Carmichael's Position

At Least Your Mother Named You Appropriately... Dick!

I would normally confess that I cannot believe I missed this when published on April 11th... but then again since when to I make a habit of reading the intellectually bankrupt opinion section of the New York Times?

In a piece of shit written by Dick Cavett (yes that Dick Cavett) he takes on the oratory skills of General Petraeus and Ambassador Cocker in their recent testimony before Congress on the progress in Iraq.  Now I too have been critical of public figures oft ignorance of proper oratory, our current sitting president leaps to mind.  However, even if I were to critique someone who's politics I disagreed with (Al Gore and his three step inflection cadence) I would try to focus on the technical aspects of the presentation.  I would not stoop to the insulting degree the "Oh So Perfect" DICK.... Cavett did in penning the following paragraph:

I can’t look at Petraeus — his uniform ornamented like a Christmas tree with honors, medals and ribbons — without  thinking of the great Mort Sahl at the peak of his brilliance. He talked about meeting General Westmoreland in the Vietnam days. Mort, in a virtuoso display of his uncanny detailed knowledge — and memory — of such things, recited the lengthy list (”Distinguished Service Medal, Croix de Guerre with Chevron, Bronze Star, Pacific Campaign” and on and on), naming each of the half-acre of decorations, medals, ornaments, campaign ribbons and other fripperies festooning the general’s sternum in gaudy display. Finishing the detailed list, Mort observed, “Very impressive!” Adding, “If you’re twelve.”

FRIPPERIES!  FRIPPERIES????  You SOB!  for those of you who do not want to waste your time looking it up, Fripperies are "Something trivial or nonessential".

What is it with Liberal Elitist Media Cretins of your ilk that cannot recognize that these Fripperies, are conferred, not handed out freely!  These ribbons, epaulettes, insignia all convey immediately to the KNOWLEDGABLE the service rendered by the one wearing them.  One does not have to know the details of the actions taken by the wearer, to recognize that the Bronze Star!  Is not given for a good one liner right before the commercial break!  You try earning one.. DICK!

And as for your reference to ... “Very impressive!” Adding, “If you’re twelve.” 

Or maybe... Just Maybe!!!...  If you were raised to respect sacrifice?  Dedication to Duty?  Honor? Courage? Commitment? Bravery? Selflessness?  All words of which you appear to be completely ignorant... DICK!

Here's some of what is on the General's Chest (an Oak Leaf signifies additional times the medal was awarded, and "V" device signifies "Valor" in Combat):

  Defense Distinguished Service Medal

  Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)

  Defense Superior Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)

  Legion of Merit (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)

  Bronze Star (with “V” Device)

  Defense Meritorious Service Medal

  Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)

You sanctimonious venal elitist... You sicken me!  I used to find you mildly amusing.  Now that you have unveiled your true colors in your contempt for men like General Petraeus and by proxy all men and women in uniform, I have no use for you or your opinion.  Go sip your Gin and Tonic at the local MoveOn cocktail party cracking malicious mean spirited grammatically accurate vocabulary rich jokes at the Military's expense.  But understand this... those who serve in the Armed Forces get paid to protect YOU and YOUR fellow liberal intellectual's FREEDOMS... All other Americans, they protect because they want to!

Nice... DICK!

Cool Planes and Cool Dudes!

As most of you who read Carmichael's Position know I also serve as the Editor (and writer mostly) of the Tailhook Daily Briefing... cool work if you can get it!

This weekend I wrote a brief article about the 'Saints' of US Navy Adversary Squadron VFC-13 paying a visit to Grand Junction.  While there they also stopped in to visit with a young man Jordan Jones, age 14 fighting testicular cancer.  The Colorado Chapter of Tailhook (of which I am a proud member) has taken Jordan and his family somewhat under our wing, and want to make sure Jordan knows he has tremendous support from a number of folks.

Back to the Saints...  Squadron Commanding Officer, Cdr. Rob "Thumper" Modderman stopped by GJT bringing 9 others of his Squadron, and many saw fit to swing by Jordan's house to wish him all the best and to encourage him in his continued fight!  Who better than those who train Naval Aviators "How to Fight and WIN!" 

Jordan was too ill to greet the aviators as they landed at Grand Junction, but he was feeling much better the next day and his father took him out to the airfield to bid farewell and watch the departures of his new found friends, The Saints of VFC-13!

The men of VFC-13 and the Men and Women of the Colorado Tailhook Ready Room, led by Hans and Kathy Schmoldt deserve our highest gratitude for their dedication to others.  Efforts like these are what help to make all of us Tailhookers proud!

It turns out that the article I wrote has taken on a bit of life as a place where well wishers for Jordan's recovery can leave an encouraging comment.  If you feel so inclined, even though you may not know Jordan, please swing by the Tailhook Daily Briefing and add your wishes... it certainly couldn't hurt, and I bet it would definitely help! [LINK]

   

All the pictures on this post are courtesy of Kathy Schmoldt... and I thank her for sharing!

Daily Show Interviews Code Pink! Telling... Very Telling!

An interesting take on the Marines in Berkeley...

The following clip was called to my attention by my good friend Linda, via her father Richard who currently resides in Berkeley and is admittedly not on the same political side of the fence where I choose to reside.  Richard and Linda evidently had been discussing my earlier post about the Mayor and City Council wanting no part of your United States Marine Corps and declaring them personas non grata in the city of Berkeley and even going so far as to grant Code Pink a designated parking space immediately in front of the recruiting station.

I have no idea what either of their (Linda or Richard's) positions are on the subject and there are times I choose not to find out... friends and politics can be a lot like farts and church, best not to combine the two.  But knowing both of them, I'm sure they had a thoughtful and intellectual discussion regarding the climate in Berkeley.

Anyway, as I mentioned at the top of this post Linda and Richard evidently thought I would find the following clip from the "Daily Show" entertaining if not poignant.  I did (on both accounts) and would like to share it with you here.

 

I would also like to share with you a response to an earlier Code Pink Editorial Attack against our Brothers in Green, written by Capt. Richard Lund USMC.  It illustrates an interesting dichotomy between the perception of Peaceful Protesting Intellectuals (so accurately portrayed in the Daily Show video) and the supposed mindlessly violent warmongering Marines... I leave it to you to decide:

An Open Letter to Code Pink

By Richard Lund

While the protest that you staged in front of my office on Wednesday, Sept. 26th, was an exercise of your constitutional rights, the messages that you left behind were insulting, untrue, and ultimately misdirected. Additionally, from the comments quoted in the Berkeley Daily Planet article, it is clear that you have no idea what it is that I do here. Given that I was unaware of your planned protest, I was unable to contest your claims in person, so I will therefore address them here. First, a little bit about who I am: I am a Marine captain with over eight years of service as a commissioned officer. I flew transport helicopters for most of my time in the Marine Corps before requesting orders to come here. Currently, I am the officer selection officer for the northern Bay Area. My job is to recruit, interview, screen, and evaluate college students and college graduates that show an interest in becoming officers in the Marine Corps. Once they’ve committed to pursuing this program, I help them apply, and if selected, I help them prepare for the rigors of Officer Candidate School and for the challenges of life as a Marine officer. To be eligible for my programs, you have to be either a full-time college student or a college graduate. I don’t pull anyone out of school, and high school students are not eligible.

I moved my office to Berkeley in December of last year. Previously, it was located in an old federal building in Alameda. That building was due to be torn down and I had to find a new location. I choose our new site because of its proximity to UC Berkeley and to the BART station. Most of the candidates in my program either go to Cal or to one of the schools in San Francisco, the East Bay, or the North Bay. Logistically, the Shattuck Square location was the most convenient for them.

Next, you claim that I lie. I have never, and will never, lie to any individual that shows an interest in my programs. I am upfront with everything that is involved at every step of the way and I go out of my way to ensure that they know what to expect when they apply. I tell them that this is not an easy path. I tell them that leading Marines requires a great deal of self-sacrifice. I tell them that, should they succeed in their quest to become a Marine officer, they will almost certainly go to Iraq. In the future, if you plan to attack my integrity, please have the courtesy to explain to me specifically the instances in which you think that I lied.

Next, scrawled across the doorway to my office, you wrote, “Recruiters are Traitors.” Please explain this one. How exactly am I a traitor? Was I a traitor when I joined the Marine Corps all those years ago? Is every Marine, therefore, a traitor? Was I a traitor during my two stints in Iraq? Was I a traitor when I was delivering humanitarian aid to the victims of the tsunami in Sumatra? Or do you only consider me a traitor while I am on this job? The fact is, recruitment is and always has been a part of maintaining any military organization. In fact, recruitment is a necessity of any large organization. Large corporations have employees that recruit full-time. Even you, I’m sure, must expend some effort to recruit for Code Pink. So what, exactly, is it that makes me a traitor?

The fact is this: any independent nation must maintain a military (or be allied with those who do) to ensure the safety and security of its citizens. Regardless of what your opinions are of the current administration or the current conflict in Iraq, the U.S. military will be needed again in the future. If your counter-recruitment efforts are ultimately successful, who will defend us if we are directly attacked again as we were at Pearl Harbor? Who would respond if a future terrorist attack targets the Golden Gate Bridge, the BART system, or the UC Berkeley clock tower? And, to address the most hypocritical stance that your organization takes on its website, where would the peace keeping force come from that you advocate sending to Darfur?

Finally, I believe that your efforts in protesting my office are misdirected. I agree that your stated goals of peace and social justice are worthy ones. War is a terrible thing that should only be undertaken in the most dire, extreme, and necessary of circumstances. However, war is made by politicians. The conflict in Iraq was ordered by the president and authorized by Congress. They are the ones who have the power to change the policy in Iraq, not members of the military. We execute policy to the best of our ability and to the best of our human capacity. Protesting in front of my office may be an easy way to get your organization in the headlines of local papers, but it doesn’t further any of your stated goals.

To conclude, I don’t consider myself a “recruiter.” I am a Marine who happens to be on recruiting duty. As such, I conduct myself in accordance with our core values of honor, courage, and commitment. I will never sacrifice my honor by lying to anyone that walks into my office. I will never forsake the courage that it takes to restrain myself in the face of insulting and libelous labels like liar and traitor. And, most importantly, I will never waver from my commitment to helping individuals who desire to serve their country as officers in the Marine Corps.

Captain Richard Lund is the United States Marine Corps’ officer selection officer for the northern Bay Area.

Nuff said!

The Good News is You've Been Transferred to the USS Ohio... Bad News is, She's Currently At Sea... Here's Your Travel Orders...

Yeah... That's gotta suck!  The special "Dope on a Rope" delivery method, to a deployed submarine.

From Navy NewsStand:

An SH-60H assigned to the "Indians" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 6 lowers a member of the aircew onto the guided-missile submarine USS Ohio (SSGN 726) for a personnel transfer. Ohio is on a one-year deployment to the 7th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Barry Hirayama (Released)

4.72 Miles Per Second!

Well that ought to put it in perspective! 

And if that doesn't work for you... try 24,933 FEET! per "One Mississippi!"

That is how fast the non-functioning NRO Satellite ("US 193") was traveling this evening when the USS Lake Erie (CG-70) firing a modified SM-3 "Standard" missile scored a HIT on it!

Oh, did I mention that was from over 133 vertical miles away?!!! 

Bravo Zulu Crew of the USS Lake Erie! 

The DOD press release follows:

---

DoD Succeeds In Intercepting Non-Functioning Satellite

A network of land-, air-, sea- and spaced-based sensors confirms that the U.S. military intercepted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before entering the earth's atmosphere.

At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST today, a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship,  the USS Lake Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) were also part of the task force.

US NAVY Photos:

The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the approximately 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could pose a danger to people on earth, before it entered into earth's atmosphere.   Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be available within 24 hours.

Due to the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris will begin to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere immediately. Nearly all of the debris will burn up on reentry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days.  

Now that is Skeet Shooting!  PULL!

US Marines Not Welcomed in Berkeley California

I put this on the Tailhook Daily Briefing also:

"The Marines don't belong here, they shouldn't have come here, and they should leave..." 

This is not a quote from some Afghani rebel, or some Iraqi insurgent.  No, these are the words of the MAYOR! of Berkeley California (still a United States city last I checked...)

Seriously though, is anyone really surprised by this? 

From the Contra Costa Times:

Berkeley Council Says Marine Recruiting Center is not Welcome

BERKELEY, Calif.—Local officials in this liberal city say it's time for the U.S. Marines to move out.

The City Council voted 8-1 Tuesday to tell the Marines their downtown recruiting station is not welcome and "if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome guests."...

Not surprising to many readers of my site, our Marines are pretty accustomed to the status of "Uninvited and Unwelcomed Guests". Seldom however is this the prevailing opinion anywhere between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans! 

But wait there's more!

...In a separate item, the council voted, also 8-1, to give protest group Code Pink a parking space in front of the recruiting office once a week for six months and a free sound permit for protesting once a week.

..."I believe in the Code Pink cause. The Marines don't belong here, they shouldn't have come here, and they should leave," said Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates....

I commented on another of my favorite blogger's site on this subject, "Wouldn't this equate to giving a 'Reserved' parking space to the Neo-Nazis outside of a synagogue?

The entire Bay Area of the great state of California has melded into a melting pot of pacifists and the more vile, "passive aggressive's" toward those who CHOOSE to defend the freedoms we all enjoy in our great nation.

Must be nice to relax in the Barko-Lounger of freedom provided by those who serve!  And then snipe at those who do!

But alas I would not worry about our Brother's in Green.  They are fairly used to, and conditioned to be amidst Hostile Situations!

I think Chesty said it best:

It is a good thing our Marines understand Semper Fidelis because the self proclaimed intellectuals of Berkeley obviously need to study up on their Latin.

Good Night Chesty Wherever You Are...

Blue Angels Coming Back To Colorado This Year!

I know it is only January, but I definitely have reason to look forward to September now!

The Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron will be once again performing at Grand Junction's Walker Field.  I know what I'll be doing the weekend of September 27-28!  I'll probably be part of the Colorado Tailhook Association contingent expected to be there in force.  And certainly partaking in the already planned 7th annual Cattle Barons BBQ at Hans and Kathy's!

Looks like some good old regular stops have also returned to the flight schedule for this season; MCAS Miramar for one, the aforementioned Grand Junction (which if you haven't been there is a great venue to watch the Blues!) and for many, probably one of the biggest surprises is the return of the Blue Angels to San Francisco (Oct. 11-12), where every year the opposition to the annual performance gains a louder and louder voice.  However, by most factual accounting that voice is of an extremely vocal Anti-Military borderline Anti-American minority.  Damn Commies!

Anyway, as always the Blue Angles demonstrate some of the highest quality flying one will ever have the opportunity to experience.  I say "experience" because you feel as much as see the flight demo!  Six F/A-18C's in "Full Blower" flying 18 inches (THAT'S RIGHT NOT A TYPO 18 INCHES) apart is awe inspiring and heart pounding!

So if you have never been, I cannot recommend enough to find a show nearest you and bring the friends and family!  I do recommend that your kids be a minimum of 8 or 9 for their attention span.  Also, is is commonly HOT! out on the apron with little to no shade, so bring sunscreen, dress cool and wear a hat (wide brims recommended)!

 

Here's the show schedule:

MARCH

08          NAF El Centro, California
15 - 16   Sacramento, California
29 - 30   NAS Meridian, Mississippi

APRIL

05 - 06   NAS Kingsville, Texas
12 - 13   Smyrna, Tennessee
19 - 20   Peoria, Illinois
26 - 27   Vidalia, Georgia

MAY

10 - 11   Barksdale AFB, Bossier City, Louisiana
16 - 18   Andrews AFB, Maryland
21          USNA, Annapolis, Maryland
23          USNA Fly-By, Annapolis, Maryland
24-25     Jones Beach, New York

JUNE

07 - 08   MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina
14 - 15   Quebec City
21 - 22   Davenport, Iowa
28 - 29   Huntsville, Alabama

JULY

05 - 06   Traverse City, Michigan
12          Pensacola Beach, Florida
19 - 20   Duluth, Minnesota
26 - 27   Twin Falls, Idaho

AUGUST

02 - 03   Seattle, Washington
08 - 10   Fairchild AFB, Spokane, Washington
16 - 17   Chicago, Illinois
30          Cleveland, Ohio

SEPTEMBER

01          Cleveland, Ohio
06 - 07   NAS Brunswick, Maine
13 - 14   Eau Claire, Wisconsin
20 - 21   NAS Oceana, Virginia
27 - 28   Grand Junction, Colorado

OCTOBER

04 - 05   MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California
11 - 12   San Francisco, California
18 - 19   Little Rock, AFB, Arkansas
25 - 26   NAS Jacksonville, Florida

NOVEMBER

01 - 02   Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas
08 - 09   Kennedy Space Center, Florida
15          NAS Pensacola, Florida

Schedule is subject to change without notice and is
weather permitting, for everyone's safety.

 

Touching...

Go here: http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2008/01/andy-olmsted.html

Read ALL of it! 

Recognized for CUTTING DOWN the US FLAG?!!!

Damn Right!

Somewhere I missed this story when it happened back in October... Of course I could have been doing something else at the time... like "getting married."

But here's the poop for those others of you who missed the story.   Evidently an establishment in the Reno NV area was flying a Mexican flag OVER the US flag!  Supposedly the shop owner was flying the flags in this manner as a form of solidarity in the wake of raids on 11 area McDonald's restaurant leading to the arrest of more than 50 undocumented workers.

The flag flying garnered the attention of the local media and a news crew was dispatched to "get to the bottom" of things (and probably provide an excellent soapbox for the shop owner's protest).  Well what the News Crew captured that day was certainly unexpected... but in YHS view heart warming!  Here's the video: [link]

That's Army Veteran Jim Brossard taking ACTION!  That flag and what it represents deserves respect!  And men like Brossard recognize this, they've fought for our honor and still do!  There is NOTHING wrong with being an AMERICAN!  We do not have to apologize and constant Kowtow to every slap in the face we receive.  Yes the store owner has every right to mount a protest, but flying the American Flag in the United States in this fashion is Illegal!... for a reason! 

"If I hadn't done that, then I'm afraid it wouldn't have gotten done," he said. "I was ready and fully willing to accept any consequences, legally or any other, that might have come in my direction."

And I'm with Jim in that I think if you are willing to treat Old Glory without respect, you've lost your privilege to have her!

And it looks like the members of the USS Intrepid Association feel the same way... Because in a small ceremony Jim Brossard was presented with another US Flag, one that has flown proudly over the USS Intrepid.

GERALDA MILLER
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 11/21/2007

Veterans who served on the U.S.S. Intrepid aircraft carrier presented Jim Brossard with a certificate and flag for cutting down a U.S. flag that was flying beneath a Mexican flag at a Reno bar.

"To fly the American flag underneath the Mexican flag, it just defies everything," said Wayne Erven, West Coast representative of the U.S.S. Intrepid Association Inc. "Our flag goes on top. That's the honor we give our flag."

Erven of Pleasanton, Calif., gave Brossard the appreciation Tuesday at the James D. Hoff Peace Officer Memorial in Idlewild Park.  (Photo Caption:  Wayne Erven, center, prepares to give a flag that flew over the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York earlier this year to Jim Brossard, left. Looking on at right is Daryl Saldausky of Reno. Erven and Saldausky are members of the U.S.S. Intrepid Association Inc. Photo Credit: David B. Parker/RGJ)

"To go and pull that down, you've got more guts than brains maybe," Erven told Brossard.

And I find it also disturbing that...

Bob Fulkerson, state director for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said Brossard does not deserve to be rewarded for stealing property.

Uh... Try the word "Rescuing" or "Protecting the Honor of..." there Bob!

"I think what they're doing is rewarding criminal behavior, and they're rewarding violent behavior," Fulkerson said. "To me, that goes against our Constitution. That goes against the values of our country."

Uh... Yeah.... Well I guess I should consider the source...

Bravo Zulu Mr. Brossard!

Uuuuh Raaah!

Watch... You'll know!

 

Video link for those using aggregators to read Carmichael's Position . [Link]

HT: Giorgio

Ok, But How's a Sierra Hotel Fighter Pilot Supposed to Pick Up Babes with That Thing?

 

I mean really, outside of the Flight Suit, the hottest thing going for your properly decked out "Fighter Jock" is his (and it's hot on "her" too) helmet!  Remember "Mav"?  Well hell, Topgun would have had a whole different look to it with this thing....

 

Or the Blues "Cool Dude" dome cover...

 

probably more like something... well like this...

Oh sure... the technology is probably stellar (I mean being able to see through the floor is pretty damn cool...)!  But damn it... we're talking fighter pilot's egos here!  One must realize how fragile these guys can be.  Now the "Attack Guys" they probably have no problem at all with these helmets, after all Attack Guys had charm and character to fall back on.

But with Today's F/A community where the communities have blurred, and the Gemini (duality of man) nature of things it will be a tough fashion trend to cope with... I guess the rearview mirrors on the canopy rails will be focused outside the cockpit from here on out.

This is why I have problems with how the "War" is reported.

I'm sure the AP, CNN, NBC the NYT and the usual suspects in the media were as giddy as a 5 year old waiting for Santa's visit on Christmas, waiting in grotesquely eager anticipation for the number 853 to arrive!  Knowing they would be able to publish the following headline!

"2007 Is Deadliest Year for US in Iraq"

BAGHDAD (AP) - The U.S. military on Tuesday announced the deaths of five more soldiers and one sailor, making 2007 the deadliest year for U.S. troops despite a recent downturn, according to an Associated Press count.

At least 853 American military personnel have died in Iraq so far this year—the highest annual toll since the war began in March 2003, according to AP figures.

The grim milestone passed despite a sharp drop in U.S. and Iraqi deaths here in recent months...

"Sharp Drop..." here's just how sharp! [From the Department of Defense]

 

And I might add that is with a significant increase in the number of Americans in country beginning in June!  Remember the much criticized "Surge" that had failed according to "Give-up" Harry?

Why the drop off?  Well it would appear based on IED explosions (what killed the 5 that triggered the "Headline Alarm!") the US and coalition forces have begun to succeed in their efforts to get to the cowards before they get to us!

Yes, it is truly tragic to have lost 853 Americans in the efforts to bring freedom to the people of Iraq, but to leverage their deaths to advance the questionable slant of the left and their media lap-dogs is a disgrace!

Look at the "Trend!"  our efforts are dramatically IMPROVING!!! or would that be detrimental to the nay-sayers and surrenderists? 

Now, excuse me... I have to go lick my cat's butt to get this taste out of my mouth!

Why I Love Ben Stein

Looks like I have a book to buy...

-Nuff Said...

The difference between throwing your metals over the wall and leaving your STARS at The WALL... Character!

Why I have the utmost respect for people like General Peter Pace and ... well... notsomuch for the likes of John Kerry...

When General Pace left his position as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, primarily because those in Congress didn't approve of his "Take Charge and Move Out" mentality regarding war fighting. What did he do?  ... He paid his respects to his men!   In a way we can all be proud of...  now that's a LEADER!

Extracted from Neptunus Lex article:

I wanted to share with you what we saw in Washington DC last week. After the mid-term brief we toured the Mall and made the usual stops at the WWII Memorial, the Wall, Lincoln Memorial, etc. At the Vietnam Wall we saw something unbelievable. We noticed three small index cards at the base of the Wall. I knelt down for a closer look and noticed that a 4-star general’s rank was pinned to each card. The cards were personally addressed and said:

“These are Yours- not mine!
With Love and Respect,
Your Platoon Leader,
Pete Pace
1 Oct”

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs had laid down his rank for his boys who died in Nam just the day before! I later found out that 1 Oct was also the same day he stepped down as chairman.

More of the Story Here: [LINK]

USS Normandy practices for a Clinton-Obama Admin

The USS Normandy in an overabundance of "Preparing for the Worst" begins "Less than Lethal Force" drills in the Indian Ocean (Not Native American Ocean!). 

The US Navy posted a Training Ops Memo about a week ago mandating that all Surface Combatants begin planning and training operations in preparation for a Clinton-Obama win in November of '08.  Noting that it takes time to transition "Well trained fighting men and women with the best WarFighting Equipment on the Seas... into United Nations Wait Staff and catering service"  Also recommends, that all efforts must be made to modify the US Navy's current focus on Dominating the Battle Space to now offering to "Clean the Windshield with fill-up!" 

Real story here:  [link] however, your captions are welcomed!  Add in the "Comments" section below.

Oh the Places One Can Go...

But it turns out... I don't have to.  The British Media pretty much... uh... ehm.... er.... a.... "Handles" the commentary in their "quote" selection.

See if you can identify the topic of discussion based on the quotes selected for the article.

1. "I have to say [it] smacks of a government out of touch."
2. "We do consider the broader needs of our people, both physical and psychological,"
3. Brigadier Andrew Nikolic said the "holistic needs" of service personnel were considered under defence policy.
4. An armed forces spokesman defended the operations, saying they were carried out for psychological reasons, not to make sailors "look sexy".

Yep... the subject at hand of the article is:

Australia navy in breast op row

Australia's opposition Labor Party has questioned the need for female sailors to be given breast enlargements paid for with public money.

And it was the opinion of Labor defense spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon

"On the face of it, taxpayer-funded breast enhancement is a questionable practice," ... "I have to say [it] smacks of a government out of touch."

TOO.... MANY.... JOKES!...MUST..... NOT..... COMMENT!!!!!!

HT: Lex

I Bet our Boots on the Ground in Iraq Sure Wish there were more Terrorists using Volkswagens in Their Quest to Meet 27 Virgins (or however many are left up there)

Hehehe...  Unfortunately because of our squeamish PC - cushy armchair and a Latte' on demand...  "oooh we certainly don't want to offend the sensibilities of fanatic Islamics"-  society... we'd never see this on our local cable broadcast of American Idol (is that an oxymoron today?). 

But what a great Advertisement for VW!  Enjoy! [link]  HT-Steve H. for this one!

The Instrument Has Yet to be Built That Can Measure My Disdain for People Like Brian De Palma

Evidently this knucklehead so hates American Troops in the Field that he will go to great lengths to associate an isolated vile incident perpetrated by a gang of dirtbags who just so happened to be in the US Army.

VENICE (Reuters) - A new film about the real-life rape and killing of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl by U.S. soldiers who also murdered her family stunned the Venice festival, with shocking images that left some viewers in tears.

"Redacted", by U.S. director Brian De Palma, is one of at least eight American [?] films on the war in Iraq due for release in the next few months and the first of two movies on the conflict screening in Venice's main competition.

Inspired by one of the most serious crimes committed by American soldiers in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, it is a harrowing indictment of the conflict and spares the audience no brutality to get its message across.

De Palma, 66, whose "Casualties of War" in 1989 told a similar tale of abuse by American soldiers in Vietnam, makes no secret of the goal he is hoping to achieve with the film's images, all based on real material he found on the Internet. [so it must be true! ed.]

"The movie is an attempt to bring the reality [who's reality?]of what is happening in Iraq to the American people," he told reporters after a press screening.

"The pictures are what will stop the war. One only hopes that these images will get the public incensed enough to motivate their Congressmen to vote against this war," he said.

Abeer Qasim Hamza al-Janabi was gang raped, killed and burnt by American soldiers in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, in March 2006. Her parents and younger daughter were also killed.   Continued...

There is plenty of blame to be distributed in the particular case. That de Palma has chosen to leverage this tragic and vile incident in his campaign to demonize all things associated with the Iraq War and the US Military and as a representation of the behavior of "US Soldiers" is utterly contemptuous!

Remember the recruitment phrase leveraged by the US Army at the time?  "An Army of One!"  No marketing phrase could better represent these vermin who were and are still individuals, who still have free will.  They inconsiderately wear the uniform and are too STUPID to recognize the whole that they in turn represent!  In my mind, this is one of the most inexcusable and most extreme failings of the US Army, that of not instilling a more resilient sense of DUTY, HONOR, and COUNTRY in the minds of its recruits.  Morality is not a word we need to shy away from, it needs to be engrained.  Which I am quite sure a man of Mr. De Palma's philosophical leanings would have trouble blessing as well!

Where De Palma and his ilk are the most despicable are in their flagrant and willful disregard for Accurate Statistical Representation.  Yes atrocities occur in warfare, and the United States Military has gone to great lengths to reduce the occurrence of these incidents, eliminated? no, but greatly reduced? Absolutely!  But the "oh so sanctimoniously sensationalistic acrimony" piously pontificated by those who so hate the Martial Philosophy of Warriors is sickening and tiresome!  The "feeding frenzy for the surreal"  mentality of today's Hollywood producers and the leftist propagandists  "Reporters" in the Mainstream Media (yes that line has blurred tremendously) has become so paramount the result is to all but censor the overwhelmingly positive behavior, conduct and professionalism in today's United States Armed Forces.

De Palma openly states his vainglorious wish... "The pictures are what will stop the war. One only hopes that these images will get the public incensed enough to motivate their Congressmen to vote against this war"

Propagandist for the Militant Extremists is what this equates to.  It will receive more screenings and lauded support from peaceniks, Al Qaeda, and our (that'd be the United States') other sworn enemy than any other!  The vile vermin who perpetrated this act DO NOT in any way shape or form represent the other 99.999 percent of United States Army Soldiers!  But alas this is what movie makers the likes of De Palma would have you believe.  Which is the bigger lie?  In the illustrated case De Palma uses as his Metaphor for all things military, these scum were tried, and convicted and incarcerated for their crimes!  I would think most intelligent people could easily see why the US Army would not really want to publish commercials on Monday Night Football using these wretched repulsive dregs as spokesmen!

But De Palma chooses to use these individuals as Poster Children for the US Army.  You have to ask yourself,... better yet... go ask a returning veteran, or your serving brother, or father... "So how many innocents did you rape today?"... I'll wait............................... 

When you recover from the physical punctuation of the delivered answer... maybe, just maybe you'll begin to understand the degree of contempt that representative accusations, like Mr. De Palma's tripe, really deserve. 

Be weary of the enemy in our midst... The methods employed by these empowered few, who choose to view life through the narrowest of keyhole, are on the precipice of pernicious propaganda in Machiavellian proportions and cater to the addle mind.

"All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach."
    ---  Adolf Hitler

Marine Poet: "And She Called"

Below is a powerful and passionate presentation by United States Marine Corp SSGT Lawrence E. Dean II.

BlackFive has the details and an interview with SSGT Dean. 

"Here is the coolest thing, the piece is titled 'And She Called,' well She is his Grandma and the piece is his explanation to her of why he would go to war. She inspired the video, but the reference in the video itself is about America calling."

Urh  Rahhh!!!

To the New Republic... We'll be waiting!

BlackFive and a number of others do this story much more service than I can ever:  But let's just say I'll be waiting for those sensationalistic Bovine Scatology Brokers over at the New Republik to chow down!!!  (I'm thinking it will be a loooooonnnnnggggg wait!)

Blackfive links about Private Scott T. Beauchamp and the New Republic:
RE:  The New Republic's Correspondent a Fake? (Blackfive, July 18)
RE:  The Unavoidable BS at The New Republic  (Uncle Jimbo, July 18)
RE:  I'm Sending CPT Wedley to Speak With Scott Thomas (Blackfive, July 19)
RE:  Scott Thomas Bull (Laughing Wolf, July 21)
RE:  Scott Thomas, Franklin Foer and TNR - Beatdowns for All (Uncle Jimbo, July 22)
RE:  Scott Thomas, MFA? (Laughing Wolf, July 25)
RE:  Scott Thomas Beauchamp, Still Wondering about the MFA (Laughing Wolf, July 26)
RE:  Private Beauchamp- Requiem for a dung beetle (Unlce Jimbo, July 26)
RE:  Bleu Beau: Astroturfing? And Let The Pushback Begin (Laughing Wolf, July 27)
RE:  Private Beauchamp and the bravest Chaplain in the World (Blackfive, July 27)
RE:  Beauchamp: Silence and the Severity of the Matter (Grim, July 27)
RE:  Greyhawk sums up Scott Thomas Beauchamp (Blackfive, July 28)
RE:  TNR, Beauchamp...Yawn (Uncle Jimbo, August 2)
RE:  US Army Interviews Everyone in Beauchamp's Unit (Blackfive, August 4)
RE:  The Best Word on Beauchamp (Blackfive, August 6)
RE:  Beauchamp Sinks The New Republic (Uncle Jimbo, August 7)

Iraq Like Vietnam? No... More Like Cambodia...

In the Democrats rush to see who can surrender faster and increase the Francophication of the United States, they seem to be blissfully ignorant of historical precedence.

Many in the "People's Party" are quick to reference their nostalgic favorite, Vietnam War... or more accurately the protests, social uprisings and rifts caused here in the United States by our internal disagreements about the war.  Oh how they long for the "Good old days of Haight Ashbury listening to Jefferson Airplane!"  They rapidly draw parallels to how our current entanglement is identical to the "Un-winnable" Viet Nam Conflict, and how we need to withdraw our forces as soon as possible!  Just like Jane and Tom did in the early 70's!!!  Groovy Man!

Well, like in the 70's, our ability to grasp military fact of successes and set-backs is woefully wanting.  We were militarily successful in Viet Nam especially Tet! and could have been ultimately successful having had the support at home for what was truly taking place at the time.  The same fight taking place in Iraq... A fight against Tyranny and for Liberty!  Both truly noble causes, and ultimately noble in a warrior's mind.  Not however in the pacifists mind where timidity and placation are the foundations of their envisioned peace.  Peace through Strength is an oxymoron in their belief.   

But in an editorial today, in the Washington Post of all places Michael Gerson draws great attention to the failure of vision of the Democrats today and their complete ignorance of history and consequence.  Their greedy desire to make irrational decisions simply to get elected by a fundamentally un-informed and propagandized populace, will do more harm for decades to come relating to the trust (or what will become the Lack thereof) that other countries ever have in the United States... again.  What do you stand for Democrats?  I'm curious?  Defending Liberty? Eliminating Tyranny?  Defending the weak?  Encouraging peace?  How? 

When pressed to address these consequences, most of the Democratic candidates offer a response similar to Edwards's: "As we withdrew our combat troops out of Iraq, I would not leave the region." So America would defend its interests from a safe distance in Kuwait. But how effective has it been to fight terrorist networks in Pakistan from a distance? How effective has it been to fight genocide in Sudan from a distance? This is less an argument than an alibi.

In Mr. Gerson's critique, he calls our attention to a response by Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak during the fall of Cambodia in 1974-5, when the US did not honor our commitment to the region and his country.  Note that US forces were nearby (much like is proposed by Dems today in basing troops in Kuwait ready to react to a threat) but we were tired of war and offered retreat as a solution not defense, to wit the Prime Minister of our ally Cambodia, called a Spade a Spade... 

"...In 1974, a weary Congress cut off funds for Cambodia and South Vietnam, leading to the swift fall of both allies. In his memoir, "Years of Renewal," Henry Kissinger tells the story of former Cambodian prime minister Sirik Matak, who refused to leave his country.

"I thank you very sincerely," Matak wrote in response, "for your offer to transport me towards freedom. I cannot, alas, leave in such a cowardly fashion. As for you, and in particular for your great country, I never believed for a moment that you would have this sentiment of abandoning a people which has chosen liberty. You have refused us your protection, and we can do nothing about it. You leave, and my wish is that you and your country will find happiness under this sky. But, mark it well, that if I shall die here on the spot and in my country that I love, it is no matter, because we are all born and must die. I have only committed this mistake of believing in you [the Americans]."

Eventually, between 1 million and 2 million Cambodians were murdered by the Khmer Rouge when "peace" came to Indochina. Matak, Kissinger recounts, was shot in the stomach and died three days later.

Can history repeat itself?  You bet it can.  Pity we do not learn!

Hmmm.... Who Says Inspecting the Troops isn't Fun!

HT to