Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs, other blogs, and the mainstream media. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. (We have a daily "Open Post" too, if you have something on another topic you can link there.)

IRAQ

Iraqi command and control center opens doors amidst turnover of new territory -- [Multi-National Force Iraq ]
BAGHDAD , Iraq (May 4, 2004)– A state-of-the-art command and control center -- the first of its kind for the Iraqi Army -- officially opened May 3 during a ceremony at the Iraqi Ground Forces Command headquarters at Camp Victory.

Community celebrates renovation of school -- [Multi-National Force Iraq ]
IA, MND-B Soldiers provide school supplies to children
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Soldiers from the Iraqi army and Multi-National Division – Baghdad surprised between 400-500 children of Al Hudaybiya Elementary School April 23 with free school supplies during a celebration to mark the completion of the school’s renovations in Bakaria, within the Gazaliyah neighborhood, located southwest of Baghdad.

Two Notes From Iraq -- [OPFOR - Maj P]
The first, from an Army friend of mine in Baghdad, edited for content.
"Saturday, our convoy platoon had to go back to the area where they got hit so hard a month or so ago and lost one soldier and three others wounded. Here's the story.
"The convoy platoon went back to the same area on Saturday on another mission. They have been hit every single time they have traveled that stretch of road, most times within one five mile stretch. It is a significant event when they have to go down there, and you can feel the apprehension in the air around our HQ the day or so before they roll out.

Livin La Vida Caliente -- [Pass the Brass - in Iraq]
If there is one thing in Irak that I have decided to “do this” for…it’s the children. Granted it’s a two sided coin here, but there is a pretty large majority of the one’s that I like.
As you drive around Bag-dad, Irak, you see some of the most beautiful children ever. And one of the most beuatiful aspects I’ve noticed of the Iraki’s is they have some of the coolest eyes ever.*picture to be posted when available.
But as you drive around, especially through the ghettos, you notice that there is a kind of class system going on. There are three classes. There are the well mannered children, those who just watch you go by and wave to you. There are the beggars, who come running out to the curbside to call out for chocolate, or anything else you want to give them. And then there are the hostiles…the one’s who throw rocks or just give you the bird as you drive by.
...In short…it’s the beautiful children in Irak that give me reason to better this place…to secure a future for them.

ITALIAN COMMUNIST GROUPS HELPED KILL ITALIAN SOLDIERS -- [Publius Pundit]
Italian communist groups helped kill 3 Italian soldiers in Nassirya I reported about here. An article on L’Opinione reports (in Italian) that anti-globalization and communist groups based in Italy, among which is the infamous “anti-imperialist camp” (that collecting “Euros for the Iraqi resistance”) coordinated with Islamic terrorists in Iraq to attack our troops in Nassiryiah. The Italian intelligence heard phone conversations in which the red fundamentalists instructed the Islamists about how and when to kill our soldiers. It seems that the attack was organized in order to pressure Mr. Prodi to speed the pullout from Iraq.

Declaring War on the Sound Bite Insurgency -- [Serving the People of Iraq and Iran - in Iraq]
Summary: Our sound-bite society believes anything it sees or hears in short-length bursts. Some Americans are so sure that ‘sound-bite equals reality’ that when confronted with the much-more detailed truth they are not sure how to react. Maybe they get it from the French. Nothing illustrates more clearly the strategic success of the Sound Bite Insurgency than what does not get reported about Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Hot Hot Heat!!! -- [Combat Medic In Iraq - in Iraq]
I have acquired a new job here, work as a medic with a different company. Going to miss some of the guys I worked with prior, been with most of them for over two years, but...life is good now! :) Stuff keeps coming for the Iraqi Police and I can't thank ya'll enough. A big thanks to some special folks in California, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon...you guys are great! We are still looking forward to some well deserved down time once we get back to Alaska. I never thought I'd be happy to go back to Alaska, but it's going to be great. Most of us are getting out within a year of our return to the States and are excited to get into school or whatever calls us. I myself am ready to be a regular twenty year old with normal responsibilities and a normal life.

Victory, Diwaniyah, and Kalsu -- [Dan in the Desert - contractor in Iraq]
...Getting to Diwaniyah, I had to catch a ride out of Baghdad with a local PSD (Private Security Detail). They drove me to Camp Victory (next to Baghdad Airport), and we stayed there for a night.
I felt so strange, because this was exactly where I slept almost two years ago, when I first arrived in Baghdad. I had some time to walk around and see how the camp has changed.

Buried in CNN; This Little Gem -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
I occasionally go to CNN.com to get my dose of “progressive” news. I was going through the standard list of Iraq “bad news”, where bulleted lists of the latest bombings, killings, and American public negativity gushed from the pages. Then, buried deep inside the CNN site I came across the following gem. It’s the bio of Iraq’s youngest general, a Kurd, who exemplifies the new Iraqi army. I was reminded about the “progressive” MSM boilerplate, that even to this day charges that Saddam’s army should’ve been left intact, and that the building of the new Iraqi army is taking much to long. (as if journalists and leftist elite know anything about building an effective armed force) The bio of this Kurd general, to say the least, give one hope in the new Iraq....

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

1st Iraqi to Graduate Army's Ranger School -- [Houston Chronicle]
FORT BENNING, Ga. - A former lieutenant in Saddam Hussein's army on Friday will become the first Iraqi to graduate from the Army's Ranger School, a 61-day training ordeal that pushes soldiers to their...

Saddam's 'Blessed July' -- (Washington Times)...Joel Mowbray
Media ignore Iraqi terror planning
Ask even news-savvy Americans what they know about Saddam Hussein's plans to deploy suicide bombers against the West, and the most common response will be blank stares. Ditto for asking about how Saddam's thugs trained thousands of terrorists from around the Arab world, right up through 2002.
Both stunning revelations surfaced recently, one in congressional testimony last month and the other in the current issue of Foreign Affairs magazine. The Pentagon has known about these items on Saddam's terrorist agenda since the end of 2003, which is when it received the after-action analysis report it had commissioned.

Danish Troops To Stay In Iraq -- (Washington Times)...David R. Sands
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said yesterday that the furor over cartoons of the prophet Muhammad had "strengthened our resolve for the long haul" and that Danish troops would remain in Iraq.

U.S. Tells Of Iraq Insurgents' New Tactics -- (Los Angeles Times)...Borzou Daragahi
The U.S. military on Thursday revealed parts of a memo attributed to Al Qaeda in Iraq that outlines plans to ignite sectarian war by targeting Shiite Muslims and to shift the battle toward the capital and religiously mixed parts of the country.

Iraqi Kurds Caught Between Rebels, Foreign Forces -- (Reuters)
Skip to next paragraph RAZAGA, Iraq (Reuters) - Kurdish villagers are fleeing their homes in northern Iraq after shelling and incursions by Iranian forces and a massive build-up of Turkish troops as both militaries move to crush separatist guerrillas.

Body Armor Inserts Provide Extra Safety -- (Stars and Stripes)
Several months after a military study found U.S. Marine Corps deaths in Iraq could be reduced by wearing side inserts in body armor, all Marines in Anbar province have been issued the gear. More

Baghdad Morgue Struggles To Cope With Flow Of Bodies -- (London Daily Telegraph)...Oliver Poole
The month after the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra was the bloodiest in Baghdad's modern history, with 1,294 bodies arriving at the city's morgue.

AFGHANISTAN

News of Afghanistan V -- [Miserable Donuts]
Fruit trumps poppy?
We often hear what the Western nations of the Coaliton have to say about operations - here's an Afghan...

Camp Bastion -- [Michael Yon - in Afghanistan]
On Camp Bastion, I walked outside and there it was: a tremendous dust storm boiling from the South. The storm brought at least two bolts of lightning and much cool air, followed by a hard, blowing rain. The dust turned to mud. The sky cleared. The air was nearly still. But off to the West, there it was again: a different dust storm rolling in, this one at a 90 degree angle from the first storm.

Bridge construction project moves forward in Kunar Province -- [Centcom]
JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Coalition forces and Afghan contractors continued the early stages of work May 3 on a permanent bridge over the Pech River.
Coalition forces encountered water levels more than seven feet deep during previous attempts to maneuver across the river. The 397th Engineer Battalion, part of Task Force Spartan, was called to provide support.

Tattletaling on the Taliban -- [Kabul Blog - ex-pat in Afghanistan]
I'm going to stay after class and tell Ms. Condi that the Taliban, espcially with their more recent changes in operational style, are...umm...terrorists by any (of the many) standards the current administration has employed. They've killed civilians for political purposes.

The Surayanarayana Saga: Curiouser by the Day -- ['safrang' - Afghanistan currently studying in the US]
The Surayanarayana Saga is finding newer twists. It is usually not a good sign when stories like this find a life of their own, and I am getting suspicious that there is more to it than we know. It was not good to begin with. It was tragic, shameful, and barbaric how this Indian telecom worker was held hostage and later beheaded on the highway between Kabul and Kandahar- Taliban remnants claimed responsibility.

Sand, Sunburn, lots of flying time, the biggest hornet you've EVER seen and a camel train... -- [Chris' Blog - in Afghanistan]
How's that for a title?
Past couple days have flown by. That's what you get when you flying in a helicopter all day visiting all the forward operating bases (FOBs) that are pretty much on the cutting edge of freedom. But, according to the subjects above, we'll start with the sand.....

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

AFGHANISTAN: WANTED AFGHAN WARLORD RELEASES VIDEO ON AL JAZEERA -- (AKI)
Kabul, 4 May (AKI) - The Afghan warlord whom the US has labelled a wanted global terrorist, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has released a video that aired Thursday on the Arabic satellite TV channel Al Jazeera. The video contains the familiar rhetoric against the West, also used on other videos also recently released Al Jazeera by al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Musad al-Zarqawi. The only difference in Hekmatyar's video appears to be the poor...

Afghan Warlord Pledges to Back Bin Laden -- (AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- An Afghan warlord wanted by the United States declared his support Thursday for Osama bin Laden, a pledge security experts say will increase the threat against U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces.

Britain Takes NATO Command as Afghanistan Mission Grows -- (New York Times)
Britain will manage the force's expansion into the turbulent south of Afghanistan over the coming months.

US AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

George Clooney's Darfur Dilemmas -- [Strategy Page - Austin Bay]
Discussion Board on this On Point topic
Note to actor, celebrity dissident and bon vivant George Clooney: Don't get a moral high from the puff-piece media's bravura reviews of your soliloquy at last week's "Save Darfur" rally in Washington. Your international education remains grievously inadequate and incomplete.
A glitterati actor advocating military action in a very hard and chaotic corner of our planet should consider the following details.

A "Cinco de Mayo gift" from Rurik -- [A Small Town Veteran]
Professional author George "Rurik" Mellinger, a fellow Viet Nam vet (a Combat Engineer, which is not irrelevant here) who stopped just short of a PhD in Russian and Mideastern History after the war, has been kind enough to send me a "Cinco de Mayo gift" in the form of a two-part essay on the illegal immigration aliens situation. Please read What To Do - Part I - The Wall and What To Do - Part II - Behind the Wall. I'll update this post with some thoughts of my own on his essay in a little bit, but for now I'll quote a piece of an email he sent while I was preparing his essay for posting

Pressure on Iran Mounts from Multiple Fronts -- [Threats Watch]
The West Drives for Sanctions and Iranian Opposition Groups Take Aim as Shah’s Son Plans Coup
It is expected today that Britain, France, Germany and the US will address the UN Security Council regarding the path of addressing the Iranian nuclear crisis. With the Iranian regime in their crosshairs, their scope is sighted on firm sanctions against the mullah-run theocracy for their obstinacy in dealing with the international community’s concerns via the IAEA.

MSM REPORTS ON US AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

SUDAN: DARFUR TALKS ON BRINK OF FAILURE -- (AKI)
Abuja, 5 May (AKI) - Peace talks on the conflict in Sudan's Darfur appeared on the brink of collapse on Friday after two of the region's three rebel groups refused to sign a deal already accepted by the Sudanese government. However, the main rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), said it was willing to continue talks later on Friday. The negotiations - mediated by the African Union - continued throughout the night in the Nigerian capital Abuja after missing a midnight deadline.

St. Kitts: U.S. Sailors Help Spruce Up Orphanage -- (Miami Herald)...Unattributed
American sailors painted and cleaned rooms at a St. Kitts orphanage as part of a two-month deployment to the Caribbean. The sailors from the USS Monterey -- part of an aircraft carrier group that left Florida in April -- also made repairs Wednesday to a home for mentally disabled children on the Caribbean island.

Iran's U.N. Envoy Criticizes Resolution -- (AP)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Iran's top U.N. envoy criticized a proposed resolution on its nuclear program that carried a threat of further action which could include sanctions, charging Thursday that it's aimed at provoking confrontation rather than resolving the dispute....

Cheney's Sharp Criticism Miffs Russia -- (AP)
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday accused Russia of cracking down on religious and political rights and using its energy reserves as "tools of intimidation or blackmail." It was a hard slap at Vladimir Putin as the United States seeks Russia's cooperation in punishing Iran....

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Another Wanna Be -- [One Marine's View]
...So you have a plan to attack and conduct a terrorism act against America. With full intent to kill and destroy as many people as you can. You help plan and conduct the plan against an organization with mischievous intent backed with evil. You committed your crimes in an especially heinous, cruel or depraved manner; and you committed your crimes knowing others besides the intended victims might die; and that you used substantial planning or premeditation.
You conduct these acts and become convicted of several terrorism-related counts, including conspiring with Al Qaeda to commit acts of terrorism and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction.

Hunting Zarqawi and Tales of the Tape (Updated) -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio]
Updated: ABC News has the footage of the 'Zarqawi Bloopers'. CENTCOM has a 20 second clip of Zarqawi misfiring the SAW. He is receiving instructions and definitely does not know how to handle this weapon. His handler clears the weapon for him. FOX News has a four minute clip.

The American Taxpayer: Moussaoui’s Sugar-Daddy -- [Euphoric Reality]
As Zacharias Moussaoui was being led from the courtroom he gleefully shouted: “America, you lost! I won.” This bastard never should’ve been allowed a criminal trial in our American court system, as if he had the full rights of an American citizen. He should’ve been tried in front of a military tribunal as a prisoner of war, found guilty, and summarily executed. His erstwhile martyrdom would’ve lasted all of a month or two. Instead he found a stage for all his crazy rhetoric, he’s managed to wound the families of the bereaved even more, and he’s enjoyed the silly media noteriety.

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Islamists using US video games in youth appeal By David Morgan -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The makers of combat video games have unwittingly become part of a global propaganda campaign by Islamic militants to exhort Muslim youths to take up arms against the United States, officials said on Thursday

House Approves Cargo Screening at Ports -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House overwhelmingly approved legislation Thursday to try and stop nuclear weapons from being smuggled into the country by screening nearly all cargo for radiological materials at seaports. Yet the technology will not be available, the Bush administration said....

How Not To Fight Terrorism --(Washington Post)...David Cole
After four years, numerous appeals, millions of dollars, and a massive investment of government personnel and resources, the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui concluded Wednesday with a life sentence. Many have cited the case as an example of how difficult it is to try terrorists in civilian courts. In fact, it is an object lesson in how the government's overreaching has undermined our security.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Fresno Support Our Troops / President Rally Tonight! -- [Free Republic]
Corner Blackstone & Shaw
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Tonight!
Bring your signs, banners, flags and the entire family!
Hope to see you there!

Pentagon Soldier Honored as Action Figure, Video Character -- [Defense Link]
WASHINGTON, May 3, 2006 – When insurgents attacked Army Sgt. Tommy Rieman's reconnaissance squad near the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq Dec. 3, 2003, Rieman acted on his instincts as a leader.

On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs... -- [There and Back Again - in Iraq]
What will you choose to be in your moment of truth?
Jill Edwards is a junior math major at the University of Washington. In brief, Edwards, a member of the UW student senate, opposed a memorial to UW grad "Pappy" Boyington.
Boyington was a U.S. Marine aviator who earned the Medal of Honor in World War II. Edwards said that she didn't think it was appropriate to honor a person who killed other people. She also said that a member of the Marine Corps was NOT an example of the sort of person the University of Washington wanted to produce.

What a surprise! -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
I was surprised to receive a reply to the e-mails I wrote on April 27 to the various contacts at Hilton via their hhonors@hilton.com e-mail address. Three different customer service people replied that they were forwarding my concerns to the local hotel management. The one that I wrote to the attention of Matthew J. Hart, President and Chief Operating Officer has not yet been replied to so I don't know if that one also is being forwarded to the local management or will actually go to him.
Half an hour later, I get an e-mail from Brian Kelleher at the Capital Hilton. It was dated May 1, and looks like a general form letter they are sending everyone.

MILITARY

U.S. Forces Connected Via Internet-Like Link -- [Defense Link]
At the Air Force’s recent Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment and in other demonstrations, air, ground and space forces have proved they can communicate by instant electronic mail and change a combat jet’s target with a click of a mouse, said Peterson, the Air Force’s chief of war-fighting integration and chief information officer.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

Overstretched American Special Forces Hit The Language Barrier -- (London Daily Telegraph)...Alec Russell
American special forces, the cutting edge of the global strategy for winning the fight against terrorism, are so overstretched that many units are deploying in the world's trouble spots unable to communicate with the locals.

The Boo¹ kept Citadel cadets in line -- (Salt Lake Tribune)...Joe Galloway
WASHINGTON -- They called him The Boo, and for a generation of cadets at the South's most famous military academy, The Citadel in Charleston, SC, during the ...

POLITICS

Cindy Sheehan Breaks Law, Lies About Her Son - Again -- [Sweetness & Light]
Peace Mom pleads for Canada to provide sanctuary for soldiers
American anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan wants the Canadian government to grant sanctuary to U.S. army deserters.
"I’m just here begging the people of Canada to force your government - because your government works for you, …because your government does not work for war profiteers - to allow our soldiers to have sanctuary up here," she said.

Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy Protected from Investigation -- [Wizbang!]
Updated
He said he was going to a vote at 2:45am? He must have really downed quite a few adult beverages if he thought the cops would buy that one. And what is going on with these Democrats thinking that they don't need to pay the consequences for their behavior?

The Rumster… at a loss for words??? -- [The Gun Toting Liberal]
There’s got to be a first time for everything, I guess, and while it may not be a legitimate “first”, it is the first time I’ve ever personally seen the “Rumster” demonstrate the same level of command over the spoken English language as the President.

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Poll: Conservatives Cutting Approval Rates -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Angry conservatives are driving the approval ratings of President Bush and the GOP-led Congress to dismal new lows, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that underscores why Republicans fear an Election Day massacre....

Kennedy Blames Accident on Sleep Medicine -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Patrick Kennedy crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had taken sleep medication and a prescription anti-nausea drug that can cause drowsiness....

Senate Defies Bush On Spending -- (Washington Post)...Shailagh Murray
The Senate ignored President Bush's veto threat yesterday and easily passed a $109 billion emergency spending bill for war and hurricane recovery costs that also brimmed with favors for farmers, the fishing industry, and the states of Hawaii and Rhode Island

THE MEDIA

What goes in a movie, and what doesnt? -- [The War Tapes] DON'T MISS COMMENT SECTION!
People always ask me how filmmakers decide what goes in a movie and what doesn’t. It’s hard, but for me it always starts with the subjects. Who are they? How does their journey affect them? Change them? Or not change them? And what does their personal story have to say about the larger context of the film? In this case, soldiers at war. Once you answer these questions, you can begin to distill all that footage down to its essence. Make hard choices about what’s key and what’s not. We spent an entire year editing this film – challenging each other’s assumptions, arguing passionately, rearranging sequences, trying different openings and endings. If the story we end up with works, it should seem obvious and self-evident. But believe me, its anything but.

CBS and NBC Lead by Trumpeting Anti-War Activists Confronting Rumsfeld's "Lies" -- [NewsBusters]
Matching cable news networks interest during the day, two of the three broadcast networks (CBS and NBC, as well as MSNBC's Countdown) led Thursday night with how, at an event in Atlanta, a handful of protesters confronted Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and accused him of “war crimes” and “lying” about Iraq. ABC also aired a story, but put the Moussaoui sentencing first. All three featured former CIA analyst Ray McGovern who demanded: "Why did you lie to get us into a war that was not necessary?”

MSM REPORTS ON MEDIA

House gives final passage to shield bill Proposal provides media protection -- (News Time Live)
...The bill would prevent a reporter from facing legal penalties, such as contempt of court, if he or she does not disclose the name of a news source to government authorities.
The bill defines a reporter as someone who works for a newspaper, magazine, radio or television station, or electronic media. The Senate had considered excluding blog writers and limiting protections to people with journalism degrees, but later removed both provisions.

Big media deals await trapped Australian miners -- (Reuters)
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian rescuers struggled on Friday to cut through solid rock a kilometer underground to free two gold miners trapped for nine days, while above ground media groups scrambled to secure rights to their survival story.

MILBLOGGING BLOGGING

“Blogs of War”: Nightly News Reports On Influence Of Blogs (VIDEO) -- [Expose the Left]
Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, appeared on a NBC Nightly News report that focused on the blogosphere’s reaction to Stephen Colbert and President Bush singing the national anthem in English. NBC correspondent Dawn Fratangelo also reported on the influence of blogs in the news room.

My Name is John and I'm a Propagandist -- [OPFOR - John]
About a week ago, I was accused of being a government propagandist, presumably for the work I do here on OpFor.
...As a milblogger, am I a government propagandist? Sure, why not? A propagandist is someone who systematically disseminates information that advocates a cause. My cause is winning this war, and I make no secret of the fact that I use OpFor to push information in support of that cause.
Propaganda isn't always the Big Brother variety. The wonderful thing about free societies is that we can choose to accept or ignore the message.

CONGRATS

Happy 1st Anniversary to us! -- [While Away -- contractor in Iraq]
Today is Mike and my first wedding anniversary. We decided to hold off celebrating until we were in Thailand but we still did a couple little things.

Oorah! Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal -- [Bear Creek Ledger]
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. D.L. Reeves, commanding officer, Assault Amphibian School Battalion, and Sgt. Maj. M.S. Harrell promote 1st Sgt. Bradley A. Kasal to sergeant major after awarding him the Navy Cross at Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 1, 2006. Kasal was awarded the Navy Cross for demonstrating extraordinary heroism during operations in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 13, 2004. Going to the aid of Marines clearing a house, Kasal was struck by 7 AK-47 rounds and more than 40 pieces of shrapnel as he shielded another Marine from a grenade blast.

WELCOME HOME

Past foes serve together against the real enemy -- [Miserable Donuts]
I was in Ft. Stewart Georgia to welcome home soldiers from my Battalion on their return from Iraq. They served with the 2-130 IN which had a long history in the war of Northern Aggression and helped Sherman make Georgia Howl. They served with Georgia's 48th Brigade which just finished a successful rotation supporting the 3rd ID. Good job to all the soldiers of these two historical units.

HUMOR / SATIRE

The Lighter Side of Shit -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
A sidetracked discussion the other day reminded me of a T-shirt I used to wear that deconstructed religion and philosophy into… Shit. I recently came across an expanded version which got me laughing aloud. It's creative, smarmy, and oh so accurate. No offense is intended, but I do claim my right to laugh at myself... and you:

IN MEMORY OF...

Godspeed John Fralish - Must Read of the Week -- [Blackfive]
The Middle Ground has the amazing story of Navy Hospital Corpsman John Fralish - remembered by the Marines AND the Afghan villagers he cared for...