A Moment of Silence...

This will likely be one of the last, if not the last, post on this humble blog. Given the occasion, I feel that I should end on a more somber, serious note.

I was born on Veterans Day. November 11th. While I’m not one who believes in astrology or the like, it was always rather interesting that I developed a keen interest in the military, both of old and modern. It’s odd, as my family is not a military one. My late grandfather was in the Navy during WWII, but beyond that I never got a more thorough account. Maybe it’s just my seemingly innate fascination with machines. Whether computers, automobiles, motorcycles, or aeroplanes, I just seem to be enamored with their intricate complexity and presence. And among the world’s operators of awesome machinery, few match the militaries of super-power nations such as the U.S.A. or Russia in its prime.

So given that Veterans Day has recently come and gone, I thought this would be an appropriate occasion to discuss one of the purposes of the day, remembering those who have lost their life while serving in the U.S. military. Now of course Memorial Day is the main occasion to exercise respect for the fallen, but Veterans Day (and every other day really) is a fitting time for the same level of humility.

This year’s Veterans Day held a certain special significance. After more than 10 years in Iraq as a combat force, the U.S. is packing up shop. But counter to this positive news came tragedy. You may remember the news of an Army helicopter crashing and killing all those onboard. It was a CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter and the 30 Americans aboard all perished in the crash. No U.S. personnel were found to be at fault, as the chopper’s fate hung in the balance of a Taliban fighter’s aim. The crash was deemed to be from a RPG-7 projectile hitting one of the main rotor blades and crippling the rotorcraft. The ensuing impact and fire wiped out any survivors.

Such a loss was unprecedented; it was the deadliest single accident for U.S. forces in over the last decade of fighting.

As many may have heard, a large percentage of the occupants were from Navy SEAL (SEa, Air, Land) teams. And while some of those SEALs were members of SEAL Team 6, the unit that is credited with killing Osama Bin Laden, none of the actual commandos that took part in that mission were on board.

Regardless, 30 men died in an instant and over 5,000 Americans have died in the deserts of the Middle East during Operation Iraqi Freedom & Enduring Freedom. Yet what covers the news shown in American homes? Dancing with the Stars or some Kardashian bullshit? The failings of the U.S. media are not new, but at least in this day and age the simple soldier can share his story from the front-line if so inclined.

It seems the Walter Cronkites of our day carry a gun with their camera and notepad…

That'll Cost Ya...

USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon

Much to my delight I have the opportunity to talk military aviation once again.

After its utter decimation in both Gulf Wars, the Iraqi Air Force has led a minimal role in safeguarding its nation’s airspace. Most air patrols, if not all, over Iraq are done by NATO forces. In its prime (under Saddam), however, the Iraqi Air Guard was a competent force not to be underestimated. But against the overwhelming might of the USAF, there was little hope for a long-term air war. Planes frequently never made it into the air, instead being “vulched” while still planted on terra firma in hangars or on the runway while taxiing. So for all intents and purposes, a combat-ready Iraqi air fleet has been nonexistent for some time. Yet this will not be the case for much longer.

Ready to prop the weakened nation back on its feet, the U.S. has accepted the first portion of a payment being allocated toward the purchase of a fleet of 18 F-16C Fighting Falcons. Very nearly on par with domestic F-16 jets, the Iraq shipment will be of the Block 52 variety (the most recent upgrade) and will not spare any of the standard features of the craft. The hope is, after all, that Iraq will remain an ally of the U.S. government, preventing any regrets down-the-line (I’m looking at you, U.S. Taliban weapon suppliers…). The airmen of Iraq are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their new airframe and a select few individuals are currently undergoing U.S. training here in the states to ensure the utmost proficiency. These men will also be responsible, in part, for training and mentoring their comrades back in Iraq in a few years’ time when the order is completed.

There is, however, another country hoping for F-16s: Taiwan. While the small nation already maintains a small fleet of U.S. supplied F-16s, they are of the older F-16A/B variety rather than C/D. But their requests are going largely unheeded as there exists a delicate situation. Taiwan-Chinese relations have long been touchy and the sale of modern weaponry to Taiwan puts China into a bit of a mood. Thus U.S. suppliers have only agreed to upgrade the current Taiwanese fleet rather than supplant it with brand new aircraft. It seems Chinese pressure is affecting U.S.-Taiwan relations and officials in Taiwan worry the buildup of Chinese war machines will eventually result in a swift, unstoppable takeover of their nation.

This is obviously against the best interests of Taiwan and the U.S., but it is never the less unnerving to see what was once a very solid relationship fading due to political pressures.

Source: F-16.net – Iraq Makes First Payment for 18 F-16s & Taiwan: No New F-16s for Now

Joseph Kony & Invisible Children: An End to the Madness?

Joseph Kony

This post won’t be dealing explicitly with the war in the Middle-East but will still focus around U.S. warfighters.

It came to my attention a few weeks ago that the U.S. government was finally ready to intervene, at least publicly, in the struggle against the LRA of central Africa. The Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, is a rebel organization that has long destabilized the heart of Africa and caused enormous suffering. Their kill count extends upward of 30,000 with mass rape and dismemberment being their more heinous crimes. But perhaps the most widely known of their crimes is the forced induction of children into their ranks, the so-called “Child Soldier.”

It seems not that long ago that an advocacy group came to my local high school in order to raise awareness regarding the plight of the child soldier and those still in danger of the same fate. This group, Invisible Children, had campaigned far and wide to attract government attention to the issue. They had succeeded to some degree and the group’s founding members had even been amongst the rebel army in their quest to confront its leader, Joseph Kony. But aid has been sparse and slow to arrive.

That is until now. President Obama has appointed about 100 armed operators to aid the African hunt for Kony within such nations as Uganda and the Congo. Acting as a training and support force, these American forces will only engage in combat if deemed necessary to ensure their safety. As for their makeup, the most logical assumption (and the correct one) is that these operators are Special Forces. Given the how elusive Kony has proven to be over his nearly 30 year reign of terror, it is no surprise that the U.S. “advisors” being deployed are of the highest caliber.

It is operations like these, however, that reminds one of the far-reaching hand that is the American warfighter. Many belief the U.S. is already part of a “Shadow War” in Pakistan and history has shown us that the American public is not always the first to know where or when U.S. soldiers deploy. One could even hope that the role U.S. SOF (Special Operations Forces) are playing in the LRA conflict is actually greater than that which is reported. Because, for once, that is a mission I can 100% support.

Source: Al Jazeera – Obama Sends Military Advisors to Uganda

RI Guardsmen En Route to the Sandbox

Now, as per my last post, one could be mistaken for thinking that this looming Iraq withdrawal could signal a more international decline in troop levels. Well a bit of recent local news quickly puts that silly thought to rest.

Just this last week it was announced by Rhode Island’s State Adjutant General, Kevin McBride, that about 300 National Guards soldiers will by deploying very shortly to the Middle-East.

From the 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation regiment will come 140 soldiers destined for Kuwait and general aviation support.

And from 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry will come another 130 soldiers destined for Afghanistan to provide security for provincial reconstruction engineer teams.

So it’s fairly obvious that troops are still being deployed to the Middle-East on a regular basis and that any hope for widespread withdrawal was rather misguided. Perhaps even more misguided that you know…

While I made a point of going over the imminent Iraq withdrawal thoroughly in my last entry, there is one more aspect that should be made clear: why now?

The news came rather suddenly it seemed. Obama announced that all troops would be home for the holidays, not a day past the 31st. Most praised “his” decision and applauded the notion that war operations were beginning to wind down, even if just in Iraq. The simple truth is, however, that Obama and the current administration really deserve no credit for the withdrawal. The agreement that signaled that day, the 31st of December, 2011, as the day of withdrawal was established during the dying days of George W. Bush’s presidency. In the interim, Obama had actually fought for an extension to that deadline but ultimately failed. Thus the news story trumpeted to the masses neglects that little detail to boost Obama’s credentials, rather than the opposite.

Now I would like to make clear that I am not trying to discredit Obama or congratulate Bush, this agreement was not meant to serve as the definitive exit-strategy it now has. In recent councils with Iraqi leader Maliki, many alternatives were tossed about but none could be agreed upon in time to stop the default year’s end evacuation preparation (getting thousands of people of a country takes time after all). This rushed evacuation also leaves the prospect of long-term U.S. airbases up in the air, a failing that could have repercussions in dealing with combat logistics in the region for years to come.

Ultimately, the decision has been made by Iraqi leaders and our own U.S. president; troops will be shipped home and escape our 10 year battleground. Whether or not the lack of a more thorough and calculated evacuation/withdrawal will be criticized or forgotten in the future, the precedent is about to be set; U.S. soldiers are leaving the Middle-East, and I imagine American citizens will want to see this trend continue…

Source: Boston Globe - RI National Guard Deployment

Operation Get the Hell Outta Dodge!

After a little over 10 years of combat operations in Iraq, the long-awaited day is finally coming. The deadline for a (near) complete U.S. troop withdrawal is the final moments of this year, the 31st of December.

I say “near” complete as there are a few minor stipulations attached to this transition. Firstly, a select few U.S. military personnel will stay in-country to provide a security force for embassies and resident VIPs. Secondly, while the U.S. government’s army may be high-tailing it out of the country, many American citizens will still have their boots on Iraqi soil for the foreseeable future. Between citizens working in political, non-combat, roles and security contractors (aka Private Military Companies or PMCs), Iraq will remain a central part of American discourse far into the future.

Though let’s back up a moment. The continued presence of PMCs is startling as it seems to completely contradict the goal of “No U.S. combatants in Iraq”. While not technically working for the U.S. government, many PMCs have been contracted by none other than Washington, D.C. and many that are still there today share a close-association with political officials back in the states. While the number of PMC operators that will remain is relatively small, 4-5k, their mere presence, now and as far back as the war in Iraq stretches, does not sit well with some.

Bonus points if you know why this image is relevant...

For are we moving toward a future where war is privatized, monetized, even further than the already disturbed reality of today? Will your neighbor be building bombs rather than cars at the local factory? Selling firearms rather than T-shirts at the outlet mall? At what point did the hunt for profit outweigh the morality of war? Eisenhower warned the nation of the Military Industrial Complex years ago and yet here it stands, stronger than ever and spawning new minions in the form of Guns-for-Hire a la PMCs such as Xe (formerly BlackWater). These companies do not abide by the same rules as our servicemen and women do. A large factor in the sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops related to just that issue; U.S. military personnel were to have their legal “immunity” cut off had they stayed, leaving them subject to war crime charges such as murder and arson without the protective guise of those actions being “wartime necessities.” PMCs, likewise, will not have this layer of protection and may just ignore local laws regardless, only obeying those above them who pay their bills.

U.S. troops are leaving Iraq, though. That is progress. Whether or not America has abandoned its hand in the country is another matter altogether…

Source: Al Jazeera - U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Iraq