This is going to induce flashbacks for some of you . . . I know it did for me . . . S.L.
I wasn't in the Marines I was in the Army - started out Infantry; C-7-1 at Sand Hill, Fort Benning, Georgia.
Day One was like this only there were Drill Sgts everywhere; they swarmed us. What happened was our bus pulled up to the quad and this drill sergeant that looked like something out of a 1940s training film got on board and said, "YOU MOTHERF*CKERS HAVE GOT SIX SECONDS TO GET YOUR BAGS OUTTA THIS BUS AND GET THEM TO THE TOP OF THAT HILL AND THREE OF THEM ARE ALREADY GONE!!!"
We unloaded that bus faster than anything I have ever seen in my life. There was no cluster getting out bags out of the luggage compartments, either; somehow everybody got their gear and nobody wanted to be last up that hill - no matter what was waiting for us up there.
About three hours of pure Hell followed. The drill sergeants thrashed us, and it was just like in Full Metal Jacket; only when you're watching the movie you don't feel your arms falling off or your knees buckling or your back collapsing from all the stress positons. I remember being in the "front leaning rest" looking at the inch-deep puddle of sweat in front of me and thinking, "I didn't know sweat could stack that high." I remember being aware of the guy to my seven o'clock upchucking his lunch and the Drills alerted on him.
Then I heard, "HEY! HEY!!! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING PUKING ON MY CEMENT?!?!?" To this day I cannot believe what I saw next. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that Drill Sgt put his boot on the back of the puker's head, forcing his face into the puddle of puke, "LICK IT UP, PUKE! LICK IT UP!" and the poor sorry bastard was LICKING IT UP!
They smoked the living dogshit out of us. I remember thinking, "Holy Shit! I didn't know the Army HAD this!" If I had known, I would have gone ahead and joined the Marines and at least gotten the good uniform for my troubles.
At the time this movie came out, my girlfriend despaired at the boot camp scene. She didn't understand, had no perspective to appreciate what goes on in Basic Training. The Drills broke us down, got all our horrible civilian bad habits out of us. Then they built us up, made us strong and taught us to together work as a team. The military made me what I am today.
- STORMBRINGER SENDS
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
DUMB 1911 45ACP QUESTION
From the Mailbag:
Dear Uncle Stormy,
I'm thinking of getting a firearm to help defend my family. Yes, in will get professional training and qualification before bringing the weapon into my house, where it will be stored responsibly.
So my question is: is ~$1,000 about the going rate for a mod 1911 45 Acp?
Best regards,
J
My Reply:
In the Army I learned there IS such a thing as a stupid question but no question seeking information about guns is a stupid question.
Guns vary in price according to condition, availability and demand - overall they are a great investment because they always go up in price. The downside is they require storage, maintenance and are not easy to liquify when you need the money.
I bought my first 1911 - a variant known as a Colt M1991A1, the compact model - as a wedding present to myself back in 1994, for under $500. Even then this was a steal. A couple years ago I purchased a Remington R11 which is a modern copy of the first Government Model 1911 fielded in World War I; I paid under $900 for it - another great deal.
Read a well-written review on the R11 HERE
I am a traditionalist when it comes to handguns; to me the important thing is that it functions under harsh conditions without jamming, and I can draw fast from a concealed carry, in the dark from beneath layers of clothing. Tricked out sights, bells & whistles don't do it for me; my weapons are 100% utilitarian. Most engagements with handguns take place at 2-to-7 meters, and maximum effective range for a handgun is 25 meters. To me this means in a street situation, if it's further than that I'm going to either break contact or seek cover and wait for them to come to me. I can instinctive shoot and hit a human torso center mass at 15 meters practically without aiming; that's why I keep it simple with the sights, etc. Bottom line; none of my guns are Cadillacs they are all pickup trucks and tractors.
Regarding storage - all my guns are kept in a safe with the exception of my daily carry piece, which is with me all day and by my bedside at night, and my wife's .38 which is in her purse. I keep the ammo hidden away from the guns. When I carry these days, I do the "Israeli carry" - weapon in cold condition, w/o one in the chamber - I only lock-and-load if I percieve I have entered a threat environment. In the car, I don't even slap a mag into the weapon, on the grounds that I am already behind the wheel of the most lethal weapon known to man; the automobile, which has killed more people than even the Atom Bomb. If the situation gets so bad I have to launch bullets, I'll have time to weaponize my bullet launcher.
The 1911 is a great gun but it requires a bit of training; Glocks do not therefore most cops & private security forces carry Glocks. nothing against the Glock - I own a Glock - great gun; it's my throwaway. For me, the 1911 is iconic, the .45 round is a masterblaster and I like the reaction I get from cops when they become aware I am carry "Old Slabsides"
Here's a great source of information: Gun Digest® Shooter's Guide to the 1911
- STORMBRINGER SENDS
Dear Uncle Stormy,
I'm thinking of getting a firearm to help defend my family. Yes, in will get professional training and qualification before bringing the weapon into my house, where it will be stored responsibly.
So my question is: is ~$1,000 about the going rate for a mod 1911 45 Acp?
Best regards,
J
My Reply:
In the Army I learned there IS such a thing as a stupid question but no question seeking information about guns is a stupid question.
Guns vary in price according to condition, availability and demand - overall they are a great investment because they always go up in price. The downside is they require storage, maintenance and are not easy to liquify when you need the money.
I bought my first 1911 - a variant known as a Colt M1991A1, the compact model - as a wedding present to myself back in 1994, for under $500. Even then this was a steal. A couple years ago I purchased a Remington R11 which is a modern copy of the first Government Model 1911 fielded in World War I; I paid under $900 for it - another great deal.
Read a well-written review on the R11 HERE
I am a traditionalist when it comes to handguns; to me the important thing is that it functions under harsh conditions without jamming, and I can draw fast from a concealed carry, in the dark from beneath layers of clothing. Tricked out sights, bells & whistles don't do it for me; my weapons are 100% utilitarian. Most engagements with handguns take place at 2-to-7 meters, and maximum effective range for a handgun is 25 meters. To me this means in a street situation, if it's further than that I'm going to either break contact or seek cover and wait for them to come to me. I can instinctive shoot and hit a human torso center mass at 15 meters practically without aiming; that's why I keep it simple with the sights, etc. Bottom line; none of my guns are Cadillacs they are all pickup trucks and tractors.
Regarding storage - all my guns are kept in a safe with the exception of my daily carry piece, which is with me all day and by my bedside at night, and my wife's .38 which is in her purse. I keep the ammo hidden away from the guns. When I carry these days, I do the "Israeli carry" - weapon in cold condition, w/o one in the chamber - I only lock-and-load if I percieve I have entered a threat environment. In the car, I don't even slap a mag into the weapon, on the grounds that I am already behind the wheel of the most lethal weapon known to man; the automobile, which has killed more people than even the Atom Bomb. If the situation gets so bad I have to launch bullets, I'll have time to weaponize my bullet launcher.
The 1911 is a great gun but it requires a bit of training; Glocks do not therefore most cops & private security forces carry Glocks. nothing against the Glock - I own a Glock - great gun; it's my throwaway. For me, the 1911 is iconic, the .45 round is a masterblaster and I like the reaction I get from cops when they become aware I am carry "Old Slabsides"
Here's a great source of information: Gun Digest® Shooter's Guide to the 1911
- STORMBRINGER SENDS
Friday, May 3, 2013
“YOU'VE NEVER LIVED UNTIL YOU'VE ALMOST DIED . . .
I always read that this quote originated in the Vietnam War, found on the back of a C ration carton during the siege for Khe Sanh.
Recently, I became aware that this quote is attributed to the French writer Guy de Maupassant - his writings often denote the futility of war and the innocent civilians who get crushed in it - many are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s.
I'll have to look up his stuff. I once read a French novel - in French - damn near scrambled my brain. This guy sounds a little more lucid than your average Frog.
- STORMBRINGER SENDS
P.S. Thanks Sue - you wrote today's post! -S.L.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
THIS IS THE HEAT
Thursday Morning Eye Opener: Nice Aim – Running Jihadi Gets Sent To Allah
- Thanks Patt Dollard who follows me on Twitter @sean_linnane
"The only good Jihadi is a dead Jihadi!"
- STORMBRINGER SENDS
- Thanks Patt Dollard who follows me on Twitter @sean_linnane
"The only good Jihadi is a dead Jihadi!"
- STORMBRINGER SENDS
BAND OF GOLD
Growing up I always thought this was a Country & Western song - just the other day I became aware this hit is considered of the Rhythm & Blues genre. Either way you look at it, Freda Payne belts out a great tune and this song has always been one of my favorites - S.L.
Freda Payne is one sexy performer, and this is a really hot performance. What kind of a man could sleep in a seperate room from Freda?
- STORMBRINGER SENDS
Freda Payne is one sexy performer, and this is a really hot performance. What kind of a man could sleep in a seperate room from Freda?
- STORMBRINGER SENDS
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
BENGHAZI: THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
I've been telling people this for months. I was in C-1-10 - that is my old outfit; Africa is our turf, we were always on standby to swoop in - and we did, all the time . . . S.L.
US FORCE COULD HAVE INTERVENED IN BENGHAZI, 'SPECIAL OPERATOR' TELLS FOX NEWS
American special operator with intimate knowledge of the Sept. 11, 2012 attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, says that U.S. forces could have intervened in the hours-long attack, but didn’t.
This is What I Know:
Since the takedown of the US Embassy compound in Tehran in November 4, 1979, the security of US missions abroad has been a top priority of US security policy. Over the course of two decades in Special Forces, I was directly involved in this mission; there are specific protocols that during an incident such as Benghazi will drive decision-making and actionable orders.
From the moment the first reports went out from Tripoli on the situation Benghazi, a specific sequence of events takes place:
A FLASH message is generated from within the State Department to the Whitehouse Situation Room; the National Command Authority (i.e. the President, the Secretary of Defense and/or the Vice President and the Deputy Secretary of Defense) are notified.
Acknowledgement of this message by Whitehouse communications personnel immediately generates message traffic to the Department of Defense and to the appropriate theater Combatant Command - in this case AFRICOM Headquarters at Kelley Barracks, Germany.
AFRICOM immediately notifies the Commanders In-Extremis Force (CIF) – a US Army Special Forces unit task-organized for Direct Action missions.
The CIF would immediately begin an emergency planning process which continues to take place during movement toward an assembly area within vicinity of the target.
Now this is key: in order for any of the above NOT to happen (i.e. for the CIF or any assets in theater to stand down) the National Command Authority MUST issue a deliberate order.
In other words, the President of the United States and/or his surrogates, specifically directed US forces within striking distance of the situation in Benghazi, to stand down.
Analysis
A bad decision was made. For whatever reason, the President and his team decided not to send available forces into Benghazi while the US Consulate and the Annex were under attack. Perhaps they feared an ambush at the Benghazi airport; it could have been anything. Hindsight is 20-20 and I am not going to Monday-morning quarterback why that decision was made. It is not illegal to make a bad decision; if it was, nobody would make any decisions at all.
There were any number of options, and no shortage of real-time, actionable intelligence available. Fast movers out of Sigonella or from one of our carriers could have flown fifty feet over the compound and sonic boomed the attackers. The Spectre AC-130 gunship would have been on station two hours into the attack, and those things are deadly accurate; they can land a 105mm shell into a dumpster. The CIF could have landed at the airport and made their way to the target, guns a-blazing if necessary.
This is Where it Gets Weird:
Upon notification the attack in Benghazi was taking place, AFRICOM Commander General Ham immediately notified the CIF unit and communicated to the Pentagon that his forces were ready to deploy.
General Ham then received the order to stand down. His alleged response was screw it, he was going to help anyhow. Within 30 seconds to a minute after making the move to respond, his second in command apprehended General Ham and told him that he was now relieved of his command.
On October 18 2012, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced:
”President Barack Obama will nominate Army Gen. David Rodriguez to succeed Gen. Carter Ham as commander of U.S. Africa Command and Marine Lt. Gen. John Paxton to succeed Gen. Joseph Dunford as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps.”
So far there is nothing solid to backstop this story, although it is very intriguing that Ham is immediately reassigned less than eighteen months into a three year tour. Maybe Ham attempted to send a reaction force against orders, or maybe he simply gave his chain-of-command a piece of his mind about hanging Americans to dry. At the very least the CIF and whatever other forces were available could have made those who killed our people pay while they were still on the scene.
• We know that over 6 hours elapsed form the beginning of the attack to when the CIA operators were killed by mortar fire - from a heavy mortar emplacement they had laser target designators on, and had requested air support hours earlier in neutralizing. They had also given higher HQ 8-digit coordinates on the mortars, as close as it gets in combat targeting.
From CIA: "No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate.”
Comments by Robert Scheuer, former CIA chief of Bin Laden unit HERE
A good overall Benghazi timeline HERE
Summary of all facts to date HERE
STORMBRINGER SENDS
US FORCE COULD HAVE INTERVENED IN BENGHAZI, 'SPECIAL OPERATOR' TELLS FOX NEWS
American special operator with intimate knowledge of the Sept. 11, 2012 attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, says that U.S. forces could have intervened in the hours-long attack, but didn’t.
This is What I Know:
Since the takedown of the US Embassy compound in Tehran in November 4, 1979, the security of US missions abroad has been a top priority of US security policy. Over the course of two decades in Special Forces, I was directly involved in this mission; there are specific protocols that during an incident such as Benghazi will drive decision-making and actionable orders.
From the moment the first reports went out from Tripoli on the situation Benghazi, a specific sequence of events takes place:
A FLASH message is generated from within the State Department to the Whitehouse Situation Room; the National Command Authority (i.e. the President, the Secretary of Defense and/or the Vice President and the Deputy Secretary of Defense) are notified.
Acknowledgement of this message by Whitehouse communications personnel immediately generates message traffic to the Department of Defense and to the appropriate theater Combatant Command - in this case AFRICOM Headquarters at Kelley Barracks, Germany.
AFRICOM immediately notifies the Commanders In-Extremis Force (CIF) – a US Army Special Forces unit task-organized for Direct Action missions.
The CIF would immediately begin an emergency planning process which continues to take place during movement toward an assembly area within vicinity of the target.
Now this is key: in order for any of the above NOT to happen (i.e. for the CIF or any assets in theater to stand down) the National Command Authority MUST issue a deliberate order.
In other words, the President of the United States and/or his surrogates, specifically directed US forces within striking distance of the situation in Benghazi, to stand down.
Analysis
A bad decision was made. For whatever reason, the President and his team decided not to send available forces into Benghazi while the US Consulate and the Annex were under attack. Perhaps they feared an ambush at the Benghazi airport; it could have been anything. Hindsight is 20-20 and I am not going to Monday-morning quarterback why that decision was made. It is not illegal to make a bad decision; if it was, nobody would make any decisions at all.
There were any number of options, and no shortage of real-time, actionable intelligence available. Fast movers out of Sigonella or from one of our carriers could have flown fifty feet over the compound and sonic boomed the attackers. The Spectre AC-130 gunship would have been on station two hours into the attack, and those things are deadly accurate; they can land a 105mm shell into a dumpster. The CIF could have landed at the airport and made their way to the target, guns a-blazing if necessary.
This is Where it Gets Weird:
Upon notification the attack in Benghazi was taking place, AFRICOM Commander General Ham immediately notified the CIF unit and communicated to the Pentagon that his forces were ready to deploy.
General Ham then received the order to stand down. His alleged response was screw it, he was going to help anyhow. Within 30 seconds to a minute after making the move to respond, his second in command apprehended General Ham and told him that he was now relieved of his command.
On October 18 2012, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced:
”President Barack Obama will nominate Army Gen. David Rodriguez to succeed Gen. Carter Ham as commander of U.S. Africa Command and Marine Lt. Gen. John Paxton to succeed Gen. Joseph Dunford as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps.”
So far there is nothing solid to backstop this story, although it is very intriguing that Ham is immediately reassigned less than eighteen months into a three year tour. Maybe Ham attempted to send a reaction force against orders, or maybe he simply gave his chain-of-command a piece of his mind about hanging Americans to dry. At the very least the CIF and whatever other forces were available could have made those who killed our people pay while they were still on the scene.
• We know that over 6 hours elapsed form the beginning of the attack to when the CIA operators were killed by mortar fire - from a heavy mortar emplacement they had laser target designators on, and had requested air support hours earlier in neutralizing. They had also given higher HQ 8-digit coordinates on the mortars, as close as it gets in combat targeting.
From CIA: "No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate.”
Comments by Robert Scheuer, former CIA chief of Bin Laden unit HERE
A good overall Benghazi timeline HERE
Summary of all facts to date HERE
STORMBRINGER SENDS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
