Private Space Flight!

Mark 21 June on your calendars. You can even go see the world's first private space launch.

Hornet's Nest

Casey Tompkins points out the strategic difficulties of attacking the Saudis. I've always known it was a bad idea to really piss off 1.3 billion Muslims by attacking the holy land. I've also wondered how we could come up with a satisfactory causus belli when people didn't want us to attack Iraq even though we were still technically at war with Iraq and they were violating the terms of the cease fire all the time. It's also been very puzzling how we could turn on an ally who had been cooperating with us against Iraq. Not to mention the oil problem.

But Casey shows how utterly ignorant the idea is from a military standpoint.

Thanks, Casey!

Old Bull Elephants

James Rummel opines on the utility of dangerous old men. It reminds me of the game wardens who were having trouble with a gang of young male elephants terrorizing the neighborhood. Solution: Add some old bulls. Worked like a charm.

Are our old bull humans too domesticated?

Congratulations!

Marc has a new baby boy!

Just Because I Like An Idea...

... doesn't mean a law implementing it is constitutional. Marc laments the ruling which overturned the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban. The judge did the right thing for the wrong reason. I wish every state had outlawed Partial-Birth Abortion, or that Congress had done so based on the civil rights of the child. But Congress tried to regulate abortions based on the idea that abortions were interstate commerce. Wrong. We would be better off if our Presidents, Congress and the courts understood that they are supposed to obey the Constitution, not evade it.

An Article dodger is worse than a draft dodger.

A Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and a Meritorious Service Medal for Memorial Day

Blackfive pays tribute to his friend Mat, who was killed on Memorial Day last year. Here is how Mat died:

At 7:15AM, vicinity KC 6514 6181, Major Schram's convoy approached a ravine where the bridge crossing the ravine had been destroyed. The convoy had to go down the embankment, into the ravine, and back up the other side to get back onto the highway.

Once the lead vehicle started up the far bank of the ravine, the convoy came under intense fire from Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), machine guns, and small arms fire. It was an ambush. Fifteen Iraqi insurgents had been waiting by the ravine.

An RPG hit the lead tanker vehicle, disabling it in the kill zone. It was a perfect ambush set up. If the insurgents could knock out the first and last vehicles, then the entire convoy would be stuck in the kill zone. Bullets flew from insurgents on both sides of the ravine. The insurgent grenadiers were trying to concentrate fire on the last American vehicle to bottle Major Schram's convoy in the ravine. The attackers would then be able to kill the Americans at will.

Major Schram ordered his driver, Specialist Chris Van Dyke, to accelerate from their position in the convoy into the insurgents' positions. Major Schram sent a message to Headquarters for help and began returning fire out of the Humvee. The Iraqi grenadiers recognized the threat and shifted their fire from the rear truck to Schram's Humvee, HQ-12.

Multiple grenades exploded at the front and rear of HQ-12. Specialist Van Dyke was blown out of the vehicle. Once he stopped rolling on the ground, he got up and ran back to HQ-12. He got back in and drove the Humvee out of the Kill Zone.

When he turned to get orders from Major Schram, Van Dyke realized that his Major had been killed. Even though he wore body armor, two 7.62 rounds had gone through his armpit (where there is no body armor coverage) and struck his heart, killing him instantly.

The Iraqi insurgents had fled after they fired their grenades at HQ-12 which was heading for them at full throttle.

Here is the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel account. Major Schram was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal for his service. Here's another little tidbit form Blackfive:

The one part that I left out of this post is that Major Schram's convoy was followed by a car with a Newsweek reporter in it. Once the action began, the reporter and his driver turned and got the hell out of there. If it wasn't for Mat's charge up into the ambushers, they never would have made it out of there alive.

Newsweek never ran a story about my good friend, Mat.

Tell me again how the media supports our troops.

Memorial - Tech. Sgt. John Chapman

Tech. Sgt. John Chapman was awarded the Air Force Cross posthumously on January 10, 2003.

Chapman and his team were inserted by helicopter into an area of Afghanistan on March 4 for a mission. During insertion, the helicopter came under heavy machine-gun fire and was directly hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. The grenade caused a Navy SEAL team member to fall from the aircraft.

The helicopter was severely damaged and made an emergency landing seven kilometers away from where the SEAL fell.

After landing, Chapman called in an AC-130 gunship to provide close-air support and cover the stranded team before directing the gunship to search for the missing team member.

Chapman called for, coordinated and controlled an evacuation helicopter for the team, limiting their exposure to enemy fire.

According to the award citation, Chapman volunteered to rescue the missing team member without regard for his own life. He engaged and killed two enemy personnel then continued advancing until engaging a dug-in machine gun nest.

"At this time, the rescue team came under effective enemy fire from three directions," read the citation. Chapman exchanged fire at close range with the enemy until succumbing to multiple wounds. "His engagement and destruction of the first enemy position and advancement on the second enemy position enabled his team to move to cover and break enemy contact."

The team leader credited Chapman's aggressive and selfless actions with saving the lives of the entire team.

The Air Force Cross is the second highest medal awarded to Airmen.

Here are all medals, and their ranks for each of the services. I repeat my challenge to you: As a way to remember our heroes this Memorial weekend, let's Google up some stories and post them on our blogs. Feel free to use any of these.

Memorial - Marine Pfc. Joseph B. Perez

Marine Pfc. Joseph B. Perez received the Navy Cross on May sixth.

1st Platoon came under intense enemy fire while clearing near Route 6 during the advance into Baghdad. Perez, the point man for the lead squad, and therefore the most exposed member of the platoon, came under the majority of these fires.

Without hesitation, he continuously fired his M16A4 rifle to destroy the enemy while calmly directing accurate fires for his squad. He led the charge down a trench destroying the enemy and while closing and under tremendous enemy fire, threw a grenade into a trench that the enemy was occupying.
While under a heavy volume of fire, Perez fired an AT-4 rocket into a machine gun bunker, completely destroying it and killing four enemy personnel. His actions enabled the squad to maneuver safely to the enemy position and seize it.

In an effort to link up with 3rd Platoon on his platoon's left flank, Perez continued to destroy enemy combatants with precision rifle fire. As he worked his way to the left, he was hit by enemy fire, sustaining gunshot wounds to his torso and shoulder.
Despite being seriously injured, Perez directed the squad to take cover and gave the squad accurate fire direction to the enemy that enabled the squad to reorganize and destroy the enemy.

The Navy Cross is the second highest medal awarded to Marines.

Here are all medals, and their ranks for each of the services. I repeat my challenge to you: As a way to remember our heroes this Memorial weekend, let's Google up some stories and post them on our blogs.

Memorial - Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh

Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh received the Navy Cross on May sixth.

While leading his platoon north on Highway 1 toward Ad Diwaniyah, Chontosh's platoon moved into a coordinated ambush of mortars, rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire. With coalitions tanks blocking the road ahead, he realized his platoon was caught in a kill zone.

He had his driver move the vehicle through a breach along his flank, where he was immediately taken under fire from an entrenched machine gun. Without hesitation, Chontosh ordered the driver to advanced directly at the enemy position enabling his .50 caliber machine gunner to silence the enemy.

He then directed his driver into the enemy trench, where he exited his vehicle and began to clear the trench with an M16A2 service rifle and 9 millimeter pistol. His ammunition depleted, Chontosh, with complete disregard for his safety, twice picked up discarded enemy rifles and continued his ferocious attack.

When a Marine following him found an enemy rocket propelled grenade launcher, Chontosh used it to destroy yet another group of enemy soldiers.

When his audacious attack ended, he had cleared over 200 meters of the enemy trench, killing more than 20 enemy soldiers and wounding several others.

The Navy Cross is the second highest medal awarded to Marines.

Found via this Google search: 2004 OR 2003 AND "Air Force Cross" OR "Navy Cross" OR "Distinguished Service Cross".

But I saw it first on Blackfive. Wish I remember whose link I followed to get there. Here are all medals, and their ranks for each of the services. Here's a challenge to you: As a way to remember our heroes this Memorial weekend, let's Google up some stories and post them on our blogs.

Super-Wow, Holy Cow, Read This Now!

I wasn't reading Mrs. du Toit in 2002, so I missed Finding Mark Twain. You shouldn't. Francis Porretto and Bill Whittle may be the best essayists in the blogosphere. Finding Mark Twain matches their best efforts.

Via Mr. du Toit.

Memorial - Marine Sgt. Marcos A. Martinez

Marine Sgt. Marcos A. Martinez received the Navy Cross on May third.

A corporal at the time, Martinez responded to a call to reinforce 1st Platoon, which was under attack by enemy forces. Under fire, Martinez deployed his team in supporting positions for a squad assault.

He assumed control after his squad leader was wounded. While other Marines tended to the wounded squad leader, Martinez single-handedly assaulted the building and killed four enemy soldiers with a grenade and his rifle.

The Navy Cross is the second highest medal awarded to Marines.

Here are all medals, and their ranks for each of the services. As a way to remember our heroes this Memorial weekend, let's Google up some stories and post them on our blogs.

Kerry Foreign Policy: 1/3 Less Calories

This critique of Kerry's foreign policy speech concludes thus: "It's sort of like Bush lite". Be sure and note how Kerry has adopted Rumsfeld's ideas on transforming the military - less troops and more tech. What boots on the ground?

Al Gore's Tirade: Unwise, Unwarranted and Untrue

I just heard the outtakes from Gore's tirade on Alan Colmes radio show. It was unwise, unwarranted and untrue for Al Gore to call Bush the most dishonest man since Richard Nixon. Clearly Al cannot tell the difference between a lie and a mistake which Al and his old boss Bill also made. Al also cannot tell the difference between a lie and a difference of opinion. The dishonor comments, the 'how dare he' comments, the incompetent comments and the resignation roll call were just as unwise, unwarranted and untrue.

These comments would have been unwise, unwarranted and untrue if Gore made them at home to a small group of friends. It was positively wrong for the former Vice President to say them as he did.

Kerry should kick Gore out of the Democratic Party. Update: The previous sentence was also unwise, unwarranted and untrue. What I'm trying to say is that Kerry should tell Gore he isn't helping. This rhetoric will drive moderate voters away from Kerry.

It also poisons the well. I object to Gore calling me dishonest, incompetent and dishonorable. What, you say, Gore didn't mention you at all! Well, I agree with the President. I believe the strategy he promoted was correct as were his reasons for it, and I believed this before we went to war. So Gore is calling me either dishonest or incompetent or both.

Similarly, Gore has called me dishonorable. As good as our soldiers are, there have always been bad apples who have done horrible things. We executed 500 soldiers during WWII (the Good War) for their crimes. Since I advocated war, I was advocating that we put our soldiers in a position to dishonor our country, knowing that the chances they would do so were very good.

Like many people (including some on my side), Gore thinks there are no consequences for making these kinds of accusations. Well, there are. When a Democrat proposes a reasonable compromise I will think of this speech. I will think of all the compromises Bush made on education, taxes, the environment and the war. I will think of all the effort he made at the UN. I will think of the spending for the No Child Left Behind Act, which Ted Kennedy helped author. And I will think, "Why compromise? Al Gore will still call me a dishonest, ignorant, dishonorable, incompetent jerk."

John Kerry needs to tell Al Gore, "Pipe down. You aren't helping now and certainly aren't helping me after the election."

Here's a helpful summary: Gore's tirade was bad for him, bad for Kerry, bad for the Democratic Party and bad for the country.

Here is the Fox article on the Speech.

Here is the text of the speech. End Update.

Give 'em hell, George.

Allowed To Call Bush An Idiot

Because of this comment policy I hereby issue Hal of Hellblazer a permanent license to call Bush an idiot without being subjected to the usual (attempted) refutation. Myself, I prefer the gentler "nobody is an idiot" policy to the cynical "everybody is an idiot" policy, but once you know Hal's policy they are functionally the same. It's the "everybody who disagrees with me is an idiot" and "nobody who agrees with me is an idiot" policies which I cannot abide.

I will also remember to skip the umbrage when Hal gets all insulting. It will serve no purpose anyway.

And, since he is so on the ball (although wrong, wrong, wrong on occasion) he's blogrolled.

Commenting Software Upgrade

I've upgraded Haloscan to remove the 1000 character limit and email me when folks comment.

1-800-Go-Guard

Call 1-800-Go-Guard to get an information packet on how to join the National Guard. I know they will even take an old fogy if the old fogy is a physician. They also took a forty-four year old who had previous military experience. I'm interested to find out what other special training qualifies one to join after age thirty-six.

Is The Media Doing It's Part?

Ara starts with Nick Berg's Dad, but in the comments we do several rounds where I maintain the media is not doing it's job for the war effort.

.357 Magnum

On Wednesday I visited my favorite range, The Bullet Hole. I had already purchased a box of fifty .38 Special rounds and a box of .357 Magnum rounds, both manufactured by Winchester at Wal-Mart. I rented a Ruger Security Six for five dollars and proceeded to the range. I was about to shoot a .357 magnum for the first time. I loaded up a cylinder full of .38's to begin. I alternated between the two, one cylinder of each, except for one cylinder where I alternated rounds.

The Ruger was a dream to shoot. The trigger was very smooth and worn in. The Hogue grips did an excellent job of absorbing the recoil. After a hundred rounds, mostly shot two-handed, my hands were tired from keeping a tight grip, but not from the recoil. I thought the gun did a fine job.

I also did not have any problems with the ammo. There were no misfires, and the performance was quite consistent.

The first difficulty I had was in not rapping the extractor hard enough to extract all the shells each time. I need to remember that I am practicing for real life, not trying to keep the brass in neat piles. The second difficulty was blinding flash .357 ammo produces. I was able to handle the percussion, since I wear both the earplug and the earphone style hearing protectors. The flash was another matter. I don't think I was developing a flinch (because my shooting didn't get worse), but I kept wanting to close my eyes. My third difficulty was focusing on the front sight. I found that when I bore down, however, I was able to keep the front sight in focus and shoot better. In general I was satisfied with my shooting, but I need more work on keeping the gun steady.

I'd like to get a .357 for a bedside gun, but I'm not sure how well I'd do with that flash in low light situations.

On the way out, I noticed a sign on the door. The Smith and Wesson sales rep will be at The Bullet Hole Friday and Saturday, June 11th and 12th. Special prices galore, and right before my birthday! Plus, if you buy a gun you are entered in a drawing for another free one. Mmmmmmm. Free guns.

Buy Your Own Talking Head

Not David Byrne. Like this.

Via Ara Rubyan.

Deer Population Is Much Funnier Than I Thought

As Unbillable Hours points out. The funniest bit is at the end.

Via The Smallest Minority.