Hang on to your Losers... Army's Answer to Manpower Shortage By Phillip Carter and Owen West

This is Army's answer to keeping up with the manpower quotas. Keep the losers. Keep the trouble makers, gold bricks, dirt bags, skaters, and squad leaders of the don't give a damn brigade. If you live long enough you get to see everything twice. Keeping the losers was not the answer in the 70's when the Marine Corps saw the light and let go 6000 of these bad boys and it beats me how the Army now thinks that sweet talk and incentives will help with shortages. As this article states, the true "warrior class is small" but it is powerful and faithful. The tip of the spear, the warriors, need to have more attention and incentives directed towards reenlistment. The men who have the guts to go toe to toe with mad dog thugs, to preserve our cherished freedoms, deserve the best our budgets can provide not lame brain proposals recycled from the 70's round file.

"This new retention directive represents a regression by the Army, from the vaunted all-volunteer force of today back in the direction of the all-volunteer force of the 1970s, when drug use, race riots, and AWOL incidents were common among all services. The Marine Corps Historical Branch traces its own severe spiral to 'the end of the draft and the pressure of keeping up the size of the Marine Corps. In the process, a number of society's misfits had been recruited.' By 1975, the corps had so decayed that newly appointed Commandant Lewis Wilson sought permission from Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger to implement a radical personnel proposal: Push the authority to discharge unworthy Marines down to the battalion level. Under the 'expeditious discharge program,' commanders quickly cut 6,000 undesirables, sending a message that reverberated throughout the military, paving the way for the subsequent military performance surge credited to President Reagan.
Now the Army intends to reverse the policy, implying that battalion commanders are not able to weigh the needs of the total force against those of their units. By the time a soldier reaches the discharge point, the officers above him have already invested a great deal of rehabilitative effort. Forcing units to keep these troops—and indeed, to take them to war—puts a very heavy rock in the rucksack of any field commander who must now balance managing these subpar performers with his mission and the needs of his unit.

It does not have to be this way. While faced with an unprecedented personnel squeeze, the military has a golden opportunity to implement structural reforms so it can better face the challenges of the 21st century.
The services must shift the manpower priority from recruiting to retention. The fact that the Navy and Air Force have consistently met their recruiting quotas in the face of a global war demonstrates that there is no shortage of young Americans willing to join the military. Shouldering a rifle in the mountains of Tora Bora or on Fallujah's streets is a different story, however. Though the Army and Marines have to recruit less than a quarter of 1 percent of the eligible population each year, they are finding that America's warrior class is small. 'There's a difference between those who want some life experience and those who want to fight,' says a Marine recruiter. 'And most of [the latter] sign up anyway.' The focus should be on retaining those who gravitate to the tip of the spear instead of coercing those more comfortable with service than soldiering."

Quantico Marines of 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion display their light armored vehicles Fleet Week in New York

The New York USO came to sing for the "war Pigs" and Sgt. Jason Ehlers was forced to participate in the festivities.

4th LAR Marines gave tours of the "War Pigs" last Sunday in New York. 

"War Pigs" aka LAV-25's love to swim ....

What Kind of Back up Have You Got...??? The whole nine yards if you need it...

A Rand study answers the question a young Marine asked me on continued citizen support when the going gets rough for the troops on the ground or will the news "disturb the citizens at their breakfast". "Americans' opinions went on a war footing following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States, often matching levels of support for military action seen during World War II, according to the study that synthesizes findings from about 100 public opinion surveys."“

The perceived importance of the stakes was the key belief predicting support for the operation,” said RAND analyst Eric Larson, the report's lead author.

Other major factors influencing a person's likelihood of backing a military operation include: identifying with the same political party as the president of the United States, the occurrence of battle casualties, and beliefs about the prospects for an operation's success, according to the study.

Larson said that U.S. support for the Iraq mission became “far more stalwart” after 16 soldiers were killed when an Army helicopter was shot down in November 2003 by insurgents near Fallujah. This is in contrast to public sentiment after the infamous “Black Hawk Down” battle in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993 that killed 18 U.S. troops and wounded many more.

Polls showed a “stiffening” of public support for military action after the Iraq incident, while polling data showed that Americans preferred pulling out of Somalia by 2-to-1 margins even before the Mogadishu firefight. That sentiment strengthened after the battle, according to the study.


RAND | News Release | Americans Will Back Military Action Overseas If They Believe The United States Has "Important Stakes" in a Battle

Captured thuggies trained to cry torture: al Qaeda handbook via The Washington Times:

Captives told to claim torture - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - May 31, 2005: " In a raid on an al Qaeda cell in Manchester, British authorities seized al Qaeda's most extensive manual for how to wage war.
A directive lists one mission as 'spreading rumors and writing statements that instigate people against the enemy.'
If captured, the manual states, 'At the beginning of the trial ... the brothers must insist on proving that torture was inflicted on them by state security before the judge. Complain of mistreatment while in prison.'
The handbook instructs commanders to make sure operatives, or 'brothers,' understand what to say if captured.
'Prior to executing an operation, the commander should instruct his soldiers on what to say if they are captured,' the document says. 'He should explain that more than once in order to ensure that they have assimilated it. They should, in turn, explain it back to the commander.'
An example might have occurred in a Northern Virginia courtroom in February.
Ahmed Omar Abul Ali, accused of planning to assassinate President Bush, made an appearance in U.S. District Court and promptly told the judge that he had been tortured in Saudi Arabia, including a claim that his back had been whipped. He is accused of meeting there with a senior al Qaeda leader.
Days later, a U.S. attorney filed a court document saying physicians had examined Ali and 'found no evidence of any physical mistreatment on the defendant's back or any other part of his body.'
Larry Di Rita, spokesman for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, said two Guantanamo commanders told him that al Qaeda detainees are experts in circulating false charges among the more than 500 fighters captured in Afghanistan. "

War Pig and Bravo Four LAR friends at the Tikrit Birthday Palace, Iraq northern most LOA Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

Memorial Day

Affectionally known as "war pigs" the LAV-25 carries a letal dose of ammo for the 25mm chain gun and 7.62 machine gun. A beauty. 

Lt. Ilario Pantano is free

The Lieutenant's lawyer describes the classic conflict between garrison and frontline. "Down at the unit level, there was never a question about Ilario's conduct and whether or not he did the right thing," Charles Gittins, Pantano's civilian lawyer, said. "It was up in the higher echelons. The people removed from combat situations needed to put more trust in their officers rather than assuming they're guilty." Maj. Gen. Richard Huck, commander of the 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune, ends the prosecution of 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano (search), whom prosecutors accused of killing the men without justification.

Too Close To Air Strike

Al Zarqawi in poor health

Ten Percent off at Home Depot as Thanks : via Winds of Change.NET

Winds of Change.NET: " Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, today announced that the company is inviting all active duty, reservists, retired military personnel, veterans and their families to receive 10 percent off their purchases in recognition of Memorial Day. The offer is good on purchases up to $2,000 for a maximum discount of $200 between May 26-30, 2005, at The Home Depot stores, The Home Depot Floor Stores, The Home Depot Landscape Supply stores and EXPO Design Center locations.
'This discount is our way of saying 'thanks' to the brave men and women of our armed forces,' said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president & CEO of The Home Depot. 'The Home Depot has an ongoing commitment to the entire U.S. military community and, during this time of remembrance, we want to show our appreciation to all of those who have served at home and abroad to preserve freedom for our nation.'
To qualify, individuals must present proof of military service to the Special Services Desk at any The Home Depot store, where they will receive a coupon that is redeemable at any cashier's checkout register. Discount coupons are valid on a single receipt in-store purchase only."

MAS's Muslim Brotherhood Problem

MAS's Muslim Brotherhood Problem: "THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD is an international Islamist group that largely operates underground and behind the scenes, with branches in about 70 countries. The Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna, an Egyptian schoolteacher who--in the wake of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and abolition of the caliphate--bemoaned the sickness of the Ummah, or larger Muslim community. The Brotherhood's response to this perceived sickness

was to emphasize doctrinally that Islam encompasses all the affairs of man. As al-Banna wrote, 'Islam is faith and worship, a country and a citizenship, a religion and a state. It is spirituality and hard work. It is a Qur'an and a sword.' The group also emphasizes that Islam is a universal faith. As al-Banna put it, Islam 'has encompassed all aspects of human life, for all peoples and nations, and for all times and ages.'

Because the Brotherhood views Islam as all-encompassing and universal, one of its highest goals is to spread Islamic law. The Chicago Tribune explains that the controversial 'ultimate goal' of the U.S. Brotherhood is 'to create Muslim states overseas and, they hope, someday in America as well.' Brotherhood members did emphasize to the Tribune that they operate within the laws of the countries where they live:

They stress that they do not believe in overthrowing the U.S. government, but rather that they want as many people as possible to convert to Islam so that one day--perhaps generations from now--a majority of Americans will support a society governed by Islamic law.

Despite these pronouncements, the Muslim Brotherhood has not always been known for non-violence. The 'Qur'an and a sword' outlook trumpeted by al-Banna is, for example, evident in the organization's militant motto: 'Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.' Consistent with this motto, Muslim Brotherhood members have been involved in such episodes as the assassination of Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmud Fahmi Nokrashi and the attempted assassination of Gamal Abdel Nasser."
"

Jim Lacey on the Military on National Review Online

Jim Lacey on the Military on National Review Online: "On a recent trip to Iraq I was with a small group of civilians and officers when truck loads of care packages for the soldiers were being unloaded. The boxes were opened for the soldiers to grab what they wanted. Earlier, one of the officers mentioned that he needed to get some razors from the Post Exchange. One of the civilians in our group spotted a shaving kit in a box, grabbed it, and handed it to the officer in need of razors saying, “This will save you a trip.” Without a pause the officer threw the kit back in the box and replied, “That stuff was sent over for the troops to use, not me.” The civilian mentioned that the officer was also a soldier serving in Iraq and no one would begrudge him the kit. The officer did his best to explain and then finally said, “That is not how it works. Just watch.”

So we stood off to the side and watched. Over the next half hour, while a couple of hundred soldiers took what they wanted from the boxes about two dozen Army and Marine officers came over and looked to see what was in the boxes. Every one of them left empty handed. It was as clear a testament as I could personally imagine that they had internalized the idea that the needs of the soldiers came before their own."

"But the lone Iraqi woman in the house wouldn't enter the room without a veil. " Via Pamela Hess (United Press International)

The curious case of the Iraqi woman who refused to refused to join the six men in her own house tipped off one alert Marine Sgt. who kept thinking why should a woman be so adamant about going into the same room with six men who supposedly were her relatives. Marines of the one seven regiment had just been shot at by a sniper who vanished into the nearby houses and now the Marines were questioning residents inside their houses. At one house they found six men and one woman. For questioning, the Marines moved the six men into one room and when they asked the woman to join them she refused. "She was obstinate," said Capt. Andrew J. Nelson, a company commander with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment." The Marines insisted. She refused. Finally, she relented but first put on a veil. Why should an Iraqi woman need a veil in her own house....unless the men were not relatives but strangers. This much cultural awareness encouraged the young Marine Sgt to haul all six men in for further questioning and later discovered that three of the six were snipers. The new combat zone in the 21st. century requires very savvy Marines.

Marines focus on small units - (United Press International): "But the lone Iraqi woman in the house wouldn't enter the room with the men"

Operation Matador Via lgf: pump up the bass, Qusay Read the rest at lgf website

lgf: pump up the bass, Qusay: "On Operation Matador

LGF reader Joe G. forwarded this letter from Marine Colonel Bob Chase, about his experiences in Operation Matador; note the section about his interview with NBC News:

***

Was talking to Gino and he asked for some details on the MATADOR fight. Figured, by now since many of you might have caught some of the interviews, you’d like to hear, ‘the rest of the story...“

Matador is now officially over, supposedly, they were going to fight our way back and ”destroy“ us - guess they missed the turn at the dairy queen. We are back and the final tally was Good Guys - 125 enemy dead, many more wounded, and 39 detainees of some significant value. The bad guys, who talk a real good game - 9 Killed (6 in the one Amtrak) and 30 wounded (most will return to duty). Not a bad weeks’ work.

As we have said, our intent was to make ourselves big by leveraging our firepower and mobility. This area was a real sh*thole for AMZ criminals. We knew it, 1st Division knew it, but working it on a regular basis was tough. We kept some recon there and got the timing pretty well, brought up a bridging unit from the Army in Baghdad, then went across in the middle of the night (that was probably the only part that didn’t go on sked (the bank gradient was poorly assessed) but we had near and far-side security already in and a blocking position near the Syrian Border.

The enemy figured out after about 4 hours that we were there in force. They came down with about 100 fighters (no, scratch that - they were TARGETS) and made the poor decision to take on a battalion in open ground. They withdrew - we went after them into a place called Ubaydi. Many mounted boats and tried to escape N, we pushed Air, and the Cobras sunk a bunch of trash barges that night. Meanwhile, we continued to push west across the river. Our far-side units started to see pockets of insurgents move to key areas to emplace mines/IEDs. They came out, snipers took them out; their friends came for the bodies; they, joined them on the deck - permanently.

The force started getting the tanks and LAVs across later than we had hoped; but when they did! Our first casualties came at a high-rise where the enemy had prepared positions; a platoon moved in under fire, 2 Marines, a SSGT and a LCPL were first in the hatch and received a burst of MG fire. As the unit assumed they were dead (no additional fire/no one came out), they lit up the house and dropped it with a coupla 500-pounders. As we moved to recover our Marines (NONE LEFT BEHIND), we discovered that the LCPL, though wounded was still alive (he is serious, but stable). Unfortunately the SSGT had taken a round to the grape and had been killed by the initial burst"

Iraqi Thuggie Sniper Training via military.com

"7 duties of a sniper Gathered from the pro-insurgency militant website
Baghdad Al-Rashid.com"on 10 May 2005
“Another look into the mind of the enemy”

Thuggie sniper's How to handbook on targets to kill available on line...check it out.

Another word from the America is to blame crowd via:HughHewitt.com

Indra Nooyi, CFO at Pepsi, commencement speech at Columbia University really hit a sore nerve with me and by now lots of other bloggers as well with her America-gives-the-world-the-middle-finger speech. I am swearing off Pepsi and Fritos and I encourage you to join the protest as well. Here are the choice comments by Nooyi found at Hewitt's site:
"As the longest of the fingers, [the United States] really stands out. The middle finger anchors every function that the hand performs and is the key to all of the fingers working together efficiently and effectively. This is a really good thing, and has given the U.S. a leg-up in global business since the end of World War 1.

However, if used inappropriately --just like the U.S. itself-- the middle finger can convey a negative message and get us in trouble. You know what I'm talking about. In fact, I suspect you're hoping that I'll demonstrate what I mean. And trust me, I'm not looking for volunteers to model.

Discretion being the better part of valor...I think I'll pass.

What is most crucial to my analogy of the five fingers as the five major continents, is that each of us in the U.S. --the long middle finger-- must be careful that when we extend our arm in either a business or political sense, we take pains to assure we are giving a hand...not the finger. Sometimes this is very difficult. Because the U.S. --the middle finger-- sticks out so much, we can send the wrong message unintentionally.

Unfortunately, I think this is how the rest of the world looks at the U.S. right now. Not as a part of the hand --giving strength and purpose to the rest of the fingers-- but, instead, scratching our nose and sending a far different signal."

HughHewitt.com: "The Yahoo message board for Pepsico is not happy with the company's ineffective response to consumer anger with COO's Nooyi's 'America is the middle finger' speech. Michelle Malkin brands Pepsi the 'new Eason,' and provides a round-up of links. No mention of the consumer anger at Pepsi for its COO's analogy or displeasure with the non-apology apology in MSM, so the story may seem to PR types at Pepsico to be passing. So it seemed to Eason Jordan. Those Pr types might want to have a look at this, and at this."

Friday's sermon by Sheilk Ibrahim Mudeiris."we will rule the entire world "via:MEMRI TV

MEMRI TV: "We have ruled the world before, and by Allah, the day will come when we will rule the entire world again. The day will come when we will rule America. The day will come when we will rule Britain and the entire world – except for the Jews. The Jews will not enjoy a life of tranquility under our rule, because they are treacherous by nature, as they have been throughout history. The day will come when everything will be relived of the Jews - even the stones and trees which were harmed by them. Listen to the Prophet Muhammad, who tells you about the evil end that awaits Jews. The stones and trees will want the Muslims to finish off every Jew.

"

On Capturing the Zarqawi thug dude Via:Reverse Retna from the Sandlot

One conversation, between an American and an Iraqi, on capturing the the thug dude...discovers a hellava blind spot that can only be healed by freedom.
Reverse Retna from the Sandlot: "A lesson in Diversity
The other day I was in my SSSA (secret secure smoking area) at work and one of the Transitional National Assembly staff stopped to have a smoke. After the regular exchange of niceties I asked how things were coming along with the New Government. The guy told me that things were going well but it would work out a lot better if we could catch Zarqawi. He actually said 'when you catch Zarqawi.' I responded 'Insha'llah' which means 'god-willing' in Arabic. He then asked a question that gets asked a lot around the world...'Why can't you catch him?' I was a bit taken aback. I told him it wasn't for lack of trying. A quick look on google will tell you that we're constantly chasing that nut-case but my reply is that for all the strength and technology in the world nothing can replace the help of a concerned citizen. Most police officers will tell you, short of a stupid criminal, the thing that usually solves a case is an eye-witness or anonymous tip. I explained that we need the help of the average Iraqi. When someone sees Zarqawi he needs to call either the Coalition or the Iraqi security forces and report it. We're not from here...We don't speak the language and can't tell the difference between the people in terms of dialect or dress. We need their help in this as much as they need ours. He said he understood and that it was a strange concept to him. I asked what was strange. His reply was one that I think most Americans take for granted because his answer seems so simple to us. The concept that he found strange? In his words 'That a single man could change the world.' He had a look of revelation in his eyes that told me he just stumbled onto one of the many facets of real Freedom...

Yoshi, Out...."

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi WIA via:Sunday Times - Times Online

The "the" thuggie has been wounded and according to an unidentified doctor who recognized Zarqawi from pictures, (no doubt with $25 million reward). The doctor-dude tried to con Zarqwawi into staying in the hospital for his health, of course, even followed the "smartly dressed thug team" to their get away car when he saw the machine guns and remembered he wanted to breathe the next day. Oh yead, this is a credible lead. Totally believeable dude. Major thug escorted by smartly dressed body guards.


Bin Laden henchman ‘seriously wounded’ - Sunday Times - Times Online

The view of the forest...The Work You as As U.S. Marines are doing... is nothing LESS the liberation of men and women... via:Across the Bay

Across the Bay: "To venture into the Arab world, as I did recently over four weeks in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq, is to travel into Bush Country. I was to encounter people from practically all Arab lands, to listen in on a great debate about the possibility of freedom and liberty. I met Lebanese giddy with the Cedar Revolution that liberated their country from the Syrian prison that had seemed an unalterable curse. They were under no illusions about the change that had come their way. They knew that this new history was the gift of an American president who had put the Syrian rulers on notice. The speed with which Syria quit Lebanon was astonishing, a race to the border to forestall an American strike that the regime could not discount. I met Syrians in the know who admitted that the fear of American power, and the example of American forces flushing Saddam Hussein out of his spiderhole, now drive Syrian policy. They hang on George Bush's words in Damascus, I was told: the rulers wondering if Iraq was a crystal ball in which they could glimpse their future.

The weight of American power, historically on the side of the dominant order, now drives this new quest among the Arabs. For decades, the intellectual classes in the Arab world bemoaned the indifference of American power to the cause of their liberty. Now a conservative American president had come bearing the gift of Wilsonian redemption. For a quarter-century the Pax Americana had sustained the autocracy of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak: He had posed as America's man on the Nile, a bulwark against the Islamists. He was sly and cunning, running afoul of our purposes in Iraq and over Israeli-Palestinian matters. He had nurtured a culture of antimodernism and anti-Americanism, and had gotten away with it. Now the wind"

ARMOR GEDDON: Unstoppable

Neil Prakash has posted again after leaving thuggie country. He has video footage of the fight into Fallujah- flick called Unstoppable. Awesome. Check it out.
ARMOR GEDDON: Unstoppable

On Abu Ghraib: One sergeant's Profile in Courage - Yahoo! News

The first step toward establishing accountability for the Abu Ghraib atrocities was taken on Jan. 13, 2004, by Sgt. Joseph M. Darby of the US Army's 372nd Military Police Company. Sergeant Darby had asked Specialist Charles A. Graner Jr. whether he could download onto his computer some of the digital pictures he knew Graner had shot while their unit was in
Iraq. What he had expected was a travelogue.

What Darby found, he later testified, "[was] shocking. It violated everything that I personally believed in and everything that I had been taught about the rules of war."

Darby delivered the photos to military investigators. His action triggered a series of investigations and a worldwide outcry.

It took courage for Darby to stand up for justice. He must have known that it would make him a pariah with his colleagues, but he followed his conscience. Later, some of his neighbors back home in Maryland made it clear that they disapproved of Darby's actions. After hearing that he had been praised in Washington, one local veteran told the press, "They can call him what they want. I call him a rat." For his courage, Darby has received death threats, and the Army has had to provide him with special protection.

"To be courageous," wrote John F. Kennedy in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Profiles in Courage," "requires no exceptional qualifications.... It is an opportunity that sooner or later is presented to us all."

When the opportunity was presented to Joseph Darby, he grasped it and rescued American values from further degradation.

Monday Darby will be given the Kennedy Library Foundation's Profile in Courage Award by Caroline Kennedy for "upholding the rule of law that we embrace as a nation."





On Abu Ghraib: One sergeant's courage a model for US leaders - Yahoo! News

Check it out. You won't be disappointed---Michael Yon : Online Magazine and the thuggie fire mission

Michael Yon, embedded photographer, made the jump into the visible realm with the photo of Major Mark Bieger hugging a fatally injured four year old little girl. Thugs set off a car bomb to attack his patrol while the car was surrounded by kids. Along with excellent photos Yon also has a flair for writing. Check out his viedo of a thug fire mission from the burbs. The good guys can not fire back, natch, that's thug SOP but choppers can follow and so unnerve the thuggies they run to the nearest police station and turn themselves in.!!!
Michael Yon : Online Magazine

Second LAR Has One Marine Twin---First Force Has the Other

Beacon Journal | 05/07/2005 | Twins' brief reunion makes mother's day: "At the time Scott left for the Marines, Kevin had no plans to join.

But by the time Scott was nearing the end of boot camp in Parris Island, S.C., Kevin had joined and was getting started.

They saw each other at Parris Island and again in early 2004 when they were both stationed near Camp Lejeune, N.C.

But Scott left for Iraq in August 2004 and the two didn't see each other again until the middle of the night on March 7.

Both knew there was a chance their paths might cross but figured it was highly unlikely.

Scott had arrived in Kuwait a few hours earlier and had gone to a dining hall early in the morning.

He saw some other Marines and asked one if he knew of a Marine named Siska.

``You're Siska,'' the other Marine said to him.

Then, another Marine looked at Scott Siska with a confused look on his face and then asked him to stay put.

The Marine left and returned about 15 minutes later.

Scott was eating and when he turned around, there was his brother.

``How are you doing?'' Kevin asked his brother.

``Good. How are you?'' Scott said.

For the next four hours, the brothers ate, talked and strolled around the base.

They discussed their family but not Iraq.

``It wasn't anything serious,'' Scott said.

But he said he could tell that his brother was tense.

``He seemed like he was really uptight,'' Scott said.

Kevin Siska is attached to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Weapons Platoon and Scott was with 1st Force Service Group and provided force security in the Fallujah area during his time in Iraq.

At the end of their short visit, Scott said he could tell the visit was good for his brother.

``There was a big sigh of relief,'' he said.

Scott said he figured that when his brother saw him, he could see that his brother came out of Iraq fine and that he knew he could, too.

The young men, who will turn 21 on May 24, then said their goodbyes.

In a matter of hours, Scott was headed back to Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Kevin was on his way to Iraq.

A few weeks ago, Carol Siska received a photograph of her sons on that night in Kuwait, taken by a friend on Kevin's disposable camera."

Col. David H. Hackworth, 1930-2005: Legendary critic of careerism and incompetence , U.S. Army Guerrilla Fighter, Champion of the Ordinary Soldier

"A reputation won on the battlefield made it impossible to dismiss him when he went on the attack later as a critic of careerism and incompetence in the military high command. In 1971, he appeared in the field on ABC's Issue and Answers to say Vietnam 'is a bad war...it can't be won. We need to get out.' He also predicted that Saigon would fall to the North Vietnamese within four years, a prediction that turned out to be far more accurate than anything the Joint Chiefs of Staff were telling President Nixon or that the President was telling the American people."Col. David H. Hackworth, 1930-2005: Legendary U.S. Army Guerrilla Fighter, Champion of the Ordinary Soldier:

Abu Ghraib's message ---Just Say No-- | csmonitor.com

Abu Ghraib's message for the rank and file | csmonitor.com: "If any lesson can be drawn from the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse legal fallout so far, it may be this: The lowest-level soldier has the highest level of responsibility. The rank and file must clearly know right from wrong - both in terms of their own actions and orders from superiors.

'What the average soldier is going to take away from Abu Ghraib is a reinforcement of what he learned at boot camp - that he's responsible for his actions,' says Mary Hall, a former military judge now in private practice. 'These Abu Ghraib courts-martial are a blunt reminder to even the newest private that they have a duty to just say 'no.' '"

7Online.com:Thugs probe perimeter wire--- Government Alert: Hospital Security Breach

Thugs posing as doctors and inspectors are probing internal security systems-- teams of thugs are arriving at hospitals demanding information and patient records AKA in grunt speak they are probing the wire trying to find the machine guns and other strong points or weakness. Classic recon job says FBI.
7Online.com: Government Alert: Hospital Security Breach

LCpl Thomas Adametz Silver Star for bravery in Fallujah Via- HoustonChronicle.com -

Adametz, 21, a native of the Philippines, was determined that the Marines would not be defeated in the April 26, 2004, battle.

He dashed in front of the bullet-riddled building where the Marines were under heavy fire, grabbed a machine gun and began firing at the enemy.

With Adametz's covering fire, the Marines regrouped and the insurgents were repelled.

"I looked out there and saw this crazy maniac firing away so all the Marines could come back alive," said Lance Cpl. Carlos Gomez-Perez, who was severely wounded in the attack.

On Wednesday, in a ceremony in which he was praised as a "great warrior,"Adametz was awarded the Silver Star, the United States' third-highest award for combat bravery.

Dozens of Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Marine Division have received commendations in the Fallujah campaign. But only Adametz received the Silver Star.

At Wednesday's ceremony, Adametz seemed slightly embarrassed at being called a hero. "All I wanted to do was protect my brother Marines," he said.

He leaves in July for a third tour of duty in the Persian Gulf region.
HoustonChronicle.com - Marine gets Silver Star for bravery at Fallujah

USAID: Assistance for Iraq - Accomplishments Overview

The antidote for thug supported news coverage is here:
USAID: Assistance for Iraq - Accomplishments Overview

No Court-Martial in Iraq Mosque Shooting - Yahoo! News

A Marine corporal who was videotaped shooting an apparently injured and unarmed Iraqi in a Fallujah mosque last year will not face a court-martial, the Marine Corps announced Wednesday.
No Court-Martial in Iraq Mosque Shooting - Yahoo! News

Thugs captured since May First:84---Old Media coverage 0

If-it-bleeds-it-leads-old-dinosaur media standards will not have anything to do with this great story of Iraqi citizens who helped capture the thug trying to get away:

"The Soldiers saw the gunner run down an alley and into a nearby mosque. U.S. Forces secured the area and Iraqi citizens on the scene identified the attacker. Iraqi police arrived at the site, entered the mosque and detained 18 suspects, including the attacker.

In a separate incident, three local national males parked a vehicle near a busy traffic circle in east Baghdad and exited the vehicle moments before it detonated."

The three thugs were captured trying to flag down a taxi by police.
The United States Army Home Page

Two LAR In swarm tactic catches thugs off guard via Chicago Tribune |

Chicago Tribune | GIs launch new tactic against enemy fighters: "While the idea to swarm enemy fighters is not new to the Marines in Iraq, it is rare that they do it fast enough for more than a few dozen Marines to shoot back at the fighters, let alone to surround the fast-moving insurgency. When the Americans shift forces into a town, it is usually only for a few days, and the action is so telegraphed that insurgents and foreign fighters can flee ahead of them.

Because several smaller units near Haqlaniyah were ready for other missions April 20, nearly 200 troops from the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines were able to respond to the shootout there within the first hour. The troops remained in town for the next three days. When left Haqlaniyah on April 23, things appeared to have returned to normal. The locals had learned on several previous occasions that the Marines rarely stay.

But on April 26, about 500 Marines from 3/25 and other battalions suddenly returned to Haqlaniyah, a small town of about 5,000 on the Euphrates River. Not only were major roads sealed off, but so were the desert and surrounding villages. Troops began rolling into all of Haqlaniyah's neighborhoods almost at once, and stayed until early Sunday.

Besides being able to actually shoot back at insurgents in the first phase, more than 40 arrests were made in the second phase, said battalion commander Lt. Col. Lionel Urquhart. Marine officials said the insurgents were apparently surprised the Marines had returned.

Outnumbered by insurgents

The first move in the new strategy for Anbar could not have begun in a more mundane way. Just after noon on April 20, two gunmen fired on a civil affairs patrol carrying repair proposals to schools in a neighboring town.

A description was sent out of the shooters' getaway car, which Hanselman's patrol stumbled across south of Haqlaniyah. But the Americans quickly found themselves outnumbered by an insurgent counterattack that sent gunfire and rockets down on them from several homes on the edge of town. Another American platoon arrived to pin down the Iraqi gunmen, and then a fresh company of troops backed them up.

By the time the fighting died down five hours later, hundreds of Marines from the 3/25 had poured in, supported by tanks, armored vehicles and helicopters.

'It's one of the first times they actually stayed and fought,' said Staff Sgt. Michael Knittle, 35, of Wakeman, Ohio, who was in the initial firefight alongside Hanselman.

Then came the pullout and the surprise return April 26, when hundreds more troops from battalions as far away as the Jordanian and Syrian borders sealed off Haqlaniyah, trapping insurgents and foreign fighters.

'Insurgents typically run like rats on a sinking ship,' said Maj. Steve White, the operations officer who directed the fight in Haqlaniyah. 'This time, I don't think they realized the ship was sinking.'

The 3rd Battalion moved almost all of its forces in the area into town April 26 and sat there, hoping for insurgents to grow impatient and begin fighting again.

North of them, a company from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, based in Al Qaim, seized the shops, neighborhood and pontoon bridge where the fight had begun a few days before. Across the river and on the outskirts of town, parts of the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, stationed on the border with Jordan, blocked off road junctions in the desert.
"

WorldNetDaily:Hackworth to Gen. John Sattler, USMC Three LAR Reserve Marines screwed over for promotion. " REAL" Marines Only

Hackworth is coming down hard for those LAR Marines who went IRR back to Iraq with "real" Marines and were passed over for promotion by dinosaur Marine lifers. Ask me if this bullshit bingo pisses me OFF.

"a company first sergeant called a meeting in Iraq solely to share his intent that none of the Reserve Marines in his company would be promoted on his watch because such promotions would count against the quotas for "real Marines." And even after an affected Gyrene researched the promotion policy and tried to tell the first sergeant there was absolutely no connection between regular and IRR promotions, his righteous words fell on deaf ears.

"Gen. Dennis McCarthy, commander of Marine Reserve Forces, also read my column (Hackworth) and had his staff review "the entire IRR promotion system." According to Col. Bob Braithwaite, Gen. McCarthy's chief of staff, this review uncovered that:... some individuals, particularly those activated and deployed in support of GWOT [Global War On Terrorism], may not have been given proper consideration for promotion due to administrative oversight. The unintended consequences of a new policy intended to increase promotion opportunity for our IRR Marines unfortunately resulted in some administrative confusion that appears to have temporarily penalized some of those Marines. We are taking proactive measures now to rectify those issues and will take care of our Marines.
:WorldNetDaily: Another open letter to Gen. John Sattler, USMC

Hamas vs. America - (article by Daniel Pipes) thugs called "business professionals" by white house drone

From the give me a break dept Daniel Pipe, thug fighter and outstanding analysts, issued a warning against the White House attempts to allowing Hamas to join the democracy table

"....an astonishing statement in which the White House spokesman referred to Hamas members as "business professionals." The Bush administration's push for quick democracy in the Middle East has an increasingly clear implication: if Islamist organizations such as Hamas are to be likely electoral winners, Western powers should stop classifying them as terrorists and instead come to terms with them.This conclusion follows from such efforts as those led by Alastair Crooke and his Conflicts Forum; the European Union's exploration of opening a dialogue with the Islamists; and an astonishing statement in which the White House spokesman referred to Hamas members as "business professionals."Hamas vs. America - article by Daniel Pipes

The Los Angeles Billboard Project: dhimmitude, Eurabia, and Bat Ye'or

"A knowledgeable and generous benefactor has enabled Jihad Watch to place a billboard in Los Angeles, and has asked that it feature three words unfamiliar to most Americans: dhimmitude, Eurabia, and Bat Ye'or. Here is the meaning of these mysterious words:

The Los Angeles Billboard Project: "dhimmitude, Eurabia, and Bat Ye'or"

Thug dude letter to Zarqawi complains about low morale .... feelings about abandonment CNN.com

The letter -- which never refers to al-Zarqawi by name -- is written to Sheik Abu Ahmad, a name not known to be used by the militant leader or his followers. But supporters often call al-Zarqawi the Sheik or Sheik Abu Musab in letters and on Web sites.

"What has happened to myself and my brothers is an unforgivable crime, but God will punish the oppressor," the letter reads. "I swear by God that you will be asked about what happened to us because you have not asked about the situation of the migrants. Morale is down and there is fatigue among mujahedeen ranks.

"There is discrimination by some of the brethren emirs. God would not accept such actions, and a simple mistake delays victory, so what about big mistakes and gross guilts? Many underestimate them and are lenient toward them."

The letter is dated April 27, the military said.

The author of the letter also "admonishes 'the Sheik' for abandoning his followers" after last year's U.S. siege on Falluja, west of Baghdad.
CNN.com - U.S.:�Possible letter to al-Zarqawi cites low morale - May 3, 2005

Play book of the Urban Guerrilla via Donald Sensing

I found the Playbook of the Urban here guerrilla which Donald Sensing
thinks the thugs in Irag may be using as a guide. Its worth reading...about 48 pages long...everything the thuggies think is worth reading goes double for you as you get inside Ali the thug-dude's ooda.

Minimanual of the Urban Guerrilla

by Carlos Marighella

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Contents:

A DEFINITION OF THE URBAN GUERRILLA
PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE URBAN GUERRILLA
HOW THE URBAN GUERRILLA LIVES
TECHNICAL PREPARATION OF THE URBAN GUERRILLA
THE URBAN GUERRILLA'S WEAPONS
THE SHOT; THE URBAN GUERRILLA'S REASON FOR EXISTENCE
THE FIRING GROUP
THE LOGISTICS OF THE URBAN GUERRILLA
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE URBAN GUERRILLA'S TACTICS
THE INITIAL ADVANTAGES OF THE URBAN GUERRILLA
SURPRISE
KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERRAIN
MOBILITY AND SPEED
INFORMATION
DECISIVENESS
OBJECTIVES OF THE GUERRILLA'S ACTIONS
ON THE TYPES AND NATURE OF MISSIONS FOR THE URBAN GUERRILLA
ASSAULTS
THE BANK ASSAULT AS POPULAR MISSION
RAIDS AND PENETRATIONS
OCCUPATIONS
AMBUSH
STREET TACTICS
STRIKES AND WORK INTERRUPTIONS
DESERTIONS, DIVERSIONS, SEIZURES, EXPROPRIATION OF AMMUNITION AND EXPLOSIVES
LIBERATION OF PRISONERS
EXECUTIONS
KIDNAPPING
SABOTAGE
TERRORISM
ARMED PROPAGANDA
THE WAR OF NERVES
HOW TO CARRY OUT THE ACTION
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON TACTICS
RESCUE OF THE WOUNDED
GUERRILLA SECURITY
THE SEVEN SINS OF THE URBAN GUERRILLA
POPULAR SUPPORT

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Chapter 1 | Marxist Writers Archive

KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERRAIN

The urban guerrilla's best ally is the terrain, and because this is so he must know it like the palm of his hand. To have the terrain as an ally means to know how to use with intelligence its unevenness, its high and low points, its turns, its irregularities, its fixed and secret passages, its abandoned areas, its thickets, etc., taking maximum advantage of all of this for the success of armed actions, escapes, retreats, covers, and hiding places. Impasses and narrow spots, gorges, streets under repair, police checkpoints, military zones and closed-off streets, the entrances and exits to tunnels and those that the enemy can close off, corners controlled or watched by the police, traffic lights and signals; all this must be thoroughly known and studied in order to avoid fatal errors.

Our problem is to get through and to know where and how to hide, leaving the enemy bewildered in areas he doesn't know. Being familiar with the avenues, streets, alleys, ins and outs, the corners of the urban centers, its paths and shortcuts, its empty lots, its underground passages, its pipes and sewer systems, the urban guerrilla safely crosses through the irregular and difficult terrain unfamiliar to the police, where the police can be surprised in a fatal ambush or trap at any moment.

Because he knows the terrain, the urban guerrilla can pass through it on foot, on bicycle, in a car, jeep or small truck, and never be trapped. Acting in small groups with only a few people, the guerrillas can rendezvous at a time and place determined beforehand, following up the initial attack with new guerrilla operations, or evading the police cordon and disorienting the enemy with their unexpected audacity.

It is an impossible problem for the police, in the labrynthian terrain of the urban guerrilla, to catch someone they cannot see, to repress someone they cannot catch, and to close in on someone they cannot find.

Our experience is that the ideal guerrilla is one who operates in his own city and thoroughly knows its streets, its neighborhoods, its transit problems, and its other peculiarities. The guerrilla outsider, who comes to a city whose streets are unfamiliar to him, is a weak spot, and if he is assigned certain operations, he can endanger them. To avoid grave mistakes, it is necessary for him to get to know the layout of the streets.

AMBUSH

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Ambushes are attacks, typified by surprise, when the enemy is trapped on the road or when he makes a police net surrounding a house or estate. A false alarm can bring the enemy to the spot, where he falls into a trap.

The principle object of the ambush is to capture enemy weapons and to punish him with death. Ambushes to halt passenger trains are for propaganda purposes, and, when they are troop trains, the object is to annihilate the enemy and seize his weapons. The urban guerrilla sniper is the kind of fighter specially suited for ambush, because he can hide easily in the irregularities of the terrain, on the roofs and the tops of buildings and apartments under construction. From windows and dark places, he can take careful aim at his chosen target.

Ambush has devestating effects on the enemy, leaving him unnerved, insecure and fearful.

Minimanual of the Urban Guerrilla

Bravo One-Five 5th Marine Regiment Pfc. Bryan J. Nagel - DefendAmerica News

U.S. Marine Corps
Pfc. Bryan J. Nagel
Marine Stops Enemy Attack, Saves Comrades

By Marine Corps Cpl. Tom Sloan
2nd Marine Division
AR RAMADI, Iraq, April 28, 2005 ? Insurgents launched an attack against one of 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment?s observation posts in the city here the evening of April 20 but they didn?t count on one Marine: Pfc. Bryan J. Nagel.

While receiving sporadic enemy fire, the native of Jamestown, N. D., stood his ground and took out a suicide truck bomb and fought off an insurgent attack, preventing major property damage and casualties to the Marines and civilians in the area.

The 20-year-old squad automatic weapon gunner with 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Company B, was responsible for thwarting the attack and preventing a potential disaster that day, according to his company first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Scott A. Van De Ven.

?His quick thinking and actions under fire clearly foiled the enemy?s plans,? said the 36-year-old from Grayling, Mich. ?Nagel?s initiative destroyed the enemy vehicle before it reached the Marines? position.?

Nagel was manning an observation post in downtown Ramadi and being fired at by insurgents when a mid-sized passenger car detonated near his position injuring two Marines.

?I was getting shot at so I started returning fire,? said Nagel, who disregarded his own safety and moved above the protection of the position?s bulletproof glass to engage the enemy. ?Then the first SVBIED (suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) hit.?

The blast breached the observation post?s main entrance.

?There was smoke everywhere,? recalled the 2003 Jamestown High School graduate. ?I was reloading when, through a patch of the smoke, I saw the second vehicle coming our way. I knew what I had to do.?

Nagel employed his weapon with precision, hitting the yellow sewage tanker truck?s windshield and killing the driver.

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Bryan J. Nagel, a squad automatic weapon gunner with 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, is responsible for saving the lives of his fellow Marines during an attack by insurgents on an observation post in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, April 20, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tom Sloan
"I shot about sixty or seventy rounds at him,? said Nagel.
?I never thought I would have to make a decision like that.?

Other Marines were alerted by Nagel?s fire and engaged the vehicle as well.

?The truck swerved to one side of the road and detonated,? he said. ?It all happened so fast.?

No one was injured by the second blast; but it left a large crater in the main street.

According to Van De Ven, Nagel?s heroic actions are a testament to his character.

?He?s hard working, polite and is someone who cares for his fellow Marines,? he said.

Though, Nagel?s command is recommending him for an award for his courage under fire, he is just happy his comrades are OK.

?I?m overwhelmed knowing that I saved the lives of my Marines.?

http://www.defendamerica.mil/profiles/apr2005/pr042605b.html



U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Bryan J. Nagel - DefendAmerica News

So long, goodbye and get lost via:The Washington Times: AP

Syrian troops left Lebanon after strong international pressure was applied following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Hariri was killed for having fat ankles which kept him from clicking his heels and being a yes man to, as yet, unnamed thugmasters.

The Washington Times: AP: "RAYAK, Lebanon (AP) -- Syria ended its 29-year military presence in Lebanon on Tuesday with a farewell ceremony near their shared border, with a Syrian commander telling Lebanese troops: 'Brothers in arms, so long.' The soldiers responded, 'So long.'"

Zarqawi's "very big hard drive captured. Major thug still on run

Another close call for Jordanian thugmeister Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi who had to run without his hard drive filled with friends and enablers data.

ABC News: Official: Zarqawi Eludes Capture; Computer Discovered

Nightmares of Ariel Sharon via Winds of War

Sharon has not been able to sleep recently due to nightmares that begin with the U.S. Marines withdraw from Iraq....


WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Israel has relayed its concern to the United States of the rising prospect of a Middle East war in 2006.

U.S. officials said Israel has determined that the expected U.S. withdrawal from Iraq in 2006 would raise tensions in the region that could lead to a Middle East war. The officials said the Israeli assessment asserted that Iran would either lead or play a major role in any future war against the Jewish state.

"It is the biggest nightmare of [Prime Minister] Ariel Sharon," a U.S. official said. "He has relayed repeated messages to the administration that Iran and its Arab allies were preparing for war."

Officials said Sharon has raised this issue with President George Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney and leaders of the U.S. intelligence community. They said Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz have assessed that an Iran emboldened with nuclear weapons and intermediate-range missiles was seeking to form a coalition against Israel for a war that could take place after a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.





Middle East Newsline -

Thugs (constantly) improve road bombs in Iraq -via: The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - April 25, 2005

Rowan Scarborough, in today's WashTimes, has read some secret military docs that state (big surprise) that thugs can think and apply lessons learned analysis to their road side bomb experiments. Big Whoop. Thank you Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Thugs can actually think and say: "Ali Dude, that last bomb you made was a bust, man. We think it was jammed by the American Marines radio signal. Why don't you make the next one with direct wire ignition."

: " 'Enemy sophistication continually improves,' said a recent U.S. military briefing to commanders. 'The enemy is adapting all the time.'
"The document said that after the U.S. had success with jamming radio signals between the bomber and the improvised explosive devices (IEDs), insurgents quickly reverted to direct-wire ignition that cannot be jammed. " WoW! Isn't that amazing. The documents, which are distributed to U.S. commanders as updates on Pentagon efforts to defeat IEDs, show, for example, that insurgents last summer began burying the bombs under roads and then paving over the holes. The enemy also has used dead animals as hiding places, and has put smaller ordnance inside white bags placed on the roadside."

Clever

The paved-over bomb "can be spotted by the stain that usually remains on the road," said one briefing paper, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times.
These crude, remotely detonated bombs have emerged has the insurgency's top weapon against American and coalition troops in Iraq. As intelligence reports indicate,
it is getting more difficult for Saddam Hussein's loyalists to recruit Iraqi attackers, so the IEDs are gaining importance as a weapon to kill troops and civilians.

The Pentagon has attempted to stay ahead of the game by creating an Army-led task force that issues confidential reports, such as the ones obtained by The Times. Thugs are " using door bells and car alarm systems," one confidential briefing stated. "If you stop someone with a bunch of door bells or phones or toy cars, you probably have a bomber."

The explosive is typically an artillery shell, thousands of which existed in arms caches throughout the militarized country.

In some cases, the jammers work. But the insurgents have adapted by using the hard-to-jam signals from cordless phones or cell phones, or simply stringing a wire from the remote control to the bomb's battery.
"I hate to say this, but the Defense Department is not where it should be in defeating these things," said a Defense source who is working on solutions to the problem.

The confidential documents show American patrols have found multiple telephone wires leading to houses that did not have telephones. On inspection, soldiers determined the wires led to past IED detonations.

The lesson: Inspect homes that have multiple telephone wires.

Greenwood Commonwealth - News - A small world for four Marines in Operation Iraqi Freedom

Greenwood Commonwealth - News - 04/24/2005 - It's a small world for four Marines serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom: "So what are the odds of four members from Greenwood, Mississippi ending up in the same unit deployed to the rural deserts of western Iraq? All four of these Marines grew up no more than 10 minutes away from each other. They have the same friends, went to the same schools and share the same Mississippi culture. ll four of these Marines grew up no more than 10 minutes away from each other. They have the same friends, went to the same schools and share the same Mississippi culture. "My mom, Sheri Smith, a former Greenwood High School teacher, taught Ware Spanish in high school, and we found that out after only talking five minutes," Smith explained.

Yet they didn't meet each other until after they joined the Corps and ended up in the same battalion together supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom here.

All four agree that it's unusual that they are all here in this fight together.

"We all wanted to do something different than everybody else and it's kind of funny how we're in the same place in Iraq," they all agreed, as Ware summed it up. "You never know who you will run into in life. It's a small world and the four of us are proof of it."
Yet they didn't meet each other until after they joined the Corps and ended up in the same battalion together supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom here.

The Hindu News Update Service: "Egyptian cops nab 28 members of largest Islamic group

Cairo, April 24. (AP):Egyptian authorities arrested 28 members of Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest Islamist organization, before dawn Saturday in northern Egypt, police and Brotherhood members said.

The arrests followed a 15,000-strong protest in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, where 23 of the arrests were made late Friday and early Saturday, according to Ali Abdel Fattah, a senior member of the Brotherhood. He said 5 others in nearby Menoufia province.

Police confirmed the arrests, and the number of protesters, but did not link the demonstration - believed to be the largest of late by Brotherhood supporters - with the detentions or give any other reason for the crackdown."

Operation Kaya Green Marines with 6th Fleet in beach head assault with IDF

U.S. Marines practiced their " extraction operations to evacuate US personnel and conduct such exercises periodically in Israel."
"These are highly specialized operations that require constant training," said a source familiar with the maneuvers."
Hundreds of US Marines riding hovercrafts stormed ashore the beaches of Nitzanim Wednesday as part of joint maneuvers being quietly held between the US and Israeli militaries.

"

Billings, Montana welcomes home their 40 Marine heroes with Parade and Barbecue

There is absolutely nothing like coming home and even better coming home to a community that appreciates what you have done. Billings, Montana, in the heartland of America, made sure that all their reservists knew their efforts in defense of their country were acknowledged and appreciated.
Marines welcomed home - billingsgazette.com: "The homecoming parade was organized to welcome home members of Bravo Company, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division from Iraq. The Marines were stationed for 10 months at Camp Fallujah, south of the Iraqi city that was a hotbed of insurgency.
The Marines, delivered downtown in camouflage-colored trucks, walked along in a loose formation, behind a Marine color guard. The parade started at the corner of North 25th Street and Third Avenue North.
Several Billings Police and Yellowstone County patrol cars escorted the reservists, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Skyview High musicians, standing on a flatbed truck, came behind the reservists, playing assorted tunes, and a Billings fire truck brought up the rear.
Bystanders clapped and cheered, waved small American flags and held up signs as the Marines passed by. Smiles broke out on the faces of the soldiers who seemed surprised by the enthusiastic crowd.
Ruby Aycock brought a sign to welcome her son, Cpl. Robby Aycock. It read 'Welcome Home Daddy Son Husband Brother Nephew.'
The sign also contained a photo of her son and a picture of his twin infants, Davin and Meric, born while he was away.
'I'm just so glad to have him home,' she said. 'I'm glad he's safe and all the others came home without too much injury.'
About 35 students from Hunter Jones' eighth-grade history classes held a blue-and-red sign that read 'Welcome Home.' The Will James Middle School students sent weekly letters and regular packages to the Marine Reservists during their tenure in Iraq, Jones said.
Occasionally the troops broke rank to shake hands or hug a parade watcher. Then they got back in line and kept walking until they finished the short parade route, about 20 minutes later.
After the parade, the reservists planned to go to the Billings Armed Forces Reserve Center with family and friends for a barbecue.
Maribeth Daines of Billings came to the parade with her three children and one of their friends to thank the Marines.
'I just feel like I really wanted to welcome them home,' she said, holding an umbrella decorated with an American flag. 'I appreciate what they've done for us all.'

Delta Co. Four LAR has Four Marines from same High School

The five buddies are Patsos, Baffa, Dinger, Chris Bowers and Corey Matus.
Patsos and Baffa are lance corporals; the other three are privates first class.
Matus is the only active-duty Marine, and he's currently stationed at Fort Sill, Okla.
The other four are reservists, in the same company, unit and duty station. They're with Delta Company of the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, based at Camp Upshur on Quantico Marine Corps Base.
They're using their military benefits to attend Germanna Community College. All four also have part-time jobs.
Patsos and Baffa were the first to leave for boot camp, a few weeks after high school graduation.
The two look alike, and their platoon leaders couldn't always tell them apart. Sometimes, one would speak to Patsos or Baffa and ask about his "twin sister."
They're both Italian, about the same height, with the same dark eyes, hair and skin tone.
"And they're both ugly," quipped Bowers.
That's part of being in this private platoon, too--taking constant abuse.
But when the two returned from boot camp, their friends noticed a change. They saw a difference in how they carried themselves and talked with others, as well as their attitude and discipline.
The three others went to the local recruiting office as well, even though Dinger swore he'd never join the Marines. He'd watched their ads on TV when he was younger and vowed he wanted no part of the Corps.
But Dinger discovered it wasn't as "horrific" as everyone who's ever watched "Full Metal Jacket" might think. He also came back from boot camp a new man.
"When he left, he was 6-foot tall," Patsos said. "Now he's 6-4. You just hold yourself higher after you've been through this."
'Always the five of us'
All five had other friends in high school, in addition to the core group. Bowers even played on the state-championship soccer team and had plenty of buddies who were jocks.
Each tried to bring some of their other friends into "the group," as they like to call themselves.
"But at the end of the day, it's always the five of us," Baffa said.
It's tough on them, being apart from Matus. They worry he'll get shipped to California next, and they won't see him between assignments.
"It's hard, because you're so tight," Bowers said.
"But I talk to him almost every day," Baffa added.
The group has been even closer since finishing their 13 weeks of boot camp. Each understands what the others have been through and talks at length about the "essence" of being a Marine, Baffa said.
The men also spend a lot of time on another favorite pastime: fishing. They'll be out on the Rappahannock River until the wee hours of the morning, talking about what will happen if they get deployed or how they'd like to live, next to each other, and raise their children together.
"There's nothing that can break us up. Absolutely nothing," Baffa said.Fredericksburg.com - Longtime friends are now all Marines

Combating Terrorism Center

West Point has logged on with a new blog called Cambating Terrorism Center. The idea is to bring the leading lights together to stay ahead of the thugs with the latest policy analysis and advice to the top leaders on thug threats.

Combating Terrorism Center

Gazette opinion: Welcome home, Bravo Company - billingsgazette.com

Forty Marines of Bravo Company, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division returned home to Billings, Montana and a grateful community thankful for their courage and valor.
Gazette opinion: Welcome home, Bravo Company - billingsgazette.com: "

The Billings community welcomes these fathers, sons and brothers home. Two of the Marines are seeing their newborn babies for the first time.

Thank you, Bravo Company. for representing Montana and serving our country. May your reunion with loved ones be joyful.

We encourage everyone in Billings to show respect and appreciation for the Marines by heading downtown this afternoon for a homecoming parade. Let's make sure that Bravo Company knows Billings is proud of them. "

Marines Butler , Young and Fink fought off two kamikazi thug car bomb attacks on Camp Ramadi USATODAY.com -

Thugs tried to bluff their way into Camp Ramadi using a fire engine loaded with HE but they ran Marine Cpl. Butler who blew a hole into the three inch thick bullet proof windshield forcing the vehicle to veer off and explode. "Butler — that day, that Marine — that's the critical error the insurgents made," Capt. Frank Diorio says. "They thought they could keep the Marines' heads down. But he gets back up."

Butler, 21 and an Altoona, Pa., native, fired through the windshield of the first suicide bomber as he rammed a white dump truck through a barrier of abandoned vehicles the Marines had improvised. Barreling toward the camp's wall, the truck veered off at the last moment under volleys of Butler's gunfire.

"I shot 20 or 30 rounds before he detonated," he says.

Knocked down by that blast, with bricks and sandbags collapsing on top of him, Butler struggled to his feet only to hear a large diesel engine roar amid the clatter of gunfire. It was a red fire engine, carrying a second suicide bomber and passenger. Butler says both were wearing black turbans and robes, often worn by religious martyrs.

Amid the chaos of that first bomb blast, supported by gunfire from an estimated 30 dismounted insurgents, the fire engine passed largely undetected on a small road that leads from town directly past the camp wall, according a Marine report.

"I couldn't see him at first because of the smoke. It was extremely thick from the first explosion," Butler says. When the fire engine cleared the smoke, it was much closer than the dump truck had been.

As the driver accelerated past the "Welcome to Iraq" sign inside the camp's perimeter, Butler says he fired 100 rounds into the vehicle. The Marines later discovered the vehicle was equipped with 3-inch, blast-proof glass and the passengers were wearing Kevlar vests under their robes.

Pfc. Charles Young, 21, also of Altoona, Pa., hit the fire engine with a grenade launcher, slowing its progress and giving Butler time to recover. Without breaching the camp wall, the driver detonated the fire engine, sending debris flying up to 400 yards and knocking Marines from their bunks several hundred yards away. Butler, less than 50 yards away, again was knocked down by the blast, which partially destroyed the tower in which he was perched. After he crawled for cover, a third suicide bomber detonated outside the camp. That blast caused no damage or injuries. Sporadic fighting continued for several hours.

Meanwhile, Cpl. Anthony Fink of Columbus, Ohio, 21, fired a grenade launcher that the Marine unit says killed 11 insurgents. The Marines' "React Squad" swiftly deployed against the remaining insurgents.

"We were able to get the momentum back," Diorio says. He also says that Husaybah townspeople later reported 21 insurgents dead and 15 wounded. No Marines were seriously hurt.

USATODAY.com - Pa. native thwarts car-bomb attack

Lessons Learned: GROZNY

Foreign Military Studies Office Publications - CHANGING RUSSIAN URBAN TACTICS: THE AFTERMATH OF THE BATTLE FOR GROZNY: " City fighting in Grozny required much larger stocks of hand grenades, smoke grenades, demolition charges and disposable, one-shot anti-tank grenade launchers (similar to the U.S. LAW) than expected. Each infantry soldier needed a rope with a grappling hook for entering buildings. Light-weight ladders were also very valuable for assaulting infantry. Trained snipers were essential, but were in short supply.

Tank-mounted and dismounted searchlights were very useful for night assault in the city. Searchlights (as well as pyrotechnics) temporarily blinded enemy night-vision equipment and dazzled enemy gunners. They produced a psychological attack against the enemy, while helping prevent fratricide in the assault.

Artillery.

The Russians learned that conventional artillery fires are used during the approach to the city and while capturing the city outskirts. Then, the Russians deploy the bulk of their self-propelled artillery in direct-fire support of tanks and infantry. Since massed artillery fires create rubble in the very areas through which a force wants to advance, direct-fire is preferable. Direct fire can be conducted by guns, howitzers, multiple rocket launchers and the 82mm Vasilek automatic mortar. When Russian forces arrived at Grozny, they had few fire support coordinators and forward air controllers. Motorized rifle officers were not skilled in adjusting indirect artillery fire, but could readily aim and adjust direct fire.

Air power.

The Russians used a lot of fixed-wing aircraft, but they were of limited tactical value in Grozny. They were used to provide support while artillery was moved into range. Since they could not be precisely targeted, attack fighter bombers concentrated on large 'free-fire' zones. Fixed-wing aircraft proved of more value in attacking targets outside the city. Helicopter gunships were of much more value, but had to fly to and from the engagement area using the shelter of captured buildings."

Lessons Learned: Ambush by 152 daisy-chain artillery rounds

Lessons Learned: A Company Commander's Thoughts on Iraq: "The ambush was initiated by seven 152mm artillery rounds hidden in the weeds on the shoulder of the roadway that paralleled the canal. They were daisy-chained together. The lead tank absorbed the bulk of the blast, shrapnel cutting through the main gun tube in several locations. The blast created a debris field of dust and asphalt, denser than any smoke screen I have ever seen. The truck in front of me stalled in the debris field. To my rear, one of my mortar tracks engulfed the narrow roadway. Then the small-arms fire started. We could not go forward or backward. We were in the kill zone, unable to move. Tracers flew over, under, in front of, and behind my truck. Every soldier in my truck returned fire. My supply clerk and .50-cal gunner laid down blistering fire, as the rest of us fired our M16s out the windows; aiming at the muzzle flashes from both sides of the road.

There is a time when training takes over your actions, and this was one of those times, which is why it is so important to train to standard all the time. I counted six separate muzzle flashes from the left side of the road, and four separate muzzle flashes from the right side of the road. With my magazine empty, I grabbed a fresh one and seated it firmly. An RPG flew over top. I shot at muzzle flashes until they stopped blinking. Then, as abruptly as it started, it stopped. The firefight lasted about 45 seconds: it was the longest 45 seconds of my life.

Grabbing the hand mike while yelling for a crew report, I learned that our S3 was wounded. I fed reports to the tactical operations center (TOC) while our team split into two separate columns. The wheels and the personnel carriers raced to the brigade aid station, and the tanks turned around at our rally point and moved in to secure the ambush site. Easy 14 and 16 responded to the ambush site with 14 rockets, once we were clear. I believe it was their rocket run that settled the hash of the NCFs for the remainder of the night.

The tank commander on B22 knew something was wrong. His tank lost turret power, so he lost the thermal imagery and the commander's independent thermal viewer. Still, he did not hesitate to move back in and secure the ambush site. He requested artillery illumination to aid observation. I will never forget his words over the net when he was told his request was denied: 'Illumination denied. I've lost turret power; I have my nods and my .50. Hooah. I will stay until relieved. White 2 out.'

Our battalion quick reaction force relieved the crew on B22 a couple of hours later. The rest of the patrol drove back to our forward operating base. The B Company commander and I reported to the battalion TOC and debriefed the battle captain and the battlefield information center. I volunteered to take the battalion XO out to the ambush site at first light. We were fortunate to only suffer one casualty, as the following day we learned several things about the techniques used by our enemies.

We discovered only four of the seven daisy-chained artillery rounds detonated. God was with me - my truck was beside one of the rounds that did not explode. My scout platoon found detonation wire and traced it back along a wall between two fields, out of sight from the road. We found a stake and a screwdriver. The device was most likely fired by a car battery, and the screwdriver was used to complete the circuit. From the position of the individual who initiated the blast, he must have been in communication with a cohort who had direct observation of the roadway, because he was unable to observe the roadway from his position.

On the left side of the road, the NCFs used a cinderblock wall for cover, and the canal as an obstacle. From the right side of the road, they used climbing rigs (used for harvesting dates) to shimmy up palm trees and engage us with direct fire, using a wire fence and depression as an obstacle. Once return fire became too hot, they dropped from the trees and fled through the groves, which have a floor 8 to 10 feet lower than the roadbed. Our rounds passed harmlessly over their heads.

We discovered a small cache of hand grenades, RPG projectiles, and explosive materials. We pieced together the daisy-chained artillery rounds that initiated the ambush and the RPG launch that signaled break contact. We questioned the local populace and found them all to be very upset by the massive amounts of fire power displayed a few hours earlier, but claimed ignorance as to who planted the improvised explosive device (IED) and who was responsible for the ambush.

We learned a few days later that, shortly after we departed the area, a funeral was held. We were unable to determine how many had 'died' the day or evening prior, or from what cause. A funeral may be for one or many. The local populace tends to keep to themselves; as during the Baath party rule, it was better to be ignorant of what your neighbor was doing for reasons of self-preservation."

Lessons Learned: A Company Commander's Thoughts on Iraq

Lessons Learned: A Company Commander's Thoughts on Iraq: "'Train your soldiers - all of them, even the cooks, clerks, and command drivers, on dismounted operations. Teach dismounted patrol, ambush, and counter-ambush techniques. Tankers, scouts, mortarmen, you will need to do this. Teach everyone how to react to ambushes - mounted and dismounted. You cannot take your tanks and personnel carriers everywhere.'

'Teach your soldiers how to clear houses. Set inner and outer cordons, and designate search teams to enter houses. Develop your techniques before you go to Iraq. Beat up your boss so you can train with tactical human intelligence teams and tactical psychological operations teams before you deploy.

'Train your first sergeants how to process detainees. Have military police and military intelligence soldiers teach you how to do the paperwork correctly to include witness statements. If the paperwork is incomplete. really bad people end up getting released.'

This Document is in the public domain and may be reproduced in whole or in part."

Iraqi Street maps now on GPS units: First LAR

Homeland Security Technology, Inc. Delivers GPS Units to U.S. Marine Corps: "'1st LAR is the first unit to receive these GPS models equipped with Iraq street maps for use in armored vehicles,' commented CEO Jeffrey Powers. 'This model based on the Garmin GPSMAP 276C is specialty loaded with the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) allowing the Marines to read military grid coordinates and military maps on the screen. Supplied with the GPS models are external antennas to facilitate installation in armored vehicles or Hummvees.' 1st LAR will be testing these units for a period of thirty days. 'We hope to follow this delivery with a major order allowing the Marines to place the units in every armored reconnaissance vehicle,' Powers added."

VIA:Argghhh! Anatomy of an Ambush

Argghhh! has more details on the how and why 6 Army enlisted men, 1 female Sgt. were able to destroy utterly a fully armed thug ambush team (3 Army guys were immediately WIA at the first fire).
" Recognize what you are seeing here. The "good guys" are getting hit. But cohesion remains. People do their jobs. They help each other - but never lose sight of the mission. "Duty First, People Always" is a hackneyed phrase to many people... but what do you think about it now? The casualties they are taking could well have justifed a withdrawal. But they didn't? Why? I can't answer definitively without interviewing the troops - but I'll offer these hypotheses.

1. Body armor. People are hit, and wounded, but not taken completely out of the fight.

2. Combat lifesaving training. People know how to treat the wounded, and do so. That gives *everybody* confidence and a willingness to stick it out. It also returns troops to the fight... which isn't happening on the other side. Though - it's not as universal as you'd think, as is mentioned at the end. The bad guys are just getting ground down (their dead-to-wounded ratio supports that point) - and ground down by a smaller group than they are who just won't quit fighting... and the squads doing this fighting are *not* enjoying the traditional advantages of the defender. At best, this is a meeting engagement. At worst, it is an in-stride assault on a defended position by an inferior force. It doesn't get any harder than that guys.

3. Training. From training comes confidence. You'll see that mentioned later, too.

4. Leadership. Cool, and calm under fire. Leadership that directs. Controls. Leads. And we're not talking senior leaders. We're talking Staff Sergeant and Sergeant. The crucial link in any Army.

5. Trust & Confidence. Confidence that they can handle this fight - and turst that other people are busting their ass to get there and help out.

6. Discipline, discipline, discipline. Those of you who were in the Army during long periods of no-combat peace - remember how people bitched about load plans, and uniformity? Read on.

Meanwhile, the two treating the three wounded on the ground at the rear vehicle come under sniper fire from the lone house. Each of them, remember one is a medic, pull out AT-4 rocket launchers from the HMMWV and nearly-simultaneously fire the rockets into the house to neutralize the shooter. The two sergeants work their way up the trenchline, throwing grenades, firing grenades from the launcher, and firing their M4s. The sergeant runs low on ammo and runs back to a vehicle to reload. She moves to her squad leader's vehicle, and because this squad is led so well, she knows exactly where to reach her arm blindly into a different vehicle to find ammo-because each vehicle is packed exactly the same, with discipline. As she turns to move back to the trenchline, Gunner in two sees an AIF jump from behind one of the cars and start firing on the Sergeant. He pulls his 9mm, because the .50 cal is pointed in the other direction, and shoots five rounds wounding him. The sergeant moves back to the trenchline under fire from the back of the field, with fresh mags, two more grenades, and three more M203 rounds. The Mk 19 gunner suppresses the rear of the field. Now, rejoined with the squad leader, the two sergeants continue clearing the enemy from the trenchline, until they see no more movement. A lone man with an RPG launcher on his shoulder steps from behind a tree and prepares to fire on the three Hummers and is killed with a single aimed SAW shot thru the head by the previously knocked out gunner on platform two, who now has a SAW out to supplement the .50 cal in the mount. The team leader sergeant, she claims four killed by aimed M4 shots. The Squad Leader, he threw four grenades taking out at least two baddies, and attributes one other to her aimed M203 fire.

Note this:"The Medic who fired the AT-4, said he remembered how from the week before when his squad leader forced him to train on it, though he didn't think as a medic he would ever use one. He said he chose to use it in that moment to protect the three wounded on the ground in front of him, once they came under fire from the building." There is much more at Arg site. Check it out.
Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

VIA:BLACKFIVE: After Action Report - 10 Kentucky Reservists Break Ambush

BlackFive has the complete after action report on the 10 Reservists from Kentucky who took on somewhere between 40 or 50 thugs on a roadside truck convoy ambush. BF also has a film link with sound so you can hear and see the firefight until the first humvee arrives and I guess the cameraman beat feet. Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester was credited with the first kill of the thuggie ambush team. This item was of particular interest:"The sergeant runs low on ammo and runs back to a vehicle to reload. She moves to her squad leader's vehicle, and because this squad is led so well, she knows exactly where to reach her arm blindly into a different vehicle to find ammo-because each vehicle is packed exactly the same, with discipline...Those seven Americans (with the three wounded) killed in total 24 heavily armed enemy, wounded 6 (two later died), and captured one unwounded, who feigned injury to escape the fight.(must be the cameraman) They seized 22 AK-47s, 6x RPG launchers w/ 16 rockets, 13x RPK machineguns, 3x PKM machineguns, 40 hand grenades, 123 fully loaded 30-rd AK magazines, 52 empty mags, and 10 belts of 2500 rds of PK ammo. Read the rest at BlackFive.
BLACKFIVE: After Action Report - Raven 42 Ambushed!: "AFTER ACTION REPORT: Raven 42 action in Salman Pak
"

Thugs Plan for TWD Total World Domination w/a little Help from the French ( cheese eating surrender monkeys

Bat Ye'or 's new book, (required reading for warriors),Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis describes in devastating precise detail the three pronged war you will be fighting against :military, economic and cultural. American Thinker has a great interveiw with the author in which she outlines exactly how the war against America did not end with the death of Hitler but was continued, as a back burner, until 1967 when Isreal swept the battlefield. Read the interview here:
The American Thinker

In Fallujah, a thuggee complains about U.S. Marines Via: Inside the Ring -- The Washington Times

Some Marine units moved through Fallujah in November with Arabic translators. The infantrymen wanted to be able to eavesdrop on the terrorists' radio net.
A Marine told us that, roughly translated, one terrorist was heard to say: "We are fighting. But the Marines keep coming. We are shooting, but the Marines won't stop."
Inside the Ring -- The Washington Times

Brit's capture thug at Heathrow Airport VIA:Cynical Nation

12:48 PM
This hasn't hit the news yet, but my brother-in-law is sitting on a plane in Heathrow Airport as we speak, and there is apparently some action going on. It seems his plane was stormed by agents with machine guns, who seized a Middle Eastern passenger from my brother-in-law's row and removed him from the plane.

This is happening as I type this. The wonders of modern technology. More to follow,Cynical Nation

Armoured Wild Pigs Success Marker

The American Enterprise: In the Middle East, a New World: "'It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq. I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting, 8 million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world. The Syrian people, the Egyptian people, all say that something is changing. The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it.'

-Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt, in the Washington Post"

Marine Reservists from Charlie Co. One/ Twenty Three Get Unexpected Welcome by Generals, Colonels,Sgt.Majors

VIA:Austin Bay Blog
Austin Bay, retired Marine Reservist, author and newspaper columnist, was attending a III Corps conference in Corpus Christi when the meeting was interrupted by

"a young officer walked into the hotel ballroom and announced that a US Marine Reserve company was returning to its home base in Corpus after a seven month-tour in Iraq." I’m not sure that anybody actually said “Let’s go,” but BG Troy and LTG Tom Metz (III Corps commander) and the rest of the senior staff (brigadiers, colonels, lieutenant-colonels, sergeant-majors, and master sergeants) instantly emptied the seminar room. To appropriate a colloquial phrase: we beat feet.

Traffic cops and a slew of passersby lined the sidewalk. A Coast Guard helicopter buzzed in from Corpus Christi Bay then banked .

We joined the crowd on the corner of Water Street and Peoples. We may have waited three minutes, at the most. Here came the convoy— a police escort followed by two buses filled with young Marines. We cheered, saluted and clapped as the company rolled by. (I feel certain the company belongs to the 1/23rd Marines. The 1/23rd is a Marine reserve battalion just back from Iraq—and I have friends in Central Texas whose sons serve in that unit. If I’ve got the Corpus Christi unit misidentified, post a comment or drop me an email and I’ll correct it.)

Most of us old codgers wore short-sleeves and slacks, so it’s a fair bet the Marine reservists didn’t know their former Corps commander and his senior staff were cheering with the home crowd. (Probable wisecrack if someone informed a lance corporal: “Hey, sarge—are those the guys responsible for all the dumb orders you didn’t like?”)

Actually, the Marines were smiling and waving—the one memorable face I saw framed in the bus window as it shot past was that of a delighted but obviously tired young man.

Jet lag or Iraq lag? Or lag from a week at the 29 Palms Marine base? Doesn’t really matter now– welcome home.

Thugmaster's Grand Strategy to defeat America via:TigerHawk

Michael Doran, Princeton University history professor, recently gave standing room only lectures on the thuggies strategy for success in taking over the world by defeating American forces. Doran was denied tenure because his politics are to the right and in support of Bush. Tigerhawk attended the lectures and you need to expand your military education by reading, thinking and digesting these ideas .
TigerHawk