Longtime reader Kim shared with me the following email that she received from an Army Captain currently serving in Afghanistan…
Hi everyone.
I’m still alive but freezing my tail off. We got 8 inches of snow last week and it reached 5 degrees below zero that night. That’s not why I’m e-mailing though. You may have heard about a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul last Thursday. It was at one of our FOB’s (Forward Operating Bases) about 27 miles from here. But the real story is why no one was killed.
We employ several thousand Afghans on our various bases. Not to mention the economy that is fed by the money these locals are making. Some are laborers and builders, but some are skilled workers. We even have one Afghan that just became OSHA qualified, the first ever. Some are skilled HVAC workers.
Anyway, there is this one Afghan that we call Rambo. We have actually given him a couple of sets of the new ACU uniforms (the new Army digital camouflage) with the name tag RAMBO on it. His entire family was killed by the Taliban and his home was where our base currently resides. So this guy really had nowhere else to go. He has reached such a level of trust with US Forces that his job is to stand at the front gate and basically be the first security screening. Since he can’t have a weapon, he found a big red pipe. So he stands there at the front gate in his US Army ACU uniform with his red pipe. If a vehicle approaches the gate too fast or fails to stop he slams his pipe down on their hood. Then once the gate is lifted the vehicle moves on the 2nd gate where the US Army MP’s are. So he’s like the first line of defense.
Last Thursday at 0930 hrs a Toyota Corolla packed with explosives and some Jack Ass that thinks he has 72 Virgins waiting for him approached the gate. When he saw Rambo he must have recognized him and known the gig was up. But he needed to get to that 2nd gate to detonate and take American lives. So he slams his foot on the gas which almost causes the metal gate to go up but mostly catches on the now broken windshield.
Rambo fearlessly ran to the vehicle, reached thru the window and jerked the suicide bomber out of the vehicle before he could detonate and commenced to putting some red pipe to his heathen ass. He detained the guy until the MP got there. The vehicle only exploded when they tried to push it off base with a robot but no one was hurt. I’m still waiting for someone to give this guy a medal or something. Nothing less than instant US citizenship or something. A hat was passed around and a lot of money was given to him in thanks by both soldiers and civilians that are working over here.
I guess I just wanted to share this because I want people to know that it’s working over here. They have tasted freedom. This makes it worth it to me.
-JOHN W. HUNT, CPT, US ARMY
I guess the MSM missed all of that, or didn’t think it worth publishing. Thanks Kim for sharing and thank you CPT Hunt for passing along the rest of the story and a very BIG THANK YOU to Rambo for not only standing up to evil, but for protecting our Soldiers serving in the Stan. Sgt Hook out.
UPDATE: Black5 has a similar letter written by a Staff Sergeant also currently serving in the Stan. A must read.
I am tired of people like Meredith Vieria from NBC asking oxygen thieves like Senator Chuck Hagel questions like “Senator, at this point, do you think we are fighting and dying for nothing?” Meredith might not get it, but soldiers do know the difference between fighting and dying for something and fighting and dying for nothing.
I’ve ’bout had it with the political bullshit flowing from the halls of our Senate. Howinthehell can the same group of esteemed senators pass a resolution denouncin’ the Commander in Chief’s efforts to win this gottdamned war while unanimously votin’ to confirm General Petraeus as the new commander in Iraq?
When are we gonna stop worryin’ ’bout gettin’ elected and start worryin’ about winnin? If our elected reps don’t start servin’ our nation instead of themselves, we’ll lose our damn nation!
Bill Roggio has an outstanding piece up suggesting that Iran’s Republican Guards may have executed the January 20th attack on Karbala.
The American Forces Information Service provides the details of the attack in Karbala. Based on the sophisticated nature of the raid, as well as the response, or cryptic non-responses, from multiple military and intelligence sources, this raid appears to have been directed and executed by the Qods Force branch of the Iranian Republican Guard Corps. My sources agreed this is far to sophisticated an operation for the Mahdi Army or Badr Corps, while al-Qaeda in Iraq would have a difficult time mounting such an operation in the Shia south. “The Karbala Government Center raid the other day was a little too professional for JAM [Jaish al-Mahdi, or the Mahdi Army],” according to a military source.
I agree with Bill’s assessment, and my sources have been warning me for quite some time now to beware the Persians. Sgt Hook out.
Our Soldier’s Angels have never let the troops down, now let’s not let SA down.
Pasadena, CA (PRWeb) January 26, 2007 — Very soon, as more of U.S. troops will be deployed, or redeployed, in the Global War on Terror, Soldiers’ Angels mission becomes even more critical. SA has never let the troops down, but now, more than ever, it needs help from Americans.
Soldiers’ Angels has sent over 100,000 packages and countless letters to our troops since it began in 2003. Patti Patton-Bader was inspired to found Soldier’s Angels when her son wrote home from Iraq, expressing his concern that some soldiers did not receive any mail or support from home. Within a few short months Soldiers’ Angels had grown from a mother writing a few extra letters, to an Internet Community with tens of thousands of angels worldwide.
SGT. Michael Kelley, from IL, has been serving in Iraq since last May:
“As a soldier deployed overseas, I was adopted into the Soldiers’ Angels Program. I have not only received valuable moral and emotional support and encouragement, but I have also received care packages. For me on the front lines, this support is absolutely critical. It shows that we are not forgotten or uncared for. They are essential to those they touch to keeping morale high in the deployed areas. Thank you Soldiers’ Angels!”
If all predictions hold true, there will be 20,000 extra soldiers just like SGT Kelley. Whether or not you support the war, they are over there making sacrifices for the American People and they need our support.
To support him and all our troops, SA needs your help. Will you adopt a soldier? Will you write letters? Soldiers Angels has many teams in many areas to fulfill our mission statement. If you don’t have the time to adopt or join a specialized team, how about making a much needed donation? Every cent raised goes straight into filling the soldiers’ needs. We need you. Our soldiers need you. Please help, visit www.soldiersangels.org to sign up or make a donation.
Soldiers’ Angels is an all-volunteer, 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the support of the brave men and women deployed in support of the War on Terror in Iraq, Afghanistan and wherever we fly the flag of the United States of America.
If you would like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Patti Patton-Bader, please call her at 615-676-0239.
I know that I will be turning to these Angels to help take care of my Soldiers later this year when we head to the sandbox. Let’s get the word out and help recruit more Soldier’s Angles lest we burn out the handful of Angels we have now…
America, meet one of your Soldiers Sergeant First Class Frederick Allen from Ann Arbor Michigan and serving with 5th Special Forces Group out of Fort Campbell, Ky. SFC Allen was recently awarded the Silver Star for his actions on August 12, 2004 in An Najaf, Iraq.
Allen, the other members of Operational Detachment - Alpha 512, along with 51 Iraqi National Guardsmen, engaged approximately 15-20 Mahdi Militiamen embedded inside a school.
The detachment, with the Iraqi National Guard in the lead, advanced toward their objective and came under immediate and intense enemy fire from inside the school. Allen, the gunner in the detachment’s 2nd vehicle, and a staff sergeant at the time, ordered his GMV forward, placing himself in the direct line of fire to allow the Iraqi National Guard elements to re-group and reorganize after sustaining several casualties.
His courage did not end there. Multiple times in the fight, Allen selflessly stayed in the line of fire battling the enemy, so that others could make it back to cover.
Allen acknowledged the personal significance of his Silver Star, but said he feels that the award symbolizes the heroism of his team and the Iraqi National Guard during their battle with Mahdi Milita.
“This medal honors those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and also serves as a tribute to Soldiers who serve today, and will serve tomorrow,” Allen said.
After the fight, Allen’s valorous actions continued as he secured his fallen commander and rendered first aid to Iraqi National Guard members, who had been reduced from 51 to 14 soldiers.
“At least 10 different times Sgt. Allen made a conscious decision for valor,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Wagner, USASOC commanding general. “He chose to expose himself to risk … he is a wonderful example of what it means to be an American patriot.”
Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
On November 10, 2004 an IED exploded near a U.S. convoy operating just outside Ramadi, Iraq severely injuring Staff Sergeant Johnathan Holsey. After his left leg had to be amputated just below the knee, he was certain that his military career was over. SSG Holsey is still serving proudly on active duty today due largely in part to the Army Wounded Warrior Program, or AW2.
While AW2 staffers are dedicated to helping Soldiers and their families cope with life-changing wounds or injuries, program participants say that the essential first step on the long road back to wellness is a very personal one.
“I think it’s always hard for a Soldier to come to grips with the effects of a serious injury, since we always try to stay in the best shape possible and are used to pushing ourselves physically,” Holsey said. “I know it was very hard for me at first, because when I lost my leg I was suddenly faced with the fact that I would never again be able to do things the way I had before. There was also a lot of pain, and that can sap your strength and your will in a way you never imagined.”
The only way for seriously injured or wounded Soldiers to move forward, Holsey believes, is to accept the new realities imposed by the disability.
“You really have to come to grips with the pain and the physical changes, and then you have to move forward and get on with your life,” he said.
I think it safe to say that SSG Holsey’s retention on active duty can also be attributed to his “can do” attitude and warrior spirit. I’m proud of you soldier. Sgt Hook out.
As many of you are aware, the President of the United States of America and Commander in Chief of the American Military addressed a joint session of Congress and the nation earlier this evening. Overall, I think he gave an honest assessment of the State of the Union and outlined a sensible, comprehensive agenda engaging several important domestic and foreign affairs facing our nation today. As this is a Milblog, and I am an active duty Soldier, I was keenly tuned into his remarks regarding the change in strategy in Iraq and the Global War on Terror.
This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we are in. Every one of us wishes that this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like us to leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned, and our own security at risk. Ladies and gentlemen: On this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle. So let us find our resolve, and turn events toward victory.
In order to make progress toward this goal, the Iraqi government must stop the sectarian violence in its capital. But the Iraqis are not yet ready to do this on their own. So we are deploying reinforcements of more than 20,000 additional soldiers and Marines to Iraq. The vast majority will go to Baghdad, where they will help Iraqi forces to clear and secure neighborhoods and serve as advisers embedded in Iraqi Army units. With Iraqis in the lead, our forces will help secure the city by chasing down terrorists, insurgents, and roaming death squads. And in Anbar province — where Al Qaeda terrorists have gathered and local forces have begun showing a willingness to fight them — we are sending an additional 4,000 United States Marines, with orders to find the terrorists and clear them out. We did not drive Al Qaeda out of their safe haven in Afghanistan only to let them set up a new safe haven in a free Iraq.
My fellow citizens, our military commanders and I have carefully weighed the options. We discussed every possible approach. In the end, I chose this course of action because it provides the best chance of success. Many in this Chamber understand that America must not fail in Iraq — because you understand that the consequences of failure would be grievous and far reaching. If American forces step back before Baghdad is secure, the Iraqi government would be overrun by extremists on all sides. We could expect an epic battle between Shia extremists backed by Iran, and Sunni extremists aided by al Qaeda and supporters of the old regime. A contagion of violence could spill out across the country — and in time the entire region could be drawn into the conflict.
This is where matters stand tonight, in the here and now. I have spoken with many of you in person. I respect you and the arguments you have made. We went into this largely united — in our assumptions, and in our convictions. And whatever you voted for, you did not vote for failure. Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq — and I ask you to give it a chance to work. And I ask you to support our troops in the field — and those on their way.
That final paragraph brings me to the other critical address that occurred today, one you may not be aware of; that of Lieutenant General David H. Petraeus this morning before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination to be the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq.
The situation in Iraq has deteriorated significantly since the bombing this past February of the Al-Askari mosque in Samarra, the third-holiest Shi’a Islamic shrine.
The increase in the level of violence since then, fueled by the insurgent and sectarian fighting that spiraled in the wake of the bombing, has made progress in Iraq very difficult and created particularly challenging dynamics in the capital city of Baghdad.
Indeed, many Iraqis in Baghdad today confront life-or-death, stay-or-leave decisions on a daily basis. They take risks incalculable to us just to get to work, to educate their children and to feed their families.
For a military commander, the term “secure” is a clearly defined doctrinal task, meaning to gain control of an area or terrain feature and to protect it from the enemy. Thus, the tasks will be clear-cut, though difficult. Certainly upcoming operations will be carried out in full partnership with Iraqi forces, with them in the lead whenever possible and with arm’s length when that is not possible. Transition of Iraqi forces and provinces to Iraqi control will continue to feature prominently in the coalition plan, and as recommended by the Iraqi (sic) Study Group, the adviser effort will be substantially reinforced.
The primacy of population security in the capital will mean a greater focus on that task, particularly in the most threatened neighborhoods. This will, of course, require that our unit commanders and their Iraqi counterparts develop a detailed appreciation of the areas in which they will operate, recognizing that they may face a combination of Sunni insurgents, international terrorists, sectarian militias and violent criminals.
Together with Iraqi forces, a persistent presence in these neighborhoods will be essential.
Some of the members of this committee have observed that there is no military solution to the problems of Iraq. They are correct.
Ultimate success in Iraq will be determined by actions in the Iraqi political and economic arenas on such central issues as governance, the amount of power devolved to the provinces and possibly regions, the distribution of oil revenues, national reconciliation and resolution of sectarian differences, and so on. Success will also depend on improvements in the capacity of Iraq’s ministries, in the provision of basic services, in the establishment of the rule of law, and in economic development.
It is, however, exceedingly difficult for the Iraqi government to come to grips with the toughest issues it must resolve while survival is the primary concern of so many in Iraq’s capital. For this reason, military action to improve security, while not wholly sufficient to solve Iraq’s problems, is certainly necessary. And that is why additional U.S. and Iraqi forces are moving to Baghdad.
Indeed, the objectives of helping Iraqis increase the capacity of their governmental institutions, putting Iraq’s unemployed to work, and improving the lot and life of Iraqi citizens requires additional resources, many of which will be Iraqi. In carrying out the non-kinetic elements of this strategy, however, our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and civilians downrange must get all the help they can from all the agencies of our government. There is a plan to increase that assistance, and it is hugely important. This clearly is the time for the leaders of all our governmental departments to ask how their agencies can contribute to the endeavor in Iraq, and to provide all the assistance that they can.
Our military is making an enormous commitment in Iraq. We need the rest of the departments to do likewise, to help the Iraqi government get the country and its citizens working, and to use Iraq’s substantial oil revenues for the benefit of all the Iraqi people.
One has to wonder if General Petraeus routinely reads Sgt Hook, but if so, he certainly explains things much better than I. General Petraeus delivered a straight forward, honest assessment of the current conditions on the ground and the challenges we face and I think clearly explained the need for a strategic plan that employs our military tactically while calling on other agencies and entities both here and in Iraq to step up to the plate and contribute to winning the fight. The General knows what he’s facing and is not shying away from it; not even flinching.
If confirmed, this assignment will be my fourth year or longer deployment since the summer of 2001, three of those to Iraq. My family and I understand what our country has asked of its men and women in uniform, and of their families, since 9/11.
In fact, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the American people for their wonderful support in recent years of our men and women in uniform. Tom Brokaw observed to me one day in northern Iraq that those who have served our nation since 9/11 comprise the new “Greatest Generation.” I agree strongly with that observation, and I know the members of this committee do too.
Many of the e-mails I’ve received in recent weeks have had as their subject line “Congratulations — I think.” I understand the message they are conveying. I know how heavy a rucksack I will have to shoulder in Iraq if confirmed. I am willing to take on the position for which I have been nominated because I believe in servings one (sic) nation when asked; I — because I regard it as a distinct honor to be able to soldier again with those who are part of the brotherhood of the close fight; and because I feel an obligation to help the shab el-Iraqi, the people of Iraq, the vast majority of whom have the same desires of people the world over: security for themselves and their loved ones, satisfaction of their basic needs and an opportunity to better their life.
In closing, the situation in Iraq is dire. The stakes are high.
There are no easy choices. The way ahead will be very hard. Progress will require determination and difficult U.S. and Iraqi actions, especially the latter, as ultimately the outcome will be determined by the Iraqis. But hard is not hopeless, and if confirmed, I pledge to do my utmost to lead our wonderful men and women in uniform and those of our coalition partners in Iraq as we endeavor to help the Iraqis make the most of the opportunity our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have given to them.
Thank you very much.
Both of these men, leaders, Americans gave important addresses today, and if nothing else, I took away that both are vehemently committed to the security of this great nation of ours. Both understand the current world war in which we find ourselves while grasping the complexities entailed with fighting it and are willing to stand up, face our enemy, and defeat him. President Bush and General Petraeus know that victory today will not come with a front-page headline and photo of a defeated enemy signing articles of surrender aboard a naval battleship, but have no doubts that achieving victory today is just as important as it was in the past.
Understand that the consequences of failure would be grievous and far reaching.
Whatever you voted for, you did not vote for failure.
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
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