If door has 'USMC,' move on ... but not to a side window
BY NOAH HAGLUND
The Post and Courier

A man accused of trying to break into a Congress Street home might have missed a crucial visual cue.

The bright, red front door emblazoned with the letters "USMC" wouldn't seem to make the house an inviting target for most burglars.

Unfortunately for Anthony Deloach, police say he tried to gain entry by pulling out an air-conditioning unit on the side of the home...

Read what happened next, at the Post and Courier

**********************************

Moral of the Story?

Robbing a house = bad idea.

Robbing a house with Marines in it = REALLY bad idea.



Thanks, Seamus

On a mission
Master Sgt. Todd McPeak refuels an F-15E Strike Eagle during an Operation Iraqi Freedom mission on July 18. Sergeant McPeak is a KC-10 Extender boom operator with the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brian Ferguson)

India, viewing certain anti-terrorist speech as a threat to security, has now banned several blogs:

India, the world's largest democracy, has generally eschewed efforts to block citizens from obtaining information or from expressing their views. But following the Mumbai bombings, the government has come under renewed pressure to toughen its policing of potential security threats and improve intelligence gathering.

The world's largest democracy apparently ranks anti-terrorist speech as an equal threat with terrorism. Got a few things to learn about that democracy thing, still, I guess. And "several blogs" may be a bit of an understatement - in their zeal, they actually banned all blogspot blogs! They only named 17 specifically, though.

And all this because condeming terrorism and rampant liberalism may be offensive to certain parties (read Muslim extremists).

The Pirate Armada was quick to respond, and is now at war:

The Pirate Armada Declares War on India
The Dread Pundit Bluto, Grand Admiral of The Pirate Armada, has issued a Declaration of War against the state of India, following the internet banning of the URLs of several members of the Armada and the Blogfather, Dr. Rusty Shackleford of The Jawa Report

Text of Declaration follows:
THIS SHALL NOT STAND! AS OF 7:23 ET JULY 19TH, 2006 A STATE OF WAR EXISTS BETWEEN INDIA AND THE PIRATE ARMADA! THIS TOKEN BE YOUR LETTER OF MARQUE AND REPRISAL TO FIND AND ENGAGE ALL INDIAN FORCES - AND ALL THOSE SYMPATHETIC TO THEIR TWISTED CAUSE!

I BID YOU GO FORTH, SEEK OUT TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY AND CALL ON YOUR FELLOW BUCCANEERS OF THE PIRATE ARMADA WHEN YOU SPOT A PARTICULARLY JUICY GALLEON. ALL BUCCANEERS WHO RUN BLOGS SHOULD POST THE ARMADA'S DECLARATION OF WAR AT THEIR EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY! DO NOT LET THESE VILE DOGS CLAIM THAT THE ARMADA FELL UPON THEM WITHOUT WARNING!

May God grant the Indians mercy, for the Armada shall not.

The Sixth Sense of Humor has posted an alternate Declaration.

Alas, I was not banned. That may be because they never read this, or this, or this, or.......

Oddly enough, though, the two blogs for the projects I work with as part of Soldiers' Angels are blogspot blogs (here and here), and are now banned. Go figure.

*********************************

UPDATE 7/19 8:46am: Hmmm...I've had three visitors in India stop by since this post went up. I wonder if they be friend or foe?

Here's a little multiple choice question:

So, you travel to Lebanon, in direct opposition to U.S. State Department warnings, which tell you that if you go there, you go at your own risk.

Oddly enough, it turns out to be a dangerous place - who'd have figured that State Department warning - "travel at your own risk" - meant that things were actually dangerous? War breaks out, and you decide to get out of there. The United States gets you safely out of there, waiving the fee for your passage, a requirement when you need to evacuate from a warzone you were warned against going into.

Do you...

A) Gripe about the fact that your escape ship isn't luxurious enough?

B) Gripe that it didn't happen instantaneously?

C) Claim that it's all George Bush's fault, repeat misinformation from a biased Hezbollah perspective, and whine about the fact that Israel is horrible? (in an interview on Fox News)

D) All of the above






If you said, "D," you are, sadly, correct.

Oh, and by the way, it's not just American's we're evacuating, now, it's people with ties to Americans.

Your tax dollars at work, folks.

As I said in an email this morning,

"When I traveled to Europe several years ago, I specifically checked out State Department warnings, and did not travel to areas where there was a warning issued telling me that I traveled at my own risk.

Oddly enough, I thought that I should take responsibility for myself, and not travel to areas my government advised me not to.

Go figure.

Apparently, personal responsibility isn't a high priority in this day and age, with rampant liberalism and relativism running unchecked.

Hearing the interview with the evacuee who basically said that it's all George Bush's fault, Israel is horrible, boo hoo, waaaaah, just really frosts my cookies. He sounded like a Hezbollah public service announcement - repeating what was no doubt Hez's propaganda - "maybe 5 Hezbollah have been killed."

You don't like the travel arrangements? Find your own.

The U.S.S. Free Ride has sailed. So have the U.S.S. Something for Nothing and the U.S.S. It's All About Me."

Labels: Lebanon, My Two Cents, opinion

by Air Force Staff Sgt. Kenneth Toole
July 19, 2006
A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Minnesota Army National Guard scoops a bucket of water during a wildfire training exercise near Bemidji, Minn.

By Cpl. Jeffrey A. Cosola
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit

CENTRAL COMMAND THEATER OF OPERATION, July 19, 2006 — It doesn’t matter where you hide – they can get you wherever you run. They’ll appear like ghosts and fade behind the smoke of their bursts. They’ll come from the depths of the sea. They’ll fall from the sky. They’ll offer the enemy no shelter and extend no mercy.

"Just like everything else in the Marine Corps, you always need to be ready to go. You need to rehearse and train for when the time comes."
-- Gunnery Sgt. Edward McDermott

They’re the Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF), 2nd Force Reconnaissance Battalion, and they’re coming to a theater of operation near you.

Recently appearing in the Central Command Theater of Operation, MSPF Marines participated in underwater dive and aerial free fall/static line training that helped to enhance and maintain their collection of lethal, all-purpose skills – serving to highlight the unit’s role as the lead element in one of America’s premier expeditionary rapid-response forces.

The dive training held in the Red Sea was to re-familiarize the Marines with their scuba equipment and to train with the Diver Propulsion Device (DPD) – an underwater machine that operates like a handheld torpedo, capable of effortlessly transporting two Marines to an insertion point, said Staff Sgt. Chris Williamson, Dive Team leader and a native of Marco Island, Fla.

“The DPD is a means of easier, longer range insertions than finning,” said Williamson. “This is definitely a realistic means of inserting into an objective. We rely on the machine to do the propulsion and we’ll hit the beach fresh, alert and ready to do the mission. It’s a great tool.”

The DPD features a compass board and depth gauge that helps the Marines navigate while submerged. The machine is capable of operating for approximately two hours, giving the Marines an “over the horizon” range of attack, said Williamson. Paired with re-breather scuba gear that eliminates tell-tale bubbles, Recon Marines can insert into the battle space with their patented silence, ready to engage the enemy.

The clear water of the Red Sea also helped the Marines to work on sustaining formations as they move on DPDs in six-man dive teams, said Cpl. Isaac Moore, the team’s radio operator who hails from Santa Fe, N.M. Moore said that because of the pristine water they were able to “learn a lot of the capabilities of the DPD,” something they often don’t see in the darker ocean water in Onslow Bay.

“In the dark, you have to pay more attention to what you’re doing and focus a lot harder,” said Moore. “You have to trust the gauges and learn to read your buddies. Once you dive here, in the clear water, you can see how fast they go. It makes a big difference.”

During another portion of the training operation, MSPF Marines polished their aerial free fall and static-line parachute jumping expertise, using the exercise to have fun and maintain their jump proficiencies, said Gunnery Sgt. Edward McDermott, the MSPF platoon sergeant from Richmond, Mich.

“Just like everything else in the Marine Corps, you always need to be ready to go,” explained McDermott. “You need to rehearse and train for when the time comes.”

Teaming up with the MEU’s Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (Reinforced), the Marines jumped from the rear door of a CH-46E “Sea Knight” at elevations as high as 10,000 feet. McDermott said that the most difficult part of the jump is overcoming the apprehension of jumping -- something he says dissipates through reliance on their extensive training.

“The part leading up is the worst,” said McDermott. “But, when it’s time to go, it’s natural to follow the guy out in front of you. You rely on your training, settle down, and just go.”

“When you jump out of a helicopter, it’s like a fall,” said Staff Sgt. Britt DeLoach, team one assistant leader from Valdosta, Ga. “I’ve always loved free falling; when you exit and get stable, the view is crazy.”

During the free-fall stage, the key is stabilizing and gaining speed, said DeLoach. Jumping out of helicopter, as opposed to a plane, means that a jumper doesn’t “catch wind as fast” and needs to gain some to ensure they’re in the correct position. He said that you either “gain speed or your just falling.”

At approximately 5,000 feet, a jumper pulls the rip cord and deploys the parachute, jolting them into a slow descent. McDermott said that the shock of the chute opening is “probably the worst part,” but added that it’s a “good shock,” in that the chute opened and he’ll survive the jump. After that, he said the jumpers stack up in formation and move to the target as a team and touch down before gathering their chutes and moving on to the objective.

“I enjoy it,” said McDermott. “Everybody who comes in to Recon wants to jump and dive – it’s definitely a benefit of the job.”

Before deploying in June, the Recon element helped the MEU earn its “Special Operations Capable” designation during its pre-deployment phase, signifying the MEU’s proficiency in some two dozen missions spanning the spectrum of conflict. Continuing to work in concert with their MEU counterparts, MSPF Marines have demonstrated a leading-edge mentality and combat readiness that corresponds with their legendary warrior status. With unrelenting diligence, they’ll continue to bring the fight to the opposition’s doorstep while remaining swift, silent and deadly.

The MEU has returned to CENTCOM for the first time since completing a seven-month combat tour in Iraq in February 2005 and is composed of its Command Element; Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment; HMM-365 (Rein); and MEU Service Support Group 24.

Beirut, Lebanon (July 18, 2006) – A U.S. citizen calms a child flying to Akrotiri, Cyprus, from Beirut, Lebanon in a U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, assigned to the "Blue Knights" of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron Three Six Five (HMM-365). At the request of the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon and at the direction of the Secretary of Defense, the United States Central Command and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24 MEU) are assisting with the departure of U.S. citizens from Lebanon. U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Gunnery Sgt. James H. Frank

SECURITY IN MUSHAHDA — U.S. Army Sgt. Nicholas Fate provides perimeter security in a rural field near Mushahda, Iraq, during a patrol in search of weapon caches, July 17, 2006. Fate is from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Larson

News of Note
Israel at War
Israeli and Hezbollah Forces Clash in Lebanon
Three Israeli soldiers injured
Israelis Hit Disputed Rebel Base
Lebanese Gov't Seeks Vatican Help
Americans Arrives in Cyprus
Hezbollah Rocket Attack in Nazareth
Fast Facts: Timeline of Conflict
Video: Holy City Hit
Video: Feds Hunt Hezbollah Agents in U.S.
Israel hits Lebanon, Marines help Americans leave - Video
U.S. ramps up evacuations from Lebanon
Americans find haven in Cyprus
U.S. Navy ship anchors off Lebanon
Israel resumes airstrikes in Lebanon
Analysts Question Israeli Bombing

Operation Iraqi Freedom
Thousands flee as Iraq violence deepens
More hostages released on Baghdad street
FOB COURAGE TO BE TURNED OVER TO IRAQI GOVERNMENT

Operation Enduring Freedom
AFGHAN, COALITION FORCES ENTER SOUTHERN VILLAGES
GOVERNMENT OF AFGHANISTAN, COALITION UNVEIL MOSQUE IN PAKTYA PROVINCE
AFGHAN, COALITION FORCES ENTER GARMSER, MEET LITTLE RESISTANCE
Homeland Security / War on Terror
Terror Suspects Plotted Attack on Atlanta Air Base

Immigration / Border Control
Chicago Crowds March in Support of Illegal Immigrants

Worldwide Wackos
Iran says determined to make atomic fuel at home
US to deploy missile interceptors at Japan base

Politics / Government
Bush Accepts Invitation to Speak to NAACP
House Sustains Bush's Veto of Stem Cell Funding Bill
Video: Bush Issues Veto
Bush's veto of stem cell research risky
Stem-cell divisions transcend abortion fight
Report Slams Interior Official for Going on Buffalo Hunt
House Shields 'God' in Pledge
Key senators unveil bill to bolster drug safety
Ark. gov. to pardon Keith Richards' ticket
House on track to voice support for Israel

Blogging in the News
Survey: Bloggers are young Internet users

Hurricane Season / Wild Weather / Mother Nature
Heat Still Sizzles Parts of U.S.
Fearful tsunami survivors try to regain normal life - Video
Rescue crews search for tsunami survivors
Storm warning on as Beryl moves north

Oddities
Ex-Village People policeman faces jail sentence
Runaway circus kangaroo on the loose in Ireland
Misyar offers marriage-lite in strict Saudi society
Python gulps queen-size electric blanket

Other News of Note
Investigators inspect ship that tilted
Video: Rough Cruise Ride

Fox News
Man Imprisoned for 23 Years Out After DNA Frees Him
Stocks Surge Over 200 Points
Stocks to Watch: Apple
Indonesia Tsunami Toll at 531
Hope for Alzheimer's Patch

Reuters: Top News
Google tests Web search for blind
Kenya sinks deeper in corruption
French Socialist wants Chirac's post, not palace
Gates makes donation to African AIDS war
Actor Daniel Baldwin in hospital after crash
Wachovia profit rises 14 percent
Toyota vows to step up quality amid rising recalls
Wal-Mart mulls franchise deal in India-paper
Nokia Q2 profits, sales rise as expected
Scholastic Corp. reports lower quarterly profit
Wall Street seen up on techs, easing rate fears - Video
Apple, Motorola seen surging at open
Nokia shares rise after Motorola results
Apple profit rises 48 pct, helped by iPod sales
Logitech shares rise after sales beat forecasts
No floor yet for Yahoo
The divorcee's dilemma
On the Radar: Nara Bancorp, by Erik Dellith

AP World News
Probe: Black Chicago suspects tortured
Apple's shares surge on 2Q profit report
Biel charity-auction date raises $30,000
Zidane faces possible sanctions from FIFA
Bonds' trainer to be released from prison
Famous geneticist guilty of molestation
Activists sound alarm over Denver smog
2nd woman claims Cook seduced her at 19
Dow closes up 212, Nasdaq finishes up 37
Landis loses lead at Tour de France
Ramirez homers as BoSox blank Royals 1-0
FDA: Mixing migraine, depression meds risky

Military.com
Free Credit Monitoring Withdrawn
Guard Leaders Say Policies Must Change
Army Defends Future Combat System Costs

CENTCOM: News Releases
EXTREMISTS USE HOLY SITES TO CONDUCT ATTACKS
COALITION SOLDIER KILLED IN COMBAT OPERATIONS

Department of Defense
Afghan, Coalition Forces Enter Villages - Story
For More Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Task Force Provides Best Medical Care - Story
Nontraditional Role Thwarts Terrorists - Story
Iraqi, Coalition Forces Kill Two Terrorists - Story

IN IRAQ
Airmen Teach Iraqi Volunteers to Battle Blazes
Soldiers Expand Forward Operating Base
New School and Textile Mill Boost Economy
Ammo Specialists Keep Brigade Safe

IN AFGHANISTAN
Extremists Destroy Afghan School

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq (PDF)
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (PDF)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report (PDF)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Army Casualties - Story

Weather
Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul

Gitmo

Today in History
1773 - Scottish settlers arrive at Pictou, Nova Scotia.
1864 - Battle of Peachtree Creek.
1868 - Tax stamps first appear on cigarettes.
1872 - Mahlon Loomis receives a patent for the wireless (radio).
1881 - Sioux leader Sitting Bull surrenders to Federal troops.
1894 - Federal troops are recalled from Chicago after ending the Pullman strike.
1917 - #258 is the first number drawn in the WW I draft.
1922 - Togo becomes a mandate of the League of Nations.
1942 - Congress authorizes the Legion of Merit Medal; the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps begins basic training at Fort Des Moines.
1944 - FDR is nominated for an unprecedented 4th term; The U.S. invades Japanese-occupied Guam; Von Stauffenberg fails in his attempt to assassinate Hitler.
1949 - Israel's 19-month war of independence ends.
1956 - France recognizes Tunisia's independence.
1960 - The USS George Washington becomes the first submerged submarine to fire a Polaris missile; the U.S.S.R. recovers two dogs - the first living creatures to return from space.
1969 - Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, from Apollo 11, take "one giant leap for mankind," and become the first men on the 1970 1st baby born on Alcatraz Island
1974 - Turkey invades Cyprus.
1976 - Viking 1 lands on Mars - the first Martian landing.
1982 - The IRA detonates two bombs in London parks.
1985 - Divers find the wreck of the Spanish galleon Atocha (I actually held a bar of gold from the Atocha...it was wild. A little unnerving, what with the two armed guards standing there, too, but wild nonetheless)
1988 - Michael Dukakis is selected the Democratic presidential nominee.
1990 - Justice William Brennan resigns from the Supreme Court after 36 years.

Birthdays
1785 - Mahmud II ,Ottoman sultan, reformer
1919 - Sir Edmund Hillary one of the first two men to scale Mt. Everest
1920 - Elliot L. Richardson, Attorney General / Secretary of Defense
1933 - Nelson Doubleday, publisher / NY Mets owner
1941 - Vladimir A. Lyakhov, cosmonaut (Soyuz 32, T-9)
1947 - Gerd Binnig Frankfurt, physicist, Nobel Prize winner

Passings
1951 - Abdullah Ibn Hussein, King of Jordan, assassinated
1983 - Frank Reynolds, news anchor (ABC)

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Barbay, Lawrence, USAF (LA); EB66C shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998

Dillon, David A., US Army (CA); UH1B shot down, KIA, body not recovered

Hubbard, Edward L., USAF (KS); EB66C shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998

Lewis, Merrill R., USAF (IA); F105D shot down, remains returned August, 1989

McDaniel, Norman A., USAF (NC); EB66C shot down, releasd by DRV February, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998

Means, William H., USAF (KS); EB66C shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - deceased

Nelson, William Humphrey, USAF (MI); F105D shot down, remains returned by SRV September, 1997

Norbert, Craig R., USAF (CT); EB66C shot down, possibly Died in Captivity

Perkins, Glendon W., USAF (FL); EB66C shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - alive and well in 1998

1969
Smiley, Stanley K., USN (NE); A4F shot down, KIA, body not recovered