May 2010 - BlackFive - The Network of Care

Weapon carry status in Afghanistan

There has been a lot of talk about weapons carry status for our troops in Afghanistan and whether they are being told to carry in amber status i.e. no round in the chamber. I asked ISAF HQ and got the following response. Jim, Headquarters ISAF, the ISAF...

Published Fri, May 21 2010 2:06 AM by BLACKFIVE

Michael Caine on how to save England

Michael Caine has a new movie out called Harry Brown about a crusty old Brit who has had enough of the drugged-out violence and starts whacking bad guys. Unsurprisingly he has caught a fair ration of shite about that from the same weak-kneed, spineless...

Published Sat, May 22 2010 4:36 AM by BLACKFIVE

Chicago cop & Iraq war vet killed....in Chicago

This is just sad. A Chicago police officer who had just come back from a tour in Iraq gets shot and killed outside his own house. A 30-year-old Chicago police officer who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq was shot and killed when several people...

Published Sun, May 23 2010 11:10 AM by BLACKFIVE

How To Kill Our Soldiers......

By using neglect, disrespect, complacency and PC Bovine Scatology.... First I hear about medals for "not shooting" and now I read about this... Commanders have ordered a U.S. military unit in Afghanistan to patrol with unloaded weapons, according...

Published Mon, May 24 2010 4:15 AM by BLACKFIVE

Sestak and Core Values

Adding to the dogpile, I wrote this little piece for the American Security Council Foundation website a month or two ago. Representative Sestak's win in the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania for the senate seat up for grabs this November has brought...

Published Mon, May 24 2010 11:42 PM by BLACKFIVE

American exceptionalism on the battlefield

Lt. Col. Oliver North reminds us why American fighting man (or woman) is the best the world has to offer. Ever heard of a Hamas/Taliban/al Qaeda/Hizballah fighter treat a wounded enemy soldier, then carry him from the battlefield? If they do grab one...

Published Tue, May 25 2010 1:00 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military

Michael Yon and the cards he has dealt

Mike Yon has apparently taken some time in Thailand to address what I wrote about his exit from Afghanistan. Though I am working on Afghanistan dispatches, during breaks over the next days I will address some those who took part in the blog lynch mob...

Published Wed, May 26 2010 2:34 AM by BLACKFIVE

The Battle of Another Gun...

Let me start out this post by just saying this. Never, not once, dirty, clean, dusty, snowy, muddy, wet or dry did my M-4 fail to go "BOOM" when I pressed the "BOOM" switch. It never jammed, double fed, stove piped or just went "CLICK...

Published Wed, May 26 2010 8:00 AM by BLACKFIVE

You've Got to Give Credit...

...where credit is due.Ahmadinejad will address the the United Nations Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York on Monday... Ahmadinejad told reporters in Tehran before his departure that the NPT has failed. "The biggest threat...

Published Sun, May 02 2010 12:47 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Current Affairs

Military Roundup 3 May 2010

Image of the Day: Sgt. William Jasper retrieves South Carolina’s flag under heavy fire AfPak: Surge strips UAVs from U.S. Forces in other theaters British sniper kills two Taliban over 1.5 miles away Hakeemullah Mehsud is still alive, threatens attacks...

Published Mon, May 03 2010 2:52 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military

Send Andrew Lubin to Afghanistan

Andrew Lubin is an author and journalist who covers our wars as well as anyone. I have met him and had the opportunity to tip a few cold ones with him during the journalism fellowship Blake and I attended. He has a son in the Marine Corps but he does...

Published Tue, May 04 2010 5:10 AM by BLACKFIVE

Military History: Research Assistance Request

Obviously one of the things that matters especially to families with a strong military tradition is history. One of our readers emails to say that she is researching her family's history, and has discovered that one of her ancestors fought with the...

Published Tue, May 04 2010 11:35 AM by BLACKFIVE

SWAT Overkill

There are far too many examples of SWAT tactics used against individuals who no rational person could consider a danger to law enforcement. I have a piece about a brain-boiling example of this. It's a little testy and the whole thing is disturbing...

Published Wed, May 05 2010 10:19 AM by BLACKFIVE

Phony SEAL gets 2 years for Stolen Valor

You are going to have to read it to believe it. Just got back from covering the case. http://www.theusreport.com/the-us-report/phony-seal-gets-2-years-for-stolen-valor.html

Published Thu, May 06 2010 1:47 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Caring For The Defenders

Three for three - third SEAL acquitted

Good news: Navy SEAL Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe was found not guilty Thursday evening on charges of assaulting detained terrorist Ahmed Hashim Abed, dereliction of duty, and impeding an investigation based on a false statement. A seven member military...

Published Thu, May 06 2010 8:29 AM by BLACKFIVE