Pin-Ups for Today

I found Bawidamann through my various INTERNET ramblings. Cool stuff.

To see more of his stuff, go HERE

There is also a related site PIN-UPS for the Troops whose proceeds go to troops related agencies.

Bill Sweetman Misses The Point...

At the risk of becoming a USAF bashing machine, I am going to devote some electrons to discussing the UAS/SECDEF/USAF dust-up that happened the other day.

From this post by author Bill Sweetman over at Ares Homepage we get this info...

Sec Def Misses The Point
Posted by Bill Sweetman at 4/22/2008 4:25 AM CDT

Starting a sentence with "Where the SecDef got it wrong..." is not career-enhancing, but as the good Doctor himself said, you have to decide sometimes whether to be somebody or do something.

Dr. Gates' criticisms of the USAF overlooked a crucial issue. Ironically, the limiting factor on Predator operations is not that "the air force doesn't like them because they don't have pilots", to summarize the viewpoint of service and media know-nothings. The problem is that they use too many pilots.

If you talk to anyone at the coal-face of UAV deployment, particularly where the Predator is concerned, you discover that most of these operations are throttle-to-the-firewall. The limiting factor is not the ability of GA-ASI to push airplanes out the door, but training.

If you've ever spent five minutes talking to GA-ASI president Tom Cassidy, you know that the Predator has to be flown by a pilot. The ground control system (GCS) is cockpit-like, with stick and rudder pedals - this is not a mouse-commanded automaton. The backseater needs skills, too, because the Predator is designed to direct lethal force even when it is not using its own weapons; and despite the seeming "war by video game" simplicity of the system, retaining situational awareness despite the soda-straw view through the turreted sensors is not easy...

Yes it isn't easy. Neither is kicking in doors looking for bad guys. Neither is driving on a supply convoy down RT Tampa.

The point the SECDEF was making (the way I understood it) is that the current way of doing things isn't cutting it. Someone needs to come up with a way to get more UAS and their crews up and running.

If that requires changing things then maybe they need to get on with it...there is a war on after all. In WWII somehow or another SGTs flew P-51s and by all accounts did a pretty good job (Some guy named Chuck Yeager was one of them)...I think we might be able to come up with a way to make UAS operators without stealing F-16/A-10/B-52/C-17 pilots away from their day jobs. The USAF could probably do it too, if they wanted to and that is the real problem right there.

The English Language Just Isn't My Bag Baby...

This sign spotted during a "piece" rally in San Fran...

5 years to many what?

English isn't their thing ya know, they spent all their time in school studing geo-politics...

yeah right, and by geo-politics I mean doobie rolling and hash pipe maintenance.

H/T to ZOMBIETIME for hanging out with hippies so we don't have to.

Where's Tony?

If she would only stay there the troops would be happy and the Cowboys might win.

Via Dirty Harry's Place

California Dreamin'

Dreaming of day when there will be an organization that is sworn to defend the rights of free speech and other cool stuff dude...



I'm not a big fan of the "Daily Show" but this is pretty good.

Link stolen from Ace of Spades HQ who stole it from Hot Air who stole from Comedy Central.

Pussycats in Kuwait

From this DOD release

America Supports You: Stars Rock Kuwaiti Desert in Support of Troops
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service


CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait, March 11, 2008 – For more than four hours last night, Camp Buehring, in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert, became a hard-rocking outdoor amphitheater.
Before the music began, about 5,000 servicemembers heard a message of support and appreciation from President Bush. Both Lt. Gen. James J. Lovelace, commander of U.S. Army Central and Combined Forces Land Component Command, and his deputy, Maj. Gen. Dennis E. Hardy, visited with the performers and thanked them for their support.

Then, before comedian Carlos Mencia got the troops laughing, he gave them some words of thanks.

“You guys work every single day doing a job that other people would never even dream of doing,” he said. “You do it proudly, and you do it with a smile, and I salute all of you.”

Mencia’s job was to keep the troops in stitches between music sets by Disturbed, Filter, the Pussycat Dolls, and actress/singer Jessica Simpson, a job at which he more than succeeded.

Then it was DJ Z-Trip’s turn to crank up the volume on some special mixes.

The troops’ reactions to the rock groups were quite different from they way they reacted to Simpson and the Pussycat Dolls. The latter groups elicited shouts of appreciation, and even marriage proposals.

There was no doubt the troops were excited to have the entertainers come all the way out to Kuwait just to perform for them.

“Yeah, it’s breaking my heart,” Indiana Army National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Brad Thurman joked, adding that he’s looking forward to seeing Disturbed

It's nice that the FOBITs were shown some love...now if we heard about these people performing at FOB Falcon or Taji, that would be something. But the folks at the pointy end of the stick don't get that many shows.

Good on all the "stars" for coming though!

I'm guessing My Space has something to do with this...just guessing.

What The Hell Is In The Water Out There?

At the risk of insulting all people from California...WTF Dude?!?

From OPFOR comes the link to this STORY

Anti-war judge rejects foster teen's bid to join military
By Dana Bartholomew, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 03/07/2008 07:16:45 AM PST


SIMI VALLEY - Shawn Sage long dreamed of joining the military, and watching "Full Metal Jacket" last year really sold him on becoming a Marine.

But last fall, a Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner dashed the foster teen's hopes of early enlistment for Marine sniper duty, plus a potential $10,000 signing bonus.

In denying the Royal High School student delayed entry into the Marine Corps, Children's Court Commissioner Marilyn Mackel reportedly told Sage and a recruiter that she didn't approve of the Iraq war, didn't trust recruiters and didn't support the military.

"The judge said she didn't support the Iraq war for any reason why we're over there," said Marine recruiter Sgt. Guillermo Medrano of the Simi Valley USMC recruiting office.

"She just said all recruiters were the same - that they `all tap dance and tell me what I want to hear.' She said she didn't want him to fight in it."

Sage, 17, said he begged for Mackel's permission.

"Foster children shouldn't be denied (an) ability to enlist in the service just because they're foster kids," he said. "Foster kids shouldn't have to go to court to gain approval to serve one's country."

Mackel, a juvenile dependency commissioner at the Children's Court in Monterey Park, declined through a clerk to speak about any court case or comments she may have made in court.

Transcripts of juvenile court hearings require a special release from a judge. Court
officials said a transcript of the Sage hearing, if released, would not be available for a week or more...

To read the whole story go HERE

The Kind of Support for the Troops I like to See

Found this on Barelypolitical.com

Kinda goofy, but hey you can't argue with the sentiment...at least you can't from where I'm standing.

Obituaries

I don't know if you heard about this, but the actor Heath Ledger passed away yesterday. Of course I'm being facetious, because if you watched any of the morning news shows or really any kind of news after 1700 CST yesterday you were subjected to breathless commentary about this or that aspect of Mr. Ledger's demise...endlessly.

What you didn't hear about was this:

January 22, 2008

MND-North Soldier dies in accident (Kirkuk)

Multi-National Division – North PAO

TIKRIT, Iraq – A Multi-National Division – North Soldier died from injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover while conducting operations in Kirkuk Jan. 22.

Additionally, one other Soldier was wounded and evacuated to a Coalition hospital.

The cause of the vehicle rollover was non-combat related and is still under investigation.

The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.

Or this:

January 21, 2008
DOD IDENTIFIES ARMY CASUALTY The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Staff Sgt. Justin R. Whiting, 27, of Hancock, N.Y., died Jan. 19 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.

January 21, 2008
DOD IDENTIFIES ARMY CASUALTY The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Spc. Richard B. Burress, 25, of Naples, Fla., died Jan. 19 in Al-Jabour, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

January 21, 2008
DOD IDENTIFIES ARMY CASUALTY The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Spc. Jon M. Schoolcraft, III, 26, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, died Jan. 19 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

The only time people like SPC Schoolcraft, Burress or SSG Whiting are worthy of discussion in the media is when they want to use their sacrifice to lament this terrible awful wrong headed war that we were lied into...in other words to bash the President of the United States.

I sat there this morning and listened to people lament the tragedy it was to loose such a talented young man, so full of life, all the possibilities he had in front of him now gone.

It made me want to vomit. Is Mr. Ledger's passing a tragedy to his family and friends? Of course it is. And it is sad when a talented person, whose work you've enjoyed, career is cut short (John Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley). But if anyone wonders what is wrong with this nation, take one look at the priorities that people have. The things people think are important. The things that are held up and honored.

Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service, Honor, Integrity, Courage...those are the Army values. Does every Soldier live it every day? I wouldn't be so stupid as to proclaim that, but I do know that is a much more lofty standard than anything I heard discussed on the news this morning...and that is a tragedy.

Scarlett Visits the Troops

Actress and all around "hot piece of ass" (I'm sure she'd be flattered by that description, sorry mom) Scarlett Johansson was in Kuwiat reciently visiting and greeting the troops.

B-roll of actress Scarlett Johansson visiting troops in Kuwait as part of the USO Tour. Scenes include service members lining up to see the actress and Scarlet Johanson greeting, taking photos and signing autographs for service members.

For those with a DVIDS account (it's available to anyone willing to share their phone number and e-mail with the feds) here's the link to the video There's not that much to it, except near silent footage of her greeting folks...so I didn't post it.

If I'm not mistaken she's had her share of buckethead quotes about the war and such. But she made the effort and that's a lot more than you can say about a lot of them. As much grief as people give Hollywood for its lack of support it was nice to see an actual movie star step up and go see the people out near the pointy end of the stick.

Also there is a story that I found HERE while looking for a suitable photo of her.

Here's a quote from her;

The 23-year-old says: "This USO tour to the Gulf region truly means a lot. I've wanted to go over and visit for some time, and now my moment has arrived.

"It's one thing to reply to a letter or extend your thanks to service members in a speech, but it's another thing to visit them and spend time with those that do so much for us back home."

Brothers at War...a Review

Dirty Harry over at LIBERTAS has seen Brothers at War.


You can read his impressions HERE.

MND-B Memorial Service

This video is about 40 minutes long, it's available to be downloaded and it's well worth your time if you care about Soldiers and what we are about.

I encourage you to go to the following website...
1st Cavalry Division

You will see a row of buttons on the left, click on the one that says media, then click on video. You will then see a list of videos. For the month of DEC there is one labeled MND-Memorial, if you right click you can download. Or left click and just watch it. Be warned as I said earlier it's around 40 minutes long. But it's more than worth your while.

Sorry the file was too big to post on You Tube. I suppose it could be broken into pieces and posted that way...maybe someone will do that later, but I thought those who are interested can visit the site and see the video if they desire. Especially touching to me was the Division Chaplain's sermon...he did an outstanding job.

We will see them all on the "Green", RIP soldiers.

More Reasons To Hang Out at DFW

Although I didn't see these ladies the times I went through DFW on R&R...here's three reasons to make sure you take leave in Texas.

Check out their website: http://www.usogirls.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your support girls!

Welcome The Troops Home @ DFW

One of the many things that will stick with me for the rest of my life was the welcome we received at DFW airport when I came back from Iraq for R&R (both times).

A local radio station (WBAP) is helping to organize the welcome over the holidays.

From their website:

Welcome Our Troops Home at DFW Airport!

Every day, more than 100 soldiers come through DFW Airport on their way home for two weeks of much-anticipated rest and recuperation (R&R). Under the R&R program, American servicemen and women receive these brief vacations from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. WBAP joins forces with the DFW Airport for Operation Welcome Home, the mission to bring your family, your friends, your co-workers, your entire companies to welcome our troops home. Join WBAP at Terminal D-Gate 22 from 8:00 am - 11:00 am daily throughout the holidays as we welcome the troops home!

Please call the hotline number the night before you would like to go and then again in the morning before the flight to confirm flight arrival time. The Hotline number is 972-574-0392. Flight times vary due to winds and mechanical issues. Flights arrive everyday, weekends and holidays included. Large volunteer groups are encouraged. Groups will greet troops at Terminal D - Gate 22. Gates may change after the holidays. Please call the hotline to confirm gates. Parking is available in the lot to the left and obtain vouchers upon leaving (to pass through the toll). See a DFW Ambassador for parking vouchers.

WBAP and DFW would like anyone who wants to show these soldiers how much their commitment means to the North Texas community to participate.

For more info you can also go to these websites:
http://www.welcometroops.com/

http://www.dfwairport.com/heroes/index.html

Another reason to love Texas.

Having talked with soldiers who came through the Atlanta airport on their way to R&R, I was told they didn't recieve anything close to the greeting that was given at DFW. Those of you in the Atlanta area should see what you can do in that regard...just sayin'...I mean you don't want a bunch of Texans showing you up, do you?

How To Win the War

I have long held the belief...and least as long as the first time I saw footage from a Stryker or Bradley of a bunch of middle eastern types having sex with a donkey, that they way to win the war we are fighting is to import porn. They are so screwed up about sex and women anyway. And if they somehow were about to start having sex with women they might now be in the mood to fight all the time.

Of course, the religious and folks who have issues with the objectification of women that occurs in this type of material would object. But doesn't it beat killing and maiming them? It's worth a try.

If you don't think it has a chance, look at this video via My Pet Jawa.

WARNING!

THE ATTATCHED VIDEO HAS NUDITY AND AUDIO OF IRANIAN MEN SHREAKING LIKE 12 YEAR OLD GIRLS.

Of course they took it down, we can't have nekid boobies sullying up "You Tube" now can we? Video of people getting blown to bits, OK. A couple of women nekid, NOT OK.

And we think the people we're fighting are backward.

I'm Back!

America...F#@h yeah!

It seemed like it took forever, but a couple of days ago I finally made it home.

Someone in charge of customs and who goes where prior to flights home needs to be taken out and shot...but that's another story. Well 30 hours in the sterile area of customs awaiting your flight to the states is a long and boring story, a story that's almost enough to make you want to go out and hunt down the persons responsible. But I guess that's why they take your ammo away before you get there.

But that's all done now.

Kudos to the folks at Fort Hood for the seamless job of getting everyone taken care of during the return.

Thanks to everyone for your support.

I've already feasted upon the greatest BBQ in the central Texas area...Vetek's...it's almost better than I remember. And now they have Dublin Dr Pepper available, it's like heaven...I think I see Blue, and he looks glorious. Having worked in the food industry as a young man, it amazes me that they can remember what I order everytime I visit...and this time it has been at least 15 months since I've been in there.

For those who care, Vetek's Grocery is off of I-35 in Waco, TX...down by Baylor University. Yeah, you have to go to Waco, but that suff is awesome. For those of you who are getting upset because I slammed Waco (I know you're out there)...it's my hometown, I can do what I want. Besides that was a baby slam...Waco's not that bad. It can't be it's in TEXAS.

A Different Kind of Support

Meet Jim Morrison, artist and friend of mine.

Some people show their support of the troops by sending cookies, candy, DVDs or books. Jim shows it by painting pictures.

This story appears in the Flat Rock, NC newspaper...

On Veteran's Day, former Air Force pilot James "Jim" Scott Morrison will support our troops in Iraq in a unique way. Morrison, 77, expects to spend part of his day putting the finishing touches on a special watercolor painting of military helicopters in Iraq that he's been working on for the past three months. Then he'll get to sit back and reflect on his third military-themed painting created for U.S. Army troops in Iraq.

Because of his own military experience, Morrison identifies with the brave young service pilots flying for the United States today. After graduating with an economics degree from the University of Nevada at Reno in 1951, he served in the Air Force flying F-86 fighters for four years and RB-66 reconnaissance aircraft for five years.

"I may have a few more rings in the tree, but I still feel like we're all one," Morrison says.

He's enjoyed his contact with several soldiers over the last couple of years while working on the paintings. "In a way, I just kind of bond with them," Morrison says. "It's an intangible feeling, really, it just gives me a feeling like I'm part of what they are. ... It's kind of like family."

He recognizes that our involvement in the Iraq war is controversial. But for Morrison and his painting, any opinions are simply irrelevant.

"To me, it doesn't have anything to do with the war," Morrison says. "It has to do with some kids that are giving 110 percent, and that's all."

Read the rest HERE

For The Thousandth Time...

Not that it will do any good.

YOU CAN'T SAY THAT YOU, SUPPORT THE TROOPS AND THEN TURN AROUND AND UNDERMINE THE MISSION THEY DO...IF YOU REALLY, SUPPORT THE TROOPS.

And now a little piece on the subject from someone who said it a little better than I can...

An Open Letter Home
by CSM James Pippin

...Most Americans say, “I support the troops.” “Supporting the troops” is far more than sending a care package, or shaking a service member’s hand, or tying a ribbon on their lapel. Supporting the troops should also be backing our mission.

People back home may not realize how effective this enemy is using the media as a weapon. Every time some talking head gets on the TV and shouts anything negative about this war, it motivates our enemy, who interprets dissent as weakness and who uses our free press against us. That is exactly how “the terrorists” win. For the Terrorist does not have to defeat us, he just has to outlast us.

I am disappointed in the way the American people in general seem to have lost their resolve since 9-11. When I hear that over half of America’s citizens believe this war is a lost cause, I think that is a tragedy. Less than 2/100ths of 1 percent of our own citizens have ever served in the armed forces, which means most Americans don’t have a clue about our military.

The media does not tell all the good things happening in Iraq. They rarely, if ever, report the successes of our Armed Forces. This causes our citizens, most of whom will never cross an ocean in their life, let alone fight in this or any war, to think we are losing and to believe we can’t win. This war is much like the 3 rednecks in the story above. It will take time. We CAN win, and we WILL win, but I worry that the American people have lost their patience and their support will dry up before we get the job done.

I hear the concern about America’s sons and daughters being killed and I know the media drum rolls the daily death toll. There have been more than 3,000 service members who have died fighting this war. And every one of those deaths is a tragedy. I, myself have lost a close friend. Contrary to the media reports, this war should be gauged by what is at stake if we lose. I believe the stakes of this war are even higher than those we faced together in both World Wars combined. In the words of Darryl Worley, “I say there are some things worth fighting for. Our freedom and the piece of ground we call The United States of America.” Don’t think for a second that terrorists will stop attacking Americans and our way of life just because we pull out of Iraq...

For the rest of the CSM's letter please go over to Michael Yon Online...he's the bombdiggity, yo.

And while you're at it read more about the CSM and the soldiers who serve...HERE. It's well worth your time and effort to do so.

Iran Supplies MANPADS to Insurgents

In a story that has some concern to me personally...

US military spokesman Rear Admiral Mark Fox told reporters in Baghdad that Iran was shifting sophisticated arms such as "RPG-29s, explosively-formed penetrators (EFPs), 240 mm rockets and Misagh-1 surface-to-air missiles" across its borders into Iraq.

The Misagh 1 is an Iranian man-portable infrared guided surface to air missile. It was developed by the Shahid Kazemi Industrial Complex in Tehran and is an all-aspect passive infrared homing system. It is a variant of the Chinese QW-1 Vanguard missile system.

Here's some info about the QW-1...

The missile reportedly is the Chinese version of 9K310 (SA-16 Gimlet) Igla-1 missile systems incorporating some features of FIM-92 Stinger. According to many domestic Chinese media sources and some sources outside China, Chinese obtained the Soviet samples via Zaire from UNITA captured 9K310 (SA-16) Igla-1 missile from Angola governmental forces.

Meanwhile back home, people are having discussions over tea with the leader of a nation(the same nation that is giving arms to people who are trying to kill me) that would kill all of them in a heartbeat if he could get away with it.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

Of course there are those that view this story with a skeptical eye, which is easy to do if someone is not shooting these things at you.

Mr. David Axe at the blog Danger Room points out that knockoffs of knockoffs are rarely effective (which is true enough in and of itself), claiming that the Misagh 1 is effectively a knockoff of a QW-1 which is in turn a knockoff of a SA-16. Not really so, without getting into too much detail...the QW-1 as I posted above is a blend of STINGER and FSU MANPADS. The QW-1 was then exported to and built by Iran as the Misagh 1...it's not really clear if that was done as an export license deal, or if the Iranians just ripped off the Chinese design. But I would say characterizing this weapon system as a rip off of a rip off deliberately underplays the seriousness of this threat. But you can do that when you think you know more than everyone else and you write about things rather than do them.

It's A Sad, Sad Situation

Watching movies is one of my favorite pastimes. My trailer here in the sandbox has a rather sizable collection of DVDs after spending 12 months here. Even back home, I try to see movies quite often. Which brings me to this disappointing piece of news:

Hollywood Hates the Troops
The slanders of Tim Robbins and Brian DePalma.
by The Scrapbook
08/31/2007 6:23:00 PM

"We've killed over 400,000 of their citizens." That's what actor Tim Robbins thinks U.S. troops have been doing in Iraq. He made the claim last week in an appearance on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher.

He's wrong, of course. American soldiers have not been slaughtering 300 Iraqis a day for the last four years. Even for one of Hollywood's most feculent personalities, this is an appalling slander of U.S. troops...

... Just as we were inclined to dismiss Robbins as a lonely voice of idiocy, news came of director Brian DePalma's Redacted, one of eight new movies about the Iraq War due out in the coming months, according to Reuters. "Inspired by one of the most serious crimes committed by American soldiers in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, it is a harrowing indictment of the conflict and spares the audience no brutality to get its message across."

While it's not really news that there are idiots running about in Hollywood (the newspaper's full of their stories), it is rather surprising that the people that fund the making of motion pictures would believe that the American movie going public would pay good money to go and watch this dreck. Of course I haven't seen it yet, so the acting may be superb, the cinematography breathtaking, but trash is trash. I could put my garbage inside a pretty box with a big beautiful bow on it and inside would still be filthy stinking rotten tripe. Unfortunately, that is how I view motion pictures that aim to portray our nations efforts and mine and my fellow soldiers actions as basically evil, as garbage, and the people who make these things are slanderers.

Could the movie be based on a true story? Of course they can and are. But isn't it interesting how when someone decides to make a film based on a true story, it's always the slimy worms and the worst of the military that they choose to show? That's why you'll never see a movie about Paul K. Smith...at least not anytime soon. And the real sad and stupid thing at least as far as the movie industry is concerned, a movie about a soldier earning the Medal of Honor (done right), would make much more money than any of these vile anti-war propaganda pieces that are coming out...but it appears they don't even care about money. I guess that's how you can tell when someone is both rich and stupid.

H/T Libertas