August 2009 - BlackFive - The Network of Care

Before the Drop

U.S. Army soldiers ride in an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for the air-drop portion of a joint forcible entry exercise over Fort Bragg, N.C., Aug. 26, 2009. The soldiers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff...

Published Mon, Aug 31 2009 12:51 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Picture of the Week

Election Day in Kabul

JD is there and you can read his report and see pictures from Kabul at Outside the Wire.

Published Thu, Aug 20 2009 6:08 AM by BLACKFIVE

President Obama on Afghanistan

Speaking to the annual gathering of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Obama praised the American troops in Afghanistan who are helping to secure the country ahead of elections there this week. "As I said when I announced this strategy, there will be...

Published Mon, Aug 17 2009 5:16 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military

Ted Kennedy - CBS Needs to do some Fact Checking

Senator Ted Kennedy was a veteran of the US Army. After getting kicked out of Harvard for cheating, he was drafted. After serving his three years, he went back to Harvard and you probably know the rest of the story. CBS News interviewed staffers and family...

Published Thu, Aug 27 2009 3:21 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Bust Their Chops

Must SEE - The Return to Makin Island

I received a note from Corporal Seamus that all Marines must watch this. Heck, everyone should watch this story about a Marine Raider landing sixty seven years ago (August 17-18, 1942) and again in 1999 on Makin Island. Never forgotten...

Published Tue, Aug 18 2009 4:07 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Video Channels, Fallen But Never Forgotten

Pirates of Pogadishu

h/t Mrs. G. This is the funniest and sadly truest thing I have read in a long time. Old Blue had to take a trip to Bagram and ran into the most-hated species of all field soldiers, the REMF. Pogadishu is the petri dish of fobbitry. At all times of the...

Published Tue, Aug 18 2009 2:23 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filipinos stack tangos like cord wood

Unfortunately they took some fairly serious losses themselves. MANILA, Philippines -- Philippine troops overran two jungle camps of al-Qaida-linked militants in their deadliest clash in years, with 23 soldiers and 31 guerrillas killed in what a top commander...

Published Thu, Aug 13 2009 12:43 AM by BLACKFIVE

Calm Down, Ed

Captain Ed Morrissey worries that Iraq has "gone wrong in a hurry." No, it hasn't. Remember what we said when I came home from Iraq at the end of June, when I wrote: "Will it work?" No. The ISF know what they have to do, but they...

Published Wed, Aug 19 2009 9:29 AM by BLACKFIVE

Storm rolling in

Pretty cool T-Storm rolling into my AO just now. Went from light to dark in no time.

Published Fri, Aug 21 2009 4:43 AM by BLACKFIVE

Cooking for the Wounded at LRMC: Update

First, thank you very much to all who have contributed to the cooking challenge! Things are moving along. I've approached a well-known company about some gear, and am awaiting word on my request/proposal; approached another well-known company (cookware...

Published Wed, Aug 12 2009 9:00 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Caring For The Defenders

VA tells 2,000 they have ALS

You have no idea how badly I wanted to headline this "VA sends death threats to 2,000 vets" but then I remembered I don't work for the NY Times. I wonder how much the Obama administration has appreciated all the help the VA has been giving...

Published Mon, Aug 24 2009 5:18 AM by BLACKFIVE

McChrystal's Report

Man it would be nice to read McChrystal's report and have the brain trust here at Blackfive looking at it rather than just reading about it in leaks to MSM outlets. Ya' know? I'm just sayin', man it would be nice. jimbo at unclejimbo.com...

Published Mon, Aug 31 2009 1:43 AM by BLACKFIVE

The Ugly of War

This is why grunts love medics...we also know that they pay a big price for what they do. This is something that I think everyone should watch (warning: the descriptions are graphic), but it's not easy. It's not easy at all... After the jump,...

Published Mon, Aug 31 2009 12:28 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Video Channels, Someone You Should Know

You'll Fight Tigers

The boys at Ranger Up are paying homage to the most ludicrous (and NSFW) video about Ranger training ever made. I just have one thing to say... But what about Special Forces? See the video, buy the shirt.

Published Tue, Aug 25 2009 11:59 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military Humor

Giving Back Their Names

The other day, in doing this post, I realized that a post I thought I had done never made it up. Back during my first embed, I came home via Landstuhl and Walter Reed. While I Landstuhl, I was privileged to be there when the wounded arrived and to learn...

Published Mon, Aug 24 2009 10:59 PM by BLACKFIVE