Navy Geniuses

TWO NAVAL ACADEMY SENIORS made USA Today's 2007 list of 20 College Academic All Stars.

Sean Genis, U.S. Naval Academy

Age: 22
Hometown: Sharon, Pa.
Major: Physics
GPA: 4.0, graduating in May
Career goal: U.S. Navy submarine officer

Accomplishments: As an elite Trident Scholar, he co-authored research on developing ways to make acoustic detection of landmines more efficient, published in SPIE-International Society of Optical Engineering Proceedings journal; Academy Regimental Commander; cycling team; glee club member; rock a cappella group co-founder; lead role in campus production of H.M.S. Pinafore; used Spanish fluency while sailing aboard a Spanish tall ship owned by the Spanish Naval Academy; Rhodes Scholar.

Christopher Marsh, U.S. Naval Academy

Age: 22
Hometown: New Alexandria, Pa.
Majors: Systems engineering
GPA: 4.0, graduating in May
Career goal: Naval aviator, astronaut

Accomplishments: Working at Los Alamos National Lab, he developed a control system to regulate reactivity and temperature of a lunar surface nuclear reactor design, being developed to power a future manned outpost on the moon; varsity sprint football quarterback; second regimental commander and battalion commander; helped organize program educating men on how to help a rape survivor, presented to more than 1,000 midshipmen; watchstander at crypt of John Paul Jones.

I feel so... inadequate.

Good for the Goose...

REMEMBER the astroturf effort Appeal for Redress?

Well, now there's a response: The Appeal for Courage.

As an American currently serving my nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to fully support our mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat. I also respectfully urge my political leaders to actively oppose media efforts which embolden my enemy while demoralizing American support at home. The War in Iraq is a necessary and just effort to bring freedom to the Middle East and protect America from further attack.

Take that, you seditious surrender monkeys!

Lt Gen (ret.) Odom

This interview of Odom by Hewitt is worth a read. There is an attempted deployment of the chickenhawk argument, an unfettered call to retreat, and a near-simultaneous assertion of knowledgeable study about Iran and lack of knowledge or interest about who the enemy's fighting. Dean Barnett calls it disappointing.

Oh, and at the end it's worth reading what the retired lieutenant general says about Gen. Petraeus. Classy.

Schizophrenic Care Bears

From one group of supposed humanitarians we have this report
via AP

GENEVA (AP) - Unrelenting violence and insecurity in Iraq could cause as many as 1 million Iraqis to flee their homes this year, the world's migration body said Friday.

Another group of care bears suggests this as the solution
via AP

Dems: Congress must fight Bush on Iraq

In other news...
via AP

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The number of Iraqi civilians killed in Baghdad's sectarian violence fell drastically overnight, an Iraqi military official said Friday, crediting the joint U.S.-Iraqi security operation that began in force just days ago.

News of Afghanistan

"Yes your Highness, as a matter of fact I do read the News.

Farewell to the Peacock

COLONEL KEN ALLARD resigns in protest from NBC.

Here's why, in his own words:

When you don't have skin in the game, war becomes a matter of sheer personal preference. Channel clickers are wielded, the soldier overlooked or, as we saw last week, even maligned as a mercenary without provoking a career-ending scandal.

It is, therefore, possible to argue that NBC is merely undergoing a delicate arabesque in anticipation of changing audience preferences and the long- hoped-for Democratic restoration (although journalists generally seem reluctant to raise the tough questions that should punctuate the 2008 campaign).

But has anyone else noticed the network's precipitous retreat from journalistic and ethical standards? Not only were no apologies given and no pink slips issued for Arkin's outburst, but on his MSNBC show last week, Keith Olberman went out of his way to defend this "valid criticism" of our military.

In January, Conan O'Brien was allowed to escape without apology after airing a particularly tasteless gay skit deriding Christianity: "Oh, Jesus, I love you, but only as a friend." (Just try doing that sometime using Mohammad's name!)

And only this week, questions have been raised about the cozy relationships between CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo and the companies she covers as a supposedly objective journalist. The response by Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of GE and godfather of the NBC family: "Substantially, I don't think she did anything wrong."

Fine: Let's hope he's right. But sometimes the only way to show where you really stand is to vote with your feet. And so with great reluctance and best wishes to my former colleagues, with this column I am severing my 10-year relationship with NBC News. (emphasis added)

Ouch.

Oh, and this is my congressman.

The Quote "Surge"

A quick clip from MG Caldwell's Baghdad briefing yesterday:

"First, it will take time for all the additional troops being deployed to arrive and begin operations. Additional Iraqi and American troops comprising the, quote, "surge" will not be completely in place until late May."

I love starting a trend.

Some (hopefully) more insightful observations here.

When Ambushing Recruiters Backfires

Radar Online (don't worry, you've never read it) has an article documenting a "prank" on military recruiters ostensibly to find out how desperate they are for recruits. The article includes purported transcripts of phone calls between the prospective "recruit" and the recruiter. The "recruit" pretends to be a variety of people, from the fashion-conscious-maybe-gay guy to the to a guy with lots of odd health-issues.

Here's the premise:

To find out, Radar's Teddy Wayne called recruiting stations around the country disguised as a veritable Breakfast Club of misfit would-be soldiers, all dramatically unqualified or unattractive for service in some way

The funny part is twofold. First is the assumption of what the military WOULD have done with these recruit but for that pesky Iraq War:

A couple of generations ago, the military would have rejected them faster than you can say quagmire. But despairing recruiters have some serious quotas to meet. And for the promise of a fresh, warm body, it seems they're willing to overlook a few flaws.

Ehhhh....not so much. Unless anyone wants to argue the Army was pulling in the cream of the societal crop as enlistees during between World Wars I and II.

The second funny is that none of the recruiters behaved inappropriately at all. They correctly stated policy, advised recruits on what possible problem areas were and suggested that they come in for an interview.

Basically, the prank backfired.