60http://crocushill.orgMon, 13 Feb 2012 00:23:46 GMTMon, 13 Feb 2012 00:23:46 GMTen mark@crocushill.orgnohttp://crocushill.org/2010/11/22/theres-this-plane.aspx?ref=rssMark ZSo there’s this airplane. It’s headed for a mountainside and has been on that course for some time. There are two clowns in the cockpit. Each thinks he knows how to fly the plane better so they take turns elbowing each other away from the controls. They’re vaguely aware of the impending disaster but disagree about what to do. Clown A thinks they should increase their airspeed. Clown B is sure they need to decrease their airspeed. They agree on one thing; changing course would upset the passengers and may threaten their position as pilot-clowns, so they determine to never change course. While Clown A is piloting the plane, Clown B makes frequent announcements about what a lousy job Clown A is doing and promises the flight would be far more enjoyable if Clown B were flying. Clown A does the same thing when Clown B is flying. There are ...Politicshttp://crocushill.org/2010/11/22/theres-this-plane.aspx#Commentsa2681011-4be4-4476-9a49-53d7568eb1d4Mon, 22 Nov 2010 06:36:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2008/09/10/call-me-thor.aspx?ref=rssMark ZNorwegians, unlike Americans, have their first names, not their surnames, on their uniforms. A few European nations follow this practice. I was curious about it so I asked a few fine Norwegian soldiers I met recently. Apparently is it to protect them. Not from the enemy here, but from anti-war radicals back home. There were several recent cases in which soldiers serving in Afghanistan were featured on film during news broadcasts and shortly thereafter had their families threatened by nut-jobs. Some service members had to return home and move their families to avoid harassment. Or worse. Their families were easier to find when the last names were shown on the uniforms in the video. So now they go by their first names.It made me realize that as active, and sometimes rabid, as the anti-war crowd is in the US, I haven't ...Culturehttp://crocushill.org/2008/09/10/call-me-thor.aspx#Comments177a849e-e51a-4352-a73f-c88f006b8a75Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:21:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2008/08/28/information-operations.aspx?ref=rssMark ZIn the old days we called it "psyops", or psychological operations. Actually that discipline is still around but modern warfare calls for friendlier names so we refer to Information Operations, or InfoOps, or simply, IO, when we're talking about efforts to win the hearts and minds of the local population. Generally, the bad guys beat us every time at this game. For some reason there is a natural inclination to believe everything the Taliban says and disregard everything the Coalition Forces (CF) say. Here's an example.In some parts of the country children will bring unexploded ordnance (UXOs) to CF in the hopes they will get a reward. They find grenades or un-detonated rocket propelled grenade (RPG) rounds in the fields and then when a convoy approaches they run toward it to exchange what they've found for food or candy or money. This is not ...WARhttp://crocushill.org/2008/08/28/information-operations.aspx#Commentsd7ad3442-98bf-44f5-af6d-9c1b612b1767Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:34:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2008/07/29/its-all-down-hill.aspx?ref=rssMark ZI've been away from home for over nine months. Violet turned a year old just the other day. She's about ready to start walking. She started crawling on July 4th, the day after I returned to theater from leave. We developed a game while I was home where she would say "Da," and I would say it back to her, matching her tone and volume. Sometimes she would whisper it and other times she'd yell it out. Hannah wasn't so thrilled about the yelling. Violet is so charming. She's generally very happy, loves to eat and is completely boy crazy. A total extrovert, she enjoys being passed from person to person, preferrably male to male. She appears to have a special penchant for tall, dark haired men. How cliche. Regardless, she did seem to take to me at ...Generalhttp://crocushill.org/2008/07/29/its-all-down-hill.aspx#Comments465ad070-3eb4-45bf-b038-8fcd9ce0bad5Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:53:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2008/05/19/finally.aspx?ref=rssMark ZIt seems the internet in my room is finally strong enough to load my blog page! I'm so sorry I haven't been able to write at all. The only other internet I have access to is at work and all blog pages are blocked per policy. So hopefully this is the beginning of what will be some regular entries. Almost seven months have gone by since I left home. After about five I felt like it had been long enough and that I was ready to come home. The work is very rewarding but the cost is very high; not just for me, but for my wife as well. My daughter probably is unaware of what she's missing but that doesn't mean she isn't worse off for it. One thing my wife has noticed is that our daughter is awfully fond of ...Generalhttp://crocushill.org/2008/05/19/finally.aspx#Comments74efc306-b262-4486-b43b-f4ea11b8706bMon, 19 May 2008 19:06:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/12/14/letters.aspx?ref=rssMark ZI've been wondering why it is that I get choked up when I read all of the letters we have posted all over camp from kids in the states. Adults write us letters too, but the kid's ones get to me. They aren't very wordy and don't say anything profound. Mostly they tell us thank you; for keeping them safe, for trying to help poor and frightened people, for defending our country. But they also say come home without a scratch, be safe, try to stay warm, and that they hope we have a merry Christmas. It makes me remember why I'm here. A friend I have made here put it better than I have ever been able to.I asked him once why he joined. He said it was after the London train bombing that he made up his mind. He ...Nonehttp://crocushill.org/2007/12/14/letters.aspx#Comments8c6ed54b-6e93-471f-8f38-37467f9efbe3Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:35:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/12/08/in-country.aspx?ref=rssMark ZI'm here. It was a pretty crazy trip too. We got to fly from our last training location to a nearby base in a C-17 Globemaster. That's the workhorse freight hauling plane for the Air Force. We all sat in jumpseats along the sides of the aircraft and in the middle were two brand-new, desert bound, two and a half ton trucks. After the captain turned off the seatbelt sign half the passengers pulled out sleeping mats or bags and napped around and underneath the trucks. Other than being ungodly noisy (earplugs were mandatory) most of us agreed it was one of the most comfortable flights we've been on. There was so much room it was like flying in a noisy, truck filled gymnasium. And who wouldn't like that?Going from the base to my present location was even more fun. We ...Nonehttp://crocushill.org/2007/12/08/in-country.aspx#Commentsb8cb0733-b643-4411-98d8-15fd21f91239Sat, 08 Dec 2007 05:23:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/22/phase-3.aspx?ref=rssMark ZSoon I will be leaving for the next phase of training. What we did here at Camp McCrady was great. We had an exercise toward the end that was a culmination of all of our training; medical, communications, combat, maneuvers, IEDs, etc. It was a lot of fun. Anyway, thanks for reading for the last few weeks. I appreciate the comments and the e-mails from everybody. For the next two weeks though I will be incommunicado with no access to internet or phone. In fact, for part of it we won't have shower facilities. It's going to be pretty rugged from what we understand. I'll write again as soon as I get a chance. By then I'll no longer be in the States. Have a good next few weeks. ...WARhttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/22/phase-3.aspx#Commentsc29783a9-1fd3-46ec-a5f6-a0cfcbd632daFri, 23 Nov 2007 03:36:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/20/celebrity-ii.aspx?ref=rssMark ZWe're wrapping up our training at Camp McCrady so today we had a little ceremony during which the Drill Sargeants passed out awards to some students who showed leadership skills and maintained a good attitude, demonstrated particular aptitude and the like. One person in each platoon got one. First Platoon's award recipient was a hard charging Lieutenant who consistently boosted the morale of his group with his fiery attitude, terrific motivational skills, etc. Imagine my surprise when the 2nd Platoon leadership award winner ends up being me. I've been flying under the radar pretty much, an intentional strategy designed to avoid getting chewed out and volunteered for unsavory assignments. I'm not sure half of my platoon knows I've been with them these last few weeks.Here's the punchline. Based on the brief speech Drill Sargeant McGill gave about who he was giving the award to ...http://crocushill.org/2007/11/20/celebrity-ii.aspx#Commentsd738a7d1-e687-4776-8f48-0e9639e3849aWed, 21 Nov 2007 04:30:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/17/born-to-kill.aspx?ref=rssMark ZI read a book years ago titled "On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society" by Lt. Col. David Grossman and found it a fascinating study. He explained how and why, during the Vietnam War, our soldiers, individually, were capable of killing far more enemy than Americans had in any conflict prior. According to the author it was due to the successful breaking down of the powerful psychological barrier most humans have to taking another human's life. There are exceptional humans who have no little or no barrier; we call them psychopaths or sociopaths. I've seen now, first hand, how this is done, although to a much lesser extent than do soldiers and Marines who go through full combat training.I mentioned in my last entry that the better shooters are called killers. And the Drill Instructors are smiling at us ...WARhttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/17/born-to-kill.aspx#Comments2afd48a1-9b22-499c-bedc-def4928e3950Sun, 18 Nov 2007 04:33:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/16/celebrity.aspx?ref=rssMark ZI had an experience recently that demonstrated the fleeting nature of celebrity. We spent the day at the rifle range on Thursday going through a practice qualification shooting exercise. It consisted of engaging targets placed from 50 to 300 meters out that would pop up for 3 to 6 seconds before falling. If we hit them they would drop sooner. Sometimes two targets would appear at the same time and we would need to drop the closer and then the farther one. Makes sense, doesn't it? A bad guy at 300 meters isn't generally as much of a threat as a bad guy at 150 meters. And if we didn't hit the closer target with our first shot we were instructed to fire at it again. The thinking being that if we can't drop the closer target what makes us think we ...Nonehttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/16/celebrity.aspx#Commentsbf4d3814-b908-4e9d-af9d-2c5bc656c468Sat, 17 Nov 2007 03:00:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/14/no-thank-you.aspx?ref=rssMark ZSorry I haven't written for a while. Our internet connection has been so slow that it's been barely worth trying to log on. It's a weird, new aspect of going to war these days; guys download and watch movies, have video chats with their kids, wives or girlfriends and play online games. The upside is a better connection to loved ones. The downside is that rather than connecting with each other we're often wrapped up in some form of amusement. We still talk at meals and between training evolutions, which is good. I'm just anti-amusement. The word itself is a clue as to why. "Muse" means to think, or to reflect on. The prefix "A-" means "without" as in "amoral". So being anti-amusement makes me pro-thinking.That's all an aside. Last Sunday my sister, brother-in-law, two nieces, one nephew and ...Nonehttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/14/no-thank-you.aspx#Comments09e2b8af-a534-4055-8a66-7eb4c6af2db1Thu, 15 Nov 2007 03:15:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/07/early-christmas.aspx?ref=rssMark ZI got my weapon yesterday. And about 150lbs of other stuff too. Various cold weather gear: goggles, light gloves, heavy gloves, socks, long johns, heavier long johns, hats, gore-tex/thinsulate suit, and insulated boots. Body armor: vest, ceramic plate inserts, axillary supplemental pads, kevlar helmet with night-vision goggle mounting bracket, shoulder pads, neck and throat protector, groin protector, knee and elbow pads. Add the insect netting, backpack, rainsuit, socks, warm weather boots, sweat suit, shorts, t-shirts, more t-shirts, 4 complete desert camoflage uniforms, 2 "boonie" hats, two 8-point hats, earplugs, Camelback hydration system, two canteens and 3 duffel bags to carry it all in. Then there's the prescription sunglasses, prescription ballistic googles, the extra prescription glasses, rifle magazines, sling, belts, cleaning kit, translation guides and first aid kit.What does this cost the taxpayer? I'm guessing probably $6,000. A lot of that stuff I get ...Gearhttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/07/early-christmas.aspx#Commentsfd278ac5-f182-487d-bf90-345158788678Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:54:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/04/whats-at-stake.aspx?ref=rssMark ZToday is my second day at Fort Jackson. Yesterday went well. I was a little nervous the Army was going to start chewing us out like you see in the movies. They didn't. Saying "Hooah" all the time is going to take some getting used to. That's the standard Army response meaning, "Yes, I understand." Nothing against my Army friends but I don't think it sounds very intelligent. The Navy's "Aye Aye," is much preferable. By the way, for you etymologists, "Aye Aye," is derived from the phrase, "I understand and I will obey." Nobody really knows where Hooah came from.Tomorrow they are going to issue us our weapons, cold weather gear, and body armor. I may not be able to sleep well tonight with that kind of excitement at hand. It's like Christmas Eve. The bad part ...WARhttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/04/whats-at-stake.aspx#Commentsa3b5ee1c-bc79-4cac-a680-fcd977172063Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:58:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/03/navy-bomb-accident.aspx?ref=rssMark ZOn October 30th a Navy F-18 aircraft accidentally dropped a dummy bomb which clipped a warehouse and skidded harmlessly to a stop against a shed. First of all, thank God it was a dummy. Second, good thing it didn't crash through the roof of a school or shopping mall. Third, was this really an accident?All right, in this case I bet it was an accident. Something to consider though is the not so immediately apparent benefit of having our military, FBI, CIA, or other large three letter organizations suffer well publicized screw-ups. My guess is that they aren't necessarily all screw-ups, and if they are, the people in charge aren't always disappointed that the stories are publicized. What better way to get the bad guys to relax and make mistakes than to let them believe the people in charge of hunting them down are ...Nonehttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/03/navy-bomb-accident.aspx#Comments5f99307a-d9fd-4714-8759-6adab930c3abSun, 04 Nov 2007 01:41:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/02/im-off-again--reading-materials.aspx?ref=rssMark ZTomorrow I leave for the next phase of my trip; Army training at Fort Jackson. My guess is that my days will be very different. I know that rather than my comfortable but seedy hotel style accomodations will be traded for barracks life. Based on my experiences at bootcamp and what others have told me, snoring can be a major issue. A new friend told me today that his bunkmate snored so loud that it rattled the bedframe. It's for the next few weeks that I was told to invest in some quality earplugs. The tempo has been slow enough this week that I got two books read during down time. The first was "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" by Ken Kesey. The movie came out in 1975 I think and starred Jack Nicholson and more obscurely, Brad Dourif, who played ...Nonehttp://crocushill.org/2007/11/02/im-off-again--reading-materials.aspx#Comments12d9e70f-8bef-46fb-8e68-8995d0b4b30fFri, 02 Nov 2007 22:55:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/10/30/london-paris-new-york--norfolk.aspx?ref=rssMark ZMilitary bases are like any large city. Except without the litter, good architecture, homeless people, surliness and crime. Oh, and everybody wears the same few outfits everyday. Hannah enjoyed her time on a base when she came with me on a training trip two years ago. All of the young sailors called her "Ma'am" and held the door for her, everything she needed was within walking distance, they always have free stuff going on like cookouts and movies. I like it too, for those reasons and a few others. I like the hustle and bustle. Sure you get that in a normal city but not like you do on a military base. When I go for a walk around here I get to see helicopters (CH-60 Seahawks) flying low over the buildings with people hanging their legs out the doors. Planes ...Base Livinghttp://crocushill.org/2007/10/30/london-paris-new-york--norfolk.aspx#Comments64c955b0-9e83-441d-b999-ad50e3137e2eFri, 02 Nov 2007 01:51:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/10/31/fun-with-smallpox.aspx?ref=rssMark ZInstructions from “Smallpox Vaccination Patient Self-Care Kit” given to us after our shots yesterday. Day 3-6 as needed – Start Claritin for relief of itching. Day 5 – Replace waterproof bandage with new one. Day 6 – Site begins to turn white and fills with pus. Day 8 – Change waterproof bandage. Day 10 – Have vaccine site read by Medical for positive take. Day 11 – Change waterproof bandage. ...Medshttp://crocushill.org/2007/10/31/fun-with-smallpox.aspx#Commentse1792bf6-d5c4-4590-a395-9b5d59740326Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:07:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/10/30/immunity.aspx?ref=rssMark ZLet's see. . . Today for lunch I enjoyed an appetizer sampler of Tetanus and Influenza. For the main course, Small Pox with a small side of Anthrax. (The Typhoid just didn't look fresh and the Hep A & B won't be in season for another three months.) Dessert - a magnificent PPD sensitivity test. I hear this place has the best Meningococcal/Yellow Fever combo in the tri-state area. Maybe tomorrow! ...Medshttp://crocushill.org/2007/10/30/immunity.aspx#Comments12f4bd18-47f6-48f8-acde-77493c08a3c6Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:02:00 GMThttp://crocushill.org/2007/10/23/im-off--almost.aspx?ref=rssMark ZA few weeks ago I got notice from my Chief in the Navy that I won an all-expense paid trip to an exotic overseas location. The only catches were that I can't take my family, I have to work at least 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and I won't be coming back for a long time. I mean a long time. I leave in a few days and there is a lot to do. I have trouble packing for a two week vacation! Some of you with whom I have already spoken about my excursion may wonder why I am being so vague, not just in this initial entry but as I will in any future ones as well. It's a little thing the DoD likes to call "OPSEC" or Operational Security. The idea behind OPSEC is that if we ...WARhttp://crocushill.org/2007/10/23/im-off--almost.aspx#Comments9100f405-d2b2-4b95-aac1-65ad5a9049adTue, 23 Oct 2007 02:45:00 GMT