This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Dave Hardin

  • Kyle Barwan/Kyle Reacher nabbed yet again.

    Kyle Barwan/Kyle Reacher nabbed yet again.

    This time authorities mentioned us here at TAH.  The Polk County Sheriff’s Office issued a PRESS RELEASE detailing Kyle Barwin’s recent arrest that includes a link to our blog.  Jonn had posted previously about Kyle Barwin here and here.

    In December 2016, PCSO received a tip from someone who read a blog about Barwan impersonating military officers. During the investigation, deputies learned Barwan has previously been arrested and charged federally for impersonating an officer in the military, in two different states (Kentucky and Illinois). Barwan befriended a Polk County woman online, and told her many lies about his military service while also soliciting money from her “to benefit one of his fellow soldiers who was injured in the war.”
    Some people wonder why Jonn does not take down cases after some time has gone by.  This would be the reason why.  Left to their own devices, many will just resurface later doing what they do best with a modified story.  TAH also gets some credit here:
    WTSP News
    Kyle Barwan is seen in U.S. Army uniform he is not authorized to wear in a photo from the stolen valor blog “This Is Hell.” The blog featured several stories of Barwan’s convictions for impersonating an officer.
    The victim, now skeptical of Barwan, found the damning posts on the blog and news stories which confirmed his criminal impersonations. She confronted him but he denied the accusation and told her he was the target of a government conspiracy to smear him.
    Actually, This ain’t hell but I guess it might seem that way to some.  Much respect to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.  And, to the contributors of this blog:  You do make a difference.   A special thanks to Frankee for all his work on this guy.

  • Random Thoughts

    Since Jonn has been disappearing quicker than a Hillary Clinton email these days, I find myself trying to come up with things for us to chew on.  Its not as easy as most would think, but probably not for the reasons some think.  TAH has so many people that have served or are serving in different branches of the military I never know what to post.

    I try to get through my morning therapy with an (content warning)  Action Figure  (don’t click on that link) as I choke down coffee made by a Soviet.  I check Facebook to see how many people have un-friend-ed me and how many groups have banned me.  My email is usually full of people wanting us to track down some poser wannabe.  Which reminds me, this Coffee Bean SEAL guy is legit.  Honestly,  who am I to judge a Squid that wants a good cup a Joe.  He has videos and a bunch of news reports posted on the interwebnet thingy.  Yes, this SEAL even wondered into a Shark Tank.  So, pass the word…the guy is legit.  Opinions on his antics vary dramatically within the SEAL community.  Happy thoughts to all of them, a nice cup of java and an episode of Flipper should bring a smile.

    Feel free to send something that you might think our community of veterans would like to talk about.  Otherwise, you are stuck with gravy recipes and the warped humor of a semi-literate Jarhead. Occasionally, I find hope for this country in young people.  Try watching this for example:

    I was trying to support the guy who is President until I found this out:

    That is either outrageous slander or I am through supporting this guy.

    You can not imagine the things I have been told not to post.  All I have to guide my way is a Hooters Girl and a Soviet,  so feel free to chime in with content.

     

  • Anthony Provost Navy SEAL Officer

    Anthony Provost Navy SEAL Officer

    The people at militaryphony.com sent us their case on Anthony Provost who leads people to believe he was a Naval Special Warfare Officer and Navy SEAL.

    Ya, well they don’t think that his claims are true.

    The records are pretty straight forward. He did do an enlistment in the United States Navy. The records show he was a Yeoman 3rd Class, or E4. A yeoman is an enlisted person within the United States Navy that performs administrative and clerical work. They deal with protocol, naval instructions, enlisted evaluations, commissioned officer fitness reports, naval messages, visitors, telephone calls and mail. There is no listing of SEAL Training and he is not listed in the UDT/SEAL database.

    It also appears he spent some time in the Navy Reserves.  You can visit their site for all the rest on this guy.

  • Wednesday morning feel good stories

    Police say a  CHATTANOOGA, TN woman shot a man who was attacking her and others.  The suspect was arrested on unrelated warrants as well.

     

    Being in the pizza delivery profession is reason enough to arm yourself these days.  A Philadelphia, PA delivery man pulled his own weapon to defend himself after being shot by robbers.

  • We need more Airborne Rangers in Congress

    We need more Airborne Rangers in Congress

    A great article written by Poetrooper at American Thinker was sent our way.

    We get so many pleas for money in our little retirement household from politicians that most never get a second look except during gubernatorial, senatorial, and presidential elections.  I confess, however, that there is a single word that, should it catch my eye regardless of the office, ensures a closer examination, and that word is veteran.  Even there, though, my eye is yet further discriminating, searching for evidence of more than just service to our country, looking for proof of time served in ground combat arms organizations and more specifically for direct ground combat experience.  The closer the candidate has served to the pointy end of the spear in deadly and dangerous places, the more likely he will get a donation from this old combat infantryman.  If the petitioner has jumped out of airplanes as part of his lethal service, his chances go up even more.

    My poor spouse has been hearing for decades my unending refrain that we need more Airborne Rangers in Congress.  These are precisely the kind of people who know how to identify an objective, how to develop a plan to reach it effectively, and ultimately how to take that objective by whatever means are at hand when the original plan has gone all to hell, as all battle (and political) plans tend to do.  Former Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, USMC Force Recon/Special Ops, and Air Force Special Operators also are political candidates likely to get some of my money because they all share those combatant skills as well as the required attitude.

    So that’s why, upon retiring to beautiful Arkansas, we became immediate fans of our young congressman, Tom Cotton, a former Airborne Ranger who’d served in combat in Afghanistan, with my old unit of fifty years ago in Vietnam, the 101st Airborne Division.  That is why young Cotton got our vote and some of our money when he ran for the Senate, and that is why he tickled us to death this week when he verbally smacked that fancy-pants New Yorker, Charles Schumer, right in his prissy kisser, right there on the Senate floor.  Too bad it was just verbally, but even so, it made me proud of him and our shared legacy and just reinforced my belief in proven warriors as politicians.

    Next election, watch your email and snail mail solicitations for candidates and incumbents like Cotton and Allen West, a combat commander and master parachutist, and send them a few extra bucks, regardless of whether they’re in your state or not.  After all, they were serving your state when they were serving this country, were they not?

    Have I said we need more Airborne Rangers in Congress?

    Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2017/01/we_need_more_airborne_rangers_in_congress.html#ixzz4WhSUtpFG
    Follow us: @AmericanThinker on Twitter | AmericanThinker on Facebook

  • Schumer does the unthinkable in high Cotton

    Schumer does the unthinkable in high Cotton

    It seems Chucky Schumer just loves the opportunity to be in the news.   His latest attempt at pious arrogance left a stain.

    The joke on Capitol Hill is, “The most dangerous place in DC is between Chuch Schumer and a television camera.”

    During the confirmation process of President Trump’s appointees, agreements were made between parties for various reasons.

    Schumer asked for a delay of Pompeo so that Senator Diane Feinstein could attend the hearings of both Pompeo and Trump’s choice to be Attorney General, Jeff Sessions. Republicans agreed but under the condition that Pompeo would be confirmed on the day of the inauguration.

    When time came for the agreed confirmations Chucky Schumer had to create a spectacle.  Senator Tom Cotton holding the high ground had a few things to say about it.  During the exchange Schumer scolded Cotton about not being around during Obama’s required confirmations 8 years earlier.  Senator Cotton’s response is epic:

    “Eight years ago, I was getting my ass shot at in Afghanistan,” Cotton snapped. “So don’t talk to me about where I was 8 years ago.”

  • Old enough to know better.

    Old enough to know better.

    The Army is moving forward with the deactivation of its Small-Team Reconnaissance Units.  The drawn down of military capabilities that has been going on for the last 8 years is still in motion.

    Computer models were used to conclude long-range surveillance companies were not in demand by ground commanders.

    Defense analysts have said Army commanders have an aversion to risk and a growing preference to use technology such as satellites and drones for reconnaissance rather than insert small teams of soldiers.

    Most of us have been around long enough to know that we have not always had the ability to play reconnaissance with a keyboard and a joystick.  Victory on the battlefield often requires that we have  redundant capabilities.   Using computer models as the primary justification to restructure military assets seems juvenile.

    Long-range surveillance soldiers in the model would attack large units and were killed immediately based on their coding, Scales said, delivering war planners the conclusion the units were a risky, low-reward asset.

    I am sure their computers do show that kind of result.  I can not help but wonder what their computers show happens if the damn things get unplugged.   Drawing down a capability to the point where it no longer exists will cause a loss of expertise that can not be duplicated by killers in cubicles.

    All LRS soldiers are airborne qualified, and many have graduated from Ranger and Pathfinder schools. Most LRS soldiers end up attending at the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course at Fort Benning in Georgia — a schoolhouse that also trains units such as Navy SEALs and Marine Force Recon.

    Maybe their coding for battlefield simulations did not include having Secretary Mattis in control of the on/off button.  I certainly hope his presence makes a difference in the outcome.

  • What is it now?

    What is it now?

    I am still trying to figure out exactly what this was all about yesterday.   I wanted one of these so bad I was about to reach out and grab one.  I failed to snatch one, but it would have made a great gift for TSO and that Brady chick after tonight’s invasion by the Steelers Nation.  In any event, I think maybe I am now supposed to be “Aware” of some horrible injustice going on in America.  Someone asked me to pick my favorite sign from the event but honestly I couldn’t find one I could call cogent.  Something about no more free razors stands out, but as a Jarhead I am used to staring at things I do not understand.

    Jonn is almost multi-syllabic.   Yesterday I nearly got a complete  sentence out of him.  I think he is moving up to soft foods this week.  If Mr. warm and fuzzy doesn’t get his shit together soon, I am going to ask Cher to send him a hat.

    Enjoy your Sunday…sending condolences to TSO in advance.