Dawn Patrol

Mrs Greyhawk

IRAQ

Good news from Iraq, part 32 -- [Arthur Chrenkoff - our Aussie friend]
Monsignor Rabban al Qas, Chaldean bishop of Amadiyah and Arbil, was recently asked by a foreign interviewer whether there is any good news coming out of Iraq: "Twenty-three Iraqis are killed every day in Iraq. Nearly two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, there is no security as yet. Is there still hope in Iraq?" To which Monsignor al Qas replied...

News and some photos -- [Courage without Fear - in Iraq] (pics)
On June 1, 2005 an insurgent driving a vehicle borne IED attempted to kill 2 of my soldiers. The insurgent penetrated one of our supply convoys and drove his explosive laden car under the cab or our 5 Ton truck. The 5-Ton had recently had an armord cab installed on it. This improved armor saved the lives of 2 people whom I have known since they joined the National Guard. The truck immediately caught on fire and was totally destroyed. The two soldiers were

First Night In Ramadi -- [A Day in Iraq - in Iraq]
We arrived after dark this evening after traveling for two days from Warhorse. We were up the past two nights, moving under the cover of darkness, riding in our Bradley which rode atop a HETT. By this time the Bradley is a radiating oven, drenching my clothes with sweat which now cling to my skin and attract every dust and dirt particle in the air. We got off the Brad and were welcomed by the guys that have been here for a couple of days. They made the trip in Blackhawks, and reuniting with them after just a few days felt good for some reason, like we were home because all of us were together again. Immediately the horror stories begin,...

HOW DO WE START OVER -- [Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum - in Iraq]
I posted once before about being wrong, admitting it when you are wrong, and how reporting here especially the first report is usually wrong. Again I was wrong, and honor demands that I correct a mistake here in this forum. I said that a CSM countermanded the order of the on scene commander. I was in err. I know this because the CSM I referred to ventured into the food chain to tell me face to face that I was wrong. For those of you from Booman Trib, here is a lesson in military protocol; you respect the rank the individual has. With that respect comes this as well, you take that man at his word.

Saving a life -- [Phil and Becky - Phil's in Iraq]
The other night, we received a call from the Iraqi Army that they were bringing a wounded IA soldier from Baqubah General Hospital to our aid station.
Technically, we are not supposed to do this. The theory is that if we keep providing medical care to Iraqis then they'll never assume the mantle of responsibility themselves. Our medical platoon (and, by extension, the battalion) gets snippy emails from brigade every now and then for treating local nationals at our aid station.
Regardless, sometimes treating Iraqis is the right thing to do, and this was one of those times.

Marriage Proposal! -- [Sentinel 47: Keeping the Gate - in Iraq]
Sixteen-year-old Omar has proposed! I'm sharing the warm moment, hoping all of you will see the heart and humor in this passage for me. The dear boy is smitten with me, and I delicately find joy in exchanges with him each day at the gate.
I am still unclear as to which point in Iraqi culture brings a boy into social acceptance as a man, but

I JUST ABOUT HAD A COMPLETE DAY OFF -- Kevin Kelly - Dixie Sappers - in Iraq]
...We were dying of thirst, but since we had to leave so fast, we didn?t have time to ice down any water so we had to drink vehicle temperature water (120 degree or so) until we finally found someone that did have some water a little cooler (115). It was still wet and tasted good even though it was hot. As we were standing by this house that we had searched earlier, this little boy who we had pulled a tooth from yesterday came up to us offering us some fruit. I?ve had it in the states before, but can?t remember the name of it. It?s this fruit that you pull off the peel and it has these little pouches with seeds in it. Very sour like a green apple, but very good. SGT Nazario and I split one. Man it was good, but made you drink more of that hot water. The one little boy came up to me and started pointing to my hand. I looked down and I must have cut it on something because it was bleeding. He ran inside to get me something that looked like a Band-Aid, but I passed on it and waited till I got back to the FOB. He did help me pour some of the water on it to wash it off. He was so proud that he could help. I?m telling you that the kids of this country are the ones that will be able to turn this country around if they are ever given the chance.

Sunday, July 31, 2005 -- [Team Med-fah - in Iraq]
...Working with the Iraqis is kind of like playing poker. We have our cards (gear, assets, money, knowledge); they have theirs (native personnel, speak Arabic, have ALL of the ?boots on the ground?). Each day, each conversation, each operation is exactly like playing another poker hand. There are days when it feels like playing five games of multi-dimensional poker. Luckily, our guys are pretty good poker players, but it can get tiring. As Marines, we?re used to making the plan, executing the plan, giving orders, following orders, etc. These guys are not as? exact. You have to see the consequences, the give-and-take, over the LONG run. If I win this hand, what will the cost be tomorrow.

Iraq Has Finally Gotten To Me -- [Middle of Nowhere and Two Feet From Hell - in Iraq]
After being here for a while you get use to certain things. At first I used a flash light. My eyes adjusted to it a while back. I can walk around at night without one. Sometimes the moon is so bright, you can see forever. Other times the moon is nowhere to be found and it is so dark you cannot see five foot in front of you.
I have gotten use to sleeping in a tent with eighteen other people. I have always enjoyed my personal space. Now I just press on and deal with it.
One thing I never thought I would get use to is the smell from the port-a-johns.

Constitution update. -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in iraq]
It was expected that the suggested draft of the constitution which I posted several day ago would fuel arguments and serious discussions in the corridors of the National Assembly and the government and from what I heard and read in local media and from some information that leaked from some politicians, I learned that some of the upsetting articles of the draft have been changed or omitted while some other articles are still being discussed.

Editor's Note: these next two blogs have the same name, but are two different blogs

Chief McCauley Goes to Bayji -- [LostInIraq - 42nd DIVARTY - in Iraq]
Here is a PowerPoint presentation put together by Chief McCauley from his trip into town earlier this month:
These slides are from a Civil Affairs mission we went on with 3ID, 1BCT and members of the local C/A Team here on Summerall, on 7 July 2005. It was a good mission, accomplishing all tasks.
When we rolled into the village, with M1 tanks leading the way, the villagers started appearing to see what was going on, as this was unannounced. SSG Richards was our photographer, and myself, along with MAJ Barton, SFC Turner and SFC Ramos, were excited to give these people some goodies sent from home. Our first stop was

Time..... -- [Lost in Iraq - Daniel in Iraq] (pics galore)
As can be expected, the time seems to be moving at a snails pace. The last six months have flown by, but now with little more than a couple of months to go, its like someone hit the slow motion button!!!! We are still very busy, continuing the same mission load while packing, turning in, and mailing home, all the things we brought with us and have accumulated since arriving. I am getting very excited about rejoining civilization!!

An Electrician?s Duty― Video Premier -- [Jon Jivan - in Iraq]
Being a deployed Army electrician has its perks. Life in Iraq is easier for us. One?s life isn?t normally on the line when his war-time job consists of mainly sitting inside soldering or doing focus checks on night vision goggles all day. Although, there was that power supply that exploded when I tested it?

PHOTOS FROM PERSONAL IRAQ DIARY OF 19 - 22 June 2004 -- [Candle in the Dark]
This is the station mentioned in the post below. I was told it was Ba'ath Party building before the war. This is in the far north of the city and there was very little around it. The patrol I write about was in a neighborhood to the left of this photo. To the right, behind the building, and behind me as I snapped the picture was open nothingness.

American By God's Amazing Grace -- [ NEW MILBLOGGER! - Pepple Pie]
Soldier in Iraq Records Country Music Hit
His boots battered, his spirits sinking, Luke Stricklin struggled to explain his experiences in Iraq to his family and friends back home who kept asking him what it was like to fight in Baghdad. "Time calling home was precious," the soldier said. "That's the last thing you wanted to talk about. Mom always said I wasn't telling her the truth, which I wasn't.

The Second Act -- [Strategy Page]
July 31, 2005: Not all the terrorists in Iraq are Sunni Arabs belonging to al Qaeda. In southern Iraq, Shia Islamic conservatives use death squads and street gangs to enforce their version of the Islamic life style. This means women dressing very modestly, and staying out of sight, no alcohol, even for non-Moslems, no music and movies, no mixing of men and women outside of family or marriage, and no complaining about all this. The police won't act against the religious gangs, out of fear, or because they are bribed. This allows the gangs to get away with murder. The religious gangs are largely composed of Iraqi religious conservatives who fled to Iran years ago,

Trouble Focusing -- [Ghraib Danger - in Iraq]
And not just because I'm looking through a gas mask. I have less than 40 days left in Iraq. I'm having trouble focusing on anything other than that bright light at the end of the tunnel.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Iraqis Promising a Constitution by the Deadline -- (New York Times)...DEXTER FILKINS and JOEL BRINKLEY
BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 31 - Under intense American pressure, Iraqi leaders agreed Sunday to finish writing the country's constitution by the middle of August, raising the possibility that they will leave unresolved some of the fiercest disagreements over the future of the Iraqi state.

U.S. Relies On Local Leaders In Rural Iraq -- (New York Times on the Web)...Associated Press
Last fall, insurgents overran police stations and Iraqi army bases in this northern rural region, scaring off nearly all 2,000 Iraqi troops and keeping people locked inside their homes at night.

Leftist Would Pull Troops From Iraq -- (Miami Herald - World Brief)...Unattributed
Opposition leader Romano Prodi pledged in remarks published Saturday that if he's elected premier next year, he will pull Italy's troops out of Iraq, prompting Premier Silvio Berlusconi to contend that such a promise would invite guerrilla attacks against the soldiers.

Iraq Citizens Deem U.S. Soldier As Sheik -- (New York Times on the Web)...Associated Press
QAYYARAH, Iraq (AP) -- Sheik Horn floats around the room in white robe and headdress, exchanging pleasantries with dozens of village leaders. But he's the only sheik with blonde streaks in his mustache -- and the only one who attended country music star Toby Keith's recent concert in Baghdad with fellow U.S. soldiers.

Optimism Over Post-Hussein Future -- (Miami Herald)...Frida Ghitis
...That's because one of the most important and least discussed transformations wrought by this war is that Iraqis have become extraordinarily optimistic about the years ahead. This is not a sudden fluke. Iraqis are consistently telling pollsters that they believe the future will bring improvements to their life.

Spy's Notes On Iraqi Aims Were Shelved, Suit Says -- (New York Times)...James Risen
The Central Intelligence Agency was told by an informant in the spring of 2001 that Iraq had abandoned a major element of its nuclear weapons program, but the agency did not share the information with other agencies or with senior policy makers, a former C.I.A. officer has charged.

Audit Urges Better Training of Iraqis -- (Washington Post)
The United States risks squandering billions of dollars if it does not adequately train Iraqis to run power plants, water-treatment facilities and other projects built during the country's reconstruction, according to a report released yesterday by government auditors.

Controversy Surrounds California Guard Officer -- (Los Angeles Times)...Rone Tempest and Scott Gold
Alleged misconduct by his troops in Iraq has exposed what some call his eccentric methods.

Who's Paying for Our Patriotism? -- (Washington Post)...Uwe E. Reinhardt
President Bush assures us that the ongoing twin wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are worth the sacrifices they entail. Editorialists around the nation agree and say that a steadfast American public was willing to stay the course.
Should anyone be surprised by this national resolve, given that these wars visit no sacrifice of any sort -- neither blood nor angst nor taxes -- on well over 95 percent of the American people?

High Expectations Of Independence (Washington Post)...Ellen Knickmeyer
Two hundred miles south, in the distant Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Iraq's top Kurdish leaders have pledged that they want to keep the Kurdish north as part of Iraq, as Washington and all Iraq's neighbors want.

Iraqi Assembly Members Balance Death, Democracy -- (Boston Globe)...Thanassis Cambanis
...Now, however, Attia, a member of the National Assembly, has joined the ranks of citizen-legislators surprised to find themselves at the helm of Iraq's sometimes bewildering progression to democracy -- and directly in the crosshairs of an assassination campaign against members of the government.

RECOVERING

Me, Carren, Mom, and... oh yeah, the most powerful man on earth -- [From My Position - recovering at Walter Reed]

From One of Our Wounded! -- [Bayji Iraq FOB Summerall , Soldiers , Families and Friends]
Hello Everyone! Hope everyone is enjoying this really HOT summer!
I received an email from Spc Ashenfelder, he ask to have it posted. So please read and keep sending all of our wounded & recovering wounded soldiers. A big Hello and HOw are ya! and Get well soon, God speed,and don't ever think we have forgotten you. We never,ever could forget! HOOOAH! God Bless!

This is Spc Ashenfelder's email...

AFGHANISTAN

Gratutious Afghanistan Photo of the Weekend -- [ Miserable Donuts - recently returned from Afghanistan]
"Why yes, I am grinning because I have done this before..." [preparing a 107 mm rocket for firing].
KABUL, Afghanistan?Afghan National Army soldiers recently conducted artillery live-fire training at the D-30 Howitzer range to improve their proficiency.
More than 120 Afghan soldiers conducted two months of training to prepare for the annual range time.
The D-30 Howitzer, which takes a crew of seven to fire, is a 3.5-ton weapon with a range of over 15,000 meters. It can fire seven to eight rounds per minute.
Afghan Army Capt. Mohammed Mohsin Hamdard, artillery commander for the 4th Combat Support Kandak (Battalion), 3rd Brigade, of the ANA?s 201st Corps, said the range time gave his soldiers the opportunity to reinforce what they learned in school and strengthened their training.

Afghan Army hones skills at artillery range -- [Centcom]
KABUL, Afghanistan?Afghan National Army soldiers recently conducted artillery live-fire training at the D-30 Howitzer range to improve their proficiency.
More than 120 Afghan soldiers conducted two months of training to prepare for the annual range time.
The D-30 Howitzer, which takes a crew of seven to fire, is a 3.5-ton weapon with a range of over 15,000 meters. It can fire seven to eight rounds per minute.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Afghan Raid Nets Huge Weapons Cache -- (Boston Globe)...Associated Press
Thousands of rockets, mortars, and antiaircraft ammunition have been seized in central Afghanistan in the largest cache of militant weapons discovered in months, a government spokesman said yesterday.

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Musharraf Draws a Line in the Sand with Pakistan's Jihadists -- [The Word Unheard]
As noted previously, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has ordered the deportation of 1,400 foreign students in Pakistani madrassas which contain a totla of 1.7 million students.
1,400 seems like an awefully low number of foreign students. Note the picture to the right has a sign that directs to a Paksitani government office for the Department of Foreign Students. An entire government department for only 1,400 students? There are most certainly more than 1,400 students. So what gives?

Iran: Another ?No? Vote For The EU? -- [Austin Bay]
Reuters reports that Iran will ?resume sensitive nuclear activities at once without waiting for EU compromise proposals??
More brinksmanship by Tehran? Possibly. But I?ve long thought the mullahs really want The Bomb. (This week is the 60th anniversary of Hiroshima? a good week to play nuclear politics.) Tehran looks around Iran?s borders and sees the US in Afghanistan, sees a nuclear-armed Pakistan to the east, sees a modernizing, democratizing Iraq to the west. I wrote an article in January that talked about the regional effects of a ?new Iraqi Army? ? an army much better trained than Saddam?s forces and capable of selective offensive action with ?western allies? or western support.

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Guantanamo trials 'half-assed' -- (News 24.com)
Sydney - Leaked emails from two former prosecutors suggested the US military commissions to try detainees held at Guantanamo Bay are rigged, fraudulent and thin on evidence, Australian national radio reported on Monday.

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia dies -- (Times Online)
Saudi Arabia?s ruler, King Fahd, died early today in a Riyadh, the royal court has confirmed. His brother, the Crown Prince Abdullah, has been appointed his successor.
"The king died early this morning,"...

Seoul To Offer Electricity As Reward If North Korea Ends Nuclear Work -- (New York Times)...Chris Buckley
...North Korea said it might rejoin an international nuclear nonproliferation treaty and accept international inspections of its nuclear facilities "if the nuclear issue finds a satisfactory solution" and the United States accepted "peaceful coexistence."

New Estimates On Iranian Nukes -- (Jerusalem Post)...Orly Halpern
According to the new estimates, Iran will probably have a nuclear bomb by 2012, but could have the capability as early as 2008 "if all goes well for it," a high ranking IDF commander told The Jerusalem Post yesterday.

TERRORISM

Egyptians ask, Why do they hate us? -- [Winds of Change - Donald Sensing]
Sharm el-Sheik bombings a wake-up call to examine what mosques are preaching and teaching
I cited yesterday a piece in Arab News by Arab writer Dr. Mohammed T. Al-Rasheed calling for striking at the breeding grounds of terrorist "vermin." In the days since the bombings at Sharm el-Sheik many Egyptians are starting to ask just what exactly the breeding ground is and concluding that it just may be Islam itself.

Everything Is Not Race -- [Villianous Company]
Both my children died today, because of racism.
With them died 393 innocent travelers on the DC Metro. If you've ever ridden the DC Metro, you'll know they weren't all white, anglo-saxon Protestants. No, they came in all flavors. Whites, Asians from Indonesia, Japan, Korea, China; Hispanics, blacks, Muslims, Jews, atheists, lesbians, gays, Christians, and undoubtedly a few Wiccas. Funny: in the instant before they were incinerated, their religion, sexual orientation, national origin and skin color ceased to matter.

The Big Picture and Scrambled Eggs -- [Dadmanly - in Iraq]
There are weeks, when there is so much written of importance, before I can gather my thoughts for commentary, there?s much more to read. If I did this for a living, I?d get really stressed out. Given that my day job is now serving in a Guard unit in Iraq, I think I can let myself off the hook. (But that still doesn?t make it any less frustrating!) (Sigh.)
The two most powerful writers on the war on terror were both directly on point this past week. Michael Ledeen incisively describes the Coalition of Evil, up at National Review Online, while previously, Victor Davis Hanson warns about the too often misunderstood ideological basis for the hate arrayed against us

MSM REPORTS ON TERRORISM

Finger points to British intelligence as al-Qaeda websites are wiped out -- (Times Online) Over the past fortnight Israeli intelligence agents have noticed something distinctly odd happening on the internet. One by one, Al-Qaeda?s affiliated websites have vanished until only a handful remain, write Uzi Mahnaimi and Alex Pell. Nation Unready For Germ Attacks -- (USA Today)...Mimi Hall The nation is woefully unprepared to respond to a bioterrorism attack despite a $20 billion government investment in bioterrorism preparedness since 2001, according to top government and public health officials and members of Congress.

There Can Be No Moderate Solutions To Extremism -- (London Financial Times)...Donald Rumsfeld
...In the wake of such an atrocity it is essential that we take care in understanding what motivates - and does not motivate - extremists to commit mass murder.

Fear Over U.S.-Born Extremists Is Brewing -- (Los Angeles Times)...Josh Meyer
London attacks raise concerns over the potential for sleeper cells of Americans.

'War On Terrorism' Rhetoric Changing -- (Miami Herald)...Tom Raum, Associated Press
Some members of the Bush administration are trying to move away from using 'war on terrorism' to reflect new challenges regarding violent extremists worldwide.

MORE ON "OVER THERE"

"Over There" Is "Over Hyped" -- [Boots on the Ground - just back from Iraq]
I unfortunately wasted an a few minutes of my life to watch "Over There." A new series on FX about US Army Soldiers serving a tour in Iraq. There are a few bad war movies and tv shows, but this one takes the cake. If the inaccuracies they made in this new show was to keep the real enemy from watching and knowing our real tactics, then they did a SUPERB job.

She's a Lady -- [ArklahomBoy]
Some of the guys at work today were talking about the episode of 'Over There' that came on last night (I didn't catch it). Apparently, a small unit in Iraq was attacked, and the female amongst them hid during the entire battle, too afraid to come out and fight.

I've been to war, albeit on an aircraft carrier, so my experiences are ...

Yeah, but they're not there -- [Ryan and Christy's Place - Ryan's in Iraq]
I have mixed feelings about the new FX drama ?Over There.? It sometimes bothers me that the entertainment industry can be in such a rush to make movies or TV shows about recent, or still unfolding, events or situations. And with the war in Iraq, why fictionalize a story that's still being told?

Not Really 'Over There' -- [Face From the Front]
FX's new drama OVER THERE about an Army unit in Iraq is well produced and visually arresting but takes a sharp left turn from reality.

MILITARY

Getting out -- [In Iraq for 365 - back from Iraq]
It?s been one of the more difficult decisions of my life. For nine years, I?ve served the Army National Guard with every thing I have. I?ve been to the majority of the Army bases across the country for training, conducted actual operations in Nicaragua, Kuwait and of course, Iraq. But the time has come for me to get out. My ETS date is in October, and now, the retention types and fellow soldiers are telling me that me getting out is a great loss to the Army.

To be honest, when I hear these words, it hurts. At times, it feels like I am betraying my soldiers and country for opting to no longer be a soldier.

Rumsfeld, MG Miller, Abu G -- [John Holdaway - Intel Dump]
I've been out a while and there's a lot that's taken place lately to blog about. Bear with me, but we'll tackle these one by one.
First off, there's been a lot of resurgent discussion in the press about Abu Ghraib, including an interesting editorial from the Washington Post. Since the release of the Fay/Jones and Schlesinger reports one year ago, subsequent Abu Ghraib prosecutions and disciplinary actions, and recent investigations into Gitmo operations, the picture is becoming clearer. However, it is not the picture being portrayed in the press. What follows is a bit long, but my attempt to create a sort of unified theory of detainee abuse scandals.

MSM REPORTS ON Boy Scouts

Bush Finally Visits Scout Event
At Last, Bush Appears At Boy Scout Jamboree -- (Washington Post)...Karin Brulliard
As Bush took the stage beneath a massive Boy Scouts emblem, Scouts leapt up and erupted in applause. They were beyond ready to hear from the president, who, by virtue of his job, is the honorary president of the nation's Boy Scouts and whose visit had been postponed twice.

THE MEDIA

Russia Pulls Plug on MSM Network -- [NEW MILBLOGGER! - Starboard!!!]
Poor MSM. Once again, the messenger gets killed. This time, I agree with the sentence. BBC reports:
Russia's defence chief has barred the ministry from contact with ABC TV after the US network's interview with Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev. Sergei Ivanov said the ministry considered ABC "persona non grata" following Thursday's broadcast. However, the foreign ministry has said it will not deny ABC accreditation.

Look how low the Associated Press will go
Here's part of the Associated Press' account of President Bush's July 31 visit to the National Scout Jamboree:
It was Bush's third attempt to travel to Fort A. P. Hill, the Army base hosting the Jamboree where Scouts are trying to end their 10-day gathering with cheery memories of mountain biking, fishing, scuba diving and trading patches with newfound Scouting friends across the nation....
The Associated Press' placement of the president's "I appreciate the rain check" remark is what's often called "a set up."
We've all seen it done. You take what a person says and place it in a context in which the person really didn't say it.

Just Wondering -- [ Andi's World]
It's been a week now. Where is the outrage of the mainsream media? From the BBC...

MEDIA CORRECTIONS

Corrections -- (Washington Post)...The Washington Post
A July 14 article said that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld approved the use of certain interrogation tactics against a detainee who the government believed was to be the "20th hijacker" in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Rumsfeld approved the use of aggressive tactics against Mohamed Qahtani, but he did not specifically approve attaching a leash to Qahtani's chains or forcing him to wear women's underwear on his head, tactics that were authorized and used by interrogators on the prisoner in late 2002

POLITICS

PETITIONS TO FIGHT THE ACLU -- [Stop the ACLU]
PETITION TO GET THE ACLU OFF THE TAXPAYER?S DOLE

Jimmy Carter: From Hammers for Homes to Crowbars for White House -- [GM's Corner]
Former President Jimmy Carter spoke at an overseas church conference, and he tossed out any message about God's grace for a chance to bash the United States by misrepresenting our mission and conduct in the war on terror and by providing veiled justifications for terrorists. It's bad enough when a future President goes overseas and protests against our country, but it's worse when a former President does the same thing--because people in other countries often give great weight to his words and he sends them mixed signals. Rather than using his position to help our nation, Carter has become a cheerleader for those who don't like us.

IN MEMORY OF...

Camp Remembrance: Never Forget -- [Sondra K] (PICS)
Sondra,
A great day today. We attended a ceremony to name the new detention facility we just built. The unit that guards it is from the great state of NY. A lot of firemen and police officers. When deciding on the name, they recommended the name REMEMBERANCE in memory of all of those who gave their life at the world trade center. A key event in the current conflict on the war on terrorism. I don?t know how or what the what detainees think of the name but, it puts a smile on my face to think we are guarding them in a facility named in the memory of our fallen heroes is very appropriate.

Cousin Joe

A Warrior at Rest -- [Froggy Ruminations]
...Just as at the Memorial in Hawaii I was struck by a truly unique SEAL tradition that I hadn?t expected to see. Upon the dismissal of the assembly by the funeral director, the men of SDV Team ONE solemnly formed a single file and approached James? immaculate wood coffin. One by one, each man removed his Trident from the breast of his uniform and pounded it into the gleaming wooden lid of his coffin. Dozens of golden Tridents were left shimmering in the sun to accompany James on his journey?forever.