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.

Anyway, in the days following the attacks of 9/11, Neal Boortz was talking about the coming war, and the possible names of the operations that would be talking place. The names that were being bandied about fell short in Hubby’s estimation:

Me: Well, what would you call it, then?

Hubby: I would call it Operation Smoking Crater. Or if you want subtle, Operation Desert Glass.

Me: Ooooh… much better.

Names should strike as much fear as the actual physical operation, in my humble opinion. I want the terrorists to have a bowel movement when they hear something like Operation Killemall. Or better yet, Operation Moms Are Pissed.

What operation names can you come up with??

You look wonderful for being 236 years old.

HOOAH!!!

Most of you have NEVER heard his name, and for good reason. As most of you have never heard of Blue Light, the precursor to Delta Force. This man is just that….a MAN!!

On Gary’s mother’s side are several notable Sioux Warriors including Chief Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. His grandfather mentored him according to the Sioux Warrior path which includes a Sundance and eventually a four day vision quest.

Gary joined the military in a not so legal manner at the age of seventeen and completed a tour in Vietnam. He was recommended for the Silver Star for bravery but the Government didn’t take to kindly to Gary borrowing someone else’s name to get into the service, so they kicked him out. An anonymous Special Forces Sergeant Major helped Gary get back into the service again but he had to go through basic training, airborne school and other training all over again. Did he mind? Hell No, he was having fun and looking forward to getting back into combat.

{snip}

While retrieving his friend’s body, Gary’s undercover identity was compromised and he was tortured to the point of near death. Due to Gary’s special training and his life long study of martial arts he was able to slow down his heart rate enough to appear dead to his captors. After escaping and recovering from his wounds Gary was able to track down his enemies and send them to the afterlife.

Here’s the article.

Most people do not know or have heard about Robin Sage. It is THE end and THE beginning of a Special Forces soldier’s life. The end because it is the culminating exercise and the beginning, because then you get assigned to a group and a team. There have been deaths to SF soldiers during this exercise due to miscommunications with local law enforcement. Hence the notice and coordination being done now. This is also a reason why you would have to be an IDIOT to try and invade North Carolina!!!

This is a video from the 2009 Robin Sage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Rb6Oh9NcU

LC Draco

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.

No, this is NOT turning into a cat blog. This is about patriotism, dammit, and incidental hookers FTW!!

Hope y’all have a great Sunday!!

Yesterday, 27 June 2011, was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day.

Why is it important? Most of us who remember seeing the movie “Patton”, remember him slapping a soldier who had ‘battle fatigue’.  Back then, and until a couple of years ago, PTSD/battle fatigue/shell shock had a stigma of weakness. I refused to be diagnosed several years ago with PTSD due to that stigma (That refusal changed last year). Even the military now is changing their mentality. One study has reported that 1 in 6 soldiers returning from Iraq and/or Afghanistan will be diagnosed with PTSD. The issue is it affects not just the soldier, but family and friends, who are usually the first to notice the symptoms.

Now, however, there are actual medical testing that can be done to see chemical changes in the brain during repeated stressful/traumatic situations and events.

Please take a minute and look here for the National Center for PTSD to be better acquainted with the program.

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.