Dutch508

Change of pace.

2011-02-04T03:07:00.000-06:00

Very early concept for my motorcycle paintjob based on the Honda Fury frame. The base color will be US Army Desert Tan, not the pale yellow that paintshop allows me. I am not really done with the left side art- this is just the first stabe at it. It is supposed to be mirroring a M1114 HMMWV paint job from Iraq in 2005.

The Guard, Italians, and Matt Dillon?

2010-10-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

Two Battalions of Grenadiers of the Guard- from the Victrix box set- plus a greenstuff Sappeur made from a Line Infantry set.

Three completed grumblers. 57 more to go.

Italians (1st Infantry Regiment) painted from Victrix French Infantry 1807-1812.

Some bald dude with a stick.

Almost completed. The last figure remains to be painted. Then flocking the base and the Army Commander (who shall remain nameless) is complete.

I still have two more battalions of regular French line to complete before I start work on the Foreign Brigade, but I wanted to see how the Italians would look. They like nice.

The Spanish Game

2010-09-19T20:22:00.000-05:00

For our first game of Black Powder I took a battle from Moore's retreat to Corunna in 1809. It was probably a typical rearguard action where the British set a defense along a ridgeline and fought to delay the French for a day so the rest of the army could escape.

For our game the French had eight Infantry Battalions and one Foot Artillery battery. We skipped the opening Cavalry moves as only two British cavalry squardons have been aquired so far. The British deployed nine battalions of foot and two foot batteries.

The British deployed far forward on the table, defending the small village on the right with one battalion of infantry and two companies of rifles. They placed artillery to support the left and right of the line. The second British Brigade was posissioned behind the ridgeline to the upper right.

The French deployed into two Brigades of four battalions each with the artillery in the center. Our plan? Advance and push the English out of the way, a plan Mr. Miller (the British player) called the sledgehammer approach.

The French left moving forward to make contact. The French right failed the first two command attempts and sat there. Dice plagued the French all day.

The British right, anchored on the far hill and supported by artillery on both flanks. We do have a few miniatures left to paint.

The French right finally gets into the game. We try storming the town...apparently a very difficult thing to do, as I spend the rest of the game trying to do it. Khan, the other British player, rolled very well and the one lone highland battalion stood fast even with seven casualties. They just wouldn't break.

On the French left we attacked up the hill, forcing the artillery to pull back. Unfortunately, that was the last good news the French had on that flank.

The Highland Brigade came flying over the ridgeline and smashed into the French line. Well...to be honest it did take a couple of turns. The French left starts to collapse. The French right is still fighting to gain a foothold in the village.Casualties are starting to mount.

Thre French left are in trouble and would be retiring in the next move. The right flank is being pushed back by the advancing Britsh lines. Did I mention my dice were ****ing me? Yeah. Really.

Pretty much the story all day. "Jean-Louis! Are you ok?" "gurgle gurgle gurgle....Hhhhhhhhh..."

But we learned quiet a bit about the game mechanics and the next games will be better. AND,...in history the British may have defeated the first attack, but behind that lead division?

Yup. Another French Brigade.

Viva l' Napoleon!

The Division in Miniature.

2010-09-18T12:05:00.000-05:00

The 3rd Division of 1st Corps in 28mm. The only thing left to do is paint two squadrons of cavalry. A few switch hitters, there are two Light Battalions instead of two Line Battalions (to be changedwhen I get them) and two Dragoon units rather than Chassuer a' Cheval units. Again, once I get them they will be changed out.

On a six foot table they take up the entire width, and then some. Now I did up the number of stand of artillery from one stand per battery to one stand per two guns, but for the game I will go by the rules and have only one stand.

I feel pretty good about 'almost being done' with my Napoleonic project. When you realize I started painting 25mm Napoleonics almost 20 years ago and on and off over that time have worked on them you may think that I've been wasting time.

Since I started in 1993 as a 2LTin the Army stationed at Fort Rielly I have been gone almost seven years(by my wife's count) and have never given up the plan of building and playing Napoleonics.

I also have almost as many British troops, although not as many painted. If I had only worked on French I'd have almost have 17 battalionsof foot and six squadrons of cavalry.

More painting to do, more soldiers to buy, more games to play.

Fielding the Black Powder Army

2010-09-17T17:39:00.000-05:00

So...trying to field an army given a set of rules is a pain in the ass. Black Powder makes it even more so by not really telling you what the units stats should be, or anything about their organization. That is because the rules are for a WIDE range of time, and by creating a detailed 'Army Builder' list, a la LaSalle, they would have to publish another 200 pages.

SO...you have to make it up yourself. Which is fine, but annoying.

OK. So I got a bunch of French painted up and now I am going to build an Army for this coming Sunday's game. SO...here we go:

Going historical, I am going to pick the 3rd Division of the French 1st Corps at Waterloo.

The 3rd Division was commander by Division General Baron Pierre Louis Benet de Marrognet. woah...what a freakin mouthful. I'll have to work the Staff reatings, agression, decisiveness and Independance ratings out when I figure what the fuck they are.

The 1st Brigade was commanded by Brigade General Antonine Nogue. The Brigade had two regiments of two battalions each from the 21st and 46th Line. The 21ere Ligne was the unit I used to reenact a billion years ago. All four battalions would field about 24 figures in 1:20 scale.

The 2nd Brigade was commanded by Brigade General Jean George Grenier. This brigade also had four battalions in two regiments, the 25th and 43rd Line. All four would field 24 figures.

(note- 1st Corps didn't all arrive at Waterloo so it is a little short handed, but easy to field in miniatures...that and the fact the 21ere is in it makes me want to field it)

The Artillery was commanded by Captain Jean-Louis Emon and feilded 6 guns.

The Cavalry Brigade was commanded by BG Adrien Francois Bruno and had six squadrons, three from the 7th Hussars and three from the 3rd Chassuer de Chaval. Each of these would field 24 figures on the table, in two units of twelve.

So, that's the plan right now. Eight battalions of infantry, four Squadrons of cavalry, and one battery of guns.

I'll post the pictures from Sunday's game either Sunday night or Monday.

Have a good one!

"Hey...is that a Starbucks over there?"

The French Army

2010-09-14T10:02:00.000-05:00

Completed to date:

The Division Commander recieves a report from a Dragoon officer.

The figures are Elite miniatures for the Div Commander and Aide, and Perry's Dragoons kit bash.

The First Brigade is now completed save for flocking a couple of bases. This unit has five battalions, one light and four line. The bulk of the figures are Perry's plastic French Infantry, with one battalion being a Front Rank unit. The Brigade Commander is an Epic miniature.

The Second Brigade is still in progress. The first four battalions are complete, although the Bavarian battalion will be part of the Third (foreign) Brigade. I still have two more units to paint for this brigade to be complete. The Commander is again an Elite Miniature.

The Foot Guns. I just recieved a pack of French Artillerymen...in Egypt. Once I get the right figures the guns will be complete. The figures are a mix of Elite, Connessiur, and Old Glory.

The Cavalry Brigades still ahve alot of work to go. There are two units of Hussars and Dragoons, each with a Brigade Commander. Once the infantry is complete, these guys are my priority.

The Heavy Cavalry Brigade and Horse Artillery. They will have another battery when complete and at least one more Heavy Cav unit.

So far I am very pleased.

Black Powder, LaSalle, and Napoleon.

2010-09-07T12:09:00.000-05:00

We are getting closer to our Campaign game of the Napoleonic wars. I have been working on both a French and British army using Black Powder as our rules. I have a copy of Foundry's Napoleon rules as well as Sam's LaSalle.

Our group has chosen to use Black Powder. The units are smaller, 24 figures per battalion, and are based similar to my armies ( based per In The Grand Manner). I am finishing up the last two battalions of French for the second division containing five battalions of 36 figures. Four battalions are Perry's Plastics, and one is Front Rank metal figures.

The first division is a mix of Old Glory, Elites, Victrix, and Connessuer figures.

I have finally started an Old Guard Division using the Victrix plastic figures. The box contains 60 miniatures making two battalions of 30 figures. I will paint them up at the fisrt Regiment of the Guard Grenadiers.

I have modified three extra figures from the Victrix French infantry box to make up for a shortage of figures. Although the Old Guard box has 60 figures, you get four standard bearers, four officers in the same pose, and four drummers. I've converted one regular infantry figure as a sapper, added a regular infantry officer and a drummer.

When completed the OG division will have two battalions of Grenadiers and two of Chassuers of the Guard.

A bit of Brits

2010-08-28T15:46:00.000-05:00

The command stand of the latest British unit. These are based for Black Powder rules, 24 figures on six 40mm by 40 mm stands. They are painted to my 'wargame' standard with minimal shading.

The whole unit of 24 figures. In the rear you can see a 36 figure French Light Infantry unit, based for In The Grand Manner rules. For use in Black Powder I will field five stand of the French and count them as 24 figures. The variation is stand size for the entire unit will be less than 1/4 inch.

Napoleon's Briefing.

2010-07-11T12:41:00.003-05:00

First up is a Perry Dragoon General of Brigade. This is a kitbash of a Hussar horse, a dragoon body, an Infantry officer head, and a little green stuff...

I've added with green stuff a left epelet, a sash, and in the back, a catridge box. I think it looks pretty good and he'll be my Dragoon Brigade commander.

I am continueing to paint the Foundary set of napoleon and his staff. You can see the Imperial Aide de Camp officer in light blue behind the Chassuer of the Guard figure.
Ney and Beirtheier argue about which resteraunt to go to.

Ney (the red headed dude) poins out a wine stain on the Emperor's greatcoat. Nappy is not amused.

The guy with the green sachel is an orderly.

I've still have four more figures to finish before this is done. I can't wait to show you the finished results.

Napoleon's Updates

2010-07-11T12:30:00.002-05:00

The Light Battalion is complete. Here the elite company of the 5th Light is painted, based and flocked. I can see from the foto I need to flesh wash the faces.

Perry miniatures painted up as a Conscript Gernadier company. Again, fleah washing needs to be done. This will be the last of the battalions for the 2nd Division.

Perry miniatures painted as a Light Battalion. I am using a wash technique with this unit, and the blue is a much lighter shade. I think it works and looks more like a veteran unit in sun faded uniforms.

The command group of the 5th Light Battalion. It's one of the few in which I've added a mounted commander to the battalion stand.

A second veiw of the command stand. There are onlyfive figures on the stand. Six- if you count the horse.

The Workbench

2010-07-02T18:35:00.003-05:00

No working area is completewithout the cranky cat to sit around and knock miniatures off the table when the mood strikes. Tigger taking a nap on the balcony.

More progress on the Napoleon group and the artillery limber team.

Only six more figures to complete for the light battalion...and a hundred or so more for the rest of the army.

Updates on French Napoleonics

2010-07-01T16:16:00.004-05:00

As you can see from my last post my 28mm French napoleonic army was a bit light on Cavalry and artillery. I've fixed the cavalry part with a box of Perry Hussars and a box of Perry Dragoons. I'll still need one more box of Heavy cav, but the Horse are complete for now. Using the art from the box and the fantastic site I've linked before you can see the second regiment of Hussars will be the 7th.

I already have the 16th Dragoons painted. I'll start on the second regiment using the Perry box set. I'm not sure which unit I'll focus on.

I also worked a bit on the Foundry Napoleon set, finishing off the escort and Imperial orderly. I've re-based the set on a styrene base- much sturdier than the balsawood it was one.

Napoleon's Army in 28mm

2010-06-28T20:23:00.005-05:00

When I first started playing Napoleonics back in the mid-80s I had three battalions of Peter Guilder French Infantry. I still have one battalion. Above is Foundary's Napoleon venette with the Emperor and various others. It is a great peice and I really need to finish it!

Hobgoblins the cat checks out the Dragoons and Hussars. These two groups are almost complete, but they need another 12 figures each to round out the unit. In Black Powder rules most cavalry brigades are 24 figures. In the background are the first 14 Heavy Cav.

The first division. The first battalion is the light battalion from Elite Miniatures. The second battalion is Old Glory, the third is Peter Guilder, the last is Victrix.

The second division. These are 1815 figures, with four battalions of Perry's and one of Front Rank. In fact- one of the Perry Battalions has Front Rank figures in it. The rest of the light battalion is at the painting desk awaiting completion. The last battalion will be Marie Loiuses- raw conscript troops in greatcoats. The division commander is Elite Figures.

The entire army so far. The third division will be foriegn troops, with the one finished unit being Bavarians. The rest will be a mix of Wurtenburgers and Baden troops.

The total army size will be fifteen battalions (36 figures each) or infantry, two foot batteries, one horse battery, and three brigades of cavalry (one heavy, one dragoon, and one hussar/light).

Updates and news

2010-06-15T17:14:00.003-05:00

Well, the entire month of May was a wash since I was down in Fort Benning. So far June has been one too. Too much other stuff running into my gaming and painting time. However, I found out this weekend that a guy I've known for some time now does miniatures and wanted to start doing 28mm Napoleonics...

We've desided to give Black Powder a try. I am working to build a French Division centered on the 1815 campaign, rather than my 1812 Spanish one- Mostly same people, mostly same uniforms. A division in BP is about 12 battalions of infantry- just what I was building for Spain...

I currently have eleven battalions of French infantry, six are completely painted and based. Five are Perry's, two are Peter Gilder's old line, two are Elites, and two are Old Glory. I'll get a picture of them up soon.

The division will consist of three brigades of four battalions. Each Brigade will have a single Commander mounted, and the Divison will have a two figure mounted command.

The Cavalry Brigade will have four squadrons of Hussars and Dragoons. I will be building a heavy Brigade as well, using Perry's miniatures.

All this will have to wait until July, I am afraid. On Friday Kathleen and I are going on a Cruise to Alaska. I'll post some pictures of that, too.

Som until then- bon chance!

Solomon Demeter

2010-04-08T21:35:00.004-05:00

Completed save for the varnish. You can see the master crafted boltgun on the left side.

The back view, showing the powerpack and the back of the banner.

The rightside showing the modified chainglave.

The front. The model came out a well as I had hoped, but shows me that I need to practice my modeling and painting skills.

Now- the before today pictures:

Ongoing progress on the Army Commander. The added greenstuff is to modify the armor to Mk IV-ish. The weapons are painted but not detailed.

Another pic without the weapons.

April 7 updates

2010-04-07T08:28:00.003-05:00

I got just a bit of work done last night due to Biys Scouts. Worked on the banner and basecoat on the upper body. Added fleshwash to the face.

Added fleshwash to the Chaplain. Painted boltgun metal on the pistol.

The damage to the engine cover can be seen just behind the cockpit. The door was made from tinfoil, damaged and them painted. The pilot is missing so I can work on the interior details.

The left side of the speeder showing the gunshield. This is also tinfoil. The gunner's head is being finished.

The flying stand has been reenforced with a piece of copper tubing. It seems my flying models continuely break due to the weak stands...well, not anymore.

Update Picture

2010-04-06T08:20:00.002-05:00

Update pics for various troops in the army. The last is a kitbask for the new Army Commander, Solomon Demeter. In the book 'Fulgrim' he has customized his chainsword by making the blade longer and adding a grip so he can use it in two hands. The boltgun is also modified adding an aiming system and some detailing.

Command Group

2010-04-03T12:08:00.005-05:00

The Company Banner with the first rough coloring complete. The image is based on the Book of Kells image of the Arrest of Jesus Christ. It is only a bit due to the fact it is Holy Week.The Company Commander (left) and Company Standard Bearer. The Capt is on a resin base. I've redone the back banner on the Capt in purple based on suggestions. I do like the gold on purple. Still need to ink in the name on the Capt's scroll work. Once the banner has a chance to dry a bit, I'll work on some of the details.

The project is coming along nicely.

Emperor's Children WIP

2010-04-01T20:09:00.003-05:00

I am working on an Army for Warhammer 40K based on the books The Horus Heresy. This army is the 3rd Legion, or the Emperor's Children. The rules for this game state to have a playable army you must have one Headquarters group and two Troop choices. I have also chosen to enclude an Elite group choice, a squad ten Terminators.
Seen below is the progress to date. These miniatures come from the game Space Hulk. I need to complete the bases on all. The two troop choices are Space Marine Squads of one Sergeant and nine Marines. Seen here are the first squad. The second is the same make-up. Included in the squad is a plasma gun and a flamethrower.

The Company Commander, Capt. Sharpe (or whatever). By the background information found in the rulebooks, the Companies consist of ten squads or ten Marines, a Capt., a Chaplain, a Standard Bearer, and a Apothecary.

See here is the command group. The three three extra figures are from various armies, but are on their way to joining the 3rd Legion.

The whole army as currently planned. HQs, two Troops, and one elite. There is much work to do.

Much painting awaits!

One more picture

2010-03-30T22:20:00.003-05:00

OK, more that just one. These two pics are on my various Warhammer 40k Armies, and only show two of several. This first is just a pic of an Ork wartrukk.

I recently started working on the Terminators from the GW game Space Hulk. I chose to paint up the figures as Emperor's Children rather than Blood Angles. You can see a few of the others in the background.

That's enough for now. It is late and I am old.

Flames of War British Airborne

2010-03-30T21:29:00.003-05:00

One of the Recon Jeeps in the center. You can make out the aerial recognition star and the front bumper markings. This jeep has not been shaded yet.
The is the Company Command Stand and under the special rules in D-1 it is Lt. (or Major, or LTC) Pine-Coffin. For my army he'll be named Major Sharpe. (Thank you Mr. Cornwall) This stand has been shaded and flocked.

All three of the completed stands (well, not completely completed. The Jeep and PLT CMD Stand have to be shaded).

Again, all three from the front. The rest of the Recon Jeep Platoon can be seen still in their primed grey/ Just behind that is my Warhammer 40K figures. You can see the difference in size between the 28mm GW figures and the 15mm FOW figures. As I get older I do prefer the larger size.

I have already built a fairly large WWII Soviet Army in Flame of War, building three full battalions of Infantry. Inspired by our local Gaming Store I have broke out the Brit Red Devils. Here are the first stands, mostly completed.

The paints used are a mix of GWs and FOWs.

I'll be posting more as time goes on and I complete more.

Covenanters in Butternut

2010-03-03T19:28:00.002-06:00

Colonel General Sir Davie McAulley, my fictional leader of my Covenanter Army. This is a Revenge figure from their cavalry command pack. He is standing in front of the Aberdeen Militia. The Saker gun and crew. The crew still needs their shading and detail work.

The Aberdeen Militia showing the various shades of grey, green, and drab for the uniforms. They are still WIP, obviously.

The command group is done as is the right 'sleeve' of muskets, waiting on some shading and detail work. These guys should be complete for this weekend's game to be played at The Gamer's Haven.

Aberdeen Militia

2010-03-03T11:38:00.004-06:00

Details of Scots Pikemen and Musketeers from the computer wargame 'For King and Country"

http://www.forkingorcountry.com/

Lancers shown with a mix of uniforms including coat, buff leather coat, buff coat under Armor, and Armor over wool hodden grey coat. Wool plaid wrapped around two of the figures.

Musketeers shown wear invariations of dress and in variations of hodden grey clothing.

The second unit I am working on is the Aberdeen Militia. This is a 40 figure regiment with 16 pike and 24 muskets. There is reference to the Colonel's Color being a white flag with the arms of Aberdeen thereon. This is what I am doing. The arms are red shield with three castles in white, with Lions rampent sorounding. "Bon Accord", is the motto of the city and is French literally for "Good Agreement". Legend tells that its use dates from the 14th century password used by Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence, when he and his men laid siege to Aberdeen Castle before destroying it in 1308 and massacring the English Garrison, retaking Aberdeen for the townspeople. The secret phrase to initiate the campaign was "Bon Accord

In the reading I am doing to build this army I am finding that the uniforms of the Scots Convenanters was anything but uniform. Although hotten grey is most commonly referenced as the uniform, this is more realistically a mix of color batches with dye variations and raw wool. This is described by several authors as similar to Confederate butternut.

To portray this I am painting the figures in variable colors of grey, grey-green, drab, greenish drab. This is giving the unit a nice look so far, and more of an adhoc formation of troops rather than a completely uniform and fresh unit. I shall post a pic tonight of the porgress so far.

Scots on the March!

2010-02-27T12:26:00.002-06:00

The Scots army is slowly growing. The three infantry regiments are put together, primed, and one is complete with sixteen pike and twenty-four shot. The other two regiments are a bit larger at 40 figures each.. The Highland Shot is complete with 20 figures, and the lancers are put together, primed, andfour are complete. The frame gun is finished, and the saker gun is painted, but the crew needs finished.

The first four figures of the Lancers, the MacAuley Horse, painted. You can see the plaid worn around the lancer on the left. It is a simplifcation of the modern MacAuley tartan. The MacAuley clan was from the western lands in Scotland, and were a sept of the MacLeodclan.

The other side of the lancers. The bonnets and lances are conversions using green stuff and a bit of styrene pole.

The Scots army, positioned on the Campaign Map of Scotland. This map is two feet by three feet in size. The map of England and Wales is also this size, and will allow the entire war to be fought.

I hope to get pictures tomorrow of our first game.

Scottish Campaign Map

2010-02-23T17:38:00.003-06:00

With this and the previous map you have the entire theater of war for the ECW. Routes are the most popular ones, although, there is no reason you couldn't cross the mountains via 'old goat trails' I suppose.

2010-02-22T13:45:00.001-06:00

Map with background. Anytime two armies end up in the same colored line there can be a battle.

2010-02-22T13:41:00.002-06:00

Outline of the Campaign Map showing travel distances for one day for armies on foot. Each color equils about one days travel for foot, or two color bands equil one days travel for horse. Map background is coming.

English Civil War League

2010-02-22T10:31:00.003-06:00

The Gamer's Haven (local game store) has had it's first meeting of the ECW League. All four parties were represented with myself as the Convenanters. The ground rules were adopted with a buy in of 1000 point armies (using Warhammer ECW rules). My Scot's are still work in progress with two complete foot regiemnts, one frame gun, and one squadron of lancers. Commanded by my Colonel General I still need to aquire one more foot regiment to round out the points.
Our first scheduled battle will be next weekend with my Scots moving south to Newburn and an English Royalist army nothing north. Seen below are my Lancers and the Colonel General, Sir Davie McAuley. These lancers are Warlord games Royalist Cavalry, with bonnets and some plaids added with green stuff, and lances of styrene. This is my first work with green stuff and I like it. Hopefully I will get better at it as I continue to modify my troops. Seen behind the lancers is a Squadron of Royalist Horse, either to add to my army or to work as Scot's Roayalist Horse (boy No. 1 wats to do Scot's Royalists. He likes kilts...)

A closer look at one of the lancers, see wearing a plaid. Pretty simple conversion.

The cornet of the Second Squadron. The color is speculative, but based on the MacAuley coat of arms. Fairly typical of the period.

Below is the second regiment of foot I am working on, the Aberdeen Militia. Straight out of the Warlord's games box, primed grey with the color party and a few figures complete. They will rank as raw troops.

I will start posting more pics once we get into the games and as I complete work on the army.

The Convenanters

2010-02-12T10:54:00.005-06:00

The first regiment is complete. They are Sir Mungo Campbell of Lawers' regiment of 32 figures, approx 400 men.

Here they are, coming out of the sun (apparently hidden prior by a large wooden chair?).

The entire army consists of two regiments of foot, one battalion of highland shot, and one battalion of commanded shot- to be used as the Forlorn Hope. The artillery has one saker gun and one frame gun, both in the process of being painted.The second foot regiment is put together and awaits priming before I paint them. They will be the Lord Chancellor's Regiment.

The rest of the proposed army will consist of two more regiments in the First Brigade- the Earl of Finlater's and the Earl of Lothian's regiments.

The Cavalry will conists of three units, Halkett's, Drummond's, and Campbell's troops.

So far I can field the army using stand ins, mostly GW's Empire troops. This gives me four infantry regiments, a detachment of highlanders, one lochbar axe detachment, and two troops of cavalry.

You can see here the army set up in a checkerboard formation, very common for the period. The skirmish troops of the forlorn hope are out front, cannon in the rear, and cavalry on the flanks.

The highland levies.

Well, more painting to be done...updates soon on our beginning Campaign.

English Civil War

2010-01-26T12:01:00.002-06:00

Yeah...I started another range. These are 28mm Scots Covananters. So far I only have one regiment of Pike and Shit, one Saker cannon, and one detachment of commander Shot- about 850 points using Warhammer English Civil War.

Only three figures painted, two pike and the ensign. Scots units were dressed in a flodden grey by the goverment, and so this first unit is going to be generic troops. I'll get a bit of color in another regiment later.

The end goal for this army is six regiments of foot, two squadrons of cavalry, another artillery piece, and army command.

Interestingly enough, a great ancestor of mine, Sir George Downing, fought in these wars for both sides...I'll probly do a figure of him at some point.

Was the week before Christmas...

2009-12-16T10:54:00.002-06:00

Almost Christmas time again! I've been busy at work and at home doing all sorts of stuff. Next year I will be even more busy.

On the workdesk/painting table are at least three different projects in three different scales. First up is the ongoing 25mm Napoleonic armies. I am working on the British Highland Brigade at the moment, with the 42nd Black Watch, the 71st Highland Light, 79th Camerons, and the 92nd Gordons. Each of these are based on six 45mm by 40 mm stands for 36 figures per battalion. The rules are In The Grand Manner. This will bring the British up to nine full battalions of infantry.

Second is an Army originally for DBM but can be used fo Fields of Glory or Warhammer historicals. They are 15mm European Crusaders. I am painting up 24 stands of Heavy cavalry, three figures per stand. There are four stands of Templars, four stands of Hospitallers, and the rest are Knights and Sergeants. Also included are six stands of light horse, and a bunch of dismounted knights, sergenats and cross-bows. This is the army of Richard I.

Third up is the 10mm French Napoleonics. I have two Chasseur regiments completed, three Infantry Brigades done, and one heavy 12lb arty battery and four 8 lbs batteries based, but not painted. Also there are three baggage wagons and six artillery limbers, three more brigades of infantry and four more cavalry regiments to go. Theya re representing Davout's III Corps in Russia.

I shall try to put up a picture soon.

Napoleonics, in two scales

2009-12-02T21:42:00.003-06:00

First up is 10mm Chasseurs a Cheval. These are based for Napoleon's Battles and represent the 3rd Regiment with scarlet collars and cuff. Beside them is the 5th Regiment with orange collar and cuff. Fugures from Old Glory.

The start of the 1st Division, 10mm Old Glory figures. Each stand is about a battalion's worth of troops. Light Infantry in front, Line Infantry to the rear. French troops circa 1809. The Division Commander is up front on a 1 inch by 1 inch base.

Now on to 25mm British troops. These are three seperate battalions based for In The Grand Manner. In the back is a Elite Minitatures Line battalion. The second is the 92nd Regiment, The Gordons. The center companies are Peter Guilders old figures, the light company (and the missing Grenadiers) are Vitrix. The front Battalion is the color party for the 79th Regiment, The Cameron Highlanders, figures by Vitrix.

A bad close up of the Vitrix Light company of the Gordons.

Cose up of the Comeron color group. Missing from this base is the piper and the commanding officer.

That's it for today. I'mm currently working on three different armies (er...four actually), British (anf French) in 25mm for ITGM, 10mm French for Napoleon's Battles, Klingons for Federation Commander, and Epic scale Space Marines.

Painting calms me.

Painting Klingons

2009-11-28T22:13:00.003-06:00

For Thanksgiving we had several people over for dinner, and then on Black Friday all the women went out at 0400 shopping. I spent the day working on five Klingon ships from Amerillo Design.
http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/

The top photo is a C8, a dreadnaught class ship. The hull is painted gull grey, with a codex grey details. Red, brass, and blue have been used for detail work. The second picture is a D7, the standard Klingon ship from the Original Series. I am not happy with the symbol painted on the wing, and so I'll go over it again.

The set that I got had two D7s, one C6 (slightly bigger than the D7s, a C8, and a E4 (escort ship). All are painted the same way.

The five ships come with the stands seen and a small black and white sheet with very little info. I went to the web-site for the manufacturer and read through their painting suggestions and wasn't happy. Then a quick google search found me this:

http://www.sfbnexus.com/Gallery/Klingon_gallery.htm

I do prefer the painting style found on the TV show and so followed it as best I could.

I'll be taking more photos when I have them complete.

A Quarter Century Later: nothing but memories remain.

2009-10-25T13:34:00.004-05:00

The Barracks. This is from 1988. We were not allowed any walkmans, nor were we allowed any hair...
The Monkey Bars- you had to navigate through them, do 20 pushups, dips, and pull-ups prior to getting into the Mess Hall

Harmony Church- sometime in the mid 1990s after training there had moved to Sand Hill.

I am at Fort Benning, Georgia for the next three weeks. I grew up here. I left home for the very first time, flew in an airplane for the very first time, and went to basic training here. Twenty-five years ago I was standing here, not far away from where I type these words, going to Airborne School.

Since then I have been back several times. It's a sad experience as everything from that time is gone now. Harmony Church is being gutted to build the new Armor School. I drove out there today and found where I spent Basic and AIT. All the buildings are long gone. They were gone sometine in the late 90s. Now, even the concrete pads are gone. The trees bullbozed down, and my company street will soon be not even a asphault trail.

Alpha Company, 9th Battalion, 2nd Infantry. Alpha 9/2. We were in fourth Platoon and my roster number was 412. The barracks were old WWII wooden two story jobs- old even 25 years ago.

Sometimes it seems just like yesterday we were all shamming on a Sunday afternoon in the barracks. I woul be laying under my bunk with my fingers slipped under the springs to hold them up. That way you could sleep and pretend to be tightening the blanket and sheets- you were not allowed on your bunk during the day.

None of us had cameras then. We got them at the end of AIT. I have one photo from that time, of three of my buddies.

I have found a few more photos from a guy who went through in 1988, and have them up above. So similar to my memories, yet jsut a bit different. E 2/2 would have been north up the road from us about a mile. Their area is already gone and new barracks are in their place.

It saddens me to see this change as it makes me feel so so old.

I'll go back out and take a picture of the old site tomorrow, as well as the OCS area.

until later...

Is Dutch really Lenin?

2009-08-05T16:08:00.003-05:00

This all started because Frank said I look like V. I. Lenin. Now...I don't see it. Above you see the doctored photo of me (on the right) and Vlad.

Now- here I am on the left. I've flopped the picture around so we are both sfacing inwards.

No, here I am with out the facial hair.

I just don't see it.

Flash Backs.

2009-07-28T21:36:00.002-05:00

God, I miss it.
The smell of the cordite in the darkness...
I miss the rush of combat.

it's like no rush I can explain...

Life is so boring

Birthday kilt.

2009-07-07T20:42:00.002-05:00

At the Birthday BBQ. It was a good day.

Napoleonics in 10mm

2009-07-07T20:28:00.003-05:00

The first picture is a Brigade of French Light Infantry, circa 1809 in 10mm. The second is a Brigade of French Line Infantry, same time period. The Rules are Napoleon's Battles III.

Out to the Ranch.

2009-07-07T20:20:00.002-05:00

Over the 4th I and the family went back home to western Nebraska. On Sunday we traveled out to the ranch, which has been in the family since 1886. They had gotten over 4 inches of rain in the last week. Pretty good for the Sandhills.

Victory.

2009-06-30T21:40:00.003-05:00

Today all US forces pulled out of Iraqi Cities and turned the running of their country back over to the Iraqis.

The war in Iraq, for all practical purposes is over. We have won.

U.S. Confirmed Deaths
Reported Deaths: 4321
Confirmed Deaths: 4317
Pending Confirmation: 4

The question everyone is going to ask is, "Was it worth it?

Time will tell.

2009-06-03T22:25:00.001-05:00

I've left a note for our Commander in Chief at the White House Web-site.

Sir,
I am a Solider serving my country as was shocked by the attack on our troops in little Rock. I have heard that you have issued a statement about this vicious murder but have not read it on this site. I would like to suggest that the two soldiers wounded in the attack be awarded the Purple Heart, since it is obvious they wounded in action.
By the wording of the regulations, the two men are deserving of the award. I ask that you think about what it would mean to the families of these two soldiers, and the image of support it would show to the rest of the Armed Forces, if you would present this award.

Per United States Army regulations, the Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917, has been wounded or killed, or who has died after being wounded. Specific examples of services which warrant the Purple Heart any action against an enemy of the United States; any action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which the Armed Forces of the United States are or have been engaged; while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party; as a result of an act of any such enemy of opposing armed forces; or as the result of an act of any hostile foreign force. After 28 March 1973, as a result of an international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of the Army, or jointly by the Secretaries of the separate armed services concerned if persons from more than one service are wounded in the attack. After 28 March 1973, as a result of military operations while serving outside the territory of the United States as part of a peacekeeping force.

Thank you for your time.

Major Dutch
(Unit)

The Commander in Chief is Saddened.

2009-06-03T21:18:00.002-05:00

“I am deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence against two brave young soldiers who were doing their part to strengthen our armed forces and keep our country safe. I would like to wish Quinton Ezeagwula a speedy recovery, and to offer my condolences and prayers to William Long’s family as they mourn the loss of their son.”

Several days after the attack by an American Born islamic jahadist, the Commander in Chief finds time during his visit to the islamic world to issue a statement.

A few days ago, a doctor was murdered. The President of the United States issued a statement a few hours after the fact.

I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence.

I find it hard to say exactly how I feel about this. I wonder if the president has any idea what it is that we do, or that for us, a lose of one in such a tragic way, is a blow to us all. His indifference to the murder of our bother simply shows his indifference to the military.

God rest you, brother. We'll be together soon enough.

Lay me doon in the caul caul groon

Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun

Lay me doon in the caul caul groon

Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun

When they come a wull staun ma groon

Staun ma groon al nae be afraid

Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear

Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

Ains a year say a prayer faur me

Close yir een an remember me

Nair mair shall a see the sun

For a fell tae a Germans gun

Lay me doon in the caul caul groon

Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun

Lay me doon in the caul caul groon

Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun

Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun

Lay me down in the cold cold ground

Where before many more have gone

Lay me down in the cold cold ground

Where before many more have gone

When they come I will stand my ground

Stand my ground I'll not be afraid

Thoughts of home take away my fear

Sweat and blood hide my veil of tears

Once a year say a prayer for me

Close your eyes and remember me

Never more shall I see the sun

For I fell to an enemy's gun

Lay me down in the cold cold ground

Where before many more have gone

Lay me down in the cold cold ground

Where before many more have gone

Where before many more have gone

Terrorist Attck on US Recruiting Station Leaves one Soldier KIA.

2009-06-02T11:49:00.003-05:00

The recent Islamic Terrorist Attack on a Recruiting Station by an American Citizen turned to Islam should leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that this is anything but a Overseas Contingency Operation.
The loss of one of our soldiers and the wounding of another is nothing more than an Assault upon this country by an enemy who is driven to destroy us. Will this administration, now that a Terrorist Attack has happened on their watch, do anything other than blame disgruntled veterans and patriotic citizens?
The utter silence coming out of the West Wing is further proof that this president is more concerned with using strong armed Chicago gangland tactics to shut down debate against it’s leftist policies rather than the murder of one of this country’s armed forces.
At the very least, the president should condemn radical Islam and strive to shut down the centers of hate that recruited the attacker, led him to Yemen to lean to despise his own country, and took him down the path to murder in the name of his god.
The two soldiers should be recognised by the president and awarded both the Purple Heart for wounds received by an enemy, and the Bronze Star for the soldier who was killed in action.
I doubt we will see any such action from this administration, for it would force them to acknowledge that we are fighting a global war and not some limited police action.
The fact that the Commander in Chief has not made a statement, nor the Joint Chiefs, nor any Military command is glaring.
The media coverage is also telling-
More coverage is given to Dr. Tiller's murder than the assassination of a US Soldier on US Soil. While the MSM calls for investigations of anti-abortion groups and the crack down on 'right-wing' extremists- to include returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, very little is being said about the connection to Yemen and Somalia Islamic extremists. In fact, the media is downplaying the connection to radical Islamic jihad. Perhaps the president is more concerned with bad press on his handling of the overseas contingency operations than with a US Soldier in what I would call the first combat death against a hostile entity on American soil since the Civil War.
The two soldiers should be recognized by the president and awarded the Purple Heart. The soldier who is KIA should be awarded the Bronze Star as well. The President of the United States should attend the funeral and hand the folded flag to this soldiers family, and say what many of us have had to say in this war:

"On behalf of a grateful nation, I would like to present you with this small token of our appreciation for the outstanding service to this country of your son. He has not died in vain."

100 Days and counting...

2009-05-18T23:03:00.003-05:00

Not Obama, Shit I am tired of hearing about him. No, Something more important.

I've been a Space Officer for over 100 days.

From now on about the only fun I am ever gonna have is shooting BB guns at Squirrels...

Heath wise- doing pretty good. The high Altitude agrees with me.

I am finishing up Space 200 classes. Yeah...the Army is turning me into a rocket scientist. (although a really dumb one) Orbital mechanics is kind of fun, but I keep thinking about Klingons and snickering during space based weapon's briefings.

Is that wrong of me?

dutch out.

New Year, new way of doing things

2009-01-22T12:48:00.002-06:00

Been a wild year, folks. The elections, the hype, the new President, etc. etc. etc.

Let's see, what is new?

OK, I am doing well health-wise. Still have 53% lung capacity but that's ok. No major flare ups or symptoms.

We moved over the Christmas Holidays to Colorado Springs, CO. Beautiful place. I can't talk about my job, but it is nice to be able to work inside during the cold weather. The wife is starting to look for a job, but not to seriously. All three of the boys are in school and liking it.

Boy#1 joined JROTC at his High School. Today was the first day he went in uniform. Proud day.

We now have two dogs, one of which is my Lab, the other is Mom's Schnabador. (don't even ask)

I normally don't talk politics. That being said, and with the new President being sworn in just this week, I think it is prudent to say a few things;

First off, what a wonderful country we live in. Our new President was elected by a slim majority of votes, his politics far from mine, and yet, it was a historical day in November. There are those who dislike President Obama simply because of his race. Yet, race played a small part of the election process. We were reminded of this almost daily, that race plays no part. The MSM kept telling us that Mr. Obama's background was not a factor in choosing him as a President.

I happen to agree. I disagree with the man's politics, not his skin tone. I've been in the Army for 23 years. Guess what, folks. We dumb knuckle-dragging types have all sorts of people of all skin-tones in every position including leadership. Now, one could argue that African Americans make up a small % of the military, and that is true. It is very close to the national %s of race in this country. AND yet, besides all the huff of Black vs White vs Yellow vs Red, we have our first African-American President. I am proud of this country for that fact.

Now, for the last eight years our President was hounded every day by the left. Some of the language used by the ultra-left is beyond vile. Why, just read some of the comments at Democratic Underground if you want to see what the left thought of G. W. Bush. Some people on the left now say it's time to heal this country and bring it back together.

I say, **** them. For eight years I've listened to the left bash the President I voted for. I've sat here and listened to the left call my fellow soldiers murderers and rapists. I've been told we've waged an illegal and immoral war.

**** them. The peace at any price crowd is now in charge. The current President has already enacted policies that I disagree with and I feel make this country less safe and I will not be quiet about those feelings. Fortunately, I work for the United States and not one man.

So, let's hope and pray our country remains safe. I hope all the best for President Obama and his family and congratulate him on his election. I do so honestly and with great pride in our country's ability to transfer power without bloodshed. I also hope that he will listen to his advisers in the military and not run up the white flag of surrender in Iraq and Afghanistan, and against the Islamic extremist across the world.

I would worry about the oath, Mr. President. **** happens, as we say in the Army.

And, to the leftist, socialists and DUmpmonkies; payback is a b*tch.

peace, out.

A Few Good Days (more)

2008-02-01T19:50:00.000-06:00

Monday I head back down to Knox to see if they are going to medically retire me.

I hate waiting.

On the good side, we got some hunting done over the Christmas holidays. It was boy #2s first kill!

Nothing like Nebraska Grouse.

2008-01-24T11:02:00.000-06:00

I had not posted a pic from my Promotion on 1 October 2007, so I will now.

COL C. Holden is giving me the oath of office. As a Major, I am now a Regular Army Officer rather than holding a Reserve Commission. Behind me is my family, Jake, Matt, and Mike (by size) and my wife Kate.

Spoke with Branch today, my orders are still a go for Riley, however if the profile stays then I will be deverted. Don't know where yet. Let you know when the time comes.

Cold and snowy here today.

Updates

2008-01-20T10:49:00.000-06:00

Well,

I did come down on orders to Iraq, to haed back as an Advisor. I was torn because leaving Indianapolis and my family was going to be harder this time. However, once I started going through the SRP at Fort Knox, the Docs took one look at my medical records and said, "Oh, Hell no!"

The gave me a temp profile of 3 in Pulminary and 2 in hearing. This is a temporary until they get a new CT and then will probably become a permiment profile.

For an active duty officer it is the kiss of death to have a PULHES of less the 1s. I will no doubt go up before a Medical Board for Medical retirement in the near future, unless they just let me retire.

Either way, I will not be heading back to Iraq, or Afghanistan, or anywhere else.

You'd have to be in my position to understand how this makes me feel.

I am sad. I am dissapointed. I am at a loss as to what I will be doing with my life.

I am also happy.

Major Pain!

2007-10-24T18:43:00.000-05:00

Well, well, well...either the casualty rates are getting too high or Hell froze over because I am now a field grade officer. Of the 16,000 or so I was no. 2 on the list. Yup, some other poor smuck had been a Captian longer than I had been! Ten years and three days after my last promotion I was promoted to Major, US Army.

The wife and kids were there and it was a nice sunny day. I pointed out the two reasons I had made it this far, my family; Mom and Dad for teaching me right and wrong, and to never quiet; The wife for teaching me control. The second reason was all the NCOs I have had the honor of serving with...As a private they taught me, as a Sergeant they helped me and stood beside me, and as an officer they once again taught me about how to be an officer.

It's been a good long time since my last update, mostly because I have been busy being home and having work to do, but also because of the crackdown on military doing blogs. If I am not going to be able to talk about the military then I've found I haven't got a lot to talk about! Go figure.

Doing pretty good health wise. My last check-up was about a month ago- Still doing the purple in-hailer...but off the 'roids, for now. Still have pain in my right side and ear. I've started doing Tae Kwon Do again, three days a week. Well...two days...

Looks like my next gig will be coming up in the spring. Still no word as to where, but almost for sure back across to the box. I am in truth looking forward to it. There is no way to explain what it is like or how it feels, but it can't be replicated on this side of the wall...

The family worries, of course. They don't understand it. How can anyone who has not been there understand it?

Good news from Hef. Omar, our translator, has made it safe to the US and is living just a few hours south of me! Not so good news, the Duck caught one on his last trip over. He's alive but out of the fight from now on.

Big Mike came home safe from his second tour. He, his wife, me and mine went to the season opener at Green Bay! 12th row, on the 30 yard line. It was just too cool.

I'll close with that image in my mind.

GO PACK GO!

Updates

2007-02-24T08:46:00.000-06:00

Well, another month has gone by. My health is still going pretty good. I have some breathing problems and some chest pains once in a while, but I am doing ok.

I haven't been in to see anyone about stress or anger management. I suppose I should at some point. Talking to the other guys on my team, nine out of the ten have been to the sand box, we all suffer some aspects of post tramatic stress. I have yet to see a real doctor since coming home. All I've seen is the specialists.

The upcoming major's board in April should be fun. They are projecting something like 98% promotion. So, I have little doubt I will make Major by next Christmas. Still torn by that. Not that I think I wouldn't do well, but what am I going to be doing this time next year. I like it here and was hoping to retire. Now it looks like I may be in the Army for another three or four years.

That means at least one more deployment to the ME, depending on the ongoing political crap.

Like most of us who've been there, I want to go back, and yet...I don't.

The boys were happy with the snow we've had, playing outside until they were blue. It's cool to see them having so much fun.

Well, that's it for now.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2006-12-29T10:06:00.000-06:00

Well, the year is almost over and I've been home almost a year (Jan 12th to be exact). What a year.

Those of you who read this poor excuse for a blog know we've moved, I've been sick, and the dogs are gay.

Farve has still been playing below par, Battlestar Galactica (the new series) is still going strong, and BB-guns for x-mas presents are still frowned apon by Moms everywhere.

I have a second CT scan on Thursday to check on my lungs. Still having problems breathing sometimes and still don't feel 100%. Have put on weight with the steroids-I'll never get intot eh Hall of Fame...Me and Berry can just hang out drinking scotch and cokes I suppose.

I may retire next year- or not. Have to see what the Army says.

Other than that, MRS Dutch wants the computer and so I'll log off for now.

Have a great rest of the year.

5 Years...

2006-09-10T20:33:00.000-05:00

September 1st

2006-09-01T16:16:00.000-05:00

Symptoms for today.

Woke up with a headache and sore throat. Didn’t sleep very well last night, went to bed about mid-night and mostly tossed and turned.
Feel weak. Obviously tired, but can’t sleep. Ate a bit and felt nauseous, not vomiting nauseous, but just like it was bad food. A little trouble breathing- mostly deep breaths cause me to cough. No phlegm.
Pain under my right arm continues, about the fifth rib down. No swelling I can feel. This causes my lower right arm on the outside from the elbow to the end of my pinky finger to feel numb. Not sure where this fits into it all.
Eyes feel ‘stuffy’, like hey fever I guess. Some problems with focusing.
Generally feel bla.

weight: 217 lbs

The tests are in...

2006-08-29T16:34:00.000-05:00

I have Sarcoidosis.

What the f*ck is that? Let me link you to WEB MD: http://www.webmd.com/content/article/7/1680_53907.htm

A few quotes:

Sarcoidosis is a chronic disease that affects multiple systems in the body. It is characterized by the buildup of immune-system cells in organs. These cells form small groups called granulomas, which lead to inflammation of the involved tissues.

No one knows what causes sarcoidosis. Researchers believe the disease is associated with an abnormal immune-system response, but what triggers this response is not known. In addition, it isn't clear how sarcoidosis spreads from one part of the body to another. Nor do doctors know whether heredity, environment, or lifestyle affects the development, severity, or length of the disease. These are questions that researchers are trying to answer.

There is no cure, they don't even know what causes it, or if it will stay around, or fade, or what.

I can't catch a normal desease.

What did they say is for sure?

2006-08-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

So I am sitting here not sleeping, which is what I do now for about half the time it seems, thinking about dying.

Morbid little twit, ain't I?

The reason I am in such a state of flux is that for the last few months, since I've gotten back from Iraq, I have not been feeling too well. It started out just after the move here to Indianapolis and the new job. I was feeling down and tired all the time. I thought it was because of Post-combat stress bullshit, mostly. I would get tired just walking up the stairs sometimes...sometimes not, though.

At night I would walk up in a sweat. Not every night, but quite afew. i thoguht that it was just my wife, who likes the house warmer than I do, and thought nothing of it.

I have lost a few pounds, but I was trying to. Not many. Just a few.

Then in July I got a cold. I had a cough and ran a fever on a few days. I took stuff and I felt better. Still tired all the time. Tired enough I talked to my wife about it. And my Senior Sergeant.

Nerves, probably, we all thought. Being home and all, new job, home...

But the cough wouldn't go away, and finally when we brought our last unit out of the training FOB on Atterburry I went in to see the medics. I thought a lung infection or some such trivial thing.

That was ten days ago. They found something not right in my chest x-rays. My lymph-nodes were swollen in my chest.

I was sent down to Knox for a full CT scan. Sent to a pulminary specialist in Indy. I had blood work done. More x-rays, breathing tests...

All the easy stuff that it could have been isn't. The antibiotics are not working. I have lost fifteen pounds in ten days. My cough is dry, and consistant. The lymph nodes in the chest and right arm are swollen.

I had a full set of biopsies done last thursday. We should here about the results by next monday or so.

I find myself not scared at what it may be but annoyed because I have so many things I want to do...and now I don't know what is going to happen.

I am just tired all the time. My wife wants to do everything for me. God that pisses me off. I don;t even know what is wrong yet and people are treating me like I am...well...dying. I don;t even want to be around people until I know what is going on.

When we have results then I'll know what is to be done...until then...it's like waiting for the green light to jump into a hot LZ. You just want it to be over.

fuck. I hate waiting.

Six Months Home; or The Deerhunter Returns.

2006-06-13T15:31:00.000-05:00

I’ve been home six months now and have had it up to here [insert graphic that humorously shows just how high] with the idiots.

I have moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and continue to train troops going into combat. We have bought a house and I am in the throws of planning landscapes and paint colors coordination with the same enthusiasm of planning a counter-sniper ambush. [Blue is the new green? What the f*ck is that supposed to mean?]

ANY-way, I am back now and at the six month mark We killed a noted terrorist in Iraq, President Bush travels to Baghdad and meets with the new government, Pat Kennedy pleads out on a DUI charge, and my dog has learned that is he goes outside I will probably give him a treat when he comes back in…(long story)

BUT- what has pissed me off is the moronic frothing that our friends on the ultra-left fringe are so oft to do.

Let’s take for example this gem:

Quote:
PinkyisBlue (193 posts) Tue Jun-13-06 09:21 AMResponse to Original
message 16. What a patriot! Maybe he's there to fulfill his patriotic duty to
the country; after all, he never completed his military service in the National
Guard years ago. Dan Rather was right!!I hope Bush is on the losing end of an
IED.

Or maybe this one:

Quote:
ECH1969 (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author
Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list
Click to add this author to your Ignore list Tue Jun-13-06 02:28 PMOriginal
messageAl Qaeda Website Posts Bush AlertA jihadist website has posted an urgent
alert that President Bush is in Iraq."The cursed Bush is in Iraq," the website
says in Arabic. "By God's will, he will fall into the trap of the mujaheddin,"
the site says.http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/06/jihad_websi...

Ah a news story…not bad…oh, wait…one of the replies…

Quote:
catnhatnh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Click to send private message
to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to
your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Tue Jun-13-06 02:33
PMResponse to Original message5. From the Jihadist's lips........to Allah's
ears....

But hey, it’s all covered in the first amendment, right?

Oh well, that’s ok I suppose. After all, regardless of their political view they support the troops, that is to say…me…right?

Quote:
ComerPerro (1000+ posts) Tue Jun-13-06 01:32 PMResponse to Original
message 8. Hey, they're stupid enough to applaud him. I don't care anymore

Quote:
peaches2003 (590 posts) Tue Jun-13-06 01:38 PMResponse to Reply #8 9.
Agree I have come to the same conclusion. If they are so happy and grateful to
the SOB to allow themselves to be used as cannonfodder and then applaud him to
getting them killed, screw 'em. I'm sick of this and my taxes being used for
Bush and his oil cronies to put millions in their pockets with the help of our
military.

Leftist logic must go something like this:

We support the troops......who are all poor minorities who have no other future......due to this administration's failed economic policy......who's votes should be counted......except in swing states......or any other states with absentee ballots...we can't rig......except those MARINES and SOLDIERS who are going to fight the brave Islamic 'minute-men'......who (the US military) are murdering cogs programmed by BUSHROVECO......not to mention raving racists......who kill babies and women......who are guilty regardless of evidence......unless they are democrats who now protest the war......and now we support them.

Register to vote. Vote your conscious.

Dutch- out.

HOME!!!!

2006-01-13T11:25:00.000-06:00

Got home to Fort Hood on 11 JAN 2006.

Completed return processing today at 0800 and now I am at home. It is so strange to be back, I haven't even put on civilian cloths yet- haven't unboxed my stuff. It feels strange to be here and not worrying about missions and the like.

We left Iraq on the 6th, and spent a day in baghdad before flying to Kuwait. We spent two days in Kuwait and flew out of theater 10 JAN at 0330 in the morning. We had a lay-over in Romania and Iceland before entering the country at Bangor Maine. There we had to walk through customs and clean our boots. {what the hell was that all about?}

We then flew down to Fort Dix, New Jersey and spent the night there. The team all went to the Officers Club and we tied on one, brother. Not enough sleep, not enough food and plenty of beer made a good unwinding session.

We left Dix at 0330 in the damn morning and slept the ride into Philly and fly down to Dallas. At Dallas we were bumped two times before flying down to Fort Hood. We arrived, got our bags and went through a quick Welcome Home cerimony that was touchingly annoying. Our new Brigade Commander can not talk in public...and should be only allowed out with supervised care.

After that it was a quick drop of stuff and then home. (at least for me as I live here) The boys and the dog were so glad to see me, and so was I to see them. The Wife of course was very happy and we both had tears. It is good to be home.

I fell asleep at about 8:30 pm and was wide awake at 0230. I drove into the post to check in with the rest of the team for our retrun processing and found we all had about the same sleep patterns. A day of medical proding and we closed shop about 4 pm. We had Tae Quan Do last night for the boys (Mikie got his Orange Belt) and then basketball practice until 8:30 pm.

I can home and struggled to stay awake until 10 pm when we went to bed.

This morning was another early day for the last of the medical and now, at 10:30 I am home until next Tuesday.

I will write more later, but it is damn good to be home.

dutch, out

Two and a wake up...

2006-01-04T02:28:00.000-06:00

We are like three day from flying out of Iraq. Lat night MNSTC-I Commander MG XXXXXXX flew in and we had a little awards ceremony. We had just finish up my last patrol and of course got hit with an IED. I took a small piece of shrapnel in the face- barely enough to break the skin- but I looked cool for the deal.

This whole experience has been just so…I don’t even know what to call it…

Even though I am coming home I am going to continue to update this site for some time because I am sure I will have things I want to say and can’t right now. It’s just too overwhelming to think about rationally.

I am so looking forward to getting home.

Thanks to everyone for the support this last year.

Dutch- out

Christmas Eve in Iraq.

2005-12-24T09:25:00.000-06:00

I've got another meeting in about 15 minutes so I'll send this off quickly. It's Christmas Eve and for most of us Advisors it is just another day on the front lines. We are even more strung out than we were on Thanksgiving given the fact that our American Partner Unit is leaving to go home and has pulled out of all operations. The new unit is not quiet ready to start and so we are doing it alone.
In our sector we have the Iraqi Brigade we advise and 43 American advisors and 39 augmented troops. That's it. Of those 90 we have a minimum of 48 active 24/7. We have no down time and we have no reserve. We have no spare vehicles when they break and we have no spare crews if they break.
Of course when the new unit is ready we'll be plussed up...but then again, the unit who was supposed to plus us up hasn't given us dick since they've been here. BUT- in the words of their own Commander, "I'm not gonna get my guys killed when someone else can do the job."
So, yeah, I'm feeling a bit tired and down on this holiday. I am far away from my family doing a job nobody else wants and that noboby else cares even happens. If Iraqi soldiers die, who cares. At least it isn't Americans.

only a few more weeks.

dutch- going back to work

(oh...the pic?...that's me in a 'hawk doing the recon thang...)

Q & A with Dutch

2005-12-22T13:54:00.000-06:00

Today I am going to sort through the billions of letters I've recieved since starting this blog and answer some of your questions.

Q. Dutch, You make the Army sound really f*cked up. It is really this bad?

A. No. Due to security restrictions I can't go into detail on many things. It's much worse.

Q. Are Air Force girls really slutty or did you make that up?

A. I have no idea. Check out www.sluttyairforcegirlsforyou.com and you can make up your own mind.

Q. I find it offensive that you make fun of logistics and support soldiers.

A. OK, not really a question here, but I'll answer anyway. So?

Q. If the Army is so screwed up why don't you leave?

A. Ah, good question. Two reasons, I am in a critical MOS and they won't let me out, and B: I enjoy my job no matter how stupid it gets and what retard they put in charge of me.

Q. What is your political stance.

A. I am a drunkard. (thanks Rick!)

Q. Do you think the US should take part in this illegal war in Iraq.

A. Sh*t yeah! Better than OC-ing the National Guard in FT Polk all summer!

Q. Have you found any WMDs?

A. I have found chemicals here. I found bombs here, I have found guns, ammunition, explosives, hell...we've found everything but a good source for beer. There are more things that will make you go "Hmmm....." than a invite to a Michael Jackson Slumber Party. Have I found a big pile of crap that has a sign on it spelled WMDs? Nope. Still got about a zillion square miles to look through. Hell...we're still finding old weapon piles in BAGHDAD!

Q. What is your take on the War On Terror.

A. Let me misquote Ol' Winny Churchill. "Let's fight them on the beaches, let's fight them in the cities, Let's fight them in any country...for we will never surrender."

Q. How can I be a superhero like you and fight Terrorists!

A. Kid, it takes decades to get this jaded. Good luck...you're gonna need it.

Q. What do you miss most about the USA?

A. My wife and kids.

Q. What do you like about Iraq?

A. It's free now.

Q. Do you think you'll have to go fight again once you get home?

A. Yeah. Probably. This war isn't over yet. Iraq is but one operation in the war. I hope I don't. But I'd rather have to go fight in another country than to watch 3000 more of our people die in an attack.

Q. Do you want me?

A. Opps...wrong list....

OK, that's about enough of that. Keep sending those cards and letters folks, we're running low on toliet paper.

dutch- out

Concerning FOBbits.

2005-12-20T21:45:00.000-06:00

FOBbits are creatures who live in holes. These may either be physical, as in concrete bunkers, or mental, as in a total belief that every Iraqi is out to get them. Because of this second one, many of the FOBbits display DCSS, Delusional Combat Stress Syndrome.

A FOB, of course, is a Forward Operating Base. They are what once called a firebase before that term got too politically incorrect. A FOBbit then, is one who’s entire existence is lived out in one of these politically correct firebases. (see Sea-Monkeys)

Some will defend the FOBbit’s existence saying, “Without the support they provide we could not win the war.” This is entirely correct. I respect the poor little things whose only reason for getting up in the morning is to ensure I have bullets to blow the enemy away with. I respect them a hella lot more than some of my commanders.

However, there is a problem sometimes with FOBbits. Sometimes they begin to believe that THEY are the sole reason for existence. They sometimes believe I support them, or worse yet, my guys are nothing more than a nuisance to their continued existence. These self-important slugs sit in their offices and e-mail out demands, work 9 to 5, can’t do anything without a signature in triplicate and generally frown when you wear muddy boots into their…clean little lives.

BUT- for every one FOBbit whose ass graces a chair there is a Support Puke who goes out of their way to help those of us who wear muddy boots. Willy and Joe knew these guys and loved ‘em just like we do today. However, this article is concerning FOBbits…and so I’ll sweep out the good and retain the bad…for now.

To help you understand our little group has come up with some criteria to help you spot a FOBbit:

You may be a FOBbit if: (stolen, obviously, from an idea by Jeff Foxworthy)

You state your weapon is only for show.
Your weapon has either a sock in the mag well, or have a bag covering the whole damn thing.
You care what uniform arming status is.
You confuse thunder with incoming.
You have your own bunker.
Your body armor and helmet have to be dusted off before you put them on.
You travel to the Iraqi side of base escorted by three M1114s…in full battle rattle.
You live in your own secured compound, with private contract security guards, your own mess hall, your own laundry, your own trailers with real toilets, accessed only with a special photo ID you’ve created yourself…inside the FOB. (our higher headquarters).
You state, “This is only the second time I’ve left the IZ”…and you are in the mess hall…on TAJI FOB.
Someone has to show you how to clear your weapon.
You notice the food today at the mess hall is not too bad…rather than the slutty Air Force babes at the next table.
You rotate back to the states and no one notices…or cares.
You fasten your seatbelt.
You have to think about how to justify your CAB.
‘We got us a convoy!’ means a bunch of you are headed over to the MWR to watch a movie.
You think a safety brief is written on the side of a pack of razors.
All the girls at the beauty shop know your first name. (yes, Taji has a beauty shop)
You have never violated any part of General Order # 1.
You have never violated any part of AR 670-1.
You salute.
Your PT uniform is faded more than your DCUs.
Your DCUs are starched and pressed. (MAJ Clarke)
Those f****** advisors at the next table keep looking at you and laughing.
You turn in any illegal weapons you find.
You say, “Gee, I’d like to go with you on a mission sometime.”
You have no idea what MacDonnal’s is.
You brag about how many missions you’ve had…and it’s less than 20.
You brag about the ONE time you were blown up by an IED.
You think the CASH is that green crap in your wallet.
You start any sentence with, “Well, according to the regulation…”

Of course, there are entire organizations over here that are little colonies of FOBbits. These are have cute little names made up of letters to camouflage their FOBbitness. Let’s start at the top and work our way down, shall we?

MNC-I = Mostly Non-Competent Idiots
MNSTC-I = Mainly did Nothing to Support the Troops under our Command in Iraq
CMATT = Can’t Manage Anything Today or Tomorrow
CPATT = Can’t Possibly Attempt That Today
IAG = It’s Anyone’s Guess
BSU = Bull Sh*t, Usually

…and then there are organizations with names that have a different definition than what it sounds like;

Phoenix Academy (known to the non-FOBbits as the Emerald City) = Please don’t think we will Help you, Only thing that Exists in our minds is Not our subordinate units but If we can make our X-sistance more comfortable. Actually, C, A wall around our compound is A Demonstration that in Effect My comfort is more important than Yours.

Dutch- out

VP's visit

2005-12-18T08:16:00.000-06:00

As if things aren't crazy enough, Vice-President Dick Chaney stopped by for lunch today. He looked very healthy and spoke to us advisors for a while before he had to leave for his next appointment.

I almost forgot to take a picture.

dutch-out

Sh*theads leave, soldiers rejoice

2005-12-17T07:52:00.000-06:00

Our continuing odyssey to return to the land of Cheeseburgers and Lap dances has taken another twist. Four of the Majors assigned to the team have returned home early. Now, all four of these ‘leaders’ are pretty much worthless and so their leaving is being celebrated by those of us who have actually…contributed to the…er…whatever it is that we are trying to do.

One of those is the Major who took over my Battalion Team and then fired me. I haven’t heard any good reports about him since, not that that surprises me. He’s leaving early is just one more proof in my eyes that he is…well…worthless.

One of the others is my current ‘boss’, Major E. He hasn’t left the wire since we’ve been here. To call him a coward puts cowards in a bad light. Of course he IS a Transportation Major, so his loss is also being celebrated.

The third Major, Major B…well…hm…how to put this…is a fruitcake. He is in the words of one soldier here a “pain in the ass, know-it-all, chasing his own tail, mutha-f*cka.” He is our Brigade S-3, or Operations Officer. Since we’ve been here he hasn’t done anything productive except have meetings where he ponders why the number don’t add up. There has been no mission planning, Development of the Operations Cell…nothing. There is more than one person here who truly thinks he is a closet Homosexual. Needless to say, his leaving is being celebrated, too.

The forth is Major Sack (not his real name…it is Ball…). The terms worthless and mutha-f*cka just don’t seem to bring the picture into focus. I won’t waste digital ink to talk anymore about him.

The end result of all this is that the rest of the team which remains has to be re-arranged as to cover the positions left vacant.

…I’ve been selected to be the new Brigade S-3.

&%#^@)(@&#%#^&@&*!!!!

All the return to the states planning Major B was supposed to be doing and hasn’t is now my responsibility.

ANYWAY- we are now being scheduled to return shortly after the first of the year. We are still working on the connex issue for shipping our gear home, orders, awards, etc etc etc.

BUT- maybe in 21 to 28 days we should be landing in the US.

Oh…yes…the election went very very well…of course you haven’t heard about it in the US Media.

Gotta go try to find a ride home…

Dutch-out

Understanding the military mind:

2005-12-14T01:52:00.000-06:00

yes...I stole this, modified it and am now publishing it...screw you, hippy!

12 Step Program for the Military

1. I am in the military, I do not have a problem. You have a problem. This is the first step to recovery...

2. Speech:* Time has a zero or ends in a hundred, it is 0530 or 1400 it is not 5:30 in the morning (AKA God-awful early)(unless you are a NG or reservist…and then you are a retard).
* We use words like deck, rack, SP, RP, Objective, MNMP, PT, PLF, and Alpha Alpha. They mean something.
* "F***" is used to replace whatever word you can't think of right now, similar to "um".
* “F***” is used in addition with almost any other word to enhance that word. F***-Stick, F*******-Dumb-A**, etc etc.
* Grunting is talking. HOAH! is not grunting.
* Occasionally we channel Gorillas- just stand still and do not make eye contact.
* Conversations on a phone end in "over", and if you don’t outrank me don’t say “Out”.

3. Style:
* Civilian dress is authorized only if you have to. Normally your wife or girlfriend makes that decision.
* Creases in your jeans are signs of discipline.
* Same with creases on the front of your dress shirts.
* Hair longer than 2 inches is an apprenticeship to being a hippy.
* A high and tight is strac.
* Unless you have a weapon on your hip, a cover (hat) indoors makes you a retard.
* You have to wear a belt ALL the time, not to mention a shirt, pants, socks, boots, and if outdoors…a cover.

4. Women:
* Remember the three rules, 1) Never use your own name. 2) Never ask their age. 3) Never record in any way anything that happens.
* Air Force girls are easy, very easy, not all women are this easy and will probably punch you in the [groinal region] if you treat them like Air Force girls.
* Being divorced twice by the time you are 23 is not normal, neither are 6 month marriages, even if it is your first.
* Marrying a girl so that you can move out of the barracks does not make "financial sense", it makes you a retard.

5. Personal accomplishments:
* In the ‘real’ world, being able to do pushups will not make you good at your job.
* Most people will be slightly disturbed by you if you tell them about people you have killed or seen die.
* How much pain you can take is not a personal accomplishment.
* The number of tattoos you have equals nothing.
* The time you got really drunk and passed the sobriety test anyway is also not a personal accomplishment.

6. Drinking:
* In the old days we had a two beer max on lunch. Now we are allowed to think about beer…if you are 21.
* Social drinking is completely dependant on fact that your commander was prior enlisted. If so then yes. If a ring knocking p*ssy boy, then no.
* Although drinking is a bonding event between warriors, reduces stress, and generally is looked at by society as something not too bad if done in moderation, Clinton’s administration decided that we’d rather have gays in the military.

6. Bodily functions:
* Farting is natures’ way of saying the mess hall food is working.
* The size of the dump you took yesterday, how big it was, how much it burned, or how much it smelled is a topic for after the command and staff meeting.
* You ‘shouldn’t’ make fun of someone for being sick, no matter how funny it is.
* STDs will also not be funny. Sex is completely off limits. (see drinking and Clinton)

7. The human body:
* Most people in the ‘real’ world will not want to hear about your [groinal region]. Odd as that may seem, it's true.
* Scars are generally viewed as distasteful in the ‘real’ world. We see them as badges of honor, or stupidity…depending on how you got them.
* 15% body fat means you get to do fat-boy PT.
* Sex is nature’s way for telling you: you are still alive. Of course, so is football.

8. Spending habits:
* Regardless of what the civilians think we have enough money to cover the basics, beer, pizza, gas for the car.
* Buying a $30,000 car on a $16,000 a year salary is a really bad idea, Private.
* Spending money on video games is a manual dexterity training expense.
* Tipping the waitress is a good idea. She generally has a sh*ttier job than you do.

9. Interacting with civilians (AKA THEM):
* Making fun of your neighbor to his face for being fat is discouraged.
* Hitting on your fat neighbors beautiful wife (or daughter) is like-wize…discouraged.
* If they ask, then yes, JAG is very realistic. (try not to giggle)
* Shooting someone for cutting you off is viewed as bad. Apparently they haven’t heard about VBIEDs.
* Setting a trip-wired Claymore to stop the guy stealing your newspaper is also viewed as bad. Go Figure.
* Cleaning your weapons on the front porch is also…well…you get the picture.
* In fact, almost everything we do is viewed as bad.

10. Living in the real world:
* They really can fire you.
* On the flip side you really can quit.
* Screaming at the people that work for you will not be normal, remember they really can quit too.
* Taking naps at work will not be acceptable.
* Remember 9-5 not 0530 to 1800
* Most of the civilians think we are trained killers. Let them think that.
* Ex-military types know better so be careful who you bullsh*t.

11. The Law:
* Non-judicial punishment does not exist to save you from prison.
* If you smoke that ‘J’ you will come up hot on the piss test, but I am still taking you to Iraq. I need people to burn shit over there for a year…I’ll kick you out when we get back.
* Even McDonalds does background checks, and "conviction" isn't going to help you get the job
* Fighting your fellow soldiers is frowned upon. If you win, it is slightly less frowned upon.

12. General knowledge:
* You can not, in fact, really say what you think about the President in public.
* Pain is not weakness leaving the body, it's just pain.
* Civilians won't wear anything shiny that tells you they are more important then you are, be polite.
* Read the contracts before you sign them, remember what happened the first time

MACIraq

2005-12-12T07:52:00.000-06:00

There is just so much I want to comment on and can not due to the security rules about commenting on Operations, Events, Places, Names…so I’ll tell you about my trip to Baghdad and my experience with the Iraqi Court System.

I got up early in the morning for my ride down to the IZ via Blackhawk. Dawn had just crested the horizon when we boarded and our flight was smooth. Looking down as we flew I was once again surprised by the greenness of this part of Iraq. The Land Between the Rivers is rich with farmland and feeds the entire country.

Below me were fields upon fields dotted here and there with flat roofed houses. Canals cut across the landscape feeding the crops with water from the Tigris. Modernisms blurred the ancient images I could see stretching westward into the desert.

Flying over Baghdad we could see the traffic in the streets and the people on their way to work. Children walked to school dressed in their uniforms of dark trousers and white shirts and dresses. Women gathered at the corner market to buy food for the day. Everywhere were satellite dishes for the TVs.

We landed inside the International Zone and were met by SPC Skippy, our legal …er… handler. He walked us over to the parking lot and told us that we’d have a convoy brief in about 45 minute. I walked over to the coffee house and had a cappuccino.

45 minutes later Navy Chief McScruff (JAG...oh, brother I am laughing so hard...) gave us our safety briefing. He went into a lot of detail about what to do if this, what to do if that. It was more detailed than the briefings I give for a 200 km route security convoy…When it was over I had to ask him,

“How far are we going?”

“About a mile and a half.”

“…and we are not leaving the IZ?” said I, confused as to the details.

“…er….No.”

I blinked my eyes several times in confusion. “So…how many times have you been attacked inside the IZ?”

He looked at me sheepishly, “um….none.”

Hey, look…I’m not putting the guy down because he was being safe. All the more power to him. It’s just that while I was inside the ‘secure zone’ in Baghdad everybody acted like the Chinese were about to attack south over the border.

One more ‘IZ Warrior’ quote and I’ll let it rest.

“We got mortared again last night.” Spoke PVT Schmedlap in a halting voice.

“Oh, yeah? Where did it hit?” I asked.

“uh…I’m not sure. I didn’t really hear it.”

OK. Maybe he was sleeping so soundly that he didn’t hear it, but if you don’t see it land or hear it explode then you don’t get to say “We got mortared…”

But hey…they’re fighting the war.

ANYWAY…what were we talking about…

Ah, yes..

So we drive the mile and a half and the security detachment springs out to provide 360 security. I am giggling like a little school girl, but trying to hide it because these kids are trying to do the right thing. We walk the 300 meters or so to the courthouse surrounded by heavily armed MPs. Once there we go into the room set aside of US witnesses and ‘down’ our body armor, helmets, and rifles.

And we wait…

…seems the bus carrying the prisoners broke down.

At 11.30 they arrive and my case is up first. I admit I am nervous about the whole thing because I don’t want to screw it up. I am taken up to the courtroom and met the judge.

I am not sure what I expected the court to be like, but I am sure it isn’t this. We are in a 30 ft by 30 ft room that looks like a law office. The judge is there, a scribe, the US lawyer, a translator, and the Iraqi lawyer.

The prisoners are escorted in by six guards. They wear the typical Orange jumpsuits seen in all the newsreels.

The judge asks me to tell him what happened. I do. He asks a few questions. I answer. He asks the US Lawyer if she has anything to say. She doesn’t. I leave.

40 minutes tops.

No cross-exam, no defendee comments, no piece of candy and a balloon when I leave.

Whoa…what the hell just happened?

I catch a ride back to the flight line and jump on a bird heading back to our base. I get to see the same surreal sites (you can’t explain this place…I’ll try sometime but it just…defies…attempts….to understand…)

And I am home.
Long day. Two prisoners found guilty. I get a pretty tour of Baghdad via Blackhawk.

Another typical day as an Advisor to the Iraqi Army came to a close leaving me wondering, “What the hell was that all about?”

Dutch- out

I gotta go do WHAT?

2005-12-10T01:40:00.000-06:00

So anyway, tomorrow I have to fly to Baghdad for a trial.

That’s right. In a middle of a war zone I have been subpoenaed. It seems that two persons who we captured during a cordon and search are going to court. This happened in August. Not to bad, really, with all the rest of the crazy crap going on over here. Only three months to get a court case before the bench.

It’s pretty much a slam-dunk case…in my opinion. These two guys tried to drive out of our search area and when we stopped them they fled on foot. We chased them down, and with help of helo FLIR, had eyes on them the entire time. Inside the car was everything needed to make a VBIED. It just wasn’t hooked up yet.

Witnesses stated the two were often in the area with different cars. They claim it isn’t their car…which I do not doubt. Are you going to make a car bomb out of your own car?

So, it should go pretty smooth…unless Ramsey Clarke shows up to defend them, I suppose.

In other news we are preparing for the National Elections next week. It will be crazy around here until the 18th or so. Everyone thinks not to much will happen, a repeat of the November vote on the constitution.

Of course the Leftist-Defeatist-Democrats will no doubt use this as the Tet Offensive they so desperately seem to seek in everything that happens over here. Any event that happens will be seen as a failure. I don’t know why they even pretend that they support us over here.

We are still not sure when we are leaving to come home. The projected dates are between JAN 06 and the Apocalypse. Too many idiots in charge in the higher positions. Too many part time soldiers who don’t know what they are doing are trying to be in charge.

The ‘officer’ who was working our re-deployment LTC Simmons (yes, I used this dirt-bags name) left country before doing anything to get us out of here, without telling us he was leaving, and without giving our information to anyone else. So, basically, he abandoned us here so he could go home early.

This is getting to be typical of the attitude by senior officers anymore. “I got my ticket punched and so I have to get home to get a good re-assignment.” No one cares about their soldiers anymore, as long as their report card looks good.

The higher ups take no responsibility for any action. They will find ways to push that responsibility down to the soldier. This is why they are doing ‘Risk Assessment Cards’, Briefings where the soldier signs a sheet saying he was briefed on the dangers of…blaa blaa blaa… So if something goes wrong, and it’s a combat situation so things do go wrong…the senior officers can say…”LOOK! I told them to be safe…It’s not my fault!”

Cover Your Ass = Field Grade Officer
Besides all this, the lack of support from the Left, the Media, the criminal incompetence of the senior ranks in the military, the greed and graft from the contractors, not to mention all the above found in the Iraqi Government and Military, the soldiers on the ground are busting their asses and making a positive impact on the people of Iraq.

We are doing good here.

Dutch- out

December

2005-12-05T01:55:00.000-06:00

It's getting harder and harder to write. The days are just blurring into one another as mission after mission come and go. We are so close to being out of here and yet we don't know when we are leaving. It is getting some of the guys down not knowing when our plane home will take off.

We keep reading in the news how we are loosing. Senators tell us we are broken and worn out. They say we have not made any progress.

What the hell do they know. They've been losing the war since we've started fighting back against the islamists. All they care about is making the US look bad. Now we have a former AG defending Saddam Hussian! WTF? It makes you think that what we need to do is come home and clean out the whole rat's nest in Washington DC.

I went down to Baghdad the other day to check on a couple of my guys who were wounded by a VBIED. We brought one home with minor injuries but the other remained in ICU with injuries to his neck and face. One soldier never made it to the hospital.

All three were Iraqi soldiers fighting to make their country better. If you want to be shallow you can think of it as an Iraqi soldier died so one American soldier could live.

How can those idiots in the senate think we are not making progress? This time last year there were no Iraqi units on the street. Today my entire Brigade is on the ground with T-55s and BMPs patrolling and executing combat missions.

They are totally out of touch with what is going on here.

maybe 35 days left in country...

dutch- out

Thanksgiving in Iraq- 2005

2005-11-24T08:41:00.000-06:00

An American Advisor’s Experience

Thanksgiving actually began about 2330 pm the night before. It was a typical emergency that lasted until 0200. We went and had a bite to eat at the mess hall, eggs, bacon, coffee, potatoes, before returning to our bunks.

The day ‘began’ at 0530 with my alarm going off, shocking me awake after but a few hours. I struggled to locate it in the dark and finally succeeded in knocking it off the small table beside my bunk.

The power had gone out again in the night and our room was a frosty (for Iraq) 52 degrees. In flip-flops, boxers, and fleece jacket I staggered out of the room and into a slightly colder outdoors. Lighting up a cigarette I shuffled across the courtyard to the bathroom to pee.

Iraqi bathrooms have no toilet bowl. There is a hole in the floor you squat over. There is no toilet paper. They use water. We use a porta-john…but it’s another hundred yards away. For peeing…the hole in the floor works fine.

Job done I return to my room and automatically begin to make coffee…and remember as I repeatedly punch the start button that the power is off. I yell at my roommate (the Brigade S4) that the power is off. He yells back something that if legal in Iraq, isn’t legal under General Order Number One.

I fire up the Colman Stove. Ten minutes later…coffee. God does exist.

OK…time to shave. Armed with coffee I walk back over to the bathroom and stand in front of the mirror. After returning to my room for a razor…and then returning again for shaving cream, I looking into the glass and see…ugh…let’s not go there…

Cigarette dinging from my lips I turn on the hot water. Nothing. I walk over to the water heater. The dial is down to 23 degrees C. Oh…yes…power was off…

Shaving in cold water is fun. Ask your recruiter.

Back to the room. More coffee. SSG A comes over and wants to go eat breakfast on the American side of post. (we live on the Iraqi side) We finish getting dressed, get our weapons and head out to the vehicles. On the ride over we talk about his family getting together for thanksgiving dinner and mine visiting the neighbors for dinner.

After going through an armed gate we drive to the mess hall. Here we find out that chow is closed because they are getting ready for the big meal. FUCK! OK…we’ll drive over to the PX and get a coffee and a cinnamon roll. We give another SGT a lift and walk to the Cinnamon hut…a line of 50 soldiers who couldn’t get breakfast is there already.
We give up and go back to the Iraqi side, drink more coffee and eat out of the remains of MREs.

MREs are a required taste…that is…they require you to be starving before you’ll eat them.

ANYway… after hanging out in the courtyard for an hour or so, one of the other Captains reports that he saw some French 75mm cannons over in a certain part of the post that has only recently been opened. So we drive over to see if we can add to our lawn ornaments. Unfortunatly, we should have remembered that this officer’s ability to identify weapons is only slightly greater than his navigational skills…(Baghdad is south of here, by the way- another story). The only thing we find is abandoned Russian boots.

BUT- we successfully kill enough time that it’s lunch. We head back over to the American side and get to the mess hall about 1 pm. The line is out the door. For those of you who have never been in the military, the Army does Holiday meals in a big way.

The food is very good and although crowded, it is nice. I get to sit next to a pilgrim (SSG from the mess hall- pretty cute, really) and a Indian…er…native American…whatever…(SGT- very cute!) so it’s a nice dinner. Turkey, Stuffing, and Massed Potatoes for me. There was also prime rib, ham, lobster, sweet potatoes (out when I was going through…corn on the cob, etc etc etc.

Imagine going through a really nice soup kitchen with 17,000 people all dressed like you. Fun.

After we return to our room and it is nappy time. I sleep for about an hour and then we have to go watch a LTG come and talk to us. We drive to another corner of the base and wait for him to arrive. Usually Generals are late, but this one shows up on time and is a pretty good speaker. Doesn’t give us any info that we don’t already know, but it isn’t a total waste of time- I got a coke from the refreshment table.

And then we come home again. The power is back on and I sit down at my table and log online to see how many e-mails I got. I read the ones from my wife and friends and then lean back and think about the day.

And so I sit here typing thinking that I should be more positive, but you know…I am being more positive. There are many things that suck over here but they are, in a larger picture, really kind of funny.

So, that’s my Thanksgiving day! It’s only 8.30 AM at home, the wife is up getting the kids breakfast, I’m sitting here tired because it’s 6.30 pm and it has been another long ass day.

dutch- out

(All our soldiers out in the field were brought in for dinner- they rotated out with others so everyone could have a hot meal.

When you sit down to eat today, say a prayer for those guys over here sitting out on the checkpoints. They deserve every chance of going back home).

THANKSGIVING

2005-11-22T03:39:00.000-06:00

Two months have slipped by since my last update. It doesn't seem like that long. Time has a way of shifting meanings, definitions of what it is, that is. Time, Alfred E. tells us, is relative.

In the past two months we've held a vote on the constitution of Iraq. Little happened in the five days we were out and about in Northern Baghdad. It was a slow, lazy mission which the worst thing that happened is one of our BMPs sank into the Tigris River. We got it back.

The people we talk to on the streets are sure that Iraq's only problem now is getting rid of the foreign terror fighters so they can get on with rebuilding Iraq. I think the problems are a bit bigger and more that just that.

Iraq is still wrapped into the Corruption that was the Saddam reign. Payoffs and bribes are the way of life here. It's difficult for westerners to understand that taking a cut off the top is just the way people do business here. Is it right? No. But in this society where no-body got anything for free people ended up taking whatever they could. It will take decades to fix this...if ever.

The Brigade executed it's first stand-along mission successfully. The mission itself didn't get alot done, but the fact they did it themselves is the most importaint thing. We are one step closer to being out of Iraq.

The soldiers are fair. They have a lot more work to do, but by the standards of this part of the world, they are better than almost anyone else. That isn't snobbery, it's just that Arab armies have not build the NCO corps into a viable force, and thus the whole of the army is weak. Of course, Officers still function in a pale faxsimili of the "La Saddam Armee" where they take their ten percent off the top, and all their reports are glowing.

So I find myself at a point a few days before Thanksgiving, thinking back across the last eleven months and wondering what I am thankful for. Isn't that what we are supposed to talk about around the feast table on Thursday?

I am thankful we haven lost more soldiers this year. I am thankful my wife still loves me. I am thankful my sons are doing well in school. I am thankful my whole family is well.

I am thankful that someday I'll be leaving this place.

thanks for the cards, letters, e-mails, packages, thoughts, prayers, chants, etc. etc. etc.

dutch- out.

Well...that explains it...

2005-09-20T08:08:00.000-05:00

People are insane. Not in a funny "ha ha Uncle Marvin is wearing a tu-tu again..." way...but completely loonie.

At Above Tp Secret, a web-site that claims tells only the truth about everything...they have interviewed this person who not only is sure that 9/11 was staged by the Illuminati, but that G.W.B is...well....let me put it in his own words:

Q: Above Top Secret: Burke's Peerage clearly acknowledges that George W. Bush & John Kerry are distant cousins, both of whom are related to the British royal family. Have you received shape-shifting reports of either of these "oppo-same" presidential candidates? Is the US population screwed either way?

A: David Icke: The Bush family is one of these 'Illuminati' 'royal' bloodlines that go back to ancient times and these are shapeshifters that can take either human or reptilian form. It's all holographic trickery because everything, including the body, is a hologram and not 'solid' as it appears to be. I have had many reports of people seeing father Bush shapeshift. As for Kerry, he is said by Burkes Peerage to be more 'royal' in his bloodline than any American president, so he's of the shapeshifter bloodline, too. Only the bloodline gets into the Skull and Bones Society. Kerry and Bush are both related to the British royal family and Vlad the Impaler (Count Dracula). Readers of my books will understand the significance of this.

if only for the humor you should go and read the site.

maybe we can get the DNC to have Mr. Icke speak at their convention?

dutch- out

The realities of the Army

2005-09-17T02:46:00.000-05:00

Well…I didn’t expect anything different, really. The Army is the Army and will always remain the tool of those who play the game.

I have been removed from my position as team executive officer with the battalion I was fortunate to be with from the very start. The Team Chief is a young Major with a future; I am but an old Captain without one. He wanted a yes man to agree with his every decision and I can’t do that. So, I am gone.

I have been moved into a new team overseeing the train-up of the Brigade’s Engineer Company, Transportation Company, and the Brigade Recon Company. My new boss is a Transportation Major who hasn’t been outside the wire in the seven months he’s been here. Could have been worse, I suppose. I could have been made the TOC Battle Captain.

All this bullshit has made me so tired of it all. It’s the same crap every time. Some petty little know-it-all can’t stand to have anyone around him who has more experience and so I get to go find another job while this shit-head ruins what took me and the rest of the team four months building.

I’m tired and depressed of all this political crap.

US Grant took to drinking when he was assigned to California after the Mexican war. Of course alcohol is banned in this country.

On the plus side I got to talk to my wife this morning via the internet and web-cam. We also had the phone thing going, but the connections were pretty slow. The web-cam is cool, however. Yes, it is still pretty slow frame rate, but damn, I got to see the boys and the wife almost live.

What the future will bring us I wonder. How can I go back to being just me after all this? I’m not even sure what I was like before and I can not remember anything other than snapshots of me prior to coming here. It is all so strange now, thinking back to the world.

We got our sat TV working last night and this morning we were watching some entertainment show. How can people be so stupid as to watch that drivel? Are we as Americans so deluded and vain as to think that crap is important? Emmys and Oscars. It will be a political stage with a message that we are loosing, we are the Bad Guys, bring our soldiers home.

Yes, bring us home to clean up the corruption and ignorance the left spews out. Make our people proud of their country once more.

But- it won’t be like that. We’d come home to disarm, bury our heads in the sand and wail and point figures when we slip into non-existence.

Rome fell not because she was defeated. She fell because nobody cared anymore.

Dealing with idiots

2005-09-16T03:40:00.000-05:00

Well, figured it would happen. We finally got our new team chief to have a meeting and I’ve been fired as the Team XO and kicked off the team.
I guess this shit-head needs to exert his power and can not have me there if he’s doing it. I only have been with the team since the beginning, have taken the Iraqis from Basic Training to full mission capable, but I am not good enough to remain a member.
Just as well, this poor excuse for a field-grade has to flex his muscles to show he’s tough and I’m pushed out of the way.
Nothing to do about it, this is how the new army is. I am just a captain and don’t know shit. He is a newly promoted Major with no combat experience telling me I don’t know what I am doing.
I’ve written to the Colonel requesting a re-assignment with in the Brigade. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what is going to happen now.

Dutch- out

//my letter to the colonel//

Sir,
I know that transitions of command are difficult and so I have tried to work with the incoming team chief. However, at this point I am formally requesting to be reassigned out of 2nd MECH BN AST team. Since MAJ C has come on board he has insulted the BN CDR and the BN Operations Officer. LTC A will no loger talk to him.
He has not been around to make critical decisions in a timely manner nor has he informed the team of his goals or plans. He has chosen to do all liaisons between the Iraqi Battaion and the American Battalions himself. I have been told not to.
He verbally ‘counseled’ me in front of 1LT W and 1LT Ch for making decisions and has ordered me not to make any more. He conduct during that 'session' was completely unprofessionable and destroyed any authority I had with my subordinates.
MAJ C has not been present in the AO nor has he been able to be in contact with the rest of the team for the last three days. His phone has been turned off and he will not answer my calls nor e-mails. I am not the only one with this problem as the rest of the team and COL N has also not been able to get ahold of him, nor has MAJ B in X-XX AR.
When he was approached by 1SG D today about getting together to sort out any problems he responded by saying 'It's done my way, and if anyone has a problem I'll fire them.'
We had our 'team meeting' today at 10.30 hrs. He began by chewing everyone out for not understanding thier missions. He then reassigned everyone. When I said we didn't need to do that because we have a working plan on hand, he verbally exploded and asked me if I didn't hear him correctly.
At that point I said if you will not listen to my suggestions then you don't need me on the team. He replied that he did not.
I informed him that I would request for transfer. I do not believe that I can work with MAJ C, and if forced to remain under his command will not be treated fairly.
I have been told he is shacking up with someone on the other side, but that is none of my concerns until it effects the team. It has become commond knowledge in the team that he's never to be found at night after 1800. Twice now he has not been available for dicisions at night, and a note in his door had remained from 2120 until 0800 when he walked back into the ALAMO. His excuse to me was that he’d left early to do PT.
He has missed a mission and we had to scrap together a crew from HHC to cover him when he was not available the night before and did not return to the ALAMO until 0800.
His actions outside the wire are not tactically sound and I have ended up leading the team for both the missions he commanded. I have no respect for him either as an officer nor as a leader.
I can not continue to work in 2nd MECH BN and humbly request my move to anywhere else with in the Brigade.
I am sorry for this. I was hoping we could work it out, but after todays meeting it is clear that he doesn't want to.

CPT Dutch

Day # something or another...

2005-09-13T21:25:00.000-05:00

two posts in one week? surely not...

Basic existence isn’t too hard to figure out. What you need to live is food, water and shelter. Everything above that is cream. It’s when you have enough of those three that things start going wrong.

Take Cain. He had a home, enough food and water. He had a loving mother and father. He had a good brother. All he had to do is do some sacrificing and everything would have been peachy.

But he wanted more.

It all comes down to needs vs. wants.

Take me, for example. I have a place to sleep. I have enough food and water. Usually people are not trying to kill me. (well,…not me personally, that is…) I have friends to share my time with. What else could I need?

OK…the obvious…I do need my wife and family. I get to e-mail them about everyday and about once a week I get to call home for 15 minutes.

Better than prison…I think…

What do I want, then as opposed to need?

Hmmm…I wanted a good laptop. I got one in the mail from my wife a couple of weeks ago. It is SWEET. A Dell 9300 with most of the bells and whistles. I have a couple of games from the guys here and when I have time I can get my ass kicked in FPS games. AND I can e-mail my family ever so much faster.

(alright…maybe there is something strange about doing a 24 hour combat patrol and then playing a computer game about a combat patrol…let the shrinks figure that one out)

I have so much stuff…but not nearly all the crap I have at home. God, I have some worthless stuff I’ve collected over the years. So much of that is going to find a new home when I get home. I don’t need it. I wanted it once…but now- it just seems like…junk.

I don’t want to say ‘life is pure here’…but I don’t know what to call it. We have enough to get by. We don’t have time for the ‘extra’ shit that seemed so important seven months ago.

I get mail from my friends and family asking me what do I want them to send me. I think they all get angry because I say ‘I don’t need anything. Send something…special, like cool-aid, or trail-mix. Something I can’t find over here.’

It’s funny, but I’d really like a toilet with a seat on it. None of the porta-johns have seats! What the hell do they do with the seats on all of them?

While I am one body functions, I’d not like to smell burning shit every morning. Yes- we burn it ala Vietnam. I’d like the food not to give me gas, either- but that may be age, and not the food, I suppose.

I would kill for a bath. We have a shower, sort of. It gets you clean and the water is warm. But to soak in a bath for a day…ah…

It’s the weird things that you miss.

I miss waking up and looking over at my wife still sleeping…or if I roll the other way, my dog looking at me…

Yesterday I was supposed to go out with the Colonel and look at some place. I didn’t go because of another mission, but the Colonel took my truck and went out anyway. They were hit with an VBIED (Vehicle Borne Improved Explosive Device- suicide car bomb). All were evac’ed to the hospital with injuries.

All of them will be ok, they are burned and shrapneled up, but alive.

I guess what I really need is my luck to keep holding.

Dutch- out

IED

2005-09-12T23:23:00.000-05:00

IED, or Improved Explosive Device, is the one thing that's feared over here. People don't know what they look like at home, so here is one which hit my patrol yesterday. No one was hurt, no equipment was damaged.

The hole is on the edge of a road. My K-Bar knife is beside it to give it some scale.

The right edge of the picture is the edge of the road. The insurgents had dug it in to the dirt of the bank, causing most of the blast to go out and away from us.

EOD on site said that it was 2 120mm mortar rounds and one 130mm illumination round.

The hole is still smoking.

Just another day in the Garden of Eden. (er...it's just south of here...really.)

dutch- out

One for the Good Guys

2005-09-08T00:21:00.000-05:00

Because of DOD regulations I am limiting my comments on operations as to not let secrets slip. However, I will continue to post information from the frontlines---approved by the US Army.

Our Battalion of Iraqi Mechanized Soldiers continues to do fantastic work. Two of the three companies are conducting operations on their own- coordinated with US forces, of course. The third is providing site security at a critical plant.

One company just completed an operation as part of a combined US Task Force. Our score:

a. 1 High Payoff Target captured (He was on the WANT list)
b. 8 Insurgents captured
c. 1 Carbomb captured (in the process of being made, along with the terrorists who were building it)
and
d. Huge amounts of local intel

The rest of the Task Force captures four persons.

The point here is that the Iraqis can get better information and can act faster on it than our US forces. They speak the language, they KNOW the area, and they are professional enough to execute raids based on gathered intel.

The insurgency is in for trouble once the rest of the Iraqi Army is out in the field.

Of course there are problems in the new army. But every day it is getting better.

In other news our Team Leader, MAJ H, has rotated home at the end of his tour. Everyone thought I would take the team over, but a new Major was brought in to take over. I was told that the position is a Major's and since I am but a Captain...

Let me vent for a moment. This 'major' doesn't know shit. He has no tactical ability and has already pissed the Iraqi Battalion Commander off by telling him that the Iranians didn't have a good army. He based this information (and told the BN Commander this) on the fact he played a simulation agianst them once.

Our Battalion Commander has been in the Iraqi Army for 34 years. He fought against the Iranians as a Platoon Leader and was wounded...three times. He fought against us...both times. To have an American officer tell him that his eight years of war didn't mean anything...

BUT- anyway...MAJ C isn't doing anything with the team other than going to a few meetings. He has left all the planning and missions up to me, so in effect I am in command. Even the Iraqi Colonels come to me and have cut him out of the loop.

I suppose I should do something to make him better...but he is an ass as well as stupid. He'll not last long over here as the Iraqi Brigade Commander has already spoken to our General about getting rid of him.

War isn't something you can blunder through and hope you can figure it out as you go. If you do people die. You are either a leader and can handle it...or you are not and should be doing something else.

The US Army is full of officers who have gotten by because they have been safe, political, and serving in a peacetime army. Those 'qualities' they have perfected, covering their ass, not taking chances, kissing ass, are getting our soldiers killed over here.

We need a real rain to wash the scum off the streets. War tempers us and can cause us to be stronger. We (the military) need this war to shake off the last 20 years of peace cobwebs and get rid of those who do not belong.

I think the islamist will give us this chance.

anyway- duty calls.

dutch- out

Coming Home

2005-08-04T21:24:00.000-05:00

There was a movie with this title a few years ago. It was about a Vietnam Vet returning home and all the problems it caused. I suppose it is cliche, you know. The Vet comes home and things have changed.

It's hard coming home and dealing with being 'away'. I have found my 15 days on R & R difficult and yet on my last night back I really don't want to wake up in the morning and leave.

It is difficult because I have grown used to getting about 6 hours sleep and being up half the night and at dawn. I've gotten used to having my own way with my 'off' time...such as it is. I sleep with my headphones on. I drink my coffee very strong.

Of course my wife has grown used to doing things her way. Different than I do them. Bedtime is one thing we don't conflict too much on- if you know what I mean. However, even food is different for us. It will take time to get back into synch...much longer than 15 days.

The boys are doing well ajusting to me being home. They want me to cook as they have gotten tired of mom's dishes. They've grown so much it is strange to see them when all I've had is pictures to see for the last six months.

The dog...eh...his whole attitude was..."What? You're back?...gimme treat."

I find I can't watch TV. It is horrible. The news makes me so angry I have to leave the room. If all you saw was that crap you'd think we are losing the war. Why can't they get a clear picture on what is really going on over here? All the news focuses on are the attacks- ONLY ONE today in Baghdad...and yet they make it seem like the place is getting worse each day.

I went to the Mall today and it was so strange seeing people just walking around, fat, arms full of bags, like nothing was happening. Maybe that is why we can't seem to stay on target with our national agenda oon the War on Terror. It hasn't really meant anything to most people.

It was hard being home. I kept thinking about my guys in Iraq and hoping they are doing O.K. I feel like I need to be there. It was odd not wearing my uniform, so odd I put it back on one day just so I felt...normal.

The government is cracking down on BLOGS run by military types. I won't be talking much about missions and the like because of security. I mean, when I get back I won't be. I am still home...here...waiting to go back...

The scene in Apocolypce Now when Martin Sheen is talking in the hotel room keeps playing in my mind.

"When I was here all I could think about was being home. When I was home all I could think about was being back in the jungle." ~CPT Willard

almost time for bed. In the morning I leave for the airport.

talk to you when I get back in country.

dutch
out

Soldier Humor

2005-06-25T04:48:00.000-05:00

Nobody thought this is what it would be like. Nobody seriously thought his is the way it was going to be.

It's been like 55 days now- our guys out doing missions every day. Each mission about 18 to 24 hours long...how long can we continue this? How long before we are totally used up?

We have a board in our room that tracks the number of times each of us has been hit by either IEDs, VBIEDs, or small arms fire. It's a matter of honor as each patrol comes in to update the board. People argue I am tied for first. I say it's CPT T, because a couple of mine are iffy...some of the small arms fire is from the Iraqi police...

126 days in country. 42 missions. Sometime our luck is going to run out.

There is only 21 days until I go home on leave. I will have 15 days there to make love to my wife, play with my kids, chase my dog...

It will never be far from my mind...what is that bag on the side of the road? IED or trash? That person on the roof. Sniper... or girl hanging laundry?

When I get back...189 days left in country, with an option to renew...

We are all dead men walking. The lucky ones will have the sentence postponed.

God Damn you people.

There is a Fine Line...

2005-06-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

I have heard that there is a fine line between many things in our existance. Truth and Fiction, for example...or I suppose a better example would be Evil and Good.

In the military there are many of these fine lines. Some of them are subtle, like respect for your superior officers and sarcastic disrepect...or thinking inside the box and stepping outside it to accomplish your mission.

One of the most clear of these thin lines are between the warriors and the rest of the Army.

To me, the warrior is the one who faces the cutting edge of the fight, out in the wild getting shot at, blown up, and having to deal with all the realities of warfare not covered in those pretty history books that are all the rage in the PX book section.

This warrior is not always the typical one you would think of, 6 foot two inches, 240 pounds of physical prime US male. Sometimes the warrior is a skinny little blonde headed girl.

The one skinny little blonde I am thinking of is a warrior. She is a supply sergeant working in an Iraqi supply depot. One day a series of rockets rained down on the depot wounding her and several of the Iraqis. She responded by remdering first aid to the wounded Iraqis, saving two of their lives, before seeking medical attention.

One would say that she was lucky, this was a fluke. Except...It happened once before to her.

She was riding in a convoy that was hit with an IED. She took over the convoy and got them out of the killzone. She called in the medivac for the wounded.

She is truely a warrior.

She is 20 years old.

This thin line seperates the warriors from the others...the REMFs...the FOBits...and the other words used to describe those who's combat existance is full of living on a fire base eating three hot meals a day and complaining there are no good DVDs in the PX.

This people are uncomfortable around the warriors and do their best to shunt them off away from their comfy world.

We we return from a patrol we usually try to hit the mess hall. I have been told by a fat Sergeant Major in starched DCUs that I should go change my dirty, sweaty uniform before I enter the 'dining facility'. "Muther-Fucker, I just spend 24 hours riding a gun on patrol! Get your fat ass out of my way before I cut you down."

But it doesn't stop at that. I have been told that some 'commanders' on the US side have complained that my advisors are 'in violation of AR 670-1 (Uniform Regulations) by wearing illegal patches on our uniforms.

These patches are our Iraqi Units' and we wear them on our pockets to symbolize our belonging to the unit. We do this in much the same way the American Advisors in Vietnam wore the unit patches that they were assigned to.

BUT- here in 3ID land all that is important is that we obey- without question- the WORD.

my thinking:

AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO THINK ALONG OUTDATED LINES OF THE PEACETIME ARMY THE LONGER WE WILL BE IN IRAQ.

There is a thin line between the bullshit and the battlefield.

I have been ordered by my commander that all our patches will be removed and all uniforms will follow uniform regulations.

we will lose this war.

Fallen Comrade

2005-06-12T12:29:00.000-05:00

We lost and Advisor this week. He was killed in action while on operations with his Iraqi Unit. Operational Security requires me not to mention his name or his unit, nor the location of his death.

He leaves behind a family who will miss him very much. Those of us who remain here will miss him as well.

I did not know this soldier very well, as we are a large organization scattered all across Iraq. I had met him during our training prior to coming over, and again after I arrived in country.

He is not the first Advisor to fall. I doubt he will be the last. His sacrifice will be remembered.

20 Mission Crush

2005-06-05T08:40:00.000-05:00

I remember old movies about WWII American Bomber Crews and the 20 Mission Crush. That is the shape their visor caps took after twenty bomber missions and was the mark of an old veteran.

Our team has been in Iraq for 100 days. Most of that time has been spent getting the 1st Mech Brigade up and running outside the 'wire'. During that time I have been on 28 combat missions.

Of those 28 missions 13 of those have drawn enemy fire.

So, about every four days we are running a mission. About 46% of those missions have recieved fire. On average those missions last about 15 to 20 hours, so maybe 490 hours of missions in 2400 hours (17.5 hours per on average).

We expect our mission profile to increase once the Battalion goes on line. The Tank Battalion is running on average three seperate missions a day.

How do you explain to the people back home what we do? On average I am pulling a mission every one out of five hours, of which I get shot at about once every 27 minutes?

i don't count the attacks here at the FOB, wich are annoying at best, humorous at there norm (Our friends in the 3ID tend to overreact to badly aimed mortar fire...IMHO).

Today on a combat patrol we came under fire from a heavy machine gun at one location, and under an attempted RPG attack at another. Seems the idiot forgot to arm the rocket.

On the positive side- I got some patches.

100 days down, 235 more to go.

5640 hours.
338400 minutes.
2,030,400 seconds...

oh...just been told we have a mission for tomorrow.

2,030,397 seconds...

Memorial Day Blues

2005-05-31T04:04:00.000-05:00

Seems I haven't posted much in the last two months. Oh, well. Things here continue at a hectic pace.

A few updates. LTC Dumas is no longer with us. He is medically out because of his hip. No one is crying.

Two of our three Battalions are up and running missions outside the wire. I have moved over to the second mechanized Battalion to help get them trained up. We have been told by Baghdad we have six weeks to make them combat ready.

They are smoking some good shit down in Baghdad.

All of our team has been hit with IEDs at least once. No one has been wounded, a testament to the armored Hummer, in my humble opinion. I was hit when I was gunner during a night mission.

I had ducked down into the turret just as the IED went off. What I saw was a blinding flash of light and a large explosion. It shook me pretty good. I quickly checked to see if I was injured, ie., patted my body parts down to see if it was still in one peice and or, not leaking. Finding nothing wrong I let the rest of the crew know I was ok. We continued to move a safe distance and then put up a cordon around the site and called EOD.

I didn't feel fear or shock or anything else. I mean, what are you gonna do, anyway?

We checked out the hummer and found a dozen chunks knocked in the sides and turret, the spare tire was blown to hell, and the radio antenna was cut in two. We replaced the antenna, and once EOD arrived on site- we continued the mission.

The mission was an overwatch of an abandoned checkpoint. Four explosions went off during the night- no terrorist caught, or seen, for that matter.

The next morning I found that a piece of shapnel had cut the faberic on my helmet cover. Had I been standing up...

Bottom line. Shit happens. If you start to dwell on it it will drive you crazy. I mean what do you say? I dun got blowed up. That pretty much cover it.

Just another day.

Our team of advisors is short handed and we are losing our 1SG in the end of June. We got two new LTs as replacements.

...what the fuck, over?

I gotta train these two LTs to be soldiers before I can turn them loose on the Iraqi Army. We are trying our damnedest to loose this war through our own stupidity.

3ID continues to turn this war into another training exercise. They have poured more concrete and filled more sandbags that Hitler did on the Atlantic Wall. To say they have a bunker mentality is to shortchange the NAZI highcommand.

I am sure the soldiers of 3ID are great upsatanding examples of the American Fighting Man...er...person....whatever.

We have a saying:

3rd Infantry Division.
Making the world safe.

...for 3rd Infantry Division.

fuck....I gotta go to work.

dutch- out

Time Flies when you are having fun?

2005-04-09T23:40:00.000-05:00

Almost a month has gone by since I last posted. It doesn't sem that long, though. I guess time does fly- thanks Einstin.

Things have changed here as well. 3rd Infantry Division has taken over from 1st Cavalry Division. It's like the war has changed and it feels like we are back in Bosnia in the late 80s.

The first thing they've done is insist that we advisors become part of the 3ID, and they have Artilce 5 authority over us. Well...I'm not too sure this is a good idea. For one thing if the guys I am suppost to be working with are now the guys I am working for, that US commander can fire me at will, or move me to another position with-in his unit and put one of his guys here. Also, that US Brigade Commander would now write my 'report card'. Since I am a...rental...who's he gonna give the shitty OER rating too? His guys?

Some other changes around here, although some are not changes but I just found out about them. Our Higher Headquarters, CMATT, has continued to isolate themselves from reality and us from them. They have their own compound on the base, protected by triple strain wire, Hesco barriers, and private contract guards (using CMATT Money, btw). On their 'firebase' they have their own contract messhall- which we are not allowed to use, their own contract laundary service- which we are not allowed to use.

The four National Guard COLs (the Evil Bunny Division) in charge have never left the wire, nor will they. They have all the money and supplies they need- we must beg and borrow from our US cousins across the wire. All this- and they are our higher headquarters and they are here to supposrt us.

On the good side, the enemy has floundered in the last few months. IEDs and attacks are down across sector. Yesterdays big protest was peaceful. Life is pretty good here in the Cav Cafe.

We've run 14 missions since I last posted and have had contact in only three.

Time flies.

2005-03-13T04:21:00.000-06:00

Convoy escort gun truck crew. from left to right: SSG A, Dutch, Omar (interp) MSG Jay, SFC B. 10 March 2004

The team took a convoy of HETTs to pick up 14 BMP-1s in order to stand up a new Mechanized Battlaion for the Iraqi Army. Our crew rode along to provide support and security. We had a few small arms contacts, but no casualties. Of course it rained hard all the way there- and all the way back. Typical.

2005-03-06T22:33:00.000-06:00

checkpoint soccer crew

Last week during our checkpoint with 1st Armor Battalion, 1st Mech Brigade, Iraqi Army, me and the crew of advisors took time out to play a game of soccer with some of the local kids. Needless to say- we had our asses kicked.

When the press is saying things are going badly for the American soldiers in Iraq- it's because we didn't play soccer as kids...

Close only counts...

2005-02-28T10:15:00.000-06:00

Well....we are in Iraq.

I won't tell you the base location because of OPSEC. We arrived and were put up nicely...as nice as it gets. But- let me back up and cover our trip up into country.

Last you read we were in Doha getting our gear- or not getting it. That night we were told no flight until at least Friday. At 23.00 we get alerted we have a bird that morning and we leave at 0400.

We hop a C130 north and do a fast drop onto the runway. Top and the Old Man meet us at the tarmac and pick up our gear while we wait for a chopper ride.

Holy shit...Back on the green line waiting for the go sign...We wait....and wait....waiting still....

The private security companies have got some serious hardware and have mod'd the f*ck out of some F150s...

We wait...and wait...the sun goes down...CPT J wanders off to take a piss and BAM!!! Manifest and get on the shithook! We grab CPT J's gear and watch him run from the porta-john trying to button his fly.

The bird lifts and we are out cold. What is it about choppers that put combat troops to sleep in about five seconds?

We land at our FOB (Forward Operating Base) and get shown to our billets. It's 01.30 hrs.

0600 I am up and smoking a cigarette. I wash and shave and go lay down until breakfast. CPT J walks out to burn one and watch the sun rise when a 107mm Chinese rocket slams into the ground about 100 mtrs away. It failure to fully explode and the fact CPT J is standing around the corner of a blast barrier keeps him from being smoking little piles.

Welcome to Iraq.

For the next few days we inprocess and get our gear. We start scrounging what we really need. Friday we get the word that we will have four men going out on the next morning cordon and search in Baghdad.

Myself, SFC B, CPTs J and B- are rolling out with a tank reinforced Mech Battalion to set three Traffic Control Points.

We roll out the gates and set our positions. We watch the sun come up and the people begin moving around. The kids come out to talk to use and we begin a pick-up game of soccer. Of course we are still in Body Armor and carrying weapons, but we are kicking the ball as best we can.

One of our interps tells an old man that the future of Iraq is this. The old ways are gone. When was the last time American soldiers, Iraqi soldiers and little children played soccer in the streets?

More when I have the time.

dutch- out

Doha hasn't changed much...

2005-02-22T12:08:00.000-06:00

Four years since I was last here I am sitting in Camp Doha, Kuwiat.

Our team arrives a few days ago and are waiting to fly north into Iraq to start our mission. We've recieved a few items here but are still the black sheep of the CMATT-I. Since we are a small team we are not getting anything simply because we don't have the Field grade balls to make it happen.

Hood's answer to many of our questions was- You will get it in country (which most of us old habd knew was smoke being blown up a fourth point of contact). Doha's answer to our questions is- You're Brigade should have given it to you before you left.

Bottom line: We are on our own.

I am using the post library omputers to update today because we don't have any way to jack in , otherwise.

We are living in ware-houses, although we have bunks instead of cots. The showers are in trailers still, and the food is plenty if not good. The PX is bigger than four years ago- but the prices are the same you'd pay in the states.

Got to e-mail the wife and kids before I updated you all, priorities and all that. Sent off a letter as well.

Doha is the crossroads of the Army right now. If you don't meet someone you know here in a week- you just don't get out much. I met a guy I went to OCS with in 1993. SFC B meet his uncle. SSG A met his old gunner, and so on.

Odd as it sounds, looking forward to leaving here and getting up north.

We used to joke and say Doha was the prison camp with all the guards on the inside. You'd have to be here to understand.

Talk to you all again soon.

dutch508

36 Hours

2005-02-17T08:34:00.000-06:00

We've finally got a flight. The Air Force is going to let us bum a ride on one of their planes. We are 36 hours out and counting.

What to do in those last 36 hours? I caught myself thinking about the Tom Hanks Movie, 'The Green Mile', and what goes through your mind when you have a deadline facing you (no pun intended here).

I figure I will try to sleep about eight hours tonight. Try is the key word as your mind is running a hundred miles an hour trying to think if you have completed everything you need to. I was awake most of last night going through my packing list again...obsessive, ain't I...and thinking about load plans for vehicles once we hit the ground, our move to our base, contingency plans, evac plans, medical needs, ect ect ect.

My oldest son has a soccer game tonight so there is two hours, I have to go in and close out my hand reciepts for Battalion Property, four hours.

Fourteen Hours gone before I even really do anything...

Army stuff that I must do:

At 1230 tomorrow we have to drop our bags off with the Air Force. At 1430 draw weapons from the arms room. At 1830 go to the manifest site. Wheels up at 2250.

So really it's only 28 hours remaining. Fourteen hours acounted for. Fourteen hours free...

I have to clean out the Garage. I have to pack up my office at home. I figure five hours- you haven't seen the mess I have made in that last two months.

Nine hours.

What would you do if you only had nine hours left?

I wonder if 5 June 1944 was like this?

2005-02-12T19:57:00.000-06:00

Still waiting to fly.

We are ready to go, all our bags are packed and we are just waiting…waiting…waiting.

Some of the team has taken leave to visit their families. I have taken a couple days off to spend time with mine. Soccer season has just started here all of the boys are playing. The wife’s coaching again this season, and like always she is stressed about it, work, cub/boy scouts, etc. etc. etc.

I am tired of sitting here waiting to go. I want to get on with it.

You read about the soldiers who have fought in all the previous wars sitting and waiting and it driving them crazy. It’s true. It sucks just waiting here.

I’m going over my packing yet one more time, making sure I have all the crap I think I need. No way this is like WWII, we’re not going up against the heavily defended beaches of Normandy. We’re just going to Iraq to advise their Army.

Bomb blast hit another Iraqi Army/Police group again today. I’m checking my load-out again making sure everything works/fits.

1. Kevlar with ESS goggles, PVS mount, cover and headband.
2. Intruder Body Armor with plates, with:
a. SPEC-Ops M4 6 mag pouch
b. SPEC-Ops SAW bag
c. Radio pouch
d. M9 2 mag pouch
e. 2 1 qt. Canteens with covers.
f. first aid pouch
3. Pistol belt with:
a. SPEC-Ops drop holster for my M9
b. 2M9 2 mag pouch
c. K-Bar
4. Mod’ed DCUs
5. Wellco desert boots
6. Knee pads
7. 3 Day assault pack with Camel-back with:
a. GPS
b. Combat Lifesaver Bag
c. Binos
d. 6 M4 mags
e. 2 MREs
f. gloves
g. Map, pens, pencils, other junk.

and weapons…M4 and M9.

In addition, 2 duffle bags, 1 MOLLI Pack, and one footlocker with all my snivel gear.

We got our Team's guidon today. maybe it will show up in a pic in a later post.

Waiting for the green light...

2005-02-08T09:25:00.000-06:00

Dutch in Kuwait, circa 1997

Recovery after intense action...

2005-02-07T11:03:00.000-06:00

I have to admit- I wasn't ready for yesterday's serious fighting.

How the &#(&^!%)*^& Patriots won the Superbowl...at least I didn't loose any money on the point-spread.

We (the fam and I) had a busy weekend with three Superbowl Parties and a visit from 1/3 of Three Stooges. (Growing up I had two best friend...in fact we were all born with-in two weeks of each other...and we all now live in Texas). He had come down to see me before I left for Iraq. The other Stooge stopped by during the week.

Of course we all drank too much and ate too much...but I thought that was the point of being an American.

Our Team (back to Army stuff) is only a week out from our deployment. Hopefully we are as ready as we can be. We still have issues with weapons, and it looks like the Brigade is just gonna out-wait us and send us off without addressing those issues.

None of the equipment we've requested has been issued. We will have to make do with what we have- and pray that no-one dies because of the lack of it.

The bulk of our teams are already in Iraq and took part in the security operations during the election. Our LTC, who I will refer to from now on as Durot, sent us back an e-mail so we would know the dangers he faced. Let me quote here for a moment...

"We all felt like we were jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire."

"Naturally, we thought we were all doomed."

Um....it's not like they were fighting the battle of Stalingrad here folks...They were manning 9 Traffic Control Points. No one was hurt. They took 'harrassment small arms fire'. This is the guy I get to work for. Of course pandering one's own 'bravery' to the whole Division doesn't make you a schmuck...I'd already thought that of him shortly after we'd met...but doing so in prose fit only for Reader's Digest is. I just hope he remains inside the wire from now on and stays away from my team.

I wonder just what he thought he was going there for?

Anyway...I expect a bit of delay in the next update as I am not sure when we'll beable to log on in Iraq. However, as soon as I can I will be blogging from 'the combat zone!'

give me a break...

dutch508

just a lil som'thin som'thin...

2005-01-17T10:03:00.000-06:00

It's Monday- a federal holiday...I supose to celebrate the life of a man who wanted social equality for everyone. That's cool. I've never had too much problem with treating people like they should be treated. Alot of that has to do with how I was raised I guess...unless you think that man's (and when I say man I mean HU-man....geeze....give me a break...) fate is pre-ordained.

Got a couple of questions from a few of you, so I thought since I am sitting at home in my underwear I'd type a bit.

One reader asks what winding path have you taked in the twenty years of military service, (and oh, BTW- he says I don't look forty...of course now I am nervous 'cause he's looking at me that way....not that there is anything wrong with that....)

I enlisted when I was seventeen as an 11B. I signed up for Airborne and Ranger School which I completed right after AIT at Ft. Benning, Georgia. I spent the next six years as a light infantryman moving from third spear carrier from the right to senior company squad leader...(ooooooooooo....tough gig)

At that point I transfered into the AGR to go to school full time. Went to Ft. Sill to complete my training as a 13E, Fire Direction Specialist and was the Chief FDC for a 155mm Self Propelled Howetzer Battery in the Nebraska National Guard. It was at college I met my wife and realized that in college you learn more outside the classroom that in.

In 1990 I was re-called for GW1 and served in 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division as a HMMWV Driver for the Brigade S3. The CSM told me not to worry- there would be a Platoon Sergeant's job opening up soon...100 hours later, or course...

Finished school with a teaching degree only to find out I hate children. Worked a bit over the fall to figure out what I was going to do. Ended up re-enlisting in the Active Army and volunteering to go to OCS.

Graduated OCS in the fall of 1993. Somehow I ended up being selected as a Armor Officer. Did my Officer's Basic Course at Ft. Knox, and went back to Ft. Riley, Kansas as a Platoon Leader. Completed my advanced officer training and commanded a tank company at Ft. Hood, TX. Had a second command at Ft. Knox in the Armor School.

Was transfered to Ft. Riley (love it there) to work as a Division Gunnery Officer. I was selected for and completed the Information Operations course the summer of 2002. Shortly after I completed the course came down on orders for the upcoming OEF operation.

Spent seven months attached to JSOTF-180 in Afghanistan before heading to Kosovo for four months to serve as MNB-E Information Operations Officer.

Upon return to Ft. Riley I PCS'd to Ft. Hood to serve as an Observer Controller/Trainer in the 75th Training Support Division.

For the last two years I have been training National Guard and Reserve units that are going to Iraq, Afghanistan or the Balkans.

In Novemeber while I was training the Texas National Guard at Ft. Polk, LA, I recieved a phone call from my Battalion Commander telling me I had been selected to go to Iraq to train their Army.

This mission has changed from Training to Advising.

And that, my friends, is the winding story of how I got to where I am. As far as I know, I may be to only officer in the US Army who has graduated from all three combat arms schools, Infantry at Ft. Benning, Armor at Ft. Knox, and Artillery at Ft. Sill, and has a functional area that is completely different, Information Operations.

go figure...

What day is this anyway?

2005-01-15T15:02:00.000-06:00

Ugh....another day almost wasted...

Our ongoing training continues. The rest of the unit is still here (they were supposed to leave last Thursday) and now they are scheduled to depart next Tuesday. Our weapons issues have not been solved and we had to go zero and qualify with M16A2s and qualify will M9s. OK, the M16A2 is a good weapon, don't get me wrong, but there is a reason we keep saying send everyone to Iraq with M4s (or at least M16A3s).

Tuesday, 11 Jan 2005-The weapon I got zeroed ok, but I couldn't hit anything past 50 meters with it. When I brought it back to the arms room and told the armorer the problem he looked the serial number up and told me it was deadlined because the barrel was coded out...have discussion with armorer.

[Some backstory is needed here- but because I am tired I will shorten it to basic facts. Basic fact No. 1: I have graduated several Command Directed Anger Management Classes...]

[ok, I know some of you may not know the dif b'twix a A2, A3, and an M4...google it]

Right...so I get a different rifle and off I go to shoot again. No problem. The M9 shoots well and only looks like it's 15 or so years old. I qualify with both and am home before midnight.

Wed. 12 Jan 2005 to Thur 13 Jan 2005- This morning is Combat Lifesaver Training. Very good stuff because we may really need this. Unfortunately we are stuffing 40 hours of training into two days. Ooooooo....moi moi painful.
The up-side is at the end we get to stick each other with an 18 gauge needle and do an I.V.

Hey, a Four-Day Weekend is coming up! Not for us for we are going back out to the weapons ranges and shooting again Friday and Saturday. NOW...WE DON'T HAVE THE RANGES LAYED ON, BUT WE'LL TRY TO GO OUT AND SEE IF THEY LET US SHOOT.

(you military types will understand the caps...for the rest of you...imagine walking into a nice place on Friday night with forty guys and no reservation and see the reactions)

The time-line went something like this:

Fri 14 Jan 2005-

0600- draw weapons
0630- load busses.
0700- arrive range.
1200- still sitting waiting to get on range, order pizza.
1245- call pizza place and ask where the %^%$# the pizza is.
1315- pizza arrives- we eat.
1317- 1st Sergeant yells at us to get into formation.
1330- still waiting for more word.
1345- TENN Titan cheerleaders drive by. Driver stops because he knows me. Get to meet the girls.
1450- First firing order up to shoot.
1530- Second firing order.
1550- last firing order expends all remaining rounds.
1600- range police call.
1700- waiting for busses.
1800- waiting for busses, seriously thinking about ordering pizza again.
1850- busses arrive.
1900- return to arms room.
1930 clean M9s.
2130-turn in M9s.
2200- 1st Sergeant says we'll meet tomorrow at 0600 to draw weapons for M16 range.

There was an old TV ad that said 'We do more before 9 o'clock than some people do all day'. The funny thing is it's true. We just do stupid things, however.

(update)
Sat. 15 Jan 2005- M16 range ran very smooth today. Not sure I am really awake. Hoping that Titan's cheerleaders will pinch me to make sure.

This is Dutch508, out.

1st post- 9 JAN 2005

2005-01-09T21:58:00.000-06:00

Some 20 years ago I joined the Army thinking that I wanted to get away from home. I thought I would retire this summer but things don't aways go the way you think. It's no big deal, however, this is what I am good at- and the only thing I ever wanted to do.

I recieved word from my commander via my cell phone I would be going to Iraq on 17 Dec, 2004. We would be part of a small team of advisers going in to help train the Iraqi Army. I still don't know anything other than this.

The mission makes sense to me. Our (the US, that is) best exit plan is to train up the Iraqis and let them run their country. Our team is part of this plan. My ten-man team is part of a larger effort, of course. There are ways I would complete this plan that is , I am sure, different than those that will be told to me. After 20 years in the Army I acknowledge this simple reality.

I am fortunate that the five people from my unit who are going are all good guys. We have two others from brigade- both of which are not up to my standard, but they are a personnel guy and a supply guy. What did Rumsfeld say? Something about the Army you want vs. the Army you have? Oh well.

We started our train-up last week (3 Jan 2005) and so far nothing has gone according to plan. We are hurting on equipment---well...let me re-phrase that; We are hurting on equipment I would take into country. We have plenty of TA-50 and the like. No complaints about body armor or any of that nonsense.

Weapons seem to be an issue that my commander would rather not discuss. But he is a rather bookish-type, more concerned with if his lap-top works and not if he has a rifle or not. It may be a long year.

I will try to keep this blog updated as we continue to prep for movement- and as we continue our mission in Iraq. But for now...it is late and I am headed home to the wife and kids.