A Letter From A Marine Captain In Afghanistan

Hat Tip to Atlas Shrugs

I cannot determine the validity of this letter found at Atlas Shrugs but I have heard this story many times face to face by returning veterans from Afghanistan.

Lioness of Judah,

I am back in Afghanistan. There is no mission, no strategy. The Muslims have us pretty well figured out. They ask, ask and ask. We then give, give and give. The commander to balks at the cycle? He is replaced by someone who will go along. The Afghans are great allies--- so long as we bribe them with goods, services, and money. They turn when we leave. Just recently, an advisor team was ordered away from an Afghan Uniformed Police team in the south because, as higher headquarters claims, they were fully trained and operational independent of ISAF help. Just the other day, the chief of police for that team was caught on our drone assets delivering a Humvee-full of weapons and ammunition to a Taliban member who is targeted for death. Of course we did not drone strike him because, after all, this is what winning looks like.

We work with allied local national linguists. Hazaras, Tajiks, and Pashtuns. Every so often, I have one of these men come to my door and ask to speak privately. They then explain--- and beg me to not tell anyone--- that they do not consider themselves Muslim, but have to go along or be killed. They ask me to help them with their visa packages to escape this Islamist hell. I do. I prod these linguists with those questions that would perk the ears of an Islamic supremist. I have identified some whom I will not trust. But there are others who recognize that Islam is the problem in Afghanistan. One is a secret Christian. They want away from Islam and America is the last place where it is safe to go. For now.

I feel like these guys who have seen what Islam is are the survivors. We need them. They are like the survivors who escaped to America from the Soviet bloc and pled with tears in their eyes for America to not vote for Obama. They know what is coming because they have seen it. I do not think that Islam can be readily defeated through intellect. They are beyond it. Only sheer violence and force can stop them, only liberating those who will be liberated and using the superstition of their religion against them will work. General Pershing understood this 100 years ago. I am afraid America will not really get this until the most extreme circumstance arises.

My time in the Marine Corps is coming to an end. I could stay in the organization as long as I wish, but I feel there is no point. All the talented officers I know are resigning. We can’t bear to stay in and see what is happening. We are a social-experiment over and above the world’s premier war-fighting organization now. This is what America wants. This is what America has voted for twice.

Me and people like me look to get out and blend in with society at large. The consensus is that the time will come when America wants people like us again, but only after this new experimental drive has run its course. It will end how it has to end: in class war, race war, free men vs statists. Completely predictable. At that time, the blood and sweat and broken hearts pressed from America’s fighting men and women over a decade of counter-insurgency warfare will rise up and be our nation’s salvation.

As always, please keep my identity secret. The system is no longer partial to my kind.

Captain, USMC

G-d Bless this Marine Captain and all of the men and women like him.  Afraid for their careers and freedom they have been bullied into silence.  But the time will come that those who have bullied these heroes will run for their lives as the heroes turn the tables on them.

Wednesday's Hero: Senior Airman Austin Stoker

Senior Airman Austin Stoker



Senior Airman Austin Stoker replenishes a .50-caliber machine gun after a training mission in Afghanistan in March.

Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force taken by Tech. Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday's Hero: Maj. Gen. Glenn M. Walters

Maj. Gen. Glenn M. Walters



Maj. Gen. Glenn M. Walters, commanding general of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, pilots a KC-130J Hercules in southwestern Afghanistan in 2011, when he commanded 2nd MAW (Forward). Walters assumed command of 2nd MAW in May 2012, just two months after returning from Afghanistan. "Instead of employing the wing in combat, now I'm preparing Marines for combat," Walters said. "It's the continuum of who we are as Marines, answering the call to do our nation's defense wherever we're called."

Photo taken by Staff Sgt. James R. Richardson courtesy U.S. Marines

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Remembering Their Sacrifice!

On other National holidays the nation takes to the streets in joyous celebration.  On Memorial Day we are to take time to remember and mourn those men and women who gave their lives for this country.  So many did over the years.

War	Dead	Wounded
Revolutionary	25,000	25,000
1812	20,000	4,505
Mexican-American	13,283	4,152
Civil	624,511	281,881
Spanish-American	2,446	1,622
Philippine-American	4,196	2,930
World War 1	116,516	204,002
World War 2	405,399	670,846
Korea	36,516	92,134
Vietnam	58,209	153,303
Gulf	258	849
Afghanistan	1,803	31,965
Iraq	4,477	41,936
Totals	1,312,614	1,515,125

We should pause and remember them.  But instead most Americans will go to sales in malls, go to the beach and have cook outs.

The sacrifice these men gave entitles these Americans to do that.  It is our Freedoms and the Freedom of the world that they sacrificed their lives.  The liberation of Europe, not once but twice.  The liberation of Iraq from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and Afghanistan from the Taliban.  The Freedom of Cuba from Spain, the Philippines, the Battle of New Orleans and Brooklyn Heights.  They sacrificed at Shiloh, and Gettysburg.  The Wilderness and Fredricksberg.  And the nation they fought for survived and thrived.

To the families of those who have died:  Thank You.  There is no monetary settlement, no honors we can give you to heal the pain.

Not To Be Trusted By Their Own Government

When the Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave a speech to a group of US Marines today in Afghanistan, he ordered that the Marines were to be disarmed before the speech.

Less than a week after a US staff sergeant allegedly massacred 16 civilians in Kandahar, American soldiers were banned from bringing guns into a talk by Mr Panetta at a base in Helmand province.

Around 200 troops who had gathered in a tent at Camp Leatherneck were told "something had come to light" and asked abruptly to file outside and lay down their automatic rifles and 9mm pistols.

"Somebody got itchy, that's all I've got to say. Somebody got itchy – we just adjust," said the sergeant who was told to clear the hall of weapons.

Major General Mark Gurganus later said he gave the order because Afghan troops attending the talk were unarmed and he wanted the policy to be consistent for all.

"You've got one of the most important people in the world in the room," he told the New York Times, insisting that the decision was unrelated to Sunday's killings. "This is not a big deal."

However, US troops often remain armed even when their Afghan colleagues have been asked to lay down their weapons and the incident is believed to be the first time they were stripped of guns during an address by their own secretary of defense.

The Ministry of Defense was unable to confirm reports that a small number of British troops had also been asked to put down their weapons.

Mr Panetta told the troops that the massacre of civilians and the resulting Afghan fury would not affect plans to keep US troops in the country until the end of 2014.

"We will be challenged by our enemies, we will be challenged by ourselves, we will be challenged by the hell of war itself," he said.

Source

Why would the Secretary of Defense be afraid to speech in front of American soldiers who are armed?  What is he afraid of?  And if he is afraid, does the President fear the military too?  And what will be his punishment to the military?

A Real Apology To President Karzai On Behalf Of Americans

A simple American woman gives her apology to President Karzai of Afghanistan over the burning of a Koran.



Of course if you want to show your support for this you can go to Burn the Koran and show your patriotism.

He Died From A Broken Heart

Just a pair of best friends until one was killed by a road side bomb. Yet the love this dog had for his partner was so great that within the day he joined his master/friend.

Liam and Theo were a team, fast friends doing a dangerous job -- searching out roadside bombs laid by insurgents in Afghanistan.

The jovial British soldier and his irrepressible dog worked and played together for months, and died on the same day. On Thursday they came home, flown back to Britain in a somber repatriation ceremony for the soldier remembered for his empathy with animals and the companion he loved.

Lance Cpl. Liam Tasker, a dog handler with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, was killed in a firefight with insurgents in Helmand Province on March 1 as he searched for explosives with Theo, a bomb-sniffing springer spaniel mix. The dog suffered a fatal seizure hours later at a British army base, likely brought about by stress.

Military officials won't go so far as to say Theo died of a broken heart -- but that may not be far from the truth.

"I think we often underestimate the grieving process in dogs," said Elaine Pendlebury, a senior veterinarian with animal charity PDSA. "Some dogs react very severely to their partner's loss."

She said it was not uncommon for pets to respond to an owner's death by refusing food and becoming sick -- and the bond between working dogs and their handlers is especially close.

"The bonding that I have seen between soldiers or police and their dogs is fantastic. When you see them working together, it's really one unit."

A military Hercules plane carrying Tasker's body and Theo's ashes touched down Thursday at a Royal Air Force base in southwest England. As the funeral cortege of black vehicles drove slowly away, it was saluted by a long line of military dog handlers, their dogs at their sides. A black Labrador retriever sat quietly beside its handler as the hearse carrying the flag-draped coffin disappeared from view.

At the nearby town of Wootton Bassett, where people line the streets in a mark of respect each time a dead solder is repatriated, dozens stood silently -- some with dogs at their feet -- as Tasker's friends and family laid roses atop the hearse.

The Ministry of Defense said Theo's ashes would be presented to Tasker's family later at a private ceremony.

Tasker, 26, from Kirkcaldy in Scotland, spent six years as an army mechanic before joining the military working dog unit in 2007. He felt he had found his calling.

"I love my job and working together with Theo," Tasker said in a profile of the pair released by the Ministry of Defense before his death. "He has a great character and never tires. He can't wait to get out and do his job and will stop at nothing."

The soldier and the 22-month-old dog had been in Afghanistan for almost six months, uncovering roadside bombs and weapons in a dangerous daily routine.

Theo became a bit of a military celebrity last month after the defense ministry released photos and video of him and Tasker to highlight the lifesaving work of military dogs. The footage, now deeply poignant, shows Theo -- energetic, ears cocked, tail wagging -- alongside Tasker searching a compound for explosives.

The ministry said then that Theo had been so successful -- finding 14 hidden bombs and weapons caches, a record for a team in Afghanistan -- that the dog's tour of duty had been extended by a month.

Tasker was the 358th British soldier to die in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Theo was the sixth British military dog killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001.

There are calls for Theo to receive the Dickin medal, which since 1943 has recognized wartime bravery by animals, from carrier pigeons to a World War II commando collie.

The loyalty of some dogs is legendary, from Greyfriars Bobby, a 19th-century Skye terrier who guarded his master's Edinburgh grave for 14 years, to Hachiko, a Japanese dog who awaited his owner's return at a train station every day for years after the man's death. Both are commemorated with statues.

Tasker's father, Ian, said Theo would have been devastated by Liam's death.

"I truly believe when Theo went back to the kennel, that that would have a big, big impact because Liam wasn't there to comfort him," he told ITV news.

Tasker's mother, Jane Duffy agreed. "I'm not nurse or a vet (but) I would like to believe (Theo) died of a broken heart to be with Liam," she told the broadcaster.

Tasker's colleague's recalled the soldier's bond with his dog and zealous attention to duty in tributes released by the defense ministry.

"A natural with animals, he had an affection for his dog that truly was a window to his soul," said Maj. Alexander Turner, a commander of Tasker's unit.

He "was here to save life, finding explosive devices that kill more farmers than combatants in our area," Turner said. "His fortitude and zeal for that perilous task was humbling; it imbued us all with confidence. He used to joke that Theo was impossible to restrain but I would say the same about Lance Corporal Tasker."

Tasker's uncle, Billy McCord, said the soldier had been due to leave Afghanistan soon and worried about being separated from Theo.

"He actually said at one point that when he finished his tour he was not sure what would happen to his dog and that he could be separated from his dog," McCord told the local Courier newspaper in Scotland. "That was preying on his mind, but they are not separated now."

Full Story

Dogs mourn for the ones they love.  Some deeper than others.  Theo was one of them in which even death could not part him from his beloved master.

I believe both have gone to a better place, a place of beauty, plenty and love. A place where the 2 of them are having the joy of friendship without having to risk their lives on the bombs that took their lives.

Notice The Difference

On December 3rd President Barack Hussein Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan for a visit with the troops.  This unannounced trip was reminiscent of the times President George W. Bush would secretly fly to Iraq or Afghanistan for Thanksgiving with the troops. Yet President Obama's visit is a far cry from those trips.

In fact, it was President Obama, sporting a Bush-style bomber jacket, who made the surprise visit to rally troops in the war-torn country. But as he exhorted them to go on the offensive against the Taliban and vowed that Afghanistan cannot become “a safe haven for terrorists to attack the United States,” Obama sounded like no one so much as his predecessor.

Stirring wartime oratory has never been President Obama’s forte. Partly that is because the president himself has often seemed ambiguous about America’s military mission in Afghanistan, famously eschewing definitive terms like “victory” to describe America’s end goal in the conflict. But whether it reflects a reaffirmed commitment to America’s military campaign or merely a rhetorical change of course inspired by his party’s shellacking in the midterm elections, Obama’s call for a resounding defeat of the Taliban comes at a crucial time.

Americans would not have been reassured by the series of diplomatic cables made public this week by WikiLeaks. To be sure, it is not news that the Afghan government is deeply mired in corruption, with the regime of Hamid Karzai implicated in much of the graft and dark dealing. American officials have frequently made the point through public channels. Still, revelations that, according to one leaked cable, U.S. embassy officials considered only one of Afghanistan’s new cabinet ministers to be free from suspicions of bribery are only going to fortify public doubts about what the U.S. can realistically achieve in the country.

President Obama’s remarks this week will not have dispelled those doubts. Nonetheless, they send the vital message that the commander-in-chief of the armed forces believes in their mission and is determined to see them achieve it. There was nothing even remotely uncertain in the president’s insistence that U.S.-led forces were “going to break the Taliban’s momentum” and that they would no longer be playing “defense.”

Full Story

I'm not so sure that the troops are extremely pleased with him.  Just by looking at the reaction of the troops when Obama enters the room (2:00)


President Barack Obama Visits Troops in Afghanistan, Part 1, Dec 3rd, 2010



And now this from George W. Bush's visit to Iraq.


President makes surprise visit to Iraq



I have been told by some that the Bush visits were a purely political feat.  That the troops he spoke in front of where all hand-picked for their support of President Bush.  That those who were against Bush's position, were kept away.

Since I wasn't there and neither were those who told me this were not there either, I cannot confirm or deny this.  (Or the report that every visit to any where President Obama takes, his crowds are hand-picked.  Especially at military bases.)  If you do know if either one of these reports are true, leave the info either in the comment section below or you can e-mail me.

War Is Hell

Israeli commentary from Dry Bones

When I first heard the news of the capture of the Afghan Taliban number 2, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the word capture was used and the captors were NATO forces. Within hours it morphed from a "capture" to an "arrest" ... and instead of NATO it was credited to Pakistan.

Here's an initial report out of China (it uses both "capture" and "arrested") :

How important is Mullah Baradar's capture?

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- "The capture of the top Afghan Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Pakistan is not only considered as an important breakthrough in connection to the war on terror but also shows development in Pakistan-U.S. relations and regional solution to Afghan problems.

Pakistan army confirmed to Xinhua on Wednesday that Mullah Baradar has been arrested in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, but disclosed no more details due to security reasons. Mullah Baradar was described as ranking the second in influence only to Mullah Muhammad Omar, Taliban's supreme commander in Afghanistan.

Pakistani analysts believed that Mullah Baradar's catch and the information he provides could prove to be a blow to the Taliban in Afghanistan and tribal areas of Pakistan because he was holding important position and knew secrets of Taliban and their strategy." -more

Will somebody please explain to the idiots on the left that an military is NOT a police force.  If they want people to run around giving out tickets and reading the enemy their rights, they should have sent cops to do the job.  They sent the US Marines to do the job.  Yet they cannot return fire unless they see the weapons of the enemy, they have to collect evidence after every battle, and read the enemy captured their rights.

Recently a sound has been heard from the graves of Marines killed in past wars.  It is the sound of spinning.  When it stops, G-d help the traitors who devised this idiotic idea.

Does anyone believe that these men would do what the Marines are ordered to do today?

The Pacific War- Iwo Jima Clip




I don't think so, do you?

Days Of Infamy!

9/11, December 7th.  Days that will foreve live in our hearts and memories.

These were dates in which the United States asked itself Why?  What did we do to Japan to warrant their attacking our military without warning, without provocation, with a declaration of war.  That was the one in which angered the American people the most.  There was no Declaration of War by the Japanese before they attacked Pearl Harbor (their Declaration actually came after the attack had been underway for a while).  The American Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor (with the exception of the Aircraft Carriers) was decimated and very nearly wiped out (as was the Air Group at Wheeler Field).  16 Medal of Honors, 51 Navy Crosses, 53 Silver Crosses, 4 Navy and Marine Corps Medals, 1 Distinguished Flying Cross, Distinguished Service Crosses, 1 Distinguished Service Medal, and 3 Bronze Stars were awarded to the American servicemen who distinguished themselves in combat at Pearl Harbor.

The nation was plunged into a war that would engulf the whole world.  A fight for Freedom, Decency, and Democracy.  Fought by the Greatest Generation this nation ever produced.

A war in which the enemy was considered evil (both civilian and military).  There were no outcries from the Press of the "Poor Innocent Civilians".  Of how we shouldn't bomb them.  We as a nation knew there was a job to do, and we did it.

And we won!  We conquered both Japan (who attacked us on Dec. 7th) and Germany who declared war on us.  In doing so we killed thousands (maybe even millions) of civilians.  This is a price civilians pay for being the backers of armies.  This is one of the prices of war.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 9/11/01 we asked ourselves the question again.  Why?  What did we do to warrant this attack?  What type of religion would sanction an attack on innocent civilians and still claim the moral high road?  We are still waiting for the answer to that question.

Unlike Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the attacks on 9/11 by al-Qaeda were not carried out by any one nation or government.  Al-Qaeda is nothing more than a bunch of thugs trying to be self-important, but in reality they scurry from a real fight like cockroaches scurrying from a light.  They mooch off of any quasi-nation (Sudan, Somoza, Afghanistan under the Taliban) as long as they can (or until Civilized nations attack to dislodge them).  Their weapons are fear and intimidation.  The weapons of the bully.

And yet, when the United States went to the UN, and demanded that the Taliban who controlled Afghanistan, surrender Osama bin Laden and the members of al-Qaeda, the US was told no.

Once again the US has sent her sons into battle against evil.

This time evil just might win.  For this time we have a President who will cut and run from a fight rather than commit to finishing the job and bringing Freedom to the people of Afghanistan.

On this anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, it is best for not only our leaders to remember the date, but for our enemies to remember it too.  For on December 7th, 1941 the United States awoken into anger.  An anger that couldn't be contained until we had complete victory over our enemies.

Anger that lead to this over 2 Japanese cities:

And resulted in this:

Remember that well supporters of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

You have been warned!

Run Away!

Sung to the tune of Over There

Run away, run away.
The President is telling us, all of us,
To run away.

For there are too many, reasons to stay,
That it is easier to run away.

Stay the course, use the force,
Has been cried, all the while,
We're out of time.

We're rolling over, we're rolling over,
And we will surrender,
As they kill us over here.

Donate to Afghanistan Combat Outpost Keating: Soldier Need Your Help

by Maggie at Maggie's Notebook

Fort Carson, Colorado's 4th Brigade Combat Team is mourning the loss of 8 soldiers on Saturday, and a 9th today. While Detroiters are waiting in line to received monies from "Obama's stash," the soldier involved in this weekend's battle have lost everything but the clothing on their backs. The point of this post beyond the obvious, is to ask you to donate to Combat Outpost Keating (COP Keating). See a video below of COP Keating. See important 10-9-09 update below. COP Keating has been evacuated.

Combat Outpost Keating 

A soldier who was in the fight:

“most people back home don't even know, no one gives a shit”

This is our opportunity help.

Karen Russo of ABC News was the only reporter on the scene:

Flying into the besieged Afghan base during a nighttime firefight this weekend was a harrowing mix of overwhelming noise, stomach dropping maneuvers and shadows hurrying through the gloom.

When the chopper lifted off moments later with three wounded soldiers, it left behind others who wer wounded but refused to be MEDEVACED out of the combat zone so they could return to fight with their buddies.

From the Beaver County Times:

Around dawn Saturday, about 200 "local fighters" launched a coordinated attack, showering a joint U.S.-Afghan army outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar shells. Taylor said insurgents fired from at least three sides _ including a local mosque they took over, buildings in the village, and high ground above the outpost.

Most U.S. installations in Iraq and Afghanistan are heavily guarded with rings of razor wire, huge sand-filled barriers, blast walls and security cameras. It is rare _ almost unheard of _ for insurgents to breach such defenses and get inside.

Around dawn Saturday, about 200 "local fighters" launched a coordinated attack, showering a joint U.S.-Afghan army outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar shells. Taylor said insurgents fired from at least three sides _ including a local mosque they took over, buildings in the village, and high ground above the outpost.

The American Legion's Burn Pit has the whole story, including the quote from the soldier at the top of this post. Please read it. Michell Malkin is also reporting, linking sources and asking for donations.

Here is where I made my credit card donation through the American Legion. Here is the url:

https://www.members.legion.org/CGI-BIN/lansaweb?webapp=TALDONATE+webrtn=WR_AFG+ml=LANSA:XHTML+part=tal

Just click the "Donate" button. Or...

Donate by check - and be sure to specify COP Keating Relief Fund.

To buy items and mail them, send to:

CSM Robert Wilson
TF Mountain Warrior
FOB Bostick
APO AE 09354

Read Malkin's profile of the men lost. She has done it right. These soldiers are sons, husbands, fathers, friends. Read about each one of the Fort Carson heroes and follow the links from Michelle Malkin.

Don't forget to visit American Legion's Burn Pit where you will see a map of the area and another video.

The video below is from Summer 2009 by Britain's Channel 4 News photographer Stuart Webb. The information is specifically about Compost Outpost Keating. At about 5:40 in, you'll hear a soldier say that they saw three men in the hills earlier, but because of the rules of engagement, soldiers could take no action, although the weapons could have been hidden. Please note that the statement at the end of the video, about Obama attempting to shore up support for Afghanistan, was last summer. That was then, it is not the case now.

Please donate, if you can, to the COP Keating Relief Fund.

Combat Outpost Keating

Update 10-9-09 - COP Keating evacuated

A caution about donations, in light of the following, we don't know how our donations will be apportioned. Surely they will get to a soldier in need, no matter his unit, but it is your decision to donate or not, now that we know the camp has been abandoned.

Breitbart has reported that Combat Outpost Keating has been evacuated and demolished by the U.S. Army. Outpost Fritsche were also abandoned this week.:

"We had been planning to realign our forces to better protect the population for months. These closings are part of that realignment," said an Army spokesperson Major T.G. Taylor."

Yeah - right. While our President flies to Copenhagen and accepts his Nobel Prize for nothing, the Army goes about doing what it must do without Barack Obama's support.

Remembering a Fallen Soldier…

From ACT for America

This moved me so much that I just had to share it with you.

Remembering What We Are Up Against and Why We Must – and Will – Prevail

by Brigitte Gabriel

I don’t believe I’ve ever written a letter quite like this to you before. Indeed, it is difficult to write this without tears welling up in my eyes.

It started as a rainy Friday morning in late August. I was flying from my presentation in Springfield, Missouri, to my next destination connecting through Atlanta. Little did I know that what I was about to experience that day was going to shake me to the depth of my soul, inflame my passion for our country (I didn't think it was possible to be more passionate) and remind me why ACT! for America is so important to our security and the future of America.

I looked out my window at gloomy Atlanta as the plane took off, closed my eyes and pictured home and my loving family meeting me at the airport with open arms, smiles and kisses, waiting to whisk me off to Outback Steak House for dinner as planned.

It was a quiet, uneventful flight. No beverage service. No announcements from the captain — until we landed at our final destination:

"Welcome to "......." . Ladies and Gentleman we have a special request to ask of you. We are carrying on this plane today a fallen soldier brought home from Afghanistan. His body is accompanied by Sgt. "......". Please kindly allow Sgt. "...." to deplane first so he can do his job in escorting the body below. We will leave the seat belt sign on until the body has been taken off the plane. Then when the seat belt sign is turned off, you can deplane."

The plane continued slowly down the runway as the captain’s shocking announcement reverberated among the passengers. As we taxied closer to our gate, tears began to flow as we saw a police car, a military hearse, and a team of Marines standing in formation waiting to carry the body.

And the saddest scene of all — his family, wife and children, all lined up against the wall waiting for him.

Burning tears were flowing down my face as my heart sank into utter pain and agony at such a sight. We always hear about this on the news and feel sad but to experience it in person is completely different.

We pulled up to our gate and Sgt. "...." stood up in all his gloriously decorated uniform, opened up the overhead compartment carrying a folded American flag and a back pack, and started walking out of the plane amid the clapping and tears of all of us on board.

No one in the plane even touched their cell phone. People were transfixed, staring out the window, sharing our respect and sorrow. At that moment we were not Democrats, Republicans or Independents. We were Americans soberly watching one of our own come home in a coffin draped with an American flag.

As they removed the body from the plane, two men holding his wife started walking towards the plane as the wife covered her face and began sobbing. She was followed by her children. The Marines walked in formation and carried his body to the hearse.

We started getting out of our seats and deplaning without a word from anyone except the sounds of crying coming from different people looking out the window as they walked out of the plane.

As I entered the airport, people were standing in lines and rows facing the window watching all this.

Some men were saluting the body. We all stood next to each other, honoring this soldier until his body was finally in the hearse and he was driven off the tarmac.

It was the most sobering, heartbreaking, and patriotic scene. As I cried for the following few hours sitting with my family at home eating Chinese take-out for dinner (I just wasn’t up to going out for dinner), I was reminded of why we need to continually remind Americans that we are at war.

Our men and women are fighting and dying overseas to protect America from an enemy who is not only fighting us across the globe but also advancing here at home.

Just because we have not been successfully attacked at home doesn't mean our enemy has forgotten about us. Their tactics have become more sophisticated. They not only wish to attack us militarily, they are moving at full speed in the advance of their cultural Jihad invading America.

Islamic foot-washing basins in airports; Shariah finance being introduced by American banks; college campuses designating Islamic prayer rooms for Muslims only; Islamic compounds practicing Shariah law springing up across America; public schools using our tax dollars to indoctrinate American students into Islam; demands by Muslim parents that their children be provided private prayer rooms in their public schools; Muslim workers demanding special workplace accommodations no other religious person would ask for; and the list goes on.

As history demonstrates, only organized resistance will stop this. Unopposed by organized resistance, the advance of cultural Jihad in Europe has proceeded to the point that many think a full-blown “Eurabia” is inevitable and irreversible.

And even if we win the war against Islamic terrorism, but lose the struggle against cultural Jihad here at home, we may protect our safety but lose our liberties and our way of life. I just don’t believe this young man who fell on the field of battle would consider that a victory.

“Freedom” is not just freedom from the physical harm our Islamist enemies want to inflict on us. It is freedom from the tyranny and oppression of shariah Islamic law and the supremacist political ideology our enemies are determined to impose upon us.

So, just as that soldier was on the front lines of this war overseas, we are on the “front lines” here at home. That soldier was part of the “organized resistance” in Afghanistan. We are part of the “organized resistance” here in America.

We cannot afford to fail in our military missions overseas. Failure would embolden and empower Islamists throughout the world.

We also cannot afford to fail here at home.

This is why I appeal to you to take heart and help me continue building ACT! for America. We are the only nationwide organized resistance to this threat. As I said, we are the front lines here at home.

Our families, our communities and our nation are depending on us, even though many do not yet realize it.

For instance, two years ago ACT helped pass the bill in Congress that protects every citizen from lawsuits when they report suspicious activity in public places.

How many Americans know this happened? Very few. Yet they are now protected from lawsuits, which means America is safer as a result.

I know there are other issues right now, such as health care and the economy, that are dominating the attention of the American people. And I understand why that is.

But for those of us, you and me, who grasp the seriousness of the threat of radical Islam, we must continue to do everything we can to make sure that the reason 9/11 occurred is not forgotten. That the reason we are fighting in Afghanistan is not forgotten.

We must continue to push forward, to inform, organize, and ring the alarm bells, even when it feels like a lot of people aren’t paying attention right now or don’t seem to “get it.”

Because there are many good Americans out there ready to respond to our message, if we can only get it to them.

Because we are the modern “Paul Revere's,” the messengers who are warning America even when a lot of America is preoccupied with other matters. It is estimated that over 2/3 of the colonists either were loyal to Britain or were indifferent to the political struggles the colonies were experiencing in 1776.

Yet, through the leadership and sacrifice of the remaining colonists, independence was declared and Britain was defeated.

How I wish I could be standing in your presence this very moment, to grasp your hands, look into your eyes, and say “be encouraged!”

We will win this struggle against radical Islam. It won’t be tomorrow, or next year, but we will, in time, prevail — so long as good, patriotic Americans like you do not lose hope and keep taking action.

We are winning victories, and we will continue to win more – and bigger – victories, so long as good, patriotic Americans like you do not lose hope and keep taking action.

Let’s remember how far we have come together. In less than two years we have built the largest grassroots organization in America dedicated to combating the threat of radical Islam, with 62,000 members and 315 local chapters.

Be encouraged!

I want to close with this. Last week, when Guy Rodgers and I were at the EMP conference in Niagara, NY, the president of a national security organization sat down with us and thanked us profusely for what ACT! for America is doing and has already accomplished.

I wish you could have seen his face and heard his words. This is a man who has served at high levels of government and been around Washington politics for decades.

His message to us – and ultimately to you – was that ACT! for America is KEY to all our efforts to defeat radical Islam. He has watched us grow, witnessed our activism, and rejoiced for our victories.

So I’ll say it again. Be encouraged!

Always devoted,

We must remain vigilant against those who would impose their religious laws and customs upon us. The idea of Multiculturalism and Political Correctness must be cut short. No one faith or culture should be given special treatment in this nation. Each faith, each culture must be equally treated, equally accomodated. Thus the statis quo is assured for all.

Let each of us rejoice in the Freedoms this nation has given to us, and continue to fight against the Islamination of America.

More Than Elections

From Dry Bones

There are two fundamental mechanisms which any democratic system must have.

The first is a method that ensures "Majority Rule". Usually through the holding of fair elections.

The second is a mechanism which prevents the majority from using its power to violate the rights of the individual or of minorities.

Discussions of the current democratization process in Afghanistan and Iraq simply report on the number of votes cast. They tend to ignore the question of protection of the rights of individuals, minorities, or unpopular viewpoints. Missing the whole point of real democracy.

Afghanistan is preparing to hold their elections this week, Iraq is gearing up for their elections. This is suppose to be called Democracy because they hold multi-party elections. But in reality it isn't. While some things have gotten better, the reality is that women and minorities are still being treated as second-class citizens in both countries.

President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan signed into law a bill that allows spousal rape. Women still have to wear the burka, and a new law is being proposed to implement full Shar'ia Law on the land, in the manner of Saudi Arabia. Now somone tell me why we are there defending this?

In Iraq, Christians, Baha'i, Homosexuals, and Jews (there is only 1 left) are persecuted, imprisoned, raped beaten and murdered. And I am asking myself why did we go, was it worth all of the American deaths, and should we just leave the land since they are proving themselves to be barbarians.

Do not call either nation a Democracy. They haven't earned the name yet. Until they start treating women and minorities with equal rights and respect, then they have no right to ever be considered worthy of that title.

Missing GI in Afghanistan: Afghan Villages Warned

by Maggie at Maggie’s Notebook

An unnamed U.S. soldier is missing in Afghanistan and is known to be the victim of kidnapping. The U.S. Military wants the missing soldier back and has sent a sobering message to the residents in at least two villages in suspect areas. The leaflets contained a message and a warning to return our missing soldier.

Afghan Villages Warned

The graphic above shows the front side a leaflet produced at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan with this message on one side:

The papers show on one side an image of a soldier with his head bowed so that his face is not visible (above). A message in the local Pashtun language over the image says, “If you do not free the American soldier, then…”

Afghan Villages Warned (photo backside)

The second graphic above is the backside of the first and says:

…you will be targeted”.

The military says the leaflet says “…you will be hunted,” but some translators say the word also means “targeted.”

Sources are inconclusive about how the leaflets got to the villagers: some reports say they were dropped from aircraft with the warnings seen in trees and on rooftops. A Military spokeswoman says they were delivered by hand, but says an aircraft leaflet-drop was made earlier to these villages notifying the people that a U.S. Soldier is missing and asking for information on his whereabouts:

U.S. Soldier Missing

The above graphic is not an actual picture the missing soldier. On the front it reads:

One of our American guests is missing.

The backside says:

Return the guest to his home. Call us at…,

Heart-wrenching appeals to the people who live among untold cruelty at the hands of those who are in possession of one of our own.

A Taliban militant said the U.S. Military has made three previous attempts to find the GI, but failed. He said the soldier is in a safe and secure place in a Taliban-controlled area. This spokesman said ransom demands, or an offer for a prisoner swap may be made, but warned that any attempts by foreigners to rescue him will lead to the soldier’s death.

Reuters reports that Mawlavi Sangin, a Taliban commander, issued warnings to the U.S. that continued “harassment” of the villagers in the area may also lead to the soldier’s death.

Reportedly, the U.S. Infantry soldier had just completed a shift and was off-duty when he walked off the U.S. base and left his body armor and weapon behind on June 30th. An anonymous U.S. military source said that communications by insurgents had been intercepted and it was believed that Taliban had the GI. Three Afghan nationals were abducted at the same time.

The Taliban commander, who spoke to Yousafzai [CBS correspondent] via satellite telephone from the region, said a group of militants cornered the American soldier and his Afghan counterparts near a U.S. military base and took them hostage.

But CBS News has learned that not long after the soldier disappeared, U.S. intelligence picked up radio chatter that he had been kidnapped. U.S. officials know he’s already been sold to another group of Afghans - but no direct contact has been made with the kidnappers.

This is believed to be the first abduction of a member of the U.S. Military in the almost-8-years since the War on Terror began. While leaflet-drops are ‘business as usual’ in these areas, those targeted have been the insurgents. This time villagers are warned. It’s a different ballgame. Read the entire article here.

U.S. Department of Defense Graphic credit: CBS News

UPDATE: From GI in Afghanistan

On Wednesday I published a post called From a GI in Afghanistan: We Get More "Thanks From the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders" than From Senator Obama. In it the write stated:

So really he was just here to make a showing for the Americans back home that he is their candidate for President. I think that if you are going to make an effort to come all the way over here you would thank those that are providing the freedom that they are providing for you.

I swear we got more thanks from the NBA Basketball Players or the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders than from one of the Senators, who wants to be the President of the United States . I just don't understand how anyone would want him to be our Commander-and-Chief. It was almost that he was scared to be around those that provide the freedom for him and our great country.

If this is blunt and to the point I am sorry but I wanted you all to know what kind of caliber of person he really is. What you see in the news is all fake.

This was his opinion and he recently said that the message’s author that “some of the information that was put out in my e-mail was wrong.”

The e-mail, signed by Capt. Jeffrey S. Porter at Bagram Airbase, characterized Obama’s July 19 visit with soldiers there as contrary to the positive portrayals of the mainstream press.

Army Times sent an e-mail to Porter, a Utah Army National Guard member assigned to the 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion, asking if he could verify that he wrote the controversial e-mail and requesting an interview.

Porter’s reply declined the interview request, but said:

“I am writing this to ask that you delete my e-mail and not forward it, after checking my sources some of the information that was put out in my e-mail was wrong. This e-mail was meant only for my family. Please respect my wishes and delete the e-mail and if there are any blogs you have my e-mail portrayed on I would ask if you would take it down too.”

When contacted, Tiffany Porter who identified herself as his wife, said: “There were discrepancies in the e-mail, but I am not at liberty to say more.”

The Army refuted the accuracy of the account of the Obama visit.

“These comments are inappropriate and factually incorrect,” Bagram spokesman Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green told the New York Daily News.

Obama didn’t play basketball at Bagram or visit the Clamshell, she said.

“We were a bit delayed ... as he took time to shake hands, speak to troops and pose for photographs,” Nielson-Green said.

Opinion aside, Obama campaign officials cited factual errors in the e-mail. Porter said Obama had gone to play basketball; Obama aides said that during the trip he only played basketball in Kuwait, not during stops in Iraq or Afghanistan.

An Obama campaign Web site, called “Fight the Smears,” labels it a “lie” that Obama refused to meet with the troops. It includes links to news stories and videos showing Obama interacting with crowds of service members as evidence.

Was Captain Porter wrong? Let us see. On Friday I publish another letter from another soldier who wishes to remain anonymous. In this letter he wrote:

Since he obviously knew in advance that's what they'd tell him, and since he didn't care to talk to the troops (we're told by the Left that the troops are horrified, shocked, forced to commit atrocities with tears in their eyes, distraught, burned out, fed up with losing, etc) and find out how they feel, and was barely in country long enough to need a shower and a change of clothes, we can only call this for what it is.

A disgraceful PR stunt, using the troops as a platform for his ego and campaign.

In comparison, I've seen four star generals and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on this base. They each held an all ranks call, met with and briefed the personnel, and took questions on every subject from tour length to uniform design to rules of engagement to weapon choice to long term policy, from the newest airmen to the senior NCO with TEN 120-180 day tours since Sep 11. It's very clear they want to know what the troops think, and to keep them informed of events. It's equally clear mister Obama does not.

From here we must move to my op part of the oped.

Obama clearly doesn't care about the troops, doesn't care about America, doesn't care about anything except hearing his own voice and the chance to sit at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…From where he'll bring us the proven Democratic wartime leadership of Bosnia and the Balkans (US forces still there), Somalia (US forces prevailed despite being ill equipped by executive order, and taking heavy casualties), Haiti (what were we doing there again?), Desert One (oops?), Vietnam (where we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory), Korea (still there), WWI, and the fluke success of WWII won by such wonderful liberal notions as concentration camps for Japanese Americans, nukes, FBI investigations of waitresses who dated soldiers in case they were "morally corrupt" and the (valid) occupation of and continued presence in Italy, Japan and Germany for 60 years, which they are conveniently pretending won't happen with Iraq.

That's not "change." That's "failure we can do without."

Two separate letters by two different men. And I have more with the same to it by other servicemen and women who beg me note to publish for it would destroy their careers. I will not remove the first letter, for I feel it is the truth, but I publish this retraction with this message:

Senator Obama can complain until he gets an honorable man to retract his words, but he cannot run from the truth. The truth is that he used members of the US Armed Forces for a blatant publicity stunt. That when the truth is known, unless he can have the whole press corp with him, he will shun any American troops, as he did in Germany with the American Wounded Troops.

And that makes Senator Obama a man who cares more about his image than his nation. And as my second write said:

That's not "change." That's "failure we can do without."

Letter from the Troops: 'Obama is a Buffoon, a Charlatan, a Hindrance to their Mission'

Hat tip to Miss Beth's Victory Dance

Now that Barack Hussein Obama has left the Middle East and is now doing his whirl-wind tour of Europe, letters and e-mails from servicemen and women are filtering back to the States. On Wednesday I posted one such letter from Afghanistan commenting how Obama blew off the troops so he could meet with the base commander and his staff. Then he had that infamous basketball game.

Today I present to you, dear truth seeker, this newest letter from a 23 year vet of more than one branch of the military. The name has been removed to protect the author. (All bold words and italics are my emphasis and not the authors.)

MY MEETING (ALMOST) WITH OBAMA

I had a first hand view of Barrack Obama's "fact finding" mission, when he passed through this base.

While I can't name it, it's one of the largest air bases in the region, with up to 8000 troops (depending on influxes and transients in mobilization/demobilization status), mostly Airmen and Soldiers, but some Marines, Sailors, Koreans, Japanese, Aussies, Brits, US Civil Service, contractors including KBR, Blackwater and Halliburton, among others in the news. The overwhelming majority of all of these are professional, courteous and disciplined. Problems are rare.

Casualties are also rare. This base has a large hospital for evacuation—twenty plus beds. I have yet to see a casualty in one, though I am told there are about three evacuations a week through this region, of which two on average are things like sports injuries, vehicle accidents or duty related falls and such. You can tell from the news that the war is going well. The ghouls are now focusing on Afghanistan, since there is no blood to type with here.

This oped is of course subjective and limited, but I will try to present the facts as I saw them. I wasn't able to see much, which makes a point all by itself.

When his plane arrived (also containing Senators Reed and Hagel, but the news has hardly mentioned them), there was a "ramp freeze." This means if you are on the flight line, and not directly involved with the event in question, you stay where you are and don't move. For a combat flight arriving or departing, this takes about ten minutes, and involves the active runway and crossing taxiways only. For Obama's flight, this took 90 minutes, during which time a variety of military missions came grinding to a halt. Obviously, this visit was important, right?

95% of base wanted nothing to do with him. I have met three troops who support him, and literally hundreds who regard him as a buffoon, a charlatan, a hindrance to their mission or a flat out enemy of progress. Even when the rumors were publicly admitted, almost no one left their duty sections to try to see him, unless they were officers whose presence was officially required.

Mister Obama's motorcade drove up from the flight line and entered the dining hall toward the end of lunch time. Diners were chased out and told to make other arrangements for food, in the middle of the duty day.

Now, there are close to 8000 troops on the base and its nearby satellites. No one came up from the Army side (except perhaps a few ranking officers). The airbase resumed operation, once he cleared the flightline, as if nothing had happened. The dining hall holds about 300 people and was not full. The troops did not want to meet him and the feeling was apparently mutual. In attendance, besides the Official Entourage, were the base's senior officers, some support personnel, and a very few carefully vetted supporters who'd made special arrangements. No photos were allowed. No question and answer with the troops. No real acknowledgment that the troops existed.

Obama left around 1530, during the Muslim Call to Prayer, so he's not a practicing Muslim. He was in a convoy guarded by (so I'm told) both State Department and Secret Service Personnel.

Less than three hours…

Within 48 hours he was in Afghanistan. It takes most troops longer than that to in-process and get cleared on safety, threats, policies and such. Yet he somehow made a strategic summary by not talking to anyone and not seeing anything.

Twenty-four hours after that, he was in Kuwait, back here, and then home, so fast we didn't even know he arrived the second time at this base.

I can't imagine any officer of the few he met told him anything other than what they tell the troops, and what their own leadership at the Pentagon tell them—we're winning. Our troops are stomping the guts out of the insurgency. The surge worked and is working. If the insurgents have to divert to Afghanistan, it means they can't fight in Iraq anymore. We should not change the rules and retreat with the enemy on the ropes as we did in Vietnam. We should finish kicking their teeth in. The Iraqi government now controls 10 of 18 provinces, with US assistance in the rest. Let us win the war. 90% of the troops I know, even those opposed to the war, say that is the way to win. Victory comes from winning, not from "change." In fact, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is on record as opposing Obama's strategic theory.

Since he obviously knew in advance that's what they'd tell him, and since he didn't care to talk to the troops (we're told by the Left that the troops are horrified, shocked, forced to commit atrocities with tears in their eyes, distraught, burned out, fed up with losing, etc) and find out how they feel, and was barely in country long enough to need a shower and a change of clothes, we can only call this for what it is.

A disgraceful PR stunt, using the troops as a platform for his ego and campaign.

In comparison, I've seen four star generals and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on this base. They each held an all ranks call, met with and briefed the personnel, and took questions on every subject from tour length to uniform design to rules of engagement to weapon choice to long term policy, from the newest airmen to the senior NCO with TEN 120-180 day tours since Sep 11. It's very clear they want to know what the troops think, and to keep them informed of events. It's equally clear mister Obama does not.

From here we must move to my op part of the oped.

Obama clearly doesn't care about the troops, doesn't care about America, doesn't care about anything except hearing his own voice and the chance to sit at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…From where he'll bring us the proven Democratic wartime leadership of Bosnia and the Balkans (US forces still there), Somalia (US forces prevailed despite being ill equipped by executive order, and taking heavy casualties), Haiti (what were we doing there again?), Desert One (oops?), Vietnam (where we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory), Korea (still there), WWI, and the fluke success of WWII won by such wonderful liberal notions as concentration camps for Japanese Americans, nukes, FBI investigations of waitresses who dated soldiers in case they were "morally corrupt" and the (valid) occupation of and continued presence in Italy, Japan and Germany for 60 years, which they are conveniently pretending won't happen with Iraq.

That's not "change." That's "failure we can do without."

The troops fighting on the front lines are furious with him. They aren't there for a "photo op", they are there serving a mission. Our author writes: Victory comes from winning, not from "change." How very true. Victory is our to be had if we just hold fast to our convictions and plans. If we stay the course in Iraq and do a surge in Afghanistan we will win in the end. Obama's way is the way of Code Pink and other traitorous groups. It is the way of defeat and humiliation of our troops. It spits on the graves of those brave men and women who have died for this nation in those far away places. It dishonors the men and women who have served and continue to serve this nation. As this author so plainly writes:

That's not "change." That's "failure we can do without."

From G.I. in Afghanistan - "We got more thanks from the Dallas cowboy Cheerleaders" than from Senator Obama

Cross posted from Miss Beth's Victory Dance

You all know that Obama is on a "fact finding" tour right now. You would think (if you buy into Obamamania) that he would be meeting and talking with our boots on the ground; you know, the experts. Not so fast. Over at Blackfive is this:

This is from a USAF friend in Afghanistan:

Hello everyone,

As you know I am not a very political person. I just wanted to pass along that Senator Obama came to Bagram Afghanistan for about an hour on his visit to ' The War Zone'. I wanted to share with you what happened.

He got off the plane and got into a bullet proof vehicle, got to the area to meet with the Major General (2 Star) who is the commander here at Bagram.

As the Soldiers where lined up to shake his hand, he blew them off and didn't say a word as he went into the conference room to meet the General. As he finished, the vehicles took him to the ClamShell (pretty much a big top tent that military personnel can play basketball or work out in with weights) so he could take his publicity pictures playing basketball. He again shunned the opportunity to talk to Soldiers to thank them for their service.

So really he was just here to make a showing for the Americans back home that he is their candidate for President. I think that if you are going to make an effort to come all the way over here you would thank those that are providing the freedom that they are providing for you.

I swear we got more thanks from the NBA Basketball Players or the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders than from one of the Senators, who wants to be the President of the United States . I just don't understand how anyone would want him to be our Commander-and-Chief. It was almost that he was scared to be around those that provide the freedom for him and our great country.

If this is blunt and to the point I am sorry but I wanted you all to know what kind of caliber of person he really is. What you see in the news is all fake.

In service,

CPT J
Bagram, Afghanistan

From Monkey in the Middle:

The average serviceman and woman knows what a phony is and when they are being set up for a photo op. Obama has gotten very good at this little game, and the men and women serving in Afghanistan and Iraq are starting to write home with the truth. Every time Barack Hussein Obama tries to connect with American Armed Forces, he shows his true color. That nice yellow streak that runs down his back. This man is not fit to be Commander-in-Chief of a Boy Scout troop, let alone of the US Military.

I pray that the nation finally wakes up and sees him for what he is. A phony with no experience and a lot of hype.