BACK IN EFFECT

THEY SHOOTIN'

Spring is here and time to get the guns out and bust some caps. We went to the range on Tuesday. I got assigned my M-16 and christened her "Matilda" -last year while in Basic I had called my weapon that name and folks thought I was messing around with a 16 year old girl...Funny as hell that was...We prepared for the range last week by going to a simulator called the EST(Electronic Simulation Training). The EST is a huge videogame room except the weapons are real but have been modified to shoot at target scenarios on a huge video screen with laser technology. I hadn't picked up a weapon for any length of time since Fort ILL and after a few sessions I came outta there shooting expert. The news shocked the shit out of everyone at the unit. Video is nothing like real word conditions on the range. Some say it's harder indoors than outdoors. I beg to differ. The challenging part of this is having your helmet on and making sure you rifle butt is tucked in the crook of your shoulder while jocking for space with your ballistic vest(Interceptor Body Armor aka IBA) on. We look like a bunch of Ninja Turtles with all this gear on.

So this past Tuesday, we go way out into the boonies of Bragg to the ranges. I was a bit nervous but motivated to "gun clap" for most of the day. My first time out I hit a dismal 9 out of 40 targets. I was amped on yerba mate and my breathing was hurried which affected my trigger squeeze and stance. I felt a certain amount of pressure because one's measure of self/"soldierness"/masculinity is measured by how nice one is with a weapon-just like a playing sports especially basketball -which brothas often use to measure one's coolness/blackness, etc. So second time up, I shot a 16 outta 40- just warming up and getting a feel for number 7 where I was shooting from. Folks are starting to look at me funny- I was one of four who didn't qualify at this point. I was coached on my shooting stance and sight picture. Cool I got it. I knew what I had to do...3rd time up, I shot a 30 outta 40 and scored Sharpshooter. I was one with Matilda knocking down targets at 300m, 200m, 150m, 100m, 75m, and 50m and could of gotten expert if I hadn't shot low on 4 targets. The best score in our unit was 33 out of 40. I know practice makes good and I was just warming up. I uncovered something I like to do but I hope going forward, I don't have to shoot anyone who might be a threat to my life.

Afghanistan: Outrage As New Law Allows Rape In Marriage | World News | Sky News

I heard this troubling news on NPR this morning as I was heading to base. I am not a big fan of the Afghan government. The fact that we and other countries are over there trying to get A-stan down with a 12 pack of freedom, this law is F******. Basically, "Karzai the Krackhead" is trying to appease some hardline mullahs before the elections jump off. So if I go over there in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (what an ironic title), I am basically condoning women to give up the yoni at the whim of their husband or others. Women have been so intrinsic in my development as a man. I have also beared witness to domestic violence wrought upon my two sisters at points in their lives and had been powerless to do
something about it. So if this law is in effect and rape becames "American as apple pie" in A-stan then basically, I am enforcing/protecting/spin doctoring/possibly dying in the defense of rapists-right? As one of my favorite R&B duos from Philly-Hall & Oates once said; "I can't go for that-no can do."


Afghanistan: Outrage As New Law Allows Rape In Marriage World News Sky News

DAY IN THE LIFE PHOTO

Watching my Commander in Chief at his press conference in London. 2:30pm. Fort Bragg, NC

My life is in your hands Chief!

Rethink the Afghanistan surge | csmonitor.com

Rethink the Afghanistan surge | csmonitor.com

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THE WAR AT HOME

I'm feeling really angry these days about the AIG bailout/our foreign policy to just name a few...

I am not scheduled to go to the M-16 ranges for another couple of weeks. Hopefully then, I can channel my anger/frustration on targets. So here's some of the embers of my anger...but let me preface that I am not on some "America for Americans" nationalism or have I become some "Super Patriot". I am a brick in a wall that struggling to support a faulty foundation. We never learn from history. We think that we are entitled and full of hubris and that no one can do it better...let me stop ranting and breathe...breathe...breathe...

Here are my thoughts...

So the drug wars are outta control across the border with Mexico. I feel sorry for that Mexican border city called Juarez. I saw on CNN that they had over 1600 drug related murders last year. Mass graves and unknown victims. Not to mention, the Texas city of El Paso is also catching bodies like flies on flypaper too. The cartels are buying weapons in the US and supplying our country with cocoa. Supply an demand. Coke and a smile. Dollar, Dollar Bill Y'all...

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$





PRIORITIES AWRY?

We got 4,000 troops heading to A-stan in a few-most likely the 4th brigade combat team(BCT) of the 82nd Airborne stationed here at Fort Bragg. Less gate traffic and fewer lines at the food court(I'm with that on a selfish note ;-) but the real deal to me is priority.

US Border Patrol agents are understaffed/underequipped and outgunned. The National Guard is often stretched thin due to deployments and there aren't enough Federal Marshal's. If the cartels are a national security threat, then why won't we deal with them as such? We are so focused on the threat of Al Qaeda overseas in A-stan where the Commander in Chief runs the grave risk everydayof getting into a deeper quagmire. How many wars can you fight and again, what is the priority??? WTF - we are gonna give Pakistan about 1.5 Billion a year for the next five years but yet OUR economy/infrastructure is f****d up and corporate cocksuckers walk away with our taxpayer money. We're told to suck it up. F*** that!

Bring our troops home to fight the cartels with the same vim & vigor you want them to have in fighting this GWOT(Global War on Terror). Our border security is a military mission and the mission is clear: Follow the money. Kill the Cartels. BTW, The immigration issue is a whole another debate and is unfortunately mired in this drug war.

God forbid if Mr/Mrs. Al Qaeda or their friends The Talibans decide that they want to visit the US and the best travel deal is via Mexico and across the border. Or if an enough Americans get killed in the crossfire. Then what's the excuse????

Now that I have vented, I'm cool...for now.

TORNADO!!!!!

On the way to the airport in Raleigh(RDU) yesterday, there was a tornado that touched down near Fayetteville along /near I-95. I must of missed it by a few hours since my flight left at 330pm.
I had no clue that the area was prone to tornadoes. Luckily, no one was severely hurt. There was some overturned cars and property damage reported. Here's a link to a video from a nearby area of the twister.

http://www.wral.com/news/video/4831763/