Free Republic

Ex-Marine Colonel and current leader of the Cowardice Caucus in the House of Representatives, John Murtha has now made the transition from gutless Congressional peace activist to outright laughingstock. He began his atmospheric rise to liberal icon status by breathlessly intoning the President to immediately withdraw troops from Iraq so that they can be extracted from an Iraqi "civil war". Not content to merely serve as Defeatist in Chief, Murtha doubled down to be come one of the biggest Blue Falcons in Marine Corps history by prematurely condemning as guilty several of his ex-comrades- Semper Backstabis. Now from the NRO...

LOW-key services in Townsville, Perth and East Timor tomorrow were to mark the 10th anniversary of one of the worst tragedies in Australian military history. Survivors of the 1996 Black Hawk helicopter collision – which killed 18 soldiers and air crew – will join families and other colleagues of the victims in remembering those who died on the High Range training course, near Townsville. The biggest remembrance ceremony will be held in Perth, where 60 family members have been flown at the defence force's expense. Fifteen of the 18 servicemen killed were members of the Special Air Service Regiment based...

Will watch for terrorists, drug-runners and illegal immigrants EDMONTON --The United States will be using Blackhawk helicopters and planes along the Montana border with Alberta and Saskatchewan to watch for terrorists, drug-runners and illegal immigrants. The aircraft will be equipped with cutting-edge photographic surveillance and monitoring equipment to watch for any suspicious activity, a spokesman for Montana Republican Senator Conrad Burns said Friday. Matt Mackowiak said the beefed-up border security comes in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. "(Sept. 11) taught us a lot, and the northern border requires greater security and greater surveillance,''...

Four Civilians Died in Iraq Chopper Crash, Officials Say By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2006 – U.S. military officials in Iraq say four civilians were killed in a Jan. 7 helicopter crash along with eight U.S. military members aboard, a senior official said here today. Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita told reporters that Multinational Force Iraq officials confirmed civilian passengers were aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk, which crashed in a remote area 12 kilometers east of Tal Afar, Iraq. "They haven't ruled anything in or out as a possible cause," Di Rita said. "There...

Breaking headline. Details to follow.

With all the finger pointing going on over the "disastrous" disaster relief efforts on the part of the federal government, I thought it would be informative to share an exchange between a well-intentioned sideliner who is critical of the response time of the military to relief efforts in New Orleans, and a U.S. Naval officer.

BALAD, Iraq, Aug. 22, 2005 — The separation during deployments can become a dangerous obstacle very quickly when it comes to marriage, but for two UH-60 Blackhawk pilots on Logistics Support Area Anaconda, deployment to Iraq has kept them together. “It feels completely wonderful to be deployed together,” said 1st Lt. Rebecca DeForest, a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot from B Company, 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, who deployed Jan. 9 with the South Carolina National Guard. “We can share all of our experiences first hand and we can relate to our jobs and struggles and our accomplishments.” The couple almost missed...

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq (August 6, 2005) -- An army Blackhawk helicopter sets gently down in the sand in the dark of night. Navy corpsmen shout over the screeching whirl of the whipping blades to prepare the battle wounded Marines for boarding. Shadowy figures carrying stretchers scurry across the field toward the plane and disappear into the fuselage. The remaining Marines on the ground brace themselves and shield their eyes as the rotor wash blasts sand in all directions. In less than an hour from the time they received their wounds, each Marine will be in safe hands...

ASSOCIATED PRESS Skimming low over hills in eastern Afghanistan, the 11 Marines packed into an Army Black Hawk helicopter asked for an exciting flight on an otherwise dull mission, demonstrating for visiting dignitaries how troops are sped into battle. "Fly hard," the Marines asked. The cockpit responded, "You asked for it." Climbing and swooping, the Black Hawk pilot crested a 400-foot hill then deliberately nosed into a dive so steep and abrupt that everyone inside felt weightless. A wheel chock rose off the floor like a magician's prop and flew forward into the cockpit, jamming the controls.

By TED BRIDIS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON -- Skimming low over hills in eastern Afghanistan, the 11 Marines packed into an Army Black Hawk helicopter asked for an exciting flight on an otherwise dull mission, demonstrating for visiting dignitaries how troops are sped into battle. "Fly hard," the Marines asked. The cockpit responded, "You asked for it." Climbing and swooping, the Black Hawk pilot crested a 400-foot hill then deliberately nosed into a dive so steep and abrupt that everyone inside felt weightless. A wheel chock rose off the floor like a magician's prop and flew forward into the cockpit,...

see on msnbc with pat buchanan

WHEELER ARMY AIR FIELD, Hawaii - A seasoned Army pilot pleaded guilty Thursday to negligent homicide and other charges, admitting that he was showing off when his Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Afghanistan last year. The aircraft's crew chief was killed in the Aug. 12 crash, and all 14 others aboard were injured, including the pilot. At the start of his court-martial, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Darrin R. Rogers pleaded guilty to negligent homicide, reckless endangerment, failure to carry out a lawful order and destruction of government property. Military attorney Capt. Darwin Strickland entered the pleas on Rogers' behalf. Before...

A Black Hawk helicopter pilot had a surprise visit four days before Christmas, receiving an Army Commendation Medal, Air Medal and promotion to major. Maj. Ladda “Tammy” Duckworth, of the Illinois National Guard’s 1-106th Aviation, is recuperating from injuries at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after a rocket-propelled grenade hit the helicopter she was piloting in Iraq Nov. 12. “I hope this is the worst thing that happens to anyone in the 106th during this deployment,” said Duckworth. “This is not so bad, there is always somebody worse off than you are. I’m just glad it was me and not...

On this day...2/28/95 "US Marines swept ashore in Somalia to protect retreating UN peacekeepers." 12/1/92 December 1992 Yazdi, Turabi, and Bashir agree to begin planning and preparing various terrorist attacks to be conducted in close coordination. These attacks included an escalation of attacks against US and UN forces in Somalia and (later) against the World Trade Center in NYC. circa 1/1/93 Osama bin Laden had dealings with Iraqi Intelligence as early as 1993 in Somalia. During that period, various militant Islamic groups, to include bin Laden and Iraqi intelligence and military operatives, were in Somalia to organize, train and mobilize...

A Fort Hood Black Hawk crashed, killing seven soldiers last year, because the pilots didn't follow an Army regulation that said they should have been flying with instruments, according to an investigation report released Tuesday. "They violated standard operating procedure," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, chief spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood. He declined to speculate on why the pilots had deviated from the regulations. The Army UH-60L crashed early on Nov. 29 shortly after leaving Fort Hood for the Red River Army Depot near Texarkana. Initially, the crew was flying below the clouds with good visibility,...

MOSUL, Iraq — A helicopter accident at an air base in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul killed two U.S. soldiers and injured four, the military said Friday. The crash occurred when an AH-64 Apache helicopter hit a UH-60 Black Hawk that was on the ground, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Paul Hastings said. The accident is under investigation and the cause had not been determined, he said. (snip) The names of the soldiers who died were being withheld until their families are notified. (snip)

A soldier who listed North Carolina as his home was among the victims of a helicopter crash that killed seven soldiers from Fort Hood.

BRUCEVILLE-EDDY – Seven Fort Hood soldiers were killed Monday when their Black Hawk helicopter hit the guy wires of a television broadcast tower and crashed in foggy weather, military officials said. One of the victims was a brigadier general who was an assistant commander of the 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood. The UH-60 Black Hawk was headed for Texarkana when it went down in a central Texas field about 30 miles northeast of Fort Hood near Interstate 35, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, chief spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division. "Unfortunately, there were no survivors," Col. Withington said....

BRUCEVILLE-EDDY, Texas - A Black Hawk helicopter carrying seven soldiers from Fort Hood crashed Monday in central Texas after hitting a television broadcast tower guy wire, authorities said. Witnesses said they saw four bodies. The UH-60 Black Hawk, bound for Texarkana, went down in a field about 30 miles northeast of Fort Hood in foggy conditions near Interstate 35, said Dan Hassett, a base spokesman. Rock Eicke, who lives about a quarter-mile from the crash site, said he was getting ready for work about 7 a.m. when he was startled by a loud metallic rattling sound. He said he looked...

(11/29/2004) Bruceville-Eddy- A Fort Hood helicopter has gone down in the Bruceville Eddy area, near a KXXV News Channel 25 broadcast tower. Fort Hood officials report all seven crew members aboard were killed in the crash. At this time there is no word on the cause of the crash, but conditions were foggy and dark this morning. The helicopter may have hit a guy wire to a News Channel 25 broadcast tower, in the Moody area. The army has sealed off the area an is sending an investigative team. Fort Hood officials say the Blackhawk was on its way to...