I’ve heard that some of the Navy’s SEALs were arrested for bloodying the nose of a terrorist they were capturing. I truly that this is not true. I’ve talked to some chopper gunship pilots who have been in Iraq and Afghanistan recently; they say the the rules of engagement are so tight that they can’t shoot most of the time–and when they do they know that if they hit someone they were not supposed to hit, then they will be charged–a bit like the SEALs. Our military’s purpose is to kill people and break things. I fear that under new management we are more focused on being liked, being diverse, and having a nice smile. God help us.
SEALs arrested
November 29th, 2009Win in Afghanistan
November 27th, 2009Recent releases from the White House indicate that the president will use my alma mater, West Point, as the background for his announcement that he will, indeed, reinforce our troops in Afghanistan. He’ll do it with fewer troops than the commander requested, and he’s doing it much later that the commander requested, but President Obama says that his speech announcing his decision will pull all of America together behind this mission. Somehow, I doubt that he will succeed. br /br /The enemy has spent these past few months resting, training, and re-equipping. They’re about ready now for the winter offensive season. To be truly decisive we should have been hitting them for the past couple of months. That’s okay. Let’s see what the president proposes and if the reinforcements he will provide will be adequate. Just maybe he is willing to pay the price to win in Afghanistan. I sure hope so.
Happy Thanksgiving
November 26th, 2009Despite all the problems on the earth at this time and all the problems in the US at this time, we Americans still have much to be thankful for. We still live in the nation on this earth that provides the most freedoms and rights to its citizens–more than any other nation in the history of this world. Let us take this day to count and be thankful for our blessings–while re recommit to continue to fight to protect our rights and freedom.
Obama’s Afghanistan Plan
November 25th, 2009President Obama said Tuesday he intends to “finish the job” in Afghanistan on his watch and destroy terrorist networks there. The president said he would reveal his decision on how many additional troops to deploy to Afghanistan after Thanksgiving.br /Military observers have been expecting Obama to deploy an eventual 32,000 to 35,000 US forces to the 8-year-old conflict. Well, that will surely “finish the job”—not! While the president has been contemplating the Taliban have been preparing for the winter offensive season—to beat them soon we should have been attacking them in their camps for the past several months, as our commander, General MacCrystal, proposed—who, by the way, said the minimum number of additional troops needed was closer to 45,000. The Pentagon has already said that we’ll be trickling these forces into country. The way to make an impact is to introduce them quickly. Will that be a challenge? Yes! But do we want to “finish the job” or just work comfortably. More pure politics here.
The MRAP All Terrain Vehicle
November 24th, 2009The MRAP-All Terrain Vehicle, a tougher, more rugged vehicle is now be seen on the roads in Afghanistan. Designed for small unit combat ops, the M-ATV features a V-shaped hull that helps deflect roadside-bomb explosions away from its crew. The vehicle’s design also delivers more comfort to the crew, as well as safety from different blast angles. Sporting an extended wheel base, the M-ATV keeps its crew a safe distance away from pressure plate IEDs, many of which are designed to detonate when tires roll over them.The M-ATV is not only mine, ballistic and IED resistant, it can roll through the desert without all the bumps encountered with the humvee. Most soldiers will welcome the comfort, but many will also be excited about the power. Sporting a 7.2-liter diesel engine, the M-ATV can reach 30 miles per hour in less than 11 seconds, despite weighing more than 25,000 pounds. The vehicle also tackles terrain at speeds the humvee could not, even when going up steep inclines. Another step forward in protecting our troops.
