Blackfive's Video Potpourri

Cross-posted at Rosemary's Thoughts.

This first video will last 4:05, and I'm not quite sure if they rescued one of the guys being held or if he was one of the insurgence. Maybe you could help me understand? The name of this clip is "Operation Ithaca - The Fight." (Do not worry. You will not be seeing anything gross.)

In this next clip comes the answer to my question! This clip is 7:59, and the title of it is "Operation Ithaca - Interview." They were successful in this mission, killing 29 and capturing 23 of the enemy. They also rescued 8 hostages who were about to be executed on the day of the mission. Whew! That was close.

This clip is 3:11, and it's title is "AH-64 and C-130 Engage Insurgents." Five insurgents are killed in this one by none other than our USAF! Great job, guys. :)

These next two clips sort of go together, if not by nature then by name. This one is 32 seconds long, and the title is "Crispy Terrorists on the July 14th Menu." It is almost like watching a silent movie, except it is real life...or death to the terrorists as I like to put it. The next clip is titled "Crispy Terrorists on the July 15th Menu" and lasts for 58 seconds.

And to say that the last one is the least one would be an incredibly wrong assumption! This young lady sends it home as to why a Soldier would serve. Here she tells us why she serves. Why I Serve - SSG Shannon Fezer. This clip only lasts for 1:02, yet I wish it were longer. It is people such as she who make me proud to be an American. If you cannot understand this genuine concept, please don't tell me. I don't care if you're a nutjob, just don't prove it on my site! :)

I received these videos through my subscription. You may also subscribe if you wish. You may do so by clicking here. Have a great day, and remember our men and women in uniform who are protecting this freedom for you to have such a day. Maybe you could even send up a prayer or two...

1st Cav Soldiers Sing Toby Keith's "Beer For My Horses"

Cross-posted at Rosemary's Thoughts.

There is just no way I could let this one slide by! LOL. Blackfive has captured the essense of the fighting spirit in this clip. I love this song by Toby Keith!

Hitting Hillary's letter out of the ballpark again, Uncle Jimbo!

Cross-posted at Rosemary's Thoughts.

Reading all the threats everyday that this country is facing, sure can get to a person. That is why Uncle Jimbo is such a great guy. I can always count on him to lift my spirits. He has the right words at the right time to apply to right people. You just have to read his take on Hillary's question given to the Defense Department. He is spot-on!

Would you like to know the question? Okay, here it is:

Dear Mr. Secretary:

On May 22, 2007, I wrote to you to request that you provide the appropriate oversight committees in Congress - including the Senate Armed Services Committee - with briefings on what current contingency plans exist for the future withdrawal of United States forces from Iraq. Alternatively, if no such plans exist, I asked for an explanation for the decision not to engage in such planning.

I am in receipt of a letter from Eric Edelman, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy who wrote that he was responding on your behalf. Under Secretary Edelman's response did not address the issues raised in my letter and instead made spurious arguments to avoid addressing contingency planning for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

As I noted in my original letter, "the seeds of many problems that continue to plague our troops and mission in Iraq were planted in the failure to adequately plan for the conflict and properly equip our men and women in uniform. Congress must be sure that we are prepared to withdraw our forces without any unnecessary danger."

Rather than offer to brief the congressional oversight committees on this critical issue, Under Secretary Edelman - writing on your behalf - instead claims that congressional oversight emboldens our enemies. Under Secretary Edelman has his priorities backward. Open and honest debate and congressional oversight strengthens our nation and supports our military. His suggestion to the contrary is outrageous and dangerous. Indeed, you acknowledged the importance of Congress in our Iraq policy at a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee in March, when you stated, "I believe that the debate here on the Hill and the issues that have been raised have been helpful in bringing pressure to bear on the Maliki government and on the Iraqis in knowing that there is a very real limit to American patience in this entire enterprise."

Redeploying out of Iraq will be difficult and requires careful planning. I continue to call on the Bush Administration to immediately provide a redeployment strategy that will keep our brave men and women safe as they leave Iraq - instead of adhering to a political strategy to attack those who rightfully question their competence and preparedness after years of mistakes and misjudgments.

Other members of this Administration have not engaged in political attacks when the prospect of withdrawal planning has been raised. At the June 7 Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, I asked General Lute "what level of planning has taken place" and "whether the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs have been briefed about the level of planning." I also asked General Lute to determine "what kind of timeline would exist if a decision for either military or political reasons were taken to begin withdrawal" and if he considered this kind of planning to be part of his responsibilities.

General Lute replied, "Thank you Senator. I do think such an adaptation, if the conditions on the ground call for it, will be part of this position."

I renew my request for a briefing, classified if necessary, on current plans for the future withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq or an explanation for the decision not to engage in such planning. I also renew my concern that our troops will be placed in unnecessary danger if the Bush Administration fails to plan for the withdrawal of U.S. Forces. Finally, I request that you describe whether Under Secretary Edelman's letter accurately characterizes your views as Secretary of Defense.

I would appreciate the courtesy of a prompt response directly from you. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

(Hat tip: MyDD. Be careful. It's a 'Leftie for Hillary' site I got it from. lol)

If you will notice, her letter to him was released for publication. Was his? I don't know, but I doubt it. (Won't swear to it, though.) Anyway, I thought Uncle Jimbo handled this just fine. Yes, fine indeed. Go over and have a great laugh and a great day!

Trackback @ DoD Daily News.

A Gathering of Michael Yon's Writings

Cross-posted at Rosemary's Thoughts.

Michael Yon is one of the best citizen reporters we are blessed to have in these days of war and peace. He does a wonderful job of bringing the news, no matter the state of the news, so that we may be informed of the truth. Why do I say this?

I say this because Michael is an American, and he never forgets that. He is not ashamed to be an American! Most 'journalists' are 'world' journalists, which leads them to consider America as just another country. Not the place of their birth, not the place that gave them all the opportunities they have taken advantage of, not the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. No. They hate America, subconsciously perhaps, but they do.

I can no more trust my enemy to tell me how this dress looks on me than I can trust a reporter who would rather see our enemies be victorious. The arguement may not be comparible, but I assure you that all the women readers of this know exactly what I mean! (For you brave gents, let's assume you took your prized car to the mechanic of your enemy...get it? lol)

Okay. I have been so busy that I have fallen behind in my posting of Michael's articles. That is why I am going to give them to you as a 'gathering' (not to be confused with the wonderful group known as, "A Gathering of Eagles").

Here we go. This article was posted on Independence Day. Michael states clearly that when you see the fireworks and hear the booms, try to imagine the sounds of jets and helicopters and the occasional screams, and that should give a slight idea of life at this time in Baquba, Iraq. The article he has written for us is "Bless the Beasts and Children." He has also issued this: "A warning to those with children: some of the photographs in this dispatch may be too graphic for young ones."

In this email he let us know that he has updated "Update on Bless the Beasts and Children." He also notes that there is a growing number of readers whom are becoming more and more furious at the media for not paying any attention to these facts on the ground, such as well documented mass-murders. Yet they are more than happy to publish anything that is ugly, wrong, fabricated by al Qaida, and so on. This is covered in the update.

There seems to be some difficulty with the archives for people who are new to Michael's site, so he gave us a list of really good dispatches while he works on fixing the problem.

The Kids!, Hello, Ameriki, Little Girl, Killing for God, Lost in Translation, Whipping Boy, Camp Bastion, The Floating Village and The Hands of God.

In Baqubah Update 05-July-2007, Michael spoke with an Iraqi official in Baqubah, Iraq. They spoke about al Qaida's treatment of those who disagreed with them. He did not comment on the truthfulness of this reporting by the official, because there were too few "specifics."

They found mass-grave sites about 3 1/2 miles away, which gives just a clue, however, as to al Qaida responds. There were bodies of decapitated children and possibly their mothers as well as men. Michael actually visited the site, so it is not just what someone told him. 'That grim discovery was the focus of "Bless the Beasts and Children."'

There were many people who picked up his article, many heavy-weights as well. Rush includes his sources names to give the reporter proper due. If you see any of Michael's dispatches or hear of them being read without giving credit, please let him know. HIS WORK IS COPYWRITED.

He doesn't mind that we share it amongst ourselves and others, but please remember to always name your source! It is good to have the people understand the truth about what is really happening. This can lead to an intelligent discussion (not like they have in the Senate!).

Whether or not the stories are true about al Qaida's horrendous behavior, ever since the plan set to take place (and did so in Baqubah on 19 June), 'the citizens of Baqubah are very happy, markets are opening, and there has been practically zero fighting in the last couple of weeks. For the latest, please read "Second Chances."'

This dispatch was written on June 12, 2007, while Michael was still in Baquba. I heard his radio interview with Hugh Hewitt at 4pm PCT. It was wonderful to hear your voice again, Michael. :)

His dispatch for today is Al Qaeda on the Run.

Another day, another dispatch. Superman.

I am going to quote these, because I think they deserve it.

I made an appearance today (Tuesday) from Baqubah on Good Morning America to talk about events in Baqubah. That video should be available on their site, and includes loud combat video I shot yesterday (Monday.)

I will be appearing on the Laura Ingraham radio show tomorrow (Wednesday.) We realize the site has become difficult to navigate after growing beyond all expectations, both in content and readership. The site will be overhauled during the coming months, but the work is very expensive so this will happen in stages.

This site depends 100% on reader support. Every bit helps and is critical. We'll revamp the site as funding permits to allow for easier searches, and will continue to bring cutting edge stories from the war.

I hope you enjoy them, give them the recognition they deserve, and take heart. If you are so moved, there is a place on his site for you to donate to help him. He is out there on his own. If you would like to know why this man was motivated to go to Iraq and Afghanistan so many times, I'm sure you will be able to find this explanation. In the meantime, I will look for it and place it in a link here. :)

TrackBack @ My Newz 'n Ideas.

Michael Yon: Death or Glory Part II of IV

Michael Yon used to be in the service, now he is out reporting the facts about what is really happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. Right now he is in Iraq with the British Queen’s Royal Lancers. He has an amazing story to tell. Anyone who remembers the Brits who were kidnapped by Iran will not recognize these people. Nor will you recognize them by the stories the dinosaur media has giving us due to the fact that they have never actually gone to find the truth. They rely on terrorists or people who don't actually know the truth. Anyway, here is the link. Have a nice day.

Update: Michael has completed "Death or Glory Parts III of IV." If you would like to support Michael, you may purchase his new book, "Danger Close." (You may read the first chapter online through this link.) To purchase it, go to Amazon.com. This is being sold by another publisher, but there are some with very good lifetime ratings (99%). You may want to buy it from Michael, but I could not figure out where the button is. Maybe you are a better sluethe than I. lol.

"Several chapters in "Danger Close" (first published in 1999) detail my early experiences with the press both favorable and unfavorable." (The book is on its 3^rd Edition.)

Blackfive (et al) turns 4 years old today!

Blackfive is one of the greatest milblogs in the whole blogosphere. Are you wondering what you can do to help in the war effort? Go to Blackfive's site. Are you looking for information on a member of your family or you have some information you want to share? Just e-mail Matt (from Blackfive).

Matt is a true-blue Patriot. He has worn our uniform, and he embodies the true meaning of duty, honor and country. Do you want to be informed or led around by the nose of the dinosaur media whom have never known anyone who has served, let alone served themselves? He is the one to seek out for help. While he has hung his uniform on it's hangers, he still serves us through his blog.

He also several very professional, funny, serious, humble and Veterans writing on his site. They are very near and dear to me as well. Uncle Jimbo even has his own "Friday Freely"! It used to be on YouTube, until they decided they did not want Military videos on their site.

LET THAT BE A LESSON TO YOU, YOUTUBE! You may find much better videos over at Hot Air!

Pardon the interruption, but I am very angered at that decision. I love those Friday Freely's.

Well, I started out to say Happy 4th Blogiversary today! I guess I got a little carried away as usual. This is the first Milblog site I ran into while we were receiving news from all the dinosaur media about how bad we losing. This started in Afghanistan! Ugh!

Thank you so much for your service, guys, and thank you for such a wonderful sight. God bless all of your families and you.

Did sKerry & Hairy tell Casey to shut down Milbloggers?

OPSEC ordered Milblogs to be scrutinized by their superiors before being posted for content on April 19, 2007. What happened around 4/19? There are three separate events that took place.

First, Pelosi went to Syria without permission in order to embarrass the president and destroy our foreign policy. I wrote about this on the 5/1 and published a cartoon on 4/16, but Farid Ghadry wrote about this on April 5th. CounterTerrorismBlog beat us all to the punch with this article: Now let's get serious about Syran and Congress. (I wrote that, but I give the link to the article.)

Second, Reid claimed that our troops were losing. USN Lt. Nichols wrote a letter to Reid. This was on the 21 of April. In order to have written that letter and sent it, it must have taken more than two days. Therefore I am concluding that Hairy made that statement that 'We have lost' the war in Iraq before the 19 of April. Crotchety Old Bastard also graced us with his everlasting wit about Reid.

Last but not least, there is the issue of allowing the Islamists to get their word out while shutting down the moderate Muslim with OUR tax dollars. Ask Frank Gaffney how that went over. (This was written 4/10.) I know I was calling, and I made myself perfectly clear that they were standing in the way of progress in this war of ideas.

We must all stand together, no matter what your views on this world wide war. Censorship is wrong no matter it is found.

The troops already know their perimeters, so what they are trying to do is to be politically correct. They are now trying to shut down any debate in the ranks, while it is still popular to call our president Hitler. Maybe if politicians had to live by the same rules they wish to impose on the rest of us...never happen!

I'm sure there are many who can put their words together much better than I when angry, but I must remember, with faith, the power of You and Me! Call your congressperson and senators toll free at 866-340-9281 and POLITELY give them a piece of your mind. Let's get this thing turned around!

UPDATE: OMG! I was so upset I forgot to let you know where I found out about this. Over at Blackfive's, there are many sites that are already commenting and writing about this. Please go over there and see for yourself. I'm sure they did a better job than I.

Uncle Jimbo and Kevin's Prefly

This week during Uncle J and Kevin' Prefly, they will be discussing the Lynch and the Tillman cases that are before the Senate. There are a couple f-bombs in it, and a few sh** bombs. If you can get past these, it is a pretty Pre-Friday Freely.

Here is the link to their article, and here is the link to YouTube where you may also subscribe to receive this every week!

Belated Friday Freefly

First allow me to apologize for bringing this to you late. Now let us get on with show.

Uncle Jimbo over at Blackfive's has done it again. He has come up with a fabulous article as well his video that he creates in Madison. Please go check it out. He also has many links to articles that you may find stimulating, angering, funny or just plain political. Either way, there is something there for everyone. :)

Send us to war to win, or don't send us...

Spree from Wake Up America has interviewed Sgt. 1st Class Grist with the help of CENTCOM's electronic media. CENTCOM has been very helpful in allowing many bloggers to interview men in the field of operations. I would like to thank them as well. Thank you, Spree!

Spree has a very good interview with Sgt. Grist who is a man of many accomplishments. I agree with him when he states that one of the most valuable and important thing Sgt. Grist stated was, "Send us to war to win, or don't send us..." Amen. I hope you enjoy it. I know I did.

As to Sgt. Grist: Thank you for your service to our country. Thank you for your sacrifices. Thank your family as well. Let us never forget the families who 'fighting this war with you.' Godspeed.

The Economy of God

There is a Chaplain in Iraq whom I just adore reading. He always makes me think, makes me grateful, and even makes me contrite. I thought I would share just a little of one his posts: Is it better to be a jock or a nerd?

Final Answer: So, if it isn’t for payoff, or the avoidance of punishment why be a Christian at all? It is the million dollar question. Why do 110 million Americans get out of bed on Sunday morning drag themselves to worship? Why should you belong to a church, give money to a church, or even bother with church?

Or, to make things more specific why should you care about the burdens of someone else? Why should you pick up the burdens of the world? Why should I go to bible study, memorize scripture, teach Sunday school, or one of the many other things that can be done.

Well don’t do them because you have to. Do them because you get to. I get to be included in the purposes of God. I get to be part of the economy of God. I get to be used by God to make the world a better place for myself, my children, my spouse and my neighbor. I get to be involved in God reconciling the world. I am an insider in an outsider world. I have a place. I am blessed.

His name is CB and his blog is The Online Chaplain. This is a lovely and heart warming post. It also makes one think about their own relationship with our Lord. Or not.

How can one man wearing the uniform of a soldier touch so many so far away? That is what it is like to be a Christian. It is very comforting, indeed. Thank you, Lord, and thank you, CB. Have a great day.

"Imposing the Law" in Action: Week III

Omar of Iraq The Model has given a wide-ranging overview of what he can see happening in his part of the world. He is a Dentist, therefore he travels through much of Iraq. He has been our strength and a source of information we would lack otherwise. He and his brother, Mohammed, are true treasures.

On with the news...

It is apparent that the Military and the political figures are working together (for a change). PM Maliki has stated that he will be announcing his cabinet reorganization. He realizes that his cabinet, as it stands now, is not operating properly due to divided loyalties that make it impossible to work for the greater good of all of Iraq. This is a welcomed step.

PM Maliki also held a press conference Sunday morning where he announced this:

In his press conference this morning, Maliki also announced that the Supreme Judicial Council will be issuing warrants against a number of politicians and members of parliament who have connections to militant groups that are involved in attacks on civilians and security forces.

It is about time! I hope he also throws all the Iranians (IRG) out of his government, and tells them to go back to Iran and never come back...

Both the USA and Iraqi troops are in Sadr City, and they are being met without resistence. However the Medhi (militia) 'army' is still trying to undermine this effort by spreading rumors about misconduct by US soldiers. What else is new, right? How much you wanna bet they can sell some juicy stories to the USA press? More time wasted on more unnecessary investigations...

Regardless of the reports of violence that we receive on a daily diet of negativity without context, here is a fact that is hard to ignore:

Violent incidents are still decreasing in number and impact in Baghdad. Yesterday for instance the only reported incident was the abduction of an adviser to the minister of defense by gunmen in western Baghdad. It was less than 24 hours until the security forces succeeded in freeing the abducted general and arresting 4 of his captors.

I'd say this is pretty astonishing! I'm grateful that the general was found alive and released.

There is still more to be read at Street Justice. Have a wonderful day.

Ft. Rucker Hit by Tornado; You Can Help

Blackfive has put out the word:

Stay tuned. Ft. Rucker, Alabama, was hit hard by yesterday's tornados and storms. While the fort has been instrumental in helping out the local area, military families have lost loved ones and homes have been destroyed.

Soldiers' Angels is on the job and will be establishing funds to support Ft. Rucker soldiers and families.

As usual, when I ask you to donate, Blackfive.net donates first with an initial $50.

Here is the link to the PayPal account to help Ft. Rucker families.

I would be honored if you would go to this link and give generously. I will also be giving what I can. Thank you so very much for caring about and for our military families and our brave men and women who do the work that is necessary for us to remain a free nation. Godspeed.

Jim interviews Sgt. 1st. Class Troy Smith

This is a very good and detailed interview between Sgt. 1st Class Troy Smith, stationed in Iraq, and Jim of Thinking Right. It appears that the Soldiers over in Iraq are more optimistic about the future of that country than the politicians are back home. It is only natural.

Let's face it. Who would have the best information? A politician who hardly lifts a finger all day except to shake it at you to tell you how stupid you are, or someone who is out there risking it all so you and I may live in peace and freedom? Yeah, my feelings precisely...

MilBlogging Vote is On!

Don't forget to get over to Milblogging.com and have your say. You must register to vote, so make sure you do this first. I find it is good to have this URL saved so after you register, you can find your way back. (I have a hard time manuevering around that. lol) Have at it!

Troops Angel

You may not understand why, but I have created another site. I believe it was because I am a member of a site that does not have a section for opinion or the Military. How could I write for a site that does not include the Military???

The name of it is Troops Angel. I have invited other people to join my group so if you are interested, please let me know. Have a great day.

"Grass Roots" organization exposed by Greyhawk

I shall try to contain my anger so I can write this. Over at Mudville Gazette you will be able to read about a Leftists plan to fool you into thinking you are reading about troops that are simply expressing their opinion. This could not be further from the truth. Oh, it may be their opinion, by they are being helped by the same PR firms that helped Cindy Sheehan! Take from that little tidbit what you will. Whatever you do, please read this! Greyhawk has put a lot of time, effort and research into this. Thank you.

Hat tip: Blackfive.

Update: I have found a very nice site that is also trying to find the truth about this organization. The name of it is The D-Ring: Where the military and the new media collide. Please pay him a visit. Thanks, and have a great day.

OMG! I couldn't believe it!

I was trying to find out which URL someone else was refering to when I ran across this:

Milblogging Featured Member: Rosemary.

I couldn't believe it! There are so many more people who are much more worthy. I am humbled and grateful. What a perfect Christmas present.