Don't leave home without it....

From the Soldier side: Sorry, no photo today... the computer I'm using doesn't have my stash of digtal images. Over the years, and in the last few weeks, many people have asked: "What kind of stuff should we send the Joes and Janes in places like Iraq."
If you know what camp or FOB (Forward Operting Base) they're at, you may find out what size of PX they have...if any. I was at some places where all they had for a PX was an empty room. If they're at a place like Camp Victory in Baghdad, it's like a friggen Walmart with machine guns.
If they are without a PX, then almost anything you need for everyday life will be in short supply. Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, snacks, porn, beer, etc. (No, forget the porn and beer, it's a violation of General Order #1, which states: "All military personal and attached civilians will have nothing that would allow them to have fun.")
Even though the PX may have beef jerkey, don't be afraid to send it...Cliff bars were good becasue they don't melt. Letters from kids etc are great too.
My savior was the folks who sent me fresh coffee beans and a grinder. I ran my own Starbucks.

Christmas story, Falluja 2004, Part 2.
So, we gathered all our gear and were setting it out by the M1114 Up-Armored Humvees. We were riding into Falluja with the unit we were replacing. They had a "team" in Falluja helping the USMC and we were to ride there and get a "Hand over" and take over.
The LT from the outgoing unit was the convoy commander. He did a PCI (Pre Combat Inspection) of my team and me. We had everything we needed, except a basic load of ammo. I had one 28 round magazine (I always loaded the mag 2 round short to reduce jams) for my M-16...and 5 rounds of 9mm for my M-9.
The LT almost sh-- his pants. He asked if we came to Iraq with no ammo...and I just looked towards our idiot captain and shrugged my shoulders. Into the vehicles we went...and on the convoy to Falluja, Iraq.

to be cont.

5 Star Hotel...I don't think so

From the Soldier side: I was talking to a young LT the other day at drill. When she was in Iraq, she was stationed in Camp Victory, Baghdad. She didn't believe me when I said any camp with running water was good.

If you ever saw the movie "Platoon" you may remember the part where the star of the movie was put on "latrine duty". In those days in Viet Nam (I was never there, I'm not that old) latrines were usually built with wood. You sat over a half barrel and did your business in the barrel. When the barrel was about half full, some poor private had to pull the barrel out, fill it with flammable fuel, stir it and light it.

What a smell...burning crap.

There was a camp I was at in Iraq that used that same method. They had no running water, but lots of ammo. The camp was hit so many times, we had to wear our body armor just to go to the latrine. No crap.

Don't leave home without it....

From the Cop side: When asked: "CI-Roller dude, what do you carry at work?"

If you were a cop and in charge of the weapons training etc, and could authorize anything.... what would you carry? Well, would you carry something in .45 caliber? That's a good start. But an old fashion 1911 only holds 7 or 8 rounds and you have to carry it "locked & cocked" - which freaks non-gun people out.

But you like that "1911" feel. So, let see what could we do...?

How about a Para- LDA 14 shot .45 caliber? Our department issues the Glock in .40 caliber...now that's a nice "IPG" Idiot Proof Gun, but I have shot 1911 for so many years I just had to go that way.

I carry an "M-9" Beretta Mod 92 in 9mm when I play Army...for a 9mm I think it's a very good weapon. The problem is the 9mm rounds the military has to use suck.

When people ask what kind of pistol they should get, I suggest trying a few out and see what you like. Why just buy one, when you should own a few. For new shooters, take a class for someone who knows what they're doing.

Merry Christmas.

Update: I asked Sgt Grumpy at http://sgtgrumpy.blogspot.com/ to try and post stuff more often so I know he's OK...even if it's just a photo of a donkey. He listens well. Hope you get the stuff I sent before Christmas. My Christmas in Iraq was very special...I'll make everyone wait until just before Christmas before I tell the story...we were in Falluja in 04.

For the younger folks reading this. The first thing I teach anyone about guns is SAFETY! Look at the NRA site http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp for some basics. Guns should only be used safely for good purposes. Everytime someone uses a gun the wrong way, it makes it more difficult for the "good people" who use guns to be able to keep that right.

A "Perk" of the job:

From the Soldier and Cop side: One of the best parts of my police job and my soldier job are getting to play with so many weapons. This photo is of someone holding a captured Iraqi machine gun in some place we were at in Iraq. It was in very good condition, which was unusual for most of the captured weapons I got to play with.

This would have made a very nice deer rifle. I'm going to start adding a list of my favorite firearms. I've shot a lot and I have a little bit of knowledge... so if anyone wants to discuss guns, e-mail me.

Merry Christmas..if you give anyone a Teddy Bear for Christmas, please name it Mohammad.

Call me after everyone else has gone at least once!

From the citizen Soldier side: As some of my fans know, our National Guard unit is telling some of us we have to deploy again. As I've whined before, this would be the third long deployment for some of us...but, my complaints are many.
How come there's so many others in my MOS who've not ever deployed and it looks like they never will?
The "leaders" we have who're telling us we "have to go" and have no choice, are some of the same knuckelheads who've never gone to a combat zone or in some cases, have never deployed anywhere.
The Danger Mines sign is from Bosnia. I didn't get the T-shirt, I was outside the wire where these friggen signs were posted. In Iraq, they didn't have them because we assumed everything was an IED.
I am quickly loosing any little respect I had for our leaders (again). They are knuckelheads...what are they going to do? Send me to some crappy place again?
Merry Christmas.

He was the door gunner on the Space Shuttle....

From the Soldier side: If you're in the military or, even in civilain Police work, you've run into the soldier or cop who's done it all. He (or she) knows it all. They've done everything and seen it all. When they tell their stories of what they've done, you are amazed.
They say things like: "when I was in Iraq I did bla, bla, bla." Or, even funnier is the ones who've never deployed, but know it all. And there are the civilain cops who have never been in a fight, but have some great stories to tell.

My favorite line was whilst someone was telling his stories, we added: "and he was the door gunner on the space shuttle."

When you run into that type, try not to laugh too hard, they need the attention and they may go off on you if you challange them about their B.S.

Have a good Christmas...

Oh yeah, Sgt Grumpy (http://sgtgrumpy.blogspot.com/ ) said something about me being tagged or some such nonesense.... since anyone who really knows who my real ID is, would suspect that it's impossible for me to actually have the computer skills to make a blog..I'm going to ignore it and see what happens...the rules of the game are too complicated for me.

I've got a new name for what the US Military is doing with the Guard and Reserve...I'm calling it the BIG SUCK. Because they're sucking some people up because they happen to be able to actually do their damn jobs. I'm going to start screwing everything up...maybe they'll make me a damn cook or something.

The best part of the job....

When asked: "CI-Roller dude, what do you enjoy most about your jobs?" That would have to be the chance to shoot so many weapons over the years. There are a few that are my all time favorites. Anything that shoots full auto and I don't have to pay for the ammo is good...but there are some that are better than others. Like the MP-5. The M-2 Browning .50 cal is another one I like. Remember gun safety anytime you are handdeling a firearm. Always treat them as if they are loaded. If you own a firearm, take a safety course if you have not had one. Most people can learn a lot from taking a course by a professional. I've seen many shooters who thought they could shoot because they had a gun.... Only hits count.
Yeah, I support the second amendment.
And for my good friend, Sgt Grumpy who's in the IZ now (http://sgtgrumpy.blogspot.com/) don't trust anyone but your partners. Always double tap, do tactical reloads, keep your weapons clean at all times, and make it home.

He was driving what?

From the Soldier side: Anyone who's been "outside the wire" in Iraq has seen one of these. It's an Iraqi Taxi. They are white and orange, usually a Toyota, but I've seen other brands.
Once we were helping out a unit who'd just arrived in Iraq. I can't really say what help we were giving them, but they had one local who claimed some insurgent was driving a white and orange Toyota. The new unit didn't know that was about the most common type of car in the area we were in.
They sent out a patrol and on their list of wanted people was this guy driving a white and orange Toyota.
They brought in 7 people the first day out. Until we explained to them that the Iraqi Taxis were white and orange. oops.
This will be a good Thanksgiving for me...I'm home with my family. But I have several friends in Iraq who'll be eating KBR chow this year. Good luck guys.

Update to this issue: Someone e-mailed me and wanted to know where this picture was taken. Between Dec 2004 and when I left Iraq a year later, I was sent on so many missions all over Iraq that I lost track. I think it's Al Asad. I was based in Baghdad, went to Fallujah, etc etc. If I list all the places I went with and without my team, too many people might guess who I am.
FNU, LNU.

Morons as Leaders, We survived Iraq anyway

From the Soldier side: Some e-mails I got about my last entry... made me have flashbacks to my year in Iraq. Although I'm in the California Army National Guard and I deployed as far as Kuwait with my Calif. unit, once in Kuwait, a Regular Army unit grabbed a bunch of us.
At first I thought this would have been a good thing. However, I quickly learned that the "new Army" is nothing like the good old Army I had served in years before.
The unit I was attached to was run by blithering idiots. From the Battalion Commander down to the Company level. I was so happy when my team got sent out on long missions and got to work with cool people like the USMC.
How stupid was this Regular Army unit? The first sergeant wanted us to have stand up formations outside every morning--- and we were only 100 meters from the camp wall. On the other side of the wall was Baghdad.
My first self appointed mission when I took over as the NCOIC of the teams was to make sure the company "leaders" didn't poke their noses into what our teams did. Our teams were very special and the company was only supposed to get us beans and bullets. They didn't do very well on the second part and had no idea of the tactics required to move about outside the camp.

Oh well, I could go on for hours.

Non-Deployable Chickens

From the Soldier side: Here's a funny thing. A long time ago when I was in the Regular Army, I figured I'd have to go fight a war somewhere sometime. It never happened and I was discharged. Years later I joined the California Army National Guard. The first years were normal-- I went to earthquakes, floods, fires and drug interdiction missions.
Then Nine Eleven happened. I knew I'd have to go somewhere and do something...so what did I do when my enlistment was about to run out? I re-enlisted for 6 more years. Why? Because I'm a dumbass.
Since Nine Eleven I've run across many people in the National Guard and have heard of many active duty Army soldiers who have done everything they can to not get deployed. They claim injuries, family problems and all kinds of crap to stay home. The part that really upsets me is many of these people have not and will never deploy and THEY STILL GET PROMOTED!
I've been deployed twice for a total of 24 months. It screwed up my job and my family, but I still did my duty. In my opinion, these non-deployable pukes should be kicked out if they have not deployed at least once. And if they won't deploy, they should not get promoted. We now have lots of good soldiers who've deployed and have real world experience in our jobs who can lead very well...they should get promoted.
That's my rant for the day. Have a good Veteran's Day and don't forget who it's brought to you by. -D.

Loosers

From the Cop side: I'm still amazed at how many people still think they can drive after they've been drinking. Maybe they went to a club or a bar, or stopped and had a few with dinner. Whatever the method, the problem is the same.
This photo is from a 20 something year old female who went to a bar with a couple of her friends. She and her friends had more than a few drinks. She thought she could drive everyone home.
Lucky, only the fire hydrant and the car suffered. She destroyed her car, the damage to the hydrant was about $10,000. The DUI fines, court cost, attorney fees, increase in her her car insurance will cost even more.