Numerous British units are stationed in Basra, including the Queens Royal Lancers, whose motto is “Death or Glory.” There is no assurance of Glory. I spent most of April 2007 with the Brits, which turned out to have been the most deadly month for British forces since the beginning of the war. The loss of any fallen soldier is significant. We lost about a hundred; the Brits lost about a dozen. The word “about” is not used to suggest a casual callousness about the fallen, but for a more specific conveyance: persons who are listed as wounded in action often later succumb.

While progress in Anbar is robust enough to make mainstream news reports, down in southern Iraq, the enemy is resurging. They are well-resourced, resilient and intelligent, and capable of landing hard punches. They recently “shot down” a C-130 with IEDs planted by the landing strip. The enemy may be good, but American and British forces are much better...

Another great dispatch by Michael Yon; this time, a look at our British allies in Basra, and "a small battle in the media war."


Make sure to stop by and check it out

Labels: Basra, Coalition Forces, Iraq, Michael Yon

NEW YORK (May 23, 2007) - USS Wasp (LHD 1) passes the Statue of Liberty as the ship enters New York Harbor during the parade of ships on the opening day of the 20th anniversary of Fleet Week New York. More than 3,000 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen will participate in various community relations (COMREL) projects and see the sights in New York City during fleet week. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Tackitt

Labels: Fleet Week, photos, ships, US Navy, USS Wasp

If you read the headlines today,you'll discover that my state isn't all that fond of Best Buy right now. I tell you, though, they deserve serious kudos for this one:




WASHINGTON, D.C., May 22 - "Connectivity," helping wounded or injured service members stay connected with their families while hospital patients, is the theme of Best Buy's Memorial Day through Fourth of July campaign to support the nonprofit Fisher House Foundation.

Best Buy, the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer, is partnering with the 38 Fisher Houses - large multi-family comfort homes on the grounds of 18 major military medical centers and nine VA medical centers - to donate lap top computers and other support to make it easier for service men and women at these medical centers stay in touch with their friends and families. The Campaign also gives Best Buy customers an easy way to support Fisher House, the troops and their families through in-store and online donations.

Beginning on Memorial Day Weekend and continuing through the week of July 4th, Best Buy customers can donate to Fisher House at any Best Buy register during check-out, or any time from the Best Buy website, www.bestbuy.com. Best Buy vendor partners, including Nintendo, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba are donating lap top computers, flat screen televisions, Wii gaming systems and other technology to the Campaign. Best Buy employees will volunteer at Fisher Houses and help install and service the new systems. All is part of an effort by Best Buy to provide the Fisher Houses with the most modern technology so the families can remain connected to their loved ones.

The Fisher House program began in 1990 when philanthropists and patriots Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher offered to build and donate to the government comfort homes on the grounds of military medical centers to permit service members to be close to their families during a hospitalization. The program at VA medical centers began later in 1994. Today, there is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center, and more are planned. Since September 11, 2001, Fisher House Foundation has made support to service men and women hospitalized as a result of their service in Iraq or Afghanistan, and their families, its highest priority. The six Fisher Houses that will start construction in 2007 are being built at locations where the combat casualties will receive long term rehabilitation. The equipment and services being donated by Best Buy will improve the quality of life for these service members and their families, and enable to them to stay connected with their families and friends.


About Fisher House
Fisher House Foundation is best known for the network of 38 comfort homes on the grounds of military and VA major medical centers. The houses are 5,000 to 16,000 square foot homes, with up to 21 suites, donated to the military and VA by the Fisher House Foundation. The program provides support to families of patients receiving care at the nearby medical center and has ensured that families of service men and women wounded or injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom do not pay for their stay at a Fisher House or other base facility if they are on a wait list. For more information on the work of Fisher House Foundation, go to www.fisherhouse.org or call toll-free (888) 294-8560.


About Best Buy Co., Inc.
Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) operates a global portfolio of brands with a commitment to growth and innovation. Best Buy's employees strive to provide customers around the world with superior experiences by responding to their unique needs and aspirations. The company sells consumer electronics, home-office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services through more than 1,150 retail stores across the United States, throughout Canada and in China. Our multi-channel operations include: Best Buy (BestBuy.com, BestBuy.ca and BestBuy.com.cn), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com and GeekSquad.ca), Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers (PacificSales.com), Magnolia Audio Video (Magnoliaav.com) and Jiangsu Five Star Appliance Co. (Five-Star.cn). Best Buy supports the communities in which its employees work and live through volunteerism and grants that benefit children and education.

Labels: Supporting the troops, Wounded Heroes

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
House OKs War Funding Bill Minus Withdrawal Timeline
Senate Hands Bush War Bill Minus Withdrawal Timelines
(Oh, how pissed is the anti-war crowd now? )
Bush predicts bloody summer in Iraq - Video
Funeral procession bombed in Iraq

Operation Enduring Freedom
U.N. should lead Afghanistan peace effort: Britain

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Handbook of Terror - VIDEO
Deadly Slugfest in Tripoli
Leb army, Al Qaeda-linked cell locked in battle
VIDEO: FOX News Reporter Caught in the Crossfire
VIDEO: Deadly Gunbattles Rock Key Refugee Camp
Lebanon vows crush Islamist militants as truce holds - Video
Nine Kidnapped Pakistani Officials Freed
Israeli missile strikes near Palestinian PM's home - Video
Israel grabs Hamas leaders in West Bank

Troops on Trial
Soldiers Charged With Home Invasion

Other Military News
Is There a Hero in Your Family Tree? (Very cool - found both my grandfathers, my great grandfather, and my great-great-grandfathers)
AP: Marines fail to get gear to troops
Military.com Op-Ed: Misusing Memorial Day
Military.com DT: Lawmakers Want M4 Competition

Worldwide Wackos
Iran: We'll 'Uproot' Israel If Lebanon Attacked
Iran's president says nuclear work nearing "peak" - Video

Homegrown Moonbats
Donald Trump Weighs In on Latest Spat Between Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck

Politics / Government
Hillary: America's New 'Idol'? (Oh, BARF!!!)
House Passes Minimum Wage Hike
Gonzales Set to Face No-Confidence Vote
China's Wu meets Bush, Congress on trade concerns
Congress votes to increase minimum wage
Change needed in how World Bank head chosen: survey
Anti-abortion bill becomes law in Oklahoma
U.S. voices concern over new Chinese weaponry
Bush, Democrats clash over Gonzales - Video
Irish election wide open as counting begins
French centrist attacks Sarkozy's media links
Romney: I'm not intolerant of gays
Study questions analysis in JFK slaying (Wow, you mean the "magic bullet" theory is flawed??? No kidding....)
Edwards assails Bush, GOP rivals (What a jackass)

Illegal Immigration / Border Control
Senators battle for immigration pact
Immigration backers beat key challenges

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Parents of Madeleine McCann Release Their Last Photo of Her
Man Sentenced to Life for Killing Teen Who Walked on His Lawn
Illinois Man Found Guilty of Killing Parents, 3 Sisters at Home
Well-Known Internet Pirate of Music and Movies Sentenced to Jail for Blowing Up Portable Toilet
Husband of Missing 911 Operator Says She Ran Off After Having Affair
FBI Offers $50,000 Reward, Releases Surveillance Video of Chicago Bank Heist
Teen Girls Face Hate Crime Charges Over Anti-Gay Flier
Tapes: 'Shawn, No!' Then, Family Was Dead
Alleged Molester: I Was Sleepwalking - VIDEO
NY couple held as flight risks in slavery case
Hour-plus delay in Ohio lethal injection

Adventures in Political Correctness
Panel Calls for Tough New Tobacco Regs
Girls do badly at math when told boys better: study
Washington urges tolerance in TV spot

U.N. News
Sudan pushes for Darfur peace talks, ceasefire: envoy

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Romney Says ABC Risked CIA Lives (Unreal...when exactly do we hold them accountable?)

Science / Medicine / Technology
U.S. stops breeding chimps for research
Fossilized tracks evidence that dinosaurs swam
Nissan warns U.S. cellphones can disable car keys - Video
Researcher: Stegosaur babies made tracks

Mother Nature
Yellowstone Tourist Mauled by Grizzly Bear, Survives
Kansas Towns Flee Rising Floodwaters
Rescuers back off lost, injured whales

News from My Neck of the Woods
Best Buy accused of overcharging

Oddities
Cairo Airport Customs Seize Egyptian Trying to Smuggle 700 Live Snakes on Plane (Dear God - snakes on a plane for real!!)
Washington Cop Who Tasered Willing Man's Genitals Reprimanded (I'd like to make a wise crack here, but I...well...I got nothing for this one)
Ape escapes, goes on 3-hour rampage - Video
Florida tries to wipe out cat-sized African rats - Video
Heche says estranged husband is a liar (But a woman who thinks she speaks E.T. is credible...)
Salad dressing semen spawns trouble (Oh, freakin' EW!)

Other News of Note
Flap Over Massive American Flag Pits Hummer Dealer Against City Council

Fox News
Home Sales See Largest Jump in 14 Years
NEWS IN PICTURES: Today's News in Photos
PHOTO ESSAY: Stars Shine at Cannes
Reality Check: Jordin Sparks Wins Sixth Season of 'American Idol'
Pop Tarts: Paris Hilton Turns to God (Yeeeeahhhhh....)
You, Too, Can Have a Penthouse at the Plaza ... For Only $56 Million

Reuters: Top News
Facebook site invites outside software makers - Video
That's Showbuzz! Highlights of U.S. celebrity mags
Heavy-drinking college kids make worse decisions (Um....duh...)
Doctor told FDA of Glaxo's Avandia risk in 2000
Third "Pirates" sets sail for Memorial Day record
Stress runs high behind the Cannes glamour - Video
Wall Street closes sharply lower on rate worries - Video
Gap to target late 20s shoppers
Lam Research shares, calls surge on takeover talk
Oil hits 9-month high on supply concerns Video
Network Appliance shares fall on weak outlook
Stage set for $80 oil prices
Hedge fund vet sees major growth ahead
Nasdaq to announce OMX deal: sources
Dell to sell PCs at Wal-Mart in retail push
Gap to target late 20s shoppers
GM gets SEC request, details Delphi exposure
State law a hurdle to hostile Alcoa bid
Advanced Medical mulls Bausch & Lomb bid

AP World News
Wis. gas station shuts pumps over prices
Study: More households forbid smoking
Kim goes on birdie tear to lead Colonial
Spurs beat Jazz in Game 1 of West finals
Stocks fall following economic data
Thiessen plays a doctor in new TV movie
Bonderman returns from DL to lift Tigers
Cream bassist says reunion in the works
Ratings drop as Sparks wins 'Idol'

Military.com
Higher TRICARE Fees Endorsed
Why Pay for College?
Free Newsletters Come Automatically
Stop the Flop with SERPA
Review: Pirates of the Carribean

CENTCOM: News Releases
COALITION FORCES FIND EXPLOSIVES CACHE, DETAIN 15

USJFCOM
USJFCOM testing Sense Through Structures capabilities - podcast
Liveblogging: Joint Urban Warrior 07
U.S. Joint Forces Command, Marines begin Joint Urban Warrior 07
Unmanned vehicle management system capability under evaluation - podcast

Multi-National Force-Iraq
iyala sheiks meet to address concerns
Iraqi army, police discover underground cache
Combat Logistics Patrol Targeted by IED
MND-B patrol targeted by small arms fire
Task Force Lightning unit attacked
Coalition Forces find explosives cache, detain 15
Country star tips hat to troops (My adoptee tells me that Toby Keith put on a great show)
'Battlefield docs' hone skills in Iraq
Group provides direction for Buddhist Soldiers
Diyala sheiks meet to address concerns
Iraqi army, police discover underground cache
Combat Logistics Patrol Targeted by IED
MND-B patrol targeted by small arms fire
Task Force Lightning unit attacked
Coalition Forces find explosives cache, detain 15
Iraq war support force has international flavor
Bombings rattle classroom, unite students

DefenseLink
Memorial Day: Honor, Remember, Rededicate
Gates, Pace: Local Leaders Critical to Success
Video: Gates, Pace, Pentagon Media Roundtable
Violence in Iraq Could Pick Up This Summer
Guard’s Lack of Equipment Puts U.S. at Risk
Rebuilding Progress Should Be Taken in Context

More Headline News
Rice, Australian Foreign Minister Visit Marines
President Praises U.S. Coast Guard Graduates
Bush: Victory in Iraq Critical to U.S. Security
Aviators, Logistics Soldiers Team Up in Search

Military News
Sailor Brings Father Home from War, 37 Years Later
USS Anzio Rescues Stranded Ukrainian Sailors
New Stamp Features Air Force One

America Supports You
CBS Highlights ASY
Video: CBS Highlights ASY
Pro Golfer Vows Support
Phone Card Donations Flourish

War on Terror
Coalition Forces Detain 15
Troops Kill, Capture Insurgents
Two Soldiers Die in Iraq
Troops Shut Down Terrorists

Transformation
Biological Team Protects Airmen
Officials Stand Up Joint Space Office
Thinking Lean, a Must for Force
Navy Launches USNS Byrd

Face of Defense
Firefighter Lives His Dream
Soldier Shares Experiences
Navy Dad, Marine Son Reunite
Soldier Works for Fallujah
Marine Trains in Anti-Terrorism

DefendAmerica
BLOGGERS' ROUNDTABLE with U.S. ARMY Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh
Iraq Rebuilding Progress Should Be Taken in Context, General Says - Story
Bloggers' Roundtable Web Site

NEWS UPDATES
Troops Kill, Capture Insurgents - Story

ON THE GROUND
Al Qaim Detachment Plays Role in Iraq Transition - Story
Security Brings Desired Results to Al Anbar - Story
New Water Drilling Rig Arrives In Djibouti - Story
Sadoun Street Receives Facelift in Baghdad - Story

IN IRAQ
'Battlefield Docs' Converge in Iraq to Hone Skills
Group Provides Direction for Buddhist Soldiers
Army Unit Gets New Patch During Ceremony
Airmen Prepare Camp for New Living Quarters
Basrah Healthcare Centers Near Completion
Apache Crews Keep Eyes on Mission in Iraq
Al Qaim Medical Facility Gets Needed Upgrade
School Receives Supplies, Medical Attention
Senior U.S. Enlisted Leaders Meet with Troops
Squadron Adopts ‘Raising the Bar’ Mentality
Soldiers Repair Bombed-out Bridge on Highway
Army Engineers Monitor Reconstruction Program
Marine Cooks Up Morale, Troop Welfare in Iraq

IN DJIBOUTI
German Navy Donates Vehicles, Suppport
Joint Effort to Repair School Library in Africa
Task Force Showers Orphans With Supplies

IN AFGHANISTAN
Hard Work Creates Progress in Border Provinces
Coalition Forces Diffuse Soviet–era Bomb

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
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report
'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: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

Weather
Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Germany
Ansbach Aschaffenburg Berlin Berlin-Tempelhof Berlin/Schonefeld Bremerhaven
Darmstadt Frankfurt Frankfurt/Main Freiburg/Breisgau Garmisch
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Geilenkirchen Gelnhausen Giessen Kitzingen
Hanau Am Main Heidelberg Mainz Mannheim Nurnberg Stuttgart Trier
Wiesbaden Wurzburg

Gitmo

Guam
Agana Agana Heights Agat Andersen AFB Asan Barrigada

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

Japan
Kadena Air Base Okinawa Tokyo Yokohama

Today in History
1626 - Peter Minuit buys Manhattan for trinkets worth approximately $24.
1689 - English Parliament guarantees freedom of religion for Protestants.
1818 - General Andrew Jackson captures Pensacola, FL.
1830 - "Mary Had A Little Lamb" is written; The first passenger rail service in begins in the U.S.
1846 - General Zachary Taylor captures Monterrey in Mexican War.
1854 - Anthony Burns, slave, is arrested in Boston by U.S. Deputy Marshals; the first Black college (Lincoln University, PA) forms.
1856 - In Kansas, the Pottawatomie Massacre occurs.
1861 - Federal troops occupy Alexandria, VA; Major General Benjamin Butler declares slaves to be "contraband of war."
1883 - The Brooklyn Bridge opens.
1900 - Britain annexes the Orange Free State.
1916 - U.S. pilot William Thaw shoots down a German Fokker.
1921 - Northern Ireland's first parliament is elected.
1922 - Russia and Italy sign a trade agreement.
1931 - Ironically, B&O Railroad installs the first air-conditioned train.
1936 - Dutch bishops forbid membership of the Nazi party.
1940 - The Dutch army demobilizes; German tanks reach Atrecht, France; Hitler affirms General von Rundsted's "Stopbevel."
1941 - The Bismarck sinks the British battle cruiser HMS Hood, 1,416 are killed; 3 survive.
1943 - Admiral Dönitz stops a U-boat in in the Atlantic Ocean; U-441 shoots a Sunderland seaplane down over the Gulf of Biskaje.
1951 - Racial segregation in Washington, DC restaurants is ruled to be illegal.
1954 - The first rocket attains an altitude of 150 miles.
1957 - Anti-American riots breakout in Taipei, Taiwan.
1958 - UP and International News Service merge, becoming United Press International.
1959 - The first house with a built-in bomb shelter is exhibited in PA.
1961 - 27 Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, MS; Explorer-12 failes to reach Earth orbit.
1965 - The Supreme Court declares that a federal law allowing the post office to intercept communist propaganda is unconstitutional.
1975 - Soyuz 18B carries 2 cosmonauts to space station Salyut 4.
1976 - The Concorde flies to Washington; the first commercial SST flight to North America.
1980 - Iran rejects a call by the World Court to release U.S. hostages.
1981 - Hostage situation ends at Central Bank in Barcelona, Spain.
1983 - Supreme Court rules the government can deny tax breaks to schools that racially discriminated against students.
1989 - French war criminal Paul Touvier is arrested in a monastery in Nice.
1993 - Eritrea achieves independence from Ethiopia after 30 years of civil war.
1993 - A Kurd rebellion kills 33 soldiers and 5 citizens in Turkey.

Birthdays
0015 - Julius Caesar Germanicus, Roman commandant
1650 - John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough / English general strategist
1738 - King George III of Great-Britain
1743 - Jean-Paul Marat, French revolutionist
1753 - Oliver Cromwell, African-American Revolutionary war hero, served with Washington
1811 - Confederate Brigadier General Charles Clark
1816 - Emanuel Leutze, painter - Washington Crossing the Delaware; Union Brevet Major General Robert Seaman Granger
1819 - Victoria Alexandrine, Queen of Great Britain
1854 - Louis Mountbatten, WWI Admiral
1904 - Kenneth Buckley, British Rear-Admiral
1909 - Wilbur Mills (Representative-AR)
1918 - Coleman A. Young, civil rights leader, Mayor of Detroit
1933 - Tony Mullett, Director-General, National Criminal Intelligence Service
1943 - Gary Burghoff, actor (Radar-MASH)
1951 - Ronald A. Parise, Ph.D. /astronaut (STS 35, STS 67)

Passings
1153 - David I, King of Scotland
1543 - Nicolas Copernicus, astronomer
1861 - Elmer Ellsworth, US warrior (Chicago Zouaves), shot
1879 - William Lloyd Garrison, abolitionist
1941 - Lancelot Holland, British Vice-Admiral, in battle
1959 - John Foster Dulles, U.S. Secretary of State
1981 - Jaime Roldós Aguilera President of Ecuador, in a plane crash
1986 - Stephen D. Thorne Lieutenant, Commander USN/astronaut, in a plane crash
1993 - Milton O. Thompson astronaut (Dynasoar, X-15)

Reported Missing in Action
1968
Rucker, Emmett, Jr., USAF (TX) ; UC123B shot down (w/Shanks), KIA/BNR

Shanks, James Lee, USAF (NY); UC123B shot down (w/Rucker), KIA/BNR

1969
Manske, Charles J., USAF (TX); F100D shot down, KIA/BNR

Montez, Anastacio, US Army SF (TX); KIA/BNR

1972
Beeler, Carroll R., USN (TX) F8J shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Captain - alive and well in 1998

Henn, John R., Jr., US Army (MA); AH1G crashed

Labels: Headlines, History