It is with mixed feelings that I hear this story. Having spent my time in the combat zone (as has Mr. Aggie), this move is bittersweet. First, it means our boys and girls in uniform will not be maimed or killed in Iraq. Second, it also means there is a vacuum, sure to be filled by Shiite’s with leanings toward Iran. (When I was in Iraq several years ago, there were certain groups that did not want us to leave…ever.)

Courtesy of Reuters

And let us not forget the Kurds up north who want their own country. Why is that important…think Turkey, and I am not talking about the Thanksgiving bird! Turkey has already been running raids into northern Iraq, and the Kurds are some of the most bad ass fighters I have ever served with in combat. The Arabs…not so much.

We here at H&B give you thanks for your service and all the sacrifices you made along the way. Please feel free to share any stories about your time in the service in the comments, past or present.

And hoist a beer in your honor

You look wonderful for being 236 years old.

HOOAH!!!

Update [ArmedGeek]: Booze. Mope’s right, there should be some Booze here as well. While I don’t have anything new to post on that front, I will post what I’m drinking right now. Sailor Jerry.

Courtesy of XbradTC

Remembering gives us hope. Remembering gives us a goal. Remembering honors those who were killed, and those who died to protect us.

Forgetting lets the terrorists win.

Crossposted in part at Sithy Things.

If I recall, one Aggie got the idea to do a take on the traditional “Maroon Out”, where Aggies wear either a white T-shirt or a maroon one, depending on which deck they sit. He got friends together, and got in touch with a T-shirt company to see if they could get Aggies to raise money for the NYC firefighter and police funds by selling either red, white or blue shirts depending on the game ticket seat. The company was sold out within two days, and the Aggies organizing it had to scramble for more.

And then Oklahoma State fans called, wanting to participate.

And what was supposed to be a football game became something bigger. It was no longer about A&M or Oklahoma State. It was about our love for our country, and how we would Beat The Hell Outta Terrorism™. This game raised $180,000 for the funds, and sales of photographs of the game raised an additional $30,000.

Beat The Hell Outta Terrorism™!!!! WHOOP!!!!

Crossposted at Uncivil Peasants.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

For the brave men and women who died while in service to this great country.

Cross-posted at Sithy Things.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

So, just for WAMK:

So, make sure you go over and give him some love

Canada’s Conservatives score massive election win

That’s not a typo, y’all. The Conservatives had been needing 155 seats to rule with a majority. They got 167 seats. But the bestest part of all??

The victory, a relief for Canadian financial markets, left support for the separatist Bloc Quebecois in tatters and the party’s leader without a seat. Bloc Quebecois advocates independence for the province of Quebec.

The Liberals, who have ruled Canada for more years than any other party, were reduced to a dismal third place showing with their worst ever seat haul.

(Insert rabid laughter here.) As Sentry said, you still have to keep an eye on them, since they are politicians, after all. But seeing Canada, our friend to the North, move towards a more business- and tax-friendly platform is as awesome as a hat trick or bacon. Or a hat trick with bacon. And yes, even though the Conservatives up there are more left-leaning than the ones down here, it’s still a step in the right direction. So, without further ado, I give you a tribute:

Congratulations, Canada!! And please, don’t fuck it up

The unit -- 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (ABN), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team

For those of you unaware of the name and the story, it is an outpost named after one of the first soldiers killed at that outpost in the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan (The Korengal Valley was regarded as “the deadliest place on Earth”). The story is about the soldiers who went in and set up an outpost in the middle of the night and how they fought to keep it!

If you have not seen the movie…GET IT, WATCH IT, then WATCH IT AGAIN!! It is an emotional, fierce and in-your-face documentary. It received the Grand Jury Prize for best documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. (One of the directors, Tim Hetherington, was the photojournalist killed in Libya on 20 April, 2011).

But now…to the trailer at the official web site. It is a peek into one OP of many and what some of our soldiers go through every day.

R.I.P. PFC Restrepo and your brothers that died there with you. You and your brethren display the TRUE American soldier!!

LC Draco

UPDATE:

Restrepo, A Year In Afghanistan is going to be shown on National Geographic channel Monday 25 April at 9pm, Eastern.