Category Archives: Iraq

Bring ’em on

Posted on November 19, 2007 | Comments Off on Bring ’em on

I always liked the idea of Iraq as flypaper for the bad guys. As American casualties rose, the notion fell out of favor for discussion except by critics of the effort. Maybe, too soon.

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Posted in Iraq, The War

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Defusing car bombs

Posted on November 15, 2007 | Comments Off on Defusing car bombs

The booms that won’t be booming:

"Yesterday a joint US-Iraqi force with help from local anti-al-Qaeda awakening fighters in the Adhamiyah district in northeastern Baghdad found and disarmed more than 20 vehicles rigged as VBIEDs in a parking lot."

Talk about progress in the Iraq campaign. Wow.

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Posted in Iraq, The War, Troops

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Early Veterans Day gift

Posted on November 10, 2007 | Comments Off on Early Veterans Day gift

Hollywood’s latest crop of anti-American war flicks are tanking at the box office, which AFP blames on war weariness, but the comments beneath the piece at Breitbart.com tell a different story which most veterans will appreciate this Veterans Day weekend: Hollyweird finally, deservedly, is a victim of itself.

Via LGF 

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Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq, The War, Troops

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Osprey surge

Posted on November 7, 2007 | Comments Off on Osprey surge

osprey_surge_1.jpg

According to the MSM all they do is crash. In fact, the new MV-22 Osprey Tiltrotor is part of the USMC’s surge in Iraq. 

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Posted in Iraq, The War, Troops

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Excalibur

Posted on November 4, 2007 | Comments Off on Excalibur

excalibur.jpg

This is the GPS-guided artillery round that’s putting the cannon cockers out of business. In Iraq and Afghanistan they’re already being handed rifles and turned into infantry. Because with Excalibur, you don’t need a barrage of shells to be sure you have eliminated a target. One is all that’s necessary. 

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Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq, The War, Troops

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Friendly atmosphere

Posted on November 3, 2007 | Comments Off on Friendly atmosphere

On my second visit to Austin’s VA Health Clinic I was impressed by everything: the friendly people, the clean facilities, the new equipment. Got a flu shot from a tech with a no-pain technique. The doc I was assigned to wanted to run me through the normal blood work, but I pointed out I was scheduled for the full deal, including EKG and X-Rays, Dec. 11 in Temple for the Agent Orange Registry. Did he want to duplicate it? Fine with me. He didn’t. I especially liked the ambience that everyone’s on the same page. I saw why my late father-in-law, a Navy retiree, preferred VA hospitals to private ones. PTSD questions in the med exam surprised me. I think they’re more for new veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq than Vietnam after so many years. Nevertheless. Nightmares? Check. Fear of loud noises? Nope. Avoid situations reminding of combat? Nope. Feelings of detachment from others? That one surprised me. I thought it over and said I would have to answer yes. Wondering now what the Temple exam will uncover in December.

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Posted in Afghanistan, Infantry OCS, Iraq, Troops, Viet Nam

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When minutes seem like hours

Posted on November 2, 2007 | Comments Off on When minutes seem like hours

This tale of an urban observation post in Iraq that suddenly turned deadly shows that Al Q can be pretty observant too.

Via American Power 

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Posted in Iraq, Troops

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