Veteran's Day, 2011

To all our veterans, a heartfelt "Thank You" for your service and sacrifice. I would hope that every single citizen of this nation would stop for at least a few minutes and reflect on just what our veterans have given us.

Liberty and Freedom come at such a tremendous cost, and our vets have paid the price. The very least we can do is appreciate what they have given us and try to earn it, every single day.

Happy Birthday, United States Marine Corps

To all you Warrior brothers and sisters in arms, Happy Birthday! And thank you for your 236 years of service and sacrifice!

http://www.marines.mil/usmc/Pages/2011MarineCorpsBirthdayBall.aspx

Semper Fidelis!

Over at the Long War Journal...

Here's a great report by Bill Ardolino, embedded with the US Army in Eastern Afghanistan: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/08/us_troops_weather_ro.php US troops come under attack while searching a village in Sabari district. Bill was right there when it happened and gives us the complete account. Don't recall hearing about this (am I surprised?) anywhere else. Six troopers were wounded, but they will be okay. Thank you for your work, Bill!

A Great Training Day...

Today was Session 5, 6 and 7 of the Patrol Rifle Operator's Course. Ten students present, one dropped with equipment failure but everybody else hung in there and did a great job. Today's training included shooting under stress, shooting with gas masks on, combat courses of fire and teams conducting bounding overwatch to an FFP. Some vehicle assault training was included as well.

The group really came together during the day.. working together, shooting, moving and communicating. All in all a very successful day.

Kudos guys (and gal)! One more class to go to complete the course. Simunition and scenarios involved, of course!

Raccoons in the Wire!

So there I was in the wee hours this morning, catching up on some reading when I heard a ruckus outside on the front deck... growling, crashing around, lots of not good sounding noises. I looked out the window in time to see a raccoon having his butt thoroughly thrashed by my grandaughter's calico cat, Juliet.

Now, mind you, Juliet is an older cat. We adopted her when she was already an adult, and that was ten plus years ago. This cat hates to get her toes wet walking across the lawn.. but there was Miss Dainty-Toes, putting some whoop-ass on a raccoon that outweighed her by at least a dozen pounds.

The 'coons come in at night to help themselves to the outside cat food. Oh, but you might ask... where were the watch dogs? Sleeping, as usual....

So while I'm watching this, thinking I'm going to have to intervene to keep this silly old cat from getting killed, with a lot of nasty cat language Juliet knocks the raccoon off the railing. (I think the growling translated to something like: "Not my bowl, Beotch!") She's now placed herself between the 'coon and her food bowl. My last view of the raccoon is him hanging on the railing by his front paws as she reaches down and smacks him again, knocking him loose. The raccoon hits the ground and runs off into the darkness.

I love that old cat!

My Heart Hurts...

for the families, friends and brothers-in-arms of all those on board the Chinook that went down in Wardak Province, Afghanistan. Been sending up thoughts and prayers all day, especially for those in the NSW community.

Godspeed, Brothers!

Training, training... more training...

I'm not complaining... it's what I do. I enjoy it thoroughly, but sometimes certain aspects of it can wear one down.

Came Across This the Other Day...

One of my favorite motivational posters!

Memorial Day 2011

To all of you, you who have made the ultimate sacrifice,
Thank You. We remember.

The Psalms

23

1 The LORD is my shepard; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod
and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table in the presence of mine enemies:

thou annoitest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

If you haven't been there yet, get on over to Blackfive. They've got some Memorial Day motivational military posters that will make your eyes get wet.

5.01.11 We got him!

UBL is dead. Finally. OutFreakinStanding! And by "we", I mean the United States of America. Specifically, Seal Team Six with some help from the 160th SOAR Nightstalkers and probably a whole bunch of other folks behind the scenes. "Thank you" does not seem like nearly enough to say, but Thank You all the same, all of you who made it happen, from a Brother Warrior.

And now, to the politicians and others out there who have been busy wringing their hands about us killing an unarmed terrorist, get over yourselves. Or those of you worrying about offending muslims. Really? We are at war. This war is not over simply because Bin Laden is dead. Usama Bin Laden was pure evil and needed to be destroyed. The trash needed to be taken out, and it was, thanks to our military. But this war is going to continue for a long time, and more of it will likely be fought here. Some of it already has been, but your destructive political correctness and desire to appease the islamists will not acknowledge that. Now more than ever, it's time to stand up, stand to, and be ready.