Free Republic

Rick Santorum, in an interview with CNN's John King a bit ago, was asked whether he thinks it's a good idea or a bad idea for the Pentagon to relax some of the rules about women taking frontline roles in combat, "perhaps opening the door to a broader role for, ultimately, women in combat." His answer was both praising of women serving the country, and as a part of the armed services, but he went on to explain why he would take issue with women on the front lines. "Look, I want to create every opportunity for women to be...

I've never been a soldier myself. But I understand why my country has been successful like no other on the battlefields of Europe (and even outside of our continent) throughout the centuries. A strong, well organized country will always enjoy a major advantage against an instable nation where many locals are willing to aid the invading forces. We've beaten the Russians with an army 1/10 their size (at Narva). Afterwards, Charles XII of Sweden said that it was "great fun fighting fleeing Russians, because you could actually sit comfortably mounted on your horse and shoot them like they were little...

Reporting from Washington— On the evening of April 5, a pilot settled into a leather captain's chair at Creech Air Force Base in southern Nevada and took the controls of a Predator drone flying over one of the most violent areas of southwestern Afghanistan. Minutes later, his radio crackled. A firefight had broken out. Taliban insurgents had ambushed about two dozen Marines patrolling a bitterly contested road. The Air Force captain angled his joystick and the drone veered toward the fighting taking place half a world away, where it was already morning. He powered up two Hellfire missiles under its...

Emerson Knives, Inc. has been building custom knives for the Navy SEALs since its founding in 1979. This month, Emerson is memorializing the SEALs whose helicopter was shot down by insurgents in Afghanistan on August 5th with a commemorative Emerson CQC-6 combat knife with a blade constructed with steel from the World Trade Center. The Emerson CQC-6 design has been a sidearm staple for the SEALs since the 1980s. The knife’s letters, CQC, mean “Close Quarter Combat,” and the “6” refers to SEAL Team 6. According to Ernest Emerson,

Sacramento, Calif. (AP) -- California officials have released thousands of insects in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta to combat an invasive weed that has clogged the waterway. The state Department of Food and Agriculture let more than 5,000 water hyacinth plant hoppers go at several locations in San Joaquin and Sacramento counties this month. Officials hope the insects, which are native to South America, will establish self-sustaining colonies and begin chomping down on water hyacinth. The invasive plant forms a dense carpet on the surface of waterways, impeding boat access and clogging water intake systems.

U.S. Army may soon equip troops with smartphonesBy Mark Milian, CNN July 12, 2011 For U.S. Army troops, smartphones could become requisite field gear, along with boots, guns and ammunition. **SNIP** This dry run has proved so encouraging that Army officials say they expect the first wave of smartphone-equipped soldiers could be shipped overseas later this year. Certain members of brigades are already assigned tactical radios. The phones wouldn't replace radios, but they would be distributed more widely and would ideally operate in conjunction with older equipment, officials said. The infantry is using smartphones to text message updates about their...

The daughter of a prominent New York lawyer has told of her amazing transformation from sheltered, society girl to seasoned combat veteran. Former Manhattan jetsetter Jane Blair swapped her pampered life in New York to become one of the first women on the frontline in Iraq. In her new memoir Hesitation Kills, Mrs Blair, now a 38-year-old captain in the Marine Reserves, recalls the moment that changed her life. She said: 'I grew up in this environment where I never had to work for a living. My dad told me, "I will always take care of you".' She was in...

Yesterday, the local morning conservative talk show host brought up a question about the status of veterans. He said that words mean things and he's right. The issue was the Stolen Valor Act (which I disagree with, believe it or not) and whether veterans that never served in Vietnam, but served in the military during the Vietnam War, can be called "Vietnam Veterans." The host was trying to make the case that if someone serves in the military during a time of war, there is nothing wrong with calling themselves a "[insert campaign/war name] Veteran." I wholeheartedly disagree. I see...

Pentagon Sets Stage for U.S. to Respond to Computer Sabotage With Military ForceWASHINGTON—The Pentagon has concluded that computer sabotage coming from another country can constitute an act of war, a finding that for the first time opens the door for the U.S. to respond using traditional military force. The Pentagon's first formal cyber strategy, unclassified portions of which are expected to become public next month, represents an early attempt to grapple with a changing world in which a hacker could pose as significant a threat to U.S. nuclear reactors, subways or pipelines as a hostile country's military. In part, the...

A bill that would end the ban on military women fighting in combat has been introduced by Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana. “In actuality, this bill would officially recognize what is already happening on the battlefield – the fact that our military women are fighting in combat every day, all over the world,” Sanchez, the ranking female member on the House Armed Services Committee, said in a news release.

They rarely get glory. Their funerals aren’t broadcast on TV. And they’ll never ask for praise. But there are 2,700 of these “soldiers” serving in the U.S. military. Who are they? They’re furry, have long noses, and walk on four legs. They are the military’s canines. In fact, the New York Times reports that one such dog was involved in the raid on Osama bin Laden, sparking a wave of interest in what is becoming an essential tool in the war on terror. “In 2007, the Marines began a pilot program in Afghanistan with nine bomb-sniffing dogs, a number that...

In Australia, a “debate” is raging. Should women fight alongside manly men on the frontlines? The left-leaning APP reports: “Prime Minister Julia Gillard has voiced strong support for women taking on military combat roles to allow them to fight and if necessary die for their country.” As well, the APP uncritically reports: “Australia lagged behind Canada and perhaps New Zealand.” But that’s a Labor talking point – not a fact. Who fears Canada? Who fears New Zealand? In military terms, these allegedly progressive countries can’t even defend themselves. Also, in recent token-related history the Air Force Times (U.S.) reports: “Air...

Last night I watched the movie 9th Company on Netflix. This is an outstanding war movie that in my opinion is not to be missed by war movie aficionados. It's a riveting, true account of a group of young enlisted Soviet paratroopers. In the beginning, you follow this group of young men through the rigors of bootcamp where they eventually develop a close camaraderie. They're mentored by a tough, stomach-punching drill sergeant who's the lone survivor of his unit from the Afghan conflict. Even though he's tough as nails, he cares about his soldiers he mentors and wishes he could...

President Obama’s actions in Libya were already suspicious for a number of reasons. First, during Obama’s presidential campaign, he asserted that his priority was to get America out of the two wars it was already fighting. Second, Obama was a staunch critic of the Bush administration for unconstitutionally embarking on a war without congressional approval — an action of which President Obama is now guilty. Finally, as the economy is teetering on collapse, one would assume the last thing the President would want is to have to fund a third war. And yet here we are. However, once we delve...

The Pentagon is about to pull its attack planes out of the international air campaign in Libya, hoping NATO partners can take up the slack. The announcement Thursday drew incredulous reactions from some in Congress who wondered aloud why the Obama administration would bow out of a key element of the strategy for protecting Libyan civilians and crippling Moammar Gadhafi's army. "Odd," ''troubling" and "unnerving" were among critical comments by senators pressing for an explanation of the announcement by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs chairman Adm. Mike Mullen that American combat missions will end Saturday. "Your timing is...

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2011 – A commission established to study diversity among military leaders is recommending that the Defense Department rescind its policy that prevents women from being assigned to ground combat units below the brigade level. In a report issued today, the Military Leadership Diversity Commission recommends that the department and the services eliminate combat exclusion policies for women, as well as other “barriers and inconsistencies, to create a level playing field for all qualified service members.” Retired Air Force Gen. Lester L. Lyles, who chaired the commission, said the recommendation –- one of 20 in the report and...

Combat troops to get gay sensitivity training—The Washington Times, Feb. 25 From: Commander U.S. Forces, Afghanistan To: All Officers Re: Homosexual Sensitivity training As everyone by now knows, the president has signed the order rescinding Defense Directive 1304.26 – “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” As the DOD implements this policy change, all U.S. forces in every theater must receive integration training, otherwise known as “sensitivity training.” This training will be immediately and will include every unit in this theater, including combat units, wherever they are operating.

American combat troops will get sensitivity training directly on the battlefield about the military’s new policy on gays instead of waiting until they return to home base in the United States, the senior enlisted man in Afghanistan said Thursday. The Pentagon is launching an extensive force-wide program to ease the process of integrating open homosexuals into the ranks, including into close-knit fighting units. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, the top enlisted man in Afghanistan where 100,000 U.S. troops are deployed, said that the sessions on respecting gays’ rights will go right down to the forward operating bases, where troops...

The Administration’s “Military Leadership Diversity Commission” is reported to be about to announce a recommendation that women should be allowed to serve fully in combat, Big time bad idea. The commission says that it is seeking to dismantle the last major area of “discrimination” in the armed forces. The commission was established by Congress two years ago. The panel is to send its proposals to Congress and President Obama. According to initial reports, “It is time to create a level playing field for all qualified service members.” “To provide a level playing field” for what?

Reactions mixed on women in combat arms By Nancy Montgomery Stars and Stripes Published: January 14, 2011 HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan — The notion that women in the armed forces might be allowed to serve alongside men in combat provoked sharp reactions Friday among a sampling of Marines on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan, suggesting a heated debate yet to come. “It’s very tough, what we have to go through,” said Lance Cpl. John Rolfes of 2nd Battalion, Third Marines, deployed with a Marine infantry unit at Patrol Base Jaker in Nawa. “I personally don’t know any women...