Before now poetry has taken notice
Of wars, and what are wars but politics
Transformed from chronic to acute and bloody?
from "Build Soil"
Robert Frost

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Links

I was planning on some lengthy posting after mission tonight, but I'm sitting here with a wicked headache. The trash fire in Karma started it, and the sewage ponds just south made it worse. The final cap was grade-2 diesel mist in the face while refueling. I'm not looking for sympathy (really!). I just won't miss a lot of aspects of this place much.

So I'm not doing a long post tonight. However, I've run across a few noteworthy tidbits lately that deserve your attention:

First: donate something to Bill Roggio's startup independent media company, Public Media International. He's thrown himself into a venture to bring all of us the kind of reporting we deserve. There are 6 PMI embeds either in Iraq or on the way, and PMI is looking to raise $20,000 to support them and their sucessors.


Second: for the Brits out there. Go to this site, and sign the petition for reduced/free parcel post to British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Royal Mail is granting for the holidays, this troop supporter would like to see it extended.


Third: Engineers rock (but there should be more of us). From a blogger roundtable with COL Simcock, the commander of Marine Regimental Combat Team-6 (our high-ups here in Falluja):

Question from Dave Dilegge (Small Wars Journal):

"Yeah, if I could just follow up on one quick thing here. If you
were, say, commandant for the day or CINC for the day, what one or two
capabilities that you may not have or need more of would top your
list?"

Answer from COL. Simcock:

"That's an easy question. And the commandant was just out here a couple weeks ago and I told him exactly what I wish I had more of. Engineers and route clearance. Those are the two capabilities. It's a lowdensity, high-demand type capability that we just -- we need more of out here. ... They do a great job for us, but I'm just -- I just don't have enough of them. "


I hear it's pretty much the same story everywhere. What's more (as you'll soon hear when I have the final details and time to write), my guys are some of the very best.

7 comments:

  1. TD, we knew you and your guys were some of the very best.

    Take of that head. It's special to all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous23/8/07 20:39

    Feel better, TD!

    p.s. Agreed on engineers...I work with and for a bunch of em, and they are indeed a fine (albeit slightly quirky!) breed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous24/8/07 06:15

    A fine (albeit quirky!) breed. Now them's my kinda folks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous24/8/07 06:54

    How in the world can we get the US post office to do the same? Ideas from anyone?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous25/8/07 05:47

    Thank you for posting about the postage! Really really appreciate it :o)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous25/8/07 18:41

    If you're every feeling unloved as an engineer, just remember that ancient Rome's greatness, at home and abroad, was because of its engineers. Whether roads or water, they made civilian and military life not only functional, but turned the whole Empire into one of the most successful in history.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Just so you know, my post for 8/25 uses quotes from your post THE END OF TIMES, I also link back to you

    ReplyDelete