Abstract Musings

Category Archives: Military

Posts about the military, armed forces, or just plain military stuff

Happy Veterans Day

November 11, 2005 – 8:50 am

My grandfather's gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery

This is a photo of my grandfather’s gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery, taken during Memorial Day weekend 2002. He served our country through World War II, Korea, and Vietnam until his death in 1962.

I also want to note my brothers’ service in the United States Marine Corps, which celebrated its 230th birthday yesterday. And that of my father-in-law, who served in the United States Navy and Naval Reserves. I also want to include my friend Johnny, who just returned a couple of weeks ago from a year long tour-of-duty in Iraq. Thanks for your service.

Please remember to take time today and thank any veterans you know for their service. It is by such service and sacrifice that we and the freedoms we hold dear are protected. To those who have served, both past and present, I want to say thank you for your time and commitment in protecting our nation and on behalf of the cause of freedom and liberty.

LaShawn Barber also has lots of links to other bloggers observing Veterans Day.

This is a repost with some additions from Veterans Day last year.

By Robby | Comments Off

Happy Birthday, Marines!

November 10, 2005 – 11:07 am

Today is the 230th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

Congratulations to all Marines, past and present, and thank you for your service.

Semper Fi

By Robby | Also posted in History | Comments (2)

The Marines Have Landed

January 4, 2005 – 8:48 pm

Actually, they landed in Sri Lanka yesterday. Here’s a link to the Reuters video (and story) on their arrival.

A first group of United States Marines arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday (January 3) with helicopters, bulldozers, generators and other specialist equipment to help the country deal with the aftermath of the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami.

By Robby | Comments Off

Rumsfeld Under Attack

December 23, 2004 – 10:21 pm

This Cox & Forkum cartoon captures the situation perfectly.

UPDATE: Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise Christmas Eve visit to U.S. troops in Mosul.

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld visited wounded soldiers and brought holiday greetings on Christmas Eve amid tight security at an air base in northern Iraq where an insurgent’s attack killed 14 U.S. troops and eight other people earlier this week.

UPDATE II: Here’s more on Donald Rumsfeld’s visit to Mosul. (From Power Line)

By Robby | Also posted in Politics | Comments Off

Suicide Bomber Responsible for Base Attack

December 23, 2004 – 1:34 pm

The attack on FOB Marez was most likely caused by a suicide bomber.

Tuesday’s attack was the deadliest breach of security at a U.S. military base since the Iraq war began. Pentagon spokesman Lawrence DiRita said there will be a reassessment of U.S. security procedures as a result. Related: Photos from the scene)

U.S. officials initially reported that rocket or mortar fire had struck the plastic-skinned tent Tuesday at Forward Operating Base Marez. But Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Pentagon briefing, “We have had a suicide bomber apparently strap something to his body … and go into a dining hall.”

I expect the blame game will start with the usual suspects (MSM, Dems, anti-war crowd, etc.) blaming Rumsfeld and the Pentagon brass for being unprepared for such a style of attack and demanding an investigation. And an investigation should be launched; it just shouldn’t be politicized. The purpose of any investigation into how a terrorist got into the tent with an IED shouldn’t be to place blame, but to determine what can be done to prevent a future tragedy. Look for old media, though, to put the pressure on to find out who’s to blame, not at looking for ways to prevent a future attack like this one from occurring.

In related news, Donald Rumsfeld expressed grief over the criticism that he has been receiving the past two weeks.

Looking more subdued than during most of his public appearances at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld responded to a barrage of criticism Wednesday by saying he cares deeply about the lives of U.S. troops who go in harm’s way.

One day after 14 U.S. soldiers and four contractors died in a suicide bombing at an Army mess hall near Mosul, Rumsfeld did something he has rarely done in four years on the job: He talked about his feelings.

“I am truly saddened by the thought that anyone could have the impression that I or others here are doing anything other than working urgently to see that the lives of the fighting men and women are protected and cared for in every way humanly possible,” Rumsfeld said. He said he shares “deeply” the loss family members feel when a soldier dies.

By Robby | Also posted in Terrorism | Comments Off

Rocket Attack on Military Base in Iraq

December 21, 2004 – 12:33 pm

I heard about this on the radio while I was out earlier today doing some last minute Christmas shopping. Islamic militants struck a mess hall on a military base in northern Iraq near Mosul.

Rockets struck a mess tent at a military base in Mosul where hundreds of U.S. soldiers had just sat down to lunch Tuesday, and military officials said at least 20 people were killed and more than 60 were wounded. A radical Muslim group, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army, claimed responsibility.

The dead included U.S. military personnel, U.S. contractors, foreign national contractors and Iraqi army, said Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of Task Force Olympia in Mosul.

The number of casualties is unclear, but within moments of the attack soldiers where tending to the wounded.

The force of the explosions knocked soldiers off their feet and out of their seats as a fireball enveloped the top of the tent and shrapnel sprayed into the area, Redmon said.

Amid the screaming and thick smoke in the tent, soldiers turned their tables upside down, placed the wounded on them and gently carried them into the parking lot, [Jeremy] Redmon [Richmond, Va., Times-Dispatch reporter] said.

Scores of troops crammed into concrete bomb shelters, while others wandered around in a daze and collapsed, he said.

Other sources: FOX News, Reuters, and MSNBC.

By Robby | Also posted in Terrorism | Comments Off

Targeting Rumsfeld

December 20, 2004 – 9:11 pm

Old media, having failed to take down President Bush, now seems to have its sights set on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. First, came the up-armor non-story. Here’s what one National Guardsman serving with the 278th in Northern Iraq thinks about the up-armor controversy.

Now comes the revelation that, Rumsfeld didn’t sign the letters of condolence sent to the families of U.S. service members killed in action.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has decided to personally sign condolence letters to the family members of U.S. troops killed in action rather than letting a machine affix his signature.

Republican and Democratic members of Congress criticized the embattled Pentagon chief on Sunday for not signing the letters himself all along.

Let me make sure I understand this. Rumsfeld is not fit to be Secretary of Defense because he didn’t put pen to paper when signing these condolence letters. In what way does this impact his ability to lead the nation’s armed forces?

What it amounts to is a political jihad to get Rumsfeld’s scalp by some politicians sniffing the wind and noticing that Rumsfeld’s approval rating is falling. If the issue is with the composition of the armed forces, or the number of troops in Iraq, or the failure to anticipate a guerilla war in Iraq, or some other factor Rumsfeld had (or should have had) control over, fine. Maybe he deserves to be run out of Washington for any (or all) of these reasons. But to focus on a completely manufactured and bogus issue, or one as trivial as whether the signature on a letter was ink from a pen or ink from a stamp seems ridiculous to me.

Well, at least President Bush is sticking by his Secretary of Defense.

Rumsfeld over the weekend was accused of being insensitive after admitting he did not personally sign letters of condolence to families of more than 1,000 soldiers killed in Iraq but instead had them signed by auto-pen.

Rumsfeld later said he would now sign them by hand.

“Sometimes, perhaps his demeanor is rough and gruff. But below that rough and gruff, no-nonsense demeanor is a good human being who cares deeply about the military and deeply about the grief that war causes,” Bush said.

Other reactions:

Linked to Outside the Beltway Traffic Jam

By Robby | Also posted in Politics | Comments Off

Remembering Bastogne

December 20, 2004 – 8:04 am

I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Europe, although I have the desire to travel there sometime in my life. Among the places I would like to visit are the beaches at Normandy and Bastogne.

These are sacred places and I would very much like to honor the memories of the men who died in these places for their sacrifice in defeating a great evil in their time.

By Robby | Also posted in History | Comments Off