"Congress is about to order new combat uniforms for troops in Afghanistan after hearing complaints that camouflage that was fine in Iraq doesn't work so well in a mountainous and often muddy environment."

Bouhammer can tell you that we knew this in 2006. This just goes to show how slow Government moves. It took over three years for them to figure out that the all environment combat uniform is apparently not well designed for "all" environments.

Monday, June 15, 2009

First Exclusive Bouhammer.com T-shirt now Available

June 15, 2009 3:22 pm

First Exclusive Bouhammer.com T-shirt now Available

Just in time for Independence Day, the FIRST in a line of original and exclusive T-shirt Design is now available to order. Thanks to a thorough and detailed collaboration between www.Bouhammer.com and www.vision-strike-wear.com we have the first of many designs yet to come that are exclusive to Bouhammer.com.

This shirt not only looks great and comes on a high-quality shirt, it also is directly benefiting 4 phenomenal charities that support our troops. The proceeds from this shirt that would normally come back to me are being donated 100% to the Charities of; Not Alone (www.notalone.com), The Fisher House (www.fisherhouse.org), Books For Soldiers (www.booksforsoldiers.com), and Soldier's Angels (www.soldiersangels.com).

Bouhammer.com is making no (ZERO) money from this and the other shirts in the Bouhammer.com Gear Store at www.vision-strike-wear.com/bomit.html.

If you like what you read here, support the message of this blog and want to help some great charities, head over to the Bouhammer.com Gear page at www.bouhammer.com/bouhammer-gear-store/ to check all the items available. There are new items being added all the time, so be sure to keep an eye on that page. Click on any of the items that you like to go directly to the appropriate page at Vision Strike Wear, so some customization and place your order.

Warrior Legacy Foundation Launches

June 15, 2009 12:13 pm

Warrior Legacy Foundation Launches

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On Memorial Day 2009 a new group launched, The Warrior Legacy Foundation- a non partisan organization committed to the protection, promotion and dignity of America's Warriors. The membership of the group is open to anyone who believes in this cause.
Across every generation, at war and at peace, America has asked her citizens to protect liberty and defend freedom at all costs. And no matter the terrain or political climate, America's Warriors have met every challenge and made every sacrifice that was asked of them in order to defeat our enemies and protect our way of life. The Warrior Legacy Foundation is a passionate advocate for the preservation and elevation of the hallowed legacy of the American Warrior Class. Join us and stand firm in defense of the heritage of those brave souls who have protected our sovereignty throughout our great nation's history.

They have asked for nothing and have given us everything.

Below is a message from our Executive Director, David Bellavia:

"Welcome to The Warrior Legacy Foundation (WLF). By joining our ranks today you are standing shoulder to shoulder with the only organization in our great nation that is steadfastly dedicated to the protecting the legacy and honor of ALL those who have served this great nation. A Warrior is not defined by valor awards, era, deployments or branch of service. Rather a Warrior is someone dedicated to a noble code entrenched in honor and understands the importance of protecting our American way of life no matter what is asked of them. At WLF, there is no distinction in service to our nation. No generational bigotry. No valor elitism. One unapologetic message with millions of messengers. Veterans make the community in which they live a better place."

WLF will work to educate all Americans about those who bought them the freedoms they enjoy each and every day. We will ensure that children grow up with the knowledge that brave men and women volunteer to face our enemies abroad so they can be safe here at home. We will capture the stories of all those who came before us and preserve them for posterity. We will never forget that the sacrifices of those who went to war bought the freedom and liberty we enjoy daily.

To arrange an interview with our Executive Director, Medal Of Honor nominee David Bellavia, or other WLF leaders please contact:
Sr. Director Communications, Jim Hanson at
jim.hanson@warriorlegacyfoundation.org or (608) 213 1702

The Demons Stopped by

June 15, 2009 7:43 am

The Demons Stopped by

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They came to visit. Yes they did, the old demons came back to pay me a visit Friday night. I am not sure why, or what motivated them to do it but they came to my front door without an invite or even a courtesy call the night before.

I never really know when they will show up as there is no rhyme or reason as to when they do, but when they do I am always surprised. So on Friday night, after only 3 hours into a 6 hour night of sleep, they snuck up to my dream's front door, made a 4-man stack, kicked it in and threw in a stun grenade to get my attention.

Like I said I was really tired and I think I was in REM sleep at the time, but that didn't matter because the demons from time-past took me from a completely relaxed deep sleep to a wide awake, adrenalin induced startle. It was literally in a matter of seconds that I was jolted awake, breathing heavy, and heart trying to thump out of my chest.

I laid the there wondering "why, what, and WHY?". What did I do to cause this to happen? Why was I laying there with my senses tingling, feeling that old friend I have not felt for a while, Mr. Adrenalin. That familiar friend of times past, that natural high, something that I miss and don't miss all at the same time. It is an awesome feeling and it is truly missed, just not the reasons why I would get that feeling. It was also not an awesome feeling at 3AM.

So I laid there with my mind wide awake, with a lot of questions about what I just saw and experienced. But as the minutes drifted on the adrenalin was slowly soaked back into my body and the sleepiness took back over as I settled back into rest and eventually sleep. From that point forward, it was a very restful (yet short) remaining night of sleep.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

UN Making demands of our Forces

June 14, 2009 2:13 pm

UN Making demands of our Forces

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www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSISL49027020090613

"The United Nations has asked NATO defense ministers to review how special forces are deployed in Afghanistan in a bid to reduce civilian casualties that risk jeopardizing Western efforts to stabilize the country."

Is this what the Conspiracy Theorists of the 80s and 90s were talking about? Does the UN think they can make requests like this of our military forces? Are they serious? They are a sham of an organization that provides no value and has proven they are not needed anymore. When they have been needed, they have failed to step up to fulfill their charter and hold their end of the bargain.

I really hope our always apologetic, and acceptance seeing Presidential Administration does not cave into this request and instead tells the UN to "shove it".

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Child Labor

June 13, 2009 8:41 pm

Child Labor

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This is what our enemy does. This exemplifies how little they value human-life and those that are the most innocent in the world…children. This demonstrates what cowards we face around the the world, but more importantly on the battlefield.

"As he walked away, the bag exploded, throwing him to the ground with a shattered foot and leaving shoppers dead and wounded all around him. In a macabre new tactic, Taliban militants have begun paying children to plant lethal bombs in Pakistani cities."

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6493664.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797093

TF PHX Honors their Fallen

June 13, 2009 4:30 pm

TF PHX Honors their Fallen

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Members of the Georgia National Guard in Afghanistan pay final respects to their fallen comrades, Maj. Kevin M. Jenrette, 37, of Lula, Ga.; Sgt. 1st Class John C. Beale, 39, of Riverdale, Ga.; and Spc. Jeffrey W. Jordan, 21, of Rome, Ga., three members of the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, Calhoun, Ga.; and Maj. Rocco M. Barnes of the California Army National Guard.

SecDef looking at new Command Structure

June 13, 2009 9:48 am

SecDef looking at new Command Structure

The Video below (Pentagon-Produced Downrange) has a great opening piece about a chain of command structure change that SecDef Gates is considering. Actually since McChrystal and Rodriguez are both slated to go I am sure this plan is already decided on. From the outside this looks good, but will only had positive impact if this change provides for Unity of Command. Unity of Command is an important issue that is hindering progress and morale in the command of Afghanistan that really needs to be addressed. I will be glad to see this resolve the issue…now we will need to wait and see.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Afghanistan Violence Hits Highest Levels

June 12, 2009 9:32 am

Afghanistan Violence Hits Highest Levels

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Violence in Afghanistan reached an all-time peak last week. According to top US officials, the level of violence last week was the highest since the 2001 US-led invasion.

NATO troops and Afghan forces have reportedly killed a significant number of insurgents this week, in a major battle in northern Afghanistan.
The battle, on Wednesday, supposedly took the life of a top insurgent commander, along with around 12 of his men and some civilians.

Elsewhere, at least 12 militants and one Afghan soldier were killed in clashes throughout Baghlan province.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Photo of the Day

June 12, 2009 1:57 am

Photo of the Day

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U.S. Army soldiers from Bravo Battery, 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment cross a creek during a dismounted patrol in the Nerkh Valley of the Wardak province of Afghanistan on June 4, 2009. DoD photo by the U.S. Army.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

At War needs your help

June 9, 2009 4:58 pm

At War needs your help

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If you know someone who knows someone, have a family member, friend, or old high school chum who has connections with anyone that owns a movie theater, has influence into any theater chain, or has connection with a film distribution company please contact me at admin@bouhammer.com. We need your help and contacts to get the acclaimed film, At War (www.atwarfilm.com) into theaters this summer.

There are some being lined up, but without a major distribution company behind it the release of this great movie will be a grass-roots effort and all that should see it won't.

I showed this movie to over 600 people last week across three active duty bases in one showing and many then and from other showings have said the same thing "all of America needs to see this movie".

Trust the reviews (several more coming out in the next few weeks) that this is an awesome film and needs to be seen.

I look forward to a flood of emails.

Bouhammer…

Monday, June 8, 2009

MIKE T. BLOG: To ask for a friends hand in war

June 8, 2009 6:40 pm

MIKE T. BLOG: To ask for a friends hand in war

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I am not sure when I lost my friend but tonight I think I did?

He asked me to send him to war which sent me back on my heels. He stated it was his time and that I had done enough and he has done little. We sat drinking beers and pondering the universe, but all that could come of it was that I had done my time and he had not.

I have known this man for years; he was truly a good friend, like the friend that I could count on one hand type. He watched over Nicole while I was gone myself in Afghanistan and never did I think twice about it. My heart dropped when he told me this, I thought about six different ways to tell him that he didn't need to go, but yet all he could come back with was why me and not all the others?

I stared in amazement and said it wasn't his duty and yet he came back again and raged that he was like all the others and it was his time. My mind raced to think about the excuses that I could use, but nothing worked.

I hung over his truck and screamed at him, begging him that it "wasn't his war". It was mine; ours, the ones who went out there and came back under-appreciated and misunderstood. That is our bond, maybe being selfish, maybe scared that I wouldn't get him back. He has watched over me for so long that I forget the time we met. This war is hard, its unpredictable, it's for those who are willing to climb the mountains, walk the deserts, able to look to the skies and know that no one is looking back at them. I don't want Joe to endure that, he is better than that.

I rode home tonight with Nicole and felt the rush of the Jersey shore on our faces and I am not sure that I can convince him to do other than what he wants. I stared into her eyes and wished for an answer and she could simply say it's not your war anymore; it is his if he wants it. What scares me more than anything else is being there, God forbid, if the word comes and the chaplain is at the door like in the movies. Have you ever seen At War, the ramp ceremony, the scene in We Were Soldiers? Christ I couldn't do it! Not this time, not with him or his family, they mean too much. I would rather go back myself; at least I know I am good at it.

As we sat there tonight I told him to accept the wind, the smell of the ocean, the quietness of his neighborhood, because god damn it would be the last time until he got his ass home that he would ever feel it again, but every day over there that is all he would think about. I feel like I cannot prepare him or ask anyone who has been there to do the same thing and feel good about him being successful.

Fuck I hate this, those who have not gone want the chance now. Of all the times to do this, they choose now! It is a horrible time in the Stan and my god damn best friend wants to be in the shit. So I said ok, I will do it. I will put you in touch with those that are going over, but I am not going to god damn like it. To those who have been left out of war, here is your chance to join those who suffer nothing less than the pain they have inflicted.

Six die in Afghanistan violence

June 8, 2009 3:41 pm

Six die in Afghanistan violence

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KABUL (AFP) - Taliban militants stormed a police post in northwestern Afghanistan early Sunday, killing four policemen, while two civilians died in a bomb blast in the country’s south, authorities said.

The policemen were killed after their remote post was attacked by Taliban rebels riding motorbikes in Faryab province, provincial police chief Khalilullah Ziayee told AFP.

The Taliban also suffered casualties, the police chief said, but he had no details.

“The attackers cowardly escaped after we sent reinforcements,” he added.

In volatile Kandahar province, a mother and her son were killed when a motorbike they were riding was blown up by a roadside bomb, also on Sunday, the interior ministry said, blaming the attack on insurgents.

“Two civilians, a mother and a son, were killed when a mine… planted by the enemies of Afghanistan exploded under their motorbike,” the statement said.

On Saturday an army soldier was killed in a gun battle with Taliban which also left two rebels dead in the central province of Ghazni, a place which sees regular Taliban unrest, the provincial police chief said.

The soldiers were patrolling when they came under attack by the insurgents armed with rockets and heavy machine guns, commander Khyalbaz Sherzai told AFP.

The Taliban, an Islamic militia in power between 1996 and 2001, is the main group behind an increasingly bloody insurgency that followed the hardliners’ removal from government.

There are about 70,000 international troops — mainly US, British, Canadian and Dutch — based in Afghanistan to battle Taliban and help train Afghan security forces.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Alaska Paratroopers doing good things

June 6, 2009 12:09 pm

Alaska Paratroopers doing good things

Maj. Loh, who’s worked with U.S. special forces in the counterinsurgency fight against Islamic extremists in the Philippines, wants to introduce basic medical and nutritional development projects to Bermel’s district center, which has open sewers and no electricity or running water. "Right now, we can’t help the Afghan government come in here and build a big Afghan clinic," Loh said. "But we have some options and we are still looking for midwives to help.

"Our goals are incremental: to improve infant mortality step by step. That will certainly help improve perceptions of the government."

Click BELOW to read the whole story

www.adn.com/news/military/iraq/story/798372.html

Friday, June 5, 2009

Vindication

June 5, 2009 5:41 pm

Vindication

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Anyone that has read this blog for a while knows that for the last three years I have been spouting off about how each year for the last three years is going to be the worse yet. I said it in 2007 and it came true, I said it in 2008 and it came true, and I said it in 2009 and so far we are right on track.

I have usually made these statements in the first 2 months of the year based on the number of fatalities during those first two "quiet" months as just one factor. CJCS Mullen and GEN Petraeus have also stated that they believe this will be the worst year yet also.

Yesterday it was announced that IED attacks are up 80% over last year and we just entered the month of June. The real heavy duty fighting has not even started yet.

Well speaking of Gen Petraeus, he was recently on NPR talking about how the attack in Farah province last month was not as bad as reported by the MSM or stated by the corrupt Afghan government. He repeated, with facts what GEN McKiernan stated just days after the attack about the inflated numbers by the Afghans and the MSM.

You can hear read the story and link to the audio of Gen Petraeus at www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104683760&ft=1&f=1004

I see his official statements in this interview as vindication for Gen McKeirnan and justifies why he said what he said, which contradicted what the POTUS and Sec of State appeared to say.

Check out the new Shirts

June 5, 2009 8:29 am

Check out the new Shirts

The Bouhammer Gear Store (http://vision-strike-wear.com/bomit.html) is maturing and now has a series of shirts available.

The guys at Vision Strike Wear (VSW) have been kind enough to donate many of their own designs towards my fund-raising effort in the store. We have decals, and shirts available now, but there are also hats, polo shirts, button down shirts, and more bouhammer.com specific shirts coming in the very near future.

However there are many items, like additional bouhammer.com designs, more decals, hoodies, coins, women’s tank tops, playing cards, etc., that will also be coming out over the coming months.

You can see all the items as they become available at http://www.bouhammer.com/bouhammer-gear-store/

The T-Shirts will have all Bouhammer.com profits donated to the following charities in equal amounts:
Not Alone, www.notalone.com
Fisher House, www.fisherhouse.org
Soldier’s Angels, www.soldiersangels.org
Books For Soldiers, www.booksforsoldiers.com

If you go to the Vision Strike Wear Bouhammer store (http://vision-strike-wear.com/bomit.html), you can order them directly from VSW’s site. The only shirt on there that will not be split up among all 4 charities, and instead go entirely to Soldier’s Angels is the custom-made Vampire ETT shirt. VSW went ahead and listed that shirt on Bouhammer Gear Store.

Please allow for up to 3 weeks for delivery.
If you can help me, but more importantly help the four charities above by spreading the word it would be greatly appreciated.

Bouhammer.com, taking the next step….

Thursday, June 4, 2009

IED use in Afghanistan surges 80% this year

June 5, 2009 2:05 am

IED use in Afghanistan surges 80% this year

Insurgent use of roadside bombs in Afghanistan has surged 80 percent this year as they remain the No. l killer of foreign troops, a NATO official said Thursday.

The increase since the corresponding period last year includes bombs that detonated or were found by troops before they could explode, said Canadian Brig. Gen. Richard Blanchette, a spokesman for NATO’s International Security Assistance Force.

"This is very serious business for us," Blanchette told AP Broadcast in an interview from Kabul, Afghanistan.

Roadside bombs have been the primary killer in both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Last year, improvised devices and other roadside explosives killed 172 U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan. At least 31 American soldiers have been killed by roadside bombs this year, according to the Defense Department.

An American soldier was killed Thursday when a roadside bomb hit a U.S. military vehicle in eastern Afghanistan.

NATO reports that roadside bombs have caused 60 percent of the deaths in Afghanistan and severely wounded thousands of troops. The military does not release specific incident numbers, saying the data is classified.

Part of the reason for the increase, Blanchette said, is the militants’ understanding that they cannot confront the military in direct action. "They are using this as a last measure," he said.

Blanchette said as the methods and technologies change, the military needs to focus on cutting off the supply system that allows bomb components to flow into Afghanistan, in many cases from neighboring Pakistan.

He said stopping the bombings is a challenge because of the variety of places militants can use them: buried along a roadside, under a road, or hidden in a wall along routes military convoys commonly use.

"Anyplace where there is a bit of a funnel," Blanchette said, "you have that risk."

U.S. and international forces train troops on how to deal with the devices, both before and after they arrive in Afghanistan.

But Blanchette said militants are constantly adjusting and finding new ways to set up and camouflage the devices.

"There’s always a risk that troops might be surprised," he said.

Downrange in Afghanistan

June 4, 2009 10:44 pm

Downrange in Afghanistan

Check out this video from the new "Downrange" series video that the Pentagon is putting out. It has a great interview with GEN Petraeus and shows American female soldiers teaching Afghan men in the army how to perform basic combat lifesaver skills.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Bouhammer Gear Store is online

June 3, 2009 6:44 pm

Bouhammer Gear Store is online

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I am very happy to announce that the Bouhammer Gear Store is now online. Thanks to an exclusive partnership with www.Vision-Strike-Wear.com, the Bouhammer Gear Store is becoming a reality. Please CLICK HERE or click on Bouhammer Gear Store in the list of pages at the top of this blog to see the items as we bring them online.

The first item is the sharp looking decal below and the original hat I came up with, but over the coming days and weeks you will see many more items get added. So be sure and check back often.

Afghan Army, Coalition Forces kill 6 Taliban insurgents in E. Afghanistan

June 3, 2009 5:34 pm

Afghan Army, Coalition Forces kill 6 Taliban insurgents in E. Afghanistan

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KABUL, Jun 02, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) — Afghan National Army (ANA) backed by U.S.-led Coalition Forces killed six Taliban insurgents on Tuesday morning in Paktika province of eastern Afghanistan, provincial administration spokesman said.

"It was around 3 a.m. local time (1030 GMT) as armed rebels attacked the joint check points of ANA and Coalition forces in Mata Khan district when joint forces returned fire, killing six rebels at the spot," Hamidullah Zuwak told Xinhua.

He also added that two rocket launchers, five assault rifles and ammunition were found on their possession.

Taliban militants fighting Afghan and international troops have yet to make comments, as the hard-line outfits have vowed to speed up their attacks.

Bomb kills six Afghans, including two children

June 3, 2009 8:31 am

Bomb kills six Afghans, including two children

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KABUL, June 2, 2009 (AFP) - A bomb ripped through a vehicle northeast of Kabul on Tuesday and killed six Afghan civilians, including two children, the interior ministry told AFP.

It was not immediately clear if the bomb was planted in the road, which runs past the largest US military base in Afghanistan, or was fixed to the vehicle, interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told AFP.

"Two men and two women and two children are killed," he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for attack. Such blasts are usually directed at the Afghan or foreign security forces that are trying to put down an insurgency led by the Taliban.

It comes a week after another bombing in the same area killed three US troops serving with a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) as well as three Afghan civilians.

Insurgents have stepped up bomb attacks in Afghanistan in recent weeks after vowing in April to widen their campaign against the government.

Four US soldiers from ISAF were killed in two bomb strikes on Monday in the province of Wardak, which also adjoins Kabul, the force said.

Homemade bombs — called improvised-explosive devices by the military — cause 70-80 percent of the casualties to foreign troops in Afghanistan but also kill more civilians that soldiers, the military says.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Bloggers Roundtable with COL James Harris

June 2, 2009 9:29 am

Bloggers Roundtable with COL James Harris

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The other day I was on the first Blogger's Roundtable with Afghanistan in a long time. Actually the first time since before the 27th BCT left country in December, 2008. The 33rd BCT from IL has not done a good job in the Public Affairs and Media arena.

We talked with COL James Harris (Click here for BIO) who is the Regional Police Advisory Command-South Commander. We talked about mentoring and advising Afghan National Police in southern Afghanistan. Harris oversees nineteen police mentor teams in the southern region of Afghanistan who mentors thousands of members of the Afghan National Police in the provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul.

Harris said that they are working with nearly 12,000 police officers and the majority of them are loyal to their government and their leaders. "The police officers that I see and deal with on a daily basis are very dedicated to their cause and to their nation. And they’re challenged every day. They are confronted; they’re in contact with enemy forces on practically a daily basis," said Harris. Throughout his mentoring role, Harris said that the most rewarding element is watching the police officers’ progress through the training.

The ole' Bouhammer asked Col Harris about the training of ANP and how far along they are coming with learning real police skills and tactics. I also asked about the continued lack of the unity of command within the Task Force and the elements it has control of.

Click here to listen to the audio of the Roundtable.

Click here for Transcript of Roundtable

Monday, June 1, 2009

The Army is a Tweeting

June 1, 2009 10:07 pm

The Army is a Tweeting

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The U.S. military in Afghanistan is launching a Facebook page, a YouTube site and feeds on Twitter as part of a new communications effort to reach readers who get their information on the Internet rather than in newspapers, officials said Monday.

The effort, which officials described as a way to counter Taliban propaganda, represents a sea change in how the military can communicate its message.

"There’s an entire audience segment that seeks its news from alternative means outside traditional news sources, and we want to make sure we’re engaging them as well," said Col. Greg Julian, the top U.S. spokesman in Afghanistan.

The military on Monday announced the death of U.S. service member the previous day from non-combat-related injuries in southern Afghanistan by posting the news on Twitter hours before announcing it in a more formal press statement.

The military is also encouraging troops to post stories and photos on Web sites in an effort to portray daily life in Afghanistan, including stories about development projects that may not make the news.

Many military commands and individual troops have long used social networking sites. The Air Force and Army have Facebook pages, as does Gen. Ray Odierno, the top commander in Iraq. But the new effort in Afghanistan is the first in an active war zone to attempt to harness the power of social networking sites as a primary tool to release information.

So far the military’s Facebook and Twitter sites in Afghanistan have been in a testing phase only. Officials hope to attract thousands more users after a formal launch this week.

U.S. officials here have long said that the military is losing the information war to the Taliban, which routinely makes false claims about how many U.S. soldiers its forces have killed or how many civilians might have died in an airstrike. Taliban militants post claims on Web sites, and spokesmen send text messages to reporters.

Get $400 off your custom unit shirt

June 1, 2009 6:01 pm

Get $400 off your custom unit shirt

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My buddies over at Vision-strike-wear.com are again running their monthly promotion that is supported by SoldiersAngels.com. What this promotion does is provide to any unit or group (company, platoon, embedded team, etc.) a chance to design and have made a custom unit shirt for cheaper than it would cost them otherwise. Soldier's Angels will cover the first $400 of the costs for the designing and creation of the shirts. The rest is up to the unit. This $400 is a large part of what the total bill would be, so it only leaves a little bit for the unit to incur (costs depend on the complexity and number of colors in the design)

The total number of shirts has to be less than 48.

The unit can be any branch of the military.

The unit can be stateside or deployed overseas.

Soldiers Angels will get a donation of 5.00 for each additional t-shirt sold after initial order.

The first unit that puts money down on the order at the beginning of each month wins!

This is limited to one unit a month and June is still open to the first unit to commit.

So if you or your group/unit are looking to have a customized shirt made, then head over to www.vision-strike-wear.com and make contact with the guys over there to start the process. Remember this is first come, first serve at the beginning of each month.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Changing Commanders, Changing Tactics

May 29, 2009 9:44 am

Changing Commanders, Changing Tactics

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Well I must say I expected this to a degree. You put a Spec Ops Warrior like McChrystal in place and he is going to do what he has seen work. However I hope he does remember the words of Bouhammer, "Afghanistan is not Iraq" and he is ready to adapt and tweak the previous tactics to better fit the Afghanistan war zone. There is a lot of talk about Counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare in Afghanistan, not because of the incoming commander but because that is what is needed now.

There are talks of a COIN Center of Excellence existing in Afghanistan now, and I am hearing from sources that the Commander of 4th BCT, 25th ID (ABN) is one of the first Sr. Field Commanders who truly understands and executes COIN operations on a daily basis.

This should be an interesting next few months in Afghanistan.

The U.S. Defense Department is considering changing tactics and deploying specialized troops to battle the Taliban in Afghanistan, a military source said.

The changes are based on a plan used in Iraq by Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who will be the U.S. commander in Afghanistan if confirmed by the Senate, CNN reported Wednesday.

"We want cohesive units, fleet of foot, specializing in counterinsurgency warfare," the military official told CNN.

The new idea being considered calls for hundreds, maybe thousands, of troops to train and deploy as a battlefield unit specializing in counterinsurgency warfare, the official told CNN.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Defense Secretary Robert Gates, concerned about public support for the war in Afghanistan, believes "it’s critically important" for U.S. and Afghan governments to make progress against the Taliban in the coming months.

Gates has said he thinks the Taliban has momentum in southern Afghanistan, Morrell said.

"People are willing to stay in the fight I believe, if they think we’re making headway," Gates recently told The Wall Street Journal. "If they think we’re stalemated and having our young men and women get killed, then patience is going to run out pretty fast."

Thursday, May 28, 2009

US Troops Attack Enemy Camp

May 28, 2009 9:53 pm

US Troops Attack Enemy Camp

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KABUL - U.S. coalition troops attacked a suspected foreign fighter camp in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing at least 29 insurgents in an intense firefight, the military said, while a NATO Soldier died after a roadside bomb attack in the south.

At least six insurgents equipped with explosives blew themselves up during the clash in eastern Paktika province near the border with Pakistan, the coalition said in a statement.

One coalition member was wounded in the assault, in which troops also called in airstrikes for support.

Afghan authorities said they recovered 34 bodies, including 22 Arabs and Pakistanis, said Hamidullah Zuhak, a spokesman for Paktika’s governor. They found personal documents on the bodies of those killed, he said.

Following the battle, forces discovered weapons caches containing rocket-propelled grenade launchers, AK-47 assault rifles, suicide vests and other armaments, the military said in a statement.

Insurgents use the volatile and porous border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan as a base for operations, from which U.S. military officers say they launch attacks on Western troops.

The administration of President Barack Obama has declared eliminating militant havens in Pakistan vital to its goals of defeating al-Qaida and winning the war in Afghanistan.

OldBlue reviews AT WAR

May 28, 2009 9:43 am

OldBlue reviews AT WAR

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My good friend, fellow NCO, fellow Afghan vet, and fellow blogger has now sat down and watched AT WAR and taken the time to write his review. I encourage you to head over to his site to read his take on this awesome movie portraying life on the ground in Afghanistan.

It wasn’t a single moment that took me there. It was the entirety of it. There was so much of my experience in it. Scott Kesterson and his collaborators have captured the unique experience of what was like to be there, especially as an ETT or PMT. The only thing missing was the gritty taste of the Afghan dust and the distinct smell of cooking fires in the villages.

billandbobsadventure.blogspot.com/2009/05/at-war-stunning.html

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Photo of the Day

May 27, 2009 5:13 pm

Photo of the Day

1st Lt. Matthew Asmus, the platoon leader for 2nd Platoon, Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, evaluates the shop of Mammute Khan, May 12, in the Sabari District of the Khost province in eastern Afghanistan.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

From Iraq?

May 26, 2009 3:06 pm

From Iraq?

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Seeing the recent reports of the bad guys in Afghanistan using US supplied ammo really isn’t a surprise. With the ANA always at the ready to sell their gear and equipment at the local bazaar, this is basically old news to the people who have served in Afghanistan.

Every 30-60 days I would receive a new group of ANA soldiers and there would always be a couple without any equipment. After realizing what some of these soldiers were doing, I would recommend to their commander that those individuals must still go on the missions without weapons and ammo. To my surprise the ANA commander agreed with me and forced a couple of the soldiers who had sold their gear to go on the missions. It didn’t take long for word to trickle back to the rear as all ANA soldiers began showing up with all of their gear and issued equipment.

What I did find surprising was what we discovered while doing Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) after a firefight we had with the bad guys. We had recovered four RPG launchers from the bad guy’s position and brought them back to the FOB to re-distribute to the ANA. While cross-referencing the serial numbers the launchers had been stamped with, we were informed (from some highers database) that one of the launchers had been manufactured in Iraq in 2003 and we were to hold it until a “team” was flown in to recover it.

Everyone was surprised that we had found an Iraqi RPG launcher on a mountaintop on the south eastern Afghan-Pakistan border in 2007. In this section of the world, the trafficking of weapons and ammo across poorly guarded borders happens on a daily occurrence.

Live free or die trying!

Monday, May 25, 2009

A Site To Visit and Remember

May 25, 2009 5:19 pm

A Site To Visit and Remember

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As the Memorial Day weekend draws to a close I must admit that holidays designated to honor our past and present service members weigh very heavily on me. From a young age I always had respect for these holidays but since becoming a combat veteran, they carry even more of a significance. Most of the readers on this blog site appreciate what our service members do but sadly the average American doesn’t.

The link below will take you to an online memorial that was set up to honor SGM Jeff McLochlin. “Big Mac” was killed on 05 July 2006 while on a combat patrol along the mountainous border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He was my NCO ETT partner at FOB Tillman and a great man. I think of him daily and hope you all can take a few minutes to visit the site that honors this fallen warrior. Please recall that some gave all.

Live free or die trying!

http://jeff-mclochlin.memory-of.com/About.aspx

Photo of the day#2

May 25, 2009 3:24 pm

Photo of the day#2

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Memorial Day Photo of the day

May 25, 2009 1:00 pm

Memorial Day Photo of the day

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Memorial Day

May 25, 2009 10:14 am

Memorial Day

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Today is the day, and I hope all who read this take or took some time to remember those that have fallen. The wars this country has had to endure has reached millions, the training accidents that have happened to members of our military has reached thousands I am sure. Please take the time to think of them and their family members. I am spending time today with family, to include my son who is also a veteran of Afghanistan and my father who is a veteran of Vietnam (and other places that cannot be mentioned) and I can guarantee we will all be thinking of many who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Bouhammer Honor Roll:

PFC Thomas Thompson – Vietnam

SGT Ed Kutz – Desert Storm

SGT Ronald Randazzo – Desert Storm

SGT David Roustum – Operation Iraqi Freedom

PFC Ben Scheuster – Operation Iraqi Freedom

SGM Jeff McLochlin – Operation Enduring Freedom

MSG Bernard Deghand – Operation Enduring Freedom

SPC Nelson Rodriguez – Operation Enduring Freedom

Rest in Peace Warriors, we will meet on the battlefield again one day.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Memorial Day Video

May 25, 2009 12:16 am

Memorial Day Video

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Photo of the day

May 24, 2009 8:23 am

Photo of the day

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Arms sent by US to Afghan forces in Taliban hands

May 23, 2009 3:36 pm

Arms sent by US to Afghan forces in Taliban hands

Bouhammer Note- This is another reason why I think we should have never given the Afghan forces one single M4, M16 or M240 MG. I have talked about their inability to keep them clean, serviceable, etc. Now how about their inability to keep them?

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2009 (AFP) - Pentagon munitions have leaked from Afghan forces to Taliban militants, enabling them to fight an insurgency for years against materially superior US and Afghan forces, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

According to a Times study of ammunition markings, of 30 rifle magazines removed from the corpses of insurgents in eastern Afghanistan last month, at least 17 contained cartridges, or rounds, "identical" to ammunition the United States has provided to Afghan government forces.

Although "the scope of that diversion remains unknown," the newspaper warned that "poor discipline and outright corruption among Afghan forces may have helped insurgents stay supplied" in the wake of "only spotty" US and Afghan controls of weapons and ammunition sent to Afghanistan.

Following criticism for failing to account for thousands of rifles provided to Afghan security forces, some of which have been found in the hands of militants, the Pentagon launched a database documenting small arms supplied to Afghan units.

And the US-led Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, which is responsible for training and supplying Afghan forces, has said it has prioritized accounting for all Afghan military and police property.

"The emphasis from our perspective is on accountability of all logistics property," the transition command’s deputy chief, Brigadier General Anthony Ierardi told the newspaper.

Leakage of Pentagon-supplied armaments to insurgents is an "absolutely worst-case scenario," he said.

But no similar system of accountability is applied to ammunition, which is more difficult to trace than firearms.

Military officers told the newspaper that US forces do not examine all captured arms and munitions to determine how they fell into the hands of insurgents and whether the Afghan government was supplying — even indirectly — the Taliban.

The reasons for the gap, according to The Times, owed to "limited resources and institutional memory of issued arms, as well as an absence of collaboration between field units that collect equipment and the investigators and supervisors in Kabul who could trace it."