Thor’s Hall

I have avoided addressing the Haiti situation because it has pretty much been covered elsewhere in excruciating detail.  So let’s cover the highlights:

1. Natural disaster strikes.
2. US immediately sorties assets to evaluate situation.
3. Concurrently follow on assets readied to address anticipated logistical requirements.
4. US forces recalled, deployed, and diverted from current missions to assist.
5. International community complains loudly about US controlling and monopolizing the logistics train.
6. Affected locals complain about insufficient assistance, and slow support.
7. Celebrities and news crews on site for “in depth” coverage and photo ops.
8. US picks up costs of effort without comment.

Now all of this is necessary, and given the magnitude of the event it takes some time to get assets in place, assistance moving, and the situation stabilized.  That is the nature of anything that impacts so many people.  But, to stabilize the situation and get to the point that widespread basic services can be restored, and long term rebuilding can begin these steps have to happen.

But there is that short term period of time before the supply chain gets rolling where small teams of individuals, with the right mindset, the right skill set, and the support of a grass roots team can make all the difference in the world.

This is the story of Team Rubicon, the Marines, soldiers, and volunteers that are making a difference.

RT @Ranger_Up: Hey guys – we need 2 more folks to hit 800 on Twitter. Can we get some love? Please RT!

Major Pain is periodically blogging from his deployment in Afghanistan.  I found his latest missive so very familiar.  The attack of the mice, the austere conditions.  Even with all the technological advances, things haven’t changed.  Except I guess they aren’t using “steel pots” as a wash basin… I wonder if the Kevlar works just as well.

Gang-

It’s been a very busy couple of weeks around our neck of the woods. Bad guys getting froggy, temperatures dropping, and ill tempered mice massing in large groups! …It’s all good, no worries.

Your Marines are doing great things around the area. With continued operations that pin the enemy back into unmaneuverable positions we continue our progress forward. Many people ask me, “Are we really making a difference here?” Being the second go around for me here, I can tell you it’s 100% better than the first time I was here. In a more closer look to the area, I can tell you that local leaders have and continue to make great gains in their local economic and life support structures throughout their region.

When you have local civilians begin to inform you of IED emplacements and continue to stand up against the enemy threat, when you have people that want to make their area better without intimidation and, although scared, continue to work with Coalition Forces, those are signs of progress in the area.  Not how many Marines are in a square foot but more so of what those Marines do and how they carry out their actions that defines progress.  Yes, there is progress in Afghanistan and your Marines are leading the way.

Mail is arriving, however, I did just now get a letter sent before Thanksgiving. Its hit & miss at times. All of you out there please know, because of the austere conditions, limited computer networks, our fighting position, email and even slow snail mail isn’t available much of the time. We have received your care packages and I want to send out a HUGE thank you for all of you that have sent packages and letters of support. You don’t know how much that helps.  We don’t have a PX, our chow hall is a burnt out building so we don’t have the “luxuries” of many large bases. Mail gets to us when it “gets to us” .

We are maximizing and validating the techniques, tactics and procedures of the concept of “light infantry fighting”….and it’s working very well!

Time for a stoagy, Semper Fi!

Back in the days before we became “politically correct” things were handled a bit differently.

There is nothing quite like the confidence of The Marine.  We have seen this throughout the history of The Corps, and we are seeing it again in Helmand province.

“We’re going to go in big,” Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, told reporters travelling with Mullen in Helmand. “I’m not looking for a fair fight.”

Gotta love it when they talk dirty like that. Nicholson reportedly hopes to encourage the less committed to sit it out, while the Marines go to work on the more committed. Reuters adds:

“Well it’s pretty obvious, there’s only one place left: that’s Marjah. I don’t think its any great leap of logic to say where we’re going next,” said Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, commander of all the Marines in southern Afghanistan.”We’re bringing in 10,000 Marines. It’s not a secret. There’s only one place left in the entire area of operations where the enemy is at,” he said.

This is being reported through several sources.  Ya gotta love the attitude, from the top down.

In the “Incredible Files”…..

This story out of Washington state has me befuddled with the mindset of America’s elected officials.

SEATTLE — Decades ago, poor children became known as “disadvantaged” to soften the stigma of poverty. Then they were “at risk.” Now, a Washington lawmaker wants to replace those euphemisms with a new one, “at hope.”

Democratic State Sen. Rosa Franklin says negative labels are hurting kids’ chances for success and has proposed rewriting 54 places in state law where words like “at risk” and “disadvantaged” are used.

The bill has gotten a warm welcome among fellow lawmakers, state officials and advocacy groups.

“We really put too many negatives on our kids,” says Franklin, who is the state Senate’s president pro tem. “We need to come up with positive terms.”

Really, isn’t there more important things for representatives to spend their time doing.  Is this the most pressing concern of this woman’s constituents?

A little fun for you….  How long does it take after being bitten by a zombie for you to begin craving the sweet taste of brains?

Created by Oatmeal

Hmm… does that title make sense?  Well take a look at the below post:

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.” Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.” The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from “Tiresome” to a “Bloody Nuisance.” The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was during the great
fire of 1666.

The Scots raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s get the Bastards” They don’t have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the frontline in the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide”. The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender.” The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France ‘s white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country’s military capability. It’s not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from “Shout loudly and excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.” Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.”

The Germans also increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbour” and “Lose”.

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Americans meanwhile are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.

And at a local level…

New Zealand has also raised its security levels – from “baaa” to “BAAAA!”. Due to continuing defense cutbacks (the airforce being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister’s bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is “Shit, I hope Austrulia will come and rescue us”. In the event of invasion, New Zealanders will be asked to
gather together in a strategic defensive position called “Bondi”.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries” to “She’ll be right, mate”. Three more escalation levels remain, “Crikey!’, “I think we’ll need to cancel the barbie this weekend” and “The barbie is cancelled”. So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

H/T Theo

The creativity of the human race never fails to amaze me.

The acquiesnce of the American public continues to flabergast me.

Out in my old stomping grounds of Seattle we find this  recent story:

A man used a large rock to rob a Bellingham shoe store over the weekend, according to Bellingham police.

Come On Man!  This wasn’t a projectile being fired from a slingshot.  Just one guy threatening another with a rock and as a result conducting a successful robbery.

It does not matter what you “control” guns, knives, spears, crossbows… there is always something to be used as a weapon.  And there often someone who will allow themselves to be a victim.

Why is it that some of the oldest, simplest jokes seem to be the most funny?  Maybe it’s me getting to be an old geezer.