January 2012 - BlackFive - The Network of Care

Can the Afghans aggregate their fecal matter?

This piece is just fun and has all the things a great story should: War, history, outrage and.....sh*t. A few minutes before the beginning of a Greek mythology class at FOB Fenty, Jalalabad, for which I'd prepared to lecture on Alexander the Great's...

Published Thu, Jan 19 2012 11:22 AM by BLACKFIVE

Obama's political timetable for Afghan withdrawal

President Obama's decision to deploy troops to Afghanistan and announce their withdrawal during the same speech was one of the sorriest examples of politics trumping policy in my memory. Telling your enemy "Oh yeah, we are coming to get you"...

Published Sun, Jan 22 2012 11:08 PM by BLACKFIVE

RE-Enlistment Ceremony

Navy Chief Warrant Officer Keith Pritchett, lower left, administers the oath-of-enlistment to Petty Officer 1st Class Michelle Turner during an in-air reenlistment ceremony over Jamul, Calif., Jan. 19, 2012. Pritchett is the officer-in-charge of the U...

Published Mon, Jan 23 2012 5:54 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military, Picture of the Week

Afghan soldiers killing record number of advisors

The number of Afghan soldiers and police attacking their American trainers is becoming a major problem. Even worse, the attacks are now so frequent - 6% of total combat fatalities - that ISAF is no longer reporting details of the fratricide incidents...

Published Wed, Jan 25 2012 11:31 PM by BLACKFIVE

From The Thunder Run to Home...

US Army Col. Eric Shwartz led the attack into Baghdad, now known as the 'Thunder Run.' He looks back on his service, and the toll the long fight has taken on American families. I hope Colonel Schwartz is correct about Iraq.

Published Thu, Jan 12 2012 1:24 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military, Caring For The Defenders, Video Channels

A Design Exercise

I'm sitting at a gun show with Mad Mike Williamson and discussing everything from his ideas on improving the infantry to weapons. I've also had the chance to walk around and drool a bit, all of which leads to this. If you could pick and choose...

Published Sat, Jan 14 2012 11:16 PM by BLACKFIVE

Last word on the whiz kids

I haven't said anything about the urination indignation, but tonight I heard the perfect commentary. @NoahPollak Noah Pollak Those dead Taliban really tied the room together. Every time a dead Taliban is micturated upon in this fair city, I have to...

Published Mon, Jan 16 2012 2:27 PM by BLACKFIVE

MilNewsLinks

All the military news that’s fit to link, or that I stumbled across and found interesting: ~Tempest in a Teapot? There’s a controversy brewing about Army Medevac missions with one side claiming we should remove the red crosses and arm them and the other...

Published Thu, Jan 19 2012 12:29 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Current Affairs

Heavy Water

Heavy waves crash against the USNS Tippecanoe during a replenishment-at-sea mission with the USS Makin Island under way in the Pacific Ocean, Dec. 20, 2011. U.S. sailors and Marines assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Carl Vinson and the USS...

Published Tue, Jan 03 2012 1:31 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Picture of the Week

Jan. 4 in US Military History

1847: The U.S. Government Ordnance Department orders 1,000 revolvers designed by Samuel. Colt and Texas Ranger Capt. Samuel H. Walker. Historians would later say that Colt's invention altered the course of human history. 1910: The USS Michigan (BB...

Published Wed, Jan 04 2012 6:45 AM by BLACKFIVE

Losing a war and a peace

The end game of Obama's decision to "end" the war in Afghanistan is nigh. We are making a deal with the Taliban, a losing one. Our Commander in Chief fundamentally misunderstands the way wars must be fought, and I am not talking about strategy...

Published Thu, Jan 05 2012 12:22 AM by BLACKFIVE

Underfire Airstrike

A coalition Special Operations Forces soldier provides security while an airstike takes out an enemy fighting position during a firefight in the Gelan district in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, Dec. 27, 2011. The airstrike occurred during a clearing...

Published Thu, Jan 05 2012 1:22 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Picture of the Week

Reckless

Check her website, too.

Published Thu, Jan 05 2012 8:44 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military, Someone You Should Know

Osprey Overhead

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. William Cox provides security as an MV-22 Osprey aircraft lands in Zaranj in Afghanistan's Nimroz province, Dec. 30, 2011. Cox is a armorer assigned to the Joint Sustainment Academy Southwest. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl...

Published Fri, Jan 06 2012 1:22 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Picture of the Week

Into The Light: Jim "Seamus" Garrahy

Words fail me, but thankfully they did not fail Marcus at YouServed. "Seamus" commented here a few times, was a friend to Matt, and I was fortunate enough to meet him a couple of times at his home where the Face of America bike ride ended. Indeed...

Published Mon, Jan 09 2012 7:24 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Fallen But Never Forgotten

January 2012 - BlackFive

Syndication

Recent Posts

Tags

Archives

Can the Afghans aggregate their fecal matter?

Obama's political timetable for Afghan withdrawal

RE-Enlistment Ceremony

Afghan soldiers killing record number of advisors

From The Thunder Run to Home...

A Design Exercise

Last word on the whiz kids

MilNewsLinks

Heavy Water

Jan. 4 in US Military History

Losing a war and a peace

Underfire Airstrike

Reckless

Osprey Overhead

Into The Light: Jim "Seamus" Garrahy