A "U" For Judgment

One of the thing I have found amusing during my regular trips to Iraq is reading the letters column in the "Stars and Stripes" newspaper. Without fail at least once an issue someone steps forth to distinguish themselves with their stupidity or outright selfishness. A few days ago I was both embarrassed as an Army Aviator and glad that this Lieutenant was not a member of my unit.

It seems that SEP 30 was the official "wear-out" date for one-piece tan/sage green and two piece flight suits that are not of the ACU variety. Having been forced to wear my A2CUs for a while now I wasn't aware of this and we were unable to mark the passing of this uniform properly. Please, everyone, a moment of silence for our good friend and chick magnet the one piece flight suit.


Here in all its glory, is a letter to the editor written by 1LT Allen, United States Army lamenting the demise of our good nomex friend...

Flight suit was best for wings Stars and Stripes
Letters to the Editor, Tuesday, October 6, 2009

It’s finally complete: The Army’s process of destroying esprit de corps was accomplished Sept. 30, 2009. If you don’t know, this was the wear-out date the Army set for aviation one-piece flight suits (tan and green), and the two-piece tan aircrew battle dress uniform (ABDU).

Although the other services continue to utilize the one-piece and two-piece flight suits, the Army has decided its years of service have been completed.

More important than the function of the one-piece flight suit is the fact an aviator can wear his or her wings earned on the flight suit. The process of becoming a pilot does not end with the 16 months of flight school (that’s for a UH-60, longer for other airframes). Every pilot and crew chief has an annual evaluation that encompasses everything from flying, aerodynamics, hydraulic systems, electrical systems, fuel, turbine engine, all the way to the anatomy of the eye, and altitude physiology.

You, being the rest of the Army that sits in the back, can rest assured the aircrew you are with are some of the most dedicated individuals in the Army. I know some people will read this and be upset (these are the same people who earn their Combat Action Badge while waiting in line for their iced coffee just because they saw the plume from a rocket). As a UH-60 pilot and platoon leader with the privilege of being around senior warrant officers and crew chiefs, whose sole mission in life is to support the ground forces commander, I will say it again: Pilots are the most dedicated individuals in the Army, and they deserve to be able to wear their flight suit with the wings they continue to earn well past graduation day from flight school.

First Lt. James Allen
Joint Base Balad, Iraq

I don't know what 1LT Allen expected to achieve by writing this letter. I'm sure he brought unwanted attention to himself and his unit. I'm sure what he wrote won't change the minds of anyone involved in the decision to give us a flight uniform that costs four times as much as the one-piece version and wears out faster...but we do pretty much look like everyone else which was the point. Instead of pointing out logical reasons for why the uniform should be retained he resorts to emotion and hyperbole. I hope he feels better because if he thought writing a letter to Stars and Stripes was going to achieve something...then I've got beach front property in Arizona I want to sell him.

If LT Allen or anyone else needs to wear their wings to make themselves feel special, them I would suggest that they take a long look at themselves in the mirror and think about the reasons that they serve. We (aviators) exist to serve the guy on the ground. You know those guys that "sit in the back" as the LT so quaintly puts it.

I'm not that upset by the LT's letter, saddened is the more accurate term. For the record I didn't get my CAB for seeing a rocket plume while standing in line at the BK, it was for a more direct type of action with the enemy...something I'm sure 1LT Allen has done plenty of.

I Wanna Be In The Cavalry

Pretty cool stuff...even if I really don't like that musical genre. He has a couple of others especially one called Horse Soldier that are worth a listen especially if you are into the history thing.

Net Call

Attention on the NET. I will be leaving the AO sometime today and will return OOA (On Or About) 1 FEB 09.

In the meantime amuse yourselves with these pictures of my future ex-wife...Pilar Lastra. If you see or know her, tell her I'll be in California until FEB...we can be found about 30 miles north of Barstow. Look for all the helicopters.

Division Fly-By

This happened while I was in Colorado. What a cool picture.

As anyone who has participated in one of these type things can tell you, it's usually better to be in the crowd watching than participating. The ass-pain associated with rehearsals and the like usually sucks the FUN right out of it.

All of this was part of the Division Color Casing Ceremony as they (and we eventually) are headed back to Iraq.

A Long Time Ago...

Green Flight, 87-13 baby! As the wings on my hat attest, I had soloed and was on my way to being another Army aviator, seems like yesterday.

Now If They Would Just Do It

Check out West Point's new unis.

An explination via Business Wire.com follows.

BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nike (NYSE:NKE) will debut its new “Enforcer” football uniforms this weekend as one of college football’s most storied rivalries enters into its 109th meeting. The new uniforms, which will be seen for the first time during the Army vs. Navy football game, were developed as the next evolution of Nike’s shrink wrap uniform with high performance materials that will help the athletes perform at their highest standard.

The Nike “Enforcer” uniforms designed for the Army and Navy squads are lightweight, breathable and more form-fitting, enabling superior field performance. The uniforms provide greater moisture management and reduction of grab points while also incorporating inspiration from two of the nation’s military units in its design.

Army

Building off the strong and unique look that the U.S. Military Academy has traditionally displayed, Army’s football team will debut a helmet and pant with a digital print camouflage pattern. The pant will feature the name “West Point” along the right side with a Swoosh design trademark. “Boots on the Ground,” Army’s slogan, will run along the left side of the pant.

In place of the name plate, “Duty, Honor, Country” will be displayed on the back of each player’s jersey along with their uniform number. Each player will also have a unit patch on the front of their jersey.

“The thought behind our new uniform design is something I’m very proud of and have enjoyed working with Nike on this special project,” said Army football head coach Stan Brock. “One side of our pant leg says 'Boots on the Ground.' This is a distinction of West Point and it is what makes us different from the other service academies. That’s an attitude that really separates us.”

By "Do It" that means, WIN.

GO ARMY BEAT NAVY!

How Would You Like To Have This One Hanging Up In Your Living Room?

Nothing against artist Robert Bailey, but really now, a screaming Japanese soldier in the foreground of your painting?

This in some way looks vaguely reminiscent of a 4th grade fantasy drawing produced by a boy who just watched 30 Seconds Over Tokyo...who has fantastic talent.

I'm not art critic but I know what I like and it isn't that. Take away the screaming guy and it's a pretty good piece IMHO.

To see this and other military art head on over to The Military Art Gallery.

What? No!

From Defense Tech

Fed up with schedule delays and soaring costs, the Defense Department late Thursday axed the Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter program that was to provide a replacement for the service’s ageing OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. The Army’s contract with Bell-Textron was valued at more than $6 billion for some 500 new lightly armed scout aircraft. The Army’s Kiowa Warriors have seen heavy use in Iraq and are valued among aviators for their exceptional maneuverability at low altitudes.

In a press release, John Young, the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer said, “Rather than continue this program, I have decided that the best course of action is to provide the Army with an opportunity to define a coherent, disciplined Kiowa Warrior helicopter replacement program, and to obtain more rigorous contract terms for its development.”

The ARH was originally projected to cost $8.56 million per aircraft with delivery to begin next year. DoD now estimates the helicopter will cost $14.48 million per copy and the initial delivery date had slipped to 2013.

Shocking I say, shocking!

Has the Army ever handled the acqusition of a helicopter well?

The Apache was a jacked up mess which was an outgrowth of the failed AH-56 Cheyenne. The ARH was the result of the failed Commanche program which in a past life was known as the LHX. The OH-58 was a result of the OH-6 contract being cancelled because Hughes helicopters deliberately underbid to win the contract and hoped to make their money back on spares and parts. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

As far as I know the Black Hawk acqusition went OK, so there's one program that actually went well...good job Army!

Dear Abby,

First I didn't know this column still existed. Second who the hell writes someone they don't know from some jerk walking down the street and asks them for advice on something serious?

DEAR ABBY: Our 17-year-old twin son and daughter met with military recruiters who came to their school and made the military sound exciting and glamorous. They are now saying that after they graduate next year, they want to join the military instead of going to college. They have even put up military posters in their rooms that they received from the recruiters.
My husband and I are horrified. We cannot stand the thought of them going off to war, and do not believe that war is the answer to the world's problems. It will be a year, and hopefully the novelty of the idea will wear off by then. However, I don't want to take a chance. How can I counter the idea? -- CLEVELAND MOM

I understand Cleveland Mom's concern with sending her kids off to war...that is an entirely natural response to having ones children possibly put into harms way. On the other hand Cleveland Mom, tell this crap about "war not being the answer" to the free people in Europe. Tell your kids to read a book, like the "Longest Day" or "We Were Soldiers...". There's a lot worse things in the world a kid could aspire to than being a soldier.

I suppose defending your nation is something best left to others or only worth doing when there is little to no risk involved. It seems her kids got some spunk from somewhere, maybe it was Dad's side of the family.

To see Abby's punk ass reply go HERE
H/T Blackfive...who really needs the traffic, so please go over there...it's much more interesting than this site.

I Guess I'm Alone Here...

H/T The Tank

The Heritage Foundation has released a report on who is serving in the military.

Based on an understanding of the limitations of any objective definition of quality, this report com­pares military volunteers to the civilian population on four demographic characteristics: household income, education level, racial and ethnic back­ground, and regional origin. This report finds that:

U.S. military service disproportionately attracts enlisted personnel and officerswho do not come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Previous Her­itage Foundation research demonstrated that the quality of enlisted troops has increased since the start of the Iraq war. This report demon­strates that the same is true of the officer corps.

Members of the all-volunteer military are sig­nificantly more likely to come from high-income neighborhoods than from low-income neighborhoods. Only 11 percent of enlisted recruits in 2007 came from the poorest one-fifth (quintile) of neighborhoods, while 25 per­cent came from the wealthiest quintile. These trends are even more pronounced in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) pro­gram, in which 40 percent of enrollees come from the wealthiest neighborhoods—a number that has increased substantially over the past four years.

American soldiers are more educated than their peers. A little more than 1 percent of enlisted per­sonnel lack a high school degree, compared to 21 percent of men 18–24 years old, and 95 percent of officer accessions have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, minorities are not overrepresented in military service. Enlisted troops are somewhat more likely to be white or black than their non-military peers. Whites are proportionately represented in the officer corps, and blacks are overrepresented, but their rate of overrepresentation has declined each year from 2004 to 2007. New recruits are also disproportionately likely to come from the South, which is in line with the history of South­ern military tradition.

The facts do not support the belief that many American soldiers volunteer because society offers them few other opportunities. The average enlisted person or officer could have had lucrative career opportunities in the private sector. Those who argue that American soldiers risk their lives because they have no other opportunities belittle the personal sacrifices of those who serve out of love for their country.

Hell, I thunk we wuz all a bunch a ignant crackas who had no choice in life...I gess I wuz wrong.

Today Is NATIONAL AIRBORNE DAY

There's a secret message to the press in this photo of some 82nd Airborne Soldiers taken in 2003.


For more on this head over to BLACKFIVE.

I'm not airborne, never have been, never will be and proud to say it. I'M A LEG!
But I'd rather be around a paratrooper any day of the week than a Marine. :)

Texan, Soldier WIns Olympic Gold

From the Houston Chronicle comes this story...

COMMENTARY
Soldier's order for day: Step forward, win gold
By JEROME SOLOMON Chronicle Olympic Bureau
Aug. 13, 2008, 6:06AM

BEIJING — Not long ago, Master Sgt. Dave Easterbrooks, serving in Iraq, delivered a strong message to Pfc. Glenn Eller, Olympic dreamer.

"He told me that amateurs train till they get it right, professionals train till they never get it wrong — go kick their (behind)," an excited Eller said, not long after he had done just that, setting an Olympic record with a resounding gold-medal performance in double trap shooting Tuesday at the Olympic Games.

When it comes to the United States Army, there are times when our way of life depends on the men and women of the armed forces kicking some serious you know what.

Eller is an Army shooter, but he shoots clay targets, not people, with a shotgun.

While Eller, a 26-year-old from Katy, has been training to become an Olympic hero, some of the enlistees he shared sweat and tears with through basic training have been fighting overseas.

We love to say an athlete or team — one that is focused, won't be denied — is on a mission.

Well, with Eller, that is more than a writing cliché. It is fact.

He was on a mission. Basically, he was under direct orders to become a champion: Bring home the gold for the United States.

"Being a soldier in the U.S. Army, I do what is expected of me," Eller said. "And they asked me to come to Beijing and win the gold...

To read it all go HERE

Way to go SPC Eller!

The Army Drill Team

Found this video over at Kathy's Brazos Cowgirl blog.



It seems the Marines aren't the only ones who can sling rifles around and wear snazy uniforms.

New Link

Through the fine folks at Argghhh!,
I came across Bring the Heat, Bring the Stupid.

As a matter of fact what took me there was this POST about the AH-64 "all-weather" freedom fighter.

XBradTC had a few nice things to say and was pretty interesting, especially for those who like things that explode and shoot...highly recommended. Four stars, Joe Bob says check it out.

Lance Keeps Going and Going and Going

They should call this guy the "Energizer Aviator"...he's more than given his share.

Career soldier answers call of duty
Posted on: Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 11:54 PM
By Bill Begley
Killeen Daily Herald

WEST FORT HOOD - Deployments are nothing new for Chief Warrant Officer-5
Lance McElhiney.

He's been going through them for nearly 40 years.

"The kids change," McElhiney said Tuesday while waiting to head to Iraq with
more than 250 4th Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade soldiers. "The
faces change. They get younger." With reason.

McElhiney, the senior instructor pilot at Fort Hood, also is the senior
chief warrant officer-5 in the Army.

His first deployment came in 1970, when he went to Southeast Asia with the
101st Airborne Division as a gunner and co-pilot on the first attack
helicopter in the world - the AH-1G Cobra - during the Vietnam War.

It was the first taste of combat for a career soldier who also took part in
the invasion of Laos - a campaign that saw him shot down three times in a
span of three days, earn a Purple Heart while providing close air support
for ground troops and later earn the Distinguished Flying Cross for
assisting in the rescue of Special Forces troops.

After that came action in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, when he
volunteered to deploy with the 2-229th Flying Tigers, and action during
Operation Iraqi Freedom I and II.

At 60, he is the Army's senior Longbow pilot, and will replace his son,
David Lynn, as the standardization instructor pilot in Iraq.

"There is no way I could train these guys how to fly using tactics that I
learned in Vietnam and not go out and show them how to do it," he said. "I
am not built that way."

That's why, more than 30 years after first seeing combat in Vietnam,
McElhiney found himself back in the mix again, flying in fierce combat
during the Army's rugged push through the Karbala Gap before taking Baghdad
in April 2003...

...The only Army pilot honored last month at the "Gathering of Eagles," an
annual aviation event hosted by the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell
Air Force Base in Alabama, McElhiney has been there - repeatedly - and said
the value of experience is something that cannot be measured.

To read the whole thing go HERE.

Anyone who's been around FT Hood and been involved in Army Aviation knows Lance, he's the real deal that keeps on giving.

H/T Chris...break time's over back on your head!

The Strength of a Nation

H/T Blackfive

I Won't Back Down

Military Working Dog Has His Day

Military working dog receives Army Achievement Medal
Story and photos by , TF Iron Public Affairs Office


9 June 2008

MOSUL, Iraq — On his last day of duty at Forward Operating Base Marez, Sgt.1st Class Zzarr seemed excited with the Soldiers hovering around him at the 3d Armored Cavalry Regimental headquarters, June 5.

Zzarr was about to receive an Army Achievement Medal, a reward for his service to the Army during his deployment. Zzarr was responsible for discovering about 6,000 pounds of explosives in hidden caches around Mosul.

As the Soldiers stood at attention and the orders were posted, Col. Michael Bills, commander of the 3d ACR, bent down and pinned the AAM on Zzarr’s collar. Instead of a salute, Zzarr enthusiastically offered a paw, wagged his tail, and wanted to play.

Zzarr, a three-year old Dutch Sheppard, is a military working dog assigned to the 221st Military Police Detachment stationed at Fort Eustis, Va.

The dog’s trainer, Staff Sgt. Kevin Dee, said Zzarr specializes in searching for explosives. During the past year in Mosul, the dog was credited with finding three major caches, one of which included 1,200 pounds of explosives that was going to be used in a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.

The dog’s discoveries have saved countless lives by “finding things the (human) eye can’t find,” he said.

For the whole story go HERE

Happy Birthday!

Memorial Day in "The Garden"

Old Guard Soldier Master Sgt. Steven Colbert places a flag on a gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery. This year he brought along his son, Jordan, 8, to assist.

Photo by Adam Skoczylas

found at: http://www.army.mil/-images/2008/05/23/16027/