Echo LRP-Charlie Rangers

US Congress and MEDEVAC

Michael Yon — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:14:57 GMT

17 May 2012
The US MEDEVAC issue is picking up speed and mass. There is so much progress that it is difficult to track. A separate and excellent website dedicated to the issue has popped up at http://medevacmatters.org/
Also, the highly respected writer and war correspondent Yochi Dreazen picked up the ball. Yochi has spent years in the wars and so he was able to quickly dial into the importance of the issue and the authorities involved. On 10 May, Yochi published an article in the National Journal, which was reprinted on the website of Congressman Todd Akin:
�After writing about the issue, Yon recruited an array of congressional lawmakers who agreed with his point of view. Seventeen members, led by Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., wrote to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta earlier this year. �This policy may contribute to unnecessary delays in transporting our most critically wounded soldiers and Marines to appropriate medical care,� the letter said. �Our concern is � that Pentagon policy decisions are needlessly restricting this medical care or are limiting the ability of commanders to evacuate the wounded.�

Please read the entire article. (By the way, I strongly think that the military�s position on the 92% survival rate is smoke and mirrors.)
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Revamped Flight Medic Training

Michael Yon — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:52:54 GMT

17 May 2012
Written by MEDEVACmatters.org
Good news. Enhanced Flight Medic Training Begins
After over a decade of urgent calls for upgraded training of Army flight medics, it has begun. This article provides some details of what is involved. As noted, Army statistics have long shown that wounded troops rescued by National Guard MEDEVAC crews have a 66% higher chance of survival than if they were rescued by Regular Army MEDEVAC crews. This difference is directly attributable to the level of training attained by the crews and prior trauma experience. Most National Guard flight medics are paramedics in their civilian life, so they have more extensive training as well as daily contact with trauma victims. Even civilian paramedics, however, need additional training to handle military war casualties.
The other area of good news is that flight medics also will be trained for en route critical care of stabilized patients. What most people don�t realize is that a huge percentage of MEDEVAC flights entail the transfer of wounded troops from one level medical treatment facility (MTF) to another. These patients often are hooked up to various types of medical/life sustaining equipment which the typical flight medic is not trained on or certified to use. As a result there is a substantial risk to many patients during the transfer flight that their condition may seriously deteriorate. The Army attempted to address this with the assignment of en route critical care nurses, but as was reported by Col. Robert Mabry in his after action report in 2011 � those nurses had not been properly trained (indeed, many were unaware that they would be assigned to helicopter rather than ground transfer duties) and suffered from weak leadership in the field.
These much delayed positive changes should be acknowledged and applauded. However, I was informed by someone close to the MEDEVAC program that no special program was in place to assure that Regular Army MEDEVAC flight medics scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in the next year would be enrolled in the enhanced training program before deployment. It is interesting that the early enrollees appear to be among the National Guard crews already providing the higher level of care and achieving the higher survival rates for their patients. Wouldn�t have made sense initially to maximize the number of Regular Army flights medics getting this training � especially those going to the combat zone? [If someone can provide updated information about enrollment policies and timelines, I would appreciate it.]
Note the comment from Army Master Sgt. Kym Ricketts, chief medical non-commissioned officer with the Army National Guard, �It�s advanced, pre-hospital medical care.� The term pre-hospital care is relatively unknown but includes all the medical care provided to the wounded from the time of injury to the time the patient is in the hands of medical staff at a medical treatment facility. MEDEVAC is but one portion of the spectrum of pre-hospital care for the wounded. As discussed in How the Army is slow to meet MEDEVAC Challenges in the 21st Century this also covers Tactical Combat Casualty Care training and doctrine, as well as pre-hospital care trauma registries that track the wounded and their care discussed in US Army Report: 2011 After action report blasts MEDEVAC shortcomings.
The article follows:
Army National Guard medics among first to attend revamped flight medic program
National Guard Bureau
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/88451/a...m#.T7PsTVIZckZ
Date: 05.15.2012
Posted: 05.15.2012 14:07
News ID: 88451
Army National Guard medics among first to attend revamped flight medic program
By Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy
National Guard Bureau
ARLINGTON, Va. � Medics from the Army National Guard are among those taking part in a pilot program designed to revamp the training that flight medics throughout the Army will receive.
Taught at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the program will provide flight medics with additional paramedic and critical care training and certifications.
�A paramedic provides a higher level of care,� said Army Master Sgt. Kym Ricketts, chief medical non-commissioned officer with the Army National Guard. �It�s advanced, pre-hospital medical care.�
Currently, to be a flight medic, a soldier must be a qualified combat medic and be in a flight medic slot, but since flight medics operate under different conditions those requirements are changing to reflect that.
�The medics need additional training as flight medics as they do a higher standard of care and in a different environment than a line medic on the ground,� Ricketts said.
The program is designed to emphasize that fact and focus on training soldiers on those additional skills needed as a flight medic.
As part of the pilot program and proposed changes, soldiers go through three phases of training specific to flight medic duty.
�The first one is the flight medic phase,� Ricketts said, adding that it can be waivered in lieu of on-the-job training. �Phase two is the nationally registered paramedic [course], which is the longest phase, and phase three is the critical care transport piece.�
The push for making changes to flight medic requirements came from a number of elements, including a study done on a California Army National Guard medical evacuation unit that deployed to Afghanistan with full-fledged paramedics in flight medic positions.
�[The study found that with] having flight paramedics in the back of an aircraft there was a 66 percent higher survivability rate than with a straight [combat medic] that wasn�t paramedic trained,� Ricketts said.
Additionally, proposed changes to the flight medic requirements also mean that graduates of the program walk away with national certifications as paramedics. That provides additional benefits including a greater flexibility with integrating with local, state and other agencies in a disaster situation, she said.
�A citizen-soldier can do their wartime mission as well as their peacetime mission of taking care of their community,� Ricketts said, adding that those certifications are the same received by civilian paramedics.
But the important part, she said, is simply providing the best care possible.
�The benefit is the best battlefield medicine and care that a soldier can get,� she said.
�With the forward surgical teams that are out there casualties are actually having surgical intervention on the ground at the point of injury,� Ricketts said. �Combined with these medics that are able to have this training � the [casualty] will be getting the best standard of care.�
The pilot program wraps up later in the year and will then go through a review process.
�It�s still a pilot program and once the pilot program is through we�ll do an analysis to see what works best,� she said.
Ricketts remains positive about the results of the program.
�These medics are going to affect so many people,� she said. �Not just American forces, but coalition forces as well, and that�s amazing.�

The original story can be found at MEDEVACmatters.org
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Happy Mothers Day

Administrator — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:48:44 GMT

E20-C75 Rangers wishes all of our Mothers the Hapiest of Days on your Day!!

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Word Games

Michael Yon — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:23:29 GMT

12 May 2012
Written by MEDEVACmatters.org
Just a reminder of the official US Army position on the need to make changes to MEDEVAC policies and procedures. This is the final three paragraphs of the statement issued by the Army Chief of Public Affairs on January 20, 2012 following the CBS Evening News segment on the death of SPC Chazray Clark:
�Further, arming MEDEVACs would not reduce the need for armed escort. Again, our aircraft travel in pairs. The decision to use escort is the tactical commander�s, and the Army does not dictate how or when it is necessary to use these assets.
Finally, it�s important to remember that the Army would change its policy if battlefield commanders wanted a change. We take our obligation to perform the MEDEVAC mission very seriously. We�re a learning organization and periodically we review our policies to make sure they remain relevant. We looked at the MEDEVAC policy in 2008, but after a review, we determined no change was necessary.
Additionally, neither the International Security Assistance Force or U.S. Forces � Afghanistan has requested a change in policy; because our MEDEVAC crews and aircraft provide the best chance at survival ever seen in warfare, and because � as commanders in Afghanistan have told us � not arming our MEDEVACs and identifying them with the red cross has had no impact on the medical evacuation mission.�
Yep. In 2008 they �looked at MEDEVAC policy� and determined �no change was necessary�. You know, the fact that the number of KIA and WIA increased more than 6 fold in 2009 and 2010 didn�t prompt any new �review� � why would it? This only reflected a sea change in the level of intensity of fighting and the weapons used. Did the number of MEDEVAC helicopters sustaining hits from ground fire increase after 2008?
If fires in your town increased 6 fold year over year, would you expect the fire department to re-examine its operations to make sure it had stations in the right places and procedures that got the fire trucks to the scene of a fire ASAP? If the last time your ambulance service reviewed procedures it defended getting a trauma victim to a medical facility within 2 hours (and accomplished that only 75% of the time) as being OK � would you be sanguine about how they operated? How about if they then published an article informing you that the benefits of the Golden Hour was all a myth?
Between 2008 and 2012 did the Army review some of its policies and procedures? Sure. Was a comprehensive review done? Not that I have found mentioned or documented anywhere. Even in 2012 the Army leadership still points to a 4 year old study done on activities that were conducted at a pace that is a fraction of the current one.
Did the Army heed any after action reports that stated that current launch authority procedures slow the initiation of MEDEVAC missions? No.
What else happened in that time frame? Oh, yeah. The question of removing Red Crosses from the MEDEVAC helicopters and mounting guns was posed to the Army Judge Advocate General by the Army Surgeon General. Much to the horror of AMEDD command, on October 8, 2008 the official 4 page legal opinion from the Office of the Judge Advocate General � International and Operational Law Division said there was no violation of international law or the Geneva Convention if the Red Crosses were removed and the helicopters armed.
�2. Purpose
Reference f. requests legal review of the proposal by C Company (Air Ambulance), 2-227 GSAB, to �paint over� the red crosses on three MEDEVAC Aircraft, in order to employ them as chase aircraft during their upcoming deployment. The unit is intending to keep the MEDEVAC carousels, medical equipment sets, and flight medics on board during all missions and install M240, 7.62 Medium Machine Guns in the door-gunner�s windows. the unit is exploring the possibility of training for aerial gunnery. The unit proposal is to use the aircraft in an escort/support role and use an �extra� set of cargo doors with red crosses for actual MEDEVAC mission, if required, after the M240?s have been removed. This legal review is provided at the request of the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army, to provide a legal opinion as to the implications of the proposed action under the Geneva Convention.
3. Summary Finding
As more fully described below, the arming of the MEDEVAC helicopters and employment in an escort/support role is not legally objectionable, even though it may result in the loss of GWS protection for the aircraft and its crew. However, the Surgeon General should coordinate with the receiving operational commander, to determine the best course of action for this unit, in this mission.
4. Discussion
[snip]
c. Analysis: Removing the distinctive insignia and mounting the M240 Medium Machine Gun (a crew served weapon according to Army doctrine), in order to conduct escort/support missions would be an act �harmful to the enemy,� which would deprive the aircraft, any patients it carried, and its crew of the protections of the GWS. Replacing the red cross insignia and removing the M240 would enable the aircraft to regain the protections of the GWS for the duration of the MEDEVAC mission. The aircraft could be accused of �perfidy,� a law of war violation that involves feigning protected status to gain an advantage on the enemy, should the aircraft be armed with crew-served weapons and marked as a MEDEVAC aircraft, however.

d. Legal/Policy Considerations: Ref. g, the DoD Law of War program, provides that Secretaries of the Military Departments shall develop policies and procedures consistent with the law of war, while Commanders of Combatant Commands must implement the law of war within their respective theater of operations. Longstanding Army policy and doctrine, outlined in ref. c. and para. A-12 of FM 4-02.02, prohibits the mounting of crew served weapons on MEDEVAC aircraft, lest the platform lose its protected status under the GWS. Although the Secretary of the Army has responsibility under ref i. to train, equip and mobilize forces, the Combatant Commanders are responsible under ref. h. to organize them for combat. Accordingly, while the Surgeon General, delegated the responsibility to establish law of war doctrine for medical personnel from the Secretary of the Army, can dictate policy and doctrine in preparing the unit for deployment, it is the receiving theater headquarters which must decide how they are to be organized for combat, as long as it is done in a manner consistent with the Geneva Conventions.
6. Conclusion.
While the GSAB proposal to arm MEDEVAC helicopters and employ them temporarily as escort/support aircraft is not a violation of the law of war, as long as the aircraft does not engage in �perfidy�, this action would deprive the aircraft and crew of any protections available from the GWS. Recommend coordination with the theater operational commander, through ARCENT, to determine the parameters of employment of the unit.�
So armed helicopters can fly MEDEVAC or non-MEDEVAC missions without limitation and no change in the medical equipment on board would be required as long as the Red Cross insignia is not displayed. It was a decision that the JAG opinion said rested with the operational commander. This opinion was signed by Richard B. Jackson, Special Assistant for Law of War Matters.
The only caution is that by removing the Red Cross insignia, it exposes the aircraft and crew to hostile fire from the enemy. Let�s recall the January 20, 2012 statement by the Chief Public Affairs Officer:
�First, there is no evidence, implied or proven, that the enemy deliberately targets MEDEVAC helicopters, but we know from hard experience that the enemy does try to shoot down any and all U.S. and coalition aircraft.�
(Clearly, even the Army says the presence of the Red Cross insignia does not provide the promised protection from the Geneva Convention. What would be lost then by removing them and arming the MEDEVAC helicopters?)
So how did the Army Surgeon General react to getting the A-OK on October 8, 2008 from the JAG to arm the helicopters? On January 8, 2009 he sent a memo to the Deputy Chief of Staff. In the memo Lt. General Schoomaker informed the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army:
�Key Points:
a. There are significant legal concerns regarding the execution of the concept [painting over the Red Crosses and installing M240 crew served weapons on MEDEVAC aircraft] and the likely problems that will arise from a practical standpoint.
b. Longstanding Army policy and doctrine prohibit the mounting of crew served weapons on MEDEVAC aircraft and provide detailed guidance on the utilization of the MEDEVAC aircraft, lest the platform lose its protected status under the Geneva Convention.
c. The Hague Convention, Regulations Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land specifically prohibits the misuse of the Red Cross symbol. A misuse would include marked with Red Crosses for offensive operations (M240 crew served weapon viewed as offensive) or in self-defense beyond that allowed by Geneva Convention. The arrangement proposed by the 1st CAB invites the possibility of a Law of War Violation.�
Did you notice the sleight of hand that happened? Aside from not informing the Deputy Chief of Staff of the JAG opinion 90 days earlier approving the Combat Aviation Brigade proposal, the Lt. General misrepresented the facts by saying �There are significant legal concerns� about painting over the Red Crosses and arming the MEDEVAC helicopters.
In points b and c, he has shifted to ignoring the part of the proposed action that painted over the Red Crosses and therefore removed any issue about violating the Geneva Convention and its non-existent protection of MEDEVAC helicopters in 21st century warfare with non-signatory forces.
Lt. General Schoomaker concludes by asking for the Deputy Chief of Staff for the issuance of �immediate guidance in reference to the utilization of MEDEVAC aircraft� that would prohibit the proposed action by the CAB.
I understand that the Army Surgeon General was concerned about losing control of MEDEVAC aircraft. This had been a point of contention since the 1960?s. I do have a problem that he did not rest his case solely on an argument based on assuring adequate equipment availability for MEDEVAC missions. His memo can at best be charitably described as being misleading through omission.
Aside from the core issue at hand in this case (removing Red Cross insignia and arming MEDEVAC helicopters), there is a lesson here about taking Army and DoD statements at face value. If a Lt. General felt comfortable wordsmithing his appeal to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army in a way to manipulate a response, why should we (and interested Congressmen) think we are immune to similar tactics directed at those wishing to review AMEDD and Army handling of MEDEVAC issues? Caveat Emptor.
The original article can be found here.

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Thursday in Mosul

Michael Yon — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:48:34 GMT

12 May 2005
It was noisier than usual last night on Marez; our soldiers were firing 120mm mortars. When large cannons or mortars are fired around you daily, like they were in Baquba, it�s easy to start sleeping through the racket. But since outgoing fire is not common on this FOB, the booms kept some people awake. Then, shortly after sunrise, two rockets flew into base and exploded nearby, causing more sudden noise and injuring a few civilians.

Surrounded by IEDs

Deuce Four headed downtown this morning with several items on their to-do list. One task was to recon a gasoline station that was attacked and destroyed a couple of weeks ago. While we walked around the rubble of the abandoned station, the commander noticed two artillery rounds on the ground. A minute or so later, someone spotted a radio command switch for a very large booby trap.
We were surrounded by nine bombs (large artillery shells) all rigged to explode by radio control.
While I ran away as fast as I could, the soldiers �pulled back quickly� and called EOD, who arrived and removed the bombs without incident.

EOD

As the day progressed, the Deuce Four visited local police stations, checking security, and extending congratulations to chiefs on some recent successes they�ve had in battles with terrorists this past week.
The news back home is showing large increases in violence in certain parts of Iraq. But the soldiers here continue to comment that Mosul, at least, seems to come under better control with every passing month.
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Helicopter versus RPG

Michael Yon — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:46:46 GMT

The enemy weapons causing the most deaths in Afghanistan are simple. There are the machine guns, and the AK-47s, and many thousands of improvised bombs planted in the earth, and suicide bombs, and the RPG: Rocket Propelled Grenade.
There are a few other kinds of weapons, but in a nutshell, that is about it. Meanwhile, it is probably not risking much overstatement to say that ISAF employs a thousand sort of weapons.
In the image above, the shooter has already pulled the trigger. There was a very quick delay, with a quiet pop. Some smoke puffed out from the front and from the rear of the RPG launcher.

I made the images in this dispatch in Urozgan Province. A few American civilians along with a bunch of Afghans were out working. On the way back, they stopped to fire their AKs and the RPG for fun.

We stood far back due to the back blast, which can be lethal. The back blast is the hot air that is expelled from the rear of the tube when launching a grenade. The gunner seemed to aim at the top of the hill.

The RPG is so simple that a kid�or an illiterate tribesman�can learn how to use it in just a few minutes. The Mujahidin shot down Soviet helicopters with these things, and of course the same has happened to us in Afghanistan, Somalia, Vietnam, and elsewhere.

If the shooter fires straight up at a helicopter, the back blast can kill the shooter. Afghans made special tubes that allow them to shoot straight up, but he is not using that tube in these photographs.
In combat, I stay away from the RPG gunners. They get excited and it is easy for them to turn quickly and blast your face off. At night it can be worse when you cannot see where they are, and Afghans have a way of not looking back and checking their back blast area. They often just shoot the rocket. They do the same with cars. They will shift into reverse and hit the gas without checking the mirror. (I got hit like this in Afghanistan.)
A US Soldier told me that he got knocked down by an RPG back blast last year.

Tourists in Cambodia can fire an RPG at a commercial shooting range, and for a price, the proprietors will let you shoot a water buffalo. No thanks.

This phase of the launch will be visible for miles at nighttime if you are wearing night vision gear.

Movie scenes featuring RPGs often make them appear to fly slowly with a plume of trailing flame and smoke. The reality is faster: squeeze trigger and BOOM! The grenade goes fast, and it is very loud. There is no Whoooshh�just BOOM! And usually it is BOOM and BOOM as it hits the target, but I have seen rounds that just bounced off: BOOM! Klank!
There are different sorts of ammunition. All are subsonic with the fastest at about 900 feet per second. If the shooter is close, there is not going to be time for a Rambo jump. If the shooter is on target, the victim on the receiving end will not have time to move.

If the area has moon dust (not much in this area), the shooter will be enveloped in a giant cloud, which can go poorly for him.

The maximum range of the RPG is about a thousand yards, but it is not very accurate beyond 300 yards. In Afghanistan, the enemy often lobs them onto bases blindly hoping to get lucky.

The Taliban often shoot at low-flying helicopters. A Vietnam-era pilot wrote a story about getting hit in the windshield. The RPG did not explode, so it was stuck right there as they flew in that vibrating helicopter back to base. Sometimes troops get hit and they end up with an unexploded rocket embedded in their body. This makes it tricky for MEDEVAC and for the doctors, and for EOD who might have to remove it.

On 12 January this year, Marine Corporal Winder Perez got hit with an RPG rocket that failed to explode. A medical team from the New Mexico National Guard landed to pick him up. RPG rounds, after being fired, can be touchy. Corporal Perez was alive with a live rocket in his left thigh and abdomen. But that did not stop the New Mexico National Guard crew. They took Corporal Perez and flew him back to base, landing gently. They warned everyone to stay away from the aircraft. An Army explosives expert, Staff Sergeant Ben Summerfield, along with a Navy surgeon, Lt. Cmdr. James Gennari, made an outdoor operating area and wearing body armor, they removed the rocket. Corporal Perez survived. There are many such RPG stories.

There are two charges on this round; the first charge gets it out of the tube. The second charge is behind the rocket. In this image, the rocket is just kicking in.

The rocket is ignited. Though it appears smoky, the warhead does not leave any noticeable smoke trail. (Maybe in Rambo movies.) If you see a smoke trail, that is more likely to be a surface-to-air missile.

Some rounds fly for 4-5 seconds, and then a self-destruct mechanism causes them to explode. Others you find lying around. Do not touch.
Often our helicopter crews will not see the firing point. But if they see the RPG self-destruct in the air, they see a donut shape with a smoke stick going through the donut. The donut-shaped smoke is caused by the self-destruct, and the �stick� is caused by the rocket motor flying through the smoke and dragging smoke with it. The stick points back to the approximate firing location, and if the gunner fired on a Kiowa Warrior team, it is about to get interesting for him.
The Kiowa Warriors can be aggressive. Taliban hate them but our infantry have huge respect for the KW teams. Some of the pilots are women. After they get shot at, KWs almost certainly are going to attack (attack seems to be an automatic reflex with them), but it has to be remembered that there might be other RPGs or machine guns down there. When you see KWs get into a gunfight, you will not forget it. The KWs often close in tight within easy rifle and RPG range. Often the co-pilot is hanging out the door with a little M-4 rifle shooting tracers. They get hit all the time.

The tube is now hot and can be seen with thermals. It will remain hot to the touch for about a minute, and during this shot it kept smoking for about 30 seconds.

Waiting for impact.

Waiting�it should have exploded by now.

Where did it go?

We saw no sign of impact.

Flame still coming out of the tube.

Still some flame. At night, this would be easily visible with night vision gear, and of course thermals would see the man with the hot RPG tube.

The rocket appears to have sailed over the hill. I hope that there was not a shepherd over there.

Still smoking. No explosion.

We just added one more piece of RPG UXO (unexploded ordinance) to the Afghanistan mess. Just stepping off of these roads can get you launched into the sky by landmines.

Last year, an RPG killed 38 people in a single shoot-down. 22 Navy SEALs were lost in that helicopter crash.

There is talk about how it is better to have an Apache attack helicopter orbiting overhead than to have guns on Dustoff MEDEVAC birds. But look at those clouds. This is normal in Afghanistan. Often, the only cover that will work is you covering yourself. When it comes to RPG versus low-flying helicopter, it is a fair match.
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MEDEVAC Madness

Michael Yon — Thu, 10 May 2012 01:15:40 GMT

10 May 2012
Many people have contacted lawmakers around the country about MEDEVAC failures in Afghanistan. Most of the lawmakers blew it off, or seemed intimidated by the Pentagon. But one serious man over in Missouri has not backed down. Congressman Todd Akin is demanding answers. This week, Congressman Akin brought it to Congress:
Lawmaker seeks report on medevac flights
�In a continuing battle between a key lawmaker and the Army over whether to use armed or unarmed medical evacuation helicopters in combat zones, the House Armed Services Committee voted Wednesday to require detailed comparisons of survival rates, speed and costs of the two methods.
�Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., is the chief sponsor of legislation demanding a report from the Defense Department that looks at medical evacuation capabilities of all of the services and allies in combat zones. The data will be used, specifically, for Akin�s challenge to the Army�s policy of using unarmed helicopters that in some cases have to wait for armed escorts to enter hot zones.
�By voice vote and with no debate, the armed services committee approved an Akin amendment that orders the Defense Department to provide Congress details that can be evaluated by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress. The DoD report and GAO review would come in time for consideration as part of the 2014 defense budget.�
Please click for rest of story.
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A Letter that Speaks for Itself (3 of 4)

Michael Yon — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:37:36 GMT

09 May 2012
Someone needs to check Panetta for a pulse. He is so non-responsive that I wonder if he is breathing.

To view the entire PDF please click here.

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L-T's NEW WEBSITE

L-T — Wed, 09 May 2012 02:32:40 GMT

THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE AT ShiningSwordStudio.com IF YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED, PLEASE GIVE YOUR BETTER HALF A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT AND WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR FEEDBACK. I NEVER CONSIDER SUGGESTIONS CRITICISM; FEEL FREE TO LAY IT ON ME. I LOVE YOU MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. RANGERS LEAD THE WAY, JOHN EDER, aka L-T,Yao Han and various other unmentionable names.

New Helmet System

Michael Yon — Mon, 07 May 2012 03:03:11 GMT

06 May 2012
This helmet system could have many uses, such as for gunners in the hatch. But as one of the most experienced and smartest vets I know told me this morning, most troops will not want to wear it until they see a buddy lose part of his face.

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Another Letter that Speaks for Itself (2 of 4)

Michael Yon — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:50:49 GMT

From a little bird
05 May 2012

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A Letter that Speaks for Itself (1 of 4)

Michael Yon — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:49:22 GMT

Provided by a little bird
04 May 2012

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Today�s Messages from Taliban about Today�s Attack and Obama�s visit

Michael Yon — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:51:36 GMT

02 May 2012
A message came to me about nine hours ago from the Taliban that Obama visited and so the Taliban had an attack underway. They did in fact have an attack underway. I published the message from Zabihullah Mujahid on Facebook.
First message:

A few minutes ago (about 0820 EST 02 May 2012), Zabihullah Mujahid sent two more messages. Both are below. There is some truth in the accounts, but I read them mostly for entertainment value. Though they exaggerate wildly, it�s become clear that the Taliban will eventually control large swaths of Afghanistan:
Second message:
�Martyr attack targeting� Green Village� huge military Camp ends with success; more than 43 invaders killed KABUL, May 02 - The operation was planned hurriedly after finding out about Obama�s �surprise visit� to Afghanistan what was secret visit about which Mujahideen came to know in the later hours of last night and, as a result, �the Green Village� one of the most important and heavily-guarded military base of so-called ISAF, was the quickest target for Mujahideen to smash.
�A team of four heroic combatants of Islamic Emirate Ahmad (Parwan province), Muhammad Raza (Kabul), Abdul Bari (Wardak) and Hameed Khan (Takhar), armed with heavy and small arms and explosives, stormed the target, the �Green Village� with Ahmad slamming his explosive-laden vehicle at the gate of the base, rocking the entire base and removing all the security checks and barriers besides flattening some of the rooms where a great number of the security guards were based. Several dozen of the US-NATO and puppets cowardly forces security were killed and wounded. Three out four martyrdom-seeking Mujahideen, after getting into the base, initiated fighting with rockets, heavy and light machine guns, hand grenades and explosive vests till 10 a.m. local time, targeting those inside and killing at least 34 US-Nato forces officers and soldiers as well as taking out more than 9 puppets security guards. �The operation came as a response to Obama�s visit to Afghanistan and was a worst single-day loss for the US-Nato terrorists after Kabul operation in which Mujahideen had targeted the main ISAF base, and a series of embassies, parliament, presidential house and a number of the enemy�s military bases and posts in Kabul city. It is known to all that no civilian can show up even hundreds of maters away from the any military facility and, in particular, such military facility with strategic importance, no way! Thus the western-influenced mainstream media claims about civilian casualties are absolutely false and everyone knows it. The lethal blow to supposed ISAF was a message to Obama that the real Afghan are not those who sign the pack of slavery and selling out their land, contrarily, the true Afghans are those who never let such conspires happen, and root out all such nasty plots and ploys of the enemy by dealing deadliest blow to the invading enemy. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in this way, vow to continue to deal far more rigorous and fatal blows to the enemy and foil its every conspiracy in order to defend the Afghans� beloved country and safeguard the its sovereignty and honor.�
Third message, arrived about two minutes after second message:
Statement of Leadership Council of Islamic Emirate regarding the inception of Al-Farooq Spring operation -

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Fight against them so that Allah will punish them by your hands and disgrace them and give you victory over them and heal the breasts of a believing people (Taubah: 14)
It has been a little over ten years since Afghanistan has come under the barbaric occupation of foreign invaders and countless defenseless Afghans are martyred, imprisoned, their homes destroyed and orchards uprooted by these cruel occupiers with the passage of each day. But as the intensity of cruelty and savagery of the invaders increases, the fervor of Jihad and struggle amongst the heroic Afghans strengthens proportionally and with the inception of each year, the battle trenches are enkindled against the oppressors with high moral, new war tactics and strong Jihadi determination. With pure divine intentions and exemplary determination, our lives are cheaply sacrificed for the defense and service of our oppressed nation while delivering falsehood extinguishing blows to the enemy.
As the period for the inception of new Jihadi activities against the foreign forces each year is chosen and named by Islamic Emirate under new Jihadi title in consideration with the seasonal and atmospheric conditions, we would once again like to announce the current year�s spring operation against the invaders under the glorified Jihadi name of �Al-Farooq�.
The name Al-Farooq, which is the honored title of the second Khalifa of Islam Hazrat Omar R.A, was chosen for this year�s operation so that with its blessing, Allah Almighty might bestow on Mujahideen such victories as were awarded to the Muslims during the triumphant period of Hazrat Omar R.A where huge swaths of lands of the infidels fell under the rule of the Muslims and the enemies were forced to take flight.
It must be stated that the primary target of Al-Farooq operation will be the foreign invaders, their advisors, their contractors and members of all associated military, intelligence and auxiliary departments.
And similarly, the high ranking officials of the stooge Kabul regime; members of Parliament; those associated with Ministries of Defense, Intelligence and Interior; members of the so called High Peace Council; Militia under the name of �Arbaki� and all those people who work against the Mujahideen, toil to pave ground for the occupation of Afghanistan and become the cause for the strength of the invaders will also be targeted in Al-Farooq operation.
New and tested war tactics will be implemented in Al-Farooq operation and top priority will be given to safeguarding the lives and wealth of civilians. It is hoped that civilians stay away from the bases of invaders and their hirelings, their military convoys and refrain from going close to explosion sites as the enemy intentionally targets civilians to avenge the caused death/injury and attributes it to the Taliban.
Al-Farooq Jihadi spring operation shall commence simultaneously in all parts of Afghanistan on 14th Suwar 1391 which corresponds with 12 Jammad ul Thani 1433 and 3rd May 2012.
The Islamic Emirate, alongside launching its Al-Farooq spring operation, once again calls on all those associated with the puppet administration of Karzai, the so called national army, national police and all those who are siding with the invaders in opposition to the interests of Islam to stop backing the invaders and to abandon their ranks. In case this call is not heeded, all responsibility shall befall the transgressors because the Mujahideen, in defense of their country and religious sanctities, are Islamically bound and have the right to kill the foreign occupiers and their supporters, capture them and to prosecute them for their illegal actions. The Islamic Emirate, in order to establish contact and bring out officials and privates from the opposition rank, has assigned an influential �Recruitment� Commission which works to invite them towards the truth and in case they want to join the Mujahideen, to lend all necessary assistance and guidance.
The Islamic Emirate would also like to declare to all the foreign invaders including the Americans that if you still desire to continue the occupation of our country, abuse our sanctities and oppress our defenseless nation then the Mujahideen shall also take inspiration from the historical achievements of the distinguisher of truth and falsehood, Hazrat Omar R.A. and utilize all means and military craftsmanship at disposal in their Al-Farooq spring operation to kill, expel and eliminate you.
In this battle of truth and falsehood, victory and ascendency shall be awarded to the Mujahideen while defeat and humiliation shall be the fate of your moral-lacking soldiers, if Allahs wills it.
With the divine help of Allah, we are awaiting the moments when our nation shall be freed from the evil of your occupation and the Afghans become the owners of a pure Islamic system in an atmosphere of brotherhood, national unity and peace and of a government free from corruption with total security, effective education, strong economy and a tranquil life, if Allah wills it.
Wasalam
The Leadership Council of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
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Shot in the Dark: Blackhawk Down

Michael Yon — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:44:42 GMT

Afghan firing RPG in Urozgan
02 May 2012
On 19 April there was a suicide attack. Numerous Afghans were killed and others were dying.
The night was especially dark. The weather was bad, and there were no city lights bouncing off of the clouds. No stars. No nothing. Even if the skies had been clear, the moon phase would have revealed only a thin sliver at its brightest. The night was as black as the deep sea.
People living in or around a big city in America or Asia or Europe will never see a dark night like this one unless there is a blackout. In Western Europe, few people ever witness a truly black night unless there is heavy weather. The cultural lights are too bright. For darkness in Europe, there are a few special places, such as an edge near the sea in Scotland.
Afghanistan is different. Many Western city-dwellers have never seen the Milky Way, and some, when they go to Afghanistan, are taken by the stars, exclaiming that they did not realize that you could see so many without a telescope. Away from the bright bases, the night sky in Afghanistan is like a movie, complete with more shooting stars than you can remember.
There is no electricity in most places, and where there is, the current trickles, creating scant light that flows up to reflect off of dust or clouds. The Milky Way is so bright that it looks almost close enough to scoop out. But even on the major bases, the Milky Way fades, and it can be too bright to realize how dark it is just a short distance away. Flying over Afghanistan at night can be like flying over the Atlantic, with occasional discreet lights below, appearing like lone ships or oil platforms.
This leads to an awkward dynamic that I have failed to write about during the last six years. The brightest areas in Afghanistan are our bases, and you can see them glowing at night from many miles away. Afghans, who want electricity, do not understand why we have spaceships glowing in the desert while they never get a dribble of energy. That is another story.
To keep things simple, the military likes to color code. Flight safety depends on illumination, and so they classify illumination as Green, Amber, or Red. Since there are few cultural lights in Afghanistan (and where there are, they are subject to suddenly going black), the pilots cannot depend on the bright lights of Las Vegas to guide them through the desert trap. In Afghanistan, it is about the moon, the gear, and the team.
With "Green illum," the moon is higher than 30 degrees and 25% or more illuminated. Full moon is 100%. Amber is 0 � 30 degrees moon angle, and 25% or greater moon illumination. When the moon is below the horizon, it is always Red illum. If the moon is less than 25% illuminated, no matter the angle, it is Red illum.
Combat troops sometimes complain about the moon angle being a factor in Red illum (because many missions are limited during Red), but the flying team knows what they are doing. For instance, when the moon angle is low, there are shadows, and in the mountains the moon shadows can be deadly. The pilots might go from great flying conditions to a patch of Red illum, or they might start a mission with good illum, and as the moon sets, it drifts into Red illum. Or weather can roll in.
If they were flying like fighter jets from one big base to another, they could fly in just about any weather or light. The jets are high, and they are coming into bright airports, and there is radar, and there are smart people on the ground to guide them. But the helicopter pilots might have to land 20 miles from the nearest light. There is no radar. There is no air traffic control. There may be a firefight. The tracers are very bright. Through the night vision gear, when the tracers race low over the earth, they are bright enough to briefly illuminate the path they trace over the ground. Explosions start very brightly and then quickly become many sparks, and a second later just a glowing dust cloud.
And if matters could get worse, Afghanistan might have more moon dust than the moon. Moon dust is a problem in broad daylight. The particles are so fine that it literally splashes like water, and when you are driving and a pound hits your windshield it instantly blocks out the light, but then splashes off like water. The moon dust is a most curious thing and the helicopters stir it up like a volcano, night or day.
The difficulty of the pilots' job is hard to convey.
On the night of this MEDEVAC, it was below Red illum, and for any practical purpose of the human eye, it was utterly black. The pilots had no light. They have systems that can be used to fly in blackness, but those systems do not replace ambient light. Their night vision goggles would be useless unless they used their own infrared (IR) light source, which of course the enemy can see.
Some troops believe that the enemy does not have night vision capacity, but they definitely can spot our IR. For instance, the enemy has rigged cameras to weapons. The little video camera sitting beside me can resolve a helicopter from miles away. The enemy can tape a cheap video camera to a weapon and now they have a sophisticated night vision device (a cheap camera) mounted to an RPG or a machine gun.
The enemy uses this technique to spot IR lasers from our drones and other aircraft. I am not giving anything away. I learn these things by studying the enemy. Even if the IR spotlight is off, the IR strobes will be on, and the birds will be visible for miles. Flying low and slow is very dangerous, but then so is flying in Red illum. Or flying in Afghanistan, period.
The faster you go, the darker it is, and with bad weather, there is only so much that America�s great gear can do. It is just dangerous. Very, very dangerous. The job is not for everyone.
You likely will never see the enemy until he fires. The moment that he fires, his weapon will flash very brightly and you can rip him apart in a few seconds if you have a minigun or a .50 caliber machine gun in your hands. But the first shot belongs to him. In this particular situation, the enemy can own the night until he fires.
The suicide bomber had detonated his weapon leaving 4 dead and 7 wounded Afghans. There has been friction that we will launch MEDEVAC for our people under conditions where we will not launch for Afghan troops. This would not be such a case. The MEDEVAC launched into the darkness and the armed �Chase� bird followed into the night.
Both were Blackhawks. In current configurations, most of the �Dustoff� MEDEVAC helicopters in Afghanistan can carry three litter patients. In a different configuration they can carry six. Depending on the state of the casualties, the armed Chase bird would also have to land, leaving Dustoff flying for cover. Since Dustoff does not have machine guns (due to wearing the Red Cross), the Chase bird would be especially vulnerable while loading casualties. The Chase helicopter can cover the Dustoff, but the Dustoff cannot cover the Chase.
Piecing together information from various sources, this is what seems to have come next: The unarmed MEDEVAC was in the lead with the armed Chase aircraft behind. They appear to have been flying low and slow over a river. They may have been flying using the IR spotlight but this is unknown to me. An RPG hit the Chase Blackhawk behind a fuel cell, causing it to spin and to crash at high speed. It burst into flames and the crew was probably lost immediately. Blackhawks are partly made of magnesium, which burns very hot and brightly. The bright fire washed out the MEDEVAC pilots� goggles. There was tracer fire from the enemy on the ground but the unarmed MEDEVAC could not land or suppress enemy fire. They called for more help and circled low for about 20 minutes, but were never able to land.
We lost four Soldiers:
CW2 Nicolas Johnson
Sergeant Dean Shaffer
CW Don Viray
Sergeant Chris Workman
I do not know what happened to the seven wounded Afghans.
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Little Girl Revisited

Michael Yon — Wed, 02 May 2012 02:53:31 GMT

02 May 2012
This image was made seven years ago today. There had been a great deal of combat. It�s been said that the �Deuce Four� was the most decorated unit in the Iraq war. I do not know if this is true, but if not, it is probably close.
There had been a suicide car bomb that attacked in a civilian neighborhood. The Soldiers did their best to help the people. Little Farah, seen here, cradled by Major Mark Bieger, would soon die of her wounds.
As the months unfolded, fighting remained intense and many Soldiers in the Deuce Four would be wounded or killed.
On the home front, some veterans went off to school and got degrees, or in some other way kept living their lives. Others took routes that we so often hear about. Substance abuse, trouble with the law, broken families.
The years unfolded, and many returned to Iraq for more combat tours. They kept fighting and more were killed and injured. Others went off to Afghanistan. I would meet many of them in combat in the following years in Iraq or Afghanistan, and there they always shined.
This image seems like it was made just yesterday, and like a million lifetimes ago. Without the photo, this day was just one of countless others that would rip across the battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan, and even Bangkok. The day Farah died was average for Iraq. Terrible? Yes. Unique? Others were far worse. Only the camera made this day unique.
Please read: LITTLE GIRL
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