Spring 2008

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."       Winston Churchill

Bright lights!  Pretty ladies!  It's show time!

Deke here.  Happy 2008!

Well, here I am back in Afghanistan-the recently remembered  war.  The weather is windy and cold and while things have changed, nothing seems to have changed since I left several months ago.
Before I begin this diary, I want to thank all of those out there who sent me cards and letters of support while I was recovering.  Couldn't have made it without you, especially the mental part of healing.  While it was good to recover and take a break from our war efforts, I must say it is good to be back here to help out as a trainer.

As many of you probably know, we need all the training we can get out here.  We also could use some more help from our NATO allies.  Most of them are pencil pushers and not participating in the really hard work-clearing out the Taliban in the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan.  Right now, most of this work is being done by the Americans, Brits, Aussies, Canadians and soldiers from the Netherlands.  The other 21 NATO allies are neither contributing more troops or allowing existing troops to do any of the dirty work.  As my quote from Winston Churchill says, "You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." Time for NATO to step up to the plate.

Speaking of standing up for something, it is time for Pakistan to stand up to terror. Lets look at the real picture here.  For hundreds of years the remote, wild and harsh Pakistani tribal areas, which spans the Afghan border, have been lawless and violent. Today, this border area has become the central front of our GWOT.  The territory, which is full of mountains and valleys, which Pakistan does not control and which is off limits to U.S. troops, is a breeding ground for extreme, international Jihadists who are up to no good.

This FATA area (Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Area) provides Al Qaeda with many of the same advantages it once had in Afghanistan, but on a smaller scale.
NATO better care about this area, because the next major attacks in Europe and the U.S. will probably be planned in the FATA area.

So, we have that worry going on here, that we are not able to go after the enemy in South  Waziristan, and the additional worry about the upcoming U.S. election, and what that  will mean to war of terrorism.

All I can say is, that no matter what side of the political aisle you may be on, this war is far from over and we cannot be complacent.  If you think Al Qaeda has faded away, just read the papers.  They are seeking nuclear weapons, they are training kids to be future terrorists, and recently they used Down-Syndrome  women as suicide bombers in Iraq.. Al Qaeda is an evil, sick group that will stop at nothing to disrupt and destroy the free world.  Choose your candidate carefully.  Our freedom depends on it.  We have to stay relentless in our pursuit of Al Qaeda because these terrorists are both endlessly patient and persistent.

I'm not even to going to get into Hezbollah and the inroads they are making in South America with the help of  Chavez, Morales, and Ortega. I'll leave that for another day, but it is all very scary. Stay alert. Get involved in the GWOT.

Enough already!

I must say, man, it is good to be alive and breathing the wintry, Afghan air again!

Hooyah!


Oh, this just came in:
Two members of Al Qaeda were sitting around drinking fermented goat's milk.
One pulls his wallet out and starts flipping through pictures and they start reminiscing.
"This is my oldest son, he's a martyr."
"This is my second son. He is a martyr also."
After a pause and a deep sigh, the other Al Qaeda guy says wistfully,
"They blow up so fast, don't they?"

Lordy.

Alright, time for Mail Bag.

Dear Deke:

Q.    :I want to be in Special Forces one day, but my question is really about my girlfriend who wants to get married.  I sort of do, because, to be honest, the sex is really good.  What do you think I should do?
Larry, Iowa

A.    Well, Larry, I ain't no expert in these things, but to quote Jeff Foxworthy, "Getting married for sex is like buying a 747 for the free peanuts."  Good luck.

Dear Deke:

Q.    I'm kind of old for the military, but I really need to get out of the U.S. Can you use steroids in the military?
Roger Clemens, Texas
A.    I am not going there.

Dear Deke:
Q.    The other day some of my buddies and I were drinking and we talked about going parachuting.  My question is, should we go bungee-jumping to get used to the feel of free fall?
Jimmy, W.Va.

A.    If you want to parachute, go parachuting.   They've got classes everywhere. One thing though, if you do decide to bungee-jump, put away your beers. Here's why:
Kerry Bingham had been drinking with several friends when one of
them said they knew a person who had bungee-jumped from a local bridge in
the middle of traffic. The conversation grew more heated and at least 10 men
trooped along the walkway of the bridge at 4:30 AM. Upon arrival at the
midpoint of the bridge, they discovered that no one had brought a bungee
rope. Bingham, who had continued drinking, volunteered and pointed out that
a coil of lineman's cable lay nearby. They secured one end around Bingham's
leg and tied the other to the bridge. His fall lasted 40 feet before the
cable tightened and tore his foot off at the ankle. He miraculously survived
his fall into the icy water and was rescued by two nearby fishermen.
Bingham's foot was never located.

American ingenuity at its best, no doubt.

Dear Deke:
Q.    I'm heading out to Afghanistan this summer and just wanted to know if you have any tips about getting ready?
Howard, Potomac, Md.

A.    Mental preparation, is of course the most important part.  Learn everything you can about the area you are going to, the customs, language, escape routes, etc.  As far as weapons, and training go, lets see, let me pull out one of my check lists, which may help:

1:   Test, evaluate, and modify your equipment prior to travel.  Do this during personal training or when attending formalized training courses.  Ensure that you select only equipment that is highly reliable and applicable to the intended task.   Modify and customize your equipment to meet your needs as much as possible.  Modularity, proper design incorporating human engineering & ergonomics, durability, reliability, and versatility are key criteria for your weapons and protection hardware.  There are a number of hardware items and manufacturers with outstanding track records of operational and combat performance, but there are also many that seek to copy their designs and may sacrifice quality in doing so.   You must have the right stuff when it counts.  

2:  Conduct Indigenous (foreign) weapons familiarization:  No matter what you have or bring, learn how to fire what the enemy has, in particular:  AK series rifles, PKM and RPD machine guns, RPG-7 grenade launcher, DshK 12.7 mm machinegun, MP5 and sterling SMG.  Learn what US/allied units have in case you have to borrow or use one of theirs.

3: Realistic Training:  Practice shooting in as many of the following conditions as possible, not just on a 'static' range under restful conditions:
    (A) Positions:  every imaginable tactical shooting position (to include rollover prone)
    (B) Cover:  from behind cover, moving to cover, shooting the  moving to cover
    (C) from both dominant and support side
    (D) Single handed:  to include single hand reloading and re-function techniques
    (E) Vehicles:  from inside and around side and from under vehicles
    (F) Movement:  shooting on the move, pivoting, turning, moving then shooting
    (G) Multiple assailants:  many attacks, especially by criminals, will involve multiples
    (H) Multiple directions:  Be ready for engagements that come from all directions and above and below you.  

    (I) Stress:  Be able to do shoot accurately and fight with your heart rate up.
  There are scores of courses available that provide such training in the U.S.  
    (J) Low Light:  unaided, with aid of luminous sights or optical devices, lights, etc.
    (K) Moving Targets:  from static position, from cover, while on the move, etc.
    (L) Threat identification / decision making:  most assailants and terrorists are not wearing uniforms nor are easily identifiable.  Practice threat ID drills and scenarios.

Whew!  A lot to learn and train for before you head out, believe me.  Hope some of those tips help out.

Well, as usual the world is turning and the sun is heading west big time.  Before I go I would like to encourage our young people out there, who either read this diary or have strong aspirations to help make the world a safer place, please enlist.  Join up. Make a difference and stand up for something that is extremely important.

Also, to those back home who are  friends of families who have soldiers over here, please take a moment to support them in words and deeds.  You too can make a difference by doing your part.  All of us have to hang together and support each other. That is how this war will be won.

Ah, back home spring is about to pop its beautiful colors and fragrances.  Spring training has begun, hot dogs and cotton candy and steroids…..errr…..cold beer are about to be served as a new season begins.   All good.  All hopeful. Miss it already but keep my seat warm for me.

Until next time, remember what you got and enjoy it.

Be safe and as always, take some time to smell the coffee.

This is Deke.