Showing 88 posts tagged dismounted
Explosives are indiscriminate.
SANGIN, Afghanistan (Sept. 8, 2011) U.S. Marines from 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 8, carry an injured bomb-tracking dog to an awaiting helicopter at Forward Operating Base Jackson. The Marines and Afghan Uniformed Policeman were struck by a suicide bomber using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device while on a patrol. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Logan W. Pierce/Released)
The look on the dogs face….He’s a brother.
That one Marine looks pissed. I would be too.
I’d be so distraught if I was a K9 handler and my pup got hurt.
I can’t even imagine how sad/angry I’d get.
(via taco-man-andre)
High-res
SOLDIER STORIES: Corporal Cluver in the aftermath
Two weeks ago, Kevin Hanrahan’s blog had a story about Corporal David Cluver and his MWD Archie (pictured above), who saved the lives of the Marines on patrol. This week, Hanrahan has the rest of Lawrence Dabney’s story about Cluver and the Marines.
The kennels at Camp Hanson, the Marine headquarters for Marjeh district, have been named in Archie’s honor.
They currently house four of the thirteen dogs attached to 3/6 Marines and their two extra companies. The other nine reside with their handlers’ units at other bases across the district. Staff Sergeant Ricky Allen supervises the dogs and their handlers, all of whom underwent weeks of specialized training to establish a bond between the Marine and their personal dog.
Army Sergeant David J. Chambers. 16 JAN 2013.
Died in Panjwai District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when during an encounter with an enemy improvised explosive device while on dismounted patrol. Chambers was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, under control of the 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Army Sergeant Enrique Mondragon. 24 DEC 2012.
Died in Baraki Barak, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained when his unit was attacked by small arms fire while on dismounted patrol. Mondragon was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 173rd Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Bamberg, Germany.
![Curator’s Choice: December 2011.
soldierporn:
Where the streets have no name.
2/4 Marines and their detection K9 hold security in an isolated village in the Nowzad District of Afghanistan that has never seen coalition forces. The Marines were engaged in several firefights with insurgent forces during their movement through the area as part of Operation Western Gambit.
(Photo by Corporal Clayton Vonderahe, 27 November 2011.)
[And because there’s some confusion:
The italicized heading is a reference to the title of a song that was performed by U2, written primarily about Northern Ireland and Belfast, “where you can tell someone’s religion, political group, and income just by the name of their street.”
Have a video. -R]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwghmpjT2j1qlmscao1_500.jpg)
High-res
Curator’s Choice: December 2011.
Where the streets have no name.
2/4 Marines and their detection K9 hold security in an isolated village in the Nowzad District of Afghanistan that has never seen coalition forces. The Marines were engaged in several firefights with insurgent forces during their movement through the area as part of Operation Western Gambit.
(Photo by Corporal Clayton Vonderahe, 27 November 2011.)
[And because there’s some confusion:
The italicized heading is a reference to the title of a song that was performed by U2, written primarily about Northern Ireland and Belfast, “where you can tell someone’s religion, political group, and income just by the name of their street.”
Have a video. -R]
Army Sergeant Donna R. Johnson. 1 OCT 2012.
Died in Khost, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when an insurgent detonated a suicide vest during a dismounted patrol. Johnson was assigned to the 514th Military Police Company, 60th Troop Command, Winterville, N.C.
Army Sergeant Jeremy F. Hardison. 1 OCT 2012.
Died in Khost, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when an insurgent detonated a suicide vest during a dismounted patrol. Hardison was assigned to the 514th Military Police Company, 60th Troop Command, Winterville, N.C.
Army Sergeant Thomas J. Butler IV. 1 OCT 2012.
Died in Khost, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when an insurgent detonated a suicide vest during a dismounted patrol. Butler was assigned to the 514th Military Police Company, 60th Troop Command, Winterville, N.C.
High-res
Special Forces Soldiers from the 3rd Special Forces Group patrol a field in the Gulistan district of Farah, Afghanistan with Afghan National Army commandos from the 207th Kandak, April 12.Photo Credit: Spc. Joseph A. Wilson
(via fuckyeahusarmedforces)
“Man, no one gives a shit about what we did yesterday.”
Open Letter to CNN from a CCAT Team in AfghanistanFebruary 20, 2012
Dear Mr. Anderson Cooper and CNN (or other reputable news agency),
Although I am sure that you receive thousands of communication attempts per day, I remain hopeful that this letter will cross your desk, or that of an appropriate staff member. My name is Adam Tibble, and I am currently deployed at Camp Bastion, in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. I am a critical care air transport physician for the US Air Force. My team includes a critical care nurse, Captain Frank Brisendine, and a respiratory therapist, Staff Sergeant Robby Wilson. Together we transport our severely injured soldiers within Afghanistan and onto medical facilities in Germany. The work represents a difficult paradox for us. It is incredibly rewarding and heartbreaking at the same time. The injury patterns inflicted by enemy fire and IEDs (improvised explosive devices) are awe-strikingly severe, and serve to stir emotions rarely experienced by medical personnel.
Just the other day, we flew two critically ill patients to another US hospital within Afghanistan. Following the mission, my team sat, exhausted, eating lunch at an American dining facility. CNN played passively on a television in the background, and a large group of US Marines was positioned on our right. Given the condition of their boots and their aggressive chewing, it was obvious that these guys had just returned from the field “outside the wire.” For 50 straight minutes, CNN’s coverage failed to deviate from the day-old Whitney Houston tragedy. I lifted my eyes up from my food as a handful of Marines were clearing their trays. One Marine leaned back to his buddy after gesturing to the TV and said, “Man, no one gives a shit about what we did yesterday.”
At that moment, I craved for the American public to be informed as much about a Marine’s sacrifice as the life of a music legend. In no way is this letter an indictment of CNN, its coverage, or Ms. Houston. In fact, we scour your website, as it is one of the most respected sources of journalism in the world. Rather, this is a challenge to devote a percentage more coverage to the true heroes in this conflict.
For example, our team had the honor of transporting a special forces medic who suffered incredible injury. As pragmatic medical minds, we didn’t necessarily believe in a patient “fighting” for their life. But, this medic changed all of that as he tolerated replacement of his blood volume too many times to count. He made it to Germany to see his family before succumbing to his wounds. He represents a real-life “Saving Private Ryan” story as his brother also lost his life in this nearly forgotten conflict.
Or what about the two US Army PFCs (Private First Class) that we flew on the day of Ms. Houston’s overdose? Each soldier lost two legs and one hand in IED attacks. In total, six limbs were lost in a matter of seconds on February 11, 2012. The American public will never know their names, but will likely know the results of Ms. Houston’s blood toxicity screen. However, we submit that these soldiers are more hero than any rockstar, athlete, or actor that dominates the headlines. We will never know the courage or bravery it takes to join that convoy or be the first to enter that cave, nor will we forget the sacrifice they made for our country. CNN is in the unique position to not let the American public forget, either.
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the 1% and the 99% of America. Less than 1% of the population belongs to this all-volunteer military that has been tested by two wars for over 10 years. The political and foreign policy implications of these conflicts make them hard to understand, and even more impossible to hold the general American public interest. And to be honest, it is sometimes difficult for us to understand as service members. However, these kids still join that convoy and enter that cave, only because of their incredible bravery, commitment, and because America asked them to.
Therefore, in turn, we plead with one of the most respected news agencies in the world to return the favor—to recognize the elite of our 1%, perhaps with a hero highlighted per week, or per day. There are thousands of stories out here. We would be happy to help you find these heroes and stories. Please ask. Then, maybe, CNN can tell that Marine in the dining hall that we all, in fact, do give a shit about what they did yesterday.
Sincerely,
Adam Tibble, Captain, USAF, MD
Critical Care Air Transport Physician
Cardiac Anesthesiologist
Travis AFB, Fairfield, CA
Frank Brisendine, Captain, USAF, RN
Critical Care Air Transport RN
Travis AFB, Fairfield, CA
Robert Wilson, Staff Sergeant, USAF, RRT
Critical Care Air Transport RT
Travis AFB, Fairfield, CA
(Facebook, via Soldier’s Angels.)
[Reblog the piss out of this bitch, people. Show you give a shit. -R]
