September 2009 - BlackFive - The Network of Care

GI Bill not paying GI's bills

Alex from Army of Dude is having tremendous fun with the VA and getting his GI Bill stuff squared away. They are well and truly screwing things up and not getting his school paid for. The VA counselors at my school buy salt in bulk to pour into the wounds...

Published Tue, Sep 01 2009 3:34 AM by BLACKFIVE

Roundtable: the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron

(Photo via the 407th Public Affairs: "Tech. Sgt. Michael Routh, 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron fire fighter, rings the fire station bell to honor those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.") We had a rare but pleasant opportunity...

Published Tue, Sep 01 2009 11:30 PM by BLACKFIVE

Review of: Building Security Forces & Ministerial Capacity

Kim Kagan's think tank, The Institute for the Study of War, held a release event for a new paper by LTG Jim Dubik, a Senior Fellow there. He was Commander of MNSTC-I (min-sticky) in 2007/8 and oversaw a large and successful expansion of Iraqi military...

Published Thu, Sep 10 2009 10:30 AM by BLACKFIVE

Afghanistan - It Is Decision Time

It is decision time for our involvement in that country - i.e. whether we continue or whether we pull the bulk of our troops out.And placing that decision on the back burner is unacceptable. As I said in another post it is time to fish or cut bait. Or...

Published Mon, Sep 28 2009 12:44 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Current Affairs

Colonel Hector Henry - Someone You Should Know

A Retired Medical Corps Doctor volunteers for another tour in Iraq (fourth). He's seventy years old. And not only is he serving in Iraq, he also serves on his town council via remote broadcast from Iraq. A reader, Scott P., sends this story about...

Published Mon, Sep 21 2009 12:49 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Someone You Should Know

Reader Email - Vindication

Received this email from Bill F. in Florida: Just a quick note that seems to be playing out all across the US. When flying into Tampa last week there were 10-12 Army and Air Force members on the plane, going home after a tour in Afghanistan. As we landed...

Published Mon, Sep 21 2009 12:33 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military, Caring For The Defenders

Obama caves on missile defense

You can say one thing about President Obama, he is consistent on foreign affairs. Kick our allies in the teeth and kiss our enemies on the ass. I guess weakness is the new strength. WASHINGTON – Citing a need to refocus America's defenses against...

Published Thu, Sep 17 2009 12:52 AM by BLACKFIVE

Time to Mobilize - Widow and Child of Fallen Marine may be deported

A Marine's Japanese widow is fighting to raise her son in the nation her husband died protecting. Hotaru Ferschke and Sgt. Michael Ferschke had a proxy wedding, filing marriage papers after he deployed. He was killed in Iraq. Now U.S. immigration...

Published Thu, Sep 17 2009 1:36 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Caring For The Defenders, Fallen But Never Forgotten

I Know What Gen. McChrystal is Trying To Say....

I know that some in the blogosphere don’t really understand what General McChrystal was saying when he was speaking about the development of our “Fortress” mentality in our prosecution of the war (oops, “contingency operation”). And it was something that...

Published Tue, Sep 22 2009 2:18 AM by BLACKFIVE

Uncle Jimbo On The March

Uncle Jimbo is in DC, as per usual, and is attending the march this weekend. I've just received a phone update from him, and he's telling me that ''by far its the largest crowd I've ever seen- and that includes this year's inauguration...

Published Sat, Sep 12 2009 2:09 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Current Affairs, Pop Culture

COL Timothy Donovan: The Story

I had a feeling that, when John Donovan got around to telling us about his father, it would be a remarkable story. So it proves: He spent summers in Canada, living in tents and riding horses in the Canadian Rockies as his father did surveying tasks for...

Published Mon, Sep 14 2009 11:25 AM by BLACKFIVE

Red Flag Landing

An F-16E lands following a Red Flag training mission on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 26, 2009. The air craft and crew are from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. This is the first time the nation has participated in Red Flag, a realistic air...

Published Tue, Sep 08 2009 4:05 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Picture of the Week

Filed under: Military, Bust Their Chops

September 2009 - BlackFive

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