A Little Pink in a World of Camo | My daughter is 3 and a half years old. She turns 4 in January. And I thought I still had so much time before we had to broach this subject. Certainly, I knew it would be coming and I knew it wasn't going to be easy no matter when it happened but I didn't plan on it being so soon. No matter how soon it came though, would I ever have been really ready? Are we ever ready to explain death to our kids and why her father who loves her so very, very much had to leave her so soon and so permanently? Probably not.
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Showing posts with label Home Front. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Front. Show all posts
August 5, 2013
August 19, 2010
From the Front: 08/19/2010
Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. (New complete posts come in below)
Kandahar Diary: A Presidential Decree: My Thoughts - The big news around the traps at the moment is Karzai’s announcement that all PSC (local and international) have until 1 Jan 11 to disband and, for the internationals, quit Afghanistan. This is due to the (justifiable) perception that PSCs are running amok, involved in bribery and extortion, are in league – to varying degrees – with the Taliban and are damaging ISAFs counter-insurgency (COIN) strategy. At the outset let me say that my company is held up as an example of how a transparent, compliant and professional PSC should operate in providing convoy security to Host Nation Trucking (HNT) contractors. If it were not I wouldn’t be working for it. However, as a PSC, we are lumped in with the local firms that are nothing more than armed militia for warlords such as Ruhullah (who plies his trade between Kabul and Kandahar) and Matiullah Kahn (who commands 2,000 men in Uruzgan where nothing moves without his approval and his payment of between USD1000 and USD3000 per truck). (READ MORE)
Kanani Fong @ Regarding War: A Military Spouse's Gratitude in Time of War - Preparing for a deployment is an emotional and a physical upheaval. There's a veritable laundry list from writing wills and last-minute home repairs to doing whatever it is the Army needs. Conversations are done on the run, via a phone call, in passing and during goodbye parties. After a flurry of busy days, my husband and I went for a walk. It was dusk, our dog pulled ahead as we made our way down the hill. The night air was just a tad cooler than we would have liked, and we seemed to be at a loss for words as the countdown for his deployment neared. A car passed by, then a kid on a skateboard with his dog running ahead. As we made our way through the neighborhood, we looked at homes decorated with prayer flags for a neighbor's son who had died climbing a mountain in Tibet. Without turning to me, my husband looked straight ahead and spoke. "You know, I'm supposed to set certain things straight with you. I'm not supposed to leave anything unsaid," he said. (READ MORE)
Matt Elliott: Gaining Perspective via Interactive Media - As the war in Afghanistan drags on, it is difficult not only to keep pace with the headlines each day or week, but also to fully grasp the scope of the United States' and NATO's efforts there. One way to better understand what is happening in Afghanistan now and what its future may hold is to look at the past. The Council on Foreign Relations published a instructive and interactive timeline of the war in Afghanistan a year ago today, which it continues to update. It includes a summary of the major events, starting with the United Nations Security Council imposing sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban on October 15, 1999. It also includes a great many useful links that will broaden your understanding of the war. The casualties in Afghanistan have risen sharply this summer, as you can clearly see from this interactive guide on CNN. Using two side-by-side maps, it shows each fatality from the war, placing a dot on the map for the hometown of each soldier and another where he or she died in the war. (READ MORE)
FaST Surgeon (In Afghanistan): 909th Sun Deck - I recently saw someone comment on a photo that "there are no blue skies in Afghanistan". He was absolutely adamant. Maybe he should visit here and see for himself. There are some days of brilliantly clear blue skies. Good thing the 909th brings its own handymen. I've never seen a group of folks so talented. These guys can build anything. They're kinda-like McGyver!.... A little mesh, some sticks 'o wood and parachute cord... BAM! A new sundeck. But... these guys weren't done... can you believe a bunch of smelly dudes.. in a third world country.. fighting a war... would actually build a planter box outside the trauma entrance? Well... Shoop.... there it is! (READ MORE)
ACU's, Stiletto Shoes, and Pretty Pink Tutus: Want to know what I fear? - I was so touched by how open and honest people were when I posted my question asking for wives to tell me what they fear. I expected answers to be a little more vague but I'm so glad everyone spoke up! We got comments and emails from spouses who just wanted to express their gratitude. From experience I can tell you it rather sucks to feel like you are the only freak in the world who feels a certain way. So, I can't just let this issue go by without laying out what I fear. Naturally, I fear the fundamentals of Milies everywhere. I worry about G.I. Joe getting hurt, medically discharged, captured, tortured, never being found again, never being the same again and I definitely fear "the worst." Beyond that though I have other specific fears that I have to face each day. Some days I don't think about this stuff much but others I have to work a little harder to live above it. The number 1 fear I have is that G.I. Joe will forget that he loves me. (READ MORE)
al Sahwa: Greed and Grievance in Kandahar - As the last US elements of the "Kandahar surge" assume battlespace in and around the city, we are at a critical juncture in the ISAF effort to establish what GEN Petraeus describes as an "oil spot" around Kandahar City and its environs. The daunting task of establishing this zone of security, governance, and prosperity falls on a combination of mostly US and Canadian soldiers and officers (from 2/101 ABN, 1/4 ID, and TF Kandahar). Rajiv Chandrasekaran's recent article in the Wash Post does an excellent job of highlighting the challenges that face these forces, drawing a comparison between the US efforts in Baghdad in 2006-07 and the ongoing efforts in Kandahar. Ultimately, though, he concludes (accurately) that the dynamics at play in Kandahar are vastly different than they were in Baghdad. ISAF forces in Kandahar must convince a predominately Pashtun, Sunni populace (vice a split Sunni-Shia populace in Baghdad) that the "legitimate" elected government (and security forces) can provide for them and protect them from the murder and intimidation campaign of the Taliban. (READ MORE)
Wendy Chamberlin: Karachi’s Melting Pot Boils Over - The desperate plight of over 20 million Pakistani citizens displaced and dispossessed by the most ferocious flooding in the history of the young state is heartbreaking. Nature is extracting a cruel price on a population already racked by debilitating poverty and a brutal insurgency. But at the same time, too little attention is being paid to the violent drama being played out in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi. The crippling violence of political party gangsterism between Karachi's two dominant parties - the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - is alarming, especially as the parties align with organized criminal groups and become increasingly indistinguishable from them. Unlike the flooding, this crisis was avoidable and man-made. One of the three largest cities in the world, Karachi has a multi-ethnic population of 17 million people. (READ MORE)
Battle Rattle: Conway, Kent touch down in Afghanistan - It had to come sometime. After four years of leading the Marine Corps in wartime, Commandant Gen. James Conway is making what will likely be his final trip to Afghanistan this week. He touched down at Bagram Airfield on Tuesday, and if he and his traveling party haven’t already made it to Camp Leatherneck, the Corps’ major hub of operations in Afghanistan, they’ll likely be there soon. For security reasons, their agenda is classified. However, it’s likely they’ll tour much of the area. This brief account in the Pakistani media also reports that Conway visited today with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the chief of staff for the Pakistani Army. Conway is expected to retire next month and will be replaced by Gen. James Amos, the service’s current assistant commandant. (READ MORE)
NICK BILTON: Visualizing the Wikileaks War Logs - Last month, The New York Times ran a package of articles called “The War Logs,” based on a trove of military documents made public by the Web site WikiLeaks. The documents brought into question the military’s handling of the war in Afghanistan. A group of faculty members and programmers from Columbia University, New York University and Princeton have used the same set to create the visualization in the video above. The visualization shows activity in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2009 and maps the “logged events” recorded in the documents. As The Times noted in one article, “The archive is clearly an incomplete record of the war. It is missing many references to seminal events and does not include more highly classified information.” But the visualization shows surges of activity over this five-year period, growing drastically as the war progresses. The programmers describe the map as follows: (READ MORE)
Charlie Simpson's War: Note to Self (4) - Towels. In addition to bringing your own sheets, you also need to bring towels. Sometimes you forget to pack things that you actually thought of earlier in the week. Case in point: belts. Why didn’t I bring any belts? I brought belts last time. It occurred to me to bring them this time. And yet, no belts. But sometimes the thought never makes it into your head. I spent more time thinking about dresses for Marine Corps’ Birthday Balls than I thought about towels. (I even washed and put away a set of towels while packing and never thought to put them in the damn suitcase. Actually, I even packed my travel towel without making the logical leap to packing, you know, real towels.) Someday I’ll have a binder full of packing lists: deployment packing, Hawaii packing, NYC for 2.5 days packing. Until then, I’ll be using a travel towel… (READ MORE)
Family Matters Blog: Tips Ease Transition to New School - I wrote a blog recently about my lengthy, and sometimes painful, house-hunting efforts. I’m happy to say that stage of my move has come to an end. My husband and I now are the proud owners of a small, five-bedroom house in Maryland. Now it’s on to the actual move, and the plethora of minutiae that dominate every house purchase, from gathering financial documents to setting up house inspections. But foremost in my mind are my children. While school starts after Labor Day in Northern Virginia, at my kids’ new school in Maryland, school starts Monday. Due to the time-consuming settlement process, they’re almost certain to miss a few weeks of school, but I’m feeling the time crunch nonetheless. I need to immediately start gathering school supplies and establishing school-time routines and, perhaps most importantly, readying them for a new school. They’ve only been at their current school for the past two years, but that’s plenty of time to create deep bonds and lasting friendships. (READ MORE)
FaST Surgeon (in Afghanistan): Picture Of The Day - 19 AUG 2010 "The Dance" - For our heroes - with respect: And now I'm glad I didn't know / The way it all would end, the way it all would go / Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain / But I'd of had to miss the dance / Yes my life is better left to chance / I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance / "The Dance" is a song recorded by country singer Garth Brooks. The song, written by Brooks' friend, Tony Arata, is written with a double meaning - both as a love song about the end of a passionate relationship, and a story of someone dying because of something he believes in, after a moment of glory. (READ MORE)
Helmand Blog - Afghanistan: British and Afghan troops keep Helmand highway open - Soldiers from the 1st Battalion Scots Guards (1 SG) and The Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG) have been working jointly with Afghan National Security Forces to keep traffic moving along a key road in central Helmand. The key access road Route 601 is an important communications route that connects Lashkar Gah in Helmand with the city of Kandahar to the east. The metalled road is a key transport and commercial link for both local nationals and ISAF and Afghan forces. Based in a patrol base (PB) halfway along the road the British soldiers regularly patrol both on foot and in Mastiff and Jackal armoured vehicles to ensure that no improvised explosive devices or blockages are present on the road or in the surrounding area. Daily checks include inspecting culverts along the route, setting up vehicle checkpoints to ensure that insurgents are not using the road as a supply route, and working with the Afghan National Police (ANP) to deal with breakdowns or the occasional road traffic accident. (READ MORE)
Bruce R: That's just the kind of contract you've got to keep - I wouldn't agree that The Magnificent Seven is a perfect allegory for Afghanistan, but there's no doubt my own beliefs on just this kind of issue were shaped by watching it and other movies like it. (In the scene highlighted in the first half of the YouTube clip at the link, I think I have at one time or other been in the frame of mind of each of the Seven debating the right course around the table, in the Afghan context.) It's also fair to say if the West had viewed the Taliban with a mental model something like Calveras' bandidos in mind, as opposed to seeing them as foot soldiers in SPECTRE/KAOS/whatever-International-Terror-Conspiracy-you-care-to-name (a model that is arguably less close to the truth, but makes them seem much more threatening to us personally) we might have approached this whole situation differently much earlier. (READ MORE)
Helmand Blog - Afghanistan: Lessons from Helmand are honing skills of Army’s top shots - For sharp-eyed marksmen serving in Britain’s Armed Forces there is no greater proving ground than the ranges at Bisley and neighbouring Pirbright. The Surrey facilities have hosted generations of soldiers keen to show off their shooting prowess by dropping to their belt buckles and patiently delivering ultra-accurate shots into targets hundreds of metres away. But while the sharpshooting set’s actions retain a place in the centres’ folklore, their contemporaries need to display an increasingly different set of skills to earn entry into the crack-shot elite. The annual event for the best Service shooters, the Central Skill-at- Arms Meeting (CENTSAM), is shunning its old-school static serials in favour of action-packed, quickfire versions inspired by the battle-winning techniques being used on Op HERRICK. (READ MORE)
Home From Iraq: Two of My Favorite People Get Promoted - At first formation on Saturday morning two of the best soldiers in Echo Company got promoted. Sgt. Jeremy Houck got promoted to Staff Sgt. and Spc. Daniel Lake to Sgt. In Iraq, Houck was one of leaders on the team that re-built and rewired many buildings all over Tallil Ali Air Base. We were sent at the last minute to a base that was not ready for a Combat Aviation Brigade and Houck helped to change that--in a big hurry. Lake is a smart experienced mechanic who spent a very long year doing whatever was required on maintenance teams. He had a sergeant's responsibilities during most of the tour. His promotion was slowed by several paperwork hassles and long overdue. Because they are in Echo Company, the ceremony ended with a splash!!! (READ MORE)
Kerplunk: Revisiting the WaPo Article - Ever since this Washington Post article by Ernesto Londono came out chronicling the rise and fall of Kaboom the blog, the question of the blog's official registration with my unit has been a point of inquiry for both readers and lecture attendees. Most recently, this came up in an interview for a magazine profile. As best as I can gather, the confusion regarding this emanates from a specific part of the Post article: "Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a military spokesman, said in an e-mail that Kaboom was "deemed by the commander to be counter to good order and discipline of his unit." He added that the blog had not been registered with the military, an assertion Dennis Gallagher disputes." So, here's my take, for what it's worth. There was a form we turned in before the deployment that counted as our "registration." It asked for basic info, like our name, rank, and blog URL. I filled it out in five minutes and turned it in to my troop (company) leadership. (READ MORE)
Kit Up!: Stop the Madness: FNH Tries Smoke and Mirrors on SCAR-L Debacle… - …and leaves a LOT unsaid. Well, we knew something like this would happen, we just didn’t know how. On Monday, SCAR maker FNH-USA shouted from the rooftops in a vaguely-worded press release that SOCOM had approved full rate production of the SCAR “family of weapons.” The company said it was “ramping up production” to meet the “delivery orders placed by SOCOM.” We sent a note to FNH-USA spokeswoman Elaine Golladay asking for clarification on what “ramped up” means and SOCOM’s “delivery orders” and got no response. Kit Up! played it straight on our initial reporting of this announcement, but it looks as if the folks at FNH-USA tried to pull a fast one on us and tarnish Military.com’s reporting and Kit Up! as well. A company rep forwarded the press release to two popular forums, figuring (correctly) the SCAR fans on the board would read the announcement and assume the Mk-16 is being purchased by SOCOM. (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: Fatah al Islam chief killed while traveling to Iraq - The leader of a Lebanon-based al Qaeda affiliate has been killed while attempting to travel to Iraq to join the insurgency. Abdulrahman Awad, the leader of Fatah al Islam, was killed along with his deputy, Ghazi Faysal Abdullah, by Lebanese security forces during a clash in the Bekaa Valley over the weekend. Fatah al Islam confirmed the deaths of Awad and Abdullah in a statement released on a jihadi website, and said that the two leaders were traveling to Iraq to join up with the Islamic State of Iraq, al Qaeda's front group. The statement was discovered by the SITE Intelligence Group and reported by The Associated Press. According to the Fatah al Islam statement, Awad, a Palestinian, sent his son to Iraq two months ago to become a suicide bomber. There have been no reports of Palestinian suicide bombers carrying out attacks in Iraq in the past two months. (READ MORE)
New Girl on Post: Good News! - I'm back in Italy with some good news. My friend's husband was discharged from the hospital and actually made the trip back to Italy with my friend and I. Basically what happened is that a bridge collapsed under the truck he was driving and the truck rolled a few times. He ended up hurting his back, but they have sent him back here to do physical therapy and he'll be returning to Germany off and on for the next few months. It's a somewhat similiar situation that Sean has with his back, but Sean's is a bit more serious. Anyway, I was just glad that he was ok. Seeing all the soldiers up in Landstuhl though really made me sad. I saw a lot of physical scars and problems and a lot of mental. I'm sure I didn't even scratch the surface of it though. It was almost overwhelming seeing all of them. Just another sad reminder of what happens during war. (READ MORE)
Joan D'Arc: How many times have you moved? - Today I went to a store and when I went to make my purchase the cashier asked me if I had one of the store's "reward" cards. I told her yes, but I had no idea where the card was located. She asked for the phone number I used when I applied for the card... this can be a difficult question for a military spouse. I told her I was military and had to think about where I applied for the card because we move a lot. Then the conversation went like this: Cashier: How many times have you moved? Me: In the last year, or total? Cashier: Umm... both? Me: Twice in the last year and seven times in the last 13 years (technically 8 moves since we did one on our own when we bought a house). Cashier: (Eyes open wide and jaw hanging open). I don't think I could do that. Me: It's not for everyone, but I love it. Needless to say, I could not remember the phone number I had just one year ago. I could remember my old work number, but not my old phone number. (READ MORE)
The Unknown Soldiers: They did it - On Wednesday evening, significant news began reaching the United States. American soldiers in the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division had crossed into Kuwait. Almost seven and a half years after the war in Iraq began, the last U.S. combat brigade is out of the country. "To be a part of this historic last brigade combat team in Iraq is like getting closure, because I was one of the first in and now one of the last ones out," Staff Sgt. Matthew Pankey, who was on his first of three deployments to Iraq in the spring of 2003, told Sgt. Kimberly Johnson. The most important aspect of this story will likely be missing from most coverage you'll see on television and read in newspapers. Despite honest disagreements at home over the war's merits and dishonest reporting from the mainstream media, which rushed to judgment against our troops by trumpeting an alleged "massacre" in Haditha, the brave men and women of the United States military persevered and achieved great things. (READ MORE)
The Unknown Soldiers: March of the Penguins - In the fall of 2006, Maj. Megan McClung called home and asked her parents for an item not typically included in care packages for Marines in Iraq. The 34-year-old volunteer warrior wanted a stuffed animal doll, and it had to be a penguin. Maj. McClung was captivated by the writing of John Bingham, a bestselling author and columnist who aims to inspire runners around the world. Bingham, a slow runner who nicknamed himself "the penguin," believes that finishing a race is more important than winning. He has written several famous passages about his favorite pastime. "As an athlete, when you least expect it, you may find yourself standing on the threshold of an accomplishment so monumental that it strikes fear into your soul. You must stand ready, at any moment, to face the unknown. You must be ready to walk boldly thru the wall of uncertainty." Walking boldly was part of McClung's personality long before she read Bingham's words. (READ MORE)
Spencer Ackerman: David Petraeus: The Danger Room Interview - My 45-minute interview Tuesday with Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, was considerably less physically taxing than the last time we talked in person. While on a military base in Mosul, Iraq, in March 2007, I learned that Petraeus, then the commander of the Iraq war, was on his way there. I put in for an interview request. The only time he had available was during early-morning physical training. Over two painful hours, I learned why Petraeus’ reputation as a fitness freak and champion runner is well deserved. Once again, Petraeus is in charge of a controversial, faltering war. To learn how he intends to reverse U.S. fortunes in Afghanistan, I met Petraeus at his commanders’ compound, an elegant multistory building in a quiet, green spot of NATO headquarters in Kabul. From the way he discussed the challenges ahead — both before and after the July 2011 date to begin a “conditions-based” drawdown of U.S. forces — Petraeus’ endurance will be tested in a marathon-length sprint. (READ MORE)
Danger Room: Drones Surge, Special Ops Strike in Petraeus Campaign Plan - Ever since the Afghanistan war became a counterinsurgency fight, critics have charged that commanders’ cautions about using force only inhibit the fight against the Taliban. But in the shadows, NATO Special Operations Forces are engaged in an intensely lethal war of their own. According to information provided to Danger Room by Gen. David Petraeus, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, in just the past 90 days these elite units have captured or killed 365 militant leaders, detained 1,335 insurgent foot soldiers and killed another 1,031 insurgents on top of that. Yes, some units once engaged in armed coercion have de-emphasized taking direct action against insurgent bombers. But the rough stuff against the networks that create improvised explosive devices has been part of the special forces’ hot summer –- represented by green, blue and orange bursts on the map of Afghanistan that Petraeus compiled into a briefing slide. (READ MORE)
Andrew Lebovich: Daily brief: floodwaters to stay until the end of August - The U.N. announced yesterday that up to 4 million people have been made homeless as a result of flooding in Pakistan, as increased aid struggles to keep up with demand and Pakistan's top meteorologist said the floodwaters would not fully recede until the end of this month. The U.N. will convene a conference today to push governments to give more to Pakistan's relief effort, and the U.N. official in charge of the response to the 2004 tsunami said of the response, "[i]t's been abysmal, it's been terrible. There is no relationship between the number of people in acute need of help and what has actually been provided in this first month". Disease continues to break out among those displaced by flooding, especially children. The United States has increased its aid to Pakistan to $90 million, as Senator John Kerry, currently in Pakistan to tour flooded areas and meet with officials, said that number would climb to $150 million. (READ MORE)
Chuck Z: No, Virginia, there are no combat troops - The last combat troops have left Iraq! The war is over! Except, of course for the fact that many, many (like 50,000) remain, and more are on the way to replace them as they continue to withdrawal, which will take until the very, very end of 2012. But... but... he said.... No, Virginia, there are no more combat troops in Iraq. Technically, what remains in Iraq are Advise and Assist Brigades. If you look very closely at the force structure of these brigades, and their associated equipment, you'll see they are pretty damn close to Brigade Combat Teams. They are comprised of Soldiers, all of whom are Lawful Combatants--but somehow not "Combat Troops." Guess what? All Soldiers are "combat troops." No Solider is a "combat troop." You are either a cobatant or you aren't. The soldiers in Iraq are still going to be under fire, getting blown up by IEDs, shot at by snipers and mortared. The difference now is that they will "advise" and "assist" (for varying degrees of advise and assist) the Iraqi Army and Police into capturing the bad guys. (READ MORE)
Kandahar Diary: A Presidential Decree: My Thoughts - The big news around the traps at the moment is Karzai’s announcement that all PSC (local and international) have until 1 Jan 11 to disband and, for the internationals, quit Afghanistan. This is due to the (justifiable) perception that PSCs are running amok, involved in bribery and extortion, are in league – to varying degrees – with the Taliban and are damaging ISAFs counter-insurgency (COIN) strategy. At the outset let me say that my company is held up as an example of how a transparent, compliant and professional PSC should operate in providing convoy security to Host Nation Trucking (HNT) contractors. If it were not I wouldn’t be working for it. However, as a PSC, we are lumped in with the local firms that are nothing more than armed militia for warlords such as Ruhullah (who plies his trade between Kabul and Kandahar) and Matiullah Kahn (who commands 2,000 men in Uruzgan where nothing moves without his approval and his payment of between USD1000 and USD3000 per truck). (READ MORE)
Kanani Fong @ Regarding War: A Military Spouse's Gratitude in Time of War - Preparing for a deployment is an emotional and a physical upheaval. There's a veritable laundry list from writing wills and last-minute home repairs to doing whatever it is the Army needs. Conversations are done on the run, via a phone call, in passing and during goodbye parties. After a flurry of busy days, my husband and I went for a walk. It was dusk, our dog pulled ahead as we made our way down the hill. The night air was just a tad cooler than we would have liked, and we seemed to be at a loss for words as the countdown for his deployment neared. A car passed by, then a kid on a skateboard with his dog running ahead. As we made our way through the neighborhood, we looked at homes decorated with prayer flags for a neighbor's son who had died climbing a mountain in Tibet. Without turning to me, my husband looked straight ahead and spoke. "You know, I'm supposed to set certain things straight with you. I'm not supposed to leave anything unsaid," he said. (READ MORE)
Matt Elliott: Gaining Perspective via Interactive Media - As the war in Afghanistan drags on, it is difficult not only to keep pace with the headlines each day or week, but also to fully grasp the scope of the United States' and NATO's efforts there. One way to better understand what is happening in Afghanistan now and what its future may hold is to look at the past. The Council on Foreign Relations published a instructive and interactive timeline of the war in Afghanistan a year ago today, which it continues to update. It includes a summary of the major events, starting with the United Nations Security Council imposing sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban on October 15, 1999. It also includes a great many useful links that will broaden your understanding of the war. The casualties in Afghanistan have risen sharply this summer, as you can clearly see from this interactive guide on CNN. Using two side-by-side maps, it shows each fatality from the war, placing a dot on the map for the hometown of each soldier and another where he or she died in the war. (READ MORE)
FaST Surgeon (In Afghanistan): 909th Sun Deck - I recently saw someone comment on a photo that "there are no blue skies in Afghanistan". He was absolutely adamant. Maybe he should visit here and see for himself. There are some days of brilliantly clear blue skies. Good thing the 909th brings its own handymen. I've never seen a group of folks so talented. These guys can build anything. They're kinda-like McGyver!.... A little mesh, some sticks 'o wood and parachute cord... BAM! A new sundeck. But... these guys weren't done... can you believe a bunch of smelly dudes.. in a third world country.. fighting a war... would actually build a planter box outside the trauma entrance? Well... Shoop.... there it is! (READ MORE)
ACU's, Stiletto Shoes, and Pretty Pink Tutus: Want to know what I fear? - I was so touched by how open and honest people were when I posted my question asking for wives to tell me what they fear. I expected answers to be a little more vague but I'm so glad everyone spoke up! We got comments and emails from spouses who just wanted to express their gratitude. From experience I can tell you it rather sucks to feel like you are the only freak in the world who feels a certain way. So, I can't just let this issue go by without laying out what I fear. Naturally, I fear the fundamentals of Milies everywhere. I worry about G.I. Joe getting hurt, medically discharged, captured, tortured, never being found again, never being the same again and I definitely fear "the worst." Beyond that though I have other specific fears that I have to face each day. Some days I don't think about this stuff much but others I have to work a little harder to live above it. The number 1 fear I have is that G.I. Joe will forget that he loves me. (READ MORE)
al Sahwa: Greed and Grievance in Kandahar - As the last US elements of the "Kandahar surge" assume battlespace in and around the city, we are at a critical juncture in the ISAF effort to establish what GEN Petraeus describes as an "oil spot" around Kandahar City and its environs. The daunting task of establishing this zone of security, governance, and prosperity falls on a combination of mostly US and Canadian soldiers and officers (from 2/101 ABN, 1/4 ID, and TF Kandahar). Rajiv Chandrasekaran's recent article in the Wash Post does an excellent job of highlighting the challenges that face these forces, drawing a comparison between the US efforts in Baghdad in 2006-07 and the ongoing efforts in Kandahar. Ultimately, though, he concludes (accurately) that the dynamics at play in Kandahar are vastly different than they were in Baghdad. ISAF forces in Kandahar must convince a predominately Pashtun, Sunni populace (vice a split Sunni-Shia populace in Baghdad) that the "legitimate" elected government (and security forces) can provide for them and protect them from the murder and intimidation campaign of the Taliban. (READ MORE)
Wendy Chamberlin: Karachi’s Melting Pot Boils Over - The desperate plight of over 20 million Pakistani citizens displaced and dispossessed by the most ferocious flooding in the history of the young state is heartbreaking. Nature is extracting a cruel price on a population already racked by debilitating poverty and a brutal insurgency. But at the same time, too little attention is being paid to the violent drama being played out in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi. The crippling violence of political party gangsterism between Karachi's two dominant parties - the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - is alarming, especially as the parties align with organized criminal groups and become increasingly indistinguishable from them. Unlike the flooding, this crisis was avoidable and man-made. One of the three largest cities in the world, Karachi has a multi-ethnic population of 17 million people. (READ MORE)
Battle Rattle: Conway, Kent touch down in Afghanistan - It had to come sometime. After four years of leading the Marine Corps in wartime, Commandant Gen. James Conway is making what will likely be his final trip to Afghanistan this week. He touched down at Bagram Airfield on Tuesday, and if he and his traveling party haven’t already made it to Camp Leatherneck, the Corps’ major hub of operations in Afghanistan, they’ll likely be there soon. For security reasons, their agenda is classified. However, it’s likely they’ll tour much of the area. This brief account in the Pakistani media also reports that Conway visited today with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the chief of staff for the Pakistani Army. Conway is expected to retire next month and will be replaced by Gen. James Amos, the service’s current assistant commandant. (READ MORE)
NICK BILTON: Visualizing the Wikileaks War Logs - Last month, The New York Times ran a package of articles called “The War Logs,” based on a trove of military documents made public by the Web site WikiLeaks. The documents brought into question the military’s handling of the war in Afghanistan. A group of faculty members and programmers from Columbia University, New York University and Princeton have used the same set to create the visualization in the video above. The visualization shows activity in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2009 and maps the “logged events” recorded in the documents. As The Times noted in one article, “The archive is clearly an incomplete record of the war. It is missing many references to seminal events and does not include more highly classified information.” But the visualization shows surges of activity over this five-year period, growing drastically as the war progresses. The programmers describe the map as follows: (READ MORE)
Charlie Simpson's War: Note to Self (4) - Towels. In addition to bringing your own sheets, you also need to bring towels. Sometimes you forget to pack things that you actually thought of earlier in the week. Case in point: belts. Why didn’t I bring any belts? I brought belts last time. It occurred to me to bring them this time. And yet, no belts. But sometimes the thought never makes it into your head. I spent more time thinking about dresses for Marine Corps’ Birthday Balls than I thought about towels. (I even washed and put away a set of towels while packing and never thought to put them in the damn suitcase. Actually, I even packed my travel towel without making the logical leap to packing, you know, real towels.) Someday I’ll have a binder full of packing lists: deployment packing, Hawaii packing, NYC for 2.5 days packing. Until then, I’ll be using a travel towel… (READ MORE)
Family Matters Blog: Tips Ease Transition to New School - I wrote a blog recently about my lengthy, and sometimes painful, house-hunting efforts. I’m happy to say that stage of my move has come to an end. My husband and I now are the proud owners of a small, five-bedroom house in Maryland. Now it’s on to the actual move, and the plethora of minutiae that dominate every house purchase, from gathering financial documents to setting up house inspections. But foremost in my mind are my children. While school starts after Labor Day in Northern Virginia, at my kids’ new school in Maryland, school starts Monday. Due to the time-consuming settlement process, they’re almost certain to miss a few weeks of school, but I’m feeling the time crunch nonetheless. I need to immediately start gathering school supplies and establishing school-time routines and, perhaps most importantly, readying them for a new school. They’ve only been at their current school for the past two years, but that’s plenty of time to create deep bonds and lasting friendships. (READ MORE)
FaST Surgeon (in Afghanistan): Picture Of The Day - 19 AUG 2010 "The Dance" - For our heroes - with respect: And now I'm glad I didn't know / The way it all would end, the way it all would go / Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain / But I'd of had to miss the dance / Yes my life is better left to chance / I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance / "The Dance" is a song recorded by country singer Garth Brooks. The song, written by Brooks' friend, Tony Arata, is written with a double meaning - both as a love song about the end of a passionate relationship, and a story of someone dying because of something he believes in, after a moment of glory. (READ MORE)
Helmand Blog - Afghanistan: British and Afghan troops keep Helmand highway open - Soldiers from the 1st Battalion Scots Guards (1 SG) and The Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG) have been working jointly with Afghan National Security Forces to keep traffic moving along a key road in central Helmand. The key access road Route 601 is an important communications route that connects Lashkar Gah in Helmand with the city of Kandahar to the east. The metalled road is a key transport and commercial link for both local nationals and ISAF and Afghan forces. Based in a patrol base (PB) halfway along the road the British soldiers regularly patrol both on foot and in Mastiff and Jackal armoured vehicles to ensure that no improvised explosive devices or blockages are present on the road or in the surrounding area. Daily checks include inspecting culverts along the route, setting up vehicle checkpoints to ensure that insurgents are not using the road as a supply route, and working with the Afghan National Police (ANP) to deal with breakdowns or the occasional road traffic accident. (READ MORE)
Bruce R: That's just the kind of contract you've got to keep - I wouldn't agree that The Magnificent Seven is a perfect allegory for Afghanistan, but there's no doubt my own beliefs on just this kind of issue were shaped by watching it and other movies like it. (In the scene highlighted in the first half of the YouTube clip at the link, I think I have at one time or other been in the frame of mind of each of the Seven debating the right course around the table, in the Afghan context.) It's also fair to say if the West had viewed the Taliban with a mental model something like Calveras' bandidos in mind, as opposed to seeing them as foot soldiers in SPECTRE/KAOS/whatever-International-Terror-Conspiracy-you-care-to-name (a model that is arguably less close to the truth, but makes them seem much more threatening to us personally) we might have approached this whole situation differently much earlier. (READ MORE)
Helmand Blog - Afghanistan: Lessons from Helmand are honing skills of Army’s top shots - For sharp-eyed marksmen serving in Britain’s Armed Forces there is no greater proving ground than the ranges at Bisley and neighbouring Pirbright. The Surrey facilities have hosted generations of soldiers keen to show off their shooting prowess by dropping to their belt buckles and patiently delivering ultra-accurate shots into targets hundreds of metres away. But while the sharpshooting set’s actions retain a place in the centres’ folklore, their contemporaries need to display an increasingly different set of skills to earn entry into the crack-shot elite. The annual event for the best Service shooters, the Central Skill-at- Arms Meeting (CENTSAM), is shunning its old-school static serials in favour of action-packed, quickfire versions inspired by the battle-winning techniques being used on Op HERRICK. (READ MORE)
Home From Iraq: Two of My Favorite People Get Promoted - At first formation on Saturday morning two of the best soldiers in Echo Company got promoted. Sgt. Jeremy Houck got promoted to Staff Sgt. and Spc. Daniel Lake to Sgt. In Iraq, Houck was one of leaders on the team that re-built and rewired many buildings all over Tallil Ali Air Base. We were sent at the last minute to a base that was not ready for a Combat Aviation Brigade and Houck helped to change that--in a big hurry. Lake is a smart experienced mechanic who spent a very long year doing whatever was required on maintenance teams. He had a sergeant's responsibilities during most of the tour. His promotion was slowed by several paperwork hassles and long overdue. Because they are in Echo Company, the ceremony ended with a splash!!! (READ MORE)
Kerplunk: Revisiting the WaPo Article - Ever since this Washington Post article by Ernesto Londono came out chronicling the rise and fall of Kaboom the blog, the question of the blog's official registration with my unit has been a point of inquiry for both readers and lecture attendees. Most recently, this came up in an interview for a magazine profile. As best as I can gather, the confusion regarding this emanates from a specific part of the Post article: "Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a military spokesman, said in an e-mail that Kaboom was "deemed by the commander to be counter to good order and discipline of his unit." He added that the blog had not been registered with the military, an assertion Dennis Gallagher disputes." So, here's my take, for what it's worth. There was a form we turned in before the deployment that counted as our "registration." It asked for basic info, like our name, rank, and blog URL. I filled it out in five minutes and turned it in to my troop (company) leadership. (READ MORE)
Kit Up!: Stop the Madness: FNH Tries Smoke and Mirrors on SCAR-L Debacle… - …and leaves a LOT unsaid. Well, we knew something like this would happen, we just didn’t know how. On Monday, SCAR maker FNH-USA shouted from the rooftops in a vaguely-worded press release that SOCOM had approved full rate production of the SCAR “family of weapons.” The company said it was “ramping up production” to meet the “delivery orders placed by SOCOM.” We sent a note to FNH-USA spokeswoman Elaine Golladay asking for clarification on what “ramped up” means and SOCOM’s “delivery orders” and got no response. Kit Up! played it straight on our initial reporting of this announcement, but it looks as if the folks at FNH-USA tried to pull a fast one on us and tarnish Military.com’s reporting and Kit Up! as well. A company rep forwarded the press release to two popular forums, figuring (correctly) the SCAR fans on the board would read the announcement and assume the Mk-16 is being purchased by SOCOM. (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: Fatah al Islam chief killed while traveling to Iraq - The leader of a Lebanon-based al Qaeda affiliate has been killed while attempting to travel to Iraq to join the insurgency. Abdulrahman Awad, the leader of Fatah al Islam, was killed along with his deputy, Ghazi Faysal Abdullah, by Lebanese security forces during a clash in the Bekaa Valley over the weekend. Fatah al Islam confirmed the deaths of Awad and Abdullah in a statement released on a jihadi website, and said that the two leaders were traveling to Iraq to join up with the Islamic State of Iraq, al Qaeda's front group. The statement was discovered by the SITE Intelligence Group and reported by The Associated Press. According to the Fatah al Islam statement, Awad, a Palestinian, sent his son to Iraq two months ago to become a suicide bomber. There have been no reports of Palestinian suicide bombers carrying out attacks in Iraq in the past two months. (READ MORE)
New Girl on Post: Good News! - I'm back in Italy with some good news. My friend's husband was discharged from the hospital and actually made the trip back to Italy with my friend and I. Basically what happened is that a bridge collapsed under the truck he was driving and the truck rolled a few times. He ended up hurting his back, but they have sent him back here to do physical therapy and he'll be returning to Germany off and on for the next few months. It's a somewhat similiar situation that Sean has with his back, but Sean's is a bit more serious. Anyway, I was just glad that he was ok. Seeing all the soldiers up in Landstuhl though really made me sad. I saw a lot of physical scars and problems and a lot of mental. I'm sure I didn't even scratch the surface of it though. It was almost overwhelming seeing all of them. Just another sad reminder of what happens during war. (READ MORE)
Joan D'Arc: How many times have you moved? - Today I went to a store and when I went to make my purchase the cashier asked me if I had one of the store's "reward" cards. I told her yes, but I had no idea where the card was located. She asked for the phone number I used when I applied for the card... this can be a difficult question for a military spouse. I told her I was military and had to think about where I applied for the card because we move a lot. Then the conversation went like this: Cashier: How many times have you moved? Me: In the last year, or total? Cashier: Umm... both? Me: Twice in the last year and seven times in the last 13 years (technically 8 moves since we did one on our own when we bought a house). Cashier: (Eyes open wide and jaw hanging open). I don't think I could do that. Me: It's not for everyone, but I love it. Needless to say, I could not remember the phone number I had just one year ago. I could remember my old work number, but not my old phone number. (READ MORE)
The Unknown Soldiers: They did it - On Wednesday evening, significant news began reaching the United States. American soldiers in the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division had crossed into Kuwait. Almost seven and a half years after the war in Iraq began, the last U.S. combat brigade is out of the country. "To be a part of this historic last brigade combat team in Iraq is like getting closure, because I was one of the first in and now one of the last ones out," Staff Sgt. Matthew Pankey, who was on his first of three deployments to Iraq in the spring of 2003, told Sgt. Kimberly Johnson. The most important aspect of this story will likely be missing from most coverage you'll see on television and read in newspapers. Despite honest disagreements at home over the war's merits and dishonest reporting from the mainstream media, which rushed to judgment against our troops by trumpeting an alleged "massacre" in Haditha, the brave men and women of the United States military persevered and achieved great things. (READ MORE)
The Unknown Soldiers: March of the Penguins - In the fall of 2006, Maj. Megan McClung called home and asked her parents for an item not typically included in care packages for Marines in Iraq. The 34-year-old volunteer warrior wanted a stuffed animal doll, and it had to be a penguin. Maj. McClung was captivated by the writing of John Bingham, a bestselling author and columnist who aims to inspire runners around the world. Bingham, a slow runner who nicknamed himself "the penguin," believes that finishing a race is more important than winning. He has written several famous passages about his favorite pastime. "As an athlete, when you least expect it, you may find yourself standing on the threshold of an accomplishment so monumental that it strikes fear into your soul. You must stand ready, at any moment, to face the unknown. You must be ready to walk boldly thru the wall of uncertainty." Walking boldly was part of McClung's personality long before she read Bingham's words. (READ MORE)
Spencer Ackerman: David Petraeus: The Danger Room Interview - My 45-minute interview Tuesday with Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, was considerably less physically taxing than the last time we talked in person. While on a military base in Mosul, Iraq, in March 2007, I learned that Petraeus, then the commander of the Iraq war, was on his way there. I put in for an interview request. The only time he had available was during early-morning physical training. Over two painful hours, I learned why Petraeus’ reputation as a fitness freak and champion runner is well deserved. Once again, Petraeus is in charge of a controversial, faltering war. To learn how he intends to reverse U.S. fortunes in Afghanistan, I met Petraeus at his commanders’ compound, an elegant multistory building in a quiet, green spot of NATO headquarters in Kabul. From the way he discussed the challenges ahead — both before and after the July 2011 date to begin a “conditions-based” drawdown of U.S. forces — Petraeus’ endurance will be tested in a marathon-length sprint. (READ MORE)
Danger Room: Drones Surge, Special Ops Strike in Petraeus Campaign Plan - Ever since the Afghanistan war became a counterinsurgency fight, critics have charged that commanders’ cautions about using force only inhibit the fight against the Taliban. But in the shadows, NATO Special Operations Forces are engaged in an intensely lethal war of their own. According to information provided to Danger Room by Gen. David Petraeus, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, in just the past 90 days these elite units have captured or killed 365 militant leaders, detained 1,335 insurgent foot soldiers and killed another 1,031 insurgents on top of that. Yes, some units once engaged in armed coercion have de-emphasized taking direct action against insurgent bombers. But the rough stuff against the networks that create improvised explosive devices has been part of the special forces’ hot summer –- represented by green, blue and orange bursts on the map of Afghanistan that Petraeus compiled into a briefing slide. (READ MORE)
Andrew Lebovich: Daily brief: floodwaters to stay until the end of August - The U.N. announced yesterday that up to 4 million people have been made homeless as a result of flooding in Pakistan, as increased aid struggles to keep up with demand and Pakistan's top meteorologist said the floodwaters would not fully recede until the end of this month. The U.N. will convene a conference today to push governments to give more to Pakistan's relief effort, and the U.N. official in charge of the response to the 2004 tsunami said of the response, "[i]t's been abysmal, it's been terrible. There is no relationship between the number of people in acute need of help and what has actually been provided in this first month". Disease continues to break out among those displaced by flooding, especially children. The United States has increased its aid to Pakistan to $90 million, as Senator John Kerry, currently in Pakistan to tour flooded areas and meet with officials, said that number would climb to $150 million. (READ MORE)
Chuck Z: No, Virginia, there are no combat troops - The last combat troops have left Iraq! The war is over! Except, of course for the fact that many, many (like 50,000) remain, and more are on the way to replace them as they continue to withdrawal, which will take until the very, very end of 2012. But... but... he said.... No, Virginia, there are no more combat troops in Iraq. Technically, what remains in Iraq are Advise and Assist Brigades. If you look very closely at the force structure of these brigades, and their associated equipment, you'll see they are pretty damn close to Brigade Combat Teams. They are comprised of Soldiers, all of whom are Lawful Combatants--but somehow not "Combat Troops." Guess what? All Soldiers are "combat troops." No Solider is a "combat troop." You are either a cobatant or you aren't. The soldiers in Iraq are still going to be under fire, getting blown up by IEDs, shot at by snipers and mortared. The difference now is that they will "advise" and "assist" (for varying degrees of advise and assist) the Iraqi Army and Police into capturing the bad guys. (READ MORE)
August 18, 2010
From the Front: 08/18/2010
Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. (New complete posts come in below)
AfghaniDan, Part II: Iftar! - Following up on the last post (Ramazan), I now have the most appropriate photos...thanks to a memorable night of hospitality and camaraderie right nearby in the neighborhood. Evening meal has become the high point of each day like never before, but nothing tops doing it right. At the behest of Richard Mackenzie (Agha), a dear friend and superb director who's now at work on a landmark television series focused on the Afghan army, my boss and I went out for dinner. The twist was that the chef and staff of a fine guesthouse in Kabul where we would dine were told that we were in fact fasting for Ramazan as well, so they did what any Afghans would...insist that we join them for Iftar, the traditional meal breaking fast immediately after sundown. We wouldn't think of turning down a request like that, and given the long history Richard has in Afghanistan and at this particular lodge, we couldn't wait. (READ MORE)
Andrew Lebovich: Daily brief: Kerry delivers message to Karzai - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry arrived in Afghanistan yesterday, meeting twice with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and delivering a stern anti-corruption message. Sen. Kerry helped convince Karzai in principle to participate in run-off elections for President last year, though the run-off did not take place; however, this time Kerry told Karzai that if he did not improve governance it would make it more difficult for U.S. troops to win over Afghans as well as convince Congress and the American public of the continued value of the war in Afghanistan. Kerry told reporters, "I'm not going to stand up and defend for one instant a policy that is based on supporting a corrupt government, if that's what it wound up being...But that's the test right now. That's why I'm here" Kerry also listened to Karzai's complaints of a heavy U.S. footprint in Afghanistan and purported infringements on the Afghan government's areas of responsibility. (READ MORE)
Molly Kinder and Wren Elhai: Why America needs to ramp up aid to Pakistan - "Heart-wrenching," said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon Sunday upon surveying Pakistan's ongoing floods. The U.N. chief called the floods "the worst natural disaster" he said he had ever seen. The numbers explain why. More people have been affected by Pakistan's catastrophic floods than any other natural disaster on record -- over 20 million and counting. That's more than were affected by the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, the 2004 Asian tsunami, and this year's earthquake in Haiti combined. As millions of dislocated Pakistanis search for shelter and food and as health conditions deteriorate and disease spreads, the need for an immediate, large-scale humanitarian response is urgent. And this is just the beginning. Once the floodwaters subside from Pakistan's swollen rivers, the task of rebuilding will be staggering - with a price tag in the billions, and lasting for years to come. (READ MORE)
YASMINE MOUSA: My Two Worlds: Iraq and Canada - My friend called me and asked casually “how about I pick you up in a couple of hours?” We went to our usual coffee place. She had been to New York recently. I had been to Baghdad, where I grew up but left soon after the 2003 invasion. She told me that she had nearly missed a Broadway show that she booked in advance. I told her that I had narrowly missed a roadside bomb. When my fellow Iraqis, those who are still living abroad, ask me about Baghdad, I let them know how Abu Nuwas street is no longer the wasteland it used to be, how the River Tigris itself has been cleaned up. There are still bombs, and killings. But they are living in a different world now, and I don’t want to worry them. So while we sat at the coffee shop I noticed six-year-old boy, fussing over his strawberry smoothie. “It does not taste good. I want an ice cream,” he told his mother. So she bought him a chocolate ice cream, immediately. (READ MORE)
Bruce R: I'm actually beginning to think he means it - The President of Afghanistan has been known for discomfiting off-the-cuff remarks in the past, but he hasn't always taken it to the presidential decree stage. That said, a simple decree has proven insufficient to change realities in Afghanistan before, too. I recognize when most people think private military contractors in Afghanistan, they think scraggly-bearded Westerners. But the vast majority are actually Afghans, and many of them are employed by some of the President's closest political allies. It will be interested to see how he finesses this so the friends don't have to give up their guns, particularly those firms currently providing convoy security: will he deputize them into a new highway police? Or will the decree be narrowly construed to only impact foreigners? Anyway, this one is worth watching, particularly because ISAF itself has to finesse at least a partial rollback if it wants to continue to operate, without making it appear like they rolled over Karzai, and "undermine the legitimate government." (READ MORE)
Kit Up!: Balad Field Hospital Museum: Video Tribute - For many readers of this blog, the place conjures a host of memories. My first time in Balad was July of 2003 when I visited with 3/7 Cav after they’d taken over part of the base during the invasion and secured the 4th ID headquarters there for the beginning of the occupation. Then it was Camp Anaconda. Next Balad became the place of broken bodies, healing and death as the war took a turn for the worse and almost every trooper who was severely wounded went through the field hospital, which quickly became a MASH on steroids. The incredible bravery and heroism of the medical personnel there saved more lives from heinous wounds than in any other war in history. That’s what the Balad field hospital exhibit at Walter Reed is meant to do: remind those of us who have some connection to Balad of the sacrifice and triumph that happened behind its Hescos, Jersey Barriers and tent canvas. (READ MORE)
One Marine's View: The stuff nightmares are made of! - The stuff nightmares are made of.......waking up and realizing that you have no leg(s). Unfortunately, this is a reality for many of our wounded warriors. One thing they are guaranteed (I believe) is a replacement limb, a prosthetic leg that will allow them to stand, to walk again. First though, they have to heal from the wounds, survive multiple surgeries and then "learn" to walk again. One Marine has taken that a step further. He wants them to have the "option" to learn to run again. Why? There was a day, around 7 years ago, when it was thought by some doctors that "he would never walk again". [...] He is now a MGySgt and has trained in at least 4 continents, possibly 5 as he has prepared for his marathons. Yes I said marathons, because he first determined that he wanted to run a marathon way back when he was told about life as a paraplegic. Heck, why just learn to run when you can run in the Marine Corps Marathon, and so he did. (READ MORE)
Red Bull Rising: 5 Ways to Display Your Patriotic Flair - Many people demonstrate their support for deployed citizen-soldiers by displaying flags, ribbons, and yard signs. Such symbols can be important--and even inspiring--but they don't do much to engage people on a personal level. After all, when's the last time a stranger asked you about a bumper sticker on your car? There's also the matter of security. Let me ask you this: Do you stop your mail and newspaper delivery when you leave home for long periods of time? Do you arrange for the neighbor kid to mow the lawn? Why, then, would you put a yellow ribbon or blue-star service flag on your door, advertising that the soldier of the house might not be home for a long, long time? So, Sherpa, what's an outgoing but security-conscious patriot to do? That's easy, voice in my head! How about wearing one or more pieces of patriotic flair? By incorporating your show of support into your wardrobe, you can encourage the people you meet to personally recognize and remember your soldier's service. (READ MORE)
The Unknown Soldiers: The threat - As this propaganda poster seized by American troops in Afghanistan shows, terrorists have been determined for years to strike at U.S. interests around the world. Were it not for the efforts of our men and women in uniform since the attacks of September 11, 2001, our lives would be very different. On Tuesday, Americans, Afghans, and Iraqis witnessed the danger still posed by al Qaeda and the Taliban. In Iraq, al Qaeda is blamed for a cowardly attack at an Army recruiting center in Baghdad that killed at least 60 people and wounded over 100 more. As The Unknown Soldiers recently conveyed while profiling Spc. Faith Hinkley, coalition troops and civilians still face daily threats in Iraq, regardless of various benchmark dates negotiated by politicians. Even as thousands of American troops return in victory from the country, flags flying at half-staff in Monte Vista, Colorado, on Tuesday remind us that brave volunteers like Spc. Hinkley are still paying the ultimate price in Iraq. (READ MORE)
AfghaniDan, Part II: Iftar! - Following up on the last post (Ramazan), I now have the most appropriate photos...thanks to a memorable night of hospitality and camaraderie right nearby in the neighborhood. Evening meal has become the high point of each day like never before, but nothing tops doing it right. At the behest of Richard Mackenzie (Agha), a dear friend and superb director who's now at work on a landmark television series focused on the Afghan army, my boss and I went out for dinner. The twist was that the chef and staff of a fine guesthouse in Kabul where we would dine were told that we were in fact fasting for Ramazan as well, so they did what any Afghans would...insist that we join them for Iftar, the traditional meal breaking fast immediately after sundown. We wouldn't think of turning down a request like that, and given the long history Richard has in Afghanistan and at this particular lodge, we couldn't wait. (READ MORE)
Andrew Lebovich: Daily brief: Kerry delivers message to Karzai - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry arrived in Afghanistan yesterday, meeting twice with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and delivering a stern anti-corruption message. Sen. Kerry helped convince Karzai in principle to participate in run-off elections for President last year, though the run-off did not take place; however, this time Kerry told Karzai that if he did not improve governance it would make it more difficult for U.S. troops to win over Afghans as well as convince Congress and the American public of the continued value of the war in Afghanistan. Kerry told reporters, "I'm not going to stand up and defend for one instant a policy that is based on supporting a corrupt government, if that's what it wound up being...But that's the test right now. That's why I'm here" Kerry also listened to Karzai's complaints of a heavy U.S. footprint in Afghanistan and purported infringements on the Afghan government's areas of responsibility. (READ MORE)
Molly Kinder and Wren Elhai: Why America needs to ramp up aid to Pakistan - "Heart-wrenching," said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon Sunday upon surveying Pakistan's ongoing floods. The U.N. chief called the floods "the worst natural disaster" he said he had ever seen. The numbers explain why. More people have been affected by Pakistan's catastrophic floods than any other natural disaster on record -- over 20 million and counting. That's more than were affected by the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, the 2004 Asian tsunami, and this year's earthquake in Haiti combined. As millions of dislocated Pakistanis search for shelter and food and as health conditions deteriorate and disease spreads, the need for an immediate, large-scale humanitarian response is urgent. And this is just the beginning. Once the floodwaters subside from Pakistan's swollen rivers, the task of rebuilding will be staggering - with a price tag in the billions, and lasting for years to come. (READ MORE)
YASMINE MOUSA: My Two Worlds: Iraq and Canada - My friend called me and asked casually “how about I pick you up in a couple of hours?” We went to our usual coffee place. She had been to New York recently. I had been to Baghdad, where I grew up but left soon after the 2003 invasion. She told me that she had nearly missed a Broadway show that she booked in advance. I told her that I had narrowly missed a roadside bomb. When my fellow Iraqis, those who are still living abroad, ask me about Baghdad, I let them know how Abu Nuwas street is no longer the wasteland it used to be, how the River Tigris itself has been cleaned up. There are still bombs, and killings. But they are living in a different world now, and I don’t want to worry them. So while we sat at the coffee shop I noticed six-year-old boy, fussing over his strawberry smoothie. “It does not taste good. I want an ice cream,” he told his mother. So she bought him a chocolate ice cream, immediately. (READ MORE)
Bruce R: I'm actually beginning to think he means it - The President of Afghanistan has been known for discomfiting off-the-cuff remarks in the past, but he hasn't always taken it to the presidential decree stage. That said, a simple decree has proven insufficient to change realities in Afghanistan before, too. I recognize when most people think private military contractors in Afghanistan, they think scraggly-bearded Westerners. But the vast majority are actually Afghans, and many of them are employed by some of the President's closest political allies. It will be interested to see how he finesses this so the friends don't have to give up their guns, particularly those firms currently providing convoy security: will he deputize them into a new highway police? Or will the decree be narrowly construed to only impact foreigners? Anyway, this one is worth watching, particularly because ISAF itself has to finesse at least a partial rollback if it wants to continue to operate, without making it appear like they rolled over Karzai, and "undermine the legitimate government." (READ MORE)
Kit Up!: Balad Field Hospital Museum: Video Tribute - For many readers of this blog, the place conjures a host of memories. My first time in Balad was July of 2003 when I visited with 3/7 Cav after they’d taken over part of the base during the invasion and secured the 4th ID headquarters there for the beginning of the occupation. Then it was Camp Anaconda. Next Balad became the place of broken bodies, healing and death as the war took a turn for the worse and almost every trooper who was severely wounded went through the field hospital, which quickly became a MASH on steroids. The incredible bravery and heroism of the medical personnel there saved more lives from heinous wounds than in any other war in history. That’s what the Balad field hospital exhibit at Walter Reed is meant to do: remind those of us who have some connection to Balad of the sacrifice and triumph that happened behind its Hescos, Jersey Barriers and tent canvas. (READ MORE)
One Marine's View: The stuff nightmares are made of! - The stuff nightmares are made of.......waking up and realizing that you have no leg(s). Unfortunately, this is a reality for many of our wounded warriors. One thing they are guaranteed (I believe) is a replacement limb, a prosthetic leg that will allow them to stand, to walk again. First though, they have to heal from the wounds, survive multiple surgeries and then "learn" to walk again. One Marine has taken that a step further. He wants them to have the "option" to learn to run again. Why? There was a day, around 7 years ago, when it was thought by some doctors that "he would never walk again". [...] He is now a MGySgt and has trained in at least 4 continents, possibly 5 as he has prepared for his marathons. Yes I said marathons, because he first determined that he wanted to run a marathon way back when he was told about life as a paraplegic. Heck, why just learn to run when you can run in the Marine Corps Marathon, and so he did. (READ MORE)
Red Bull Rising: 5 Ways to Display Your Patriotic Flair - Many people demonstrate their support for deployed citizen-soldiers by displaying flags, ribbons, and yard signs. Such symbols can be important--and even inspiring--but they don't do much to engage people on a personal level. After all, when's the last time a stranger asked you about a bumper sticker on your car? There's also the matter of security. Let me ask you this: Do you stop your mail and newspaper delivery when you leave home for long periods of time? Do you arrange for the neighbor kid to mow the lawn? Why, then, would you put a yellow ribbon or blue-star service flag on your door, advertising that the soldier of the house might not be home for a long, long time? So, Sherpa, what's an outgoing but security-conscious patriot to do? That's easy, voice in my head! How about wearing one or more pieces of patriotic flair? By incorporating your show of support into your wardrobe, you can encourage the people you meet to personally recognize and remember your soldier's service. (READ MORE)
The Unknown Soldiers: The threat - As this propaganda poster seized by American troops in Afghanistan shows, terrorists have been determined for years to strike at U.S. interests around the world. Were it not for the efforts of our men and women in uniform since the attacks of September 11, 2001, our lives would be very different. On Tuesday, Americans, Afghans, and Iraqis witnessed the danger still posed by al Qaeda and the Taliban. In Iraq, al Qaeda is blamed for a cowardly attack at an Army recruiting center in Baghdad that killed at least 60 people and wounded over 100 more. As The Unknown Soldiers recently conveyed while profiling Spc. Faith Hinkley, coalition troops and civilians still face daily threats in Iraq, regardless of various benchmark dates negotiated by politicians. Even as thousands of American troops return in victory from the country, flags flying at half-staff in Monte Vista, Colorado, on Tuesday remind us that brave volunteers like Spc. Hinkley are still paying the ultimate price in Iraq. (READ MORE)
August 5, 2010
From the Front: 08/05/2010 - Dispatches
Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. (New complete posts come in below)
A Little Pink in a World of Camo: Mud - My brain is so muddled. I guess this is the infamous widow brain. I feel like it will be the death of my memory. I forget things. All. The. Time. I forget to respond to emails (I just found some important ones from June... oops), I forget to return messages, I forget where I'm going. Much of the time, it's like I can't concentrate or focus. I have to really buckle myself down to do my school work and I often read the prompts 4 million times before doing it because I can't remember what I'm supposed to be looking for when I start reading (definitely not typical of me from when I was in undergrad). A few months ago, I was heading to a friend's house. This is a house I spent nearly every day at, literally. Probably a good 5 out of 7 days were there (and probably 4 of those I spent the night), so I should have known where I was going. I made it on base, turned into her neighborhood and then completely blanked out. I had no idea where I was going. (READ MORE)
Andrew Lebovich: Daily brief: explosion kills top Pakistani police official - A suicide bomber on foot killed the chief of Pakistan's Frontier Constabulary, Sifwat Ghayur, as his car waited in traffic in Peshawar. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) took credit for the blast, which also killed two of Ghayur's bodyguards and a bystander. Ghayur was known as a brave and honest officer, and the Frontier Constabulary, a 25,000-strong paramilitary organization drawn mostly from natives of Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, often sees battle against militant forces. The Associated Press looks at the Pakistani army school in the Swat Valley where young men recruited by the Taliban, some as young as 12, receive a religious and secular education, vocational training, and psychological assistance to overcome their sometimes violent pasts. At least 1.1 million acres of farmland in Pakistan's Punjab region have been destroyed by raging flood waters, as the World Food Program warned that up to 2 million people may need immediate food aid to avoid starvation. (READ MORE)
Kandahar Diary: Random Thought #505 - The dust in the air made sunset tonight a spectacular affair. The sky, streaked with long tendrils of cloud, was lit blood-red by the setting sun which, itself, dropped like a glowing coal behind a row of dunes. As I sat smoking (in my usual spot) and reflecting on the day, the muezzin in my guard compound tapped his microphone twice, cleared his throat, then broke into the Adhan in a clear and sonorous voice. Fat little sparrows bounced and chirped on the razor wire and two Mirage 2000D of l’Armee de l’Air roared overhead and banked to the north to line up for their finals into KAF. It made me think. My boy can’t decide right now between being a chef (don’t do it son: slavery and bastardisation in the kitchen for no life and minimum wage) or a paratrooper like his old dad. Watching those Mirages I thought “Now there’s a way to go to war.” Son, work hard at your maths and physics and you can do that. Couple of missions a day then back to the Mess in time for tea and medals. (READ MORE)
Mrs. G.I. Joe: What team are you on? - Mrs. Muffins is on deck for today with a very candid look at branch superiority. She's a Marine wife...yet somehow we get along pretty well! Haha - Everyone knows that soldiers Aren’t Really Marines Yet, that Airmen belong in the Chair Force, and as for the Navy, well, Marines are a Department of the Navy… the Men’s Department. Oh yeah, Coast Guard, who’s that? I am kidding. I got your attention though, right? Oh, and for the record, any stereotypes about Marines, they are true… Trust me, I know. I married one! I swear, every time my husband spends any amount of time with other Marines, he comes back a little dumber. Jokes amongst the branches is nothing new. I would bet you could ask any of them and they would have a joke for another branch. Even within branches, different MOS’s have things to say about the rest of them… It’s a healthy competition and when it comes down to it, no service member would risk the life of another one over some branch pride. (READ MORE)
Army Blogger Wife: Whose in this with me? - Who else is dealing with deployment right now? I'd like to make sure I am reading your blog, so please leave a comment with a link! While you are at it, why don't you give me your best deployment tip, I could use a few new ones. Thanks! (READ MORE)
CI-Roller Dude: Search and???? - From the Soldier side: Today I’d like to talk some more about the Useless Deployment Training we had before going to Bosnia. It may sound like I’m just bitchin’, which is every soldiers right, (but doesn’t mean the leaders listen), but some of that training was so off the wall and stupid, that it was totally amazing. Now, keep in mind at the time I was going through this training in 2003, I’d been a civilian cop for over 20 years. There are overlaps in some military and police training, and some things that are done totally different. Basic things like how to shoot a firearm are the same…and I even use the same training in both jobs when I’m training others. I think the reason I bitched so much about some of this UDT, was because I’ve taught others for so long, that I hate to see crap that’s not only useless, but would get a soldier killed if they actually did things the way they were trained. Wrong! (READ MORE)
FaST Surgeon (in Afghanistan): Picture Of The Day - 05 AUG 2010 "Airborne Mac" - FOB life is a strange mixture of hardship and comfort. You live in tents, but you generally have electricity, heating and cooling (most of the time). You have showers with hot water (most of the time.. and you might have to walk a few hundred meters to get to them). You have toilets that flush (but sometimes the port-a-potties are actually cleaner and smell less). You have hot food (but you still lose about 20 pounds). And... most importantly. You have Internet access for your computer (but its nothing to brag about.. dial up speeds and many times the satellite connection is down). This is FOB life at Shank. It was significantly different and more austere earlier in the war. And it can be significantly different at other FOBs (others have it better, and others have it worse). But... there you have it. A crazy mix of ease and hardship. (READ MORE)
Family Matters Blog: Families Take Center Stage at Guard Workshop - Families have been the focus this week at the 2010 National Guard Volunteer Workshop in New Orleans. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was at the workshop Monday, and spoke about the challenges facing military families. I highlighted the thoughts he shared on those issues in my blog, “Mullen Addresses Military Family Challenges.” I wanted to share what other leaders had to say at the workshop as well. Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry M. “Bud” Wyatt III, director of the Air National Guard, said the Guard’s family readiness groups need to receive the same support as National Guard members deploying overseas. “If we allow these rotations and what we do to become common, accepted and routine, then we need to give the families the focus that we should and that they deserve,” Wyatt said in an interview with Army Sgt. Darron Salzer that was published in the article, “Guard Leaders Urge Family Readiness Support.” (READ MORE)
Free Range International: Getting After It - One of the Chim Chim’s dropped in for a visit last month. He was on some sort of training inspection type team which I didn’t ask too much about and told us that every-time he asked officers from the unit he was looking at what they were doing the reply was “getting after it.” They were supposed to be training Afghan security forces but had no training schedule or program of instruction – instead they were getting after it doing daily presence patrols and stopping every now and then to talk with the people and be friendly. Then returning to the FOB for the night. General Petraeus is getting ready to release a revision of the rules of engagement and early reports say he has included “you can’t commute to the battle” guidance just as he did in Iraq. But by organization, equipment, and deployment that is all we can do in the east. It’s not going to work especially when the bad guys aren’t commuting to fight – they’re here, right now and exerting more influence then we have ever seen. (READ MORE)
The Kitchen Dispatch: Is Desire Enough? - One of the advantages in coming to the military later in life, is having the practical experience of being witness to a different but also large system operate under the constant threat of failure. In my case, it was seeing our health care institutions implode. Health care, like the military, has shining moments of excellence undertaken by persons of integrity and character. Yet, desire alone is not enough to overtake goals that seem to be at odds with one another. Posts like Tim's Getting After It, Ann Marlowe's Peace Later, and Ann Jones' acerbic Here be dragons offer first hand observations about the direction the war in Afghanistan is going. I think it's normal for anyone to ask a few questions especially when we have something ...someone at stake. We've all read COIN in its many forms, whether straight from the horse's mouth or distilled by others with first hand experience. We're coupling this with having to watch loved ones deploy, along with friends. (READ MORE)
Knights of Afghanistan: Nation Building? - The other day, in a post titled Taliban Justice, I noted a Time Magazine story with a rather disturbing cover photo. The story was basically a human-interest piece about the fate of an Afghan girl named Aisha who had been horribly mutilated by the Taliban for fleeing an abusive, arranged marriage. One commenter (known only as "b") wrote: The girl was mutilated a year ago. At that time there were some 100,000 NATO troops in country plus lots of contractors. So if a 100,000 troops can't prevent such, what are they doing there? And how would that change with 200,000 troops? Just asking ... A fair question, but here's the thing: no matter how many troops we have here, Western forces cannot ever put a stop to this sort of thing. The marginalization, diminution and sometimes abuse of women is part and parcel of Afghan culture. Western military force will never put an end to that. Only Afghans can end that, if they so choose. (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: Taliban suicide bomber strikes Afghan police in Kunduz - The Taliban took credit for a suicide attack that killed seven Afghan policemen in the northern province of Kunduz. The policemen were killed after a Taliban suicide bomber rammed his car into a convoy in the contested district of Imam Sahib. "In this attack, seven policemen were martyred, six police and five civilians were wounded," according to an Afghan Interior Ministry statement. In a statement released on the Taliban propaganda website, Voice of Jihad, the group claimed it "conducted a martyr attack" and killed "more than 10 invaders and puppets." But the International Security Assistance Force has not reported any if its soldiers killed or wounded in Kunduz. Today's suicide attack is the latest in the Afghan north, where the Taliban have been seeking to destabilize the region and interdict ISAF convoys moving from newly established supply lines from Tajikistan. (READ MORE)
Loving A Soldier Blog: The end of summer - I can't believe it's August already. Where did summer go? However, August is a busy month with the end of summer fun. First of all, in my family, we have a TON of August birthdays. My mom's, mine, my dad's, my sister-in-law, and 2 nieces (one of which has the same birthday as me). Then, there's all kinds of celebrations going on such as Festivals, carnivals, 5K and 10K races, etc. DH and I just returned from a short trip back home to PA for my 10 year high school reunion. In addition to that, we also celebrated my mom and dad's birthdays while we were there. Aside from the road construction traffic, it was a nice and uneventful trip. DH had just returned from his Annual Training less than a week before we went on our little excursion and it was SOOOOOOOOOOOO nice to be stuck with him in a car for a 9 hour car ride. Harry, our Blue Heeler doggie, wasn't happy that we had to leave him at the Kennell - although he played with other doggies all day while he was there. (READ MORE)
Red Bull Rising: Keep on Trucking - Knowing Archer, he's not counting sheep when he racks out for sleep these days--he's counting trucks. Archer has been living a logistician's dream this week: There's been a constant convoy of civilian semi-trailer trucks loading up our Army equipment for the move to Mississippi. "A lot of people in the country don't even know there's a war on," Archer says, "but the American Trucker does." Iowans know, too. Our highways have been thick with commercial buses packed with troops, and semi-trailers pregnant with Humvees and Hemmets. The Red Bull is on the move again. The load-out is a family affair, with an Alabama mom-and-pop team directing traffic and driving vehicles off the loading ramps. One of the employees looks to be barely driving age, but is fearless driving a wide Humvee onto a semi-trailer. "I've never been this far away from Alabama before," he says. "Can you find arrowheads around here?" (READ MORE)
Joshua Foust: On Giving Up - Last year, I endorsed the idea of withdrawing from indefensible areas within Afghanistan: "However, in a world without infinite resources (ahem), we realistically must decide which places to abandon and which to focus on. In that sense, abandoning Nuristan makes a lot of sense. Much of the U.S.’s activity in that area has been misplaced and poorly focused. The retaking of Bargimatal several months ago didn’t make much sense—the area holds no real strategic value, we just did it for pride." And indeed it does not, though it is interesting to see how, even post-American withdrawal, the insurgents can’t seem to do much more than hold remote districts for a while before the government chases them away—at horrifying cost to the locals, of course, but the U.S. was not able to seriously affect the balance of power through its presence. Going a bit further south, into Kunar, it is trickier. David Axe reported earlier this year that the soldiers working in Kunar have had a hard time making any progress against the insurgency, for a variety of reasons. (READ MORE)
Joan D'Arc: An Angel Among Us - One thing I love about being a military spouse is the opportunity to PCS/travel and meet so many different people. Every now and then I have the honor and privilege of meeting someone who is absolutely amazing. I've met politicians, professional athletes, and celebrities. But you're about to meet someone who is truly an inspiration, and heads above any "famous" person I've ever met. Today at The White House, President Obama awarded the 2010 Presidential Citizens Medal to MaryAnn Phillips. The award is the second highest award a civilian can receive! And if you think this post has nothing to do with milspouses, you couldn't be more wrong. Chances are good that if your spouse has been wounded and routed through Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany, MaryAnn has taken care of him for you. And if, God forbid, your spouse is ever wounded and routed through Landstuhl, you can bet that MaryAnn will be your best line of communication. She will be there for your family when you really, really need someone. (READ MORE)
The Unknown Soldiers: Healing hands - Even though it's been six years since Maj. Ed Pulido drove over an improvised explosive device in Iraq, it feels like yesterday. "I've had dreams about it all the time," Pulido said. "The night sweats and terrors -- it was that moment right there when I put the air bag aside and saw the blood." A powerful article by Elaine Wilson chronicles Maj. Pulido's difficult ordeal, including the emotional decision to amputate his leg, which had been shattered and burned by a terrorist's roadside bomb. While the retired soldier will never forget the infections, multiple surgeries, or depression that followed his injury, something his mother, wife and young daughter did in the hospital will always stand out. "I was in my deathbed, and they were taking time to visit other service members and families," he said. "My little girl still has that gift of giving." Instead of giving up, Pulido began sharing his story with other wounded troops and became active with The Folds Of Honor Foundation. (READ MORE)
Ghosts of Alexander: The Problem With Military Writing on Afghanistan - …is that it is not very good. And at times it is quite bad. Now please hold your indignation – if that applies to you – until the end of this blog entry. This is hopefully heading somewhere constructive. What I’m about to say applies – with varying degrees of severity – to both official and independent military journals, military theses, as well as to reports written elsewhere by members of the military. Why do I feel justified in saying this? Well, aside from whatever ‘Afghanistan’ qualifications you may wish to assign/concede to me as a PhD student who specializes in the region and who semi-professionally fixes/grades essays, there is the large amount of work I do related to the Afghanistan bibliography that I compile. And yes, up until the beginning of this year I did read the majority of the articles and books in the bibliography (admittedly not so much the technical agriculture reports). (READ MORE)
A Little Pink in a World of Camo: Mud - My brain is so muddled. I guess this is the infamous widow brain. I feel like it will be the death of my memory. I forget things. All. The. Time. I forget to respond to emails (I just found some important ones from June... oops), I forget to return messages, I forget where I'm going. Much of the time, it's like I can't concentrate or focus. I have to really buckle myself down to do my school work and I often read the prompts 4 million times before doing it because I can't remember what I'm supposed to be looking for when I start reading (definitely not typical of me from when I was in undergrad). A few months ago, I was heading to a friend's house. This is a house I spent nearly every day at, literally. Probably a good 5 out of 7 days were there (and probably 4 of those I spent the night), so I should have known where I was going. I made it on base, turned into her neighborhood and then completely blanked out. I had no idea where I was going. (READ MORE)
Andrew Lebovich: Daily brief: explosion kills top Pakistani police official - A suicide bomber on foot killed the chief of Pakistan's Frontier Constabulary, Sifwat Ghayur, as his car waited in traffic in Peshawar. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) took credit for the blast, which also killed two of Ghayur's bodyguards and a bystander. Ghayur was known as a brave and honest officer, and the Frontier Constabulary, a 25,000-strong paramilitary organization drawn mostly from natives of Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, often sees battle against militant forces. The Associated Press looks at the Pakistani army school in the Swat Valley where young men recruited by the Taliban, some as young as 12, receive a religious and secular education, vocational training, and psychological assistance to overcome their sometimes violent pasts. At least 1.1 million acres of farmland in Pakistan's Punjab region have been destroyed by raging flood waters, as the World Food Program warned that up to 2 million people may need immediate food aid to avoid starvation. (READ MORE)
Kandahar Diary: Random Thought #505 - The dust in the air made sunset tonight a spectacular affair. The sky, streaked with long tendrils of cloud, was lit blood-red by the setting sun which, itself, dropped like a glowing coal behind a row of dunes. As I sat smoking (in my usual spot) and reflecting on the day, the muezzin in my guard compound tapped his microphone twice, cleared his throat, then broke into the Adhan in a clear and sonorous voice. Fat little sparrows bounced and chirped on the razor wire and two Mirage 2000D of l’Armee de l’Air roared overhead and banked to the north to line up for their finals into KAF. It made me think. My boy can’t decide right now between being a chef (don’t do it son: slavery and bastardisation in the kitchen for no life and minimum wage) or a paratrooper like his old dad. Watching those Mirages I thought “Now there’s a way to go to war.” Son, work hard at your maths and physics and you can do that. Couple of missions a day then back to the Mess in time for tea and medals. (READ MORE)
Mrs. G.I. Joe: What team are you on? - Mrs. Muffins is on deck for today with a very candid look at branch superiority. She's a Marine wife...yet somehow we get along pretty well! Haha - Everyone knows that soldiers Aren’t Really Marines Yet, that Airmen belong in the Chair Force, and as for the Navy, well, Marines are a Department of the Navy… the Men’s Department. Oh yeah, Coast Guard, who’s that? I am kidding. I got your attention though, right? Oh, and for the record, any stereotypes about Marines, they are true… Trust me, I know. I married one! I swear, every time my husband spends any amount of time with other Marines, he comes back a little dumber. Jokes amongst the branches is nothing new. I would bet you could ask any of them and they would have a joke for another branch. Even within branches, different MOS’s have things to say about the rest of them… It’s a healthy competition and when it comes down to it, no service member would risk the life of another one over some branch pride. (READ MORE)
Army Blogger Wife: Whose in this with me? - Who else is dealing with deployment right now? I'd like to make sure I am reading your blog, so please leave a comment with a link! While you are at it, why don't you give me your best deployment tip, I could use a few new ones. Thanks! (READ MORE)
CI-Roller Dude: Search and???? - From the Soldier side: Today I’d like to talk some more about the Useless Deployment Training we had before going to Bosnia. It may sound like I’m just bitchin’, which is every soldiers right, (but doesn’t mean the leaders listen), but some of that training was so off the wall and stupid, that it was totally amazing. Now, keep in mind at the time I was going through this training in 2003, I’d been a civilian cop for over 20 years. There are overlaps in some military and police training, and some things that are done totally different. Basic things like how to shoot a firearm are the same…and I even use the same training in both jobs when I’m training others. I think the reason I bitched so much about some of this UDT, was because I’ve taught others for so long, that I hate to see crap that’s not only useless, but would get a soldier killed if they actually did things the way they were trained. Wrong! (READ MORE)
FaST Surgeon (in Afghanistan): Picture Of The Day - 05 AUG 2010 "Airborne Mac" - FOB life is a strange mixture of hardship and comfort. You live in tents, but you generally have electricity, heating and cooling (most of the time). You have showers with hot water (most of the time.. and you might have to walk a few hundred meters to get to them). You have toilets that flush (but sometimes the port-a-potties are actually cleaner and smell less). You have hot food (but you still lose about 20 pounds). And... most importantly. You have Internet access for your computer (but its nothing to brag about.. dial up speeds and many times the satellite connection is down). This is FOB life at Shank. It was significantly different and more austere earlier in the war. And it can be significantly different at other FOBs (others have it better, and others have it worse). But... there you have it. A crazy mix of ease and hardship. (READ MORE)
Family Matters Blog: Families Take Center Stage at Guard Workshop - Families have been the focus this week at the 2010 National Guard Volunteer Workshop in New Orleans. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was at the workshop Monday, and spoke about the challenges facing military families. I highlighted the thoughts he shared on those issues in my blog, “Mullen Addresses Military Family Challenges.” I wanted to share what other leaders had to say at the workshop as well. Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry M. “Bud” Wyatt III, director of the Air National Guard, said the Guard’s family readiness groups need to receive the same support as National Guard members deploying overseas. “If we allow these rotations and what we do to become common, accepted and routine, then we need to give the families the focus that we should and that they deserve,” Wyatt said in an interview with Army Sgt. Darron Salzer that was published in the article, “Guard Leaders Urge Family Readiness Support.” (READ MORE)
Free Range International: Getting After It - One of the Chim Chim’s dropped in for a visit last month. He was on some sort of training inspection type team which I didn’t ask too much about and told us that every-time he asked officers from the unit he was looking at what they were doing the reply was “getting after it.” They were supposed to be training Afghan security forces but had no training schedule or program of instruction – instead they were getting after it doing daily presence patrols and stopping every now and then to talk with the people and be friendly. Then returning to the FOB for the night. General Petraeus is getting ready to release a revision of the rules of engagement and early reports say he has included “you can’t commute to the battle” guidance just as he did in Iraq. But by organization, equipment, and deployment that is all we can do in the east. It’s not going to work especially when the bad guys aren’t commuting to fight – they’re here, right now and exerting more influence then we have ever seen. (READ MORE)
The Kitchen Dispatch: Is Desire Enough? - One of the advantages in coming to the military later in life, is having the practical experience of being witness to a different but also large system operate under the constant threat of failure. In my case, it was seeing our health care institutions implode. Health care, like the military, has shining moments of excellence undertaken by persons of integrity and character. Yet, desire alone is not enough to overtake goals that seem to be at odds with one another. Posts like Tim's Getting After It, Ann Marlowe's Peace Later, and Ann Jones' acerbic Here be dragons offer first hand observations about the direction the war in Afghanistan is going. I think it's normal for anyone to ask a few questions especially when we have something ...someone at stake. We've all read COIN in its many forms, whether straight from the horse's mouth or distilled by others with first hand experience. We're coupling this with having to watch loved ones deploy, along with friends. (READ MORE)
Knights of Afghanistan: Nation Building? - The other day, in a post titled Taliban Justice, I noted a Time Magazine story with a rather disturbing cover photo. The story was basically a human-interest piece about the fate of an Afghan girl named Aisha who had been horribly mutilated by the Taliban for fleeing an abusive, arranged marriage. One commenter (known only as "b") wrote: The girl was mutilated a year ago. At that time there were some 100,000 NATO troops in country plus lots of contractors. So if a 100,000 troops can't prevent such, what are they doing there? And how would that change with 200,000 troops? Just asking ... A fair question, but here's the thing: no matter how many troops we have here, Western forces cannot ever put a stop to this sort of thing. The marginalization, diminution and sometimes abuse of women is part and parcel of Afghan culture. Western military force will never put an end to that. Only Afghans can end that, if they so choose. (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: Taliban suicide bomber strikes Afghan police in Kunduz - The Taliban took credit for a suicide attack that killed seven Afghan policemen in the northern province of Kunduz. The policemen were killed after a Taliban suicide bomber rammed his car into a convoy in the contested district of Imam Sahib. "In this attack, seven policemen were martyred, six police and five civilians were wounded," according to an Afghan Interior Ministry statement. In a statement released on the Taliban propaganda website, Voice of Jihad, the group claimed it "conducted a martyr attack" and killed "more than 10 invaders and puppets." But the International Security Assistance Force has not reported any if its soldiers killed or wounded in Kunduz. Today's suicide attack is the latest in the Afghan north, where the Taliban have been seeking to destabilize the region and interdict ISAF convoys moving from newly established supply lines from Tajikistan. (READ MORE)
Loving A Soldier Blog: The end of summer - I can't believe it's August already. Where did summer go? However, August is a busy month with the end of summer fun. First of all, in my family, we have a TON of August birthdays. My mom's, mine, my dad's, my sister-in-law, and 2 nieces (one of which has the same birthday as me). Then, there's all kinds of celebrations going on such as Festivals, carnivals, 5K and 10K races, etc. DH and I just returned from a short trip back home to PA for my 10 year high school reunion. In addition to that, we also celebrated my mom and dad's birthdays while we were there. Aside from the road construction traffic, it was a nice and uneventful trip. DH had just returned from his Annual Training less than a week before we went on our little excursion and it was SOOOOOOOOOOOO nice to be stuck with him in a car for a 9 hour car ride. Harry, our Blue Heeler doggie, wasn't happy that we had to leave him at the Kennell - although he played with other doggies all day while he was there. (READ MORE)
Red Bull Rising: Keep on Trucking - Knowing Archer, he's not counting sheep when he racks out for sleep these days--he's counting trucks. Archer has been living a logistician's dream this week: There's been a constant convoy of civilian semi-trailer trucks loading up our Army equipment for the move to Mississippi. "A lot of people in the country don't even know there's a war on," Archer says, "but the American Trucker does." Iowans know, too. Our highways have been thick with commercial buses packed with troops, and semi-trailers pregnant with Humvees and Hemmets. The Red Bull is on the move again. The load-out is a family affair, with an Alabama mom-and-pop team directing traffic and driving vehicles off the loading ramps. One of the employees looks to be barely driving age, but is fearless driving a wide Humvee onto a semi-trailer. "I've never been this far away from Alabama before," he says. "Can you find arrowheads around here?" (READ MORE)
Joshua Foust: On Giving Up - Last year, I endorsed the idea of withdrawing from indefensible areas within Afghanistan: "However, in a world without infinite resources (ahem), we realistically must decide which places to abandon and which to focus on. In that sense, abandoning Nuristan makes a lot of sense. Much of the U.S.’s activity in that area has been misplaced and poorly focused. The retaking of Bargimatal several months ago didn’t make much sense—the area holds no real strategic value, we just did it for pride." And indeed it does not, though it is interesting to see how, even post-American withdrawal, the insurgents can’t seem to do much more than hold remote districts for a while before the government chases them away—at horrifying cost to the locals, of course, but the U.S. was not able to seriously affect the balance of power through its presence. Going a bit further south, into Kunar, it is trickier. David Axe reported earlier this year that the soldiers working in Kunar have had a hard time making any progress against the insurgency, for a variety of reasons. (READ MORE)
Joan D'Arc: An Angel Among Us - One thing I love about being a military spouse is the opportunity to PCS/travel and meet so many different people. Every now and then I have the honor and privilege of meeting someone who is absolutely amazing. I've met politicians, professional athletes, and celebrities. But you're about to meet someone who is truly an inspiration, and heads above any "famous" person I've ever met. Today at The White House, President Obama awarded the 2010 Presidential Citizens Medal to MaryAnn Phillips. The award is the second highest award a civilian can receive! And if you think this post has nothing to do with milspouses, you couldn't be more wrong. Chances are good that if your spouse has been wounded and routed through Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany, MaryAnn has taken care of him for you. And if, God forbid, your spouse is ever wounded and routed through Landstuhl, you can bet that MaryAnn will be your best line of communication. She will be there for your family when you really, really need someone. (READ MORE)
The Unknown Soldiers: Healing hands - Even though it's been six years since Maj. Ed Pulido drove over an improvised explosive device in Iraq, it feels like yesterday. "I've had dreams about it all the time," Pulido said. "The night sweats and terrors -- it was that moment right there when I put the air bag aside and saw the blood." A powerful article by Elaine Wilson chronicles Maj. Pulido's difficult ordeal, including the emotional decision to amputate his leg, which had been shattered and burned by a terrorist's roadside bomb. While the retired soldier will never forget the infections, multiple surgeries, or depression that followed his injury, something his mother, wife and young daughter did in the hospital will always stand out. "I was in my deathbed, and they were taking time to visit other service members and families," he said. "My little girl still has that gift of giving." Instead of giving up, Pulido began sharing his story with other wounded troops and became active with The Folds Of Honor Foundation. (READ MORE)
Ghosts of Alexander: The Problem With Military Writing on Afghanistan - …is that it is not very good. And at times it is quite bad. Now please hold your indignation – if that applies to you – until the end of this blog entry. This is hopefully heading somewhere constructive. What I’m about to say applies – with varying degrees of severity – to both official and independent military journals, military theses, as well as to reports written elsewhere by members of the military. Why do I feel justified in saying this? Well, aside from whatever ‘Afghanistan’ qualifications you may wish to assign/concede to me as a PhD student who specializes in the region and who semi-professionally fixes/grades essays, there is the large amount of work I do related to the Afghanistan bibliography that I compile. And yes, up until the beginning of this year I did read the majority of the articles and books in the bibliography (admittedly not so much the technical agriculture reports). (READ MORE)
August 2, 2010
News From the Home Front: 08/02/2010
News From the Home Front
[Ed Note: I'm doing something a little different this month, as each section of the standard From the Front post will be it's own post. This is the news post where you can find news articles related to the Home Front.]
U.S. trying to protect Afghan informants after leaks - The top U.S. military officer says the Pentagon is trying to protect Afghans who may be at risk from Taliban retaliation following the publication of tens of thousands of secret war documents. (READ MORE)
Mass. Guardsmen preparing for deployment, Afghan mission - National Guard Sergeant Major Jeffrey Baillargeon got his first taste of combat more than two decades ago when he parachuted into Panama to help overthrow a military dictator. Previously, he had only seen portrayals of war and death in movies. (READ MORE)
Thousands send off 181st Infantry to Afghanistan - Thousands of family members and friends have given a send-off to more than 650 soldiers headed for Afghanistan where they will provide security and help build public works projects. (READ MORE)
U.S. Defense Secretary: Taliban don't have stinger missiles - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday dismissed reports that Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan use anti-aircraft stinger missiles similar to those directed against Soviet forces in the 1980s. (READ MORE)
Gates, Mullen Reaffirm Commitment to Afghanistan, Pakistan - Conditions on the ground in Afghanistan will determine when, and to what degree, U.S. forces in that country will draw down, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. (READ MORE)
[Ed Note: I'm doing something a little different this month, as each section of the standard From the Front post will be it's own post. This is the news post where you can find news articles related to the Home Front.]
U.S. trying to protect Afghan informants after leaks - The top U.S. military officer says the Pentagon is trying to protect Afghans who may be at risk from Taliban retaliation following the publication of tens of thousands of secret war documents. (READ MORE)
Mass. Guardsmen preparing for deployment, Afghan mission - National Guard Sergeant Major Jeffrey Baillargeon got his first taste of combat more than two decades ago when he parachuted into Panama to help overthrow a military dictator. Previously, he had only seen portrayals of war and death in movies. (READ MORE)
Thousands send off 181st Infantry to Afghanistan - Thousands of family members and friends have given a send-off to more than 650 soldiers headed for Afghanistan where they will provide security and help build public works projects. (READ MORE)
U.S. Defense Secretary: Taliban don't have stinger missiles - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday dismissed reports that Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan use anti-aircraft stinger missiles similar to those directed against Soviet forces in the 1980s. (READ MORE)
Gates, Mullen Reaffirm Commitment to Afghanistan, Pakistan - Conditions on the ground in Afghanistan will determine when, and to what degree, U.S. forces in that country will draw down, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. (READ MORE)
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