Afghanistan Today, the GWOT Hotspot (The Afghanistan Scandal?) 11-212-Thurs.

Another Thanksgiving at war for US troops in Afghanistan. God bless them, and may they be sent leaders who have a new strategy to secure victory SOON so they can come home in weeks, not two more years! Links from around the GWOT:

1.) Marine Corps Menus from Thanksgiving past, God bless the US Marines:

http://mikefishbaugh.homestead.com/Holidays2.html

Afghanistan Today, the GWOT Hotspot (The Afghanistan Scandal?) 9-13-12-Th.

America came under attack eleven years after the attacks of 9-11-01. A U.S. Embassador was killed, along with three other Americans at the US Consulate in Libya. In addition, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt was attacked, and the U.S. flag taken down by terrorists who tried to burn it and then tore it up. God bless our Marine Security Guards who protect our Embassies and  the FAST teams (fleet anti terrorism security teams) who were sent to back them up. Links from around the GWOT:

1.)  FAST Marines sent to U.S. Embassies to back up MSG Marines:

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/09/ap-marines-heading-to-libya-to-reinforce-security-091212/

Afghanistan Today-The GWOT Hotspot-Thurs. 12-24-09

Christmas Eve in Afghanistan for our troops. May God bless them with victory and leaders who have a culture of victory so they can win this war and come home.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO OUR TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES. May they come home to victory parades soon. The Afghanistan Victory Medal can’t be awarded soon enough.

Links from around the GWOT:

1.)  Marine returns home from Afghanistan, wise Marine Mom has very insightful comments:

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/12/23/sugar_land_sun/news/swssl-_soldier_returns_home_1223.txt

2.) He won’t be home for Christmas: A Marine mom talks about her brave son in Afghanistan this holiday season. Link:

http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/news/2009/dec/23/he-wont-be-home-christmas/

3.) Marine earns Navy Cross for Afghan heroics. In the story it states he was with Marine Special Ops (MarSOC) when the firefight occurred. Link:

http://www.military.com/news/article/marine-awarded-navy-cross-for-afghan-heroics.html?ESRC=marine-a.nl

4.) Teenaged  British soldier suffers horrific injuries in Helmand Province, treated at Camp Bastion, has both legs amputated. See photo of the soldier and his injuries as he receives campaign medal:

http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/inyourtown/melkshamnews/4818377.Melksham_teenage_army_hero_sets_new_year_goal/

5.) British soldier makes if home from Afghanistan tour only to die in what officials call a “horrific accident” at home. Helmand Province where he served described as “notoriouos”. Link:

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail/displayarticle.asp?id=473083

6.) Christmas wishes posted online for British troops at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan:

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=473013

7.) British troops try to bring a touch of Christmas to the front line:

http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Troops-try-to-bring-a.5936748.jp

8.) White House Christmas without Christ? Link:

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/18270

9.) Logistical problems with Afghanistan surge:

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/12/23/the-afghanistan-surge-a-logistical-ballet-with-a-cast-of-thousa/

An incident — a downed planeload of soldiers, a crucial bridge blown, an insurgent rocket attack that leaves burning cargo planes blocking a single runway — could derail the entire sequencing of the surge. “We could lose everything . . . there are a lot of things that could come down,” said the man at the center of it all, Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb. He heads the U.S. Transportation Command and is responsible for all movement of military people and equipment worldwide, by air and sea..he worries about “a catastrophic failure.”

10.) More U.S. families are taking care of their injured warrior at home after being injured in Iraq or Afghanitan. God bless these folks, they are the best the USA has to offer.

Injured troops being care for by their spouses, mothers, or fathers, need our support: suggest getting in touch with our lawmakers and demand that Congress pass the stronger Senate measure mentioned in the story, a stipend for family members who care for injured troops at home.

Perhaps while contacting our lawmakers ask them to only support generals who lead on the ground and have a CULTURE OF VICTORY; so the war can be WON and the troops can come home, and we won’t have more injured troops like this.

In the meantime, to give the family members relief, members of Congress such as their senators and representatives from the district where they are hospitalized or where they will live when they go home should be REQUIRED to report to the homes of these injured troops, or their hospital so they can take care of them and see what it is really like. They can perform many orderly tasks, and lift the soldier, turn him, wipe him after using bedpan, etc.

 In addition, the leaders of their respective branch of service, and Sec. Gates should take turn caring for the injured man so they can see what their decisions have resulted in with the disability. This would extend to the generals who were responsible for this injury happening on their watch. If they need to cancel their vacations, so be it. They should report with a “pep in their step” for duty caring for the injured soldier as they have all limbs and faculties. If they have to give up their vacation villa, they can give it to the wife, parents, or family of the injured so they can have a break.

From the story below:

RyAnne and Ivonne are hoping all the good people they notice driving around with “Support Our Troops” stickers might get in touch with their lawmakers and demand that Congress pass the stronger Senate measure. That would be real support. The two wives seem impassioned enough to go out themselves and wave down traffic for their cause. But, as RyAnne says, “We can’t leave our guys.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/opinion/24thu3.html?_r=1

Afghanistan Today, the GWOT Hotspot-Tue. 12-1-09

Another month at war has come to an end. The month ends, but the war goes on. It’s now December and so many American troops face another Christmas at war. Let’s let or troops WIN the war so they can all be home for Christmas next year.

A presidential speech by Obama tomorrow should explain the change in Afghanistan strategy since the last speech and first troop surge March 27,2009.

Here are my suggestions for victory in Afghanistan, total victory with unconditional enemy surrender:

a.) Start up the Marine Raiders again. We have battle hardened majors and captains who can lead them just like in WWII, and let them do the things they did in WWII to WIN THE WAR! If Pres Obama announces this tomorrow, that will be progress: Start up the Marine Raiders again.

b.) More bombs, less troops. Any general who tells Pres. Obama we cannot “kill our way to victory” should hear Obama’s answer:  “Sure we can,” and he can remind them of WWII.

With the activation by Pres. Obama of the Marine Raiders again, and the policy of MORE BOMBS, LESS TROOPS, Obama should have complete and total surrender of the enemy and victory in hand in Afghanistan so we can bring our troops home. He will be one of the most popular presidents ever if he follows this advice and WINS THE WAR. Then he needs to issue IRAQ VICTORY MEDALS for all Operation Iraqi Freedom vets, along with AFGHANISTAN VICTORY MEDALS for Operations Enduring  Freedom vets who saw time in Afghanistan. God bless our troops! On to complete victory and total surrender of the enemy!

1.) Road to Torkham. The road many travel on Afghanistan-Pakistan border. President needs to have the Marine Raiders take care of the problems of terrorists on this road. I am sure they would have the road cleared in short order. He can also send the newly re-activated Marine Raiders to solve the Somali pirate problem. With the Marine Raiders to take care of the pirates, there won’t be a Somali pirate problem for long.

http://afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com/

2.) Thank God for U.S. Marines: this is how they live and die, to support us and keep us free. Some are at Camp Dwyer, Afghanitan:

http://www.lohud.com/article/2009911300340

3.)  President Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan and troops to be deployed:

From the speech, sounds like it’s is a no-go for open-ended nation building:

“Indeed, some call for a more dramatic and open-ended escalation of our war effort, one that would commit us to a nation-building project of up to a decade. I reject this course because it sets goals that are beyond what can be achieved at a reasonable cost and what we need to achieve to secure our interest.”

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/12/obamas-afghan-policy-speech-at.html?hpid=topnews

Afghanistan Today-The GWOT Hot Spot 11-29-09-Sun.

Americans could go to church today and celebrate the first week of Advent, thanks to our troops and their sacrifice to keep us free. Please pray for our troops so they can have leaders who lead them in victory, and not to die for defeat.

One thing President Obama can do in his speech Tuesday where he is supposed to announce his second surge to Afghanistan of 34,000, along with his first surge of 21,000 for a total surge of 55,000 troops, in addition to American troops already there, and the NATO and troops from other countries, is to announce he is REACTIVATING THE MARINE RAIDERS. This is something that needs to be done! They should have the LARGE RAIDER flag on their vehicles and when the terrorists see that coming they run to dismantle any IED’s!! The Marine Raiders could also be used to END the pirate problem. Put the Marine Raiders on the job. If he does not announce the reactivation of the Marine Raiders to win the war, then I have decided the surge is just to nation-build and not to kill the enemy to win the war.

Various stories from around the Global War on Terrorism, the GWOT:

1.) Marine Raiders photo from WWII. Let’s bring them back and get this war in Afghanistan won! Link:

http://beta.asoundstrategy.com/sitemaster/userUploads/site314/Raiders.jpg

2.) Marine Raider emblem: Bring back the Marine Raiders and make this skull emblem into a huge flag to be displayed on their vehicles and let’s go on to victory in Afghanistan. No nation building. Link:

http://reflectionsofhonor.com/catalog/images/1RaiderPatch-Large.jpg

3.)  Marine Raiders and their War Dogs, I say: BRING THEM BACK, we should get NEW Raiders, battle hardened Marines sent in to kill the enemy just like the WWII Raiders. Until we have the Marine Raiders back, we will not have victory in Afghanistan:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/US_Marine_%2560Raiders%27_and_their_dogs.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Marine_%2560Raiders%27_and_their_dogs.jpg&usg=__OpYbppnXFKABdGNGHAkZCY35vZs=&h=989&w=800&sz=328&hl=en&start=3&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=wp4y_MElWTdpcM:&tbnh=149&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMarine%2BRaiders%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26um%3D1

4.)  World War II Marine Raiders story:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://guadalcanal2.homestead.com/files/Martin_Clemens_1942.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.usmarineraiders.org/bookaloneonguadacanal.htm&usg=__p92TDRQAWCifnEaTOoM3N3EHa5k=&h=523&w=651&sz=86&hl=en&start=26&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=s59QyHuP8oJrWM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=138&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMarine%2BRaiders%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20%26um%3D1

5.)  James Roosevelt, eldest son of the president Franklin Roosevelt, led the Marine Raiders, as described at this post. These units need to be started up again today to win the war in Afghanistan and put an end to the pirate situation at sea. President Obama has the opportunity now to start the Marine Raiders again to win the war. He gives a speech Tuesday, we will see if he wants to win the war against the pirates and the war in Afghanistan, or if he wants to nation build and hand out contracts for another 10+ years without victory. Link:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ww2gyrene.org/assets/Raiders_beach_1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ww2gyrene.org/photoalbum_33.htm&usg=__66siJLNpOK1rTXet9A8bP1gsyDA=&h=504&w=503&sz=124&hl=en&start=30&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=6354ds71pZ75YM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMarine%2BRaiders%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20%26um%3D1

6.) Pizza shop where piazzas are taken out and baked at home accepts food stamps. Link from a blog I ran across. It applies to the GWOT in that our tax dollars are being drained all around. Domestic programs such as this, all legal, as it is take and bake pizza, and then all the billions spent in Iraq, and now with nation building being proposed for Afghanistan, how much longer can our country afford a military operation with many injuries, deaths, and passing out money? That’s how I tie it together. We are sending troops to war on credit from China, and domestically spending is sky rocketing with programs such as this one where pizzas can be bought with food stamps, proposed Cap and Tax program, proposed health insurance purchases for the uninsured which will cost billions if not trillions. Interesting link:

http://amidclutter.blogspot.com/2009/07/papa-murphys-accepts-food-stamps.html

7.) Support John Hatley web site, Iraq vet,  read the web site for more information:

http://defendjohnhatley.com/

8.) A lot of news from Afghanistan, a lot of nation-building already even before President Obama’s speech on Tuesday. Link:

http://www.cjtf82.com/

9.) British soldiers at higher risk than U.S. troops for COMPLETE LOSS OF GENITALIA in roadside bomb explosions!  Now British scientists are in a mad scramble to prevent this from happening. I would suggest using all available assets: artillery, bombs, and more to kill the enemy before they can set up roadside bombs to maim British and U.S. troops. Link:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6936221.ece

10.) Bush administration accused of letting Osama Bin Laden go:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/11/29/2009-11-29_team_w_let_osama_escape_report_sez.html

11.) THE VIETNAM PLAN FOR AFGHANISTAN TO BE ANNOUNCED by President Obama on Tuesday. God help U.S. troops fight their way to victory with these restricted rules of engagement. I hope and pray that the U.S. tax dollars will not be wasted on building more mosques as they have been because this is against the U.S. Constitution for our troops to uphold one religion over another. May no U.S. tax dollars go to build clinics, schools, and other such structures in Afghanistan. We have already spent $53 BILLION doing this in Iraq it was reported in the news last week: going down a rat hole. Let the U.S. troops secure victory by killing the enemy, and our troops can leave and let the NATO troops from the non-fighting countries use their tax dollars, along with Afghan money to build that country.

Link:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-11-29-afghan-plan_N.htm

12.) THEY NEED TO ADD TO HEADLINE: AND U.S. AND BRITISH TAX PAYER FUNDED FERTILIZER IS REPORTED TO BE USED TO BOMB THEIR OWN TROOPS! Not sure why Marja is still standing except for PC reasons, why risk another Fallujah like attack with injuries and deaths to US troops, plus related murder charges if they kill the enemy, when we would just bomb it now and go toward victory in this war. Or, as I said, start up the Marine Raiders again and send them on a mission to kill the enemy in Marja. Link:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-afghanistan-poppies29-2009nov29,0,779631.story

13.)  British father loses soldier daughter in Afghanistan, writes book about pet horse and dog she left for him to take care of:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1231669/Losing-soldier-daughter-Sarah-I-bear–left-horse-dog-look-me.html

14.) First woman to receive Navy Cross in British Royal Navy, action in Marja (see #12 above):

http://www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk/news/HERO-KATE-MC/article-1558296-detail/article.html