Don't Ever Call Me A Hero

Hannah (left) and Freyja, our beautiful girls

Monday night, our two dogs were on the deck playing. Hannah pawed the door to come in, and she came running. Freyja did not. I turned the light on to see her laying there, still, not responding to my voice. I ran out into the snow in my bare feet, wearing nothing more than a t-shirt. I knelt by her, and I knew she was in trouble. There was something stuck in her mouth, I thought she had been choking, so I grabbed it. It was cold. It was her tongue. I looked into her eyes and I knew she was already dead. The sound of anguish I made drove Sara to my side. I was horrified.

continue reading…

Soldiers inside a cave complex captured by a Pakistani offensive

After a long offensive in the federally administered tribal areas of Pakistan, Paki forces declared that they had seized a large network of caves in the Bajaur tribal area—a final militant holdout. This network of caves is just four miles from Asadabad, where I was stationed in 2005. While there are strongholds remaining along the border, at a press conference Maj. Gen. Tariq Khan stressed the tactical importance of this victory.

continue reading…

I finally watched The Hurt Locker last night. I was sorely disappointed. For a movie that has been receiving awards left and right, I expected more. A lot more.

Let’s start with the portrayal of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal tech, Sergeant James. He’s a cavalier, reckless, careless, adrenaline junkie. He disregards all safety, tactics, techniques, and procedures, to just walk up on IEDs, brazenly clear buildings, and save the day. Bullshit. continue reading…

Starkey / AP

Marines are now encountering stiff resistance in the northern part of Marjah, reports say. Three more coalition troops have lost their lives in the battle, bringing the tally to 11. While more casualties are mounting than previously, it’s still significantly less than what coalition officers had prepared for. The Taliban have also deployed new tactics. Snipers.

continue reading…

Patrick Baz / AFP / Getty Images

First off, sorry for the delay in postings, everyone. I recently bought a house with my wife up in the mountains of Colorado, and we’ve been moving in and getting settled. Let’s get down to business.

The Marine Corps, NATO, Afghan, and other US Forces stormed Marjah this last week. My cousin is amongst the Marines serving with battalion 3/6. Semper Fi, Ryan. After using the “Shredders”, the Assault Breacher Vehicles, to clear the lane to the city, they encountered little resistance. Just before they shipped out, I told my cousin I predicted that the Taliban would run. But what comes next? continue reading…

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in custody - courtesy EPA

On Christmas Day, Nigerian citizen Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab got on board a flight bound for America. He had a bomb in his shorts. The bomb consisted of an unkown amount of PETN, or pentrite (pentaerythritol tetranitrate for all you sticklers), and some sort of firing device, like a blasting cap. He exposed a fatal flaw in the American Airline security system. Let’s discuss. continue reading…

Female Marines in the Lioness program, Al Asad, Iraq

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Major General Anthony Cucolo passed a new policy which may mean time in the brig for soldiers, airmen, and Marines who become pregnant while on active duty in a combat zone. This issue presents so many moral, tactical, and ethical problems I can’t possibly cover them all.

There is the issue of personal freedom, the issue of husband and wife deployed together, the issue of rape, the issue of accidental pregnancy…

Where do we draw the line? Let’s talk about the nature of military service.

continue reading…

When I was a kid I used to watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on television. In it, their nemesis, the Shredder, had a subterranean vehicle that drilled through bedrock and dirt to get places. That’s kinda what the Marine Corps’ newest piece of equipment looks like. It’s a modified M1A2 Abrams tank that shoots out line charges to clear IEDs, mines, and other obstacles. Check out the picture after the jump. continue reading…

A Taliban militant with Afghan poppy farmers in Nawa district, Helmand province, April 2008.

In one year, Afghanistan produces enough poppies to satisfy 92% of the world’s demand for opium and heroin, according to the UNODC. The U.S. and United Nations reports that the Taliban pays up to $500 million a year for farmers to produce and smuggle opium out of the country. The illicit production of this crop provides the money that the Taliban uses to fight the United States, the legitimate Afghan government, and its allies.

Insurgent fighters are paid more than twice what Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers and Afghan National Police (ANP) are paid. Plus, the Taliban outsources IED detonation and rocket attacks. continue reading…

The MV-22 Osprey doing something badass!

The Marine Corps is wasting no time raising an offensive against the Taliban. Early Friday morning 3rd Bn 4th Marines launched an aerial raid with a reconnaissance battalion from Task Force Raider.  All in all, about 1,000 Marines and Afghan soldiers launched the operation called “Cobra’s Anger” into the northern end of Now Zad Valley, in Helmand province. And that’s not all. continue reading…