By now, most of you are aware of the "Collateral Murder" video and the new "documentary" Incident in New Baghdad that is out and up for an academy award.  Most of you are also aware of the problems with the video and the challenges to the "documentary." 

To get a better feel for things, and how they are playing out in public, you should go read the surprisingly balanced article in the Washington Post.  If you want to see what members of the 2-16 think, you need to go here on Facebook. 

Stay Tuned...

LW

Yesterday the AFP came out with a story that 41 children ranging in age from 6 to 11 were rescued by Afghan forces before entering Pakistan to become suicide bombers.  Apparently their parents were misled by the taliban that their children were getting scholarships essentially at Pakistani madrassas.  The idea that grown men could make the argument that they were following a religious duty by sacrificing young children in this way is all the proof that anyone could ever need that islam is a twisted death cult desperately in need of reformation at the very least.   

I personally witnessed something even more horrifying in Iraq in 2007.  I led and conducted two operations that captured four suicide bombers in al Anbar province.  Three of the bombers were Iraqi teenagers aged 14-17, and one of them was a Saudi fanatic in his 20's.  The three teens had all been raped by al Qaeda in Iraq members and then given the following ultimatum:

Become a suicide bomber and a martyr for Allah and go to paradise or we'll tell your family that you are a homosexual and they will "honor" kill you out of shame. 

This particular group of AQIZ not only sodomized young boys for allah, but used their religious strictures against them in order to coerce them to kill themselves and others.  Not that regular B5 readers are ignorant of this level of depravity, but I wanted to point out that this latest occurence in Afghanistan is no isolated incident.  

Feb. 19, 1945: The first two of three dispatched U.S. Marine divisions begin hitting the beach on day-one of the epic battle for Iwo Jima. Of the 21,000 Japanese diehards defending Iwo, some 20,800 will be killed. Almost 7,000 Marines will lose their lives. Another 26,000 will be wounded.

Feb. 20, 1944: U.S. Army Air Forces and Britain’s Royal Air Force begin Operation ARGUMENT, a massive thousand-plus bomber offensive aimed at destroying the German Air Force and Luftwaffe manufacturing facilities in order to achieve irreversible air superiority before the Normandy landings. Allied losses will be high. German losses will be staggering.

Feb. 20, 1962: U.S. Marine Lt. Col. (future colonel) and two-war fighter pilot John H. Glenn Jr. becomes the first American to orbit Earth. Glenn orbits Earth three times in less than five hours in his spacecraft, Friendship 7.

Feb. 22, 1909: Pres. Theodore Roosevelt’s “Great White Fleet” – a four-squadron armada of white-painted warships manned by some 14,000 sailors and Marines – returns to Hampton Roads, Virginia after sailing around the world in a grand show of American Naval power.

Feb. 22, 1967: The U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade conducts the first and only mass parachute jump of the Vietnam War. The jump is but one element of the much broader airborne (primarily heliborne assault) and infantry “search and destroy” operation, Junction City. The operation will continue through May.

Feb. 22, 1974: Lt. J.G. Barbara Ann Allen Rainey becomes the first female Naval aviator. In 1982, she will be killed in a crash while training a student pilot.

Feb. 23, 1778: Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian Army officer – arguably the father of American drill instructors – arrives at Valley Forge with the task of whipping the Continental Army into shape.

Feb. 23, 1836: The advance elements of a 4,000-plus-man Mexican army under the command of Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna begin the siege of the isolated Texas Army garrison at the Alamo mission near (now part of present-day) San Antonio, Texas, during the Texas War of Independence.

The Alamo’s approximately 200-man garrison will be wiped out nearly to a man when the Mexicans storm the mission on March 6.

Feb. 23, 1847: During the Mexican-American War, a Mexican army under Santa Anna launches a series of attacks against a numerically inferior U.S. Army force under the command of Gen. (and future president) Zachary Taylor near Buena Vista. Though surprised and outnumbered, the Americans beat back the Mexicans who are forced to withdraw with heavy losses.

Feb. 23, 1945: After several days of savage fighting, U.S. Marines capture the summit of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Just after 10:30 a.m., a small flag is raised on Suribachi. But an officer orders a larger flag be hoisted so that it might be seen from the far end of the island.

Feb. 24, 1813: The sloop-of-war USS Hornet (the third of eight so-named American warships) under the command of Capt. James Lawrence sinks the Royal Navy brig HMS Peacock in a swift action in which Peacock’s skipper, Capt. William Peake, is killed.

Feb. 24, 1991: At 4:00 a.m. the lead elements of the enormous coalition ground force surges forward into Iraq and Kuwait aimed at ousting Saddam Hussein’s army from Kuwait. President George H.W. Bush will order a ceasefire on the 28th. The 42-day “mother of all battles” (38 days for the initial air campaign and four days for the ground campaign) will end.

Feb. 25, 1779: Following an arduous campaign through freezing floodwaters, a joint American-French force under Virginia militia Lt. Col. George Rogers Clark captures British-held Fort Sackville at Vincennes in the Illinois backcountry.

Image of the Day: Operation DESERT STORM ground campaign map

Adapted (and abridged) in part from “This Week in US Military History” by W. Thomas Smith Jr. at Human Events. See more at the Center for American Military History.

This book review is by Elise Cooper as a special for BlackFive.net:

New York Times bestselling author Alex Berenson’s latest John Wells series book, The Shadow Patrol is a compelling novel about the CIA, the military, and what is happening in the Afghanistan War.  It has a very believable, intense plot.

The book begins with a fictionalized version of that tragic day in Khost, Afghanistan when a double agent, a Jordanian Doctor, is not searched and blows himself up, killing CIA officials.  Berenson brilliantly brings this event and other events together at the end of the book.  Berenson told Blackfive.net, “I wanted to show that those in the CIA are on the frontline, risking their lives like soldiers.  I imagined how it could have happened.”  He certainly did that and his version was more heroic than the real-life event, making a heroine of the CIA handler for her intuitive convictions.

The plot becomes very intense as the main character, former CIA operative and now a CIA contractor, John Wells is asked to explore what happened and to possibly find the mole who is working with the Taliban.  Intertwined with this is the drug smuggling operation in Afghanistan being carried out by American personnel.  In a solitary mission, Wells must discover the truth and eliminate the threat. Berenson commented, “In some ways I am moving away from the typical thriller.  I talk about some of the less heroic events going on there.”  Throughout the book there are references to the fact that Afghanistan’s natural resource is opium, and that America has decided to allow this to continue to gain the support of the Afghans whose loyalty is on the fence.

Berenson told Blackfive.net that he embedded with the US soldiers to make sure the book is accurate.  From this insight he was able to correctly write about the tactics, the dialogue, and the events.  While there, he saw that “the soldiers are very good and well trained and will carry out the mission to the best of their ability.  The bad guys in the book are the soldiers who lost their purpose,” and have turned to the dark side to become drug smugglers. 

There are a lot more bad characters than good ones. The reader will not hate the criminals on a personal level but will definitely get feelings of hatred about what they stand for as expressed in their actions.  A scene in the book is definitely not politically correct as Wells “belts” a woman as he questions her for answers.  According to Berenson, “Wells had to treat her that way.  If women are suicidal bombers and enemy combatants they can be treated as anyone else.  The old version that the woman can never die is out the window in real life and now in fiction, as it should be.”

What is an interesting part of the book is how the author explores the two sides concerning the rules of engagement.  Through his son’s voice he makes the arguments of the left while through Wells’ voice he argues from the right.  When asked about this Berenson answered that “someone has to do it and people don’t want to hear about it.  But these men and women who risk their lives every day with not much pay are the true heroes, people like Wells.  We are not Al Qaeda.  Our goal is not to strap a bomb on a nineteen year old kid and have him blow himself up in a market place.”

Women characters in the book are few and far between.  Wells ex, Jennifer Exley, makes a cameo appearance but the reader is left to wonder why she was mentioned.  There is the expectation that she and Wells, or she and the CIA will get back together. Berenson’s answer is not yet, maybe in a later book.

He gave a heads up and revealed that his next novel will also be a John Wells book.  It will take place in Kenya with Wells asked to rescue American aid workers who were kidnapped.  Berenson noted, “It’s Wells saving lives, but not saving the world.”

After reading The Shadow Patrol, Berenson hopes that his readers will gain some knowledge about military and intelligence figures that go rogue and why, as well as be entertained.  He encourages his readers to contact him with their feelings about the book.  Anyone reading this novel will find an exciting and riveting plot.

I love Tom Clancy books, but Clancy has only talked to those who have "been there, done that." Brad Taylor has been at the absolute tip of the American military spear, and has lived to write about it.

Taylor spent 21 years in the infantry and Special Forces, including eight years as a commander in Delta Force, the Army's secretive counterterrorist unit. Taylor's first-hand experience clearly shows in his writing. Reading his books, one has to wonder: "Which parts are real and which are fiction?"

If what Taylor writes didn't actually happen, I am sure the real story isn't far from what's in his second novel, "All Necessary Force."

"Pike" Logan is a former operative for a counter-terrorism agency known simply as "The Taskforce." The group is so secretive - and effective - that its discovery would scuttle the entire Executive Branch. Now Pike is a private contractor that finds himself right back in the middle of Taskforce business and is the only one who can save the country from a new and (highly possible) terrorist attack.

A recipe of treasonous congressmen, politicians willing to sacrifice soldiers' lives for their careers, Chinese and al Qaeda operatives, and even a special operations raid during the Vietnam War combine to make "All Necessary Force" one of the best international thrillers I have read.

Typically, I am reading a dozen or so books at once. "All Necessary Force" was so good that I had to put them all down. And if you haven't read the first book in the series, "One Rough Man," grab it too.

In light of the recent training/humiliation that senior Army NCOs are undergoing, here is something that might interet you.  Here is a video of US Navy Petty Officer Snake Blocker who uses his native culture and experience to give a set of unique skills to the troops while deployed.

RE:  Is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs a Liar?

Received quite a few emails with regards to the above post from former and active duty pilots.  Most agree that removing the red crosses and arming the Medevacs will change the dynamic of having dedicated Medevacs in the first place, and actually increase danger to the crew in the second.

This first example should inform the debate about removing the red crosses and arming the Medevacs.  We should all consider flight medic Staff Sergeant Matt Kinney's Silver Star narrative when this subject comes up. He is the subject one of our Someone You Should Know posts (and follow up here).

...During the second hoist iteration, the aircraft and the small building came under heavy effective machine gun fire. Despite rounds cracking overhead and impacting in the terrain around him, Staff Sergeant Kinney helped his fellow medic complete the hoist, while attempting to locate the origin of the enemy ambush. Staff Sergeant Kinney discovered that the fire was coming from a ridgeline immediately to the north of his location, opposite of where the Apache aircraft were engaging.

He contacted the Apache gunships over his MBITR radio and began redirecting rocket and 30-mm. gun runs onto the heavy machine gun location, effectively suppressing the fire. The hovering Medevac aircraft had already taken two direct hits while inside the ambush kill zone. If not for Staff Sergeant Kinney's instinctive action the entire crew and two patients onboard would have undoubtedly been lost.

As the Apache aircraft continued to suppress, Staff Sergeant Kinney finished packaging his third critical patient and began to assess and treat the remaining three patients, who suffered from multiple shrapnel and gunshot wounds. As his fellow medic departed up the hoist, Staff Sergeant Kinney immediately began preparing the third Skedco Extraction Litter...

First, the interaction between SSG Kinney and the Apaches adds another dimension to the entire discussion. Not only does it underscore the value of the armed escorts, it also highlights the value of the interaction between the flight medic on the ground and the Apaches above.

Second, if you read the entire narrative, you'll note that 2 DUSTOFF crews were dispatched for a reported 4 casualties. (Two patients being the optimal number per BlackHawk.) However, since enemy fire was ongoing at the LZ, 4 additional casualties were sustained during the course of the evacuation. Since that could not have been known in advance, no one would have known to send extra DUSTOFF crews.

After the first BlackHawk left with 3 patients, SSG Kinney ended up in the back of his bird with 5 (!) critical patients, something that would have been impossible if the aircraft had crew-served weapons. Some of those men may have died had there not been room for them in the bird already on station.

I can think of many other similar examples of extractions under fire with unexpected additional casualties occurring shortly before and/or during the MEDEVAC mission.

Last, I spent some time with a survivor of Pedro 66, and its a story you should know.  One of the birds (Pave Hawk or Pedro) that an independent journalist favors over our Army Medevac Black Hawks.  Heavily armed, the crew attempted to pick up a wounded British soldier when they were shot down.   They couldn't defend themselves and hit the LZ to pick up the wounded at the same time.

Again, take these stories of these Heroes at face value.  They are amazing.  Then try to understand them in terms of arming the Medevacs. 

I think it makes a lot more sense to have more Apaches and dedicate them to the force protection mission (Medevacs), but that's just me...

Update:  Forgot to mention this post over at Bouhammer's.  Read it, but also read the comments as there are points being made and refuted there as well.

And for some history, here is where things started to go sideways with MY.  Read the comments.

Short Version:  The Red Robin at 9965 N. Michigan Road in Indianapolis (Carmel) will donate ten percent of their proceeds on Wednesday 29 February to Cooking with the Troops.  Baen Books has donated 100 books for Michael Z. Williamson to sign and give to those coming in to eat between 2-4. Please help us spread the word, full info below the fold.

It's no joke.  Over at This Ain't Hell, Jonn Lilyea has a comprehensive post up about the deadliest females in Iran (complete with video and photos). 

...Now if Iran can convince Israel to invade with unarmed men, they might have an edge. Well, as long as the Israelis don’t show up with some Spartans or something...

Check it out over at the Farm Team's place.

Well, if you ever wondered what it looked like to be protected by an Apache escort, here is some b-roll shot from the side of a Black Hawk (UH60) being escorted by apaches of the "Wolfpack" - Task Force Wolfpack (82nd Combat Aviation Brigade) flying near Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan.

Damn, these guys are my heroes...US Marines (and some Brit Marines and Aussies, too) are competing for the limited spots in the Warrior Games coming up this May. 

Capt. Jonathan Disbro and Cpl. Kionte Storey, Wounded Warriors with the West Team, fight for the lead in the 200-meter race during the 2012 Marine Corps Trials, hosted by the Wounded Warrior Regiment, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 19, 2012. Storey won the 100-meter, 200-meter and was a part of the winning 400-meter relay team. Wounded Warrior Marines, veterans and allies are competing in the second annual trials, which include swimming, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, track and field, archery and shooting. The top 50 performing Marines will earn the opportunity to compete in the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., in May. Photo by Sergeant Mark Fayloga.

British Royal Marine Joe Townsend, native of Eastbourne, East Sussex, United Kingdom, prepares to throw a shot-put ball during the track and field portion of the 2012 Marine Corps Trials at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 19. Townsend, a bilateral amputee, placed first in the 10-kilometer hand-cycling competition earlier in the day as well as in the 100-meter and 200-meter wheelchair race during track and field.  Photo by Lance Corporal Chelsea Flowers.

Australian Army Pvt. Kyle Ridgewood, a Wounded Warrior with the Allies Team, sprints far ahead of fellow cyclists during the last stretch of a 30-kilometer cycling competition during the 2012 Marine Corps Trials, hosted by the Wounded Warrior Regiment, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 19, 2012. Townsend, from Townsville, Australia, placed first in the race. Photo by Sergeant Mark Fayloga.

Cpl. Marcus Chischilly and Antania Jensen watch their son Avery, age 2, try out Chischilly's recumbent bicycle before the 2012 Marine Corps Trials at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendelton, Calif., Feb. 19. Photo by Lance Corporal Chelsea Flowers.

Since bin Laden has gone on to his 72 goats, the Pakistanis have been hard at work trying to pick a scapegoat to blame for his long residence in their front yard.

ISLAMABAD: 

Already a month past the deadline, the Abbottabad Commission braces for further delay in releasing its report as it struggles to determine how and with whose help al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden had been living in Abbottabad for years.

The government formed the high-powered inquiry commission last year to investigate the killing of Bin Laden by American commandos in a secret raid on May 2, 2011.

Its mandate also includes finding out whether the terror leader was aided by elements from within the secret agencies, as alleged by the West.

However, insiders told The Express Tribune on Wednesday that the commission is in a fix over the question of fixing responsibility.

“It looks like they can’t and won’t name anybody,” said an official, who is aware of the proceedings

You can't really blame them since their is a fairly decent chance that the folks on the commission don't really want to piss off the guys who were hiding him, or are the guys who were hiding him. But you would think they could at least come up with a decent sacrificial lamb (to continue the barnyard references). In the end it doesn't matter, we will keep paying them their nuke geld and getting regularly backstabbed in the process.