More Scape Goats

Three more operators had been charged in the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq. The three unnamed SEALs are being charged with assault, aggravated assault with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm, conduct unbecoming, obstruction of justice, assault with a deadly weapon, maltreatment of prisoners, dereliction of duty, and failure to report abuse to superior authorities.

This flabbergasts me because of the whole situation. Navy SEALs have a higher rate for bringing in actual terrorists who possess actual actionable intelligence when they go on raids. They bring this intelligence in at an increased risk to themselves. Raiding a house with the intent to capture and bring in alive the terrorists is a much more dangerous task that throwing in a grenade or hosing down the place before going in. The SEALs have a conviction rate somewhere near 75-90% while the rest of the military has a rate somewhere near 20-30%. See the difference?

So now with the fallout of the Abu Ghraib scandal where senior army officers were derelict in their duty, they are looking for scapegoats. They are looking for any situation where there may have been an inkling of impropriety. The high-profile SEALs were a perfect target for them. They are carrying out more dangerous raids, with a higher optempo and most of their detainees are living. The dead tell no tales.

This widespread cover your ass mentality from USCENTCOM, V Corps, Multinational Forces, and US Forces, only will prove t be detrimental to the morale of the fighting man as well as the mission itself. Wth the risk of being arrested later on, operators will be be less likely to take prisoners alive. They would rather kill in a deadly engagement than attempt an apprehension. They may even hesitate on the trigger. Instead of subduing a subject during a scuffle, the operator will hold back and put his life in even more danger. As the intelligence dries up because more potential intelligence sources are being killed in raids, the enemy will kill more American soldiers. The whole situation will spiral into a deadly vicious and unstoppable circle.

This only is in line with the past thirty years with regards to the United States and their sensibilitieas. The American public would rather see a good police officer go to trial and prison for a questionable shoot than to see a prisoner mishandled. We place more value on the lives who endanger our society, rather tan the brave servants who provide that nblanket of security. We see more officers being killed in the line of duty. We see a slow breakdown of law and order because law enforcement officers are fearful of public reprisals.

Why should we be surprised when this mentality moved against the military who guard our borders and execute our national security interests overseas? In the age of mass media, satellite communications and live television news broadcasts, this is the liberal weak stomached society coming full circle. Stomachs turned when eighteen rangers and operators were killed in Somalia, even though they kicked ass and took names. Our president refused to allow our aviators to fly lower than 10,000 feet over the former Yugoslavia for fear of them being shot down. Our president also refused to endanger American lives when thousands were being killed by the genocide in Rwanda and Central Africa...see the circle? See the pattern.

The liberal left actually fear ourselves more than we fear the enemy. They fear that we will win the war on terror more than they fear the destruction of our way of life. For it is no longer their way of life. Their way of life is the UN and the Global Village, with hug fests, peace marches and one big happy family. They value the World Court more than they value our own way of life. Through the degredation of all of our standards and traditions, the removal of "under God" from the Pledge of allegiance, the complete watering down of all things American, I wonder what the liberal left actually view as being American.

And now more American lives will be in danger. More soldiers will be killed as they get one hand tied behind their back. Less will re-enlist. Less will actually sign on that line for fear of the future. I do not doubt that there are many who would refuse to fight for American. But how many would fight with the knowledge that they could be charged for their actions while saving lives in a war? I wouldn't. So we will see a reverberating loss of will and reverberating lowered morale across the Military.

Tell me something, though. They call te sexually explotive pictures of American soldiers atrocities. They call the treatment of some prisoners war crimes. They call the holding of enemy combatants in Gitmo as illegal. What do they call 9/11? Have we forgotten so soon the loss that we have endured? Have they forgotten so soon what we are fighting for? Have we forgotten so soon that our very way of life hangs in the balance?

Make no mistake I don't think we should be shooting out knee caps, pulling our finger nails or forcing prisoners to endure water torture. But if the United States public cannot stomach the thought of our soldiers doing what is necessary to save lives, then I wonder if they will have the stomach to endure the trials that will be required to win this war that we have found ourselves in.

I fear that they will not.

I Just Can't Comprehend the Shallowness

"The invasion of Iraq (news - web sites) was a profound diversion from the battle against our greatest enemy, al-Qaida," Kerry said in a speech at Temple University. "There's just no question about it. The president's misjudgment, miscalculation and mismanagement of the war in Iraq all make the war on terror harder to win."

OK...well, if Kerry was the military strategist that he tries to make himself to be, he would know the importance of attacking the infrastructure of the enemy. He would know that not only must we engage the enemy on the field of battle, but we must engage the centers of gravity which support the enemy. There is no doubt that there were low-level contact between Saddam and Qaida. There is also no doubt that the Middle East is the central focal point for Islamo-facsism and Fundamental false-Jihadists. We are attacking them there so that we can engage them more effectively on the field of battle. We are also engaging them there in order to gain a foothold in the Middle East, an important operating base for future operations.

"George Bush (news - web sites) made Saddam Hussein the priority. I would have made Osama bin Laden the priority," Kerry said. "I will finish the job in Iraq and I will refocus our energies on the real war on terror."

If Kerry truly believes that this war is about binLadin and not about Islamo-Fascism and the false jihad then he is seriously lacking in understanding about the current situation. The REAL war on terror is not about one person, or one organization. It is a disease which must be exterminated and fought on every battlefield, in every venue with the full weight and power of our people. That means engaging him and those like him in Iraq. How will be "finish the job"??? By begging the UN and the French for assistance? Or perhaps the next time we are the victim of a terror attack he would rather sue them in the World Court.

Kerry said Iraq has become a haven for terrorists since the war, and he offered a detailed strategy to contain terrorism while drawing a sharp distinction between his and the president's views on national security.

Well, far be it for me to disagree with Kerry's vast knowledge of military affairs and national security, but here is a major difference in opinion. I would rather have Islamo-fascists engaged with us in Iraq, rather than Europe or the United States. Every terrorist who is fighting out soldiers here is one less terrorist who is engaging our civilian population. Every terrorist that we are killing there is one less terrorist that we have to worry about it here. That is the reason for our military...to engage our enemies abroad....see the logic here?

The Obviously Invisible

Again, Kerry is left to cut down Bush and the current administration. His whole platform is what he would have done different, preying on the loss and suffering of those breaving war widows and left behind, and the monday morning quarterbacking, armchair generalship.

Kerry has NOT put forth ONE plan of his own.

Kerry has NOT said ONCE what he will do in the future!

All he talks about is the past.

Where is the Kerry Bill? Where is the Kerry Plan? Where is the Future of American Under Kerry???

Kerry promises universal healthcare, yet promises tax cuts...How will this work? Who will pay for this?

Kerry promises a larger more robust military, yet says he will cut armed servic budgets....so how will our national security be enhanced???

He says he will build alliances, yet calls the Coalition of the Willing a joke...so how will he build these bridges???

He says that he is for the 2nd Amendment, yet voted for every piece of gun control legislation as a Senator...so how will he protect my right and responsibility (read the 2nd Amendment)???

By the way...making these promises is not a plan.

A plan is:

I will keep America safer...BY hunting down terrorism, building up our intelligence apparatus, infusing new technology into the intelligence agencies and recruiting, training and retaining more linguists.

I will protect the 2nd Amendment...BY prosecuting criminals and enforcing current laws, rather than enacting new ones which will only leave weapons in the hands of criminals.

I will build alliances...BY standing by our word, not backing down, exporting good will and opening lines of communication in such a way that will make our aims clear.

I will make Healthcare affordable by all...BY reducing frivolous lawsuits, immunize providers who are being reimbursed through Medicare and Medicaid programs from litigation, and allowing for garnishment of wages earlier.

THOSE ARE PLANS!

All Kerry gives are EMPTY PROMISES.

Yet...many people buy into his promises...They see the world as they wish to see it, they believe what they wish to believe rather than the reality...It does take time to train intelligence officers (not agents as often micharacterized by the media). It does COST money to pay for healthcare. When E-4 servicemembers qualify for foodstamps they WILL look for other gainful employment. This is reality...Sad but true...

Yet America has an entitlement mentality...everyone is entitled to something....But that's another story...

Who Will Guard the Guards

I read this and simply rolled my eyes and chalked it up to the liberal left-leaning media. Then I stopped myself and thought about how dangerous this truly is. Seriously. If the media is willing to twist the truth in such a way to manipulate the public into what they want them to then we are in true danger.

I remember reading about the anchors and reporters of old, from World War II and Korea. These men risked their lives on the front lines, sometimes got wounded and killed. And they were committed to the truth. The. Truth. Commentary was noted as commentary. Personal belief was not disguised as the truth.

But this just leads to an ever wider chasm in America. The media, in their left leaning liberal ways believes that the importance of the common good far outweighs the importance of the individual. So obviously, they have an obligation to tell the Public what it needs to hear, even if it is not exactly the truth, right? I mean, I can't think for myself, so I must need the news reporters and media to tell me what to think, right? And obviously, I'm not there so I can't possibly have the insight to see what the reporters see, right?

W-R-O-N-G!!!!!

I have a mind of my own. I know how to think. I have a rather keen thought process that is capable of receiving and interpreting multiple pieces of information and then making an informed, concious decision. I need no information or news spoon fed for me. I need no condescening reporter to tell me how to think.

This pisses me off...but it als scares me.

The media as made themselves as the guards of America...

But who will guard the guards?

Falluja Delende Est

Falluja Delende Est

Fallujah Must Be Destroyed...

It was in the Senate of Ancient Rome, that Marcus Portius Cato, 234-149 B.C., who was known as Cato the Elder, ended every speach, no matter what the subject, how long or who he was speaking to with "ceterum censeo delendam esse Carthaginem", or-literally-"besides which, my opinion is that Carthage must be destroyed". It has been shortened over time to: "Carthago Delende Est", or "Carthage Must Be Destroyed".

After many years of internicine warfare, border raids, and animosity and belligerence between Rome and Carthage, Cato got his wish. In 146 B.C., after a lengthy seige in which many Roman legionnaires succumbed to disease, Carthage was taken. A city of 700,000 in habitants was reduced to 50,000 defenders. The survivors who surrendered were sold into slavery. The harbor was destroyed. The city was demolished and the city is said to have burned for 10 days. There is also legend that the Romans salted the earth so that the land would be inhospitable, as a way to prevent repopulation.

Carthage had been destroyed.

On March 31, 2004, four Blackwater Security independent contractors had been ambushed in the city of Falujah, were killed, burned, mutilated and then hung from a bridge. Wesley Batalano (retired Army Ranger and combat veteran), Scott Helvensten (former Navy SEAL), Jerry Zovko (ex-Army Ranger), and Michael Teague (former member of the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment) were killed.

I don't think anybody can ever forget the images that we saw on the nightly news of what had happened in Fallujah. Right after the atrocities of March 31, 2004, there should have been a call for Falluja Delende Est. Fallujah must be destroyed. The terrorists who perpetrated and carried out these crimes must be apprehended and dealt with appropriately....Falluja Delende Est.

Now, I do not mean literally to destroy Fallujah. I would never condone the mass destruction of an entire city. But...in a sense, the blood of the dead contractors rightfully belongs on the hands of all citizens of Fallujah. A hotspot of insurrection and unconventional warfare in the al-Anbar Province, there is no doubt that Fallujah and the lack of decisive action on the part of the Coalition acted in a way to catalyze the terrorism that we are faced with today.

There is no doubt that there were many onlookers who did nothing while the bodies were burned, mutilated and then hung. There is no doubt that these terrorists then went home and were greeted with cheers. There is no doubt that the general population stood back and did nothing while these atrocities against mankind were carried out. Yes, atrocities against mankind. Whether it be six-million or four men, to kill, then mutilate, then burn bodies, and then hang them on a bridge for all to see, is nothing short of an atrocity.

Falluja Delende Est...

"People of Fallujah! Your fellow citizens have committed a crime against Allah and against mankind. These terrorists must face justice for their despicable acts! Outside the city limits is sitting the mightiest military machine that the world has ever seen! Over fifty tanks and three-hundred armored personnel carriers are waiting with over five thousand soldiers to enter the city! People of Fallujah, we do not wish to kill innocents! These crimes are hateful to Allah! If you do not wish to be killed or see your families killed, then give up these terrorists who are hateful to God to face justice! You have twenty four hours to turn over these terrorists or we will search every home, destroy every terrorist hiding spot, kill every terrorist, and look under every rock to find them! People of Fallujah, if you value your lives, then give up these terrorists and your lives will be spared!"

And then, after twenty four hours, hell is unleashed...155mm howitzers, Apache and Cobra gunships, TOW missiles, 120mm main tank guns, 25mm chain-guns. Marines and soldiers working in small units, accompanied by Iraqi translators, clear the city. The city is pounded and reduced to rubble until the terrorists face justice, either death or trial.

It would have caused a public outcry. The world would have been aflame with critism. Our own citizens would have been made nauseous by it. But...you know what? After that, Mookie's army would have thought twice before putting up a fght in Najaf. Terrorists would have thought twice before hitting soft targets with RPGs. Return overwhelming firepower...

In World War II, when the Allied were retaking French, Belgian and Dutch towns, it was common practice to fire an artillery barrage prior to sending in the foot soldiers. On our allies! Artillery! Bombing runs! Strafing runs!

The terrorists think that all they have to do is kill a few Americans and will run and capitulate. We taught them that in Somalia. Sadly, as I watch the news and read the papers, I think they are right. Too many people forget that we are in the fight of our lives...

An al-Qasqa fighter is an al-Qaida fighter...

A Sadr Army fighter is a Hamas Bomber...

A Basque separatist is an Ansar al-Islam fighter...

An Abu-Sayeff fighter is a Hezbollah fighter...

There is no difference. How can their be? Their whole reason for being is the destruction of all things Americans, and the genocidal destruction of Israel. We have a debt of honor to pay...

A debt of honor to the victims of 9/11...

A debt of honor to the 17 sailors killed on the Cole...

A debt of honor to the Americans killed in the Embassy bombings in 1988...

A debt of honor to the airmen killed in the Khobar Towers...

We have a debt of honor to pay...and it is time to pay the piper. For too longer we have lived under a blanket of false security, thinking we were safe, while the rest of the world was afire. Well, we were rudely awakened on September morning three years ago...

We must stay the course...
...Until the Last Full Measure...

FALLUJA DELENDE EST

To Resuscitate Or Not to Resuscitate

I am taking the PHTLS refresher course today and tomorrow. After serving in the military, it is interesting to sit in on a class that is civillian and does not deal with care under fire, tactical field care, or any of the other complications that give combat medics and general medical officers headaches and fits of frenzies.

Today, we had a discussion on shock and fluid management. Now. Shock, as a basic definition, is the lack of cellular oxygenation. The finely tuned machine called the human body ceases to work as it was designed to. Oxygen is inherently essential for the conduct of life and the movement of the well-oiled machine. That is not a question. First anaerobic metabolism starts. Then you get lactic acidosis. Then cells begin to die. Then you get organ failure. Then you get multisystems organ failure. Then YOU die. Not the best of technical explanations I know.

Now, coming from the point of view of a combat medic who must care for a Marine or sailor for up to two hours prior to evacuation, and even then it could be another 30-60 minutes before that sailor or Marine reached definitive medical care, I must be judicious in my judgments. Now. If I have a patient who has uncontrolled hemmorhage, either internal or open wound, he will be hypotensive. My training and experience tells me to give fluids in this case, only to perfuse the brain, liver and kidneys, roughly up to a blood pressure of 80 systolic.

Now through our conversation, it became clear that they did not agree with me. That we should be starting two large bore IVs on every trauma patient who is hypotensive and dumping a liter or two of fluid into them. To me this does not make sense. The end goal is not to bring the blood pressure up to 100 systolic. The end goal is to perfuse the tissues and organs. BP doesn't mean squat if it can't carry oxygen and nutrients. So what the hell does it matter what his BP is if he;s bleeding it out more than I can replenish it.

These patients need: (1) BLOOD; and (2) SURGERY. NOT IV fluids. NOT crystalloid fluids, of which 40-50% will shift into the interstitial spaces anyway. BLOOD. NOT. IV. FLUIDS.

To me this just plays into the whole wannabe rescue ranger mentality of alot of the old timer paramedics. Now, don't get me wrong. I love being a paramedic, and some of them are very good at what they do. But...they don't like to change. They don't like new ideas. They like IVs. They like "saves". They like patting themselves on the back.

This mindset is detrimental for the longevity of the paramedic career field, as well as to our patients. We need to find the underlying pathology behind the disease process. We need to not only treat the trouble breathing, but also the bi-ventricular deficiency. Pumping the CHF patient full of lasix and nitro will do not good if we do not improve cardiac output, inotropy, EF, and as a result perfusion, oxygenation. It will also decrease backward pressure, relieve pressure and workload on the heart and increase pump filling. Yet most paramedics only want to drop the lasix, the nitro, maybe some morphine, and load and go.

This is a problem of mindset. I do not want to be a cook book medic. I don't want our profession to be merely "treating what we see", or filling in the blanks we go along. We have come a long way since I first came into the field ten years ago. We are more professional. In some states we are licensed and looked at with the same respect as other licensed professionals and allied health professionals.

But we have a longer way to go.

Now, take this for example. Cordarone is an excellent drug. In a surgical, hospital setting, Cordarone has an excellent effectiveness for stopping VF and some forms of VT and increasing survival rates among Sudden Cardiac Arrest patients. Now. This is in the hospital. Where they are minutes away from definitive care. Where they are minutes away from PTCA (Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Agioplasty), or CABG (Coronary Arterial Bypass Graft). Like right then.

So, they start carrying Cordarone on some buses in different cities to test the effectiveness of the drug in pre-hospital SCA cases. The studies came back that there was an increase in survival rates among prehospital SCA patients. BUT. IT DID NOT INCREASE 30-DAY SURVIVAL RATES FOR THOSE PATIENTS.

This drug costs $300 per dose. And why do we have it? So we can slap ourselves on the back and say "we got another save". This is an inherently faulty mindset and focus, people. We need to change it. We need to look forward. We need to look at our patients as a whole and treat the whole patient. We need to invest time and money into studies that will actually increase long-term survival rates. We don't need anymore slaps on the back. We need knowledgeable and educated paramedics who can read 12-leads, who can see a shift in the axis on the 12-lead, who can differentiate between CHF w/pulmonary edema Vs. aspiration pneumonia. We need Paramedics who can recognize a bi-fasicular block and know that Lidocaine can kill them. We need paramedics who will seek out and search for the root cause of the patient's signs and symptoms and not just treat the surface.

We need a new focus.

We need to be clinicians not technicians.

We need more study time.

We need to do actual rotations with ED, CTICU, S/TICU and heart center doctors.

We need to know what we're doing.

Most of all....

we need to firs do no harm.

PRIMUM NON NOCERE

Some Times I Just Want to Slit Some Throats

Photos of more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers who died in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq (news - web sites) were laid out in Union Square Park in New York on Friday in a display intended to put faces of the fallen before the public.

How dare these political activists use the sacrifice and loss endured by families for their own selfish ends? How dare they play on the sympathies and emotions of people who are bereaving their war dead?

Coming just days after the 1,000th U.S. soldier died in the war in Iraq, the display was organized by Army veteran Nicholas Cohen, who said merely listing deaths in the newspapers each day did not capture the human cost of the war.

Veteran of what??? What the hell does the fact that he's a vet have to do with anything? If anything he is all the more despicable for using the wardead for political ends. Shame on him! He needs an asskicking.

"There's no political organization behind this," said Cohen. "This is about the soldiers."

Are these people really ignorant enough to think that this is not political? War is politics by other means. If that is the case opposing the war is a political statement. Opposing it by exploiting the pain and loss of other Americans is despicable. There's a saying in the navy to describe people like this: lower than whale shit!!!

Dozens of passerby stared quietly as volunteers laid out photos in Union Square, which three years earlier had been the site of makeshift memorials for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

OK. Now this is exploiting the loss of the 9/11 victims. A uniformed soldier knows the risk that there might be death in battle. He signed on the dotted line. He trained. He knew the risks. None of those business people or firefighters or police officers, thought that they would be going to work to their certain death that day. There is NO comparison. By comparing these two groups of war dead s a slap in the face to the 9/11 victims. It also is an insult to the soldiers.

Cohen's mother, Arlene Harrison, said the display was not meant as an anti-war statement.

"We're anti using military force in a knee-jerk way," she said. "We have to have a good, honest, compelling reason before we sacrifice our children."

Oh sure. Hello!!!! Go a few blocks south and you will see the reason why we are fighting!!! Did you already forget the Twin Towers??? Did you already forget Flight 93???? Did you already forget the attack on the Pentagon????

This makes me sick...

Sometimes I just want to kick someone's ass for crap like this....

My blood is boiling...

"If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? If you wrong us, shall we not avenge?"

Three years ago today.

Three Years and still the ghosts haunt us

Three years and the blood still cried out from the streets and the fields.

I can see the ghosts standing by in the streets with utter contempt in their eyes as the protesters and the liberal apologists walk by, holding their signs and shouting their chants as if 9/11 never happened.

Have we brought them justice? Have be availed ourselves righteously in this martial endeavor that we have been thrust until of someone else's accord? Have we done right in their eyes, avenging their deaths and bringing justice to those who would kill innocents? I wonder what legacy we are leaving behind. Will our children be left to pay the price of our inaction and our fear. I wonder if our grandchildren will live in fear because we lacked the fortitude and the courage to stand strong against the ebb and tide of naked cold aggression.

Three years ago our leaders exhorted us and begged us to remain strong and vigilant. Our leaders promised us justice. They promised that we would not live in fear but would meet the enemy head on and never relent. Our leaders promised us that our course was right, that our course was set and we would not waiver. This was in the shadow of heros who stood tall against terror. This was in the shadow of such courage in the face of certain death that I weep, just remembering it. I am sure that those firefighters, police officers, warriors and servants who have witnessed the loss of so many of our people, who have stood against enemy in those early days when it was darkest before dawn, know the cost of the preservation of our way of life. They, who have held the rifle and the dying brother, knowing the meaning of the word freedom. Have we done them right? Have we been righteous in their eyes?

But that was three years ago. And now we are faced with a fork in the road. One road leads to the security and preservation of our people, and the legacy that our children and future generations will not have to live in fear of attack. The other path leads down a dark trail of fear, glass houses and the inability to face the future with the courage and fortitude to stand true to the ideals that we have held long as our standard here in American. We are faced with a dillema. Have we so lost our stomach for the fight that we would sacrifice our liberties and way of life for the empty sense of security that appeasement and compromise bring?

Three years ago we promised ourselves that we would stay the course. We promised that we would not retreat. We would never surrender. We would ask for no quarter and we would give no quarter. We promised ourselves that we would never again see these murderers as simple criminals and would see this war for what it was: a war for survival. We promised that we would fight this as a war: we would find, close with and destroy the enemy wherever he may be found.

When we look back on this day, we must never forget.

Never forget the ghosts who wait for their justice.

Never forget the blood that still seeps through the cracks of the sidewalks in southern Manhatten.

Never forget the promises we made to them.

Never forget the vows we made to ourselves.

Never forget the young warrior who stands between us and the enemy and who will never break faith with us, even until death.

We cannot break faith with him either.

Where was I?

Where was I on the morning of September 11, 2001. At 0600 HRS. I had just been relieved off of my watch on Medic 101/C by the day watch and headed home for some sleep. After some breakfast I went to sleep.

At 0900 HRS. I was awakened by my pager and the message simply said: "ERT ON ALERT. CNN." Still half asleep, I turned my television on and I was left as if a one-hundred pound weight had been placed on my chest. For a moment I could not breathe. I had trained with NYPD ESU. I had many friends who were firefighters with the Rescue Companies. I had many friends who were public servants in NYC. I was left dumbounded. I was numb.

Then the anger came. Then the rage came. The warrior began showing it's ugly head and I knew that I would be going to war...but that is another story unto itself.

Twenty minutes after I had been watching the live television newscast, my cell phone rang. It was my reserve unit. I was being mobilized on an emergency basis for security operations in the port of New York. I was going to war sooner than I thought...

On that morning, I can distinctly remember thinking that we were at war. I had a close friend in NYC and I called to make sure she was OK. She said that she was fine and was staying inside. I told her to get out of NY and back to North Carolina where her family was. She refused and said she would be fine. I can still remember my words: "Don't be a f'cking idiot. We are at war, and we don't know when we will be hit again. Now get pack a d'mn bag, get in your d'mn car and get the hell out of NYC NOW!"

Eight hours after the initial attacks I was in NYC attached to a Coast Guard Port Security Unit and we were boarding ships that were already in the harbor as well as providing waterside security. We had live ammo. We have live weapons. There was no mistake that we were at war. There was no doubt that we were on a war footing.

Finally, after our first twelve hour tour I went to Ground Zero. In my uniform I passed through the checkpoints and made it to Ground Zero. I asked someone where Rescue Five was. The tired firefighter simply pointed to the collapsed buildings and walked away. I felt cold inside. I was empty. I was numb...I wanted justice. I wanted blood.

For three days we provided security. Navy ships moved into the area also. On my off hours I was at Ground Zero. I averaged two hours a sleep a night between the security mission and helping with the recovery efforts. Many a tear was shed.

After three days of security operations in NYC, I was ordered to report to Virginia for an active duty assignment. My orders had been cut...I was going to war...

Nothing has changed since then...we are still at war. Why can't people see that?

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?

The world did not stop turning, literally. But for one moment in time, the daily grind stopped and the world's eyes turned toward the Twin Towers in New York City. For a single moment in time, the world united against an unseen enemy that remained anonymous up until that point. The nation braced for more attacks and never before has our nation felt so vulnerable.

In a sense, this was the day that the nation lost its innocence. Before 9/11, the US had been on the periphery of the war against terror. American intelligence officers, special operations forces, and other military forces worked to find, fix and track terrorist organizations from Lybia to Lebanon, to Sudan, to Yemen to Afghanistan. Before 9/11 terrorism was seen as a criminal act, that was to be dealt by criminal law. This can be evidenced by the nation's actions following the Embassy bombings in 1998 and the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. Outside of force-protection and other security forces, the only response had been on a law-enforcement dynamic. There were other actions but I don't think they will ever be disclosed for years to come.

Not so after 9/11. There can be no doubt following the actions of the terrorists on 9/11 that we are, indeed, fighting a war. It is a war that we were about twenty years late in joining. This is war that can be first seen in the 1948 invasion and low-intensity fighting in Israel and Palestine. That is where it starts. The enemy is not so much the US as it is Israel. The US's policy of supporting Israel, the goodwill it exports, the technology it exports, and the democratic reform that it stands for around the world, is what makes the US these terrorist's enemies.

This war had been onesided up until now. In 1983, the Palestinian terrorists bombed the US Marine Barracks, killing 241. They also bombed the US Embassy in Beirut. hey also kidnapped and killed American nationals at will. The US did nothing substantial in response. They bombed Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland. They killed Petty Officer Stethem in 1985. They kidnapped and killed Colonel Higgins in Beirut. They hijacked the Achille Lauro.

But yet, it was not until that tuesday in 2001, that the United States stood united against the flood of terror that had infiltrated around the world. It was not until 9/11 that our eyes were opened to the ruthlessness and the murderous designs of the terrorists. It was not until September 2001 that we had lost our innocence.

We can not rightfully revise history, or apologize for our actions following these attacks. It would be a slap in the face of all those families who have lost blood in this struggle that we find ourselves in. The fight is not of our choosing, but the fight was brought to our doorstep nonetheless. We were drawn into it not of our own accord. We can no longer close our eyes to tyrrany, terror, or those who would threaten and kill innocents in the name of religion, Allah or social designs. We cannot revise history, else we let history repeat itself. We cannot run from this threat or this threat will trap up as prisoners of the glass houses that we have attempted to create.

So where were you when the world stopped turning?

Twisted View of the World

"Sept. 11 was a tragic day in our history because so many innocent people were killed at the hands of militants, who find a fertile ground in our region in view of the biased U.S. policies toward Israel and against Arab causes," said 34-year-old banker Mahmoud Obeid in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

Right. We're the cause of the instability in the world. Terrorists who base their whole reason of being on the destruction of the "Great Satan" (that's us genteel American readers), and Israel. So we should stand by (like the rest of the world did in 1933-1941) and allow the genocidal destruction of the Jewish People. Right? Because that is what the Palestinians want. That is what the false-jihadist Islamo-fascist terrorists want: a complete and utter destruction of Israel and all things Jewish.

Let me point out some reminders from History:

1) Immediately following the declaration of Israeli Independence and British forces left Palestine, The armies of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq (yes, IRAQ), Jordan and Egypt invaded Israel with the stated mission of the annihilation of Irael. Their intentions were declared by Azzam Pasha, Secretary-General of the Arab League: "This will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades."http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/1948_War.html. The war lasted roughly three months and only ended after the Palestinian nation were threatened with being cited by the UN.

2) in 1956 after Egyptian backed and trained terrorists "Fedeyeen" raid inside Israel. With Nasser in charge of the Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian Armies, the Arabs once again invade Israel with the stated intent of extermination. The Israelis kick ass and take names, routing the Egyptians. In the end the Egyptians blocade the Suez Canal and Britain and France intervene. President Eisenhower forces Israel to withdraw and thus ends the Suez War of 1956.

3) Once again after raids and escalation the 1967 Six-Day War begins which actually sees the attack on Jerusalem. Now, genteel readers, you should know that the Israeli Prime Minister sent a message to the President of Jordan, telling him that Israel would not attack unless Jordan first attacks. So what does Jordan do? They attack. Now guess what? Facing three armies and after just six days, the Israeli Army is prepared to march on Cairo, Damascus and Amman, the capitols of the three belligerents. A UN resolution established a formula for Arab-Israeli Peace, thus ending this war.

4) In a surprise coordinated attack, Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack during theJewish Holy Season, surprising te Israeli Defense Forces. This war lasts two weeks and guess what? The Israelis kick ass again. But...there was "aid" brought to the Arabs, Algerian fighter planes, Lebanese radar units, Lybian fighters, Iraqi fighters. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait even committed ground troops. To what end? To destroy Israel.

Sooooooooooooooooo. After the little history lesson, I'm wondering how we can be seen as destabilizing the world's security by trying to stop the genocidal destruction of an important ally in the Middle East. It is the only democracy in the Middle East. It is also a nation that the world owed a debt of honor to for standing by while six million - Let's say that number together SIX MILLION - Jewish were killed and destroyed in the concentration camps. Now the revisionists and apologists would try to tell you it never happened, but it FRICKING HAPPENED!!!!

But that has not shaken a long-held belief that U.S. policies in the region — including Washington's support for Israel in its conflict with the Palestinians — are also to blame for fomenting the kind of anti-American hatred that could drive people to launch an attack of the magnitude of Sept. 11, 2001, in New York and Washington D.C.

So we should step aside and watch as a democratic nation is destroyed from all sides in order to appease the Arabs? Hmmmmmmmmmmm, one name: Neville Chaimberlain. How can we, who supported a democracy, and have sued for peace, and for an Independent Palestine (and do you know why the Arabs are against the US backed plan for a free Palestine??? Because it would also leave a free and recognized Israel. Can't have that now, can we???), be the root cause for Muslims invading our nation and killing our women and children? Hmmmmmm? Oh, yeah, because the liberal media would have you believe that these plane hijacking, baby killing, women-raping Fanatics are only wayward misunderstood boys. Yea RIGHT!!!!

"But ... the problem is the Americans don't want to criticize themselves," he told The Associated Press. "They don't look at their policies and mistakes, like the U.S. position toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. By defending the terrorism committed by Israel against the Palestinians, they are filling people with anger."

Hey buddy. We're a democracy. We clean our own house. We don't need any raghead Islamo-fascists second guessing our mistakes. That's why we have the three branches of government for the checks and balances....But oh yea...I forgot, Israeli Bankers own America and we are the lapdogs of the Jewish aristocracy. I forgot.

"If we do act in the same way as our enemies, we imprison ourselves in their anger, their evil," Rowan Williams said during a speech to religious leaders at a top Sunni Muslim center in Cairo.

"We are not forced to act in revengeful ways," added Williams, who was in New York when al-Qaida militants slammed hijacked planes into the World Trade Center's twin towers three years ago.

Hey buddy. We didn't cause 9/11. We didn't force them terrorists to kill our women and children. For every action there is a consequence. So if they underestimated our resolve, tough cookies for them. They will have to pay the reaper. And, tell me, how are we acting in the same way as our enemies? We liberated A-stan. We liberated Iraq. We are fighting terrorism. Have US soldiers driven airliners into Muslim cities? Have American soldiers detonated car bombs in civilian population centers? Have British soldiers killed, burned then hung civilians from bridges for the world to see? So how are we acting alike? We were wronged Justice is ours to take. Vengeance we leave to the Lord.

In Amman, Jordan, supermarket owner Hamzeh Ghazawi, 26, said the anniversary for him only marks the start of a more dangerous world.

"On this day every year, I remember the beginning of the chaos, the fear and the insecurity which the United States has brought upon the whole world," he said.

How is it that these people do not see that this war would not have started had it not been for the fundamental false-jihadist Islamo-fascists attacking us? We are not to blame. We are following our legitemate right for national self defense. Every nation has the right of pre-emption and we are executing ours. We need no permission slip. We need no protests lobbied at the Security Council. We need no excuse. It is our right to defend ourselves. If the Arabs don't like it, then they should go about taking care of the beast that they created. Period.

"I thank God that He made us see such a day," said one online contributor who identified herself only as Umm Rafida. "Whenever I look to the picture of the tower while its collapsing, tears well in my eyes and I thank God."

This guy needs a serious appointment with Mr. 5.56mm between the fricking eyes. Done.

The Saudi English-language Arab News daily denounced the Sept. 11 plane hijackers, including 15 Saudis, as "twisted fanatics" and called for a "jihad — struggle — ... to rid Islam of its deviants ... to restore the honor of Islam."

Words are not enough, my friend. You either deal with the terrorists, or we will. And mark my words, we will. They are a threat the whole world, not just the US. As shown by Beslan, N. Ossetia, Spain, Indonesia, and the Philippines. We must destroy the terrorists before they destroy us. Words and editorials are not enough. Where are the Saudi troops stabilizing A-Stan? Where the Kuwaiti troops hunting their own terrorists? Where are the Lybian intelligence officers hunting al-Qaida?

There are only two sides to the war. There is no neutral ground. The sides are already drawn.

Winning the Gunfight

What does it take to win a gunfight? When you standing face to face with an adversary who is armed how do you respond? You are facing a masked man inside your home in low light conditions with your combat light and .45 in your hands and you have 1.5 seconds to decide to shoot/no shoot.

Culturally and societally, we have bred masculinity out of our men. Force of arms, strength and physical prowess are no longer considered noble, honorable or sensible. Yet when faced with a question of life or death, there is no room for talk, no room for negotiation. It is a down and dirty, in your face adrenaline rushing moment where you will live or die. And you will only succeed if you have what it takes to win the gunfight.

You've heard me say it before but I will say it again. Ability makes no difference if you do not have the intent to use that ability. You may have a decked out wonder-gun with all the raccessor rails and 3-dot tritium night sights and the clip-on under-the-barrel while light. You may go to the range three times a week and you can put hundreds of rounds downrange through the x-ring a week. But if you do not have the intent to use that ability you will not come out alive.

As for the religious questions of taking a life, there is some misconception as to what the 10 Commandments say. According to the true translation it says "Thou shall not murder", not "thou shall not kill". There are plenty of instances of the righteous killing of others. There is absolutely no scripture to back up that killing someone righteously, in self defense, or in defense of an innocent, is proscribed by the Bible. You will not go to hell for defending your life.

Step ONE, and the step that really matters when it comes to winning a gunfight is having the will to win. You MUST have the will to win. Before ever engaging in a ginfight you MUST tell yourself that you will win at all costs. That means no matter how bruised and battered, how scraped and bumped you may be, you will not lose. Never quit. Never quit. Never quit.

This means preparing yourself for all types of situation. You must be prepared to use your white light in a shoot/no shoot situation. This means having your light nearby to take with you when you hear movement or glass breaking in your house. Use it often and know it well. Be confident in the tools of your trade. I'm very confident in my .45 automatic and my SureFire white light. I have no doubt that I will win the ginfight with my tools in the toolbox.

You must train for all situations. This means contact shots. This means push-off shots. This means around the corner shots. This means shooting from a kneeling position. This means shooting off hand. This means means shooting strong side and weakside. This means combat magazine changes. You must not only know how to do these things, but you must have confidence in doing them. There must be no question in your mind that you will win.

Rule 1: You must decide beforehand that you will win. You are more dangerous to yourself and to your family if you lack the confidence, the intent and the will to win a gunfight.

Rule 2: Never bring a knife to a gun fight. The magic number in most states is 11 ft. If you are faced with an assailant who is less than 11 ft. who is armed with a knife, that constitutes a viable, real threat to your life. You have the right to respond with equal force. This means deadly force people. You must know the law. Ignorance is not an esxcuse.

Rule 3: All the toys in the world don't mean anything if they don't work. I'm more confident in my .45 automatic and my Surefire than I am in some wondergun with all the toys and gadgets. Why? Because I know they work. Because I have confidence in them. I know they will work when I bring them to bear.

These are good rules to start with. When you get right down to it though you must have the will to win. You will carry out that will by training, by putting rounds through the x-ring downrange and by being mentally prepared to win the gunfight.

There are no second chances in this situation. If you are faced with an armed assailant and must defend your family and your own life, there is only one opportunity to get it right. Make no mistake, he will kill you if you don't kill him first. Fight like you train. Train in your home. Train for close-quarters engagements. Train. Train. Train.

But when you get to the bottom line. It comes down to force of will, violence of action and the killer instinct. You will not lose. You will not hesitate. When the time comes, you sight the target, you pull the trigger. You follow through with another one or two shots, because if he's worth shooting once, he's worth shooting three or four times.

Prepare. Train. Be ready. Be vigilant. Know your rights. Know your responsibilities.

Good Luck.

Beslan, USA

I have not blogged on the heinous attacks in Beslan, North Ossetia, because a part of me is at a loss for words. Another part of me cries out for justice and to eradicate the world of all fundamental terrorists, whether they be Christians who bomb abortion clinics in Georgia, Muslims who crash crowded passenger aircraft into sky scrapers, "freedom fighters" who kidnap and hold over one-thousand innocent civilians hostages in the Caucuses, or Catholics who fire off mortars in the middle of Northern Ireland into Protestant neighborhoods.

But then I began to think about in a cold, professional way and wondered how the United States would have responded. All the Monday morning quarterbacks and arnchair generals will second guess and pound the Russian forces for their actions, but that is not the heart of the matter. The heart of the matter is who is truly prepared to respond to attacks against our women and children within our own borders against an ideologically driven enemy who sees nothing wrong with the murder of innocent women and children.

I have spent many years in uniform, and have served as a corpsman in the military, and also a with a municipal police department's Emergency Task Force as a Tactical Paramedic. Both experiences have taught me a wealth of knowledge, albeit from two different points of view, one being the military mindset of direct action and the law enforcement mindset of protect and preserve. I have graduated through the Marine Corps' High-Risk Personnel Course, II Marine Expeditionary Force Special Operations Training Group's CQB training course. On the civilian side I have graduated Combat Casualty Research Center's CONOTOMS, New York State Police Basic and Advanced SWAT Courses.

Would we be more likely to respond successfully and efficiently to this type of terrorist incident within the Borders of the United States? I say "no". I say this with sadness and the knowledge that I may piss people off by saying this. But these are the cold hard facts. "Why?" you may ask. Quite simply, it all comes down to mindset. The difference in mindset between a uniformed military specialist who is responding to an act of terror at the behest of lawful orders from higher command and a sworn law enforcement officer who is responding to a domestic terrorist incident as part of a local response is well…you might as well count the stars between solar systems.

Now prior to deployment my unit trained in both urban and green-side tactical exercises. These normally started out as receiving orders, briefing, inserting, conducting the operation and then extracting from the AO. Now, when we did this there was no question as to whether we would use "violence of action" (don't worry genteel readers, we will get to this soon) in the exercise but a matter of when. Now, if we had our way engagement would come at our choosing when the odds and the situation were in our favor and we would control the engagement. If we were compromised sooner than we anticipated our reflex would kick in and we would do some Immediate Action Drills and say a big "oh, shit".

The Police, on the other hand, respond with a paradigm of contain, make contact, negotiate, wear them down, tit for tat with demands, and then only, I mean ONLY, as a last resort, resort to armed intervention. Law enforcement has many situations where one would break contact. Primarily trained to deal with high risk warrant service, barricade situations, and armed individuals who cannot be controlled by normal law enforcement procedures, municipal SWAT is not prepared to meet domestic/international terror threats within our borders post-9/11.

The new paradigm does not fit anymore with these non-state players and groups that are not bound by international borders, rules of land warfare, or even basic humanity. Even the international terror paradigm of pre-9/11 does not fit anymore. There is no "wearing the enemy down", giving tit for tat with the terrorists, or buying time. The new paradigm is: begin killing innocents until our demands are met. That is the start truth. These terrorist groups are not making their play only for the government or their target audience, but they are also making their play for the international media. Multi-media, satellite news and talk radio all play unknowing accomplices to these terrorists who will use whatever means to strike terror into the hearts of their target population. That the media establishment aid and abet them in this endeavor makes their effort all the more simple.

In Beslan, the terrorists shot fleeing women and children in the back. One child was stabbed upwards to seventeen times to kill her. Young females were dragged into adjoining classrooms and raped. It was a site of mass murder. When the terrorists accidentally set up a bomb, the Russians were forced to respond. But…like our domestic agencies, they were not prepared to respond with proper "violence of action". They did an outstanding job with the resources available in a really bad situation. That goes without saying. The majority of casualties suffered by the Russian forces were from the soldiers blocking the innocents, acting as human shields.

Now genteel readers, you may be wondering what "violence of action means". Violence of Action is a term used that encompasses both psychological and physical which allow us to maintain superiority, battlefield dominance and the assertive aggressiveness in an engagement. The psychological side of VOA comes from the attitude, yes it's all attitude. "I'm the biggest baddest motherf'er on the block", "any house I walk into, I own. It's mine", "second place is first loser. Settle for nothing than first place". These all are psychological VOA. There is a mindset that no matter what happens, we will win. However badly bruised, shot up or dinged we are, we will win, we will accomplish the mission. Also having the intent use properly controlled violence to accomplish the mission (rescue hostages, detain terrorists, medevac wounded) is important to VOA. All the ability in the world does not matter if we do not have intent to use that ability.

Now, the physical VOA is having the proper training to apply the skills. It all comes down to training, folks. I can train a man in about two hours to properly zero, fire and use an M4A1 carbine, but that doesn't mean I want his on my back on an urban direct-action mission. It all comes down to training. Training to respond quickest, respond properly and dominate the battlespace, that means all four dimensions, including time. Physical VOA also includes having the proper weapons, overwhelming firepower and the training and ability to use them in a judicious and proper manner. There is nothing surgical about a sixteen man assault element hitting a house to capture some insurgents, but that doesn't mean we want to hose down the house with an M-249 before we hit it. Physical VOA goes hand in hand. You scare the bejeebers in them, then kick 'em in the balls, then kick 'em again to make sure they're down. I'm being facetious here, folks, so don't think that I condone the mistreatment of prisoners or the abuse of prisoners in custody, because I do not.

Now the police on the other hand are trained for a whole different mission. On the whole, police officers are superbly trained for their stated intent. They are employed to enforce laws, capture suspects, investigate crimes, end civilian crisis, respond to emergencies as well as deal with civil disturbances. Most police academies run between sixteen and twenty-six weeks with an intense one to two year probation period where they are under the guidance of an experienced and street-savvy field training exercise. Most police officers are armed with automatic sidearms, and some have the option to carry a back-up piece. Most departments also equip patrol cars with shotguns, and even a few are equipped with patrol rifles for longer-range precision engagement.

For those situations outside of the realm of normal patrol officers, there are teams, which are traditionally called SWAT. Law-enforcement has moved away from the term SWAT and has gone to more genial names as "special response team" "emergency tactical force" "special enforcement bureau" and "crisis intervention team". I don't think there is one jurisdiction that does not have an SRT on staff, or agreement with a neighboring community or close by jurisdiction. Every federal agency even has one, from the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team, to the Park Police Special Forces Branch, to the Marshals Service Special Operations Group, to the Secret Service's Counter Assault Team.

Each one of these teams has a different mission. Few train for hostage rescue and in-extremis responses. Most are geared toward high-risk warrant service, fugitive retrieval, drug-related raids and general crisis intervention. Now, most teams do have a built-in intervention capability for dynamic entry and long-range target engagement. But this is not the same thing as a SEAL Platoon or Delta Force Troop kicking in the door. Different missions, you see.

The ETF that I belonged to was built along traditional lines. Two assault sections of eight officers, a command and control group of six (included three hostage negotiators), three tactical medics, a group of six snipers, and a larger contingent of "tactical officer" which would be used to secure the perimeter, respond to civil unrest, and provide backup during larger operations. Were they a good team? Hell, yes. The snipers could take out targets at four-hundred yards. The assault elements were excellent at either covert entry or dynamic entry, depending on what the situation was.

But it comes down to mindset. Law-enforcement is not geared toward Violence of Action. This can be illustrated by the following story. I was working 3rd Shift one night on patrol, fulfilling part of my sixteen hour requirement as a reserve deputy to maintain my credentials. The other officers and I in our sector (it was a quiet suburban sector) met at a local restaurant for our meal. Over time, the discussion turned to a gunfight and a "shoot/no-shoot situation" and if we would have the ability to pull the trigger if it came down to it. Now, there were a few military veterans in the group but none had ever seen combat besides me. When it was my turn, I spoke up and spoke from the heart. I replied "to survive a gunfight takes the killer instinct. That means never giving up and fighting the bad guy with everything you got until he's subdued and you're still alive. That means ignoring the pain, the sweat, the blood, the scrapes, the bruises and scratches. That means never hesitating but using initiative, dominant movement and the psychological edge to ensure that you win."

They all looked at me askance. They completely ignored what I said and latched onto the term "killer instinct". They looked like they were going to sh't kittens because I said that. Finally I just shook my head and dropped it, with an embarrassed look on my face, praying that my brother officers would never have to face a gunfight, for which they were ill-prepared. The killer instinct is part of VOA. And it is highly unlikely that most civilian law-enforcement officers will not have what it takes to deal aggressively, pre-emptively and effectively against domestic or international terrorists who take hostages on our soil, under the new paradigm.

And it also comes down to choices. As a member of a military unit we had a wide breadth of choices, from weaponry to breaching options. I won't go into details and divulge classified or sensitive information, but we had a wide range of explosive breaching capabilities that would allow us to enter a building from anywhere we choose, a wall, a door, a ceiling, a window. Law enforcement does not have these options. Some departments will not even allow their officers to use non-lethal shotgun rounds to bust hinges off of doors. Even with the known efficacy of single-action sidearms, especially the increased accuracy and likelihood of a "first-shot/first-kill" hit during a high-stress situation, few departments allow their officers to carry single-action sidearms.

This all goes back to Violence of Action. This all adds to the lack of "killer instinct" or VOA in a high-stress combat situation. And make no mistake, if it is no the streets of Najaf, Iraq, or in a school in Beslan North Ossetia, or in a hotel in Southern California, when we face armed men intent on killing us and innocent women and children, then it is combat. There are no niceties, nothing kinder or gentler about that situation. It is kill or be killed. It is kill to protect lives. Period. End of discussion.

So this comes back to the original question of whether or not or agencies are capable of effectively responding to and intervening in a terrorist hostage situation such as Beslan, North Ossetia. The answer is no. The only way to deal with this terrorists who would target innocents is overwhelming force, violence of action and the killer instinct. This can be accomplished through dominant maneuver by small units, precision shooting at close range, long-range target acquisition (snipers) and maintaining the tactical edge over the enemy.

Most military special military units, Primarily Delta Force and SEAL Team SIX, practice this stuff nonstop. This is their bread and butter. Unfortunately it takes these units several hours to deploy and get on location. Would we have twelve-eighteen-or even twenty-four hours to spare in this type of situation. What if it were your children? What if it was your school? So when the situation goes down the tubes, as it surely will, we will be forced to depend on law enforcement agencies that have not the resources, the rules of engagement or the weaponry and tactical operations, to deal effectively with this type of crisis.

These are the cold hard facts. There is no negotiating with these types of terrorists. It is kill or be killed. That means shoot first, kill first. That means protect the hostages at all costs. In normal circumstances, especially according to the Post-9/11 paradigm, that means to kill the terrorists before they kill the hostages. Period. End of discussion. There is no shouting for the bad guys to put their hands up. There is no shooting to wound. There is no backing out. There is only shooting to kill to save innocent lives. There is no backing out once the commitment to force of arms is made. There is no hesitation.

So what is the answer? I honestly do not know. Civilian SRT does an excellent job fulfilling their doctrinal roles of crisis response and high risk warrant service. But they are ill-prepared for direct-action counterterrorism. And to be quite honest, I do not think I would want these protectors and excellent police officers to have to respond as military operators would; it would only impede their performance as police officers.

So what can we do?

1) Modify the Posse Commitatus act to allow military Special Operations Forces to operate within the United States only in cases of terrorist acts, which will be tightly controlled and defined by the Executive Branch. The NCA will maintain positive control, and only NCA will give execute authority to the tactical commander. The British SAS has operated domestically successfully for years. But then again it is a smaller country and they do not have the Posse Commitatus to deal with.
2) Train civilian SWAT teams and modify their ROE to deal with force-on-force in-extremis situations. This means giving them the options and equipment to deal with ways that are non-traditional to law enforcement. This includes execute authority, immunity from prosecution for the killing of terrorists during a counterterror operation, giving the tactical commander authority to sniper kills. These are terrorists not criminals, and can only be treated as terrorists.
3) Form and maintain on-call National SWAT teams which would solely be used for counterterror operations. To reduce response times, they would be regional and train solely for terrorist operations, hostage rescue, direct-action and terrorist cell neutralization type missions.

I will discuss these options in different posts, but for now needless to say, we will be faced with a Hobson's Choice sooner or later. If we do not act decisively in response to terrorism, then we will endanger for innocent civilian lives. If we act too impetuously, we face a moral question as to whether the situation could be avoided. In today's age of instant media and satellite news, it would be a detriment either way.

However we deal with the issue, we must never lose sight of the fact that we will face this threat on our own land sooner or later. One day we will be faced with the start realization that we will be forced to operate militarily within our own borders. We need to learn from the mistakes and actions of the Russians. This means we need to drill and train to know when the time to act is. We need forces that are properly trained and equipped to deal with terrorists according to the post-9/11 paradigm. We must be prepared to deal decisively with these threats, hopefully abroad but at home if necessary.

As the French are learning, their lack of support for the War in Iraq did not make them immune to terrorism or kidnappings. They capitulated and now they must pay the price of that compromise. We must not make that same mistake.

We must be judicious with our use of force.

But when the time comes, make no mistake, we must act decisively with Violence of Action.

As I Lay Me Down to Sleep

This is a song that I wrote for a friend of mine. He sent the lyrics to his wife. Just some more idle thoughts from a warrior-poet...

As I Lay Me Down to Sleep

I write these words to try and tell you
I wonder if I'll see your face again
It's been so long sometimes I just don't know
If we're beginning or if we've found the end

When I left last year you said you'd wait for me
Now I wonder if that's a promise you can't keep
I'm so scared as I sit here on the front lines
But I can still feel your hand resting gently in mine

As I lay me down to sleep
I wonder if this vow I'll keep
To never bring dishonor to my land
And if I die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul will take
And keep my family safe in his hand
I can't say I'm perfect I can't say I'm a hero
But the ones we leave behind will know the cost
So think of me if I should die
And please darling don't you cry
For the love we shared can never be lost

I see your face in the pictures that you sent me
A thousand miles is never to far for our love
Can you feel the way I used to hold you
When I would whisper the words of my sweet love

So walk outside and look up to the big Wyoming sky
And know that I'm looking up at the same stars
As you fall asleep tonight know that I'm right here
The love we share will never be very far

As I lay me down to sleep
I wonder if this vow I'll keep
To never bring dishonor to my land
And if I die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul will take
And keep my family safe in his hand
I can't say I'm perfect I can't say I'm a hero
But the ones we leave behind will know the cost
So think of me if I should die
And please darling don't you cry
For the love we shared can never be lost


The desert nights get so damn cold
These past few months I've grown so old
I wonder if you'll even recognize me
But as we move I don't fear for my life
Its for you that this war I fight
I only ask that through patient eyes you see

As I lay me down to sleep
I wonder if this vow I'll keep
To never bring dishonor to my land
And if I die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul will take
And keep my family safe in his hand
I can't say I'm perfect I can't say I'm a hero
But the ones we leave behind will know the cost
So think of me if I should die
And please darling don't you cry
For the love we shared can never be lost

1000

So we have passed the mark of 1000 combat deaths in Iraq. The liberally-slanted media will call this tragic and will latch onto the "magic number" of 1,000. This only slanders the individual loss that is experienced by the bereaving family and friends. It also lessens the sacrifice that these men and women have given for their nation.

When did the number of deaths become "tragic"? Was it 100? Was it 150? Maybe 500? Or 1000? You see, for every death that they clump together in this number is a personal story. Perhaps he was a national guardsman who left behind a wife and child. Perhaps he was a 19 year-old infantryman who put of dreams of college to answer the call to arms in defense of his nation. Perhaps she was a nurse who gave one weekend a month and two weeks a year in order for the action, and an extra paycheck. Each leaves behind a family, wife, husband, children, parents, siblings. Each is a story unto itself. To put them all together into one number only lessens the sacrifice and is a slap in the face to those warriors who still face death on a daily basis.

There is nothing tragic about this number. There is something heroic to these stories. In each there is a story of personal courage, both the physical and the unseen spiritual kind. Whether the fallen soldier went down in a blaze of glory while protecting brothers in arms, or was standing post when a mortar detonated near him, they are both equally heroes. They knew the risks that they would face and still went overseas to fight for something that was greater than themselves. They placed their lives on the line for others, a nation that no longer looked to them with gratitude or thanks for their sacrifice. This is the true meaning of love my friends. "Greater love hath no man than this, than he who lays his life down for his friends." John 15:13.

It sickens me to see that the left-wing Liberal media and political party are using these personal stories of struggle, triumph and courage to further their political goals. They are like vultures that scavenge on the personal loss and suffering of others. Each man knew the risk that would come when they put on the uniform. There was no question. There was no doubt. Yes, inside they may have questioned why they were going, and whether they were good enough, but still they went. Courage and faith means nothing until it is tested, my friends.

Shame on the liberal media for using this for political ends. Shame on the liberal media fr slanting personal sacrifices for their own goals. Shame on the left-wing liberal politicians who would slander the names of those lost. Every time the Liberal democrats or John Kerry slanders the National Guard, and calls Bush's NG service a "joke" he is in fact slandering the names of those fallen who wear the uniform of their state's national guard.

I pray for the families of those lost.

May God rest their weary souls.

You're home friends...until we meet again

He wants your guns!

The following blog has some god info. We musr be informed, educated voters...if we vote from a position of ignorance, then we have only our own hands to blame when our freedoms and liberties were torn from ourb hands by the very government that we have voted into office.

pamibe � He wants your guns!

You can have my gun after you pry it from my cold dead FREE and INDEPENDENT hand!

The first step of any dictatorship is to take away the guns of free people. If a free and democratic people are allowed to lawfully arm themselves and organize themselves into a militia (ie: national guard, posse as in some southwestern states), then the government is less likely to infringe on other rights and freedoms of the people which are able to defend their personal liberties.

"Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

As stated in the Bill of Rights. the Right to bear arm is not only a freedom, but a NECESSITY....read it. "being necessary to the security of a free State"...now think about it.

A Sailor's Last Stand

A Sailor’s Last Stand

I cringe at the sound and I cower in my hole
Another artillery shell falls to take a soul
I hear the beating going numb in my ears
I taste my own vomit as I try to swallow my fears
I’ve been here before this is not my first war
Like a raving lunatic, I always ask for more
I called in the arty, I watched them drop their bombs
I watched them hit the village and kill the kids and their moms
They keep coming at us I don’t think we can win
Our position will surely fall if they come at us again
I stick my knife the ground, ready to make my final stand
I pray to God and kiss My cross and hope I’ll die like a man
I load my rifle and wipe away the sweat
I look about at soldiers, only three of us are left
We stacked the bodies like cordwood, to endure another attack
Only five minutes ago they let up, oh no, they’re coming back
I feel blood run down my face I feel my bones are weak
If the meek shall inherit the earth, my God why can I be meak?
No time for thought for here they come again
I let out a battle cry as I level my rifle once again
I feel no fear anymore, knowing that I shall die
A surge of energy comes to Me, in my final fight
I wonder if the pain will hurt, when a bullet hits me true
Will I see the great white light, and a tunnel for me to walk through
I know death is coming, it’s knocking on my door
I don’t really give a shit, I can’t take this anymore
So I’ll die today there is no doubt, a sailor with no looking back
I’ll take all that I can with me, and the rest can kiss my ass

He's at it Again

Does he even really have a position? Or is he saying this just to please people???? Can we say Borderline Personalities Disorder.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=3&u=/ap/20040906/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_rdp

With the quantity of jobs rising, Kerry turned to their quality. "If you want four more years of your wages falling ... if you want four more years of losing jobs overseas and replacing them with jobs that pay $9,000 less than the jobs you had before, then you should go vote for George Bush (news - web sites)," Kerry said in Pennsylvania.

Kerry cited a study by the liberal Economic Policy Institute from January indicating jobs in growing industries pay $8,848 less on average than jobs in fading industries. One-third of the new jobs are for janitors, fast-food workers and temporary employees, and they are less likely to offer health insurance than other work, his campaign said.

Ahhhhhhhhh. So the answer to it all is a socialist government provided system where instead of giving people the incentive to work, we reward them for having more babies out of wedlock, not working, and sucking off of the rest of society....RIIIIIIIIIIGHT.

Oh, and by the way, healthcare is a service, NOT a right.

Kerry said last month he would try to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq within his first six months in office, conditioning that goal on getting more assistance from other countries. But he's avoided until now laying out a possible end game.

He called the president's coalition in Iraq "the phoniest thing I ever heard" and played up the money spent on Iraq that could have gone to domestic needs.

Jeeez. This guy is looking to "rebuild alliances" and get more international assistance in Iraq and all he can do is slam those that are shouldering some of the weght of that burden. I guess the UK's 1 (UK) Armored Division, and 3 Commando Brigade was phony. I guess Poland's GROM unit was phony too.

And check this out. http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1128904/posts This is a story about an El Salvadoran Corporal who engaged Iraqi insurgents in hand to hand combat with a f'in' switchblade!!!! A dozen men in his unit and one dead, and he charges the mofos with a damn switchblade.

One of his friends was dead, 12 others lay wounded and the four soldiers still left standing were surrounded and out of ammunition. So Salvadoran Cpl. Samuel Toloza said a prayer, whipped out his switchblade knife and charged the Iraqi gunmen. In one of the only known instances of hand-to-hand combat in the Iraq (news - web sites) conflict, Toloza stabbed several attackers who were swarming around a comrade. The stunned assailants backed away momentarily, just as a relief column came to their rescue. "We never considered surrender. I was trained to fight until the end," said the 25-year-old Toloza, one of 380 El Salvador (news - web sites) soldiers whose heroism is being cited just as criticism is leveled against other members of the multinational force in Iraq.

I suppose that type of valor under fire is phony also???


Oh, wait, this dude didn't shoot a single man in the back who was escaping with an RPG, and he didn't run from the battle and only return when others had the battle well in hand, and he didn't shoot himself in the ass with a 40mm grenade, and he didn't dress up like a soldier and take home videos for future political use, and he didn't sit in on congressional hearings and accuse all vets of being war criminals and of atrocities....so this brave Honduran must be phony too....

But J. Kerry is a TRUE WAR HERO because of his three PHs, and a SS and BS (w/V) that are questionable to say the least...

By the way, the Silver Star is ONLY awarded for valor in combat. It is awared for: "Gallantry in action against an armed enemy of the United States or while serving with friendly foreign forces." So if the Silver Star is only awarded for gallantry in action, why would the Combat Distinguishing Device need to be added? The Combat "V" is used to differentiate the administrative Vs. the Combat award of a medal. Like the difference between a Legion of Merit and a Legion of Merit with a Combat "V", or a Bronze Star for administrative merit, or a Bronze Star with a Combat "V" awarded for valor in combat. So it is redundent. If the medal is only a wartime combat medal, why would he need a combat distinguishing device on it????

I swear to God, this dude must have Borderline Personalities Disorder or something. He says things to please others. He lives off of the failures of others. NOT ONE positive word has come from his mouth. His whole campaign is based on the decisions and wrong moves of the other party. He changes his story to fit the day. He has doctored the Naval System to get what he wants, and I'm sure he was a Number ONE ass kisser when he was in uniform.

Anyways...I hope more people see the light and see how really dangerous this dude is. I won't be voting for him...

This Bozo really makes me sick

I read what Kerry has to say and most of the time I just laugh and shake my head in contempt. But then...I realize that this man is truly dangerous who would endanger the welfare and safety of American citizens because of the bubble that he lives in. This really amazes me that the man is so out of touch with the reality of the situation and the Global War on Terrorism.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040906/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_19

"We want those troops home, and my goal would be to try to get them home in my first term," Kerry said, speaking to a fellow Vietnam War veteran in the audience of his campaign event.

Question: What is his plan for this troop pull out? Is it phased? It is all at once? What if there is a flare-up of hostilities? What is the Iranians get frisky and begin placing large troop formations on the Iraqi/Iranian Border? Surely they would be happy to see an Iraq in disarray with a political vacuum. I'm sure the Iranians remember the ten-year Iran-Iraq War. What if the UN refuses to send peacekeepers? What about this coalition that he says he will form? Not that I really think he will...

Faulting Bush on almost every aspect of his move toward war, Kerry said the United States is carrying the burden in casualties and cost. He called the president's coalition "the phoniest thing I ever heard."

Right. Notice how the whole platform for Kerry is on the failures of others. Notice, how he has nothing to back his platform up besides the criticism and sideline quarterbacking of those making decisions. It's easy to sit in the armchair and make these judgments when he is not in the hot seat. What has he done for national security? What has he done for the welfare of the country? Is there a Kerry Bill? Is there a Kennedy-Kerry Bill? He has voted against every major weapons system since he has been in government. He also voted against vitally needed military funding which would save lives RIGHT NOW in Iraq and A-stan.

Reading the above quote reminds me of "The Arena" from President Theodore Roosevelt, a real ass-kicking warrior-turned-President. "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

"John Edwards (news - web sites) and I believe we can raise the standard of living in America again and raise the ability of Americans to make money," Kerry said.

And how is he raising the standard of living? By increasing welfare rights, and overly taxing those who make more money, and produce more? Tell me if this makes sense: I graduate high school, kick ass on my SATs and go to college Pre-Med. Then I kick ass on GMAT and get into Med School. For the next EIGHT YEARS, I bust my ass through med school, residency, and then advanced residency if I choose to. Finally, AFTER doing all this, I can enjoy the fruits of my labor....but only at the cost of INCREASED taxes because I actually PRODUCE something, and don't forget the increased malpractice premiums perpetuated by the left-wing liberal lawsuit frenzy. So...all the Left-Wing Liberal tax reform actually does is depress the economy, depress production, depress the cost of living, thus producing a self fulfilling prophecy...Sure, more people are being raised to the poverty line from where they were, BUT AT WHAT COST???? What do they PRODUCE??? What do they CONTRIBUTE?????

If you fear, if you live in fear, if you live in your bubble, if you live with your head in the sand, then go ahead and Vote for Kerry. This isn't Disney Land. This is the real world. In the real world, there is REAL WORK to be done. There are real enemies with real guns. Someone must stand between the good guys and the bad guys.

From out of the Darkness - Hope?

The following link is to a serving naval officer, an aviator of note, who has commanded at sea and in combat. He has some wise words.

From out of the Darkness - Hope?

He said it better than I could.

Confuzzled

I want to have a cool looking blog, TOO!!!!

I want a cool interactive sidebar.

I want a fotopage.

I want a counter.

I want a place to put favorite links.

I want a place to put other blogs of note.

I want track-back.

I want to have cool music playing in the background.

I want a picture at the top.

I want cool info hyperlinks.

I want I want I want I want...

Oh well...now I'm done crying for the day

All Gave Some...Some Gave All

Support Our Troops

This is an excellent tribute to all of those who have served in the Global War on Terrorism. This is a war that will go on and one that we must endure if we wish our way of life to survive the trials that we face. The enemy will not run away, they will not capitulate, nor will they offer a cease-fire ot truce.

All gave something of themselves during this war. Some lost brothers, sisters and friends in the Twin Towers. Some lost parents and friends in the Pentagon. Those of us who have been to war realize the sacrifice and the horror that lies in the battlefield in a way that only the veteran can only know it or understand it. It is something that will stay with us forever. Truly, all gave some. I don't think there is anyone who has not been touched by the War, whether it be from the opening days in September, 2001, or in the mountains of Afghanistan, in the deserts of Iraq, or the coastal deserts of Djibouti as part of Combined/Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. All have said "I have a friend in Iraq..." "I lost a brother in Afghanistan..." "My father died in the North Tower..." "My supervisor just got called up..."

This is war that is like none other. Unlike other wars, this is a war that for three years we have endured, and none have been left behind. Unhurt, wounded, or dead, all of our fallen soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen have come home to rest in their native soil. None have been left behind with families and friends left to wonder about them. There is no legacy of Missing in Action, or POWs that have never been recovered. In a way, we have come full circle to such a place where the valor, the comraderie and the faith of those warriors who remain engaged would never allow a fellow serviceman to be left behind.

And while all have given some, there are those who gave all. These brave and intrepid warriors have laid their lives on the altar of freedom, offering themselves up as a supreme sacrifice in the name of something that cannot be touched, felt, smelled or tasted - FREEDOM. Some may have joined to get of the streets. Others may have enlisted to help pay for school. Others still may have joined because of family tradition. But no matter the reason at the beginning of their journey, all of these are now laid to rest in the fields of green, where they will not grow old, nor will they face physical ailments. They will be whole - and young - once again. The only thing that will assuage the pain and feeling of sorrow for those who survived, leaving behind dead on the field battle, will be in the knowledge that we persevered and did not run or hide in the face of the enemy.

Our mission, as those who have survived, who have reaped the harvest of their ultimate sacrifice, should be to live in such a way, everyday, that is worthy of the sacrifice that they had laid down for us. Then, and only then, will we be worthy enough to be called brothers...

I called you up to say "How are you?"
There's nothing else on my mind
It's been a year since I last saw you
I think about you al the time

Well the many miles that lie between us
They get more distant day to day
The situation that we've found ourselves in
We never wanted it this way

As I cross the sands in this foreign land
My duty's calling me away from my California home
As I know the reasons we're apart
Are truly hard to see
But understand that I can't give up on my country
So darlin', don't give up on me

I called you up to say "I miss you"
I got your letter yesterday
You mailed some pictures of our family
They're something dear from far away

Oh, and please tell mom and dad I love them
That I'm doing all right
Cause the true heroes are the ones we leave behind
They pray for us will all their might

As I cross the sands in this foreign land
My duty's calling me away from my California home
As I know the reasons we're apart
Are truly hard to see
But understand that I can't give up on my country
So darlin', don't give up on me


For those who will never grow old with us...

What a Shame

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Military -- Coronado-based SEALs charged with beating Iraqi

What a shame when I read this. There is a line in the military that nobody can cross, ever, no matter what. That line is the use of illicit drugs. It impairs your performance, it impeded your reflexes, degrades your judgment and makes you a liability to your fellow team mates and other trigger pullers who are there with you. Sure, I'd deployed on two COBRA GOLD exercises. I can remembered drinking way too much, and waking the next morning with a pounding headache and a hangover from Hell. But I never, ever, not once, ever crossed that line into the world of illicit drug use.

Now, what bothers me is what is the cause behind this type of drug use and behavior? For the past three years, the military, Special-Ops Forces especially, have been at the tip of the spear, spending twelve out of every eighteen months deployed, with little or no time for "de-frag" or cool-down time. As the deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan continue, and new real-world responsibilities are handed down, the Op-Tempo will only remain as intense, or get worse. That the Navy has fielded two new SEAL Teams, this does not mean that there are more operators to go around. The operational platoons were taken from other SEAL Teams. Now each coast has four teams of six platoons, rather than three teams of eight platoons, so don't let the numbers play games with you.

We all need time to de-frag after an op. There is no doubt about that. Like the weekend long drinking binges that we used when we hit port or came back in, it was something that was not very healthy but served a purpose. That the Navy, the Teams specifically, are becoming more professional, with it's own warfare qualification, and career path for both enlisted sailors and officers, with a broadened horizon for those who remain on active duty, this serves as a wake up call. If we are to retain quality sailors, we must provide proper recompense, de-stressing time, and sailor assistance. It's more than just the physical aspect that the Navy needs to worry about.

I feel no sympathy for these sailors, or the officer. They knew the rules. They broke the rules. The rules are cut and dry and are there for a reason. I would not want anyone who was under the influence of an illegal chemical to be walking point, acting as dive or jump master, checking my six or calling in close-air, on my patrol. They are a detriment to themselves, the unit, and the service. I believe the officer, who holds a higher responsibility, should be held accountable more so than the other sailors. When things go bad, the enlisted sailors look to the officer corps for guidance and leadership. They need to command. That the officer fell into the same trap as the rest of the sailors does not speak well for himself.

I won't go as far as saying that this is a smear on Naval Special Warfare. I do not believe that this type of behaviour or action represents NSW across the board. The SEALs remains at the top of the food chain and will continue to be there. That they are cleaning house themselves and are policing their own is another testament to the professionalism of their leadership.

We live in a generation where younger people are more likely to use illicit drugs habitually as an escape method. They learn it in high school. They learn it in college. With this being the case, officers and senior enlisted need to take better control of their sailors. If that officer had not been involved and kicked some ass, it could have made a difference. It could have kept this from getting out of hand. For those who had used drugs in the past, the drunken stupor of a binge is only a small step across a hazy line into the world of illicit drug use.

I hope the Navy takes a closer look as to the root causes behind these types of actions. They need to look at ways to ensure that the sailors have the proper support both deployed and stateside to make sure that they remain a deployable fighting force. This includes emotional, psychological and spiritual assistance, better compensation, tighter controls, and more downtime, if at all possible.

This is only my two cents on this subject.