September 2009 - Argghhh!

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite. ****************************** In today's From the Front: (Click on link to read stories highlighted below) A World of Trouble: Trying to figure it out Afghanistan My Last Tour: Back to home camp Timothy Hsia - At War: Jacob, the Interpreter Free Range International: What To Do? Part One this...

In my war, we coined a term to describe the guy who lived in Saigon in an air-conditioned trailer with access to clean water that didn't smell or taste like bleach, who worked in an area where the greatest danger was spilling a drink at Happy Hour, who took PX breaks four times a day to see if his new TEAC stereo system had arrived, who exchanged his boots for new ones whenever his spitshine was scuffed, who spent his days tweaking his Efficiency Reports to achieve maximum promotability, who...

An Afghan National Army Air Corps Mi-35 helicopter patrols the skies north of Kabul during a show of force mission Sept. 9. The Air Corps recently reached a milestone with the completion of the Initial Operations Capability Mi-35 attack helicopter program. American and Czech Republic mentors recommended the Mi-35 program to the Ministry of Defense to provide security, show force, and patrol the skies of Afghanistan. Photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Dow...

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite. *********************** In today's From the Front: (Click on link to read stories highlighted below) Afghanistan My Last Tour: Flying High Against the Taliban Army of Dude: Reality Bites IraqPundit: The Real Deal Jamie McIntyre's Line of Departure: Hitting the Pause Button on Afghanistan...

...for posting a Whatziss that's absolutely *no* challenge to you guys. But, I do it because I figure all y'all deserve a break from trying to guess what arcane piece of dumpster bait get the exact nomenclature of John's latest toy from underneath the bench seat in the southwest corner of the Regimental Sar'nt-Major's bunker during the Siege of Mafeking. However, this is not one of those times.Those of you who don't really have a life will should get this one right off the...

I don't know how many of our regular readers have attended townhalls this season, but I thought I'd let you know how mine went...

Before I succumbed to the propagandizing coming out of the Army PA folks *and* the senior leadership, I was much more careful myself in the use of the terms "warrior" versus "soldier." The warrior can be admired for his personal prowess, but oft-times true warrior societies aren't really very good militarys, and usually get their butts handed to them when they run into a disciplined group of soldiers, even when armed similarly. There are always exceptions, of course. One can...

The Medal does not make an appearance on this day until the Korean War. Then it jumps in with both feet, illustrating the oft-desperate fighting that characterized that war. First, Sergeant First Class Kaufman and the fighting around Pusan in 1950, followed by a Corpsman and two Marine Privates of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines fighting in the Outpost Battles of 1952.*KAUFMAN, LOREN R. Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company G, 9th Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Near Yongsan...