Now Why Didn't I think of That?

Care packages for our four-legged troops.

Friday foolishness

Gasp!

Another secret weapon system revealed?

See here.

Watada update.

LTC Keith recommends that Lieutenant Watada stand trial. Based on what I know just from press reports, that sounded like a slam-dunk. But I admit that Watada's lawyer just pisses me off.

"We always believed that when they went so far as to convene an Article 32 hearing that they had already made a decision to proceed," he said.

Well, yeah, funny how that works - but I assure you, Barrister, that when I convened an Art. 32, my recommendations weren't a given. The fact that you didn't have much of a rebuttal to the public statements of your client is not really grounds for backhanding LTC Keith, who gave you plenty of opportunities to show why there was no cause to proceed.

Bubba, unless the purpose of this trial from your perspective is to provide a martyr for the cause, your comments here show you don't understand the Courts Martial. And that must be driving Watada's Trial Defense Lawyer batty.

Read the whole thing here.

Mebbe Army Lawyer has a more informed view?

When a House of God Ceases to be A House of God

via MNF-I

CAMP AR RAMADI, Iraq – At approximately 12:30 p.m. today, Coalition Forces were attacked from the Al Qadir Al Kilami mosque in Ramadi. The complex attack included small arms and machine gun fire, rocket propelled grenades, hand grenades, and an improvised explosive device attack.

I think the Mosque lost it's Geneva Convention priviledges...and what should we do about it?

using escalation of force procedures...finally fired several main gun rounds from M1 tanks into the mosque in order to defeat the attackers.

News of Afghanistan 18th edition

I'd love to stay, but I have to go read the News!

Milblogging, Canadian Style.

Meet Matt in Afghanistan.

What a stir.

Over the past couple days, this blog has been temporarily offline at the request of my higher-ups in the forces. Agreeing with this request, I took the posts offline for the time being and talked with my mom.

"Mom," I said over MSN Messenger, "I've been asked to take my postings offline for a little while as (my higher-ups) deal with blogging in camp."

My mom didn't have to say anything, but knowing her my whole life, I knew she would be hurt that I wouldn't be allowed to post anything for the time being.

"I can have a blog though, mom," I said to her, "I just need to list it with the Army."

Heh. Like *we* haven't been here before. Mebbe the Canadian Army Higher-ups should call their Southron cousins.

Not that Damian Brooks hasn't been trying to get 'em energized.

To our syrup-swilling, plaid cap wearing, northron brothers blogging from the 'Stan or elsewhere, I offer up this advice.

The Milblogger ROE, courtesy Yankee Sailor.

It's good to see clueless leadership not attuned to the young soldier is *not* an exclusive to the middle of the continent...

We need to extend the hand of brother and sisterhood to our northern compatriots and include them in the next milblogger conference!