i've got the tdy blues

TDY for you non-military types is short for paid vacation.... I mean, temporary duty. For the most part, TDYs are a welcome break from the monotony of everyday life. You get away from the small southern town and visit the big city, a chance to have some time away from family or roomates, an excuse to eat out more than normal. There are good TDYs and bad TDYs, but the good thing about them is they are temporary. So even if you are on your way to the desert, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The shelf life of a TDY is about 3 weeks to a month I think, depending on the location. Eventually, no matter where you call home, whether you like it or not, you long for your own bed, you miss the family, and you get tired of eating last nights leftovers everyday for lunch. Thankfully for me, I only have one more flight and a checkride, so if the weather cooperates, then I should be done by the end of the week. Cross your fingers. My roomie is looking forward to having me back and much as I am. I'm on my way Kelly!

ah the good ol' days

A video from the class behind mine in pilot training. We shared a flight room and I saw these guys almost every day for six months, and still work with one of the dudes (the canopy guy). Yours truely even makes an appearance. I miss this stuff, those guys. It was hard, but it was worth every moment. Sorry its on myspace video. I'll try to get the real thing.




Ok, video is not working for me. Here's the link to a good video.

milblogger update

Ed Morrisey over at Captain's Quarter's has some clarification of the new OPSEC reg.

A question asked of Tony Snow:

Q: A follow-up, a second question would be, the Pentagon has required all military bloggers to seek approval for their blogging and their -- I think also their e-mail. Some bloggers and military and conservative commentators have said the government is shutting down --

MR. SNOW: Well, that's -- from what we -- from what we understand, that is being overreported a little bit in the following sense.

First, I'm not sure that that is operational, that request. No. 2, to the extent that they have asked -- and I would refer you to the Pentagon for full comment on this, but my understanding is that they're concerned about matters of operational security -- certainly people giving their opinions about what's going on -- as long as they do not disclose information that is going to jeopardize operations ongoing or in the future or in some way give away information that will make it easier for the enemy to kill Americans or Iraqis, and that's normal in a time of war. There is always censorship in a time of war mainly to protect the people who are doing the fighting, similarly with e-mails, but there is no wholesale shutdown.

Again, I'm just giving you what I know, and I would encourage you to talk to the Pentagon for further detail. But my understanding is there's no wholesale shutting down of blogs or of e-mail. But on the other hand, there is sensitivity to the fact that you have to be careful when you're doing these things not jeopardize yourself, your colleagues, the operations, the Iraqis and the overall mission.

And the Army clarifies also:

• In no way will every blog post/update a Soldier makes on his or her blog need to be monitored or first approved by an immediate supervisor and Operations Security (OPSEC) officer. After receiving guidance and awareness training from the appointed OPSEC officer, that Soldier blogger is entrusted to practice OPSEC when posting in a public forum.

• Army Regulation 350-1, “Operations Security,” was updated April 17, 2007 – but the wording and policies on blogging remain the same from the July 2005 guidance first put out by the U.S. Army in Iraq for battlefield blogging. Since not every post/update in a public forum can be monitored, this regulation places trust in the Soldier, Civilian Employee, Family Member and contractor that they will use proper judgment to ensure OPSEC.
o Much of the information contained in the 2007 version of AR 530-1 already was included in the 2005 version of AR 530-1. For example, Soldiers have been required since 2005 to report to their immediate supervisor and OPSEC officer about their wishes to publish military-related content in public forums.
o Army Regulation 530-1 simply lays out measures to help ensure operations security issues are not published in public forums (i.e., blogs) by Army personnel.

• Soldiers do not have to seek permission from a supervisor to send personal E-mails. Personal E-mails are considered private communication. However, AR 530-1 does mention if someone later posts an E-mail in a public forum containing information sensitive to OPSEC considerations, an issue may then arise.

So the Army didn't make such a bad call after all. Ed asks if it was Wired who got it wrong... the hype got the milblogosphere all spun up that's for sure.

what are they thinking? silencing milbloggers

Army bloggers now have to go through their supervisors with blog posts and personal emails. From Michelle Malkin.

The U.S. Army has ordered soldiers to stop posting to blogs or sending personal e-mail messages, without first clearing the content with a superior officer, Wired News has learned. The directive, issued April 19, is the sharpest restriction on troops' online activities since the start of the Iraq war. And it could mean the end of military blogs, observers say.

Military officials have been wrestling for years with how to handle troops who publish blogs. Officers have weighed the need for wartime discretion against the opportunities for the public to personally connect with some of the most effective advocates for the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq -- the troops themselves. The secret-keepers have generally won the argument, and the once-permissive atmosphere has slowly grown more tightly regulated. Soldier-bloggers have dropped offline as a result.

She also quotes Matt over at Blackfive:

The Bottom-Line to the this bad piece of regulation: The soldiers who will attempt to fly under the radar and post negative items about the military, mission, and commanders will continue to do so under the new regs. The soldiers who've been playing ball the last few years, the vast, VAST, majority will be reduced. In my mind, this reg will accomplish the exact opposite of its intent. The good guys are restricted and the bad continue on...

Operational Security is of paramount importance. But we are losing the Information War on all fronts. Fanatic-like adherence to OPSEC will do us little good if we lose the few honest voices that tell the truth about The Long War.

Both cite Noah Shachtman over at Wired.
He linked to the original Operations Security reg.

John's take at OPFOR.

What if all the milbloggers just flooded their commanders with their posts? I have a feeling that the commanders would either delegate to someone lower on the totem pole or not enforce the reg, especially when they turn out be positive for the mission and no threat to Opsec anyway. There will still be some fallout from this, so don't loose heart yet fellow bloggers. And depending on the commander, if they are at all tech-knowledgeable, they may see this new reg in a different light. At least that's what I'm hoping.

makes you say "hmm"

From Michael Ramirez of CA Investor's Business Daily. Via MSNBC's Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index.

courage

A post by Smash re-posted, and for good reason. It brought a tear to my eye and filled me with pride. Enjoy.

Courage

I wrote the following, on February 22, 2003, as a sort of pep-talk for myself.
***
Courage

I'm not a hero.

That is to say, I don't think of myself that way. I don't seek out danger. I'm not the type of guy who is always looking for the next adrenaline rush, or the latest thrill sport. I generally avoid dangerous activities.

I'm not a coward, either.

I'm not fearless. I realize, every day that I am here, that my life is in danger.

There is no way to avoid this conclusion. I'm told to wear body armor and a helmet. I carry a weapon. We build fortifications. I lug a pack full of chemical protection gear everywhere I go. I've received so many shots, I feel like a pincushion. Sometimes, when I have a moment or two to think about it, I feel a little bit scared. Frankly, only an idiot would not be afraid under these circumstances.

But I do have courage.

Courage is not the absence of fear. To the contrary, courage involves recognizing danger, but acting on the realization that danger must be confronted -- or it will find you when you are least prepared.

I didn't come here looking for a thrill.

I'm here because there is a hole in the ground in New York, where a couple of the world's tallest buildings used to be.

I'm here because I knew some of those people in the Pentagon.

I'm here because my seven-year-old nephew has nightmares about terrorists.

I'm here because whether Saddam is responsible or not for those terrorist attacks, he has the will and is developing the means to do much, much worse.

I'm here because if History teaches us anything, it is that evil men cannot be deterred by sanctions, containment strategies, diplomacy, resolutions, or weapons inspections.

I'm here because I don't believe in appeasement.

I'm here because someone has to be.

I'm here because I was called.

I'm here because I have a job to do.
***
This got a lot of positive feedback. One high-school girl later wrote to tell me that she had memorized and recited it as part of a public speaking contest, and had earned a standing ovation.

Here here brother.

where'd he go?

Heh.

Via Blackfive via Wizbang!

somebody get this kid an ipod

I don't really care if it is realistic or not, but it makes for a good story.

My wife’s uncle works in a military hospital and told me about this. Its pretty amazing. Kevin Garrad (3rd Infantry Division) was on a street patrol in Iraq (Tikrit I believe) and as he rounded the corner of a building an armed (AK-47) insurgent came from the other side.

The two of them were within just a few feet of each other when they opened fire. The insurgent was killed and Kevin was hit in the left chest where his IPod was in his jacket pocket. It slowed the bullet down enough that it did not completely penetrate his body armor. Fortunately, Kevin suffered no wound.

HT Michelle Malkin

cool fighter chicks

I missed this post over at the American Thinker last August. It highlights the Chick Fighter Pilot Association, with a little hero worship to boot.

A confession: I am in awe of fighter pilots. I was never physically qualified to join the Army, much less posessed of the physical and mental abilities necessary to be a fighter pilot. But that has never stopped me from fantasies of dogfighting in a WW II Mustang or an F 16. Nor has it crippled me with envy for those who serve our country at the outer limits of the junction of technology and human capabilities.

But now I am in danger of becoming a complete groupie. A new organization of female American fighter pilots has been formed, the Chick Fighter Pilot Association (CFPA). They even have a website. And the website has pages of photos.

And The Thunder Run has an article on Maj. Kim "KC" Campbell. I got to meet KC (not just her initials, also stands for "Killer Chick") a few years ago when she honor the US Air Force Academy with her presence. She was calm and collected as she told us the story about how she lost part of her wing and tail over Baghdad, barely making it back to a friendly base. Let me just say I was in awe myself. She was recently decorated for her bravery:

On April 7, 2003, then-Capt. Campbell and her flight lead responded to a call for air support in downtown Baghdad, where an elite unit of the Iraqi Republican Guard had U.S. forces pinned against the Tigris River. Campbell and her wingman faced bad weather before they dove out of the sky and devastated the enemy with rockets and the Warthog’s feared 30mm Gatling gun. After successfully hitting their targets, the pilots turned back toward base – and that’s when Campbell’s jet was rocked by a large explosion, and immediately began pulling to the left and toward the ground. With numerous caution lights flashing, the one that worried Campbell the most was the hydraulic lights. A quick check confirmed her suspicions: Her hydraulic system had been fried. She would later discover that one of her engines was badly damaged and the fuselage was riddled with hundreds of bullet holes.

Campbell quickly switched to manual inversion, allowing her to fly her Warthog under mechanical control. She then had a decision: try to fly 300 miles back to base, or parachute into hostile territory. This was dicey terrain, so she decided she had to make the flight. Despite the heavily damaged aircraft and terrible weather – including massive dust storms – “Killer Chick” persevered. With the help of a seasoned pilot on her wing, Campbell landed safely back at base – fully prepared to take to the skies again and unleash the Warthog, as well as her moniker, on any opposing forces.

For her actions and bravery, Campbell was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism.

CENTCOM article here. Have you made it when there's a Wikipedia article on you? Congrats KC!

More links:
KC makes the "History of the Air Force"
KC tells her story
Article from Combat Edge
Smithsonian article, including photos of the damage to KC's jet
Speech by Gen Richard B. Meyers, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs, at USAFA, he mentions KC near the end (I was there!)

hehe

This is good. Trust me.

aw, nuts

The Ryskind Sketchbook via Instapundit and Powerline blog.

iran snubs its nose at the geneva convention

Terrorists who hide behind children and women's clothing violate the Geneva Convention and they are freedom fighters, but British soldiers in uniform are not so special.

FIFTEEN British sailors and marines arrested by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards off the coast of Iraq may be charged with spying.

A website run by associates of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, reported last night that the Britons would be put before a court and indicted.

Referring to them as “insurgents”, the site concluded: “If it is proven that they deliberately entered Iranian territory, they will be charged with espionage. If that is proven, they can expect a very serious penalty since according to Iranian law, espionage is one of the most serious offences.”

I think Ahmedinejad needs to actually read the Convention, especially part 3.
HT Captain Ed over at Captain's Quarters.

it's deja vu all over again

These stories seem familiar somehow..
New York times gets it wrong, again

On March 18, the New York Times published this story about female soldiers who served in Iraq and are now having problems as a result.

One of the women mentioned in the story claims to have been sexually assaulted twice in the last few years and that she suffers severe mental problems as a result of being deployed to, and injured in, Iraq. Her story is gripping because of the vivid details given.

One problem though: she never was sent to Iraq. She was in Guam the whole time.

The NYTimes did insert a correction in the online addition today, a full week after they published this story (anyone know about the print edition at all?), but knew full well when they went to print with this article that portions of it may have been inaccurate. Where have I seen that before?

The Times contacted the Navy just three days before this story went to print, not exactly giving them time to look into it. Nevertheless, the Navy DID provide enough info to the Times to where they should have questioned this woman’s story, at least to the point of leaving her out entirely.

Of course there’s NO agenda at work here, folks. None at all.

War story told by former sailor disputed

The Navy, while expressing sympathy to a woman it believes is suffering from stress, is annoyed that the Times did so little to check the woman’s story. A Times fact checker contacted Navy headquarters only three days before the magazine’s deadline. That, said Capt. Tom Van Leunen, deputy chief of information for the Navy, did not provide enough time to confirm Randall’s account of service in Iraq. Nonetheless, Van Leunen said, by deadline the Navy had provided enough information to the Times “to seriously question whether she’d been in Iraq.”

Hhmm... where have a I heard something like this before? Well, bad NYT stories are too numerous to count. But I experienced the fallout of women and sexual assault stories first hand. Let me caveat that with I hope that the women's attackers are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But I have seen damage done to the trustworthiness of all the women in a group based on the misrepresentation of a few.

marine receives british honor

Bravery and service at its finist. Article here.

Major receives Distinguished Flying Cross at Buckingham Palace
March 21, 2007

LONDON -- The Queen of England presented the United Kingdom’s Distinguished Flying Cross to Maj. William D. Chesarek Jr., during an Investiture Ceremony held at Buckingham Palace, here March 21.

Chesarek, an AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter pilot, was recognized for his service as an exchange officer serving with the U. K.'s 847th Naval Air Squadron, Commando Helicopter Force during combat operations in Iraq in 2006. The award is a level three award for gallantry in the air while on active operation against the enemy and according to the U. K.’s Ministry of Defense office, this is first time this is being presented to an American service member since actions in World War II.

According to the U.K. award citation, during operations in the vicinity of Al Amarah on June 10-11, 2006, Chesarek, flying a Lynx AH7 helicopter, was providing communications relay support to the U.K.’s ground forces during a company sized search operation when the unit encountered insurgents armed with small arms and Rocket Propelled Grenades.

To assist the unit, Chesarek flew in to spot enemy fire and due to being trained as an airborne forward air controller he was able to coordinate, designate and control fixed wing assets in conducting close air support which resulted in dispersing the insurgents.

Additionally the citations states, being the only rotary winged aircraft in the area, Chesarek landed his helicopter adjacent to the scene and extracted a U.K. troop with a life threatening injury. Chesarek then flew the casualty to Shaibah Logistics Base and is credited with saving the life of the wounded soldier in addition to aiding in the safe extraction of the company.

“I am greatly honored and would like to accept this prestigious award for 847 NAS in memory of Lt. Cdr. Darren Chapman RN, Capt. David Dobson AAC, and Marine Paul Collins RM who were killed in action over Basrah in May 2006,” said Chesarek. “The awarded actions were only possible due to the combined effort of my combat crew; Lt. David Williams RN and Lance Cpl. Max Carter RM. My greatest sense of achievement that day is in knowing the ground troops all made it home.”

The first award of its kind since WWII. Well done brother. HT Chuck Simmins and Michelle Malkin.

the last flight of a warrior

This story is refreshing and makes me proud to be an American once again. Via Blackfive and Ron over at Mountain Solitaire.

On board, 0600: "Good morning folks this is the Captain. This morning we have been attending to some additional duties and I apologize for being 10 minutes late for pushback but believe me we will be early to LAX. This morning it is my sad pleasure to announce that 1st LT Jared Landaker USMC will be flying with us to his Big Bear home in Southern California . Jared lost his life over the sky's of Iraq earlier this month and today we have the honor of returning him home along with his Mother, Father, Brother and uncles. Please join me in making the journey comfortable for the Landaker family and their uniformed escort. Now sit back and enjoy our ride, we are not expecting any turbulence until we reach the Rocky Mountains and at that time we will do what we can to ensure a smooth ride. For those interested you can listen in to our progress on button 9."

Up button 9: "Good morning UA 211 you are cleared to taxi, takeoff and cleared to LAX as filed." From the time we started rolling we never stopped. 1st LT Landaker began receiving his due.

4 hours and 35 minutes later over Big Bear MT, the AB320 makes a left roll and steep bank and then one to the right. Nice touch CAPTAIN. Five minutes out from landing, the Captain, "Ladies and Gents after landing I'm leaving the fasten seatbelt sign on and I ask everyone in advance to yield to the Landaker family. Please remain seated until all members have departed the aircraft. Thank you for your patience, we are 20 minutes early."

On roll out, I notice red lights, emergency vehicles everywhere. We are being escorted directly to our gate, no waiting anywhere, not even a pause. Out the left window, a dozen Marines in full dress blues. Highway Patrol, Police, Fire crews all in full dress with lights on. A true class act by everyone, down to a person from coast to coast. Way to go United Airlines for doing the little things RIGHT, because they are the big things; Air Traffic Control for getting the message, to all law enforcement for your display of brotherhood.

When the family departed the aircraft everyone sat silent, then I heard a lady say, "God Bless You and your Family, Thank You." Then another, then another, then a somber round of applause. The Captain read a prepared note from Mrs. Landaker to the effect, "Thank you all for your patience and heartfelt concern for us and our son. We sincerely appreciate the sentiment. It is nice to have Jared home."
***
February 7, 2007, Anbar Province , Iraq . 1st LT Jared Landaker United States Marine Corps, Hero, from Big Bear California, gave his live in service to his country. Fatally wounded when his CH-46 helicopter was shot down by enemy fire, Jared and his crew all perished. His life was the ultimate sacrifice of a grateful military family and nation. His death occurred at the same time as Anna Nicole Smith, a drug using person with a 7th grade education of no pedigree who dominated our news for two weeks while Jared became a number on CNN. And most unfortunately, Jared's death underscores a fact that we are a military at war, not a nation at war. Until we become a nation committed to winning the fight, and elect leaders with the spine to ask Americans to sacrifice in order to win, we shall remain committed to being a nation with a military at war, and nothing more.

so there i was

In my last flight in the Tweet. That's right folks, I will fly that screamer no longer. I'm off to fly the newest aircraft in the AF inventory. I can't wait for air conditioning that works and GPS!



Head over to Michelle Malkin's for some hopping stories by guest bloggers Smash, Greyhawk, Matt Burden of Blackfive, and John Noonan of OPFOR. They have posted some great stuff the last few days. Here's a little bit of support for his AF bros from Matt. He thinks the Air Force should change their PR campaign a bit for more funds.

what the troops are sayin

Hattip Wizbang!

nice

I love Day by Day!

prayers for a brother

A fellow Milblogger, SPC JR Salzman of Lumberjack in a Desert, was injured by an IED and had to have an arm amputated. He seems to be doing pretty well and support over at his sight looks overwhelming. Please keep his and his family, along with all of the military over in the sandbox, in your prayers. Hattip LGF.

top 50 g.i. jobs 2006

I ment to post this last week.... or maybe it was the week before. It is always good to highlight companies that support former military.

1. Union Pacific
2. Home Depot
3. Johnson Controls Automotive & Electronics
4. BNSF Railway
5. USAA
6. General Electric
7. ITT Corporation
8. BellSouth
9. Man Tech International Corporation
10. Sears Holdings
11. J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.
12. Kellogg, Brown, and Root
13. Applied Materials
14. Cintas
15. Sprint Nextel
16. Georgia-Pacific Packaging and Building
17. Schneider National Transportation
18. Brinks
19. Coca-Cola Enterprises
20. Lockheed Martin
21. State Farm
22. Morgan Stanley
23. Fluor Corporation
24. Werner Enterprises
25.Sunbelt Rentals
26. Booz Allen Hamilton
27. American Electric Power
28. Southern California Edison
29. Merrill Lynch
30. Norfolk Southern
31. Honeywell
32. Progress Energy
33. American Express
34. Westinghouse
35. 7-Eleven
36. NVR, Inc.
37. Southwest Airlines
38. The Vanguard Group
39. CDW Corporation
40. Smurfit-Stone Container
41. Phelps Dodge
42. Correction Corporation of America
43. FMC Technologies
44. Bank of America
45. CSX Transportation
46. AT&T
47. Merck & Company, Inc.
48. Southern Company
49. ExxonMobile
50. Allstate Insurance Company

Article here. List here. Links are PDF.