Thursday, November 03, 2011

War News off the Template

So taking care of active military continues to reward in so many ways. Most don't want to be sick.... Almost no one demands a refill of oxycontin or percocet, and many thank me. Some bring me presents... a unit T shirt.... a campaign coin. It has been SO worth the cut in pay and increase in hours over the freak show of the ER. I'm not going back.

Many of these fine young men and women are wearing black steel bracelets in remembrance of fallen comrades though the Marines, if you can believe it, are not allowed to wear them anymore. Marines? WTF?

So there is a growing field across the services, the field of the surveillance aircraft operator (UAV or now the "UAS".... unmanned aerial system), and these men and women have stories. Try this one for example.

A young woman was flying her remotely piloted aircraft over a town over in the war zone and saw a crowd of people running. This usually means, she explained, a group of insurgents massing for an attack, but she noticed no weapons on these people so she panned-back and out and saw that they were RUNNING FROM insurgents who were, she could plainly see, going door-to-door and executing people unlucky enough to have remained in their homes.

The murderers were run down to a man as it's hard to hide from an invisible camera in the sky directing aircraft and infantry right to where your sorry ass is running, but this is only part of the story.

The town in question was then garrisoned by infantry who occupied one of the homes where a family had been murdered.

A few days later a Vehicle Borne IED drove up to this house and killed most of the American infantry. They ID'ed the driver, and this particular UAV operator was amazed over the next few days to see an endless parade of townsfolk to the home of the 'martyred' bomber bringing flowers, gifts, and food. It, evidently, was quite a
wonderful event in this little town.

And this is the war the left wants. The one we SHOULD have been fighting from the beginning. You know, the one where our troops are at a disadvantage due to terrain, caves, towering mountains and such.

How WESTERN to want to WIN a war. How "Bush-y" to force them to fight in the open with little cover in Iraq.

Afghanistan... Not on my "must see" list, and, evidently, a place where life will remain cheap and squalid. It's Bush's fault.

13 comments:

  1. 9-11,
    Charlie-Don't-Surf
    Marines-don't-wear bracelets, unless there Wimmin-Marines, who are required to wear tasteful makeup, jewelry, hose, which are all ruined by those Ugly Granny Clampett sensible shoes...
    and paraphrasing from my 2d favorite movie, "Full Metal Jacket", which I quote at least 3 times a day...
    "Anyone who runs is an Al-Kaida"
    "Anyone who doesn't run is a WELL DISCIPLINED Al-Kaida"...

    and if you can make heads or tails out of the Armys "Psuedofolliculitis Barber" policy, let me know...

    Frank

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  2. What's the takeaway here? We shouldn't be in Afghanistan because because a single UAV operator couldn't understand the dynamics of an event as viewed from a camera in the sky? Oh, and there are mountains?

    ReplyDelete
  3. William,
    There's no take-away... It was simply a story that I found interesting because while our national media is all over our troops when they commit crimes or get the worst of it on some unlucky day... There is no mention... None, of the rape and murder and terror the insurgents visit on th Afghanis with regularity. Oh, and the war our media and Harry Reid and John Murtha were absolutely giddy about us losing, the one where we made them come and fight on our terms... Well, maybe THAT one wasn't so stupid after all even though it was planned by a stupid man who is actually the one responsible for the appearance of abject and total incompetence by Dear Leader.

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  4. Actually, the Commandant of the Marine Corps just approved the wear of KIA bracelets.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/marines-to-allow-kia-bracelets/2011/10/18/gIQAS0ozuL_blog.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. You guys are too angry to be objective. Well, maybe you're not but that is certainly how you come across on this blog.

    It's okay, you're not alone. The republican primary certainly has been interesting this year as candidates try to balance pleasing a radical right with actually being reasonable. You guys are going to lose because you are too angry. It turns people off.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bill,
    I'm a conservatarian. But Anger? Who are the shrill voices from Washington? The angry voices?and I'm way past anger and way into apathy because the chances of personal responsibility, fiscal responsibility, and strong national defence are about off the table due to about 49% of the electorate paying no federal tax. They may come for you and yours last and maybe after you are dead, but they will come... Probably with pieces of paper and not guns. Thanks, by the way.

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  7. From: Frank Drackman M.D.
    To: John
    Subj: Those gay KIA bracelets

    I'm not a totally cruel and mean bastard, I mean, after I pull the wings off flys I give them a quick, humane death.
    OK, maybe drenching them in lighter fluid isn't humane, but its certainly quick...
    But once you allow dudes to wear bracelets, its a slippery slope till there havin gay anal sex right in front of the tomb of the Unknowns...
    And if you followed up the story, the Commandant, who's Prostrate once fell victim to my crooked left index finger BTW, followed up his order allowing KIA bracelets with a second Order requiring Marines to keep there Uniform Sleeves rolled down year round.
    Y'see, the Marines used to wear there sleeves rolled up from April-October, made for fewer heat casualties, looked sharp, and...
    Thats about it, but now, they gotta wear em down, all year, and you could have a friggin Waffen SS Tatoo now, and nobody will see it...
    Or those sissy bracelets...

    Frank

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  8. From: Frank Drackman M.D.
    To: Bill
    Subj: Anger

    What do you mean I'm "Angry"? What do
    you mean, the way I talk? What?
    Angry how, whats "Angry" about it? You mean, like, let me understand this, maybe its me, maybe I'm a little effed up, but I'm Angry how, like a Clown? I amuse you, I make you laugh, I'm here to effin amuse you? You said I'm "Angry" HOW THE EFF AM I ANGRY!?!?!? WHTA THE EFF IS SO EFFIN ANGRY ABOUT ME!?!?!?!?

    Frank

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  9. Why so formal Frank? Makes me think you are angry.

    -SCRN

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  10. Apathetic people don't take the time to write blogs as an outlet for their frustration. Admit it, you're angry.

    Or, in the new internet parlance: you mad, bro?

    ReplyDelete
  11. sure bill,
    when i have the energy i'm angry, but not much anymore. and there were many years where this blog was driven by anger. but you are right that it's not something that is attractive.

    what i can't comprehend is how the left can scream and burn cars etc.... but they are not tarred with this brush. evidently, anger from the left is righteous anger. could never figure that one out. occupy wall street? occupy oakland? cars burning. rioting. it's all good right? the dems in washington loving it. explain please.

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  12. I'm in no position to judge who's anger is more righteous. The real (and likely least satisfying) answer is probably that there is truth in both. There is ugliness in the occupy movements, and oftentimes I agree with a lot of the stuff on this blog. I do keep coming back, after all.

    It was just a passing observation from someone who casually reads your blog from time to time. I don't know the answers, I just react to what I see. I suppose that's the same thing I'm criticizing you guys for.

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  13. @ SCRN
    I was making fun of Marine-Memo-ese, which some Marine Officers actually speak out loud..
    And for some reason, instead of just pausing for dramatic effect, they'll actually say "Comma", like they were dictating a memo..
    For example, you might hear a young Captain say,
    "Marine, if you don't get your Shit together, COMMA, I will take a giant shit on you" and the really anal ones would say,

    "Marine, COMMA, if you don't get your Shit together, COMMA, I will take a giant shit on you"

    or, "When the 2010 SEC/BCS Champion Auburn Tigers beat the at-best-6th-best-team-in-the-SEC-who-only-beat-Vanderbilt-with-cheap-shots-and-bad-calls-on-the-last-play-of-the-game-Georgia-Bulldogs, COMMA, 9-11 will cry like a little girl"

    Frank "Nick Fairley for President" Drackman

    ReplyDelete

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