Target Centermass

Category: Military

  • National Guard Film to Play in Theaters

    Okay, you’ve fought the lines, got your popcorn and soda and settled into your hopefully comfortable theater seat to watch the movie, probably either the latest comic book adaptation, sequel or re-envisioning that you’ve shelled out way too much dinero to see. The theater goes dark and the screen lights up with previews, messages begging you to buy Coke and shut off that damned cell phone, and … hmmm … this is new … a look at the Army National Guard.

    A two-minute film highlighting the missions of the Army National Guard will appear in 2,000 movie theaters nationwide Aug. 4 to Sept. 7 and in college campus theaters Sept. 8 to Oct. 5.

    Entitled “Citizen-Soldier,” the film will play before the feature film and is meant to create an understanding of how the National Guard serves America, demonstrating the character and commitment of its Soldiers.

    Most civilians never have an opportunity to witness the dynamic range of actions required to perform the missions of the National Guard, according to Col. Richard R. Guzzetta, chief of the Army National Guard’s Strength Maintenance Division. This film provides a glimpse of these capabilities and of the Soldiers who perform them, he said.

    The film is a culmination of footage of Army Guard units across the country in training and real-life missions shot by embedded civilian and Guard cameramen.

    Here’s hoping there’s no footage of troops stuggling to stay awake during the tedious but mandatory annual briefings or the silliness that always seemed to accompany the required annual crowd/riot control training sessions, often complete with shortened broomsticks for batons.

    Hat tip to RTO Trainer at Signaleer.

  • Not-Quite-Back-Yet Link Dump

    Okay, call it a Maui honeymoon hangover, but I’m not really back to the blogging yet. I’ll try to put up a few things, but I doubt I’ll get too serious until I’ve finished moving in with my new bride and setting up my new Fortress of Solitude in the upstairs office. Oh yeah, some time in the near future I hope to have some pictures for y’all of the joyous nuptials of Mr. and Mrs. Gunner.

    Still, I don’t want to leave you empty-handed tonight, so heres a few links worth your time.

    The Troops Have Moved On

    Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease.”

    So said Abraham Lincoln in his second inaugural address, describing a war that put 11 percent of our citizens in uniform and had by that point killed nearly one of out every seven soldiers. That his words are relevant again now is a troubling indicator of our national endurance.

    We are at the outset of a long war, and not just in Iraq. Yet it is being led politically by the short-sighted, from both sides of the aisle. The deterioration of American support for the mission in Iraq is indicative not so much of our military conduct there, where real gains are coming slowly but steadily, but of chaotic leadership.

    Somehow Operation Iraqi Freedom, not a large war by America’s historical standards, has blossomed into a crisis of expectations that threatens our ability to react to future threats with a fist instead of five fingers. Instead of rallying we are squabbling, even as the slow fuse burns.

    […]

    This confusion, in turn, affects our warriors, who are frustrated by the country’s lack of cohesion and the depiction of their war. Iraq hasn’t been easy on the military, either. But the strength of our warriors is their ability to adapt.

    […]

    Soldiers are sick of apologizing for a sliver of malcontents who are not at all representative of the new breed. But they are also sick of being pitied. Our warriors are the hunters, not the hunted, and we should celebrate them as we did in the past, for while our tastes have changed, warfare — and the need to cultivate national guardians — has not. As Kipling wrote, “The strength of the pack is the wolf.”

    Go read the whole thing. Hat tip to Blackfive.

    Final Salute

    A flag-draped casket.
    Rifle volleys.
    Taps.

    These are the images of war that many have seen since the beginning of the war.

    There are many more images that haven’t been seen before.

    For Marines stationed at Buckley Air Force Base and the families they touch, the images are unforgettable. According to Maj. Steve Beck, they should be.

    This is a stirring presentation that shows how the American military honors its fallen and helps their families take the beginning steps down the road to healing. The Rocky Mountain News put it together for last Veterans Day, and I’ll send a hat tip to Florida Cracker for linking it on Memorial Day. Today may seem a day late to bring it to your attention, but I don’t feel that it is — our military pays such tribute and shows such care any day of the year.

    New-to-me Blog: History Post

    Welcome to Anthony Tully’s Online Discussion log of various musings regarding history, political science, current events, and fields of expertise like Naval and Romano-Byzantine History. Be sure to visit our website for a look at some of my Pacific War articles and information on just published full study of the Battle of Midway.

    If the name Anthony Tully doesn’t ring a bell, please review this post where I asked Santa for a copy of the new book Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. Santa may not have come through for me in this case, but critics and historians have voiced much love for work of co-authors Jonathan Parshall and, yes, Anthony Tully. Hat tip to Frankenstein at General Quarters. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve e-known both Mr. Tully and Frank for several years on my favorite discussion forum and have long valued their thoughts on history, religion, military and political matters.

  • Memorial Day 2006

    [The following is a modified posting of last year’s Memorial Day postings. New Memorial Day content wil follow]

    Tomb of the Unknowns: Changing of the Guard (embossed)
    The Sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknowns

    If you have not seen the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, I’ve witnessed it more than once and highly recommend it.

    The guard is changed every hour on the hour Oct. 1 to March 31 in an elaborate ritual. From April 1 through September 30, there are more than double the opportunities to view the change because another change is added on the half hour and the cemetery closing time moves from 5 to 7 p.m.

    An impeccably uniformed relief commander appears on the plaza to announce the Changing of the Guard. Soon the new sentinel leaves the Quarters and unlocks the bolt of his or her M-14 rifle to signal to the relief commander to start the ceremony. The relief commander walks out to the Tomb and salutes, then faces the spectators and asks them to stand and stay silent during the ceremony.

    The relief commander conducts a detailed white-glove inspection of the weapon, checking each part of the rifle once. Then, the relief commander and the relieving sentinel meet the retiring sentinel at the center of the matted path in front of the Tomb. All three salute the Unknowns who have been symbolically given the Medal of Honor. Then the relief commander orders the relieved sentinel, “Pass on your orders.” The current sentinel commands, “Post and orders, remain as directed.” The newly posted sentinel replies, “Orders acknowledged,” and steps into position on the black mat. When the relief commander passes by, the new sentinel begins walking at a cadence of 90 steps per minute.

    The ritual is slow. It is determined. It is meticulous. It is touching.

    The majesty of the ceremony lies in its detailed, determined nature. It shows that our honored dead are not remembered only one day a year by our military — their memory is unfailingly revered . Their sacrifices receive tribute constantly from both comrades and strangers. Such is as it should be, both in the military and among all of the citizenry that value the freedoms and security that have been bought and paid for in blood and sacrifice. Our heroes deserve their special day, but their honor deserves our hearts throughout the year.

    (On a side note, the above photos were taken by my then-girlfriend-now-new-bride. The photo of the ceremony was perfect in every way but one, a slight discoloration I was unable to overcome. In desperation, I tried the embossed effect and was quite happy with the outcome.)

  • Dear MilSanta

    OpFor‘s Charlie Munn has compiled an interesting wishlist of ten miltech developments he would like to see. While some of them almost seem to border on science fiction, like really good sci-fi they maintain an air of believability.

    Go give it a read and feel free to chip in on the comments. Charlie’s post certainly has given me something to ponder — not exactly an unusual occurence for OpFor readers.

    Hmmm … now just how could we improve tanks, increasing their relevance in our current efforts against our Islamist enemies while keeping an eye on future threats like the massive Chinese numbers?

  • Vandals Hit UNC, N.C. State ROTC Buildings

    EagleSpeak brings us the story and images of cowardice and criminality in North Carolina. As Eagle1 acknowledges, this one strikes at his heart for a reason.

    Over the decades, thousands of outstanding young men and women have passed through the doors of the ROTC buildings at Chapel Hill and in Raleigh. Men and women of character, courage and conviction. The slimeballs who marred the exterior of those buildings will never be able to lay claim to any of those honorable adjectives.

    And, yes, I have a personal stake. I graduated from the UNC Naval ROTC program in 1971 and my older son graduated from the UNC Naval ROTC unit in 2001. And we were just part of the long Carolina blue line.

    Go see the images [UNC images courtesy of Blackfive] and realize that our military, serving honorably and professionally on a scale unprecedented in military history and policing its own members who fail to do so, is already enduring the acts of a disgusting campaign against it at home.

  • Quick Morning Links

    Sorry, but work kept me ’til well past midnight last night, so I just thought I’d throw out a couple of things I’d hoped to comment on before plans went astray.

    From Sgt. Hook, there’s this piece called “No Tears in Heaven.” I don’t really know what to excerpt from it; just read it.

    Also, Chap points us to the latest from one of my favorites, Ralph Peters, as he looks at the festering situation with Iran.

    The most dangerous error we could make in our sharpening confronta tion with Iran is to con vince ourselves that its leaders will act rationally. Few wars are rooted in dispassionate analysis. Self-delusion sparks most such catastrophes.

    The power brokers in Tehran may be on the verge of misjudging America’s will and resources as profoundly as did the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941, or al Qaeda on Sept. 11, 2001.

    Stalin misread America’s will when he acquiesced in the Korean Communist invasion of the south. So did Castro, when he imagined that he could impose a tyrannical regime on Grenada.

    Saddam Hussein misread America, too. Twice. First, when he convinced himself that he could grab Kuwait with impunity, and, second, when he did his weapons-of-mass-destruction fan dance. (Bulletin for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad: Don’t play the I’ve-got-weapons-you’d-better-be-afraid-of card.)

    Given that historical record, what should we expect of a radical-theocrat regime that has no serious grasp of American psychology, that rules an embittered populace it longs to excite and unify, and that believes it’s literally on a mission from God?

    In recent weeks, Tehran has anxiously publicized its tests of surface-to-surface missiles, of air-to-ground missiles and even of torpedoes. The intended point is that, if the shooting starts, Iran can close the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers – disrupting the global economy – while striking any other target between Israel and Afghanistan.

    The crucial question is whether the Iranians are still playing at brinksmanship, hoping to spook us into passivity as they build nuclear weapons, or if they’ve already convinced themselves that a conflict with the United States is inevitable.

    Given the closed nature of Iran’s ruling clique, it’s impossible to know.

    Indeed, the meaning of such publicly-displayed tests are something to be pondered at, something I’ve trifled with recently. Please read Peters’ column in its entirety, though I want to highlight his conclusion with which I agree most strongly.

    Should Tehran ignite a combat exchange, we need to ensure not only that Iran’s nuclear-weapons program is crippled, but that its broader capabilities are shattered.

    Militarily, it will be time for our Air Force to prove its worth, with the Navy in support. Iran’s recent experience of conflict is of attrition-based land warfare. But there’s no need for us to employ conventional ground forces inside Iran (special operations troops are another matter). We’ll have to watch the Iraqi and Afghan borders, but our fight would be waged from the air and from the sea.

    If we’re pulled into war, we need to strike hard and fast – before Iran’s allies can make mischief in international forums. We should destroy as much of Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure as possible, eliminate its air force and air defenses and wreck its naval facilities beyond repair – no matter the collateral damage. The madmen in Tehran must pay an unbearable price.

    The results within Iran would be unpredictable. Fiercely nationalistic, the country’s core Persian population might unify behind the regime, setting back our hopes for an eventual rapprochement with a post-Islamist government.

    […]

    But a half-hearted military response to Iranian aggres sion would only strengthen the confidence of our enemies and invite future confrontations.

    We pulled too many punches in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and now we’re paying the price. If Tehran drags us into war, we should make the conflict so devastating and painful that even our allies are stunned.

    I’ve expressed similar thoughts, too, about our assault on Iraq and its aftermath when I wrote the following:

    [The] primary difference between the Iraqi occupation and the post-WWII occupations of Japan and Germany was that the people of the former Axis countries absolutely knew that they had been defeated. So much of the Iraq takeover had been intended to diminish the hardship on the populace and wrap things up in a speedy manner that I don’t think this feeling of defeat was ever sent to the Iraqi people and the Arab world. We shredded a military and the world barely knew it.

    That kindness and efficiency has been paid for in blood. Peters is correct when saying, should our hand be forced with Iran, we cannot be seen as so kind again in the eyes of our enemies.

  • From the Ol’ Blogroll

    First, from the Jawa Report, the latest news of brutal abuse from Iraq — check that, I mean the latest brutal abuse of news from Iraq.

    The Latest Blood Libel Lie in Iraq

    What would you do if every day you saw images of dead civilians, women, and children? Now, imagine that you are told these deaths were the result of Americans intentionally killing civilians. If this was your perception of reality, then you too would probably feel an obligation to fight America. At the very least, you would support those that took up arms.

    Now imagine that it was mainstream media sources that were reporting Americans had massacred Iraqi civilians. The media, instead of challenging the version of the story as delivered by radical Islamists that routinely lie, equivocate and act as if the story told by U.S. soldiers is only one version of the truth. That the word of a U.S. soldier is just as suspect as that of Muqtada al Sadr.

    Propagating the lie that U.S. soldiers massacre mosque worshippers constitutes a form of blood libel. By portraying American troops as blood thirsty murderers, jihadi propagandists create an atmosphere of obligatory vendettas. What moral person could stand by and let the Americans get away with this type of murder? By treating that lie as if it was a legitimate viewpont, the media help prolong the war on terror. Worse, they give jihadis recruiting power, which leads to the death of more U.S. soldiers and eventually civilians.

    Take for instance this …

    Go read the rest. It dovetails quite nicely with my piece yesterday on “our” media.

    Second, Chad at In the Bullpen covers a big story from the DFW area: the walk-out protests by local high school students/truants in favor of illegal immigration.

    Second Day of Immigration Protests in Dallas

    Another day, another protest held by students in the Dallas area over the immigration bill. Local media reported many students were from the city of Irving, a suburb of Dallas, and that the Dallas Police Department called in trains and buses to help transport students to Dallas City Hall. School administrators claim all students absent will be marked truant therefore any test, quiz or homework assignment missed will result in a failed grade. Truancy also used to be against the law, but so too is entering this country illegally and aiding those who break U.S. law. Seemingly not in this day and age though.

    Check it out for the silliness that has been the locales’ allowing teenagers to blow off school for two straight days and some of the fallout of such coddling.

    Third, JohnL at TexasBestGrok posts a special farewell installment as part of his aircraft cheesecake series.

    Sunday Aircraft Cheesecake (F-14 Tomcat)

    After more than 30 years of distinguished service to the US Navy, the last two squadrons of F-14 Tomcats ended their final combat deployments about two weeks ago. A couple of nice articles about this milestone event can be found …

    Definitely watch the video. And tell JohnL to keep up the cheesecake.

  • Veterans: To Salute or Not Salute?

    Sorry for the late posting, folks, but sometimes real life and work intrudes.

    That said, I’d like to point y’all towards a new debate going on some of the MilBlogs.

    Courtesy of Sgt. Hook, here’s an interesting discussion over at Blackfive about how military veterans should render honors to the flag. The issue started with an email from retired Major General Vernon B. Lewis:

    I gathered some 16 of my old military friends who agreed to sponsor a movement for Veterans to salute rather than place their hands over their heart when honoring the flag, fallen comrades, and/or the country. I have some from each of the four principal services. Three of them were former Vice Chiefs or Assistant Commandants of their services, and several were former CINC’s.

    We refer to saluting when we do the pledge to the flag, when the National Colors pass or are presented, when the National Anthem or honors are played, or when taps are played and firing squads or guns render honors.

    […]

    Just imagine thousands of fans salutiing at NFL, MBA, and Major League Baseball games when the National Anthem is plalyed. It will telegraph a message to all others of how many have served this country in the Armed Forces—it will be a positive and patroitic message.

    My initial thoughts were in line with Sgt. Hook’s, so start there. After that, however, I feel less sold on the idea as Hook seems. Go through the comments at Blackfive; there are compelling arguments for both sides. Feel free to chime in if you wish.

    Here’s my worthless two bits on the matter: I’d love to feel justified in saluting and rendering due honor to the colors again. However, I would not like to pretend that I am sacrificing in my life today like those currently in uniform. Also, contrary to some of the positive comments at Blackfive and Major General Lewis, I would not want it to be an issue of drawing attention to the person or total number of persons saluting; instead, I would rather feel that it is an earned opportunity to signify honor to the republic in a different but accepted manner, a manner I miss.

    If it was in general acceptance that veterans should salute, I would comply happily. Until then, I will go with what seems appropriate to a mix of how I’ve been raised and my military training. While at attendance in a couple of weeks at my first Frisco Roughriders game of the season, I will stand as always during the national anthem in a modified position of attention — hat over heart, facing the flag. And wanting to salute.

  • Military Cheesecake and Eye Candy

    First, the cheesecake, and we do have two sweet collections of moving and motivating photos.

    Now for the oh-so-very-tasty military eye candy. The Jawa Report‘s Dr. Rusty brings us a visual comparison of the militaries of several nations. He also presents an intriguing survey for those interested. It does seem that Dr. Rusty have overwhelmed some hosting services; luckily, he points us to this forum thread where many other examples can be found.

  • Senators Seek Smoother Military Voting

    Through all of the recent moves on election reform, it does seem as though the military has been overlooked. There may soon come a remedy to ease the balloting process for troops abroad.

    Twelve senators are asking Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to make it easier for troops abroad to vote, saying the current system is outdated.

    Seven Republicans and five Democrats wrote to Rumsfeld this month, asking the department to create a new voting system that would allow members of the military to easily “request, receive, download and print” absentee ballots regardless of their location.

    Under the current system, members of the military must contact local officials by regular mail and request a ballot, which is then mailed to them. The voter then must fill out the ballot by hand and send it back to his or her state, again by regular mail.

    “Military absentee voting is still conducted in the same way it was conducted during World War II and the Korean War,” the senators wrote.

    A Pentagon spokeswoman would not comment on the letter, saying it is Pentagon policy not to comment on correspondence between the secretary and members of Congress.

    Samuel Wright of the National Defense Committee, a group that advocates for electing more veterans to Congress, said he has counted 7,838 different state and local election offices that administer federal elections and communicate with troops overseas.

    Wright said it would be ideal if military abroad could receive ballots by e-mail, fill them out and send them to their local election offices by regular mail.

    “The military voter is a moving target,” said Wright. “The current system requires that they have to find the voter.”

    Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., prepared the letter and is planning legislation that would make the process easier.

    I don’t know about printing out email ballots, but certainly something can be done to improve an obviously antiquated system. Here in Texas, I now have several weeks prior to election day to cast my vote at any balloting location in my home county; certainly there is a way to facilitate the electoral voice of our uniformed citizens serving away from the homeland.