May 2013 - BlackFive - The Network of Care

Some Thoughts On Military Suicide

I wanted to get this out now, because Memorial Day can be a rough one for so many. Crossposted at Laughing Wolf Yesterday, Doc Bailey and I talked about military suicides and his frustrations with trying to talk to/work with various congresscritters....

Published Fri, May 24 2013 12:00 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Caring For The Defenders

NRA Life of Duty: Memorial Day Tribute - Remembering the Men of the Gambier Bay

Below is the NRA Life of Duty's Memorial Day Tribute featuring Norman St. Germain – Seaman First Class, USS Gambier Bay who spent 47 hours in the shark-infested waters of Leyte Gulf after his ship was sunk during WWII. Link - http://nralifeofduty...

Published Sun, May 26 2013 1:29 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Fallen But Never Forgotten

Ouistreham

Entering the "Big Bunker" Ouistreham was the key to the attack at Sword, as it was the gateway into the Orne, the Caen canal, and Caen. Seizing control of the town would give the Allies a small port (nowhere near the size needed for sustainment...

Published Fri, May 31 2013 5:39 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Travel

"The most important OP-ED written in decades about SOF"

Thus writes Colonel David S. Maxwell, US Army Special Forces (Retired). The OP-ED is here. See what you think of it.

Published Wed, May 01 2013 9:23 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military, Current Affairs, Weblogs

An Experiment

Thanks to a fellow milblogger and a very generous person, my travel to and from France is now taken care of with what has been raised at Indigogo. Now, I need money to get from Paris to Normandy and back, and to cover travel related to two shorter embeds...

Published Fri, May 03 2013 4:23 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Current Affairs

WWII letters found

One of the reasons that I wanted to publish the Blog of War was because that there won't be boxes of letters from the war found decades letter. In this electronic age, important writing (emails, blog posts, social media etc.) can disappear into the...

Published Mon, May 06 2013 11:57 PM by BLACKFIVE

Big Army Goes Overboard for Political Correctness

The US Army Soldier of the Year is going to be... every Soldier. That's right. I wish I read it at the Duffel Blog but instead those crazy bastards at the Rhino Den have the scoop and I trust their word over just about anyone's. It seems almost...

Published Wed, May 08 2013 11:11 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Bust Their Chops

Carry The Load Relay

Tonight, the Carry the Load relay will be in the Atlanta/Marietta area. Anyone care to grab a ruck and join me for Leg 193 up into Smyrna proper? This is a chance to show support, get some exercise, and maybe help raise some money and awareness for a...

Published Tue, May 14 2013 1:37 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Caring For The Defenders

Army South Best Warrior Competition

Bonus: Day two photos below the fold too. Staff Sgt. Jacob Dipietro, 525th Military Police Battalion, Guatanamo Bay, Cuba, fires at his target at with his M4 Carbine Rifle at the Qualification Range. (U.S. Army Photo by Master Sgt. Kevin Doheny, U.S....

Published Thu, May 16 2013 1:30 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military

ADV: Travels to Al Qa’im and Beyond

A preliminary view of the Kindle cover, note final covers will vary I am pleased (and somewhat relieved) to announce that the second volume in the A Different View series is now out in trade paperback and on Kindle. This new volume showcases day-to-day...

Published Mon, May 20 2013 4:38 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Books

Britain's rabid dogs

If you feed, house and submit to rabid dogs, you will be bitten. Homegrown Islamists blew up their subways before, and now they have beheaded a British soldier in broad daylight on a city street. We allowed the sae thing to happen with the two vermin...

Published Wed, May 22 2013 11:54 PM by BLACKFIVE

I drive your truck

Most of you know the name Jared Monti, he was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan. This weekend we remember him, and far too many others. And we share the pain of the families who have to bear the true meaning if this "holiday"...

Published Sat, May 25 2013 3:41 AM by BLACKFIVE

Pegasus 2013

Imagine heading into combat in an unarmed plane with no engines, knowing that if you didn't hit the ground exactly as planned the odds were good you would die. If crashing into whatever was there didn't kill you, the swamps or river would. If...

Published Thu, May 30 2013 5:01 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Travel

Cakebread Cellars Tasting

The wines to be tasted Recently, I was invited to Marietta Wine Market for a tasting of Cakebread Cellars wines. Located just a block off the square in downtown Marietta, the Wine Market has a very nice selection of wines, along with local beers, a variety...

Published Wed, May 01 2013 4:56 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Food and Drink

Rotary Club of Vinings

Last Wednesday, I had the honor to make a short presentation to the Rotary Club of Vinings (GA) where I got to talk briefly about Iraq, Normandy, and Beyond. The group included a number of veterans, and there were several others who had a bit more knowledge...

Published Thu, May 02 2013 1:10 AM by BLACKFIVE