War

This is just as it implies: anything and all things having to do with the war itself and the fighting, from strategies to the politics of war to the technology used to the troops fighting the wars to deployments to casualties, with of course particular emphasis on Iraq and Afghanistan, and more.

Key topics in this category:

RECENT POSTS

February 15, 2012 | 11:07 AM | By

Cable News Contributor Blames Female Troops for Rape (Video)

Marines / Flickr

Marine Corps Female Engagement Team

I’d like to think when civilians say they “Support Our Troops” they mean all troops, even the female ones. But that doesn’t appear to be the case with Fox News contributor Liz Trotta. Trotta has created a firestorm of controversy for asking women who’ve been raped while in the military the rhetorical question “What did they expect?”

Trotta made her comments while discussing the Pentagon’s recent decision to let women serve closer to combat.

Trotta said the Defense Department has been wasting taxpayer money on sexual assault counseling for “women who are raped too much.”

A female servicemember who saw Trotta’s commentary on YouTube wrote:

Liz Trotta you have the right to say what you wish because I fight for your freedom of speech. However another soldier/airman/marine does not have the right to rape me just because I am a female and I am doing my job. Your comments disgust me and you are absolutely clueless. Your comments tend to make people think just because I am female and I am in the military I deserve to be raped? Think again!!

I’ve posted the UNEDITED video of Liz Trotta’s commentary below. Please, I’d LOVE to hear what you all think about this:

FILED UNDER: Life in the Military, War, Women in the military, Fox News, Liz Trotta, military rape, rape, sexual assault, Women in Combat
February 15, 2012 | 10:21 AM | By

San Diego Ships Move Through Strait of Hormuz (Video)

U.S. Navy / Flickr

USS Sterett

The USS Cape St. George and the USS Sterett, both San Diego-based ships, accompanied the USS Abraham Lincoln as the aircraft carrier made its way through the international hotbed of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

According to the Associated Press, patrol boats from Iran followed the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group as it traveled through the Strait, which is under the control of both Iran and Oman.

The AP reports:

Although U.S. warships have passed through the strait for decades, the trip comes during an escalating showdown between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. The last time an American carrier left the Gulf — the USS John C. Stennis in late December — Iran’s army chief warned the U.S. it should never return.

ABC reporter Martha Raddatz was on board the USS Sterett as it traveled through the Strait of Hormuz:

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Life in the Military, War, Abraham Lincoln strike group, Iran, John Stennis Strike Group, Oman, Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Navy, USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Cape St. George, USS Sterett
February 14, 2012 | 2:29 PM | By

Romantic Proposal by Twentynine Palms Marine (Video)

Just because it’s Valentine’s Day, I simply have to post this incredibly romantic video about a Twentynine Palms Marine Corporal and his fiancee. Their story is so much more than a cute “how they met” story. And it’s so more than the heart-melting way the Corporal proposed to his girlfriend. For me, the story is about how the couple managed not just to maintain their relationship while the Corporal was deployed in Afghanistan – but how they managed to make it flourish. Take a look at the story of Jessica and Aric:

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Life in the Military, War, 3rd Battalion 4th Marine Regimen, Gymnopédie No.1 by Erik Satie, Jessica and Aric, Marine Corps, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, military proposals, romantic proposals, Twentynine Palms, valentine's day
February 14, 2012 | 1:29 PM | By

Valentine’s Day Party for Military Families TODAY

San Diego Armed Services YMCA

2011 Armed Forces YMCA Valentine's Day Party

Is your husband or wife deployed overseas this Valentine’s Day? Well, if so, the San Diego Armed Services YMCA wants you!

The group is hosting a special party for the families of the deployed at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park this afternoon from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. If you’ve never been to the Reuben H. Fleet, it’s very kid friendly – in fact, there’s an exhibit called “Kid City” just for youngsters 5 and under.

The folks at the Reuben H. Fleet will also provide a free showing of the IMAX movie “RESCUE” – which is appropriate viewing for kids ages seven and older.

Click here for more information on today’s party.

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Life in the Military, San Diego, Spouses & Families, War, Balboa Park, Deployments, IMAX movie RESCUE, Military Children, Military Families, Military Spouses, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego Armed Services YMCA, valentine's day, Valentine's Day party
February 13, 2012 | 3:02 PM | By

Charges Dropped in Camp Pendleton Marine Friendly-Fire Case

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Lance Cpl. Benjamin Schmidt

The military has dropped charges of involuntary manslaughter, negligent homicide, and dereliction of duty against Sgt. Jason Byrd in the friendly-fire death of Lance Cpl. Benjamin Schmidt. The Wall Street Journal reports the senior U.S. commander in southwestern Afghanistan decided against the court marital of Sgt. Byrd.

According to the WSJ:

The Marines dismissed the charges against Sgt. Byrd “without prejudice,” meaning they could be reinstated if new evidence surfaces. The notification letter, received Saturday by the defense team, didn’t give a reason for dropping the criminal charges, which are very unusual in friendly fire cases. It’s unlikely the case would be resurrected.

Lance Cpl. Schmidt, based at Camp Pendleton, was killed October 6, 2011 in Afghanistan. His parents, Dr. David Schmidt and Becky Whetstone, told the San Antonio Express News back in November 2011:

[T]roops who were at the scene have reported (Benjamin) was killed by machine-gun fire from a tank that came up from behind as his infantry platoon was engaged in a firefight on a ridge in Helmand province.

Sgt. Bird had been the tank commander in the incident.

The 24-year-old Lance Cpl. Schmidt grew up in San Antonio, Texas. His father was the team physician for the San Antonio Spurs.

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, Life in the Military, San Diego, Spouses & Families, War, Becky Whetstone, dereliction of duty, Dr. David Schmidt, friendly-fire, involuntary manslaughter, Lance Cpl. Benjamin Schmidt, Maj. Gen. John Toolan, negligent homicide, San Antonio, San Antonio Spurs, Sgt. Jason Byrd
February 13, 2012 | 9:53 AM | By

Whistleblower of SS Marine Photo Speaks Out

Knight's Armament / AP

Camp Pendleton Marines with SS flag

The Iraq War veteran and West Point graduate who first alerted the Marine Corps to the controversial photo of Marine snipers posing with a Nazi symbol flag is speaking out for the first time.

Waitman Beorn is a now a history professor in New Orleans. He also teaches at the National Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. He spoke with Mother Jones in an exclusive interview about why he felt the need to report the flag photo to the Marine Corps’ inspector general.

According to Beorn, there are two key points about the whole incident that the media has missed:

  1. This was not an isolated incident.
  2. The military, upon learning about the incident, acted swiftly and strongly.

Beorn told Mother Jones:

“I was surprised by the speed with which they (the Marine Corps) acted and the seriousness with which they appeared to take it.”

To read the entire interview with Beorn, click here.

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, Iraq, Life in the Military, San Diego, Veterans, War, Helmand Province, Iraq War, Knight's Armament, Marine Corps, Marines posing with SS flag, Mother Jones, National Holocaust Memorial Museum, National Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., Sangin, scout snipers, Waitman Beorn, West Point
February 10, 2012 | 9:21 AM | By

Pendleton Marines in “SS” Photo to Face No Punishment (Video)

Knight's Armament / AP

Camp Pendleton Marines with SS flag

UPDATE: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has ordered the Marine Corps to open an investigation into the incident.

The Camp Pendleton Marines who posed with a flag in 2010 displaying the Nazi “SS” symbol will not be punished. Camp Pendleton spokeswoman Maj. Gabrielle Chapin told the Associated Press the Marines from Charlie Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion were under the mistaken impression that the “SS” symbol on the flag meant “sniper scouts.”

In fact, the SS (which stands for Schutzstaffel) was an elite corps of the Nazi party that carried out mass executions of Jews, Gypsies, Polish leaders, and Russian prisoners of war.

Jewish groups are far from pleased by the Marine Corps’ decision not to punish the men in the photo. Simon Wiesenthal Center founder Rabbi Marvin Hier said in a statement:

“That 70 years after the United States Armed Forces helped liberate Europe from Nazi Germany, to learn that a unit of the United States Marine Corps serving in Afghanistan adopted the SS insignia alongside the Stars and Stripes, desecrates the memory of some 200,000 Americans who gave up their lives to defend freedom against that infamous symbol.”

Hier is calling on Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and President Barack Obama to further investigate the incident.

The photo was taken in the dangerous Helmand province of Afghanistan back in September 2010, but only recently appeared on the website of the weapons company Knight’s Armament.

With more, here’s the television unit of the Associated Press:

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, Life in the Military, San Diego, War, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, Adolf Hitler, Charlie Company 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, Gypsies, Holocaust, Jews, Knight's Armament, Marine Corps, Nazis, Rabbi Marvin Hier, Sangin, Schutzstaffel, Scout Sniper, Simon Wiesenthal Center
February 9, 2012 | 2:03 PM | By

Pentagon to Let Women Serve Closer to Front Lines (Video)

military.com

Women in combat

The Department of Defense today announced new rules that will allow women in the United States military to serve closer to the front lines of combat. The new Pentagon rules will open an additional 14,325 military positions to female servicemembers.

The Armed Forces Press Service reports the changes announced today in essence strike down a 1994 policy that banned female servicemembers from working in positions near combat units – positions like tank mechanics and field artillery radar operators.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said today:

“Women are contributing in unprecedented ways to the military’s mission. Through their courage, sacrifice, patriotism and great skill, women have proven their ability to serve in an expanding number of roles on and off the battlefield.”

The Pentagon’s new policy doesn’t officially allow women in combat, a point many military watchers say is simply semantics. CBS News put together this fantastic report on women who already serve in unofficial combat roles:

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Iraq, Life in the Military, War, Women in the military, armor units, battalions, Department of Defense, infantry, Marine Corps, Pentagon, special operations units, U.S. Army, Women in Combat
February 8, 2012 | 1:28 PM | By

Four-Legged Robot Carries 400 Lbs of Squad Gear (Video)

DARPA

LS3 robot walks down a hill

Imagine carrying at least 100 pounds on your back as part of your job. That kind of burden is a fact of life for dismounted warfighters, according to Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). That’s why DARPA has worked so hard to come up with a way to “take the load off” for our troops.

Armed with Science reports:

Reducing the load on dismounted warfighters has become a major point of emphasis for defense research and development, because the increasing weight of individual equipment has a negative impact on warfighter readiness.

So to help lighten the load, DARPA has a project in the works that looks something like a Star Wars robot. It’s called the Legged Squad Support System (LS3), and the folks at DARPA hope it will become a robotic pack mule of sorts for Marines and Soldiers – with the capability of carrying 400 pounds of squad gear.

Here’s video of the LS3 robot in action, courtesy of DARPA:

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Life in the Military, War, Armed with Science, DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), dismounted warfighters, Legged Squad Support System, LS3, Marine Corps, robots, Star Wars, U.S. Army
February 8, 2012 | 12:13 PM | By

What’s It Like To Go Shopping On The USS Vinson? (Video)

The crew of the USS Carl Vinson has posted the latest webisode in the “Vinson 101” series. Today’s installment answers “Hey Carl” emailer Anna Penner’s question:

“What kinds of things are available to the sailors in the ship store? Is it kinda like Wal-mart where there’s a little bit of everything?”

(“Hey Carl” is an email address created exclusively for family and friends of the Vinson crew with questions about how things run on board.)

OK, here’s the answer to Anna’s question!

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Life in the Military, San Diego, Spouses & Families, USS Carl Vinson, War, Anna Penner, Bluejacket of the Year 2011, Hey Carl, Navy cash card, SA3 Teca Sneed, Social Media, Vinson 101, webisodes