It made me sad, send_me.
There aren’t any more honorable missions for our troops.
alphie on August 17, 2008 at 12:26 AM

Three questions: 1. Why did it make you sad, specifically?
2. What mission would be “honorable” for our troops, now that we have our independence from Britain?
3. Would you advocate every Soldier putting down their arms, wherever they stand, and come home?

Other than winning our freedom from Britain and crushing the traitorous South…what has the U.S. military really done that actually benefits America?

alphie on August 16, 2008 at 5:07 PM

I disagree. Britain should have crushed the traitorous colonies. You are quite right, though, freedom means independence or autonomy, not liberalism. Therefore, the US never liberates when it forces liberalism on unwilling victims.

And if blogging remains anonymous it’s even more dangerous.

pc on August 16, 2008 at 8:05 PM

You mean like the kos and the phony soldiers, ect.?

I see a lot more dissident opinion tolerated on conservative blogs these days. Is this some sort of prima facia evidence production/self regulation ahead of the congressional action to come? It feels like it to me.

Fairness doctrine is going to be the new forced integration. And if blogging remains anonymous it’s even more dangerous.

pc on August 16, 2008 at 8:05 PM

I guess that if the fairness doctrine gets imposed, that MSM will be required to give unbiased reports for a change. Maybe? Possible? Probable? Lots o luck.

alphie on August 17, 2008 at 12:26 AM

My grandson just returned, wounded, from Afghanistan and my son has not yet returned. Thank God that they, understand the need to stop the islamic terrorist and unselfishly sacrifice their freedom and lives to protect this country, that you think does not need to be protected.
You and many other Americans do not seem to appreciate their sacrifices. They do their job regardless. We have not had another attack on our soil, due to the hard work of our intelligence services and the military. Maybe someday you will appreciate the scrifices of these fine folks. Maybe not.

>
There aren’t any more honorable missions for our troops.

I wish I could join in keeping the illusion alive, but I just can’t.

Right-wing fantasies are simply too dangerous to America these days.

alphie on August 17, 2008 at 12:26 AM

So protecting you citizens is not honorable?

There aren’t any more honorable missions for our troops.

I wish I could join in keeping the illusion alive, but I just can’t.

Right-wing fantasies are simply too dangerous to America these days.

alphie on August 16, 2008 at 10:25 PM

I’m still interested in knowing your thoughts on what I wrote.

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jfBqpm9-bNHnStkVNbHYsD44DZOw

Put the right-wing comic books down and tune in some real news sources…

The good ones? Called them by their rank. Or their first name. The bad ones? Ya don’t want to know. coldwarrior on August 16, 2008 at 9:14 PM

That’s interesting. It our case it depended on the Group SOP or the individual Team Leader, normally an Army Captain.

The general order was no saluting, no mention of rank, just first or last name.

Your folks weren’t around much, usually very welcome, because they often carried the “The Bag” with the indigenous payroll and the moolah for the local chow we ate and paid for local intel, transport and training.

Hadda luv you!

J_Gocht on August 16, 2008 at 8:42 PM –

The good ones? Called them by their rank. Or their first name. The bad ones? Ya don’t want to know.

Have a nice souvenir sitting on my desk. A periscope from one of the first Taliban tanks nailed in Afghanistan. From the commander cupola. Couldn’t go out and play for that one, retired and being a single parent to a couple teens. The message was clear when I received this unique little gift. One of the ops said, “If ya had been there, this would have been your kill.”

The good ones? Friends. Will always be.

(I expect that you’ve seen or encountered a few of our douche-bags along the way.)

coldwarrior on August 16, 2008 at 7:19 PM
“…Operator from Bragg? Worked with a bunch over the years, quite a few from DIA as well. Some very good, downright excellent (borrowed a few of these from time to time), some were loose cannons,

“Loose cannons”… yeah, I know what you mean. Kept coffee cans of ears in their “Ruck’s” and wouldn’t sleep in a high rise without their “rope kit”.

Hey what can I say? That’s what extended periods of high stress activity elicit from a human being…?

They sent some of us back time after time, year after year. I’m very concerned for the mental stability of the men and women returning from multiple missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I don’t believe we have any conception of the personal problems that repetitive reassignment to combat zones is going to have for them and their families. The continuing costs to society and the VA are almost unimaginable.

We used to refer to you guys and gals as “control” or “asset” what the hell did you call us? Or shouldn’t I ask?

Actually in SE Asia all the field personnel my teams were associated with were male. Although I ran into a Pilatus, P6 turbo pilot once; that was to “die for”. She might have been French, underarm hair?

Those fairness doctrine folks just don’t understand that not all opinions are equal and not all facts can be arranged by political ideology. If one has a message that resounds with a part or the whole of a population, great. If one has a point of view or message that resounds with no one…are they going to be made an “equal” voice?

They can voice it. But the First Amendment says nothing about other people having to listen to it.

Gonna be one hell of an outcry if the Fairness Doctrine is imposed on the internet.

Fairness doctrine is going to be the new forced integration. And if blogging remains anonymous it’s even more dangerous.

Operator from Bragg? Worked with a bunch over the years, quite a few from DIA as well. Some very good, downright excellent (borrowed a few of these from time to time), some were loose cannons, a few had to be hand-held constantly. Some, God knows how they finished the program.

Why not the guys in DC? [You really do want me to eat up bandwidth, don't you?]

[For reasons other than retirements and attrition of experienced officers?] PC-ism. Had way too many hires in the ’90’s, hires of people who lacked skills, performance or experience. The Cold War was over, so the emphasis changed…more towards teaching folks how to sell Amway, the ops generalist, with very little emphasis given to in- depth area training. Can’t learn that in a book, or in a class at Perry. From what I have gleaned from former colleagues, the tech side took hits, too. I can’t speak to the analytical side.

But, to compound the felony, many of these guys (the Deutsch newbies) are now filling mid-level and qa few upper level slots. Those of us oldies that hadn’t retired or left yet, those of us over GS-15, ended up over at ODNI after 2002. Pushing paper, playing politics, holding on till something better comes along for the most part.

Just saying that yes, the spokesman may indeed be playing CYA. Or there could be very real, very impactful operational causes (not excuses) for not being up to speed.

I just get a bit tired of the lame old meme…

If there is a real foul-up, I much perefer it be handled internally, and swiftly and fixes being made. Not a big fan of the “press” doing the finger pointing, no critique just criticism, and no idea how to fix the problem…just playing gotcha.

I’d love to know your thoughts.

Send_Me on August 16, 2008 at 5:57 PM

Anyone who does not understand that does not want to understand.

In my opinion as a man and as a Soldier, here’s what it means to “Support the Troops”. I’d love to know your thoughts.

Send_Me on August 16, 2008 at 5:57 PM

Stay safe.

We had down to The Ranch. I gave you respect to take back home. Why you now dissin the other sovereign heads of state? {you piece of crap [emp BR]

“…The Deutsch and Tenent years were not good years for both outfits…moral sucked and attrition was huge.

Your excuse #1

My question #1: Why then, wasn’t Tenent removed; instead of receiving the “Medal of Freedom”?

My question#2: Blackmail?

“…So, for argument’s sake…two years, not 8.

Your excuse #2

They turned my dumbe asse into an operator in less than two years at Fort Bragg, why not you smart folks near Washington?

My answer: No more damn excuses, accepted!

If the only kind of communal service you admire is killing brown folks thousands of miles from America, J_, I pity you.
alphie on August 16, 2008 at 4:52 PM

In my opinion as a man and as a Soldier, here’s what it means to “Support the Troops”. I’d love to know your thoughts.

“The U.S. military is still dropping bombs on Baghdad and Kabul, Johan” – alphie

Johan, seems our little nit (alph) hasn’t been able to drop his graphic novel/comic book long enough to even read a newspaper, let alone pay attention to the TV…haven’t been any bombing missions over Kabul and Baghdad for a long long time…a real long time.

Still? Still bombing? Sheeeesh…some of these children just have ADHD written all over them.

The U.S. military is still dropping bombs on Baghdad and Kabul, Johan.

You have a funny concept of “protection.”

alphie on August 16, 2008 at 4:45 PM

You kill to islamic terrorist where they are; { Remember 9-11 and all of the other terrorist attacks?} I do.

Mike Hayden didn’t take over CIA until May ‘06, and the NRO is staffed by DoD and CIA. Took Hayden about a year to get the place put back together, and about a year to try to get it up to speed. The Deutsch and Tenent years were not good years for both outfits…moral sucked and attrition was huge.

So, for argument’s sake…two years, not 8.

Now, take the average Army mech infantry battalion in 1972…then try to raise its combat readiness and effectiveness to combat ready level, up to standards of the present Army mech infantry unit we have today. A week? A month? A year? Then meld that battalion with other similar battalions, also going through a necessary upgrade in personnel and equipment. Then get that Brigade assembled on the flight line…ready to deploy at 90% effectiveness, with all equiupment, supplies and basic loads. Can ya do it in a year? Two?

Now…try to do the same but replace soldiers and NCO’s and subordinate officers with civilians…civil service employees…

Is the picture a bit more clear?