Millions of people around America are upset and often for different reasons. In many cases, they share a vision that justice no longer exists in the United States, or has been so undermined that they no longer respect it.
The British and others have much basis in fact for wishing to leave the EU and its nonsensical Eurocrats.
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has been busy making bad decisions that are damaging our military, such as allowing women to join rough combat arms outfits where they will be killed disproportionately.
China is waging an information war against Japan and the West. Much of this war is taking place in Hollywood.
The Syrian rebel Kawa Khalil told me the recent story of the Holy Cross church. Before the war, the church doubled as a school, attended by Muslims and Christians. After the destruction of Syria began, classrooms became homes for refugees.
In 2006, the talking points from London and Washington insisted: we had won the war in Afghanistan, and Iraq was not in civil war. To say otherwise was apostasy. In 2006, British Defense Secretary John Reid was famously quoted on
Happy Valentine’s Day. It isn’t Valentine’s for those who will get hit with bullets or bombs today. And it will happen. So let’s get down to business. The top officer in the US Military is the Chairman of the Joint
An Army officer writes: The Army is not resisting Dustoff policy change because our leadership honestly believes the current policy is superior, but rather because of AMEDD’s [Army Medical Department] protectionist attitude toward “their” Dustoff MEDEVAC helicopters. I’m an active
A Gold Star Mother is one who lost a child in service of the United States. Ms. Keyko Clark-Davis is a recent Gold Star Mother. I was present when her son Chazray was mortally wounded. We have communicated many times.
While reading traffic in a closed forum between current and former military officers, I stumbled across this message from a British officer. I’ve known him since the Iraq days, and he’s also served in Afghanistan. He’s an honest and very
The Army has been deceiving members of Congress about MEDEVAC issues in Afghanistan. This poses a danger for civilian leadership who may run with the Army information, expecting accuracy in detail and in spirit, only to be ridiculed later. Letter
Increasing progress is being made on the Army helicopter MEDEVAC problems. Media attention has been building and appears that it will soon break big. Communications are coming in spontaneously from key places. Support for improvement is snowballing. Pilots and crews
Many people remember Command Sergeant Major Robb Prosser. Robb is the man who shot the man who shot Erik Kurilla. This firefight is described in Gates of Fire. I spent about five months with his unit in Iraq, and so
The US Army is today in flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions in Afghanistan. This was first pointed out to me by a very smart, highly experienced senior military person. Though he has never steered me wrong, this seemed a
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” From World War II, we’ve heard reports that the enemy shot at Red Crosses emblazoned on medical vehicles, tents, and helmets. The Japanese were said to specifically
A groundswell continues within the Dustoff community to have Red Crosses removed from MEDEVAC helicopters in Afghanistan. There is much behind the scenes work on this. We’ve also set up a private forum to exchange information and ideas. Numerous encouraging
Every day in Afghanistan there are casualties requiring helicopter evacuation. There is a high probability that as you read this, someone is bleeding and in the process of extraction from the battlefield. US Army MEDEVAC helicopters fly unarmed into combat
Happy Thanksgiving weekend in America! This is a good time to share something lighter than the constant war. I’ve traveled to more than sixty countries, often spending years on end abroad. Those journeys have revealed many fascinating sides of life.
Camouflage is a combat imperative. Instruction in the use of camouflage begins in basic training. The Red Cross on the bright white background is meant to break up camouflage and to be seen. While there might seem little chance in
Forward Operating Base Pasab is in the upper left corner of this image. It’s the little rectangle looking area bristling with machineguns. Well, you can’t see the machineguns in this picture, but they are there. One time I walked by
This morning, I emailed to the office of Congressman Mike Pompeo asking for a phone conversation. His office informed me that the Army will appear before Congress to address the MEDEVAC failure in Afghanistan. [vimeo 31609732 nolink] The email follows:
It’s amazing how many lights can be seen on a dark night. Especially if you are with the US military. Different-colored lights are useful for differing purposes. The color you use can depend on your job. For medics, blue light
Pale Riders’ Tents 03 November 2011 Few people realize that Task Force Spartan is in what is probably the toughest fighting in Afghanistan. Many of the Soldiers might not even realize it because they are so busy. Within Task Force
To Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and President Barack Obama: For the last seven years I have written about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have covered the US Army, Marines, Air Force and Navy. I’ve also covered the
This lucky image was captured two days ago in the Dasht-e-Margo (Desert of Death). The Baloch tribesman is a member of the Afghan National Police and was part of an Afghan security escort to a very remote dam. I was
4-4 Cav waiting to board helicopters for an air assault. 12 October 2011 Afghanistan Most of our troops in Afghanistan never see combat. The closest they get might be the occasional rocket attacks on bases. A relatively small number will
26 September 2011 Zhari District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Task Force Spartan, 4-4 Cav The boy knew it would be loud. Just a short distance behind us, the patrol had already hit an IED with a minor casualty. We had taken
25 September 2011 Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Every American service member is a representative of the United States of America. If an American Soldier were to write about President Obama, “I want to rip his head off and piss down his
23 September 2011 Zhari District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Task Force Spartan, 4-4 Cav Many Americans have died in these vineyards. Canadian blood has fertilized this ground, and we kill Taliban in these fields daily. We watch them through UAVs, such
21 September 2011 Zhari District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Task Force Spartan, 4-4 Cav The moon in September was special and the war kept going. Bombs are planted everywhere. The dogs catch some, but the dogs will get blown up, too.
16 September 2011 Zhari District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan 4-4 Cav, Task Force Spartan The enemy has figured out the strategy here in Zhari but they have been unable to stop it. Day by day, Task Force Spartan is constricting the
14 September 2011 FOB Pasab, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Nobody will have fought a full tour in Southern Afghanistan without bearing witness to a thousand helicopter flights. Before this flight, the pilots and crew check the two Black Hawks from tires
13 September 2011 Zhari District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Today there were some attacks far away in Kabul. The attacks meant practically nothing from a military perspective but they garnered much press. We’ve seen this unfold many times in many places.
4-4 Cav Soldiers firing a 40mm mortar on the evening of 20 August 2011. 12 September 2011 Note: This rough dispatch was written over many days during slivers of time between prepping gear and going on missions. Different sentences were
07 September 2011 Kandahar Province, Afghanistan American troops have been losing their britches in combat. Until now, I’ve never seen so many troops exposing their hardware in battle. Many warriors go “commando” into the fighting, meaning that in the name
Sergeant TJ Vowell insists he’s seen the mysterious big cats of Kandahar many times. Recently, Sergeant Vowell got shot. 06 September 2011 Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Task Force Spartan 4-4 Cav, Bravo Troop, 2nd Platoon 2nd Squad There is much talk
Afghan Soldier caught by infrared flash with specially modified camera. 31 August 2011 Afghanistan A Soldier sleeps in a body bag to keep off the bugs. American and Afghan Soldiers share an Afghan family compound overnight in the heart of
30 August 2011 Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Task Force Spartan Rip, rend and slash are all in a day’s work here. Yet I have never seen so many troops with so many pairs of pants that are ready to fall off.
Blocks of M112 C-4 prepared for mission beside roll of M456 detonation cord and accessories. 29 August 2011 Zhari District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Task Force Spartan, 4-4Cav There is much to know about explosives. A wealth of art, science, and
My heavily armed tent mates hours before the mission. 24 August 2011 Zhari District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Task Force Spartan, 4-4Cav We live in tents. Nice tents with air conditioning. But not now; the electricity and air conditioning are out