Archive for December, 2009
December 23, 2009 By Troy
Posted in MilBlogger Interviews, You Served Radio
So do you think you know what an ETT (embedded training team) member does? ETTs have been the true tip of the spear in Afghanistan since Task Force Phoenix was first stood up in 2002. Task Force Phoenix and the ETT teams were initially charged with standing up, training, mentoring and assisting the Afghanistan National Army. The first mentoring was done by the active duty 10th Mountain Division. After Iraq kicked off in 2003, it was realized that the mission would need to be transitioned to the National Guard as there were not enough active duty forces to do the Phoenix mission in addition to the other ones they were being tasked.
The mission of training and empowering a country’s indigenous Army has always been a mission of the Special Forces and what they have mastered over the last 40 years. However there was not enough of them either, so National Guard was tapped. However if there were a 2nd best option to Special Forces doing the mission, then it was the National Guard. The soldiers in a National Guard unit have just left being a civilian and will soon return to it. They know and understand the basics of COIN, long before it became a buzz-word and well before it became a standard part of our doctrine. The National Guard soldiers bring with them a mixture of civilian skills which are vital to the mission as many of the ETTs are very far downrange and must provide for their own life-support. There is little to no support from higher headquarters at all. So the skills of carpenter, plumber, HVAC, mechanic, school teacher, etc., etc. all are transferable to the mission of being forward deployed on a small FOB or COP with no support and almost no other Americans with you. In 2007, Task Force Phoenix took over the mentoring and advising of the Afghanistan National Police with PMTs (Police Mentoring Teams).
Famed WWII history author, James F. Christ who is known for his novels about the small but important Marine Paratroopers during the battles in the Pacific has now taken up a new focus for his writing. James is in the process of writing a 10-book series on ETTs in Afghanistan and very important, but unknown battles that have happened there since 2003. His first two books are available and can be downloaded for the Kindle or purchased from Amazon.com HERE or HERE. You can also learn more about the books at the publisher’s website at http://www.mountainlandpublishing.com/catalog.html.
I have read both of these books cover to cover, along with the next one in the series that is not yet published. They are all easy-reads and will suck you right into reading them non-stop until you are finished. There is no building up of characters, there is no plot development, all becuase there is no need. James takes you right into the ETT team, and before long you get to know the individual soldiers, how they act in combat, etc. If they have dialects or accents, James writes in a way so you can hear the accent as you read. I relate these books to the famed book Blackhawk Down (which the movie was based on). I say this becuase just like Blackhawk Down, James’s books start right before the battle, take you through the battle and then wrap up soon after the battle is over. The entire book is about the battle itself.
The battles are huge and the odds are stacked up against the American forces (most of which are National Guard ETTs). As you read either Morghab Canyon or The Boneyard, you will be amazed at how out-numbered and how brave the American soldier are and you will even be more amazed that more US and ANA forces were not slaughtered. The ingineuity, initiative and drive to survive by these soldiers is amazing.
I have interviewed James twice on You Served Radio (you can hear the latest interview on You Served Radio here, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/youserved/2009/12/11/episode-67) and after talking to him then and on multiple one-on-one phone conversations, I am convinced he is one of the most knowledgeable civilians about Afghanistan that has never actually been to the country. He has spent so many hours interviewing ETTs for these books that he has truly become immersed into what it is like to be an ETT and in my opinion earned an honorary ETT title if there were such a thing.
I have told James and his publisher that if these books are not finished and published that it would be a dis-service to all ETTs, past and present. I have circulated several of his books to other past ETTs to get their opinions and the response has been 100% that “he gets it” and “this is the best book ever written about ETTs”.
I recently heard back from Vampire 6 from www.afghanistanshrugged.com and his response to James’s writings were
“This book is awesome! It definitely needs to be out there for people to read. I think every ETT has a story like this, …. While reading this I could identify with these guys and felt like they were just like guys on my team. Truly awesome book!”
So if you have been an ETT/PMT, are an ETT/PMT, will be an ETT/PMT or you are a family member or friend of a past, present, future ETT/PMT then you need to go to Amazon.com and get these books. I cannot stress enough how accurate these books are and how well they will educate you as to what it is like to be on the “Tip of the Spear, but at the end of the line”
No Comments »
December 22, 2009 By Claire
Posted in Spouse and Family
I have the pleasure of working with Catherine Fitzgerald at Christian Military Wives where she fills the role of ministry leader of the small group leaders — she leads the leaders. It’s always good for folks to realize how much support we give one another in the military community. If we didn’t have one another to lean on, the military would not function as well as it does — at least IMHO.
STAR NEWS ONLINE
By Amanda Greene
Amanda.Greene@StarNewsOnline.com
EXCERPT
Each night, just before her 7:30 p.m. bedtime, 2-year-old Grace Fitzgerald pulls off a sheet of toilet paper at her Hampstead home. The little white square marks one more day without her daddy who is deployed with the Marines in Central America.
Her mother, Catherine Fitzgerald, holds the roll as her daughter sings a little ditty for her daddy. Usually, “Daddy’s coming home. Daddy’s coming home! Clap, clap, clap.”
In the second short deployment of their marriage, Fitzgerald knows the frustrations of being a military wife. But she also knows – with a 30,000-troop surge planned in Afghanistan – that longer deployments are in her husband’s future.
“The biggest stress is that anticipation. You’re kind of torn because you want to enjoy that time with him, but you want to prepare for him being gone,” she said. “Sometimes at night it’s harder to sleep because you don’t feel as safe. There’s a lot of depression, anxiety and isolation with military wives because there’s always the worries of the things that can happen in deployments.”
Fitzgerald has sought refuge in her faith, hosting Bible studies for military wives. She was recently tapped to head up ministry support for group leaders in the Christian Military Wives organization. The CMW is a social network supporting military wives and a ministry of The Christian Military Fellowship.
Fitzgerald started a bi-monthly Bible study and military wives ministry at Scotts Hill Baptist Church called Operation Hope Front that has attracted about 15 women so far. But she knows there are more in the Hampstead and Wilmington areas who could use the support.
“When you move this far out (in the Hampstead area) you miss out on some of the base resources at Camp Lejeune,” she added. “Just to have that support of other military women who know what you’re going through is such an important part of our life.”
At Operation Hope Front’s December meeting, nine women sat in a circle discussing a passage on bitterness in Hebrews.
“Maybe it’s just a female thing, but sometimes we’re just in a mood, and it makes us feel better to be bitter,” one woman said.
“How does bitterness affect a marriage and the children of a bitter parent,” Fitzgerald asked the women.
“I know in my case there’s nothing more convicting that when you hear your child say something bitter that you know where it came from. And that you said it,” another woman answered. READ MORE
1 Comment »
By Claire
Posted in Podcast, Spouse and Family, You Served Radio
Tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM, on You Served Spouse and Family Highlights I will air an interview I conducted with Derek and Andrea McGinnis. You can listen to the interview HERE.
Derek and Andria McGinnis started off as a dual military family. They both served in the military until after they married and Andrea became pregnant with their first child. Shortly after finding out they were going to have a baby, Derek deployed to Iraq. He was a Corpsman serving in Fallujah when the ambulance he was driving was hit by a vehicle born IED.
Derek and Andrea’s lives were drastically changed in that moment. They have traveled a very long and challenging path as a married couple and as new parents, but their determination seems tireless. Derek has since worked with the National Pain Foundation and he has written a book about his experience with pain — a book he hopes will help returning Veterans who suffer with chronic pain. His book is called Exit Wounds and can be found at painfoundation.org click on the link to the left for military veterans with pain.
In this interview Andrea shares how she was able to face the worst times and how much the support of her family and her military family meant to her along the way.
No Comments »
By Claire
Posted in Spouse and Family
Hooah! mail will soon be available in Afghanistan. It’s a fast and easy way to get letters quickly to your loved one who is deployed. Check out the following article found in the Stars and Stripes archives:
Hooah! Postal service to speed up for soldiers in Afghanistan
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Friday, November 20, 2009
EXCERPT
Snail mail going to people deployed to Afghanistan could flow a little quicker starting next month.
The U.S. Army is spending $500,000 to launch HooahMail, a service starting Dec. 1 in which family and friends can send letters electronically to anyone serving in Afghanistan, Bill Hilsher, the Army’s postal program manager, said.
Participants can register immediately online to have some personal letters delivered in as little as 24 hours — a far cry from the roughly 14 days it now can take, Hilsher said. And it’s free.
Here’s how it works: Family and friends set up an account via www.hooahmail.us and enter the recipient’s information and downrange mailing address. With the push of the “send” button, encrypted letters are sent to the servers of designated machines in one of 10 locations in Afghanistan. At least once a day, Army postal clerks switch on the machines, which print, fold and seal the letters in addressed envelopes for delivery through the in-country military postal system.
“At no time while the postal soldier is downloading the message can the message be read,” ensuring privacy, Hilsher said. Writers can also send one photograph, which will be printed in black and white.
READ MORE
No Comments »
By Claire
Posted in Spouse and Family
I picked my youngest son up from the airport the other night. It was a test of my own nerve since I had to brave a winter storm to get to him. We stayed the night near the airport since we were snowed in, and we had fun catching up with one another.
He has changed. The changes are good and they are changes we were expecting. He stands a little taller. His voice is a little raspy. He is more appreciative of family and friends. When you spend that time in TraDoc away from the creature comforts you once took for granted, you learn fast how much your family did for you.
One of my favorite nights was the night after he came in. We had trudged through the winter wonderland and made it back home (thank God for salt trucks and plows!) Our home was one of the fortunate ones to have power on so Nate stayed here with us instead of his place, and his grandparents came to visit and stay in the heated home too.
After supper that night Nate sat with his dad and grandfather and he got to tell them his Army training stories. This is the third time I have got to sit and listen. I love it. I love to hear the stories and to hear about the bonding that happens in a successful time of training. We heard stories of failure, success, and of the times when Nate didn’t feel like he could go on another minute — but he did.
This is one of the rites in our family. My husband and older son had their moment, and now my youngest son has had his too. It was neat to see three generations of Army soldiers sitting at the table sharing stories, listening to Nate’s boot camp experience, and hearing the changes in the Army since the end of WWII.
This may be the last time I hear stories of BCT, but I am sure more stories from AIT and then onto what he will be doing in his Reserve Unit will still come. We will have another time around the table when Mike comes home from Iraq next year.
The stories keep me connected. They give me thing to ponder, things to imagine and mostly they give me hope of stories to come in the future.
No Comments »
By CJ
Posted in Blogroll, Life in the Military
There are all kinds of bloggers out there. Even within the military community, there are various kinds. There are the actual milbloggers who are serving or have served. There are the spouse bloggers, like the fine ladies at SpouseBuzz. And then there are the family bloggers.
I recently found out about a blogger named Laurie Tishler Mindlin. Laurie didn’t serve in the military, but her son does.
This blog helps Laurie Tishler Mindlin understand her son’s new world. She named the blog after her son, who enlisted two years after he graduated from Needham High School. It is called Corey Mindlin US Army.
Oct. 18, 2009: Today we had some team-building stuff that went well, and we’re starting to come together. I am trying to take on somewhat of a leadership role, and it’s going well. My feet are killing me from breaking in 3 pairs of boots, my legs are shot, and all I want is a Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich and a Coke.
When the son started thinking about enlisting, he broke the news to his mother in installments. First he told her that he was meeting a recruiter. Then he said he was getting a physical. Finally, he sat down with her and told her he wanted to join the Army.
Check out Kathleen Burge’s Boston Globe story. To any of you mothers out there, does this sound familiar:
She loves his letters and she is proud of her son, proud that he has found the strength to get through these grueling months, proud that he has stuck with his choice. But she is a mother, so she worries.
She worries that he does not get enough to eat. She worries because he has been sick. But mostly, she worries about what will happen after he finishes basic training, and medic training, and gets deployed.
You can also read more about Corey Mindlin on the blog.
No Comments »
December 18, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized
I want to take a moment to thank all of those that are participating in the BlogOut on behalf of free speech generally and me specifically. The selflessness show by each of these bloggers, both within and without the milblogging community, has inspired and humbled me. For much of the past year, I have been fighting for Soldiers’ rights to freedom of speech. I have always resisted the mindset that when Soldiers join the Army they surrender their rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that the way in which we EXERCISE those rights is somewhat restricted, but we don’t lose them. Every enlisted member of the military signed a DD Form 4/1, or enlistment contract. On page two of that document, it states that “many laws, regulations, and military customs will govern my conduct and require me to do things a civilian does not have to do.” Many use this little clause to justify the mentality that we are troops 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and that’s true – to a point. But, that doesn’t mean that EVERYTHING I do in my life is subject to military oversight. I am allowed to have hobbies, pick and choose my friends, and join civic groups and clubs. But, I’m not allowed to break laws and must abide by additional rules and regulations that are dictated by my employment in the military. These include the uniform code of military justice, army regulations, and DOD directives.
No Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine surrenders their free speech rights. Officers, of course, fall under different sets of rules. For example, Article 88 states of the Manual of Courts Martial states
“Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”
Now, that doesn’t give Soldiers the right to use “contemptuous words” against our elected officials, but who decides what “contemptuous words” are? Is any disagreement with an elected official “contemptuous?” Is only certain kinds of disagreement? In my mind, writing about what an elected official says and then highlighting what that elected official DID in contrast to what they said is not “contemptuous” in any way. If someone has lied to the American people and I can prove it, how is it contemptuous to call that person a liar? I see nothing “contemptuous” about calling for the wholesale firing of Congress through the democratic process.
But, beginning in April, I started coming under attack for talking about those very things. Interestingly, the complaints came from blogs that were posted PRIOR TO being invited to the Obama White House. As a matter of fact, while speaking to WH officials, they even acknowledged that we had disagreements, but I was invited anyway.
An IG complaint was filed around that time and after a three month investigation into my blogging came to the conclusion that I was guilty of subversion and using my rank or position to solicit votes for a political cause, both, I maintain, are absolutely ludicrous. After months of trying to get the results of the bogus IG complaint, I finally obtained a copy of it. Interesting what an Army Times article can accomplish. I’ve since forwarded that nearly 100-page document to my military lawyer for advice on how to move forward on that front. Suffice it to say that everything that could possibly be taken out of context when separated from the post as a whole WAS taken out of context and used in a vindictive, political manner. The school issue is a whole other problem that adds to the problems with poor leadership.
I want to personally thank all the military and civilian bloggers out there that have taken up this cause and support me and my family through this difficult time. It’s been humbling to see the outpouring of support from across the country and around the world. My inbox has exploded with positive and encouraging words of support (and some not-so-supportive). I will never be able to repay what you have done for me, but I will never give up trying! Thank you.
2 Comments »
December 17, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized
Marine Corps Rules:
1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won’t work.
5. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a ’4.’
7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral & diagonal preferred.)
9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10… Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
11… Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12… In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
13… If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.
Navy SEAL’s Rules:
1. Look very cool in sunglasses.
2. Kill every living thing within view.
3. Adjust Speedo.
4. Check hair in mirror.
US Army Rangers Rules:
1. Walk in 50 miles wearing 75 pound rucksack while starving.
2. Locate individuals requiring killing.
3. Request permission via radio from ‘Higher’ to perform killing.
4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.
5. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75 pound rucksack while starving.
US Army Rules:
1. Curse bitterly when receiving operational order.
2. Make sure there is extra ammo and extra coffee.
3. Curse bitterly.
4. Curse bitterly.
5. Do not listen to 2nd LTs; it can get you killed.
6. Curse bitterly.
US Air Force Rules:
1. Have a ****tail.
2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.
3. See what’s on HBO.
4. Ask ‘What is a gunfight?’
5. Request more funding from Congress with a ‘killer’ Power Point presentation.
6. Wine & dine ”key’ Congressmen, invite DOD & defense industry executives.
7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets.
8. Declare the assets ‘strategic’ and never deploy them operationally.
9. Hurry to make 13:45 tee-time.
10. Make sure the base is as far as possible from the conflict but close enough to have tax exemption.
( And I Love This Next One)
US Navy Rules:
1. Go to Sea.
2. Drink Coffee.
3. Deploy Marines
2 Comments »
December 16, 2009 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Uncategorized
You Served is participating in a call to have supporting milblogs go ‘silent’, in honor of our longtime friend and contributor CJ Grisham.
While we’ve featured CJ’s story prominently here on You Served, you can follow the situation in these places.
Milblogs Go Silent
Soldier Defense Fund – Donate to CJ’s Cause
Milblog readers have been encouraged to contact their representatives regarding CJ’s plight and the importance of military blogs in our society. They are an important voice in America facing increased scrutiny from the military brass. Let your voice be heard!
You Served is going quiet for now.
(image: manunited)
7 Comments »
December 15, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Life in the Military, Military History, soldier of the week
Faced with split-second decisions regarding life and death, Soldiers are trained to evaluate the situation and act in the next moment, knowing that their decision will affect not only themselves, but other Soldiers in their unit. On Jan. 5, 2009, Maj. Troy Scott was faced with one such decision, and acted without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own personal safety.
On what was supposed to be a routine site inspection in the Ghanzi Providence of Afghanistan, his patrol unit came under an attack from insurgents. When a grenade was thrown from a nearby rooftop, Scott risked his own life to save the lives his Soldiers. After throwing the grenade away from his fellow Soldiers before it detonated, he used his own body to shield a Soldier from the blast.
As a result, Scott sustained shrapnel wounds and dislocated his right shoulder that prevented him from firing with his dominant arm, but remained focused on the mission. After hearing the detonation, other Soldiers in the unit responded and were able to capture seven of the insurgents. Despite his injury, Scott led several other Soldiers in a foot chase to capture additional insurgents, as well as a substantial cache of bomb-making materials and ammunition.
In addition to receiving the Purple Heart, Scott has been nominated for the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions that day, as well as the Silver Star Medal for his exceptionally valorous actions while engaged in ground combat earlier in his deployment. Additionally, the Soldier was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service and leadership throughout the year-long deployment. However, like most Soldiers, he does not consider himself a hero.
“Im not sure if that day was any more dangerous than the other 400 days during my deployment. I witnessed a lot of heroic acts on a nearly daily basis from American, Polish and Afghani troops,” said Scott.
In conjunction with the National Guard State Partnership Program, more than a dozen members of the Illinois National Guard serve with thousands of Polish troops in the Ghazni Providence of Afghanistan. Working side-by-side with the Polish leadership, Scott served as the senior advisor to Task Force White Eagle and developed close bonds with many of the Polish troops.
“I was very happy with the time spent with them. They are all very well equipped and trained; they are great war fighters. At the unit level, they were as good as any force I have ever seen,” he said.
Scott currently resides in Springfield, Ill., with his wife and young son. He currently serves full-time with the Illinois National Guard as the Chief of Strategic Planning Division. After returning from his deployment, he keeps in touch with many of the Polish troops he worked with and has traveled to Poland several times. In the coming years, Scott anticipates another deployment to Afghanistan and looks forward to the chance to serve alongside the Polish Army again.
1 Comment »
