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 the Semper Fi Fund in support of the efforts of the White Family to train and run the Marine Corp Marathon.  Jon White is an Extraordinairy American that has Overcome Adversity, so he could continue to defend this Nation.  He never gave up, no matter when all else would, not even when  promised a check for life, if he would just accept sitting in the wheelchair as ordered.

A dollar a mile he ran is $26.20 or you can give your 2 bucks ($52.40).  Interested Advertisers to this site through the end of the month of the marathon will be asked to send straight to that effort.

Airpower Summary for November 12

U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs

11.13.2009 SOUTHWEST ASIA — Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations, Nov. 12, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

Air Operations in Afghanistan:

Sangin
Air Force MQ-9A Reaper aircraft flew armed overwatch for a friendly forces patrol. The aircraft also provided surveillance for the patrol and when suspicious activity was observed, coordinates for the enemy position were confirmed. A missile was released on the enemy target eliminating the threat to friendly forces.

Sending All The Wrong Messages

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Taliban, Iran, Gitmo, Fort Hood, & NYC Civilian Trials for War Criminals: The Current Administration seems bent on sending the wrong message.

The question of trials in NYC has received an emotional argument about location, but the location is secondary to the more important issue: Civilian Criminal trials vs. War Crimes Tribunals.  As I demonstrated last winter, terrorists are first and foremost enemy combatants and by definition war criminals.  Yes, they are murderous thugs but they committed an act of war and war crimes with a political and imperial goal.  They have zero Constituonal rights and International Law of War applies.

"We kill only when we have to"

British sniper foils Taliban attack

A Military Operations news article

12 Nov 09

A British sniper ended a Taliban attack on his colleagues conducting a patrol in an Afghan village with a single shot, it has been revealed today.

A British Army sniper team lies in wait atop a compound in southern Afghanistan
[Picture: Corporal Jon Bevan, Crown Copyright/MOD 2008]

The soldier, who can only be known as Corporal Danny for security reasons, shot at the feet of an unarmed man who was apparently directing gunfire at Cpl Danny's unit, an Army spokesman said.

Armed with a .338-calibre rifle, Cpl Danny, from 4th Battalion The Rifles, serving with the 3rd Battalion The Rifles Battle Group, was watching over his patrol in the village of Sadul Kariz, which lies to the north east of Sangin, northern Helmand.

The soldiers stopped to drink tea at a mosque when Cpl Danny saw

Ring returned to Vietnam POW 44 years after imprisonment

by John Ingle
82nd Training Wing Public Affairs

11/12/2009 - SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- With the traditional "I do's" and exchange of wedding bands some 54 years ago on Oct. 1, 1955, James and Phyllis Hivner began their life's journey together which, like many young couples, began with not knowing what the future held.

Retired Col. James Hivner addresses an audience of Airmen, family and friends Nov. 11 at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison, Texas, after receiving the wedding ring that was confiscated by the North Vietnamese in 1965. The colonel's ring was found recently and eventually passed to retired Navy Cmdr. Rick Tolley who searched for its owner until he found Colonel Hivner. An honor guard and Airmen from Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, made the trip to the museum to witness the return of the ring. (U.S. Air Force photo/LouAnne Sledge)

That journey was rocked 10 years later, almost to the day, when then-Capt. James Hivner and his co-pilot, 1st Lt. Thomas Barrett, were shot down Oct. 5, 1965, in their F-4C Phantom fighter-bomber over North Vietnam. About 10 minutes after ejecting from the wounded aircraft, the pair was captured by North Vietnamese militia and soon handed over to the country's regular army. By the end of the night, they were residents at the infamous Hanoi Hilton, a prisoner-of-war facility.

AFG Strike Strengthens Its Combat Outposts Through Lessons Learned

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs

Story by Spc. Joe Padula

 

11.13.2009 FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – There has been an increased wave of attacks on coalition forces in Afghanistan. Now fearing an influx of American troops into the Afghan fight, enemy forces have dramatically increased their attacks on combat outposts throughout the Afghan front.

A combat outpost, also known as a COP, is what most forwarding operating bases are shifting toward. After seeing success during the Iraq campaign of downsizing the larger FOBs into more of the smaller yet effective COPs, military officials are now continuing the transitions within the Afghani borders.

The recent attacks on the COPs can

Wardogs and Delta Main Tag Team 205

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms

Story by Pvt. Michael Gams

11.13.2009 Nov. 10 is recognized widely across the Marine Corps as the day the Marine Corps was born 234 years ago.

While other Combat Center Marines were busy celebrating the birthday of the Corps with the day off, the Marines and Sailors of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, were celebrating it by doing what Marines do best — putting rounds downrange.

Co. G staged at the Delta Prospect training area aboard the Combat Center to complete their final training with 1st Platoon, Company D, 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, in preparation for their January deployment with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit from Okinawa, Japan.

"Man Up! Lives Hang In The Balance!"

Indecision will  get people killed.  It is worst trait a leader can have.  It is deadly in combat.  Indecision in combat is caused by inexperience and too many choices.  I know this.  I've been there.  I've taught the uninitated how to survive the battlefield.

The first time, everytime, rounds are fired at you, the natural response is: "this is not happening."  The difference is not if or if not this happens, but how long it takes to overcome.  At that moment in time, your higher thought processes shut down and your animal instincts take over, as a matter of survival.  Simultaneously, your brain is processing all options to include fight or flight, but until a decision is made, it and your body remain frozen.  The highly trained and the experienced have already reduced the options to the lowest number possible.

Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa Members Honor Fallen Brethren

Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa

Story by Staff Sgt. Ronald Lafosse

11.13.2009 DJIBOUTI -- Three CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crews assigned to the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464 here transported 58 personnel from Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa and Camp Lemonnier Nov. 11, 2009 to a ceremony honoring servicemembers killed in a bombing accident in 2003 and an aircraft collision in 2006.

June 23, 2003 two CH-53 crews were watching a B-52 practice bombing range from an adjacent mountain top when the unexpected happened.

Battles for Free Speech by CJ Grisham, A Soldier's Perspective

Previously, we noted that leaders in the Milblog space were shuttering their portals to the rest of the story.  In one  case, there is more to the story, and it is best told by Bouhammer, a close friend of CJ Grisham.  As he knows much more of the story than do I, I defer to him to tell it.  But it appears that the latest round began in the local school system.  It appears that the local school didn't like being questioned by a parent and decided to seek it's revenge on that parent by contacting CJ's Military Command.

Troy has the lead on this one.  He has identified a plan and provides for the base of a defense in this latest battle of his friend.  Since he has recently retired from the Army, he no longer serves under the threat of UCMJ punishment for his words, as does CJ.  And as in all such defenses, it is better to have a 3rd Party rather than oneself, no matter how smart and clever one is, to argue the case.

When a Parent, a Soldier, cannot raise questions about the way a school is teaching his child, we have a serious problem.

Iraq Forty-one TF Marne Soldiers Gain Citizenship

Headquarters, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Story by Sgt. Johnathon Jobson

11.13.2009 CAMP LIBERTY, BAGHDAD, Iraq — Enlisting in the United States Army is not dependant on being a U. S. citizen, however becoming a commissioned officer is.

For approximately 160 Soldiers currently deployed in the Multi-National Corps - Iraq area, 41 of those from Task Force Marne units, those things are now possible. Those Soldiers became U. S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony held at Al Faw Palace in Baghdad, Nov. 11.

Before the ceremony could take place there was a naturalization process were the Soldiers all traveled from their respective deployment sites to Baghdad to participate in a mass ceremony. Soldiers were present from all of the U. S. divisions in Iraq.

Time on Afghan Strategy Is Well-spent, Petraeus Says

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

Story by Jim Garamone

11.13.2009 WASHINGTON - The time President Barack Obama is taking to nail down the strategy in Afghanistan is time well spent, the commander of U.S. Central Command said, Nov. 13.

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus spoke at the Navy Memorial here as part of the American Veterans Center Annual Conference. He based his words not only on his current experiences, he said, but also on his experiences as the commander in Iraq.

In Iraq, getting the right strategy was just as important as the surge in personnel, the general said. "The real key in Iraq was the

RIP Rifleman Samuel John Bassett

Rifleman Samuel John Bassett was killed in Afghanistan, following an Improvised Explosive Device explosion in the area of Sangin on Sunday 8 November 2009.

• Rifleman Samuel John Bassett, 4th Battalion The Rifles, aged 20 from Plymouth

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”. Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten. (W.Shakespeare)

Obama: Review Events Leading to Fort Hood Tragedy

By VOA News
14 November 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama is calling for a thorough investigation of the steps leading to the tragic shooting on a Texas army base.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, posted Saturday on the White House Web site, Mr. Obama said investigators must "compile every piece of information" known about the gunman and learn what was done with it.

He said there will be accountability for any failures to prevent the shootings. But he said, more importantly, investigators will "evaluate and address any flaws in the system" to avoid a similar attack in the future.

Authorities say Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old psychologist, went on a rampage at Fort Hood, Texas on November 5, killing 13 people and wounding dozens more.

Mr. Obama said Saturday it was "unthinkable" so many soldiers could be killed on U.S. soil by a fellow service-member.

Iraq Kirkuk Library Gets Major Facelift

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

Story by Mike Scheck

11.13.2009 KIRKUK, Iraq - The public library here is receiving a facelift that highlights the building's 72-year heritage while hiding modern amenities.

The $453,000 project, funded through the Commander's Emergency Relief Fund, calls for complete renovation of the library's electrical system, plumbing and heating plant, as well as installation of an air conditioning system and renovation of interior spaces.

"For centuries, Iraq's libraries and universities were renowned for their early collection of reference materials, writers, artists, scientists and poets," said Rizgar Jan, project engineer for the library renovation for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District. "Even today, Iraqi writers, artists, scientists and poets are still among the academic leaders in both the Arab world and throughout the Middle East. In the past decade, because of the security concerns, the Iraqi educational community and libraries have suffered due to lack of funding."

Bomb Blast Kills 7 in Pakistani City of Peshawar

By VOA News
14 November 2009

Pakistani police say a suicide car bombing has killed at least seven people and wounded more than 20 others, in the latest attack in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

Officials say the bomber set off explosives Saturday at a police checkpoint.  They say two police officers are among the dead.

The bombing came a day after a suicide bomber struck the Peshawar office of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, killing 10 people.  That blast caused a large portion of the three-story ISI building to collapse.

Authorities say recent militant attacks in Peshawar are in retaliation for the government's offensive against the Taliban in the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

Elsewhere Saturday, the Pakistani military says troops killed eight militants in the latest fighting in the northwest Swat Valley.

AFG HMLA-367 'Scarface' Introduce Yankees

Marine Aircraft Group 40

Story by Lance Cpl. Samuel Nasso

11.13.2009 CAMP BASTION, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – The sound of four blade rotors echoes across the Helmand sky, as the UH-1Y Huey helicopter made its first combat deployment with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 "Scarface".

The squadron arrived in October, with the first UH-1Y helicopters arriving Oct. 23 on the back of a C-17 aircraft. The UH-1Y made its first flight Nov. 4.

"You wanna mess with me? Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend," said the character Tony Montana in the movie "Scarface."

The UH-1Y is the "little friend" of HMLA-367, as it brings increased speed and carrying capacity, offering a better option for the Afghan terrain than the UH-1N model did for HMLA-169, the squadron being replaced by HMLA-367 in Afghanistan.

Somalia Terrorist Group Suspected in Killing of Puntland Judge

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
13 November 2009

Security forces in Somalia's northern semi-autonomous region of Puntland say three people have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a judge late Wednesday in the commercial port town of Bosasso.  The assassination may be linked to a Puntland cell of al-Shabab, a militant group linked with al-Qaida.

According to witnesses, two masked gunmen ambushed the judge, Sheik Mohamed Abdi Aware, as he left a mosque. Aware died after being shot several times in the head and chest.  

In a separate incident in the regional capital Garowe,

Iraqi Air Force Rains Hellfire

II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd)

Story by Cpl. Joshua Murray

11.13.2009 AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq – As Iraqi Security Forces continue pushing forward in their proficiency, ranging from hand to hand fighting techniques to weapons tactics and training, they advance as skilled defenders of their nation. With all the capabilities they continue to acquire, precision guided aerial firepower is a significant asset for which they recognize a need. The use of the AGM-114 Hellfire missile begins a new age of air-strike capability for the Iraqi air force.

IAF Squadron 3 tested their new weapon and left nothing but heaps of scrap metal and debris during a demonstration on shadow range aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Nov. 4, 2009.

"What they developed was an AC-208 Cessna Caravan armed with Hellfire missiles and

Twin Suicide Bombings Hit Northwest Pakistan

By Sean Maroney
Islamabad
13 November 2009

Pakistani security officials say two suicide car bombings killed at least 16 people and wounded scores of others in northwestern Pakistan on Friday.  The attacks come as U.S. National Security Advisor Jim Jones is in the country for meetings with civilian and military leaders. 

The first attack early Friday morning targeted the regional headquarters of Pakistan's spy agency, the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), which is overseeing the anti-militancy campaign in the country's tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

"If Not Now, When?" COL Jack Jacobs, Medal of Honor

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?  If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" Hillel, 1st Century BCE

What drives a man to extraordinary Valor?  Why is it that some men seem destined for greatness?  How is it that those of proven Great Valor seem destined to Great Success in all facets of life?

The Story of Colonel Jack Jacobs does not begin on the morning he earned the Medal of Honor in the Mekong Delta of Viet Nam, surrounded by his brothers, his South Vietnamese Brothers.  It didn't start as the last thing his father did before shipping off to the Pacific in World War II.  When his story began and what drove him to great Valor began with the Values passed from generation to generation in a small mountain village of the Ottoman Empire, or possibly before that.

Nor does his story end with the day President Richard Nixon hung the Medal of Honor around his neck.  Decades later, while in a business meeting, securing a $20 Million investment, the shrapnel would still be surfacing, still causing him to bleed.  Nor would the ceremony be his only visit to the White House.

Congressman Peter King Critical of Trying 9/11 Conspirators in Civil Court

US To Try 9/11 Suspects In Civilian Court

By Jim Malone
Washington
13 November 2009

U.S. officials announced Friday that the alleged mastermind of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will face a civilian trial in a courthouse in New York City, just blocks away from the site of what was the World Trade Center. The decision to try the alleged 9/11 conspirators in a federal civilian court represents a major shift in legal approach by the administration of President Barack Obama.  

The announcement was made at a news conference in Washington by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

"After eight years of delay, those allegedly responsible for the attacks of September 11th will finally face justice," said Eric Holder. "They will be brought to New York, to New York, to answer for their alleged crimes in a courthouse just blocks from where the twin towers once stood."

Plight of Yemen Civilians and Conflict at Saudi-Yemen Worsening

More Civilians Flee War-Torn Yemen

By Lisa Schlein Geneva 13 November 2009

United Nations and International aid agencies say the plight of civilians in Yemen is worsening amid the increasing conflict along the Yemeni-Saudi border. The agencies say camps for internally displaced people are becoming overcrowded as more and more people who have fled their homes arrive.

The U.N. refugee agency says more and more Yemeni civilians are fleeing embattled Saada province in northern Yemen as the fighting between government troops and Al Houti forces enters the fourth month.

Over the past few days, UNHCR spokesman, Andrej Mahecic, says some 150 new families, or up to 900

Despite French President's Efforts, Syrian President Dismisses Idea of Talks with Israel

Sarkozy Leads Charge in Reinvigorating Stalled Mideast Peace Talks

By Lisa Bryant Paris 13 November 2009

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been pushing the stalled Middle East peace process this week, holding talks with Middle East leaders including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday. But Mr. Assad, for one, has dismissed the idea of direct talks with Israel for the moment.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the French news agency, AFP, Friday he was not willing to hold direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling instead for lower level Turkish mediation. Mr. al-Assad was reported to have made the comments in Paris following talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and an invitation for dialogue from the Israeli prime minister.

Earlier, Mr. al-Assad told the French daily Le Figaro that the Obama administration needed to develop a plan of action before talks with Israel could take place.

The discussions between French and Syrian leaders caps a flurry of diplomatic activity by the French president, who has been trying to nudge the two sides to resume long stalled peace negotiations. Mr.

Airpower Summary for November 11

U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs

11.12.2009  SOUTHWEST ASIA — Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations, Nov. 11, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

Air Operations in Afghanistan:

Chahar Bagh
Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces patrols and a convoy. When suspicious activity was observed at a known enemy fighting position, precision guided munitions were utilized to eliminate the threat to the friendly forces.

Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft provided armed overwatch for a Coalition forces patrol. Activity at an enemy position was observed and a show of force was requested to deter any potential enemy action. The show of force was considered successful when no enemy action was noted.

Ft. Hood Soldiers, 1st Responders' Actions "Textbook Example"

10 Minutes of Hell: Emergency Response to Shooting Deemed Flawless

Fort Hood Public Affairs Office Story by Andrew Evans 11.12.2009

Emergency response leaders here say many lives were saved by the courageous acts of those who helped the wounded following the horrific shooting attack Nov. 5 at the post deployment readiness center.

They called the actions of Soldiers and first responders a "textbook example" of what should be done in the aftermath of a situation that was anything but ordinary.

The incident, considered the worst to occur on a U.S. military base, left 13 dead and 43 wounded before post police shot the assailant.

The alleged gunman remains under guard at Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Authorities say the gunman, armed with two handguns, fired at least 100 rounds indiscriminately into the crowd of

Advice on using a public computer

Information Technology and Telecommunications

 

Advise on using a public computer: Check the back of the PC and see if the below device is there.... if so...Then DO NOT USE IT!!!

 

 

Care should be taken whenever you are using a public computer.

 

A new storage device that fits at the end of the keyboard cable connecting to the PC has been developed to save all keyed in data.

 

The device could be used in net cafes, exhibitions, hotels and airports.

 

Care should be taken, especially those who use the internet to enter their bank accounts on-line or any other important personal data.

 

 

Check the PC for any suspicious piece behind it before using the net in public places for important sites.

 

Source: Department of Homeland Security San Francisco Field Office

AFG: Asadullah, Four Others Arrested for Bomb Making In Laghman Province

Laghman NDS Officials Arrest IED Facilitator

Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO Story by Pfc. Elizabeth Raney 11.12.2009

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Laghman National Directorate of Security officials arrested Qari Asadullah, a known Haqqani Network member, for possessing improvised explosive device-making materials in his home in Ja'alam village in the Alingar valley of Laghman province, Afghanistan, Nov. 5.

Asadullah, a former sub-governor for Surk and Nangarhar provinces during the Taliban regime, is known to be an IED facilitator and builder operating in Laghman province.

This was the first of arrests made in Laghman by the NDS, who is under the direction of a new chief, Gen. Maraud.

Four other individuals, who were suspected of being involved in a Nov. 4 IED event, were also arrested.

Japanese PM: Japan Will No Longer refuel AFG-bound U.S. Ships

Obama Opens Asia Tour With Talks in Tokyo

By Paula Wolfson Tokyo 13 November 2009

The United States and Japan are vowing to keep their alliance strong at a time of change in both Washington and Tokyo. The Japanese capital was the initial stop on Barack Obama's first trip to Asia as President of the United States.

It was a low-key arrival in a chilly rain. And it came at a time of uncertainty in relations between the United States and Japan.

The new Japanese Prime Minister - Yukio Hatoyama - campaigned on a pledge to be less dependent on Washington.

He is seeking trade deals with other Asian countries, and is reviewing long-term U.S.-Japan military

New Citizen, Soldier: "America is truly the land of the free."

Paratroopers Receive Citizenship in Iraq U.S. Army

37th Engineer Battalion (Combat)(Airborne) – Joint Task Force Eagle

Story by 1st Lt. Meghan E. Keefe 11.12.2009

Camp Victory, Iraq – Soldiers serving in Iraq regard Veteran's Day not only as a day of remembrance to the past, but a day of promise for the future as they receive their U.S. citizenship during their combat tour in Iraq, Nov. 11.

Members of the 37th Engineer Battalion- Joint Task Force Eagle, based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., traveled to Victory Base Camp to the Multi National Corps- Iraq headquarters, where 6 JTF Eagle Soldiers patiently waited to receive their citizenship of a country for which they have been serving.

Soldiers Pfc. Haile Gebremedhin, of Ethiopia, Pfc. Pierre Salomon, of Haiti, Spc. Lewam Tesgazghi, of Eritrea, Pvt. Marilse Palma, of Mexico, Spc. Shannakay Powell, of Jamaica, Spc. Nourelhuda of Sudan, and Pfc. Joshua Garry, of Indonesia, were all asked why they wanted to become U.S. citizens.

AFG Operational Update, Nov. 13

Operational Update, Nov. 13: Update to Vehicle Detonation; ANSF Detain Taliban Militants in Wardak, Zabul,

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs

11.13.2009 KABUL, Afghanistan – The vehicle borne improvised explosive device which detonated on Jalalabad Road in Kabul, Afghanistan, around 8 a.m. today, injured nine ISAF service members, 10 civilian contractors and several Afghans. No ISAF service members were killed.

"The insurgents use indiscriminate attacks like this to attempt to intimidate international forces and our Afghan partners, but we will continue our important efforts in support of the Afghan people," said Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, IJC spokesperson.

This is an update to IJC news release 2009-11-CA-026.

Afghan-International Security Force Detains Taliban Commander in Wardak

An Afghan-international security force killed a couple of enemy militants and detained several militants in Wardak province today, one of which was a Taliban commander responsible for several attacks in the area.