I have visited Democratic Party headquarters on numerous occasions. (but never the other party's house)

Why does the USAF need Air Commandos (or whatever they call them)

To rescue downed pilots and some FAC stuff, but as soon as the remote piloted drones take over they will become the AF surfing team or something.

Rangers were here first. Rogers Rangers! Even before the continental army, navy, jarheads or coasties!

The grunts say, "Hooah!!

The jarheads say, "Oorah!!".

The swabbies say, "Aye Aye"

The coasties say, "What the Fuck!?!?"

And the Air Force says, "What's for dinner?"

"... how many whorehouses you've visited? (asked by Timberman)

I have visited Democratic Party headquarters on numerous occasions. (but never the other party's house)"

[rimshot] nice.

The “air commandos” that I am aware of are used to set up and defend radars and communications gear on top of mountains and for air landings in combat areas that need airfield avionics to operate. They number in the low hundreds. Our C-130s are used to transport the other services SOFs.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/1281461.html

They are the toughest to get into and pass, most elite with the highest attrition rate of any special ops unit course. Parajumpers. Tough as nails.

You should be proud but I guess I can see Jebbie's point.

When you consider how many of our other intsitutions have gone into the tank, I don't think it's that hard to understand why the military has become one of them. The custodians of integrity aren't the institutions, after all, but the people who staff them.

If you can understand Dilbert or the Wehrmacht's Generalstab, or the behavior of accused Politburo members in the dock during Stalin's show trials, you know all you need to know about the pressures which can be brought to bear on individuals, and why many don't even need to be purged. It's amazing how a universe of opinion can gradually shift as the conventional wisdom changes around it.

That's why we have politics, in fact. To make sure that the individual conscience doesn't have to bear the entire burden of doing the right thing.

... was referring to what Ron Pauliac said about FACs. FACs are Forward Air Controllers who are identifying targets and then calling in strikes for Army or Marine forces. And when a downed pilot is in danger, they are needed for the rescue operations.

Thanks for your words, I was really disappointed. My wife was ill, and it was a work night for me. Some things are just not meant to be. I am listing to him as I type this and imagining being there. (Orlando is not the best venue anyway)

One cannot read but a few pages into the Art of War, Musashi, The Iliad, and such without the sinking feeling we are doomed to be led by men for whom such wisdom is deemed to be superseded by childlike belief in technology and statistics. It is a tragedy to lose one's civilization, one's treasure, and one's honor and not gain the wisdom of the synthesis of actually engaging the enemy face to face. History teaches two things, as far back as one celled organisms: to be an empire is to become a mixture with the culture controlled, right down to our DNA, and war is one of three inevitable consequences of overpopulation, nothing more.

What, no 'round the world? Schade. Next time, take omooex. He likes to watch. Maybe somebody'll give him an Obama button while he's ogling. >:0

My kid wanted to go for AFSOC but they don't take green recruits. The Coasties you literally need to know an admiral and have him reccomend you and so he ended up in the Army with the Rangers, 1/75th.

It was a fun ride while it lasted.

Now it's the Persian empire's turn to ride the tiger again.

;-)

Hardball today. Reverend Wright, the issue.

In a conversation about Rev. Wright/Obama, Matthews wonders whether the decision to stand by Wright is in fact, Michelle Obama's (I'm guessing, because of her one supposedly anti-American public statement). A guest counters that Wright is instead Obama's surrogate father and Obama is clinging to him because he lost his father so early in life.

This is otherwise known as fiddling while Rome burns.

More on Wright. The discussion turns to Wright's statement which seems to imply that Obama may agree with Wright on some level, but because he is a politician, he cannot speak in the same way a pastor can.

Matthews leads the panel through a round and dismayed critique of the logic, rejecting the idea that the role of politicians is to subvert their own opinions in favor of pandering centrism. Just a few minutes later, the panel is squealing with glee and honoring Hillary Clinton's apparently succesful attempt to re-create herself as a populist. Matthews says that she has brilliantly managed to re-create herself as a working class woman with a GED from Scranton. Everyone commends Hillary on being such a great--and they actually use this word, incredibly--a POLITICIAN!!!!

Wright is going to be on Bill Moyer's show tomorrow night. It will be nice to have enough time to view the real, not snippets and distortions, Wright.

Matthews and crew culled the bites from the Moyers interview...but really, really redacted...

http://youtube.com?v=QOdlnzkeoyQ

Without redactions, it's harder to talk nonsense. I love to watch Rachel Maddow on MSNBC, but it's getting harder and harder to watch because unless she is on Countdown, because I have to listen to too much nonsense.

Senator: VA lying about number of veteran suicides

WASHINGTON — The Veterans Administration has lied about the number of veterans who've attempted suicide, a senator charged Wednesday, citing internal e-mails that put the number at 12,000 a year when the department was publicly saying it was fewer than 800.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/100/story/34718.html

They couldn't tell the truth if their life depended on it. Their lying keeps us from preventing more vets' deaths. Right Johnny McSame? Sure wouldn't want to give vets real help like a decent GI bill. Aren't we glad oh great war veteran that we have you in the Senate to "help" our vets just like junior has.