Valour-IT kicks off today

I have mentioned Valour-IT on this blog several times before and it is no mystery that I am big fan of it. Valour-IT is a fundraising project by Soldiers’ Angels. Valour-IT’s big fundraising drive kicks off today, October 26th until Veteran’s Day, November 11th.

The purpose of Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries.Â Technology supplied includes:

Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).

Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

The experience of Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important these laptops and other technologies can be to a wounded service member’s recovery.

Chuck Ziegenfuss is one hell of a soldier, milblogger and a friend. In fact last week while spending several days at Blog World Expo in Las Vegas, I hung out with Chuck quite a bit and even though I have known him for a couple of years, I really got to spend some quality time with him this year and know him even better. He is a walking testament of the influence and importance of these voice-controlled laptops on the troops.

I have given to Valour-IT for the last several years and I plan to again this year, however I am going to try and give a little more and want some of your help to do that. As you may or may not know, all the T-shirts in my Bouhammer Gear Store have the profits go directly to four great charities. However the hats and embroidered shirts that are in my store have their profits come to me to help off-set the costs of running this blog, web-space, Bouhammer Enterprises, LLC, etc.

But during the time of the Valour-IT fundraiser (10/26-11/11) any embroidered shirts or hats that are sold will have 100% of the profits go directly to the Valour-IT fundraiser. So I hope all my readers help out by donating just a little something to this great project that directly helps our wounded warriors. And if you were thinking about buying a Bouhammer polo, button-down or hat then hopefully this will motivate you to pull the trigger to get one and help these guys out.

Another sad day in Afghanistan

Today started with some bad news out of Afghanistan. We lost 14 of our Americans in that country’s war today. Several were civilians and seeing that the Chinook that went down in Badghdis province was involved in a mission to target drug traffickers, I am assuming they were DEA agents or something similar. From the reports this morning, the Chinook was just leaving the area of operation as the mission was over.

Un-related, but on the same day was a mid-air collision between two helicopters in the southern area of the country. So far the military is saying that neither were as a result of enemy fire, but I suggest you wait and see. For I/O reasons, they (the military) should initially caution against assuming enemy fire brings down every helicopter that crashes. The reason is because the enemy will use that as an admission by the US military that the enemy was successful.

Either way, the facts will come out in the next few days, and by then these brave young souls will be back or close to being back to their families one last time.

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569525,00.html

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Bob on the Fob-FOB Locust

DoD Announces Units For Afghanistan Rotations And Deployment

The Department of Defense announced today major units scheduled to deploy as part of upcoming rotations of forces operating in Afghanistan. The announcement involves two active duty brigade combat teams totaling 7,700 personnel, and one National Guard brigade with approximately 3,500 personnel. The scheduled rotation for these forces will begin in the spring of 2010.

Specific units receiving deployment orders include:

1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

2^nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (SCR), Vilseck, Germany

2^nd Brigade Combat Team, 34^th Infantry Division, Iowa National Guard

The spring/summer rotation of the 1st BCT, 101^st Airborne Division (3,700 personnel) and the 2^nd SCR (4,000 personnel) continues the U.S. commitment to maintain the current level of forces assigned to the NATO-International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The 2^nd BCT, 34^th Infantry Division will begin deploying in the fall of 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to continue ongoing operations and training of the Afghan National Security Forces. They are receiving alert orders now in order to provide them the maximum time to complete their preparations. It also provides a greater measure of predictability for family members and flexibility for employers to plan for military service of their employees.

Additionally, the secretary of defense approved a request by the commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan to deploy a squadron of MV-22 Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-261, Jacksonville, N.C., to support the needs of forces on the ground in Regional Command-South. This deployment will involve approximately 200 Marines, who will begin deploying in November 2009.

In consultation with Afghan officials and NATO, commanders continue to assess the situation to ensure sufficient force levels to best support the Government of Afghanistan, perform counter-terrorism operations, assist with reconstruction, and train and equip the Afghan national security forces. Afghan security forces continue to develop capability, and this U.S. force rotation may be tailored based upon changes in the security situation.

DoD will continue to announce major unit deployments as units are identified and alerted. For information on the active brigade and regiment announced today, please contact Army Public Affairs at (703) 614-2487. For information on the National Guard brigade, please contact Iowa National Guard Public Affairs at (515) 252-4304. For information on the Marine squadron, please contact U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command Public Affairs at (757) 836-1580.

2/8 Marines On Guard

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment observe the movement of enemy forces during an attack at Patrol Base Bracha in the Garmsir district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Oct. 9, 2009. The Marines are deployed with Regimental Combat Team 3, whose mission is to conduct counterinsurgency operations in partnership with Afghan security forces in southern Afghanistan. DoD photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau, U.S. Marine Corps.

The Pull of The Taliban

I’ve been one of the select few who have stood in the rubble at Ground Zero amid the aftermath of 9/11 and stood and fought in Taliban controlled territory in southeastern Afghanistan. Having been in these positions I’ve been able to deeply reflect on these situations. Shortly after 9/11, our country had the support from most of the world as we went into Afghanistan and did what we had to do. Upon doing so we made a lot of promises to the Afghan people, however as you all know, our country’s military focus soon shifted to Iraq.

The Afghan people are the most patient group of people I have ever met. By the time I got into Afghanistan in 2006, the average Afghan was beginning to wonder when they should start to see all of these promises we had made to them over the previous 5 years. Most of these promises at the ground level were just your basic quality of living improvements and jobs. While interrogating some of the few Taliban fighters we had caught alive and actually admitted to being Taliban, there was one who made me pause one day. Surprised that he had admitted to being Taliban, I asked him why he would want to be a member of such a group. He responded with “I didn’t want to initially but after a while I finally gave up on the American’s promise of jobs. I have a family of a wife and three kids. The Taliban offered me money and I need to support my family. I don’t hate Americans but they don’t do anything for me so why shouldn’t I join them.” With this statement I understood where he was coming from and why he felt he needed to join the Taliban. I’m not saying I liked it but I understood it.

The article below discusses in further detail how the numbers of the Taliban are growing and it doesn’t surprise me at all, unfortunately. Whatever strategy for Afghanistan President Obama chooses in the upcoming days, the struggle ahead will continue to be a struggle. In my opinion, its a struggle that needs to continue but do I dare ask how long can we keep this up as a country before we are financially broken?

www.military.com/news/article/taliban-strength-nears-military-proportion.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Live Free or Die Trying!

Corruption is nothing new in Afghanistan

I am not trying to float by own boat or act like my earlier comments are earth-shattering or ground-breaking. Actually they are mostly common knowledge and common sense by anyone who has served as an ETT or PMT in Afghanistan. But for several years now I have been talking on this blog (www.bouhammer.com/2009/04/corruption-is-still-a-major-enemy/, www.bouhammer.com/2006/06/way-to-early-to-get-upset-already/, www.bouhammer.com/2009/04/they-are-still-3rd-graders/)and in multiple radio and newspaper interviews that, in my opinion, the top 3 problems in Afghanistan which keep us there and keep the Afghan security forces from taking over are:

1. Corruption

2. Lack of a will to fight (these ain’t your daddy’s mujahideen)

3. No accountability becuase there is no Military Justice system

I have always said that Corruption was number one, but no Military Justice system is the root cause that allow the other two to happen without repercussions. Again, none of this is revelation by Bouhammer, but is fact known to all who are on the ground in Afghanistan. In fact via my discussions with many who were embedded with Iraqi Security forces as MITT team members, they typically saw the same three issues there but not as bad as they are in Afghanistan.

Of course the definition of corruption is in the eye of the beholder. What we in the West may consider corruption, those in Afghanistan may consider a normal way of doing business. Almost like we would consider “networking” or “rubbing elbows” in our country. By their culture and standards, certain things are acceptable and tolerated while we in the US would look at them as reprehensible.

A case in point is when the Army pay officers would come around once a month to pay a Private his $110 monthly salary, they would take $10 from the Private (or any soldier) as a “fee” for having to come down and pay him. Of course when we learned of this as ETTs, we were shocked and jumped on this right away to stop it. I mean, how could a field grade officer who makes several hundred dollars a month take $10 from every soldier for just doing the job he was paid to do? In hindsight I look at this situation and think, absence of any formal banking system or western union, how is this any different from their fees and surcharges? In my western eyes, I know the officer should not be taking the money because the officer is doing the job he is paid to by the Govt of Afghanistan. But I can also see it through their eyes in the fact that he is doing exactly what any banking institution would do. That does not make it right, and I know and still believe that taking $10 from every soldier is wrong, but we are talking about a country that is 2 weeks out of the stone age.

That is a good example of how the perceptions we as a western culture may have must be scaled back and viewed differently when dealing with a country like Afghanistan. But the corruption that Gen McChrystal is talking about (www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/13/mcchrystal-troop-increase-afghan/) is far and above taking $10 from a Private. It is at the level that may de-stabilize the country and cause eight years plus of war to be for naught.

Corruption can lead to citizens rejecting their government and sometimes even aligning with rebel or insurgent groups. That in turn creates chaos that can lead to security problems and long-term instability.

The corruption at the top levels of the Afghanistan Government have widespread reach and show all the soldiers, police, and govt employees that corruption is OK becuase their boss does it, all the way up to Karzai himself. I am no fan of Karzai and have highlighted on this blog many times where he is a tool. He is corrupt, his drug warlord brother in southern Afghanistan is corrupt and many of his appointed officials are too. That is the nature of their society. I don’t think we can or will ever stop it, especially since we can’t stop it in our country (Blago, etc.). But it does need not happen at the highest levels and those at the highest levels must set the example and then hold those that are corrupt accountable for their actions.

A society without laws and enforcement of those laws will be chaos and will turn on itself. We have seen that in the history of this world and we have seen is directly in Afghanistan before.

Others have talked about the corruption in the past also (www.bouhammer.com/2008/08/rip-sfc-david-todd/)

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