Discussing Afghanistan Among Other Things

Via Greta's Saturday's Radio Show

Congessman Cao will not be on. Instead we will be discussing Afghanistan with military expert Mr. Greyhawk of the Mudville Gazette.

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For the non-profit portion of the show, I will be featuring Our Military Kids. If a parent is deployed, they pick up the tab for activities to keep children busy during the deployment. I love this group.

You can listen to it here

Survivors in Afghanistan Need Immediate Help - 56 Soldiers Lost EVERYTHING

UPDATE ll: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! - Please read to the end of this update

Thanks everyone!

UPDATE: To make things clear the Army is working to replace uniforms and supplies for these men, however like anything run by any large bureaucracy (ARMY) it takes longer to get to the user. On any supply run, mail gets priority over other stuff. Therefore, johhny getting extra socks via mail, from a donor, is quicker than the supply chain, which is focused on things like chow, bullets, fuel, water.

This is why we support these types of efforts.

Some Soldiers Mom Post a response from a favorite Army friend to those in the blogosphere who question these efforts: Excerpt:

...
Instead of reasoning with you about supply chain metrics or the priorities of resupply, I'll just ask you to pony up five fucking dollars, the cost of a Latte and Biscotti, and buy a damn pair of socks for a deployed soldier. Then spend an extra five dollars (might have to forgo renting a couple movies this weekend) and mail them to someone whose highlight of the week might just be that single pair of fresh, clean socks he received in the mail. Take stock of your cushy -assed life and do something for someone else for a change. Stop bitching about how much the government spends on defense, and help a soldier out. Right now, it doesn't matter WHY there's a shortage, it only matters that there IS a shortage, and the fastest way to fill that gap is by the American People stepping up and taking action themselves. Nobody's asking YOU to pick up a rifle or put YOUR life at risk. They're just asking you for a pair of fucking socks.

Via Tanker Babe who has been heading this effort:

my great friend and troop support partner, Bob Connolly and I have been in direct contact with the unit's CSM after learning that the base was destroyed and the men lost all of their belongs except the clothes on their backs. The Army is working to replace uniforms for the men. But they need assistance with other personal items. And they NEED TO KNOW that we are thinking about them over here, too.

Please contact me ASAP via email tankerbabelc@gmail.com. We want to work to assure every Soldier is covered with basics first so it is important that we track the donated items. If you prefer to make a monetary donation I can give you information to do so.

She has list of items needed here

Tammy's husband has a first-hand account of attack HERE

Soldiers' Angels is sending socks for each soldier, along with a stack of morale-building notes from kids.

And the American Legion want those battle participants to know we care with the COP Keating Afghan Relief Fund.">And the American Legion want those battle participants to know we care with the COP Keating Afghan Relief Fund.

Battle participant: "most people back home don't even know, no one gives a shit" The American Legion does, and we're going to prove it. Following this blog posting is information on how to donate to the Combat Outpost Keating Relief Fund. These men have lost friends, lost their outpost, and lost all their belongings. One who made it out wrote that "most people back home don't even know, no one gives a shit". Well, many of us do. And you can prove it by giving whatever you can to try and buy these guys things like running shoes, and other essentials, as well as some comfort items like iPods and DvD players. The American Legion's Operation Comfort Warrior has kicked in $1000 to start the fund, and your humble blogger will be the first one to donate $100. I intend to get these items out by the end of next week. ANY amount you can give, no matter how small will help us prove that we do care.

Go read the whole thing, a must read with details before, during, and after attack.

You can also email Mark at the American Legion MOTHAX@LEGION.ORG or click here for donations.

Let's not let these heroes feel forgotten, we must show them we are a grateful nation.

Other getting the word out:

USA Today [TMG Editors Note: why is this on the Fidel Castro page?]
Some Soldiers Mom
Homefront Six
Memeoradum
This Ain't Hell...
Oath Keepers
Assoluta Tranquillita
Running Shoes Review
Canada Free Press
Patriots for America
If Laura Petrie Married General Patton
United We Roll at Stardust Radio
Knee Deep in the Hooah
Soldiers Angels New York
Army of Dude
The Sniper
Foreign and Domestic

Dispatch from Afghanistan

ABC Exclusive: Wounded U.S. Soldiers Refused to Leave Taliban Fight

Flying into the besieged Afghan base during a nighttime firefight this weekend was a harrowing mix of overwhelming noise, stomach dropping maneuvers and shadows hurrying through the gloom.

When the chopper lifted off moments later with three wounded soldiers, it left behind others who were wounded but refused to be MEDEVACED out of the combat zone so they could return to fight with their buddies.

Fighting raged at two remote U.S. outposts near the Pakistan border this weekend, that left eight U.S. soldiers dead and 24 wounded. The battle was fought from Friday night through Sunday as hundreds of Taliban insurgents and their allies tried to overrun the Americans.

Who Really Benefits From Lying About McChrystal's Speech?

Via Villainous Company:

For the past few days, the media and the Left have been peddling a deeply divisive and dishonest account of Stanley McChrystal's speech and Q&A session at IIIS in the United Kingdom. The current meme du jour is that McChrystal has been "smacked down" by Robert Gates. If this is so (and I doubt it is) it would be exceedingly bizarre. For what was McChrystal supposedly rebuked - agreeing with Obama and Gates in every particular?

Let's compare what Gates just said with what McChrystal is reported to have said

Read more here