CBS is launching a new television series on Tuesday, March 7th at 2100 hrs ET. I have had the good fortune of previewing the pilot episode of this new show titled, The Unit.
It is fantastic! A must see and I predict will quickly become the hottest show on television. The show is based on the book Inside Delta Force, written by Command Sergeant Major Eric Haney, who I understand is also a consultant on the set.
The pilot episode was more than the just action packed adventures of special operators taking out the bad guys. It delves into the relationships members of the elite unit have with one another, and their families. It is exciting and heart wrenching at the same time. I highly, highly reccommend The Unit if your Tuesday nights are free. I have two more episodes to watch, I’ll let you know how they are. Sgt Hook out.
The Army is offering free Rosetta Stone courses for soldiers seeking to learn another language. This is a great program as the more bi-lingual soldiers that we have in our formations, the more effective we’ll be on the ground in far away lands. I’m seriously thinking about signing up for a course (as soon as things settle down a little of course). I’ve a pretty good ear for languages, already speak Italian fairly well but a lack of practice has eroded some of my vocabularly. Here’s the list of languages offered through this program:
Arabic
Chinese (Mandarin)
Danish
Dutch
English (UK)
English (US)
Farsi
French
German
Greek
Hebrew
Hindi
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latin
Pashto
Polish
Portuguese (BR)
Russian
Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish (Spain)
Swahili
Swedish
Thai
Turkish
Vietnamese
Welsh
As I’m a day late (and yes, a dollar short) with the weekend caption contest, I’ll extend the announcement of a winner until Tuesday. Nonetheless, caption this…
All week I’ve been hearing about the controversial decision allowing a United Arab Emirates company to take over management of several of our seaports. Some of what’s been said makes sense, some doesn’t, and some sounded more like political grandstaning than genuine concern. Still, it’s an important issue worthy of discussion, IMHO.
I don’t know too many of the details, I’m sure they’ll be thoroughly looked into, if they already haven’t been. I do know, however, that the United Arab Emirates have been committed allies in the Global War on Terror since 9/11. How do I know? Well, I’m glad you asked. The U.A.E. armed forces seved right alongside us in Afghanistan and I had the privelege of attendding a dinner hosted by the U.A.E. commanding officer at their compound while I was deployed over there. I was impressed with the briefing we received from our hosts and felt confident in their commitment to the fight against Islamofacists (for lack of a better word).
I also know that we won’t be able to defeat the terrorists without the support of the Muslim world. That might not make sense, but hear me out. History shows that each time a jihad has failed, it was due in large part to the intervention of moderate Muslims. Our enemy actively recruits disenfranchised Muslims around the world, poisoning their minds and hearts against us. We have few allies among Islamic nations, and I think it important we not allow our own political rhetoric erode any that we do have. In fact, the aforementioned Islamofacist recruiters are undoubtedly loving the current divisive discourse, banking that more recruits will be lining up to join just as they did after the offensive cartoons ran in European newspapers. Hell, I’ll bet they wish we’d round up all Muslims in America and move them to internment camps much like we did to the Japanese during WWII.
Don’t misunderstand me, I am not advocating risking the security of our already vulnerable seaports so as to avoid offending the sensibilities of a particular group. I’m merely pointing out that there are those among the Islam faith that do not hate us, yet, and are committed to stopping terrorists. Ever wonder why muslims in the U.S. didn’t riot and burn down city blocks because of some offensive cartoons?
As I said at the begining of this post, I don’t know all the details. I would just like to see a calm and reasonable approach to finding the right solution, one that does not compromise our security in the least. I’d really like to hear from those who actually do protect our ports and protect them admirably, the United States Coast Guard. Certainly the leaders of the USCG have a much clearer perspective on our seaports and the impact of having them managed by a foreign company, than do I. Sgt Hook out.
1: Black and White or Color; how do you prefer your movies?
Black and white.
2: What is the one single subject that bores you to near-death?
Which Hollywood celebrity is having who’s Hollywood celebrity’s kid while dating who’s Hollywood celebrity’s husband/wife.
3: MP3s, CDs, Tapes or Records: what is your favorite medium for prerecorded music?
CDs, probably because I’ve not yet purchased an iPod.
4: You are handed one first class trip plane ticket to anywhere in the world and ten million dollars cash. All of this is yours provided that you leave and not tell anyone where you are going … Ever. This includes family, friends, everyone. Would you take the money and ticket and run?
Absolutely not.
5: Seriously, what do you consider the world’s most pressing issue now?
The Global War on Terror.
6: How would you rectify the world’s most pressing issue?
With a committment to victory.
7: You are given the chance to go back and change one thing in your life; what would that be?
I would’ve accepted an invite to live in Austrailia two years with a couple of friends when I was a younger man.
8: You are given the chance to go back and change one event in world history, what would that be?
Recognizing that it isn’t a good idea to mess with history, I think I wouldn’t have waited until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor before joining the fight against the Axis Powers in WWII.
9: A night at the opera, or a night at the Grand Ole’ Opry –Which do you choose?
Grand Ole Opry.
10: What is the one great unsolved crime of all time you’d like to solve?
Ha! How about finding Al Capone’s vault filled with cash as Geraldo watches on T.V. from home.
11: One famous author can come to dinner with you. Who would that be, and what would you serve for the meal?
Ernest Hemingway. Venison stew with a hearty merlot.
12: You discover that John Lennon was right, that there is no hell below us, and above us there is only sky — what’s the first immoral thing you might do to celebrate this fact?
Play my Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album backwards, just to be sure.
Given my time constraints, I’ll not tag anyone in particular, just consider it an open invitation to be tagged. Sgt Hook out.
I suppose that I’ve indeed been AWOL this week, but not exactly missing in action. My plate has been, and still is, quite full. It started on Sunday with marking six years of blissful marriage to the lovely and talented and downright sexy Mrs. Hook. She’s put up with my mistress, the Army, for a long time and I find it difficult to adequately put into words how grateful I am for her support. Thank you honey, I love you.
With several projects coming due this week I found myeslf jumping from deadline to deadline, successfully meeting each one, so far. But if that weren’t enough, my folks are flying in tomorrow for a weeklong visit. Now, I love my folks and my merry band of swashbucklers will certainly enjoy their visiting grandparents, meanwhile, the deadlines will continue to come.
My apologies for the lack of postings, nothing personal. I’ll do my best to steal a few moments to blog over the next few days. In the meantime, reader Katy sends a great editorial you might want to read. Thank you for your patience. Sgt Hook out.
I do appreciate Your Presence, Oh Lord, but You’re making me a bit conspicuous.
Thanks to all who submitted, wasn’t easy to pick just one, but a photo really shouldn’t have more than one caption. This weekend’s winning submission comes from Cowboy Blob. Sgt Hook out.
In an ongoing effort to keep the gentle reader informed about your Army, I’ve put together yet another roundup of your Soldiers spending their time in ways other than playing cards, drinking booze, and chasing women.
Addressing a group of journalists, Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, highlighted some of the amazing accomplishments of America’s Citizen Soldiers in recent years…
Blum said guardsmen are in about 40 countries around the globe. “About 75,000 citizen-soldiers and airmen this morning are deployed all around the world,” he noted.
He said many guardsmen are serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. The National Guard has taken over the entire mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo, and has taken over counter terrorism activities in the Horn of Africa and the Sinai peacekeeping mission between Egypt and Israel.
“Last year, we provided more than 50 percent of the combat forces on the ground in Iraq,” the three-star general noted. “This is a different paradigm, a different National Guard than any of us in this room ever envisioned being even possible, let alone being practically employed.” Blum said the National Guard and the Coast Guard are the only organizations he knows of that haven’t been criticized for their efforts in Hurricane Katrina. For Katrina, the National Guard had 8,500 citizen-soldiers called to duty and in place to respond before the hurricane made landfall.
LTG Blum’s closing remarks really moved me…
Blum closed with a mix of pride and optimism. “We’re trying to be a ready force, and I think your Guard today is more ready than it has ever been,” he said. “It has proven itself as a reliable force and Sept. 1 was probably proof positive. When you call out the Guard, you truly do call out America.”
I emphasized that last line in bold as it happens to be a soundbite that I’d love to hear played on this weekend’s MSM news programs. Just a suggestion.
Probably the busiest soldiers/civilians in the Army are the Corps of Engineers. Yet another project underway in the Stans…
NIZHNY PYANDZH, Tajikistan — On one side of the river, an abandoned Soviet observation post warily eyes Afghan territory. On the other side, the hillsides are embedded — quite literally — with rusted pieces of the Soviet war machine.
But soon, an American project will link two former adversaries, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, hopefully bringing economic growth and trade to much of Central Asia.
By summer 2007, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team hopes to open a $43 million, more than 2,200-foot steel-span bridge that will link the two sides.
The bridge — which will span the Oxus River, famously crossed by Alexander the Great during his conquests — will provide a valuable trade route straight from Tajikistan to the ports of Pakistan, allowing overland movement of essential goods and hopefully, economic development in Afghanistan, Tajikistan and other Central Asian nations that avail themselves of the trade route.
Your Army Corps of Engineers are truly reshaping the world.
Back in October, the Army responded in force to the deadly earthquake in Pakistan and has now turned over ownership of its last M*A*S*H* to Pakistan…
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2006 – The United States today transferred the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, the last unit of its kind in the U.S. Army, to the Pakistan government for continued use in earthquake relief efforts, a Defense Department spokesman said.
The 84-bed hospital, which arrived in Muzaffarabad shortly after the earthquake struck the country on Oct. 8, is valued at $4.6 million, according to the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2006 – Iraqi and U.S. forces conducted raids on two targets in Iraq’s Diyala province and a raid west of Baghdad that netted a total of 106 individuals and a weapons cache, Multinational Force Iraq officials said.
The 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, advised by U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers, conducted assaults on two targets Feb. 12 in Diyala. The troops detained 102 persons of interest - 25 were on the Iraqi security forces “most wanted” list. They also killed two insurgents and discovered a large weapons cache.
The combined Iraqi and U.S. forces cordon-and-search missions were designed to capture key insurgents and disrupt multiple insurgent cell operations. The targets were chosen based on intelligence that specific individuals wanted for planning and facilitating insurgent activities would be in the targets, officials said.
While beginning a search of the first target house, an Iraqi army assault team encountered four armed insurgents and came under heavy fire. Though the team was forced to withdraw outside of the house for cover, one of the team’s sergeants stayed in the house, killing one insurgent and wounding two more before falling back to regroup with his team.
In the midst of fighting insurgents, rebuilding infrastructures, and providing medical support, your soldiers also found time to deliver a wheelchair to a young Iraqi girl suffering from cerebal palsy…
BAGHDAD, Feb. 17, 2006 — Life in a war-torn country can be hard. The life of a disabled child living in a war-torn country is even harder.
Multinational Division–Baghdad soldiers made life a little easier Feb. 8 for a young Iraqi girl who suffers from cerebral palsy when they delivered a free wheelchair in Baladiat, Iraq.
U.S. Army soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, serving with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, surprised the young girl when they assembled and delivered the wheelchair.
So now you know, your Soldiers are indeed on duty, making a difference, and making me damned proud to be associated with this outfit. Sgt Hook out.
This site is a collection of my writings, thoughts, and ramblings and in no way reflects the official positions of the United States Army or the Department of Defense. OPSEC trumps everything.
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In view of a recent tendency to identify characters in fiction with real people, it seems proper to state that there are no real people in this volume: both the characters and their names are ficticious. The names or designations of any military units are ficticious. There are no living people nor existing military units presented in this book.
-Ernest Hemingway
Halfway down the road to hell,
In a shady meadow green,
Are the souls of all dead troopers camped
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddler's Green.
-Author Unknown
The Blog of War
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