SGT Monobrow, one of the Brits (who shall be referred to with their Arabic names, in this case, Nora) and I headed on out this past weekend, blissfully unaware of the specifics of a top news story. We were headed... for Savannah. I lost count of how many times we were asked, "So, are you here for G8?" the past two weekends. Only once did it make sense in context; a waitress asked, "Are you here for G8, or in spite of it?" There is a bit of ill feelings from locals over the whole thing, as...

Link The BDUs are going out, and the ACUs (Army Combat Uniform) is incoming. Head nod to Smash Link , and thanks for the birthday greetings. Personally... I don't really like it, although that may be the whole resistance-to-change feelings. I didn't (and still don't, to an extent) like the "new" PT gear, either. Addressing some of the comments already made on Smash's blog, however, and some of my own observations: I don't think the velcro and zippers will hold up as well as ...

In the 19JULY04 issue of the Army Times, page 16, there is an article entitled "IRR troops' experience counts, vice chief says." This article sums up (with a positive slant) the potential call up of 5, 674 Individual Ready Reserve members and the alternatives available to the Army command. Basically, higher felt that calling up individuals in this way would be less of an impact than activating multiple Reserve units to cobble together an Active unit's equivalent strength. "Letters warning ...

First, the article: Link Now... Let me just say that this situation is pretty ghoddamned stupid. "[T]he Army says Parrish never formally resigned his commission as a lieutenant, making him eligible for involuntary recall to duty. Parrish says he did not know he had to resign." "But officer, I didn't know I had to register that gun." "But I didn't know I had to carry my auto insurance card on me." "According to Waple, the papers Parrish signed in 1992, when he accepted an ROTC ...

From AlJazeera Link : Jordan has pledged to send troops to Iraq if the interim Iraqi government makes a request. I recall comments to articles on this site that would regard Arab and Islamic countries involvement in the policing of Iraq as somewhat "more appropriate" than American or Nato involvement. I wonder if this would satisfy them. Personally, I'm a bit enamored of the King (It's Good To Be Him), so I suppose I'm biased. (I wonder how much of this was due to my Lead Arabic Instru...

From the Army Times, 31MAY04, page 5: Army Admits Re-Up Orders Were False Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said he is pleased with the response he received from the Army on May 20 regarding the re-enlistment of Army veterans under false orders. The Army agreed to revoke the orders of any individual who believes he signed up under false pretenses, according [sic] a release from DeFazio's office. DeFazio said in early May that members of the Individual Ready Reserve were told they ha...

It seems there are some issues cropping up during the call-up of the Individual Ready Reserves to Active Duty. While the vast majority of these personnel showed up to do their duty, some were unable, or unwilling, to show when told. As the article below details, many of these people are trying to get out of it, either through legal means (which I have no major problem with, as I think many of these requests will be turned down and mostly the truly deserving will get a deferral) or illegal (...

with me, anyway. I hope that the "liberal media" is a myth. I hope they are just trying to do their job, and not color their stories. But I know they do. Even just a little, sometimes, but it's hard to keep your editorializing out of your reporting (two great tastes that taste great together... not). I hope that the media coverage of the recent hostage situation(s) in Iraq has simply had the intent to inform. I hope that it was not aimed at making the war more real for the American pu...

Link With no cited explanation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has postponed its elections for nearly meaningless local positions. Yet again. If they are so interested in political reform, why put this off? Is it indeed because the religious observations would distract from this event? Or the other way around?

Link The BBC has put up a compilation article similar to the one from CNN ( Link ed in another article of mine Link ). Some of these "denouncements" are, well... "One Saudi paper suggests that the perpetrators might have won over converts to their cause had they attacked a military target, rather than a school full of children." At least they're against kid-killing, right? This one starts well: "Iranian President Mohammad Khatami expressed his outrage at the terrorists' inhumane...

I've hated reading some of greywar's articles for awhile now: the Religion of Peace series. It's because he's damned persuasive. It's a dark, dark world, and it's easy to think bad things about a lot of people. I'm the resident Arabologist (and part-time Arabiaphile) of our little group, so I don't like to think bad things about my subject matter, as it were... Link This article, however, is just the type of article that I need to push back the darkness, and convince myself that ther...

Link Have I been out of the loop? When did this story break? Link I guess it was just now, but still... Link Yeah, two hours ago. So, this is bad for us. If it's true, then Chalabi and nephew are on the outs. Chalabi is still seen as tied to us, and what does that do to the tribunal for Saddam that the nephew is the head of? If it's false, then is it actually personally and politically motivated as Chalabi claims. That would mean no headway gained with the new g...

First brought to my attention by the Fort Hood Herald, 14JUL04 edition, I was readily able to find this story online, as it is an AP story. Here's CNN's take on it: Link Wanted: An accordionist to join the U.S. Air Force QUINCY, Massachusetts (AP) -- There's a great job out there awaiting an accordion player. The catch: Six weeks in boot camp. The Air Force has been looking to replace the accordion player of its band's Strolling Strings music ensemble since the musician retired ...

Go to this Link . It's a good read... my favorite part was: In the afternoon, protesters standing outside al-Hariri's palace were heard chanting: "There is no God but Allah and Syria is the enemy of Allah." Then, cars with young men honking horns, holding al-Hariri's pictures and waving black flags poured into the streets until there was such a traffic jam that cars could not move. Whether directly or indirectly responsible, Syria done messed up, folks.