H&I;* Fires, 3 JUL 2007

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Don't bring a Range Rover to a tank fight. It would have been over quicker had they been able to use their MG's.

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Today, in 1863, in a fight overshadowed by Gettysburg and the fact that it was unsuccessful - the 54th Massachusetts Infantry did answer one question - though it would be asked again and again in later wars until we finally settled it for good in Korea. -the Armorer

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I was reading this bit by Jim Dunnigan this morning... two key 'graphs:

The main problem with this is that you cannot win a war with IEDs. In Vietnam, IEDs were used, but as a minor, secondary weapon. The Vietnamese communists knew they had to drive the Americans out before they could take over. When that effort failed, North Vietnam made peace, and once the American troops left, the communists launched two conventional invasions across the border. The first one, in 1972, failed, but the second one, in 1975, succeeded. The Sunni Arab terrorists have no such invasion option. They have to drive the U.S. troops out and then, vastly outnumbered, take over the government. Many Iraqi Sunni Arabs believe they can do it, with the help of a media campaign that convinces the world that the elected government of Iraq, and their American allies, are the bad guys. This is all absurd, but the Sunni Arabs are spending over two million dollars month to build and place IEDs, just to inflict casualties on American troops, in an attempt to achieve their impossible dream.

With this as the concluding paragraph:

The U.S. is spending over four billion dollars a year to develop new technologies for thwarting roadside bombs. This is revolutionizing warfare, because the electronic devices, sensors and reconnaissance systems developed have many other uses in combat. So while the Iraqi IEDs are useless as a war-winning weapon, the countermeasures are very valuable, and the impact of this new tech will be highly visible in any future wars.

There is much of interest in his analysis, and you should (as ever) read Dunnigan's whole thing, not just my excerpts.

Still, as I read it, something else niggled at the back of my brain... from Harry Summers, in his book "On Strategy," where he recalls an exchange between himself and a former NVA officer some years after the war. It went something like this: Summers: "You never defeated us in the field." NVA Officer: "That is true. It is also irrelevant."

Heh. -the Armorer

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Oh - and yesterday we added two mechanical steeds to the Castle motor pool. An F150 and a Polaris Ranger XP700. Heh. The truck is *mine* but, in a cruel twist of fate... SWWBO is driving it today, not me. Sigh. Pics to follow. -the Armorer

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Hmmmmm. Mebbe I'll go get a few more flags....

And then there's Hitchens, with bite, as usual. -the Armorer

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More on the doctor-terrorists. - FbL

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From Pakistan: "Take back your ban on suicide bombings... or we'll suicide bomb you." - FbL

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Saw this headline on Drudge: PAPER: Is Michael Moore the new Orson Welles?...

Perhaps. In rotundity, but not profundity. -the Armorer

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Someone else you should know.

Corporal Willie Apiata, New Zealand SAS.

Photo courtesy the New Zealand Army.

While on an early morning patrol, Apiata (then a Lance Corporal) was part of a New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) Troop in Afghanistan that came under attack from about 20 enemy fighters. The troop was attacked with rocket propelled grenades, destroying one of the troop's vehicles and immobilising another. This was followed by sustained machine gun and automatic rifle fire from close range.

A further rocket-propelled grenade attack blew Apiata off the bonnet of the vehicle he was stationed on. The two other personnel in the vehicle were wounded by shrapnel; one of them, Corporal D, was in a serious condition. After finding what cover was available, the three soldiers found that Corporal D had life-threatening injuries and was deteriorating rapidly. Apiata assumed command of the situation.

The three were about 70 metres in front of the rest of the troop, so Apiata decided the only option available was to carry Corporal D back to the rest of the troop. The other soldier was ordered to make his own way to the rear.

In part the citation for the award reads:

"In total disregard of his own safety, Lance Corporal Apiata stood up and lifted his comrade bodily. He then carried him across the seventy metres of broken, rocky and fire swept ground, fully exposed in the glare of battle to heavy enemy fire and into the face of returning fire from the main Troop position. That neither he nor his colleague were hit is scarcely possible. Having delivered his wounded companion to relative shelter with the remainder of the patrol, Lance Corporal Apiata re-armed himself and rejoined the fight in counter-attack."

Three other SAS soldiers are also to receive bravery awards for actions during the same mission. Two received the New Zealand Gallantry Decoration and one the New Zealand Gallantry Medal.

Well done, Soldier.

Davaid Farrar, a Kiwi blogger has more, and focuses on Corporal Apiata's honor.

Thus, it falls to Murray, Castle Metalsmith, to hit poor metal with a hammer to shatter its pretension and benign condescension.

I will note that Britain nor New Zealand are known for being profligate with medals.

Yet, both have living recipients of the Victoria Cross from Iraq and Afghanistan - in the case of Britain, two.

Yet we have... no living recipients of the Medal of Honor, despite our far greater numbers engaged in combat. As the Medal is usually awarded because someone has to retrieve other people's mistakes in planning or execution, this would indicate we're fighting this war simply many orders of magnitude better than we have our others. While there is no doubt we've been fighting very well at the tactical level, we still find ourselves, especially in the small unit/detachment arena, stuck in some very sticky situations.

Somehow, I suspect we're being really really really reticent to make the award - though I'm given to understand that there may actually be one in the works for award to a living recipient, in addition to at least one under consideration for a posthumous award.

Which brings to mind a different issue - *damn* we take a long time to process these. I don't mind being thorough, but sometimes it makes we wonder if it isn't because we aren't spending more time trying to find a reason to downgrade it than we are ensuring it meets the criteria.

Someone you should know...

...because they are the backbone of America. Rod left this as a comment on Corporal Warrick's post. If you're a regular here (or not, heck) and you have someone you'd like to honor, don't bury it in the comments. Send it to me.

A Denizen reports on a fallen warrior and all-round "'Murican."

Not meaning to hijack this, just someone from my own past is all.

Sheldon Lyman Rutherford
1952-2007

A VFW graveside memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 30 at the Mt. Whitney Cemetery in Lone Pine for former Lone Pine resident Sheldon Lyman Rutherford. His ashes will be interred with his father, Robert F. Rutherford, in the Lone Pine Cemetery.
Born in Lone Pine on November 17, 1952, Sheldon died from natural causes May 6, 2007 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was 54.

Sheldon graduated from Lone Pine High School in 1970. Right out of high school he enlisted in the U.S. Army and promptly volunteered for Vietnam. Sheldon served with the U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division, the Second Armored Division, and was at Fort Benning, Ga. where he learned to rappel from helicopters. After his Vietnam tour, he was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. There he learned to operate the armored personnel carrier (APC), a light armored, amphibious, two-tracked vehicle that carries two crew members and 11 personnel. In January 1973, while stationed at Fort Hood, Sheldon was one of the security cordon guards for the body of President Lyndon Johnson and family at Austin, Texas at the airport, and at the funeral home.
Sheldon received the following medals: National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, Army Commendation Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Air Medal and Bronze Star Medal.

Sheldon also served as a Mono County deputy sheriff. His experience with operating the personnel carrier in the Army enabled him when needed to operate the snow cat, which is also a two-tracked vehicle.

Sheldon will be missed by all.

He was preceded in death by his father, Robert F. Rutherford, and mother, June Billingsley, both of Lone Pine.

He is survived by his son, Joshua Rutherford of Ridgecrest; sister, Laura Harding of Lone Pine; niece, Janine Cuddy of Gardnerville, Nev.; nephew, Bruce Entrekin of Washoe Valley, Nev.; aunt and uncle, Jackie and Gene Billingsley of Bishop; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

Unlike Cpl. Warrick, he was perhaps fortunate enough to not have to shine, but he served regardless.

Please forgive me for intruding.

No intrusion, Rod.

Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance. In Memoriam.

Getting ready for the sandboxes.

By Gary Skidmore 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.

"Here they come!" came the excited shouts of Spc. Kenneth Dahl, one of five 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division opposing force Soldiers lying in wait for a convoy of transition team Soldiers.
"Get the 240 in place," shouted Sgt. 1st Class James Sheridan as he put the finishing touches on a simulated improvised explosive device.

"Alright, get ready, here they come."

Dahl, Sheridan, Staff Sgt. Robert Walthall, Pvt. Davis Culter and Spc. Scott Sharpe crouched in the bushes, lying in wait for the convoy to come close enough. When it did, they attacked it with everything they had. "That was beautiful," Dahl said as the last of the convoy passed and his M-240B machine gun was still smoking.

"That's what we're supposed to be here for, keep the teams guessing, making them think and keeping them aware of what's ahead of them," Sheridan, the NCOIC of the team said.
Sheridan and his team leave telltale signs there are IED's on the road, he said. "We use everything we can," Sheridan said, "dead animals, stacked rocks or fallen branches and trash piled up."

He and his team are trying to simulate Iraq and Afghanistan as closely as possible.
"We aren't part of the battalion exercises," Sheridan said. "They are role players built into their scenarios. We're totally unscheduled and can hit the convoys anywhere and at anytime."
The whole point to his team, Sheridan said, is to make the TT teams think. "We want to make them aware," he said. We want them to know what to look for and take this all seriously. We want them to be prepared when they deploy, and we want them to live."

Although Dahl, Sheridan, Walthall, Culter and Sharpe said they take their mission seriously, they also enjoy the job to the point they almost get giddy when a new set of targets approach.
"I've become fond of the 240," Dahl said. "It's loud and they know when it fires they are in trouble. Our AK's don't fire on auto, and this does .... it really does."

As another convoy started down the road, excitement took. The team crouched in the bushes and readied to detonate their IEDs. "This is going to be a good one," Culter said. "They can't see me in these bushes and I'm get 'em good," he giggled.

Heh. That woulda been me, many, many, many years ago, working over Reservists doing their AT that summer I spent with the 12th SF under Captain Clyde and his merry band of pirates. Except I woulda had my eyes open. And I would have been carrying right-handed, so that the hot empties wouldn't be bouncing off of my arm...

Nothing like putting a whistling booby-trap wrapped in a baggie full of CS powder, with the trip wire tied to a stake - so that they'll drive their jeep a few feet before it goes off...

Don't try this at home, kids. I was a boot loot under supervision.

Then there was the time during the E&E; Ex that we chained the Sheriff's cruiser axle... not a Porky's Moment (pre-dated the movie, anyway) but... fun. Good thing that particular Sheriff's department didn't have access to dogs back then. We'd never have made the train.

Another Kansas Casualty.

This one a double-whammy for the Fort Riley area, as the soldier is from Grandview Plaza, a very small town outside of the Fort.

Sergeant William W. Crow Jr., 28, was killed when the vehicle he was traveling in struck an improvised explosive device June 28 in Baghdad, Iraq.

Sergeant Crow was an infantryman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. His home of record is Grandview Plaza, Kansas.

He entered the Army in 2001 and began serving with the 1st Infantry Division in August 2002. This was his third deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

To date, 115 Fort Riley Soldiers have been killed while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Pull up another chair at the Division Stammtisch in the 'Green.

Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance. In Memoriam.

H&I;* Fires, 2 JUL 2007

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

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Encouraging analysis on al Qaeda. - FbL

Since we're channeling Jim Dunnigan on the war this morning... -the Armorer

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From the BBC via "Foreign Policy"
Vanished US Envoy is "found dead"
"The body of defence attache Tom Mooney was found in a remote part of the Mediterranean island. There is no confirmation by police or the US. The 45-year-old, who was married with children, was last seen leaving the US embassy in his Chevrolet Saloon car."
Lt. Col Thomas Mooney was the Embassy's military attache.....Maggie

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Terrorists are merely disaffected and disenfranchised youth (a natural result of Western oppression and racism). Wait a second... you mean they're not? - FbL

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"W" Commutes Scooter's Sentence!
President Bush spared former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby from a 2 1/2-year prison term on Monday, issuing an order that commutes his sentence.
'bout time! Maggie
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Someone you should know. Corporal Clinton Warrick.

By Sgt. Stephen Baack 1st Inf. Div. PAO

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. - Even after having been thrown several meters, knocked unconscious, set aflame and buried under rubble all as a result of a suicide-vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, one deployed Fort Riley medic braved small-arms fire to save the lives of fellow
Soldiers and Iraqi policemen alike last year. Cpl. Clinton Warrick, who was a medic with 2nd Platoon, 300th Military Police Company, received the Army's third highest award for valor during
a ceremony June 18 at Riverside Park for his actions during an insurgent attack Sept. 18, 2006, at the Al Huryia Iraqi Police Station.

Presenting the award

Maj. Gen. Carter Ham, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, visited Warrick's hometown to present him with the Silver Star and other awards before his Family, friends, and former 300th MP Co. platoon leader, company commander and first sergeant.
"This is one of Fort Riley's great Soldiers - one of our real, no-kidding heroes," Ham said at the ceremony. "It is right and proper that we come here to present you this award for valor. Awards for valor in the United States Army are a big, big deal ... It is heroes like this that make our Army the best in the world and our nation so strong."

Warrick, who was on his second deployment with the 300th MP Co., said the sight of a fireball coming down the hallway toward him was one of the things he still remembers from that morning. "I remember trying to pick an (Iraqi policeman) up after being wounded and how I had to change hand positions just to pick the guy up so I could get him out of the rubble," Warrick said.

Shortly before the explosion, Warrick said, the first thing he heard was small-arms fire. His platoon leader, 1st Lt. Kevin Jones, had been on the roof and had seen the SVBIED approaching. Jones' said his goal was to run downstairs and get everyone as far back from the explosion as possible. "I made it about half way down the hallway when the explosion took
place," said Jones, who suffered burns and received shrapnel wounds on his lower back and legs. "Looking back on it now and piecing together, Cpl. Warrick was just within feet of me when it happened." Jones was temporarily knocked unconscious, but he was up and checking on Soldiers as soon as he assessed the situation.

"When I regained consciousness, I had an idea of what happened, but I was thrown down a side hallway, and it was full of smoke and debris," Jones said. "I could feel flames. I could feel the heat from the fire ... Everyone took a pretty good shot to the head from the percussion of
the blast."

The explosion came from what turned out to be a 200-pound aircraft bomb with an accelerant, according to reports from the unit. Warrick received third degree burns on his face, hand and legs from the blast. When he landed he was unconscious, his legs were on fire, and the roof
and an exterior wall had collapsed on him. When Jones found Warrick, he put out the fire, dragged him 20 meters to a vacant room and helped him fully regain consciousness.

One foot behind the other

Warrick said he talked himself through continuing with his mission and helping as many people as he could by telling himself to "put one foot behind the other," and pacing himself. Though Warrick's medical bag was still buried under the rubble, he made his way outside amidst small-arms fire to triage patients in the casualty-collection point Jones and his Soldiers had established moments earlier.

"All I remember is I had a job to do and I still needed to do it," Warrick said. "I was there for rendering medical aid. That's what needed to happen right then and there so I started in that frame of mind, and I continued until I was medevac'ed out." According to the unit's official report and award narrative, though he was injured severely, Warrick refused to sit down as he knew he would have immediately slipped into shock. He triaged several wounded Iraqi policemen, assessed others and conveyed the situation to the medical station at Forward Operating Base Ramadi to prepare them for the incoming patients.

"I was not aware of the extent of his injuries," Jones said, referencing his perspective during the attack. "I asked him if he was capable of physically treating people, at which he replied that he wasn't due to the amount of burns that he had ... Cpl. Warrick continued to use his medical knowledge to have the U.S. Soldiers treat our wounded as well as Iraqi police. Even though he couldn't physically do it, he was helping us do it."

Jones continued ensuring security perimeters were established - this time at the breached gate - when a second SVBIED approached. A quick-reaction force successfully destroyed it before it could attack the station, Jones said. After a sufficient number of QRF personnel had arrived, Warrick and other injured Soldiers were medevac'ed - with Warrick's status as
urgent.

Today Warrick is in a medical hold company at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he has been undergoing surgeries and rehabilitation since his arrival last year. He is scheduled to be medically separated from the Army and wants to come back to his hometown and obtain a teaching degree.

He still insists he was only doing the right thing at the right time. "It's kind of hard to fathom because I just did my job," Warrick said. "I didn't do anything special, is what I feel. I did what I needed to do."

FATHER, SON CARRY ON TRADITION OF SERVICE

Been here, done this - except that Dad retired the day I joined, allowing as to how the Army (then twice the size it is now) wasn't big enough for the two of us.

By Combined Joint Task Force 82

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan - Besides the 100 or so Soldiers in the company 1st Sgt. William Schaad leads, he has another Soldier who he worries about and cares for, Pfc. William Schaad. The Schaad father and son team, from Callaway, Neb., are serving simultaneously in two different theaters of operation.

First Sgt. Schaad leads a company of Sapper Engineers in the 70th Engineer Battalion, out of Fort Riley, Kan., that clear roads of improvised explosive devices and mines on the rugged terrain of Afghanistan.

His son repairs communications equipment for 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Benning, Ga., and is currently stationed at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq. The father and son aren't the first in their Family to serve their nation. First Sgt. Schaad's father served during World War II, as part of the force that occupied Japan.

Although grandfather Schaad, 81, no longer carries the American flag as he did for many years in the Family's hometown Memorial Day parade; he had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., on a fully paid trip to honor WW II veterans with a trip to the WW II Veteran's Museum and the White House.

Though Pfc. Schaad only has been in the Army for 16 months, he knows more than most privates. His father, a 20-year veteran, has taught him some lessons that it takes most Soldiers many years of experience to learn, he said. "My dad taught me that 'things change fast, be flexible,'" said Pfc. Schaad in an e-mail interview. "Any struggles I have come across, he has
dealt with them before, and can always help me through them. I joined the Army to better myself and gain experience."

First Sgt. Schaad said he influenced his son to join the Army by telling him "only that it would hold some good opportunities for him. "He was on and off about it for about three years," 1st Sgt. Schaad said. "When he finally decided to join, I was in Iraq, and he e-mailed me asking advice on what military occupational specialty I thought was right for him to choose. I feel that overall my military career gave my son several opportunities that most will never experience in their lifetime. He is only adding to those unique experiences that only about 1 percent of the American population ever can say 'I understand some of the things you have gone through.'
"The Army has changed a lot since I first joined," 1st Sgt. Schaad said.

"When I was a Pfc. back in 1976 we were wearing fatigues and had tan khakis for a B uniform. We were just starting the Noncommissioned Officer Education System after the Vietnam War and were deeply involved in Cold War training. (We) had the immersion heaters in the field to try
to keep the mess kits clean. We had C Rations instead of Meals Ready to Eat. (We) had the old steel pot with helmet liner."

Even though the Army has changed quite drastically since 1st Sgt. Schaad's induction in 1975 or moreover, since his father's tour in Japan during WW II, one thing remains the same, Pfc. Schaad said he is serving proudly to protect their nation's freedom and provide a good life to
their Family.

In just a few weeks, Pfc. Schaad will join his dad as a proud father. His wife will give birth while he is on mid-tour leave in Kansas. "We will have a great Father's Day, just a few days late," Pfc. Schaad said. "I don't think that there is a father that is more proud than I," 1st
Sgt. Schaad said. "I was at his graduation ceremony from basic training. I will never forget them saying the Soldier's Creed to complete the ceremony. I am a proud father." he concluded.

H&I;* Fires, 1 JUL 2007

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

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Good golly, what the 8th Air Force could have done with this... against an enemy where infrastructure targets are good targets (unlike what we're facing right now)... that said - look for an even greater scurry to find ways to effectively jam GPS. More details about B2 bomb trucks here. Don't piss off Missouri - they've got a heckuva weapon system sitting at Whiteman AFB...

The Ghost of a Flea sent this house-warming gift...

Just in case you've missed it elsewhere... more debunking of the *excellent* reportage of the AP, over at Confederate Yankee.

Moving on... today in history.

First up: Dominion Canada Day! Happy Birthday to our Northron friends! A big fruity raspberry to any Northron enemies we might have! On this day in 1916 - the Canadians proved their metal as stand-up warriors in the Battle of the Somme.

The Red Ensign flies from the staff today. Which probably confuses the locals.

Dropping south to Pennsylvania...

Major General John Reynolds - "Troops should be led, not driven." Dies this day at Gettysburg, exemplifying the type of leadership that induces men to fight for a leader.

And further south, into the Caribbean...

There are two Father-Son Medal holder families. The first is the MacArthurs, Arthur and Douglas, who earned theirs serially, in the Civil War and WWII. The second are the Roosevelts - where son Theodore Jr. was awarded his first, for actions on June 6, 1944, and father Theodore, whose award was posthumous, being presented to Tweed Roosevelt, Teddy's great-grandson, in 2001. Teddy earned his at San Juan Hill, during the Spanish American War.

Off to do SWWBO's bidding... -the Armorer

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I lied. This is too funny to leave unposted. -the Armorer

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H&I;* Fires, 30 JUN 2007

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

You're advertising here, we should get an ad at your place...

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In honor of BloodSpite’s campaign against the immigration reform bill I present Tapscott’s post about the effect of the New Media on policy debate.
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A sign that some of the positives in Iraq are actually making print media is this story, “Half of Baghdad Now Under Control” in USA Today. The ‘Surge’ is in progress. And why do we still keep calling it that? The surging part ended when last unit was on station. Now they are onto some other element of an operational plan. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. At least the ‘escalation’ tag some wanted to hang on this didn’t really stick. (h/t Dunnigan’s FYEO group)
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According to some turnabout on obstructionism isn't fair play. Cry me a freakin' river.
--ry
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'Tis done.

We've got the keys to the Castle.

And the ranges are open.

Artillery...

Pistol...

Rifle...

There's splashes of lead, bits of copper, GSR, and casings all over the place now. I've marked my territory.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. I can knock *that* off the list of things to do before I die. Have a house where I can shoot from the deck... legally, safely, and without annoying my neighbors.

And SWWBO can knock an item off of her list: owning a farm.

A big thank you to Mike, our agent, Karen, the listing agent, our new neighbors, Cheryl and Allan, Dewayne for the work he did, and Karen the mortgage lender for making this all easy.

But most importantly, thanks to Floyd & Doris Camp, for making this place what it is - and Mom and Dad, for making our assumption of the feoffe-in-trust possible.

June has been a damn good month for this place. Dusty got his new rating, Bill got his new job, and we got a new Castle. Woot!

A report from Remodel He11 and a note on genetics.

My sister's live-in remodel continues. I was going to say, "apace" but this is anything *but* "apace." It does have a pace, but it ain't a real fast one.

When last I wrote, a hole had been started in my yard. The next day the hole was made larger. That also meant that two mountains of dirt from the hole had been constructed on the lawn. Who needs grass anyway? A small amount of lumber had also appeared.

Then.…..they went away. No activity for two days (really four because of the weekend).

On Monday, two guys came and put a couple of stakes in the hole. Then they left and didn’t come back. I hope they get paid by the job.

On Tuesday, a bunch of guys came and pounded stakes into the bottom of the hole, wound some strings around the stakes, poked some new rebar in the dirt, and created a form for the foundation. I don’t know how long they were there, but at least there was some progress.

On Wednesday, a cement mixer came. They put a pipe up over my roof and dumped cement into the bottom of the hole and filled the forms. You know what Dodger did when that happened. The trend is strengthening.

On Wednesday evening, it began to rain. A lot. It rained a lot all night long and into the morning. When we arose this morning, we had a lovely cement pond surrounded by a muddy moat, ringed by eroding mountains of dirt. But we have the beginnings of a foundation, so all is good.

For those who have been following this saga, and remember the discussion of the pile of rebar snakes, concrete, and how delicate certain strains of grass are to be mauled by a bobcat - here's proof.

Moving on to genetics, or "The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree." The Castle Guard Force consists of the Exterior Guard, a force of two dogs scrup'ls and the 8 felines who consitute the Interior Guard. All are foundlings of one sort or another. I used to wonder if there was a marking on my forehead which reads "sucker" in Cat and Dog.

Heh. It's either that or a pheromone or something. Why do I say that? This note from the Armorer's Father will explain:

There is a new resident in the old house. Dee Corn called me Tuesday evening upset about a kitten that was living in her back yard. Very young and constantly crying. Her two dogs were not pleased, but she was slipping water and milk to the creature. She called for advice but and before I could think of a good excuse to avoid it she was at my door with this very young teeny black and white fluff ball.

The kitty decided I was mama. climbed up my leg using ice climbing crampons and stuck her nose in my eye, mewing pitifully.

Of course she spent the night, much to the disgust of my other two housemates. She slept with me, or to be more accurate, we occupied the bed together. She cried most of the night resting on my chest. Damncat wouldn't speak to me (except at meal time) and Biby was an aggressively nasty hostess.

Yesterday was the first window replacement day so I spent most of the day trying to keep the animals from escaping and keeping the little one away from the feet of the workmen.

Last night was calm. The crying had stopped, but I still had a little body clinging to me most of the night.

Today Damncat has adopted his the "if I ignore it will go away" stance, but the BIB is still hissing & growling & sputtering. She blames me of course & won't let me come close except to fill her dish.

We have an appointment with John Williams tomorrow.

I have tentively named fuzzball Elizabeth - Lizzie for short, at least until I can come up with more appropriate like fuzzball or darned cat or needlefoot (I look like a drug addict)

You can also see where I learned my naming conventions. Given we have cats named Barnacle, Little Girl, Rest Stop... And Dad had one named Noname... Damncat is pretty obvious - but Biby (more correctly, the acronym BIB) - well, that's short for Bitch In the Basement.

And she is.

But she's family. And now, so is Lizzie. That little pointy-ended fluffball doesn't know how good she's got it.

Propsicle

I didn't get the chance to wander through the official museums at Bragg, but the unofficial ones kept the trusty digicam busy.

Stuff like this.

For the grognards with dialup, shoot me an e-mail and I'll send you the hi-res (they're a tad large). For everybody else, the profile ("Ooooh! *Rivets*...") and a fairly unusual nose-on shot.

Oh, for the good ol' days of authorized personal markings...

Hurry Up and Wait. Postscript (Maybe)

Your Horoscope for Today, Virgo: Today is not an auspicious one for travel plans, especially if they involve a distant destination.

Okay, thanks to a certain major carrier cancelling a buncha flights ("We can get you as far as Charlotte or Atlanta, but then you'll have to take a cab to Jersey..."), my original 10-day sojourn south of Messrs Mason 'n' Dixon's chalk line has turned into a fortnightly foray. And still no luck on the elusive Flyable AH-1F.

*grump*

I'd have paid more attention to that horoscope, but us Virgos are notoriously skeptical -- as well as being passionate, artistically-inclined lovers who are totally devoid of a sense of humor. Ummm -- waitaminnit. I misread this -- Jupiter's in trine, Saturn's in the parking lot and Mercury's in Chinese tuna. So, ix-nay on the assion-pay.

Especially since my present domicile isn't within walking distance of anything but the parking lot of the mall, and *that* closed at 8pm due to electrical storms.

I sense something otherworldly about this.

A touch from the Beyond.

The hand of...

...Carborundum.

Hmmpf -- I'll remember this, dude (unless that short-term memory deal kicks in, anyway). Think you got nonplussed in Nam Can? Messed up at Moc Hoa? Upset in the U Minh? Once I get Cobra Current, you'd better have those newbies primed to hit the ground at a flat-out, dead run, bruddah!

*grin*

I can see the pinion-flurry now...

H&I;* Fires, 29 JUN 2007

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

You're advertising here, we should get an ad at your place...

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A sign of something that looms over the horizon: Putin lays claim to vast chunk of the Arctic. Right of way, territorial claims, and such that result from accessibility gained by receding polar ice are issues that are being argued right now in many places.
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Heh. I know the feeling. The left lane’s the passing lane and not the ‘I’m too lazy to pay attention to changes in traffic so I’ll just sit here’ lane.

But then there’s the problem of the jackalope who comes screaming down the road at 90mph and just expects you to get out of his way, traffic or no, and then tailgates you flashing their headlights and such.
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This sucks. VBIED have gone to London. JRobb’s Bazaar of Violence sounds more and more reasonable all the time, regardless of TDAXP’s slagging the idea.
--ry

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Two items for your consideration, whose only connection is that they both involve special forces:

• Facta Non Verba - which, if you remember your Latin, means they won't talk about it


• Odourless underwear is worth the money

- Damian

Update: I've been able to find out some additional information on the decorated SOF members (cleared through the appropriate official channel), which I've posted as an update to the Facta Non Verba link. I'll admit I was surprised to find out one of the soldiers recognized was a female member of CANSOFCOM, and that the citations themselves will remain sealed for at least twenty years.

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