| From The Editor February 19, 2007 |
Black Hawk down heroesTwelve U.S. soldiers died Jan. 20 when their Black Hawk helicopter was shot down northeast of Baghdad. A U.S. Army press release details their names, hometowns and ages but it does not tell what happened that day. That is left to their friends, who protected and avenged them but in the end could not save them. It was a day time flight for this National Guard unit, 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation Regiment of the 38th Combat Aviation Brigade. It was a dangerous but routine mission to ferry soldiers from one base to another. Black Hawks are the safest means of getting around Iraq. Vastly more soldiers are killed by roadside bombs than anything else in Iraq. Getting them up in the air is the easiest way to avoid them. Black Hawks fly in pairs. On Jan. 20 Easy 71 was the lead aircraft in the formation. "I remember we were doing an ordinary transit mission, a routine mission carrying passengers across Iraq," said 1st Lt. Craig D. Neely, 25, the lead pilot on Easy 71. Easy 40 was flying behind when it was hit by machine gun fire from three insurgents in the back of a truck below them. "We heard (Maj. Michael Taylor, the company commander) talking to (his) aircraft. He yelled out he was hit; there was no question in his voice that they were hit. Myself and Sgt. Evans were able to see him and see his aircraft," Neely said.Full Story Gary Jackson |
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A Betrayal of TrustCongress may consider its vote today on H. Con. Res. 63 to be non-binding, but veterans of previous wars and those in the field of combat right now consider Congress's action to be a betrayal of trust and the first step toward surrender to the terrorists who caused this war in the first place.We must never forget the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, when two U.S. commercial aircraft were used to kill nearly 3,000 innocent people in an unprovoked attack against our nation's sovereignty. We must never forget those brave Americans who downed their plane in Pennsylvania, saving the lives of many in the Capitol. We must never forget the attack on the Pentagon, or on the USS Cole, or our embassies, or our Marine barracks in Beirut. The list goes on and on. Even the Clinton administration tried to kill Osama bin Laden by lobbing missiles at him. This war didn't just start with the invasion of Iraq. It's been going on for decades. It's been going on in Republican and Democrat administrations and Congresses. Full Story Terror's Next Target?Retired U.S. Coast Guard officer Stephen Flynn is a prominent homeland-security expert and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He frequently testifies before Congress on port- and border-security issues and authored the bestselling book, America the Vulnerable, in 2004. He also served as an adviser to the U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century, a task force led by former Sens. Gary Hart and Warren Rudman that issued seminal reports on terrorism, including one just before 9/11. In a new book, The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation, Flynn argues that ailing infrastructure like weakened dams, levees, and power grids-as well as America's underinvestment in homeland security-makes the country susceptible to a catastrophe that could kill thousands. CONSIDER THIS. It's a warm Friday evening in June, and nearly 40,000 baseball fans are gathered at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park to watch the home team play the New York Mets. Most of the stadium's 21,000 parking spaces are filled, and, just a few hundred yards away, Interstate 95 is crowded with travelers heading for Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore. Just 2 miles due west, workers on the night shift are arriving at the 1,000-acre Sunoco oil refinery on the banks of the Schuylkill River. A light breeze is blowing toward the east-ideal conditions for a terrorist operation. Full Story Give Force a Chance"Many in the U.S. are now learning that democracy cannot be imposed by military force."--German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, speaking at an international security forum in Munich on Feb. 10 It's always good to be reminded by our German friends that democracy can't be imposed by military force. Perhaps the Japanese would like to weigh in too? Actually, they wouldn't. Living next door to nuclear-armed dictatorships, and not having succumbed as thoroughly to postmodern otherworldliness, the Japanese democracy is in fact building up its military and strengthening its U.S. alliance. Still, the German Foreign Minister was simply expressing, in a particularly un-self-reflective way, an increasingly common point of view on both sides of the Atlantic. Full Story |
| BREAKING NEWS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
Military Gives Police Free EquipmentThe Defense Department is giving away free equipment the military no longer needs to state and local police: fatigues for secret surveillance of drug labs in Indiana, a tranquilizer gun to shoot bears in Pennsylvania and a doublewide trailer in Virginia. Cash-strapped law enforcement agencies are lining up to take advantage of the Pentagon's generosity. About 16,000 departments obtained more than 380,000 pieces of equipment in the 2005 budget year, according to an analysis of data provided by the Pentagon at the request of The Associated Press. The items, which include night-vision goggles, copy machines, helicopters and bulletproof vests, were worth nearly $124 million. Authorities in Bucks County, Pa., just outside Philadelphia, turned to the Pentagon for two hand-me-down armored vehicles to protect officers in hostage standoffs. The total savings to local taxpayers: more than $70,000 a piece.Full Story FBI Works to Thwart Kitchen Sink BombsKirk Yeager makes bombs from the stuff found under kitchen sinks. He does it to help the FBI defend against what officials say is the next frontier for terrorists in the United States. Ten years ago, peroxide-based bombs were mostly the work of young pranksters. But the easy-to-make yet deadly chemical cocktails were embraced in the late 1990s by Palestinian militants and suicide bombers bent on killing large groups of people. Now, Yeager says, such explosives are considered the most likely weapon that terrorists will use against the U.S. "Every serious terrorist group knows about them and knows how to make them," Yeager said. The forensic scientist heads the explosives unit at the FBI's laboratory.Full Story Another Unabomber in the Making?He calls himself the Bishop, an unthreatening-sounding name if there ever was one, but law enforcement and private security officials fear he may be another Unabomber in the making. In late January, the mysterious figure sent a letter bomb to two Midwestern financial services companies. The message inside both packages, which were discovered by mail clerks, read "Bang! You're dead." The boxes arrived at American Century Investments in Kansas City and Perkins, Wolf, McDonnell and Co., a Chicago financial services company. Both had all the makings of a pipe bomb, a PVC pipe filled with buckshot and smokeless powder, plus protruding wires. But the sender had not included a power source, which indicated to investigators that the Bishop, meant to terrify, not kill - at least not yet. Still, while the devices lacked some components, they could have exploded from static electricity or "even a transmission from a handheld radio," according to Fred Burton, a former State Department counterterrorism expert, now with Stratfor, an Austin-based private security and intelligence agency that is working in conjunction with the FBI in its investigation.Full Story Distrust Hinders FBI In Outreach to MuslimsThe FBI's worst fears that hidden homegrown terrorist groups could take root in this country were fanned here in the summer of 2005, when four young Muslim men were charged with conspiring "to levy war against the United States" via deadly attacks on military installations and synagogues in Southern California. The men belonged to what Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales called a "radical Islamic organization" named Jamiyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh (JIS), or Assembly of True Islam. They were discovered before they could carry out their alleged plans. Although Gonzales claimed an intelligence victory, the FBI had only stumbled upon JIS. Numbers on a cellphone dropped during a gas-station holdup led local police to an apartment and a computer with documents that authorities said outlined a terrorism spree.Full Story Utah Authorities Guard Against BacklashThe mayor and police chief sought to head off any potential backlash against Bosnian immigrants Thursday, three days after a Bosnian teenager shot five people to death in a crowded shopping mall and then died in a shootout with police. Mayor Rocky Anderson blasted vitriolic Internet postings and e-mails sent to newspapers that concluded the shooter was an Islamic terrorist, calling such criticism "unjustified" and "outrageous." Sulejman Talovic, 18, shot nine people, five fatally, at the Trolley Square mall Monday before he was stopped by police. He and his family immigrated to Utah as war refugees in 1998. Investigators have not determined a motive but have no reason to believe Talovic was driven by religious extremism, Police Chief Chris Burbank said.Full Story |
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Al Qaeda calls for attacks on oil facilitiesA Saudi Arabian terrorist group with ties to Al Qaeda has called for Muslims around the world to attack oil installations - including those in Canada, Venezuela, and Mexico - in order to stop the flow of oil to the United States. NBC reports that the group, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, posted the message on its online magazine Sawt al-Jihad, or Voice of the Holy War. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula said in its monthly magazine posted on an Islamic Web site that "cutting oil supplies to the United States, or at least curtailing it, would contribute to the ending of the American occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan." The group said it was making the statements as part of Osama bin Laden's declared policy. It was not possible to verify independently that the posting was from the terror faction.Full Story A Smoking Gun from the AlpsMore than 800 high-powered weapons were shipped to Iran from Austria in 2004 over US and British objections. Now, the rifles may have turned up in the hands of Iraq insurgents. It is considered one of the world's most modern and precise weapons -- the Steyr HS .50, made by Austrian weapons manufacturer Steyr-Mannlicher. The easily disassembled gun goes for about E4,000 in the Internet. And the buyer gets a deadly weapon that can penetrate basic armor at a range of 1.5 kilometers (just under a mile). And they may now be in Iraq. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, the US Army uncovered 100 of the weapons in a raid in Baghdad. Individual weapons, the paper writes, had already turned up in recent months, but now the number found has jumped to more than 100. Indeed, a Steyr HS .50 was reportedly used to shoot and kill a US officer in his vehicle.Full Story Al-Qaeda releases video of Afghan attackAl-Qaeda posted a video Friday showing what it claimed to be an insurgent attack on U.S. and Afghan forces in Afghanistan, in an apparent attempt to disparage American claims of winning the war against the Taliban. The video argues that the Afghan people support the insurgents and assist their attacks on U.S.-Afghan forces, and it comes as the United States and Britain deploy more troops to the country after the worst year of insurgency-related violence since the Taliban regime was overthrown in 2001 The 24-minute video carries the logo of the al-Qaeda media company, as-Sahab, and was posted on an Islamic website known for hosting extremist material. It was titled "Holocaust of the Americans in the land of Khorasan, the Islamic emirate: Capture of an American post, Arghandab." Khorasan refers to Afghanistan.Full Story Brutal reality of battle for hearts and mindsIn Baqoubah, in the Iraqi province of Diyala, unpleasant questions get answered very quickly. There is a startling pop, and then: 'Who fired that shot? Did you fire that shot?' One of the American soldiers of Bravo Company of the 1/12 Cavalry is shouting at the accompanying Iraqi army troops, hoping against hope, it appears, that a weapon has been accidentally discharged. We are standing in a narrow dirt street lined with single-storey houses. In places sewage has pooled in oily green puddles on the road's surface and there is a nasty smell. The tense soldiers had been advancing in a column down the street, hugging the walls on either side, while the Iraqi troops tried to engage householders in conversation, handing out 'tip-off' cards with numbers to call anonymously with information on suspected terrorists and asking for the home of the mayor of Burhiz. The welcome is almost friendly at first. People come out. But no one strays far from the doors of their homes.Full Story Russia intensifies efforts to rebuild its military machineAt a major security conference this past weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted the US for its militaristic approach to foreign policy, saying its actions were "nourishing an arms race." But little noticed amid the sharp US and European response to Mr. Putin's comments is Russia's burgeoning military-industrial complex, generally thought to have collapsed with the Soviet Union. The cold war days when the USSR matched the US missile-for-missile may be gone. But experts say that Russia is increasingly capable of turning out cutting-edge weaponry and selling it to countries that are shunned by Western suppliers. "The fact that our country is playing a leading role in the world in the sphere of export of military production is a sign that the Russian defense industry has not only survived but has a powerful potential for further development," Sergei Chemezov, the head of the state arms-export monopoly Rosoboronexport, told a political meeting late last year.Full Story |
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Blackwater Language SchoolLearn the language... and the culture... then deploy.Operators, analysts, military and civilian support personnel working with a foreign country have four classes to choose from: IRAQI ARABIC - 26 February - 2 March 7 May - 11 May 6 August - 10 August 29 October - 2 November PASHTO - 5 March - 9 March 14 May - 18 May 13 August - 17 August 5 November - 9 November DARI - 12 March - 16 March 21 May - 25 May 20 August - 24 August 12 November - 16 November SPANISH - 19 February - 23 February 27 August - 31 August INTENSITY - Live and breathe Arabic, Pashto/Dari, or Spanish Blackwater Language School provides an intensive language learning environment in which participants challenge themselves and learn at a rate beyond normal limits. This intensive experience has proven to be very successful. Because you and your teammates have limited time to study the language and culture, we substitute time with intensity. Every student is encouraged to communicate as much as possible in the target language during the week-long course. This is no ordinary course of study- it is an endeavor that is emotionally taxing- and rewarding. SURVIVABILITY - Cultural Awareness = Situational Awareness If you don't understand the culture...you can cause real trouble. Our team of accomplished staff is dedicated to helping students survive and thrive in the subject culture. A series of cultural activities will take place throughout the program. Students will be encouraged to use their new skills as they eat cultural meals and engage in situational interviews- in the immersive environment. This highly intensive language environment empowers you to immediately put your language skills into action and test the boundaries of your cultural survival skills. At only $1495 per student, space is extremely limited. To reserve a space for you or your unit call or email us today. (252) 435-2016 languages@blackwaterusa.com | |
| FRANKS REVIEW |
Service Equipment ReviewWellsmade Holsters: 3 Years OnIn April 2004, almost three years ago now, I wrote a review of holsters made from exotic leathers by a gentleman named George Wells. The holster line, Wellsmade Holsters, is now part of Donner Gunleather. At the moment, Donner isn't accepting new orders because George Wells is in Iraq doing what he does best - making prosthetics for soldiers who need them. George's training and primary means of income is making those prosthetics. The knowledge he gained in biomechanics and body shape / function provides him a unique insight into how holsters should be made. I received a couple sets of T&E holsters / belts from George in 2004 and I've purchased a couple since then. As I was cleaning out my closet the other day - most especially the Storm case that I use to store all my holsters, I realized that I've worn a Wellsmade / Donner holster nearly every day since '04. How're they holding up? Let's take a look...Full Story Can Be Viewed At: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/evals/holters+/wellsmaderevisited.htm Recreational Equipment Review"Murphy's Laws of Combat" by Marion F. SturkeyI recently had the great pleasure to spend a couple of days at MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina. While there, of course, my family and I visited the Marine Corps Museum as well as the Post Exchange and the book store at the Visitor's Center. While thumbing through a few of the books available I found "Murphy's Laws of Combat" written by Marion F. Sturkey. The first few pages I scanned were hilarious, but some of what I read was absolutely true - and therefore not all of it was funny. Mr. Sturkey is a former Marine Corps helicopter pilot and "Murphy's Laws of Combat" is his fifth book. After scanning a few more pages I had to purchase a copy - and actually got one for my son as well. I just finished reading it and can highly recommend it. Let me give you some insight into the contents...
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