Recently in Military Category

I've been eagerly awaiting this miniseries since I saw the first trailer, despite my recent misgivings thanks to Tom Hanks' asshattery. Here's a little history that sets the stage for the first episode.

In partnership with HBO, The U.S. Naval Institute has collected a great wealth of historical information on the the Pacific Theater of World War II. For further reading, try any (or all) of these books:

Want more video?

There's a bunch more after the jump.

DefenseTech thinks it's now time for pre-emptive cyber attacks on jihadist networks. Gosh, what an original idea.

Consider this your profanity warning.

Jim "Uncle Jimbo" Hansen is a retired Army Special Forces Master Sergeant.

This is a visualization of the 100 most frequently-used words in tonight's speech. Click to enlarge:

The Weekly Standard has the transcript.

In Flanders Fields
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

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.

If jihadist ideology is supposedly a perversion of true Islam, how can it be "Islamophobic" to identify and remove jihadists from our military?

Barack Obama went to Dover AFB to meet the caskets of fallen troops returning from Afghanistan.

Ah, such a refreshing difference! Golly, it's so wonderful to have Professor Hopenchange in charge now. As we all know, a single photo op on the tarmac far outweighs whatever the heck George W. Bush was doing for eight years. Let's see, what exactly did he do? Oh, now I remember:

President Bush has met hundreds of families of fallen soldiers, but he has yet to attend a servicemember's funeral, he said Tuesday.

"Because which funeral do you go to? In my judgment, I think if I go to one I should go to all. How do you honor one person but not another?" he said.

The appropriate way to express his appreciation to the family members of fallen troops is to meet with them in private, he said.

What a jerk Bush was. The nerve of that guy, meeting with the bereaved in private instead of using them to score political points!

Meanwhile, our living troops in Afghanistan wait for the reinforcements they need. I'm sure Obama will get around to making a decision one of these months. Probably.

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10/30 Update: Yep ... plastic banana look-how-much-I-care photo op.

I say the following as a retired U.S. Coast Guard commissioned officer who swore and upheld a solemn oath to defend the Constitution.

Newsmax's John L. Perry is either nuts, a naïve fool, or a childish attention-seeker. His latest column speculating on the possibility of a U.S. military coup to unseat President Obama fails the most basic B.S. test. Perry hasn't the first clue about how our military's leadership understands its oath of office, nor does he demonstrate even the most rudimentary comprehension of our Constitution.

By publishing this bilge the editors at Newsmax have forever beclowned themselves.

More commentary:
Cassandra cracks open a can o' whupass

Screw the unions. Honor these folks instead.

Jim Towey's editorial touched off the debate over the VA Death Book, so here's a copy to read for yourself.

This pamphlet's clearly quite slanted toward the euthanasia side of the scale, so pay it no mind. Instead, educate yourself about advance directives before you make any end-of-life decisions.

Just dropped into my inbox:

Fellow Alums: The Superintendent of the Academy, RADM J. Scott Burhoe, asked me to forward the following email, which he has distributed to the Academy staff re: the Alex Simonka investigation.

V/R
CDR Jim Sylvester, USCG (ret) '71
President
USCGA Alumni Association

---------------------------------------

Dear Academy Community,

We all were deeply impacted by the tragic death of Alex Simonka last March. People have come to me wanting to know more facts to replace rumor and innuendo. Although I and the Academy administration strive to be transparent, we couldn't share more information about the allegations of misappropriation of Coast Guard Academy Athletic Association (CGAAA) funds because doing so could have jeopardized an ongoing investigation.

When I previously reported that the U.S. Attorney had launched an independent investigation, I said I would say more when authorized to do so. The U.S. Attorney's office has now given me permission to share critical facts. I've chosen to share them internally, understanding they will reach a wider audience. Public trust of institutions like ours requires complete, accurate public disclosure to preserve the high ethical standards we represent.

The investigation began in early 2008 after an anonymous letter was received by Government Accountability Office Fraudnet, and was referred to the Coast Guard Investigative Service. The letter expressed concern regarding the possible misuse of CGAAA funds. The subsequent investigation estimated that approximately $1.4 million had been embezzled from the CGAAA between 2004 and 2009.

In addition to being the Women's Basketball Coach, Mr. Simonka was the Athletic Division Business Manager and CGAAA Director since 1993. In these positions, he played an essential role in the management and expenditure of CGAAA funds. When we were first advised of possible wrongdoing in August 2008, we acted immediately to remove his authority over CGAAA's accounts.

Continuing concerns by the investigators led me to decide to place Mr. Simonka on administrative leave, and the Assistant Superintendent informed him during a face-to-face meeting on March 11, 2009. Although Mr. Simonka was not asked any questions, he offered a general apology and expressed regret. The Assistant Superintendent informed Mr. Simonka of the availability of counseling and support services - including services available through the Employee Assistance Program and at the Academy.

Mr. Simonka was first interviewed by the investigators on March 10 and he admitted embezzling CGAAA funds since sometime in 1999 or 2000, which he said were used to gamble. Mr. Simonka wrote checks from the CGAAA's account payable to himself. In order to avoid detection, he created a record of "dummy checks" that made them appear to be payments to a legitimate vendor or for a legitimate CGAAA purpose.

Mr. Simonka told investigators he was solely responsible for the thefts and the investigation found no evidence that any other Coast Guard employee was involved in Mr. Simonka's actions. The amount of funds taken before 2004 could not be determined. Unfortunately, it does not appear that the Academy will be able to recover any of the lost funds.

We cooperated fully throughout the investigation and I thank the U.S. Attorney, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division, and Department of Homeland Security Inspector General which diligently investigated this matter.

The CGAAA operated for more than half a century, and developed its own ad hoc practices which lacked adequate internal controls such as segregation of duties and effective oversight over handling of funds. Before the reports that spurred the investigation, we had already begun the process of converting the CGAAA to a nonappropriated fund instrumentality under the auspices of the Assistant Commandant for Human Resources who approved it on March 24, 2009.

The former CGAAA is now the "Coast Guard Academy Athletic Activity Fund" and it is subject to the same financial management regulations that govern all similar instrumentalities, like the Coast Guard Exchange and the Cadet Fund. These regulations require segregation of duties to ensure that no one person handles all elements of a transaction. They also require greater transparency of fiscal operations and regular oversight by the Academy Comptroller.

With the cooperation of the Director of Athletics we have transformed the financial management methods of the Athletics Division. After implementing appropriate lessons learned, we will move forward with confidence that processes now in place will protect the integrity and effectiveness of these programs that are so important to Academy life.

RADM J. Scott Burhoe
Superintendent, USCGA

U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Assn
47 Mohegan Ave
New London, CT 06320

This is gonna get uglier before it quiets down.

Imagine turning one loose in Taliban Country! I wonder if one could be programmed to target the scent of patchouli oil, and be set loose in Berkeley?

Hat tip: Hot Air

7/17 Update: Drat!

Ready for a prime example of Barack Obama's incredible narcissism and utter military ineptitude? Read Bob Woodward's account of a briefing in Afghanistan conducted by deployed Marines for Obama's National Security Advisor, General Jim Jones:

Jones was carrying out directions from President Obama, who said recently, "My strong view is that we are not going to succeed simply by piling on more and more troops."

...

During the briefing, (Brig. Gen. Lawrence) Nicholson had told Jones that he was "a little light," more than hinting that he could use more forces, probably thousands more. "We don't have enough force to go everywhere," Nicholson said.

But Jones recalled how Obama had initially decided to deploy additional forces this year. "At a table much like this," Jones said, referring to the polished wood table in the White House Situation Room, "the president's principals met and agreed to recommend 17,000 more troops for Afghanistan." The principals -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; Gates; Mullen; and the director of national intelligence, Dennis C. Blair -- made this recommendation in February during the first full month of the Obama administration. The president approved the deployments, which included Nicholson's Marines.

Soon after that, Jones said, the principals told the president, "oops," we need an additional 4,000 to help train the Afghan army.

"They then said, 'If you do all that, we think we can turn this around,' " Jones said, reminding the Marines here that the president had quickly approved and publicly announced the additional 4,000.

Now suppose you're the president, Jones told them, and the requests come into the White House for yet more force. How do you think Obama might look at this? Jones asked, casting his eyes around the colonels. How do you think he might feel?

Jones let the question hang in the air-conditioned, fluorescent-lighted room. Nicholson and the colonels said nothing.

Well, Jones went on, after all those additional troops, 17,000 plus 4,000 more, if there were new requests for force now, the president would quite likely have "a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment." Everyone in the room caught the phonetic reference to WTF -- which in the military and elsewhere means "What the [expletive]?"

That's right, campers. It's all about Obama: his feelings, his reputation, his political future, his comfort. Don't pester him with requests for reinforcements. Sasha and Malia have to make do with the allowance Daddy gives them; you can do the same with what he's already given you. Run along now, and accomplish your mission without any politically uncomfortable casualties, OK? The Redistributor-in-Chief has to get back to socializing the health care system.

Jules Crittenden's bluntly-worded assessment follows, after the jump.

Come March, 2010 I'm going to subscribe to HBO just to watch this.

I still watch my DVD boxed set of "Band Of Brothers" at least once a year ...

... so I suspect I'll be buying this one in about a year's time.

H/T: BLACKFIVE

Before you react to the U.S. Army's newest report on suicides by its troops, consider the reams of unanswered questions like these:

1. What is the suicide rate (suicides per 100,000 per year)?

2. How does this rate compare to the 18-24 year old civilian cohort?

3. What are the suicide rates of those who have deployed compared to those who have not? Combat action versus no combat action?

4. What is the Army's suicide rate in 2009 compared to 1999, 1989, and 1979?

Statistics are easy to misunderstand, misconstrue, or twist.

It's time to debunk this silliness:

Government Demands Inventory of All VFW Weapons

Kurt Nimmo
Infowars
June 9, 2009

An Infowars reader has passed along an email sent to VFW commanders by the Assistant Adjutant of the Department of Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars indicating the U.S. Army TACOM (Tactical Army Command) is demanding an inventory of all weapons held by VFW posts.

"While you may have had possession of this equipment for 20, 40, 60 or 100 years," the email states, "it still belongs to the U.S. Military."

The email arrived with an inventory attachment where all weapons are to be listed and the document sent to the Department of Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars. "This form will then be bounced off of the central database of all Texas VFW Posts at U.S. Army TACOM to verify serial numbers of each item that has been issued. This is a very extensive list and goes back to before the VFW was founded. So if you have a cannon from the Spanish-American War -- it's on the list."

Many VFW halls around the country have decommissioned military weapons on their properties along with uniforms, statues and flags from every era. It is a common practice for VFW honor guard units to use M-1 rifles made into blank firing devices for salutes at parades and funerals. Weapons held by VFW posts are generally kept under lock and key in storage rooms.

TACOM is not simply interested in blank firing devices and antique rifles and pistols, however. "Weapons and Equipment consist of but is not limited to, Rifles, Pistols, Mortars, Artillery, Tanks, Vehicles, Aircraft, Missiles, Aircraft Carriers (sic), etc, from any period."

Sounds scary, right?

This is refreshing:

As a Prius-driving, granola-eating, anti-gun, Left Coast Californian, I do not fit the stereotype of the typical armed forces booster. I am inclined to favor green technology over weapons of mass destruction. But I discovered during my visit that many of us who are working in non-military organizations, and who may not have given a second thought to the Navy as a model, would do well to understand how a small city floating on the ocean works. From startup entrepreneurs to seasoned executives, we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy, from the enlisted men and women as well as from the commanding officers.

Let's shoehorn some more blogging lefties on a COD flight, stat.

The Coast Guard is once again soliciting SEAL applications from active duty men in paygrades E-3, E-4, E-5, O-1, and O-2. BUD/S is extremely grueling, but becoming a SEAL is an incredibly effective way to serve your country.

Go get 'em, guys!

For the last 56 years, every President has made a point of attending the Salute To Heroes Inaugural Ball, which recognizes and celebrates recipients of the Medal of Honor. A bit of background:

The American Legion sponsors the ball, which recognizes recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. It started in 1953 for President Dwight D. Eisenhower's first inauguration.

Event co-sponsors include 13 other veterans service organizations, among them the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Every four years Eisenhower's successors followed suit: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.

But yesterday, Barack Obama blew off 48 living recipients of the Medal of Honor who attended yesterday's Salute To Heroes Inaugural Ball. He had more important things to do.

Jerk.

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More commentary:
BLACKFIVE
Ace of Spades
This Ain't Hell

Jim Dolbow solicits predictions for 2009 in two areas: national defense in general, and my beloved Coast Guard specifically. Go forth and comment.

The U.S. Naval Institute's new blog features some heavy hitters posting on America's response to modern day pirates in the Gulf of Aden. How come? Well, those pesky Somali pirates have kept themselves in the headlines long enough to draw the attention of the UN Security Council (I'll bet the pirates are terrified). After a recent close call, cruise ship passengers have now begun debarking before their ships reach the danger area, then flying to the next port of call to rejoin the cruise in safer waters.

At the USNI blog, the Navy's current tactics catch flak from Chuck Spinney, while Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen asks about the counter-piracy endgame. The latest missive from the Department of Crazy Ideas (courtesy of lawyer and retired Navy Captain "Eagle1") suggests a cheap inshore fleet. All well and good, but something's missing.

Let's convince Congress to issue Letters of Marque & Reprisal. This isn't as quaint or old-fashioned as you might think, and I'm not in the middle of a Walter Mitty daydream about Sir Francis Drake. The most recently-issued letter of marque allowed the civilian blimp Resolute to operate as an Anti-Submarine Warfare privateer, patrolling out of Los Angeles in 1941-42.

To curb the Somali pirates, our Congress could simply turn loose civilian contractors like Blackwater, Paratus World Wide Protection, or Triple Canopy. Quick, easy, no muss, no fuss. The Democrats in DC would only need to handle the paperwork and make belligerent speeches, leaving the private military companies to figure out the messy details. There would be minimal risk to our military personnel, who would only have to assist the contractors with surveillance and intelligence gathering.

If the sea services insist on taking part, or if the DC crowd pushes them into the fray, they should resist the urge to charge right up the middle with conventional forces. They should first look carefully at the capabilities of the Coast Guard's MSSTs (and the MSRT), as well as the Navy's SEALs, SWCC Teams, and Maritime Expeditionary Security Force. There's not much sense in trying to swat flies with a sledgehammer.