Have you ever clicked on a link on a news site and expected just another story, only to find out that you just connected a bunch of dots and got the rest of a story that only had a "happily ever after" ending a few minutes earlier?

I was on The Arizona Republic's website reading the editorials and saw a letter about a dog that was rescued out of Baghdad.  It referred to an article from last Thursday I hadn't seen.  I went digging for that article because stories about dogs finding good forever homes makes me happy.  Dogs rescued out of Iraq and finding good forever homes with soldiers... well, that's even cooler.

When I clicked on the link for last Thursday's article, Arizona GI's Iraqi dog adjusts to U.S. life, I recognized the dog.  A little older and with a few more pounds on him, but it's Charlie!

Yeah, this Charlie:

It's been more than two years since Charlie made headlines by becoming the first dog to get a one-way ticket out of Iraq under a program by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International. Called Operation Baghdad Pups, the program has rescued 265 animals - 42 cats and 223 dogs. There are 20 service members and women on a waiting list to receive their pets in the United States.

If you followed Operation Bring Charlie Home, you knew that Charlie made it to DC and then Ft. Bragg.  The old friends were reunited, and it all went better than one can hope.  If this were a fairy tale, that's where they would say, "And they lived happily ever after" and you would close the book.  But who doesn't think about how the story went on after that?

In this case, it sounds like things are going quite well, and for SGT Watson as well:

Charlie has adapted to his life in America and settled in well with Watson, his fiancee and their daughter.

I hope for nothing but the best for Charlie, SGT Watson and his family.

And thank you to the SPCA, Blackfive.net, Operation Baghdad Pups, and Bark Busters who offered free help with Charlie as well as to other rescued Iraqi dogs.

This is the kind of "happily ever after" ending I can get behind.

~~Code Monkey

   "Per Mike Yon on Facebook: If we are going to make a success out of this war, must start squeezing out and choking off the irresponsible "sources." People who care will start writing letters to editors/producers who link to websites such as Blackfive and Mudville Gazette. Must start telling mainstream sources that when they link to milkooks, we stop paying attention. Please leave comments at mainstream message boards encouraging people to ignore milkooks.
    There are some good milblogs who should get more attention (such as Small Wars Journal), but others need to be choked off. We have a tough, bloody war ahead, and should refuse to put up with this nonsense. The information battlefront is half the battlespace, and you are in it. Please fight hard from your position.
    It's time to get active. I will get back to the war and focus there. On the home front, please choke off Blackfive and Mudville Gazette. When you see links to them from MSM sites, please contact editors and producers, and also leave public comments that responsible people do not listen to milkooks.
    Get active and help win the war."

I will respond to that here, as it is my web page and even though the Code Monkey is driving the bus, I can still moon people from the windows.

My "from the hip" response:  Eat shit, mike yon.  Eat. My. Shit.

My well reasoned and thought out response:  Mikey, Milbloggers made you as popular as you are.  If it weren't for sites like Blackfive and Mudville Gazette, you would be the saddest panda in Iraq right now, living hand to mouth on the mercies of people who had not (yet) had enough of your silly shit and tantrums to stop putting up with you.  You may have been taking good pictures, but nobody would have noticed, were it not for us "milkooks."

You go back to taking pictures in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Thailand, or wherever suits you.  Since photography is your medium of choice, and you refuse to consider anyone who hasn't "been there" as a valid information source, I'll post my street cred right here:
 This is my (most of) hand.  Although swollen, it's smaller than it was the day before.  I left the rest of it in a canal near Baqubah, Iraq.  This is only one of the horrors of war.

 This is (most of) my leg.  I also left the rest of it in a canal near Baqubah, Iraq. The black stuff held together by red cord is there because other things, like constantly trying to keep my heart beating, took precedence over peeling off layers of my skin to fix it.  All the dark brown dots are shrapnel, which sets off metal detectors to this day.

Of course, they did get around to doing just that, once my heart stayed steady.  They couldn't peel all the skin off at once, so we took off strips as soon as the graft site would heal.



There, all fixed.  See that stump of a hand in the bottom of the picture, Mikey?  That's where they had to put my thumb back on.  Under those covers, where you are meat-gazing, is what's left of a scrotum.  It too, is half the size it used to be.  As for the rest of what is under the sheet, I'll leave that to your vivid imagination, mikey.


You recently said you couldn't adopt a kid because you couldn't return to war.  Guess what, Mikey?  I go to war because of my family, because I want them to live in a better world.  This is me after 34 reconstructive surgeries (and more to go.)  Guess what else, Mikey, I am going back to war, Again.  I am going to go back to Iraq right before Christmas.  How do you think the kids will enjoy that, considering last time daddy went away, he died several times before coming home?  I know sacrifice, but not like they do.  You, mikey, have no idea what personal sacrifice means.  If you write her a nice letter, maybe my 7-year old daughter could explain it to you.



Here's four things I know:
1.  I will continue to fight wars, risk my life and families livelihood, for my country and my soldiers.
2.  I will continue to write, nay, milblog about them, from my perspective as a soldier--something you are not.  I know you are a used-to-be... for something like half an hour.  I have spent more time looking for a quiet place to shit than you have soldiering.
3.  I will always be a better man than you.
4.  I have far more to lose than you.

One last bit of street cred for you.... You know what I did Mikey, when I was too physically destroyed to go back to war immediately?  I damn sure didn't go get a foot rub and happy ending in a Thai whorehouse.

I helped launch a charity program called Project Valour-IT through soldiersangels.org from my hospital bed. In the five years since, we have helped over 5000 wounded soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen find ways to speed their recovery and return to their new normal lives.

You take pictures, I'll keep doing the things you take pictures of, Mikey.  What you do, may, someday, in some small part, help win the war, because public sentiment is sometimes necessary for politicians to decide victory conditions.  Without you, and other journalists or writers, the war would still go on, the politicians would still decide the victory conditions, and soldiers like me would be wounded, and others would die.  If you, mikey, and every other journalist/writer/wanna be are taken out of this equation, nothing changes.  From my position, that puts your maximum effect on this war at zero.  You keep carping on about how you are taking on "the powers that be" and getting people fired.  From my turret, you're just the village idiot ranting about the people you don't like because they aren't explaining the strategy to you with small words so you can understand it.  Your effect on anything is negligible.  (Because even when you do violate OPSEC, nothing happens.)  If you were actually saying anything worthwhile, the enemy would be reading your site, like they do mine.
Oh by the way, do you know who is 100% involved in soldiers angels and Valour-IT?  Not just involved, but actively supports and raises money for it?  That's right mikey, Blackfive and Mudville.  You beg others to smear them--what do YOU actually DO for soldiers?  What do YOU provide for them?

Now who is the irresponsible source, mikey?

mikey?

/crickets

--Chuck

Via Instapundit at HotAir's Headlines:

Apocalypse now: Vuvuzelas coming to America?

One answer is that they’re already here. Fifteen thousand vuvuzela-style horns were handed out at a Florida Marlins home game on June 19, and despite the players’ frustration — “I can’t tell you how awful it was,” said center fielder Cody Ross — the fans happily blew the house down. “[They] loved them,” says Sean Flynn, the Marlins’ vice president of marketing. “There was an unbelievable atmosphere.”

I've already recommended to a friend that he and the other concerned parents buy them for their kids' soccer games since the coach went from "Everyone gets a trophy" to "Everyone's trying out for the next World Cup team."

I've also loaded a vuvuzela app on my Droid for the next staff meeting at work.  Sad thing is, they'll all just be looking around for the bees.

And watching Uncle Jimbo's yellow pants rant with vuvuzelas added in just makes me giggle like an idiot...  for about ten seconds and then I shut the vuvuzelas off.  (If you see a little soccer ball towards the lower right corner of the YouTube video, click it.  I dare ya.)

Personally, I think there are times and places where the vuvuzela could be a welcome addition to American society:

• Code Pink & ANSWER protests
• When someone gets into the "ten items or less" lane in the grocery store with 16 items
• When you realize the drive-through screwed up your order (may require a return visit)
• Outside my stupid ex-neighbor's apartment, any time, any day, and frequently please

Feel free to add your own vuvuzela-appropriate events in the comments...

Boston Maggie's made a request...

My fav BMCS has found a particular problem in Khandahar. His unit has come across a group of wounded Marines who have slipped through the cracks so to speak. They come in straight from the field with the clothes on their back. In most cases, these Marines have suffered a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). They are in this location to see the doctors at the nearby facility, which is top-notch, before being shipped out to other facilities.

So, what's the problem? Well, for one thing, the Marines have none of their own gear. Except for seeing the docs, they are sitting around bored silly. So, my BMCS has rounded up some stuff for them (cumshaw, anyone?); a TV, a DVD player and an X-Box. But he needs more stuff.

See the list of what's being requested here.

Now all we need is a Wootoff with a bunch of those Sandisk MP3 players at great prices...

Chuck and the family are in the process of creating their own version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

I'm trying to go three consecutive weekends without going in to work.  (It's not working out so well.)

I'm going to try to fill the gap while Chuck's working his way to Hawaii, but lately all I can come up with to post is how hot it is here in the Phoenix metro area.  I bought one of those IR thermometers so I now know where I can fry eggs on the 3:00 pm break.  Heh, maybe I'll turn this into a food blog with "What I cooked on the sidewalk during the summer in Phoenix."  So far, eggs, fried rice, and beef jerky (cheap steak left on the porch all day) are on that menu.

Maybe I'll set up a web cam on some food melting in the sun.

I know, I know.  Chuck, please get to a reliable internet connection soon.  And safe travels.

Father Graduates for Son Killed in Iraq

GLENDALE - Students at the University of Phoenix graduated today, but for one family, the day was bittersweet. A father graduated for his son, who died in Iraq.

First, let me say this: I believe General McChrystal is not the smartest man in the room, he's the smartest man in the county.

Second, I believe that every man has limits, especially when fighting a war, and trying to prosecute an incredibly difficult and detailed strategy without support from above.

Third, the rolling stone article does attribute some things that no General (or Officer, for that matter) has any business saying, in a public format, about the commander in chief, or the vice President (regardless of how true those statements may be.) I see this as the actions of an extremely frustrated leader, who is trying to do something that his superiors simply don't understand, and based on their apparent priority for listening to him, don't care to learn.

However, General McChrystal chose to resent himself and his staff to the writer from Rolling Stone. I doubt he did this without forethought. I believe that he knew exactly what he was doing, and rather than retire and then join the ranks of other rock-throwing has-beens, he chose to make a bold statement, one which would get a lot more press coming from the current commander in Afghanistan. He would illustrate the issues with the chain of command in a manner that would end badly for him, but would get the maximum amount of coverage possible. It is an act of a leader desperate for people to understand that the greatest enemy we could face in Afghanistan is mismanagement and lack of support from our own government. It is an act that can only end badly, like jumping on a grenade--there's a slight chance it won't detonate, but the odds are stacked very high against you.

General McChrystal should now do the second hardest thing he's ever considered: He should walk into the White House and resign, stating clearly, in writing, his reasons, including the issues with his ambassador, the commander-in-chief and vice president. This is a fight he can not win, and retain his rank, so he will sacrifice his stars on the altar of freedom. He shouldn't even give the CiC the opportunity to yell at him, just put the resignation on his desk, salute, and walk out of the office. He should send copies to every news organization he's ever dealt with, and then talk to the press pool. Let his message get out, let his story be told, and then he can start campaigning for 2012.

People at this level play for keeps. In an administration which has been described as extremely sensitive to criticism, I see no way for General McChrystal to stay in position, regardless of any apology he may issue publicly. They may offer him the chance to publicly apologize, claim that he is under severe stress and was taken out of context, then allow him to quietly retire in six months, but I doubt that will happen. No matter how critical he may be to the war, this administration (and any administration, I suppose) will not tolerate those in Uniform challenging their ability to lead. As American Soldiers, we are beholden only to the Constitution, but we answer to the President.

Finally, I really think the the General chose to fall on his sword for a reason, not just because he felt like shooting his mouth off to a Rolling Stone journalist. I believe he wanted to make a very clear statement about the mismanagement and outright lack of understanding of the war we are fighting and the strategy we are using at the very highest levels of government. I believe he chose to make this statement at this time, because the afterglow of Hope and Change is finally fading and his words will ring true with many. I believe he chose to sacrifice his job, his career, and to risk his future livelihood so that people would be made aware of the challenges faced by the troops fighting the war--that they face an enemy in Afghanistan with lines of indirect support running all the way back to D.C.

At least, that's one explanation.

--Chuck
Another member of the Vast Anti-Yon Conspiracy weighs in on Yon and President Obama and their agreement of the facts.

P.S. Mike Yon is doing cheetah flips now, exclaiming that he was right, that McChrystal is unbalanced, just like he said months ago, that his staff was on drugs (alcohol) when they shit-canned his embed, yadda yadda yadda. I believe I've outlined but a few reasons that directly point to General McChrystal's clarity of thought and reason. And no Mike, You can't go from "I was disembeded because they are all crazy monkeys" to "I was disembedded because there wasn't enough room to keep me, not because I am a loose cannon who will violate OPSEC for another $0.10 in paypal donations" to "I was disembedded because there wasn't enough room to keep me, that's what this letter from the PAO , Admiral Smith says," to "I was disembedded because there wasn't enough room to keep me, at least that was their reason, not the real reason" to "You are all clowns! This is a vast conspiracy! You are plant from Blackfive, not a real supporter!" and "You disagree with me, you are a member of the cabal of evil Blackfive supporters who are all against me! You are banned!" and still expect people to believe anything you say about this. Asshat.

Today I listened to Mike Yon defend himself on the G. Gordon Liddy Show.  Gordon had Jimbo and Yon on at the same time.


Here is the full audio.  Please listen to it, then read what I wrote to Yon on face book, and his reply after the jump.

Here is what I posted (which he has since deleted, leaving only his banhammer comment):

Mike, you came off as paranoid and a bit unhinged. You claimed that the caller (David) who supports you was a plant. You called Jim names. You were in full on rant mode. Not calm, rational, and professional, but emotional, angry, and quite unsettled. Not a good showing for you, I'm afraid. You could have made your case much better without the name calling. I feel sorry for you.

And Yon's action and reply:

Michael Yon
Chuck Ziegenfuss is part of the milkookery and has been blocked for taking part in misleading the public along with Blackfive.

I am a lot of things. But one of the things I am not it misleading.  I have NEVER lied about someone on this site.  I have linked to others who made erroneous comments (and who, in the interests of full disclosure, have apologized and corrected their commentary.)  I was never misleading or dishonest on your site.  I have always been upfront and honest, and there was nothing in what I wrote on your page but an honest evaluation of your interview.

(That was all I planned to write, but then I got carried away.)

Mike Yon has written a lot of shitty things about a lot of good people.  I am proud to be included in that group.  All it takes is an honest, unemotional review of his interview on Liddy to see just how nanners he is.  He always claims that what he does is for the troops, his supporters constantly claim they support the troops.

Hey Mike (et al)--Those troops you "support?"  I am one of them.  Where is your support for me?  I am one of the guys who picks up a rifle and defends this country, not the guy who, when hearing his friends were killed in Iraq, grabbed a camera and note pad and went on embeds to write about it.  I'm the guy who got his body splattered all over a bridge in Iraq (I guess you would find fault with me, because it was a bridge in MY area of operations, and thus my responsibility.)  I'm the guy who, while laying in a hospital bed, came up with a program which has helped over 5000 OTHER wounded warriors find their "New Normal" after losing limbs defending their country.

I'm the guy who continues to serve, continues to wear the uniform, and continues to blog about my experiences--in addition to defending the nation.   Where is your support for me?  I know you like to tout your (limited) time in Special Forces as part of your street cred.  I also know that SF is still hiring, IF you want to man-up and serve.  I know you have a thousand reasons to not re-enlist, chief among them is that you wouldn't be able to publish what you wanted, when you wanted.  You would have a "filter."  You put your blogging and your opinions, smears and half-truths above service to your country.  That's your choice.  MANY in uniform put writing further down on their priority list.  We will continue to do the heavy lifting so you can have something to rite about when you aren't taking pictures of burning trash piles in Thailand while blegging people to pay for your work in Afghanistan.

I'm the guy, one of thousands, who will go back to the same country that already cost him and his family so much, and fight there once more.  I'm going back to Iraq in December.  As a combatant.  Carrying a weapon, and blogging when I can.  I know how much you want to be in the action Mike, so much that you will violate the laws of war, switching from non-combatant to combatant,

Yon had already screamed at the unmoving soldiers to attack. Now he called to them for a grenade, which they did not have. So he picked up Prosser's empty M-4 rifle, loaded in a 30-round magazine, and fired three shots into the shop.  (Source:  L.A. Times, 09 Feb 2006.)

but you can't decide one minute to be a warrior and the next to be a writer.  What you should do is put on a uniform if you want to be a soldier.  Your actions were dangerous, put lives and missions at risk, and quite frankly are more in line with a glory hunter than someone who deserves respect.

I strongly urge anyone who is thinking of, or continues to support Mike Yon to reconsider doing so.  I have seen good things from him in the past, but it is glaringly apparent that all he does now is republish emails without checking facts, republish emails without concern for troop safety, publish articles written by other people, beg for contributions, and insult and demean soldiers serving their country.

Before you contribute a dime to Yon, consider instead donating to soldiersangels.org, an organization of amazing people from Kandahar to Kansas, from Baghdad to Bastrop, from Landshtul to L.A., who seek to help every soldier, with whatever they may need, and ensure that no service member goes unloved.

--Chuck

Today is father's day.
It is also the fifth anniversary of the day that changed my life, forever, and in retrospect, for the better.
Five years ago, I was wounded. Today, I have a migraine.
Despite the pain I suffer daily, and including this mind-numbing pain in my head, I am so glad to be alive. Thank you all for sharing the journey.

--Chuck

I replied to the yonbots who were slamming Jimbo, get this, for his apology.  I am tired of Mike's Idiotic Sycophants Loving Everything Dumbass.  (M.I.S.L.E.D.) constantly jumping to his defense, despite logic, reasoning, and common sense.  So I wrote the following:

Yon was right about the anbar awakening. But he damn sure had ziltch to do with making it happen. It was guys like me, generals like Petraeus and McChrystal whose changes in policy, tactics, operations and strategies made it happen. Yon wrote about the result and took pictures. His participation had zero to do with it working.
Those same generals are the same ones trying to accomplish the same goals in Afghanistan, a country that has almost nothing in common with Iraq.
Our job is harder than anything yon can imagine, and he only sees efforts and end results. He isn't part of the decision making process, he isn't consulted or briefed on the plan ahead of time.
Guess what? There is no perfect solution. There is no format for success--especially when our own government refuses to define victory conditions.
Yon says he supports the troops--isn't General McChrystal a "troop?". Why doesn't he get the support of Yon? Why can't (or won't) yon explain why he "no longer trusts" the COMISAF commander, other than because they sent him packing?
What insights does yon have that are so unique about Afghanistan? CJ, Me, Greyhawk, Bouhammer, Old Blue and Jimbo write from our perspective--that of career soldiers with nearly a century of combined experience in uniform, twenty+ years blogging experience, and at least that much combat experience. We believe General McChrystal isn't the smartest guy in the room, he's often the smartest guy in the building, if not the county. Aside from that, we also recognize that Yon writes things that may, if nothing else, embolden an enemy to attack. Even if everything he mentioned in his published letter re: fob security were false, and the enemy attacked, soldiers lives would be at greater risk during the fight, wouldn't they?
If yon is so well connected with major players in AFG, why publish the letter before contacting them, allowing the opportunity to fix the problems before publishing? Who does that serve?
Why do soldiers like CJ and myself gave to fight for the benefit of the doubt, when it is so freely given to the civilan with a camera? Do I have to go to Thailand for my writing to get your seal of approval? Do I have to risk my life, and my families future, again, for my words to carry the same weight, even though I have been taught the doctrine, led troops in combat, suffered through horrible injuries and countless surgeries, learned to walk, write, and dress myself, and still continue to soldeir on and lead?
I must be a kook to keep doing this. I must have NO idea what Afghanistan is like, because I'm not a glorified tourist, taking snapshots for my facebook fanclub to ogle. Maybe it's time to take off the uniform and get out my instamatic, so I can make broad claims about the abilities of those who have spent decades defending the nation, and then be cheered on for "telling the truth" by people who claim to support the troops.
Scrape the yellow ribbon sticker off your prius, you don't support me, you support an ignoramus with as much military service as John Kerry, and less journalistic integrity than Geraldo Rivera, and as much concern for doing quality, well researched and resourced writing as Ward Churchill."

That about sums it up, except I didn't include Taco or Commander Salamander, but was typing fast, and on an Ipod.

--Chuck

Well, the movers never showed up.  They were, however, nice enough to tell me that they would not be able to make it today when I called them at 12:00.  It's roughly the equivalent of waiting for the cable guy, but at least they do, eventually, show up.
Instead, they will be here tomorrow.
This gives them only Friday and Monday to box up the whole house, and then 1 day to load it all on the truck.  It's doable, but the experience I've had with movers is that when they rush, things break.  Hopefully they won't notice the 500o pounds of beach sand I am shipping to Hawaii labeled "medical supplies."

--Chuck

Today is day one of the PCS.  PCS is the Army term for Permanent Change of Station, meaning we are moving (again.)  This time, it's off to one of the most horrible places I can think of:  Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  I know how the weather is a constant 70-85 degrees year round, the water at the beach is clear, warm, and full of life, the sunrises are only matched in beauty by the sunsets, but this is my cross to bear.  :)

Anyway, today is day one because the movers show up today to begin boxing up the baubles that consume the house. 
We start with the things least used:  The china, the storage closet, the garage tools, etc.  Tomorrow will be the bulk of our clothes, other household items, etc.--Only stuff we won't need over the weekend will be reserved.  For the weekend, we'll still have our beds and furniture.

Come Monday, it all gets put on the truck, then goes on a SLOW boat to Hawaii.  It may take up to two months to arrive.

Monday afternoon/evening then begins the cleaning of the house to Army standards, making sure it's as clean as any house we would want to move into.  We stay in a hotel Monday night.  Tuesday, the inspector comes (early), I sign out on leave (early), and then we start the long trek to Hawaii, by way of Dallas (to turn over the truck for shipment to Hawaii).  We'll overnight in Dallas at my the Mrs.' Aunt's house and then rent a van on Wednesday, repack it with all the stuff we're taking with us,
and drive to the Vehicle Processing Center and turn in the truck.  Then we drive to San Antonio, to spend a few brief days with My Family, transfer the World's dumbest Cats and World's Best Dog to them (just till... September!) and  then on the following Monday, we become the Jet-set.  Two adults, two rugrats, and probably 8 suitcases.  By sunset in aloha land, we should be getting lei'd by homefrontsix.

Get the kids a bite to eat, take a moonlight walk along the beach to stretch out, then pass out.

At least, that's the plan.  I'll let you know how it actually works out.

--Chuck

US President Barack Obama has said the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico will have the same impact on the US psyche as 9/11. 

Respectfully, Mr. President, I disagree.

Sir, I strongly doubt the American people will rise up, and demand vengeance.
I strongly doubt Broadway will go dark, in mourning.
I doubt anyone will camp out on your front yard to protest their son's lost life.
I doubt we will see the military recruiting in record numbers because people want to fight the oil slick.
I doubt I will wake up sweating in the middle of the night, after dreaming of the poor widdle pelicans covered in oil.  (Unless it's peanut oil.  I'll bet deep-fried pelican is tasty.)

Sir, do you even remember 9/11/2001?  2,996 People died that day.  Three of the most iconic buildings in America were struck, and two were destroyed.  Another building (which you can see from your government housing) was spared, because of the brave men and women who cried "Let' Roll!" and fought back, at the cost of their own lives.  Their effort resulted in an environmental disaster in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The skies over our nation were silent for a week.  People were stranded all across the country.

We were a nation in shock, a nation in disbelief, a nation that was forever changed.

Sorry, but I just can not agree that a few cents' rise in the price of gas, the loss of gulf coast shrimp, and a bunch of blubbering swamp-dwelling cajuns on the news is going to change our National Psyche.

Of course, given the current efforts to actually do something about this spill, it could lead to a 10-year long quagmire in the gulf.  (Did I just say that?)

Oh, and Happy Flag day.

--Chuck

Other things, however, will be imprinted on the national psyche.

 

For some reason I've never understood, The Army chooses to celebrate almost every major event with a "fun run."  Although the two words, "fun" and "run" rhyme, their similarity ends (for me) at that point.  The sunken-chest marathoner crowd so prevalent in the Army will likely disagree, but they run for the "runner's high," the release of endorphins that causes pain relief and a feeling of euphoria.  I take pills for that, and they don't make me tired or sore. Make no mistake, many are as addicted to this "high" as any street junkie.
I've digressed.  Sorry, must be the pills.                       
                                                                                                    "Wooo (urrrp) Hoo!  This is teh Awesome!"

Some people realize this is the 235th "birthday" of the US Army. Fewer know the history.  Since I am a swell guy, I'll share it with you.

The following is a description of the birth of the U.S. Army from Robert Wright, The Continental Army (Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, 1983), pp. 23-24:

The June 14 date is when Congress adopted "the American continental army" after reaching a consensus position in The Committee of the Whole.

Best. Birthday.  Celebration. Evar.

This procedure and the desire for secrecy account for the sparseness of the official journal entries for the day. The record indicates only that Congress undertook to raise ten companies of riflemen, approved an enlistment form for them, and appointed a committee (including Washington and Schuyler) to draft rules and regulations for the government of the army. The delegates' correspondence, diaries, and subsequent actions make it clear that they really did much more. They also accepted responsibility for the existing New England troops and forces requested for the defense of the various points in New York. The former were believed to total 10,000 men; the latter, both New Yorkers and Connecticut men, another 5,000.
At least some members of Congress assumed from the beginning that this force would be expanded. That expansion, in the form of increased troop ceilings at Boston, came very rapidly as better information arrived regarding the actual numbers of New England troops. By the third week in June delegates were referring to 15,000 at Boston. When on 19 June Congress requested the governments of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire to forward to Boston "such of the forces as are already embodied, towards their quotas of the troops agreed to be raised by the New England Colonies," it gave a clear indication of its intent to adopt the regional army. Discussions the next day indicated that Congress was prepared to support a force at Boston twice the size of the British garrison, and that it was unwilling to order any existing units to be disbanded. By the first week in July delegates were referring to a total at Boston that was edging toward 20.000. Maximum strengths for the forces both in Massachusetts and New York were finally established on 21 and 22 July, when solid information was on hand. These were set, respectively, at 22,000 and 5,000 men, a total nearly double that envisioned on 14 June.

The "expert riflemen" authorized on 14 June were the first units raised directly as Continentals. Congress intended to have the ten companies serve as a light infantry force for the Boston siege. At the same time it symbolically extended military participation beyond New England by allocating 6 of the companies to Pennsylvania, 2 to Maryland, and 2 to Virginia. Each company would have a captain, 3 lieutenants, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, a drummer (or horn player), and 68 privates. The enlistment period was set at one year, the norm for the earlier Provincials, a period that would expire on 1 July 1776.

Responsibility for recruiting the companies was given to the three colonies' delegates, who in turn relied on the county committees of those areas noted for skilled marksmen. The response in Pennsylvania's western and northern frontier counties was so great that on 22 June the colony's quota was increased from six to eight companies, organized as a regiment. On 25 June the Pennsylvania delegates, with authority from the Pennsylvania Assembly, appointed field officers for the regiment. Since there was no staff organization, company officers and volunteers performed the necessary duties. On 11 July delegate George Read secured the adoption of a ninth company that his wife's nephew had organized in Lancaster County. In Virginia Daniel Morgan raised one company in Frederick County, and Hugh Stephenson raised another in Berkeley County. Michael Cresap's and Thomas Price's Maryland companies were both from Frederick County. All thirteen companies were organized during late June and early July. They then raced to Boston, where their frontier attitudes created disciplinary problems.

Selection of Commanders

The inclusion of troops from outside New England gave a continental flavor to the army at Boston. A desire to broaden the base of support for the war also led John Adams to work for the appointment of a southerner as the commander of all the continental forces, raised, or to be raised, for the defense of American liberty. On 15 June Congress unanimously chose George Washington. Washington had been active in the military planning committees of Congress and by late May had taken to wearing his old uniform. His colleagues believed that his modesty and competence qualified him to adjust to the "Temper & Genius" of the New England troops. Washington was given the rank of General and Commander in Chief.

Congress clearly respected Washington, for it granted him extensive powers which combined functions of a regular British commander with the military responsibilities of a colonial governor. His instructions on 20 June told him to proceed to Massachusetts, "take charge of the army of the united colonies," and capture or destroy all armed enemies. His was also to prepare and to send to Congress an accurate strength return of that army. On the other hand, instructions to keep the army obedient, diligent, and disciplined were rather vague. The Commander in Chief's right to make strategic and tactical decisions on purely military grounds was limited only by a requirement to listen to the advice of a council of war. Within a set troop maximum, including volunteers, Washington had the right to determine how many men to retain, and he had the power to fill temporarily any vacancies below the rank of colonel. Permanent promotions and appointments were reserved for the colonial governments to make.

Although sectional politics were involved in Washington's selection, in strictly military terms he was in fact the best-qualified native American. He had begun his military career in 1752 in the Virginia militia as one of four regional adjutants responsible for training. During the first phase of the French and Indian War, he served with gallantry as Edward Braddock's volunteer aide at the battle of the Monongahela, and later as the commander of Virginia's two Provincial regiments defending the colony's frontiers. In 1758 he commanded a brigade composed of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania units on John Forbes' expedition against Fort Duquesne. Washington was the only American in that war to command so large a force. The experience of these years taught him the importance of discipline, marksmanship, and professional study. Exposure to Forbes' ideas on adapting European tactics to the American wilderness also contributed significantly to his military education. Above all, he came to the conclusion that only unyielding commitment to hard work and attention to administrative detail could keep troops in the field.

On 16 June, the day after Washington's appointment, Congress authorized a variety of other senior officers for its new army. Details were again settled by the Committee of the Whole. Positions for five major staff officers were established: an Adjutant General, a Commissary of Musters, a Paymaster General, a Commissary General, and a Quartermaster General. These officers were expected to assist the Commander in Chief with the administration of the "grand army." The forces allocated to New York already were considered a separate department and were authorized their own deputy quartermaster general and deputy paymaster general. A military secretary and 3 aides for Washington, a secretary for the separate department, and 6 engineers (3 for each force) completed the staff. Congress also created the ranks of major general and brigadier general. The number of generals remained uncertain for several days as Congress debated. Between 17 and 22 June it finally decided on 4 major generals, each having 2 aides, and 8 brigadier generals. These totals allowed each colony raising troops to have a share of the patronage. Congress then took steps for issuing paper money to finance the army, and on 30 June it adopted the Articles of War.

Selection of the subordinate generals and senior staff officers led to political maneuvering as delegates sought appointments for favorite sons. On 17 June Congress elected Artemas Ward and Charles Lee as the first and second major generals and Horatio Gates as the Adjutant General. Ward received seniority because he was in command at Boston and because Massachusetts had furnished the largest contingent of troops. Ward was a Harvard graduate with many years of political experience. After two years of active duty as a field officer in the French and Indian War, he had compiled an excellent record as a militia administrator. Lee and Gates were professional English officers in their forties who were living in Virginia on the half-pay (inactive) list. Both had served in the French and Indian War and were associates of politicians in England and America who opposed British policies. Lee had also seen service in Portugal and in the Polish Army. Gates had ended the Seven Years' War as a major in the Caribbean. His appointment as Adjutant General (with the rank of brigadier general) reflected Congress' hope that his staff experience would enable him to provide Washington with strong administrative assistance.

On 19 June two more major generals were appointed to satisfy other colonies' contributing large troop contingents. Philip Schuyler, a New York delegate with close ties to Washington, was expected to take command of the troops in his colony. A member of one of New York's leading families, the 42-year-old Schuyler had been a major in the French and Indian War, specializing in logistics. His experience, political connections, and extensive business interests in Albany were particularly valuable in his new command. Connecticut's delegation could not agree on a nominee for that colony's major general. In the end Israel Putnam's status as a folk hero outweighed consideration of seniority, and he received the appointment. Putnam, at 57, had seen extensive service in the French and Indian War, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He had also been an early, vocal leader of the Connecticut Sons of Liberty. The process of selecting brigadier generals on 22 June was the product of a compromise. Congress allotted these appointments in proportion to the number of men contributed by each colony and followed the recommendations of the colony's delegates in the actual selection. Congress, however, created problems by ignoring seniority and status. When it elected Massachusetts' Seth Pomeroy, William Heath, and John Thomas as the first, fourth, and sixth brigadier generals, respectively, Thomas felt he had been slighted. The situation was resolved when Pomeroy declined the appointment, citing age, before Washington handed out the commissions. Congress then made Thomas the first brigadier general, although it did not fill the vacancy created by Pomeroy's withdrawal. Thomas, a surgeon militiamen, and former Provincial born in 1724, had gained combat experience primarily in medical roles. Heath, thirteen years younger, was strictly a product of the militia.

Richard Montgomery of New York became the second ranking brigadier general. Born in Ireland in 1738 and educated at Dublin's Trinity College, he had entered the British Army in 1756. After combat service in North America and in the Caribbean, he resigned in 1772 when he failed to receive a promotion to major. He moved to New York, married into the powerful Livingston family, and in 1775 won election to the New York Provincial Congress. Montgomery's appointment was intended to complement Schuyler's logistical and administrative skills with combat experience. David Wooster and Joseph Spencer of Connecticut became the third and fifth brigadier generals. Born in 1711 and educated at Yale, Wooster had served in Connecticut's navy during King George's War. He later commanded a regiment in the French and Indian War. Spencer, three years younger, had also served in both wars. The two men initially refused to serve under Putnam, disputing his seniority, and had to be coaxed into accepting their commissions. Delegate John Sullivan of New Hampshire, a 35-year old lawyer, became the seventh brigadier general instead of Nathaniel Folsom. Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island completed the list.

In retrospect, the June 1775 decision of the Continental Congress to create the Continental Army seems remarkably free from political strife. Delegates of all shades of opinion supported each step, and arguments largely concerned technical details. Unanimity resulted from a conviction that British actions required defensive measures and from carefully worded compromises. Those individuals committed to the ideal of the citizen-soldier saw Congress' adoption of the short-term New England force as an acceptance of a yeoman army. Others, remembering practical lessons of the colonial wars, believed that they were forming an army based on the Provincial model. Officer selection was another area of compromise; the fact that Washington and Schuyler were given blank commissions from Congress to distribute to the regimental officers confirmed local selections while retaining a nominal national level of appointment.

The Commander in Chief's Birthday message here.
SECARMY, CSA, and SMA Birthday message here.

Hey Army, maybe for 236, we could have an Army Birthday Sleep In.  No one is allowed to come to work before 10 AM.

--Chuck

Around these parts, there is no greater milblogger then Greyhawk.  Indeed, if there is a Godfather of MIlblogs, it is him.  He possesses the carefully measured eye of a Senior NonCommissioned Officer, the Wit and sublte Sarcasm of Mark Twain, and the amazing ability to put up with a lot of BS.  He does however, have limits.  I personally have a much lower tolerance for the ignorance and stupidity of others, and that is why I have backed away from the Mike You self-implosion, rather than continue the fight in this forum.  It isn't just the notion of wrestling with a pig, it's that the pig cannot change the fact that he is a pig.  Greyhawk has been attacked repeatedly by Yon.  Time and time again, Greyhawk has responded with a simple query: when have I ever said anything about you other than good things, pointing people to your good works?  On that, Yon's silence has been deafening.

There is, however, a time for everything, and the time for Greyhawk's entrance into this particular arena came when Yon published an email, supposedly from a soldier in Afghanistan, detailing specific policies regarding the release of detainees.  Yon did this without verifying his information, and these policies do not, in fact, exist.  Whether the policies exist or not is the critical issue. Writing about detainee policies can embolden an enemy to attack if they believe they are somehow "protected," and could cost many Americans their lives.  But this isn't about Yon, it's about the very-well constructed, thought out, reasoned, and total flaying of Yon, by his betters:

 Consider this a public email from me, Mike - the guy who introduced you to the blogosphere over five years ago. As a guy who's been there and done that in Iraq, as a guy who served in uniform for a quarter century, and as a guy who's concern for his brothers who are still in uniform or in combat zones is exceeded by no one's, I ask you to stop publishing whatever drops into your email inbox as if it were something more significant than Nigerian spam. (link)

This is only the first shot at Yon and it is not a warning shot.  Greyhawk is full-on pissed off, and will be deconstructing him over the next few days/weeks.

Update:  Bouhammer--another lifetime-of-service NCO, has entered the fray:

However he has now morphed into a combination of Dennis Hopper and Marlon Brando’s characters from Apocalypse Now. He is so in love with himself that he must embarrass Afghans on a Thursday night. The guy drinks his own kool-aid and believes himself the savior of Afghanistan or any other war or conflict that he finds himself in. (link)

 Far better men than I now carry the spear.  I shall be fetching myself something tall, dark, and bubbly, grabbing some popcorn, and watching the fireworks.

--Chuck

Others blogging:

Michael Yon- Proudly violating OPSEC - Jimbo @ Blackfive
Some Writers need to understand OPSEC - Taco Bell @ The SandGram
Michael Yon for Executive Director of Code Pink!! - CJ @ A Soldier's Perspective
Michael Yon- The end game - Jimbo @ Blackfive
Just when you thought the milblog intramurals were over... - The Armorer @ Argghhh!
A final throw of the lifeline ... - CDR Salamander
Michael Yon: The Decider - Cassandra @ Villainous Company
Basta! - BostonMaggie
The perils of fame - Bookworm @ Bookworm Room
OPSEC, Michael Yon and STFU - Cullen @ Half a Pica of Uselessness
Yon's Personal Attacks - CJ @ A Soldier's Perspective

I read an article at the American Thinker that clearly illustrates how anyone supporting Palestine is clearly incapable of reason. The Palestinians do not want peace. Period. F*ing dot. Full stop.

The Palesinians want the total destruction of all Jews.
The rest of the Arab world has no desire to absorb their Palestinian brothers. They are the ones who maintain Apartheid-like states with Palestinians. They are the ones who keep them in camps, deny them citizenship, deny them basic human rights. The Arab world does this to keep them in a victim status, to keep them angry and full of hate, and then directs their angst at the evil Joooos.

Unlike many, I do have a solution to the question of a Jewish state.
In 1947, The State of Israel was established by the UN.  Since then, they've built on of the world's best armed forces, governments and economies, and gone so far as to make the desert bloom and bear fruit.  If not for money coming out of the ground, their Arab neighbors would still subsist mainly by wandering the desert behind their camels and goats.

We have, in our own union, a very large and well-established society of Jews.  Many U.S. Jews live in southern California.   We could easily incorporate them into our society, creating a new Jewish state, dividing California in half, with the Democratic People's Republic of Northern California occupying the land north of the Santa Cruz--Fresno--Independence line, and Israel being absorbed into southern California, which we could call New Jerusalem.  Part and parcel of this agreement is that The Israeli military is absorbed into the US Armed forces, with the preponderance of forces permanently assigned to border duty along the US-Mexican border.   (They are, I understand, pretty good at stopping incursions along their borders.  NO Palestinians will be allowed to emigrate to New Jerusalem, for fifty years.  Any currently living there may stay, but any crimes against the new inhabitants would be considered hate crimes.  The currently in-place Israeli government would become the interim government of New Jerusalem, and would hold elections to establish their federal representatives.

Ideally, the new influx of skilled citizens into a society not burdened by ongoing terror attacks should thrive.  They would bring about a new perspective to Hollywood, one where they are not seen as evil, and terrorists are, regardless of their motivations.  the new PRNC could keep the Feinsteins, the Boxers, the Pelosis, and the Scwharzenneggers.  There are details to sort out, of course, and I would gladly have the government use my tax dollars to subsidize the move of their nation to ours, and subsidize anyone who wants to move to the PRNC rather than stay in New Jerusalem, instead of spending any more money trying to "fix" the Middle East.

This doesn't mean that Palestinians would get their own state, mind you. I think the land would quickly be snapped up by Syria, Jordan, and Egypt, who would likely bicker and fight over it for decades to come.  I would also support the scorching of the earth by the departing Israelis, destroying every building, bridge, crop, arable land, etc., returning it EXACTLY to the condition they found the land in 1947.  The hardest thing for the Israelis would be for them to leave their promised land, their ancestral lands for the last 5000 years.  We could ameliorate that by giving them a land of new promise--the same reason we came here as pilgrims.  A land where they could live free from attacks by terrorists.  A land where they could truly thrive as a people.

In the end, we would be a better, stronger, more prosperous nation, and the Arab would would lose 99% of its reason to bitch.  Can anyone see a downside to this?

--Chuck

Help a Vet

Starting this Friday we should be able to accept text donations in the amount of $5. Simply text 20222 on your mobile device and enter the Keyword: HelpaVet.

This is a simple and easy way to support the 100 or so wounded vets and caregivers who will be coming to the Lt Dan Weekend in Beaufort, SC, (www.ltdanweekend.com). The short YouTube video has the number at the end also. Please share liberally.



If anyone has or knows someone who may be able to help, there are 4-5 of the families who are coming to the event who have severely injured veterans and who would be a lot more comfortable in either a home or in a resort type accommodations than they will be in the Quality Inn. The lodging would have to be ADA compliant with doorways at least 30 inches width.

How can the Administration best stop the Gulf oil spill?
	Pass out straws to WH staff, take them to Gulf, start sucking
	Stand on nearest oil platform, and "hope" really hard
	Tell Oprah and Rosie it's chocolate gravy
	tell BP to fix the leak in the most efficient, fastest manner possible (consumers pay for it)
	Let the Navy figure it out (taxpayers pay for it)
	Capture blue whale, train it to stuff itself into crack
pollcode.com free polls

Here's the basics:

We have a leukemia patient at Children's who is using blood products VERY frequently and he has a very rare blood type. Only two percent of the population have one of the two types of blood he needs: B negative and O negative. In addition to those blood types, this patient also needed multiple platelet transfusions every day. We are struggling to keep up with his need for these rare blood types and yesterday, he just increased his usage.

If anyone is interesting in donating for this patient, they would have to come to Children's Hospital in Northwest Washington, DC. To schedule and appointment, or any questions can be sent directly to me via any of the contact information listed below.

Thank you SOOOO much!!

Andrea Wolschleger
Donor Recruiter
Children's National Medical Center
P: 202-476-3306
C: 202-495-9011
F: 202-476-6526
www.childrensnational.org/donateblood
"Donate blood for all the little reasons."

From an email conversation with Afghanoldblue.  I won't go into the particulars of the conversation, but in general, it was about a wounded soldier who was writing businesses to ask them to support soldiersangels.org, and relating his experiences with them.  All below is from Old Blue, and directed toward one of my Favorite Angels in Germany.
--Chuck

Every action is like a pebble tossed into a pond. You have no idea how far the ripples travel nor the effects they have.

Some things ARE unforgetable. I saw, and so I'm not surprised that those who are not too drugged to do remember those Soldiers Angels who gave them such a touch at a moment when their lives had been so changed. I saw those who would only have the vaguest of images in their memories of who brought them that blanket that they clutched, like the most precious thing in the world, all the way home.

I've never seen so much respect for sacrifice before. I've never seen such insistence on dignity when all vestiges of it had seemingly been stripped with the tattered uniform that was cut away in the effort to save what was left of the body.

War does amazing things to people, both good and bad. Your Angels in Germany may not feel that they are fighting, but they are. I'm not surprised that someone who felt that touch, and whose dignity was upheld in that way would want to add to this fight by calling for support.

You and your Angels toss so many pebbles into that pond. It may seem minor, and it may be unglamorous, and some may take it for granted... but you still stock the shelves and sweat out the backpacks, sweatshirts and sweatpants, and feed crackers to a man so high on ketamine that he is barely able to remember how to swallow... and more remember than you can possibly know.

I'm very pleased to see the evidence of it, too. Very cool. I'm a big fan, but I can never match the fan club I hope not to join. I don't want to pay the club dues. (Of course, that's up to the fortunes of war.) Those who have paid the dues are the ones who can appreciate what you and your Angels do in a way that I can only admire. I've been priveleged to be a fly on the wall once. It was so humbling.

Great so see a dues-paying member who reaches out to support the Angel who is there for the next guy. Ripples beget ripples.

The hobbit from the white house press pool has finally "retired" according to Michelle Malkin.  This comes after her well-reasoned and well-researched commentary following the Israeli defense of their territorial waters, following international treaty, and boarding smugglers posing as "relief aid."
If you missed it, here's the video:


Given that there is already rampant unemployment in the US, and news organizations from the legacy media are shuttering their doors and cutting loose all manner of "communications," "journalism," "media" and other no-real-world application degree holders, Ms. Thomas will likely thumbing through the Penny-Saver's want ads while standing in line for her unemployable welfare check.  Odds are, some public servant bureaucrat will pose the question to her: "Ms. Thomas, what kind of job are you looking for?"
I think we owe it to her to offer some advice.

--Chuck

Now that Helen Thomas has "retired" what should she do?
	"Before"" Model, Plastic Surgery Association
	Zyklon B sales rep
	CAIR Chairwoman
	Tour Guide, National Holocaust Deniers' museum
	Michale Moore's "Frumunda" cheese Fromager
pollcode.com free polls

A new junior Olympic sport, courtesy of Al-Jazeera. (The translation may be a bit off, my Klingon is shaky.)



--Chuck