Well guys,
I have moved… With the help of my friend Marcus, I am now all set up on a new website, it will take a bit to get use to Wordpress, so please excuse the mess. If you can update your favorites to
I’ll see you there.
Thanks Blogspot for a great two years and thank you all for switching over.
Semper Fi,
Taco
Hey Guys,
I have started my journey to Camp Lejeune NC where I'll start the three weeks of training to prepare for my deployment. I have to say that the tide of the war has surely been changed forever!
Since I will be stationed with the State department, they offered me a chance to participate in a new program. If I extend my orders to 18 months, then I can take my family over with me. T and I discussed this as we were doing our Yoga this morning, and have decided to accept these new and exciting orders. We figured it would be a great educational experience for the children to say that they lived in Afghanistan.
Our soon-to-be five-year-old was very excited over the news and will be measured for her first Burka Monday at Burka's R-US in Dallas next to the Islamic world-wide education center.
The children will attend a local school near the base where T has applied to be a teacher. We're not clear if she will be able to drive or not so the taxi service might be our newest best friend.
Afghanistan will be an incredible assignment and anyone interested in visiting will always have a place to stay in our new Former Taliban palace. All I can say is that the Tea will always be on, and there will be fresh Lamb chops for dinner. I'd like to thank T for her tremendous support in this decision!!
Look forward to hearing from you all soon and an early Happy April's Fool Day too!
Semper Fi,
Taco
PS
For those who think I'm serious, this is a joke!!!
You know, I’m tired of hearing people talk about the “Iraq War.” When you think about it, we aren’t at war in Iraq. As my Uncle Bruce pointed out, we are in the “Reconstruction of Iraq” right now. The last I heard, we won the war; hell, we kicked the Iraqi’s military back in ’91 and again in ’03. Right now we are helping them rebuild their country in addition to improving their security.
Think about it; we dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, firebombed their cities to dust, and then went in there and rebuilt their country as well. While we are on the subject of a “Do-over,” how about Germany? Man, we bombed the living hell out of their country as well, and look at the modern cities they got out of it. Both Countries are doing pretty well in the grand scheme of things I must say, and all thanks to the United States since most of the European countries were flat broke after the war or leveled by the armies of both sides. We even had to fight an insurgency in Germany in the years following the end of the war.
The American Military was present during the reconstruction for years after the cessation of hostilities in 1945, and to a great extent, are still there. Funny thing is look at former Eastern Germany; it still looked very much like it did after the dark days of WWII thanks to Russia and we got to see it when the wall came crashing down in ’91. Now maybe the Russians were keeping the Germans down after getting millions of their guys killed on the Eastern Front, but somehow I think Stalin was just a flat-out, mean guy, who then turned around and killed millions of his own people in the years that followed VE day. So the last thing he wanted to do was rebuild the country that kicked his behind.
With all this said, let’s no longer call it “The War in Iraq,” but call it what it really is, “The Reconstruction of Iraq” since we are building schools, hospitals, and the things that they need to live. Then, when all the protesters come out to march, they will be holding up signs that say “Pull out of Iraq, don’t help them anymore.” Kind of funny, just by changing a few words, you change the whole prospective of what this thing really is. While we help the Iraqis, we are not really fighting Iraqis.
But we are being attacked by Muslim terrorists from other countries. So that means we are fighting a war against Muslim Terrorists. We’re at peace with the Iraqi Government; we’re just at war with Muslim terrorists. The next time someone mentions “The war in Iraq,” stop him or her right away and say, “We’re not at war in Iraq, we’re rebuilding it.” They will come back with that we are fighting over there. That’s correct, our troops are fighting terrorists, but so are about thirty other countries too. If you start going around the world, country by country, you’ll see that most are having problems with Muslim terrorist too, so that makes it a “World-wide War on Terror.” But as to a War in Iraq, we’re at peace and working with the Iraqi Government, so I’d say that we’re rebuilding it.”
Now if enough people started saying this and the cable talk shows and radio shows began calling it what it is, then I think folks’ perspective would change as to what we truly are doing there.
So all together now “It’s not a war in Iraq, it’s a reconstruction of Iraq.” Semantics…that’s all.
Semper Fi,
Taco
Dear Family and Friends:
In a short time I will begin my journey out of Iraq to Kuwait and back home to the United States and my family. First and foremost, I am grateful for having had this opportunity to serve the Corps once again and to have been here during a critical phase of the American military experience in Iraq.
My unique job here provided me with a chance to live and observe Marines at the small unit level and it afforded me unfettered access to a variety of units and operations in Iraq that only a few outside those units ever see and experience. The other day I quickly tallied the cumulative distance I have flown in helicopters crisscrossing Anbar Province and they add up to somewhere over three thousand miles. Add to that number the few hundred miles on the roads in tactical convoys and mounted patrols and the innumerablevisits to Combat Outposts, Joint Security Stations, Patrol Bases, and Forward Operating Bases and you begin to get some limited sense of myodyssey.
There are many memories I will take with me, most of them positive, a few sobering, and some dispiriting. Several of my thoughts and impressions of Iraq, like the war itself, remain unresolved. To fully capture the experiences I have had here would be beyond the scope of this email, so I will try to convey my perspectives with regards to the situation here, a blend of fatalism, pessimism, and optimism.
Many back home say that the United States should not have gone to war in Iraq in 2003. This is the one position I have agreed with since before the war began, because as a student of history and a military man, I found it strategically unwise to open up a distinctly different front while we were engaged in Afghanistan. That strategic decision exposed how ill prepared we were for the sort of war we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, a type of war that requires a different military mindset and significant non-military expertise and resources. We have spent the better part of the last five years trying to make up for those deficiencies and to a great extent we have succeeded when it comes to military training, tactics, and techniques.
However, much work remains to be done with respect to the resources dedicated to the non-military side. For now, the task at hand is to find a militarily sound, politically reasonable, and cost effective means to help the Iraqis maintain security and stability, foster economic growth, and reform their institutions of government. It is reasonable to ask, "Are we and the Iraqis making meaningful progress?" Based on what I have seen and heard, from the walks through Iraqi towns and talks while drinking tea in people's homes to the briefings I have listened to, I would have to say yes, we are making progress. But much of that progress is occurring on more of an Iraqi timeline and in the context of what is feasible for Iraqis, not what we Americans expect or desire.
Some suggest that we ought to simply withdraw and that act, in and of itself, will get the Iraqis moving toward resolving many of their outstanding issues. Well, we are withdrawing to a limited and prudent extent and the Iraqis are aware that our presence will decrease in the coming year. In some ways, their leaders are probably more anxious than we are about our Presidential election. They know that as we reduce our presence, they will have to solve more problems on their own. I don't think a rapid withdrawal, as some envision it, would be prudent, because it would be destabilizing,put many Iraqis and Americans at risk unnecessarily, and jeopardize our gains at many levels.
The gradual, incremental approach we are taking with respect to security, rule of law, and governance seems the best way to effect a transition that will have a better probability of success in the long run.What is the "long run"? Well I can't predict how the future will play out, but if we want to see a viable and stable Iraq, I expect we will need an American presence, civil and military, at least until the Iraqis determine that we are not needed, which may not be for several more years.
The security agreements being negotiated now will probably allow us to remain here beyond that point, more likely for technical and logistics support and with a shallower "footprint". In the near term though, if certain conditions are met with respect to security this year, I can foresee a further reduction in the American military presence by the end of 2008 and possible further reductions in forces in 2009. Five years into this war, many Americans are right to ask "What have America's resources done for the average Iraqi?" who still struggles with getting clean water, adequate fuel and electricity, and confronts an unemployment rate of at least twenty five percent.
As I mentioned earlier, security has improved dramatically since this time last year. Iraqi confidence in the local police and judiciary are essential elements of the move toward a functioning society with respect for the rule of law. The slow evolution of these elements is the subject of much attention and frustration here, but there are signs of incremental progress. The credit for the decline in daily violence against Americans and Iraqis can be credited in large part to a combination of American and Iraqi courage and cooperation at the neighborhood levels in cities across Anbar, with Iraqis (mostly Sunnis in Anbar, Shiites in other provinces) informing police and the military of insurgent activities and men standing guard at checkpoints as members of armed neighborhood watch patrols.
The insurgents, for their part, are still indiscriminately attacking civilians and security forces, but with limited effectiveness. Several days ago, near a neighborhood watch post north of here, an Iraqi on watch foiled a suicide vehicle born IED by shooting the driver before he could reach the checkpoint. The car exploded short of its target, killing the driver and wounding the Iraqi sentry. His swift action prevented serious injuries and damage. But it is not just the Iraqis responsible for security who are standing up for security in their communities. Recently in Ramadi, the provincial capital, a suicide bomber entered a restaurant, but before he could detonate his explosives, the owner tackled him. The would be bomber broke free and fled on foot, pursued by Iraqi Police, who shot and killed him.
Much is made in the news of the violent and spectacular attacks that succeed, but you rarely hear of everyday Iraqis fighting against the insurgents and thwarting attacks. When will these sorts of attacks end? I suspect Iraq will experience some level of this sort of violence for years to come, but we are at the point where this sorts of sporadic violence has yet to sow widespread fear and disrupt the momentum and desire for progress.
When I think about progress here I am reminded of a foot patrol I was on a few weeks ago in Fallujah, with a squad of Marines and a team of Iraqi Police. We passed a school that had been refurbished using Iraqi labor and Marine reconstruction funds. It had reopened a month or so ago and was just letting out for the day. A cold wind spattered rain and blew trash down the street. Mothers rushed their children along to get out of the weather and our path, while the happy chatter of grade school girls dressed in colorful garb and crowding at the corner broke the drab surroundings and the silence.
As we walked by them we were greeted with shy smiles and waves from the girls and a few deadpan looks from the teenagers, who like teenagers everywhere, were trying to appear tough and unaffected. Moments like that illustrate to me that Iraq's future,the youth, may finally be experiencing a new sense of normalcy. On our patrol route down dirty alleyways and roads, we said hello to every adult and child we encountered, while the Iraqi Police handed out candy to the kids who trailed behind us or ran to greet us. Along the way, the Marines joked with some of the kids who they knew from their frequent patrols in the area. Fifteen years from now, if these same kids have grown up in a neighborhood free of the violence their parents knew,received an education, and been able to marry and find a decent job,those will be significant measures of our success.
Through it all, it is important for us to keep in mind that the Iraqis are learning what it means to govern themselves and how to hold their elected representatives accountable. Given their history and the recent attempts to reform their government and find common ground, you can imagine that much hard work and sacrifice remains. It will simply take time for Iraqis to bridge these divides while making and coordinating everyday decisions at the local, provincial, and national levels. Their list is long and daunting: expand and train the army and police, develop the expertise to establish a fair and functioning justice system that respects the rule of law, harness the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to irrigate large tracts of arable land and provide power for businesses,and deliver basic services to the people.
Those back home who expect some magical moments of self reliance and reconciliation must understand that these will not manifest themselves as moments in time or singular events, but through the cumulative ebb and flow of negotiation and compromise within a society where religion and politics are intertwined. In this environment, there are varying degrees of societal resistance to solving seemingly intractable problems, like prevalent corruption and sectarian conflict. With the gains that have been made in the past year,there is now an urgent need for Iraqi leaders to roll up their sleeves and work together to instill a sense of popular confidence in their government before their people begin to lose hope. If they can seize this moment in time, America will witness the growing legacy of a worthy sacrifice.
Semper Fidelis,
Brooks D.Tucker Major, USMCR
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Hi Gang,
I have received word via Steel Jaw Scribe about an incredible deal for one of our guys. The VP of Navy Marine Corps Relief Society said that ABC's Extreme Home Makeover program wants to assist one of our Iraq War veterans by totally renovating their home at no expense to the service member. This is an opportunity to identify a most worthy Marine or Navy family who suffered injuries in Iraq/Afghanistan/Arabian Gulf. Here is the info below, feel free to copy this or email my link to anyone you know that fits what they are looking for. Let's hook up our wounded with a new house.
Semper Fi,
Taco
SEARCHING FOR HEROIC FAMILIES
Do you know someone whose home deserves an Extreme Makeover? If so, the
producers of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition want to hear from you! Ty
Pennington and his crew have been all across the map and they are ready to drive
that infamous bus into your neighborhood.
What does it take to be picked for an Extreme Makeover?
We are in search of real heroes - people that have amazing strength and who have
put their own needs aside to help someone else. In addition to heroics, the
producers are looking for families whose homes are in dire need of help. We don’t
want to tear down a nice looking house. We want to see houses that look like they
might fall down on their own!
To be eligible: A family must own their own single family home and be able to
show producers how a makeover will make a huge difference in their lives.
Interested families should: e-mail a short description of their family story to –
castextremehome@gmail.com.
Nominations must include:
1. The names and ages of each member of the household
2. A description of the major challenges within the home.
3. Explanation of why this family is deserving, heroic, or a positive role model in
their community.
4. Photos of the family and a photo of the home
5. Don’t forget to include a contact phone number.
The deadline: for nominations is March 13, 2008. Don’t Delay!
For more information on how to apply please visit our website at:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/index?pn=apply
This was brought to my attention and it's time out from story time to help out some of our guys...
s/f
Taco
Not too long ago, Blackfive readers, joined by thousands of readers from other blogs, sent over 30,000 emails of support to Marines in Iraq. The Marines had to shut down the email address because you all were causing bandwidth issues with the support we were sending.
Now, as if the Taliban and Al Qaeda, bad weather, and lack of support here at home weren't bad enough, the New York Times has published a one-sided view of the paratroopers tour in Afghanistan.
And so now we have cause to band together again and send massive support down range. Here's why:
Even though spring hasn’t officially arrived the snow line is beginning to move up the mountains in Kunar and surrounding provinces in Afghanistan. The Taliban have already begun attacking the KOP, Firebases and Observation Points where elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team from Bamberg and Schweinfurt, Germany, and Vicenza, Italy, are deployed. Almost 4,000 Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Airborne), 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Airborne) and 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry were deployed to Kunar and surrounding provinces in Afghanistan in May 2007 for a 15 month rotation. This region of eastern Afghanistan in the Hindu Kush mountains bordering Pakistan has been designated the most dangerous place on earth for military personnel.
A Paratrooper from 2nd Platoon, Able Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), navigates a steep incline during a patrol to Omar in Kunar province in Afghanistan Jan. 11. Date Taken: January 11th, 2008. Location: Kunar province, AF. Photographer: Sgt. Brandon Aird, Joint Combat Camera Center
This winter has been particularly harsh. Many of the Soldiers are living in mud huts and tents with little or no heat, no running water, intermittent use of generators, supply drops via air to drop zones that require a hike of up to 40 minutes each way in order to retrieve the supplies, 30+ days out on missions at the firebases without showers or daily hot meals before rotating back to the KOP or Camp Blessing for hot showers, hot meals and the ability to communicate with their families and friends.
Photo courtesy of a Sky Soldier
The Sky Soldiers have trudged through up to seven feet of snow on patrols day in and day out often at altitudes of 7,000 feet and higher. Each Soldier carries between 60 and 100 pounds of gear on these patrols. They Soldier-On each day despite the loss of many friends and comrades and substantially high numbers of wounded. Untold numbers of great Americans have provided amazing amounts of support to these Soldiers during this deployment. Public, private and civic organizations have provided direct support or indirect support.
A recent article by Elizabeth Rubin in the New York Times painted one Platoon of this Brigade in a less than favorable light. The article sensationalized the facts in a negative way, which served only to cause undue stress on the Soldiers and family members. The author failed to mention successes within the Brigade such as substantial humanitarian aid (tons of food and clothes) delivered to local villages, medical care for local children and adults, road projects, clean water projects, training of Afghan National Army personnel, distribution of school supplies, etc. [Don't worry, friends, Deebow is preparing a more detailed take down of Elizabeth Rubin. Stay tuned for that.]
Historically, spring is a time of heavy fighting in this region as the terrorists and insurgents emerge from their caves after the harsh winter temperatures and snows. Let’s show these Soldiers how much support they have from home to help them through the spring and the remainder of this long and dangerous deployment.
Right now, American Paratroopers are in the fight of their lives and they need to hear that America loves them.
Please send an email of support to skysoldiers173rd@gmail.com
Or you can mail cards to:
Leta Carruth
P O Box 100
Cordova, TN 38088
Due to security reasons in Afghanistan please do not put addresses or phone numbers on any correspondence. All emails will be printed out here in the US and mailed to Afghanistan as they do not have the resources to receive a large number of emails. All letters and emails will be vetted to make sure there are no negative comments. These are letters of support, so please keep them positive and uplifting.
A Huge THANK YOU to the proponents of (and the leaders of) this effort - Tanker Babe, Chromed Curses, and Mrs. Diva!
Back in 1995, I was involved in the “Okinawa Plus Fifty Committee” with my close friend Jim Adams. Basically we were the guys who were trying to help set up the return of the WWII veterans to Okinawa, and let them face their enemy who are now our allies after all these years. Because of the press for this and my love of history, the Squadron Commanding Officer asked if I would lead a battle study of another battle…the fight for Iwo Jima. When he asked if I could take this on, my first reaction was “Does a bear piss in the woods? You betcha, Sir!”
I had spent the better part of six months digging up old Japanese caves with a couple other Marines (another story, another time) finding bones of dead soldiers and turning them into the local authorities. To find all these hidden caves, I poured over old maps of the battlefields and would take off at four am to make my way down south of Naha Okinawa, to the ridge lines where the Marines and Japs fought. This type of battlefield study discipline allowed me to put together an all day event on the island of Iwo Jima. I had a close bond with the island when I was commissioned a 2nd Lt and a retired Marine Corps Colonel from our church, James A. Michener, showed up with a big box. “Taco, now that you are a Marine, I guess I need to pass some of this from one Marine to another.” He opened up the box and out came his Mameluke Marine Officer Sword, his name down the side and authentic aged ivory handles that were yellowed from time, his uniform from the battle of Iwo Jima, and his Colt .45 that he carried there (he kept that though for home protection). He was with the fifth division when they hit the beach, and he told me about the battle. About the shells, the absolute chaos, and the screams of the wounded as he advanced, and the men he killed.
His eyes watered as he told me this story and I was a twenty-two year old at a complete loss. I had known Mr. Michener all my life, and never knew that he was a Marine much less that he had fought on Iwo. He was the scary, retired school teacher that growled at us kids for running in the building as children, and now he was entrusting me with his uniform and sword. The history of it all, his .45 took many a Japanese life during the senseless Bonsai attacks those first couple of days on the island and carried with it,some ghosts for him I think. LtCol. Michener escaped major damage during WWII and went from a 2nd Lt to Major in two years, only to be medically retired after the Korean War from injuries sustained in combat there. For the chance to visit his island for him since he was in a nursing home at the time, I was willing to spend many a night reading all the books of the battle that I could find, and memorizing all the facts that I could.
The visit to the island was a success that fall, and we promoted thirty enlisted Marines from the Squadron on top of Mt. Suribachi. That was truly a powerful moment in my life. I have to say that the next was being allowed to attend the fiftieth anniversary of the actual battle of Iwo Jima "as a good deal trip" since it was my last flight in VMGR 152 in the KC-130F while stationed on Okinawa.
We took off a week prior to the event, and loaded a ton of stuff in the back of the plane for the ceremonies that were to take place that day. I took advantage of my free time there, and set out on foot, going through many of the caves on the island. I was fully equipped with a miner’s helmet and light, water and camera. The difference of this battlefield and all others is the fact that most of the island is just as it was in 1945. The Japs aren’t big on exploring, and there hasn’t been much of an American presence there all these years. I found all sorts of stuff while on the island, of course we left it where we found it to honor the dead, but it was still amazing. The caves were wide enough for two men to walk shoulder to shoulder in and the temperature was well over a hundred degrees because of the geo thermal activity on the island. It was hard to imagine what the Japanese Soldiers endured as we bombed the living hell out of the island. They had carved out sleeping beds in the walls for the Soldiers to crawl into or to put the wounded. It was incredible to walk for what seemed like miles through these caves. While we were there, they had discovered a medical cave by accident with thirty mummified Japanese Soldiers who all wrote letters home to their families knowing that they wouldn’t live since the entrance was caved in. I wondered if this was the basis of Clint Eastwood’s movie “Letters from Iwo Jima.” 
When the vets of Iwo arrived, they flew in old Continental Micronesia airlines 727’s to the Island. All the Marines on the Island formed a Congo reception in front of the hangers as the vets formed a single line and shook all of our hands. One of them said “yep, fifty years and we still have to wait around in a line, nothing changes much in the Corps.” I ended up with a bruise on my right hand after being crushed by 700 vets still firm grips. The reactions were varied, many cried, lots of somber faces, and lots of guys that were happy to see old friends. They all had to turn in their passports to the Japanese officials in the hanger to get a stamp which got a lot of old emotions stirring, not a good thing after all these years, and after that it was off to the races. We loaded the vets in trucks and took them down to the invasion beach for a big ceremony. All of them carried jars to collect some volcanic sand, and took a million pictures. That happened to also be the day that General Krulack took office as the 31st commandant of the Marine Corps, and what a mess that caused. They closed off Mt. Suribachi for this event for two hours, and that made some of the old timers ready to storm the mountain again.
I guess the most touching thing that happened to me was while driving back to the airstrip. I took the long way around the North part of the island to see the concrete ships that were still beached along the shoreline. We found this eighty-plus-year-old man walking by himself along the road (a big no-no for them in case they died and we couldn't find them). We pulled up in our jeep and I said, “Sir, are you OK? You are a long way from the beaten trail and it’s pretty hot out here.” He looked over at me and replied, “Skipper, I was stuck in a foxhole very near here for two days with my best friend, surrounded by Japs. We couldn’t get out. I’m just trying to find it again and leave this for my friend. He died that first night, and I fought to make sure that I got his body out, and buried proper like.” He had a little cross with his friends name in it. I agreed to drive him, and help him find the hole if he would come with us and drink some water. He described the tree trunk that was on the south end of the fox hole that was actually a bomb crater hole. You know, it’s been fifty years, and I didn’t think he would find it again. At least the chances were very slim, but by God, he told us to stop the jeep at a certain point. We started walking out in this one area and about two hundred yards off the road we found his pit with the tree trunk still showing signs of massive bullet barrages. He placed the cross in the hole next to the tree and wept. We had to help him back to the jeep after that, most of his energy sapped as we drove him back to the hangers on the airfield.
Charles Lindberg and his wife'95
Before the trip out to the Island, I went to the Intel weenies and asked for the largest chart of Iwo Jima that they had, and then had it laminated. That evening, all the vets were in the hanger for the speeches and dinner. The Japs about caused the second invasion of Iwo when we found out that all the passports were just dumped into several boxes, not sorted by plane or anything. So they had to line all the vets around this very large hanger, get to the head table and call out a name. “Bob Smith” followed by thirty Marines scouring a table with passports looking for this individual. The blunder by the Japs, turned into my advantage as I approached each vet with poster in hand and said “Sir, I’d be honored if you would sign my poster.” They all wanted to put their name where they were wounded, but I talked them into signing right down from top to bottom.
I had the honor of meeting Charles W Lindberg, the last of the original flag raisers from that fateful day Feb 23rd 1943, who recently passed away. He and his wife were there, and the nicest folks you ever had the chance to meet. He handed me his card and said, “Captain Bell, if you ever make it to St. Paul MN, please look me up.” I never thought I’d see him again but as it turns out, I flew up there all the time for the Marines while on recruiting duty in Kansas City MO, and took him flying one cold day. I was even able to visit them while on layovers during my time up there with my airline since they lived about ten minutes from the airport. His house was full of paintings and pictures of the battle, and he’d show them all to you. It was always humbling, and an honor to be in his presence along with all those men I met that day in 1995 on Iwo Jima. I have to say that there won’t be a day that goes by that my children won’t pay honor to these men as I have that poster hanging in my office, and one day it will go to the Marine Museum in Quantico.
So on this day, during the heat of the battle so many years ago, let us all take a minute to pay tribute to the greatest generation of Americans to ever live. For with everyday that passes we lose another vet to age who now guard the gates of heaven.
Semper Fi to you all!!
LtCol Bell
Why we fight…Over there; anywhere. These are questions that went through my mind as I read Joe Foss’s book, A Proud American, to get a feel for my new job as a speaker for the Joe Foss Institute. It’s a great job, for you are paid $5,000.00 per day plus expenses (just kidding, it’s all volunteer) to go into schools and talk about the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.
It’s a program set up by General Foss’s family to help students hear from Military Veterans about why we live in such a great country. Think about it, most people depending on the depth of their school’s curriculum, have never read or studied these great words that make up the fabric of our freedom. I had to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution when I was in Fifth Grade and still know it by heart. Actually, I have a secret to share; I sang it from the old “School House Rock” song that I watched on Saturday morning cartoons back in the early seventies. Of course, at Blue Ridge School, the boarding school where I went to high school in the mountains of Virginia, we had to study Government, and that included all aspects of this monumental document. Well, I’m saddened to say that most people tend to forget the purpose of our country, and what it stands for.
I started out my class (talked for six periods) with a brief introduction about General Foss; then jumped into the actual heart of the subject--the Constitution. As with every member of our Armed Forces, we took an oath that says we will “Support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Nowhere in that oath do we say we will only support the President or Congress. We support the actual document itself.
I began to tell them of things I had seen around the world and how they related to our rights. First of all, can you imagine what would happen to you if you protested the Government of China in public? Of Course, they weren’t even born when the Tiananmen Square protest happened back in 1989. I explained that the Chinese Government sent tanks to run over the folks who protested. We are given the right to free speech and to peaceably assemble if we please. They could stand on the street corner on a soapbox and read from the Bible or badmouth the policies of our Government, if they so choose. These are rights provided to us in the First Amendment, but, of course, if you stand up to your mom and dad and try to mouth off and claim your rights under the first Amendment, you might get the back of their hand since you still live under their house.
Then I told them of my cousin in Australia, and how he has a problem with the local Kookaburra birds in his back yard. I asked why he didn’t go down to the store, buy a pellet gun and take care of the pests? He told me that once, a long time ago, folks were armed in Australia, but one day they told everyone they had to register their weapons. Not to be against the new policy, everyone did as they were told. Then they returned later and collected everyone’s guns. Now only the bad guys have guns in Australia and most every other country in the world that has taken weapons away from their citizens. Our Second Amendment gives us the right to have a well-regulated Militia and the right of the people to keep and bear arms. I am a firm believer in this right and carry a weapon every time I leave my house. Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it I always say when the friendly guy in the Wal-Mart parking lot is trying to carjack me.
I skipped over the third Amendment, for that was more aimed at British Soldiers taking over colonist homes, but the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments, man you’d think I was letting them in on a big secret when I told them they didn’t have to talk to the police at all if brought in for questioning and could ask for a lawyer. Oh by the way, if you are tried, you can expect a somewhat speedy trial and one by your peers. If you live in, oh say, Saudi Arabia or about 95% of any other strict Islamic country and a young girl has premarital sex, well they would haul her out in the street and stone her to death. I guess you could say that was a speedy trial in one sense. How about the Turkish Private, who stole a case of Budweiser beer from the Marines back in ‘92. His commander hauled him out and chopped off his hand in front of everyone as an example. See, they poop down a hole and wipe with their hand. No paper. Actually, come to think of it, they do this in most 3rd world countries like the Middle East, so if you are a thief and get caught, I’d say you have a 50/50 chance of reforming your ways or wiping and eating will get real tough. When I used examples like this, I think they started to see that how good we have it in America.
Think about it, we have a black man running for President of the United States. Not only that, but a woman. These things wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t have the Thirteenth and the Nineteenth Amendments in there as well.
After giving them a short history on our Constitution, I then told them why I came back into the Marine Corps. September 11th, losing my friend Mike Horrocks the co-pilot on United 175, taking all the young Marines and Soldiers home from the war on my jet, and all of my Marine buddies mobilized to fight over in the middle east. I believe in this war, because right, wrong or indifferent to the situation out there; we are fighting because we believe in our rights that our founding fathers wrote down almost 232 years ago. The rest of the world hates us for what we stand for. I’m sure they laugh at the Code Pink idiots too but guess what; they have the privilege to be idiots because we ensure those rights as a member of the military and that makes me VERY proud.
Maybe that is why I have decided to go back for a second tour, this time in Afghanistan, because I believe in our rights as a citizen of the United States. If you feel the way I do and you are a veteran, then I encourage you to visit the Joss Foss Institute website www.jfiweb.org and sign up to be a speaker, so that young kids will be enlighten as to how great this country truly is and who makes it that way!!
Semper Fi,
Taco
Gang-
Things have been going great here in Iraq. Internet is bad but tonight a huge sand storm has hit and BOOOOYA, internet is up and everyone is emailing away. A little action in our area but all has been great. Life is getting better a day ata time. Mail.......well is ok, once or twice maybe a week. The guys got your packages and think you all are angels. We smell. I will send Marty a post update at www. anysoldier.com after this for those not on the OMV hitlist. A few smart guys figured out who I am and now see how the AS web site is soo good for morale.Letters seem to sneak through and Ive given them to warriors without mail. VTines day was grreat as I played mail man for these guys. It made their day. We worked with a German Shepard Military Working Dog today.....he bit a Marine. We told the Marine, dont play or bother Satan..........nice doggy, nice pooch munch, bark ,bite, munch, drool.....the Marine didnt listen. I think I saw Satan smile. Ive never seen a dog move that fast. It was a blur of fur and blood and Marine trying to get away from Satan. I really didnt know if I should laugh or cut his arm off for him. Ya, good idea, get the furocious animal mad at ya....your on your own buddy and you look like a steak!!!! Meanwhile I'm staying perfectly still.
I cant see across thee street as I'm sure the hords of locus are comming next as the sand storm rolls in.......for the past couple days. Is it bad when you breath in and you have dirt on your teeth? If the girls could see us now! epeto the mouse in my room has escaped! Be on the look out for a four legged mouse with my knife! I thought I caught him and began the interrigation process about his regieme and overall plan to continue to invade my mattress and I go get a bottle of water and Booya, he is gone. I knew I should have used handcuffs. Until next sand storm when I can get on the all mighty internet, stay safe and dont pet starnge dogs!
BELOW IS AN ARTICLE I WOULD LIKE TO POST ON MY BLOG, BUT,NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO INTERNET SERVICE LONG ENEOUGH TO DOIT. SO HERE YOU GO!
Years of U.S. intel work are paying off, as more and more senior terrorist leaders are being identified, and found. This has caused most of the al Qaeda leader ships to flee the country, taking their cash with them. The U.S. is putting additional pressure on Syria to give up terrorists who flee in that direction. The Iraqi Sunni Arab terrorists groups, who comprise over 90 percent of the people fighting the government, and making attacks on U.S. troops, are also in big trouble. The leaders of these groups are hoping for some kind of amnesty before they get caught. Capture can be delayed for a while by bribing the local police and army units. Meanwhile, the terrorists are suffering a severe cash flow problem. The al Qaeda contributions are gone, and most of the money coming from foreigners has dried up. The Iraqi “resistance” is seen as broken, and no one wants to support a lost cause. Being on the run has made it difficult to organize the roadside bomb teams. The use of these weapons has declined so much (over 90 percent in some areas) that U.S. commanders fear their troops are starting to get sloppy, after being on the streets for weeks without encountering a single IED.
Meanwhile, the parliament is fighting it out over how much amnesty to give the Sunni Arab terrorists. The U.S. is pushing for more, many radical Shia groups demand a mass roundup of suspected Sunni Arab terrorists and Saddam era enforcers. While the Iraqi politicians may be corrupt, they do have to listen to their constituents, and most of these voters want Sunni Arab blood. The parliament finally passed laws meant to bring the Sunni Arabs back into the family. But the bad feelings will last generations, and will explode into murders and lurid stories (of past atrocities) in the next few years.
The corruption that is so characteristic of Iraq, works against the terrorists as well. Iraqi media is full of stories of former terrorists complaining of betrayal and cheating by their fellow killers. It’s always been about money, and the police and army have been able to disrupt a lot of the criminal activity (theft, extortion, kidnapping) that the terror groups used to fund the terrorism. It was often difficult to determine if some guys were gangsters moonlighting as Islamic terrorists, or the other way around. The reputation for being an Islamic terrorist was useful, as it tagged you as a real badass. But in the last year, it too often tagged you as one of the usual suspects for the increasingly efficient police and army commands. Most holy warriors have decided that terrorism is too dangerous. Those that could, just became full time crooks, other went straight, and some joined over a million other Sunni Arabs and fled the country. The remaining terrorists have concentrated their attacks on Sunni Arab leaders, especially those who recently supported terrorism. Thus the suicide bombs are still killing civilians, but wealthier and more powerful ones.
Speaking of corruption, Russia has forgiven $12 billion in debt, for weapons and military equipment bought by Saddam, in return for the government recognizing oil field development contracts signed by Saddam in the months before he was overthrown. This gives Russian companies entry to the lucrative Persian Gulf oil business. The Russians have no qualms about bribery and paying off government officials. That makes them popular in Iraq. The corruption if often quite macabre. For example, the investigation of a recent suicide bombing, using two mentally ill girls as unknowing bombers, led to a mental hospital. The director of the hospital took bribes to allow the terrorists to go through patient records, to find women who could be used for suicide bombing attacks (women are less likely to be searched, or even suspected.)
There are still thousands of Sunni Arab terrorists in action, and nearly as many Shia Arab bad guys waiting for their chance to resume killing Sunni Arabs. The U.S. wants to round up as many of these guys, especially the leaders and technical experts, as possible, while the entire terrorism infrastructure is in disarray. Strategy.com
A tale of two Captains…
I guess you could say that it all started over a beer at the Camp Foster O’Club in Okinawa sometime in late October of 1994. My buddy, Ken Briggs, was eating his special Texas popcorn, VERY salty and slathered with Tabasco sauce, but the heat was offset always by a cold Heineken beer. He was hunched over a copy of Pacific Stars and Stripes and yelling to no one in particular about the lousy letters to the editor as I approached and took my stool next to him.
Lately, the editor’s page were filled with peeved wives who were either married to an Officer or Enlisted service member on the Island and had nothing better to do then complain about one another. At first it was kind of funny as we perused the daily banter back and forth, but, after awhile, it got old. Ken reminded me of Robert Duvall from the “Great Santini” as he yelled aloud with each new letter.
This was also about the time that serial killer Jeffery Dahmer was murdered in prison. Do you remember the “whack” job guilty of killing all those young men in Wisconsin? We only had one news channel at the time so the coverage was spotty at best. But there was a general consensus that it was a good thing he was dead. Ken listened to the conversation at the bar that night among all the young Officers, and then took off for his BOQ room spewing madness about Dahmer’s death. The next day I received an email from him that had me laughing so hard that I spit my diet coke out my nose (that hurts by the way!) I replied that Ken should send this letter off to the editor of the Stars and Strips and maybe it would break up the chain of tired old bitchy wives who dominated that section. We went to lunch and discussed his letter to great length. Should he use his real name? Hell no! So we settled on a pen name for him, “Jim Adams.” This guy had written a whiney letter to the editor months before about someone stealing his extra flight suit from the dryer, and had rotated back to the states with his helicopter detachment. Perfect name.
I enjoyed being part of his little pet project, and vowed to keep my silence about the author. Ken submitted the letter that week, and to our surprise, it was published on December 15th 1994 and here it is, word for word.
Dahmer needed our help
The same cold, heartless, society that created the environment which spawned the childlike and impressionable Jeffrey Dahmer also cast his inevitable fate. Sadly, we live in a throw-away society. If we can’t fix something, we simply discard it.
So it was with a crazy, mixed-up kid like Jeffrey Dahmer. Did we, as a society, try to help this young, misguided young man? Did we ever offer him some tenderness, a shoulder to cry on? Did anyone offer him a helping hand and say, “Here, son, gnaw on this?”
No. When his antics ceased to amuse us, we simply threw him away like a toy which has lost its novelty. Now this discarded plaything has become a glaring example of judicial hypocrisy.
In a state that claims to disavow the death penalty, Jeffrey Dahmer was cynically sentenced to “Live” in prison, and through this action, just as surely as if they had strapped him into the electric chair, Wisconsin murdered one of its own children…a child who just didn’t play well with other little boys.
Call him a rebel; call him disturbed. So what if he didn’t “fit in” to what we so self-righteously call “normal” society. Did he deserve the cruel fate which befell him? Maybe he was just frustrated; maybe he needed to be loved.
Were the authorities really so ignorant or naïve that they thought Jeffrey Dahmer would be safe in prison? Who will publish his culinary books now that his is gone? And what of the terrible loss of his rather unique scientific endeavors into the physiology of man? Tragically for all of us, science must suffer along with justice. A disturbed young man thought he had finally found his niche in our confusing society, and he was brutally murdered for it. Welcome to America.
Jim Adams
Camp Foster, Japan 
The response was immediate and you couldn’t go anywhere on the Island without someone talking about “That Letter!!!” It was cut out and taped to bulletin boards in offices all over the base. Ken would get a big chuckle out of it, but the biggest surprise was on Christmas day. I opened my edition that I bought in the USO in Hong Kong and there were two whole pages of replies devoted to Ken’s letter. The WWF fans on Okinawa, mainland Japan and the whole the Pacific couldn’t recognize satire even if it reached up and bit them on the bum. Once again we got a great laugh out of the whole thing as they bashed this crazy guy, Jim Adams.
The trouble started later when I called Ken up for lunch. He answered the phone and in my best “Jimmy Stewart” voice, I asked for Jim Adams. Ken put me on hold before I had a chance to say “Hey Ken its Taco, let’s go eat chow” and the line came to life with the voice of his Master Sergeant who was also in on the letter. I figured I’d have some fun with this, so I asked if he approved of the editing job on his piece and told him that the circulation for the Stars and Stripes had gone up 30% because of his letter and that we would like him to write another letter knowing that Ken was listening on the other end as his Master Sergeant pretended to be the author. “What would you like me to write about?” I thought about it for a second and the only thing that came to mind was that abortion Doctor who was murdered the week prior. “Oh, write about anything, the abortion Doctor who was killed, mass murderer’s, the price of gas, how the Chinese hold mass executions in stadiums and charge money, I don’t care, you’re hot stuff.”
Hanging up the phone, I called right back and asked for Ken. “Hey Ken, let’s go get some chow.” Ken was already typing on his computer a new masterpiece and was too busy. I figured he’d send me a copy of it to proof for him and then I’d tell him it was me. Well, two days went by, then four and Ken hadn’t mentioned the phone call or anything. That night at the bar, he leans over with a big smile on his face and says “Hey Taco, the editor of Stars and Stripes called me and asked if I would write another piece for the paper. Hell, I may become a regular guest there…” I nodded and said “Ken, that’s awesome, when are you going to send me a copy to proof for you?” He leaned back on his bar stool and said, “Can’t, I’ve already sent it.” I felt a bit of panic in my chest...
“Hey Ken, what did you write about?” He went on to tell me how he wrote about the Abortion Doctor who was murdered and titled it “Taking God’s place.” This little joke had gone too far now. “Ken, that was me who called you up last week.” He shook his head back and forth, “No way, I was listening to him talk, it was the editor.” I then shifted into my Jimmy Stewart voice after watching “It’s a Wonderful life” for two days straight as a kid, and said “Tell me Jim Adams, did he sound like this? Do you feel we did a good job on your editing?” The color drained out of his face and I felt bad. “Ken, you always sent me your stuff to look over, and I figured that I’d tell you when you sent me the letter. I waited and no letter. I’m so sorry brother; can we get the letter back?” He shook his pale head again left and right, “No, I mailed it out that day.” I put my arm around his should and leaned over. “I’m sorry Ken. What’s the worst that can happen? It will spark another round of WWF folks writing letters into the paper.” I paid for his beers, and we back over to our BOQ, each lost in thought as to our actions.
The letter was published later that week and the fire storm was worse then the B-29 raids over Tokyo in WWII. 
First of all, it turns out that Doctors on military bases overseas perform abortions, so when the paper hit the streets, all the Docs refused to come into work until they found out who this “whack” job “Jim Adams” really was. They were afraid that he may come after them. Since only three people knew who “Jim Adams” really was, the Army CID, NCIS and Air Force SP’s were spinning around in circles trying to track this ghost down. They called the editor of Stars and Stripes who in turned called Ken on his home phone number in the BOQ that he submitted with his piece.
Editor: “Hello is this Jim Adams? This is Bob, the editor of Stars and Stripes, your last letter has really stirred the hornets nest down there in Okinawa and the different investigative services would like you to go have a chat with them. So would you mind going?”
Ken: “No way Bob, you knew that my letter was controversial and you published it anyway. Tell those guys to pound sand.”
Editor: “So, you’re not going to turn yourself in?”
Ken: “No”
Editor: “Is Jim your real name?”
Ken: “No”
Editor: “What is your real name?”
Ken: “Like I’m going to tell you! Just to clear things up, your paper never said I had to give my real name, so I used a pen name and if your readers are too dumb to differentiate between Satire and real thoughts, well it’s not my fault. You deal with this.”
Editor: “I’m going to turn over all my info on you to the authorities “Jim or whatever your name is” and you are banned for life when we find out who you are.”
Ken: “Oh Yeah… Blank, Blank Blank” end of call.
Damage control started right there. See the advantage of living in the BOQ and having lots of close buddies right down the hallway paid off. Ken ran down to Dan Sanderson’s room, another Captain, who just happened to be in charge of the telephone department on Okinawa. He explained that he was in trouble and needed his help, some ex girlfriend was trying to call him and he needed to dump his phone number. They raced down to his office, and with a few key strokes assigned his old phone number to the base gym and assigned him a new one. On Monday, the different investigative services exploded with activity when the Editor turned over “Jim’s” phone number to them. Monday, after coffee and donuts, they went down to the phone company, a Marine-run operation on Camp Foster only to find that “Jim’s number” rang the base gym, and they had never heard of him, but “yes” they had all read his letters. They were back at square one (these aren't like the guys you watch on Tuesday night NCIS). So the next thing they did was round up any Jim or James Adams on the Island. The Air Force had a poor Airman named James Adams in the interrogation room for half a day. He admitted to killing President Kennedy and owning all the Village People’s albums before they were done with him. This whole thing went up to the base General with daily progress reports, on how this guy “Jim Adams” was one tricky Kook and they were having better luck catching DB Cooper.
It turns out that Ken’s Master Sgt was also a part time Cop over on the base, and as this thing progressed, it was getting WAY out of hand. He asked his boss to turn himself in to stop the witch hunt that was going on. Ken thought about it for awhile and then turned himself in to the head of PMO with his Master Sergeant at his side as a character witness. He explained how it all happened, and also showed other things he had written to prove that he just liked good Satire and wasn’t out to hurt anyone.
The investigation was solved; all the different services slapped one another on the back for a job well done, and now it sat in front of the base Commanding General who didn’t have much of a sense of humor. During his morning briefing, he turned to the base JAG officer (another Captain who we drank beer with) “I want this Officer brought up on charges.” The base JAG looked over the package and replied, “But Sir, he hasn’t done anything wrong. He wrote opinions that were published in the editors section, and there was nothing there against the United States Government or Marine Corps.” The General didn’t like this answer very much. “Well, he used a fake name, hang him on that.” The JAG, once again shook his head. “Sir, the paper doesn’t say that you can’t use a pen name. Also Sir, I happen to know this Officer, and he is a card carrying member of the ACLU. I’d hate to see him raise a stink about his right to free speech being trampled by the Corps. I mean, we could have sixty minutes out here, and the PR would be horrible.” The Base public affairs Officer (another Captain drinking buddy) jumped in, “Sir, that would be the last thing you need to happen before the Commandant of the Corps comes out to visit.” The General just mumbled that he would get this Captain somehow and moved on to the next subject.
He did though. The General called down to Ken’s boss, a LtCol, and told him to fix his fitness report so that he doesn’t get promoted to Major. The problem with that solution is Ken had never had any “bad” paper before, and the boss couldn’t give him a double signer meaning that Ken could contest it, so he made Ken average right down the line and a few below average to boot to ensure that he wouldn’t get promoted. Ken was passed over for promotion and given a nice severance package when he left the Marine Corps a few years later. Funny thing is that he ended up joining the Reserves, and becoming a STELLER LtCol on his way to a full bird Colonel one day
We were joking about it the last month and it’s hard to believe that he was still my friend after setting him up like that, but you know, it’s hard to disown family.
Semper Fi,
Taco
Ps
If you have to be away from home for the holidays and want to make it a memorable one, write a letter to the editor of the Stars and Stripes. But I have to warn you that using a pen name is no longer allowed since the investigation that ensued from the other letter that Ken wrote. At least there was one positive letter out there for ole Jim Adams...OOOOOOHHHHHH RRRRRRhhhhhaaaaaa
The Lessons of Iraq
By ERIK SWABB
January 14, 2008; Page A12
While the improved security situation in Iraq is changing views about the chances for success there, one common belief has remained unchanged: that the war is eroding U.S. military capabilities.
It is true that repeated deployments have caused considerable strain on service members, equipment and our ability to respond to other contingencies. These problems, however, only tell half the story. The Iraq war is also dramatically improving the military's understanding, training and capabilities in irregular warfare. Since this is the preferred method of Islamic extremists, the experience in Iraq is transforming the military into the force required to help win the Long War.
The blunders of the early years are well-known. Trained for conventional warfare, the Army and Marine Corps were unprepared for the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq. Commanders emphasized killing or capturing insurgents, not securing the population as counterinsurgency doctrine emphasizes. U.S. units were stationed on large bases and didn't develop the critical relationships with local leaders that only come from living among the people.
When units did interact with Iraqis, the interaction ranged from fruitless patrols in Humvees zipping through town to draconian operations that detained scores of innocent people. The Sunni insurgency only grew in this environment, attracting al Qaeda and spurring the growth of Shiite militias.
After a costly learning process, the military increasingly "gets it" when it comes to irregular warfare. The Army and Marine Corps published a new counterinsurgency manual that legitimized the radically different strategy that the Iraq War required. Pre-deployment training now includes realistic scenarios that test units' ability to build relationships with local leaders and partner with host-nation forces.
Commanders, from the small-unit level to the general ranks, increasingly understand that population security, political reconciliation and economic development create legitimate government, which saps insurgents' strength. As a result, conventional forces are now performing counterinsurgency missions at a level that many experts thought impossible.
My old unit returned from Iraq last spring after serving in a city in Anbar Province. As a mechanized reconnaissance company, its traditional mission focused on scouting for Soviet-style armored forces. The unit's performance in Iraq more closely resembled that of the Green Berets.
Soon after occupying its forward outpost, the company met heavy insurgent attacks. But it did not over-react with mass detentions and other alienating tactics. Instead, the Marines took a patient approach to win the support of the population and eject the extremists hiding among them. They partnered with Iraqi police, established a pervasive security presence throughout the city, and worked with local leaders to improve basic services, governance and the economy. Such tactics used to be rare, but are now increasingly the norm, thanks to Gen. David Petraeus's dogged emphasis on seeing counterinsurgency conducted by all units.
The Sunni tribal uprising that's driven al Qaeda from Anbar Province and Baghdad wouldn't have occurred without U.S. forces grasping the complexities of irregular warfare. Iraqi Sunnis rejected the oppressive version of Islam that al Qaeda imposed -- but feared the consequences of resisting. By showing a willingness to help, U.S. troops presented a more trustworthy and less-threatening partner than al Qaeda, a remarkable achievement considering the vast religious and cultural differences between Americans and Iraqis.
U.S. commanders reached agreements with tribal leaders to accept their members into local security forces and establish combat outposts among the populace. Knowing that their families were safe from reprisals, the tribes gained the confidence to go after al Qaeda. Now U.S. officials are considering whether to adopt a similar model for Pakistan's Northwest Frontier.
It remains to be seen whether the new counterinsurgency strategy will lead to a peaceful, democratic Iraq. Success ultimately depends on the ability of Sunnis and Shiites to overcome decades of mistrust and antagonism. But the current approach has created an opportunity for political reconciliation, as Sunnis have demonstrated that they reject al Qaeda's campaign of terror against Shiites. The new strategy is also helping to prevent the establishment of an al-Qaeda safe haven in Iraq -- and in this sense, it has already proven its worth.
The strains on the military are real. However, overemphasis on the "eroding" capabilities of the armed forces belies the incredible emergence of an irregular warfare capacity in the world's greatest conventional military.
This hard-fought transformation faces resistance from advocates of the status quo in the military, and thus is easily reversible without political support. Such support is something Democrats and Republicans should be able to agree on.
Mr. Swabb served in Iraq as a Marine infantry officer
Hey guys,
A year ago I wrote a post on “When I grow up... I want to be a Pilot” on setting your goals in life to be the guy up in the wild blue yonder. Well, that piece gets about 10 hits a day from all over the world and I answer a couple of letters each month. This letter was sent to me back in 1998 and I laughed my rear off at the absolute truth in it then and it still holds true today. I could see myself writing this to some young lad as well. I hope you all get a nice chuckle from another C-130 pilots words of advice…
S/F
Taco
Sir:
I am D.J. Baker and I would appreciate it if you could tell me what it takes to be an F-16 fighter pilot in the USAF. What classes should I take in high school to help the career I want to take later in life?
What could I do to get into the Air Force Academy?
Sincerely,
DJ Baker
*********************************************
From: Van Wickler, Kenneth, LtCol, HQ AETC
Anybody in our outfit want to help this poor kid from Cyberspace?
LTC Wickler
**********************************************
A worldly and jaded C130 pilot, Major Hunter Mills,
rises to the task of answering the young man's letter.
**********************************************
Dear DJ,
Obviously, through no fault of your own, your young, impressionable brain has been poisoned by the super fluous, hyped-up, “Top Gun" media portrayal of fighter pilots.
Unfortunately, this portrayal could not be further from the truth. In my experience, I've found most fighter pilots pompous, backstabbing, momma's boys with inferiority complexes, as well as being extremely over-rated aeronautically. However, rather then dash your budding dreams of becoming a USAF pilot, I offer the following alternative:
What you really want to aspire to is the exciting, challenging and rewarding world of TACTICAL AIRLIFT. And this, young DJ, means one thing..the venerable workhorse, The C-130! I can guarantee no fighter pilot can brag that he has led a 12-ship formation down a valley at 300 feet above the ground, with the navigator leading the way and trying to interpret an alternate route to the drop zone, avoiding pop-up threats and coordinating with AWACS, all while eating a box lunch.with the engineer in the back relieving himself and the loadmaster puking in his trash can!
I tell you DJ, TAC Airlift is where it's at! Where else is it legal to throw tanks, HUMVs, and other crap out the back of an airplane, and not even worry about it when the chute doesn't open and it torpedoes the General's staff car! No where else can you land on a 3000 foot dirt strip, kick a bunch of ammo and stuff out on the ramp without stopping, then takeoff again before range control can call to tell you that you've landed on the wrong LZ! And talk about exotic travel; when C-130s go somewhere, they GO somewhere (usually for 3 months, unfortunately). This gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture long enough to give the locals a bad taste in their mouths regarding the USAF and Americans in general, not something those C-141 Stratolifter pilots can do from their airport hotel rooms!
As far as recommendations for your course of study, I offer these:
1. Take a lot of math courses. You'll need all the advanced math skills you can muster to en able you to calculate per diem rates around the world, and when trying to split up the crew's bar tab so that the co-pilot really believes he owes 85% of the whole thing and the navigator believes he owes the other 15%.
2. Health sciences are important, too. You will need a thorough knowledge of biology to make those educated guesses of how much longer you can drink beer before the tremendous case of the G.I.s catches up to you from that meal you ate at the place that had the really good belly dancers in some God-forsaken foreign country whose name you can't even pronounce.
3. Social studies are also beneficial. It is important for a good TAC Airlifter to have the cultural knowledge to be able to ascertain the exact location of the nearest topless bar in any country in the world, then be able to convince the local authorities to release the loadmaster after he offends every sensibility of the local religion and culture.
4. A foreign language is helpful but not required. You will never be able to pronounce the names of the NAVAIDs in France, and it's much easier to ignore them and to go where you want to anyway. As a rule of thumb: waiters and bellhops in France are always called " Pierre ", in Spain it's "Hey, Pedro" and in Italy, of course, it's "Mario". These terms of address also serve in other countries interchangeably, depending on the level of suaveness of the addressee.
5. A study of geography is paramount. You will need to know the basic location of all the places you've been when you get back from your TDY and are ready to stick those little pins in that huge world map you've got taped to your living room wall, right next to the giant wooden giraffe statue and beer stein collection.
Well, DJ, I hope this little note inspires you. And by the way, forget about the Academy thing. All TAC Airlifters know that there are waaay…too few women and too little alcohol there to provide a well-balanced education. A nice, big state college or the Naval Academy would be a much better choice.
Hunter Mills,
Major USAF
Dear Family and Friends:
Since my last update, Christmas and New Year’s Day has come and gone, as has Ramadan, or “The Break in the Fast” celebration, and Eid al Adha or “The Sacrificial Holiday”, where all work stops here, sheep are slaughtered, and families, wealthy or poor, gather for sumptuous meals. The tiny office I share with two other Marines has a small refrigerator stocked with baked goods from friends, family, and well wishers across America who we will probably never meet. In the past few weeks the flow of care packages has not ceased. From middle schools to church congregations, small and large boxes arrive almost daily, filled with beef jerky, granola, energy bars, shaving cream, athletic socks, and cards and letters. A British Royal Marine I work with commented that he is simply stunned by the volume of goods Americans send to their troops, for this sort of display of gratitude from countrymen is something entirely foreign to the deployed British troops in the south, who he says rarely receive much from the home front.
The generosity and largesse that is unique to America has also been manifested in the lives of many well to do and ordinary Iraqis in Anbar, where, for the past year, the Marines have allocated tens of millions of dollars to the provincial economy, working with sheiks and municipal government leaders to identify areas where our money can jump start reconstruction projects, repair schools, clean the water, and get school books and pencils to needy children. It is probably fair to say that Anbar has received over one hundred million dollars from the military, with over two thirds of that going to education, governance, justice, public safety, sewer and water, electricity, and trash collection.
While I was traveling through northern Fallujah two weeks ago, we passed through the Jolan District, the scene of some of the fiercest fighting between Marines and insurgents in 2004-2005 and still a very dangerous place up until about nine months ago. Our small convoy of Humvees stopped in the main market area and we were mobbed by a crowd of young boys, practicing their English, eyeing our gear, and asking us for candy. Children nearby is always a good sign, so we let our guard down a bit and joked with them. The market was full of sheep being herded toward the open square where they were purchased, then held down, their necks slit, and once dead, skinned and taken to the nearby butcher. A fruit and vegetable stand was full of fresh produce, everything from peppers to watermelons to cucumbers, much of it imported from Syria, but some of it locally grown. Nearby stood a new water tower, once nearly destroyed in the urban fighting, but now fully functional and freshly painted: American dollars, Iraqi labor.
Outside Fallujah, we drove through a verdant agricultural area called Azergiya, where children raced barefoot down dirt driveways to the main road, waved to us, and asked for soccer balls and candy. We had none; in fact we have stopped handing out gifts like candy to the children out of concern that we were raising unrealistic expectations and for their own safety along the road. I found it interesting that a few of these kids had become so jaded that they merely opened their mouths and pointed to their tongues, but most ran alongside our vehicles and smiled innocently. Someday soon, we’ll have to also reduce our handouts to the sheiks in Fallujah, who are unceasing and unabashed in their requests for American financial assistance. It seems we cannot encounter an Iraqi who does not ask us for something. We stopped at a local school, where we met the caretaker and toured the trash and sheep dung covered grounds. Our hope was that it would be suitable for a joint US-Iraqi medical team to set up and administer to the locals. Two of the insidious legacies of Baathist rule are the high illiteracy rate among Iraqis and the poor water quality, both of which affect children, moreso than adults. Our Iraqi interpreters handed out fist sized stuffed animals and pencils for school as gifts to the caretaker’s seven children. Down the road, we stopped to pay a visit to the local Iraqi Police colonel at his command post set up in the home once occupied by his brother, who was killed by the insurgents. The burned out and bullet riddled carcass of his brother’s white BMW was parked outside. The colonel had fought the Iranians in the Iraq-Iran War many years ago and was a seasoned military man. Before we departed, a convoy from our Combat Engineers arrived with plywood guard shacks, purchased for the Iraqi Police so that they can stay sheltered while standing watch on cold winter nights when the mercury dips below freezing.
As I near the end of my third month in Iraq, I often reflect on a comment made by an Iraqi Police major who spoke English quite well. He and I were seated next to one another at a town council meeting in Fallujah. During the weekly meeting, where local leaders submit their constituents’ bids for American funded contracts and haggle over pricing with the Marines, the discussion turned to politics and the plight of the Sunnis in Anbar, who are now out of power in Baghdad and none too pleased about it. The police major told the sheiks and the senior imam (religious leader) that the only way to change their political circumstances was to vote in the next election and tell all their people to vote. He mentioned all Iraqis voting, but he really meant all Anbar Iraqis, specifically the Sunnis. Then he turned to me and said “You know, we must only talk about the future, (for) if we keep talking about the past, everyone here” and he swept his arm around the room, “(would have been) detained.”
Semper Fidelis,
Brooks D.Tucker
Major, USMCR
Here is the second letter from Brooks. Hope you enjoy the update. More to come.
S/F Taco
Dear Family and Friends:
With six weeks under my belt now, I am beginning to feel at ease with the surroundings and the routine of work and daily life here, which, when we are not working, is mostly filled with sleep, exercise, trying not to eat too much chow in the dining facility, and waiting for helicopters. Lest anyone thinks the two hour advance arrivals in the States are unknown in a combat zone, forget it. Reservations for a seat on a flight must be made exactly four days in advance and you must check in at the air facility 2 hours before your departure time. The only positive is no TSA checkpoints, since everyone here is already armed. Most flights out of my camp and back to it are done at night, so this usually means sitting around a dusty plywood hut for two hours or more until around midnight, when the flight arrives and the wind from the rotors buffets the thin plywood walls. A Marine with a roster and a fluorescent blue chemlight ushers the passengers outside and we follow in single file to the landing zone, clad in our flak jackets and helmets, and lugging backpacks and rucksacks through the hot rotor wash, blowing sand, and gravel. Once aboard, bathed in dim green light, we sit knee to knee inside the rumbling fuselage, smelling exhaust fumes wafting through the narrow compartment. The waiting can last a few minutes, or if you are unlucky, there is a lengthy delay as the aircrews and ground crews work to load or unload cargo (sound familiar), which can take longer than you would think since it is being done in the dark, with a military forklift, while the helicopters are running. Last night, when we departed a remote airbase, the helo fired off a solitary red flare, probably as a precaution, that was intended to distract man portable surface to air missiles. I don't know if there was a legitimate threat below trying to shoot us down, but when you are sitting near the rear of the aircraft, as I was, peering out into the blackness beyond the edge of the ramp, and you hear a loud pop, followed by burst of red light, it certainly gets your attention for a second.
Since my first update, I have ridden on nearly a dozen helicopters and visited several cities, military bases/camps, and Joint Security Stations (police precincts) in Al Anbar Province. My focus has been on what is termed "Transition", which, for the military, is the training, advising, and equipping of the Iraqi Security Forces, their Army, Police, and to a lesser extent, their newly formed Highway Patrol. Transition, though, is more than just training a military and a police force; it consists of several pillars or elements that must be interconnected and interdependent to fully function as one. These elements are: Rule of Law, Security, Communication, Governance, and Economics. In order to get all of these elements of Transition to work is a complicated, sometimes rewarding, and frequently frustrating process, involving military civila affairs teams, US State Department Provincial Reconstruction Teams, US Agency for International Development, law enforcement advisors, and instructors on judicial process and municipal management. The overall goal of Transition is to move the Iraqis to a point where they have become relatively self sufficient and reasonably capable of providing security, stability, and the broad array of basic services at the local, regional, and national levels. There will be differing and uneven progress in all these areas, imperfect solutions at best, but if we and the Iraqis can build on the trust that has been established so far, their formal government institutions and their age old tribal organizations will find a way to work together and function for the betterment of their leaders and their constituents.
For the Marines, the Security element of Transition, especially the training and advising piece, can be somewhat counter intuitive for the American military mind. Our traditions and our ethos are steeped in the institutional practice of empowering young leaders and solving problems at the lowest levels. Our ranks are replete with Type A, problem solvers and aggressive, smart young enlisted who want to "fix" and change things, in this case the Iraqis and their seemingly bad habits. But the Iraqis do not adhere or subscribe to a Western military mindset. Arab militaries, for the most part, do not have any tradition of expecting their Corporals and Sergeants to take decisions; that is left to the Captains and Majors. However, the Iraqi soldier, or "jundi" is desirous of a challenge, eager to learn and show he is competent and capable, and their officers are, for the most part, quite seasoned. We Americans often look at their Army and Police with a very critical eye and see their shortcomings compared to our capabilities as deficiencies we must address and indeed correct before we can depart and deem our mission a success. But our trainers and advisors must fight this urge to try and remake the Iraqis in our image, for the longer we persist with this line of thinking, the more the Iraqis will lean on us and expect more from us. We are, as one departing colonel told me, "advisors, not providers" and the sooner we embrace that philosophy, the sooner the Iraqis will begin to solve their problems in their own time and in their own way. They are already doing this in many areas, we are simply here to ensure they make progress, but over time, that progress will have to be defined more by them, and less by us.
For those of you wondering where and when this relationship ends, it won't, at least for another twenty years, perhaps much longer. We have made a long term moral, financial, and military commitment to the Iraqis and we are not going to renege on that commitment, regardless of the political rhetoric in Washington DC or on the campaign trail. Our degree of involvement and numbers of troops will decline in the years ahead, but it is obvious to me that we will have troops working alongside the Iraqis, just as we have the South Koreans and the Germans, for at least another generation. By that time, it is my hope that the young barefooted Iraqi boys, who passed me by the other day, pushing carts to Fallujah, will have had an opportunity to go to school, find an honorable way to earn a living, and raise their families in peace.
Semper Fidelis,
Brooks D.Tucker
Major, USMCR
Hey Guys,
This just in from JP at Milblogging.com. We lost Major Andrew Olmsted US Army, in Iraq. A man who was a true wordsmith and one of the best Mil Bloggers out there. If I don't get the links right, Google Andrew Olmsted and you will read a letter from the grave that will bring a tear to your eye.http://www.andrewolmsted.com/
God’s Speed Andrew
Semper Fi,
Taco
January 4th, 2008
Tragic News: Top Military Blogger Dies In Iraq
This is very tragic news I have to report to you today. Milblogger Andrew Olmsted, was killed in Iraq. Our hearts and prayers are with his family, friends, and everyone that got to know him, as they face this enormous loss and tragedy in their lives.
From The Huffington Post:
(The Huffington Post) Andrew Olmsted, who also posted here as G`Kar, was killed yesterday in Iraq. Andy gave me a post to publish in the event of his death; the last revisions to it were made in July.
Andy was a wonderful person: decent, honorable, generous, principled, courageous, sweet, and very funny. The world has a horrible hole in it that nothing can fill. I`m glad Andy -- generous as always -- wrote something for me to publish now, since I have no words at all. Beyond: Andy, I will miss you.
My thoughts are with his wife, his parents, and his brother and sister.
Happy New Year to all of you out there in Cyberland!! I’m very lucky to have a guest writer on the SandGram. Major Brooks Tucker, USMC. He is a fellow reservist that I served with on recruiting duty who has also volunteered for a tour of duty in Iraq with the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned. His writing is awesome and it tells the story that the media has hidden from the public about our progress over there since it’s going so well. There are three letters and I’ll post the next two shortly. I hope that you enjoy his insights as much as I have. Feel free to pass these along.
Semper Fi,
Taco
Dear Family and Friends:
I have been in Iraq for nearly three weeks now and am beginning to find a rhythm to my work days and nights and have seen just enough to have some sense of awareness concerning the complex nature of the war and our role in it. Before I begin to cover some of the latter, I would like to dispel some of the lingering misconceptions that remain in the American consciousness on the home front. First and foremost, it is instructive to note that as of two weeks ago there were less than 20 journalists embedded with US forces across all of Iraq. There are approximately 165,000 US troops in Iraq, so that is 1 reporter for every 8,250 troops, roughly the equivalent of almost two regiments. If the media has been our window, no matter how opaque or transparent, into this war, the media is not in a physical position to report with much authority at this stage, in my opinion. Which leads me to one of the changes the media has not covered well, what is going on and has been going on for almost six months in al Anbar Province, where the US Marines and US Army are working day and night to set the conditions for transition of security to Iraqi Police and Army.
Within days of my arrival, I Iearned that our base outside the once violent and impenetrable city of Fallujah had not received incoming fire since April of this year. In the past several months, the Marines and Army have taken many casualties while making great strides finding roadside bombs, defusing them, and training the Iraqis to find them and report this to US forces. The number of violent incidents in the provincial capital, Ramadi, has declined 95% in the past year and Marines now patrol both Ramadi and Fallujah on foot without the ever present fear of being shot. Neighborhood watch programs manned by Iraqis proliferate and it is common for a Marine security patrol to encounter numerous checkpoints throughout the city of Fallujah, where Marine platoons man Joint Security Stations alongside Iraqi Police. I spent a day and a night with one of these platoons two weeks ago, and found the perimeter guarded by Iraqi Police, the interior manned by Marines and Iraqis in observation posts, and the outlying neighborhood patrolled at night by squads of young Marines on foot searching for signs of insurgent infiltration from outside the city limits. I sat in on a gathering of Fallujan leaders and Marines to discuss better communication and cooperation and found that their relations were professional and cordial. The Marines and the city leaders in Fallujah have brokered a way forward that respects the local muhktars, or religious leaders, vests much power in the city council, and allows the Marines to step back from their prior role as the key power brokers. The Fallujans are smart and they know the Americans have money and resources or at least can lead them to money and resources for their badly damaged neighborhoods and inadequate infrastructure, especially sewer and power. They also know that the insurgents have neither the money nor the resources to rebuild their city and will not help them gain leverage with the central government in Baghdad. This bottom up approach is a key component of our counterinsurgency strategy and tactics, for it empowers local and municipal leaders who are very wary of the civil servants in Baghdad. Furthermore, the Iraqi constitution gives significant powers to the provinces, so a strategy that builds the capability of the provinces is in keeping with that document. I have just returned from Hit, a city north of Fallujah, along the Euphrates River, where much the same story is playing out, Iraqis and Americans joining forces to defeat remnants of the insurgent cells that are still active, but are finding it increasingly difficult to locate safe havens free of the 24 hour US and Iraqi security presence on the highways, in the streets, alleyways, all under the watchful eyes of unmanned drones circling aloft.
Now a few words about quality of life for me and the other Americans serving and working here. I live in what is called a "can", a basic trailer type living space, with a couple beds, lockers, and maybe a camp chair. Most have AC. Showers and toilets at main bases are like you would find in a basic locker room, but showers are individual stalls. Third Country Nationals, Pakistanis mostly, clean the toilets and showers twice daily. Laundry service usually has a 24 hour turnaround. At more remote bases, or platoon and company outposts, showers are more primitive and porta johns are the rule. Food on main bases is plentiful and well cooked, to include fresh fruit, salad, Gatorade and pastries. Even at the remotest locations, the logistics folks manage to deliver some semblance of good food, although it is not as well presented. People here work long hours, mostly because there is little else to do, and most battalion and company bases have some form or internet access for official business, at least. The weather is cooling off now, temps in the high 80's during the day, high 50's at night. No rain yet, but when it comes the "moondust" will turn to slick muck. Until then, we are enjoying the fall like weather.
Best regards,
Brooks
