Why are members of Congress listening to idiots like Mike Yon?

I have been largely silent on the recent topic in the news about arming MEDEVACS and removing the red crosses painted on them. This all started with a self-loving douche named Mike Yon.

Let me be clear, Mike Yon was in the Army. He was in Special Forces for a short-time period. Actually his time in the Army was short. He also killed a man in bar-fight right after earning his Green Beret. Good for him for his short service, at least it was service. Shame on him for bringing embarrassment to the Army for killing a civilian in a bar-fight. He never served in combat, but that is ok. There are many that have never served in combat.

So lets look at these credentials. He knows good military training, from back in the day. He also knows how to take another person’s life, granted not for good or justifiable reasons.

He has also been dis-embedded from multiple units in Afghanistan and is pretty much not being allowed back into country now to embed with anyone. It could be because he crosses over to what could be considered as unethical stories. He has been accused of violating operational security. He has also lashed out at any military command that does not allow him to embed (he did this with the Navy after the Japan disaster and the Army multiple times).

But like I said at least he has served. He belongs to a long list of great people that have served this country. However serving does not make you above the law, or perfect, or right in every situation. Just ask Lynddie England, Timothy McViegh, or Bradley Manning. They all have served in the Army. Does that make them great people that deserve respect regardless of what they have done? I think not.

Anyway, for some reason Mike Yon who has never served in combat, but has embedded with many military units in combat is now a subject matter expert on the use of MEDEVACS and how they are marked and what their mission is in combat. I have never played professional football but I have been to many games and have hours playing EA’s Madden football game on my computer and Xbox. That does not make me subject matter expert on how to play or what it is like or what plays to call. Just an analogy there on how stupid it is for anyone to listen to Mike Yon and his full-of-shit opinion about strategy and doctrine. He is nothing more than an arm-chair general who thinks he is in the “know” and is so full of himself that if he could get through life with making love to himself, I think he would. Continue reading →

We aren’t the only ones

Unfortunettly it appears we in the USA are not the only ones who try to wrongfully prosecute our warriors for not being PC and kind to our enemies on the battlefield (i.e. Allen West, Haditha Marines, etc.). It looks like the Brits also try to ruibn the careers and lives of their warriors too.

The bottom line is our combat zones have way to many lawyers on them and not enough trigger-pullers.

A paratrooper is facing trial for punching an escaping Taliban member.

The case, which is estimated to cost the taxpayer 250,000 pounds, is continuing even though there are no formal witnesses.

British military prosecutors admit that the captive, Ahmed Wali, has provided ‘unreliable’ evidence, The Daily Mail reports.

But the Service Prosecuting Authority has refused to drop the case and charged CplC with the assault. He is due to appear at a court martial later this month.

His legal team had moved the high court for seeking a judicial review of the decision to prosecute him.

His name is being kept secret because he served alongside special forces.

Cpl C was a qualified tactical questioner when the incident occurred in March 2010.

He admitted that he punched Wali when insurgents were firing at the compound and laying down IEDs.

Cpl C’s friends criticised the decision to prosecute him as ‘absurd’.

“He is a young British paratrooper who has risked his life and was doing his duty. There is no other point of this prosecution than political correctness. He should be seen as a hero, not facing the prospect of his good name being left in tatters,” his friend said.(ANI)

Iraq is flapping their gums

Iraq will take legal action to ensure justice for the families of 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians killed in a U.S. raid in Haditha seven years ago, a government spokesman said Thursday, after the lone U.S. Marine convicted in the killings reached a deal to escape jail time.

Really, REALLY? What exactly are they going to do? Not a damn thing. This is all some eye-wash and hot-air by Iraqi politicians to make it look like they can do something. Sorry it didn’t turn out the way they wanted, but the facts of the case are the facts of the case. It was war, things happen in war, bad things, that is why war is hell and why it is something we don’t like to do.

Read the whole story at:

www.military.com/news/article/iraq-may-take-legal-action-over-haditha-raid.html

A cut in pay leads to murder

The Afghan soldier who gunned down nine Americans in a shooting rampage at a military compound in Kabul last April targeted and killed his U.S. mentors after they took away his wings and cut his salary nearly in half because he was unable to learn English, a longtime colleague of the killer has told FoxNews.com.
A second Afghan airman, who was wounded in the April 27 attack, says the gunman, Col. Ahmed Gul, also intended to kill Afghans who were working with the Americans at the base at Kabul Airport. And he said he fears there will be more incidents like it as the war winds down.

Read more: www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/26/exclusive-flunked-english-class-pay-cut-behind-afghans-shooting-rampage-at-us/#ixzz1kbHdWHGG

I can’t say this is much different from Americans. We hear all the time about fired disgruntled workers who go back into the workplace and gun down their managers, co-workers, etc.

What is surprising in this whole thing is that the Air Force just released their Special Investigation report into this incident and there was no mention of the cut in pay or flying status. Why would that be? It could be that none of it is true, or that it is but the Air Force for some reason is hiding that fact or did not want to make that known for some politically correct reason.

I would say that if this were true, it would be a prime motive of why COL Gul decided to murder. I would hope that the Air Force is not trying to hide this in order to hide the fact that as we mentor and train Afghans to do their jobs and secure their own country that we would and should be holding them accountable and thereby punishing them when needed.

I don’t mean to sound all conspiracy theorist here but lets just say I have seen more than my fair share of covering up of Afghan inadequacies and shortfalls by US military and civilian leadership.

Photo Courtesy of www.bigstockphoto.com

This is why the French are considered wussies

France suspended its training operations in Afghanistan and threatened to withdraw its entire force from the country early, after an Afghan wearing an army uniform shot and killed four French troops Friday and wounded others.

So after two of their soldiers are killed by Afghan security forces the French are ready to pack it in and go home. Are they that shallow and weak that it only takes that to get them to quit? No wonder they got rolled over by the Nazis so quickly.

Now I bet if Afghanistan had their oil like Libya did they would be willing to stick around a little bit longer.

These are the same allies that when they are in trouble that they come begging to us to help them out. We need to learn when to say NO!

2012 units going to Afghanistan, including the Dog Face Soldiers of 3rd ID

I knew this was coming since the 3rd ID HQ was slated to go to Iraq in November but then was stood down after the administration could not work an extension deal. They are trained and ready to go to war and make it happen.

Besides they are led by the best Division Commander the Army has today (in my humble opinion), my very close and longtime friend MG Robert ‘Abe’ Abrams. I know Abe has a solid staff, has led by example with ethics and integrity and that he and the rest of the Dog Face Soldiers of the Rock of the Marne Division will make America Proud.

DOD Identifies Units for Upcoming Afghanistan Rotation

The Department of Defense today identified three major units to deploy as part of the upcoming rotation of forces operating in Afghanistan. The scheduled rotation will begin in Spring 2012.

This announcement involves one division headquarters totaling approximately 1,000 personnel and two brigade combat teams totaling approximately 5,800 personnel.

Headquarters units:

• 3rd Infantry Division HQ, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Brigade Combat Teams:

• 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. (to deploy as a partial BCT).

• 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

DoD will continue to announce major deployments as they are approved. For information on the respective deployments contact 3rd Infantry Division HQ, public affairs office, 912-435-9876, and the 82d Airborne Division Rear Detachment, public affairs office, 910-432-0661.

Bouhammer’s take on the Marine Video

Anyone that has watched any news this morning or been reading it online probably knows about the video that appears to show US Marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters. I say “appears” because well these guys are INNOCENT until proven guilty. All too often the same people who many in this county feel sorry for and think aren’t able to do anything but serve in the military are held to a completely different standard and aren’t afforded the same rights they fight to protect.

I agree the video looks pretty bad, but so did the bloody glove that didn’t fit. However I would hope that American and the World does not convict these guys in public opinion before they are given a fair chance in a court of military law. If they did do this act and if there are no extenuating circumstances and are found guilty, then they should be punished based on the Uniformed Code of Military Justice and not on the Media hype or Congressional babbling that may come from this. Continue reading →