This is just plain wrong as Drewzer pointed out in the comments.

BAGHDAD - It seems that the Brett Favre-Green Bay Packers saga is such a worldwide phenomenon that it's being used by detainees in American military camps.

According to a military official, detainees at a Wisconsin National Guard camp in Iraq are using Brett Favre as a manner of getting at the guard troops there.

"They know Favre by name," said First Lieutenant Tim Boehnen, who is from New Richmond, Wis. 

"One of the big words they know now is shenanigan.  They'll constantly talk about 'Favre shenanigans,' 'He's so good for the Vikings,' and 'The Packers have got to really feel bad about that one.'  "

According to Boehnen, it started when troops there started decorating their camp in Packers colors.....

Once the decoration job happened, detainees became curious.

"They obviously then started up the conversations, and started talking about Brett Favre.  They soon learned about Favre going to the Vikings, and things just started going downhill from there."

Boehnen said soccer is the main sport that detainees pay attention to there, so there's not exactly a Vikings fan club chapter in Iraq.

"They'll hear guards talking about it, and then they pick up a lot of stuff from that, too," said Boehnen. "They're very crafty.  They learn different stuff from different ways."

On an unrelated note, go check out my latest diplomatic initiative to make friends with more progressives. And be my friend and be dumb enough to tweet follow me. I crave validation.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Sean Cain, with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, performs a radio check during a security patrol in the Nawa district of the Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Nov. 9, 2009. The 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment is a ground combat element deployed with Regimental Combat Team 7, which conducts counterinsurgency operations in partnership with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan.   DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Jeremy Harris, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

[After the USAF Pink Smoke photo, had to put something else on the front page of the blog...]

Students in the Combat Airman Skills Training Course use a smoke diversion tactic while practicing patrol maneuvers on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Nov. 12, 2009. U.S. airmen assigned to the 421st Combat Training Squadron teach the course to prepare airmen for upcoming deployments. The squadron is assigned to the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol

A note about a good cause you can help with a couple of clicks.

Friends:

 

Many of you may know of a friend of me and Court is author and Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell.  He is one of the hosts of the Outdoor Channel's Beretta's Wild and Raw.  They are competing in the Golden Moose Awards and if they win (with your vote) their show will continue and they will be able to take wounded vets out on many of their hunts featured on the show.

 

Please go to: http://www.outdoorchannel.com/GMARegister.aspx and register.  Then when you are able to vote, please vote for Beretta's Wild and Raw in each of the sections (the last section they are not an option so please choose whichever show you like)

 

Thank you in advance for taking the time to do this and please pass on to your friends.  Marcus asked for our support and I think its a great opportunity to help wounded veterans get into the wild and enjoy themselves.

 

Best,

 

Judy Mayka

There is a good piece today in the Washington Post by David Gerson about the soup sandwich that the decision-avoiding process about Afghanistan has become. He discusses the leaks from pro and con sides re. a troop increase and points out a major problem for achieving success if he does send more forces.

Military-civilian tensions are growing and have become reflected on the ground in Afghanistan. One key to the success of the surge in Iraq was the close cooperation of Gen. David Petraeus, in charge of military operations, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who led the civilian efforts. McChrystal and Eikenberry seem to have a different relationship.

That is putting it mildly, if I was Eikenberry I would keep an eye out for McChrystal's old buddies at JSOC and their black helicopters. If Obama decides to send more troops he should also fire Eikenberry. You cannot have the top civilian there in direct opposition to the strategy. I don't see any way for them to work together effectively, and Eikenberry was never a good choice in the first place. The President also needs to boot Richard Holbrooke from his role as chief agitator since he is no longer someone Karzai will tolerate. The administration tried to orchestrate a coup of sorts to remove Karzai or force him to share power w/ Abdullah. Both Eikenberry and Holbrooke were involved and now are tainted. Boot them and replace them with someone who knows the area, people and culture. Like maybe Zalmay Khalilzad.

Gerson continues

A dysfunctional process on Afghanistan has begun to narrow the range of good outcomes. The time and the options in Afghanistan are limited. "As an analogy," says David Kilcullen, an expert on counterinsurgency strategy, "you have a building on fire, and it's got a bunch of firemen inside. There are not enough firemen to put it out. You have to send in more or you have to leave. It is not appropriate to stand outside pontificating about not taking lightly the responsibility of sending firemen into harm's way. Either put in enough firemen to put the fire out or get out of the house."

That is precisely correct and half steps won't cut it. Make the call sir!

First is that Obama will wait until after he gets the Nobel to make his announcement about a troop increase so he won't catch flak from his left for warmongering when he is accepting a "peace" prize. And also that he will make his first trip to A-stan around Xmas and after he announces some increase, he thought around 30K.

That pushes the announcement back past 10 December and makes a ton of sense when you consider that the politics seem to be driving this.

The second was an idea to marginalize the Pashtun tribes that support the Taliban by empowering the Tajiks. This makes sense as some of the only times of stability in Afghanistan have come when one group is able to suppress another and force them to play nice. The Tajiks make up 27% of the Afghan population and if you add in the Uzbeks and Hazara you have a Northern Alliance redux. Another interesting piece of that is that the leader of the Northern Alliance, until his assassination by al Qaeda just before 9/11, Ahmed Shah Masood has a son who is now 20 years old. There could be a nice Lion King Circle of Life effect if a new Lion of the Panjshir replaced the old one.

It has always made sense to train Afghan security forces to patrol areas where their own tribe lives, kind of a National Guard concept. It would not be an awful idea to try a little harder and spend more effort and energy among those who have been our allies in the past. Train up a formidable Northern Alliance based military to secure their own areas and then use it to pacify the Pashtuns. It would surely be ugly, but it would get us out of the fray, and it just might work. Hmmmmm.

I had the privilege of speaking at the monthly luncheon for the Returned & Services League of Australia yesterday at the Australian Embassy. The group has members who have served in a number of conflicts and I met some amazing people. Thanks again to B5 reader Mario for the invite. I shot this w/ my tiny cam again, I'm starting to like it.

I know you all will send some love his way. I have no doubt he will pull through and bring that big lip caterpillar to our next get together. That's him in the middle at the 9/12 march representing for Warrior Legacy Foundation. You get well brother, I'm looking forward to more of that BBQ sauce. His wife was a little worried he might be mad about her telling us about this. I say, let him get up off his butt and do something about it. See you soon Bob.

THIS is a story.

The NYT has a great (!) story up in their obits about COL Lewis Millett, who just passed away.  A Medal of Honor recipient, his story is one of the most unusual you will ever read about.

BLUF: He went from the US to the Canadian army in WWII, back to the US, convicted of desertion (and fined 52 dollars) and then fought in Korea and Vietnam.  Honored for the famed Bayonet Hill charge, his legacy will long live on.

Captain Millett was wounded by grenade fragments, but his men took the hill. President Harry S. Truman presented him with the Medal of Honor in July 1951. As the citation put it, “His dauntless leadership and personal courage so inspired his men that they stormed into the hostile position and used their bayonets with such lethal effect that the enemy fled in wild disorder.”

Then, there is this one (WaPo):

As an antitank gunner in Tunisia, he earned the Silver Star after he jumped into a burning ammunition-filled halftrack, drove it away from allied soldiers and leapt to safety just before the vehicle exploded. Not long after, he shot down a German Messerschmitt Me-109 fighter that was strafing Allied troops. Col. Millett, who was firing from machine guns mounted on a halftrack, hit the pilot through the windshield.

God Speed, Colonel.  There are so few like you anymore...

Wolf

These clowns are amazing, but at least this time they caught some gunfire right away.

NAIROBI, Kenya – Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama on Wednesday for the second time in seven months, though private guards on board the U.S.-flagged ship repelled the attack with gunfire and a high-decibel noise device.

I mean seriously guys, the Maersk Alabama again? I guess you can't blame them, there are too many shipping companies that still don't arm their boats. The noise device is a nice touch, but I think the gunfire is a much better deterrent. Dead papas don't hijack boats.

Richard Fernandez of the Belmont Club writes a very well done essay on the present Afghanistan decision making process. He compares Andrew Sullivan's apologia with David Kilcullen's concerns about the time involved in reaching a decision. You can disregard the Sullivan part except to understand that he thinks it is just marvelous that Obama is taking so much time considering all the options and doing his homework before making a decision to change the strategy there.

Fernandez reminds us of a very important point that seems to have escaped many as they await the decision. The strategy President Obama is planning on changing is his own. In March of this year he said:

Good morning. Today, I am announcing a comprehensive, new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

This marks the conclusion of a careful policy review that I ordered as soon as I took office. My Administration has heard from our military commanders and diplomats. We have consulted with the Afghan and Pakistani governments; with our partners and NATO allies; and with other donors and international organizations. And we have also worked closely with members of Congress here at home. Now, I'd like to speak clearly and candidly to the American people. … So let me be clear …

This is surely something the administration would like you to forget. And thus you hear all the nonsense that's been coming out lately (and has gotten pushback from former VP Dick Cheney) that Afghanistan was just left adrift by the former administration. It is nonsense because the basis of the March "careful policy review" was that which the former Bush administration had done.

However that's not really the point – the point is that a "comprehensive, new strategy" for both Afghanistan and Pakistan were announced by this administration. A new general, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, was named to implement that strategy. Now, suddenly, they're involved in reviewing that strategy.

What, if anything, has changed?

The event that has been blamed is the national election in Afghanistan. And, as mentioned, it has been coupled with the baseless claim that the Afghan war was left adrift by the Bush administration. The former problem, while serious, isn't a show stopper (see Iraq). The latter problem is simply untrue. What has changed is the politics surrounding Afghanistan. The polls show a deeply divided United States with the majority not favoring an escalation and many favoring we leave altogether. Given his domestic political problems trying to ram an unpopular agenda through Congress - which has succeeded in splitting his base as well as firing up the political opposition - he needs something with which to bring his base back in line. Afghanistan may be that issue.

Consider too who he has involved in his review: VP Joe Biden who is pushing a minimalist "super ninja" strategy. He wants to use special operators and drones to kill al Qaeda. Let Pakistan and Afghanistan sort themselves out politically. Obviously if that means the Taliban takes over Afghanistan again, well, so be it. The fact that Biden was wrong about every aspect of Iraq as he suggested strategy then doesn't seem to matter. Also included is Sen. John Kerry. He's considered such a lightweight when it comes to military matters that he's usually ignored outright when he pontificates on matters about which he obviously hasn't a clue. He thinks Gen. McChrystal's plan goes "too far, too fast". The fact that Kerry has somehow managed to include himself and is apparently being taken seriously by Obama tells you how little Obama knows about any of this and how out of his depth he is on the issue.

Lastly, there's David Axelrod, who claims he "doesn't have a seat at the table" when these policy reviews take place, but attends every one of them anyway. While he may not have an official seat at the policy review table, he owns the table of chief political advisor and Obama sits at that table daily. Axelrod's job is to divine the political winds and keep Obama sailing in the fair ones.

Thus the strategy review. When Gen. McChrystal accepted the job to implement the Obama administration's new March '09 comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, he began what all new commanders do – a commander's review. In that review he takes the strategy and mission and he games them out. He attempts to ascertain, to the best of his ability, what it will take in terms of resources to accomplish the mission the strategy outlines. Once he has ascertained that, he submits his plan to his commander – in this case, directly to the President.

It isn't a complicated process – the boss gives you a mission. You analyze the mission, determine what it takes to accomplish the mission and you go back to the boss with a plan and a request for resources. That's precisely what happened.

However, in the interim, politics began to rear its head. In July, right in the middle of the assessment process, Obama's National Security Advisor and former Marine General Jim Jones showed up in Afghanistan and made it very clear that requests for more troops would not be a welcome event. Speaking to Marine commanders there he was quite clear:

Now suppose you're the president, Jones told them, and the requests come into the White House for yet more force. How do you think Obama might look at this? Jones asked, casting his eyes around the colonels. How do you think he might feel?

Jones let the question hang in the air-conditioned, fluorescent-lighted room. Nicholson and the colonels said nothing.

Well, Jones went on, after all those additional troops, 17,000 plus 4,000 more, if there were new requests for force now, the president would quite likely have "a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment." Everyone in the room caught the phonetic reference to WTF — which in the military and elsewhere means "What the [expletive]?"

Nicholson and his colonels — all or nearly all veterans of Iraq — seemed to blanch at the unambiguous message that this might be all the troops they were going to get.

The "17,000 plus 4,000 more" troops were a part of that March '09 "new" strategy based on the former administration's plans. Jones made it very clear that regardless of what these commanders thought they needed to do the mission they'd been given, they'd better plan on doing it with what they had. And later, in another interview, Jones dismissed any additional troops requests or their need by claiming that all commanders in the field ask for more troops, whether they really need them or not.

Apparently, however, Gen. McChrystal decided, Jones admonishment notwithstanding, that he couldn't with clear conscience, heed that advice and accomplish the mission given (although rumor has it he cut his initial estimate of troops needed from 60,000 to 40,000). He went ahead and submitted his plan at the end of August asking for more resources and troops.

Back to that fairly simple process I outlined above. Once you submit your plan to your boss with the request for resources necessary to accomplish that mission you normally then sit down with him and explain and defend your plan. That, of course, has never happened. And that 20 minutes on the tarmac in Airforce One while in Copenhagen did not give McChrystal the opportunity to do that. That meeting was driven by bad press and politics, not a desire to meet with and discuss the plan McChrystal had submitted. The required meeting, to date, still hasn't happened. But numerous "war council" meetings continue to happen. And as word leaks out, it appears politics – not a mission to succeed in Afghanistan – is taking center stage.

On October 31^st, in their Washington Post article, Anne Kornblut and Greg Jaffe made it clear that Obama was seeking a political decision vs. a military one:

The military chiefs have been largely supportive of a resource request by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, that would by one Pentagon estimate require the deployment of 44,000 additional troops. But opinion among members of Obama's national security team is divided, and he now appears to be seeking a compromise solution that would satisfy both his military and civilian advisers.

A worse scenario cannot be imagined. But it is in perfect keeping with how a politician would work vs. a Commander in Chief. Compromise is the bread-and-butter of politics. It is about keeping constituencies satisfied, if not happy. Contentment means votes. But compromise in terms of military strategy usually means disaster. Attempting to satisfy "both his military and civilian advisers" means he's looking for the best political solution, not the best military solution.

And since such a solution is hardly obvious, he dithers. Sullivan mistakes that for slow, considered and methodical decision making. But in reality, it is a method of stalling as old man himself. Ask for more information, reject the options presented, send your minions back to the drawing board – all the while making the argument or implication that it is the fault of those presenting the options for not getting it right, not the CiC. Of course, anyone with any military experience knows that's nonsense since it is the "commander's guidance" from which any options are derived.

That brings us back to David Kilcullen. If you're not familiar with Kilcullen, he's considered to be one of the gurus when it comes to counter-insurgency warfare. And Kilcullen gets to the very nut of the problem with this "process" that Sullivan mistakenly praises:

David Kilcullen, one of the world's leading authorities on counter-insurgency and an adviser to the British government as well as the US state department, said Obama's delay in reaching a decision over extra troops had been "messy". He said it not only worried US allies but created uncertainty the Taliban could exploit.

Speaking in an interview with the Guardian, he compared the president to someone "pontificating" over whether to send enough firefighters into a burning building to put a fire out. …

Kilcullen expressed concern that Obama might deny McChrystal the 40,000 extra troops and split the difference between the four options, the kind of fudge common in domestic politics.

"Time is running out for us to make a decision. We can either put in enough troops to control the environment or we can credibly communicate our intention to leave. Either could work. Splitting the difference is not the way to go," Kilcullen said.

"It feels to me that all these options are dangerously close to the middle ground and we have to consider whether the middle ground is a good place to be. The middle ground is a good place on domestic issues, but not on strategy. You either commit to D-Day and invade the continent or you get Suez. Half-measures end up with Suez. Do it or not do it."

There is no "third way". At least not a credible one. In this sort of warfare, to use a poker analogy, you either fold or you're "all in". Domestic political considerations should have absolutely no place in these sorts of deliberations and decisions. But it is clear they do.

That is also clearly a disservice (to put it mildly) to every man and woman in uniform serving our nation today. It is also something which may easily get many of them killed.

So let's remember President Obama's words at NAS Jacksonville when he told those gathered there:

And while I will never hesitate to use force to protect the American people or our vital interests, I also promise you this-and this is very important as we consider our next steps in Afghanistan:

I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way. I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary. And if it is necessary, we will back you up. Because you deserve the strategy, the clear mission, the defined goals and the equipment and support you need to get the job done. That's the promise I make to you.

Gen. McChrystal, based on the commander's guidance issued by the president in his March '09 strategy for Afghanistan, has done his review and submitted his plan to accomplish the mission outlined in that strategy. Now the commander wants to change the strategy.

Is it any wonder that many doubt Obama's commitment to success in Afghanistan, military or otherwise? Is it any wonder that many are concluding that he's looking for "off ramps" well before talking about "on ramps". And is it any wonder then, that those considering how this process is progressing have come to the conclusion that it's not about the military or winning in Afghanistan – it's about the politics of getting re-elected before pulling the plug.

If that's the case, President Obama will be seen as spending the lives of American soldiers in an attempt to protect his political viability. There is nothing most could think of which would be more despicable than that.

Lt. Col. Mark Bieger (center left), the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment commander, stands with Spc. Peter Jank, a Chicago, Ill., native, while Bruce Campbell and Jeffrey Donovan, cast members from the television show "Burn Notice," hold the U.S. flag, Nov. 12, at Joint Security Station Nasir Wa Salam, Iraq. Bieger reenlisted Jank while the two actors assisted.  Photo by Spc. Luisito Brooks.

For a reminder of who that LTC is...go here. 

One of the few shows that I will DVR is Burn Notice (the others are the Amazing Race and Castle).  I like Burn Notice because the main character describes how he actually goes about doing some of the super-cool spy stuff and the other characters are really great.  And then of course any show with Bruce Campbell is an automatic must-watch in my house...

Actor Jeffery Donovan shoots at the unit?s firing range at Combat Outpost Meade, Iraq, Nov. 13. A morale, welfare and recreation tour brought Donovan and fellow actor Bruce Campbell of USA network's show "Burn Notice" to entertain the Soldiers.

Actor Bruce Campbell shoots a squad automatic weapon as brass, sparks and links fly at the firing range on Combat Outpost Meade, Iraq, Nov. 13. A morale, welfare and recreation tour brought Campbell and fellow actor Jeffery Donovan of USA network's show "Burn Notice" to entertain the Soldiers.

and healthcare groups with an agenda, oh and BS stats to back it up.

A report from Agence France Presse indicates that the number of American veterans who died in 2008 because they didn't have healthcare, is 14 times higher than the military death toll in Afghanistan, for the entire year.

Why they are comparing these two disparate groups I have no earthly idea, well beyond the fact that it allows them to mention our war dead in pursuit of a political goal. Oh you want to know what that is.

Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, David Himmelstein, is also the co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program, which co-authored the study.

Physicians for a National Health Program, certainly a non-partisan, trustworthy bunch eh?

He says in the AFP article that he favors a national health care program similar to those in Britain and Canada.

Well that's a shocker. There is no real science in this pile of garbage, just some cherry picking of unrelated piles of numbers. Our healthcare for veterans could surely use some work, but I don't want these maroons handling it.

Mrs. G again, you do read the Dawn Patrol right?

The meaning of Never Quit...again, not sure where we find these amazing men and women, but I thank the Lord that we do.

Soldier in Focus: Never Quit
1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
Story by Staff Sgt. Nathan Hoskins

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – More than most, Soldiers know about never quitting, it is in their ethos and creed – a code they have embedded in their hearts from the beginning of their military careers.

Sgt. 1st Class Pierce Williams, once a young infantry staff sergeant, has had moments in his life where quitting was given as an option, but instead, he chose the ethos.

Williams, a native of Sturgis, S.D., an intelligence non-commissioned officer for future operations for the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, now on his third deployment to Iraq, never thought he would be shuffling through intelligence reports–not after one fateful day in 2006.

He joined the Army in May 2002, six days after he graduated high school; following in his older brother's footsteps.

In February 2003, less than four months after arriving to his first duty assignment with the 82nd Airborne Div. in Fort Bragg, N.C., he deployed to Iraq.

"I was 19 years old and coming over here to Iraq was crazy. You're shooting at people, you're getting shot at," he said. "It was nothing that you'd experience back in the States."

With one deployment behind him and after a year-long training period with his new unit, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, he was on his way back to Iraq.

For the first 65 days of his new deployment, he wasn't very impressed with the amount of enemy action. It was a welcome lull in fire fights and daily rocket attacks of his last deployment.

That all changed the night of Dec. 10, 2006 – day 66.

Williams volunteered his Soldiers to go on a patrol so that his comrades could get some much needed rest.

But his decision to do so almost immediately brought on uneasy feelings. What made it worse was his Soldiers had the same premonition.

"I had quite a few Soldiers coming up to tell me that they didn't feel comfortable going out on this patrol," said Williams.

As a leader, you have to show that you have no fear and that everything will be okay, he said.

"That part was probably a little difficult for me because I was such a young staff sergeant," said Williams.

But none of that mattered; Soldiers have to put their feelings aside to accomplish their mission, said Williams.

Night fell and the convoy set out.

While on the road, Williams was constantly trying to radio his headquarters for an updated status of his route in regards to improvised explosive devices, but to no avail.

"After I made my last radio call, I kind of looked over at my driver and team leader, who was also in my vehicle, and was getting ready to say, 'I can't get a hold of these [guys]!'"

But before he uttered those words in frustration, he was blasted in the face by a giant fireball that slammed him violently against his door.

"My initial thought was, 'I've just been blown up by an IED,'" Williams said.

As the daze from the blast began to clear, his brain started processing information normally. This brought into view the rest of his Soldiers still inside the vehicle.

Only Williams and his driver made it out alive.

After other Soldiers pulled his door off using another vehicle, his medic approached him and asked if he was okay.

At the time he could not feel his left ear and thought his left shoulder was dislocated.

"That was the first time, as soon as I stepped out of the vehicle, that I felt pain," said Williams.
The medic pulled down on his arm, which caused a stream of profanity to flow from William's mouth, but his shoulder was not separated.

"I kept asking if my ear was still there and he said, 'yeah,' and kept wrapping," said Williams.

Shortly thereafter he was medically evacuated by the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, the very unit he now serves with, he said.

It turned out that he did still have his left ear; it had been filleted from his scalp by a piece of shrapnel.

The left side of his upper torso was pelted with numerous entrance wounds from the explosion and debris.

The list of injuries goes on: second degree burns to his face, neck and hands, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and bi-lateral hearing loss. He even has a couple dozen pieces of shrapnel inside his body – some the size of quarters.

Month by month ticked away as he made his way through therapy for both his body and mind.

Like many Soldiers in his place, he felt the pang of fear and pain, a reminder that it would be so much easier to relent, but he pushed back. Williams was not going to let anything stop him.

Light emphasizes the left side of Sgt. 1st Class Pierce Williams' face where, along with his upper torso, he took the brunt of an improvised explosive device, Dec. 10, 2006. Williams, of Sturgis, S.D., an intelligence sergeant of future operations, for the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, recovered from second degree burns to his face, neck and hands, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and bi-lateral hearing loss. He still has a couple dozen pieces of shrapnel still in his body - reminders of his days as a battle-hardened infantryman. US Army Photo by SSG Nathan Hoskins

The IED did not take his life, so he had a heightened fervor to become the best Soldier he could in lieu of his injuries. His goal was to come back stronger than ever and continue to fight as an infantryman.

It took 22 months of surgeries, physical therapy and counseling for him to finally go before a medical board which held his military career in its hands.

They then handed down an opportunity which was, to him at the time, a devastating ultimatum.

He could medically retire or stay in the Army, but he could no longer be an infantryman.

"After 22 months of healing and fighting to get better [only] for them to tell me that I can't live my dream of being an infantryman was absolutely crushing," said Williams.

"I was contemplating on whether or not I was just going to get medically retired or if I actually wanted to continue on [with] active duty," he said.

But his wife reminded him of his ultimate goal to become a sergeant major—something he would be giving up on if he chose to get out.

Instead of quitting, he became an intelligence sergeant, which was an intimidating idea at first, he said.

However, it turned out he already had a knack for the intelligence field.

"I was the type of squad leader that wanted as much intel as possible on whatever operation I was doing – whether it was training or real life," he said of his days as an infantryman.

"Little did I know, at that time, that I was doing an intelligence job," he said.

While in training, he passed along his personal story to other Soldiers – a story about never quitting and never leaving a fallen comrade.

Many of the Soldiers he came in contact with during his time at school still keep in contact with him as he helps motivate and mentor them through their Army careers.

Now, sitting in an office chair surrounded by multiple computer screens with red secret stickers on them, he feels the direct impact he makes on the Soldiers – in this case aviators – who go outside the wire.

"I've gone out on missions where I've had bad intel ... where things have gone horribly wrong," he said. "So I know ... that if I don't do the job to my best abilities, then something could go horribly wrong; that's what drives me every day."

Williams puts all of his energy into making sure Soldiers are safer on the streets and in the skies of Baghdad. He never leaves a fallen comrade by not letting them fall in the first place – giving them intelligence to do their jobs.

His story and his actions motivate the Soldiers around him as he puts a hundred percent of himself into his work.

"I don't like to fail. I like to be first in everything I do, whether it's being an infantryman or doing intelligence," said Williams.

As for his goal to become a sergeant major, well, he has not quite made it yet, but like most of his life thus far, quitting may be an option, but it is not one he will choose to take.

The ever vigilant and relentlessly under-informed Huff Po has pointed out the shocking statistic that the number of DoD contractors in Afghanistan outnumbers the uniformed forces. Holy sheep shit Batman, Halliburton and Blackwater gone wild!

Well, ummm not so fast. A look at the statistics that they cite does bear out the fact that by head count there are more contractors than troopies. But let's look at those numbers again, of the total 68,000 some contractors more than 51,000 of them are Afghan local nationals. The horror! Wicked DoD and those rapacious defense companies are giving tens of thousands of Afghans good jobs at decent wages, how dare they? That will never help us convince them that we have their best interests at heart. I bet they even give some contracts to local companies in a blatant attempt to corrupt them.

I demand Congressional investigations.

U.S. Army Pvt. John Stafinski fires his squad automatic weapon into an anti-Afghan forces location during a firefight in Waterpur Valley, Kunar province, Afghanistan, Nov. 3, 2009. Stafinski is an infantryman assigned to the 4th Infantry Division’s Company C, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Cody A. Thompson

[I'm sure that the Nordic Uncle Jimbo and Jonn Lilyea have blown the horn a few times...just not for the Vikes.]

U.S. Army Capt. Dustin Snare blows the Ghallarhorn, a Nordic war horn, kicking off the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions during the viewing party on Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, Nov. 15, 2009. Snare is the battle captain for the 34th Infantry Division's operations section. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Soza

The saying goes "You can rent an Afghan, but you can't buy him". It looks like the British Army is going to accept that conventional wisdom and see about leasing some Talibs to keep them out of the fray. Now while it is easy to crack jokes about Brits wandering the battlefield with satchels of gold, there is some logic to this strategy and it does mirror the US Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) funds and if used well can provide alternatives to serving with the Taliban to young men with no business propositions.

Addressing the issue of paying off the locals, the new manual states that army commanders should give away enough money to dissuade them from joining the enemy. The Taleban is known to pay about $10 (£5.95) a day to recruit local fighters.

Major-General Paul Newton said: “The best weapons to counter insurgents don’t shoot. In other words, use bags of gold in the short term to change the security dynamics. But you don’t just chuck gold at them, this has to be done wisely.”....

The manual says that money can be the answer, if it is prudently distributed. “Properly spent within a context of longer-term planning, money offers a cost-effective means for pulling community support away from the insurgents and provides the military with a much-needed economy of force

measure,” it says. “Unemployed and under-employed military-aged males typically provide the richest vein from which insurgents recruit ‘foot soldiers’. Short-term, labour-intensive projects are therefore the best way to disrupt such recruiting.”

“The counter-insurgent should be careful not to be over-generous since this will distort local economic and social activity and may lead to unproductive dependency.”

So in the end you can rent them to deny them to the Taliban as foot soldiers, but you have to have some kind of longer term plan or they will just go back to them when the lease is up. Again this is not an unheard of policy and the tribes have a long history of alliances of convenience based on payoffs. But in the end there must be a follow on program that incents them to stay out of the insurgent business, or you will just have kicked the can down the trail a bit.

Go over to This Ain't Hell and see a decent book turned into Left Wing Propaganda and the USAF Major who showed his @$$...

Must. Read.

Monthly Meeting

When - Thursday November 19.

     Noon to 2:00 pm

Where –Amenities room
Embassy of Australia,
1601 Massachusetts, Ave.,
Washington, DC 20036

Speaker: Master Sergeant Jim Hanson, USA Rtd. 

Topic:    Milbloging - its origins and impact. 

Milbloging?  “Some of the best sources of information on the war are from the people actually fighting it--and their blogs”

Background:  Retired Special Operations Master Sergeant, Jim Hanson ("Uncle Jimbo") is now focused on writing about the military, politics, intelligence operations and foreign policy. He Blogs at BLACKFIVE                          [http://www.blackfive.net/main/ ]
Lunch: $15.00, including sodas. Alcoholic beverages, $2.00 each.

Guests must have a valid ID such as a driver’s license or military ID.

R.S.V.P. by noon on
November 18, 2009 to David Ward on 202-352-8550 or via e-mail at dmpward@wwdb.org 

Volunteers: As usual, we need a volunteer (or two) to run the bar.

Parking: There is no parking at the Embassy. There is public parking behind and under the Airline Pilots Association at a cost of $15.00 for two hours.

(h/t Greyhawk)

Bob Woodward was doing his Washington insider thing on ABC this weekend and dropped a very telling piece of info that could explain President Obama's grotesque inability to make a decision about Afghanistan.

This morning on the Roundtable, legendary investigative journalist Bob Woodward provided his unique insight into the complexity of President Obama’s decision-making process on Afghanistan. 

Woodward said he’s working on a book on topic and revealed that the President has no fewer than 32 issues on the table that need answers before he can decide how to go forward on Afghanistan.

That is not a complex decision-making process, that is paralysis by analysis. The problem with smart guys like our President is that they think that if they apply their massive intellect to any problem they will eventually come up with the ideal solution. Sorry, but that just isn't so and definitely not in war.

A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.

George S. Patton

There is little better in this world than doing some good, and especially doing some good for the troops with a good group of people. Cooking with the Wounded is now a formal program, and Phase II kicked off in high style thanks to Katy and Molly of the Yellow Bowl Bakery, who have founded their own group Bakers without Borders to do for the troops, and to Concrete Bob who brought together the 173rd ABN, the Warrior Legacy Foundation, DC Free Republic, and the grilling regulars to do quite a cookout. The result was pure Southern hospitality:  grazing from the early afternoon on into the evening.  

The day started with Concrete Bob and company setting up for an afternoon of fine eating.  Bob provided some excellent chicken, which was far better than the last batch of BBQ chicken I did.  Carter and Dayna, Lisa Everington (Apogee Solutions), and Gunn Nutt took care of the sides, hamburgers, hot dogs, and more.  We even had Princess Crabby drive down from Boston to help with the cookout, and Mary Ripley of the U.S. Naval Institute joined in as well. Special thanks also go to Olga for her help. 

This went from about 1 until 5:30, and a special shout out needs to go to a certain CSM who truly got things cooking.  The crowd was not quite what was expected, but it turns out half the residents had hopped a charter to Vegas and that some field trips caused the crowd to slowly build.  The families made it for me, however, and my favorite was the little girl who, when her parents wanted to leave and go inside, and daddy waved and said goodbye, simply looked up at him, smiled, waved, and called out good bye to him... 

As things got dark, it was time to move in and for Soldiers' Angels to host Bakers without Borders.  These excellent chefs brought:  6 Kentucky Bourbon pecan pies; 6 pumpkin pies; 6 blueberry oatmeal pies; 2 sheet cakes; brownies; cookies; and... I know I'm forgetting something but I lost count and track of all the goodies.  I also have to admit, their pecan pie out did my momma's pecan pie and may even be my all-time favorite.  We didn't get a shot of the spread, in large part because the hordes descended and we think around 200 people were fed.  Again, I lost count and how do you count at least one person who came back for thirds on the pecan pie?  

Phase II of Cooking with the Wounded is off to a roaring start.  Work now turns to raising the money for the ladies of the Yellow Bowl Bakery to Landstuhl for the next event.  There is some community support, and all support is welcome.  Check out what we are planning, not just for Landstuhl but where we would like to take the program.  You can also check it out on Facebook.

My thanks to Bakers without Borders, Bob, and everyone who came and made this event such a success.  Just goes to show what you can do when good groups and people all work together.  Thank you.

LW

PS:  If you want to know why all of us, from all the different groups, do this here's one reason why from an e-mail sent to Concrete Bob:

Your group's presentation and serving of an afternoon meal on 11/14 at Malogne House was of the highest regard and is sincerely appreciated.  My son is recently returned from Afganistan with battle wounds, and is overcome with emotion at the incredible outpouring of support from virtually all he encounters.  May the Lord bless all of you, and all that you do, in support of these warriors.  Thank you again. 

Our thanks to you and to your son, Sir.  The honor and pleasure are ours. 

Oh my was today gorgeous. I took an extended walk around in my Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, VA. It's a trendy, kinda place with bistros and funky shops with funky names. Man I love the Fall.

Avast ye buggers.....Bow, you have a green - launch 'em!

This pic is of a F/A-18 from the US Marine Corps squadron onboard USS Harry S Truman taking a catapult launch from one of the waist catapults.  VMFA-312, known as the Checkerboards, fly the original model of the Hornet, the C-model. 

Catapult launches are some of the coolest things one can do - if you add up all the piece parts like a 50,000+ lb jet aircraft in full afterburner, 16,000 lbs or so of fuel a few feet behind you, a nuclear reactor creating the 520 degree and psi steam to drive a 4,000 lb catapult shuttle the 300 feet or so to accelerat your beasty aerospace war machine to a flyable 130 or so knots. 

Back to your regular programming :)

Canon AH-X1- $3500

A pro quality rig with all the bells and whistles. JD Johannes was jealous when he saw it. 

Canon HF-100- $700

Still shoots full 1080i HD and records onto a flash card so no tapes needed. I can't see any difference in video quality from the pro rig. Also has an external mic jack so I get excellent sound.

Canon Powershot SD 780- $170

The latest toy. Records 720p HD and looks pretty darn good. No mic jack so the sound is less than stellar, but I can carry it everywhere. And it shoots 12 megapixel stills.

Here is a link to a video I shot with it posted over at Ace's place as it is kinda mean to our Narcissist in Chief.

I will be on Greta Perry's Kiss My Gumbo radio show today 9:00-10:00AM central. Live from the French Quarter AM690 or you can listen on your computer.

Call in 888-880-WIST.

Here's the line up:

The Kiss my Gumbo radio show airs each Saturday morning from 9:00-10:00 (central) Saturday on AM 690 WIST or live on your computer here. Call in numbers are 888-880-WIST or (504)260-0690 @kissmygumbo on twitter or gretaperry @ gmail.com

This Saturday, we will be joined by military expert, Matt Burden aka Blackfive who is also a Trustee for Soldiers’ Angels and Chairman of the Warrior Legacy Foundation. We will discuss Fort Hood, The President’s reaction to it, the need for more troops and more. Do not miss this military expert – questions ahead of time are welcome. Next, my producer Natalie and I will discuss current events (she rocks) and politics. We will finish up the hour with Larry Jones from Louisiana Honor Air. This program takes WWII Veterans to DC for a one day trip to see the WWII Memorial and more. Look at the most recent news story about them.