I’m in San Diego this week on vacation. Who knows if I’ll be throwing up blog posts or not. Since my track record has been a little thin lately, I’m guessing I’ll get maybe one in.

In the meantime, here’s something for you to chew on:

Exit question - So if Americans have far greater confidence in the military than in Congress, why aren’t our politicians listening to our military leaders on subjects dealing with the prosecution of the war, instead of painting them as the villains?

But, he’s the Goreacle, and it’s perfectly OK for him to blow through lots of energy, as long as he’s telling everyone else to conserve. Limousine Liberal hypocrisy at it’s best!

The boys at Red State Update have their own take on the situation:

Vigilant Guard is a national-level exercise, designed to practice the stand-up of an entire state’s National Guard (in this case, Nevada’s), plus bring in Army and Air National Guard units and assets from the adjoining states. In addition, police and fire fighters from the local communities get involved. In all, seven states participated in some fashion or extent.

C-130s are ancient aircraft, first coming into use in the U.S. military in 1954. As a result, they are not the most modern or comfortable forms of transportation. For example, seating is elbow-to-your-buddy’s-ribs tight, and on very uncomfortable web seats. The bathroom facilities consist of a urinal in the back of the plane that affords extremely minimal privacy - just enough to hide what you are whipping out. For men, you’ve got one hand on your johnson and one hand on a bulkhead as you sway with the movement of the plane, hoping your stream doesn’t spray onto the floor as you attempt to hit a three-inch deep urinal pan. For women, forget it. You better be able to hold it for the duration or be prepared to do some significant contortions.

In our case, we were also bringing our vehicles which are civilian GSA vehicles (all Chevrolet), built up to accommodate the HazMat gear, communications, operations, or medical requirements of the team’s sections. Interestingly, there was not enough room in the aircraft after our trucks were loaded for the flight crew to install the seats, so we were actually able to avoid the aforementioned web seating and actually ride inside our trucks. That was a first for me.

We made to Reno around 0930 and began the JRSOI process. It’s a long acronym, so suffice it to say they checked us in and told us where to go. Then, it was off to hook up with the Nevada 92nd Civil Support Team we were supporting.

The earthquake scenario had us investigating a destroyed building for possible chemical hazards, in preparation for follow-on forces of rescue teams to search the rubble for survivors. That’s not a standard CST mission. CSTs generally work with police departments to work terrorist or criminal events involving suspected or real weapons of mass destruction - biological, chemical, or radiological weapons. That kind of mission requires slow, methodical work. This mission required us to move very quickly and ignore many of the protocols we’re used to. As a result, there were some conflicts between what we’re trained to do, and what was being expected of us. Eventually, we got it worked out. But obviously, there were some real lessons learned.

The National Guard is really the first Department of Defense formation that will likely respond to a major incident in this country. I’m glad to see how proactive we’ve been with these kinds of exercises - to include aiding in natural disasters that fall outside our standard missions of battling our nation’s enemies.

Soldiers sometimes balk at these kinds of things, as they are primarily trained to kill the enemy - not help civilians with flooding. When I was younger, I felt the same way. But now, as I see how my own organization helps local communities and my state, I realize what a powerful force for good the military can be.

For those of you who slept through World History 101 here is a condensed version. Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were:
1. The invention of beer, and
2. The invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer, and the beer to the man.

These facts formed the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:
1. Liberals
2. Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That’s how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to BBQ at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly BBQ’s and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement.

Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as girlie-men.

Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy and group hugs, the evolution of the Hollywood actor, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide all the meat and beer that conservatives provided.

Over the years, Conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting evolutionary side note: most liberal women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals.

Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, firemen, lumberjacks, construction workers, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, Marines, and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for noth ing.

Here ends today’s lesson in world history.

I’ll be in Reno, NV this weekend for a huge natural disaster exercise called Vigilant Guard. We’re flying our gear, vehicles, and ourselves out on Air Force C-130s. Then, it’s 24-hour operations through Sunday when we fly back home the same way.

I anticipate very limited time to play with this hobby of mine. So, in the meantime, I leave you with something any red-blooded American male wants to see - hot babes firing automatic weapons. Heck, it’s even educational (I’m serious) - so you ladies and boy-loving Taliban can watch too!

I’m sure you’ve notice a big lag once again in posts. I just moved into a new home and I didn’t have the internet up and going until now.

I’ll be working hard to bring the snarkiness level back up to acceptable standards, as soon as possible.

You know, there’s a reason Marines are often thought of as the less cerebral members of the U.S. military…(I know, someone will now send me a link to a video of an Army soldier doing something as similarly stupid.)

BTW - This is funny as hell.

(H/T - Dollard)

I say, let the sum-bitch have it.

He and four other detainees accused of plotting al-Qaida’s 2001 attack were at turns cordial and defiant at their arraignment, the first U.S. attempt to try in court those believed to be directly responsible for killing 2,973 people in the bloodiest terrorist attack ever on U.S. soil. All five said they did not want attorneys and would represent themselves.

(snip)

The arraignment, in which no pleas were entered, indicated that hatred for the United States among some of the defendants remains at a boil.

One defendant said he deeply regrets not joining the hijackers who crashed passenger airliners into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.

“I have been seeking martyrdom for five years,” said Ramzi Binalshibh, the alleged main intermediary between the 19 hijackers and al-Qaida leaders. “I tried for 9/11 to get a visa but I could not.”

Asked if he understands that he could be executed if found guilty, Binalshibh said: “If this martyrdom happens today, I welcome it. God is great. God is great. God is great.”

I’m thinking a good ol’ fashioned hanging is appropriate.

The article goes on to cite issues with waterboarding, how evidence obtained from “torture” will not be admitted into evidence, and of course, a snide remark by a gomer from the American Civil Liberties Union reference the fact that several defendants refused to accept their military defense attorneys:

“It hardly comes as any surprise that after holding individuals in solitary confinement for five years and subjecting them to torture, these detainees would reject the legal system and offers to represent them,” said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union in New York.

Whatever. All of these bastards have admitted to participating in either the planning or logistical functions of the 9/11 attacks. They’ve even admitted it in court.

Let’s do the right thing by law, try them in a upright legal fashion, and if convicted, help these goat-effers meet their dark-eyed virgins they seem so desperate to meet - as slowly and as painfully as possible.

(Content warning)

(Content warning)

His method of murder? What every good thug in the U.K. carries these days since guns are hard to come by - a big ass knife. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, as they say. From the BBC:

The 20-year-old man was being held on suspicion of murder, police said. It is thought he had been arrested earlier in the day over another stabbing.

(snip)

Mrs Regan set up a Leeds branch of Mothers Against Guns after her son Danny, 25, was shot at his home in Haydock, near St Helens, Merseyside in December 2002. His killer has not been found.

She had met government officials to discuss how to tackle the problems of guns and gang-related crime.

(snip)

In February, Mrs Regan was involved with the launch of a DVD warning about the dangers of gun and knife gang culture.

Speaking at the time, she said: “Things are reaching a critical point. Kids are dying before us, but we shouldn’t have to bury our own children.”

In the same month, Mrs Regan was at the then Prime Minister Tony Blair’s side at a Downing Street summit on tackling problems relating to gang-related crime.

So, you helped remove guns from the hands of law-abiding citizens and thugs without the ability to pay for one. And what did it get you?

Criminals are criminals. They are going to do what they feel they have to do. If they can’t get their hands on a gun, they’ll find another way to threaten ordinary citizenry. With the difficulty in getting guns in the U.K., kitchen knives have become the weapon of choice - so much so that there are now laws in the U.K. controlling who can purchase and own a kitchen knife, and even if the knife should be pointed or not. Where does it end?

Regan helped destroy her fellow citizens’ ability to defend themselves against those thugs, and in the process just caused a new form of murder and mayhem.

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Welcome to the White House.

A week ago on Memorial Day, the flag of the United States flew in half-staff in tribute to those who fell in service to our country. Today we pay special homage to one of those heroes: Private First Class Ross Andrew McGinnis of the U.S. Army. Private McGinnis died in a combat zone in Iraq on December the 4th, 2006 –- and for his heroism that day, he now receives the Medal of Honor.

In a few moments, the military aide will read the citation, and the Medal will be accepted by Ross’s mom and dad, Romayne and Tom. It’s a privilege to have with us as well Becky and Katie, Ross’s sisters.

I also want to thank the other distinguished guests who have joined us: Mr. Vice President; Secretary Jim Peake of Veterans Affairs; Secretary Pete Geren of the Army; Secretary Michael Wynne of the Air Force; General Jim “Hoss” Cartwright, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. I appreciate other members of the administration for joining us.

I want to thank members of the United States Congress who have joined us today: Steve Buyer, John Peterson, Louie Gohmert. Thank you all for coming. I appreciate the Chaplain for the prayer. We welcome friends and family members of Ross, as well as members of the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, including Charlie Company, that’s with us today.

We’re also joined by Private McGinnis’s vehicle crew

-– the very men who witnessed his incredible bravery. We welcome Sergeant First Class Cedric Thomas, Staff Sergeant Ian Newland, Sergeant Lyle Buehler, and Specialist Sean Lawson.

A special welcome to the prior recipients of the Medal of Honor, whose presence here is — means a lot to the McGinnis family. Thank you for coming.

The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military distinction. It’s given for valor beyond anything that duty could require, or a superior could command. By long tradition, it’s presented by the President. For any President, doing so is a high privilege.

Before he entered our country’s history, Ross McGinnis came of age in the town of Knox, Pennsylvania. Back home they remember a slender boy with a big heart and a carefree spirit. He was a regular guy. He loved playing basketball. He loved working on cars. He wasn’t too wild about schoolwork. (Laughter.) He had a lot of friends and a great sense of humor. In high school and in the Army, Ross became known for his ability to do impersonations. A buddy from boot camp said that Ross was the only man there who could make the drill sergeant laugh. (Laughter.)

Most of all, those who knew Ross McGinnis recall him as a dependable friend and a really good guy. If Ross was your buddy and you needed help or you got in trouble, he’d stick with you and be the one you could count on. One of his friends told a reporter that Ross was the type “who would do anything for anybody.”

That element of his character was to make all the difference when Ross McGinnis became a soldier in the Army. One afternoon 18 months ago, Private McGinnis was part of a humvee patrol in a neighborhood of Baghdad. From his position in the gun turret, he noticed a grenade thrown directly at the vehicle. In an instant, the grenade dropped through the gunner’s hatch. He shouted a warning to the four men inside. Confined in that tiny space, the soldiers had no chance of escaping the explosion. Private McGinnis could have easily jumped from the humvee and saved himself. Instead he dropped inside, put himself against the grenade, and absorbed the blast with his own body.

By that split-second decision, Private McGinnis lost his own life, and he saved his comrades. One of them was Platoon Sergeant Cedric Thomas, who said this: “He had time to jump out of the truck. He chose not to. He’s a hero. He was just an awesome guy.” For his actions, Private McGinnis received the Silver Star, a posthumous promotion in rank, and a swift nomination for the Medal of Honor. But it wasn’t acclaim or credit that motivated him. Ross’s dad has said, “I know medals never crossed his mind. He was always about friendships and relationships. He just took that to the ultimate this time.”

When Ross McGinnis was in kindergarten, the teacher asked him to draw a picture of what he wanted to be when he grew up. He drew a soldier. Today our nation recognizing — recognizes him as a soldier, and more than that –- because he did far more than his duty. In the words of one of our commanding generals, “Four men are alive because this soldier embodied our Army values and gave his life.”

The day will come when the mission he served has been completed and the fighting is over, and freedom and security have prevailed. America will never forget those who came forward to bear the battle. America will always honor the name of this brave soldier who gave all for his country, and was taken to rest at age 19.

No one outside this man’s family can know the true weight of their loss. But in words spoken long ago, we are told how to measure the kind of devotion that Ross McGinnis showed on his last day: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Gospel also gives this assurance: “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” May the deep respect of our whole nation be a comfort to the family of this fallen soldier. May God always watch over the country he served, and keep us ever grateful for the life of Ross Andrew McGinnis.

And now I’d like to invite Mr. and Mrs. McGinnis to please come forward for the presentation, and the military aide will read the citation for the Medal of Honor.

The citation is read: The President of the United States of America, authorized by act of Congress, March 3rd, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an M2 .50-caliber Machine Gunner, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq, on 4 December 2006.

That afternoon his platoon was conducting combat control operations in an effort to reduce and control sectarian violence in the area. While Private McGinnis was manning the M2 .50-caliber Machine Gun, a fragmentation grenade thrown by an insurgent fell through the gunner’s hatch into the vehicle. Reacting quickly, he yelled “grenade,” allowing all four members of his crew to prepare for the grenade’s blast. Then, rather than leaping from the gunner’s hatch to safety, Private McGinnis made the courageous decision to protect his crew. In a selfless act of bravery, in which he was mortally wounded, Private McGinnis covered the live grenade, pinning it between his body and the vehicle and absorbing most of the explosion.

Private McGinnis’ gallant action directly saved four men from certain serious injury or death. Private First Class McGinnis’ extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

While Washington’s attention has been fixed elsewhere, military analysts have watched with astonishment as the Iraqi government and army have gained control for the first time of the port city of Basra and the sprawling Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, routing the Shiite militias that have ruled them for years and sending key militants scurrying to Iran. At the same time, Iraqi and U.S. forces have pushed forward with a long-promised offensive in Mosul, the last urban refuge of al-Qaeda. So many of its leaders have now been captured or killed that U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, renowned for his cautious assessments, said that the terrorists have “never been closer to defeat than they are now.”

You wouldn’t know that by reading the news, mostly because good news generally generates no news.

Iraq passed a turning point last fall when the U.S. counterinsurgency campaign launched in early 2007 produced a dramatic drop in violence and quelled the incipient sectarian war between Sunnis and Shiites. Now, another tipping point may be near, one that sees the Iraqi government and army restoring order in almost all of the country, dispersing both rival militias and the Iranian-trained “special groups” that have used them as cover to wage war against Americans. It is — of course — too early to celebrate; though now in disarray, the Mahdi Army of Moqtada al-Sadr could still regroup, and Iran will almost certainly seek to stir up new violence before the U.S. and Iraqi elections this fall. Still, the rapidly improving conditions should allow U.S. commanders to make some welcome adjustments — and it ought to mandate an already-overdue rethinking by the “this-war-is-lost” caucus in Washington, including Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

I’m not holding my breath on that last point. What I’ve noticed from the liberal blogs is that a lull in the action just gives them another excuse to bring all the troops out.

Gen. Petraeus pointed out that attacks in Iraq hit a four-year low in mid-May and that Iraqi forces were finally taking the lead in combat and on multiple fronts at once — something that was inconceivable a year ago. As a result the Iraqi government of Nouri al-Maliki now has “unparalleled” public support, as Gen. Petraeus put it, and U.S. casualties are dropping sharply. Eighteen American soldiers died in May, the lowest total of the war and an 86 percent drop from the 126 who died in May 2007.

What the Post points out, and I agree, is that any U.S. withdrawals should be linked to continued improvement in the situation and the Iraqi government’s ability to manage its own internal security operations. The assertions by some that we should just pull out now, without any thought to leaving a stable condition, remain as fool-hardy now as they were when they were first postulated at the beginning of this war.

(Via Hot Air)

But I REALLY love it when the dumb son’s-of-a-bitch do it to themselves!

(Via Jawa)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_YTM_eAWnQ

This is one of those videos that had tears rolling down my cheeks before I was half-way through it.

In round one, Lee came out swinging at Director Clint Eastwood’s WWII films, “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Letters from Iwo Jima,” claiming that Eastwood “erased the role of black GIs from history.” Lee tried on his self-righteous air of moral certitude and labeled Eastwood a racist. “Many black veterans who fought in Iwo Jima were hurt that there was no representation of them in both of those films,” Lee said in an interview in Rome last year.

Ah, Spike. We all know you see yourself as the representative of all African-Americans, but in reality, you’re a dumb ass.

Round two began as the blow fell upon Eastwood in an interview with Focus magazine. Why was Eastwood such a racist, they wondered? Eastwood, momentarily rocked on his heels, came back with a knock out blow showing the world that, aging or not, he was still faster and smarter than the bespeckled, racemongering Lee.

“Does he know anything about American history?” Eastwood told Focus when asked about Lee’s criticism. “The U.S. military was segregated til the Korean War, and the blacks in World War Two were totally segregated. The only black battalion on Iwo Jima was a small munitions supply unit that came to the beach.

“The story was about the men who raised the flag and we can’t make them black if they were not there. So tell him: Why don’t you go back and study your history and stop mouthing off!”

Hey Spike, throw out the race card if you feel it’s appropriate. But please, know what the hell you’re talking about before you do.

However, some of the units surrounding us were not so lucky. So, in remembrance of those brave souls who gave their all for their country, both in this global war on terrorism and those conflicts that proceeded it, I respectfully submit the following:

MEMORIAL DAY

( More than just a day off work )

M is for the memory we have of those who put their lives on the line to give us the freedom and privilege of living in this blessed nation….

E is for the enduring gratitude we have for the sacrifices these men and women make for those who stayed at home….

M is for the merit we recognize in those who serve our nation when such service comes at such a high price….

O is for the obedience we honor when those in uniform follow orders that may, and many times do, cost them their lives….

R is for the reverence we give to the thoughts we have on this day, or any day, when we remember those who give so much….

I is for the integrity we salute when those in uniform stand up for all of us even when some of us do not stand up for them….

A is for the allegiance we have to the nation that these brave warriors fight and die for….

L is for the love that goes with those who are in harms way, and who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for you and me….

Offered respectfully by,
W. Larry Chapman, Jr.
Capt. USMC - Vietnam Era

Iraqi troops take charge of Sadr City in swift push - Best of all, except for some U.S. Army helicopter reconnaissance, this was entirely an Iraqi Army operation. This is a good sign that the Iraqi Army can operate on its own, and doesn’t require the U.S. military to hold their hands.

Via Gateway Pundit, Iraqi forces will take control of security by year’s end - That’s a bold statement, and I don’t entirely believe it, but the Iraqi President seems to think it’s true.

Suleimaniya, May 20, (VOI) - The Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Tuesday expected Iraqi forces would take control of security by the end of this year.

Speaking in press briefing at Suleimaniya airport before flying to Baghdad, Talabani said “Iraqi forces have been progressing and enhancing their combat capabilities to take control of security of all Iraqi territories.”

“Next year will witness a remarkable improvement in security across the country,” he added.

Finally, the US military killed Mahdi Army commander Arkan Hasnawi in May 3 strike -

The US military killed a senior member of the Mahdi Army, according US and Mahdi Army sources. Arkan Hasnawi, a senior lieutenant of the Mahdi Army commander in Sadr City, was killed in a guided rocket strike in Sadr City on May 3. The news of Hasnawi’s death comes as details emerge on the senior leadership of the Mahdi Army in Baghdad and the blurring of the lines between Sadr’s militia and the Special Groups.

Hasnawi was among several senior Mahdi Army leaders killed or wounded in the GLMRS strike on a Mahdi Army command and control center that was placed next to the Sadr Hospital inside Sadr City, according to a report in The Washington Post. The command and control center, called “Tahseen’s trailer” by US troops after Tahseen al Freiji, the senior Mahdi Army commander in Sadr City, was used to direct Mahdi Army operations during the fighting from late March to mid May.

Arkan Hasnawi was a brigade commander in Sadr’s Mahdi Army. He fought against US and Iraqi forces in Najaf in 2003 and 2004 and has been linked to multiple attacks on US and Iraq security forces in Baghdad. He runs a network of Mahdi Army fighters in the Sha’ab neighborhood, just east of Sadr City. The US military and Iraqi security forces fought pitched battles against the Hasnawi network in February, and killed a senior lieutenant of Hasnawi and scores of fighters in the organization.

Hasnawi was behind the kidnapping of Shia and Sunni tribal leaders in Diyala province in October 2007. His network was also behind the kidnapping of six Sons of Iraq from a checkpoint in Baghdad’s Ur neighborhood on Feb. 7.

TORONTO (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier who fought in Iraq before deserting and coming to Canada now faces deportation next month, but says he shouldn’t be returned to the United States to face “unjust punishment.”

Corey Glass, 25, learned on Wednesday that his application to remain in Canada has been rejected and he now must willingly return to the United States by June 12 or be deported.

“I don’t think it is fair that I should be returned to the United States to face unjust punishment for doing what I felt morally obligated to do,” Glass told reporters on Wednesday.

Hey A**wipe, you went home on leave from Iraq, and never came back. That’s desertion, and as far as I’m concerned, you should be doing lots and lots of years in a prison cell - being an enormous man’s prison “wife”.

“When I joined the National Guard, they told me the only way I would be in combat is if there were troops occupying the United States,” he said.

You joined in 2002. We were already fighting in Afghanistan. Why would you think you the National Guard wouldn’t be involved?

But in 2005, he was deployed to a U.S. base in Iraq, where he worked in military intelligence.

“Through this job I had access to lots of information about what was happening on the ground in Iraq,” he said. “Through what I saw, I realized innocent people were being killed unjustly.”

He said he tried to quit the military, but his commander told him he was simply suffering from stress and needed downtime, he said.

Yeah, it’s hard to quit the military while you’re in the middle of a war zone - go figure.

He went home on leave and said he was not coming back.

And for that, you should rot.

But, this is the New York Times, so instead it comes from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Human Rights Watch. So you know what that means.

Public schools serve as prime recruiting grounds for the military, and the U.S. military’s generally accepted procedures for recruitment of high school students plainly violate” internationally negotiated norms, according to the ACLU’s “Soldiers of Misfortune,” report released last week.

Hmm, I remember being heavily recruited by the Marine Corp when I was a junior in high school, and that was in 1982! So how is this a new thing?

U.S. law permits recruiting at 17 and frontline deployment at 18. A key international treaty sets the same standards.

So how are we in the wrong?

The United States is one of 63 nations that permit the recruiting of minors into the national armed forces, although only a handful allow soldiers under the age of 17 to deploy to a combat situation, according to the new Human Rights Watch report released this morning on the global use of child soldiers.

Again, we’ve been doing this for decades. They’re just now figuring this out?

Three thousand middle schools offer Junior ROTC clubs, which the ACLU says reach out to children as young as 14.

Right, and do you know what they teach those kids? Citizenship, and a better understanding of the armed forces. Of course, the military is shown to be a viable career option, but no one is forced to join. In fact, the vast majority don’t. Again, JROTC has been around for decades.

“The added strain of fulfilling enlistment quotas necessary to carry out sustained U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan without reinstituting a draft has contributed to a rise in aggressive recruitment efforts and allegations of misconduct and abuse by recruiters,” the ACLU found.

(snip)

The GAO found substantiated “recruiter irregularities” increased from just over 400 to 630 incidents between 2004 and 2005, and that criminal violations more than doubled, to 70 incidents, in that time. Irregularities spike at the end of the month, when targets are not met.

No doubt that recruiting is difficult, and some recruiters do unethical things to meet their quotas, but again, that’s been going on the entire time I’m been in - 20 years. Those guys, when they are caught, are prosecuted under the UCMJ. Tellingly, the report makes no claim that the irregularities had anything to do with recruiting 17-year-olds, but appears to be across the spectrum of age groups.

Basically, this is a lot of garbage that’s composed of complaints about policies and programs that have existed for years. Or, it attacks policies that are in compliance with what the majority of the world has accepted. In all, a weak attempt by the liberal anti-war left to undermine the military and the war effort.

No, it turns out being obese as a tweenager causes some screwed up hormone imbalances that cause these boys to grow real, honest-to-goodness breasts, boobs, chi-chi’s, ta-ta’s, dirty pillows, teats, tits…well, you get the idea.

From the Times Online:

Obesity has been blamed for the growing problem of “boy-boobs” – cases of teenage boys with breasts so well developed that surgery is needed to reduce them.

Doctors at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool say that they are seeing dozens of teenagers every year with gynaecomastia, the condition in which males develop breasts.

(snip)

While some boys are simply fat, giving the appearance that they have breasts, those who develop gynaecomastia face a greater problem: the growth of firm female breast tissue under the nipples, Mr Duncan said. This condition is caused by a hormone imbalance during adolescence and in many cases resolves itself naturally. There is some evidence that the imbalance can be triggered by obesity.

So, you’d think these boys would wake up and start losing weight, right? Nah, why bother with that when you can pay someone an enormous amount of money to take care of the problem.

“We try to teach these boys about making lifestyle adjustments, like getting them to go to the gym, but they just won’t go. They become very self-conscious and it can start to affect their ability to socialise and concentrate at school. Often they are bullied. To rectify the problem for them we basically use liposuction to remove the glandular and breast tissue and fat from around the chest to give a flatter appearance.”

After having read it, I have to admit that they make some good points, but leave little at the end by way of intelligent suggestions for improvement - which is pretty much what I expected.

First, there’s the laundry list of issues, of which most of us are aware:

Repeated, long deployments have put unsustainable stress on troops and pose significant risk to the all-volunteer military.

Got it, and it’s true. Some service members have done upwards of four tours already.

The Army has already had to reduce its standards to meet recruitment quotas. In 2007, only 79 percent of recruits had high school diplomas, down from 92 percent in 2003. The Army is also granting an increasing number of so-called “moral” waivers — given to recruits with criminal histories ranging from marijuana use to felony convictions.

Obviously, they quote statistics well. I’d like to point out however, that ALL the services have been hitting their recruiting goals. Despite the fact that the war in Iraq isn’t particularly popular, young men and women are signing up in droves. In the Army National Guard of my own state, we’ve been able to exceed our target strength for over a year now. We’re actually turning people away from joining some units.

Their next point, which may actually be related to their first, deals with the specter of post-traumatic stress disorder, which is a serious problem and has been named in several recent tragic events involving returning soldiers and marines.

Nearly one-fifth of the troops — some 300,000 men and women — have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan reporting post-traumatic stress disorders; only half have sought mental health treatment, in part because many feel it will derail careers, according to a study by the RAND think tank. That leaves countless service members susceptible to depression and suicide.

I can’t argue this point. It’s a huge problem. I know the Army recognizes the issue and has been working on it. The medical community is geared up to tackle the problem and soldiers returning from overseas are required to be screened. But let’s face it, until these wars are over, we’re going to have soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines returning with these issues who are going to need help.

Next up, equipment…

With roughly half of its equipment deployed in Iraq under punishing conditions, the Army will need billions of dollars to re-equip its troops. The National Guard, whose primary task is to protect the homeland and respond to disasters, has only about 61 percent of its equipment because the rest is overseas.

Sadly, when these wars begin to wind down, military acquisition funding is going to dry up - which is what happened immediately after Desert Storm. Right now, while soldiers are being shot at, Congress and the country are pretty happy to keep funding the acquisition and/or repairs of equipment. I fear, however, that as soon as the shooting is done, military equipment purchases will be low on the list of priorities in Congress. Then, when the next war flares up, we’ll do what we’ve always done - play catch-up.

So what are the suggestions for improvement by the New York Times?

Fixing the military also will require a serious analysis of current and future threats, and a more rational procurement process…(It) will also mean ensuring that the military has a greater range and mix of capabilities, including more capacity for psychological operations, civil affairs and the training of foreign forces…Americans need, right now, to hear the candidates consider and debate these difficult issues.

Wow, they suggest “serious analysis” and “debate”. And, they throw in the usual “let the Special Forces do it” argument - which is what all the psychological operations, civil affairs and foreign forces training is all about.

Since the New York Times was thin in the suggestions for improvement department, here are my thoughts:

• The next war will not be like the last - despite what everyone seems to think. Iraq was not like Afghanistan. Iran will not be like Iraq. China will not be like Iran. We must have both powerful conventional forces along with counter-insurgency forces. Right now, the army is gutting its conventional forces in favor of counter-insurgency. I believe this to be a mistake, and will prove to be a detriment in the next conventional battlefield.
• Since money will of course be an issue, we should focus on bringing our forces back up to strength - replacing or rebuilding damaged equipment - rather than pour millions and billions into future weapons. We must field better gear than our potential adversaries, but we can’t let our current forces languish.
• The Pentagon must be more aggressive about tackling the PTSD issue. It’s an age-old problem and will certainly occur in the next war. We have to be prepared for it at the start.
• While it’s true that the military is forced to lower its standards when it must fill its ranks, this is a temporary fix to a temporary problem. When the shooting stops, the standards will rise - as they always have. The strange idea expressed by some liberals, that there needs to be a draft to somehow equalize the demographics of who serves, is ridiculous. Unpopular wars and the draft don’t mix - which is why we had so much social upheaval during the Vietnam War. Why would we want to put ourselves through that again? And if you think standards have been lowered now, just wait until we’re drafting people.