Support: Use The Bone

Support: Use The Bone: "Bone conduction speakers for radios have been around since World War II. But building them so they were rugged and reliable enough for combat has been more difficult. A French firm (Elno) apparently has solved the problem, as they have a contract to supply “OH 395 full bone conduction headset” for the new personal radio being issued to French troops. The Elno device speakers rest on the skin just in front of the ear, and transmit the sound, via bones there, to produce a very clear sound. You can still hear through your ears, which is an important issue for combat troops."

Electronic Weapons: The iPhone And The Lost Cause

Electronic Weapons: The iPhone And The Lost Cause: "In Afghanistan and Iraq, where widespread cell phone service followed in the wake of the American invasions, many U.S. troops have bought local cell phone service, and use these phones when on combat operations. But the troops want more out of their phones than just instant communications. Like many business users, military personnel see the many potential uses of 'smart phones.' These are cell phones with personal computer like power, and capabilities. About ten percent of the cell phones being shipped this year are smart phones (the iPhone and Blackberry are two of the more popular models). Smart phones are particularly popular with businesses, where most of them are used. About a third of business users let their smart phone replace their laptop at least some of the time. But many business users are pushing for smart phones powerful enough to replace their laptops a lot more often."

Murphy's Law: The Usual Suspects

Murphy's Law: The Usual Suspects: "So far this year, the U.S. has released over 5,000 suspected terrorists it was holding in Iraq. Since then, dozens of them have been killed carrying out terror attacks, or arrested by Iraqi police for being part of terrorist groups. Iraqi and American counter-terrorism warned that a wholesale release of American held terror suspects would get people killed. But letting all those guys (they were mostly guys, and mostly Sunni Arabs) go was the politically correct thing to do, and off they went."

Winning: Afghans Protest New Rules of Engagement

Winning: Afghans Protest New Rules of Engagement: "The U.S. is increasingly encountering angry Afghan civilians, who demand that the Americans act more decisively in pursuing and killing Taliban gunman. Even if it puts Afghan civilians at risk. This is an unexpected side effect of a change, three months ago, of the U.S. rules of engagement (ROE) in Afghanistan. This was in response to popular (or at least media) anger at civilians killed by American smart bombs."

Leadership: We Want The Future, And We Want It Now

Leadership: We Want The Future, And We Want It Now: "When American troops went into Afghanistan in early October, 2001, it was several hundred SOCOM Special Forces operators that did most of the work. Once the media got to the Special Forces guys, stories started coming out about the non-standard gear they were using. American infantrymen being sent to Afghanistan saw those stories, as did people in the Pentagon. Connections started to get made. Among other things, someone in the Pentagon realized that the army would not look too good if too many journalists interviewed too many troops who had bought civilian equipment with their own money. Especially if the new equipment, from a civilian supplier, was obviously superior to the stuff the government was giving the troops. With this kind of incentive, the Rapid Fielding Initiative was quickly set up and became a big success."

Idiocy

McChrystal troops request shelved pending review - Yahoo! News: "The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan has submitted a request for more troops, a spokesman said Saturday, but the Pentagon will hold it while President Barack Obama decides what strategy to pursue."

You can't make military decisions this way. If the CinC wishes to substitute his own thinking, or the thinking of his advisors, for that of his commander on the ground, that's his prerogative.

"Be confident, even in your mistakes," was advice given me long ago and it's a lesson that the Presidnet has clearly never learned. There are plenty of military maxims to back it up; "fortune favors the bold," "l'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace." This kind of thinking requires flexibility, certainly. Once you realize that you have confidently erred, you must adjust. Another, more modern maxim for this is "semper gumby," "always flexible."

There's simply not time for blue-ribbon panels, and lengthy fact-finding. You make your best possible decision with the information you have and you go with it. Mumbling about getting all the infomation first, and "getting the strategy right," is just an excuse for dithering, in this case, probably borne of fear of rising body counts (which should not be a factor in this kind of decision--this is operational and strategic planning, you leave this consideration to your tactical leaders, painful as that may be for poll driven pols).

The fact is that there just aren't that many strategy choices available here. Unless this is the strategy--to waffle until the body count is high enough to give cover to abandon the Afghans.

Silly Communist Tricks

Morale: Pretty Women On Parade: "China has hired professional female models to march in a parade. This was seen as very important for the survival of the communist government."

Sony Acquiring He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Superhero Hype!

Sony Acquiring He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Superhero Hype!: "Just weeks after the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe movie left Warner Bros. Pictures, Mattel is finalizing a deal with Columbia Pictures. Escape Artists will produce the project."

Information Warfare: The Wrath Of The Worm

Information Warfare: The Wrath Of The Worm: "The original panic came about when a worm program got on to a secret network via a USB device. The top secret network (SIPRNET, that operates just like the Internet) is available only to people in the military. The problem in question was hacker programs ('worms') that automatically copy themselves to rewritable CDs and DVDs as well as memory sticks. Then, the next time CD/DVD/memory stick is read by another program, the 'worm' program copies itself onto that computer, and tries to secretly take over, and enable hackers to gain access and steal stuff. This stuff is so scary that the military promptly told troops to not use memory sticks on military computers. This caused problems in the combat zone, where there is not a lot of bandwidth (Internet capacity) for moving information around. Troops prefer to keep a lot of stuff on memory sticks. When the troops rebelled against these restrictions, some units physically sealed USB ports on some machines. But, in the end, the troops won this round."

Somalia: Screw You

Somalia: Screw You: "The natural state of Somalia, over the last few centuries, has been violent anarchy. For the last century, however, order was imposed, first by colonial governments, and then by post-colonial dictators. But Somali dictators have been unable to maintain their rule over the entire region known as 'Somalia.' A government of sorts was always found in some of the coastal towns, which enabled trade with the outside world. But this has been threatened by the recent growth of piracy. Warlords and Islamic radical groups have taken over coastal villages and are running piracy operations from them. This is possible because of the current anarchy. In the past, piracy was suppressed by foreign navies destroying the towns of villages the pirates used as bases. This is no longer politically acceptable, and no one is yet willing to send troops ashore to fight the warlords who created and maintain the pirate operations."

Logistics: American Tanker Follies Resume

Logistics: American Tanker Follies Resume: "There are, for all practical purposes, two suitable replacements (the Boeing KC-767 and Airbus MRTT/KC-30) already flying. These two aircraft are being sold to air forces around the world. Last year, the U.S. Air Force selected the Airbus aircraft, which is based on the Airbus 330-300, which normally sells for $160 million each. The losing design, KC-767, being American, caused a stink in Congress, and questions about the selection process. So the decision was rescinded, and the air force was ordered to try again."

Counter-Terrorism: The Palestinian Disconnection

Counter-Terrorism: The Palestinian Disconnection: "Al Qaeda didn't pay much attention to the Palestinians, or their cause, until after September 11, 2001. Once the Americans ran al Qaeda out of Afghanistan, and came after the terrorists all over the world, al Qaeda reached out to the Palestinians, and embraced their goal of destroying Israel. The Palestinians did not really reciprocate, because it soon became obvious that al Qaeda were not even as effective as the Palestinians were during the 1960s and 70s."

Special Operations: Adrift In The Wilderness

Special Operations: Adrift In The Wilderness: "What did not work in Afghanistan was getting SOCOM operators (Special Forces and SEALs) around via ground vehicles. SOCOM troops rely on speed and surprise. That is often only possible in Afghanistan when you use helicopters. SOCOM never has enough helicopters. In Iraq that was less of a problem because SOCOM could borrow helicopters from the army. But in Afghanistan, the army has more emergency situations requiring helicopters, thus creating more situations where the choppers are simply not available for SOCOM operations. The result is that SOCOM cannot carry out all the raids and long distance reconnaissance missions that it has troops for"

Attrition: Seeking Stressed Soldiers

Attrition: Seeking Stressed Soldiers: "The U.S. Veterans Administration is spending over $300 million a year on PTSD (out of nearly $100 billion spent on veterans annually.) Lawyers are increasingly soliciting troops coming back from duty overseas, and urging them to claim they have PTSD, and apply for disability benefits. Other nations have similar problems. The involvement of crooked lawyers in disability scams has been big business in the United States for decades. In the 1990s, the problem reached scandalous proportions as more lawyers discovered how easy it was to get money from the Veterans Administration for Vietnam veterans (and keep a portion of it for themselves.)
The problem with the lawyers assisting troops in scamming the government for benefits payments is nothing new. It has been going on for years in the civilian disability insurance and social security disability systems. Lawyers involved in class action suits, for large numbers of victims have been caught doing coaching, and records falsification, on a large scale. Veterans groups are trying to stem this sort of fraud, as it diverts money needed by veterans with real injuries, into the pockets of scammers. With the growing number of combat veterans coming home, the demand for resources will be higher than it has been for decades."

Counter-Terrorism: Yemen Smolders

Counter-Terrorism: Yemen Smolders: "Yemeni government has also been unable to give its full attention to outfits like al Qaeda lately. That's because Yemen has been fighting Shia Islamic militants in the north for most of the year. The government believes that the Shia rebels are getting support from Iran. For the last two months, the army has been steadily advancing in the north, forcing over 100,000 civilians from their homes. Hundreds of armed rebels have died, and whatever aid Iran may be providing, isn't working."

China: Going Old School To The End Of The World

China: Going Old School To The End Of The World: "One of the more popular quips in China these days is, 'without corruption, the Communist Party will fail, with corruption, the country will fail.' In other words, the solution to the corruption problem involves the removal of the Communist Party bureaucracy. The communist bureaucrats are not too fond that approach, but many quietly (or not so quietly) realize that it is true."

Counter-Terrorism: The Menace Of Murderous Militant Morons

Counter-Terrorism: The Menace Of Murderous Militant Morons: "One of the little discussed tragedies of Islamic terrorism is the fact that most of those it attracts are the least capable. Islamic terrorism is not only an act of extremism, but also of desperation of those who have few other prospects. It's an international organization because Islam, in general, has not been amenable to taking advantage of new technology and economic opportunity, except for cable TV and the Internet. That's why the Moslem world has lagged so far behind the rest of the world in the last century. Religious leaders are reluctant to discuss the possibility of Islam being part of the problem, although many educated Moslems are becoming more aggressive in seeking out cultural problems, and proposing solutions. Terrorism is not seen as a practical way out by most Moslems, but the threat of retribution by Islamic radicals makes it difficult for most Moslems to speak up."

Afghanistan: It's The (Drug) Economy, Stupid

Afghanistan: It's The (Drug) Economy, Stupid: "In addition to money, another major motivator of the Taliban is the news from the West, as more people call for the withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan, after a few of the troops from a Western nation are killed. The Taliban are well aware of the fact that the foreign troops cannot be beaten in combat. But the Western media tends to slant the news to favor the Taliban, and persuade politicians, in the West, to claim that the Taliban are winning, cannot be beaten and that getting out of Afghanistan is the wise thing to do. The Taliban love this stuff, and radio commentators (largely illiterate Afghanistan is too poor for lots of TV, but nearly everyone has a radio, and there are dozens of illegal Taliban radio stations) make much of it."

Forces: Reading Isn't Overrated

Forces: Reading Isn't Overrated: "Only about 25 percent of recruit are literate. While this can be ignored for the lower ranking troops, NCOs need to read. Illiterate recruits also take longer to train, and more effort to work with. The U.S. has provided an intensive literacy course for troops, which gets most of them to basic ('functional') literacy within a year. In addition to being able to read signs and maps, the newly semi-literate troops are taught to sign their names, and write out the serial number of their weapon."

Attrition: Air Force Weaklings Cast Out

Attrition: Air Force Weaklings Cast Out: "But this year, someone at the top noted a general slackening when it came to enforcement. Thus the new changes, which include civilian contractors administering the tests (rather than air force personnel). The main reason for the latest changes (which only up the physical standards a bit) was the realization that many commanders were not pushing physical fitness as much as the brass wanted. The reason for that was a quiet revolt in the ranks against all the new emphasis on being buff. For many unit commanders, it was a morale issue, and the work doesn't get done as well when the troops are in a bad mood. It's expected that there will be a big increase in the number of troops (10-20 percent of them) failing the test because of the new rules. This will result in lots of activity in the gym, and all over bases, as airmen hustle to prepare for the next test (which is now held every six months.)"

Intelligence: Things You Should Not Know

Intelligence: Things You Should Not Know: "Another reason the military likes black projects is that it keeps the media off their backs until the projects actually working. During the R&D phase, there are all sorts of spectacular failures, which the media loves to jump all over. The pundits call into question the wisdom of projects because there have been failures during development. The media is pretty clueless about how R&D works, and don't really care. Scary headlines are all that counts. Most of the black projects work out just fine, but without all the usual media drama that accompanies non-black stuff."

Warplanes: Combat Props Get Some Respect

Warplanes: Combat Props Get Some Respect: "Resurrecting the OV-10 is a side effect of the success the air force has had with large UAVs, especially the Predator. Prop driven aircraft are much cheaper to operate than jets. A Predator costs less than a tenth, per hour in the air, that an F-16 does. The OV-10 would provide similar economies, especially since it could also carry 500 pound JDAMs and hundred pound Hellfire missiles. Smart bombs make an aircraft like the OV-10 a lot more useful, and economical. The OV-10 could also carry a targeting pod, like the Sniper XR, which weighs about 450 pounds. This gives the air craft superb reconnaissance capability, backed by smart bombs and guided missiles to immediately attack targets found."

I'd Say "Duh!" but It's Still Being Considered.

David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey: Mandatory Insurance Is Unconstitutional - WSJ.com: "The mandate's real justifications are far more cynical and political. Making healthy young adults pay billions of dollars in premiums into the national health-care market is the only way to fund universal coverage without raising substantial new taxes. In effect, this mandate would be one more giant, cross-generational subsidy—imposed on generations who are already stuck with the bill for the federal government's prior spending sprees."

2996 Tribute

This post will stay at the top for a week (9/11 to 9/18).
Michell Lee Robotham worked on the 103rd floor of World Trade Center Two. Michell was the mother of Alexandra, who was five years old at the time of the attacks on the World Trade Center. Michell lived in Kearny, New Jersey, but was originally from Wisconsin and had also lived in Houston, Texas, before coming to New York, where she was hired as a Help Desk Manager for Aon Risk Services (now Aon Corporation).
Michell is survived by her daughter, Alexandra, her mother and two brothers, Rodney and Travis.

Thanks to A Lady's Ruminations for pointing the tribute out.

Join The Tribute!

DEFEND MICHAEL

DEFEND MICHAEL: "MILITARY PROSECUTORS WITHHOLD EVIDENCE; ARMY RANGER GOES TO PRISON FOR 25 YEARS FOR SHOOTING AL QAEDA OPERATIVE"

LT Behenna admits that he made a series of mistakes and should perhaps face consequences. Nevertheless, on the face of it, it does indeed appear that there has been misconduct in his prosecution. If nothing else, LT Behenna deserves a swift appeal.

HT: Jeff Goldstein

Ambushed Marines' Aid Call 'Rejected'

I am not in favor of leaving Afghanistan, but if this is to be the way we fight, leaving would be preferable.

Ambushed Marines' Aid Call 'Rejected': "The U.S. troops had to wait more than an hour for attack helicopters to come to their aid and their appeal for artillery fire was rejected, with commanders citing new rules designed to avoid civilian casualties, the report said."

Dem Senator Warns of 'Big, Big Tax' on Middle Class in Baucus Bill - The Note

Dem Senator Warns of 'Big, Big Tax' on Middle Class in Baucus Bill - The Note: "The Baucus proposal would impose, starting in 2013, a 35 percent excise tax on insurance companies for 'high-cost plans' -- defined as those above $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for family plans."

Leadership. Courage. Judgment

Obama Delays Afghanistan Troop Decision as Criticism Deepens - Bloomberg.com: "President Barack Obama said he’ll hold off deciding whether to add more U.S. troops to the war in Afghanistan, as Democratic lawmakers raised concerns that he lacks a clear plan and measures of progress."

Sign teh Petition--Give us what we need in Afghanistan.

Vets for Freedom: "By accepting the troop recommendations of General McChrystal—and his boss General David Petraeus—we have a chance to turn the war in Afghanistan around. This is a moment in history we must not miss."

Leadership: The Message In Afghanistan

Leadership: The Message In Afghanistan: "The U.S. also has to solve the problem of the drug business. Apparently Helmand province is something of a Garden of Eden for Afghanistan, the most fertile and productive agricultural region in the country. Can this be done by showing the way through promoting luxury agriculture in other, friendlier, fertile regions? There are crops like saffron and vanilla that are almost as profitable as poppies, and a lot safer. Then there is the international flower trade. Demand for these products is generally increasing, so a rise in production won't necessarily lead to a precipitous fall in global pricing."

Colombia: Missile Magic

Colombia: Missile Magic: "FARC has been trying to obtain missiles on the black market, and the U.S. recently arrested a Syrian arms dealer offering FARC such missiles (via Iran backed Lebanese group Hezbollah). FARC believes the missiles, and landmines, are the wonder weapons that will enable the organization to survive the relentless attacks of the army and police. FARC is being forced into less profitable (for producing cocaine) territory in Ecuador and Venezuela."

"Venezuela is headed for an economic crises as its oil industry becomes more politicized (employees are hired more for their loyalty to Chavez, than their ability to produce oil). Many of the more competent Venezuelan oil industry professionals (from blue collar to executives) are fleeing to Colombia, which now has a new supply of experienced, highly skilled, workers."

House of Representatives adopts Newspeak

In other news, all representatives are equal, but some are more equal than others.

House guidelines for Presidential put-downs - Glenn Thrush - POLITICO.com: "'Disgrace' and 'nitwits' -- okay.
'Liar' or 'sexual misconduct' -- ixnay."

Infantry: A Kill House That Makes House Calls

Infantry: A Kill House That Makes House Calls: "The U.S. Army has created a portable 'kill house' (Live Fire Virtual Targeting, or LFVT system), which is currently being used by the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade in Italy. A kill house is one in which you can use live ammo while carrying out combat training inside buildings. These days, it's more commonly called an 'assault house' or 'shoot house.' But during World War II, when the concept was invented, they were called 'kill house,' and many troops still use that more descriptive, if less PC, term. What's really remarkable about the army's new LFVT is that it's mainly for training infantry. Back during World War II, kill houses were developed to train commandos. You couldn't trust anyone but commandos to use live ammo, in close quarters, during training."

Leadership: Russia Does It Right This Time

Leadership: Russia Does It Right This Time: "So the Russians are opening an NCO Academy. It will take 2,000 NCOs a year, and put them through a 34 month course in how to be a superior NCO. Much of the instructional material is being borrowed from the West, where similar NCO schools have been around for decades. None of these schools, however, keep their students for nearly three years. But the Russians know that they have to break a chain of tradition (hazing among troops, deferring all decisions to officers, and so on) that has crippled the Russian army for over half a century."

Procurement: Tyranny For Sale

Procurement: Tyranny For Sale: "Venezuela is also said to be buying 92 tanks, either T-72s or T-90s (the latter is a much upgraded version of the former). None of Venezuela's borders are tank country, and only one of Venezuela's neighbors has large tank forces (Brazil, which has over 500 heavy tanks). So these tanks would mainly used to keep Venezuelans in line. For that, T-72s would do."

Support: Egypt Deploys Anti-Tunnel Sonar

Support: Egypt Deploys Anti-Tunnel Sonar: "Since Hamas took control of Gaza two years ago, when they defeated Fatah (militarily, and at the ballot box), they turned Gaza into a police state. Then they took charge of the economy by controlling what goes through smuggling tunnels, and what people pay for it. While Hamas complains about the Israeli blockade, which is in place because Hamas refuses to stop demanding that Israel be destroyed, and bringing weapons (especially long range rockets) into Gaza to make that happen, they would go bankrupt if the blockade were lifted."

FT.com / Global Economy - Economist warns of double-dip recession

FT.com / Global Economy - Economist warns of double-dip recession: "Speaking at the Sibos conference in Hong Kong on Monday, William White, the highly-respected former chief economist at the Bank for International Settlements, also warned that government actions to help the economy in the short run may be sowing the seeds for future crises." (Emphasis added)

Standard lack of perspective

E.J. Dionne starts his column today with a scenario and a question:

"If you saw a woman struck by a car, would you call an ambulance right away? Or would you first ask for her papers to make sure she was not an illegal immigrant?"

In addition to having bought into the H1N1 scare, he fails to consider how his attempt at Socratic teaching can be turned about.

So I have to wonder, if E.J. Dionne saw a woman struck by a car, would he call an ambulance right away? Or would he first ask for her papers to make sure she was properly covered by the required health insurance?

In fact, it may not matter if he would or wouldn't. He might not have a choice in the matter depending on how the Senate version of health insurance reform, as structured by Senator Max Bauccus and his committee, is structured.

E.J. might be off hat hook in a number of ways. Maybe, though he'd promptly called, the ambulance company would decline to respond until proof of insurance was provided. Maybe they wouldn't deny this accident victim transportation, but would deny treatment at the hospital until her "breathing license" could be produced. (Because what mandatory health insurance will amount to.)

Or maybe anyone in that chain of events, from E.J. to the dispatcher, to the driver, to the admitting nurse, the doctor, or the hospital, would only be required to report the hapless woman to the IRS. Because, how else will the government be able to find the insurance deadbeats. Consider that up to 1/3 of the drivers in many states where auto insurance is required; still don't make the requisite purchase.

That's where the similarity, President Obama's "point" in his televised address notwithstanding, between health insurance and auto insurance ends. No one is required to own or operate a car. There is no such choice with regard to possessing health or operating a human body. Not unless we are going to counsel some people to suicide.

Intelligence: A Gang Of Geeks Pile On

Intelligence: A Gang Of Geeks Pile On: "GCHQ personnel are 'signals intelligence' (SIGINT) experts, and usually strive to obtain information about enemy electronic communications. GCHQ also has the capability of tapping into the Internet and satellite phones. The British SIGINT experts have long worked with the American NSA on many projects, and constantly share information. This was apparently the case with the liquid bomb investigation, which led to the arrest of the plotters in 2006. But the al Qaeda operative who created the liquid bomb design, was not caught. He's still out there. Al Qaeda provided several hundred thousand dollars for the establishment of a bomb building workshop in Britain, which was raided during the investigation."

Infantry: Seeking A Droid That Does It All And Does It Well

Infantry: Seeking A Droid That Does It All And Does It Well: "Before September 11, 2001, the army didn't expect to have robots like PackBot or SUGV until 2013. But the technology was already there, and the war created a major demand. The robots expected in 2013 were to be part of a new generation of gear called FCS (Future Combat Systems). SUGV is still waiting for some of the high tech FCS communications and sensor equipment, and is using off-the-shelf stuff in the meantime. The troops don't care, as long as it works."

The Federal Government can Make Me Buy Insurance?

Obama to Endorse Public Plan in Speech - WSJ.com: "Democratic plans call for requiring most Americans to carry health insurance. Failure to comply could cost families as much as $3,800 a year, according to a new Senate proposal."

Attrition? I'll say.

Attrition: A More Exclusive Club: "Two years ago, the U.S. Army National Guard (NG) had fixed its recruiting problems and restored itself to its authorized strength of 358,000. But now the National Guard has been ordered to cut its strength nine percent. At the same time, the recession, and fewer NG units being sent overseas, has brought even more business for recruiters. The NG has long been seen as a good part time job, and these days, any kind of job, in some parts of the country, is a good job. So now the NG recruiters have been ordered to take a lot fewer people and be a lot more picky. It's still possible to join the NG, but the standards have been raised quite a bit."

More evidence to support my claim that the administation is deliberately trying to make defense too expensive to maintain. While personnel costs are the fastest way to raise the overall pricetag in today's military, the National Guard is the best deal, dollar for dollar, in defense. So we cut the piece that costs the least and continue to increase the active duty rolls, which is the most expensive part.

Just Say "No."

Senate must raise debt ceiling above $12T - TheHill.com: "Now Obama is asking Congress to raise the debt ceiling, something lawmakers are almost certain to do despite misgivings about the federal debt. The ceiling already has been hiked three times in the past two years, and the House took action earlier this year to raise the ceiling to $13 trillion."

Armor: Mountain Warfare

Armor: Mountain Warfare: "American and NATO infantry often have to check out remote villages on foot. Here they are at a disadvantage, because the foreign troops carry three times the weight of gear and weapons than their Taliban opponents. While the foreign troops have lots of air power, all the troops can always depend on getting are UAVs, often the five pound, unarmed, Ravens. If a large group of Taliban are encountered, the enemy can often escape cross country, especially if you cannot call in a manned warplane or helicopter gunship quickly. Worse, the Taliban can take shelter among civilians. The new ROEs (Rules Of Engagement) prevent the use of air power when civilians are about."

Attrition: Stop The Bleeding

Attrition: Stop The Bleeding: "The Combat Lifesaver course teaches the troops how to do things like insert breathing tubes, and other emergency surgical procedures to restore breathing. The CLS troops have skills most likely to be needed in lifesaving situations, when a medic is not available. The additional emergency medical training, and new emergency first aid gear (the 'CLS bag') has saved hundreds of lives, and reduced the severity of even more wounds. Enough troops have taken CLS training so that there is one for every 10-15 combat troops, and one for every 20 or so support troops on convoy or security duty."

Murphy's Law: This Gig Sucks

Murphy's Law: This Gig Sucks: "Young engineers and scientists would rather work on consumer electronics, or Internet based companies, than design and build new warships, missiles or weapons in general. NASA is having an equally difficult time because space operations are not nearly as attractive as they used to be."

Counter-Terrorism: Taliban Threaten Arizona and Nevada

Counter-Terrorism: Taliban Threaten Arizona and Nevada: "The U.S. Air Force fears that the Taliban may attempt a terror attack against the U.S. bases (in Nevada and Arizona), where the operators control (via satellite link) Predator and Reaper UAVs flying over Pakistan. These UAVs have killed dozens of Taliban and al Qaeda leaders in the past year. The terrorists have fired mortars at the Pakistani Air Force bases that the UAVs operate from, but these attacks have been too limited to do much damage, much less interfere with flight operations. The Taliban are getting desperate."

Economists Measure GDP Growth From Outer Space

Economists Measure GDP Growth From Outer Space: "In a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, J. Vernon Henderson, Adam Storeygard, and David N. Weil suggest a new framework for estimating a country or region’s gross domestic product (GDP) by using satellite images of the area’s nighttime lights."

Hydrogen Storage Gets New Hope

Hydrogen Storage Gets New Hope: "Los Alamos researchers have been working with University of Alabama colleagues on developing methods for the efficient recycling of ammonia borane. The research team made a breakthrough when it discovered that a specific form of dehydrogenated fuel, called polyborazylene, could be recycled with relative ease using modest energy input. This development is a significant step toward using ammonia borane as a possible energy carrier for transportation purposes."

Submarines: U.S. Boats Delayed Because Of Many Manufacturing Defects

Submarines: U.S. Boats Delayed Because Of Many Manufacturing Defects: "It all began when a weld inspector at the Newport News shipyard was found to be falsifying the inspection of welding jobs on four Virginia class submarines and a Nimitz class carrier. Some 10,000 welds had to be re-inspected, as these are how many the now dismissed inspector handled in four years on the job. Each Virginia class sub has about 300,000 welds that have to be inspected. Normally, only a few will fail inspection and have to be redone."

Special Operations: The New Shape Of Things

Special Operations: The New Shape Of Things: "Special Forces belongs to SOCOM (Special Operations Command), which is itself still a small force (53,000 troops). Most of these are from the army, but SOCOM troops represent less than eight percent of army personnel. The majority of SOCOM people are providing support for the 13,000 operators (Special Forces, SEALs, commandos. Rangers and other specialists) who are constantly overseas chasing down terrorists."

'Massive' ancient wall uncovered in Jerusalem - CNN.com

'Massive' ancient wall uncovered in Jerusalem - CNN.com: "The wall is believed to have been built by the Canaanites, an ancient pagan people who the Bible says inhabited Jerusalem and other parts of the Middle East before the advent of monotheism."

2 radio towers in Washington state toppled

2 radio towers in Washington state toppled: "A sign bearing the letters ELF was found near the towers, said Andy Skotdal, general manager of KRKO Radio in Everett, about 25 miles north of Seattle. The Earth Liberation Front is a loose collection of radical environmentalists that has claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks since the 1990s."

Counter-Terrorism: The Bombs Of Helmand

Counter-Terrorism: The Bombs Of Helmand: "Thus while the foreign troops are busy chasing down the Taliban and drug gangs in Helmand, the civilians have learned that they have more to fear from the Taliban bombs, than they do from the foreign troops. Responding to that, the foreign troops are trying to provide even more medical care for bomb victims, as well as clearing key roads for civilian, as well as military, use. While most people in Helmand like the money they make off heroin, they have little love for the foreign troops, and less for the Taliban."

This day in 1774

This Day in U.S. Military History: September 5: "In response to the British Parliament's enactment of the Coercive Acts in the American colonies, the first session of the Continental Congress convenes at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia. Fifty-six delegates from all the colonies except Georgia drafted a declaration of rights and grievances and elected Virginian Peyton Randolph as the first president of Congress. Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Adams, and John Jay were among the delegates."

Damn Straight it's Not

George Will has a mighty strage conception of "keeping faith." I think he's been hanging out with the This Week crowd for way too long.

Dan Senor and Peter Wehner: Afghanistan Is Not ‘Obama’s War’ - WSJ.com: "In his column for the Washington Post on Tuesday, the influential conservative George Will provided intellectual fodder for the campaign among some Republicans to hang the Afghanistan war around the Obama administration's neck. Washington, he wrote, should 'keep faith' with our fighting men and women by 'rapidly reversing the trajectory of America's involvement in Afghanistan.' 'Obama's war,' a locution one is now beginning to hear from other conservatives, is an expression of discontent that has been smoldering beneath the surface for several months."

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Are you ready for President Petraeus?

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Are you ready for President Petraeus?: "People keep making the Eisenhower comparison, but Ike didn’t run against Truman. The precedent for a top general challenging his commander-in-chief is McClellan — and temperamentally, Petraeus strikes me as anything but a McClellan."

I've got to agree.

Michael Gerson - U.S. Has Reasons to Hope for Afghanistan - washingtonpost.com

Michael Gerson - U.S. Has Reasons to Hope for Afghanistan - washingtonpost.com: "What does it matter how strategic Afghanistan is if the war itself is unwinnable?

I posed that question Wednesday to Gen. David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command. 'To be fair,' he responded, 'all of us should be asking that question more, in view of allegations of electoral fraud' in the recent Afghan election. 'I don't think anyone can guarantee that it will work out even if we apply a lot more resources. But it won't work out if we don't.'" [Emphasis added]

Indian Probe Takes Clear Photo of Apollo 15, Hopefully Smashing Conspiracy Theories Forever - apollo 15 - Gizmodo

Indian Probe Takes Clear Photo of Apollo 15, Hopefully Smashing Conspiracy Theories Forever - apollo 15 - Gizmodo: "NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took photos of the Apollo landings last July. They were supposed to end all conspiracy theories, but there are still idiots who said they were false. Thankfully, the Indians took their own photo."

Morale: The Stress Of Dealing With Stress

Morale: The Stress Of Dealing With Stress: "What the army does know is that a large percentage of its combat troops have over 200 days of combat. Some have three or four times that. So far, treatments (counseling and medications, for the most part) have worked. But these are not cures. A major reason for army generals talking about the army 'needing a break' (from combat) is the looming loss of many combat experienced troops and leaders (especially NCOs) to PTSD. The army won't give out exact figures, partly because they don't have much in the way of exact figures. But over the next decade, the army will get a clearer picture of how well they have coped with PTSD, among troops who have, individually, seen far more combat than their predecessors in Vietnam, Korea or World War II. They may also discover that there has been some backlash to all this attention."

Paramilitary: Doing Right By The Reserves

Paramilitary: Doing Right By The Reserves: "For the first time, ever, the reservists are being treated with a large degree of equality, compared to the active duty troops. Usually, this 'equal treatment' is not much of an issue. But on those occasions when reservists are mobilized ('federalized' for the National Guard), they have often found themselves doing the same work as the active duty troops, but not getting the same degree of support, especially reservists with families. This change came about because, for the first time in half a century, the U.S. military has mobilized, and sent into combat, a large portion of its reserve forces."

Afghanistan: Nowhere To Run

Afghanistan: Nowhere To Run: "One thing the people on the spot agree on is that you cannot just walk away. The heroin trade alone will quickly become a domestic crises in most Western nations. But the use of Afghanistan as a base for international terrorists is also guaranteed to become an unavoidable problem. There are too many groups in Afghanistan willing to shelter Islamic terrorists (for a price, or just for the hell of it). The quasi-secure bases the terrorists already have just across the border in Pakistan has been causing some pretty obvious problems around the world. You want this sort of thing to get worse? Didn't think so."

United States Central Command - Marines, Afghan troops launch large operation in Helmand

United States Central Command - Marines, Afghan troops launch large operation in Helmand: "Nearly 4,000 Marines and sailors from Regimental Combat Team 3, Combat Logistics Regiment 2 and the MEB-Afghanistan Command Element constitute the bulk of the U.S. forces conducting Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword), along with approximately 650 Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police forces. Marine Aircraft Group 40 and Task Force Pegasus, the Combat Aviation Brigade of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, provided assault support and other aviation support for the mission."

Maybe Parents should be Parents?

First, I get it. I understand the concern. What I don't get is taking counsel of fear. The fact is that we don't know what's going to be in President Obama's speech to schoolchildren.

And I know that Conservatives don't like to have their motives impugned without evidence any better than Liberals do. So why do it?

Second, Barack Obama is the President of the United States. And he's going to address the nation's schoolchildren. He's the first one to do this largely because he's the first one to have the technology to do it with.

And that's cool. I mean that's really cool. I'd have like to have heard Ronald Reagan when I was a kid.

So here's my take. This speech is not the only event of the day. There are a host of other things that your child will do on that day besides hear the President and those are things that they need to do, lessons that they need to learn. Keeping your children home is a dumb idea. The alternative is to be a parent. The way I see it, parents have two viable choices.

One, go to school with your kid. You'll know exactly what's said as soon as your kid does. If you have anything to worry about, you'll know immediately. Of course that's not practical for everyone and probably the school will not be happy if they are inundated with visitors. So there's the second thing, which those who do sit in will also have to do. It's a radical idea, but you may have to talk to your kid about what they heard. And if your worst fears are realized and you need to do some deprogramming, well, heck, that's your job.

The Associated Press: Obama speech to students draws conservative ire: "Some conservatives, driven by radio pundits and bloggers, are urging schools and parents to boycott the address. They say Obama is using the opportunity to promote a political agenda and is overstepping the boundaries of federal involvement in schools.

'As far as I am concerned, this is not civics education — it gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality,' said Oklahoma state Sen. Steve Russell. 'This is something you'd expect to see in North Korea or in Saddam Hussein's Iraq.'"

We needed a study for this?

People tend to see what they expect to see, especially when dealing with emotions and trying to discern the emotions of others. Perceptions can't create reality--perception itself is as suspect, transient, and untrustworty as emotion.

Believing Is Seeing: Thoughts Color Perception -- Implications From Everyday Misunderstandings To Eyewitness Memory: "The study, published in the September issue of the journal Psychological Science, 'addresses the age-old question: 'Do we see reality as it is, or is what we see influenced by our preconceptions?'' said coauthor Piotr Winkielman, professor of psychology at the University of California, San Diego. 'Our findings indicate that what we think has a noticeable effect on our perceptions.'"

Logistics: Irreplaceable

Logistics: Irreplaceable: "One of the unheralded successes of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are the trucks the army and marines are using. These are the FMTV (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles) trucks and trailers. The U.S. Army has most of them (over 50,000), the majority being the 2.5 and 5 ton class vehicles (which cost close to $300,000 each)."

Armor: Curing Turret Gunner Disease

Armor: Curing Turret Gunner Disease: "Because of CROWS, once the enemy opens fire, they are in trouble. The remote turret tends to begin delivering accurate fire right away, and is much more immune to enemy fire than a human gunner. If the vehicle is a Stryker, the enemy will soon find themselves dealing with half a dozen or so heavily armed infantry, who get out of the vehicle and come at the ambushers. The enemy (Iraqi or Afghan) don't like that."

Russia Seeks Afghan War Role as NATO Deaths Climb (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

Russia Seeks Afghan War Role as NATO Deaths Climb (Update1) - Bloomberg.com: "As East-West ties improve under President Barack Obama, Russia wants to be involved in setting the political, military and intelligence strategy for the war against the Taliban, said Dmitry Rogozin, Russian ambassador to the alliance."

Something's fishy in Wellington |West Palm Beach News, South Florida Breaking News, Forecast, Video from WPTV

Something's fishy in Wellington |West Palm Beach News, South Florida Breaking News, Forecast, Video from WPTV

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Somalia: Taking Care Of Business

Somalia: Taking Care Of Business: "In the last 18 months, over a $100 million has been paid in ransoms (for ships, and over 1,000 crew). So far this year, there have been over 250 attacks, more than twice as many as the same time last year."

Utah Guard enlists help from 'A Few Good Goats'

Utah Guard enlists help from 'A Few Good Goats': "Few people, however, think of goats as a firefighting tool, but goats are exactly what the Utah National Guard is using to lessen the potential of wildfires at this installation near Salt Lake City."

Is Tetris Good For The Brain?

Is Tetris Good For The Brain?: "Brain imaging shows playing Tetris leads to a thicker cortex and may also increase brain efficiency, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Research Notes."

Tumors Feel The Deadly Sting Of Nanobees

Tumors Feel The Deadly Sting Of Nanobees: "When bees sting, they pump poison into their victims. Now the toxin in bee venom has been harnessed to kill tumor cells by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The researchers attached the major component of bee venom to nano-sized spheres that they call nanobees"

World's Smallest Semiconductor Laser Heralds New Era In Optical Science

World's Smallest Semiconductor Laser Heralds New Era In Optical Science: "Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have reached a new milestone in laser physics by creating the world's smallest semiconductor laser, capable of generating visible light in a space smaller than a single protein molecule."

No Such Thing As Ethnic Groups, Genetically Speaking, Researchers Say

No Such Thing As Ethnic Groups, Genetically Speaking, Researchers Say: "Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Genetics found that overall there are more genetic differences within ethnic groups than between them, indicating that separate 'ethnic groups' exist in the mind more than the blood."

Bomb Damages Athens Stock Market - NYTimes.com

Bomb Damages Athens Stock Market - NYTimes.com: "ATHENS — A powerful car bomb rocked the Athens Stock Exchange on Wednesday, badly damaging parts of the building, setting eight vehicles ablaze and slightly wounding a private security guard, the police said."

PUNISHING PATRIOTS - New York Post

PUNISHING PATRIOTS - New York Post: "Castrate the CIA, and Americans will die. But the Obama White House wants vengeance against those who don't fit its ideology. Your family's safety comes a distant second."

Cops jump on swine-flu power: Shots heard 'round the world

Cops jump on swine-flu power: Shots heard 'round the world: "Pandemic bill allows health authorities to enter homes, detain without warrant"

AFL-CIO, Dems push new Wall Street tax - TheHill.com

AFL-CIO, Dems push new Wall Street tax - TheHill.com: "AFL-CIO, Dems push new Wall Street tax"

BP announces `giant' oil find in Gulf of Mexico - Yahoo! Finance

BP announces `giant' oil find in Gulf of Mexico - Yahoo! Finance: "BP announces `giant' oil find in Gulf of Mexico"

Afghan U.S. Embassy patrol in 'deviant' parties with booze, hookers - report

Afghan U.S. Embassy patrol in 'deviant' parties with booze, hookers - report: "Afghan U.S. Embassy patrol in 'deviant' parties with booze, hookers - report"

Leadership: Buying Defense Against Iran

Leadership: Buying Defense Against Iran: "Buying Defense Against Iran"

Information Warfare: Bing The Avenger Ravages South China

Information Warfare: Bing The Avenger Ravages South China: "Bing The Avenger Ravages South China"

Infantry: The Miracle Goggles

Infantry: The Miracle Goggles: "The Miracle Goggles"

Attrition: Two Down, Ten To Go

Attrition: Two Down, Ten To Go: "Two Down, Ten To Go"

Intelligence: Do Whatever It Takes, We'll Punish You Later

Intelligence: Do Whatever It Takes, We'll Punish You Later: "Do Whatever It Takes, We'll Punish You Later"

Colombia: Country Living Sucks

Colombia: Country Living Sucks: "Country Living Sucks"

The Exit Strategy We Need at Home

Excellent article. It's not often I find something on HuffPo that is both well written and with which I can largely agree.



You ask all the right questions.



As a face in a uniform, that's been twice to Afghanistan, let me see if I can provide some further perspective--I certainly don't have answers, not on this question.



First, I'd suggest that the reason that, in Afghanistan, the Americna face is still a military one, is because the environment won't support a largely unarmed presence, not yet and not for a long while to come. When USAID can defend itself, prehaps, but then it won't be, really, the civilain face you'd prefer.



The civilian face I'd prefer as well. We build schools, roads, and hospitals, but we make these gfts from behind rifles and from under kevlar helmets--quite the mixed message, but for now, still the only realistic option, at least that I can see, short of abandoning these people, something I do NOT want to do.



The area of your article with which I disagree--you cite past lessons learned and this is a classic military blunder in the making. You have to be very circumspect in applying lessons learned form one area to another. Afghanistan is not Iraq is not Haiti is not the Balkans. There are good ideas there to consider, but they must be carefully weighed and undoubtedly adjusted before being applied.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Who's to Blame for Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit Delays? - Military Education Blog

Who's to Blame for Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit Delays? - Military Education Blog: "Who's to Blame for Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit Delays?"

Counter-Terrorism: A Reminder To Aircraft Hijackers

Counter-Terrorism: A Reminder To Aircraft Hijackers: "A Reminder To Aircraft Hijackers"