Cool Stuff

Cool!!

This picture is from Marines in Helmand Province Afghanistan, they are members of the 4^th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion of the 2^nd MEB. To complete the photo credit the picture was taken by AP Photographer Kevin Frayer.

I love the contrast with the fading sun and of course all the gun's pointing to the heavens. I really like that my Son is not one of them!

On another note, SN2 is safely in Kyrgyzstan and awaiting the charter flight back to the U.S. along with the rest of the 1/5 Marines. That should happen sometime next week. Mother, Daughter and Father are well, happy.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

Un-Nerving

UPDATE: The Mother sent an email to the Lt. Col. that is the Battalion XO and soon I was speaking to the young Jon that is my SN2 with the Company 1st Sergeant in supervison!! All is well in the AF but SN2 could not talk long as he was under orders to find and speak with his Mother. Sergeants can be that way!!

Most everyone here knows that I troll the internet at least once a day for any news articles or pictures of my son the Marine, SN2 over in the AF. I start with a google search for news of Marines in Afghanistan.

Well today, I stumbled onto this article from a TV station in Jacksonville, Florida. Same name, same rank, same age, this one is in the 2/2 Marines and my son is in the 1/5 Marines and both units are in Helmand Province, but they used the Picture of my Jon that ran originally back in October.

Scary.

I wonder how close the two units are in the field, if they actually would overlap and be part of a joint operation. The 1/5 Marines are being replaced in country by the 1/3 Marines and I think the 2/2 Marines replaced the 2/8 Marines.

I guess I'll just worry all day and see what is waiting for me when I get home. I have already texted the Wife, get ahead of the storm.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

Interesting Aviation News

First Up: F-35 Activity

An F-35 flew off the production line in Fort Worth, TX as the 4^th F-35 to enter the test fleet. This aircraft is a CTOL or Conventional Take Off and Landing version of the aircraft that will be used by the Air Force. It was designated AF-1 and is part of the LRIP lot of 31 of which 13 should have been delivered by October (2009), so they are having some growing pains. One of the more unique items associated with this aircraft is that it is the first fighter aircraft to be built on a moving assembly line, like cars are made. Usually in the manufacture of an aircraft the hull is placed in a manufacturing bay and the various trades work the aircraft in place. Periodically the aircraft is moved to another station for assembly work and eventually it is rolled out to the paint hanger and then for flight testing. Here, they are literally laying the hull at the start of a long assembly line which moves the hull through the fixed work station. It is a novel concept and I think may actually bring down the cost of assembly of the aircraft. Given they are planning on building so many this may pay huge dividends over the long run.

Also from F-35 land: The first STOVL version F-35B was flown to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Maryland for extensive tests to be conducted by the Navy and Marine Corps. The F-35B will replace the AV-8B's flown by the Marines and the Royal Navy. The base at Pax River is the home of NAVAIR and the home of Navy/Marine Flight Testing. The F-35B will add to the noise in the sky there at Pax that includes all the newest Navy/Marine equipment. I spent many years working there supporting the War Hoover and saw all the latest in Naval Aircraft. It was a fascinating place to work if you were an aviation buff.

Air Force Flying Safe:

The USAF finished their safest flying year ever in their history with only 17 Class A mishaps. The Class A is an accident that results in the total loss of the aircraft or the loss of life (or permanent total disability). Given they are flying their wings off supporting two Wars way over on the other side of the world this is huge feat. I am not sure what the total flying hours are or the total number of sorties but they have to be astronomical. My hat is off to the Boys in Blue. Great Job.

Fun with Ray Guns:

Boeing announced that they successfully destroyed in flight a UAV (5 of them in fact) using a mobile laser system and tracking system. In a program sponsored by the Air Force the Boeing system is designed to be installed and used from an aircraft although for this series of tests the system was ground based.

Cool Pic here:

This is a system we need more of and I hope they continue to receive funding for this. The big Airborne Laser program (the 747 based ABL program) was recently cancelled by the Obama Administration. Scary, you would think these kinds of advanced systems would be welcome into our military's inventory but not so for the Obama Administration.

Here in the heading of You have to Start Somewhere: "Scientist Stun Nematode Worms with UV Phaser" Straight out of Star Trek. They did a lot to make this work and it was just a bunch of Nematodes but they did use a "ray" on them and that did stun them so, lets just say that more research is required. Next maybe they can build up a Proton Torpedo!!

And Finally, "Shocker Doesn't Arrive in Time for Lobster Fundraiser": The Child and Family Resources in Tucson Arizona annually sponsors a Lobster dinner fund raiser. PETA objected and the good folks at the Child and Family Resources negotiated to use the all new "Crustastun" which would stun the Lobster in a humane way prior to cooking. Problem though, the Crustastun was sent via truck by UPS instead of air by FEDEX (it's a Union thing you know) and never made it in time for the fund raiser. PETA agreed to allow the Lobsters to be dispatched in the usual way; death by boiling water. Oh well. If all those Liberals could get on the same page they might actually get something right!!

BT: Jimmy T sends.

234 Years Strong

Somewhere deep inside the Nawa District of Helmand Province of Afghanistan, my Son the Marine, I am sure is enjoying some Surf and Turf. Steak and Lobster: flown to his Combat Outpost especially for today's celebration of the Marine Corps birthday. I know this because I know how important this is to the Marines, to get to their men, no matter how remote their location may be, no matter how austere the conditions, they celebrate this day like no other service.

So, here is to those few, those proud, those US Marines. May we enjoy the Freedom and Liberty they provide to all of us for another 234 Years.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

Osprey’s in the AF

MV-22 Osprey's are in the AF. 10 aircraft were flown across Pakistan from the USS Bataan and are now bedded down in the capable hands of a Marine V-22 Squadron that was flown there without its aircraft. VMM-261 deployed sans aircraft while VMM-263 (REIN) was deployed on the USS Bataan with its full complement of V-22's. This is not unprecedented in the V-22 community, when the V-22 conducted its first deployment to Iraq the Squadron that initially deployed with the aircraft were relieved when their time in country was complete and they returned to the states, leaving the V-22 in country in the hands of a different Squadron.

The V-22 was designed to replace the CH-46E medium lift helicopters and has had a very dubious past. The Marines have worked hard to erase those bad experiences and putting this aircraft into a combat area will go a long way to proving that this system is worth the loss of so many during its infancy. Or it will show it to be the boondoggle that many think of the system overall.

I have seen these close up, I used to work at the NAVAIR HQ in Patuxent River Maryland and these things were a common sight in the sky. I was able on more than one occasion to climb aboard and look around. As interesting as they are to an aviation buff, I was shocked at the lack of armor to protect the cargo. Now, maybe this is common in combat helicopters and I know that weight is an issue in any flying machine, but the men and women that will ride these into a hot LZ are sitting on mere plastic. A scary thing for a parent with boy in the Marines. I am sure the creative ones will come up with a wide to ride them safely.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

Close to Home

In case anyone wonders why I rail against the CinC PresBO spending more time golfing than he does commanding this is it here:

PAINESVILLE – Lance Corporal David Baker was set to return home from Afghanistan in a matter of weeks, but on Tuesday (20 October) the 22-year-old Marine from Painesville was killed by an improvised explosive device while he was on foot patrol.

David was a member of the same Platoon as my own son. Assigned and trained both as mortarman of the 1^st Battalion, 5^th Marines. He was killed in the Nawa District of Helmand Province.

So, while the "Great One" dithers and does his political calculations, us Americans out here in the 'flyover country' bury the brave heroes who have paid with their lives for our continued freedom.

My Wife, the Good Mrs. T is there in Painesville to comfort another Marine Mom along with about a dozen other Marine Mom's from around the country a solemn duty, an obligation of caring and their Love for their Boy's.

Note: I couldn't go to the Viewing or today's Memorial because of the stinking flu but my heart is with David right now.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

News from Camp Jaker

Well it has been awhile since I gave all my regulars an update on SN2. This is the Marine Corporal who was deployed to Afghanistan back in May.

We have been able to keep track of him using the "Mom" network through Marine Parents dot Com. A great resource by the way, for anyone else in the same soup as us here in the Swamp. It's a funny think, I started to take notice of all the other Marine Parents out there; there is the Store Manager of the local Wawa store (she wears a Marine Mom pin), there are several of us that get coffee in the same store, I buy embroider shirts from another, and I have been more than once asked about the sticker on the back of my car. The two Blue Stars always gets noticed and the Marine tag is a giveaway.

Anyway, we missed a call from the Young Corporal when he called and we were in Michigan a ways back. He called the weekend we were in West Virginia moving the Daughter to her new work site. And then on top of that, he called but we had our house phone forwarded to the Daughters number so she spoke with him for 40 some minutes. She called us with a run down.

To say the wife/mom was a bit miffed is an understatement. But then we had help from CNN. When Anderson Cooper was there doing his week in "On the Battlefront" he was actually hosted in country by my Son's Company (Charlie Co. of the 1^st Battalion, 5^th Marine Regiment). We caught glimpses of the "boy" walking in Camp Jaker, another of him building up one of the Hesco Barriers (those are those huge sand bags that are used to set up their base). And then at the end of a long report there is Anderson Cooper interviewing an "unnamed Marine", it was Jon.

We were delighted to see him in close focus and even talking. He looked and sounded great. I did take issue at what he said and I'll quote here "as weird as this sounds this is actually a nice home". Now, I am thinking here about those words. The wife/mom on the other hand is so overjoyed to hear his voice that she doesn't even know what was said. I told her they don't paint "this place" meaning our house on Pheasant Lane as such a nice place. She did not understand. I explained as best I could, the long report by AC360 was about how bad the conditions were for our Men there in that awful place and there is our son saying what a nice home it was. Would not one think that living in dirt was an improvement; from what conditions did this boy come from? She did not understand.

Building up a Hesco Barrier:

Yeah, thats him. Talking about how nice a home this place is?

Look at that look, I mean from Anderson.

Still it was nice to see and hear him.

There was more info later on his movements, patrols that other boys of Mothers that the wife corresponds with passing on information reports. Tracking by data point, rumor and hearsay, but it works.

Finally, three weeks ago on a Tuesday night around 9:00 pm or so we get a call from an unknown number. Normally I would ignore the number but the area code was from the next county over, the one my In-Laws live in and I thought maybe it was them calling us from an un-programmed number. It was Jon.

Mom and Son conversed for almost 40 straight minutes; I listened on the speaker phone while she was on an extension. Him and I always do our own talking after Mom drops off the line, straight speak between just us men. It was a great.

He was tired as he had spent most of the night awake, having several fire mission early in the night (he is in charge of the Camp mortar squad) and then he had to take a turn on watch at a nearby over watch post. They have their main supply road under constant surveillance, the Taliban using the cover of night to come out and plant IED's. They now have these over watch posts all the way up and down the road so they can see and respond to these nocturnal activities. His previous training as a Squad Designated Sniper keeps him in those towers on most nights.

I did get from him the story of his strange quote. He laughed and said that his response was chopped from what he was responding too, that in the weeks before they were encamped at Jaker they had all lived on their feet. Their 'home' was where ever they sat down for the night, carrying everything on their backs. So, moving into Camp Jaker was a big deal. He also said that they actually interviewed him for more than 20 minutes. CNN only put up the one response.

All in all he was in fine shape, he has lost some weight but the care packages are helpful. The Vienna sausages I snuck into one of his packages were a great hit, as was the portable shower Mom sent to him.

No word from the Son-in-Law. Jon says his platoon was detailed to the southernmost edge of his Companies area of responsibility. So, we are still looking for word from him.

The wife/mom is already planning her trip to San Diego for the homecoming in December. Tickets already in hand by the way, never too early to buy them in her mind. And yes, I did caution her knowing all too well about military deployment schedules, but I think she wants to spend Christmas in sunny Southern California no matter what.

I will hold the fort down in the Swamp, with Lady the Princess Pompeian of course as my company.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

ROE in the AF – Killing Marines

A recent incident in Afghanistan reveals several items regarding the new Rules of Engagement (ROE) that Troops in contact with the enemy must comply. I had decried these rules when promulgated by General Stanley McChrystal as putting our Troops at risk to death and injury over the death and injury to the enemy. Here is proof:

"U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines - dispite being told repeatedly that they weren't near the village."

This was taken fromt he following story by the McClatchy Newspapers: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/75036.html

First: The Taliban can read. So, when these new rules were released they were made known to our enemy and with their analysis they contrived to use the civilians within this village as cover. Who out there did not see this coming? How many more times will this happen? How many more fine men and women of our Armed Forces will die because of this policy?

Second: Where is the MSM on this? During the Iraq war this kind of stuff was front page fodder! Anytime a policy decision by members of the Bush appointed military staff brought shame and discredit to that administration, matter how slight it was, the front page headlines were automatic. Not now with the Obama appointed gang, they can do no wrong apparently. And look at where this report originates; The McClatchy chain? Now, I have heard of them but they are far from Main Stream. Nothing from the Grey (two legs in the grave) Lady or the major TV networks. Nothing. Researching this gave me fits because I could only find references from other Blogs. It took me many jumps to get to the original story without a reference through another Blog. A sorry reflection on the state of Journalism in this country today.

Third: Who was it that said the way to win a war is to kill more of the enemy than they kill of your side? Here we allow the Taliban to 'melt' back into the country and in most cases right back into the villages they are fighting from. Where is the Napalm? I say smoke a couple of these villages and soon the natives will start turning in the Taliban just to prevent thier asses from being smoked in the fiery gelatin.

I realize that I have an ulterior motive and maybe I am being selfish, but if it keeps my son alive; all the better. We are at war and we should bring to bear all the steel, fire and death at our disposal in as dispassionate a methodology as we possibly can. Dispassionate to the Enemy and thier collaborators, if the poor are co-opted by the Taliban and they do not stand up against them, too dam bad. They can take up arms too and relieve us of having to go there in the first place.

I fear these four brave Marines are just the start of a long line of warriors giving their all to this narrow and deadly streategy where all the hoooks are on us and none on the enemy.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

UPDATE: The four killed turned out to be 3 brave marines and one Navy Corpsman.

Marine Sighting

I’m not talking about those huge mammals of the deep sea, I am talking the Lean, Green, Fighting ones!!
Watching Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN last night we caught a glimpse of SN2, he was hauling some hesco netting around with a couple of other Marines in Patrol Base Jaker where Anderson is reporting all week long. Anderson was reporting on the general conditions there and going over with different Marines about life on the great basil plane of Helmand Province. It was brief glimpse and we thought that would be it however, Anderson was suddenly interviewing the SN2 asking how things were in Jaker. Ah, he looked good. A little dark, I guess the Indian/Hispanic lineage from my family or the Italian from his Mother is kicking in and his hair was a mess. He had shaved it off back in April but it was in full porcupine mode, sticking straight out. And he sounded good too, you can tell from the voice a lot and he was in good sprits.

There was more in the interview however they cut it off to go to cover the President’s speech. Dam, just one more reason to hate that guy. Every time his polling numbers tank he rolls out the teleprompter and hits the air waves.

So, we wait to get the video when it is posted on the CNN website. But it was very nice to see him Live and in one piece.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

Plague of the Unknown

As you know my second son (SN2) is an infantryman in the US Marine Corps. He was actually trained as a mortar man and when needed he mans one of the 60mm tubes (the Mk 244 I believe, I was a swabbie and I leave all this hands on killing stuff to the professionals) but like all Marines, he is an infantryman (Rifelman) first. Back in May he deployed with his unit to Afghanistan and is currently somewhere in the Nawa District of Helmand Province. A hot and hary place. Lots of killing going on there and in other nearby districts, lots of IED's and various booby traps and mines left for the Marines to find.

Not a good place. I mean, if you were a Drug Lord and wanted to vacation there and see where most of the world's Poppy comes from then this is the place. But, not if you are a parent of a Marine Infantryman sent there to "Make Peace or Die" (which is the motto of the Battalion my son is assigned to).

We have not heard from him in more than 30 days and we are tense and of course, worried.

We have had many sleepless nights here in the Swamp (++). A couple of times a day, every day, I do a Google and Bing search for the latest of what is happening there in the AF. I also search for photo's and pictures that are released from either the military or the many news agencies that have embedded reporters and photographers. Looking for pictures or video of SN2, anyting that would show him and confirm to us that he is still Ok. I have found the occasional photo of his actual unit; sleeping in holes dug into the hard earth looking not unlike open graves, another of them carrying a wounded comrade to a waiting medivac helo, and another of most of his platoon strung out along a long canal firing their rifles at an unseen enemy.

Some nights are worse than others when we hear in the news or find a posting about fatalities from the AF. "4 Troops killed in Southern Afghanistan" was one such just this last week. There was little else in the actual AP report, two killed by gunfire and two more in an explosion, all Marines. We watch the street all day and night worried that the next car to pull up our street is the "Official Use Only" government car with a CASREP and a Chaplin onboard. New's this bad is always delivered in person. Late at night I lay there trying to sleep, I am one of those that hears everything when I sleep and when it's a car on the little road I come up out of snooze to DEFCON2. Which of my neighbors are still out I think, doing a quick mental inventory of cars in the driveways on the street, could it be someone out for a late night snack? Was it someone simply lost and was just going around to get back on the Pike and out of town? The car drives past our house and turns down the Rabbit Run. I return to DEFCON4, close eyes, sleep comes eventually. Until the next drive by that is.

So, for the next day or two I scan every little bit I can off the Web, checking for names on causality reports. These ones this last week were from the North Carolina unit and I feel relief, my eyes tear and I have to pause to control the emotions that overtake me. I weep not just for the loss of more fine Americans but because of the guilt I feel, because the names mean, they were not mine. Guilt. Yeah, the guilt from thanking god it was some other parents son that was killed. And I hope and pray for all the rest of them over there. Not just the Marines but the Army guys too. And yes, the many Navy and Air Force personnel as well, they all have skin in this game.

I know they all can't come home and my shame and guilt is that I don't care so long as just this one does.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

++ Note - The Swamp is the local term for the geographic area here in Pennsylvania that I live and Blog from. In a future post I will elaborate. JvT2