Target Centermass

Author: Gunner

  • Citizen Soldier: a Slick Short

    I first mentioned the short film “Citizen-Soldier,” a two-minute public relations movie by the Army National Guard that recently ran in about 2,000 theaters, back in August. Until today, I had not had the good fortune to see any of it.

    RTO Trainer at Signaleer has almost all of it available, and I must say I’m impressed. Go watch your citizen soldiers, their actions and their motivations. Hooah!

    While your visiting, RTO Trainer has also collected several slides demonstrating the planned reorganization for the Guard. You know, if you care about that sort of thing or are just really into slides with colorful states all over them.

  • Europe Pathetically Caves

    Gerard Baker mixes a night spent stranded at a NATO base in Afghanistan with several events of the last week, and his final result is not a cheery concoction for the future of Europe.

    But the scale of Europe’s moral crisis is larger than ever. Opposing the war in Iraq was one thing, defensible in the light of events. But opting out of a serious fight against the Taleban, sabotaging efforts to get Iran off its path towards nuclear status, pre-emptively cringing to Muslim intolerance of free speech and criticism, all suggest something quite different.

    They imply a slow but insistent collapse of the European will, the steady attrition of the self-preservation instinct. Its effects can be seen not only in the political field, but in other ways — the startling decline of birth rates across the continent that represent a sort of self-inflicted genocide; the refusal to confront the harsh realities of a global economy.

    Many will greet this piece with knowing, resigned nods. Others will shrug off the negative outlook, denying the danger. Few if any on the continent will stir to do anything to confront the danger of their own demise anytime soon.

  • Once More unto the Breach

    The Gun Line‘s Sergeant B is an old Marine, specifically a 41-year-old Marine who is now resurrecting his military career in the Washington State National Guard.

    The physical is done (I passed), the paperwork for a few waivers has been submitted, and I shoud be vaulted into the saddle within the next two week… Done deal…

    I’ve given this a great deal of thought, and determined that this is the best course of action I can take for all concerned… I’ve got 13 years worth of USMC Infantry experience under my belt, which means that I’m over halfway to racking up the time needed to qualify for a retirement pension from the government (the Guard, however, works on a point system, with means that I might be able to rack up points faster, or it might take a little longer, not sure)…

    But that’s not what it’s about, is it?

    Not for me, anyway. This is something I should have done five years ago… I’m just a little late gettting to the starting line. There were other things that demanded my time and effort… But now, I can’t think of anything more important than to throw my hat into the ring, and get back in the fight – a fight that didn’t really exist until AFTER I got out of the Corps.

    Yep… It’s the right thing to do…

    Why, then, in the middle of the night, do I stare at the ceiling, my mind full of questions?

    The good sarge has obviously done a great deal of meditating on this monumental decision and is kind enough to share his contemplations with us. I must say that I’ve often wrestled with several of these same thoughts also, so Sergeant B’s post hits particularly close to home for me. [Hat tip to Argghhh!!!]

  • “… camped Near a good, old-time canteen”

    From Sgt. Hook, here’s a touching piece called “At the Canteen.” I don’t really know what to excerpt from it so I’ll just give you the beginning and let Hook take it from there.

    Still dressed in his dusty desert combat uniform, the old soldier bellied up to the bar, resting his elbows on the well worn mahogany wood where countless other soldiers have quelched a thirst.

    “What’ll it be sarn’t major?” the uniformed corporal asked with a distinct Scottish accent while wiping down the space in front of his newest customer, recognizing his rank, a star flanked by a wreath, sitting between three chevrons pointing to the heavens and three rockers adjoining from the bottom.

    Command Sergeant Major Jesse T. Martin Jr. hadn’t had a cold beer, or a warm one for that matter, in roughly 14 months and said as much.

    Corporal Jack Rodgers of her majesty’s famed 1st Battalion, The Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment, draped the white terrycloth towel over his left shoulder with a snap and asked, “I’ve pils or ale on draught?” looking directly into the old warrior’s tired grey-blue eyes.

    “Make it a pilsner please corporal, thank you,” Martin replied.

    “Pils it is then,” replied Rodgers as he turned to fill the order.

    Jesse Martin hardly noticed the tall, frosted glass of golden beer set in front of him, drifting off as he listened to the juke box blaring the Mamas and the Papas melodically singing, Dedicated to the One I Love.

    While I’m far away from you, my baby,
    I know it’s hard for you, my baby,
    Because it’s hard for me, my baby,
    And the darkest hour is just before dawn—

    Go read it all.

    By the way, my post title is taken from “Fiddler’s Green,” an old poem embraced by American cavalrymen and carried on today by some tankers and scouts. I highly suspect Hook drew at least some degree of inpiration for his story from it.

  • Army Mounts Coup in Thailand

    Today’s top story is a military coup in Thailand while the prime minister is in New York. Hey, while the cat’s out of town, the mice get down.

    Troops and tanks guarded the streets of Bangkok last night after the army chief launched a coup while the billionaire prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, was out of the country.

    Lt-Gen Sondhi Boonyaratkalin said he was acting on behalf of the nation’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

    There were fears that clashes could break out between army factions, some loyal to Mr Thaksin and others to the king. People on the outskirts of Bangkok said they saw 35 lorries each with 10 armed members of the Queen’s Regiment, the equivalent of the Brigade of Guards, travelling towards the city centre.

    Tanks guarded the entrance to Government House, a sprawling Italianate building, and two others were stationed nearby as soldiers lined up along the walls of the compound.

    A general said that the deputy prime minister and the defence minister, two of Mr Thaksin’s closest allies, had been arrested.

    […]

    A witness to what seemed like a classic coup described the atmosphere as “very calm”, as about 100 civilians milled around “smiling and taking photographs”. Mr Thaksin, 57, a telecoms tycoon who came close to acquiring Liverpool Football Club two years ago, has caused resentment in the army by making hand-picked appointments and is accused of policy failures which ignited a separatist insurgency in the predominantly Muslim south. A senior military officer said on television and radio that the constitution, cabinet and parliament had all been suspended and that martial law was in force in Bangkok.

    He said that a council for political reform, with the king as head of state, had seized power in the capital and neighbouring provinces.

    “There has been no struggle,” he said. “We ask for the co-operation of the public and ask your pardon for the inconvenience.” The statement emphasised that the coup was temporary and that a commission would be set up to decide on political reforms and oversee an election. Officials said that Gen Sondhi and other military leaders had met the king at the royal palace, apparently to work out an interim government. Gen Sondhi said: “The council found it necessary to seize power as of now.”

    Mr Thaksin, whose opponents accuse him of corruption and abuse of power, was in New York, where he was due to address the United Nations General Assembly. Television news showed him saying that he was sacking Gen Sondhi and declaring a state of emergency in Bangkok. He ordered troops to follow only “legal orders” but the screens went blank as he was speaking. Most inter-national television stations, including the BBC and CNN, went off the air and the country’s six public broadcasters flashed a continual message that forces loyal to the king had taken control “to maintain law and order”. Images of the king were shown repeatedly.

    Thailand has been in crisis for months. At times, as many as 100,000 people have demonstrated to demand the removal of Mr Thaksin. In April he called and won a snap election but the result was annulled after allegations of cheating by his Thai Rak Thai Party. He has been serving as a caretaker prime minister since then.

    Thailand has a long history of military coups since the Second World War, but the last was 14 years ago, when dozens died as security forces opened fire on protesters.

    Let’s not forget that this is the same prime minister that came up with the grand scheme of dropping millions of paper birds for peace in Thailand’s violence-ridden and heavily-Islamic southern provinces.

    As is commonly the case when international developments of this nature are breaking, I usually head over to Publius Pundit. Once again, I am not disappointed as A.M. Mora y Leon and Robert Mayer provide updates, links and analysis worth reading.

  • Avast, Me Hearties!

    It’s Talk Like a Pirate Day.

    Arrr!

  • Quote of the Week, 18 SEP 06

    War is no longer a series of battles, but a test of strength of the entire nation, its moral strength as well as physical, brain as well as muscles, and stamina as well as courage.

    Marshall of the RAF Lord Tedder

  • Wanted Terrorist Spotted?

    In Texas?!!

    The tale starts unlikely enough. A story comes out of Pakistan claiming that al Queda is set up for an attack inside the U.S. involving explosives and nuclear materials. It even goes so far as to name a particular terrorist, Adnan G. El Shukrijumah, claiming that he had brought the bad stuff in through Mexico over the last two years and was now waiting somewhere in the U.S.

    Okay, the odds are already poor. How many threats and rumors and promises of attacks greater than 9/11 have we endured over the last five years? Well, I don’t have the exact figure, but suffice it to say that I am willing to take Target Centermass out on the limb and assure the reader that the answer is a number probably greater than pi. Trust me. Keeping that hollowness of earlier stories of evil shenanigans, let’s stretch this tale into the fantastic.

    A commenter at Ace of Spades, after reading about the above, posts that he thinks he saw this guy … trying to rent a house … some time earlier this year … in Texas. Apparently he feels strongly enough about this to have contacted the FBI.

    Okay, let’s take the long odds against each aspect of this compound story and multiply them into a probability approaching zero. Still, that leaves a trace of a chance. I almost feel paranoid even writing up this story except for two points — first, they are eventually going to hit us again so we must be vigilant and, second, we are talking about the Lone Star state. Besides, even long odds must pay off some time. Douglas knocked out Tyson. Snub fighters took out the Death Star. Lyle Lovett married Julia Roberts.

    Hat tip to Gateway Pundit, who expands the story even a bit more.

  • An Amphibian, a Dictionary and an Alliance

    CDR Salamander takes a look at the current situation of NATO’s involvement in Afghanistan and struggles to find the right word.

    Culminate is a strong word in this line of work.

    […]

    In military terms, it can often be seen as a high-water mark. A point where a force has lost its ability to advance.

    My concern is that Salamander may have the right word but the wrong verb tense. I’ve repeatedly expressed my concerns about the value of NATO in the post-Cold War era [see here and here for examples]. I even briefly held out a resurrection of personal optimism for the alliance after a commitment to the Afghan theater, but CDR Salamander points out that my hope for a better distribution of burden among our allies was misplaced.

    Notice what troops are where. Notice where the fighting is (RC South, and RC East). Have we reached the point that only English speakers will die for NATO? Is that a fair alliance? Is this what you get for keeping (most of) them safe from Communism? At least Poland will try to step in some, after the fact. Maybe. They have a history of helping.

    He provides more information, including some sweet military history links, before concluding the following:

    This is gut check time NATO, and from what I see, you have a yellow stain running down your pants.

    This is not too far from something I wrote not too long ago:

    I’d say it’s not very complimentary to brag that NATO, an alliance based upon mutual defense, can heartily be relied upon for humanitarian disasters but is rather pick-and-choose on military assistance, always quite willing to find a reason to avoid exposure to potential danger. That is not a strong foundation for mutual defense. NATO really must be re-envisioned or cast away as a Cold War relic.

    Culminates or culminated?

  • A Fight over a Flagpole

    It’s homeowner vs. homeowners’ association, and it looks like the law is now squarely on the side of a man and his flagpole.

    President George W. Bush is joined by U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R- Md., as he signs H.R. 42, Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, Monday, July 24, 2006, in the Oval Office of the White House. The bill prevents a condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association from denying an owner or resident from displaying the U.S. flag on their residential property within the association.

    CJ at A Soldier’s Perspective has the story of Michael Beckett and his ongoing clash with his HOA (hat tip to Tanker Brothers):

    However, Michael Beckett, who I met through this site when I wrote THIS post after the act was passed, was recently forced to, again, take down his American flag (watch the video HERE). He had recently put it back up for the first time since September 2002, when he was forced to take it down.

    This was a flag that was given to him by a soldier in Afghanistan. The flag accompanied Army SGT Tony Pinto throughout his entire tour and was then given to Michael. The flag is currently framed in the traditional triangular wooden box in his home.

    “We have no problem with him displaying the American flag,” Decoster said, “but the problem is with the flag pole. We feel that flag poles, especially outside flag poles, are an obstruction.”

    CJ goes on to examine that stance and the law as it was passed. If one feels a need to rally to the flag, if you will, then contact information is also provided.

    I find this post particularly useful, as I had just recently contacted our HOA with questions about a flagpole and was surprised at the paperwork they expect me to complete. Hmmm … I think that’s now become a little less likely. As to flagpoles themselves, we saw these at last year’s state fair and were very impressed by their quality and convenience.