Matt Sanchez

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

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WorldNetDaily Exclusive
Marine Marathon tests will, as well as ability
'I am just going to get through this," handicapped vet promises

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Posted: October 28, 2008
8:43 pm Eastern

By Matt Sanchez

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WorldNetDaily

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It is 5:30 a.m. in a hotel parking lot and half a dozen athletes are warming up to compete in the 33rd annual Marine Corps Marathon.

"Just remember, you must wear a helmet, or you won't be allowed to ride," said Genna Griffith.

While most of the 30,000 runners expected to participate in the 26.2-mile challenge on Sunday would not require a helmet, these athletes are nothing like most of those running in what has become one of the largest marathons in the world.

They are Achilles athletes, and Griffith is an experienced Achilles coordinator.

Shoes on the ground, the top runners at the starting line.

Achilles is a worldwide group that seeks to enable people with all types of disabilities in participate in mainstream athletics. 

cont...

Military prefer McCain, 3 to 1

I wrote this op-ed and I got this letter from a vet.

Matt thanks for a great and respectful article. As a retired military veteran, (26 years 2 months and 25 days) I take my oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States as a lifelong sacred trust and a solemn duty.  I could never support anyone that is a Marxist or hates my country.  That is the way most of my comrades in arms feel.   God bless America and guide us through this turbulent time.

This is really the benefit of writing a well-read column.

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Military prefer McCain, 3 to 1

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Posted: October 23, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

© 2008

 

Have you heard about the Military Times poll on the 2008 presidential election?

The study showed John McCain defeating Barack Obama by 68 percent to 23, if the members of the United States military were electing the next president.

That's nearly a 3-to-1 gap.

With a conflict in Afghanistan and the drawing down of Iraq, the military vote is the most indicative of leadership and trust, because the next president will become the commander in chief of the armed forces.

 

A voting booth at Camp Fallujah, Iraq.  Marines, soldiers and sailors are pulling out of Camp Fallujah as the security situation improves.

By all accounts, the national race is very close, so what accounts for this enormous difference for the very small portion of Americans who serve?

There's the obvious point that John McCain, as a former Navy pilot, benefits from a better knowledge of the military and that members of the military would feel a fraternity, but the pro-McCain bias is more than time served.

The military is very much a practical application workplace, a place where skill and experience mean a lot more than hope and change.

In the military, rank achieved – especially as you go higher up – is earned through a proven track record and normally tested by appearances in front of numerous boards. You don't achieve higher military ranks by mistake; it takes distinguished skills, demonstrable knowledge and admittedly some politicking.

cont...

The Military Gap

An interesting poll from The Military Times on the 2008 presidential election. 

McCain, R-Ariz., handily defeated Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., 68 percent to 23 percent in a voluntary survey of 4,293 active-duty, National Guard and reserve subscribers and former subscribers to Army Times, Navy Times, Marine Corps Times and Air Force Times.

That's nearly a 3 to 1 gap for those voting for Senator John McCain over Senator Barack Obama.  By all accounts the national race is very close, so what accounts for this enormous gap?

There's the obvious point that John McCain, as a former Navy pilot, benefits from a better knowledge of the military and that members of the military would feel a fraternity with someone who has already served, but the pro-McCain bias is more than time served.

The military is very much a practical application workplace, a place where skill and experience mean a lot more than hope and change.

In the military, rank achieved-- especially as you go higher up-- is earned through a proven track record and backed by time served. 

For Senator Obama who has little or no practical experience, members of the military have trouble believing that a newbie deserves to be promoted to Commander-in-Chief, principally because those serving understand that the President of the United States has a very specific function making life and death decisions.

One of those decisions was for the troop augmentation of 2007, a "surge" that Barack Obama did not support and has arguably not recognized as successful.  Senator McCain bet his political career on the surge saying he would, "rather lose an election than lose a war."

The surge is a concrete example of how the judgement of two different "chiefs" would have adversely effected the those serving.   Yet between the two candidates there are several stark differences that tip the scales.  For an institution like the military, the cultural factor cannot be underestimated.

While few question Senator McCain's devotion to the United States, Senator Obama suffers from a  patriotism deficit.  Beyond the absence of a flag lapel or not placing the hand on heart for the National Anthem, Senator Obama believes the country is principally flawed, an assertion that bothers those who have volunteered to serve their imperfect nation.   

For many members of the military, patriotism is not a passing fad or a political ploy, it's a way of life.  Senator Obama often gives the impression that the country has not served him well enough and can only be redeemed by electing him the first black president.

The military is a very small portion of the total population, somewhere near 1 percent, but for many reasons, servicemen in uniform have an entirely different view of the election and what's at stake.  With all the talk about who to elect to the White House, it would serve the rest of the country well to pay attention to a point of view that is so rarely represented. 

Dora Again

I spent the summer of 2007 in the Dora Neighborhood, where shootings were a daily event, even as the violence diminished.  Part of the strategy was to surround the neighborhoods with walls, so terrorists couldn't enter neighborhoods without passing a check point. 

The people I met were cautiously hopeful, but quite afraid. Many had fled other neighborhoods and just wanted to be safe. I saw much violence in some areas, so it was very nice to see the following story from the NY Times no less.

BAGHDAD — Market by market, square by square, the walls are beginning to come down. The miles of hulking blast walls, ugly but effective, were installed as a central feature of the surge of American troops to stop neighbors from killing one another. “They protected against car bombs and drive-by attacks,” said Adnan, 39, a vegetable seller in the once violent neighborhood of Dora, who argues that the walls now block the markets and the commerce that Baghdad needs to thrive. “Now it is safe.”

cont...

Families who had left the Dora neighborhood of Baghdad for safer areas lined up last month to return home. Hostilities have calmed, though mistrust remains

Fini?

French troops are currently part of the NATO/ISAF forces in Afghanistan, but after the death of 10 French scouts during a Taliban assault, the French government will debate the future of the mission in Afghanistan as the French public is opposed to the presence of French troops on Afghan soil by a majority 62%.

French Soldier in Afghanistan

According to a report in the Canadian Globe and Mail, the ill-fated French reconnaissance platoon was very poorly equipped.  The platoon had an estimated 600 bullets and one radio for 30 men for a firefight that went on for nearly two days.

The Canadian Globe and Mail cited an AAR (After Action Report) by American Special Forces, who according to independent journalist Michael Yon, accurately described the ambush in their report.

There is a conflict of facts as the French military spokesman has denied the veracity of the account in the Globe and Mail citing that an official report has yet to be released.  Michael Yon who personally saw the Special Forces report stands by the assertion that the French forces were poorly equipped. 

French president, Nicholas Sarkozy, has requested a stronger French military presence in Afghanistan, but on September 22nd 2008, the French Parliament will debate the French mission.

Obama: Troops Stay in Iraq?

The accusation is very serious.  In an article published in the NYPOST, Amir Teheri said that while in Iraq, Senator Barrack Obama requested a withdrawal agreement NOT be reached until AFTER the presidential election.  The senator from Illinois, according to the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, asked the Iraqi officials to delay coming to an agreement with a weak Bush administration.

The charge of a senator "negotiating or coercing with a foreign government in a warzone may be without precedent. 

Worldnetdaily has followed up to the troop withdrawal account with a column stating that the Obama camp initially denied the report, but later confirmed it.  WND cited this AP account of the events.

Baghdad Tourism

I was very surprised to see this report from a Baghdad market.  General Petraeus is walking around a market I visited last year, it's not far from Sadr City.  The market was repeatedly the site of several massive explosions.  I'm astounded to see a four-star general walking around so comfortably.

It's great to see things have changed.

My latest op-ed column from WND.

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The military advantage

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Posted: September 13, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

The military is one of the most consistently respected institutions of the United States, and in this election season, you can't beat having a strong military ties when running for commander in chief.

Sen. John McCain is the best example of America's respect for those who have worn the uniform. It's a difficult year for Republicans, but the fact that voters even give McCain the time of the day is due to the many days McCain spent in a North Vietnamese prison as a POW.

This gaffe caused Kerry to give up his hopes of becoming president. 

Presidential politics were not always favorable toward Vietnam veterans. Bill Clinton ran as a renegade promoting the fact that he participated in anti-Vietnam War rallies and suggested he had successfully dodged the draft. That would be unthinkable today. cont...

It's interesting to note how Palin calls the soldiers by the name they prefer, warriors. 

German Blunder in Afghanistan

Barrack Obama and why the Germans won't fight.

In an interview with Bill O'Reilly, presidential hopeful, Illinois Senator Barrack Obama, said one of the reasons why NATO and specifically, Germany, was not willing to fight in Afghanistan was due to

"We soured our relationships with the Europeans, after Iraq"

The truth is that the German military is constitutionally prohibited from attacking and can only act in self-defense (Verteidigungsfall)  For the German military, a member of NATO, to participate in the Operation Enduring Freedom, the German Chancellor initially deemed the German mission to be solely a peace mission.  The fact that Germans have become suicidal pacifists and horrorifically anti-American also causes the war in Afghanistan to be heavily unpopular.

Since 2002, Germany has lost 26 servicemen in Afghanistan, according to the website icasualties.org.  The 3,500 strong German presence in Afghanistan is concentrated in the North where there is very little meaningful contact with hostile forces.  This summer, the an Afghan provincial leader said "What the Germans do with their forces is there business" in response to the German unwillingness to confront Taliban forces.

Germany not Alone

Germany is not the only reluctant warrior among NATO forces.  Italian, Spanish and French military are also mostly vacationing in Afghanistan. 

In the interview, Bill O'Reilly  points out that the French recently lost some soldiers in Afghanistan, but the soldiers were lost in a Taliban attack on their convoy.  The French were not out hunting the enemy and became victims. 

No matter how many time the Germans and many NATO allies call Afghanistan a "peace mission", the former land of the Taliban is very much a war zone.  

Obama's instinct is to blame the current administration for any and all deficiencies, a luxury he would not possess had he the duties of commander and chief.  According to Barrack Obama, our "allies" aren't even responsible for their own defense shortcomings. No wünder Germany overwhelmingly supports Barrack Obama for the American presidency.

Baghdad Safer than Chicago

Nearly 125 Shot Dead In Chicago Over Summer

Total Is About Double The Death Toll In Iraq

CHICAGO (CBS) ― An estimated 123 people were shot and killed over the summer. That's nearly double the number of soldiers killed in Iraq over the same time period.

Scenes from a Chicago shooting

*Chicago is a city, Iraq is a country the size of California

Anbar Awake

I remember seeing the Fallujah bridge where the bodies of contractors were strung up.  It was a chilly feeling and as we traveled from Fallujah to Habbaniya, there was a report of an IED killing an American somewhere along the route.   The Marines are handing over the province of Anbar, two years after the province was declared property of al-Qaida in Iraq and Ramadi, the capital of the Islamic State of Iraq.

 

U.S. Hands Back a Quieter Anbar

By DEXTER FILKINS

Published: September 1, 2008

RAMADI, Iraq — The American military handed over responsibility for the security of the western province of Anbar, once a stronghold of the Sunni insurgency and one of the most violent regions in Iraq, to the Iraqi government on Monday, a long-delayed milestone.

cont...

Sobering Reality

I ran across this sad story of a 22-year old reservist sailor who survived two tours in Iraq, but was killed on his job as a prison guard here in the United States. 

ATWATER, California (CNN) -- Jose Rivera survived two tours of duty in Iraq, but his job as a corrections officer at a high-security federal prison in California cost him his life.

Jose Rivera was guarding 100 inmates when he was stabbed to death at a federal prison in California.

Two inmates using a homemade shank are accused of stabbing Rivera to death in June at the United States Penitentiary in Atwater, California.

The inmates -- Jose Sablan, 43, and James Guerrero, 40 -- were indicted in August and charged with murder. They have not entered a plea.

Jose Rivera's death has sparked a bit a controversy as state prison guards demand reform and a review of procedures and policies.

Clarky Boy

I've never been much of a fan of retired general and former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark, but even I felt a bit sorry for him after the leaders of the 2008 Democratic Convention, in Denver, Colorado decided there was no place for Clark to address the Democratic delegates.

Clark is an awkward politician who, as leader of NATO forces, lead an awkward conflict in both Kosovo and Bosnia where he was involved in several awkward incidents. 

This won't be the first time Wesley Clark has been passed over for a party.  During the 50 year celebration of the founding of NATO, General Wesley Clark was initially not invited.  Did I mention Clark was, at the time of the snub, the Supreme Allied Commander and directly in charge of NATO?

Since then Clark has made several missteps from trying to support Hillary Clinton's candidacy, to jumping over to the fingers-crossed Barack Obama campaign, once the senator from Illinois accepted a presumptive nomination from the party. 

Until recently, Wesley Clark was considered, by some unidentified supporters, to be a potential vice-presidential candidate, but then Clark declared senator John McCain did not have the experience to be Commander-in-Chief:

"Well, I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.”

Both McCain and Obama criticized Clark's awkward comment and that was pretty much the last we heard from one of the few Democrats who has had any military experience.  That was until today, when the Democratic Party decided retired general Wesley Clark had no wisdom to impart to Democrat delegates during a time when troops are in harm's way. 

I mean, even a hasty withdrawal will require someone who well versed in giving the command to retreat. 

Not everyone is down on Clark, during the 2004 race for the White House--an election that looked for a candidate with strong military credentials--Clark won the endorsement of none other than popstar Madonna.  So, it's not like General Wesley Clark isn't, you know, cool or anything like that. 

Reporting by Remote Control

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Which to trust: Media or vets?

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Posted: August 20, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

© 2008

 

The press has all sorts of narratives and stereotypes about the military – one constant is the media portrayal of the troops as either victim or villain. Vets for Freedom, a group of former Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans combating those stereotypes, have the mission of educating "the American public about the importance of achieving success in these conflicts by applying our firsthand knowledge to issues of American strategy and tactics in Iraq."

Vets for Freedom has sent the "mainstream media" into a tizzy fit, since journalists, commentators and talking heads are convinced the only stories out of Iraq and Afghanistan that matter are theirs.

Camp Salerno, Afghanistan

There was a report of a major attack against Camp Salerno, an American base near the Pakistan border.  A friend of mine, currently in Afghanistan, reported that there is a higher state of alert.

I spent quite a bit of time at Camp Salerno this time last year, and can report that the area was fairly calm last year when I accompanied several patrols to sweep for roadside bombs. 

Are we losing Afghanistan?  Hardly, but the success in Iraq has forced jihadist to look for softer targets. 

Silk Route--Not So Smooth

It took forever to get to Salerno.  Even the name, Salerno, sounded far, more like a neighborhood in distant Brooklyn than a forward operating base forty kilometers from the Pakistan border.  Salerno was just a stop on the way to my "final destination", Gardez home of the first Afghan Provincial Reconstruction or PRT.

I had only been in Afghanistan for less than a week and already the acronyms were beginning to give me trouble.  I had just arrived from Iraq where the alphabet soup of programs, units and organizations were different.  Some times the letters coincided, just like the joint-service military effort, but it didn't take long to realize rocky Afghanistan was different from dusty Iraq.

Ding Dong the War is dead

While I was in Iraq, I listened to Bing West's engaging book, "No True Glory".  I consequently got to correspond with Bing, a former Marine, during my time in Baghdad and I appreciate his opinion very much.  I just got this e-mail and I'm happy to see Bing came to the same conclusion I did, several months ago. 

The war I witnessed for more than five years in Iraq is over. In July, there were five American fatalities in Iraq, the lowest since the war began in March 2003. In Mosul recently, I chatted with shopkeepers on the same corner where last January a Humvee was blown apart in front of me. In the Baghdad district of Ghazilia -- where last January snipers controlled streets awash in human waste -- I saw clean streets and soccer games. In Basra, the local British colonel was dining at a restaurant in the center of the bustling city.

Marines fight mob to save girl

                     

Two Marines brave a mob to rescue a girl.  Although there were racial overtones, no bias crime was filed.

CONEY ISLAND MOB BEATS EX-MARINES RESCUING GIRL

                                        

                  

By PHILIP MESSING

Posted: 3:59 am
August 11, 2008

A wolf pack of at least 30 thugs viciously attacked two hero former Marines in Brooklyn after they rescued a teenage girl who was being assaulted, police and witnesses said yesterday.

And when the brother of one of the former servicemen tried to come to his rescue during the July 25 melee in Coney Island, he was beaten into a coma.

The former leathernecks, Valentyn Olenyev, 23, and Boris Bukler, 22, Russian émigrés who served tours in Iraq, were walking a female friend to her parked car on West 23rd Street at 12:30 a.m. when they spotted two men holding the screaming teen by her hands and legs.

  "She was yelling, 'Help!' " said Olenyev. "I asked her, 'Do you need help?' She said, 'Yes!"

"It wasn't our intention to get into a fight," said Bukler. "We said, 'Let the girl go, and we'll leave.' We told them, 'Stop.'

"She was screaming, and all we did was look to help her. I got a bottle smashed over my head, and after that, I started fighting. But I got beat down.

  "I was getting my ass kicked by 50 people."

  Their friend called Olenyev's brother, Ivan, 22.

"When I showed up, there were a lot of people there, people on the left and people on the right, and then - 'Boom!' - I got hit and passed out," Ivan told The Post from his hospital bed.

  Police sources said he was pounded senseless by 240-pound Timothy Dixon, 23, who was swinging a metal baseball bat.

  Ivan suffered multiple facial fractures and will require plastic surgery.

  The NYPD is looking for Dixon, who remains at large.

  The teenage girl fled after the melee.

The two former Marines, meanwhile, insist that the violence had racial overtones, although the assault has not been labeled a bias crime.

Bukler said, "Those in the crowd were yelling, 'Hey, white boys, you're in the 'hood now!' We were yelling back, 'We don't care - we live here!'

Don't Repeal

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2 'gay' corporals walk into a bar …

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Posted: August 08, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

By Matt Sanchez
© 2008

 

 

Just in time for the political season, the U.S. House Armed Services personnel subcommittee is debating the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.

The rule was we won't ask and you won't tell, but LGBT activists don't care if the military asks, because they have every intention of telling.

To garner support for pro-gay sex in the military, the Human Rights Campaign is taking out its biggest weapon – the victim.

Staff Sgt. Eric Alva deployed to Iraq in 2003, where he stepped out of his vehicle to heat up an MRE and stepped onto a land mine. Alva's leg was amputated. First to fight, Marine Alva was among the first wounded during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Although Congress found "the primary purpose of the armed forces is to prepare for and to prevail in combat should the need arise," Alva says repealing the ban on open homosexual behavior would improve the military by "helping to fight discrimination and hate."

Activist groups like the Human Rights Campaign demand a sex surge for the military at the expense of national security. After repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, or DADT, the campaign will lobby for recognition of same-sex couples in the military.

Eric Alva, a former Staff Sergeant is an advocate for openly homosexual conduct in the military, but he has never given an example where and when this would be appropriate, or even how it would effect his role as a leader of Marines.

cont...

Putting Order in the Law

I got a call from a friend at a casting agency.  She said she wanted me to consider taking a day to help out on the set of Law and Order, Special Victims Unit.  This particular episode was going to use actors for the military and she thought I could add a touch of authenticity.

I've always been annoyed how "Hollywood" portrays the military--ESPECIALLY the Marine Corps.  Once my friend told me a Marine officer  was scripted in the episode, I signed on!

Actor Bill Massof was a sport about taking all the strong suggestions on proper Marine etiquette.

The bus that took us to the Queens Bourough set was in Midtown, on Lexington.  After calling in and entering all the numbers given to me, I got instructions where to go and what to expect.  It was a warm day, and by the time, I got to the bus, at 9:15, I was dripping with sweat.

At the bus, a cooly disheveled man with a list asked me for my number and name, the name I could remember, it was that number I struggled with.  He pursed his lips and flipped through the pages.  I asked if this was the bus for the Law in Order shoot, but he didn't bother to ask me.  His finger finally stopped on a name list.

"Military Type"?

"Yes," I said.  The "military types" were numbers 92-98, I was 98.

If the AP Says so...

The Associated Press recently released the following story that normally would make the rounds throughout the media, however it was, unfortunately, released on Saturday...the worst day for releasing a major news item.

Analysis: US now winning Iraq war that seemed lost

By ROBERT BURNS and ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press WritersSat Jul 26,  7:08 PM ET

The United States is now winning the war that two years ago seemed lost. Limited, sometimes sharp fighting and periodic terrorist bombings in Iraq are likely to continue, possibly for years. But the Iraqi government and the U.S. now are able to shift focus from mainly combat to mainly building the fragile beginnings of peace — a transition that many found almost unthinkable as recently as one year ago.

Despite the occasional bursts of violence, Iraq has reached the point where the insurgents, who once controlled whole cities, no longer have the clout to threaten the viability of the central government.

That does not mean the war has ended or that U.S. troops have no role in Iraq. It means the combat phase finally is ending, years past the time when President Bush optimistically declared it had. The new phase focuses on training the Iraqi army and police, restraining the flow of illicit weaponry from Iran, supporting closer links between Baghdad and local governments, pushing the integration of former insurgents into legitimate government jobs and assisting in rebuilding the economy.

Scattered battles go on, especially against al-Qaida holdouts north of Baghdad. But organized resistance, with the steady drumbeat of bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and ambushes that once rocked the capital daily, has all but ceased.

Cont...

WHO?

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REBUILDING IN THE GULF

WHO returns to Iraq amid improved security

U.N. agency withdrew personnel 5 years ago in wake of terror attack

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Posted: July 24, 2008
12:00 am Eastern

By Matt Sanchez
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

 

 

U.N. headquarters in Baghdad after it was hit by a truck bomb Aug. 19, 2003

NEW YORK – In a further sign of improving security conditions in Iraq, the World Health Organization has restored a permanent international presence in the country after having fled in 2003.

The WHO's representative, Naeema Al-Gasseer, said the U.N. agency welcomes the opportunity to assist with Iraq's health goals, but security is always a concern.

"It is like a pendulum," she said. "We are still watching carefully for emergencies and humanitarian assistances, while at the same time focusing on assisting the government in policy development and investing in the recent security improvements."

The agency had had a presence in Iraq since 1960 amid coups, war with Iran, the first Persian Gulf war and the ensuing era of U.N. sanctions. But the WHO withdrew its staff from the country after the August 2003 attack on U.N. headquarters in Baghdad that killed 22 people and injured more than 100 others.

cont...

Generation Killed

A mixture of real and false, Generation Kill is striving for scripted authenticity, by dramatizing a real-life event.

This July HBO debuted Generation Kill, a mini-series based on the book by Evan Wright.  I never read the book, but I did run into Wright at the Baghdad airport and spent most of the day waiting to catch a flight to different destinations.  He was flying to interview General Petraeus for Rolling Stones Magazine, I was heading back to FOB Falcon which was a shooting gallery at the time.  My impression of Evan was that of a man with a nuanced background.  We probably did not agree on much politically, but I think he is sincere about his project. 

Evan did embed with the Marines in 2003 and his subsequent novel was one of the first to explore the youth that were on the front lines leading into Baghdad.  These recon Marines were the best of the best, and the series used several Marines to make the project as authentic as possible. 

 

From: Acting Director, Division of Public Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps

The recent airing of the first episode of HBO's "Generation Kill" has generated numerous inquiries regarding Marine Corps support of the series.  The Marine Corps did not provide any official support to the filmmakers.  The series is based on the book by the same title by Evan Wright, a former Rolling Stone magazine reporter who was embedded with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 


While there are certainly aspects of the film that are accurate, it is at its heart a commercial production.  It's raw and has elements that are very much out of synch with the core values our nation rightly expects of its Marines. Viewed as a whole, in my estimation, it does not accurately portray the honor and professionalism of our Corps of Marines.

Marine Corps tends not to issue official statements about media portrayals of the Corp and I found this flat out rejection of the 7-part series to be very out of the ordinary. 

Will audiences tune into Generation Kill or will the series debut stillborn?

It's a Long Way Home

Looking anything but military, Robin Long awaits an impending deportation from  Canadian soil.

Three years ago Private Robin Long arrived at the Canadian border to request political asylum.   Long was afraid for his life as the United States military, he alleged, wanted him to participate in an "illegal war of aggression in Iraq."

Fresh out of bootcamp, during a time of war, Robin Long was sent to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division based out of Fort Carson, Colorado and was scheduled to deploy to Iraq along with 200 fellow soldiers out of a brigade numbering over 3,700.  But Robin Long did not follow his fellow soldiers to Iraq.  The United States Army reported Long AWOL on April 11, 2005, said Army spokesman Karen Linne.

At the time of Robin Long's desertion, Fort Carson was preparing a memorial service for 10 soldiers from the brigade who had been killed in Iraq over a four-week period, from Feb. 8 to March 7.

On July 14th, 2008, three years after residing in Canada, a Canadian judge, Anne Mactavish,ruled that Robin Long failed to provide clear evidence he would "suffer irreparable harm" if he was returned to the United States.

Read the fine print, deserter Robin Long was deported to the United States and will stand trial at the base he deserted.

Since 2001, over a million troops have transitioned in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan, but several soldiers have deserted to Canada in order to demand political asylum.  Thus far, none of the claims have been successful.

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division was re-named the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and proclaim the division to be "the most lethal, modern and deployable heavy division in the world; it is prepared to conduct full-spectrum combat operations." 

Long became the first resister since the Iraq war began in 2003 to be sent back to the United States.  Long could have requested conscientious objector status, but instead he chose to flee from duty and shirk the oath he took when he volunteered to join the Army.  Thanks to the decision handed down by a Canadian judge, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, Long's former unit, can rest assured that all the men who join the unit are willing to live up to their obligations or face the consequences.   

Afghanistan's Deadly Diversity

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Deadly diversity in Afghanistan

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Posted: July 16, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

By Matt Sanchez
© 2008

If you haven't noticed, there is another war going on, in Afghanistan, and it's heating up.

According to the 2008 Pentagon Report on Progress toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan, "The Taliban regrouped after its fall from power and have coalesced into a resilient insurgency."

For the first time, there were more Americans killed in action in Afghanistan than in Iraq. The situation in Afghanistan will get worse, unless the American military commands the leadership role and implements many of the same counterinsurgency strategies that have proven successful in Iraq. A change in course will require facing some painful truths.

Not all armies are equal

In Bagram, the base for ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) and the American military, I met a German staff sergeant, one of seven German soldiers on the enormous base, wandering the grounds in an attempt to find electrical current for his communications equipment. This frustrated German soldier's plight symbolized the dilemma of many of the international forces deployed to Afghanistan. The equipment was incompatible with what was already functioning in the area of operations, and the German's mission was of little or no consequence to the greater mission of stabilizing Afghanistan.

Cont...

Searching for bombs near the Pakistan border.

Celebrating Freedom

This Independence Day, I can't help but recall some of my past Fourth of July celebrations.  On one 4th of July, I was at bootcamp in Parris Island.  As platoon leader, I got to hold the American flag during the the festivities on the parade deck.  It was a long day, hot weather and I had to remain perfectly still.  There's nothing like a military ceremony to celebrate the Fourth of July and on that day, despite the heat, cramps and bugs, I was enormously proud of being an American.

The soldiers of the 1-4 Cavalry out of FOB Falcon, Bagdad working in the middle of an Iraqi summer.  These troops have stopped the killing and turned the tide in a neighborhood where terrorists once ruled the streets.

Last 4th of July, I was in Baghdad with the 1st Squadron of the 4th Cavalry on FOB Falcon.  The neighborhood the 1-4 Cav covered was one of the most hostile areas in all of Baghdad and the residents had seen a lot of violence. 

Anyone who has been to Iraq knows there are tons of kids everywhere.  I liked asking kids questions because they give the most direct and honest responses.  Here's what one kid told me about the American soldiers who patrolled his neighborhood.

I've often said that the best that the United States has to offer are serving in the military and in combat zones like some of the neighborhoods in Baghdad.  Armed with little more than their dedication to their duty and to one another, the men and women of the United States military have turned the tide on what seemed an impossible situation.  Their stories, on this day, the birth of our country, deserve to be honored and remembered.

From the Front Lines

The Move America Forward box just finished and we're happy to report that the guys brought in TWICE as much as they had originally planned!  When Melanie Morgan asked me to help out, I was crossing my fingers the whole time, I wanted this to succeed.

Well, it turns out perserverence counts for something.  What Melanie originally called a "crazy idea" has snowballed into a wonderful gift from the American public.  The final tally was just over 1 million bucks--twice as much as Melanie's original target of $500,000.

Here in Paris, I was talking to members of the international media and explaining the concept of the "web-a-thon".  These journalists could no't understand how or why ordinary Americans were going to contribute to something like this?  They were extremely sceptical.

Well, the wait is over, Americans contributed generously and I can't wait to tell my French-speaking friends.

I've noticed that a lot of Americans want to help out, they really want to do something for the troops.  Donating a care package is one of the best ways to do just that.      

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Marine Declared NOT Guilty

Victory for LtCol Chessani – Case Dismissed

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

ANN ARBOR, MI – Military Judge Colonel Steven Folsom, USMC, this morning dismissed all charges against Lt Colonel Jeffrey Chessani on the grounds of unlawful command influence.  He blistered the prosecution’s case in an opinion he read from the bench that lasted an hour.   The ruling was without prejudice.  Colonel Folsom gave prosecutors 72 hours in which to notify him whether they would appeal. 

The ruling was greeted with tears of joy from Chessani’s wife and several spectators in the courtroom.

The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, represents LtCol Chessani alongside his detailed military attorneys.  The two Law Center attorneys assigned to his case are former Marine officers themselves.  Robert Muise served in the First Persian Gulf war as an infantry officer, and Brian Rooney was a Judge Advocate officer who served two tours of duty in Iraq.  Lt Colonel John Shelburne, USMC, and Captain Jeff King, USMC , the detailed military defense counsel, make up the rest of Chessani’s defense team.

Cont....

Media: Worse for military than terrorists

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Media: Worse for military than terrorists

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Posted: June 17, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

By Matt Sanchez
© 2008

 

 

Anyone who believes unfair and biased press on Iraq is a recent phenomenon has a short memory.

In 2003, following the fastest advance in the history of warfare, the media began to wring their collective hands, as one microphone holder after the next cautioned of Marines and soldiers outrunning their support in the charge to Baghdad.

Reporters, editors and producers really love to play follow the sound byte.

In April 2003, the buzzwords "stretched thin" and "unprotected" got a lot more attention than "Iraqis are surrendering by the thousands." As the troops cut into uncharted territory, the media played up the strength of Saddam's "dedicated" Republican Guard, while openly discussing the weaknesses of American troops.

cont...

At Habbiniya located in the dissipated "Sunni Triangle", Sgt. Ezel gives leasons on marksmanship to Iraqi soldiers.  Habbaniya is a joint base, where there are more armed Iraqis than Americans and yet the base is one of the securist I have visited in Iraq.

 

The Fabricated Controversy

I'm amazed the Marine Corp Times picked up on the fabricated controversy of a "subtle stereotyping" of the Marine Corps teaching blacks to swim.  The "subtle stereotyping" is the real life story of a drill instructor who overcame his inability to swim.  Unfortunately, the Gawker's anti-military smear is not a stereotype, it's a foregone cliché.

 

See for yourself, here's the new Marine Corps commercial entitled 'leap'.

Iraq War Winding Down

My buddy and all-knowing war guru, Michael Yon, has posted:

Washington Post reports growing success in Basra by the Iraq security forces. Violence in Iraq is reaching an all time low, perhaps lower than at anytime in several decades. But make no mistake Iraq and it’s people have been ravaged by decades of war. Finally they are getting their chance at freedom thanks to the sacrifice of the men and women who have set them free from tyrants. With any luck, on my next trip to Iraq I will see little to no combat.

I wrote about this very topic several weeks ago.

IED use and effectiveness has dropped sharply.  This video gives the ABCs of one of this effective weapon.

Most effective counter for IEDs?  Iraqis themselves telling you where they are.

View from the Biergarten