Jr. to drive for the National Guard next season

Jr. has left his Mother's race team and has turned in his #8 Budweiser car. Good luck next year.

You know you are in the best part of the world when...

You look out your back window and see the soybeans being harvested. Ahhh!

I love the Midwest. I can be at O'Hare International or Woodfield Mall in under an hour, or I can be at something like this. We have it all within easy reach.

So, how was the "laser" eye correction?

Thank God for two things: My wife and Tylenol III (w/codeine). But seriously, once all the discomfort and blinkiness goes, I am going to enjoy life without glasses. In three weeks, I'll be on the range with the M-4 carbine and M-9 pistol. Then we shall really see how I shape up!

PRK or a bit of the old ultra-violence?

I sure hope to hear a little of the Ludwig van, whilst my eyes are getting a good tolchocking...

Actually I am getting some corrective work (PRK) done on my eyes. I hear they use this thing I like to call a "laser"...

All the better to see the Iraqis, my dear.

Gratutitous Softball/PC Question of the Day

From an interview of a fairly high ranking executive. NOTE: I am going to "X" out the name of the person and "Y" out the division the excutive manages.

"X", you pride yourself on the multicultural diversity of your team. Why is that so important to you? And how does it influence the work your team does?

In "Y" we have ambitious goals. We want to be the benchmark in "Y" industry, and outperform the industry. I strongly believe we can only achieve this if we have a diverse group of people possessing the right competencies working together towards this goal. Each member of my team brings with him or her a unique set of skills and experience, a unique personality and strengths. I see my role as being the facilitator and coach that helps my team to work together well, achieve a top performance and at the same time enjoy what they do.

Eugh! Something that squishy needs to be put in a Tupperware container for it's own good.

I have not forgotten how to love the Bomb!!!!

Duck and Cover click here

Seems the Air Force had misplaced a few bombs the other day. I wonder if this is our strategic reply to the Russians duct tapping a few old Bear aircraft to scare the Euro trash.....

Attention, Inner Prop.

Report here.

Rugby World Cup time. Defending champion England gets the crap kicked out of it by the South Africans (or is that S'th Effrikans - I can't do that accent very well.)

Oh, and Portugal 13, New Zealand 108?! OK boys, I think you can slow down, you just might have scored enough...

I wish I could have seen the Wales - Australia match (Oz wins 32-20). Last World Cup, Wales was awfully fun to watch.

Oh, and Ireland? You had best start thinking about playing better (no offense, Georgia).

An odd billboard

As I drove to my armory in Chicago, I noticed a billboard from the local "progressive" radio station, 850AM WCPT (no link, they don't deserve the traffic).

It read "Surge Protection!" and their call letters, AM number and some remark about being progressive.

Surge Protection? That is fairly tone deaf, isn't it? Your nation's Armed Forces are conducting a push commonly referred to as "the Surge" to defeat people who blow up children, heck, anybody they can. They are also uite explicit about wanting to impose a 8th Century theocracy...and a "progressive" radio station advertises itself as "Surge Protection"?

Huh?

I mean, for years they have had billboards along I-90 berating the President - OK, whatever they want to pay for. But "Surge Protection"...?

News of Afghanistan Prop Attempt 3

I wanted to put a map up today because this story is about a bridge between Tajikistan (green circle) and Afghanistan. I'm pretty sure most folks start by saying, "Now, where the heck is Tajikistan?" I couldn't remember off the top of my head.

Anyway, more infrastructure and more betterness.

I've been wondering why you don't hear about more allegations like this. I knew all about Pakistan being ineffective if not down right obstructionist in dealing with the Taliban, but why not Iran, just a neighbor on the other side.

This has a nifty video with a worrying message. It's about Helmand provence (red circle on map). One thing I do want to point out is how green it is. Forget that whole "Big Sandbox" idea.

Let's all try to encourage Japan and Germany to help the best and the most they can.

Unfortunately rumors of his death were greatly exagerated.

The LA Times says there is still a chance for Afghanistan to turn out to be the great success that it should. I'm reminded that our current President said that the US military is not a nation building force. Of course it isn't, so let's roll out our other formidable skills and resources.

"Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics."

I think General of the Army Omar Bradley said that last one. I KNOW he said this: "Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave."

Never Again (?)

After the Holocaust in Europe ended in 1945, the phrase "never again" took on a special meaning. We now knew what evil could happen when people stood by and did nothing.

But as the years slipped by and the world saw it happen again

And again

And yet again

We even got a little sample of it ourselves, here in the US. Six years ago today.

I don't care whether you are a bigot that thinks those "rag heads" or Muslims can't ever stop killing each other, or a sneering political opportunist who cynically chants "no blood for oil" or "This is Bush's War, dreamed up on a ranch in Texas." You are, in effect, saying "Never again? Who cares - 'again' isn't my problem."

It is a problem to me. I have brushed up against the edges of genocide before. I am about to go do a small thing. Help train the Iraqi Army to prevent "again" - whether internally or externally caused. It is a small thing I do, but there are 160,000 others joining me. Together we can add up to "Never Again".

While I serve, while I am able to do anything about it, I say NEVER AGAIN.

News of Afghanistan

I am really pressed for time today and I'm really new at this, so please have patience. On top of all that I don't have any tea!

The presidential debate coming up is taking video questions through YouTube. I think Major John should submit one.

Don't forget the Rugby World Cup is starting today. Hmm, I wonder who Major John is rooting for? Anyway, this is about that Other "football."

August was a very bad month, the worst in fact, so let's hope that September is better.

I say, give these guys what they want. They're doing God's work.

More bad news. Schools in Afghanistan as SCHEDULED to open on 10 Sep 07. Let us hope they can.

US military can't do it alone? Of course not. That's why we have a coalition, to start with. That's also why good folks like you read things like this. It takes a village to rear a child, what does it take to raise a country?

Okay, maybe the Canooks are looking at non-military help. Just so they don't pull out of the effort to help.

Thanks Italy, and good luck in the Rugby World Cup.

News of Iraq - Building the Army

Welcome to the new feature. I will address an aspect of Iraq each week, as I am able (net access and all...).

First up, and the subject I have the most interest (self-interest, no doubt) in:

How long to make an NCO Corps?

Once, talks like this would not necessarily have included the ISF.

How is the Iraqi Army organized?

A little history on the New Iraqi Army.


Good sources of information and discussion:

Small Wars Journal is here.

Strategy Page is here.

A Late Rugby Report

The Prop has been itching for this one... we were at dear alma mater (sorry for the lack of notice, Prairie Biker and Gail - it was touch and go with my mobilization prep) for the annual Old Boy's rugby weekend. Last year the student team gave us oldsters everything we could handle, and more. This year, we put a stop to that nonsense.

The Prop was berzerk like always. That is him going into the scrum head already down like a bull ready to charge...

I managed to play some defense - which is always hard when it involves chasing people half your age... I caught one kid for a saving tackle and I think he felt some shame at being run down by a 41 year old, 240lbs second row. That and a little pain, heh heh.

One fun part was our mutual friend tackling a youngster right into the cheap, temporary goalposts and promptly destroying them:

That's me celebrating the moment, BTW.

Can Brian De Palma not make a movie without US Soldiers raping somebody???

Why do I think I see the next Oscar Nominee? I am really surprised to see it doing so well at the Venice Film Fest ha, ha. This will be an easy sell next march. Back in 89 he made " Casualties of War" about stereotyped US troops in Vietnam raping a village girl. Out of all the true stories to tell about the violence in Iraq, he picks the rape and murder of a young girl and her family by some troops who are facing life in prison. Can just one film maker create a film about the endless violence and killing of innocents by our enemies? That may get them killed like Theo van Gogh in Holland. That would be an act of real courage and may upset their jet set leftist freinds. They revel in there liberal self hatred. Our Army is a reflection of the society from which it comes. Individuals do acts of evil, and they will be punished. These individual acts are not a reflection of what we do there day in day out. Most of the killing is done by Muslims murdering their own for profit and political gain.

Brian D said: "I was forced to fictionalize things that were actually real" WTF?

Update

Uh, it seems that people are under the impression that I am going to be in Iraq shortly. Not so - We have not finished what we need to do at our home station first, then we will go to Ft. Riley to finish our training. You are stuck with me for a little while longer...