Happened upon this gem. Funny stuff!

They Came in Peace.

It happened on this day, 29 years ago.

At 0620, a truck loaded with 12,000 lbs of TNT smashed through fences and a gate outside the US Marine barracks at the Beirut Airport. The truck bomb detonated at the BLT headquarters, literally lifting the entire building from its foundations. As the building settled back into the cavity where the concrete support pillars once were, it collapsed, killing scores of Marines, sailors and soldiers almost instantly. Entire platoons wiped out while they were resting in the relative comfort of the BLT HQ. Officers and enlisted alike, killed, as they went about their daily duties. In all, 241, dead, many more injured.

The last survivor was pulled from the rubble, 52 hours later.


Rest in peace, gentlemen.

Iceman out.

Operation Red WIngs

Today, we remember the valor and sacrifice of those brave Navy SEALs and Army aviators who lost their lives during Operation Red Wings, in 2005, Afghanistan. The night of the 27th of June, 4 Navy SEALs were inserted via Night Stalker helos between Sawtalo Sar and Gatigal Sar. Soon after, the mission was compromised when a group of locals inadvertently stumbled upon the SEALs' position. After determining that the locals were civilians and not combatants, the goatherders were allowed to live and the SEALs moved onward to their primary surveillance position. After close to an hour, the operators were surrounded and ambushed by their original target (Ahmad Shah) and a large group of his men. As the fire increased in volume and intensity, the operators were forced to continually fall back. Eventually, every single one of the men had been either shot, or injured terribly, but they still kept fighting on. Danny Dietz was shot multiple times in the torso area and once in the neck, Matt Axelson was also wounded similarly, but took a round to the side of his head as well, Marcus Luttrell had broken a number of bones and Mike Murphy had taken a bullet to the stomach. Nevertheless, they fought back with the ferocity expected of these elite warriors.

Outgunned and surrounded, with one operator succumbing to his injuries, Lt. Murphy made a heroic decision to use his last-resort Iridium sat-phone to attempt to place a call to base, alerting the QRF. He moved onto higher ground, so as to get a signal for the phone and exposed himself to enemy fire from all sides. He was able to get through to his CO and quickly explain the situation, then sign off. During all of this, Murphy was shot a few more times, but finally managed to drag himself back to a covered position. He was later surrounded and brutally executed by Taliban fighters in the area, and the remaining two members of the reconnaissance team, Luttrell and Axelson, both seriously wounded were hit by an RPG. Luttrell was flung out of the covered spot where he and Axe were pinned down, and tossed into a gully. He later extracted himself and was eventually recovered by locals, tortured by the Taliban, then rescued. Axe's fate was unknown till after the operation ended and recovery efforts were fully underway. Luttrell had notified the recovery team that Axe had around 3 full magazines remaining when they were separated by the RPG blast, but when the team found him, he had a single magazine left and his body was a few hundred yards away from where the RPG hit, indicating that the man continued to fight back, even after all his injuries.

Sadly, the loss of life wasn't limited to these 3 brave SEALs of the SRT. The QRF lead by LCDR Erik Kristensen, flown by Army Night Stalkers was shot down, all hands lost, when an RPG hit their Chinook.

• LT Michael P. Murphy
• STG2 (SEAL) Matthew Axelson
• GM2 (SEAL) Danny Dietz
• FCC (SEAL/SW) Jacques J. Fontan
• ITCS (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy
• LCDR Erik S. Kristensen
• ET1 (SEAL) Jeffery A. Lucas
• LT Michael M. McGreevy Jr.
• QM2 (SEAL) James E. Suh
• HM1 (SEAL) Jeffrey S. Taylor
• MM2 (SEAL) Shane E. Patton
• SSG Shamus O. Goare
• CWO3 Corey J. Goodnature
• SGT Kip A. Jacoby
• SFC Marcus V. Muralles
• MSG James W. Ponder III
• MAJ Stephen C. Reich
• SFC Michael L. Russell
• CWO4 Chris J. Scherkenbach

Gentlemen, your sacrifice will live on forever. 

Thank you. 

Iceman out. 

The Forgotten War

On a dreary Sunday at 0430 hours, 1950, the Korean War began when Northern troops began firing on ROK posts after crossing the 38th parallel. 3 years later, a stalemate had been reached and the war was put into what was effectively a limbo that lasts to this day. The world saw a massive peace-keeping operation, called a police-action by some political figures, run by the fledgling United Nations, and arguably, one of the first major engagements of the Cold War. The war in the air was fought between a mix of jet aircraft and high-powered propeller jobs. Amazing acts of heroism and valor were prevalent in the cold, desolate climate. 

Never forget. 

Iceman out.

D-Day

Utah-Omaha-Gold-Juno-Sword

On this day, 68 years ago, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in an assault of epic proportions, effectively tearing a gaping hole in Nazi German defenses and beginning the final push to the end of the war in Europe.

Remember those brave souls who gave their lives for a free world.

Iceman out.

Memorial Day 2012

"But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

-Abraham Lincoln (16th President of The United States of America). 

What do we think of when Memorial Day Weekend comes to mind? Family and friends over for a barbecue for sure, right? Fireworks, a parade, the Indy 500 and television marathons?

Sadly, for a very large number of Americans, that would be their definition of the day. Memorial Day is when we come together to remember those who've paid the ultimate sacrifice in support of their country, throughout the years.

From the Revolutionary War to the current conflict in Afghanistan, so many Americans have given their lives in the name of freedom, liberty and justice, and in defense of the United States against those who seek to tear it apart.

God bless those who've passed in service of the United States. As Abraham Lincoln put it so well, it is up to us to ensure that these brave men and women did not die in vain, and to preserve their memory for future generations.

Let us never forget.

For God and country—Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo.

A year ago, on the 2nd of May, just after 0100 hrs in the morning, two teams of Navy SEALs from the elite and secretive US Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) were inserted by US Army Night Stalkers into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Within that compound, was the world's most wanted man, his thugs and some of his family. Within minutes, the operators covered ground, methodically engaged and took out the armed hostiles and entered the private room of the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. The SEAL who pumped the rounds into the man's chest and head with his suppressed H&K 416 immediately radioed in, "For God and country- Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo" then confirmed "Geronimo E.K.I.A".

Within 38 minutes, Osama bin Laden was dead, and those who he brutally murdered in his attacks on the innocent were avenged.

38 minutes. Months of planning, and within a half hour, the operation was over and the teams were extracted.

Multiple units were involved, including Air Force CSAR helos and personnel, Army SOAR Chinooks loaded with SEALs and refueling bladders for the other helos involved in the raid, fighter jets and drones providing cover and aerial surveillance and a QRF (Quick Reaction Force) consisting of Army Rangers. All, loaded for bear, with the intent to take out the man who had cause the world so much grief.

Death Waits in the Dark

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, better known as the Night Stalkers is home to the world's best helo pilots. Originally formed as an aviation-support element to US special operations forces after the 1980 failed attempt to rescue American hostages in Tehran, the Night Stalkers have the most professional and accomplished pilots in the Army, flying their Blackhawks, Little Birds, Chinooks, etc. From their activation in 1981, the 160th SOAR (A) has taken part in operations around the globe, including Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, Operation Just Cause in Panama, Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and Operation Gothic Serpent where they were brought into the spotlight after two of their Blackhawks were shot down by Somali militiamen with multiple rocket propelled grenades. Recently, Night Stalkers provided aerial insertion and cover for the raid on bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, in 2011.

A good deal of what they do is kept from public knowledge, as they are part of the special operations community. Recruiting standards for pilots and crewmen are extremely stringent, and the training is very intense. Officers (pilots) go through a 20-28 week course after being selected. Further testing is required before a Night Stalker can be designated Fully Mission Qualified. Their nickname tells you a little about what they're all about. The Nigh Stalkers use the advantage of the dark. The night is their cover, and allows them to insert special operations forces covertly, quickly and then egress the area without the opposing forces even knowing what went down. They are the best, brightest and craziest helo pilots the world has ever seen; their motto: Night Stalkers Don't Quit.

You can learn a little more about the 160th SOAR (A) and their exploits from one of their former pilots, CWO4 Michael Durant, US Army (Ret), who was piloting Super Six Four on October 3rd in Mogadishu, when an RPG rigged for air-burst, took out his tail rotor. The subsequent crash, the insertion of two brave Delta Force snipers Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon (who gave their lives to protect Durant and the mortally-wounded crew against a force of hundreds of militia; they were later awarded the Medal of Honor for their awe-inspiring courageousness and willingness to die for their brother soldier), and the capture of Durant by the Somali militia, is detailed in his book, In the Company of Heroes. It's a personal favorite of mine, and it's highly recommended!

BUY YOUR COPY HERE!

Iceman's Answers: Is special ops for me?

I see this question popping up a lot. I guess, these days, even more often, because of the release of Act of Valor. Everyone wants in on the action, and that's understandable. These guys do some of the most amazing jobs in the world, they get the best training, get use highly advanced equipment, etc. They look awesome, rising from the water with their rifles, or doing HALO or HAHO jumps out the back of C-130s, etc. But, what most don't realize, is that it is a thankless, hard job, that keeps you away from your family for months at a time, and it's extremely dangerous. You don't know that the next operation you go on will be your last, or if you'll ever get to come home to your family.

You have to figure out if you're mentally capable. Physically, the only thing hindering you, will be injuries you've sustained earlier on. Whether they're from sports, or accidents around the house, any injury can hold you back if you go through enough physical activity (a core part of training). Fractures, sprains, weakened joints, muscles, etc, get worsened, easily. Mentally, it's all up to you. Can you handle what your instructors will throw at you? Can you take the torment that comes down on you during the testing phases (e.g. Hell Week during BUD/S)?
You also have to realize this also affects your personal life immensely. You'll be away from your family for extended periods of time, you'll have to drop what you're doing and leave on short notice, all the while, your family (i.e. wife, kids, parents) won't be aware of your whereabouts. You might miss the birth of your kids, or be unable to attend family events, birthdays, etc. That's also something you have to consider.

Check out Military.com and SOFREP. Those are two websites that'll give you a ton of wisdom from ex Special Forces, SEALs, MARSOC, etc. They are invaluable resources!