So, did you get on the Stand-To! mailing list? No? Hmmm … we need to talk.

The US Army has provided the second part of their discussion of battle command. Again, I’ll help those that are asleep at the switch and haven’t seen today’s installment:

“What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future? The Army continues to focus on the synchronization of operations, logistics and intelligence in order to provide Commanders and leaders with the most accurate information needed to conduct combat operations and achieve mission success. The Army will use the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) process to field robust Joint Network Battle Command capabilities to the units as they prepare and engage in combat operations. The Army will use these new Joint Networked Battle Command capabilities to leverage information from intelligence, logistics, operations and medical sources, improve analysis, enable greater collaboration, to synchronize efforts quicker and reduce Commander’s decision cycles in the execution of operations to include Force on Force, Stability and Security Operations (SASO) and Counter Insurgency (COINS). The Battle Command systems will connect more soldiers to the network, and provide increased throughput, improve security, enhance collaboration, provide situation awareness, unit readiness status and Command & Control analysis. Battle Command will move toward closer integration with Logistics, including the Movement Tracking System. This system automates tracking of continuous, distributed, and Joint focused logistics across the battle space. Battle Command will also add gateways to US Marine Corps, joint, and coalition tracking systems. As with Blue Force tracker, the result will be a better integrated common operational picture.

Why is this important to the Army? Battle Command is an essential Warfighter Mission Area operational capability for both our current and future joint operations. Joint fully networked Battle Command capabilities will bridge to the Future Force and enable the Joint Force Commander to conduct fully interdependent, network-centric warfare. The Army must continue to work with the Combatant Commanders, Joint Forces Command, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Network and Information Integration to identify, align and develop Joint Force capabilities relevant to joint operations. Battle Command will align with Joint ground combat capabilities while simultaneously spiraling in proven Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Information, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) technologies.”

Is this approach new to the US Army, or the US Military as a whole? No.

Is there something missing that no matter the good intentions of the US Army and the entire US Military Command Structure, this is all for naught? Yes.

To wage an effective campaign in this 5th Generation Warfare watershed, the media is an integral component to success. Without getting too down on the main stream media (I know, fish in a barrel) an effective holistic campaign can only be waged with communications not just inward but outward. The Milbloggers are behind you and already on board, but multiple media outlets are still not working effectively together with the war. This war on terror is lacking a primary component and we are sacrificing the high ground by not executing in this area.

One can see the net-effect difference by comparing Al Jazeera teamed up with al Qaida and the terrorists currently in the field of battle. In a 5th Generation Warfare command structure, communications between soldiers and communications to the support structure, like the people sacrificing their sons and daughters, results in a highly effective overall campaign. Terrorists have a lock on that, albeit they utilize tactics that should nullify any effort, but theirs works very effectively. We are not to accept or emulate their approach, but it is clear without an outward communications component, all effectiveness is diminished to an unbearable level.

It is a fact that the main stream media is refusing to support our military, our politicians are thrashing to keep their jobs, and the counter-media (Al Jazeera) utilizing propaganda to shift opinion and mold fact to fiction. All of this gives testament to the lack of the US Military’s ability to effectively execute a holistic campaign in the global war on terror. We have technology that dwarfs the competition, yet we cannot use true shock and awe because we all know we’d be set upon by our own media and politicians. It is a given that the European Union is against us, they always will be, so move on, nothing to see here. But the negative energy from within our own boarders is continuously aimed inward thereby reducing the overall effectiveness of waging a true campaign. In the end, it is impossible to be effective in a 5th Generation Warfare watershed until the entire battlefield is conflated. Therefore, our US Military Command Structure needs to gain the high ground on this primary objective, take this last hill and hold it, or we will never be able to effectively field a successful force in battle.

For review, here are my 5GW posts, in order from oldest to newest:

Seems the family has a rift
We Blew Through 4th Generation Warfare!
Boundaries for the Fourth Generation
Clues to the 5th: Shorter Chains?
Yeah, 5GW Means Squat, Right?

Again, any 5GW stuff you find, forward on to me.

Alright, there are a few of us in the blogosphere that follow this crazy stuff. Yeah, I know, we’re like those Area 51-types that see something not really there, just behind that door. And, no, we are NOT all hopped-up on “acid” or “Mary Jane”! Force utilization and the changes and strides made over time are very real, and something that makes some folks just sit up and wanna read more.

Now, when one gets a missive straight from the core area of development in regards to warfare, and the act of prosecuting a war, ya just gotta dig a little bit deeper. This morning, in my regularly scheduled morning memo from the US Army, my inbox gets a jolt! The team at Stand-To! are covering a very germane subject termed battle command. To those of us working and writing about generational warfare, and this aligns with my 5GW posts quite well, their first installment entitled Battle Command - Part One has been posted to those within the US Army command structure - and some of us that read their site and get their daily e-mails.

If you don’t have the time to wander on over to Stand-To!, please take a moment and read their latest sidebar article:

“What is it? Battle Command is the art and science of applying leadership and decision making to achieve mission success. Battle Command leverages technology to achieve information and decision superiority. Battle Command systems enable leaders to gain knowledge to enhance the speed and accuracy of decision making. Battle Command provides Commanders and Leaders with the ability to see first, understand first, act first, and finish decisively.

What has the Army done? Recent combat operations highlight the criticality of beyond line of sight mobile communications, enhanced situation awareness, and synchronization of force application. Battle Command provides improved information systems to make visible actionable information and reduce the cycle time on key commander decisions. The Army has created a better common operational picture with enhancements made to Blue Force Tracking and Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2). With Joint Intelligence Operations Capability - Iraq (JIOC-I) the Army has integrated and fused intelligence that is relevant and timely within a specific geospatial area of operation for Commander’s and Leaders. Also, the Army has integrated unmanned Aerial Systems and their imagery feeds, and we have added Biometric enhancements to our Human Intelligence (HUMIT) data collection. The Army’s Joint Battle Command network has increased connectivity with JNN, putting more soldiers on the network with higher throughput, so that they are able to push more Command & Control information to Battalion. The Army also has experimented with collaboration tools such as Information Dissemination Management - Tactical (IDM-T) and Command Post of the Future (CPoF), and information systems similar to Combined Information Network Data Exchange (CIDNE) and FusionNet, which provide valuable information to Commanders. The Army has accelerated the fielding of critical Battle Command systems to standardize capabilities, ensuring interoperability of operational and tactical organizations. These capabilities improve joint interdependency as well as horizontal and vertical situational awareness to the platoon level. The Army continues to work with DOD agencies to bring the Joint community closer to a shared common operational picture.”

Now, what interests me very much is the threading together, within the major FBCB2 (Blue Force Tracking and Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below), of joint intelligence, information dissemination, and overall coordination within the command structure. This is where I have been leading us all in my 5GW posts. We are doing a better job and have made significant strides in these areas, but how does our use of 5GW differ from those of our enemy? In fact, how much of what we have done is being borrowed, or emulated, by our enemy. My next few posts are now going to be focused on those two very important questions.

For review, here are my 5GW posts, in order from oldest to newest:

Seems the family has a rift
We Blew Through 4th Generation Warfare!
Boundaries for the Fourth Generation
Clues to the 5th: Shorter Chains?

And, please check out as many resources that you can find where this subject, generational warfare, are being written about, and send on to me. I am a major consumer of this subject - a hobby ya might say.

Without passion, we have no path. Without commitment, we have no honor. Without conviction, we have lost our way. Without faith, we have surrendered our soul. Without duty, we have forfeited our “six”. Without reverence, we have no passion.

So ask yourselves, without these, what have you? And, what will become of our great country, The United States of America?

[Thanks, Amy and Johnny, for the muse - the words just fell out.]

“Atlas doesn’t shrug, Atlas heaves with cries of agony at our myopia.”

One thing that most of us know, those that seem to love to write at tireless rates, is words and their formation can impart different messages. I may not wield the pen as well, and I may spend more time in the passion of writing where the words come more from the gut than out of a need to truly communicate a clear point. But, I do pay close attention to my use of certain words where more than one meaning can belie a separate meaning from my intent.

In today’s Stand-To article, Today’s Focus, the US Army is paying close attention to how words are used in communicating everything related to the Global War on Terror. It is clear that our enemies are using our words against us. When such learned members of the Beltway use terms in an elitist attempt to speak over our heads, they actually provide more support and in turn embolden the enemies of the United States of America.

We, however, should not make the same mistake!

Let’s take this as an example:

A case in point is the term “jihadist.” Many leaders use the term jihadist or jihadi as a synonym for Islamic extremist. Jihad has been commonly adapted in English as meaning “holy war.” But to Muslims it means much more. In their article, Streusand and Tunnell said in Arabic - the language of the Koran - jihad “literally means striving and generally occurs as part of the expression ‘jihad fi sabil illah,’ striving in the path of God.”

This is a good thing for all Muslims. “Calling our enemies jihadis and their movement a global jihad thus indicates that we recognize their doctrines and actions as being in the path of God and, for Muslims, legitimate,” they wrote. By countering jihadis, the West and moderate Muslims are enemies of true Islam.

In English, there are some important terms that can be misinterpreted. I can say that for me, regarding terms not in my native tongue, I try to stay far away from using the much over used word jihadist. Once I knew that it’s root means one thing and the power it can impart is motivating, I figured it’s a word that can stay in the bag for a while.

The two gentlemen from the National Defense University at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., Dr. Douglas E. Streusand and Army Lt. Col. Harry D. Tunnell IV, have only just begun this training process. Their paper was promoted on June 22nd of this year on the DefenseLINK site. The DefenseLINK article, Loosely Interpreted Arabic Terms Can Promote Enemy Ideology, is written by Jim Garamone of the American Forces Press Service. Dr. Streusand and Lt. Col. Tunnell have been taking careful aim at terms being used and getting a better understanding out to the rest of us. Let’s take jihadists again, yet here is what their research has found:

The men asked Muslim scholars what the correct term for Islamic extremists would be and they came up with “hirabah.” This word specifically refers to those engaged in sinful warfare, warfare contrary to Islamic law. “We should describe the Islamic totalitarian movement as the global hirabah, not the global jihad,” they wrote.

And, this is a very enlightening paragraph:

The men point out that an al Qaeda caliphate would not mean the establishment of just rule, but rather a global totalitarian state where women would be treated as chattel, music banned and any kind of difference severely punished. “Anyone who needs a preview of how such a state would act merely has to review the conduct of the Taliban in Afghanistan before Sept. 11, 2001,” they wrote.

The correct term for the al Qaeda goal is global totalitarian state - something no one in the world wants.

If you use terms like jihadist, mujahdeen, and caliphate, you might want to go peruse the Stand-To, DefenseLINK, or National Defense University sites. We all need to use the correct terms to put the Global War on Totalitarianism on it’s heels, big time!

RELATED SITES:
US Army’s Stand-To, Today’s Focus
DefenseLINK article, Loosely Interpreted Arabic Terms Can Promote Enemy Ideology
National Defense University, Choosing Words Carefully: Language to Help Fight Islamic Terrorism

Also posted at California Conservative

DoD DVIDS Photo by Spc. Ferdinand Thomas, 214th MPAD, Richmond, VA

Your freedom to hate the US Military,
Your freedom to vilify those prosecuting the Global War on Terror,
Your freedom to burn Old Glory, our standard, the banner of freedom,
Your freedom to key my truck because you hate my showing pride in my service,
Your freedom to be born and later carelessly take the life of the unborn,
Your freedom to feel guilt for your own success because others are not,
Your freedom to stand in awe of this great country,

This is your freedom, paid for by 480,000 servicemembers being honored at the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C. Each star represents 100 souls and the memorial has 4,800 stars.

DoD DVIDS Photo by Spc. Ferdinand Thomas, 214th MPAD, Richmond, VA

Will you continue to disrespect this man, someone’s Dad, someone’s GrandPa, someone who truly knows what freedom means? Can you take for granted, with all you have today, the freedom this man’s brothers in arms sacrificed? Are you so bent on being right that you have forgotten the fact that previous governments and regimes would snuff an inconsequential person such as yourself without a care? Has the value of freedom paid by so many been lost on you, ’cause you forgot? Do you not see that freedom is costly, requires commitment and sacrifice, and cannot be taken lightly?

Freedom is earned. It is blood, sweat, tears, and long periods of time alone in foreign lands and at home. It is a path not all take. It is the families left behind that continue to pay the day to day sacrifices for freedom.

Your freedom must be cherished, because you have been given the greatest gift.

God Speed to all before me. God Bless those left behind.

Also posted at US Army: Stand-To!

Also posted at California Conservative

I’ve been spending time on the CENTCOM site for months. There are so many stories about what our brave men and women really do today. It is true that any military has a primary role when at war. After the opposition has been vanquished, there are so many more things that can be done after the major fighting has ended. I believe that no matter what, we need to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.

Some think that because the current administration has been successful in Iraq, every photo is a photo-op only. And, if the activity we are engaged in right now is not captured on film, there is room to cast aspersions or spin fabrications that we are failing at our ultimate mission. Leaving any negative spin to take hold threatens the entire mission (GWOT) as well as our men and women on the ground. It is a double edged sword for CENTCOM to capture the moments that should be something in which we all can be proud:

US CENTCOM DVIDS Photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Sherry Eaton

And then make those moments, which are powerful and illustrative, taken in the correct light to provide clear proof we are successful in Iraq. Yes, maybe to some of the elites in the US, delivering some water and a few toys is a joke. It’s just sad that all this poo-pooing we get from those with an axe to grind, or a plank to set for an election, takes center stage.

I, on the other hand, see our efforts in a multi-faceted way. Yes, the bad guys must be vanquished. And yes, we need to win the hearts and minds to provide an excellent foundation from which freedom can take root. There are some very small things that can be done to bring about a smile or laugh:

US CENTCOM DVIDS Photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Sherry Eaton

And we can all stamp out tyranny with smiles, laughter, water, protection, training, and good old fashioned friendship. It may be that the following small group of minds is not strong enough to topple an evil and maniacal regime:

US CENTCOM DVIDS Photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Sherry Eaton

But by touching so many families, and religious groups, and the policemen and soldiers, we can ultimately create the most powerful force from which freedom is sure to grow.

I’m positive, yes I am. Maybe some day being positive will begin to take hold again here at home. I am holding my breath so don’t take too long, people!

Remember I asked at the beginning, to cut and run does what?

Cut and run, if we followed the time table originally proposed by the Democrats, would never have provided friendship building like you’ve seen here. Cut and run would never have allowed us to get Zarqawi. Cut and run would only get more votes for the likes of John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha, or Charlie Schumer. Cut and run will take us back to the days of a leaders that gave us bombing aspirin factories as a show of force, or not being able to rescue hostages in Iran, or the likes of present day Neville Chamberlains selling our country for some paltry price. Are more friends in the MSM or on Comedy Central a cost that today’s narcissists are willing to pay?

I think you’ve witnessed the answer to that last question. I think you all know what cut and run does. I think we all know what is at stake and why we press on under the weight of such negativity and selfish public gluttony.

Carry on, God Bless, and God Speed.

Also posted at California Conservative

In my CENTCOM e-mail today, this photo was mixed within some great news:

US CENTCOM Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Michael Skaar

Now, I just love it when the photo catches something ya just don’t see every day! No offense to the 1-158th or the 101st, I just made up the title as I was typing this posting. I couldn’t think of any other group other than the 101st to rhyme with “furry”. Sorry.

The story, Oklahomans Train Iraqi Police in Securing Baghdad, gives us some background into how the 1-158th Field Artillery of the Oklahoma National Guard is taking the time to train the Iraqi Police (IPs) the right way. Here’s a short snippet about how the new tactics they are learning are far different than the past under Saddam:

“In the past IPs never operated in quite the way that they do today and there were some growing pains at first”, said Sgt. Maj. Jimmy Venable of the 1-158th.

The IPs are coming around though and Venable went on to say that with each iteration of training the security situation continues to get better and better.

Training for the IPs has been mostly from the ground up, type of work since all police forces were disbanded when US troops first took control of Iraq said Venable. As a result US troops and contractors have begun with the basics, such as training the IPs in force protection (making sure that IPs are safe at their stations and in the streets) and investigation.

I suspect that there have been many trials and tribulations keeping the mission on track. It makes sense that to keep control, there needs to be some clear guidelines and cross-checks. Here, another key point made by Sgt. Maj. Jimmy Venable makes:

“One of the other situations that the 1-158th has to deal with is keeping the IPs autonomous from the influence of the local insurgency. The only resolution to this problem was to keep the IPs in the police station except when they are serving in their official capacity, sometimes they are even forced to stay” said Venable.

This should also have an effect on the overall effectiveness of insurgents, the IPs are making a big sacrifice staying at the station Venable added.

Keep it up guys, we’ve already turned the corner and are on the short stretch home!

Also posted at California Conservative

Just to fill you all in, I have been trying to help out the Soldiers’ Angels organization get the word out regarding some folks in need of our help. I know that often times we all can be a bit cynical or get our “knickers in a twist” about the bad feelings, slanted news, and more often than not raw deal the US Military gets. I’m trying to get out there and use my skills to help the Soldiers’ Angels - ’cause I can’t sew and I truly suck at baking! We’d have brave men and women with cool scarves falling apart in front of their eyes or they’d be dropping like flies from those evil cookies that looney toon Milblogger, Fix4RSO, sent them!

Our first person in need is a soldier we’ll call Mr. Olson. He is very close to losing his house, being 3 months back on payments. He was with the 1498th Transportation Company out of Riverside, CA. He was in Kuwait first in 2003 and then was all over Iraq. In 2004 he was injured in Tikrit and sent stateside. Simply put, his injuries were from his foot being caught in a winch and he nearly lost it. This incident also affected his left knee and lower back. He was put on Med Hold until everything came back to normal. Needless to say, he had to go through physical therapy - but in 2005 he was released because the State of California says he’s just hoppin’ ready to get to work. However, his PT Test results say differently and he cannot return to his ANG Active Duty Special Work (Counter Drug Task Force in Southern California). His private sector job opportunities have fallen through as well leaving him without any pay at all. He moved temporarily to Washington State to go to Madigan Hospital for more PT. He has run out of money and wants to get back to California where the job market is improving a bit. He’d at the very least like to just get his electricity, water, and phone bills paid. If he could get some help with his house payment and a job, I think he’d be OK to carry on! It’s a steep hill to climb, but I think we all can help lighten the load.

Our second person in need is a sailor we’ll call Mr. McCutchen. He, too, is very close to losing his house. Without having any income at all, the weekly food bill is truly breaking the bank. The mortgage company has told him he needs to at the very least make one payment by June 5th - but he has no funds due to his injury and separation from the Navy.  He was injured in Iraq when the rear portion of the vehicle he was riding in ran over an IED. He struck his head during the explosion and has since been suffering extreme pain in his head and neck. He has been having blackout spells. His legs also swell to the point that he has difficulty bending legs to get dressed or to shower and walk. He cannot drive because of blackout periods nor can he do any form of exercise. His civilian job is driving an 18-wheeler. Because of the blackout periods, he cannot safely drive any vehicle. He was taken off active duty since his return from Iraq and has not been able to work. He has not had a paycheck since April and is getting behind in all his bills. Now, the Navy is trying to get him processed back on active duty so that he can continue and then complete medical treatment. He is currently being treated by a neurologist - does not know final results yet. The Navy cannot tell him when he will actually be back on active duty - has to wait for processing. He has 5, yes five, kids and his wife is a stay at home Mom (something I am happy to hear, and is very honorable!). They have lots of bills, as you all can imagine! We need to raise some very serious money to help the McCutchen Family!

Both these men are staring down the worst of all paths ’cause they’re gonna have to go on public assistance. Ouch! US Military personnel should never have to go on public assistance! If we could keep these families afloat just a bit longer, manage their runway so to speak, I think that they can get back to a normal life. I hope you can help, or maybe you know someone that can help both these families?

The best way to help is to either go to the Soldiers’ Angels web site and make a donation. In the “notes/comments” field be sure to mention your donation is for either Mr. Olson or Mr. McCutchen - or BOTH! And, if you just want to have me get my coordinator from Soldiers’ Angels to get in touch with you directly so you can best direct your gift, no matter what it is, we can do that too! Just be sure to leave a comment in this post with your e-mail address in the short registration process. That way I can send your contact info on. You can also just send me an e-mail. Use the following e-mail address:

Fix4RSO AT fix4rso DOT com

Last but not least, at a minimum, please say a prayer for both these families. Prayer is a power way beyond all understanding. Take a chance!

God Bless you all. God Speed to all our brave men and women!

I just got pinged by LinkedInUSAF about this program. It seems that the state of Illinois has implemented a program supporting the US Military. Folks that are residents of Illinois before and plan to return after their tour can get an MBA through the University of Illinois, for free! Now, that four letter word is pretty important, wouldn’t you say?! Here is the info from LinkedInUSAF’s blog post:

Here is a link that provides the background on this program:

Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program

Here is the quick version of eligibility from his site and the link above:

To be a qualified applicant, you must:

Have served at least one year of federal active duty service in the Armed Forces of the United States, unless you:

• served in a foreign country in a time of hostilities in that country, or
• were medically discharged and the medical reason for discharge was service related, or
• were discharged prior to August 11, 1967.
• Have received an honorable discharge for each period of federal active duty service, and/or be honorably serving.
• Not be a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).
• Have resided in Illinois within six months before entering federal active duty service or within six months prior to entering the service.
• Have returned or plan to return to Illinois within six months after leaving federal active duty service unless you are residing with a spouse in continued military service and establish or plan to establish Illinois residency within six months of his/her leaving federal active duty service.
• Be enrolled at an Illinois public 2 or 4 year college.
• Reside in Illinois unless you are serving federal active duty service at the time of enrollment in college or residing with a spouse in continued military service who is currently stationed outside of Illinois.
• Not be in default on any student loan, nor owe a refund on any state or federal grant.
• Maintain the minimum grade point average (GPA) required by your college.

If you are currently serving in the Illinois National Guard you may also be eligible for the Illinois National Guard Grant Program.

If you receive benefits from the IVG Program while serving federal active duty service, upon discharge you will be required to verify that your service has been characterized as honorable.

Now some of you may be asking, “But, isn’t this a statewide program?”

Yeah, but I was contacted directly to help spread the word, by two very dedicated gentlemen looking to help our brave fighting men and women. I believe that the University of Illinois deserves the bulk of this post for that alone. It took a cold call to me, a short conversation, and some exchanging of LinkedIn connecting to seal the deal. No other college or university has done that with me, until now. Lion’s share goes to the one to execute and follow through.

Ya know the saying, “To the victor goes the spoils.”

Well, I have to agree, if the University of Illinois contacted me directly, they’d get the bulk of the page too.

I did a little extra hunting and found out that there is another place actively promoting this program. When I did a web-search I found a company called Bradley/Wiltjer, a marketing firm. They are trying to help U of I get the word out, too. You can go here to see their post about the program. And they also encourage you to read more about the Executive MBA Program at www.mba.illinois.edu/veterans.

So, get the word out and help some of our brave fighting men and women an MBA. I wish this was around when I was serving, as I suspect some of you do as well. Just because it wasn’t around when we were serving doesn’t mean we cannot help everyone else today!

It hit me while I was reading a short history of Yamamoto’s demise in the current issue of Air Force Magazine: intel is something that makes or brakes a war. While I was amazed at the bravery and commitment of those P-38 pilots, the fact that we knew when and where Yamamoto would be was astounding. Questions ran through my mind:

• Who lost their life collecting this information (HUMINT)?
• Was anyone’s position given away as they transmitted the information (SIGINT)?
• Weren’t we close to having decoders for Japanese Communications (SIGINT)?
• Was a position overrun during a battle and we recovered information (HUMINT)?

And, what’s truly an example of the US Military’s commitment to the mission is that many men took a huge chance to strike back at the man who hit Pearl Harbor. Admiral Nimitz was in no mood to let this man escape - Nimitz wanted Yamamoto.

As it turns out, the US was working very hard at decoding Japanese communiques. Here’s a tiny snippet from Air Force Magazines article “Magic and Lightening” by Rebecca Grant, contributing editor of Air Force Magazine:

“Since well before Midway, Navy cryptographers had been breaking elements of the Japanese code through a secret program known as Magic. Even when the Japanese ciphers changed, the code-breakers could usually catch at least 15 percent of the contents of a message and decode more with the help of early IBM computing machines.”

“In April 1943, the chief of code and translation at Fleet Radio Unit, Pacific Fleet, usually scanned the messages. The American cryptographers knew that this message, while just partially decoded, was of immense value.”

“It fell to Cmdr. Edwin T. Layton, Nimitz’s fleet intelligence officer, to bring the news to the boss. There were definite risks in acting on partially decoded information, but Nimitz did not hesitate. The intelligence was sent to the area commanders, including Mitscher.”

The following image is the decoded transmission:

The source of the image is from “Lightning Strike: The Secret Mission to Kill Admiral Yamamoto and Avenge Pearl Harbor” by Donald A. Davis.

One last little snippet is here:

“‘What a damn fool thing to do,’ said an enraged Japanese commander when he saw the telegram.”

That my friends is the biggest argument for the secrecy of intel. No matter how confident you are, no matter how battered you think the enemy may be, no matter how few members of the opposition you face, keep intel close to the chest! Even the smallest bit of information can blow a hole so wide in your operation that you’ll wish you never woke up that morning.

I want to thank Amy Proctor, again, for the lively comments in the thread titled “Media Ignores Bush Exoneration”. I know, I seem like a broken record here, but she really has a Hot LZ going on over there! And when comments in that thread started to smell like the old conspiracy about Bush hiding all the information, I got to thinking about this story of Yamamoto being shot down because intel was compromised. There are so many bloggers out there without the experience of, or drive to learn about, relatively recent history and the role intel plays in a war. We all need to repeat to the unwashed masses out there that intel is always kept secret to save lives.

Remember, “Loose lips sink ships”!

No matter how hard a person tries to resist repeating the past, it just seems to happen. And if history is to repeat itself, why not choose the history that you’d like to repeat, thereby controlling the future?

Eh, I digress … these kids’ll never learn!

Oh! And you really need to read your Air Force Magazine this month! The fact that we sent just 18 P-38s up against Yamamoto’s 2 bombers and tons of Zeros as escorts - and we still bagged ‘im. The P-38s had to fly 30 feet off the water for over 500 miles (and no air conditioning in that black painted glassed in enclosure! Commitment? You betcha!

Ahhh, what a fine old bird she was - and FAST! Boy howdy, gimme a P-38 or a P-51. Hmmm …

CJ over at A Soldiers’ Perspective is trying to organize a letter writing campaign. If you are a regular reader over there, or have seen others posting about the situation I am about to describe, then you’re on “the list” and you know what ya gotta do - I’m just backin’ up CJ with extra motivation if you haven’t done your duty yet! .:. Hint .:. Hint .:.

If you are new to this issue, here we go.

CJ’s first post gave us all the background to the story regarding the treatment of Sgt. Rickey Jones’ family. Sgt. Jones, 21 and from Kokomo, Indiana, died while serving in Iraq. Here’s his photo:

When police have to be posted at someone’s home 24×7, the story is already getting ugly. Why would anyone need that level of security? I mean, Sgt. Jones died in Iraq, fighting for our country, our safety, and everyone’s freedom of speech.

He did not, however, die for some stupid groups freedom to destroy personal property, defame the family, and harass them at all hours via the phone line. The phone harassment should get the FBI involved, at the very least, since the phone is governed/regulated by the FCC - equaling Federal Jurisdiction. I know that if I do something stupid while using my 2M Handheld or HF Radio (I’m a HAMM), the FCC would come down hard and get other offices/authorities involved depending on the offense.

Where is the FBI now? I don’t know, but I’d add one small thread to this letter writing campaign and expand it to getting the FBI involved. Long shot? Sure, but hey, defame a soldier, go to jail!

IMHO

Now, defame is light when you take the words spoken in one of these phone calls:

“I’m glad your son is dead.”

What? Who are these callers anyway? Some strange sect/group of athiests that don’t believe in God, or the sanctity of life and death? Do these protestors range from the nail-IN-the-tree, lab burning, window-trashing types that make a big story everytime there is a G-7 meeting? No, these people are from, wait for it:

Westboro Baptist Church

Wow, I never would have guessed. You?

That said, I think that putting together a few letters to help this family through is the least we can do. In fact, my family and I are working on ours tonight.

The details on how, who, and when are on CJ’s site. The title is Letter Writing Request. I’ll repost a paragraph or two here to help ya out:

“I am trying to help organize a letter writing campaign to the family of SGT Rickey Jones’ family. As you may have read earlier, their home was vandalized by idiots who wouldn’t understand patriotism if it flew a plane through their bedroom window.”

“If you own a blog, please post this effort on your respective blogs and ask your readers to post it on their blogs. If you are as disgusted as I am and would like to write a letter to have delivered to this family, please email Lauren (mailto:MyWay716@aol.com) for more information. The good people over at Operation Military Pride are helping facilitate the delivery of these letters.”

Now, my being ex-USAF, I personnaly like CJ’s “idiots who wouldn’t understand patriotism if it flew a plane through their bedroom window”! Ha! If that just don’t give ya the right imagery?!

Oh, one more great paragraph:

“If you feel the same way I do, please email her and write this family a letter of support and love. Let them know that we appreciate their son’s service and mourn their loss. Let’s show them what America is really made of. This isn’t about whether or not you support the war. This is about common decency for a family that has suffered the ultimate sacrifice … having to bury a child. Thank you in advance. When this is over, I want the post office to have to hire new postmen just to handle the volume. Yes, it’s a challenge, as LinkedinUSAF would say.”

I caught this post over at LinkedInUSAF too … lot more calm over there …

[UPDATE: 5 March, 2006 at 14:21]
[CORRECTION - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION]
Buck over at Exile in Portales dug deeper into the story and alerted me that I missed a big piece of information: where to send your letters/snail-mail! I had not seen Heidi’s posting over at Euphoric Reality, which is where they included the mailing address for the local High School.

After writing to Lauren, CJ’s major helper, she would like you to contact her directly through the above e-mail address. She wants to ensure that we do not end up with another Joshua Sparling situation - and I agree! I have pulled down the address for the High School, and ask that you e-mail Lauren directly. Thanks.

I’d also like to add the folks that I know of who are trying to help, and have posted pleas for help in CJ’s letter writing campaign:

Euphoric Reality
Exile in Portales
You Betcha I’m a Proud Army Mom
Soldiers’ Angels - New York
Big Dog’s Weblog
Cao’s Blog
And THAT is MY Opinion
A Lady’s Ruminations
Gribbit’s Word
Conservative Insurgent
Ms. Underestimated
Iraq War Today
Landrys Life
Yikes!
A Rose By Any Other Name
Sparks From the Anvil
Blackfive
Right Truth
Conservative Cogitation
WhenEvilProspers
No End But Victory
In Training
Milblogging.com
Knowledge is Power

I’ll continue to update this list as more come online. Thanks to everyone I contacted in a separate e-mail for helping out and posting!     

When I see these scenes I can feel the strength of conviction. I can see on their faces the limits of mortality that hit home in such a brief moment. I can see the friend that will forever miss his best friend - in this world only. And I can see the steely resolve that is an American.

[US Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class David P. Benamati]

I know that I said this is a US Air Force blog. But, when push comes to shove I am pro-Military and that is all that matters. As I see it, we all fight for the same country. And, folks, we all die for the same country!

I noticed on a friends site that there are some comments out there about “Old Glory”. Do you think that any of these men would see our flag being burned?

I think not.