Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and other sources around the world. 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. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.

IRAQ

Combat Blue Balls -- [Iraq: The Purgatorium - in Iraq]
..."Hey," my Ugandan counterpart broke the silence, "That ambulance is coming down the wrong side."
I looked down the entrance and sure enough, there was an Iraqi ambulance with lights flashing heading down the military lane. I snatched my M4 up and chambered a round (I don't chamber one until I dismount or need to fire) and waited for him to reach a point that justified a warning shot.
"Wait, call it up first," the Ugandan Tower Guard Veteran advised. I grabbed the radio with my free hand.
"[BossMan] this is [TowerDude], we've got an Iraqi ambulance attempting to enter [EntryPoint]."
"....Say again, over?"
Ambulance slows as a couple Iraqis near the gate try to tell him he can't come in this way. Thing is, when the insurgency first kicked off, they'd use ambulances to get through checkpoints and ambush people. When I saw it coming with lights a-flashing, it flipped that Activate Infantryman switch.

Let's 'Surge' Some More -- [MICHAEL YON]
It is said that generals always fight the last war. But when David Petraeus came to town it was senators – on both sides of the aisle – who battled over the Iraq war of 2004-2006. That war has little in common with the war we are fighting today.
I may well have spent more time embedded with combat units in Iraq than any other journalist alive. I have seen this war – and our part in it – at its brutal worst. And I say the transformation over the last 14 months is little short of miraculous.

Gen. David Petraeus

What your not hearing -- [Sergeant Grumpy - in Iraq]
As I said in an earlier post, things here are both better and worse than what is being reported. I say that because, while things were/are, in my opinion much worse in Basrah than the media reports (probably because they won't go down there and don't know.), things in other parts of southern Iraq are better than reported. If they are reported at all.
In several other southern Iraqi cities, the Iraqi Army, and the lesser known ISWAT units, kicked JAM's ass. In at least one town they pretty much eradicated JAM and destroyed the OMS office (the political front for JAM) where weapons were cached. That success is due to the dedicated training provided these forces by their US counterparts. I know our guys did a great job, and our "top ten" board was almost cleaned off.

Iraq’s Moment of Truth in Baghdad and Basra - [PJM - Iraq the Model - Mohammed Fadhil]
The battle between criminal gangs and the state continues, yet the war is far from being over. Public statements keep coming from both sides and they don’t seem to promise a diplomatic resolution for the crisis. The latest exchange included a pledge for a “final battle” by Sadr’s spokesman Bahaa Aaraji and an assertion by Maliki that the government will not stop pursuing gangs militarily and politically. Telling Sadr that his movement cannot take part in elections unless he disbands his militias and surrenders weapons is a turning point in Iraqi politics, especially because a broad political front including leading Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish powers emerged to back this new trend in dealing with this issue.

Sons of Iraq -- [Acute Politics]
There's been a lot of buzz lately over the Sons of Iraq (or "Sunni militias", depending on who you ask). I have a new article up over at The Long War Journal going into a bit of detail about the direction we are trying to go with the SoI.
With the security situation improving daily, especially in Sunni towns, within sight is the future that worried so many at the beginning of the grass-roots level movement: What will these fighters do when the Coalition tells them it is time to put their guns down and go home?
Go read and understand.

UAV Kills 6 Heavily Armed Criminals

Footage of Coalition forces from Multi-National Division - Baghdad, operating an unmanned aerial vehicle, observing a large group of criminals with rocket-propelled grenade launchers and a mortar tube in northeast Baghdad at approximately 9:30 p.m. April 10. The UAV fired a Hellfire missile killing six heavily armed criminals at approximately 9:45 p.m. Provided by Multi-National Division Baghdad.

".....In The Order They Were Taken From Us" -- [All Quiet on the Southwest Asian Front - in Iraq]
...Our long period of grace came to an end 31 March 2008 when one of our route clearance patrols drove into an EFP ambush north of our sector proper. The bolt of molten copper, traveling faster than a bullet and meant to take on the hull of a Main Battle Tank, went right through the thinner skin of the lead truck and SGT D. He was killed instantly.
The patrol towed the disabled truck with his body still inside to the nearest base, and then had to face the trip back. In almost the same spot they were hit again. This time the EFP was aimed lower, and took both SPC M's legs off above the knee as it passed all the way through both sides of the truck. The truck caught fire and a heavy barrage of machine gun fire started coming in from both sides of the road. The platoon leader had his Bradley begin firing all weapons at the shooters he could see while the platoon sergeant and the company First Sergeant ran to the burning truck to pull SPC M out, all while under intense fire.

There are no Saturdays in Iraq -- [Kaboom - in Iraq]
I woke up this morning and it was last year. A rolling haze of nothing. That’s all I see and hear and feel until a faint sound pings at my mind like a stone tossed down a well. I roll over and pick up my cell phone. Five minutes past 11. Damn it, I think. I was dreaming I was having a near-life experience. Whether this is true or not, I cannot recall. I never remember what I dream. It’s a text message from City Girl. “Wake up sleepy-head!” it says. “And call your adoring girlfriend!” I smile, in spite of my creeping consciousness. It takes a special kind of being to be both classy and demanding in a text message sent from six time zones away.

A day like any other
...I went in and picked up the land line handset. The XO in Baghdad was on the line. He was a no nonsense ring knocker from West Point who also had a MBA from the Wharton School of Business. What he told me chilled my blood. "MiG, you have three shot up convoys heading your way. We have been taking fire all over the country on the MSRs since the early hours of the morning. We don't know how many casualties there are or the condition of the rolling stock. Find these men and give them shelter. We have put out a call for Safe Harbor all over the country. Send an immediate SitRep for each convoy through our COSCOM LNO in Balad. Git r Dun." Holy shit, this is a real war. I took a few deep breaths and went out to find my rocks. Where the fuck was Big Lou? What about Bob? Fritz? Billy?

Freed Journo Explains How The Iraqi Forces Freed Him.

A British journalist who has been freed by forces in Iraq has said he is looking forward to seeing his family and friends.
Richard Butler and his Iraqi interpreter, who were both working for CBS News, were seized in Basra in February.

Baghdad Ballet School -- [Zen Traveler - in Iraq]

We went to a ballet school in central Baghdad today and did a story on the school and its students. It was a fun time and I took over 200 shots. Below are a few of them...

Iraq News (14 Apr) -- [LT Nixon - in Iraq]
The Good: The Government of Iraq has ordered a crackdown on militias selling black market fuel to Iraqi citizens (about damn time). This has been a continuous cash flow for the Mahdi Army, and this move will put the squeeze on their ability to purchase weapons and payoff their thugs. They might need to stock up as the Iraqi Police have seized a cache that was concealed in a hay truck bound for Baghdad. The Iraqi Cabinet has passed the draft Provincial Elections law and it will be sent to the Iraqi Parliament. This will most likely be bitterly disputed, but is ultimately necessary for political progress in Iraq. The Bad: A mass grave of badly decomposed corpses has been found in Diyala province, which was Al-Qaeda in Iraq central through the better part of 2007.

The view this morning -- [Miserable Donuts - in Iraq]
My camera couldn't focus past the back ramp... too bright this morning. Not to worry, the crew could see out, heh heh. I was escorting some Iraqi Army officers and NCOs, as we just happened to be going to the same place. We made quite a comic scene when we all exited with a some fairly heavy bags.

This is War: Memories of Iraq -- [Badger Forward - in Iraq]
If you read Milblogs then you know your single best source of what is happening in Iraq is the people who have been there; the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen that have been slugging it out on the ground for the last five years. The Milblog was the first outlet that allowed those serving here access to the world at large to tell their story.

No news is good news -- [IN-iraq - in Iraq]
Camp Speicher, Iraq- A soldier’s wife hears about an IED attack on her husband’s unit, she passes the news to another soldier’s wife. Pretty soon a dozen families are in panic. Is my husband ok? Why weren’t we notified?
It’s the kind of rumor mill that spins out of control. “We’ve had it happen twice already,” said Lieutenant Colonel Ronald A. Westfall, Commander of the 1st/151st Infantry Battalion out of Jasper, IN.
Westfall said the first time he was in Iraq in 2003, there was one computer and one phone for an entire battalion of 600 soldiers.
Now with many of his troops’ rooms wired, soldiers don’t even have to step outside to send an email home.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” said Lt. Col. Westfall. It’s good that a soldier can get in contact with their loved ones, he said, but sometimes soldiers talk too much about their missions, scaring family members who don’t know the whole story.
“Stuff will happen every day, but if there’s no damage, families don’t need to know,” Westfall said bluntly.

The iWar-- [News::KWWL.com Extra]
Wars are often defined by the technology that records them.
The Civil War was the first to be photographed. News reels brought images of World War II back to America. The Vietnam War was broadcast into our living rooms. And the Gulf War was the first to bring us live satellite reports.
Operation Iraqi Freedom, now being dubbed the iWar, is no different.
...Americans disturbed by reports and videos on some insurgent sites have formed online coalitions of their own in an effort to convince service providers to remove the content.
The Internet is giving users a glimpse into the minds of those on the ground. Everyone from soldiers to Iraqis are creating Internet journals.

Sadr Admits He Called for Iraqi Troops to Rebel -- [Weekly Standard]
We are continually told how the Iraqi government was beaten and humiliated in Basra after it launched an offensive to clear the Mahdi Army and other Iranian-backed Shia militias from the city. Yet when the Iraqi Army announced it was going to dismiss the approximately 1,300 soldiers and police who either failed to carry out their duty or openly defected to the Mahdi Army, Muqtada al Sadr pleaded that they be allowed to keep their jobs and even be "rewarded for their loyalty."

US troops plan to stay put in Sadr City -- [Iraq Updates]
Top US general says his aim is to push the 107-mm rockets being fired from Sadr City out of range.
US and Iraqi forces plan to stay put in a southern sector of Baghdad's Sadr City where they are battling militiamen rather than push deeper into the Shiite bastion, a top US general said on Monday.
There are "no plans to go beyond where we are," said Major General Jeffery Hammond, commander of US forces in Baghdad. Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh on Sunday said that the operations launched more than a week ago would carry on until the sprawling district in eastern Baghdad is entirely cleared of Shiite gunmen.
"We will continue until we secure Sadr City. We will not come out, we will not give up until the people of Sadr City have a normal life," Dabbagh said.

On Owning A War -- [The Tank - Steve Schippert]
Pat Buchanan says today, "The neocons may yet get their war on Iran."
...I feel compelled to restate that fully 10% of U.S. combat deaths in Iraq have come and continue to come at the hands of the EFP armor-piercing roadside bomb that Iran designed, manufactures, and supplies.
Iranians seek us out and kill us on the battlefield. Whether they do this with their army, with proxies, or with Peter Pan - I fail to see how that matters. Our dead brothers are our dead brothers. Yet there is no Iranian war.
If, however, we dare to retaliate by reducing the Iranian cross-border terror camps to dust, is a "Neocons' War" suddenly materializing out of a vacuum? Does America - or more specifically President George W. Bush - instantly become the wild aggressor? How on Earth does one possibly navigate that leap of logic?

Iraqi government: "We will continue until we secure Sadr City" -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Iraq's spokesman said the military will press operations in the Mahdi Army stronghold in Baghdad. The Iraqi cabinet has approved the bill that will prevent political parties from contesting elections if they have a militia; the bill has gone to parliament for approval.

Hope for Iraq's Meanest City -- [Michael Totten - in Iraq]
... Even though it was a quieter city than most in Iraq after the American invasion in 2003, with less looting than in Baghdad and a staunchly pro-American mayor, the Americans should have known that Fallujah was trouble.
But they didn’t, and so they were unprepared when a rogues’ gallery of Islamists, Baathists, and garden-variety malcontents made the city the launching pad for an Iraqi insurgency. The Fallujans who embraced the insurgency were foolhardy, too: had they looked at what similarly-minded Islamist totalitarians had done to Afghanistan, they would have known what hell awaited them at the insurgents’ hands. General David Petraeus’s radical transformation of counterinsurgency tactics has come at just the right time:

Coalition forces detain 18 suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD – Coalition forces detained 18 suspected terrorists Monday and Tuesday during operations targeting the al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist network in the Tigris River Valley and northern part of the country.
Coalition forces analyzed intelligence from several sources to develop a series of operations targeting key links in the AQI network west of Samarra. Ground forces conducted eight missions there Monday and Tuesday and detained 12 suspected terrorists.
In Bayji Tuesday, Coalition forces captured an alleged weapons facilitator also believed to work with an AQI leader who directs attacks in the area. The ground force detained two additional suspected terrorists.

Coalition detains alleged AQI leader, three other suspects in Mosul -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD – Coalition forces captured a reported al-Qaeda in Iraq leader and detained three additional suspected terrorists during operations in Mosul Tuesday.
In a precision operation in Mosul, Coalition forces captured an alleged AQI leader. The suspect is believed to be in charge of an illegal terrorist court system in the area, and is also suspected of involvement in a local bombing cell.

My kind of immigrants. -- [John Of Argghhh!]
Legal, with a stake in the system, and demonstrated commitment.
Servicemembers from throughout Iraq met at the Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory April 12 in which 259 troops became U.S citizens during the largest overseas U.S. naturalization ceremony in history. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy D. Crisp

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan: Kandahar -- [CitizeNews - David Tate - in Afghanistan] (VIDEO)
In effort to demonstrate the strength of their candidacy for NATO entry, Romania has contributed to the the coalition forces in Afghanistan. They are based in one of the more dangerous areas, Kandahar, which has been a Taliban stronghold. Afghan soldiers, relatively new recruits, learn that they will not be paid, and most decide between serving their country or returning to their homes.

Taken em out with Artillery Fire

Taliban coming over and down the hill didn't last too long. Artillery with attitude.

India, Afghanistan: Price of Reconstruction -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Animesh Roul]
Two Indian engineers were killed and at least five others injured in April 12 suicide attack in Nimroz province, located in southwestern Afghanistan when Taliban militants targeted the convoy of road construction workers involved in 218 km strategic Zaranj-Delaram highway project. The slain engineers were working for the Border Road Organization of India (BRO).
Saturday’s blatant terror act came immediately after Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak visited India seeking counterterrorism assistance and training for its armed forces. This might have fuelled the already existing Taliban anger against India and its endeavours in Afghanistan.

CJCS Interview

Hope for the future: Afghanistan's future in its children's hands -- [Yellowhammering Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
GHAZNI, Afghanistan -- There are moments here - never full days or even hours, but moments - where I think about the problems facing this country, and I wonder if Afghanistan will crumble under the weight of it all, despiteour best efforts to prevent it.
It's easy enough to do. The problems are vast and complex. A culture that holds on to anchoring ideas about women and tribes will have difficulty progressing. An economy unable to move into the modern age is subject to the whims of weather and corruption. A government too young and weak to fight its own battles and serve all its people is vulnerable to enemies.
But then I think about the children.

That which doesn't kill me . . . -- [Yellowhammering Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
We at Camp Vulcan were recently surprised by an old friend, one who is lucky to be alive.
Both legs are in a cast.The Khogiani police chief who was in the IED strike with one of our district teams a few weeks ago stopped by for a visit. Both of his legs were in casts but, despite initial reports, he still has both of his feet.
The district sub-governor had the chief in a makeshift bed in the back of his SUV and brought him by to see us.
Cpt. Knueven, the mentor who works with the Khogiani chief, was with him when his police truck was hit by the IED. He lead the rescue effort for the chief and his assistant, the only two passengers in the truck.
The chief's visit was the first time he and Knueven had a chance to sit and talk about that day. Knueven told him he was surprised to find them both alive when they went to the truck, which had been blown apart and flipped over backwards after the IED went off.

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

US releases $215 million for emergency food aid -- [ABC News]
US President George W Bush has ordered the release of $US200 million ($215.8 million) in US emergency food aid to help alleviate food shortages in developing countries in Africa and elsewhere, the White House said.
Mr Bush took action a day after top finance and development officials from around the world called for urgent steps to stem rising food prices, warning that social unrest would spread unless the cost of basic staples was contained.
"This additional food aid will address the impact of rising commodity prices on US emergency food aid programs and be used to meet unanticipated food aid needs in Africa and elsewhere," the White House said in a statement.

Far Left Routed in Italy!!! Communists Wiped Out! -- [Gateway Pundit]
Another staunch Pro-American leader is elected to office in Europe!
All communist party parliament members eliminated for the the first time since WW II.
...After only two years leading the country, the Far Left Prodi government was not just beaten yesterday they were completely squashed in the Italian elections. The communists were completely wiped out.

Chaotic situation in Syria could lead to important changes in the neighborhood -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Olivier Guitta]
Syria has been regularly popping up in the news. In fact, recent events point to the importance of that country for the future of the Middle East. Syria's political situation may indeed have an important impact on a few countries: first of course Lebanon, second Iraq, third Israel, and finally Iran.
First, one should not underestimate Syria's potential for creating havoc on a whim by using some of the militant groups it actively supports: such as Hezbollah and Fatah al-Islam in Lebanon, or Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Palestinian territories.
But also one should not forget Syria's active role in facilitating the transit of foreign fighters joining insurgent groups in Iraq to attack coalition troops or the Iraqi army.

Cables, dispatches and memoranda -- [Peace Like A River]
- McClatchy - Guantanamo detainees facing trial before military commissions have thrown the process into chaos by refusing to cooperate with their military lawyers, who then worry that their licenses might be revoked for defending clients who fired.
- Press TV - The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps says the recent accusations leveled by the enemy against Iran signal their ‘weakness and desperation’. Referring to accusations that Iranian boats confronted a US Navy warship in the Persian Gulf, General Ali Razmjou affirmed that the army boats were carrying out their ‘routine check’ of the area.
- BBC - The Chinese authorities put to death at least 470 people last year, but may have killed up to 8,000, human rights group Amnesty International has said.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Terrorism and Rock 'n Roll -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Jeffrey Breinholt]
Rock and Roll is an American art form. We proudly invented it. Believe it or not, it is related to what we are talking about at this conference - terrorist financing.
You doubt there’s a clash of cultures? Well, unfortunately, it’s now official. We are well beyond arguing over “root causes” of terrorism. That argument is over. It’s time to declare an impasse, assign sides, and let the games begin.
Do not mistake what I am saying for militancy. I am not talking about killing anyone. I am not talking about what my friends in the Pentagon euphemistically refer to as “kinetic” activities.
...Are you inclined to worry about the legitimacy of the complaints by Muslims about the West, and to struggle for answers to the question, “Why do they hate us"?
The answer is obvious: al Qaeda hates everyone they don’t know, everyone who is not like them. It’s not limited to us. After all, they have enemies in Saudi Arabia, and in Egypt. They hate us because we are not as prickly as them. They hate us because we love life. In our parlance, they hate us because they are neither multiculturists nor art lovers, whereas we are. Yes, they hate us in part because of Rock and Roll.

New Intel on Al Qaeda's Western Recruits -- [Counterterrorism Blog - James Gordon Meek]
On the heels of CIA Director Gen. Mike Hayden's recent "Meet the Press" appearance, in which he disclosed that Al Qaeda is recruiting and training operatives who "look western" in order to penetrate the U.S., another top spook offered a few additional scraps of information about the new threat on Friday.
"There is attention being given to finding people who can live in the west, have lived in the west, comfortably, and who can appear western, wear western clothing," Charlie Allen, chief of intelligence and analysis at the Homeland Security Department, told reporters. "I'm talking about people who are Caucasian and non-Caucasian."
Allen, who spent decades as a top CIA official, said there was "a shift in Al Qaeda's strategy" after the late 2005 assassination of Al Qaeda's external operations commander, Abu Hamza Rabia.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Murtha's Office Calls Cops on Iraq Vet's Mom-- Staff Member Calls Marine Moms "Cowards" -- [Gateway Pundit]
...Bev Perlson is the founder of "Band of Mothers" a group of mothers who support the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. This week after leaving Rep. Murtha's office a staff member told her group that they were "cowards."
Rep. John Murtha refused to meet with the Iraq War Veterans and family members when they came to town to rally for the troops and General Petraeus last week. This enraged some marine moms who made a visit to Murtha's office only to have the cops called on them!!

Hell on Wheels 2008 -- [Chuck Zeigenfuss - wounded in Iraq]
The first weekend in May is going to be a big 'un. Friday night, 2 May, I will host a military ball here at the University to honor my graduating senior class, their last formal function before pinning on their gold bars a week later (another event I am greatly proud of--I grew these soon to be LTs, they are the ones who passed the "Post Injury Angry Chuck" litmus test.)
Immediately following the ball, I will change out of my dress blues, load up my shiny new bike (donated by the independence fund, and built by Scott at Bike-on.com) and drive to Bethesda, MD. The next Morning, I will get up early, and along with 500 new friends, will ride said bike to Gettysburg, PA--a ride that should take two days and will cover 110 miles. Don't worry, I'll be bringing extra pain meds.
The ride is a welcome home for the wounded. Many of the participants are fellow former and current patients. Everything they need is taken care of--from the helmets and bikes to the food and lodging. All donated by people like you.
...So my goal, in the next month, it to raise $5000. That's a 10% increase of their current funds. Obviously, more is better, but every single dollar counts.

Thanks For Supporting The Troops - From Maj. Gen. Lynch and myself

Notes on Supporting the Troops -- [BlackFive - Grim]
Two projects you may not have heard about:
Brigade America is an organization that is trying to find ways to support the troops against slander and abuse
...Jim Cannon of "Thinking Right" is doing another "letters from home" project, this time in support of the crew of the USS Russell DDG-59. He'd like to ask you to write a letter (which he will compile and send to the crew, so as not to create strain for them

Army Wives Go on Air - [military.com]
Every Monday night at 8 p.m. a group of Army wives gathers to hear news, relationship advice, parenting tips and deployment support, but this isn't your traditional readiness or support group.
Most of the women haven't met and don't even know each other's names. But over the Internet radio waves and blogs, " Army Wife Talk Radio" founder and host Tara Crooks tries to help Army Families and empower Army spouses.

Chehalis Tribes Announce Benefit to Help Returning Combat Veterans -- [Blog-ah]
ROCHESTER, Wash./PRNewswire/ -- The Chehalis Confederated Tribes will host a special benefit for returning combat veterans at The Lucky Eagle Casino May 17 and 18, tribal officials announced this week. The fundraising effort, appropriately named "The Return To Honor Veterans Benefit," will provide much needed support for the
Dragoon Raiders Soldier and Family Fund and the Freedoms Foundation's Return to Honor Program.

A Nice Amount for a Great Cause -- [INDC Journal]
Folks may recall the story of 1LT Travis Manion, a fallen Marine I wrote about here. More than a year after his tragic yet heroic death, his family has raised over $200,000 for his memorial fund. The money has and will be allocated to help families of fallen servicemen and servicewomen, as well as support a scholarship awarded in Travis' name. I'm unsurprised at the success of the effort; I met the Manion family at the Marine Corps Marathon event, where they gathered friends and family to run in Travis' memory, and their dedication to eulogizing him and raising money for a great cause was truly inspirational.

A Debt that Can Never Be Repaid - Michael Monsoor is Awarded the Medal of Honor -- [Michael Fumento]
...Last week I looked on as President Bush, tears glistening on his face, presented the parents of Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class (Sea, Air, and Land) Michael Monsoor our nation's highest award – the Medal of Honor. "Mr. and Mrs. Monsoor: America owes you a debt that can never be repaid," he said. "This nation will always cherish the memory of your son."
Before the shooting began in Ramadi, the SEALs made clear their disapproval of my presence. Two journalists had previously embedded with my unit, first battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Snipers shot and wounded them both because they stood too long in one spot. This forced soldiers and SEALs to run to where they knew a sniper scope was trained and drag the men to cover. A 101st sergeant was seriously wounded during one rescue. On the evening of the ceremony, at an Irish pub, one after another shook my hand and thanked me telling the world of their heroism and sacrifice. But in Ramadi I was just another casualty waiting to happen.

Iconic Ariz. mountain named for slain soldier -- [A Soldier's Perspective]
Remember Spc. Lori Piestewa? Well after five years, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names voted to change the name of a prominent peak in Phoenix, AZ in her honor.

Remembering our Heroes -- [SWJ]
Four years ago Corporal Jason Dunham did the unimaginable when an insurgent tossed a grenade into the middle of his unit. In a split second, he placed the welfare of his comrades above his own. Covering the grenade with his Kevlar helmet and his body, he saved the lives of the Marines around him. Tragically, he died of his wounds eight days later. Jason’s actions may come as a shock to us, but not to the people who knew him because they reflect the character of the man he was.
Jason was always concerned for others. He had extended his term of enlistment because he wanted to stay with his squad for their entire tour in combat. His good friend, Lance Corporal Mark Dean said “you’re crazy, why would you do that?” Jason’s response was “I want to make sure everyone makes it home alive. I want to be sure you go home to your wife alive." Shortly before deploying to Iraq, Lance Corporal Dean was a little short on cash and Jason bought him a phone card so he could call his wife.

MILITARY

The Army Alphabet -- [TigerHawk]
Upstairs in the boys’ room is a glass bookcase that has largely held the same books since about 1915, with a few additions and subtractions over the years. Most of these are what we could call “chapter books” in 21st century progressive child reading lingo, but there is also a stack of picture books for smaller children, several of which, published in the 40s, no doubt belonged to my father and his brother, and many of which belonged to the preceding generation.
A book that seems to have captured the imagination of my boys is from this last, older stack. It is The Army Alphabet, an ABC book from a different time. Written by L. Frank Baum, author of the myriad Oz books, the Army Alphabet was published in 1900 and depicts US troops as they might have looked in the Spanish American War, wearing blue uniforms, cowboy hats, swords, and on foot or horseback. It is a confident, patriotic book and profoundly politically incorrect by today’s “popular” standard.
The Army Alphabet is always the first choice of my 5 year old son, who can’t get enough of it,

New Web Site for Air Force Retirees -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
www.retirees.af.mil
Air Force has new Web site for retirees
This public Web site offers the retiree family in-depth information on the Survivor Benefit Plan, plus a list of Air Force retiree activities offices worldwide and various other resources. There are also sections dedicated to the Afterburner and Air Force Retiree News Service.

Soldiers and Kids -- [Soldier's Angels - Medical Support]
I love these the best (Photo Gallery)

Rocking those babies -- [Soldier's Angels - Medical Support]
We get lots of requests from the combat support hospitals for supplies to help them care for their Iraqi and Afghan patients. And the patients that they see way too much is kids. It's an unfortunate fact that the impact of war and accidents falls really hard on kids.
One request we ocasionally get is for rocking chairs that can be put in the wards. Any parent knows how there's nothing better for soothing a small child than a rocking chair.

WELCOME HOME

Scenes from Savannah: -- [Grim's Hall]
I'm still very busy.

Reunited!!! -- [Eighty Deuce on the Loose - home from Iraq]
Well this past week has been pretty awesome. The main reason for that is because of a cute little 4 legged friend that I have been able to spend time with again, CHARLIE! Last weekend, I finally was able to make the trip up to Washington DC to reunite with our dog that we had brought back from Iraq. He had been in the States since Feb 14th, and it had been almost a month and a half since I had seen him and was anxiously awaiting this day.

POLITICS

Politico Reports on the Marxist Ideology of Barack Obama Sr. -- [Gateway Pundit]
The article "Long-lost Article by Obama's Dad Surfaces" by by Ben Smith and Jeffrey Ressner discusses the Marxist thesis published by Barack Obama's father back in 1965:

Obama: 'Islam Can Be Compatible With the Modern World' -- [Amy Proctor] (transcript)
At the CNN’s Faith in Public Life’s Compassion Forum, Barack Obama was asked about his understanding of Islam and his experience with it:

Obama is both right and wrong. Right in that Islam can be compatible with the modern world, right that we shouldn’t paint Islam with a broad brush and right that the majority of Muslims are good people trying tot raise their families with similar concerns as we do.
Obama is wrong that there isn’t a “clash of civilizations” going on, particularly within Islam itself let alone between apostates in the religion (like Osama bin Laden and other extremists) and westernized countries in the world. With this philosophy, Obama would have a tough time as president explaining why al-Qaeda attacks so many countries all over the world. This was an uninformed attempt at a cheap shot at the Bush administration by Obama.

Obama Big Money 'Bundler' A Hugo Chavez Supporter, Will Media Report? -- [NewsBusters - Warner Todd Huston]
Adding to the growing mountain of evidence that Barack Obama either intensely dislikes the very country of which he wants to be elected president, or at the very least surrounds himself with those who do, news is breaking that one of Obama's big money donation "bundlers" is virulently anti-military and a supporter of Hugo Chavez -- the well-known Venezuelan dictator famous for his hateful anti-American rhetoric. There is even a photo of Obama "bundler" and Code Pink operative Jodie Evans arm-in-arm with Hugo Chavez. (Evans is the red head in the middle)

Biden, Lugar Agree - Iraq Report Card A Failure, Bush Punting The Troops To Next President

Democratic Senator Joe Biden and GOP Senator Richard Lugar appeared on Late Edition and one thing was clear: they both agreed that the Petraeus/Crocker report card on Iraq showed nearly zero success and demonstrates how our drawn-out occupation has hurt our security, our military and our economy and clearly shows that President Bush is punting on the troops and the American people, leaving the next president to deal with his mess.

Carter offers to act as 'communicator' between Hamas, U.S., Israel -- [Haaretz - Israel News]
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, defending a contentious plan to meet the leader of Hamas, said Monday he hoped to become a conduit between the militant group and Washington and even Israel.
"Isolating Hamas is counterproductive," Carter said.

THE MEDIA

ABC Plugs Egyptian: U.S. Is a Dumb 'Jock' Becoming 'Useless Nation' -- [NewsBusters - Brad Wilmouth]
On Monday, ABC's World News with Charles Gibson highlighted and seemed to glorify anti-America comments made by a young Egyptian woman, whom the show interviewed as part of a regular series about young people from other countries, who compared the States to a dumb "jock" that in a few years will "die down and burn out, and what's left is a totally useless nation."

HUMOR / SATIRE

Day By Day

Bush to Appoint Jimmy Carter Ambassador to Hell -- [ScrappleFace]
(2008-04-15) — As former President Jimmy Carter meets this week with Hamas leaders in the West Bank and Syria, sources at the State Department say President George Bush will soon honor Mr. Carter’s decades of freelance diplomacy by appointing him as the first U.S. Ambassador to Hell.
“Bush just wants Carter to go there,” said an unnamed State Department source, “and to set up an embassy, and try to be a good listener, open a communication channel, find common ground.”

Hamas Greets Carter with Gift of 'Traditional Vest' -- [ScrappleFace]
(2008-04-15) — Jimmy Carter’s Middle East mission of peace got off to a “promising start“, the former U.S. president said, as he returned today from meeting with prominent Hamas member Nasser al-Shaer, wearing what he called, “a lovely traditional ceremonial vest” that the Nobel laureate received as a gift from Mr. al-Shaer.

Dems Slam Bush for Latest Unilateral Move -- [ScrappleFace]
(2008-04-15) — Democrats in Congress today attacked President George Bush’s latest $200 million “go it alone adventure”, just a day after the Commander in Chief ordered the bombardment of Haiti, Egypt, Bangladesh, Mozambique and several other countries with thousands of tons of food.

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