order

  Joe Katzman

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm

  Scratch one flag… (click to view full) In April 2005, South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin expected the cost of the SAAF’s 8 planned Airbus A400M medium-heavy... [summary]

• Up to $151.1M to 6 Small Businesses for US Navy Barge Maintenance

  Fred Donovan

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:31 am

  The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) awarded 6 small business qualifiers firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts with a combined maximum value of $151.1... [summary]

• LPD-17 San Antonio Class: The USA’s New Amphibious Ships (updated)

  Joe Katzman

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:16 am

  LPD-17 cutaway (click to view full) LPD-17 San Antonio class amphibious assault support vessels are a new class of ship which is just entering service with the US Navy. Much like their predecessors,... [summary]

• CACI to Support US Army Information Warfare Directorate under $900M TESS Contract

  Fred Donovan

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:57 am

  CACI International received a $75 million task order to support the US Army’s Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) Intelligence and Information... [summary]

• Raytheon’s Standard Missile Naval Defense Family (updated)

  Joe Katzman

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am

  SM-2 Launch w. AEGIS (click to view full) Variants of the SM-2 Standard missile are the USA’s primary fleet defense anti-air weapon, and serve with 13 navies worldwide. The most common variant... [summary]

• 
  Doc in the Box

• I might be in love

  Sean from DocintheBox

  20 Oct 2009 | 11:58 am

  With something other than my bride, the new Canon EOS-1D Mark IV just came out. Over the past year or so, DSLR cameras have included the ability to shot video and I saw this video shot by the Mark IV back story can be found here. Wow, for someone who's taken some low light videos, color me impressed, the video was taken just using street lights, it sees better in the dark then the human eye. The

• Sear's Heroes at Home

  Sean from DocintheBox

  15 Oct 2009 | 2:14 pm

  This is a pretty good deal for active duty military, I did it last year and got a Sear's gift card in the mail.Sears invites all active military members to register for the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry program. The Heroes at Home Wish Registry allows America to thank our military heroes and their families by donating to the program. All donations will be evenly distributed in the form of

• El Centro

  Sean from DocintheBox

  15 Oct 2009 | 1:54 pm

  One thing about medical, when business is slow, it means everyone is doing alright. I’m currently in El Centro this week and having a hard time finding gainful employment which is good but hate feeling like a slacker. El Centro is much like the base I was in Iraq would feel like if it had potable water and cable TV or how it would look like in a decade from now. Otherwise the countryside looks

• Navy Ball Lemoore Style 2009

  Sean from DocintheBox

  11 Oct 2009 | 12:42 pm

  Just sharing some pictures from the latest ball that the bride and I went to last week. The last few weeks have been a blur of flu shots and filing forms, not much of interest happening on this side of the world. Busy mostly with living life instead of writing about it and life hasn't been too bad. I need to find my writing bug again and I'm sure it will come again, it's just not hitting me right

• R.I.P. Josh Wright

  Sean from DocintheBox

  14 Sep 2009 | 9:25 pm

  If anyone is wondering why I've been in a mad frenzy of picture posting, well anyone who knows me on Facebook. Part of it is because of my friend Josh Wright, who passed a couple of days ago at the age of 31 due to complications of his condition. If you didn't know Josh, he had a blog called Devil Dogs War and was a great supporter of Marines. He wasn't a Marine but it was his greatest dream

• 
  From the Halls to the Shores

• Valour-IT

  Mike the Marine

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:55 pm

  Been really busy and almost forgot to put up the link this year. I'll go haze myself now...And I'm back.Go give and help the Marine Team smoke the competition this year. Sure the money all goes to the same place, but to quote Big Worm, "there's principalities in this".-----------------About Project Valour-IT

• A case study...

  Mike the Marine

  1 Nov 2009 | 8:51 am

  ... in everything that Dubya wasn't. I leave it to you on how to interpret this photo op solemn moment.More.

• Because I think it's cool

  Mike the Marine

  23 Oct 2009 | 6:34 pm

  I'm a video game junkee, much to the beloved Wif's chagrin. Oh yes, it's true. I can hit line drives and snipe bad guys with the best of 'em, from right here behind this keyboard. I don't have an XBOX 360... and given my current status as husband and daddy, I may - nay, probably WILL - never have one. But I sure as hell wish I did, if for no other reason than to play THIS. As proven by a

• The Cheney Plan for Afghanistan

  Mike the Marine

  23 Oct 2009 | 6:10 pm

  Awesome.

• Mo' money, mo' problems

  Mike the Marine

  22 Oct 2009 | 4:51 pm

  I get a pay raise. Yay! Most everything else is screwed up, though...Allow me to deconstruct:Military personnel will get an above-inflation pay raise of 3.4 percent (sweet) under a Pentagon policy bill the Senate passed Thursday and sent to President Obama for his signature.The pay increase was a half-percentage point more than Obama sought earlier this year and beats the average

• 
  Miserable Donuts

• One Year Home

  LTC John

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:28 am

  Exactly one year ago today, I stumbled off a plane at the Topeka Airport, got on a bus and was hauled to Fort Riley to start demobilizing.Seems like it wasn't all that long ago.

• A Parting Thought for the American Legion

  LTC John

  2 Nov 2009 | 6:58 am

  From my non-renewal of membership:To Post ___,I shall not be renewing my membership with the Post, or the American Legion. Please remove me from the mailing list.Should you care for an explanation, I can give two small recollections that stand out in my mind; The first is from 2004, when my wife delivered my membership renewal in person to the Post (I was in Afghanistan at the time) When my wife explained that she was dropping it off, since I was deployed overseas, she got a total response of “Okay, thanks”. The second was when I emailed the Post in 2007 to mention that I would once again…

• Am I sleeping??

  CSMBones

  12 Oct 2009 | 8:19 pm

  Meet the People Who Were Passed Over for President Obama's virtual award. There is a price he is expected to pay for this. Wait and see.Sima Samar, women's rights activist in Afghanistan: "With dogged persistence and at great personal risk, she kept her schools and clinics open in Afghanistan even during the most repressive days of the Taliban regime, whose laws prohibited the education of girls past the age of eight. When the Taliban fell, Samar returned to Kabul and accepted the post of Minister for Women's Affairs."Ingrid Betancourt: French-Colombian ex-hostage held for six years.Dr. Denis…

• Fallen Warriors TF Phoenix VIII/33rd IBCT Final Salute

  CSMBones

  8 Oct 2009 | 11:41 am

  Golden Cross!

• 33rd IBCT End of Mission Video for TF Phoenix VIII

  CSMBones

  8 Oct 2009 | 10:42 am

  Tell me what you think.Golden Cross!!

• 
  LT Nixon Rants

• Fort Hood Massacre

  Nixon

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:28 am

  Not much to say. It's all very sad. And I think that sadness is captured pretty well in this image that was part of an MSNBC slideshow.People in the military are accustomed to mentally preparing for danger and carnage abroad, but you just never really expect it on the homefront. I'm not going to speculate here, since the facts are still coming in, but Noah Shachtman has some eye-popping statements that the shooter made previously. And I'm a bit surprised that David Neiwert is criticizing "wingnuts" for being so judgmental, because I'm sure if it was a white guy, he would've talked about how…

• Say What? Sex Change Operations in Obamacare

  Nixon

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:56 pm

  This is one of the Miss Tiffany contestants from 2009 in Thailand, and it's probably one of the hottest babes that's actually a dude you've ever seen. Thailand is world-renown for its Katoeys (transgender/transvestite peoples), and they often work in the bars of Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket to save up for that expensive surgery, which Thailand is also well-known for. But, according to some culture warrior types, the new Obamacare plan may allow for taxpayer dollars to pay for these types of operations in the States. From Politico:A senior aide to a Republican senator said that a public…

• Kumar in Trouble

  Nixon

  30 Oct 2009 | 8:38 pm

  When Kal Pen (aka Kumar of the great movie, Harold & Kumar go to White Castle) left the beautiful people of Hollywood to spend time with the bottom-feeding parasites in DC, he received some praise for serving his country or something. But now a FOIA request has revealed that he was mixed up in the recent NEA scandal which forced its Communications Director into resignation. From Washington Examiner (h/t Jammie):Former actor and present White House associate director of public engagement Kalpen Modi was directly involved in planning the controversial conference call hosted by a National…

• Our Longstanding Corrupt Practices

  Nixon

  30 Oct 2009 | 7:22 am

  USA Today had a well-researched article about all the political appointees in the Obama administration who just happened to have fundraised over $100,000 for the campaign. But, for some reason, the story generated less interest in the blogosphere than the 25th anniversary of Ice Pirates. I don't know if it's because the article was in the Mikky-D's press, or because the practice is so common amongst both parties that none of the partisan operatives dare criticize, or because there was other corruption allegations that stole the limelight. But it seems like we just brush it aside as "business…

• UN Continues to Make a Mockery of Itself

  Nixon

  27 Oct 2009 | 5:14 am

  NYC: Downgraded to Totalitarian BackwaterNot that there's anything wrong with the UN Millennium Development Goals, I mean, who doesn't support ending poverty and world hunger? It's just a bit odd about how the entire organization takes its approach. After the UN Human Rights Council recognized "exceptions" to freedom of speech to appease Islamic dictators, and thinking that letting a thug like Ahmadinejad have the podium would be a swell idea, they now have their sights set on that miserable, hellhole of humanity...New York City. From NY Times:The United Nations Human Rights Council appoints…

• 
  The Captain's Journal

• Israeli Seizure of Iranian Weapons

  Herschel Smith

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:03 pm

  Courtesy of Blackfive here is a video of the recent seizure of an Iranian weapons shipment. It’s the same pattern as before.  Major Shipments of weapons has occurred in the past and will keep occurring.  When this administration figures out that sugar and spice and everything nice won’t work as a foreign policy, a depression will set in at the State Department.  War will eventually come to the Middle East, and Israel will be left to defend itself while the current administration sits in malaise and bewilderment. I predicted it. Postscript: See also Michael Ledeen’s recent…

• Prayers and Sympathies to Families at Foot Hood, Texas

  Herschel Smith

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  I don’t have much wisdom to give at the moment, and I’m sure that details will come out in the future that will elicit more commentary from pundits across the blogosphere.  Right now, remember the families of the slain Soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, in your prayers.

• Dangerous Precedents in Afghanistan

  Herschel Smith

  4 Nov 2009 | 8:01 pm

  From Stars and Stripes: SHAH JOY DISTRICT, Afghanistan — An Afghan army commander whom American troops had dubbed “Snoop” was angry, accusing a U.S. dog handler of allowing his Labrador retriever to sniff a copy of the Quran while searching a cluster of villages that U.S. forces suspect is a Taliban stronghold. The commander — named for his resemblance to the rapper Snoop Dog — warned 2nd Lt. Blake Wyant of Company C, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment that he and his men were ready to quit the village and never work with American forces again. Wyant, 24, of Sioux City, Iowa,…

• Divining Rod Bomb Detectors

  Herschel Smith

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:58 pm

  From The New York Times: Despite major bombings that have rattled the nation, and fears of rising violence as American troops withdraw, Iraq’s security forces have been relying on a device to detect bombs and weapons that the United States military and technical experts say is useless. The small hand-held wand, with a telescopic antenna on a swivel, is being used at hundreds of checkpoints in Iraq. But the device works “on the same principle as a Ouija board” — the power of suggestion — said a retired United States Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, who described the wand as…

• Bagram Bloats: Where is the Infantry?

  Herschel Smith

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:06 pm

  From AP: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — Seen from a tiny village on a recent moonless night, the sprawling U.S. base three miles to the north looks more like a medium-size city than a military facility in a war zone. Bagram Air Field, as the base is formally known, is the largest U.S. military hub of the war in Afghanistan and is home to some 24,000 military personnel and civilian contractors. Yet it is continuing to grow to keep up with the requirements of an escalating war and troop increases. With tens of millions of dollars pouring into expanding and upgrading facilities, Bagram is…

• 
  Afghan&Military Blog

• Today on BBC World Have Your Say

  troy@bouhammer.com (Bouhammer)

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pm

  Here is today’s episode of BBC’s World Have your Say. I am at the 38 min mark, but I encourage you to listen from the beginning as the discussion is very interactive and it is interesting to hear opinions from all over the world about the Ft. Hood shootings. Also my good buddy David Bellavia is on the show a few minutes before I am. As soon as this interview was over I was then interviewed on SkyNews via Skype Video. I am hoping to get a clip of that soon to post on this blog also. Click on the link below to hear the radio show. World Have Your Say episode about the Ft. Hood…

• Mission Brief

  troy@bouhammer.com (Bouhammer)

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:10 am

  U.S. Army Capt. Brandon Anderson, commander of Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, conducts a mission brief at Forward Operating Base Wolverine in Zabul province, Afghanistan on Oct. 31, 2009. The soldiers are conducting counterinsurgency operations. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez, U.S. Air Force.

• The truth hurts

  troy@bouhammer.com (Bouhammer)

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:09 am

  It was just the other day when I wrote about the struggle we have in finding qualified and trustworthy Afghans to fill the jobs in both the army and police force. In fact if you go back and look at my archives, you will see where I wrote about the struggle to maintain any decent number of soldiers and police many times. I agree with Gen McChrystal that he needs to grow the Army and Police, but if they get too desperate to grow the forces to fast then it is obvious that some will make it in the system who are sub-standard. Soldiers and especially officers in the Afghan army going AWOL is a…

• Bouhammer expresses condolences for those at Ft. Hood, TX

  troy@bouhammer.com (Bouhammer)

  5 Nov 2009 | 2:10 pm

  I was just there last week and cannot believe that this terrible shooting has happened today. The reports are coming in constantly and sadly the numbers of dead and wounded keep climbing. So far it is at 12 dead and over 31 wounded. My thoughts and prayers are with all of the families and friends of the fallen and wounded down at “The Great Place”.

• ANP always considered the enemy

  troy@bouhammer.com (Bouhammer)

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:12 am

  I will never forget the meeting in my Team Chief’s room when he told me the word had come down that we must embed with and train/mentor the Afghan National Police (ANP). It was February 2007, and I sat there shocked. I could not believe what I was hearing and initially I thought he was messing with me. As far as we were concerned, the ANP were an extension of the enemy. Many of the issues we had were with ANP. The attacks that many times put us in harms way, had something to do with the ANP. They were extremely corrupt, and very unprofessional. I cannot count the number of SHURAs…

• 
  WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier

• Letter to Jack, 24th October 1919

  Pte Harry Lamin

  24 Oct 2009 | 1:08 am

  Oct 24/191940843/1st Garr BattRoyal Munster FusiliersA.P.O Box R L9 I.E.F.ItalyDear JackI have just received your letter and was very pleased with it. I am glad to hear that you and Agnes are keeping in the best of health, as I am in the pink only this last day or two I have had the tooth ache but I think it is a cold. I have had a letter from Ethel and they are all keeping well at Ilkeston. You ask me if I was cooking. No I have finished cooking and am doing guards and escorting Austrian prisoners but I can do it. I could have had a job yesterday cooking for two officers but I am not having…

• Dieter Finzen's Blog - now in English. (and French)

  Pte Harry Lamin

  19 Oct 2009 | 7:04 am

  A wonderful complement to Harry's blog is Dieter Finzen's diaries. Dieter is, as close as we are likely to get, to an equivalent of Harry on the German side.The diaries are published in real time using the same "time-shift" process as with Harry's letters only with a shift of 93 years so that in "Dieter time" we are now approaching the end of 0ctober 1916.Dieter finished his basic training and traveled to France, arriving in the combat zone, opposite the British lines on the Somme, in September 1916.The Battle of the Somme initiating the “big push”, commenced, disastrously for the allies,…

• Letter to Kate, 9th October 1919

  Pte Harry Lamin

  9 Oct 2009 | 12:13 am

  Oct 9/1940843/1st Garr BattRoyal Munster FusiliersA.P.O Box R L9I.E.F. ItalyDear KateJust a line to let you know that I am getting on alright, but have heard nothing yet about leave. There are some men with two or three months in more than I have got but I hope to be home before Christmas. I was very pleased to hear that Connie was getting on alright and to hear that she was very happy. I should like to hear of her walking. I mean paying her a visit the first chance I get. If I hear anything about coming home I will write and let you know . I have just wrote to Annie its the first time I have…

• Letters to Jack & Kate, 2nd October 1919

  Pte Harry Lamin

  1 Oct 2009 | 11:06 am

  Oct 2/10/19 40843/1st Garr BattRoyal Munster FusiliersA.P.O Box R L9I.E.F. ItalyDear JackI have received your letter alright and I am very pleased to hear that you are going on alright. I think it is a good job that you got the furniture before the railway strike came off as you might have lost it altogether. I don't think it is hardly worth while writing now, but you see it is a long while without leave thirteen months, and the war finished as they have been going at six months from Fuime out of the Y & L. I have seen some of them on the train at a place called Alexandra. I went down for…

• Big thank you to Rocco and Family

  Pte Harry Lamin

  28 Sep 2009 | 12:34 am

  I really must express a public and sincere thank you to Rocco and his family for their superb hospitality during my visit to Italy.It was wonderful to be treated as one of the family and to be made so welcome in their home. It was very brave to have invited a strange Englishman. It could have been an extremely uncomfortable few days. (I certainly hope it wasn't.)Especial thanks to Fulvia, Rocco's wife for her kindness and the wonderful evening meals that we enjoyed after each hard day's trek. It was a fantastic way to experience authentic Italian cooking.The visit was particularly good as,…

• 
  Acute Politics

• The Continuing Story

  Teflon Don

  13 Oct 2009 | 2:29 pm

  The VA jumped in to try to right the problems faced by thousands of veterans who switched over to the "Post-911 GI Bill" who then experienced delays in getting their money. This is now called the VA GI Bill Emergency Payment process, and it pays out a $3000 advance to anyone enrolled in college with post-911 active duty service. Unfortunately, it sounds like it can be hard to get banks to take the emergency checks.Rock, meet hard place.I'm so glad I didn't switch over this year.In the time I save not having to worry about my GI Bill coming through, I read. I've got Children of Dust coming in…

• Et tu, VA?

  Teflon Don

  25 Sep 2009 | 8:12 am

  The Washington Times reports that thousands of veterans have been approved for GI Bill funds but have not received their money:The Veterans Affairs Department blamed a backlog of claims filed for GI Bill education benefits that has left veterans who counted on the money for tuition and books scrambling to make ends meet. (clip)Out of more than 277,000 veterans who have filed for the college tuition benefits this semester, more than 200,000 claims have been processed and approved, but fewer than 11 percent of the veterans have received the funding, according to the Iraq and Afghanistan…

• Roundup

  Teflon Don

  24 Sep 2009 | 9:22 am

  The Department of Defense may soon be releasing a comprehensive policy for social media. This would most likely include blogging, as well as Facebook and other social networking sites. ROBERTS: And what is the current Pentagon policy on social media?Mr. FLOYD: It currently doesn't exist. Right now, there is no policy on working with or in social networking sites or media. It's currently under review. It's on course to be finished within about two weeks, or at the end of the month, it's supposed to be done, presented to the leadership and a decision made. And that decision is supposed to be…

• Badger Update

  Teflon Don

  9 Aug 2009 | 9:04 am

  Last week you read about SSG George Nickel. You know who he is and what he's been through. Many of you emailed and commented, asking what you could do to help.The people from the Idaho Veterans Network have established the George Nickel Fund. This fund will go to pay the legal fees and costs that Staff Sergeant Nickel will incur.You can make your donation at any Wells Fargo Bank or you can send it to the branch where the fund was established.George G. Nickel FundIdaho Veterans Network Corporationc/o Wells Fargo BankIdaho Center Branch5607 E. Franklin RoadNampa, Idaho 83687

• Badger's Forward is Back!

  Teflon Don

  2 Aug 2009 | 9:33 am

  Long-time readers here remember Badger 6, my Company Commander while I was in Iraq. He extended for 6 months in Iraq after I left, and quit blogging on his return. Well, he's got more to offer us, and you can visit him at the updated address:badgersix-lwh.blogspot.com

• 
  ArmyWifeToddlerMom

• And the list grows...

  Army Wife

  4 Nov 2009 | 8:29 pm

  That list in my head I have been working on. What list? Oh you know the list. That ughhhhh LIST. In good news, I am trying to combo activities. What do you mean?Well for instance Thanksgiving, we are having it on Sunday November 22. Why? Well it just makes sense at this time. We have our Church Christmas program that night, no one in the extended immediate family has ever been to a Christmas program. It thought it would be so nice for the entire family to go and enjoy. So I invited all down for Thanksgiving/Christmas program/PN's 6 birthday combo. Which leads me to this...holy cow, my BABY is…

• My son pointed out a gorgeous Harvest Moon tonight

  Army Wife

  4 Nov 2009 | 6:07 pm

  and I am glad I have a child who notice such things...

• Impersonating a tooth fairy, and dog owner...

  Army Wife

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:25 pm

  My son lost his third tooth tonight. He actually did not loose it, I helped extract it, with my fingers and a paper towel. He immediately went to the bathroom to see if he could shoot water out of the space. (Thanks Gramma)I just remembered to put four quarter under his pillow, while in there I read a note that said, tooth fairy, do not take tooth. Earlier tonight SR asked me if it was me "who impersonated the legend of the tooth fairy. I did not answer....Also note to apply WD 40 the childrens door hinges soon, they squeak when you open the door trying to be sneaky. I never noticed this with…

• This is for the dogs...

  Army Wife

  2 Nov 2009 | 4:05 am

  This is the second morning I am up before 6am.Why? Barking.I have a wide awake puppy @ my feet, that gets his rush from playing in the morning...DH woke took him out to do his business, brought him in, put him in his kennel. DH went into the bathroom and whammo bark city. I of course got up. The problem?I think the puppy wakes and wants to play. Why? Because for the last 2 mornings this has repeated. The puppy wants to run, chew and cavort. I am not happy....I just wanted my other hour of sleep. just an hour. I am starting to dig sleep since I had none for years. It is documented partially on…

• Periodic

  Army Wife

  28 Oct 2009 | 5:16 am

  SR is currently fascinated by the periodic table. He is reading whatever he can get his hands on. Memorizing the table, and learning about them. I took chemistry 2 times, and he is doing better than I ever did. The amazing thing. He understands it on a level I never did. He currently has the first 15 memorized, and he starts mixing them up. IT is strange that at 7 he would even be interested. PN, has been busy training the puppy with DH, while on break. She is doing well. The puppy makes SR nervous. The puppy does know the command whoa, and has learned to fetch. You can throw his toy, say…

• 
  Gazing at the Flag

• Tragedy At Fort Hood Leaves 12 Dead, 31 Wounded

  Terri

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:56 pm

  Right now I'm numb. Until recently, Fort Hood had been my home for the past 4 years. I have friends and former co-workers there, who are my family and it angers and saddens me that this has happened. I worked there as a Victim Advocate for 3 years and am very familiar with where this senseless tragedy took place. Right now, details are very sketchy about what took place, the motive behind shootings and even how many gunmen were involved. Instead of speculating and perhaps stating something false, I won't go into details until I am able to get better information. There has been more than…

• John McHugh, Secretary of the Army

  Flag Gazer

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am

  Army Secretary John McHugh reviews the troops during a welcoming ceremony for him hosted by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and presided over by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Fort Myer, Arlington, Va., Nov. 2, 2009. McHugh was sworn in as the 21st Army Secretary on Sept. 21, 2009.DoD photo by Cherie CullenTo see the entire ceremony in pictures:http://www.defenselink.mil/photoessays/PhotoEssaySS.aspx?ID=1472We wish you well Secretary McHugh - Lead the Army well!

• Using Art As An Esacpe From Harsh Realities Of War

  Terri

  4 Nov 2009 | 12:12 pm

  There’s no doubt about it, war is hell. Our Troops have been fighting long and hard for 8 years in two different war zones. Most of them have deployed multiple times. During those deployments, they’ve lost friends and fellow Soldiers, but they had to continue with their mission, even when they felt like they couldn’t go on any longer. They go for hours, often days in high stress situations, with little relief. They’re far away from their families, friends and loved ones for a year or longer, with only one short break of 2 weeks during that time. Many are very young, perhaps this is…

• Introducing Terri!

  Flag Gazer

  4 Nov 2009 | 11:30 am

  As my regular readers know, I don't blog as frequently as I used to. My long-time blogging friend, Terri, is temporarily 'without blog' and I have invited her to blog here until her blog (A Soldier's Mind) is up again.I think you will enjoy Terri's writing a lot - I certainly do.I expect her first post in the next few days - hope you will all welcome her here!

• 30 Years Since Iran Takeover of US Embassy

  Flag Gazer

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:07 am

  ...and, once again, it was celebrated by burning the American flag.Repeating the post I did several years ago....November 4, 1979 - The Iran Hostage Crisis"...in the aftermath of 9/11, we said, "My God, it began with us." Bruce LainganCharge d'affaires of the US Embassy and Hostage Iranian students take over the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran United States Embassy Hostages On November 4, 1979, thousands of Iranian students, overran the US Embassy and took about 90 people captive. The non-Americans were freed. Later, some were freed, including the women (except for two) and blacks…

• 
  One Marine's View

• What is the origin of the 21-gun salute?

  Maj Pain

  27 Oct 2009 | 5:57 pm

  This post is brought to you by the Great Americans out there that know & care about Marines that shop at Costco...thx for thinking about us guys! The use of gun salutes for military occasions is traced to early warriors who demonstrated their peaceful intentions by placing their weapons in a position that rendered them ineffective. Apparently this custom was universal, with the specific act varying with time and place, depending on the weapons being used. A North African tribe, for example, trailed the points of their spears on the ground to indicate that they did not mean to be hostile.

• Two weeks in forever....

  Maj Pain

  19 Oct 2009 | 5:13 pm

  CLICH HERE: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/10/14/magazine/afghan-audioss/index.html# 

• Nothing easy

  Maj Pain

  17 Oct 2009 | 10:17 pm

    Nothing easy about deploying. Nothing easy about saying good bye to your loved ones, in the rain with 49* temps. They are Marines, they will do their job as they slip out in the cover of darkness. Only the family members are left behind to say goodbye, wipe their tears and wait for the next contact from their warriors. Above pic is of some of those heading off to war this weekend. Enjoy your weekend; they are going to keep the wolf at bay! Semper Fi

• Not just support

  Maj Pain

  17 Oct 2009 | 5:06 pm

  It’s not just material items your sending to troops, no its much more. During one of my last deployments over Christmas, I had a Marine come from a family whose parents were dead and had no other family members. He had no one. Christmas came around and I had an AnySoldier supporter send us some nice things. I took one and gave it to him. He looked at it, said thank you Sir and said this is the only thing I got for Christmas.  His entire attitude changed because he said now I know someone outside the Marines actually cares about me.   Cigars. I love em. They are not only…

• What do I do with this, what do I send?....are you listening?

  Maj Pain

  17 Oct 2009 | 7:10 am

  The best advice I give to people that want to send things to servicememebers is first, stay within a budget. The last thing we want is you to be between a rock and a hard spot, especially now. Send when you can and send the items that matter the most.  That brings me to probably the ,most important meat of this, “What are really important items to send”? The below are items I have found to be most beneficial: -Wetwipes (have you ever used toilet paper that has sat on the port a john floor? OR been without TP?) Body soap (when we do get showers-for all that is holy use liquid soap)…

• 
  The Life of the Wife

• 3 Nov 2009 | 3:45 am

  3 Nov 2009 | 3:45 am

  I've been quiet lately. We did the Halloween thing. We chatted around the fire with the people in the neighborhood sipping wine for a little bit and then we skipped out on the post-high sugar crash of the 10-and-under crowd and went downtown for dinner. We were just having a peaceful meal of tortellini when we heard what sounded like 1000 garbage cans filled with 1,000,000 forks being shaken like crazy. What we then saw was:At first it was terrifying, but then we got a little more used to it. i felt sorry for the people dining outside as they were constantly harrassed by these things. And…

• Facebook etiquette violations

  29 Oct 2009 | 2:04 am

  Yeah, I'm going there.1. Updating your status more than twice a day. Really, you think we all want to know the play-by-play of your banal little life? The occasional 3 times in one day update is passable. However, if you post--every day--that you woke up, then ate lunch, then came home from work and then are getting ready for bed, you are obviously deluded to the point where you think we are all sitting on pins and needles wondering if you ever got to the break room to heat up your Lean Cuisine.2. The cryptic status update. As in "ohh--things cannot get any worse. waiting..." Uh, what? You…

• Fit for doody

  27 Oct 2009 | 8:32 am

  The Pentagon Channel puts on a fitness show called "Fit for Du*ty" in which they put on a group exercise show. Most of the time, they use a step or a Bosu ball (adding to the masses of people that do retarded crap on a Bosu ball) and they do basic step aerobics and crunches, lunges, chest fly stuff, etc.They claim it is a hard core workout guaranteed to get you in the best shape ever. Frankly, I beg to differ and I think it's a great starting point for someone who is really sedentary and inactive.There are a few instructors...one of them is a woman with one of the most annoying voices ever.

• 26 Oct 2009 | 8:15 am

  26 Oct 2009 | 8:15 am

  Well, I have obviously been feeling uninspired lately.I have been battling mentally with the horrible kids that live in our building. I just can't believe the parents aren't demanding more respect of our shared building. They treat it like it's their own giant playground--annoying.We went on our first Strong Bonds retreat this weekend. While I was glad it was free and the food was good, I was really disappointed in the subject matter. We spent the first night talking about the predictors of divorce. The second day, was kind of jumbled and told us not to yell at each other basically. The best…

• The D word

  21 Oct 2009 | 2:03 am

  No, not divorce or even deployment.Dependent.A few weeks ago, I met someone who had only interacted with my husband while on a month long training exercise away from family. When we were introduced, he said, "You're [Hubble's] dependent?" (Turning to Hubble) "Dude! I didn't know you had any dependents!"Now, I don't know why this guy didn't know my hubby was married as he wears his ring everyday. I guess he has never-married bachelor syndrome where he doesn't notice things like that.Hubble told the dude he was a dork and that I preferred the term spouse or wife. The guy didn't seem to get it…

• 
  Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

• Just One More Thing

  Boq

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:08 am

  The Dems say: We just need one more thing to pass the Health Care Bill.  More Taxes on the Pharmaceutical Industry. Boq

• Interesting question.

  John

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:06 am

  JTG asks in email (though I've seen it elsewhere, such as NRO).John, I believe you wrote that you insisted on yer men qualifying with personal hand-held weapons, Redlegs that they were. Your Dad, though a Redleg, got a PH for a bayonet wound. Now that we have an all-volunteer, "professional" armed force, can't we trust the soldiers with soldierly weapons? Well, we've never really had the habit of carrying arms in garrison unless we were going to do something with them - or it was a garrison in hostile territory, such as the frontier forts, the FOBs of their day.  Oh,…

• Timing, Not Coincidence

  Boq

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am

  In the hardball realm of International Politics, there are no coincidences; which makes me wonder... Why do the Red Chinese trot out Obama's kinfolk in such a public way at this time?

• I am sooo out of step.

  John

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:35 am

  I apparently am stepping off on my left foot, not my right.So, this video is making the rounds - And I'm not outraged by it.  Here's some of the stuff overheard in conversations about the statement: "This video makes me want to puke.""I will admit that the words, "rot in Hell you sorry excuse for a CinC" came to mind""Yeah - when he actually referred to his responsibility as CinC, I gagged.""My first thoughts were “what an entirely inappropriate comment for the President of the USA to make concerning what appears to be an act…

• Fort Hood, post the first.

  John

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:09 am

  I wasn't ignoring the story last night, our internet connection was slower than John Kerry in Cambodia, and I gave up trying to get email to open and realized that the news coverage was just ad hoc crap.It has been interesting (and instructive) to watch the story morph, and how people felt the need to jump on it with all sorts of bullshit analysis when pretty much all they were doing was... guessing. I'm talking the stuff that went out publicly, not conversations that were occurring in email, or around the water coolers and in chat rooms. That's how you figure things out,…

• 
  Neptunus Lex

• Weak Dick

  lex

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:53 pm

  It’s late, and I’m tired and enduringly appalled – not to mention outraged – by the vicious murders committed upon US soldiers by a man whose paid work it was to care for them. It may not help that I’m fortified by an evening’s dose of Hendricks and tonic, with just a slice of cucumber in it, as is the custom. Color it truth serum. But it’s this profile in Bloomberg that set me off: Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people and wounding 30 others at the Fort Hood Army Base in Texas, regularly described the war on…

• Who Are You Calling Geek, Journo-boy?

  lex

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:53 am

  Strategy page rubs salt in it: The U.S. Air Force has a morale problem with its combat pilots. The issue is lack of action for the pilots. That, plus the increased use of unmanned aircraft, and the very real prospect that the age of the manned combat aircraft may be coming to an end. This is made worse with hundreds of  fighter pilots being assigned to operating Predator and Reaper UAVs. This was not popular duty, even though the pilots still draw flight pay. It is tedious work, although the UAV operators often saw more combat action than they did when piloting F-16s or F-15s.. It’s…

• Tough Cookie

  lex

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:48 am

  Max props and best wishes for a speedy recovery to police Sergeant Kimberly Munley, who ended the shooting spree in Fort Hood with four well-placed rounds even after having herself been wounded: “She was born and bread to be a police officer. If you were ever to be in a fight, she’d be the first person to stand up next to you and back you up. She’s a tough cookie.” Munley’s toughness and grace under pressure were on display Thursday when she and her partner responded within three minutes of reported gunfire, said Army Lt. Gen. Bob Cone. Munley, who had been…

• Shallow

  lex

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:43 am

  In the aftermath of the massacre at Fort Hood, it is perhaps unsurprising that there are those eager to point out that Nidal Malik Hasan’s faith had nothing whatsoever to do with his murderous rampage, immediately prior to which, witnesses now say, he was heard to shout “Allahu akbar.” Knee-jerk, unreflective, politically correct reflexes are hard to subdue. Nor is it entirely surprising that some would choose to make hay over the president for his admittedly clumsy “shout out” to a group of government bureaucrats before turning to weightier matters. Partisan…

• Fort Hood

  lex

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:41 pm

  It’s impossible to know at this early juncture what snakes were writhing in the skull of Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychologist so clearly unhinged that he took the life of 12 of his fellow soldiers, while wounding 31 others. It’s tempting to believe that this has something to do with a  faith that led him to believe that his own people were not those in digital cammies heading out in the name of liberty and freedom, but those who hew to a violent and suffocating version of received knowledge that is 1400 years old, unadaptive, unswerving. It’s easy to wonder whether…

• 
  Murdoc Online

• Friday Linkzookery – 06 Nov 2009

  Murdoc

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:59 am

  Why you can’t get swine-flu vaccine Government requirement for single-dose syringes instead of multidose vials slowed things considerably. Major Shipment of Iranian Arms Seized Israeli naval commandos intercepted a ship carrying “hundreds of tons” of arms from Iran to the Lebanese Hezbollah militia Selecting and Ordering a Custom Hunting Rifle Chapters include Custom Varmint Rifles, Rifles for Alaska, Custom Rifles and Kids, and What About a Wildcat? Pete Hoekstra cites his opposition to bringing Gitmo detainees to Michigan In letter soliciting funds for his campaign for…

• Contest over at GunPundit

  Murdoc

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:45 am

  Forgot to mention that I’m running a little contest over at GunPundit.com. The winner receives a one-year subscription to Outdoor Life magazine. Head over and leave a comment on the post to register.

• Giving a Shout-Out

  Murdoc

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:34 am

  Witnesses say that Nidal Malik Hasan, apparently a lifelong Muslim and not a recent convert as initially reported, shouted “Allahu Akbar!” before opening fire yesterday. Although reportedly killed, he survived and is in custody. Guess he was just giving a “shout-out” before getting things going. Fort Hood commander Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said that they have not officially confirmed that Hasan made the opening remarks. Cone said Hasan was hospitalized in stable condition and that investigators hope to interrogate him as soon as possible. I’ll bet they do.

• Two-Fisted Fighting for AC-130s

  Murdoc

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:59 am

  The C-130 gunship lab at Robins AFB is updating fire control systems to allow targeting two weapons simultaneously: “The way they described it is ‘We want to be able to shoot the ant hill, and then kill all the ants as they leave the ant hill,’” said Steve Pollard, the lead C-130 gunship test engineer. After months of work and close contact with combat flight crews about how they wanted it to work, software engineers in the 402nd Software Maintenance Group did just that. After testing it successfully in the lab, the new capability was put to use. I didn’t realize…

• Defense Tech Makeover

  Murdoc

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:59 pm

  Looks good.

• 
  instapinch.com

• MY Kinda Beauty Queen!!

  Pinch

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:47 pm

  Gotta stand up for what you believe in, Rachel! Doesn’t matter if it is in a bar or wherever. Of course gettin’ it on with another beauty queen isn’t exactly the kind of opponent *I* personally would lock horns with, but whatever! Miss England Relinquishes Crown After Bar Fight Friday November 06, 2009 AP  LONDON — The reigning Miss England has relinquished her crown after being accused of a fight in a bar. Pageant organizers say Rachel Christie has also withdrawn from next month’s Miss World competition in South Africa. They said in a statement that the 21-year-old…

• Back To Norfolk

  Pinch

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:06 pm

  Hidy Ho peoples!  I know you are getting sick of my collateral duties that are keeping you from my rapier wit and cogent analysis of all things important (burp). Back to Norfolk tonight for the weekend.  This is my second to last drill since the “official” reserve retirement date is set for 1 Jan, 2010. In the meantime, heartfelt prayers and thoughts go out to the Army folks in Fort Hood.  Kath, who posts over at Parrothead Jeff’s blog, posted this picture which reflects many of our thoughts in a rainbow sort of way. I’d say I’m off into the sunset, but I head…

• Can This White House Do Anything Right?

  Pinch

  3 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pm

  Will the terrorism detainees at GITMO get the H1N1 vaccination or not? White House spokesman Robert “I Have To Defend This Crap” Gibbs says no: “There is no vaccine in Guantanamo. There is no vaccine on the way to Guantanamo,” Gibbs said. “I don’t know what the Pentagon said. … There wasn’t any there and there wasn’t any on the way.” Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the vaccine should be at the naval base on Cuba by the end of November. “The department has an obligation to care for persons in its custody and we take that…

• Daily Pic – Day 304, Sarah Senior Pic

  Pinch

  31 Oct 2009 | 7:54 pm

  Took Pinchette #2, Sarah, up to get her senior pics today.  We’ll post what comes out of it next week, but here is an “in process” pic. 31 oct, 2009, Woodbridge, VA

• HST At The Pier

  Pinch

  30 Oct 2009 | 5:42 am

  USS Harry S Truman, pierside, before the COMPTUEX in June.  Its a big’un – the pic, not just the ship – so click for the full effect.  Teddy Roosevelt is to the right. This is an Autopan pic – 3 pics stitched together.

• 
  SpouseBUZZ

• We Are Family

  Andi

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:24 am

  Yesterday I was reminded of something a friend of mine emailed this morning, "Our military family is often closer than our blood family." I was asked if I would be willing to comment on what military spouses were thinking and feeling while this was unfolding. I wouldn't have had to guess, because I knew exactly what they were thinking and feeling. And doing.I heard the breaking news yesterday while in my car running errands. We have a SpouseBUZZ author whose family is attached to Ft. Hood. I pulled over and texted airforcewife to please try to make contact with her. She texted…

• Ft. Hood Shooting

  Andi

  5 Nov 2009 | 1:47 pm

  Horrible, horrible news.We held our first SpouseBUZZ LIVE at Ft. Hood, and we have lots of friends stationed there. Way too early to know for sure what has happened and what is going on right now, but one thing we do know -  this is a tragic day for all military families.Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters at Ft. Hood. Update: The Killeen Daily Herald's Twitter feed is here. They have reporters on post.

• Fit Club - Where airforcewife Wonders What on Earth She's Done

  airforcewife

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:42 am

  Last week I made a big decision in my fitness journey - I changed my fit-focus.  I'd always like active things - Nikki Fitness was perfect for me.  I didn't have a lot of time, and I seem to have workout ADD - things have to change quickly for me to keep focused. But lately I've hit a plateau and I've found that I truly dread working out.  I make every excuse in the book not to have to work out.  Obviously something needed to change.Last week I started something new:  boxing.  It seems to make sense - with Air Force Guy gone I've got a…

• And the guilt is lifting

  AWTM

  3 Nov 2009 | 8:47 pm

  It has been a while since I have had anything to add to the conversation here at SpouseBuzz.  I think the last you heard from me, I was living in a state of perpetually broken down appliances.  That pressure has seemed to let up a little for now. (knocking on wood)I also am working again, which was HUGE.  Finding an employer, that will work with a military family schedule is HUGE.  It seems to help that the gentleman I am working for was former military.  Both of my children are also attending school now.  It is a complete new life for our entire…

• Year of the Air Force Family

  airforcewife

  3 Nov 2009 | 8:13 am

  It's the Year of the Air Force Family!    I thought that was pretty cool to see - new initiatives, new light being shone on the things families need to stay healthy and strong (maybe not Army Strong, but we have our own version.  It involves hair spray).  I can't tell you how absolutely wonderful I think it is when the command of any branch of the service takes a good look at the needs of those supporting the service and decides that extra attention needs to be focused in that area - and then decides to dedicate an entire year to doing so!  It is…

• 
  ArmsControlWonk

• ISODARCO XXIII [5]

  james_acton

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:46 am

  Andalo. Not only a beautiful ski resort in the Italian Alps but home to the ISODARCO Winter School. This year’s school is on ‘The Road to Nuclear Zero and Arms Control’. It’ll be an opportunity for an informal but in-depth examination of the practical path towards a world free of nuclear weapons. Part of what makes Andalo different is that unlike other ‘schools’, faculty and participants mix freely. It’s a great opportunity to meet some of the big names in the field and, if we’re honest about it, that’s no bad thing from a career point of view. This year’s faculty is a…

• Lugar on START Verification [1]

  jeffrey

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm

  Now, that was what I was talking about. Dick Lugar, one of the old bulls of the Senate, has introduced a bill, S.2727, to extend, on a reciprocal basis, the inspections under START for another six months. (More precisely, it extends the necessary privileges and immunities to Russian arms inspection teams.) The bill itself is good idea because the New START treaty isn’t going to be ratified by December 5, 2009. (The Senate took more than nine months to ratify SORT, and that might as well have been a blank piece of paper.) The bill puts the President in a position to cover the gap between…

• Vacuum Tubes for Chu [5]

  jeffrey

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am

  As Kingston over at Nukes of Hazard notes, the folks at the Kansas City Plant presented Secretary of Energy Steven Chu with a little plaque showing “1960s-era vacuum tubes from the B61 radars” and “RF-IC based multi-chip module for the next generation radar applications.” Vacuum tubes, and their misuse as an RRW talking point, have been recurring subjects here at Arms Control Wonk.com. I know what you’re thinking: Forget the nerd, I want a close up of that plaque with the tubes and chips. Here you go, from the NNSA Flickr set:

• Predicting Proliferation [4]

  michael_krepon

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:10 am

  Over the years, many experts have predicted proliferation cascades, but worst cases have yet to unfold. The current variation on this theme – reinforced by arms controllers as well as hard liners — is that, once Iran gets the Bomb and North Korea cannot be dissuaded from giving up its nuclear weapon capabilities, other countries in both regions will surely follow suit. I have been known to lend my voice to this chorus from time to time. The track record of proliferation to date, however, has been both limited and slow. This historical record does not support dire predictions,…

• Iran Expands Gchine U Mine [24]

  jeffrey

  4 Nov 2009 | 6:23 am

  This is a joint post by Jeffrey Lewis, Flynt Leverett, and Hillary Mann Leverett. This post is cross-posted at Flynt and Hillary’s blog, Race for Iran Bloomberg’s Jonathan Tirone has a story today revealing that Iran has dramatically expanded operations at its Gchine uranium mine. Tirone worked closely with Jeffrey Lewis at the New America Foundation, as well as other nuclear experts, to analyze satellite photographs of the Gchine mine. We believe that it is important to place this development in a larger context: what does Tirone’s story say about Iran’s nuclear…

• 
  Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

• What's it take to get some regionalization?

  Thomas P.M. Barnett

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:33 am

  ARTICLE: Clinton Arrival in Pakistan Met by Fatal Attacks, By MARK LANDLER and ISMAIL KHAN, New York Times, October 28, 2009 With the Obama team continuing Bush-Cheney's lack of strategic imagination in regionalizing the solution set on Afghanistan (no worries, as the Chinese solution plugs along--investment by investment--in both sides of the Af-Pak divide), there is plenty of logic behind backing the horse most willing right now to take the fight directly to the enemy. The Biden redirect in action, with the Pakistani desire for no American "face" being most welcome--casualty wise.

• The best route forward on Iran (and nukes)

  Thomas P.M. Barnett

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:25 am

  OP-ED: Bunkers or Breakthrough?, By ROGER COHEN, New York Times, November 5, 2009 Honestly, I see Cohen's angst here as completely misplaced. Normalization with Iran is not contingent on precluding Iran's nuclear achievement. Hell, NorKo made it happen and THEN we offered them a peace treaty! The best route forward, as I have long argued, is simply to de-prioritize the nuke question. If the Iranian protesters want Obama's embrace, then I say, give it to them. If it pisses off Tehran WRT to the nuclear talks, then--quite frankly--nothing is lost. As for getting jacked about ElBaradei leaving…

• China's using North Korea

  Thomas P.M. Barnett

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:19 am

  ARTICLE: In North Korea, the military now issues economic orders, By Blaine Harden, Washington Post, November 3, 2009 Important story on NorKo: if it does indeed contain almost $6T in mineral wealth, then I guess I would expect China to allow Kim's kleptocracy to continue concentrating itself on that flow, meaning no hope that China will do much about the regime until the place is bled dry of resources. The only good news here is the death of party identification, the exact opposite of press reports on Wen's recent visit there, when party symbols were everywhere. "The army is the people, the…

• Worthwhile delay

  Thomas P.M. Barnett

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:11 am

  ARTICLE: Obama seeks study on local leaders for troop decision, By Scott Wilson and Greg Jaffe, Washington Post, October 29, 2009 Would have thought McChrystal's review would have included such an a province-by-province analysis, but since it didn't, this call makes sense to me--as in, worth the "dithering" time.

• Hello, John

  Thomas P.M. Barnett

  7 Nov 2009 | 1:58 am

  ARTICLE: Adios, Juan and Juanita: Latin Names Trend Down, By Jeffrey Kluger, Time, Oct. 06, 2009 Bunch of stats that drive home an old observation of mine: Latinos are no slouches when it comes to assimilation. (Thanks: JRiley))

• 
  Ask June!

• Retiree spousal benefits

  June Walbert

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:47 pm

  Q: As an Air Force retiree and divorced, will my new spouse be eligible for retired benefits, such as an ID card and medical care? -Joe, Europe A:  Joe, sign her up!  Your new spouse will be eligible for medical benefits after you register her in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).  This registration will also allow her to get an ID card.  Don’t forget to check out your options when it comes to the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP).  Remember, I'm a big fan of that program!  On the SBP front, your options will depend on what…

• Splitting military retirement can be complicated

  June Walbert

  29 Oct 2009 | 3:35 pm

  Q: My ex-husband entered the active army in 1973. We were married in 1974. He was active duty for 3 years; from 1976 to 1995 he was in the reserves. In 1995 he went into the AGR and is planning to retire in 2013 as an O6 with an active federal retirement. We were divorced in 2007 after 34 years of marriage. Our divorce decree states that I am to get 50% of the retirement he earned while married plus SBP. I am on track with all the paperwork according to the Former Spouse Division in Cleveland DFAS. My question is, how can I calculate what my monthly check will be in 2013 so I can work with my…

• Which is best: renting or owning?

  June Walbert

  22 Oct 2009 | 9:24 am

  Q:  June, do you think it is better to rent or own?  I have read several articles on-line stating your money is better off in a 401k or some other portfolio than in real estate/owning a home. -Don, Md. A: The old saying “timing is everything” is especially relevant to your question of renting or owning.  There are definitely points in all of our lives where renting makes all the sense in the world.  To name a few, these include times when: employment is uncertain or job security is lacking you will be in a particular location only for a few years your proverbial…

• To be or not to be...a veteran?

  June Walbert

  14 Oct 2009 | 8:16 am

  Q: As a former member of the Army National Guard, I served 5 years and received a General Discharge under Honorable Conditions. I competed all over the country on our unit's rifle team winning many awards, and I enrolled in college for two years and received the G.I. Bill. I never was called up to active duty or war, but I completed Basic Training and A.I.T as well as monthly drills plus each summer I was not at basic or A.I.T. we drilled for a two week summer camp. My question is what requirements have to be met to be called a Veteran. Am I a Veteran or not? Or could you tell me how I…

• Debt settlement: not a good idea

  June Walbert

  6 Oct 2009 | 1:55 pm

  Q:  How would my credit be affected if I do a debt settlement? -Elijah, Hattiesburg, Miss. A: Let’s start with the basics.  When you attempt to arrange a debt settlement you are asking your creditors to take less than you owe them.  Typically, they will only do this if they are uncertain about your ability to pay what you actually owe.  Getting something is better than nothing, in their view.  Companies that charge big bucks to settle your debts can further this uncertainty by collecting money from you and paying NOTHING to your creditors for several…

• 
  The IAVA Blog: All

• Tragic Shootings at Fort Hood: IAVA Extends Thoughts and Prayers to Families and Friends of the Victims

  Terrell Frazier

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:11 pm

  <!--break--> Tragic Shootings at Fort Hood: IAVA Extends Thoughts and Prayers to Families and Friends of the Victims Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation’s first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, issued the following statement in response to the tragic shootings at Fort Hood Army base located in Killeen, Texas: “Today is a day of mourning for all Americans. We extend our thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of those affected and offer our support in this difficult…

• IAVA Daily Brief 11.06.09

  Terrell Frazier

  5 Nov 2009 | 2:11 pm

  Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.  Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking?  Follow us on Twitter @IAVAPressRoom. <!--break--> MUST READS 1) Tragedy Unfolds at Fort Hood in Texas The death toll left by an army psychiatrist who went on a shooting rampage at a U.S. military base in Texas rose to 13 on Friday, U.S. media reported, 12 of which were soldiers. Suspected gunman Major Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire with two handguns at the Fort Hood Army post on Thursday, in one of the worst killing…

• Veterans Week 2009: Our Biggest Week Yet

  Michelle McCarthy

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:10 pm

  <!--break--> This is going to be huge. Veterans Day is less than a week away and this year, there are more ways than ever for you to get involved with IAVA. Whether it's online at Hulu or Facebook, or on the ground at a local event in your neighborhood, it has never been easier to show support for our newest generation of heroes. Even if you have to work on Wednesday and can't make it out to the parade in your town, you can still be a part of our celebration. Click here to find out how. Find an IAVA event near you Become a Facebook Fan to get a sneak peek of IAVA's new PSA on Wednesday…

• 
  American Forces Press Service News Feed

• In the Line of Fire: Fort Hood First Responders Heroically Save Lives

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  While news reports continue running updates on the shooting spree on Fort Hood, Texas, Nov. 5, 2009, soldiers, first responders and civilians there who 'lived the live feed' recalled what happened.

• Army Sends Support Teams to Aid Hood Soldiers, Families

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Ministry teams, family life consultants, behavioral health specialists and other resources are flowing to Fort Hood, Texas, to help the military community cope with the tragedy that occurred on base.

• Mullen Cancels Trip to Focus on Fort Hood Response

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff cancelled a trip to the University of Notre Dame to aid the soldiers and families affected by the tragic shootings at Fort Hood, Texas.

• Face of Defense: Officer Reflects on Deployment

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  When Cmdr. Trent Kalp joined the Navy, he expected to serve deployments in the middle of the ocean. Where he ended up was landlocked in Afghanistan.

• Army Leaders Promise Fort Hood All Resources Necessary

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  The attack that killed 13 people and wounded 30 more at Fort Hood, Texas, yesterday "was a kick in the gut," not only for Fort Hood, but also for the entire Army, the Army chief of staff said today.

• 
  AFCEA SIGNAL Scape

• SIGNAL Says

  Katie Packard

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:04 am

  “People must accept that the Internet infrastructure is faulty and will remain so for the foreseeable future.” — Paul A. Strassman, distinguished professor of information science, George Mason University, and former director of defense information for the Office of the Secretary of Defense Find out what he’s talking about here in the current issue of SIGNAL Magazine, available online.

• Fiscal Reality May Force Long-Needed IT Acquisition Changes

  Robert K. Ackerman

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:03 pm

  Budgetary pressure may force the military to change the way it procures communications and information systems. The result may be the elimination of duplicative systems and interoperability problems. Lt. Gen. Robert Shea, USMC (Ret.), executive vice president, Smartronix, former J-6, the Joint Staff, pointed out that, too often, respective services build different systems for similar capabilities at the operations level. Budgetary pressures may render that approach a luxury, and thereby force military planners to do some of the things that the services and agencies haven’t been doing…

• Train the Way You Communicate, Marine

  Robert K. Ackerman

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:27 pm

  The adage of “train the way you fight” isn’t working for Marines using communications and networking systems. The result is that personnel have to learn how to use vital command, control and communications (C3) gear in the field, which hinders their effectiveness in a combat zone. Master Sgt. Glenn A. Brown, USMC, operations chief, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF)–Afghanistan, called for pre-deployment training on the same hardware and software that will be used in the field. Speaking at a TechNet Asia-Pacific 2009 panel on defining requirements for equipping…

• C2 of C2 Heads Pacific Fleet Information Priorities

  Robert K. Ackerman

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:24 pm

  The top priority for the U.S. Pacific Fleet is not merely command and control, it is command and control of command and control (C2C2). That is the assessment delivered by Rear Adm. Scott Van Buskirk, USN, deputy commander and chief of staff, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Speaking to the Thursday luncheon audience at TechNet Asia Pacific 2009, being held in Honolulu, Hawaii, November 2-5, Adm. Buskirk said that the operationalization of C2C2 is a major element of work underway in his command. He described four elements: theater sensing/intelligence; network architecture, including cyber; commander’s…

• Cyberspace Joins Land, Sea and Air as Marine Corps Realms

  Robert K. Ackerman

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:02 pm

  The U.S. Marine Corps is ramping up to conduct operations in cyberspace as part of its everyday capabilities. Marine Air Ground Task Forces (MAGTFs) will operate in cyberspace as they do on land, sea and air, according to the head of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific. Lt. Gen. Keith J. Stalder, USMC, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, allowed that cyberwarfare normally is not associated with the Marines. Nonetheless, the Corps is moving into training and making investments in cyberwarfare capabilities and facilities, he told the Thursday breakfast audience at TechNet…

• 
  Air Force Blues - Updated weekdays

• Happy Birthday Ma!

  Farva

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:07 pm

  I often get emails from folks who say they’ve been following my work since the days when I was drawing AWACker.  It never fails to amaze me how many of you have known my work for that long, but there remains a handful of people who have been following my cartoons much, much longer. A few have been following me for more than 27 years. One of those people is my grandmother on my mom’s side, who turns 71 today.  She owns some of the oldest pieces of my art, and while those examples may not be worth any real money, she keeps them as if they were worth a literal fortune.  It’s…

• Darkness

  Farva

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm

  I really have nothing else to say today. -Farva

• The right questions

  Farva

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm

  OK all you civilian (or other branch) AFBlues readers, I know today’s strip has a lot of Air Force terms that may make this comic confusing.  So, to help you better understand, here’s what they mean: AFPC: Air Force Personnel Center (edited from Command.)  I believe they’re at Randolph AFB in San Antonio, Texas, and they control almost every aspect of your Air Force career.  I said almost, nitpickers. AFSC: Air Force Specialty Code.  This is called an MOS in the Army.  It’s a code that, from very broad to very specific, defines your job.  In many cases, this code…

• Know your patients

  Farva

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm

  I watched the GI Joe movie again last night.  Admittedly, it’s on the cheesy side, but still fun.  And it got me thinking about other toy lines from my childhood I think would make decent movies.  At the top of the list is Dino Riders.  Think Jurassic Park meets Star Wars.  Oh, the possibilities… Of course, Scarlett makes a laser crossbow look good in ways Chewbacca never could. If you haven’t already, y’all should check out this month’s eDodo, the USAF Academy’s online comic site.  It’s almost all UAV strips.  Funny stuff. -Farva

• Protection you can see

  Farva

  2 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm

  And this doesn’t excuse him from having to wear the regular reflective belt, either.  Especially in PT gear. I honestly don’t remember Maryland being this humid.  I mean, it makes sense, but geez…  In my building (Army Lodging) they’ve made the switch from air to heat, which wouldn’t be so bad if I could shut the unit off.  It’s constantly belching out hot air, and the only way to combat that is leave my windows open.  Of course, when you consider I’m on the first floor and have some valuable stuff with me, suffice to say that’s not…

• 
  Broadside Blog

• Project Valour-IT video

  Bacon

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:02 am

  Military bloggers are in the midst of a friendly competition to help raise funds for Project Valour-IT, sponsored by the Soldiers’ Angels. They have been invited to create videos to help the cause. This one is from Steeljaw Scribe, a retired Navy Captain (a Hawkeye man). Click on the image.

• Veterans Day Prelude

  Bacon

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:01 am

  The following story was pulled from the YouTube information panel about this video. But the message resonates, no matter what country you live in. Honor our veterans on November 11th. On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a Shoppers Drug Mart store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store’s PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us. Terry was impressed with the store’s leadership role in adopting the Legion’s “two…

• 17th Annual Service Salute

  Bacon

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  If there is a better run, more effective service organization anywhere in the world than the USO, I would like to hear about it. This is a video of a service salute hosted by USO Europe recently. It coincided with the first anniversary of the new Warrior Center at Landstuhl. If you’re looking for a place where you can send a donation, the USO is a worthy candidate. You can make a donation right here. Click here to view the embedded video.

• Soldiers’ Angels

  Bacon

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  Bad news is all around us. Just open a newspaper or watch the news on TV. If it bleeds it leads, like they say. But scratch the surface and underneath the veneer of sensationalism is a whole world of good – organizations who work behind the scene, with little fanfare, to spread their own special benevolence to those who need them. One such organization is Soldiers’ Angels. Begun in 2003 by the mother of a deployed Soldier, the Angels exist for one reason – “to demonstrate active care and concern for veterans, the wounded, deployed service members and their…

• Greenside of the Week – Nov 4, 2009

  Bacon

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  (The Marine Corps birthday is November 10th) Visit the Greenside Archives! (click here)

• 
  The Long War Journal

• Iraqi forces search for Qods Force agents

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:28 pm

  A US military map of Iran's operations inside southern Iraq. This 2007 map formed the basis of The Ramazan Corps and the ratlines into Iraq. Click to view full size. Iraqi officials in Al Kut are seeking four suspected Iranian Qods Force operatives behind attacks on security forces. Members of the Iraqi security forces put up wanted posters with photos of the Iranian operates on the streets in an effort to detain the men. The Qods Force agents are wanted for "armed operations against Iraqi security personnel and civilians," an Iraqi security official told Voices of Iraq. "The security…

• Pakistani Army enters key Taliban town

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:11 am

  Pakistani troops have entered the last major Taliban stronghold in South Waziristan. Twenty-four Taliban fighters have been reported killed during fighting over the past 24 hours, according to the Pakistani military. The soldiers are storming the town of Makeen, where former Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud lived. "The house of Baitullah Mehsud has been raised to ground," according to a press release published by the Inter Service Public Relations, the Army's public affairs office. Twenty-one Taliban fighters are reported to have been killed during the first day of fighting in Makeen.

• Two US paratroopers missing in western Afghanistan

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:45 am

  Two soldiers serving with the International Security Assistance Force and operating in western Afghanistan have been reported missing. The two soldiers, whose names and home countries initially were not announced, have been missing for two days, ISAF, the umbrella command for NATO and allied forces operating in Afghanistan, reported today. The two soldiers were later identified as US paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division. The Taliban claimed they have found the bodies of two paratroopers. The soldiers went missing during "a routine resupply mission in western Afghanistan," ISAF said in…

• US Army major behind Fort Hood murders expressed sympathy for Islamic terrorists

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:50 pm

  Major Nidal Malik Hasan. An Army major behind the murders of 13 US soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, expressed sympathy for suicide bombers and support for terrorists waging war against US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Police shot and wounded Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist, after he went on a killing spree outside a readiness center for troops preparing to deploy to Iraq. Hasan, a Muslim American, opened fire with handguns on soldiers at the center. Eleven US soldiers were killed and 31 more were wounded before Hasan was shot by members of a SWAT team and detained by police. Initial…

• Army retakes fort in South Waziristan

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:22 am

  The Pakistani military said it has retaken control of the Ladha Fort in South Waziristan after heavy fighting in the region. The Ladha Fort, which has been under Taliban control since August 2008, was retaken today, the military said. Back in July 2008, the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force responsible for security in Pakistan's tribal areas, abandoned the Ladha Fort and all of the outposts in the Saam region in South Waziristan. The Frontier Corps claimed the Ladha Fort was vacated at the wishes of local tribal leaders and would be converted into a hospital, but local reports indicated…

• 
  TacOps Security

• Military Flight Training Exercises

  admin

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:24 pm

  Los Angeles:  On November 8 and 9, 2009, military flight training exercises will occur in and around the greater Los Angeles area.The military operation will be routine proficiency flight training exercises.  Training sites have been carefully selected so that activities will not interfere with the daily routines of the community.  Training will occur after 5 p.m. each day and will be generally in Central and West Valley Areas.The training is not open to the public.Questions or concerns may be directed to Officer Steve Scallon at (213) 305-4685 or LAPD Media Relations at…

• Class 5-09 Recruit Graduation

  admin

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:59 pm

  Temp Chief Downing at the Graduating Class 5-09November 6, 2009 – On the athletic field at the Los Angeles Police Academy in Elysian Park, the newest members of the Department proudly stood at attention as they were presented with their diploma of graduation.  Forty-two individuals underwent six months of intense training which culminated with today’s ceremony in front of Department brass, dignitaries and their family and friends. Temporary Chief of Police Michael Downing, who was participating in his first graduation as Chief, offered words of encouragement to the young…

• Sexual Assault Suspect Lures Young Girls to Apartment Buildings

  admin

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:51 am

  Los Angeles:  For over one year, a suspect operating in the mid-city area of Los Angeles has been periodically approaching young girls, enticing them into apartment buildings, and sexually assaulting them. On November 4, 2009, at about 7:20 a.m. A 10-year old girl was walking to school near Beverly Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue when she was approached by a man who engaged her in friendly conversation.  The man lured her into an apartment complex in the 100 block of South Commonwealth Avenue.  He gained access to the building by waiting for someone to exit the rear…

• Suspect Identified in 1997 Double Murder Case DNA Evidence Provides the Investigative Link

  admin

  5 Nov 2009 | 2:12 pm

  Los Angeles:  Today, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) North Hollywood Division detectives announced that a suspect has been identified through DNA evidence whom they believe is responsible for the brutal 1997 double murders of 57-year-old Nancy Boehm and her mentally impaired 23-year-old son, Shawn.On Sept. 21, 1997, the bodies of mother and son were discovered inside their North Hollywood home in the 5700 block of Riverton Avenue.  They had been stabbed multiple times,and efforts to identify a suspect were  unsuccessful until now.In 2005, the case was reexamined when…

• Suspect Arrested for Posing as Coca-Cola Employee to Steal Money from Vending Machines

  admin

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:47 am

  Los Angeles:  A burglary suspect, Van Nuys locksmith Jay Ybarra, who has been posing as a company representative for Coca-Cola has been arrested for stealing money from local vending machines. Following is a typical example of how the suspect has been operating since the last week of August 2009.  On Oct. 13, 2009, at around 12:30 p.m., a suspect wearing a "Coke" baseball cap and a gray jacket with a "Coke" logo drove his white van to the rear of a business in the 6500 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard.  After entering through a door in the garage at the…

• 
  DoD Buzz

• Defense Reforms Cost $90M A Pop

  Colin Clark

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:41 pm

  The Pentagon performed a study or two that found each of its acquisition programs will have to spend about $90 million to comply with the recently passed defense acquisition reform bill, sponsored by Senators Carl Levin and John McCain. I understand several people at the meeting laughed when told this figure, guessing that if this is the official estimate at this early stage then the actual costs will be a heck of lot higher.

• Afghan Push May Threaten Pakistan

  Greg Grant

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:37 am

  Supporters of an escalation in Afghanistan argue that only a troop intensive counterinsurgency there can prevent a spillover of the fighting into neighboring Pakistan, a much more strategically vital country. CSIS's Rick Nelson warns that an expanded offensive in Afghanistan risks pushing more militants into Pakistan, worsening stability there and ultimately hindering efforts to eliminate Al Qaeda.

• Tragedy Stalks Fort Hood

  Colin Clark

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:25 pm

  UPDATED: Shooter Cried "Allahu Akbar -- God Is great -- Before Firing. Questions Arising About Possible Militant Views. Tragedy has struck Fort Hood, the kind that will weigh on the minds of Americans for months, and be remembered for years. At least 12 people were killed and 31 wounded in a pair of shootings Thursday at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas, the Army says. Some late reports indicate the shooter was an Army psychiatrist who was about to be deployed.

• Surge Hawks’ Frustration Mounts

  Greg Grant

  5 Nov 2009 | 1:39 pm

  Frustration over the Obama administration's delay in sending more troops to Afghanistan is mounting among the hawkish set inside Washington. At an AEI conference yesterday, some of the same folks who had a hand in promoting the Iraq surge back in 2006 called for an even bigger troop surge in Afghanistan, warning that any delays risks certain defeat.

• US Lacks Political Will For Af-Pak

  Colin Clark

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:09 am

  "I believe that the US at the moment does not have the political will, nor the public understanding and commitment to do what is necessary in Afghanistan." Those are the words of Muqtedar Khan, director of the University of Delaware's Islamic studies program, testifying Monday morning before the House Armed Services subcommittee on oversight and investigations.

• 
  Popular Science - Technology

• Resilient Space Internet Comes Down to Earth Gadgets with Android

  Jeremy Hsu

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pm

  A new Internet protocol designed for interplanetary transmissions is bringing its delay-tolerant magic to Earth Google's Android does a lot more these days than just smart phones and nifty mobile gadgets. An Internet pioneer is using the platform to launch a interplanetary Internet protocol on Earth that could harden wireless networks against delays in data transmission. Vint Cerf worked with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the TCP/IP protocol that all netizens rely upon today, and tried adapting the old reliable for NASA's interplanetary communications with distant spacecraft. But…

• How Much Power Does The Human Brain Require To Operate?

  Jeremy Hsu

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm

  Simulating the brain with traditional chips would require impractical megawatts of power. One scientist has an alternative According to Kwabena Boahen, a computer scientist at Stanford University, a robot with a processor as smart as the human brain would require at least 10 megawatts to operate. That's the amount of energy produced by a small hydroelectric plant. But a small group of computer scientists may have hit on a new neural supercomputer that could someday emulate the human brain's low energy requirements of just 20 watts--barely enough to run a dim light bulb. Discover Magazine has…

• Armored Airbags to Protect Vehicles from RPGs and Roadside Bombs

  Jeremy Hsu

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:59 am

  Airbags could prevent RPGs from exploding and neutralize the blast of improvised explosives Despite the vehicles' armor, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) can still take out Humvees and MRAP vehicles with ease. But a company wants to change that equation with airbags that neutralize incoming RPGs and prevent them from exploding. Textron's Tactical RPG Airbag Protection (TRAP) system uses radar to detect incoming warheads and deploy airbags on the threatened side of a vehicle. The airbags prevent the RPGs from exploding at all, and thereby avoids any cloud of shrapnel that could harm nearby…

• Video: Microsoft Demonstrates Next-Gen Interface, with Motion Sensing and Eye Tracking

  Jeremy Hsu

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:29 am

  A transparent glass display adds touchless gestures and eye-tracking to human-computer interaction Pen and voice input for computers is so early-millennium. Now Microsoft has created a next-gen computer concept that includes touchless gestures and eye-tracking, and has taken the device on a college tour with chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie. The computer comes complete with a transparent glass display that evokes either Minority Report or Iron Man, depending on your movie preference. Mundie circles objects without touching the screen and vocally orders the computer to organize…

• Study Proves That Specialized Prosthetic Legs Grant No Advantage In Sprinting

  Stuart Fox

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:32 am

  In 2008, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) banned double amputee Oscar Pistorius from racing in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Later that same year, the ban was reversed. The back and forth centered on Pistorius' specially designed, spring-loaded, prosthetic legs. The IAAF argued that artificial legs designed especially for running gave Pistorius an unfair advantage against runners whose flesh-and-blood limbs didn't benefit from advanced engineering and space-age materials. While an MIT study last year eventually led to the overturn of the original IAAF decision, no one…

• 
  News Releases RSS Feed

• DOD ANNOUNCES UNITS FOR AFGHANISTAN ROTATIONS AND DEPLOYMENT

  19 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

  The Department of Defense announced today major units scheduled to deploy as part of upcoming rotations of forces operating in Afghanistan. The announcement involves one active duty brigade combat team and one Stryker cavalry regiment, totaling approximately 7,700 personnel, and one National Guard brigade with approximately 3,500 personnel. The scheduled rotation for these forces will begin in the spring of 2010.

• Army Officials to Discuss Response to GAO Report on Body Armor

  15 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Media Advisory

• ARMY MEDIA ADVISORY

  15 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

• Army Releases September Suicide Data

  7 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

  The Army today released suicide data for the month of September. Among active-duty Soldiers, there were seven potential suicides. One has been confirmed as a suicide, and six are pending determination of the manner of death. For August, the Army reported 11 potential suicides among active-duty Soldiers. Since the release of that report, four have been confirmed as suicides and seven remain under investigation.

• Senior Army Leadership Participation in Q & A Sessions during Association of U.S. Army Annual Meeting

  1 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

  The Secretary of the Army, Chief of Staff of the Army, and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army top the list of senior U.S. Army leadership participating in sixteen 30-minute Q&A sessions during the 2009 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 5-7, 2009 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the District of Columbia.

• 
  You Served

• The Way We Get By Comes to TV

  CJ

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm

  The Way We Get By, the awesome documentary that we publicized on our radio show a few months ago, will have its national premiere on PBS Veterans Day November 11th at 9pm. On call 24 hours a day for the past five years, a group of senior citizens has made history by greeting nearly 900,000 American troops at a tiny airport in Bangor, Maine. The Way We Get By is an intimate look at three of these greeters as they confront the universal losses that come with aging and rediscover their reason for living. Bill Knight, Jerry Mundy and Joan Gaudet find the strength to overcome their personal…

• Soldier’s Angels Responds to Ft. Hood Families

  Claire

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:36 am

  Soldier’s Angels was on top of things. This was posted to Facebook yesterday — please do what you can. Soldiers’ Angels is assessing the needs and–with our founder currently residing in Texas–standing by to offer physical and emotional support to our heroes and their families at Fort Hood RIGHT NOW: Collecting encouraging notes and NEW stuffed animals for the families and children of the injured or killed. Please send cards/letters and stuffed animals (and anything NEW that may brighten the life of a child) to: Soldiers’ Angels 4408 PanAm Expressway San Antonio, TX 78218

• Interview with Financial Blogger Zac Johnson

  Troy

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:07 am

  This is a great interview with someone who is a leading force in the financial blog world and has been a guest speaker at Blog World Expo for three years now. Even after being there three years, this was his first introduction to milblogging and his first time attending the milblog panels. Zac and I talked a lot about how bloggers and milbloggers could help educate each other.

• Holiday Mailing Schedule for APO Addresses

  Claire

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:29 am

  The post office has posted the APO mailing schedule. If you want to get those packages out on time, follow the guide below. We know there’s never a guarantee, but normally if you follow the calendar your package will arrive in time for the Holidays. Click to view larger image

• 110509 You Served Show

  Troy

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:22 pm

  8:20:07 PM: Talking with SFC Greg Stube, http://bit.ly/1Nd8JS 8:22:06 PM: New blog entry: 110509 You Served Show http://bit.ly/1Y6GmC 8:24:04 PM: SFC Stube was hit with an IED, and lost his intestine’s part of his leg and was severly wounded and shot up 8:24:35 PM: The medevac could not get him out for a couple of hours after he was wouded 8:29:43 PM: SFC Stube has had 17 surgeries over 3 years 8:38:37 PM: SFC Stube still hunts and fishes ever after wounded 8:41:45 PM: “Serve something greater than yourself” SFC Stube 8:49:15 PM: Now talking to Tom Neely from Bridge of…

• 
  Now Serving Quantico: Forum

• Do You Have Baby Girls Clothes etc. To Donate To A Needy Family?

  Katy

  I am currently trying to help a needy family who is expecting a baby girl in June. If you know anyone or you yourself have any baby girl items that you would be willing to donate to this family please contact me via my email at familiaperezfk@hotmail.com Thank You In Advance:)

• A PCS Celebration

  Jen Preston

  In Okinawa, we have a great tradition called the Olympics. No, this does not involve javelins or lap pools, balance beams or 50-meter dashes. But it’s definitely NOT a spectator sport. The Olympics is the whirlwind of events preceding a PCS that usually involves trips to as many Okinawan hot spots as you can squeeze into a 2-week period. Said PCS-er determines what restaurants, hikes, scuba spots, and tourist destinations they absolutely must see before they leave the island for good, and then all their friends make it happen. Ironically, I believe the term Olympics found its origin because…

• Sports & Health In Dale City GREAT 4 FAMILIES!

  Katy

  I recently discovered the Sport & Health gym in Dale City. It has been a lifesaver since we moved here. It is hard in a new area when you have little ones. You do not know anyone to use for babysitting for alone time with your spouse much less even think about getting to the gym. Joining this gym has taken care of all of that for our family. They have a fantastic place for kids in the gym called the Kids Klub. It looks like a small indoor park with the tubes and climbing nets etc. The caretakers are amazing and do a really good job with the kids. I go to the gym, sign my little one in and…

• The Messy Truth

  Lucia

  I have recently gotten a couple of comments about how the projects we do seem to be effortless and mess-free. Here's the truth. The pictures I post don't show it all. When I first became a mom I couldn't wait to pull out the paint, glue, clay, etc and let my kids run free with their creativity. I had memories from my childhood of the pure joy that comes with creating things all by yourself. I had images in my head of perfect sunny afternoons filled with happy, shining little faces creating, painting, building one masterpiece after another.But many of the early arts and crafts experiences with…

• Working on Becoming Me: Relationship Priorities

  Joelle Yamada

  My grandmother died this weekend. Unfortunately, we weren’t close, having lived on opposite coasts for most of my growing up years. I was lucky to see her once a year and since adulthood even less. My husband and I have been stationed overseas for the last seven years, and I haven’t seen her in that whole time. But in her 80’s she became internet savvy and so for a number of years I sent her email updates and I felt she came to know me and my family better. During this last year, as her health has failed, her internet time has decreased and thereby chances to stay in touch. For the last…

• 
  America's North Shore Journal

• Our Best: Kimberly Munley

  Chuck Simmins

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:29 pm

  Officer Kimberly Munley, the hero of Fort Hood Reviews in the aftermath of the shootings at Virginia Tech, where 32 died, found that first responders’ decision to be careful and wait for backup probably cost lives as that gunman moved unchecked from classroom to classroom as law enforcement massed outside. Those findings had found their way to Fort Hood’s Special Reaction Team, which had practiced an entirely new protocol for at least a year before Thursday afternoon’s rampage here, in which 13 were killed and at least 28 wounded. “The lesson from Virginia Tech was,…

• Fort Hood Update Nov 6 at 10 am

  Chuck Simmins

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:25 am

  Officer Kimberly Munley, the hero of Fort Hood Officer Kimberly Munley of the Fort Hood Police Department is a “trained, active first responder” who acted quickly after she “just happened to encounter the gunman,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, Fort Hood’s commanding general. Cone said the officer and her partner responded “very quickly” to the scene of the shootings — reportedly in around three minutes. Munley “just happened very fortunately to be very close to the incident scene,” Cone told CNN’s “American Morning.”…

• Another Lone Jihadi Attack in America

  Chuck Simmins

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:29 pm

  Following in the footsteps of Sirhan Sirhan and the Washington Sniper, another American Muslim goes berserk over American policy in the Middle East. U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is believed to be the lone shooter of some 43 people on Fort Hood, Texas, and he survived being shot by a civilian police officer, the base commander said. Lt Gen. Robert Cone in a televised press briefing tonight corrected earlier reports that said Hasan and the officer, who shot him several times, were killed. Rather, he said, both are recovering at a nearby hospital. All but two of the victims are soldiers,…

• Ethnic Hazara support midwife school in Afghanistan

  Chuck Simmins

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am

  “My name is Latifah Baktash and I am in charge of the Midwife School in Dai Kundi province,” announced the midwife principal as onlookers seated in blue lawn chairs listened attentively during the first Midwife graduation ceremony. “I have been a practicing midwife for nine years,” remarked Baktash. “Five years ago, I was a teacher at a midwife school in the Samangan District. I know how badly the people of Dai Kundi need midwives and I’m honored to be an integral part of the schools development.” “The Midwife School was requested by the people,…

• A frozen chicken in every Iraqi pot

  Chuck Simmins

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

  Capt. Bobby Lumsden, of Fuquay-Varina, N.C., (left) and 1st Lt. Joel Pierce (right), of Thomasville, N.C., advise Rafea Abass Ali (center) about the placement of steel beams supporting a rooftop cooling tower on the poultry processing plant Ali owns near Mahmudiyah, Oct. 31. Photo by Sgt. Jon Soles U.S. Soldiers lent their agriculture and engineering expertise, Oct. 31, to help bring a chicken processing plant into operation; one that will provide food and jobs. North Carolina Guardsmen with 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, who have agribusiness and…

• 
  Okinawa Hai Society

• OK. Life sucks and I don't even know if we're coming now.

  Amanda Allen

  I am so frustrated and at a loss for words. We've been waiting for weeks for our orders. DH re enlisted so we'd have time to go to Oki and everything. Weeks we've been waiting. EFMP done. Everything in our humanly power we have done. Unless you know something we don't??? The orderly room says they have been asking the MOS clerk for over 3 weeks about our orders. So just so happens DH gets a hold of the MOS clerk to ask if there is something he missed, since the orderly room says they just dont know. MOS clerk has never heard of his name before. Nothing is in his computer on my husband. No one…

• We're PCSing back to the states, just got here about 7 months ago !....anyone PCSing to Okinawa need a car?

  Linda Brewer

  We just got here to Okinawa about 7 months ago. Due to medical for my 3-year old we have to PCS back to the states. We have a very reliable car that we love and can't ship back with because we already have a car in storage. Is there anyone out there wanting to maybe take over payments that's PCSing over here shortly??? We're getting our orders within the next few days if not today and we're due at our next base by middle of December. This is a great car, I know when we first got here it was very stressful, and a car is necessary on this island. Any takers??

• Seriously???? Where are we going???

  Amanda Allen

  So lets just say report date is in about 5 weeks. No orders. (online says he is to be in Japan in Dec) so no paperorders yet. DH just finished his school and appartenlty needs to extend or re enlist to meet the requirements to go to Japan. Fine right......but no one has contacted him. They wouldn't let him extend until his student status was up...and now we have to wait until thurs before he can have his certificate...which Enlistment wants before they will let him do the paperwork.... Thats if this info is even right, no one has even contacted him saying what he needs to do to get the darn…

• Puppies

  Sharla Nicole Mong

  Does anyone know any other pet adoption place where you can make payment plans beside puppy luv?

• 30 days until my PCS from Okinawa

  Daniela

  So, here I am at the point I have read so much about. I am about to leave this island. I have thought about this point in my life a lot; and .....I am happy. I am happy to go to a place where I can settle down. This island is beautiful and I love it. I have been blessed to have spent three years here, but settling down sounds really good right now. I could buy some houseplants and watch them grow. Remembering how said house plants grew just everywhere outside on Okinawa. I could buy a house and make it my own by ripping out sinks and putting in new ones. It's time for me to move on. Okinawa…

• 
  okinawa hai!

• Shichi-Go-San Festival

  Jannine Myers

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:45 pm

  Those of you who know your Japanese numbers will know that the Shichi-Go-San festival means the Seven-Five-Three festival. I learned about this special event just a few weeks ago when one of my English students proudly showed me some beautiful photographs of her angelic-looking little girl, dressed in both a gorgeous kimono and sweet-pink princess dress. Intrigued by not only the stunning costumes, but also by the obvious attention given to hair, make-up, and accessories, I asked my student what the occasion was, and she proceeded to tell me about Shichi-Go-San. Each year in November,…

• Kyoko Art Gallery

  Mary Richardson

  5 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

  Next time you head to Shuri Castle, why not take a short detour and drop in Kyoko Art Gallery?Kyoko Nakamoto is an Okinawan artist who has featured her work locally, in mainland Japan, and internationally in such places as New York City and Los Angeles. Her tiny gallery in the Shuri castle vicinity displays some of her paintings, drawings, and prints. I was first introduced to her work last year at a Marine Spouse function when a friend won a print from one of Kyoko's collections as a door prize. Curious about the artist and interested in seeing more for myself, I sought out her art…

• Thanksgiving Dinner

  Larissa Traquair

  4 Nov 2009 | 2:42 pm

   I have a lot to be thankful for and as our turkey holiday is fast approaching I start to think about all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me and what I'm going to do for this upcoming holiday.  Turkey day is best known for football, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, eating more in one day than we would eat in a week and pumpkin pie.  Though I'm not a big pumpkin pie fan, put a pumpkin cheese roll in front of my face and watch out - especially if you include chocolate chunks.   This is the kind of holiday that stresses people like me…

• Whoop Hoop Kids Clothing

  Jeanine Czubik

  3 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pm

    Whoop Hoop's bright yellow sign has always vied for my driving attention down by Araha Beach.  With no children of my own, I've had little need to shop for childrens clothing, but this week I ventured in. It's cheerful sign is not misleading - the children's fashions in Whoop Hoop are as cute as it's exterior sign is bright.    Whoop Hoop carries both classic and sweet outfits, and fun and funky designs for infants and children.  In addition to clothing, there are bags for kids and adults, hats, adorable hair…

• Moving and Friends 101

  JaNae Burger

  2 Nov 2009 | 9:53 pm

  The last picture has been hung on the wall, the kids are getting settled into school, you’ve made it to the beach a time or two and you can find your way home without getting too lost, but it still doesn’t quite feel like you “belong” in Okinawa yet. You’re missing that personal connection. You need your “people”, the ones that you call when you wanna shop-till-you-drop, cry to when you are lonely and who remembers your birthday. But all of these friends are in a time zone that just doesn’t jive all that well with you mid-day crisis. This creates a need for what Meredith…

• 
  Milblogging.com

• News: 'Leicester soldier's letters from First World War available online'

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:56 am

  (Leicester Mercury)  They tell of the harsh life in the trenches, coping with tough conditions while under fire and thoughts for family back home.Now letters, diary entries and postcards revealing a Leicester soldier's experiences in the First World War are available to see online.The powerful memories of Private Arthur Trolley are being used by teachers and museums to bring history to life for youngsters.Read the entire story here.  Visit the following URL to see the documents:www.learnwithmuseums.org.uk

• Harding Distinguished Lecture Features Milblogger Colby Buzzell

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:45 pm

  (The Collegian)  Echoes of contemporary war tales and first-hand accounts of experiences in Iraq filled the air in the Performing Arts Center on Oct. 27, as the Harding Distinguished Lecture Series and the South Dakota Humanites Council featured U.S Army machine-gunner Colby Buzzell. The book My War: Killing Time in Iraq is a compilation of Buzzell's blog posts while in Iraq. "Buzzell brings a diverse perspective on the war," said Laura Wight, assistant professor in Briggs Library and chair of the Harding Lecture committee. "Students don't always hear a person with his experience from…

• An Open Letter to Milbloggers from an Aspiring Author

  4 Nov 2009 | 11:34 am

  Over the last few months, I’ve received repeated emails from Kate Schapira an aspiring author who is hoping to publish a book with stories by military bloggers.  I don't know much about all her plans and only know her by email, but it's worth checking out if the letter below interests you.  And yeah, while I usually don’t post “Open Letters” on Milblogging.com I guess I can mention Kate's.  Long story short, she’s persistent – sending me email after email over the last few months. She doesn’t give up.   That reminds me, when is the DoD gonna publish the…

• In the News: "British troops are told: Don’t Tweet war secrets"

  3 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pm

  The Daily Mail has a story online about the Online Engagement Guidelines published by the Ministry of Defense, although the MoD published the guidelines way back in early August so the Daily Mail is a little behind. British troops have been given new rules about what they can and cannot post on the internet – after being warned that careless Tweets cost lives.Military chiefs have issued 13 pages of guidelines about the use of websites such as Facebook and Twitter – where messages are known as Tweets – amid fears that service personnel could accidentally reveal sensitive operational…

• Military Blogger Michael Yon in the News: Claims The New York Times lied about not paying ransom for Reporter David Rohde

  2 Nov 2009 | 11:45 am

  (Raw Story)  The New York Times lied when it said it had not paid a ransom for the release of report David Rohde, a freelance war correspondent is alleging.In a series of Twitter statements, blogger Michael Yon asserted that the Times "paid millions to get Rohde released," and suggested the paper was being hypocritical by having kept Rohde's kidnapping a secret while publishing details of the kidnapping of a British couple by Somali pirates.Read the entire story.

• 
  War On Terror News

• British PM Calls for Halt to Afghan Corruption

  MsMarti -

  7 Nov 2009 | 3:30 am

  By Jennifer Glasse London VOA 06 November 2009 British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned Afghanistan's government on Friday to take action against corruption, saying he would not risk more British lives there unless it reforms. His warning comes after the deaths of seven British soldiers this past week, including five...

• Tying the Knot in Afghanistan

  MsMarti -

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:30 pm

  Tying the Knot: Riggers Secure Loads for Aerial Deliveries Joint Sustainment Command - Afghanistan Story by Staff Sgt. Marcos Alices KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – The mountainous Afghan terrain makes it difficult for convoys to travel to many remote forward operating bases throughout the country to provide needed supplies to troops....

• Breaking from ONN: Obama to Open Negotiations With Wildfire (Humor)

  Editor

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:41 pm

  Yep, this could become a daily humor break! Obama To Enter Diplomatic Talks With Raging Wildfire

• VIDEO: Side by side, Afghan and British soldiers in Shin Kalay, Helmand

  MsMarti -

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:50 pm

  Afghan and British soldiers in Shin Kalay Filmed on the 29 October 2009 in Shin Kalay. British soldiers at Patrol Base Zoo (PB Zoo), form part of the 2 YORKS Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT). Their primary mission is to mentor the Afghan National Army by conducting joint patrols...

• Cherish your spouse

  MsMarti -

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:05 pm

  Commentary by Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz Commander of Air Education and Training Command 11/3/2009 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- While walking past the base chapel the other day, I witnessed a scene that caused me to pause and reflect. I turned and watched as people, dressed in...

• 
  Navy CyberSpace

• Broadside for Valour-IT!

  NCCM(ret)

  3 Nov 2009 | 11:22 am

  HA! You have to love Navy Recruiting cartoons done in good taste by famous cartoonists! Jeff Bacon, author of the Broadside cartoons, published his latest work to help support the Valour-IT fund raising campaign. Gahh, enough with me talking, read the comic strip! See the rest of this cartoon on Jeff Bacon’s Broadside blog and don’t forget to donate to Valour-IT!! Hey, I just realized – Today, 29 years ago, I started my first day of Navy bootcamp at RTC Orlando. Dang, time flies. 2009 Military Pay Chart2010 Military Pay ChartBroadside for Valour-IT!

• The Valour-IT Auction

  NCCM(ret)

  1 Nov 2009 | 6:41 am

  Last night you gave out about $30 worth of candy to a bunch of little kids – how about today you pledge at least that like amount to our wounded warriors? Either use the widget in the sidebar or go to this very special E-Bay auction where you can bid on everything from autographed baseballs to beautiful lithographs, all profits will go to our wounded warriors via Project Valour-IT! Here is the link! E-Bay Valour-IT As Neptunus Lex puts it, “Now, besides the warm glow of knowing that you’ve helped a wounded troop reconnect with his family, friends and the world, you can also…

• Employment Cost Index

  NCCM(ret)

  30 Oct 2009 | 12:37 pm

  Today, the latest Employment Cost Index (ECI) percentages were released. What makes today’s release important is that it is the figure used to determine the military pay proposal for the 2011 defense budget. As you may be aware, last years figure was 2.9% – the figure used by President Obama for his proposal to congress (congress subsequently added .5% (to 3.4%) which was signed into law 28 October). This years figure is 1.5% – the question will be, will congress again add an additional .5% or will congress, in the coming election year, state the military pay and allowances…

• 2009 Project Valour-IT

  NCCM(ret)

  26 Oct 2009 | 9:23 pm

  And it begins! Once again, Team Navy is helping raise funds for Project Valour-IT. As you may know, on March 9, 2009, Bonnie and I put a couple of thousand dollars into some stocks with the idea of donating, in the name of #TeamNavy, 10% of any money made or $100 whichever was greater on the last day of the drive – November 11, 2009. The fund started with $2215.62, and to date it is up to $3513.66 – so far we are up to $129.80! You can track the amount daily on the side bar. Don’t worry, bad days won’t effect the total, the amount will only go up! Ready to pledge a…

• 911GIBill What Ifs

  NCCM(ret)

  20 Oct 2009 | 12:22 pm

  I received a letter from the VA today which described each of the payments that were deposited a few days ago for my Post 9/11 GI Bill benefit. One of the pages described some “what ifs” concerning any changes in my enrollment. Grades You Receive VA can’t pay benefits for courses that don’t count toward your graduation requirements. If your school reports that you received a grade that doesn’t count toward your graduation, you may have to repay all benefits VA paid for the course. Here are some examples: An “I” grade for an incomplete which is not…

• 
  Deployed Teacher

• Cell Phone Solution

  20 Oct 2009 | 9:33 pm

  Chalk this one up under "Duh! Why didn't I think of this sooner?". As I passed a car going way too slow for my comfort, I glanced over, only to see the driver using a cell phone, leaning on the center console, looking way too cool; oblivious to the world around them.As I turned left, using my finger to steer the car, the crux of the problem struck me! Driving is waaay too easy for all y'all! Being able to manipulate my steering wheel with only a middle finger helped me realize how easy and physically unchallenging driving is, thanks to the advancements in mechanical technology.The drastic…

• Doonesbury 10/11/2009

  12 Oct 2009 | 8:53 pm

  After a hiatus from writing based partially on an irrational fear of having nothing of value to post anymore regarding my deployment, I read the Sunday 10/11/2009 Doonesbury comic, and the will to write came rushing back. A chance occurrence on my birthday? With Halloween coming up, that's spooky!All I know is, after reading the Sunday comic, I felt like "Wow, Trudeau nailed it!". The visual of: the relationship between the CIA/contractor and the Afghan informant, the reference to the 16th century (which I posted on before), the ubiquitous tea while doing business (chai sabz or chai cia?), to…

• Never Find a Hookah Here

  8 Jun 2009 | 10:19 am

  While deployed, I enjoyed going to the weekly bazaar. It was a nice way to break the monotony of the daily routine. At the bazaar: I haggled with vendors (customary/expected), socialized outside of work, found some great deals, and as the days blurred, the bazaar helped indicate that it was Friday, again.There was much to be had at the bazaar, depending on your preferences. Beautiful Afghan/Persian rugs, gemstones/jewelry, Afghan clothing, Russian artifacts, antique rifles, and... hookers, oops, excuse me, wrong spelling, I mean hookahs. My apologies to nor-easterners; same pronunciation,…

• From Insurgents to Pre-Emergents

  24 May 2009 | 5:00 pm

  It's interesting to observe how life has shifted from one focus to another now that I'm home. An example - for six months, it was all about Afghanistan insurgents. But now, it's crabgrass pre-emergents. So, for peace of mind, I set out to find similarities between the two that might help make my mental transition easier, and more meaningful.As I considered a pre-emergent for the lawn/garden, I found an article from the Ohio State University, Extension entitled: Pre-Emergent Herbicides Effective for Weed Control. Here are some bullets from the article:Marestail, giant ragweed and lambsquarter…

• A Man's Home is his Depot

  20 May 2009 | 11:17 am

  As we approached our house, I mused, "Ah, a man's home is his castle", relieved to finally return home. According to Answer.com, this old English saying means - "A proverbial expression that illustrates the principle of individual privacy, which is fundamental to the American system of government".After imparting this age-old proverb of wisdom to my 8 yr old son, he replied without skipping a beat, "No papa, a man's home is his depot" (as in Home Depot). Caught completely off guard, I busted-up laughing. He had never heard the expression before, and thought Home Depot was what I really meant…

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  Army Household6

• 5th of November

  Tammy

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:58 pm

  Image courtesy of Momlogic.com and Getty Images November 5th, 2009 will be one of those days that I never will forget where I was or what I was doing. In ways, it reminded me a lot of my thoughts and fears of September 11, 2001. It brought back images of desperately searching for information, hoping it wasn’t what you thought it was, and praying for those families affected. I first heard of the shooting at Fort Hood on Twitter, I immediately thought, “Well, Fort Hood is certainly no stranger to violence.” There have been numerous shootings and murders in and around Fort Hood…

• Fort Hood Tragedy

  Tammy

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:06 pm

  image courtesy of FoxNews.com My thoughts and prayers are with all of our military family at Fort Hood as well as those affected directly by this horrific act. If any of my readers at Hood need ANYTHING, please let me know and I’ll make sure to get you what you need!!!! I just want to update real quick about what’s happening at Fort Hood.. these are the facts. I’m not going to speculate on ANYTHING (unlike certain members of the MSM) LTG Cone said all suspects were SOLDIERS! No kids were harmed .. they believe the situation is now under control. (at 3pm MT) The initial…

• My morning at the Spa Part2

  Tammy

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:15 am

  Yes that is ME , your Household6,  doing an interview WHILE receiving a facial! What I won’t do for some tv time huh?? Also – if you are in the local Colorado Springs area – make sure you visit The Russian Day Spa for a special offer on a facial

• It’s that time again …

  Tammy

  2 Nov 2009 | 4:23 pm

  Nominate YOUR Favorite Military Spouse!! Yep Military Spouse Magazine is looking again to spotlight a military spouse who represents the sacrifice, patriotism, professionalism and altruism that embody this community of 1.1 million current and 20 million former military spouses. Nominate yourself, your best friend or the person you admire most! You have until November 13th to share your support by placing a nomination. Make sure you stop and browse through this amazing magazine online (www.milspousemag.com) … There are tons of tips and GREAT information that is there to support the…

• Bake Me A Wish

  Tammy

  1 Nov 2009 | 9:15 pm

  bakemeawish.com Today when I was chatting with SGT Daddy online , he told me he got a Birthday Cake today from Bake Me A Wish and how good it was ! It was a gift from Soldiers Angels.  (Actually I already knew about the cake, for Shelle told me when she ordered it )Wasn’t that nice of them?? Now his b-day isn’t for another couple of weeks but he and the other soldiers (he shared it with) certainly liked it.  It certainly looks YUMMY! So to Bake Me A Wish and Soldiers Angels – Sgt Daddy says :” Thanks for my birthday cake! It was awesome”

• 
  Manatee's Military Moms

• Military moms, serving with love

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:36 am

  A flag fluttered in the breeze where there hadn’t been one the day before; it was planted solidly next to a “Welcome Home” banner on the lawn of a house I drive past every day.Circling around, I drove on auto-pilot back to the little house and was out of my car and knocking on the door before I could have a second thought.“It’s my son-in-law. He’s coming home from Iraq,” said a smiling woman who invited me inside without hesitation. A child a few months old smiled serenely from his seat in a stroller; the child who had only seen his father once at his birth was about to be…

• Is that my phone ringing??

  1 Nov 2009 | 5:16 am

  Military families can surely relate to the dreadful feeling that sets up shop in the pit of your stomach when you miss a long-awaited phone call.How could you have missed it?! You’ve been carrying around that darn cell phone like it was a hand grenade that could go off at any second if you didn’t check it and look at it and check it again and again and again. Impossible to miss a call! It was in my HAND, I was LOOKING at it.When I heard the noise that alerts you to a new voice mail, I knew, just knew, that I had missed the call.I almost cried when I heard the message; I felt like I got…

• Keeping the skies friendly for the Pres

  28 Oct 2009 | 3:44 am

  The tarmac was abuzz yesterday as legions of Secret Service, Air Force, staffers and a multitude of other functionaries kept the wheels of preparation rolling for what amounted to the President’s change of transport from Air Force One to Marine One and back again.Among those scurrying about were a group of Marines whose familiar “cranials” and jumpsuits swept me back two years to the morning I spent with HMM 166’s SeaElks.The Marines who make the helicopters fly.As the other photographers corralled onto the back of a flatbed trailer on the windy tarmac chatted or scanned the skies for…

• Mail call brings smiles from home

  25 Oct 2009 | 3:22 am

  Mail call. Two bitty words can bring a lot of happiness to a person far from the swooshing doors of a local store.The Marines and Sailors of the USS Bonhomme Richard got their first mail call weeks after setting sail from San Diego. Daniel e-mailed his thanks and says he's thinking of ways to put a package of fake mustaches to good use along with the more mundane items in his box…can’t wait for pictures!Now, more waiting to hear where the ship is headed in that big ol’ sea out there, and it’s time to start putting together the Christmas care package.Hmmm…ideas,…

• Military moms have plenty of 'care' to spare

  21 Oct 2009 | 3:12 am

  Sometimes, a little ray of happiness shines on your day unexpectedly; like this email I got from Marine Mom Janice who described the last homecoming for HMM 166:“Another Marine Mom, Sarah, with a son on the Bonhomme Richard sent me the link to your blog & 'A Son's Story' slide show. She said I should check it out because she saw my son's name listed on the board & she knew my son was in the same unit asDaniel. Not only are they in the same unit/squadron, but they are very goodfriends. Since Daniel & Ashley had Andrew over for BBQ's & other dinners & they'hang out'…

• 
  Defense Update News

• Defense Update Launches an Enhanced Naval Systems Channel

  31 Oct 2009 | 2:33 pm

  As part of our phased rollout of revamped news channels, we are happy to introduce the fifth channel - take a look at our new and enhanced Naval Systems Channel, focusing on features, news, videos and images covering surface combatants, submarines, associated weapon systems, support elements and more. News highlights include upgrading and modernization, weaponry, avionics etc. We'll be happy to receive your comments.

• Textron, L-3 Com Team for LCAC Successor Program

  30 Oct 2009 | 2:56 pm

  Textron Marine & Land Systems has teamed with L-3 Communications to pursue the U.S. Navy’s future $4 billion Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) program. The Navy is planning to field the 73 ton Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV), starting in the year 2019, gradually replacing the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft landing-craft currently in service.

• U.S. Navy Accelerates LCS Operational Deployment

  30 Oct 2009 | 2:56 pm

  The Lockheed Martin built Freedom class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS-1) is already in service, and could be deployed for its first mission as early as next year (early 2010) – two years ahead of its scheduled maiden deployment.

• Airbag RPG Countermeasure Completes First Testing Phase

  30 Oct 2009 | 4:06 am

  Textron Defense Systems' Tactical Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Airbag Protection System, (TRAPS), has recently completed the first phase of testing at the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) in Socorro, New Mexico. During these tests the system defeated live RPGs fired at different angles and from both short and long ranges.

• Yellow Jacket Fuses MASINT, IMINT, UAVs to Hunt IEDs

  29 Oct 2009 | 11:10 am

  CenTauri Solutionshas been awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense to demonstrate an integrated UAV-based counter-IED technology. Known as “Yellow Jacket” the $11.7 million program is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, (AFRL) in Rome, New York. CenTauri will install electro-optical HD imaging and unintentional electromagnetic emissions sensor on the Sciebel Camcopter S-100 vertically take off and landing vehicle, to demonstrate how these systems could interoperate detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

• 
  Armor Links

• Airbag RPG Countermeasure Completes First Testing Phase

  30 Oct 2009 | 4:03 am

  Textron Defense Systems' Tactical Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Airbag Protection System, (TRAPS), has recently completed the first phase of testing at the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) in Socorro, New Mexico. During these tests the system defeated live RPGs fired at different angles and from both short and long ranges.

• Chinese Armor Rumbles through Beijing on 60th National Day parade

  1 Oct 2009 | 4:15 am

  China displayed today its military might in an impressive, three hour parade that rumbled down the Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing, China. The Chinese unveiled several new weapon systems, such as missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and armored vehicles. A major element of the display included amphibious armored vehicles and airborne formations, hinting to Beijing's growing power projection capabilities.

• First M-TAVs being Being Shipped to Afghanistan

  29 Sep 2009 | 4:07 pm

  Prepared The first shipment of mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles (M-ATV) is on the way to Afghanistan, just three months after a delivery order was awarded.

• Thales Unveils the Hawkei - Lightweight Protected Mobility Vehicle

  29 Sep 2009 | 3:07 pm

  Thales Australia has unveiled the Hawkei lightweight Protected Mobility Vehicle (PMV-L) developed to meet the Australian Defense Forces Land121 program and key export customers. "In developing the Hawkei, we have taken the lessons learned building the highly successful Bushmaster and, in combination with our partners, applied that thinking and experience to the new vehicle," said Ian Irving, Thales Australia's Land & Joint Systems Division Vice President.

• Improved Off-Road Mobility for SOCOM's RG33 MRAPs

  28 Sep 2009 | 12:50 pm

  Oshkosh Corporation was awarded a $24 million by BAE Systems, on behalf of the U.S. Marine Corps Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Joint Program Office to supply its TAK-4 independent suspension systems to equip more than 300 BAE Systems USCS RG-33 Special Operations Command (SOCOM) MRAP vehicles. These suspension systems completed testing on the BAE Systems RG-33 MRAP recently, demonstrating improved off-road mobility. Based on this successful testing, Oshkosh worked with BAE Systems to develop a suspension kit for the vehicle. Vehicles modifications will be performed in Afghanistan,…

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  U.S. Pacific Fleet

• PacificFleet: RT @MCPONPAO: All, At airport in Jacksonville, FL. Heading home. Had a great meeting with the Master Chiefs... http://bit.ly/VidC2

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:57 pm

  PacificFleet: RT @MCPONPAO: All, At airport in Jacksonville, FL. Heading home. Had a great meeting with the Master Chiefs... http://bit.ly/VidC2

• PacificFleet: Aloha PACFLT'ers! Happy FRIDAY! On the way to the weekend check out some more great photos from the Pacific. http://bit.ly/p0ags

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pm

  PacificFleet: Aloha PACFLT'ers! Happy FRIDAY! On the way to the weekend check out some more great photos from the Pacific. http://bit.ly/p0ags

• PacificFleet: RT @MARPAC: Canadian and US Navies To Join For Annual Task Group Exercisehttp://bit.ly/1lYjUq

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:57 pm

  PacificFleet: RT @MARPAC: Canadian and US Navies To Join For Annual Task Group Exercisehttp://bit.ly/1lYjUq

• PacificFleet: RT @AFPS_Articles: President Obama issued a formal proclamation honoring the victims of yesterday's shootings at Fort Hood:http://ow.ly/zXGQ

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:57 pm

  PacificFleet: RT @AFPS_Articles: President Obama issued a formal proclamation honoring the victims of yesterday's shootings at Fort Hood:http://ow.ly/zXGQ

• PacificFleet: RT @starsandstripes: Classmate: "When I heard that he was behind the shootings, frankly it didn’t seem like much....” http://bit.ly/2rpuhU

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:26 pm

  PacificFleet: RT @starsandstripes: Classmate: "When I heard that he was behind the shootings, frankly it didn’t seem like much....” http://bit.ly/2rpuhU

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  Navy Reads

• Dr. Betances: "You Can't Lead if You Don't Read"

  18 Oct 2009 | 12:56 pm

  How important is reading? Ask Dr. Samuel Betances, diversity advisor to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, and three U.S. presidents...Betances, who conducted "Strengthening the Navy Through Diversity" training for nearly 1,000 people at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Oct. 13-15, talks about the power of books...and words...and mentors...and, most importantly, diversity.The cover of Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough's book John Adams flashes on the screen early in one of Dr. B's training, along with this quote from Adams:"Freedom is a wonderful thing, provided you have the courage to…

• "Negotiating With Iran: Wrestling the Ghosts of History"

  21 Sep 2009 | 12:15 am

  NPR's Scott Simon interviewed John W. Limbert, professor of International Affairs at the U.S. Naval Academy, this weekend about his new book, Negotiating With Iran: Wrestling the Ghosts of History.Ambassador Limbert, who was held as an Iranian hostage for 444 days 30 years ago, offers his perspective on a dialog with Iran. Is negotiation equivalent to surrender or appeasement or weakness?NPR's Michele Kelemen interviewed Limbert for a story late last month, too, focusing on the importance of listening, showing respect and demonstrating a willingness to engage... President Barak Obama says he…

• Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky

  7 Sep 2009 | 8:26 pm

  Review by Bill Doughty Superfreakonomics comes out soon, as we learned earlier this month when our blog and Roxanne Darling’s photo from USS Nimitz were featured on the New York Times .com’s Freakonomics blog. Meantime, here’s a book in a similar vein... Here Comes Everybody grabs you from the first chapter. What happens when someone loses her phone in the back seat of a taxi and the finder of the phone refuses to give it back? The unfriendly, recalcitrant phone-finder gets a virtual butt-whupping, thanks to the power of social media to share information, encourage cooperation and…

• Freakonomics - A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

  14 Aug 2009 | 3:18 pm

  Review by Bill DoughtyI would not recommend Freakonomics to anyone who knows exactly how the world works. Don't read it if you already have the answers to all of life's questions. It's not for people who are easily offended, either. However, for the rest of us, read on...(Freakonomics at sea)Written by a completely out-of-the-box economist named Steven Levitt, with help from New York writer Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics challenges conventional wisdom and assumptions on both sides of all fences.Freakonomics key points:"Knowing what to measure and how to measure is the key to understanding…

• What Warriors Read -- to Learn, for Escape?

  2 Aug 2009 | 8:44 pm

  By Bill Doughty Catching up this week, after the interview with Professor Jackson, manager of the Navy Professional Reading Program. I want to highlight comments received by two Sailors a while back that I didn’t want to get “lost in the sauce”... “Christine,” a public affairs officer, and CAPT Hansen, officer in charge of Navy embedded training teams, posted these comments to my review of The Kite Runner in MayIn a few words they say so much -- about religion, father-son relationships, diverse viewpoints and book recommendations for families when loved ones are deployed -- above…

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  Military Embedded Systems

• Birdstep Technology announces the release of RDM Server 8.3

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:20 am

  Birdstep Technology, Inc. (OSE: BIRD) which offers state-of-the-art embedded database technologies, today announced the release of its high availability and high performance, embedded client/server database product RDM Server version 8.3. This release of RDM Server includes key enhancements to the product’s interoperability capabilities. With this release, RDM Server's comprehensive SQL capabilities are extended with additional support for SQL Triggers and UNIONS as defined in the SQL92 standards. SQL Triggers - In addition to supporting C triggers, RDM Server now also supports SQL…

• TEWS Technologies Introduces FPGA-Based 4 Channel High Speed Synch/Asynch Serial Interface

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:05 pm

  TEWS TECHNOLOGIES extends its tradition of delivering high-density I/O solutions with the introduction of a synchronous/asynchronous serial single width / mid-height AMC.1 compliant module with four high speed communication channels. The TAMC863 is designed for data communications, LAN/WAN networking, military communications, traffic control, simulation, and telecommunications applications. The serial communication controller is implemented in FPGA logic, combined with the bus master capable PCI interface. The FGPA design guarantees long term availability with the option to implement…

• Lanner Delivers Fanless Network Appliance with Six Network Ports and Intel Atom 1.6GHz Processor

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:52 am

  (Taipei, Taiwan – November 5th, 2009) Lanner Electronics, Inc., a leading designer and ODM of advanced platforms for network applications, today revealed the general availability of the FW-7530; a fan-less economic network appliance built around an Intel 945GSE chipset and Intel Atom processor with 6 GbE ports. The FW-7530 is ideal for any low level network applications. The FW-7530 is a power-efficient platform run on the Intel Atom N270: a 1.6GHz processor which delivers a high performance per watt ratio, reducing electricity costs. This coupled with all RoHS compliant materials and…

• Advanced Digital Logic (ADL) Releases ADL945PC-LTSPREADER, a Lightweight Spreader for its Popular ADL945PC Single Board Computer

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:14 am

  SAN DIEGO, November 5, 2009 – Advanced Digital Logic (ADL), a leading provider of embedded industrial single board computers, systems, peripherals and accessories for embedded and stand alone applications, today announced the release of its ADL945PC-LTSPREADER, a Lightweight Spreader for its popular ADL945PC Family of Single Board Computers. The ADL945PC-LTSPREADER spreader is for mass conscious applications, ideal for UAV applications, hand held applications, etc. Basically any application where weight is important. The ADL945PC-LTSPREADER has thermal performance in excess of 98% of…

• Surface Mount Technology Corp announces the release of its proprietary SMART Test Platform

  4 Nov 2009 | 4:39 am

  Surface Mount Technology Corp. (SMT Corp.) an electronic product development and contract manufacturer located in Appleton, WI today announced the release of its proprietary SMART Test Platform, which stands for Scalable Modular Automated Re-usable Test. The SMART platform offers a test solution for low to mid volume PCB assemblies without high tooling costs. As a contract manufacturer of complex electronic assemblies for markets that require high quality and reliability, Surface Mount Technology Corp. created this test alternative to provide customers a solution for test at a lower price…

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  At War

• Same Booms, Different Terrain

  By Dexter Filkins

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pm

  While it is sometimes useful to note the similarities in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, in this case it is useful - it helps in your understanding - to note a very large difference.

• Visiting Grave Sites, Imagining Worlds

  By Alissa J. Rubin

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:38 pm

  In Kabul there is a British cemetery, which in truth has only a few visible British headstones these days and mostly is filled with Europeans, but it stands as a reminder of how poorly the West has done in this part of the world.

• Coverage of the Fort Hood Shootings

  By The New York Times

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:04 am

  The New York Times is continuing its coverage of the shootings at Fort Hood story.

• A Chat About 'The Good Soldiers'

  By The New York Times

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:05 am

  David Finkel talks about his book, "The Good Soldiers," based on eight months in Iraq with a battalion sent as part of the surge.

• Training and Trusting Local Forces

  By Tim Hsia

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:17 am

  The recent killing of five British soldiers by an Afghan police officer demonstrates some of the worst of the challenges U.S. and allied troops have in training local forces.

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  Wars of the World

• Clinton in Pakistan Encounters Widespread Distrust of U.S.

  Zeeshan

  3 Nov 2009 | 7:15 am

  Author: Alex RodriguezEvery time Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tried to win over Pakistanis during her three-day charm offensive last week, they fired back a polite but firm message:We don't really trust your country.No matter how hard Clinton tried to reassure audiences in Lahore and Islamabad with talk of providing economic aid where it's needed most, Pakistanis seized on her visit

• Helicopter Rumour Refuses to Die

  Zeeshan

  30 Oct 2009 | 11:13 am

  Helicopter Rumour Refuses to DieAuthor: Ahmad Kawoosh in Mazar-e-SharifPersistent accounts of western forces in Afghanistan using their helicopters to ferry Taleban fighters, strongly denied by the military, is feeding mistrust of the forces that are supposed to be bringing order to the country.One such tale came from a soldier from the 209th Shahin Corps of the Afghan National Army, fighting

• US Official Resigns Over Aghanistan - Criticizes War Objectives & Strategy

  Zeeshan

  29 Oct 2009 | 11:21 am

  Senior American civilian official stationed in Afghanistan has resigned stating that he has lost confidence in the purpose of the war. Mr. Matthew Hoh was working in the Afghan province of Zabul. He is a former marine and an Iraq war veteran. He let his superiors know in a letter that the American presence in Afghanistan is of no use as the country is failing and is the continued presence is

• US Abandons Afghan Province to Taliban as Pakistan Army Starts Operation

  Zeeshan

  28 Oct 2009 | 3:12 pm

  The United States military has withdrawn its troops from all four bases of the Nuristan province in Afghanistan along with the border in Pakistan. The reason given for such a move is the commencement of winter, choking of supply lines and elimination of isolated bases to prevent a run-over by militants.Nuristan is now under the control of Qari Zia-ur-Rehman's network, which according to some

• Hillary Clinton Put in Hot Seat by Pakistani Media

  Zeeshan

  28 Oct 2009 | 12:30 pm

  In a special televised interview session by prominent Pakistani journalists belonging to different channels, Hillary Clinton had to face a hail of tough questions, most of which she seemed to be uncomfortable with. Although Hillary did put up a smiling face, her body language did show signs of stress during the interview.Some of the hardest questions thrown at her included perceived compromise