http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236?RS_show_page=0

Wow.  The thought that a four-star COIN expert would hand the Taliban an IO (information/influence operations) victory blows my mind.  I don't necessarily disagree with some of what is said, but the forum is wrong.

Or is it?

I refuse to believe he wasn't cognizant of how this ( Read more... )

Sahlaam Wa’laykum! I hope this finds everyone well and I apologize for my reticence of late. There have been a number of opportunities to write recently yet every time I sat in front of the computer, the words eluded me. How does one summarize the last 90 days as part of the lead element of the Afghanistan surge??? I can’t, at least in any ( Read more... )

Hey everyone *waves*. Just wanted to drop a quick line to let everyone know I made it into Afghanistan without losing any luggage or government property. This place is still the dump I remember, and quite frankly, it's only gotten worse. LJ continues to work faster than AKO (my email) and aside from it being really fricken early, there's NSTR ( ( Read more... )

Our Provincial Reconstruction Team convoyed up to Bagram Airfield (BAF) yesterday to pick up supplies and equipment.  While they were there, they ducked into the post office.  They discovered an obscene amount of undelivered mail for the FOB.  They loaded what they could into their vehicles before running out of room (about half of the amount that ( Read more... )

For the last couple of weeks, the colonel has preached about the need to monitor the local nationals that enter the FOB (forward operating base) to work.  I have noticed several of them eyeing the JOC (joint operations center) and adjacent areas in shady manners.  So the sergeant major has decided to make the FOB a salute area.  WTF?  I refuse to ( Read more... )

So I finally broke down and tried the Coors near beer(non-alcoholic) that they have here. It tastes just like Coors Light. Too bad I don't really like Coors Light anymore ( Read more... )

My friend 
( Read more... )

So I got a chance to talk to
( Read more... )

ok... so I landed in sunny Bagram Air Field earlier today, and man, this place is a shit hole. I am really surprised that the computer let me access LJ, and even more surprised that it works 10X faster than my email (which is why I haven't responded yet to a couple of letters)...

the flight wasn't bad... actually it was the best C130 flight I have ( Read more... )

So, T-minus 5 days 'til the light turns green and I am doing the duffle bag drag to the flight that will deliver DOOOOOM to Asscrackistan.  I talked to eric last night for about two hours... good conversations like that are what I will definitely miss the most.  As I am not sure what our electronic and digital capabilities will be in country, here' ( Read more... )