fire4effect

You know as I stood in line to vote yesterday, I thought back to 2005 and Iraq's first election post Sadam. No armored vehicles surrounded my polling location, and I felt pretty sure a VBIED wasn't going to plow into the parking lot. What a country we have.

A lot is the daily grind for a solid year. Riding a dirt road in a Humvee day in day out wondering if the next turn has an IED. Think Bob Woodruff of ABC News north of Baghdad in 2006. He did a special where he returned to the scene of the attack about a year ago. Pretty powerful and its online. IDF can put everyone on the front line or as some would say the enemy is airmailing you the IED. Hell a guy in the gym on the squat rack was killed by a rocket in the Green Zone. I will certainly admit flying an aircraft any aircraft is way more fun. Though Tammy Duckworth and her Blackhawk caught the RPG not far away near a town called Tarmiya in late 2003. The town was a former "resort" on the Tigris River for the Bath Party, so they didn't think much of Americans. One way to look at it is the randomness of it all. You can patrol all day long and nothing happens so nothing memorable. The Humvee 5 minutes behind you gets hit and for them certainly a "significant emotional event" As many of you noted Afghanistan deployments had a wide variety of flavors depending on when you were there and your mission at the time. Same as it was in Iraq. My trip to Afghanistan was for me actually pretty tame by comparison but back to that one word "random"

I can't really argue with much in your post. Comparing Viet Nam will never be perfect on any level, but it did remind me of a number of conversations I had with the Air Force relative (EB-66 pilot) that if they'd had even a small amount of precision/stand-off weapons we have now then the whole thing would have been over in short order. No way they could've massed forces for the Tet Offensive. Or the Dragon Jaw would have been a pile of rubble in the river in a matter of hours. etc. Of course, communists are generally more pragmatic than religious fanatics. I completely agree a lot of bad individuals were taken off the board and I can't help but wonder what the remaining Taliban over there in their hovels are thinking like us saying "what the hell did we gain" Several weeks ago, I talked to an Afghan who has done very well assimilating into US culture and he hears from relatives still in country and in a perfect example of rules for thee but not for me the Taliban leadership send their daughters outside Afghanistan to be educated. Can I prove that? No but it wouldn't surprise me.

I had a family member (actually two) who was a Viet Nam Veteran. When I was young, I never really comprehended his bitterness to the political establishment for pissing away the mission there. After Aug 2021 I had a much better understanding of his point of view.

Point taken. I was thinking if they were going to hit their oil production it would be after the election to avoid a spike in prices. Of course, Israel is pragmatic enough to know they can't predict which administration they'll be dealing going forward so they try to maintain some semblance of balance between parties.

From an economic perspective Saudi would make bank with a spike in oil prices as long as they could still ship oil. On a somewhat related note, a fair number on this forum make their money in the Part 121 transportation industry so a lot of economic skin in the game to go around. One way the US could be sucked into this would be the Iranian Navy trying to cut off the Strait of Hormuz and given Israel isn't known as a naval power that doesn't leave a lot of options to counter outside the US. Not that I have a problem with turning the Iranian Fleet into multiple artificial reefs that they have no real way to replace in a timely manner. No way they could really keep up in a sustained conflict. Final question. Doesn't China get most of its oil from Iran? Interesting how they might react to this trainwreck. If this happens, I don't see it before November 6.

Makes you wonder just how much they're willing to poke the bear. This whole thing could go sideways on a regional level really quick.

So, the next to last thing that went through his mind is how can I rub one last one out now? Yes, my family says I'm warped.😲

I think there were a number of stills from the drone in the media that may have implied it was from a troops helmet cam. It had me confused at first. On a side note, this shows again how drones of all sizes are fundamentally changing warfare as we know it.

I think its obvious that the the last thing that went through his mind was......high velocity

Raise the collective paranoia in your enemy until they're combat ineffective. They can't know who to trust.

Remember Effects Based Targeting from ACSC? You know IMHO I've always thought a strike on the Iranian oil terminal facilities in the Persian Gulf or pipeline nodes in the desert would be the way to go. Enough to send a message they get 5X5 but without completely at this point destroying the infrastructure. Shut off their ability to export oil and the cash flow dries up. No more whack a mole trying to catch tankers circumventing an embargo. They'll be "squealin from the feelin" soon enough. Of course, oil/gas prices would spike which means it'll never happen before January 20th. Honestly Israel is the best pit bull we can let run amok on them now while having all sorts of plausible deniability.

My money is on this guy

Couldn't have happened to a nicer SOB. These animals just can't get it through their thick skull (well maybe the ordnance did) that sooner or later justice comes from above.

BOLO for this individual as being the mastermind behind the operation

Well, I would say anyone with shrapnel to the face that's the new "Scarlett Letter" Israel just branded the whole Hezbollah herd for identification. BTW second that on the cans.

Iran's ambassador to Lebanon injured by pager explosion | Reuters As some have pointed out. Why was the Iranian Ambassador holding a Hezbollah pager? 🤔

Clean up on aisle 69

HOW DARE YOU!!!!

Anybody see the Taliban parade at Bagram the other day? Why oh why we didn't drop a present on the reviewing stand is beyond me. The official headline would be "Car Bomb Detonates Near Taliban Leadership During Parade" Just to remind them what can happen.

Just saw this thread a couple of days ago while out of town. I certainly enjoyed his comments and dry humor on B.O. over the years. Gone far too soon and for the most tragic of reasons.

At the risk of piling on the LE community I happened to come across this the other day. Interesting nexus between Texas/New Mexico LE and American Airlines. Can't make this SH!T up if halfway true. I haven't been able to find out how it was finally resolved even though it was 2 years ago. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj06r-m2ZiIAxVB4skDHSf3KRYQxfQBKAB6BAgREAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fox10phoenix.com%2Fnews%2Fmichael-lowe-american-airlines-mistaken-identity-new-mexico-jail&usg=AOvVaw0fg4RKg7mgD5LC13SO8tJ9&opi=89978449

Yep, and while I can't say for sure I wouldn't be surprised that higher ups were putting pressure to sign off to make some kind production quota. Then when the world goes to hell they never heard of him. That said there should have been at least 2 signatures on the 202 approving the waiver and it seems it was repeatedly signed off over a number of years. I bet a lot more will come out in the coming weeks.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjFgPHl-JmHAxVz8MkDHT-VDNQQtwJ6BAgNEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DT4bn1WG5LS0&usg=AOvVaw2cDUODB0VSCeKSo5xx7TGa&opi=89978449 Here's a classic

"A man is as faithful as his options" Chris Rock