"The Afghans are miserable in that environment and don't want to come out and play."

Okay, we'll come to their house.

My nephew, while in the USMC stationed in Joshua Tree, CA had yearly winter training exercises in the Sierras. We have bases close to the Alaskan Range. Our soldiers are ready for the worst Afghanistan has to offer and are equipped with the best gear to tolerate the harshness.

The U.S. units' thermal detection systems and airborne sensors will make it easier to find heat signatures at entrances to caves, which are favorite hiding places for the Taliban, al Qaeda and even bin Laden. The heat-seeking systems add to what already is a big asset for the U.S. military: American warriors trained to fight almost exclusively at night.

And to think some are calling for us to stop as winter sets in. Go get 'em, boys!

The "nea sayers" will not like this pro-American news. It proves them wrong -- again.

Great post, but you should have entilted it:

You'll never see this on tabloid abc, nbc, cbs, cnn or the portland press hearald.

petey jennings and his ilk would rather die than make this public, they would hate this almost as much as they hated seeing the President get a standing ovation in hillarys adoted state of new york.

Nukem

You're right,

The Pentagon controls a special-operations force of about 46,000. It has declined to say how many Army Rangers, Green Berets, Delta Force soldiers and Navy Seals are in the region.

They seem to have gorgotten the Marine Corps, all are special forces.

Nukem

Our soldiers are ready for the worst Afghanistan has to offer and are equipped with the best gear to tolerate the harshness.

It's really starting to look like a one-sided fight. Excellent.

Great post, but you should have entilted it...

Not my title. It's from the Washington Times, which carried this article on the front page. I'm sure it won't be on the network news.

Marine Recon and Expedition forces are, I believe, already lumped into the Special Forces bundle. I myself would prefer they be mentioned explicitly as well. 8-)

Our boys can also do some plinking with these

laser guided/designated howitzer-fired munitions: the Copperhead

No need to do anything in the cold weather but watch for smoke holes and stupid people.

The U.S. units' thermal detection systems and airborne sensors will make it easier to find heat signatures at entrances to caves, which are favorite hiding places for the Taliban, al Qaeda and even bin Laden.

Everytime I've heard the talking heads blathering about ceasing operations for winter I laughed. Now that we own the skies, the Talibologna won't be able to take a whiz in the snow without putting a blip on our screens.

There are an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 enemy troops now hunkered down in bunkers and caves all over Afghanistan's Texas-size landscape. One U.S. official estimates that 26 days of air strikes have killed "thousands" of enemy forces. But just as many replacement fighters may have sneaked across the border from Pakistan.

I thought this was great news also. Rather than have to root these suckers out of Pakistan, they're coming to us.

Don't rush ragheads, we've got a bullet for each of you.

But just as many replacement fighters may have sneaked across the border from Pakistan.

I thought this was great news also. Rather than have to root these suckers out of Pakistan, they're coming to us.

This is a win-win situation. Pakistan wants to be rid of these cockroaches, and the exterminator is in town. Send 'em over!

ping

With the new satellite thermal imaging, Taliban/Bin Laden hideouts will light up like the eyes on a halloween pumpkin.
Plenty of work left for bombers! "lights on - lights off"

Marine Recon and Expedition forces are, I believe, already lumped into the Special Forces bundle.

I seem to recall recently reading a rundown on the forces included in Special Operations Command, and Marine Force Recon is not included. I believe they are a divisional asset used more for tactical reconnaissance than anything else.

There is, however, a Marine Amphibious Ready Group that is "Special Operations Capable", but I bet the Fleet controls that as well. Can anybody clarify this further?

Don't forget the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport. Ah, memories...

MEU(SOC) elements are controlled by the regional CinC, through the appropriate Fleet CinC and numbered fleet commander, wherever they are deployed to, not JSOC or USSOCCOM (unless they are formally chopped over).

And you are correct--Force Recon is the division commander's asset, not JSOC/USSOCCOM.

Here's the link to US Special Operations Command:

U.S. Special Operations Command

You will note that there are no USMC forces assigned to it...

You will note that there are no USMC forces assigned to it...

I didn't mean to imply that there were. What I wanted to point out was that we have terrain right here in the U.S. that is as harsh as any in Afghanistan--perhaps even harsher--and our troops, whatever branch, use the terrain for training.

This is a win-win situation. Pakistan wants to be rid of these cockroaches, and the exterminator is in town. Send 'em over!

Egypt? Syria? Iraq? Iran? Jordan? Saudi? Yemen? Palestinian?

Send 'em on over, and save us the trouble of turning your country upside down and shaking them out.