Knights of the Star Trek Table

Rocking Down the Highway...Part Deux

The things you find on the internet...thanks Chris

America's Victories

After telling you what I won't read, it's only fitting that I tell you what I do read...as if you really care.

But, in case someone actually gives a rip, here goes...

America's Victories is a book written by Larry Schweikart who also wrote, A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror. America's Victories explains how the culture of victory has endured through the darkest moments of World War II, Korean, and Vietnam, and how it has helped our troops prove their critics wrong over and over, from the Battle of New Orleans under Andrew Jackson to the war in Afghanistan under Tommy Franks.

While I don't fully agree with every conclusion Mr. Schweikart posits, the book never fails to be interesting and definitely gives a person food for thought. An easy read I recommend this book to those who are interested in American history and military affairs. Mr. Schweikart could use an editor more versed in the military as I have noted several errors in the identification of equipment and a few other things. It doesn't really draw from the points he's trying to make, but I know many in the military community would find these errors distracting.

Coming in OCT

I have really enjoyed watching this show...I guess I will have to bribe someone to record it and send the new episodes to me while we are in Iraq.

Girl Friday

The images of Elsa Bridges welcome this weekend. Enjoy!

God Bless This Family

From Texas Fred
What can you say but God bless them and thanks to that family for raising sons with that kind of courage and conviction of will.

It's a crying shame that those boys were killed...we morn every loss, but thank Him that they lived and were able to do what they did.


Texas Family Loses Both Sons to War - R.I.P. Soldiers
July 26th, 2006
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Less than two years ago, Roy Velez got the worst news a father could get: His oldest son was dead, killed during combat in Iraq.

This week, his pain only deepened with news that his youngest son had died in Afghanistan.

Military officials notified the Velez family Tuesday of the death of Army Spc. Andrew Velez, 22. His brother, Army Cpl. Jose A. Velez, 23, died in November 2004 in Fallujah when his unit came under fire while clearing an enemy stronghold.

“I can’t be angry. I feel like my heart’s been pulled out,” Roy Velez said Tuesday. “We’ve done what the Lord allowed us to do for our country.”

The family lost its only sons; there is one daughter.

Direct From CENTCOM

Here are LINKS to the latest news releases from CENTCOM. I'm sure all of this will be on the TV later tonight...don't hold your breath.

NEWS RELEASE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND
7115 South Boundary Boulevard
MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101

MND-B SOLDIERS DETAIN TERRORISTS, FIND WEAPONS CACHES & ROADSIDE BOMBS IN BABIL
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, captured five wanted terrorists and seized four weapons caches during a counter-insurgency mission which began at approximately 2 a.m. Monday and continued through approximately 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Sayifiyah, a city in Babil province.

Overall, the caches consisted of: a large caliber machine gun, a coax machinegun, an Iraqi MK-19 grenade launcher, an Iraqi .50-caliber machine gun, a rocket propelled grenade launcher, a 125mm and an 80mm projectile, 14 120mm mortar rounds, seven 80mm mortar rounds, 16 60mm mortar rounds, 50 25mm rounds, 16 22mm projectiles, 200 rounds of .50-caliber ammunition and two additional duffel bags full of .50-caliber ammunition, a box of miscellaneous ammunition, a variety of 12 grenades, an unknown amount of ammunition for the co-ax machine gun, and an unknown number of miscellaneous mortar rounds.

The caches also included a duffel bag full of miscellaneous bomb-making making materials, a duffle bag full of mortar fuses, a duffel bag full of detonation cord, and a wide variety of additional bomb-making material.

During the operations, Soldiers also disabled an improvised-explosive device and identified a vehicle-borne improvised-explosive device, which was destroyed by an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team.

The suspected terrorists were detained for questioning. No injuries were reported during the two-day mission.


IRAQI FORCES DIVERT MISSION TO AID CITIZEN IN DISTRESS

MND-B PATROL CAPTURES 6 DETAINEES, UNEARTHS WEAPONS CACHE
Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, noticed a suspicious burial site while conducting a dismounted combat patrol at approximately 2:15 p.m.
The Soldiers cordoned off the area and unearthed 14 120mm and 12 60mm mortar rounds, a box of miscellaneous ammunition, two mortar sites and other bomb-making materials.

The weapons cache was destroy in a controlled detonation by an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team

IPs, MND-B SOLDIERS SEIZE WEAPONS, DETAIN SUSPECTS

IA, MND-B SOLDIERS CAPTURE WEAPONS, MUNITIONS, 5 DETAINEES

1ST BCT SOLDIERS SEIZE WEAPONS, MUNITIONS
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Patrols from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division found weapons and munitions at sites north and west of Baghdad Monday night and Tuesday.

A patrol from 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, seized 1,000 7.62mm rounds, 800 PKC rounds, a 155mm artillery round, a German sniper rifle, a 9mm pistol, an AK-47 assault rifle and various bomb-making materials after responding to a tip west of Baghdad at approximately 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Another patrol from 1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt., seized various ammunition, consisting of 400 7.62mm rounds of ammunition, 12 AK-47 magazines with ammunition and 53 shotgun shells at approximately 11:30 p.m. Monday west of Baghdad.



COALITION FORCES CAPTURE TERRORIST AND ASSOCIATE NORTH OF TIKRIT

For these and other stories go to their WEBSITE

"Newspapers, you could fill a book with what's not printed in them."

Fiasco?

Websters On-Line Dictionary defines a fiasco as the following:

Main Entry: 1fi·as·co
Pronunciation: fE-'as-(")kO also -'äs-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -coes
Etymology: French, from Italian, from fare fiasco, literally, to make a bottle
: a complete failure

I ran across an ad pimping this new book by Thomas Ricks, who is the military scribbler in chief for the Washington Post the other day.

When I first saw it, my thoughts were why the HELL would I want to read that. Because any objective observer would be hard pressed to characterize the war in Iraq by that definition.

So why would he and his editors choose to name a book about the war in Iraq (OIF) by that name? Were they purposely choosing a title that would stir up people like me thereby creating a buzz where the rest of the country would notice the book? Or is Mr. Ricks idealogically driven and in fact believes that the entire campaign was and is a complete waste of time, assets and manpower? Or are they trying to sell the book to the anti-war crowd hoping that the other side would still buy it based on Mr. Ricks past works like Making the Corps.

This is the review at Amazon:

Amazon.com
Fiasco is a more strongly worded title than you might expect a seasoned military reporter such as Thomas E. Ricks to use, accustomed as he is to the even-handed style of daily newspaper journalism. But Ricks, the Pentagon correspondent for the Washington Post and the author of the acclaimed account of Marine Corps boot camp, Making the Corps, has written a thorough and devastating history of the war in Iraq from the planning stages through the continued insurgency in early 2006, and he does not shy away from naming those he finds responsible. His tragic story is divided in two. The first part--the runup to the war and the invasion in 2003--is familiar from books like Cobra II and Plan of Attack, although Ricks uses his many military sources to portray an officer class that was far more skeptical of the war beforehand than generally reported. But the heart of his book is the second half, beginning in August 2003, when, as he writes, the war really began, with the bombing of the Jordanian embassy and the emergence of the insurgency. His strongest critique is that the U.S. military failed to anticipate--and then failed to recognize--the insurgency, and tried to fight it with conventional methods that only fanned its flames. What makes his portrait particularly damning are the dozens of military sources--most of them on record--who join in his critique, and the thousands of pages of internal documents he uses to make his case for a war poorly planned and bravely but blindly fought. --Tom Nissley

Frankly I don't know. After wading through the opening chapter of Cobra II where I was "entertained" by the political leanings and clairvoyance of the authors, I'm not sure I could stand another round of that nonsense. Especially given that I'm returning to the "cradle of civilization" (it may have been born there but it left town as soon as it could) shortly, I'm not sure I want to spend my valuable time reading something that asserts that I wasted my time there the first time and I and all my comrades are wasting our time now. I'm also not sure I want to line the pockets of people who don't believe in what I'm doing and are implying that the 2,500+ killed over there were in vain.

Have I read the book? No I have not.

Is it fair that I criticize the book without reading it? Perhaps not, but if the author wanted me to read it, he shouldn't have entitled the book, Fiasco. Last time I looked the title of a book was meant to describe to the reader the contents of said book. With a title like Fiasco, I don't feel the need to go any further. "With a name like Smucker's it's got to be good", right? In this case I'll never know...at least not with my money...and even then not anytime soon.

Call me judgmental (I've been called worse) but I've been there (Iraq) and even though Mr. Ricks has traveled there 5 times (according to the interview at Amazon.com), hanging out in the FOB talking to strap hangers and the General doesn't equate to knowing what's really going on. Do I have all the answers? Oh, hell no, I certainly don't. And while mistakes have certainly been made over the course of this conflict, and things may have been run better...to call it a "fiasco" is a mistake as well. Fiasco a word so strong that it has stopped me from even considering buying a book. I wonder how many feel the same?

And You Thought Your Office Was Bad

I've said it before and I'll say it again, you can't beat chimps dressed as people on TV for comedy.

American Jedi

What happens when you cross Star Wars with the American Pie movies...

Hey there are worse ways to spend 8 minutes and thirty seconds!

A-10 Thunderbolt II

The Warthog to it friends. Another favorite of mine. When I was in USAF ROTC in college, and before I met up with calculus, I thought I might actually fly this aircraft one day. Well at least I've worked with them more than a few times over the years. Under appreciated, by the rest of the USAF, they are one of the best friends the infantryman has.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon

The "Electric Jet" or "Lawn Dart" you decide. When I was but a wee lad in Waco, TX, General Dynamics brrought an F-16 down to what was thhen known as James Connely airport to practice their demonstration for the Paris air show (that's Paris, France not Texas). Since that time, I have had a special place in my cold cold heart for that aircraft.

SO here's a little video. For those who notice such things the person who made this spliced some Vietnam bomb camera footage into it. If you didn't know the F-16 didn't fly in the Vietnam War.

Artists in Iraq

I saw this bit in the OPFOR Blog today...and it made me wonder (a dangerous thing that!)...Why doesn't the Army do a better job at things like this?

The Art of War
By Maj P

Apologies in advance, but I’m going to have to put in a shameless plug for a few of my fellow Marines.

We just landed our second combat artist in Iraq, Major Alex Durr. Alex is Old Corps; he flew F-4 Phantoms way back when, and F/A-18s later. These days (when he's not at the tip of the spear) he works for the airlines and has his own aviation art business. (See his latest on the cover of the July 06 Leatherneck.)

I don't know, maybe the Army does do a better job and I just don't know about it. I do know that they have some artists that are assigned to the Army historian or some such, but the Army program doesn't come anywhere near the USMC effort described by OPFOR or the USAF Art Collection.

I have made an effort in my unit to attract interested artists to visit, document activities, draw and paint and was met by several encouraging responses. We even received a donation of a work of art for the unit by an artist named Jim Morrision who is a former F-86 pilot and a member of the USAF Art Program.

Unfortunately, without a formal program like the USAF, we will never get the quantity and quality that they do without paying for it like many units have done. Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking Mr. Dietz or any other artist that does commissions for units. They are entitled to make a living as much as the next guy.

My desire is that the Army would attempt to better document the history that is occurring by inviting established artists to accompany soldier artists in visiting units and documenting their activities in the manner that the USAF has done since the fifties. It's in our tradition to do so (see Fredrick Remington) and it adds more emotion that a mere photograph or video could ever do. I don't know, that's my 2 cents.

Tweaking the Religion of Peace (™)

As suggested by Bernie @ Planck's Constant I am posting this picture of the lovely Scarlett to aid in the fight against terrorism. Read his post and you'll understand.

It is our duty as patriotic red-blooded Americans to aid in this effort to wipe out the narrow minded, 6th century, woman hating, goat fornicating terrorists by posting, printing and distributing as many of these and like images as we can find.

You have your marching orders...execute!

Equal Time For The USAF

Here's a video featuring the USAF's great WARTHOG pilots...in "HOG WILD MANUAL BOMBING".






Additionally here are some links to some definitely NOT SAFE FOR WORK and of questionable taste videos featuring our mighty Air Force. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Gold Bond Powder USAF

THE PILOT SONG

WHAAAASUP...F-14

Your tax payer dollars at work...fun and games on the boat...er ship.

Speaking of SEALs

60 Minutes did a piece on this SEAL Team operating in Afganistan. This is a little long but worth it, and you don't have to watch CBS to see it.

SEAL Ship

This is pretty cool...H/T SEA SPOOK

DefenseTech.org: Every shipbuilder in the Navy these days talks about how his hulking destroyer or Cold War sub is now going to sneak SEALs onto shore. A couple of weeks back, Military.com overlord Chris Michel was down in San Diego, and saw a pretty cool new prototype ship that's been designed from scratch to handle the mission.

The 89-foot, 60-ton Stiletto will be one of the quickest ships in the fleet, using four Caterpillar C32 engines to cruise at 50 knots or more. It'll also be one of the sneakiest, according to New Scientist.

Stiletto's hull has a double-M shape that channels the wake under the craft. There it mixes with oncoming air to produce froth that lifts the ship part-way out of the water, reducing drag and increasing stability, says Greg Glaros, the programme's leader at the defence department's Office of Force Transformation.

For the rest go HERE
or HERE

Scarlett and the Burka

Bernie over at Plank's Constant has an interesting post about "The Religion of Peace" (™)

Their consistancy in upholding the standard of their faith is about as spotty as Michael Irvin's NFL drug tests...head on over for some nice comentary and some even nicer pictures of Scarlett Johansson.

Interesting Piece About War Videos

When I watched this I found the reaction of some of the bands interviewed surprising. Some of the other stuff is par for the course. Watch a little spot MTV showed about video, the Internet and bands whose music soldiers use.

Shepard Smith Artillery Spotter

I turn on the news this AM to get my Kerin Chetry fix and what to my wondering eyes should appear but Shep Smith of FOX News giving a live report from the middle east, telling us that rockets have just been fired at Israeli troops/ towns and what these rockets are landing near to.

I'm sure someone at the Hezbollah HQ appreciates the info.

This is a classic example of why many in the military dislike and mistrust the press. Even though Mr. Smith stated several times that he didn't want to violate Israeli censorship laws and give information useful to the Hezbollah...I'm pretty sure he gave useful info up...don't know about breaking Israel's law however.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think he did this on purpose. In fact he said several times he didn't want to do specifically what he did, and therein lies the rub. If you don't really understand military affairs how can a reporter decide accurately on his/her own what is or isn't hurtful to one side or another? If they are supposed to be neutral observers in this whole thing (which they steadfastly profess to be) how can they justify actions which amount to them being forward observers for one side in the conflict?

If anyone needed evidence that the press needs training in the art of war...there you have it. It's also interesting, to me at least, how the various networks are sending multiple reporters to cover this new/old conflict (which is newsworthy), but as far as I know no big name TV person has been to Iraq since that reporter got blowed up back in the spring...oh well, if any of you (by you I mean reporters) manage to get your asses back in country anytime this fall, through the fall of '07 get in touch with me, I'll make sure you've got a cot available. You might actually find something to report...and maybe you won't put us in danger when you do.

More Real Men of Genius

Here's to you Mr. Really Really Bad Dancer

3rd ACR's Iraq Video

Here's some video from 4-3 ACR's Apache's in action...

Helicopter Video

This is pretty good stuff...ENJOY!

News From The Front

From The Washington Times article Inside the Ring

Good stuff.

From the front
It has been said that many combat veterans find God in a foxhole. Our troops are also finding that out in the streets of Iraq. We received an e-mail from Army Capt. Dave Pate about an incident that took place earlier this month.
U.S. soldiers working with troops of the Iraqi army's 3rd Brigade, 6th Division, came under small-arms fire July 7 and ended up chasing one terrorist into a nearby mosque. As they were shooting, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was fired at Capt. Pate and his team, which had been lured into a trap.
"I just wanted to drop a line and thank the Lord for his protection today," he said in the July 7 e-mail.
"My team took small arms fire and chased some terrorists through the city today. They ended up holing up in a mosque, where they proceeded to fire their machine guns on us. It was a trap, because as we opened up, we began to take fire from all around, and were hit with grenades and mortars, too. When things were really getting hot, I heard an RPG leave its gun tube. I looked up and saw the RPG coming right for us, but a power line got in its way and veered it off course, causing it to impact about 50 feet above us into a building directly to our rear. We ended up with no one hurt, but one enemy [killed in action], three wounded and 24 prisoners. It was a great day. I've never felt so proud to be an American.
"I'll never forget the sound it made as it flew toward us," he said in an e-mail to his pastor, Mark Chanski, of the Reformed Baptist Church of Holland, Mich., who shared it with us after receiving Capt. Pate's permission.
Capt. Pate noted that there were no angry Iraqis after the mosque shooting. "You would think the people would have been angry," he said. "But when we were driving back with the dead and wounded and other prisoners, people were everywhere in the streets, and wouldn't let us pass. They were all giving us the thumbs up, waving, giving high fives, holding up their kids for us to kiss, it was unbelievable. The people were so happy that we got those bad guys."

Car Ad

I'm fairly certain this is about a car of some sort, I'm really not sure...

ARH-70's First Flight

-- Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company today announced that the Bell ARH-70A completed its first two flights Thursday, July 20, 2006. The aircraft took off from Bell XworX in Arlington, Texas and flew multiple handling maneuvers, flew in a hover for both in and out of ground effect, and flew in a traffic pattern reaching 80 knots, 500 ft. altitude, with banks up to 30 degrees for a little more than 1.5 hours of flight. The flights delineate the ARH program as one of the fastest ‘contract to flight’ programs ever completed and set a new standard for such acquisitions. For the rest of Bell Helicopter's propaganda click HERE

Color me surprised if this aircraft makes it to the user and we really get something substantially better than the OH-58D that the Army has already...yes I'm cynical...get over it.

Rocking Down the Highway...with apologies to the Doobies

If you ever wonder what it's like to fly a helicopter in Iraq here's a taste...

This video is shamelessly stolen from The Price of Freedom

When Does It Stop?

This is from Rantingprofs

Detainees Used Al-Qaeda Prison Manual, Report Says

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 20, 2006; Page A12

The first wave of detainees at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, created their own internal organizational structure to maintain morale, resist interrogation and recruit members, adhering to instructions in a 10-year-old al-Qaeda training manual, according to a classified report by analysts in the CIA's Counterterrorism Center.

"Authorities at GTMO [Guantanamo] noted that detainees while at Camp X-Ray [the initial holding facility] created this structure and took on these roles," according to the August 2002 report, which was first made public last week on the Web site the Smoking Gun...


Rantingprofs says:
"At what point are people going to realize that some documents are classified, not because this particular administration has a creepy penchant for secrecy, and not because it's trying to cover up embarrassing or illegal activity, but because some things have to be kept secret in any war?"



My reply to that question, it won't REALLY stop till people stop leaking, or we find and prosecute people who leak secrets. Secondly, most of these sites do what they do to increase sales or traffic, yeah there is some ideology involved but for the most part it's pure pathetic selfish self promotion. There are a lot of people that for whatever reason don't or won't realize that there are things bigger than themselves...and that's what's really sad about this.

Girl Friday

Pennelope Jimenez is back this Friday...have a wonderful weekend.

The Shame Of It All

I just found out that my race is responsible for the following..

"Malt liquor is made by white beer companies but only sold in black neighborhoods, and you don't get suspicious? They put a thing in it called manganese, and once you get so much manganese in you, you will kill your momma, but they've got you believing that's normal for you to act that way."

Who said this?

Dick Gregory while speaking at the NAACP convention.

It would be really funny if he and others actually didn't believe that this and other statements like it were true. I also heard that there was some kind of conspiracy surrounding spinner rims...not sure of the details but I will breathlessly report them when or if they become available.

For more on this look HERE

H/T MOONBATTERY

Axis of What?

For all those out there who thought old GWB had started drinking again when he made the statement about the "Axis of Evil" I present you this...

US says Iranians witnessed N.Korea missile test
Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:19am ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One or more Iranians witnessed North Korea's recent missile tests, deepening U.S. concerns about growing ties between two countries with troubling nuclear capabilities, a top U.S. official said on Thursday.

Asked at a U.S. Senate hearing about reports that Iranians witnessed the July 4 tests, Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill, the chief U.S. negotiator with Pyongyang, replied: "Yes, that is my understanding" and it is "absolutely correct" that the relationship is worrisome.

Hill's comments are believed to be the first public U.S. confirmation that Iranian representatives observed the seven tests, which involved one launch of a long-range ballistic missile, which failed soon after being fired, and six tests of short and medium-range missiles. Hill said the six succeeded in hitting their target range.

But U.S. officials have long said that Iran and North Korea have been collaborating and have expressed serious concerns that cash-strapped Pyongyang was keen to sell missiles and possibly also nuclear material. "Our understanding is that North Korea has had a number of commercial relations in the Middle East with respect to missiles," Hill said.

Read the rest HERE

Jessica Biel Update

Jul 19, 11:21 PM (ET)

DENVER (AP) - A date with Esquire's "The Sexiest Woman Alive" and "7th Heaven" star Jessica Biel raised $30,000 to help a teenager who lost her leg in a prom night limousine accident.

Denver media reported the winning bid Tuesday came from a man identified only as John. In all the event dubbed "Mollypalooza" raised $38,000 help Molly Bloom's family with medical expenses, organizers told the television stations and the Rocky Mountain News.

Bloom lost a leg and part of her pelvis in the May 13 accident and was undergoing rehabilitation at a Denver hospital.

"(Biel) has this opportunity to create a buzz that would provide some support and she's more than happy to do that," Jonathan Biel, Biel's father told KMGH-TV. He said it was his daughter's idea to hold the auction for a lunch date.

The rest is HERE

Things Are Not Always What They Appear To Be...

H/T to ROFASix for pointing me to this Ad.

Get Up On This...

One of the best commercials ever...

Porn Star Running For GOV as a Republican...a Candidate You Can Get Behind

From our friends at Ace of Spades. I wonder what her position on the issues might be (maybe reverse cowgirl?).

Pornstar Mimi Miyagi Running For Governor In Nevada, As Republican
–by Ace
Wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off.

Oh, wait, that's Mr. Miyagi.

This is Mimi Miyagi.

Hmmm... still works.

Wax on, wax off. Wax on, wax off. Daniel-san stiff from work-out.

More on this story at Right Wing News

Vader's Piggly Wiggly

Behold Chad Vader, Day Shift Manager (episode 1)

Luke Wilson Playboy Gate Crasher

Proof positive (as if we needed it) that even rich actors can be sad and desperate. If this had happened to me I don't know that I would be admitting to such in a interview...I mean what is the objective of this admission?!? Odd stuff.

Washington, July 16: Actor Luke Wilson revealed that he had been left devastated when he was banned from entering the gates of the famous Playboy Mansion for over a year.

Wilson admitted that he had been banned after he was caught trying to sneak a pal inside Hugh Hefner’s house for a party by passing him off as his actor brother Owen Wilson.

"I got DNA-ed from the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. That means "do not admit" - that`s their special word. I tried to get a friend in and I`d shown up and they said `Who are you with` and I`m like `I`m with my brother Owen` and they`re like `We need to see him`. It was actually my friend Eckelman, who doesn`t look anything like Owen. I was not allowed to go there for a year and a half," Contactmusic quoted him, as saying...the rest is HERE

They're Religious...but not THAT Religious

In this news release from CENTCOM we find that coalition forces captures drugs and weapons from an extremist compound. So let me get this straight; booze is a no-go, kids can't fly kites, women can't show their faces in public but dealing in herion...yeah that's OK. If we needed any more evidence that these people were just a little of center there you have it. The religion of peace and in this case the "White Horse" as well.

COMBINED FORCES COMMAND - AFGHANISTAN COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 18, 2006
Release # 060718-07

Extremists linked to drug trade

KABUL , Afghanistan - Coalition Soldiers have seized an
estimated $3 million in opium from an extremist compound July 13 after a
Coalition patrol held off more than two dozen fighters until additional
firepower arrived.
Following the engagement, the Soldiers found five dead
extremists, but believe many more were killed.
A search of the compound found 70 kilograms of opium paste,
a rocket propelled grenade launcher, four rockets, an AK-47 and
ammunition, a passport and other documents.
"Recovering these weapons and drugs increases the safety and
security of Afghans, and reduces the danger posed by criminals and
extremists who might use those munitions indiscriminately to cause harm
on the Afghan people, Afghan security forces or Coalition forces ," said
Col. Thomas Collins, Coalition spokesman. "This engagement also
confirms with physical evidence that the extremists are linked to the
drug trade in southern Afghanistan ."



-30-

The X-Hawk

From the Dallas Morning News...more stuff HERE

July 18, 2006

Bell, Partner Look Into Future

They hope to lure contract to develop flying personnel carrier
By Richard Whittle, The Dallas Morning News

FARNBOROUGH, England – Batman might be jealous if he saw a futuristic concept for a flying armored personnel carrier that Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. and an Israeli partner unveiled Monday.

Bell and Israel's Urban Aerospace are seeking a $500,000 contract from the Office of Naval Research to develop the X-Hawk, a scale model of which was displayed at the Farnborough International Airshow.

The X-Hawk can take off and land vertically like a helicopter, but without the exposed rotors that can make it difficult or impossible for a traditional chopper to operate around buildings or power lines.

Bell and its partner envision selling it for Special Weapons and Tactics teams, special operations troops and rescue squads, who could use it to get to problems fast and enter high-rise buildings from windows high above ground.

It's sort of a flying Humvee, but more streamlined.

Aerospace engineer Rafi Yoeli, president and chief executive of Urban Aeronautics, admitted that the X-Hawk's gee-whiz exterior has been a hindrance during the five years he's been working on it.

"People were thinking, 'Oh, come on, the Jetsons again,' " Mr. Yoeli said.

Star Wars Therapy

Darth Vader is off his meds...H/T MY Pet Jawa

Ah Ha! It's the Family Guy

Pretty Pandas Dancing

One of my all time favorite commercials.

Since I've been posting all this serious stuff about traitors...I could use a laugh.

Newspaper of Weasels

As seen in Michelle Malkin's BLOG...

IN THE COMPANY OF THE ENEMY
By Michelle Malkin · July 16, 2006 08:13 AM
Which side are they on? The New York Times settles the question definitively with a hysterical, unreality-based lead editorial today recycling the BDS attacks on the War on Terror--but even more so with this disgusting pictorial tribute to Iraqi terrorists killing American soldiers, spotted by the vigilant Charles Johnson at LGF. The picture featured by the Times is just one of many being hawked here as a photo compilation titled "In the Company of God by award-winning New York Times photographer, Joao Silva." A sample:








I don't know why this particular act does it for me...but I'm done with these clowns. I don't advocate physical violence against these people, but they need to pay. It is reprehensible that any newspaper in the United States of America would feel that it's acceptable to publish photographs and promote the work of individuals who choose to travel with our enemies and make money off of same said photos. Since money is what they seek, that is the way to hurt them...they need to be driven out of business. If they believe that it is OK to try and make money off of images like this...then they need to be made to pay.

It's a shame that the guy taking those pictures didn't meet up with a Mike model Hellfire as he was hanging with some of the assholes my unit fought against...maybe next time you piece of crap.

UpDATE: This is new to me at least...pirated from the fine folks at MOONBATTERY comes this little statement made by the IOC (Idiot in Charge) at the NY Times, Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger...

"Pinch was a political activist in the Sixties, and was twice arrested in anti-Vietnam protests. One day, the elder Sulzberger asked his son what Pinch calls, "the dumbest question I've ever heard in my life." If an American soldier runs into a North Vietnamese soldier, which would you like to see get shot? Young Arthur answered, "I would want to see the American get shot. It's the other guy's country." Some Sixties activists have since thought better of their early enthusiasms. Pinch hasn't"

It's tragic that a supposedly educated man would feel that way not just in his misguided youth but even later in life when he's had a chance to reflect and see just how stupid he may have been...sad and tragic indeed.

What a Shocker...

From the "Inside the Ring" article in the Washington Times

Ever since Powerline.com posted a letter from Lt. Tom Cotton in Iraq to the New York Times, some on the left have insisted no such person exists. It's too neat, they say. A Harvard law graduate gives up his law practice to enlist in the Army to fight terrorists? Can't be.

But the Army assures us that one Tom Cotton does exist. He is fighting today as a member of the 101st Airborne Division, 506th Infantry Regiment. Maybe the left cannot imagine that such men exist. But there are likely many more out there, men and women who put aside promising civilian careers to join the military after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Gen. Peter Schoomaker, Army chief of staff, was so taken by Lt. Cotton's umbrage at the Times for revealing how the United States tracks al Qaeda cash that the four-star general sent it to soldiers via e-mail.

Said an Army spokesman: "The Army chief of staff routinely communicates with the Army's generals and soldiers about subjects of great concern. One of those subjects is operational security. In fact, he has been emphasizing for over a year not posting on personal Web sites photographs of bomb damage from attacks on soldiers and not Web logging information that could assist enemies targeting our soldiers."

A senior Treasury Department official told Congress this week that the Times disclosure has had negative effects on the U.S. government's ability to trace al Qaeda financing.

"This disclosure compromised one of our most valuable programs and will only make our efforts to track terrorist financing — and to prevent terrorist attacks — harder," said Stuart Levey, undersecretary of Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence.

Way Too Proud of Texas Guy

Many of you are no doubt familiar with the Bud Light ad campaign, "Real Men of Genius." The latest version that is playing around here is entitled Mr. Way Too Proud of Texas Guy.

What is interesting about the ad, to me at least, is that some of the stuff mentioned in the ad I am guilty of, as are a lot of other Texans...so is it bad marketing or a clever ad that will pay off in the end? I guess it's up to the listener to decide. Personally I find it pretty funny...but it doesn't make me want to buy Bud Light.

Here are the words from the song for those who don't want to follow the LINK.

Bud Light Presents Real Men of Genius.
Real Men of Genius
Today we salute you Mr. Way Too Proud of Texas Guy.
Mr. Way Too Proud of Texas Guy!
Men from lesser states might know their state’s capital, but you? You know you’re state’s bird, tree and even reptile.
Love that horny toad.
You display your pride with your Lone Star tattoo, “Native Texan” bumper sticker, and contempt for any state that doesn’t start with “Tex” and end with “as.”
That spells Texas.
Sure, there are 49 other states in the Union, but they are smaller, wussier, and the people talk funny.
Yankee wussies.
So crack open a nice cold Bud Light, oh lover of the Lone Star state. Because all that flag waving must have made you thirsty.

The Internet is for P0rn

Check out this very funny video...

What's Your Bid?

When I first saw the article, I thought, "What the hell?". But, after reading the entire thing, this lady is doing a good thing.

What the hell, place your bids!

Date With Jessica Biel to Be Auctioned

Jul 14, 10:44 PM (ET)

DENVER (AP) - A date with Esquire's "The Sexiest Woman Alive" and "7th Heaven" star Jessica Biel will be up for bid next week to help raise money for a teenager who lost her leg in a prom night limousine accident, Denver newspapers reported this week.

The event dubbed "Mollypalooza" to help Molly Bloom's family with medical expenses is scheduled for Tuesday at the Rock Island Club, organizers told The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. The News described the date as a lunch date.

In an audio message posted on the Internet, Biel urges listeners to support the event and she said: "I intend to submit a very special auction item as my contribution to the evening."

The rest can be seen HERE

Even on DVD we won't see Mo'

'South Park' guys still upset

Friday, July 14, 2006; Posted: 10:11 a.m. EDT (14:11 GMT)

PASADENA, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- The creators of "South Park" lambasted Comedy Central Thursday for removing an episode that lampooned Scientology and Tom Cruise from the network's repeat schedule and for blanking out the image of Muhammad during another episode.

"So there are two things we can't do on Comedy Central: show Muhammad or Tom Cruise," Trey Parker said during the MTV Networks portion of the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour.

Parker and Matt Stone said they had no doubt that the "Trapped in the Closet" episode was yanked as a result of Cruise's starring this summer in "Mission: Impossible III," the movie from Paramount, Comedy Central's sister company...

...Regarding the decision not to air the image of Muhammad during the "Cartoon Wars" episode, the pair said it was a corporate decision that could become a slippery slope if other groups begin making threats and affecting content. They also noted that Muhammad seems to be off limits, while it is "open season" on Jesus, who happens to be a "South Park" character. (Depictions of Muhammad are strictly prohibited in Islam.)

Comedy Central president Doug Herzog admitted, "It's tough, but I think I would say we did overreact. ... Matt and Trey enjoy a fair amount of creative freedom. History might show that we overreacted, and we will live with that."

He added that the image probably will not be shown on the DVD version either, but "I look forward to the day when we can uncover it."


Why do some people bend over backward to kiss the asses of people who would slit your throat in a second, but never bat an eyelash when someone defiles Jesus Christ? AMAZING

Apache Down...Pilots Rescued

I'm sure we'll hear a lot more about this in the future...wait what the hell am I thinking. I guess I'll just wait for the book to come out. In the meantime here's a little bit about the crash of an Apache in Iraq and the rescue of the crew from today's Killeen Daily Herald.

4th Infantry general praises rescuers


By Debbie Stevenson
Killeen Daily Herald

A senior general in the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq praised the pilots and their rescuers after the crash of an Apache helicopter gunship Thursday in an insurgent hotbed southwest of Baghdad.

Both pilots escaped unharmed from the wreckage and were rescued within minutes by a helicopter crew flying nearby.

"The great skill and quick reactions of the pilots enabled them to walk away," said Brig. Gen. David Haverson, the 4th Infantry's assistant division commander for support.

The pilots from the 4th Infantry's Multinational Division-Baghdad crashed about 2 p.m. local time. Within 10 minutes, both were on board a Black Hawk helicopter from the 101st Airborne Division that had come to their aid, a division news release stated.

The Apache pilots were taken to nearby medical facilities and returned to duty later that day, the release stated.

Ground troops from the 101st Airborne's 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, quickly secured the crash site and assisted in the recovery of the Apache, the Army's premier attack helicopter.

"This incident has shown what great teamwork is all about," Halverson said. "Coalition forces brought expertise from all areas and displayed that warrior ethos – in record time – to recover our pilots and begin recovery of their aircraft."

The cause of the crash remained unknown Thursday, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, the division's spokesman, in an e-mail from Baghdad.

The rest can be found HERE

Damn You Napster

Girl Friday

Courtney Culkin welcomes this Friday and the weekend.

Ruck Up

and move out...from Cox & Forkum

What is This The Third Grade?!?

This picture was shamelessly stolen from the Texican Tattler


As if I needed another reason to hate football soccer...

PARIS (Reuters) - Zinedine Zidane said on Wednesday that Italian defender Marco Materazzi insulted his mother and his sister during the World Cup final against Italy.

The French captain reacted to the insult by head-butting Materazzi's chest in the second period of extra time of the match. He was sent off.

And then one of his teammates needed a cootie shot because some girl in the stands touched him....

Apparently in Europe they don't allow taunting in elementary school, so it's possible to reach adulthood, play in the world championship soccer match, and then get kicked out of the same game because someone said something about your Mom and sister...I'm shocked he didn't use the standard, "That's not cool man, my Mom died a few months ago." comeback. What a boob.

The World Cup, the only place you can see worse acting than a movie with Madonna in it.

This Is What Happens When You Watch Too Much MTV

The balding white dude is really getting the chicks worked up with his dance moves in this one...

If You Build It He WIll Come

Being a Mustang owner I find this really cool...but I don't think you have to own one to enjoy this.

It's Time For a Cartoon

This was drawn by Michael Ramirez

The Next X-Men Movie

This is REALLY disturbing!

Blast from the Past

...from back when MTV actually played videos.

IMHO, the best videos ever made...other than the one with that girl writhing on the hood of Whitesnake's car of course ;-).

Idiot Loose in Florida

What follows is bits and pieces of an article printed in the Gainesville, FL newspaper, written by one Chas Chiodo...to see the entire thing go HERE.
It is a perfect example of, just because a person served in the military, it doesn't necessarily mean that their (or even my) opinion should be given any special consideration. This guy is a weasel that is trying to trade on his military experience to say that we're all criminals...except him of course. And who the hell prints an article under the name Chas, Charles?

I don't support the troops
By CHAS CHIODO

Special to the Sun
July 08. 2006 6:01AM

I'm a military combat veteran and critic of our government's invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, and I don't support the troops. I'll protest in the streets to end the war, and when the troops come home, I'll do what I can to see that they get the benefits and treatment they need and deserve. That's my contribution to the troops.

Many people "oppose the war but support the troops." Rotten war, brave soldiers. I don't buy this at all. Although little Johnny or Judy might have once been that nice kid next door, he or she may now be engaged in massacres and atrocities.

"The troops" are waging war against a civilian population, making little or no attempt to distinguish between "insurgents" and "collateral" innocents in the vicinity. When faced with frequent sniping, mines, ambushes and treachery by supposed local "allies," even the best-trained occupation armies soon become brutal, sadistic, cynical and demoralized.

That is just plain wrong. Maybe in Mr. Chiodo's fevered imagination this is going on. I was truly surprised at how much restraint soldiers displayed while I was there...he is so wrong on this it boggles the mind.



People are convinced that however evil, wicked and misguided the president might have been to launch the war, the ordinary soldiers who are actually waging it are overwhelmingly dedicated and honorable. The average person thinks that "99.9 percent of the troops" are as pure as driven snow, our "best and brightest." I don't buy either of those jingoistic platitudes. When I was in the military, it was composed of many different kinds of people, including a fair share of losers, brutes and bloodthirsty thugs.

Well, your politics are showing now Mister. If anyone honestly believes that the President of the United States is in fact EVIL...you need to step away from the Kool-Aid right now. Yes, he has made mistakes. Could things have been done differently? Of course they could. But evil, give me a break.

The problem in Iraq and Afghanistan is not that the U.S. forces have a few bad apples. The barrel itself is rotten. To remain morally upright, people need to steer clear of voluntary association with criminals and acting as their mercenaries.


The American military machine has killed and tortured millions of innocent people and will continue to do so until made to stop. I call on my fellow vets to heed Thoreau's advice that we use our lives to "stop the machine" and thereby expiate the legacy of pain, suffering and death we participated in.

You are a sad misguided man, Mr. Chiodo.
H/T Blackfive

Since You Brought It Up

I will apologize up front and tell those who come here for gratuitous references to Eva Longoria or random shots of T&A that you're going to be disappointed with this one. Additionally I wouldn't expect those who aren't Army Aviators to fully understand the full context of what I'm writing...but I would like to get this off my chest.

I was reading a post over at ROFASix concerning the possible shoot-down of three AH-64s in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it dredged up in my mind a bunch of issues about the way Aviation is structured and run in the US Army.

For those who don't know I have been an Army Aviator (that's a pilot to most people) for nearly 20 years. I have no doubt that the things that bother me today have been going on since the Wright Brothers sold the Army its first airplane back at the turn of the last century...but they bother me none the less.

When I attended the Warrant Officer Advanced Course back in 2000, I wrote as part of the course a paper outlining the need for and how to implement building an organization along the lines of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, USN "Top Gun" and the USMC Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron (MAWTS-1). These units not only teach aviators who return to their units to train other aviators on how to fight and win, but they also serve as the clearing house and distributor of lessons learned and development of new Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTP) for the rest of the aviation force.

Over the years (because the Army currently has no similar program for its aviators) various Army units have sent aviators to other services schools (mostly MAWTS-1) to expand their tactical knowledge. The US Army Aviation Center at Ft. Rucker, AL recently formed a Tactics Branch and has begun publishing a Tactics Newsletter...which is a step in the right direction, but not nearly enough.

At the root of the problem, as I see it, is the insistence of the "Army" (I say "Army" because I can't pin this on anyone or even a particular headquarters it's more of a cultural issue as much as I can tell)when we produce TTP or Field Manuals (FM) to write them in a one size fits all mode. For instance if you were to pick up manuals regarding Attack Helicopter operations you will find things like zone reconnaissance or deliberate attack...they are laid out in excruciating detail, some commanders insist that when conducting these operations in training that they be done in exact compliance with these FMs. We've become the Soviet Army!

Actually in reality on the battlefield, aviators do what needs to be done to get the job done. Pilots talk with each other like they have done since the dawn of aviation, pass along what works and what doesn't and the job gets done.

What our manuals should be is like the playbook of an NFL team. A bunch of different plays that can be used, discarded or modified as necessary to facilitate mission completion. There is for some reason a slavish devotion to having everything mapped out second by second from one phase line to the next. Some people believe that if you brief that you are going to patrol a certain sector and it isn't rehearsed and a rock drill done that all hell will break out as soon as you take off. The problem is that the enemy gets a vote, and the second we make contact everything becomes fluid. SO shouldn't we in fact be training on basic plays (as it were) from which all operations can be conducted, and remain flexible?

Finally, we have the issue of people refusing to change or do things the way the other services do them, because we can't do things like the Air Force! Not that it's not a good idea...but because of politics or it's not "Hooah" (I can't begin to express how much I despise that expression) enough. Interestingly enough this comes from Army Aviators not Infantry or Armor Officers (who couldn't care less what we do, as long as we're there for them when they need us). Case in point, upon returning from Iraq in 2004, based on my experiences in theater, I saw a need for my Battalion's aviators to be able to coordinate fixed wing assets (which are on station 24/7 in theater)and utilize their capabilities to synchronize and maximize fires on the objective in support of the ground commander. I saw this need as especially critical given that not all ground battalions in theater has qualified JTACs and the USAF hasn't filled all their ALO billets as required by doctrine. SO we made the case to our chain of command to send some of our aviators to be trained as Forward Air Controllers (Airborne) (FAC(A)). TO make a long story even longer 4 of our pilots came back from MAWTS-1 trained as FAC(A), they were staying current, dong controls with nearby Fixed Wing units...but people at Ft. Rucker didn't like what we did, because, "we don't do CAS (Close Air Support), we do Close Combat Attack." Which misses the point entirely because FAC(A) is about employing assets it isn't about the Air Tasking Order or even about roles and missions. It is about utilizing the assets that were already there, and will be there on the battlefield and synchronizing them to achieve synergistic effects for the commander on the ground...and after all, isn't that what it is all about.

Why is that so difficult for them to understand? Maybe if they would quit worrying about getting flight suits that look like what the ground-pounder is wearing and start thinking about how we can do our jobs better...but what the hell do I know anyway?

HALOSCAN

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

So as a result all your previous comments have been wiped off the map...sorry. It's not that I don't value them, because I honestly do, I thought a change was necessary and now as a result "Trackback" is now available. Not that I ever say that much that is worth tracking back to.

Once again, I apologize for wiping your witty repartee off the map...feel free to re-populate the board again at you leisure.

Some Things Just Don't Look Right

I have always found the V-22 and it's research predecessor the XV-15 facinating...but this shot (it's real) just doesn't look like something that should be happening.



For more V-22 stuff check out this GALLERY at the NAVAIR V-22 page.

Here's some other stuff that dosen't quite look so strange...

Those Wacky Brits

IS THIS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN THE WORLD?
Now I always thought that she was the best looking woman on that God forsaken show...but in the WORLD?



According to the Daily Mail These are the top ten most beautiful women in the WORLD...yes that's right...THE WORLD.

The Top Ten

1. Kristin Davis
2. Catherine Zeta-Jones
3. Halle Berry
4. Nicole Kidman
5. Charlize Theron
6. Kate Beckinsale
7. Kate Winslet
8. Eva Longoria
9. Jennifer Aniston
10. Angelina Jolie

And They Say There Aren't Any Heroes...

UPDATE: I guess I was a little late to the party on this one. The original post for this can be seen HERE (My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy)that was posted last month...but I'm sure you'll agree it needs repeating over and over again.

NARRATIVE NOMINATING SSG DAVID BELLAVIA FOR THE MEDAL OF HONOR DURING OPERATION PHANTOM FURY
FALLUJAH, IRAQ


On the night of 10 November 2004 Third Platoon, A Company, Task Force 2-2 IN near OBJ Wolf in Fallujah, Iraq, was ordered to attack to destroy six to eight Anti Iraqi Forces (AIF). 1LT Edward Iwan, the A Company Executive Officer, had identified six to eight AIF who had entered a block of twelve buildings. These AIF had engaged A55 and tanks from Team Tank with automatic weapons and rocket fire. Having a 25 mm cannon malfunction, 1LT Edward Iwan cordoned off the area and called Third Platoon to enter and clear all buildings until the AIF were killed or captured.

The first nine buildings yielded many AK47s, Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers, rockets, assorted ammunition, and flak vests. When they came to the tenth home, SSG Colin Fitts, 1st Squad Leader, led his squad of soldiers into the house, with four soldiers from SSG Bellavias 2nd Squad. SGT Hugh Hall, 1st Squad, B Team Leader and SGT Warren Misa 1st Squad, A Team Leader, established a quick foothold in the interior of the house. When SGT Misa attempted to clear the second room he encountered heavy enemy fire. Two AIF were under a stairwell, well covered behind a three-foot barrier, engaging SGT Misa and SPC Lance Ohle as they attempted to move into the room. At that point, multiple bursts of automatic and semi-automatic gunfire were exchanged from extremely close quarters. As rounds impacted near the entry point of the house, nine Third Platoon soldiers became fixed inside the house. At that moment, fire erupted from a kitchen ground floor window onto the inner cordon in the carport of the house. At one point, gun fire was being exchanged inside and outside of the house, as a total of three dismounted squads from Third Platoon were in contact.

SSG Bellavia quickly requested a M240B machine gun and a M249 SAW to suppress the AIF under the stairs in an effort to break contact and consolidate the platoon. Rounds from the insurgent side of the wall began impacting through the poorly made plaster. Multiple soldiers were bleeding from the face from flying debris. Two soldiers had glass and metal shards in their face, one soldier had been grazed on the side of his stomach underneath his vest and at least six others were bleeding from some cut or scrape from the point blank fire they were receiving. As two soldiers answered the request for support, it became apparent that the entrance to the building was extremely dangerous from ricocheting rounds.

Rather than place his soldier at risk, SSG Bellavia moved quickly to come to the aid of the squad. He exchanged weapon systems with a M249 SAW gunner and entered the fatal funnel of the room. The enemy was crouched behind the barrier and continued to fire at the doorway of the house where SSG Bellavia was positioned. With enemy rounds impacting around him, he fired the SAW at a cyclic rate of fire, forcing the enemy to take cover and allowing the squad to break contact and move into the street to consolidate. SSG Bellavias actions undoubtedly saved the lives of that squad.

As the platoon gathered outside to get accountability of personnel, two or more AIF engaged Third Platoon from the roof. Rounds ricocheted off the ground and SSG Fitts moved his squad to an adjacent building to over watch the AIF on the roofs. SSG Bellavia grabbed an M16 rifle and headed back to the outside of the house. SSG Bellavia called for a Bradley Fighting Vehicle to come up and suppress the outside of the building. The high walls of the enemy strong point made it difficult at close proximity to get well-aimed 25mm cannon fire into the actual building. AIF again engaged Third Platoon from windows.

After the BFV suppressed the house, SSG Bellavia decided to move back inside the house to determine the effects of the BFV fire and whether the AIF still occupied the bottom floor of the house. He placed two SAW gunners and SSG Scott Lawson into the courtyard as the inner cordon. Michael Ware, a TIME magazine journalist, entered the house with SSG Bellavia.

SSG Bellavia entered the house and told SSG Lawson to stay outside until he was needed in the second room. The only two people that went into the house at first were Michael Ware and SSG Bellavia. SSG Bellavia heard AIF whispering from the other side of the wall. Mr. Ware was told to run out if anything happened inside the second room. The journalist insisted on going into the second room. SSG Bellavia got in a low crouched fighting position and quickly pie wedged the first room and fired his M16A4. The enemy immediately fired back with a belt fed RPK machine gun. SSG Bellavia quickly turned away from the fire. The AIF had fire superiority and SSG Bellavia didnt have time to get off well-aimed shots.

As SSG Bellavia moved again to get eyes on the room and determine the enemy disposition, he identified one of the AIF loading an RPG launcher. Understanding how devastating this weapon could be to his platoon, he moved quickly to eliminate the threat. SSG Bellavia told Mr. Ware to remain in the first room. As debris and smoke filled the room the insurgent with the RPG was killed first near the stairwell. A second AIF with a PKC machine gun fired as he ran for the kitchen. SSG Bellavia shot and wounded him in the back of the shoulder. He was heard screaming from outside the building. At that point an AIF yelled from upstairs. SSG Bellavia quickly realized how many insurgents were in the house. Despite the odds he continued the assault.

SSG Lawson entered the room with SSG Bellavia. He was armed with only a 9mm pistol. SSG Lawson was across the room firing into the kitchen door, and SSG Bellavia was near the doorway of the master bedroom using the stairs as his cover. The wounded AIF was firing back, this time with an AK47. The insurgent was screaming loudly as he fired. SSG Lawson fired an entire magazine toward the kitchen, when a piece of debris lodged in his right shoulder. Thinking he was shot and with only one 9mm magazine remaining, SSG Bellavia told him to leave to get medical aid and to retrieve a shotgun with buckshot and other soldiers. SSG Lawson and Mr. Ware exited the house.

SSG Bellavia realized that his back was facing a room he had not cleared. In order to secure his position he entered the master bedroom of the house. SSG Bellavia heard movement in the room and fired into the dark corners to clear them by fire. There was a closet directly in front of him with six closed doors, and multiple areas of dead space. At that point an insurgent ran down the stairs and started firing into the room. SSG Bellavia moved behind a protruding corner of the wall to acquire cover. Over the loud noise of small arms fire from across the hall, he could hear screaming from upstairs and to his immediate left. Confused and trying to locate if another insurgent was in the corner of the room, SSG Bellavia began to scan the room with his PEQ-2A. Thinking the noise originated from the closet, SSG Bellavia took a few steps to his left and began to fire into each door from left to right. Before he could finish clearing the closet the wounded AIF from the kitchen ran toward the bedroom door and began blindly shooting at him from outside. Finding his position of cover behind the elbow of the wall, SSG Bellavia fired back. As the enemy fire came closer, he moved his position into the far opposing corner of the room. The AIF exposed his shoulders as he fired into the bedroom and SSG Bellavia fired wounding and then killing him.

He then noticed a closet door was open and he witnessed tracer fire hit the side of the room. Unsure of where the fire originated, SSG Bellavia looked for a target. Suddenly the insurgent on the stairs began shooting at him again. As the wounded AIF turned and exposed his position in the doorway he was hit and fell near the stairs. He was moaning and slowly moved away from the door, mortally wounded. Simultaneously, a closet door opened and clothing flew everywhere, as an insurgent leapt out and fired wildly all over the room. In his rush out of the closet he tripped on something in the closet and the entire wardrobe fell down resting on the open doors. This actually was a benefit to SSG Bellavia as it provided more cover. When the AIF attempted to cross over the bed, he lost his balance on the mattress and was shot multiple times. The insurgent fell to the ground and with his back to the front door, fired an accurate burst directly into the closet and the wall near SSG Bellavia. SSG Bellavia crouched low to the ground, the insurgent was screaming loudly in broken English. Someone from upstairs was yelling back in Arabic. SSG Bellavia responded in Arabic in an attempt to intimidate the men into surrendering. The insurgent then picked himself up and ran out of the room and up the stairs. SSG Bellavia fired, missing the insurgent and then pursued him as he fled up the stairs. Blood was soaked all over the stairs causing SSG Bellavia to slip, nearly catching a burst of AK fire. The wounded AIF turned and shot an automatic burst from the first landing of the stairs but once again missed SSG Bellavia, who was now well behind cover.

Tracking the blood, SSG Bellavia followed the AIF into a room immediately to the left on the second story. He heard the AIF inside and tossed a fragmentary grenade into the room. The blast sent the screaming AIF onto the second story roof. The AIF began shooting his weapon in all directions, until it was empty of ammunition. Bellavia noticed the AIF was seriously wounded in the right side of his body from the blast of the grenade. The insurgent stumbled back into the room and began to dry fire his weapon. As SSG Bellavia scanned the inside of the room, it was quickly filling with thick smoke from burning foam mattresses ignited from the blast. Two AIF could be heard screaming at each other from a third story of the building. Not wanting the AIF to give away his position, SSG Bellavia quickly grabbed the wounded AIF in a choke hold to keep him quiet. SSG Bellavia met resistance as he attempted to quiet the screaming AIF. Bellavia was bit on the arm and struck in the face with the barrel of the wounded insurgents small AK47. A .45 caliber pistol shot off against the wall and SSG Bellavia, whose helmet was loosened when it was jarred by the barrel of the AK, began to thrash the AIF in attempts to pacify him. Exchanging blows in the struggle, SSG Bellavia fearing that the screaming insurgent was issuing instructions to his peers upstairs, opened his IBA vest and attempted to use his front sappy plate to forcibly subdue the insurgent into compliance. Hearing multiple foot steps over his position, Bellavia used his Gerber tactical blade and cut into the left side of the insurgent’s throat. Not wanting to discharge his weapon as to give away his position and in fear of the many propane tanks near the wall, SSG Bellavia bled the insurgent with applied pressure as he was spastically kicked and scratched in the melee. Two other insurgents, only feet away yelled to their comrade in Arabic, simultaneously firing their weapons. SSG Bellavia confirmed the insurgent was dead and exited the room as his eyes and the fresh scratches on his face were stinging from the smoke and heat of the growing fire.

SSG Bellavia moved to secure the two doors to his right. Suddenly an AIF dropped down from the third story roof, onto the second story roof. The AIF dropped his weapon as he fell to his knees. SSG Bellavia moved to the window and as the AIF went to grab his weapon SSG Bellavia shot in his direction multiple times, wounding him in the lower back. The AIF was prone and SSG Bellavia assumed he was dead. He moved to the door leading to the roof and found the insurgent straddling a large water tank at the edge of the roof. He shot the remainder of his ammunition into the insurgent’s legs and went back inside to grab a dead insurgent’s weapon. As he moved inside the house the insurgent fell off the roof and into the garden. Moments later, five members of Third Platoon entered and secured the downstairs of the house and yelled up to SSG Bellavia who was still on the second floor.

SSG Bellavia moved to link up with the rest of his platoon. However, before the search could begin for the fifth or sixth insurgent the platoon was ordered to move out of the area due to a close air support mission called in by an adjacent unit.

SSG Bellavia single handedly saved three squads of his Third Platoon that night, risking his own life by allowing them to break contact and reorganize. He then entered and cleared an insurgent strong point, killing four insurgents and mortally wounding another.

Because They Wouldn't Let Them Use "BonerMobile"

'Lightning II' moniker given to Joint Strike Fighter

7/7/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air Force chief of staff announced Lightning II as the F-35 name during a Joint Strike Fighter Inauguration Ceremony today at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. at Fort Worth, Texas.

Gen. T. Michael Moseley made the final decision after an extensive nomination and review process, coordinated with the other services and partner nations.

In naming the F-35, General Moseley said, "Today, the enemies of peace and freedom have been put on notice. They have feared this day because the F-35 provides the coalition warfighter the perfect blend of speed, precision and stealth.

"In my travels, Airmen have given me some great suggestions that we'll see on new Air Force weapons systems in the near future," he said. "The name for the F-35, Lightning II, was a win for aviation heritage and culture...

For the rest click HERE

Top Ten Military Movies...

According to the History Channel's shill, R Lee Ermey (whose people deemed me too filthy to be included in his web-ring, no doubt because of pictures like these...homos ;-)).





(HEY THE GUY's ENTITLED TO MAKE A BUCK AS MUCH AS THE NEXT GUY...I'VE GOT NO PROBLEM WITH THAT...it is odd however the guy that became famous for saying things like; "Your days of finger banging Mary Jane Rotten Crotch through her pretty pink panties are over." has the balls to say that anyone is too dirty.)

His list:

10. The Longest Day
9. 12 O'Clock High
8. The Big Red One
7. The Dirty Dozen (A good movie but hardly a historical document)
6. The Great Escape
5. Sink the Bismark
4. Platoon (WTF?!? I hate this movie with every fiber of my being)
3. To Hell and Back
2. Full Metal Jacket (I guess you would expect the Gunny to rate this one pretty high, I like the basic training part but when they go to Vietnam the movie falls apart.)
1. Saving Private Ryan

To read the entire list and Mr. Ermey's bombastic remarks go HERE

I covered this way back in this post (Guidons, Guidons, Guidons!: Top 10 Military Based Movies...IMHO)last year.

Girl Friday

Monica Leigh hates wearing all these clothes when the weather's hot and sticky...have a wonderful weekend.

We Must Help Bolivia Now!

THIS would be reason enough to help out these folks...

Not every Bolivian likes to be under the thumb of Hugo Chavez’s Marxist mini-me, Evo Morales.

Residents of the eastern province, Santa Cruz, which is full of industrious immigrants and enterprising native-indigenous Bolivians who’ve moved there, want instead to have autonomy.

They hate communism and want freedom.




But this pretty much seals the deal for me...

They Are Keeping the Trees Alive

There's a reason some people call California the "Granola State" (it's full of nuts, fruits and flakes). Here's one of them...

July 4, 2006
Santa Cruz
Flags burn in celebration
By GENEVIEVE BOOKWALTER
SENTINEL STAFF WRITER

About 25 revelers celebrated their freedom of speech and welcomed the Fourth of July on Monday night with the "2nd Annual Old Time American Flag Burn"

What Do We Want From Them?

After reading some of the comments on other blogs that were precipitated by the post here at The Blue Star Chronicles and amplified HERE at Argghhh! it makes me ask the question; "If you aren't satisfied with how the populace supports or doesn't support the troops what is it exactly that you want from them?"

Personally all I want is a variation on the Hippocratic oath, "First, do no harm." By that I mean, if you support what we are doing great, if you don't support the war that is your right but PLEASE don't give our enemies on the battlefield aid and comfort by your actions after the decision has been made to go to war. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

There are a good number of folks who generalize anyone who displays a yellow ribbon magnet as being someone who displays the emblem and calls it done. My reply is so what? So what if that's all that person has done or will do to support the war? Who does it hurt? The only thing that actually hurts the troops are protests against the troops and about the war which are covered by the MSM, and then makes its way to our enemies giving them aid and comfort. Even that is not illegal, I just don't care for it...but that's the opinion I'm entitled to as an American.

How many people actually vote out of the number people that are eligible to vote? Why should we expect a greater percentage of the population to actually do something tangible to either show support or distaste for a particular cause?

As I have said before, I appreciate and everyone I work with appreciates everything anyone has done to support the military and more specifically the soldiers themselves for almost 5 years now. But it doesn't mean that anyone is required to or has to do it, or face being called a "chicken-hawk", hypocrite or worse. What makes these actions great, what makes us (the soldiers) appreciate them is the fact that we understand that THEY didn't have to do this. Those folks in the airport in Bangor, Maine didn't have to be there at 2 o'clock in the morning. The people at DFW who greet soldiers returning for R&R aren't required to be there by anyone...and that's what makes it special.

While I can understand a soldier in Iraq feeling lonely and un-loved, this reaction of some that says you've got to do this or that or else you REALLY don't support the troops is as wrong as those who say they want to support the troops by bring them home.

Happy Independence Day!

For your viewing pleasure, a great F-117 shot, fireworks and a couple of patriotic Pin-Ups courtesy of one of the masters of the genre Gil Elvgren.

Enjoy your fireworks, picnics home-made ice cream and whatever else you've got going on!

No One Cares About Soldiers?!?

I spotted this post at The Blue Star Chronicles

Nobody Cares About Soldiers
Saturday, July 1st, 2006 at 8:53 pm by beth

Yesterday an American Soldier told me that nobody cares about Soldiers. There wasn’t the tiniest hint of self-pity in his words. It was stated as fact, just simple cynical fact.

Me, being me, declared ‘YES they do. Many people do. The AMERICAN PEOPLE CARE!‘ I said it with passion and conviction.

‘Why do you think that?’, I asked.

‘We are pawns in a political game.’ he replied. He told me about how the guys over there all talk about it - privately. They see the news, they hear what people say. They know they are expendable.

‘It’s disheartening’, he said. Again said not with self-pity - just as fact...the rest of the post can be seen HERE.


It's a shame that the soldier in question feels that way. Having been over there I know it's easy to feel that the only ones who understand your situation are your fellow soldiers and to some extent your family and friends. I personally avoided watching the news on TV and for the most part reading about anything to do with the war or politics while I was in country because I found it frankly depressing. Other people found different ways to cope.

I also know that the majority of the "folks" are behind the soldiers. A graphic example of this I witnessed this weekend. I attended a baseball game between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers at the former Ballpark in Arlington. Before the game the ceremonial first pitch was delivered by a member of a MI Company scheduled to deploy to Iraq sometime this summer.



When the unit was introduced, thirty five thousand stood as one and cheered for these soldiers louder than any player introduction that day. While someone could say that doesn't really mean anything, because they didn't have to invest anything in it, I would say on the other hand they could have just sat there, they could have golf clapped they could have even booed if they wished but they didn't...they cheered and they cheered loud and long. I only wish every soldier in Iraq could have heard it. The cynical out there will say of course they cheered it's Texas after all, and to that I say guilty as charged. I have never been more proud to be a Texan or a soldier than I have that day.

Yeah, there are people out there who say that things like I described are shallow and superficial like a yellow ribbon magnet on the back of your car. They say if you really support the troops you should contribute to this or that fund...put your money where you mouth is, as it were. I personally don't care what people spend their money on or give their money to as long as it doesn't go to the other side or people who support those who are aligned against us. It is a free nation (at least this week) and if folks want to donate to the USO or Soldiers Angels or any of the other dozens of organizations designed to support those in need, thank you very much, but it doesn't mean you are a heal or a hypocrite if you don't. So all you folks out there who stand up and cheer at a ballgame or shake a soldiers hand at the airport or send a goody box through Anysoldier.com thank you it means a lot to the soldiers who get that bit of love...you guys rock. God Bless The USA.



Thanks again for the ticket Keith!