tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116239142011-04-21T12:50:31.215-07:00The rants, experiences, and random thoughts of a Citizen Soldier called to active duty on the far side of the world.sixnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1511100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-65389002602174085092007-08-21T16:47:00.000-07:002007-08-21T16:48:46.035-07:00

From The Smoking Gun website, you can read actual soldier reviews of test MREs.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-29150168151863646782007-07-02T13:31:00.000-07:002007-07-02T13:33:54.827-07:00

Wired has the scoop on "a company that developed technology capable of creating water out of thin air nearly anywhere in the world is now under contract to nourish U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq."Seeing as how water costs over $30 a gallon to get into troops' hands, this would make a lot of fiscal sense. Seeing as how troops keep dying to deliver water to their buddies, this would help out in

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-50405871641516355032007-04-27T11:08:00.000-07:002007-04-27T11:09:24.165-07:00

I thought this ad way pretty funny

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-19371282978523342312007-04-27T01:52:00.000-07:002007-04-27T01:53:17.241-07:00

This could have been ugly

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-17907053400778579642007-01-02T12:59:00.000-08:002007-01-02T13:03:27.561-08:00

I just sent a calendar to a wounded vet.Pinups for Troops (h/t Blackfive)Gina Elise is a model with a BA from UCLA. She has spent the last year putting together a project that combines what she knows (modeling, photography, history) to help a cause dear to her heart (hospitalized veterans and soldiers in need).So, she created a project called Pin Ups for Vets which is co-sponsered by American

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-10454452305347608732007-01-01T19:28:00.000-08:002007-01-01T19:30:20.475-08:00

Bill Roggio has a great wrap up of the major theaters of the Global War on Terrorism.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-57317407882829088722006-12-15T16:27:00.000-08:002006-12-15T16:28:53.110-08:00

I had a buddy in Ranger School whose older brother has been through the course a couple years earlier and sent him letters written on used cheeseburger wrappers, but this (rated R) prank takes the cake.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1161198809596846532006-10-18T12:13:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:31.418-08:00

I deleted this guy off my blogroll after he stopped posting in the summer of 2005, but he's back now from a year hiatus and is still just as funny.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1161030176793016262006-10-16T13:22:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:31.236-08:00

BFO=Blinding Flash of the obvious. Looks like even Time Magazine editors think that the UN is a powerless paper tiger: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546346,00.html

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1160711846656094072006-10-12T20:52:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:31.070-08:00

h/t to B5The Army has finally decided to drop that lame-ass "Army of One" slogan. I wish I had been around Fort Sill when a basic trainee had tried to pull something like this "I don't have to be a team player, Drill Sergeant, I'm an Army of One!"That slogan sucked......like the decision for everyone to wear black berets. Can we get rid of that lame-ass decision now, too?The new slogan is "Army

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1154819149922895972006-08-05T15:59:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:30.889-08:00

I finally made it back to the states a couple weeks ago. This blog (and the email address that goes with it) had suffered miserably while I was over in the CENTCOM area of operations and I apologize humbly to those who emailed me and I didn't respond. Things got to the point where I didn't have the energy or the inclination to talk about national policy or military affairs. All I could ever

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1151048580712377512006-06-23T00:42:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:30.725-08:00

Heroism just doesn't sell copy as well as scandal. This proves it:While ABC, CBS and NBC have chosen to highlight [the Haditha] potential scandal, a new Media Research Center study finds those same networks have given far less attention to the heroic deeds of the 20 members of the U.S. military who have received the highest recognition for bravery since the war on terror began. In fact, 14 of

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1151047653731950772006-06-23T00:26:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:30.555-08:00

Ain't it the truth?Life is hard enough for soliders over here. I don't think some of these people (Sheehan, Murtha, the liberal press) realize how much harder they make it.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1150637047924405112006-06-18T06:23:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:30.360-08:00

Been busy. no excuse.I hope these guys are found alive and actively resisting... soon.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1145805137550771732006-04-23T07:38:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:30.177-08:00

Another thing the big-time news outlets are not publicizing is how the Army's desertion rate is way down since 9/11. That wouldn't fit nicely in the lefties' belief that "even soldiers don't support this war." If you do see a story about this, it usually chalks the statistics up to better army benefits, implying that we are all just money-grubbing mercenaries.An interesting footnote is the

sixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1145440508987132822006-04-19T02:42:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:29.953-08:00

...that's why the Air Force needs to give 900 lieutenants the axe. They're so hard up for people, they have to cut those who want to stay. The Army is even 15% over it's retention goal.The left is crying about how the people who are fighting this war don't support it and are voting with their feet. Blackfive and Greyhawk take exception to that whining, and rightfully so.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1143318287927690102006-03-25T12:22:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:29.786-08:00

We are determined that before the sun sets on this terrible struggle, our flag will be recognized throughout the world as a symbol of freedom on the one hand and of overwhelming force on the other-General George C MarshallOn the third anniversary of commencing hostilities against saddam hussein, there have been many calls for us to summarily depart Iraq. We're mired in an unwinnable civil war,

sixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1140942186391595232006-02-26T00:01:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:29.630-08:00

I know office romances are a fact of life back in the civilian world, but they forbidden in most cases here in the Army. Cheating on your spouse or sleeping with someone who is cheating on their spouse is also illegal in the armed services and you can go to jail over it. Even hanging out with someone who is not near you in rank can get you in trouble, no sex needed. So why do people still do

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1140523851574720242006-02-21T04:03:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:29.291-08:00

From this ABC News Aricle: "An Iranian group calling itself Esteshadion, which translates as "Martyrdom Seekers," hopes to sign up thousands of potential [suicide] bombers" to retaliate against American targets in Iraq if Iran is attacked.Hey, why wait? Why don't we send some buses over to Iran, gather up all these people who want to die at the hands of Americans, and bring them back to Iraq.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1139917113558120052006-02-14T03:20:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:28.940-08:00

testing the waters a bit...I have been swamped with work. Keeping up my end of the bargain with the army has taken lots of my time lately. you know the bargain: the Army drags me halfway around the world to the hottest and crappiest place known to man and I agree to work my ass off in return for no one shooting at me. it's not too bad of a deal.anyhow, while i was working my ass off, I

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1137527674880694122006-01-17T11:45:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:28.745-08:00

I have to apologize to anyone outside my friends and family who checks this blog regularly. I've been keeping up with my personal contacts and neglecting this blog. Other things have moved to the front of my priority list over here like work and sleep. I liked blogging on various military and political subjects back when I was closer to the news and to an internet connection, but it's just a

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1135330779646211272005-12-23T01:37:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:28.531-08:00

Some inspirational words from Mr. Garrison as he sings Merry Fucking Christmas...I heard there is no Christmas,In the silly Middle East..No trees, no snow, no Santa Claus,They have different religious beliefs...They believe in Muhammad,And not in our holiday...And so every December,I go to the Middle East and say...Hey there Mr Muslim, Merry Fucking ChristmasPut down that book, The KoranAnd hear

sixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1135260596853291392005-12-22T06:06:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:28.317-08:00

I've been busy fighting the logistics fight here. I did get this letter from the Chief of Staff of the Army, though. He wanted me to "personally carry this message to the American People. As Soldiers, we have the most credible voices in America."Here you go, sir...All: Notes from a student at the Naval War College on GEN Abizaid's recent speech:General Abizaid (Commander, U. S. Central Command

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1132847676146034932005-11-24T07:45:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:28.116-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving meal at the dining hall today. Real turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie. I was so stuffed that I almost had to ride in a wheelbarrow to get back to my living quarters!We had some distinguished visitors from the states (can't say who - OPSEC) and it was nice to see some elected officials give up Thanksgiving with their families to be

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1132814099357523992005-11-23T22:21:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:27.982-08:00

Here's another Blinding Flash of the Obvious (BFO) for you: Iraq troop withdrawals driven by politics. The U.S. military will recommend the number of troops that can be prudently withdrawn from Iraq -- if any -- but the final decision for the American military presence there will be up to policy officials in Washington. And they will consider political factors as well when they craft a final

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1132768756218085772005-11-23T09:50:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:27.773-08:00

From an Article in the Wall Street Journal:Americans' confidence that "Iraq will be successful in developing a democratic and reasonably stable government" has declined sharply since August . . . Three months ago, 40% of U.S. adults were confident that Iraq would be able to develop a stable democratic government, but now only 32% say they are confident that this will happen, according to the

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1132500234557133342005-11-20T07:22:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:27.447-08:00

Still here. Nothing to report. Busy with 12-hour+ days and not much relief. Not an excuse, just an explanation.nothing follows...

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1127146136514450572005-11-06T02:00:00.000-08:002006-11-13T18:41:26.012-08:00

When I was back in the states, waiting to come over here, I used to read milblogs every day. I had easy and regular access to my personal computer and the internet. I read Blackfive every day and Matt posted serveral times each day. I checked Firepower Forward daily, too, but Brian didn't post that much... only once a week or so. I enjoyed Brian's posts so much, I found myself wishing that

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1129798607130412762005-10-19T20:32:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:27.298-08:00

yeah, yeah, I know I'm a logistician on a large base. That's not enough to keep you safe in this war where there are no front lines. A couple of days ago I attended a memorial service for three soldiers from a unit on post who were killed on a convoy in Iraq. I spent the entire service choking back tears even though I'd never met the guys. I kept thinking about the impact this had on their

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1129710777110189752005-10-19T01:13:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:27.122-08:00

A friend sent this to me. Although it is not written by George Carlin as it purports to be, it is funny and on the mark.Subject: George Carlin on New Orleans.Been sitting here with my ass in a wad, wanting to speak out about the bullshit going on in New Orleans. For the people of New Orleans...First we would like to say, Sorry for your loss. With that said, Let’ s go through a few hurricane

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1129022511924416622005-10-11T12:11:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:26.909-08:00

I've written about the media's bias before. Their bias is towards what will sell the most copies and therefore make them the most money. America is supposed to win wars (we're 7-1-1 depending on how you keep score), so if we win, that's just a "dog-bites-man" story. The media saw its rise to prominence during vietnam and another quagmire war in a foreign land would elevate it even higher,

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1128415905855618332005-10-06T23:51:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:26.742-08:00

I just got handed a bunch of printed powerpoint slides (that's how the Army communicates with itself these days) and was told to read them and sign a sheet acknowledging that I had read them. This is another one of those 100% compliance things the Army throws at me every other day or so.These powerpoint slides were from the Army's The 1st Information Operations Command (Land) (1st IO Cmd). (AKO

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1127819598277052852005-09-27T04:13:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:26.376-08:00

From my geekier side, this is an interesting article about how TV and the Internet are converging to make a new, better, kind of media (hopefully).

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1127589001216014722005-09-24T22:09:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:26.218-08:00

I read this post from Michael Yon a couple weeks ago and was awestruck by it. The post is about him witnessing a firefight between some terrorists and LTC Kurilla, commander of 1-24 Infantry (Striker). I know Michael is prior Special Forces and all, but going into that kind of situation armed only with a camera takes some serious cajones. While reading his post I thought about all the places

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1127143514174348922005-09-19T08:25:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:25.835-08:00

For those of you who know what a VBIED is, you should enjoy this story about a suspected CBIED from Phil in Iraq. hat tip: Greyhawk

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1126461019097427482005-09-11T19:46:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:25.605-08:00

Today's the fourth anniversary of 9/11. Some people don't see the connection between what happened on 9/11 and where we are today with Iraq. For me, the connection couldn't be clearer. Before 9/11, we shrank from taking on our enemies on their soil. Before 9/11, Al-Qaeda blew up the US embassy in Kenya, attacked the USS Cole in Yemen. What did we do? We sent some cruise missiles their way,

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1125998991558972312005-09-06T02:14:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:25.459-08:00

From Victor Hanson, an article that appeared in the Washington Post about why we must stay in Iraq until the job is done. Mr. Hanson is a professor of military history at Stanford. An excerpt echoing my own analysis:It is true that foreign terrorists are flocking into the country, the way they earlier crossed the Pakistani border into Afghanistan to fight with the Taliban, and that this makes

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1125596921142689472005-09-01T22:48:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:25.272-08:00

More on the subject of protesters. The author of Conservative Propaganda has a great article about counter-protesting during the Code Pink Protest at Walter Reed Army Hospital that I mentioned yesterday. My favorite slice of this article was Across the street from the main gate was another, larger band of counter-protestors with more and bigger signs. Code Pink takes a dim view of the

sixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1125499184757973292005-08-31T07:39:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:25.045-08:00

My dad always used to say "I might not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." There are ways to go about expressing your opinions, however, that might earn you an ass-beating... Protesting in front of Walter Reed Army Hospital and telling returning wounded veterans that "you got maimed for a lie" is a good way to get your ass beat. WTF are you

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1125247235192216302005-08-28T09:32:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:24.876-08:00

I had no idea how hard it was going to be to get to a decent internet connection when i got over here. It really changes things when you have to put on all your shit and trek 500 meters to sit at a computer. I have a whole new-found respect for the milbloggers who blog from this theater (and from Afghanistan). Internet access is so commonplace in the states that most people don't realize how

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1125220538477708502005-08-28T02:14:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:24.708-08:00

HouseholdSix emailed me and let me know that the webpage looks normal and that the Haloscan comments are working, but i still can't see them. haloscan.com is totally blocked for me.grrrr. i'm going to have to figure out a solution, here.update: I moved over to a different internet cafe on base and sure 'nuff, i could see the haloscan comments. so keep your fan- or hate-mail coming. I can see

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1125220421312032412005-08-28T02:10:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:24.540-08:00

Travelling around here, I was struck by the enormous effort and cost (both monetary and human) of supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. There are thousands of troops and civilian contractors working long hours in the harshest conditions I've ever seen (it was over 121 degrees again today). If these soldiers and civilians can persevere in this rugged environment, I hope the citizens of the United

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1124914807950262392005-08-24T13:18:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:24.416-08:00

can someone email me (watchyoursixblog -AT- gmail -dot- Com) and let me know if they can see my haloscan comments still? from over here in the middle east, it looks as though haloscan is blocked or broken.that's going to suck if i have to change the comments back to blogger.thanks

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1124653459740021812005-08-21T12:42:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:24.280-08:00

Sorry for the lack of steady blogging lately. I wanted to maintain some OPerational SECurity (OPSEC) about my travel here to the Middle East. A couple of weeks ago, I made it safely here to a large logistics base somewhere in the Iraq/Kuwait theater of operations. I'm not a door-kicker and my job requires me to be on a large base. This is where I'll fight my portion of the war from. I might

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1124652402301112292005-08-21T12:13:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:24.101-08:00

This guy was at a pro-soldier rally in front of the White House and is holding up a sign with some of the Milbloggers on it. I'm flabbergasted that my blog is one of them. His name is Kevin Pannell and he's a double amputee and an OIF vet. Thanks for your service & sacrifice, Kevin.and for your support and the free advertising, Andi!

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1122648742488017412005-08-18T19:39:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:22.177-08:00

The word "hero" has taken on too broad of a meaning these days. It's meaning is getting watered down by media reports calling everyone a "hero." The Random House Dictionary of the English Language defines a hero as a person "of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.” Lance Armstrong is a phenominal athlete and an inspriation for millions of Americans,

sixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1124225588805344522005-08-16T13:51:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:23.970-08:00

Go check out Blackfive. He has several posts about National Airborne Day. This day celebrates America's most deadly weapon: a young, pissed off paratrooper dropped off course way behind enemy lines.LGOPs, go wreak some havok!

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1124082425895583982005-08-15T00:03:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:23.629-08:00

Cox and Forkum has a great cartoon and commentary on the Cindy Sheehan debacle. And even the Washington Post sees that she is being used as a tool by the radical anti-war left: "What began as a solitary campaign to force a meeting with President Bush by setting up camp along the road to his ranch has quickly taken on the full trappings of a political campaign. Sheehan is working with a

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1124082895277417292005-08-14T22:11:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:23.805-08:00

I always enjoy MAJ Delaplane's humor over at Firepower Forward.Go read how a C-17 Globemaster got to execute a Carrier landing and about a young Specialist who might get a "C-130 Aerobatics" badge invented just for him.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1124043489741107862005-08-14T11:11:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:23.456-08:00

Liberal anti-war groups are actually objecting to a planned September 11th memorial march.It's called the "America Supports You Freedom Walk," folks. It's about supporting the troops. I think the leftists are getting tired of espousing the politically correct line of "we support the soldier, but not the war or the Bush administration." I think that these militant liberals are falling back on

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1124042602259335042005-08-14T10:51:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:23.269-08:00

The Army is upgrading the plates in our body armor.The new armor weighs about 18 pounds, about one pound heavier than the original plates, and consists of thicker plates that could shield soldiers against stronger attacks, according to the Army official.Sounds like a fair trade to me. Our IBAs (interceptor body armor) are already heavy as hell, one pound more shouldn't make very much difference.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1123748796283651362005-08-11T01:26:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:23.111-08:00

Oh, and by the way, Ansar al-Sunna never came up with proof that they had captured a US Marine. Thought not.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1123740292826641232005-08-10T22:42:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:22.963-08:00

The last stanza of the Ranger creed reads, "Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor."SPC Peter Sprenger, who lost his right eye when he was injured by an IED in Iraq two years ago, graduated from Ranger School on July 29. That course is tough enough when you have vision in both eyes.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1123166765764036302005-08-04T07:33:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:22.777-08:00

Instead of cowering in the Green Zone as other journalists did, under heavy guard by the people they seek to undermine, Steven Vincent walked freely among the Iraqi people to get the real story. He risked his life to report the truth, and was killed by the savages he sought to expose.Greyhawk has a great post about Steven Vincent and how he came to be an observer in the global war on terrorism.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1123165126074832502005-08-04T07:06:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:22.595-08:00

When I read "news stories" like this one in the mainstream media (MSM) about heavy casualties in a particular Marine battalion, I get pissed off. Yes, it's tragic that 40 Marines from the same battalion have been killed in Iraq since March, but that's the sole focus of the entire story: lots of dead Marines. What about the things that these brave Marines died to accomplish? Where's the

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1123083225368304612005-08-03T08:31:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:22.450-08:00

Via Yahoo News: The Pentagon on Wednesday denied a claim by an Iraqi insurgent group that it had captured a U.S. Marine in western Iraq. The group vowed to publish more details on the killings and pictures of the "American prisoner" later.Yeah right, the jihadists are probably just up to their old tricks again.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1122917142078963572005-08-01T10:20:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:22.315-08:00

My unit was only at 50% strength when the first general in its chain of command decided to volunteer it for the mission. He had his minions search around for other soldiers who could fill the unit up to 100% and he cast a HUGE net. There are soldiers in this unit who were involuntarily transferred into it from over 400 miles away... What kind of unit integrity does that foster? The point of

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1122647246555012752005-07-29T07:20:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:22.002-08:00

Yesterday, "American Muslim scholars who interpret religious law for their community issued an edict Thursday condemning terrorism against civilians."Glad to see that the American Muslim community is coming out and basically telling good Muslims to rat out the terrorists in their midst. Hopefully the faithful with follow this fatwa (definition) and help to undo the damage that terrorists have

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1122530469281698102005-07-27T22:50:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:21.839-08:00

I just watched the first episode of "Over There" on F/X. I'm not impressed. It's certainly not this generation's "Platoon."The acting was thin (I've seen better acting in Army training films), the plot (if you could even recognize one) was random, and everyone had a dorky nickname.They got the uniforms correct, though. I'll give 'em that.At least I don't have to worry about getting

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1122349864556658042005-07-25T20:49:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:21.643-08:00

CPT Chuck Ziegenfuss typed a short post with his hand in a cast to let everyone know he is doing better after his close encounter with an IED a month ago in Iraq.Go Chuck!

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1122231892039390072005-07-24T11:45:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:21.450-08:00

From the NY Times:"On Monday, the Pentagon filed documents asking Congress to increase the maximum age for military recruits to 42, in all branches of the service. Now, the limit is 39 for people without previous military service who want to enlist in the reserves and the National Guard, and 35 for those seeking active duty."This is disturbing news for me. Doesn't anyone remember the waning days

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121740345494751012005-07-22T22:32:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:20.692-08:00

For you new milbloggers out there, here are the rules.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121839651151096702005-07-21T22:58:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:20.817-08:00

It looks as though the Army is re-thinking its training on tourniquets. When I took Combat Lifesaver training way back in 1997, our instructor told us that a tourniquet was a last-result effort to save someone's life after all other means of stopping the bleeding had been exhausted. This was because the patient would have everything amputated below the tourniquet.Apparently, our experience in

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121910294219569792005-07-20T18:24:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:21.261-08:00

It's been a month since CPT Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss, the author of TC Override, was on a foot patrol when he was blown into a canal by an IED and rescued from drowning by his executive officer. He sustained shrapnel wounds to his left arm/hand (including having his pinky finger blown off), right leg, right thumb, and a few other places on his body.His wife has been posting to his blog about

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121905307575505622005-07-20T17:15:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:20.977-08:00

James Doohan, who inspired two generations of youngsters to become engineers in his role as the Starship Enterprise's Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, died today at the age of 85.Another note on Mr. Doohan's contribution to America: According to the linked NY Times article, "he served in World War II, and was struck by six bullets during the D-Day Invasion in Normandy. One of the bullets blew off

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121406115012932332005-07-19T22:37:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:20.083-08:00

(I know recycling older posts is cheating, but check out the updates below)Looks like those SAPI plates that we wear in our Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) really do work. Jack Army has an amazing video of a soldier getting shot by an anti-Iraqi sniper and then hopping right back up with his weapon at the ready.I'm glad the IBA works as advertised.update: Greyhawk has the backstory behind the

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121638497973205532005-07-18T15:14:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:20.522-08:00

I drafted this post over the weekend, originally just jotting down some notes to save as a draft and then flesh them out and publish during the week. I was originally going to talk about how the 15 seconds of fame that I got from being mentioned in the Army Times was now over. My daily traffic had gone from 40 hits/day before the story to 200/day after the story was published and was back down

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121621659848332482005-07-17T10:26:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:20.358-08:00

If you recall my earlier post about the SEALs and 160th SOAR soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan in June, I had hoped that MAJ Delaplane, who is at Bagram and blogs over at Firepower Forward, would have some straight news that he could share with the blogosphere soon.Well, he's back to blogging and he had a very personal experience to share about the heroes who were killed. It's well worth

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121298941277331632005-07-17T01:47:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:19.550-08:00

Here's a recipe for fielding a combat ineffective reserve unit:- Lie about your strength for years before 9/11. If your sodliers don't show up for drill, still count them as present. If your soldiers can't pass the PT test, pass the weigh-in, or qualify with their weapon, you still count them as "combat ready." In the larger sense, if you are a state national guard or reserve RRC, tell your

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121587144401959902005-07-17T00:57:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:20.239-08:00

via ROFA Six (no relation)Doesn't this German Shepherd look just a little surprised?as Paul of York put in the comments, "he's thinking [that] he's pretty sure this isn't what he enlisted to do."As ROFA Six quoted, "Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war." - Shakespeare

sixnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121315932172019202005-07-14T00:34:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:19.893-08:00

Reporters have seized upon another Blinding Flash of the Obvious. According to an AP report, "Frequent troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched the US Army so thin that many combat units are spending more than one of every two years on foreign battlefields . . . In addition, extended deployments reduce the quality of life for soldiers and their families, threatening Army

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121276582224718792005-07-13T12:39:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:19.386-08:00

The Army has been using significant amounts of Reserves forces since 9/11 to accomplish the missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. That's not anything new, though... It's been that way since Vietnam. The Army cannot go to war without the reserves who make up a significant portion of logistics, civil affairs, and other specialties.The New York Times published an article today (if you don't want to

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1121142105238073502005-07-11T21:13:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:19.272-08:00

The Big Kahuna of Milblogs, Blackfive, recently had his 3 millionth visitor drop by. Roughly about the same time, the little guppy of milblogs (me) had my 4 thousandth visitor drop by.Thanks to Thunder 6 for referring my 4,000th visitor. Good luck in Iraq, soldier. Make it back to California safely.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1120945239024025852005-07-09T14:40:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:19.103-08:00

This is good stuff. Via Smash: for the first time, a foreign flag was raised at the State Department on July 7th in remembrance of those killed in the London bombings.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1120943440627281212005-07-09T14:06:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:18.927-08:00

I was reading Secretary Rumsfeld's comments on the London Terror bombing (hat tip: blackfive) and saw this passage: The British have learned from history that this kind of evil must be confronted. It cannot be appeased. Our two countries understand well that once a people give in to terrorists’ demands, whatever they are, their demands will grow.I wonder if he read my post below? :-)Seriously,

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1120795357333870382005-07-07T20:36:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:18.743-08:00

The President said it best after 9/11 when he said that America has no better friend than Great Britain. The coordinated attacks on the British public transportation system will not shake that friendship. I hope that America can provide whatever help Britain needs; I would be happy to go and help them out myself. I have trained alongside the British Army for years. If the civilian populace

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1120711238995342952005-07-06T21:35:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:18.581-08:00

While on leave, I was following the news about the SEALs and 160th SOAR soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan 9 days ago. SEAL blogger Matthew Heidt has been following the story closely on his blog Froggy Ruminations. He got a hold of the latest info and the story is beginning to come together.Maybe MAJ Delaplane, who is at Bagram and blogs over at Firepower Forward, will have some straight

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1120710304982110352005-07-06T21:19:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:18.440-08:00

Sorry about the lack of posting this week. I returned from a very refeshing visit with my family and jumped straight into more post-mobilization training.There has been a huge increase in my traffic since the Army Times article came out last week. It's nice to see some new faces around here leaving comments, but I still love those people who have been with me all along. For those that are

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1120278081701281012005-07-01T21:20:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:18.299-08:00

I got a pass to go home to HouseholdSix and SixPointFive. Blogging will be light this 4th of July. Happy Birthday, America.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1119925606232187272005-07-01T19:24:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:17.789-08:00

Until Then, indeed. If this doesn't choke you up, you're a better man than I.Thanks for the link, Dan.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1120018746310999392005-06-28T20:30:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:18.152-08:00

I just watched President Bush's speech. I'm really glad this man is my Commander in Chief. No only for what he says, but for what he does. Tonite was probably the best speech I have heard from him. I hope other Americans feel the same way.My favorite parts were at the end..."In this time of testing, our troops can know: The American people are behind you. Next week, our Nation has an

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1120005028999082592005-06-28T17:17:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:17.965-08:00

No sh*t, there I was...... standing in the line at the commissary. I saw that the new Army Times was out. On the front page, the tagline read "Tracking Bloggers: War-zone web loggers ordered to register."I wondered if Joe Chenelly had quoted me in his article, so I bought it. Sure enough,Another soldier, who goes by "Six" on his blog, www.watchyoursix.blogspot.com, isn't in Iraq yet. But he is

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1119913875030087552005-06-27T16:02:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:17.670-08:00

One of my sources tells me that the "jihad manual" that the Marines found last week contains, among other things, moral justification for killing innocent Iraqis. The manual basically said that there is no problem killing innocent Iraqis to further the cause of jihad. My source said that this manual will be released to the press this week. More importantly, excerpts from the captured manual

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1119840823200941552005-06-26T19:51:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:17.536-08:00

Phil Carter is the person who originally forwarded me the MNC-I policy letter that I just blogged about below. He is the author of the milblog Intel Dump and has been recalled out of the IRR to active duty. He will deploy to Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 101st Airborne Division. Good luck, Phil. See you downrange.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1119818546598763982005-06-26T11:32:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:17.208-08:00

This week, I had an email exchange with Joe Chenelly from the Army Times. Wow, I can't believe that he just emailed little ol' me out of the blue. If you don't know, Mr. Chenelly is the author of the recent Army Times cover story about milbloggers. Anyhow, he wanted to hear my opinion about the Multi-National Corps-Iraq's recent policy letter on soldier-run websites (including blogs).I think

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1119820662700793002005-06-25T14:07:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:17.352-08:00

Curt from Chaotic Synaptic Activity has a good post about the convoy containing female marines that was attacked the other day in Iraq. The MSM is focusing on the female part of the story and not the marines killed part of the story.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1119806710047639822005-06-25T10:14:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:16.588-08:00

I know my posting has been thin lately. Our unit is still in post-mobilization training stateside and lately the collective training has been occupying my every waking moment. The training makes it tough to find enough time to get to an internet connection and blog. Frankly, I've been too tired to post during most of the last two weeks. The training has to come first. I wish everyone in my

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1119413860469016362005-06-21T21:07:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:16.424-08:00

CPT Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss, the author of TC Override, got hit by an IED yesterday. I just added him to my blogroll three weeks ago. He's an armor company commander in Iraq and I enjoy reading his no-nonsense blog. In fact, I was thinking about his post about interpreters during a training exercise just last night.His wife says that he's going to be OK, he's in stable condition with

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1119406802403043132005-06-21T19:12:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:16.269-08:00

The 10 Kentucky nationalguardsmen (and women) who were involved in soundly trouncing over 30 terrorists during an ambush in March got their awards for valor under fire.hat tip: blackfive.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1119018614638117052005-06-17T07:27:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:16.002-08:00

it's really pathetic when soldiers kill other soldiers. I hope we find out what his motivation was, not like that will bring back the two officers he killed, though.Hopefully, the soldier who did this will follow SGT Akbar to the gallows.

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1118724576997017972005-06-13T21:45:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:15.827-08:00

The Boston Globe reports that fewer young people are applying to the nation's service academies this year.I say so what? It's a natural decline after peaked interest following the 9/11 attacks four years ago. Things are just settling back to normal. Remember that only 12% of applicants are actually accepted to West Point anyway, so we are not in a crisis mode here.This is just the media

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1118610701022168202005-06-12T14:00:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:15.707-08:00

It may be narcissistic, but sometimes I like to troll through the referrals to my blog that Sitemeter tracks. It's neat to see who is looking at my blog and what other sites bring them here. Sometimes it's a search engine that brings them here, but often it's a link from another milblog. One of the latest milblog referrals was from Curt's blog Chaotic Synaptic Activity. He was a naval officer

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1118376412071404592005-06-09T20:58:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:15.551-08:00

I thought all along that this was probably the truth about Pat Tillman's death. I don't believe there was an intentional coverup by the Ranger leadership. The Ranger battalions are composed of some pretty high-speed guys who take their honor very seriously. They didn't want to disappoint the family until they had all the facts. They also had to know that something as big as this would

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1118372665786366412005-06-09T19:55:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:15.394-08:00

It's been a busy week here. Lots of individual training for the unit (weapons qualification, driver's training, land navigation, etc.) The honeymoon is definitely over in this unit, though. We've been active duty for about a month and people are starting to get on each other's nerves.The prior service soldiers (those who were active duty before joining the guard) are annoyed with the

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1117856157793204492005-06-03T20:30:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:15.239-08:00

For family and friends, check out Household Six's (HH6's) website for some great new pics of SixPointFive. HH6 has been unable to post pics to her website due to technical problems for the last week or two but we finally worked through them. She posted a bunch of new baby pictures today, so check them out at www.{my wife's first name}.netapologies to everyone else who doesn't know HH6's first

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1117849020677663162005-06-03T18:35:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:15.101-08:00

Red2Alpha, a milblogger in Iraq, has hung up his laptop rather than betray his principles. Now that his command has made him "declare" his blog, he's quitting. He felt that to continue would be "untrue to [his] original intention of telling the truth as [he] sees it, of telling one Soldier's story in this war."His experience is exactly why I choose to remain anonymous. I want to be able to

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1116593643331182572005-06-02T22:20:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:13.747-08:00

Let me clarify my earlier postI believe that although there are more liberal reporters than conservative ones in the Main Stream Media (MSM), this is not their primary reason for slanting their reporting. Reporters and editors slant their reporting towards what is sensational and what will make them money (more circulation means they can charge more for advertising space). Remember how the

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1117687843748598272005-06-01T21:47:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:14.934-08:00

Meet CPT Charles Ziegenfuss. He's an armor company commander in Iraq and tells it like it is on his blog. Most importantly, he's a funny read and worth a look: TC Override. (If memory serves, a TC's override is feature on the M1A1 tank... nevermind)

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1117578812568905732005-05-31T18:31:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:14.793-08:00

Why would the New York Times publish intimate details of how al Qaeda prisoners are transported for the CIA? Bill Roggio from Winds of Change would like to know, too

sixnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11623914.post-1117510468596354932005-05-31T18:26:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:41:14.488-08:00

MAJ Delaplane over at Firepower Forward has a great post about Newsweek's journalistic "faux paus." He was in the same city that was rocked by the riots Newsweek's article caused. He rightly states that editors sitting in New York have no idea what consequences were brought on by their "little mistake."You should read this

sixnoreply@blogger.com0