Almost There....

I am now in Kuwait, and have been here for the past day. I will be leaving Kuwait tonight, on my way back to Idaho. I should be standing on soil belonging to the Greatest Country in the World, the morning of the 1st of August. Hang in there, MDG Wife, I'm almost there.

SCOUTS OUT!!!!!!

MDG...OUT.

Grrrrrrr..

Not taking back any of the bad things I have said about the Air Force (see below). Waiting for a flight due to maintainance issues. I hate waiting.

Going Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leave. R&R. A Break. Call it what you wish. I am getting out of here for a few weeks.

My bag is sitting packed by the door, a brand new clean uniform neatly folded inside. Just the basics for traveling...books, shaving kit, candy and stuff for the flights. I got my tentative flight time, just counting the hours. I take back everything I ever said about the Air Force, as long as they get my plane here and off the ground on time. I have been away from home fully 8 1/2 months. Time for a break.

So, I may or may not be posting until I get back to Iraq. Maybe, but don't hold your breath. I'll probably post and tell you I am home safely.

So, I bid farewell for a while.

My Love, I will hold you in my arms soon...

MDG.

Castpost

I recently opened a CastPost Media Blog, which allows users to host video and audio for free. Go check it out.

Here is my site: http://www.madeucegunners.castpost.com

I only have a short video of a bunch of little kids chasing my HMMWV. There will be more to come when I get home from leave. Two days....and I am OUTTA HERE...for a while, at least.

SCOUTS OUT!!!!!!!!!


MDG...OUT.

London.....Again.

The terrorists have hit London again. No fatalities this time...Thank the Lord. This one was adding insult to injury.

Britons, keep your heads up. They kicked you in the groin the first time, and now have bloodied your nose. Maintain your resolve, Cousins.

SCOUTS OUT!!!


MDG......OUT.

UPDATE...

We got some news about our recently injured soldiers. The news is good.

All seem to be in good spirits. One of them is already moving around on crutches. Another wants nothing more than to be able to come back here and be back "with the guys".

The soldier who lost his legs has surprised us all, though. He is simply "estatic" to be alive. What an attitude to have!!! Lose parts of both legs, and still have an outlook of "Well, at least I am not dead." Knowing the soldier, though, it is none too surprising to hear of his attitude, while staring at the beginning of a lot of pain, healing and rehabilitation. I have heard some people sink into depression when faced with massive injuries, but his spirits have stayed miraculously afloat.

Keep getting better, guys, we all are behind you, and I know there are veritable LEIGONS of people praying for your comfort and speedy recovery.

SCOUTS OUT!!!!!!

MDG....OUT.

Yes, I know I am a Nerd...

I am a giant gun nerd. Not as much as Kim Du Toit, but a nerd nonetheless. Today I got to hang out for a while in the arms room of the local IP SWAT team...and being the nerd I am, I had to get photos of me with their more exotic weapons. So, check out the gallery below.

Out of all of them, I would want the Benelli M4 Semi-Auto 12GA shotgun.
B-E-A-utiful.

Fun with RPG's

Benelli M4 Semi-Auto 12GA Shotgun...This is a beautiful VERY VERY nice scattergun. I have shotgun envy.

SVD...Dragunov..Russian Built, 7.62X54R

Just Try It, We Triple-Dog Dare You....

(HAT TIP: Patrick Al-Kafir)

Britain has got something genius. They have their hunters out.

"The covert armed units are under orders to shoot to kill if surveillance suggests that a terror suspect is carrying a bomb and he refuses to surrender if challenged."

I think this is great. Anyone seen the movie "After the Sunset"? In it, Pierce Brosnan's character, a retired jewel thief, trying to rid himself of the urge to steal the last Napoleon Diamond, tells the FBI Agent tracking him exactly how he would do it, therefore negating his chances of success. This, I believe, is the other side of the coin, in my sometimes disjointed thinking. Instead of the bad guy telling the good guy what they are doing, the Brits are saying this to the terrorists:

"We have a pretty good idea who you are, you buggers. We are watching you. Actually, you may or may not be in a set of crosshairs right now. So, you splodeydoper, walk the line, and make NO uncertain moves, especially if you are wearing a rucksack, and if you do not assume the position of "Y", as in the Village People song, we will not hesitate to turn your head into a canoe, courtesy of one (or more, depending on our mood) of Her Majesty's Royal Armory 168gr 7.62X51mm Match bullets, or whatever be the cartridge of the day. So, be good, you militant islamofacsist terrorists, because Cecil, Basil, and Terrence can hit you from farther away than you think. Toodle'oo!!"

See, the English have it right. No charges, no trials, if you are in the act of attempting to commit mass murder by blowing yourself up in a public venue, they are going to stop you, by whatever means necessary, and then go have a pint. Period. Personally, I hope they kill a terrorist or two this fashion. I believe the message would resound further that way.

SCOUTS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!

MDG....OUT.

(Open Post courtesy of The Mudville Gazette)

Would you believe this...

This was actually in the LA Times... (HAT TIP: Greyhawk)

LINK

I think it is directly on point, and am surprised they printed it. Finally a good editorial from the LA Times.

SCOUTS OUT!!!!!

MDG....OUT.

Another Prayer Request....

My company had another casualty yesterday. Again, I am not going to mention a name, but he lost both legs from an IED attack. Bastards. He was a young, motivated kid, who showed a lot of promise to be a good soldier. Again I ask that you all pray for his healing, for comfort for him, and for his family.

MDG....OUT.

Pete has some good posts up.....

My good friend, Pete, has up some good posts regarding the recent G8 summit.

Link 1

Link 2

One is Pete's take on the G8 summit...

Link 2 is a deployed soldier's perspective on G8..

Go read 'em.

Aftermath..

The terrorists tried to hit the hospital today. THE HOSPITAL!!!!!!!!!!! More on that in a minute.

A BMW pulled up to the gate at the hospital and a guy got out and ran. So, the IP's guarding the hospital gave it a shove, and it went Ka-blooey. I don't know if there were casualties in that one.

Moments later, another guy pulls up in this station wagon, and says he needs to visit someone in the hospital. He gets out of his car, leaves it at the gate, and goes inside the hospital. The IP take a look in the rear cargo area of the car and see an artillery round. Uh oh.

Luckily the IP's were able to push the station wagon down the road about a hundred meters, without it going BANG. I arrived on the scene at this time. The Iraqi police was evacuating the people from hotels and shops near the second car. I tell you what, these guys had a good perimeter set up. EOD was able to come out and control-detonate the device. It blew up...again......and again. EOD blew the first charge, and then the car burned. I got video of the hood of the car, what looked like an older Impala station wagon, 200 feet in the air. Seriously, I mean WAAAAAAY up there.

It turns out there was other ordnance in the vehicle...and it blew without warning. Luckily we were keeping our distance and were behind cover while it burned... because about three minutes later, a secondary explosion, bigger than the first, took everyone by suprise...I was about 75m away from it, around the corner of a building. So, after checking to make sure the VIP we were escorting was OK, we pulled back away from the car a bit further. Good thing. The third explosion took us all even more by suprise, I think, because we figured, "OK, thats it, Cool." It was amazing. Four or five minutes after that, the thing blew up AGAIN, and we were standing there looking at each other, wondering "Holy Smokes, just how many rounds were in there??" It was kinda like being at the circus, wondering just how many clowns are gonna come out of the little car...instead it was wondering just how many times the car is gonna go BOOM.

Later, on the radio, we heard that the Iraqi FD got the flames on the car put out, and the area cooled off, when they found 5 more artillery rounds that were blown clear of the vehicle that did not explode. If they had all gone, it woulda been a big-biggie. I mean HUGE.


VBIED...after the first blast

Now comes my rant...

These sicko's tried to blow up the hospital. They attacked innocent people on public transportation in London on Thursday. These barbarians need to be dealt with very heavy-handedly. Anyone who attacks innocents deserves a whuppin. I don't understand how anyone can sympathize with their cause. Now, dear readers, I know most of you agree with me, that's why you read this page. If you know anyone who can "sympathize" or "understands" what these terrorists are doing, ask them what good blowing up the hospital can do. I can understand everyone complaining and moaning, calling for us to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan.....if it was the US and Coalition Forces trying to demolish the hospitals of this country. BUT IT IS TERRORIST SCUM, the very forces we are here to defeat.


UPDATE: 7-11-05, 1100hrs The first blast was a suicide VBIED, and four innocent civilians were killed, and approximately 15 were wounded.

UPDATE: 7-15 In response to the last few anonymous comments, I can't comment on wether we caught the guy, or what would happen if we did. Sorry, OPSEC considerations.

SCOUTS OUT!!!!


MDG......OUT.

It Ain't Much...

...But today, out on patrol, we drove on the left side of the road. Ya know, as a show of support for our Brit friends. We pretty much drive wherever we want, and the Iraqi's are used to it, so we just hauled off down the wrong way.

SCOUTS OUT!!!


MDG...OUT.

How to prepare for deployment...

(Hat tip: Grey Eagle)

How to Prepare for Deployment..this one made me laugh...alot. Because it is Oh-So-True.

Link found here.

SCOUTS OUT!!!

MDG.....OUT.

Kaleb..

For those who asked...this is Kaleb, my Father-in-law's dog. See, next to the crypt keeper pooch, he's Westminster Kennel club material.

Science Question....

Being the grunt that I am, and only having taken one semester of college, therefore having not reached the level of education warranting the taking of thermo-dynamics, I have a question.

We have a big chest freezer in our building. Since it is insufferably hot in this country, the entire freezer is dedicated to water bottles, with exception of the Otter Pops my wife sends me. We take frozen water bottles out on patrol with us so we have cold water throughout our patrol. Anyhoo...

I was checking to see if I needed to add more bottles. The freezer was moderately full. I picked up a bottle of water that looked clear to check the temperature. It was cold. When I squeezed it, it immediately went from liquid to the consistency of a 7-11 Icee, spreading from the middle towards both ends. I picked up another and banged it against the side of the freezer bottom first. Same result, the water turned to slush, spreading upwards from the point of impact.

Can anyone tell me what causes this phenomenon? I would think that the excitement of the molecules would create friction between the agitated molecules, causing heat (a negligible amount)?? But the water becomes slush. Is it becoming colder due to the agitation?? How does this happen??

Any answers, please leave them in the comments.

SCOUTS OUT!!!

MDG....OUT.

London...

London has fallen vicitm to terror today...

At least 4 bombs exploded in the London public bus/subway system. FoxNews.com is reporting 33 dead, over 300 wounded in the blasts, which struck during the morning rush.

Britian has stood shoulder to shoulder with the US in our collective struggle against terror. They have now been bloodied on their homeland, and unlike Spain, I can see that this will only strengthen their resolve to fight homicidal extremist terrorists.

Will we ever end terror?? No. Must we do our best to keep them from murdering innocent people in our streets in massive numbers? Yes. We, collectively, must seek to minimize the impact of their fanatacism. This means interdicting them at our borders, while they are in transit to their targets, at their training camps, and destroying the infrastructure they use, their financial and idealological supporters. It means going where we may not be wanted, in order to protect our citizenry. Show them that they will not be allowed to threaten our people, our security, and our way of life. The more we KILL in their breeding grounds, their training camps, the less willing they will be to attack us. We need to show them we are willing to stop them before they come to harm innocents.

Britain is our ally. We should support them in whatever course of action they settle upon, just as staunchly as they have supported us.

God bless the families who have suffered loss today. Pray for their loved ones, for healing of the injured, and justice be swiftly and viciously be handed out to those responsible.


SCOUTS OUT!!!


MDG.....OUT.

Dick Durbin Blames the "Right and the Mainstream Media"....Heh..

I am reposting a Daily Herald interview with Dick Durbin, found here. Durbin contiunes to make himself look stupid by some of the comments he makes here. Really stupid.

---

Durbin: U.S. won’t leave Iraq for years
By Eric Krol
Daily Herald Political Writer
Posted Wednesday, July 06, 2005

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Tuesday it would take a miracle to get U.S. troops out of Iraq within three years and hinted Democrats will filibuster a Supreme Court nominee they find too conservative.

The state’s senior senator also told the Daily Herald editorial board he’ll press hard to pass an upcoming measure to spend federal tax money on stem cell research and will vote against a constitutional ban on flag burning.

Durbin, a 60-year-old veteran lawmaker from Springfield, made major headlines last month for comparing the U.S. treatment of terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay to the way the Nazis treated their victims, and he later apologized. On Tuesday, Durbin said he had only himself to blame for giving his political foes fodder but complained the firestorm that resulted was an “orchestrated right wing attack.”

What follows is an edited transcript of the Durbin editorial board session, with a longer version available at www.dailyherald.com.

Q. You voted against the Iraq war, but you don’t think the United States should set a timetable for troop withdrawal?

A. I do not. At this point, I think that might be counter-productive. But I do believe we should have a plan that has some finite goals, what do we want to achieve. We should hold the Iraqis accountable for the number of troops that they’ll have trained and ready to replace Americans. Whether it’s the troops in the field or border patrols or security forces, I think that’s reasonable. And holding them, of course, to their own deadline when it comes to constitutions and forming governments.

(Durbin went on to say the Iraq commitment is “long-term.”)

Q. Define long-term.

A. When we invaded (in March 2003), (Sen.) Dick Lugar of Indiana said five years. And I thought, oh man, I hope he’s wrong. I think to say substantial troop presence by the United States, if we ended it in five years from invasion, it would be a miracle at this point.

Q. Do the Democrats already have a filibuster plan if the Supreme Court nominee is too conservative for their liking?

A. Well, no. The honest answer is, I hope it doesn’t happen. I think at the Supreme Court level, it would be troubling. I hope it doesn’t come to it. But it may, depending on the nominee.

I’m encouraged by one thing, and that is that the White House is making overtures to have a bipartisan discussion on this. We don’t expect them to give us a list of six nominees and say, you know, which one can you live with. It’s the president’s authority and power to make this decision. But to have even a basic conversation about what we’re looking for on the court is progress. We haven’t had any of that for four and a half years. So that is a promising thing.

Q. Your comments about Guantanamo Bay obviously caused a political firestorm and you apologized. One remaining question is, why didn’t you run that imagery past someone, staff or fellow senators, before you busted it out?

A. Let me just say those were my words, nobody else’s, they were mine. It’s not the type of thing, in my business, where you pull over senators, and say, let me read a speech to you. It isn’t done. Nor do I expect them to do that to me or ask me to review their speeches. As I said, and I’ll repeat here, it was a very poor choice of words. The imagery of Nazis, Soviets, Pol Pot and the rest of it went way beyond the pale. I thought that I was making a pretty clear reference to an FBI memo, but others did not see it that way. I have said that I apologize for those words and I feel that I should have chosen different words, better words, for that purpose.

But what an interesting reaction, when I think about it, as I look back on a half dozen, 12 words that were used. I discovered, as some others have discovered, what the other side has available that we don’t. They are so well-organized.

Q. Isn’t that the way it works in Washington?

A. On one side it does.

Q. There are Republicans who get dirtied up, too.

A. Yeah, but I’ll tell you what, we have nothing. We are not even in this league. We’re sitting on the outside of the stadium listening to the cheering inside. We don’t have the right-wing radio operation. The bloggers are getting started, I’ll be honest with you, on our side as well.

Q. So do you see this as almost an orchestrated attack on you …

A. Oh, it definitely was.

Q. …or do you see it as the media really doesn’t know what they’re doing?

A. It’s an orchestrated right-wing attack that brings the mainstream media in. If they make enough noise. Here’s how they do it: go into a press conference in Washington and the guy stands in the back from Fox and just screams the same question over and over and over again to the point where the other reporters are, my God.

Q. How did they bring (Democratic Chicago) Mayor Daley in?

A. (Syndicated conservative columnist) Bob Novak. He came to Chicago one Monday and had lunch or a meeting with the mayor. Told him his side of the story. And unfortunately, the mayor didn’t know that we had put out a statement the Friday before about this and he made some statements along those lines. He’s also the father of a young soldier training to be a Ranger. I’m sure he felt extremely sensitive about that. We talked about it afterward. I don’t think he knew the whole story.

Q. Do you feel personally hurt by that?

A. I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed by it, but I’m going to continue to work with Mayor Daley. I’ve known him for 30 years. He came to see me after this event to talk about things that the city needed, and I’m going to continue to help.

---

Ok, here is where I point out his idiocy:

1.

"We should hold the Iraqis accountable for the number of troops that they’ll have trained and ready to replace Americans. Whether it’s the troops in the field or border patrols or security forces, I think that’s reasonable."

Troops in the field, border patrols....they are ALL security forces. Apparently his knowledge of military matters is as deep as mine in the field of astro-physics.

2.

"But what an interesting reaction, when I think about it, as I look back on a half dozen, 12 words that were used."

No Sir, it was not just the 12 words you used. We, and I believe I speak for a whole lot of people in the US, were offended by your whole speech, and the ideas behind it. When a person decides on the language they are going to use, it belies the persona and the ideology of the individual using the words.

3.

" It’s an orchestrated right-wing attack that brings the mainstream media in. If they make enough noise. Here’s how they do it: go into a press conference in Washington and the guy stands in the back from Fox and just screams the same question over and over and over again to the point where the other reporters are, my God."

Ummm...not sure how to answer this ludicrous statement...One guy from Fox is an "Orchestrated right wing attack'?!?!?!!!! Okie-dokie. I do believe, if you look at the overall scheme of things, and I challenge anyone to find anything proving otherwise, that the MSM decidedly leans LEFT. Fox is definately more conservative...but we have people at NBC who seem to think that The Founding Fathers were terrorists, anchors at CBS who knowingly promulgate forged documents in an attempt to slander and defame the character of The President of the United States, and the list goes on......

---

It is apparent that Dick Durbin does not think before he speaks. It is also apparent that he is not to be taken seriously. We should be ashamed as a nation to have someone with such flawed logic as one of our lawmakers.


SCOUTS OUT!!!!!


MDG...OUT.

And I thought Kaleb was ugly.....

Kaleb is my father-in-law's dog. He is a German Wire-haired Terrier. He is a great bird dog, and mouser, too, but not the most handsome dog ever. He looks like a million bucks next to this one. Click at your own risk, this pooch looks like the Crypt Keeper.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

Happy Independence Day, All...

Today our nation celebrates it independence from tyranny. We celebrate our freedoms gained and maintained by the blood of men and women who stood to defend their countrymen, their republic, their liberty. We hoist our colors proudly, launch our fireworks powerfully, and sing our anthem vigorously. We remember our Founding Fathers, who risked their lives, families, homes and their entire way of life to create a new nation.

Today I write from the sands of Iraq, in which we now endeavor to secure a new democracy. There have been great steps towards freedom here in Iraq, and many more are needed. We have given these people a great chance at democracy. Let us hope that they will be able to celebrate, in the future, as we do now.

So, enjoy your BBQs, your family picnics, city parades and fireworks shows. Play some John Philip Sousa, for me, will you? And, on this day, feel NO pity for me and my men. We proudly stand to defend the freedoms you celebrate today. Many people ask, "What can I do to support the troops?" Do this: Enjoy your freedoms, abuse them not, and pray for the prosperity of our nation, wisdom for our leaders, and safety for our soldiers. Eat with your families, drink with your friends, play with your kids. That would give all of us who wear a uniform of the Armed Forces of the United States the greatest pleasure today. Enjoy yourselves, that's why we do it.

SCOUTS OUT!!!!

MDG....OUT.

I think not, Mr. Willams...

Brian Williams yesterday compared the Founding Fathers of The United States of America to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and said that the Founding Fathers could have been considered terrorists by the British Crown.

I beg to differ, sir.

The account of his remarks are found here (hat tip: LGF, Michelle Malkin, and FrankJ).

Let us dissect this ludicrous assertation.

Terrorists use fear and violence against the general populace to gain their goals. They attempt to intimidate the populace into effecting change within a government or group of people. Terrorists attack innocent people. Terrorists do not wear uniforms, fight under battle colors, march in rank and file, or maneuver on battlefields. Terrorists blend with the civilian population, hide behind innocent men, women, and children, and strike in marketplaces, neighborhoods and office buildings.

Our founding fathers rebelled against nearly tyrannical and opressive British rule. They formed standing armies, and citizen militias, and fought a war against a uniformed army, on fields of battle, not city streets.

In the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers did not attack the population to effect change. We fought battles against a standing, uniformed army in order to repel them from the shores of a new country and install freedom. In fact, it was the population that rose up to fight against the opressors. The new patriots that formed this country were not terrorists, they were fighting for freedom.

Some people characterize the terrorists here in Iraq as freedom fighters. Again, I beg to differ. My enemy does not fight for freedom... we have already given the Iraqi people their freedom. They fight, in my opinion, for power, driven by religious zealots and bigots, and fueled by hatred. America fought for freedom from tyrannical rule, taxation without representation, for personal property and the sanctity of home.

No, Mr. Williams, these men and their ideals are mutually exclusive of the terrorists of which we are embroiled in this conflict against, and for you to bring such parallels and equivocate the fight for freedom from tyranny to the fight against freedom for dictatorship and opression brings great discredit upon yourself and to our country. You are a mouthpiece for our country, as sad as that is, for the world gains its' knowledge of America through what it sees on the television and reads in the news. You have done your country a great disservice, and you should be ashamed of yourself.

Yours Truly... Ma Deuce Gunner

SCOUTS OUT!!!!