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

Category: Military issues

  • Lady Rangers

    Lady Rangers

    Leilani Wyatt in Gloriana

    Ok, don’t lose your shit over the photo – it’s Leilani Wyatt, in a movie short “Gloriana“. If you’re on our Facebook page, you’ve seen it before.

    The Army has released a couple of documents in regards to ladies attending Ranger School. The first is seeking female Observer/Controllers for Ranger School – you know, a rehearsal for prospective students. Thanks to JD Pendry for sending the documents to us;

    ALARACT 221/2014
    DTG: 112030Z SEP 14
    UNCLAS
    THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN TRANSMITTED BY US ARMY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
    AGENCY (USAITA) ON BEHALF OF HEADQUARTERS, US ARMY TRAINING AND
    DOCTRINE COMMAND (TRADOC)
    SUBJECT: FEMALE OBSERVERS/ADVISORS FOR THE UNITED STATES ARMY
    MANEUVER CENTER OF EXCELLENCE (MCOE) RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT
    NARR/(U) PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO SEEK ARMY-WIDE SUPPORT OF
    FEMALE OBSERVERS/ADVISORS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MCOE RANGER COURSE
    ASSESSMENT (DECISION REGARDING EXECUTION OF ASSESSMENT WILL BE MADE
    IN JANUARY 2015).
    1. (U) BACKGROUND: AS PART OF THE ARMY SOLDIER 2020 INITIATIVE TO
    ENSURE THE BEST-QUALIFIED SOLDIERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN
    ANY POSITION WHERE THEY ARE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING TO STANDARD, THE
    MCOE MAY CONDUCT A RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT IN 3RD QTR FY15 (EXACT
    DATES TBD).
    1.A. (U) MCOE MAY CONDUCT A RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT TO INFORM
    FUTURE DECISION MAKING.
    1.B. (U) FEMALE VOLUNTEERS WILL BE SELECTED TO SERVE AS
    OBSERVERS/ADVISORS DURING THE RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT (EXACT CLASS
    TBP).
    2. (U) ARMY COMMANDS (ACOMS), ARMY SERVICE COMPONENT COMMANDS
    (ASCCS), AND DIRECT REPORTING UNITS (DRUS) WILL CONDUCT A RECRUITING
    EFFORT TO IDENTIFY FEMALE VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE AS OBSERVERS/ADVISORS
    FOR THE RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT.
    3. (U) FEMALE OBSERVERS/ADVISORS WILL ASSIST THE AIRBORNE AND RANGER
    TRAINING BRIGADE (ARTB)CADRE IN OBSERVING ALL MAJOR BLOCKS OF
    INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING DURING THIS ASSESSMENT. FEMALE
    OBSERVERS/ADVISORS WILL NOT SERVE AS RANGER INSTRUCTORS OR TRAIN OR
    EVALUATE STUDENTS.
    3.A. (U) FEMALE OBSERVER/ADVISOR PREREQUISITES.
    3.A.1. (U) – MUST BE A FEMALE SOLDIER OR OFFICER VOLUNTEER
    3.A.2. (U) – MOS OR BRANCH IMMATERIAL
    3.A.3. (U) – GRADE E6, E7, E8, W2, W3, O2, O3, OR O4
    3.A.4. (U) – MEET HEIGHT AND WEIGHT STANDARDS
    3.A.5. (U) – MUST HAVE A PHYSICAL PROFILE SERIAL SYSTEM NUMBER
    (PULHES) OF 111121 OR RECEIVE A WAIVER FROM THE INFANTRY SCHOOL AND
    HAVE NO PHYSICAL LIMITING PROFILE
    3.A.6. (U) – MUST MEET STANDARDS OF MEDICAL FITNESS IAW CHAPTER 5, AR
    40-501 (RANGER PHYSICAL)
    3.B. (U) FEMALE OBSERVER/ADVISOR ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS (NOT
    REQUIREMENTS).
    3.B.1. (U) FEMALE OBSERVER/ADVISOR VOLUNTEERS WILL BE EVALUATED ON
    THEIR ABILITY TO PERFORM RANGER TASKS AND RANGER ASSESSMENT PHASE
    REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING: THE RANGER PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT (49 PUSH-UPS,
    59 SIT-UPS, 5-MILE RUN IN 40 MINUTES, AND 6 CHIN-UPS); 12-MILE
    FOOTMARCH IN 3 HOURS; THE COMBAT WATER SURVIVAL ASSESSMENT (CWSA),
    AND LAND NAVIGATION. THE 12-MILE FOOTMARCH IS CONDUCTED IN THE ARMY
    COMBAT UNIFORM, BOOTS, FIGHTING LOAD CARRIER (FLC), PATROL CAP, AND
    RUCKSACK WEIGHING A MINIMUM OF 35 LBS (WITHOUT WATER) WHILE CARRYING
    INDIVIDUAL WEAPON.
    3.B.2. (U) FEMALE VOLUNTEERS WITH DRILL SERGEANT/ADVANCED INDIVIDUAL
    TRAINING (AIT) PLATOON SERGEANT EXPERIENCE, COMBAT TRAINING CENTER
    OBSERVER/CONTROLLER EXPERIENCE, AND THOSE WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY
    COMPLETED PHYSICALLY DEMANDING FUNCTIONAL ARMY COURSES ARE HIGHLY
    DESIRED.
    3.C. (U) APPLICANT PACKETS WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
    3.C.1. (U) AN UPDATED CURRENT COPY OF THEIR OFFICER RECORD BRIEF
    (ORB) OR ENLISTED RECORD BRIEF (ERB)
    3.C.2. (U) COPIES OF LAST THREE OER/NCOER
    3.C.3. (U) LETTER TO THE ARTB COMMANDER EXPRESSING WHY APPLICANT
    WISHES TO SERVE AS AN ARTB OBSERVER/ADVISOR FOR THE ASSESSMENT.
    LETTER MAY BE ONE TO TWO PARAGRAPHS AND NOT TO EXCEED ONE PAGE IN
    LENGTH.
    3.C.4. (U) DA FORM 705 (ARMY PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST SCORECARD)DATED
    WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION PACKET.
    3.D. (U) FEMALE OBSERVER/ADVISOR SELECTION PROCESS
    3.D.1. (U) THE ASSESSMENT WILL OCCUR OVER AN 8-DAY PERIOD (INCLUDES 2
    TRAVEL DAYS).
    3.D.2. (U) CANDIDATES WILL NOT BE DROPPED FROM THE ASSESSMENT EXCEPT
    FOR INJURY OR BY SELF REMOVAL.
    3.D.3. (U) CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED ON THEIR ABILITY TO EXECUTE
    RANGER TASKS AND RANGER ASSESSMENT PHASE REQUIREMENTS.
    3.D.4. (U) UPON COMPLETION OF THE ASSESSMENT THE CANDIDATES WILL
    REVIEW THEIR PERFORMANCE WITH SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE ARTB.
    3.D.5. (U) ALL CANDIDATES WILL PROVIDE A WRITTEN EXIT AFTER ACTION
    REPORT UPON COMPLETION OF THE ASSESSMENT.
    3.D.6. (U) EXIT INTERVIEWS WILL BE CONDUCTED WITH ALL CANDIDATES.
    3.E. (U) TIMELINE
    3.E.1. (U) CANDIDATE PACKETS MUST BE SUBMITTED NLT 10 OCT 14.
    3.E.2. (U) CANDIDATES SELECTED WILL BE NOTIFIED ON OR AROUND (O/A) 20
    OCT 14.
    3.E.3. (U) CANDIDATES WILL TRAVEL TO FORT BENNING O/A 10-18 NOV 14 ON
    TEMPORARY DUTY (TDY).
    3.E.4. (U) FEMALE SOLDIERS SELECTED AS OBSERVERS/ADVISORS WILL
    TRAVEL TO FORT BENNING WITH FOLLOW-ON DUTY AT FORT BENNING, GA;
    DAHLONEGA, GA; OR EGLIN AFB, FL. REPORT DATE MAY BE 5 JAN 15, WITH
    TDY ENDING O/A 18 SEPT 15.
    4. (U) ORDERS AUTHORIZATION AND FUNDING INFORMATION WILL BE
    PUBLISHED IN A SUPPLEMENTAL MESSAGE.
    5. (U) POINTS OF CONTACT (POCS).
    5.A. (U) INITIAL REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE SENT TO
    USAIS (USARMY.BENNING.TRADOC.MBX.OCOIWEB@MAIL.MIL) OR BY VOICE
    MESSAGE AT (706) 545-0458; DSN 835-0458
    5.B. (U) INDIVIDUAL POCS (FOR PACKET SUBMISSION, FUNDING, AND
    ORDERS)
    WILL BE IDENTIFIED IN SUPPLEMENTAL MESSAGES.
    6. (U) EXPIRATION DATE OF THIS MESSAGE IS 365 DAYS FROM ISSUANCE
    DATE.

    The second document outlines requirements for prospective students.

    ALARACT 222/2014
    DTG: 112045Z SEP 14
    THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN TRANSMITTED BY US ARMY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
    AGENCY (USAITA) ON BEHALF OF HEADQUARTERS, US ARMY TRAINING AND
    DOCTRINE COMMAND (TRADOC)
    SUBJECT: FEMALE STUDENTS FOR THE UNITED STATES ARMY MANEUVER CENTER
    OF EXCELLENCE (MCOE) RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT
    NARR/(U) PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO SEEK ARMY-WIDE SUPPORT OF
    ELIGIBLE FEMALE STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MCOE RANGER COURSE
    ASSESSMENT(DECISION REGARDING EXECUTION OF ASSESSMENT WILL BE MADE IN
    JANUARY 2015).
    1. (U) BACKGROUND: AS PART OF THE ARMY SOLDIER 2020 INITIATIVE TO
    ENSURE THE BEST-QUALIFIED SOLDIERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN
    ANY POSITION WHERE THEY ARE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING TO STANDARD, THE
    MCOE MAY CONDUCT A RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT IN 3RD QTR FY15 (EXACT
    DATES TBD).
    1.A. (U) MCOE MAY CONDUCT A RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT TO INFORM FUTURE
    DECISION MAKING.
    1.B. (U) FEMALE VOLUNTEERS SELECTED TO ATTEND THE RANGER COURSE
    ASSESSMENT (EXACT CLASS TBP) WILL BE REQUIRED TO MEET ALL COURSE
    PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS.
    2. (U) ARMY COMMANDS (ACOMS), ARMY SERVICE COMPONENT COMMANDS
    (ASCCS), AND DIRECT REPORTING UNITS (DRUS) WILL CONDUCT A RECRUITING
    EFFORT TO IDENTIFY FEMALE VOLUNTEERS FOR THE RANGER COURSE
    ASSESSMENT.
    3. (U) PREREQUISITES FOR ENTRY INTO THE RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT CAN
    BE FOUND IN THE ARMY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AND RESERVATION SYSTEM
    (ATRRS). ADDITIONAL STUDENT INFORMATION AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
    CAN BE FOUND ON THE AIRBORNE AND RANGER TRAINING BRIGADE (ARTB) WEB-
    SITE UNDER THE STUDENT INFORMATION LINK
    (HTTP://WWW.BENNING.ARMY.MIL/INFANTRY/RTB/)
    3.A. (U) ADMINISTRATIVE RESTRICTIONS PROHIBITING WOMEN FROM ATTENDING
    THE RANGER COURSE ARE SUSPENDED FOR SELECTION INTO THE RANGER COURSE
    ASSESSMENT.
    3.A.1. (U) THE RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT IS OPEN TO ALL FEMALE
    VOLUNTEERS IN THE GRADES E4-O4.
    3.A.2. (U) FEMALE SOLDIERS MUST BE VOLUNTEERS. FEMALE SOLDIERS WILL
    NOT BE DIRECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT.
    3.A.3. (U) ALL FEMALE VOLUNTEERS MUST HAVE AN END TERM OF SERVICE
    (ETS) NO EARLIER THAN 01 OCTOBER 2016.
    3.A.4. (U) FEMALE VOLUNTEERS MUST COMPLETE AN APPROVED RANGER
    PHYSICAL EXAMINATION (DD FORM 2807-1, DD FORM 2807-2, AND DD FORM
    2808) AND AUDIOGRAM (DD FORM 2216) PERFORMED IAW AR 40-501, CHAPTER
    8. FEMALE VOLUNTEERS MUST PROVIDE COPIES OF ALL LABORATORY OR
    SPECIALIZED CONSULTATIONS SIGNED BY A DOCTOR AND DENTIST, DATED
    WITHIN 18 MONTHS OF COURSE START DATE. VOLUNTEERS MUST MEET MEDICAL
    FITNESS STANDARDS IAW AR 40-501, CHAPTERS 2, 5-3, AND 5-4.
    ADDITIONALLY, VOLUNTEERS MUST PROVIDE A CURRENT COPY OF MEDPROS THAT
    INCLUDES A ROUTINE ADULT + H1N1 MODULE AND A ROUTINE IMMUNIZATION
    SUMMARY.
    3.A.5. (U) FEMALE VOLUNTEERS WILL BE ADMINISTERED A PREGNANCY TEST
    DURING IN-PROCESSING. POSITIVE TESTS WILL RESULT IN DISENROLLMENT.
    3.A.6. (U) ALL FEMALE VOLUNTEERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE US
    ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, RANGER TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT COURSE (RTAC)
    CONDUCTED AT FT BENNING, COLUMBUS, GA PRIOR TO ENROLLMENT IN THE
    RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT CLASS.
    3.A.7. (U) ALL RTAC COURSE (ATRRS) RESERVATIONS, IN SUPPORT OF THE
    RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT, WILL BE COORDINATED THROUGH THE US ARMY
    INFANTRY SCHOOL (USAIS).
    3.A.8. (U) ALL FEMALE VOLUNTEERS WILL HAVE A COPY OF THEIR COMMANDERS
    VALIDATION LETTER FOR IN-PROCESSING. IN-PROCESSING PREREQUISITE
    INFORMATION, INCLUDING AN EXAMPLE COMMANDERS VALIDATION LETTER, CAN
    BE FOUND ON THE ARTB WEB SITE UNDER THE STUDENT INFORMATION LINK
    (HTTP://WWW.BENNING.ARMY.MIL/INFANTRY/RTB/).
    3.A.9. (U) THE COMMANDERS VALIDATION LETTER WILL CERTIFY ALL
    PARTICIPANTS ARE PROFICIENT ON RANGER TASKS AND RANGER ASSESSMENT
    PHASE REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING: THE RANGER PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT (49
    PUSH-UPS, 59 SIT-UPS, 5-MILE RUN IN 40 MINUTES, and 6 CHIN-UPS); 12-
    MILE FOOTMARCH IN 3 HOURS; THE COMBAT WATER SURVIVAL ASSESSMENT
    (CWSA); AND LAND NAVIGATION. THE 12-MILE FOOTMARCH IS CONDUCTED IN
    THE ARMY COMBAT UNIFORM, BOOTS, FIGHTING LOAD CARRIER (FLC), PATROL
    CAP, AND RUCKSACK WEIGHING A MINIMUM OF 35 LBS (WITHOUT WATER) WHILE
    CARRYING AN INDIVIDUAL WEAPON.
    3.B. (U) VOLUNTEER IDENTIFICATION AND ENROLLMENT TIMELINE.
    3.B.1. (U) UNITS WILL PROVIDE USAIS THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL
    ASSESSMENT VOLUNTEERS NLT 3 NOV 14.
    3.B.2. (U) UNITS WILL PROVIDE USAIS STANDARD NAME LINE INFORMATION OF
    ASSESSMENT VOLUNTEERS NLT 1 DEC 14.
    3.B.3. (U) DETAILED SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION WILL BE
    PUBLISHED IN A SUPPLEMENTAL MESSAGE. ALL ATRRS RANGER COURSE SEATS
    FOR THIS ASSESSMENT WILL BE HELD AND MANAGED BY THE USAIS.
    3.C. (U) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
    3.C.1. (U) FEMALE VOLUNTEERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE THE 90-DAY
    RANGER COURSE PREPARATION PROGRAM ON THE ARTB WEB SITE
    (HTTP://WWW.BENNING.ARMY.MIL/INFANTRY/RTB/).
    3.C.2. (U) ALL WOMEN WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE AND GRADUATE FROM THE
    RANGER COURSE WILL RECEIVE A GRADUATION CERTIFICATE AND BE AWARDED,
    AND AUTHORIZED TO WEAR, THE RANGER TAB. UNTIL FUTURE INTEGRATION
    DECISIONS ARE MADE AND REQUIREMENTS UNDER TITLE 10 US CODE, SECTION
    652 ARE SATISFIED, FEMALE GRADUATES WILL NOT RECEIVE THE ASSOCIATED
    RANGER SKILL IDENTIFIERS OR BE ASSIGNED TO RANGER CODED UNITS OR
    POSITIONS.
    4. (U) FUNDING INFORMATION FOR ASSESSMENT PARTICIPANT ATTENDANCE AT
    RTAC AND THE RANGER COURSE ASSESSMENT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN A
    SUPPLEMENTAL MESSAGE.
    5. (U) POINTS OF CONTACT (POCS).
    5.A. (U) INITIAL REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE SENT TO
    THE USAIS AT USARMY.BENNING.TRADOC.MBX.OCOIWEB@MAIL.MIL OR BY VOICE
    MESSAGE AT (706) 545-0458; DSN 835-0458
    5.B. (U) INDIVIDUAL POCS (FOR FUNDING, ORDERS, AND ATRRS) WILL BE
    IDENTIFIED IN SUPPLEMENTAL MESSAGES.
    6. (U) EXPIRATION DATE OF THIS MESSAGE WILL BE 365 DAYS FROM ISSUANCE DATE

    While this in encouraging, in that it doesn’t appear to offer a reduction in standards, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. All of my female soldier friends on Facebook think this is wonderful – not for themselves, of course. They think it’s great that everyone else has the opportunity. My sense is that Big Army is going to be disappointed by the number of volunteers. I’m sure there are some real hard-charging women who will want to participate, but not in the crowds that the social scientists will like. The most vocal among females in the Army are those who have no intention of attending the school, though.

    Then, in a small way, the standards have already changed in that some women will be allowed to observe the training before they take part in the school. I’m not aware of a program that allows prospective male Ranger students to recon the course of study before they attend.

  • “Eager to Rid Itself of Iraq”

    “. . . the President’s team at the White House pushed back, and the differences occasionally became heated. … and those on our side viewed the White House as so eager to rid itself of Iraq that it was willing to withdraw rather than lock in arrangements that would preserve our influence and interests.”

    No, that’s not a quote from Charles Krauthammer, Ann Coulter, or another Conservative political commentator.  It’s not a quote from some politician with an “R” after his name, either.

    As Jonn noted earlier today, that quote is reportedly from former SECDEF Leon Panetta’s upcoming memoir.

    Panetta goes on to state his opinion that White House engagement would have resulted in an agreement for some residual level of US forces to remain in Iraq post-2011.  He further states his belief that those forces would have made a critical difference in the recent situation there.

    But what would Panetta know?  After all, he’s only the former SECDEF and DIR CIA.

    My take on this is somewhat different from Jonn’s.  Panetta’s job as SECDEF wasn’t to make the decision on Iraq.  Rather, his job was to advise the POTUS regarding the ramifications of either option – then to implement the decision made by the POTUS.  Sounds to me like he did precisely that.  My issue here is very different than Jonn’s.

    The current Administration has been trotting out the “we really wanted to keep some forces there, but the Iraqi government wouldn’t let us”      bunch of bullsh!t      load of horsesh!t      baldfaced lie      whopper      flight of fantasy      tall tale       revisionist history recently concerning the 2011 US -Iraq negotiations.  With all due respect:  quit trying to “rectify” history again, Mr. President.  Because as they might have said where I grew up:  “Now, that dog just don’t hunt.”  Your attempts to “blame Bush” here are being disavowed by people who saw what your Administration actually did – from the inside.  Everyone can see the attempt to “blame Bush” this time is bull.

    Panetta is saying essentially the same thing here as the former US Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker has said elsewhere.  So Panetta’s account would seem to have support from someone else who was in an excellent position to know “ground truth” in Iraq.

    How about you quit trying to blame the current situation in Iraq on your predecessor, Mr. President.  In 2011, your hands weren’t tied.  You had your chance to prevent the current problems there from developing – and your Administration consciously chose not to.  Instead, you played Pontius Pilate and “washed your hands of the matter”.

    Fine. But the subsequent rise of ISIL and it’s takeover of much of Iraq is a direct consequence of that “hand-washing”.  That means that the situation in Iraq today with ISIL is your responsibility – yours, not someone else’s.  You and your Administration are the ones who “screwed the pooch” here.

    You own this.  Time to “man up” and admit it – for once.  (Hey, a guy can dream – can’t he?)

     

  • Bush to Current White House Occupant: “Told Ya So”

    Well, no – those weren’t his exact words; the former POTUS was far more diplomatic than that.  But that’s the clear message of George W. Bush’s latest public comment on the situation today in Iraq.

    Remember:  in July 2007, Bush made 4 clear predictions about what would happen if US forces left Iraq too soon.  He warned that doing so would

    • surrender the future of Iraq to al Qaeda
    • risk seeing mass killings on a horrific scale
    • allow terrorists to establish a safe haven in Iraq
    • increase the chance that American troops would have to return at some later date

    Don’t believe me?  Watch him make that prediction yourself.

    Sounds to me a lot like what we’ve seen during the last few months.  YMMV.

    Obviously someone didn’t heed those warnings in 2011.

     

  • Fighting Ebola

    Fighting Ebola

    ebola

    Fox News reports that there are boots on the ground in Africa so the US military can shift their fight to battling the Ebola virus;

    The Wall Street Journal reports that troops from the Navy’s 133rd Mobile Construction Battalion began building the first of a dozen planned hospitals in a field outside the main airport in Liberia, one of three countries along with Sierra Leone and Guinea that has been hit the hardest by the epidemic.

    As of September 23, the Journal says 6,574 cases had been reported in five West African countries — Senegal and Nigeria are the other two — with 3,091 deaths reported. Those official numbers represent a twofold increase in both categories from August, and global health officials have repeatedly stated their belief that the number of cases has been underreported by a factor of three or four. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that the number of cases would skyrocket to 1.4 million without international aid.

    There’s one of our commenters over on Facebook that keeps telling me that I shouldn’t oppose this particular operation because of the danger the virus presents to the world’s health. Well, I’m wondering why he isn’t over there fighting the disease. I have a problem with doing stuff for superstitious people who think that the folks who have come to help are the vectors of the virus.

    They kill folks trying to help them, they raid hospitals and steal the infected bedding and clothes and spread the virus even more. So all of these trained medical professionals are so concerned about Ebola, from behind their desks in Atlanta far from the people who need their expertise. Instead we send GI Joes and Janes who don’t have a choice – the folks who are already saving the world in other shitholes around the planet.

    So, if you people think this is such an important operation that deserves our attention, put on your contamination-protective suit and dig in next to the troops. It’s just my opinion that there are better-trained medical people than our troops who can do the job equally-well who are sitting safely in their cushy offices cheering for sending troops over there – and more than likely, they don’t think the troops should get an adequate benefit package for wading into that morass of disease and disrepair.

  • White Horses

    Seeing TSO’s article from last night regarding the ongoing Left Coast “Saga of Teh Stoopid” reminded me of something I’ve been pondering for a while. So since Jonn lets me wax foolish here from time to time, I decided I’d share it.

    Yeah, that means I’m about to ramble “off the res” a bit again. Consider yourselves warned. (smile)

    . . .

    TSO ended his article with a lyric from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer – ELP, for short. It was thoroughly apropos for his purposes.

    But it brings to mind another tune from ELP. And I’d guess that one resonates even more strongly, if perhaps a bit ambiguously, with many of TAH’s readers.

    The tune is Lucky Man. For those readers who might be unfamiliar with it, I’ve linked a clip below.

    Released in 1970, the song was not written to protest the Vietnam War – though many at the time and since doubtless took it to be exactly that. Greg Lake, the song’s author, wrote in 1959-1960, when he was 12 years old. It sat unrecorded until the sessions for ELP’s first album – and ended up on that self-titled record.

    It’s not a typical ELP tune.  It’s written more-or-less as a piece from an English Medieval traveling minstrel, updated to be more modern lyrically.  Lake wrote it on and for the acoustic guitar.

    On the surface, the song addresses the futility of war and the waste of life inherent in same. A man who “had everything” goes to war and loses it all when he’s killed in battle. It makes a powerful, if perhaps unintended, anti-war statement.   Many doubtless see the tune as a paean for pacifism.

    And yet . . . I think most of us who’ve served may view it a bit differently.

    In the song, yes – the main character dies. And he’s understandably sad on realizing he’s about to die.

    But consider:  he dies voluntarily. He dies while serving a cause greater than himself. And he dies doing his duty to that greater cause – in this case, his nation.

    His nation called. He answered. It cost him dearly.  But he died honorably and true to himself nonetheless.

    Each of us who has served has given that possibility some thought. Anyone who’s served and hasn’t (or didn’t) is IMO a complete and utter fool.

    And anyone who’s served voluntarily has decided – implicitly or explicitly – “I’m OK with that”.

    . . .

    Anyway, my take is this: yes, the story is sad. Life is sad sometimes. Not all stories have happy endings.

    But in at least one respect, IMO the title is apropos. The man in question’s life was forfeit while serving a cause that mattered. He spent his life willingly. While not perhaps the end he wanted, he went out on his own terms while doing what he wanted to do.  The ending to his life was honorable.

    Some aren’t so lucky. They never do anything meaningful in their lives. They never serve a cause larger than themselves.   And whatever they do, it’s about their wants and needs – not about serving a greater cause.

    So you tell me: was the man lucky? I don’t know. Everyone has to decide that for themselves. I’ve got somewhat mixed feelings personally.

    But on balance, I’d have to say – yes he was. He died doing his duty, voluntarily serving his nation.  He died doing something that mattered.

    I’d guess many of our readers feel the same.

    . . .

    Enough rambling for today.  Heading back to the res.

  • About That Upcoming African “Feelgood” Exercise

    I’m sure everyone’s heard by now that the US is sending troops to “help fight the West Africa Ebola outbreak” (or words to that effect). I’m equally sure many have mixed feelings about doing this.

    I think that’s a manifestly bad idea. And, contrary to this tool’s ridiculous verbal diarrhea, the reason I think the operation is ill-advised IS NOT because it would help (as he put it) “brown or black people”.

    IMO, it’s an undertaking that can do little to help. But it could well result in bringing a previously-unknown pestilence to this hemisphere – like the Europeans did when they brought smallpox to the Americas, or when syphilis was introduced to Europe by those returning from the Americas. Ask Native Americans and Europeans/Asians how those introductions of previously-unknown, untreatable, and incurable diseases went.

    The remainder of this article will discuss the reasons I feel this “we gotta do something to make ourselves feel good” adventure is a serious mistake. Feel free to disagree.

    But you might want to read what follows, anyway.

    1. We simply don’t know that much about Ebola and other Filoviridae.

    Ebola belongs to a type of viruses called filoviruses. They’re so named because they’re filament-shaped. These viruses collectively form the viral family Filoviridae.

    Even today, we don’t know much about them. The first filovirus genus to be discovered – Marburg – was discovered in 1967. Ebola was isolated next, in 1976. The third genus, Cuevavirus (with a single known species), was isolated in 2010. At present, these seem to be the only three genera of Filovirudae to have been discovered.

    Of these three Filovirudae genera, there are at present eight species for which data is available. Of those eight, six (both known Marburg species and four of the five known Ebola species) are known to cause fatal illnesses in humans. One Ebola species appears to infect humans without causing serious illness. The ability of Cuevavirus species to infect humans is currently unknown.

    In short: we just don’t know very much about Ebola and its close relatives. Fifty years ago, we didn’t even know the entire Family existed. Hell, the likely natural reservoir of filoviruses – bats – was only recently identified in 2009, or over 40 years after the first filovirus was isolated. And scientists aren’t yet absolutely positive that bats are the natural reservoir.

    2. Ebola is both deadly and incurable.

    There is no known cure for Ebola and other filovirus diseases. An infected person either gets well or dies. Other than provide supportive care, medical science can’t do a damn thing for them.

    Let me restate that: there is no cure for Ebola. You get it, you are screwed. You’ve got a damn good chance of dying – and it’s a very horrible kind of death. (I’ll spare everybody the details here; descriptions of the disease’s progression are readily available on the Internet. Look them up if you have a fascination with the grotesque.)

    Yes, there is an experimental serum – Zmapp – that has shown some promise. It was used to treat two American healthcare workers who contracted the disease while treating Ebola patients during the recent outbreak.

    Both survived, albeit only after a long and serious illness. Unfortunately, that serum is experimental – so that means it’s produced in a lab environment. It currently takes at least one week to produce the raw materials (grown in tobacco leaves) needed for a single dose of the serum; more time is required to produce the serum afterwards.

    There are literally thousands of unfortunate individuals in the current outbreak who are currently infected. You do the math.

    The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa is a variant of the Ebola Zaire species. If there is any one filovirus species that qualifies as “worst of them all”, Ebola Zaire is it. It has the highest demonstrated fatality rate – up to 90% in some outbreaks. In the present outbreak, it seems to be running about 50% lethal – meaning around half of those who get it, die. Horribly. In a period of about 2-3 weeks.

    Oh, and those who do recover remain carriers of the virus for weeks after they recover (it’s been isolated in the semen of recovered male patients more than 80 days after clinical recovery, and sexual transmission has been documented as late as 7 weeks after clinical recovery). Many have severe health problems afterwards as well. So it’s not exactly “all good” afterwards for those who do recover, either.

    “Sobering” doesn’t begin to describe the prospects.

    3. There is no vaccine.

    Unlike other serious diseases we’ve dealt with in the recent past that were both communicable and highly lethal, there also is no vaccine for Ebola that provides someone exposed to the virus with immunity to the disease. Instead, one must depend solely on avoiding exposure to avoid becoming a casualty.

    This means protective gear. And unlike AIDS and other diseases people have heard about, we’re not talking the standard “gloves and masks” protection being anywhere near sufficient.

    Recommended protection measures and protocols are discussed here; details regarding the equipment required can be found here. And while exposure to of bodily fluids of an infected person is thought to be the primary means of infection, aerosol infection has not been definitively ruled out (more about this later). So, yeah – most if not all of those measures are required.

    That’s what’s required for someone working with anyone who’s infected with Ebola.

    Wonder what working in that gear is like?  From the description above (and accounts I’ve read), I get the impression that wearing that kind of protective gear is maybe 2 steps away from working in full MOPP-4. I could be wrong.

    You tell me people won’t start cutting corners when they get tired. Or making mistakes brought on by fatigue and discomfort.

    4. We don’t know definitively that Ebola is not transmissible via airborne droplets – like the common cold or flu.

    It is currently believed that Ebola is primarily transmitted by direct contact with contaminated bodily fluids from an infected person. (Per the WHO, sweat is among the bodily fluids believed to be a means of transmitting the virus.) Contact with objects contaminated with the virus is a secondary means of transmission, as is sexual activity.

    However, the jury is still out on whether or not airborne droplet transmission is a means of transmission. And based on one known past incident, there is substantial evidence that some forms of the Ebola virus indeed are transmitted in that manner.

    Ebola outbreaks in the US have actually occurred twice in the past. The first was the famous “monkey house” outbreak that occurred in Reston, VA, in 1989. The second was the less-well-known Ebola outbreak – again at a primate isolation facility – that occurred in Alice, TX, in 1990. In both cases, the primates in question (macaque monkeys) were received from the same primate facility in the Philippines.

    In both cases, the USA dodged a bullet. Both cases were outbreaks of Ebola Reston – the sole known species of Ebola that can infect but does not produce serious illness in humans. (In contrast, Marburg was discovered when an infected primate managed to pass along a lethal filovirus to humans; that occurred in Marburg, Germany – hence the name.)  However, in both cases medical testing of humans working with the infected primates confirmed that some humans had been inffected as well. So if this had been a fatal Ebola strain, we’d have very likely been in deep trouble.

    Why? Because in both cases there is strong evidence that aerosol transmission of the virus was a primary means of transmission, at least among the primate population. Here’s a quote from the linked article above relating to the Reston outbreak (emphasis added):

    The investigators documented a high likelihood of aerosol transmission outside a controlled laboratory setting, because the virus appeared to pass between rooms to infect susceptible monkeys.

    Aerosol droplets spread by the facility’s ventilation system are believed to have been the mechanism.

    Further, even today not all virologists are convinced that Ebola doesn’t spread via aerosol means.

    This is the basis for today’s debate over whether Ebola can be transmitted through the lungs, a discussion that has never been fully resolved, Dr. Murphy said.

    The “Dr. Murphy” here is Dr. Frederick Murphy – a virologist from the University of Texas. IMO we probably should listen to him. He helped discover Marburg, participated in the investigation of the 1st known Ebola outbreak as well as that of the 1989 outbreak of Ebola Reston in Reston, VA. He was the 1st person to image the Ebola virus with an electron scanning microscope. I’d guess his opinion concerning filoviruses like Ebola is probably more likely to be correct than that of most others on this planet.

    5. The troops going won’t be adequately trained for the mission.

    During the 1989 Ebola Reston outbreak, DoD responders were from USAMRIID – DoD’s premier biological research facility. Even then, there were difficulties. And those were the most experienced people we had (remember, this was during the wind-down of the Cold War; and biowarfare was still a real concern.)

    To my knowledge, we’re not packing up USAMRIID and sending them on this mission. We’re sending normal DoD units – regular troops.

    I don’t think they’re the right people to send.

    6. Recent reports indicate cultural factors and superstitions must change before containment will be effective.

    I don’t think I need to discuss this much. Teams in West Africa trying to educate the population concerning the disease have been attacked and slaughtered by the population they’re trying to help. Ditto those who were sent to recover infected dead for safe burial.

    Why? The indigenous population largely either denies the existence of the disease, or blames the public health care personnel trying to help for spreading it. Until superstition, denial, and cultural practices that spread the disease change (e.g., communal food plates from which everyone eats with their hands, washing bodies for burial, poor public sanitation) IMO what we’re doing is effectively the same as peeing into the ocean in an attempt to raise sea level. It just ain’t gonna have much effect.

    I fear that this disease will only run its course, and the outbreak only eventually stop through burnout. And at this point, I fear the best we can do is try to keep it on one continent.

    Cold, and harsh? Yes. The truth often is.

    Summary.

    Still, the POTUS seems hell-bent on acting. So, we’re going to send troops

    1. to a region of little strategic importance to the US,
    2. on a non-military mission, for which
    3. they’re not really properly trained.

    It’s a region experiencing an outbreak of a disease that is

    1. easily transmissible (if it isn’t, explain the protective gear required),
    2. may or may not spread by aerial droplet transmission like the common cold,
    3. doesn’t manifest for up to 21 days after infection, for which
    4. no practical effective treatment exists, plus
    5. no vaccine exists,and
    6. infection fatal for about 50% of those contracting it within 2 or 3 weeks, with
    7. a truly painful and horrible death, and for which
    8. long-term (up to 90 days) quarantine will be required for those who catch the disease and recover due to the fact that they still harbor the virus, as well as
    9. a 30-day post-mission quarantine for returning troops will be necessary to protect public health.

    Further, the troops won’t really be able to do much that changes the outcome of the outbreak. We’re really doing it for no other reason than to make ourselves “feel good” by “doing something to help” – even if it really doesn’t.

    But if returning troops do manage to bring that crap back to the USA, literally millions could die if a widespread outbreak occurs. And you just KNOW that the returning troops will be quarantined for 30 days to ensure no one is infected but in the latent/incubation period when the mission ends – right? (Yes, that last question was both sarcastic and rhetorical.)

    I truly feel for the poor souls in West Africa facing this plague.  I don’t see how our involvement can really help.  But our involvement could indeed bring that crap back to this continent.  All we need for that to happen is one missed incubating infection.

    And since we have bats here also, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that it could become endemic here too.

    To me, it seems the risk is too great, and what we can do is in practice small if not negligible.  It just doesn’t seem like a good idea.  But we’re apparently going to do it anyway.

    “I got a really bad feeling about this.”

     

    (Sorry this article is such a downer on an otherwise nice Sunday.  But it needs to be said.)

     

  • All Stolen Valor Is Equal. But Some Stolen Valor Is More Equal Than Others.

    We all know the SCOTUS recently invalidated the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, forcing Congress to revise and reenact it.  That happened last year.

    So, merely making false claims about one’s military career isn’t in general unlawful today.  You have to do so for the purpose of fraud to break the law.

    But it seems that’s not the case for all similar acts.

    Maybe I’m misreading this article.  But if I’m reading it correctly, it leads me to believe that falsely claiming to be a retired cop in Oregon Washington state is illegal.

    “It’s quite appalling, it’s upsetting,”said Oak Harbor Police Chief Edgar Green.  . . . “We’re very proud of what we do and work very hard at what we do, so to find someone who comes along and just takes that for granted and pretends to be one of us, that’s upsetting.”

    No sh!t, Chief Green.  Those who are veterans – and particularly those who are military retirees – feel exactly the same way about false military claims. We find that crap kinda “appalling” and “upsetting”, too. Those false claims about military service bother a vet for precisely the same reasons that false claims of being a police officer (or a retired police officer) bothers you.

    Hmm.  Falsely claim to have the Medal of Honor?  That’s OK.  Falsely claim to be a retired cop, and tell someone “Call 911”?  Oh, no – can’t do that.  Apparently, that’s illegal.

    Someone’s gonna have to ‘splain that to me.  I just don’t “get it”.

  • 8 Ebola education team members killed in Guinea

    ebola

    Pinto Nag sends us a link to Reuters which reports that eight members of an Ebola education team were found murdered in Guinea when they were trying to teach people how to avoid getting the deadly disease.

    “The eight bodies were found in the village latrine. Three of them had their throats slit,” Damantang Albert Camara told Reuters by telephone in Conakry.

    Some of the members of the team remain missing and six people have been arrested.

    Fofana said the team that included local administrators, two medical officers, a preacher and three accompanying journalists, was attacked by a hostile stone-throwing crowd from the village when they tried to inform people about Ebola.

    Of course, the incident happened in the same area where the disease was first discovered earlier this year. Our troops are mostly going to be in and around Monrovia in Liberia, according to the administration. However, it seems difficult to defend helping these people. I remember last month when folks attacked a hospital that was treating local victims in Monrovia. So, I’m glad I don’t have to write the ROE for this humanitarian mission upon which we are embarking.