Within hours, well-trained Imperial Japanese Navy pilots had decimated the Pacific Fleet’s battleships, destroyed hundreds of aircraft and buildings, and killed thousands of men. The attack drove a nation still reeling from a decade of economic depression to the edge of panic. Rumors swirled and West Coast residents feared a Japanese armada would appear on the Pacific horizon at any moment. In terms of national horror, only the War Between the States exceeds Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor.

You’re fortunate if you’ve been privy to a firsthand account of the raid. I enjoyed that opportunity with Bill Rudder — a Gastonia, NC newspaper man and inventor after the war — who was an electrician with the 259th Q.M. Detachment assigned to the 7th Bomber Command at Hickam Field on 07 Dec 41. His contribution won’t place him alongside Alvin York or Audie Murphy in American military lore. But Bill was there, he fought, and he lived to tell his story. 

After realizing Pearl Harbor was under a genuine attack Rudder and two buddies, John Strickland and Sanford Garrett, rushed to the armory. They were given Springfield bolt-action rifles, an infantry staple from the First World War. Once armed and having overcome problems loading the Springfield, Rudder aimed ahead of a Japanese aircraft and sent a .30 caliber slug hurtling into the Hawaiian sky. He hit nothing, but jokingly claimed to have fired the first American rifle shot of World War II. Undeterred by his miss, Rudder joined fire on another Japanese plane, which trailed smoke and crashed at Fort Kam. Rudder later examined the wreckage, finding American-made Philco tubes in the Japanese plane’s radio. 

In the  photo Mr. Rudder’s vehicle is seen parked at the base of a flag pole while a bombed building burns in the background. According to Mr. Rudder, the tattered American Flag was the result of repeated machine gun fire from Japanese fighters. What a story. 

The late Bill Rudder won’t commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. In fact, few men remain who witnessed America’s entrance into the Second World War. The youngest Pearl Harbor survivors are in their late eighties and their numbers are dwindling. As they die, so too will die their innumerable stories of anonymous bravery, stories like Bill Rudder’s. 

The last American veteran of World War I, Frank Buckles, passed away last February. In May, the world’s last known WW I veteran, Claude Choules, died in Australia. When the last “Bill Rudder” dies America’s firsthand connection to WW II will be forever lost, just as our connection to the “Great War” is lost. Pearl Harbor, 07 Dec 41, will remain a date that lives in infamy. But it will live as factual history, lacking the personal reference to which we’ve been accustomed. It will be a great loss.

Long, but absolutely worth your time.

Could this be the foreign policy victory he needs to jump start his reelection campaign?

What say you people out there in PD land?

Another day, another $3.50, one step closer to emphysema from all the dust in the air, and one step closer seeing family back home. But I digress.

I wanted to start out by relating a story we all heard today at our pilot meeting. An Army Sergeant First Class came to visit us, and told of an experience he had in 2006 when the Tiger sharks saved his life and the lives of his team in the Tagab Valley just east of Bagram. He was out on a convoy enroute to visit with a local leader to work on cutting off Taliban supply lines in the area, and while enroute they came under attack six times. By the 6th time, they struck 2 IEDs and his convoy was simultaneously taking fire from both sides. They were out of 7.62, .50 cal, and running low on 5.56 ammo, with no way to get to the disabled vehicles and care for their wounded. Luckily, the battalion commander had insisted they bring an Air Force controller with them just in case they needed air. The sergeant said that he had fought his commander on it, but he has thanked him ever since.

That Air Force controller (called a JTAC) got hold of 2 A-10s, and within minutes they placed 500 lb bombs on both sides of the convoy. The bombs were so close that each vehicle was covered with dirt and debris, but delivered precisely enough that they hit paydirt on their targets. The aircraft followed up with 30mm strafe until the firing had come to a complete halt, and it was evident there were no enemy positions left to threaten the convoy. This sergeant could not tell the story without getting very emotional, as he considered where he and many in his convoy would now be had then been left to their own devices with nothing but their pistols and knives left against the concerted attack. He said that before that mission, all of his buddies in his troop had no good feelings for pilots, the Air Force, and anyone from the ‘other’ services, but those feelings have changed. I am just glad that he and guys like him are willing to do what they do so they don’t make me do it, so I can go back to complaining about my poor chow hall food and internet service after landing.

Many in the squadron sacrificed sleep to watch the Super Bowl live, and we had a great Super Bowl Party. The squadron was strongly divided about which blue-collar contender was the better of the two, but the real entertainment may have been watching Balz and GoFUR in their Steeler colors, with their animation for the game. Good thing we don’t carry guns on a daily basis here at the closing whistle, as we might have had to lock them up. Oh wait, we do carry guns. But no fear, the food coma was enough to slow down any rash thinking. Pothole once again cooked up a slew of steaks, brats and chicken, complete with every bit of junk food you can imagine for the game. I honestly think as the game went on, many became Packer fans just to stir the pot a bit with Balz and GoFUR. Harassment is surely in the job description of a fighter pilot.

Flying this week has had its ups and downs. The weather went from poor to worse, with system after system rolling in, bringing rain, snow, icing in the clouds, low ceilings, and completely socked in target areas and tanker tracks. I was flying with SLOP the other day, and decided to give him the lead to get us to the tanker and then to our next tasking. Stupid me, as the weather quickly deteriorated and I found myself on the wing in fingertip in the weather for about 40 minutes, trying to convince myself that we were not in 90 degrees of bank the whole time. The tanker guys are great, but every once in a while you get a crew that assumes you need the practice flying 10 feet off his wing inside a ping pong ball to test your inner ear and your ability to maintain any semblance of situational awareness. At least it was not at night. The night guys never miss going to the tanker, especially when there is weather, as the invisible flying gas station gives you almost no horizontal reference at night, and weather makes that even worse. The NVGs can often see through the weather, but that only gives you a false sense of security that you know which way is up, and for all you know you are flying into an anvil. But don’t worry, the guys are steady of hand, and never fail to get gas when needed.

Nestle and I flew up to our old stomping grounds yesterday, near Bagram. After many days of bad weather, the visibility was such that you could almost see the Hindu Kush Mountains as they climbed into Northwest Pakistan and China. The recent weather left a hefty blanket of snow on the northern half of the country, and I could almost feel the cold while at 17,000 above the terrain. As we over watched a foot patrol, I missed my kids as I watched some local children playing in the snow, sliding down a hill on some makeshift form of a sled. Despite the ever-present threat to the local Afghanis, and their lack of knowledge of life without war, so many seem to press on and live as normally as they know how. Leave it to children to ignore the realities of a harsh world and just be kids. I wish I had been on the ground with them, but then I caught a glimpse of our soldiers clearing the town, and was happy to have my bird’s eye view of the scene.

I don’t know when we will leave this country, and what the status will be when we leave. Ultimately, that will be up to the Afghanis, with the help of many committed soldiers out there securing towns, building schools, teaching kids how to read (and adults), and bringing some stability in the region to allow for the locals to hope. But I will say this—it may very well be that in the latest war in Afghanistan, 2010-2011 will be a seminal period, a turning point where the coalition showed sufficient commitment, and the locals embraced that commitment to actually dream of a future without thuggery, brutality and constant war. Politicians may talk, and if we ultimately do not leave this country a paradise covered with resort towns and cheap t-shirt factories, there will be many that will malign the efforts of the Afghani people and the soldiers out there helping them. We are spending a crazy amount of money here, and there is much room for improvement. But the efforts of simple 18-24 yr old troops on the ground, doing things their mothers would cringe about if they knew, are nothing short of amazing, and if we turn the corner, it will be because of them. We are just here to allow them to focus on doing those amazing things.

Hope all is going well at home, and the extended home stretch will be a good one for us all. We are still waiting on baby news regarding the Cavazos and then the Harts, and hope that both mothers-to-be are doing well, comfortable, and putting their husbands to work prepping for the inbound life-changers. And when those husbands complain about how tired they are, and how tough having a kid is, I’ll only say this—you’re not a real man until you are outnumbered.

Fayetteville’s mayor organized this “homecoming” celebration. But he also invited Quaker House to participate in the festivities. Quaker House represents a pacifist, anti-Vietnam War attitude, a fact readily recognized by the organization’s director, Chuck Fager. Fager defended his group’s participation on the basis that anti-war sentiment is a historical aspect of the Vietnam era. While he’s factually correct, he has missed this event’s point. 

Not every celebration needs to be a history lesson. The Holocaust is a historical fact of World War II. Selling out neighbors to the British was common during the Revolutionary War. But we don’t recognize Nazis on Victory in Europe Day or Tories on Independence Day. These examples are extreme, yet the inclusion of an anti-Vietnam protest organization in a Vietnam veteran’s recognition ceremony is equally inappropriate. 

The mindset represented at Quaker House had its day. Protesters received the hero’s treatment during the Vietnam War. Sure, they had their share of detractors. But media coverage gave protesters far more favor than was their due. Why can’t the Fayetteville celebration honor the soldiers who did Vietnam’s dirty work? Why should they share the spotlight with an organization promoting anti-Vietnam War films featuring the traitorous Jane Fonda, which is Quaker House’s plan? 

Mr. Fager, stay home and keep your sympathizers with you. Keep your films in the can and the North Vietnamese Army’s favorite vixen off the screen. This is the soldier’s day, not yours. Fayetteville’s mayor shouldn’t have invited you and you should gracefully butt-out. 

People can disagree with why Vietnam was fought and how it was managed. They’re free to question and second-guess Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara, or whoever. But the men who fought, bled and died in those steamy jungles didn’t deserve the anti-war protester’s scorn. 

The Vietnam soldier fought the communist expansion in Southeast Asia. They won the battles in a war where political considerations denied them victory. Vietnam’s ultimate outcome wasn’t what their efforts earned. There was no justifiable reason for a misguided generation of Mao disciples and slovenly hippies to spit on them and called them “baby-killers.” 

Vietnam veterans gave what they had and proved that America wouldn’t sit idly in the face of communist aggression. They fought under restraining rules of engagement against an enemy that knew no rules. And they did so at the behest of a government that tied one hand behind their backs before sending them afield. 

Sure, efforts have since been made to recognize and honor the Vietnam veteran’s service and sacrifice. But they deserved a proper homecoming when they returned from Southeast Asia. A little extra recognition now is more than justified.

I’m sure he’d appreciate a short encouraging note if you had the time.

A large group of squadron members are sitting in our new lounge, watching Christmas Vacation and reminiscing of the last time we put up as many lights as Chevy Chase for Christmas. I think it the second or third time since setting up the lounge a couple of days ago, but the movie never gets old. Or maybe it does, but it allows us to think of any quirky trait of our families, of any funny relationship we have back at home, and the corny things that make those relationships worth what they are to us.

We have received the daily gifts for the 12 days of Christmas, and they have been awesome. There is something there for all of us, and we are excited to get the remainder of the goodies over the next 3 days. The only disappointment was when we found out that the ‘coal’ was really lava rocks painted like coal, serving little/no purpose in our fire pit.

While many units here in theater are taking a small break, we are not slowing down a bit. No days off, no down time, no break from our Groundhog Day routine. But that is OK, as we would prefer to be engaged in what has us far from home at this time, and to have a mission to focus on instead of what we are missing at home with family and friends. What that means for each of you is that the call home on Christmas may not be exactly at the optimum time, or may not be of the desired length, but all should have a chance to call at some point. So please don’t tie up the lines ordering us any last minute gifts. They are not necessary.

Our new building is working out fine, although it is just like anytime you buy a house. You start to move in the furniture, and realize that it looked much bigger empty than filled with your stuff. The building has indoor plumbing most of the time, with the occasional water outage. But that is OK, we have a ‘cadillac’ close by, which is a portable shower/bathroom trailer for our camp. I used it for the first time today, and when I went inside, I could only think of Ocho or Gofur doing a Chris Farley impersonation from “Tommy Boy” when he was trying to change clothes in an airliner bathroom. Pretty small working space. But they are still better than the outhouses, which smell great during the summer. For the rest of our building, some rocket surgeon decided that white was a good color for the walls, doors, and, well everything. They are now an uneven brown color from all of the dust here. We are looking at how we can cover the brown up with some art work or something.

As the type of flying has slowed down recently, we have had the chance to go to other parts of the country, and it is a shame that a booming tourist industry has not taken hold here. Sapper and I flew north just as the sun was rising, and we could see 18-22 thousand-foot peaks off to the east, all snow-capped an ominous, but beautiful. We overflew an area of canyons and mountain lakes that resembled the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, and the rough mountains of our own country, and it made us homesick. As we fly over some of these mountainous areas, we marvel at the agricultural fields at elevations above the state of Colorado, and wonder if those farmers struggling to eke out an existence even knew we were there, or if they just assumed we were just more Soviet Aircraft from the 80s. I’m sure none of them have ever seen the effects of electricity or a telephone, and I’d bet that despite the harsh living conditions, there is a level of happiness and simplicity that is envious. But I’ll keep my flush toilets, electric blankets, and the world wide web. I guess we have to find simplicity in other ways. Like dumb jokes, dark chocolate, and cigars for many.

We hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas time, or whatever this holiday season means for you. We miss each of you, but look forward to roasting a pig in April, and not returning to this place for some time to come. But for now, we still have some unfinished business. Until next time.

I just watched the departure of a part of our aircraft and pilots, as they work their way west and home to their loved ones, and it was not without a bit of sadness to see them leave. I know, they will probably be home for the Holidays, be able to see their wives, children, friends and other family, but they were each fantastic Attack pilots, and we were honored to fly here in combat with each of them. They will be missed, as they did great work both in the air and on the ground, and the squadron will not be the same without them here. But I am happy that they will get to spend time with loved ones, enjoy the holidays, and in their moments of silence as they cannot sleep at night, secretly wish they were back here with us.

For those family members who still have quite a few months before you see your Tiger Sharks, let me share an occurrence that happened recently here, and is not for the faint of heart. Some coalition forces were patrolling an area here recently, and gave candy to some local children. After the coalition forces were gone, Taliban thugs swept through the town and found the candy wrappers, and proceeded to cut out the tongue of all of the fathers whose children had taken candy, and scalp the mothers. All for taking candy from soldiers. Evil like that has no place here on Earth, even 9,000 miles away from home where we could all ignore it and go about our merry way, focusing on our own lives. We cannot right every wrong, and save everyone from cruelty and tyranny, but here we have an opportunity to ensure that thugs like that have few days left on this earth. I miss my family terribly, and like a few others this will not be my first time away at Christmas, but if I can make even a small difference to allow Afghanis to determine their own future without the fear of the kind of awful brutality they have been used to, then there is no place I would rather be right now.

For those of us who are left here, we will continue to act according to Shark Standard, and make a difference here in Afghanistan. We appreciate the support, the emails, phone calls, cookies, and even the ‘clothing’ for Betty, as it all helps to make the time go faster, and reminds us of what we hold dear. I am continually amazed at how well the entire squadron is doing, the judgment, composure, worth ethic, and desire to make a difference each and every groundhog day. The routine can wear on you, but that has not lessened everyone’s commitment to making the best of things and do it right. There is no other squadron in theater that is more highly requested, and the guys never let the customers down.

Until next time, I hope you have a wonderful prep for the Holidays. Our “festive stick” is up and decorated, our fire pit is blazing, and we are all slowing getting sick off of chocolate. It is awesome.

###

Here is a layman’s view of the war in Afghanistan, its status, and how we are doing.

When we toppled the Taliban, it was with the alliance of a number of warlords from the northern provinces who had never held much allegiance to the Taliban and they heavy-handed ways. The first successes were in the north around a place called Mazeri-Sharif, then down into Bagram and Kabul and the surrounding towns. When the A-10s first deployed to Bagram, the airfield was still a skeleton of a former Soviet base, with hulks of aircraft strewn about, surrounded by minefields, and regular snipers set on running out yet another invader. The first operations facility was the base control tower, still riddled with bullet holes from the heavy attacks of the current war and probably the war against the Soviets. The basement of the tower was rumored to be an old torture chamber, and believe me it looked and smelled the part even a few years later.

Kabul, just to the south, became the capital of NATO forces in the country, and the capital of the new government, but the real challenge
for taming of the country lie still to the south in Kandahar. There is still steady fighting in the north and along Pakistan as the border is nearly impossible to seal, but there are steady signs of prosperity and progress. Bagram is no longer the wild west, the bureaucracy is firmly in power, and Kabul is now accused more of corruption than danger. It still is not Peoria, but neither is it worse than many other cities in other parts of the world.

Kandahar is a different story, and with good reason. Kandahar was the center of the Taliban power, with the majority of the population
supporting them and wishing for their return after their fall. NATO established an airfield there, but it was still very much Indian country. Limited offensive operations to clean out the rubble were difficult slogs because of the nature of the terrain. In so much of the farmland and river valleys of Southern Afghanistan, US might and technology lose their edge because of the network of tunnels, fighting positions, irrigation canals, hedge rows, limited roads, and a local populace that isn’t sure we aren’t just another foreign invader.

The shift in the war of late has been dramatic, as the Army and Marines are getting after it, moving in force into areas previously thought too
difficult and dangerous, often on foot from house to house and from field to field with the intent of forcing the enemy to fight. The
Special Forces troops, so good at what they do, combine their guerilla warfare skills with technology at levels amazing to any who watch. They are great at block and tackle military maneuver, and are just as comfortable behind a million dollar radio or weapon as they are behind
the controls of their XBOX. And they are fearless. We as CAS pilots watch with awe at their tenacity, and are only too willing to pitch into
the fight when called upon, and hope that our presence and ordnance make a difference in the end. The conventional Army and Marine forces, along with the allied nations, are there to win and hopefully have a strategy that will get them there.

Will we win? I don’t know, as the enemy always gets a vote. And ultimately it is the Afghanis’ country, and every soldier and airman will readily give it back to them so they can govern themselves and we can spend more time with our kids and train for the next fight. But the
level of commitment to do this right–integrate the Afghans into the fight for their country, and let them know that the “norm” of tyranny
and constant submission does not have to be the norm–does not falter.

Young men and women die in this land, on hills and in fields of dust that don’t seem worth their blood because freedom matters, and those in
uniform know it.

I know techncially the Saudis are our “allies” but it’s only because they sell us a lot of oil. I like petroleum. I like driving my car and filling it with gas and having electricty and cosmetics and fabrics and styrofoam cups at a picnic — all of those things come from oil in one way or another. Oil is a part of modern life, and I have no desire what so ever in living a Little House on the Prairie life. So I’ll keep using oil. I just have to wonder though, if we were acutally using the oil we have in our own country and also using nuclear energy and other technologies would we need to be selling arms and weapons to people that hate us? Somehow I think not.

Finally, once upon a time the USA sold weapons and arms and planes that shoot things to a little country called Iran. At the time they were an “ally” but soon they became an enemy. Will the same be true of the Saudis? I hope not, but I’m planning on it.

- Professor Henry Jones as played by Sean Connery

Let me say first, that I completely understand that Rev. Terry Jones and his ilk have the right to burn copies of the Quran, just like the Muslim group in New York has the right to build an Islamic community center near Ground Zero.

It doesn’t make either a good idea.

I know I battled with a few on here over the Ground Zero issue, but the fact remains they have the right to do it, regardless of the poor judgment in even proposing it. I personally don’t care, but the fact of the matter is, it rubs a lot of people the wrong way, and I guess I get that.

But Rev. Jones apparently doesn’t get it. When just about everyone, everywhere is telling you something is a bad idea, chances are maybe you should rethink some things. But I don’t believe “thinking” is a strong suit for this guy, man of the cloth or not. Even a church he once founded, which kicked him out a couple of years ago, has sounded off against the idea.

One of the most respected military figures of the last 10 years, Gen. David Petraeus, is on the record with his opinion that this act will endanger the lives of American soldiers. If nothing else, this, above all, should be the reason not to do it.

Let it go Rev. Jones. Let it go.

There has been a lot of buzz and chatter on this story since it broke. I find all of the opinions as to what should have been done, what will be done and so on very fascinating.

However, the question I have is this: is McChrystal’s resignation/firing because of what he said (Obama is not doing that great of a job at commander in chief) or that he said it, breaking the tradition of keeping your mouth shut in the military? Is this resignation/firing enough? I’ve heard some suggest that he should be charged with some sort of treason as well, or should he be allowed to ride peacefully off into the sunset?

What say you Derby fans?

I guess that only applied back when Obama still believed everyone loved him. And it certainly doesn’t apply when one of Obama’s core base groups is protesting him! Didn’t they get the memo?

Americablog posted the below video of capital police closing Lafayette Park (next to the White House) to prevent reporters from covering a “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” protest.

So, when do we get to the transparent part?

In years past, the question of what to do with this Mullah would have been easily answered. He would have been flown to Guantanamo Bay where he would have been interrogated and pumped for all the useful information in his Islamofacist Murdering Thug skull. Eventually he would have been tried before a military tribunal, found guilty, and (hopefully) executed.

Oh, wait. I forgot about Hope and Change.

Now, Mullah Barader most likely understands that he is entitled to remain silent, have a lawyer provided to him at the expense of the very men and women he has been killing since 2002, and have a show trial from which he can rant against the Great Satan – again at the Great Satan’s expense. The ACLU will fawn over him, decry his living conditions, and attempt to get him released on his own recognizance. “It’s not his fault”, some lawyer will babble. “We made him this way.”

Maybe. Perhaps I’m going a bridge too far in attempting to illustrate the absurd by being absurd. I fear, dear reader, that I am not.

As of this writing, The One is supposedly meeting with his Overseas Contingency Operation Cabinet. Top on the list of discussion topics is (hopefully) what to do with this recently captured Mullah. All eyes in the room will be on The One – all will want the answer to a question best phrased in the last words of Jimmy Malone, played so well by Sean Connery in The Untouchables:

What…are you…prepared…to do?

Please, Mr. President. Don’t screw this up.

Each and every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine has an individual reason why he or she chose to serve. It is, after all, an all-volunteer force. All Americans should be proud of and render all due respect an honor to those who choose to serve in uniform.

In pointing out the sacrifices made by the members of the Armed Forces, it is not necessary to demean and besmirch the character or honor of those who did not choose to serve. The One never got this memo. During his Veteran’s Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, he took the opportunity to honor American Veterans by slamming the very people they work to defend. Saith The One:

In this time of war, we gather here mindful that the generation serving today already deserves a place alongside previous generations for the courage they have shown and the sacrifices that they have made. In an era where so many acted only in pursuit of narrow self-interest, they’ve chosen the opposite. They chose to serve the cause that is greater than self; many even after they knew they’d be sent into harm’s way. (Emphasis Added)

Thanks a lot, Barry. Why do you think these brave men and women are willing to go into harms way? What exactly is it they are defending? Here’s the short answer: They are willing to put themselves on the line so Americans can have the freedom to pursue their “narrow self-interest”. Soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines provide the blanket of freeedom underwhich Americans can follow their dreams – where ever those dreams may take them – up to and including the realization of a profitable capitalistic venture.

Without them, the “pursuit of happiness” envisioned by Jefferson would not be possible. Most Americans understand that pursuit to include their own self-interest. I guess you haven’t learned that lesson yet.

On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress met at Philadelphia’s Tun Tavern and approved a resolution forming the Continental Marines. Since that day, the United States Marine Corps has become what is arguably one of the world’s premiere fighting forces. They have been first in and last out of all their nation’s battles – from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli.

Happy Birthday, Marines.

Semper Fi.

My background being what it is, the brave men and women who wear this nation’s uniform are and always will be family to me. I say this so perhaps you’ll understand my barely controlled anger at the slaughter perpetrated by Major Nidal Malik Hasan on my family members at Fort Hood, Texas this past Friday.

No sooner had Hasan’s name been made public than the Political Correctness police fanned out on the airwaves to make sure America didn’t make a “rush to judgment” based solely on Hasan’s ethnic background. Well, dear reader, I have reserved my judgment as long as I can stand it, so I will here declare solemnly and for the record something that should be obvious to anyone with enough intelligence to read:

Major Nidal Malik Hasan is an Islamofascist Murdering Thug who managed to weasel himself into a position of responsibility and trust within the ranks of the United States Army. He used the trust of his fellow soldiers as a weapon just as lethal as the pistols he wielded in the Ft. Hood processing center. His actions were aided and abetted by a culture of political correctness which prohibited those familiar with his increased radicalization from taking actions which would have prevented this massacre.

Perhaps you think me a bit extreme in my views. You have the right not to take my word as definitive on the subject. Thus I will give you a more authoritative source:

It’s getting harder and harder for Muslims in the service to morally justify being in a military that seems constantly engaged against fellow Muslims.

If Muslim groups can convince Muslims that they are fighting for God against injustices of the ‘infidels’; ie: enemies of Islam, then Muslims can become a potent adversary ie: suicide bombing, etc.

[The] Department of Defense should allow Muslims [sic] Soldiers the option of being released as ‘Conscientious objectors’ to increase troop morale and decrease adverse events.

We love death more then [sic] you love life! (Emphasis Added)

These aren’t some random quotes I pulled off al Jazzera. They are direct quotes from a 50 slide presentation made by Major Hasan to a group of military physicians at Walter Reed Medical Center. No punitive action was taken against Major Hasan, though he did eventually get a bad performance review prior to his transfer to Ft. Hood.

What “adverse events” was Major Hasan trying to decrease? Perhaps this one? Or maybe he was alluding to his own personal adverse event in the making.

Those who champion the PC environment always claim to be doing it in the best interests of promoting a non-offensive world. We don’t want to make anyone feel bad, or left out, or insecure. This is fine, and actually comical when some idiot in Sacramento demands the city come up with a gender neutral term for Man Hole Cover.

It is something all together different when the PC people require professionals to be willfully blind to a clear and present danger to the security and well being of those who charged with the defense of the nation.

Simply put, dear reader, the fear of offending those who hold radical beliefs like those which propelled Major Hasan to stand atop a desk with pistols blazing all while shouting Allahu Akbar! cost the lives of 13 people. That is far too high a price for a politically correct world.

I came across this picture and accompanying story early this morning. It gave me reason to pause as it gave me an impression I have not had until this morning. My singular thought looking at this picture was “this is the most presidential thing I’ve ever seen President Obama do.”

He flew to Dover Air Force Base in the early morning hours to render respect unto the most recent casualties returning home from Afghanistan. It was all together fitting and proper that he should do this. These were soldiers and DEA agents whose orders sending them into harm’s way bore his signature.

Command is a very lonely place, never more solitary than at times like the one pictured above. The time will soon come when a hard command decision will have to be made which will determine the outcome of this cause for which these and so many other men have given the last full measure of devotion. As I look at this picture now, I’m reminded of the final words uttered by Captain John H. Miller to Private James Francis Ryan in the closing scene of Saving Private Ryan:

Earn this.

In a recent op-ed by Thomas Friedman, hardly a right wing bomb thrower, Mr. Friedman reminds us that the threat posed to us by Islamic radical fanatics has not seized to exist.

Thomas Friedman writes

”He didn’t want to wear earplugs. Apparently, he wanted to enjoy the blast. That is what The Dallas Morning News reported about Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, the 19-year-old Jordanian accused of trying to blow up a downtown Dallas skyscraper. He was caught by an F.B.I. sting operation that culminated in his arrest nearly two weeks ago — after Smadi parked a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, supplied by the F.B.I., in the garage of a Dallas office tower.

“Inside the S.U.V. was a fake bomb, designed to appear similar to one used by Timothy McVeigh in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing,” The News wrote. “Authorities say Smadi thought he could detonate it with a cellphone. After parking the vehicle, he got into another vehicle with one of the agents, and they drove several blocks away. An agent offered Smadi earplugs, but he declined, ‘indicating that he wanted to hear the blast,’ authorities said. He then dialed the phone, thinking it would trigger the bomb. … Instead, the agents took him into custody.”

Mr. Friedman continues…

If that doesn’t send a little shiver down your spine, how about this one? BBC.com reported that “it has emerged that an Al Qaeda bomber who died last month while trying to blow up a Saudi prince in Jeddah had hidden the explosives inside his body.” He reportedly inserted the bomb and detonator in his rectum to elude metal detectors. My God.

The full article: Still Not Tired

While President Obama accepts his prize for which he admits he has not earned others will continue to hate, plan, and implement ways to kill Americans and our allies. For those who wish us dead it is not about “party” politics or who wins and loses American elections. It is not about “tone” from our Dear Leaders or the swagger in their walk. It is not about being patronized with meaningless platitudes and apologies, as those devices only satisfy our so called “allies”. For those who wish us harm the only endgame is to win or lose.

The enemies of America are trying to tell us that the phrase “We will not waver, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail” goes both ways. We all recognize and appreciate President Obama’s ability to speak, what we have yet to recognize is his ability to listen. Let us pray he is.

The One thought he could defect his domestic difficulties with foreign policy victories in Europe and South America. First he stood tall in his defense of a justly ousted wanna-be Honduran dictator. Then he waved the white flag of appeasement at Russia and boldly deep sixed America’s missile defense program. The left applauded his acquiescence to their conventional wisdom. Those still able to remember 1939 began to feel a sense of déjà vu.

Meanwhile unemployment inched upward to 9.8%. Where was The One? Off to Copenhagen in hopes of sealing the deal for Chicago to hold the 2012 Summer Games. We all know how well that turned out.

While he was in Copenhagen – the land that gave birth to my marauding Viking ancestors – he somehow managed to carve out twenty-five minutes to meet with the man he appointed to oversee America’s operations in Afghanistan. This was the first time in some 70 days that the Commander in Chief had met or spoken with his battlefield commander.

Compare and contrast this communication style with the “other” president from Illinois. Abraham Lincoln, by many accounts, spent many a late night in the telegraph office pouring over dispatches from battlefields near and far. He also made several arduous and very inconvenient trips to the battlefield to meet with his commanders and discuss the best way to bring about victory. He took his duty to protect and defend the United States from all enemies – foreign and domestic – very seriously.

The jury is still out as to whether or not Barack Obama really wants to win the war in Afghanistan. In this day of modern telecommuincations, he can’t even pick up the phone and talk to his commander from the Big Chair in the Oval Office.

What was General Stanley McChrystal’s message to the Commander in Chief? Well, to put it bluntly, it wasn’t full of hope. Failure and indeed defeat – words no self respecting commander wants to utter – are very real possibilities unless more troops and resources are committed to the battlefield. Remember, General McChrystal was tapped by The One to oversee the Afghan war. He is not a holdover from the W years. Knowing this, one would assume The One has confidence in his General’s ability to make command decisions.

Well, The One’s White House has gotten its collective thong in a tightly wound knot over McChrystal’s blunt commentary. One official was quoted as saying:

People aren’t sure whether McChrystal is being naïve or an upstart. To my mind he doesn’t seem ready for this Washington hard-ball and is just speaking his mind too plainly.

There you have it, folks. Heaven forbid you have someone who has been there, done that, has earned four stars and all the experience and respect that goes with them “speaking his mind too plainly”. Wars are not fought in Washington. Wars are fought on the battlefield by brave men like McChrystal. A sure way to lose Afghanistan is to let beltway types dictate battlefield strategy and tactics from Washington. I thought we’d learned that lesson in Vietnam. Maybe we didn’t.

Years ago, Colin Powell (who retired at the top of the military as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) published 18 Leadership principles which had guided him throughout his career. Number 16 states that:

The commander in the field is always right and the rear echelon is wrong, unless proved otherwise.

The One would do well to listen to his commander in the field and ignore the chattering talking heads of his rear echelon. This is an example of some of the hard choices which must be made in order to secure victory. It requires gravitas in order to do that which is right rather than that which is popular. Maybe that is why the last of Powell’s 18 principles is very simple:

Command is lonely.

I, for one, am afraid that Obama is wholly unprepared for this kind of loneliness.

Now, under President Obama’s leadership, it appears we are losing in Afghanistan, per the Washington Post:

The Taliban has become a much more potent adversary in Afghanistan by improving its own tactics and finding gaps in the U.S. military playbook, according to senior American military officials who acknowledged that the enemy’s resurgence this year has taken them by surprise.

U.S. rules of engagement restricting the use of air power and aggressive action against civilians have also opened new space for the insurgents, officials said. Western development projects, such as new roads, schools and police stations, have provided fresh targets for Taliban roadside bombs and suicide attacks. The inability of rising numbers of American troops to protect Afghan citizens has increased resentment of the Western presence and the corrupt Afghan government that cooperates with it, the officials said.

As President Obama faces crucial decisions on his war strategy and declining public support at home, administration and defense officials are studying the reasons why the Taliban appears, for the moment at least, to be winning.

It seems that the anti-war protesters were only anti-war when it was politically convenient. Now there is nothing. I suppose the same could be said for the Tea Party protesters if a bunch of the usual big government Republicans are voted in during the next election cycle and Tea Party protesters disappear.

I for one, do not intend to go away. I will only support those who view the federal government as a necessary evil whose role is to provide a common defense and regulate interstate (meaning inter-nation) trade.