BattleBuddies Update

Matt Sanchez: Scott Thomas picked the wrong FOB (Forward Operating Base) as a background for his stories at the New Republic...

I was at Camp Falcon earlier this month and didn't recognize any of what Scott Thomas described. So, I e-mailed the public affairs officer Major Luedeke at Camp Falcon...

Small Wars Journal:

Major Kirk Luedeke
Public Affairs Officer
4th IBCT, 1st ID
DRAGONS

Here are the facts as best I have established them, along with the actions I have taken here at Falcon.

If my guess is correct, that narrows it down to about 100 guys and your organic C.O. is Captain Robby Johnson.
I ran through Mahala 885 with CPT Johnson and a great group of guys last May and hammered out a little story about it.

Howard Kurtz:

After inquiries by the Standard, Foer identified the mess hall as being at Forward Operating Base Falcon. Michael Yon, a respected military blogger who spent time with the unit this year, wrote: "That story about American soldiers at FOB Falcon sounds like complete garbage." Other bloggers said military personnel always wear uniforms and could not possibly be confused with contractors.
<...>
As the criticism mounts, Foer says he sees an ideological agenda.

"A lot of the questions raised by the conservative blogosphere boil down to, would American soldiers be capable of doing things like the things described in the diarist. The practical jokes are exceptionally mild compared to things that have been documented by the U.S. military. Conservative bloggers make a bit of a living denying any bad news that emanates from Iraq."

Castle Argghhh!, the gun expert has his thoughts:

My contribution to this is simple. I went to my bookshelf. The 30 linear feet or so of reference material I have on firearms and ammunition.

And tried to figure out "square-backed" 9mm ammunition - and how that related to Glock pistols. Because that's who "Scott Thomas" decided that a massacre scene he happened upon had to have been perpetrated by Iraqi police. "Square-backed" 9mm shell-casings that are unique to Glock pistols, which, according to "Thomas," only the Iraqi police carry.

I know of two total types of ammo in which the word "square" could be applied ...

Chris Muir - Day By Day:

Oh, by the way, somedoby's being punished for all this. But guess who:

I contacted the only unit in our brigade that has Bradleys, 1-18 IN, and advised their XO of the situation, recommending that they talk to their Soldiers about Army values and the Warrior ethos, reminding them of the rules for blogging in uniform and also reminding them of integrity and telling the truth. The bottom line: If you put something out there you should be willing to put your name next to it and stand by it. That he and New Rpublic are insisting on anonymity is very telling here.

So anyhow, some old guy up in the rfront started yakkin' on about integrity and shit, but me and my buddies was having a fart lighting contest in the back of the room and we didn't pay him no nevermind. Then we went out to do some rapin' and stuff.