Flight Pundit

We often hear stories about the heroes of this war and sometimes we even write about them here. The DoD maintains a web site that lists heroes from every state. I went through them all over the past couple days and there are SO many.

Karl Hannan:

Warrant Officer Hannan was deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, from February 2004 to January 2005 to serve as a maintenance technician with a unit that supported heavy trucks. During his time there, Hannan designed and manufactured a clip-on armor plating kit to protect soldiers traveling in the trucks. The armor plating is the only type of its kind in Iraq, allowing it to be clipped on rather than bolted to the body of the vehicles, which prevents it from damaging the vehicles. At their peak, his team could up-armor 254 trucks a day. He also made engineering prints for other types of trucks and trained others how to weld, manufacture and read the blueprints for the armor. Hannan was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his work in January 2005.

Hannan is from New Hampshire.

More:

Cpl. Winegar and his platoon found themselves confronting numerous enemies who attacked by stealth and under the cover of darkness. On the nights of both August 15th and 16th, insurgents ambushed Winegar’s convoy as it traversed the rugged Pech River Road. In both attacks, enemy fighters fired RPGs from a nearby ridgeline, followed by a hail of machine-gun fire. Winegar not only commanded the lead vehicle, but he manned its machine gun. On both nights, while cut off from his Combat Anti Armor Team, he unleashed his weapon on the ridgeline, holding back the Taliban to give the rest of his convoy time to set up a defense and return fire.

In November 2005, Winegar again faced danger–again as part of an ambushed convoy. On the morning of the 17th, his platoon’s convoy came under heavy fire, and Winegar saw RPGs heading straight toward his vehicle. He ducked into the turret to avoid the inevitable; fortunately, the RPGs landed a few feet off target. Without pausing to consider his good fortune, he grabbed his machine gun and returned fire. Even though his convoy was cut off from other units, Winegar’s quick reactions and responsive fire allowed it to push through the ambush without backup. For his actions, Winegar was twice awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a Combat “V” in August and September, 2006.

Winegar is from Colorado.

Damn heroes. They’re everywhere, and they would prefer it if we didn’t give them such titles. But we need to. And we need to remember the sacrifices and effort these soldiers and Marines give. Go here and find the heroes from your state. And thank them.

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Does anyone have an IRRITATION METER?? If so let it be known my level of pissed off IRRITATION is at a high, no, dangerous point right now. I am SICK of the media going after the Marines.

Headline, bias:
Marines Killed Civilians, U.S. Says

From the Washington Post (does this surprise anyone?):

A preliminary U.S. military investigation indicates that more than 40 Afghans killed or wounded by Marines after a suicide bombing in a village near Jalalabad last month were civilians, the U.S. commander who ordered the probe said yesterday.

OK…the Commander is against the Spec Op Marines (MARSOC) to begin with. Intra-service politics have A LOT to do with this entire “incident”.

Maj. Gen. Frank H. Kearney III, head of Special Operations Command Central, also said there is no evidence that the Marine Special Operations platoon came under small-arms fire after the bombing, although the Marines reported taking enemy fire and seeing people with weapons. The troops continued shooting at perceived threats as they traveled miles from the site of the March 4 attack, he said. They hit several vehicles, killing at least 10 people and wounding 33, among them children and elderly villagers.

Sounds like another Haditha doesn’t it? Is the investigation over with already? So soon after the incident? And whose word is being given more respect: The Afghans or the Marines? Take a wild guess. Can we expect to hear Jack Murtha opine about this soon??

“We found . . . no brass that we can confirm that small-arms fire came at them,” Kearney said, referring to ammunition casings. “We have testimony from Marines that is in conflict with unanimous testimony from civilians at the sites,” Kearney said in a telephone interview…

Uh huh…

The results of the preliminary investigation, which are not conclusive, are similar to the findings of an official Afghan human rights inquiry and contradict initial reports that the civilians might have been killed in a small-arms attack that followed the suicide bombing.

An official Human Rights inquiry? Written by the Afghans? This is another Haditha at work here…Marines are being found guilty of “war crimes” based on the words and accusations of our enemy in the cess pool. FUCK THIS SHIT.

The six-Humvee convoy had stopped at another U.S. camp near the Pakistan border and was on its way back to Jalalabad when a Toyota van moved to the shoulder along with other oncoming traffic. The van suddenly swerved between the first and second Humvees, and the suicide bomber detonated the bomb, Kearney said

The convoy was attacked. By radical suicidal Muslimes. Who would just as soon blow up US Marines as well as little children of the area.

Marines in the convoy believed that they were taking enemy fire from several locations along the sides of the road, Kearney said. They deemed vehicles along the road threats and shot at five or six of them — one because it failed to respond to their direction, and another because it appeared to be trying to force them in a certain direction, Kearney said.

Why does this Commander seem hell bent to discredit the Marines version of what happened? Because of political pressure from his higher uppities.

Kearney said that his command’s “major concern is to protect the Afghan people” but that the platoon’s alleged actions had made it impossible for the unit to continue its mission in Afghanistan. Late last month he ordered the platoon of about 30 men and its 120-man parent unit, a Marine Special Operations company, to withdraw from Afghanistan, where it had been operating from a small base in eastern Nangahar province.

I think we have a case of misguided loyalties here. A commander of American forces first concern should not be for the enemy and let’s not forget, the enemy is alive and well in Afghanistan. The MARSOC, the Marines, did what they do best which is far less than any Army command is expected to do. MARSOC should never have been created; Marines don’t need special titles and commands; they do the job they are asked to do. Attack them and they will fight back. People will die. Marines are not the Army…who get attacked but don’t always fight back. The truth hurts, I know…and I will catch some flack for being politically incorrect towards the US Army (who I DO respect, just not nearly as much as the US Marine Corps). Once again I will be standing with the Marines.

Cross Posted @ ARS.

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Awe…Little Johnny wants special treatment. Hope he enjoys how it feels to WANT.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The lawyer and parents of American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh asked President Bush on Wednesday to commute his 20-year prison term, citing the case of an Australian man who was sentenced to less than a year for aiding terrorism.

Lindh, 26, was captured in Afghanistan in November 2001 by American forces sent to topple the Taliban after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He was charged with conspiring to kill Americans and support terrorists but pleaded guilty to lesser offenses, including carrying weapons against U.S. forces.

The Aussie received a lesser sentence because he’s going home…where he will face a LONG prison term. Probably his entire life.

“It is a question of proportionality. It is a question of fairness, and it is a question of the religious experience John Walker Lindh had,” attorney James Brosnahan said. “And it was not in any way directed at the United States.”

Life ain’t fair Johnny. You made choices. Your hands are covered with the blood of American soldiers who were killed at the Afghan prison where you were found. I think you’re lucky little Johnny…If I were the person making the decision, I would never give you back any freedom. You gave that up when you converted to Islam, and fought with our enemies against OUR soldiers.

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Uh oh.

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The top American general in Afghanistan has expelled a U.S. Marine special operations company for the way the men responded to an ambush March 4, Marine sources said.

Maj. Cliff Gilmore, a spokesman for Marine Special Operations Command, confirmed to The Examiner that the company of 120 Marines is redeploying.

He said the decision followed an ambush on the company’s convoy by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. A second Marine source said the Marines retaliated and some civilians were killed.

The action brought an abrupt end to what promised to be a historic deployment. The unit sailed in January from Camp Lejuene, N.C., as the first Marine Corps special operations company sent overseas. The Corps joined U.S. Special Operations Command a year ago.

So the first mission of MARSOC has failed? Or is there more here than they’re telling us??

The company is now redeploying to Kuwait after just a few weeks in Afghanistan in what was supposed to be a six-month tour.

A Marine officer assigned to special operations said Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, the top U.S. commander, took the extraordinary step of expelling the unit after he consulted with Afghan Prime Minister Hamid Karzai.

A spokesman for Eikenberry could not be reached today.

Gilmore said, “The unit responded to the ambush and the local population perceptions of that response have damaged the relationship between the local population and the Marine special operations company.”

You know…we shouldn’t even be reading stories about ANY special ops activity. I wonder what the motivation for this “article” really is??

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President Bush shows his leadership again. and smacks the defeatists, liberal media and liberal politicians.

“Are you Sunni or Shia?” And he responded, “I am Iraqi.”

Iraqi Pride is growing again.

I also want to speak to those of you who did not support my decision to send troops to Iraq: I have heard your disagreement, and I know how deeply it is felt. Yet now there are only two options before our country — victory or defeat. And the need for victory is larger than any president or political party, because the security of our people is in the balance. I don’t expect you to support everything I do, but tonight I have a request: Do not give in to despair, and do not give up on this fight for freedom.

What he meant to say is your stooped leftists are putting Americans at risk. Stop it you fucking jerks.

Next week, Americans will gather to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. Many families will be praying for loved ones spending this season far from home — in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other dangerous places. Our nation joins in those prayers. We pray for the safety and strength of our troops. We trust, with them, in a love that conquers all fear, in a light that reaches the darkest corners of the Earth. And we remember the words of the Christmas carol, written during the Civil War: “God is not dead, nor [does] He sleep; the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on Earth, goodwill to men.”

I love that C-Span had Randi (tree up her ass) Rhoads on Q&A as the follow on to the Presidents speech. Is that all the left has to put up is a old hippie whore? Where is the leftist responses to the speech? oh, here they are Reaction to President Bush’s Speech
Reid is a moron piece of shit

“While I appreciate the president’s increased candor, too much of the substance remains the same and the American people have still not heard what benchmarks we must meet along the way to know that progress is being made.” - Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Technorati Tags: President Bush, Iraqi

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The Marines are making news all over the place today.

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United States Marine Corps Capt. Michael Trapp, who has roots in Bradenton, received the Distinguished Flying Cross with a Flying V on July 13 for his heroic actions in Afghanistan.

Michael Trapp is the son of Bradenton accountant Gary Trapp, who said he couldn’t be prouder of his son. The elder Trapp said that when his son joined the Marines, he thought it was a good move for a young man without direction.

“Mike started out as an enlisted Marine and worked his way up to qualify for officer candidate school,” Gary Trapp said. “He eventually became a pilot.” The proud father said his son was a hard worker and deserved the Distinguished Flying Cross medal.

According to the citation summary, Capt. Trapp flew an emergency mission on Aug. 25, 2003, that saved the lives of coalition forces pinned down by an enemy ambush.

“We were given an emergency alert to scramble to help about 200 miles away,” said Trapp, who pilots an AVAB Harrier jet. The 35-year-old pilot said that at first the alert was fairly routine; he had flown more than 100 missions while in Afghanistan. He said he and the other pilot in his section, Lt. Col. Mike Franzak, flew to where the enemy forces were firing from higher positions on the coalition forces below.

Trapp said he realized it was more than a routine flight when he heard gunshots over the radio. “That’s when the adrenaline starting coming in,” he said. The adrenaline really helps you focus on what’s important.” Because the terrain was mountainous and unfamiliar to the pilots, there was some difficulty in pin-pointing where the coalition forces were located.

According to the citation summary, Trapp “dove for the deck and performed several low-altitude, high-speed passes in an effort to quell the enemy’s assault. “The sight and sound of the Harriers flying down the valley, expending self-protection flares at low altitude, appeared to halt the enemy’s assault” for enough time for the coalition troops to withdraw. As the ground troops were repositioning themselves, they traveled into a deep gorge, where the enemy again ambushed them with rocket-propelled grenades and fire from small arms and automatic weapons.

That was when the squadron attacked the enemy positions with their 25-mm cannons.

The citation summary read like an action-packed novel in describing Trapp’s next move.

“After watching the lead’s gun impacts, Capt. Trapp quickly rolled in and adjusted his aim point according to the (ground troops’) commands, scoring a direct hit on the intended target with almost 100 25-mm semi-armor piercing high explosive tracer rounds.” In between all this action and running low on fuel, the Harrier squad took turns and performed mid-air refueling maneuvers four times during the mission. After four hours of “punishing” al-Qaida and Taliban enemy fighters the Marine jet squad was out of ammunition and turned the mission over to Danish Air Force jets.

Trapp and his squadron spent six hours in the air before returning to base.

That was when he learned the coalition forces received only minor wounds.

Trapp said it was about 24 hours later when some of men from the ground forces came over to his camp to thank Franzak and him personally. “They invited us over to their camp for dinner,” he said.

Because the enemy had more men, there could have been more coalition deaths if the Harriers had not helped out when they did.

“Due to the heroic and professional actions of Capt. Trapp, certain tragedy was avoided and coalition lives were saved,” according to the summary. “By his superb airsmanship, inspiring courage and loyal devotion to duty in the face of hazardous flying conditions, Capt. Trapp reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

Trapp flew his medal-winning mission in the 11th month of his one-year tour in Afghanistan.

“The mission worked out real well for us,” he said.

Trapp is stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz., with his wife, Darleen, and three children, Audria, 17; Kyle, 12; and Adam, 1.

He has been in the Marines for 17 years and said it’s “the greatest job in the world”.

“Especially flying jets.”

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Another hero.

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Afghanistan’s first blog

It is a good start:

I would like to say hello to all bloggers. My name is Waheed. I am a 20 year old male from Afghanistan and I have been working with the US Army in Kabul, Afghanistan as an interpreter for the last 2 years. Our base is located inside the ANA (Afghan National Army) Central Corps and the US officers train the ANA. I would like to thank my friend Paul Edwards who persuaded me to start my blog and send the real news from Afghanistan. The situation in Afghanistan is getting better day by day. There are still some fights in the southern provinces and also near the Pakistan border. The ANA and US Army fight against them, but the enemy is weak and they just carry out guerilla attacks and then escape.

Go Welcome Waheed

Hat tip: Instapundit

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