Taking the suggestion of Downtown Chick and looking back through the archives of 2006 I’ve picked one post for each month I think worth re-visiting…

January- Whose Army Is It?
February- Jackie O’Shea
March- China Marine
April- No Tears in Heaven
May- Tre
June- Happy Birthday Baby
July- A Line in the Sand
August- In Memoriam
September- Mr. Bo Jangles
October- PCS Part III
November- You Raise Me Up
December- The Squad Leader

All things considered, 2006 has been a great year and I want to thank each and every one of you for stopping by and visiting here at Sgt Hook. I look forward to seeing you all again in 2007 and hope that you ring in the new year merrily and safely. My sincerest wishes for a fabulous 2007 to all.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here’s a hand, my trusty friend
And gie’s a hand o’ thine
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Happy New Year my friends. Sgt Hook out.

UPDATE: Andi is also reflecting on the year gone by, but I noticed that she conveniently left out these details.

Posted by Hook @ 0001 zulu | Comments & Trackbacks (11) | Permalink
This post is filed under: La Vita Dolce

As I usually focus on your Soldiers and your Army, it is important to note that your Marines are right there in the thick of things making a difference in this Global War on Terror, especially in the battle for Iraq. From Villanous Company comes this most outstanding of posts, highlighting what one Marine General on the front lines is seeing, both good and bad.

What we are seeing now is a significant shift in the tribes. They are coming over. How does this manifest itself? How is it more than just my words? The Sunni sheiks are having their young guys join the Iraqi police. The reason is they will go to their local areas after they go to training academies in various countries outside of Iraq and they return, when they come back, they go back to their home areas.

So you’ve got the tribes shifting over, their kids joining the police. You’ve got the Iraqi army and the Iraqi security forces today, they are probably running around, about 52 percent of the casualties in our medical treatment facilities are Iraqi security forces. Which says something about the nature of the fight and the nature of the Iraqi troops who are now represented among the casualties. It’s one way to indicate whether or not they are really in the fight or not.

So these are significant shifts right now. And the transition teams and the Marines who are over there, fighting in a very lethal area where the efforts have been unrelenting, have basically achieved successes that we would not have anticipated this early in this process.

Read the whole post, you won’t regret it, in fact, share it with your MSM contacts, that IS an order soldiers! Sgt Hook out.

Posted by Hook @ 2146 zulu | Comments & Trackbacks (1) | Permalink
This post is filed under: GWOT & Joint Services

I don’t expect many folks are reading blogs this weekend, but if you are, consider answering this…how do you plan on ringing in the new year?

In my younger days, friends and I would celebrate through the night and into the wee hours of the morning. I recall one year, piling into a rental van and driving from Italy to Austria where we found the Austrian equivalent of a biker’s bar (based on the recommendation of a gas station attendant), trying hard not to live up to the “ugly American” reputation, we made some new friends, and rang that new year in with style. We had a blast.

In recent years, the lovely and talented and downright sexy Mrs. Hook and I tend to remain at home, or close to home, sharing a meal with friends or family and getting the kids worked up about the looming new year (they’ve yet to make it to midnight). This year, TLATADRSMH has an early morning flight to catch on the 1st so we’ll be taking it easy on the champagne, and considering I’ll have the merry band of pirates just to myself for the week (still on school break), I’ll need my rest.

What about you? How do you plan on ringing it in? Sgt Hook out.

Posted by Hook @ 1951 zulu | Comments & Trackbacks (14) | Permalink
This post is filed under: La Vita Dolce

Yet another tragic incident for Indonesia. I can’t imagine almost 600 people dying from drowning…horrific.

The ferry ran into trouble 24 miles off Mandalika island, some 190 miles northeast of the capital, Jakarta, while en route to Semarang on Central Java from the port of Kumai on Borneo island.

Seasonal storms have wreaked havoc across Indonesia in recent days, unleashing flash floods and landslides that have killed more than 145 people and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes on Sumatra.

My prayers go out to those who have perished and their loved ones they left behind. I can’t help but wonder though, if something isn’t out of whack with the cosmos of that region. Sgt Hook out.

Posted by Hook @ 1937 zulu | Comments & Trackbacks (1) | Permalink
This post is filed under: Mother Nature

Each year the Army puts together a slideshow set to music showing all that your Soldiers have done over the previous 12-months. This year they’ve done it again, and the song is an original written and performed by Soldiers. Check it out.

Your Army in 2006

Rest assured that your Soldiers will continue to make you proud in 2007. Sgt Hook out.

Posted by Hook @ 1418 zulu | Comments & Trackbacks (3) | Permalink
This post is filed under: Army Times & The Soldier

Should’ve dropped the rat bastard off on a street corner smack in the middle of Kurdish country. I gottdamn guarantee justice would’ve been served.

Good riddance sumbitch.

Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Posted by Bleu @ 0324 zulu | Comments & Trackbacks (5) | Permalink
This post is filed under: The Drill

It’s on the boob tube and it’s one of my all time favorites. And I’m watching it. Reminds me of my grandfather who not only sounded like William Wallace and his clan, but was also known to wear a kilt.

Admittedly, Mel Gibson took some license in stretching the story historically, but spiritually he captured the Scotsman dead on. Trust me. Sgt Hook out.

You may take our lives, but you’ll never take our freedom.

Posted by Hook @ 0152 zulu | Comments & Trackbacks (3) | Permalink
This post is filed under: La Vita Dolce

Some very funny and clever suggestions, thanks everyone. This week’s winning caption comes from one of my favorite bloggers who’s wit and mastery of the written word I envy, Jim from Jersey…

Photo courtesy U.S. Army

At the time of his rescue, Santa was quoted as saying, “Damned if I know what happened. We were flying through the Bermuda Triangle and the reindeer became disoriented. Any sign of ‘em?”

Thanks again to all who participated. Have a great weekend and a fabulous New Year. Sgt Hook out.

Posted by Hook @ 2336 zulu | Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink
This post is filed under: Caption This

From the Laughing Wolf, who got the word from Tammi, I found out this morning that our favorite Lumberjack in the Desert has been injured by an IED and is now back in the states at Walter Reed Army Medical Center recovering.

I’m here at Walter Reed and I’m doing OK. I have surgery pretty much every other day. They are trying to close up my amputated right arm/hand, and they are repairing the smashed knuckles on my left hand. I’m in a lot of pain and it is making it hard to sleep and do normal tasks. It’s going to take a long time to learn how to do everything over again. Thank you all for your words of comfort and support; all the e-mails, all the comments, I can’t tell you how much they mean to me. My parents and my wife are here taking care of me. My wife will probably remain here with me the entire time. I just want you all to know that even though I am in a lot of pain and it really sucks undergoing all of the surgeries and treatments, I’m keeping a positive attitude. I will keep you all updated as time passes.

Speedy recovery Salzman, you’ve sacrificed more than most, thank you. I’m proud of you Soldier. Sgt Hook out.

Posted by Hook @ 1315 zulu | Comments & Trackbacks (2) | Permalink
This post is filed under: Heroes & The Soldier

No, not fish eggs, Rules Of Engagement. A good read and well worth your time. Sgt Hook out.

Posted by Hook @ 1343 zulu | Comments & Trackbacks (4) | Permalink
This post is filed under: GWOT