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

Category: Military issues

  • Leo Louis Dunson Jr. makes a fashion statement

    So what do you do if you want to make an album of patriotic songs, but the uniform of your chosen branch of service isn’t “bling” enough? Well, just pin your finery to another service’s uniform for your album cover like Army SGT Leo Louis Dunson Jr. does;

    I think it’s a Navy Mess uniform. Those look like Navy buttons, but I’m not sure;

    Anyway, the folks at POW Network sent us the picture for your Humpday chuckle.

  • The troops celebrate Thanksgiving in Afghanistan

    Yeah, it’s the holiday that celebrates our one culture, our shared heritage as Americans, and we take it with us wherever we go.

    It was usually the only holiday I wasn’t working. But I was always in my Blues at the Mess hall taking my turn serving the troops and I really do miss that;

    From Stars & Stripes;

    “I’ve deployed four times, and this is by far the best holiday celebration I’ve ever seen,” said Sgt. Richard Guyness, 31, of Newman, Calif. “This is more like family — because we are family.”

    Thanks to Toothless Dawg for the links.

  • The cost of the supercommittee’s failure

    Van Jones, that commie puke who almost got into the White House is cheering the super committee’s failures this week in the Huffington Post;

    …the Bush tax cuts will automatically expire at the end of next year and $600 billion of cuts in defense will go into effect automatically [which would be truly historic] in January 2013 if Congress does nothing.

    Yeah, that’s what our adversaries are banking on (Fox News link sent by Old Trooper);

    Russia will deploy new missiles aimed at U.S. missile defense sites in Europe if Washington goes ahead with the planned shield despite Russia’s concerns, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday.

    Yeah, why should they worry since we’re slashing our military to 1940 levels. You remember 1940, right? Our soldiers were training with two-by-four wooden rifles and jeeps with tank cutouts over them.

    In another link from Old Trooper, on Yahoo/APF, the US will retaliate by not reporting our conventional to Russia;

    The United States said Tuesday it would no longer provide data to Russia on conventional weapons and troops in Europe, citing non-compliance by Moscow with a two-decade old treaty that governed the information exchange.

    Yeah, like Russia doesn’t know our strength from reading Stars & STtripes or by driving by the kassernes in their Mercedes. I feel safer already.

    Oh, for the story on the lead picture, go here.

  • Cry-baby atheists at Camp Pendleton


    In 2003 before they deployed to Iraq, several Marines erected a crude cross in the sand at Camp Pendleton. AT east three of those Marines wouldn’t return from iraq. Their cross burned during a brushfire in 2007, but Scott Radetski rebuilt the cross and made it fireproof and helped to put it back in the spot where the original had been.

    Now, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers is offended by the sight of something they can’t see according to Stars & Stripes;

    After an article about the new cross appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers protested to base officials that the cross violates the separation of church and state required by the Constitution.

    At their website, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers calls the cross erected by grieving friends of fallen Marines “stolen valor”.

    Ya know, I’m not particularly religious…I haven’t been in a church in decades…but I’m not in the habit of ruining other peoples’ beliefs. And I don’t see the erection of a cross in the desert as particularly harmful or dangerous. And I certainly don’t like an organization who thinks that they have the corner on the market of “free thinkng”.

  • Women in combat discussion continues

    Our buddy, Rowan Scarborough at the Washington Times writes this morning that the Pentagon is having a little trouble trying to decide whether or not they’re going to allow women in direct combat roles in the military.

    ArmyGen. Raymond T. Odierno, a Joint Chiefs member, has gone on record as saying he wants some restrictions lifted. He said he disagreed with the Army’s report, which was completed before he became chief and was submitted to Mr. Panetta. It apparently recommends the status quo.

    On the WUSA-TV program “This Week in Defense News,” Gen. Odierno said female intelligence and signal officers, for example, should be able to serve below the brigade level in combat battalions.

    Gen. Odierno did not endorse women as infantry, armor or special operations soldiers in the interview. His spokeswoman declined to comment this week.

    I think, since they’re so determined to put women in the same jobs as men, they’d be doing women a big favor by making PT standards the same for men and women. There are no bullets on the face of the planet that kill or wound differently based on sex and the standards have to be the same for wvwryone. I’ll grant that there are men who can’t meet the standards of their profession, but that is no excuse to treat women like poorly conditioned men.

    I’m not saying that women should be excluded from amle duty positions completely, but they should be able to meet the same standard required of men, or be excluded.

    However, having been involved with the military and training at the entry level, they are mostly willing to pass people to the next step despite soldiers’ abilities for politically expedient reasons – this is not acceptable when we’re talking about survival on the battlefield.

    If the Army is willing to put women in combat, they have a responsibility to those women to insure they are prepared for combat operations. If they’re not willing to do that, then I recommend continuing the status quo.

  • 50th Anniversary

    The Secretary of the Army, my homeboy, John McHugh laid a wreath today at President Kennedy’s gravesite to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Green Beret according to Stars & Stripes.

    Kennedy approved the green beret after visiting Fort Bragg, N.C., in late 1961. In a message to then-Special Forces Commander Brig. Gen. William P. Yarborough, Kennedy wrote: “The challenge of this old but new form of operations is a real one and I know that you and the members of your command will carry on for us and the free world in a manner which is both worth and inspiring. I am sure the Green Beret will be a mark of distinction in the trying times abroad.”

    Video of the ceremony

    Thanks to Jeff Schogol for the link.

  • Senate cuts focuses on personnel and weapons

    The Air Force Times reports that the Senate Armed Services Committee has focused their spending axes on personnel and weapons budget cuts…because, ya know, who needs people or weapons to fight wars when we have such a brainiac in the White House with all of that “smart diplomacy” he’s got goin’ for him.

    A detailed list of savings released by the armed services committee Wednesday morning shows the committee reduced personnel funding by $100.6 million, partly by cutting unspent balances from previous years, and partly from new estimates by the Congressional Budget Office of how much would be saved with a change in hostile fire pay included in the bill.

    The measure, proposed by personnel panel chairman Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., would change hostile fire pay from a monthly rate to a daily rate.

    The revised bill also would trim $330 million from the defense health-care account. The cut may not affect patients, however, because it is based on new assumptions on private-sector health-care expenses, the committee said.

    I wonder if anyone thought that paying hostile fire pay by the day would create an accounting nightmare that might cost more to enforce than the savings? Nothing makes me feel confident about their healthcare cuts for patients when they use the phrase “…based on new assumptions….” Especially since doctors aren’t allowed to make assumptions on their patients.

    Here’s a history lesson for the Senators; In 1950, President Truman decided that he wanted to intervene in the invasion of South Korea by North Korea so he sent the only troops he had available to do the job – the 1/21st Infantry of the 24th Infantry Division, commanded by Lt. Col. Charles B. Smith, which had been on occupation duty in Japan for five years. The Battalion’s understrength manpower of less than 500 Americans faced 4000 North Koreans and their tanks, who despite the infantry battalion’s best efforts, rolled right through the US forces in a few hours.

    The Army had been slashed to shreds after winning the war against Hitler and Tojo. The infantrymen arrived in Korea with their anemic numbers and only nine rounds for their bazookas to fight off a Korean Division.

    The phrase “Task force Smith” has driven our foreign and military policy for over half-a-century, but these clowns think they’re immune to the lessons of history. Who among my readers is willing to be the first to die so Congress can learn this lesson again?

  • Happy Belated Birthday…or as you were

    Late, UA, problems getting on board I think we have it now, like a wet net landing,
    it is all with the rhythm of  the wave.
    To all Marines.  Our Birthday, November 10.  Happy Birthday Marines.
    Two hundred and thirty-six years ago it all began in Tun Tavern.   An
    armed amphibious force was assembled to combat any terrorist force
    threatening our country.  The fight could be taken to them.  This has
    been the decisive act preventing foreign invasion for one hundred and
    ninety-nine years.  In 1812, we did not take the fight to Britain and
    coincidently they invaded America.  They were the last foreign
    invaders and it cost them dearly.  It was a lesson learned by the
    United States, and could only be put aside by those who wish to see
    America fail.

    In 1775, the Colonies soon to be the United States were besieged by
    foreign tyrants. We were under tyrannical control and absurd taxes
    were being levied.  The tax revenue was being returned to the Monarchy
    and bureaucracy in Britain to be squandered on their lavish life
    style.  Corruption was rampant, our borders were not secure and there
    were pirates on the high seas.  Actually, this is almost the same
    scenario today, of course we have added to the danger.

    Our armed forces, our Marine Corps, know what it is to taste our own
    blood.  That blood mixed with the taste of foreign soil we endure to
    protect our homeland.  America we love you.  Thank you for giving us
    two hundred and thirty-six years to serve you.  We will always be here
    to answer the call.

    When tyrants attempt to diminish our Corps, we will grow stronger.
    This is not Memorial Day, a day we honor our departed.  It is our
    birthday.  Tomorrow is our future.  Tomorrow, America will still need
    a few good men willing to lay their lives on the line for our freedom.
    We know the difference, we are ready, we know what to do and we do it
    well, in spite of all adversity.

    God Bless and Semper Fi,
    PeterR