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

Author: Hondo

  • “We have not contained ISIS.”

    At least a few people in charge DC are still in touch with reality.

    Remember about a month ago, when the POTUS flatly stated that Da’esh, AKA ISIS, had been contained? You know, when he said, “I don’t think they’re gaining strength. What is true is that from the start, our goal has been first to contain, and we have contained them”?

    You probably also remember what happened a couple of days later. That would be the Da’esh terrorist attacks in Paris, which killed 130 and injured literally hundreds more.

    Great “containment”, eh?

    Anyone with a clue knew the POTUS was “out to lunch” when he made that statement about Da’esh (AKA “ISIS”). Well, yesterday someone in a position to know flatly contradicted the POTUS. That someone would be the CJCS, Gen Joseph Dunford. This article’s title is a direct quote from his answers to questions posed by members of the House Armes Services Committee yesterday.

    Gen Dunford further indicated that while Da’esh may have been tactically contained in selected areas in Syria and Iraq, “strategically they have spread since 2010.” He further indicated that the group now poses a threat well outside of Syria and Iraq – specifically, in Egypt, Nigeria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon and Jordan.

    It’s kinda obvious that Gen Dunford omitted at least one other area where Da’esh poses a threat, too – Europe.  Paris rather demonstrated that.

    “Contained”? Yeah, right. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t rain wetting the leg of my trousers this time, either. Tell us another one, Mr. President.

    Geez. It would be damn nice to see Administration officials – including the POTUS – simply tell us the truth vice trying to peddle blatantly obvious BS. But with this current      gang of naive and incompetent fools and tools calling the shots in DC      Administration, I won’t hold my breath waiting.

  • Seems Apropos Today

    Enjoy. (smile)

  • Another Returns

    DPAA has announced the identification and accounting for the following formerly-missing US Soldier.

    From Korea

    • SGT Billy J. Williams, 2nd Reconnaissance Company, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost on 14 February 1951 in North Korea. He was accounted for on 19 November 2015.

    You’re no longer missing, elder brother-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.

    Welcome home, and rest in peace.

    . . .

    Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.

    DPAA’s web site now has what appears to be a decent “Contact Us” page. The page doesn’t have instructions concerning who can and cannot submit a mtDNA sample or how to submit one, but the POCs listed there may be able to refer you to someone who can answer that question – or may be able to answer the question themselves. If you think you might possibly qualify, please contact one of those POCs for further information.

    If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts and you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample, please arrange to submit one. By doing that you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified – as well as a relative of yours, however distant. Or you may help to identify remains to be recovered in the future.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

  • A Different Kind of “Feel Good Story”

    Well, it seems as if a number of senior members of a Daesh unit – the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, a Daesh militia unit famous for brutality and which controls parts of the Golan Heights – were killed recently. The losses included the unit’s commander, Muhammad “Abu Ali” al-Baridi, who went by the nickname “The Uncle”.

    Six members of the unit’s leadership apparently were killed in an explosion on 15 November. What’s a bit unusual is the cause of the explosion.

    They were not killed by a US RPA strike. They were also not killed in an Israeli operation, or by Syrian government forces. They were also not killed by the Russians, Iran, or “moderate” Syrian rebels – if any of the latter actually exist.

    Rather, they were killed in a terrorist bombing. The bombing was reportedly conducted by the Al Nustra Front – al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate.

    I don’t necessarily buy into that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” crap. But I can’t help smile on seeing two groups of thoroughly evil terrorist bastards – both of whom are enemies of the USA – kill each other with gusto.

    May each group send myriads of the other to meet Shaytan, forever to “enjoy” his company – until each group ceases to exist. And may all of their promised 72 virgins look thusly:

  • 4 Soldiers Killed in Helicopter Crash

    The Fort Hood PAO has announced that four US soldiers were killed in the crash of a UH-60 on the Fort Hood Military Reservation. The aircraft crashed yesterday sometime after 5:49PM (CST).

    The aircrew was assigned to Division West, 1st US Army. The precise unit to which the aircraft and crew were assigned, as well as the names of those lost, have not yet been released.

    The incident provides a grim reminder that even routine peacetime training is often deadly serious business.

    Rest in peace, brothers-in-arms. May God comfort your surviving family and friends.

  • Two More Return

    DPAA has been busy recently. Since my article yesterday on the subject,DPAA has announced the identification and accounting for the following formerly-missing US military personnel.

    From Korea

    • SGT Robert C. Dakin, L Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost on 12 December 1950 in North Korea. He was accounted for on 16 November 2015.

    From Vietnam

    • PFC Kenneth L. Cunningham, 225th Aviation Company, 223rd Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, US Army, was lost on 3 October 1969 in Vietnam. He was accounted for on 13 November 2015.

    You’re no longer missing, elder brother-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.

    Rest in peace. You’re home now.

    . . .

    Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.

    DPAA’s web site now has what appears to be a decent “Contact Us” page. The page doesn’t have instructions concerning who can and cannot submit a mtDNA sample or how to submit one, but the POCs listed there may be able to refer you to someone who can answer that question – or may be able to answer the question themselves. If you think you might possibly qualify, please contact one of those POCs for further information.

    If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts and you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample, please arrange to submit one. By doing that you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified – as well as a relative of yours, however distant. Or you may help to identify remains to be recovered in the future.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

  • Predictable. Absolutely Predictable.

    Remember that law passed in 2010? The one called the    Patently Pollyannaish, Asinine ,Calamitous Abominaton       Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or PPACA – AKA “Obamacare”? That law that was supposed to make healthcare more “affordable”?

    Well, it seems there have been a few little hiccups along the way. Premiums haven’t gone down. For most, they’ve gone up – substantially.

    And it certainly looks like those Obamacare premiums might be about to get a lot more expensive.

    The nation’s largest private health insurance company, UnitedHealth Group, is losing money on Obamacare. It’s losing so much money that it recently told investors it “may exit the program’s exchanges” in the reasonably near future – as in as early as 2017. Why? Because they simply can’t sustain their current losses on Obamacare.

    Gee. Insurers are having trouble getting young, healthy folks to sign up – just as was predicted by Obamacare critics. The requirement to cover preexisting conditions is leading to large losses for insurers – just as was predicted by critics. Oh, and did I mention that several Federal programs intended to “backstop” insurers (and thus limit their financial risk) end in 2017? That will also further limit choices and raise premiums – just as was predicted by critics.

    The bottom line: insurers are losing money on Obamacare – just as was predicted by critics. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what insurers are going to do under that scenario.

    Seems to me like the law is looking more and more each day like a SCoaMF – just as was predicted by critics.

    But maybe that’s just me.

  • Five More Are Home

    DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US military personnel.

    From World War II

    • PVT Earl J. Keating, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost on 20 November 1942 on Papua New Guinea. He was accounted for on 6 November 2015.

    • Pvt. Robert J. Carter, G Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, USMC, was lost on 20 November 1943 on Tarawa. He was accounted for on 10 November 2015.

    • Capt. Arthur E. Halfpapp, 87th Fighter Squadron, 79th Fighter Group, US Army Air Forces, was lost on 24 April 1945 in Italy. He was accounted for on 6 November 2015.

    From Korea

    • CPL George P. Grifford, 37th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost on 30 November 1950 in North Korea. He was accounted for on 7 November 2015.

    From Vietnam

    • SFC Billy D. Hill, 282nd Aviation Company, 14th Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, US Army was lost on 21 January 1968 in South Vietnam. He was accounted for on 12 November 2015.

    You’re no longer missing, elder brothers-in-arms. Our apologies that your return took so long.

    Now you’re home. Rest in peace.

    . . .

    Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.

    DPAA’s web site now has what appears to be a decent “Contact Us” page. The page doesn’t have instructions concerning who can and cannot submit a mtDNA sample or how to submit one, but the POCs listed there may be able to refer you to someone who can answer that question – or may be able to answer the question themselves. If you think you might possibly qualify, please contact one of those POCs for further information.

    If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts and you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample, please arrange to submit one. By doing that you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified – as well as a relative of yours, however distant. Or you may help to identify remains to be recovered in the future.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

    Author’s note: the original version of this article had a typo in the date of loss for SFC Hill. That error has been corrected above.