So, the Taliban attempted to overrun Jalalabad yesterday...

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

and failed miserably.  It did make for some fun, though.  It's been a while since I've heard bullets whizzing overhead and RPG's exploding.  Sometimes, I miss being a ground pounder.

As you can tell by my sig line, it's been a busy last couple of weeks here in Eastern Afghanistan.  Business has been steady.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/06/30/militants-killed-gunbattle-afghan-airport/

[Hawgndaaz]

32 shamwow heads and counting? thats awesome.

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

32 shamwow heads and counting? thats awesome.

32 confirmed.  More than likely, it's higher than that.

[stronguard]

Go Army.

For some reason your post conjures images of the Polish Cavalry riding out to meet German Panzers. 

In other words, futile.   Kill every last one of them and return home safe.

[mj4president]

I'm not impressed with the air support we're getting in our neck of the woods wocraig. The other day roughly 20 to 25 rpgs were shot at an rcp. Not my platoon but 1 in my company.  Some A-10's flew over and shot flares. The birds that fly over most of the time never seem to have PID. It's driving me crazy.

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

It is difficult for CAS assets to aquire PID from altitude.  It usually requires a ground commander or JTAC to give clearance of fires since, from altitude, even with advance sensors, it is so difficult to aquire PID.

Luckily, the Army retains ownership of it's rotary wing assets and helicopters are not considered "CAS."  We are an autonomous asset that is considered a "Close Combat Attack (CCA)" asset.  Therefore, we can fly lower, aquire our own PID, and the Pilot-in-Command can clear his own fires based on the ground commander's intent.  Much less red tape.

Hopefully, you guys will be getting some new Apache guys up down there soon and things will change.

[mj4president]

The hearts and minds thing is putting us at risk. It's driving me insane. There were 8 wounded with a mixture of 20 rpgs and recoilless rifle rounds and nobody shot anything from the sky. Our trucks shot just about every round the army has though. There isn't any reasons that area (which we take from from about 2 to 4 times a week) should still be on the face of the Earth imo.

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

The hearts and minds thing is putting us at risk. It's driving me insane. There were 8 wounded with a mixture of 20 rpgs and recoilless rifle rounds and nobody shot anything from the sky. Our trucks shot just about every round the army has though. There isn't any reasons that area (which we take from from about 2 to 4 times a week) should still be on the face of the Earth imo.

I understand.  Just two weeks ago, I watched 8-10 AAF running from one ambush site to a building carrying a DShK heavy machine gun and multiple RPGs and AK-47s.  I had to watch while I "asked permission" to fire.  Well, no one was listening to the radio, so they made it to the building.  Had this been two or three years ago, I would have waxed those guys on my own authority and would have probably received a accolades for it.

Oh, by the way, I should probably finish the story by telling you that I blew up the building with 2 "N" model Hellfire missiles.  But, I could have shot them earlier...and that was the point of my story. 

[Old Tusk]

I hate to say it, but welcome to Nam.

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

I hate to say it, but welcome to Nam.

I'm hearing that more and more every day I'm here.

[mj4president]

I just don't understand how if they make into a building you can't bring the pain anyway. It's war. Too bad if there is 1 civ in there around a group of Taliban. Tough luck. Do they record everything you shoot on camera?

[FaytownHog]

who knew war had so many rules....lol. that does suck for you guys. everyone over here in politics is too worried about PC to realize what a war is. You guys keep up the good work either way!

I just don't understand how if they make into a building you can't bring the pain anyway. It's war. Too bad if there is 1 civ in there around a group of Taliban. Tough luck. Do they record everything you shoot on camera?

[FaytownHog]

do they have video cameras on those things? i'd LOVE to see some video of that!

I understand.  Just two weeks ago, I watched 8-10 AAF running from one ambush site to a building carrying a DShK heavy machine gun and multiple RPGs and AK-47s.  I had to watch while I "asked permission" to fire.  Well, no one was listening to the radio, so they made it to the building.  Had this been two or three years ago, I would have waxed those guys on my own authority and would have probably received a accolades for it.

Oh, by the way, I should probably finish the story by telling you that I blew up the building with 2 "N" model Hellfire missiles.  But, I could have shot them earlier...and that was the point of my story. 

[Old Tusk]

I am amused when they say Petraeus wrote the book on counter insurgency. The Army discontinued the manual because we were never going to fight that kind of war again. Petraeus put a new cover on the book, but it is the same old war.

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

do they have video cameras on those things? i'd LOVE to see some video of that!

Of course I have video of all of my engagements.  However, they are still classified at this time.  As soon as they are released, I'll put them on Youtube and post links.  Keep in mind it may take a year or so for them to become declassified.

The bad part is, after every engagement, my video is sent to brigade level and higher, and reviewed.  You have high ranking individuals watching my video on a high-resolution big screen with the benefit of a pause and rewind button  and the clear vision of hind-sight critiquing my every action.  "Why didn't you..." and "You should have...." are common phrases I receive.  It's kind of annoying.

[FaytownHog]

Of course I have video of all of my engagements.  However, they are still classified at this time.  As soon as they are released, I'll put them on Youtube and post links.  Keep in mind it may take a year or so for them to become declassified.

The bad part is, after every engagement, my video is sent to brigade level and higher, and reviewed.  You have high ranking individuals watching my video on a high-resolution big screen with the benefit of a pause and rewind button  and the clear vision of hind-sight critiquing my every action.  "Why didn't you..." and "You should have...." are common phrases I receive.  It's kind of annoying.

i bet! Would still love to see some! do you have any from a year ago that are declassified now that we can watch? btw, hind site is a biotch! haha. (esp in the PC war we're fighting).

[mj4president]

I just don't get how they say yall don't have PID of an area that is lighting up our patrols. To me that is PID. There are a few grids here that we constantly take the darn from and they won't light them up b/c 90% of the time they don't have PID even though we have Americans messed up on the ground. Man, wocraig if you ever come down South I'll send you a couple of coordinates that need some ass kicking to take place.

[hogman]

one of the biggest problems is air support functions have to get clearance to engage which usually takes longer than the battle lasts.

Only one time have i seen a pilot engage immediately and it was during a firefight right outside the fence in Bagram where a dirka had managed to get ahold of a machine gun and was firing at the apache. an ole 2.75 rocket took care of him pretty quick.

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

one of the biggest problems is air support functions have to get clearance to engage which usually takes longer than the battle lasts.

Only one time have i seen a pilot engage immediately and it was during a firefight right outside the fence in Bagram where a dirka had managed to get ahold of a machine gun and was firing at the apache. an ole 2.75 rocket took care of him pretty quick.

Those pilots were guys in my battalion.  Good guys.  Same thing happened here at JAF.  My company launched our Apaches and the melee commenced.  It was nothing short of spectacular.

One correction to what you said about air support having to get clearance...it's not necessarily true in the case of Army aircraft.  Pilots-in-Command can clear their own fires based on the AMC (air mission commander) and ground commander's intent.  I know, nuance, but, ya know.

[countryhog]

I hate to say it, but welcome to Nam.

i know of which you speak. wouldn't we like to grab some of those candya$$ politicians and embed them with the troops up front? 
i am constantly struck by the similarities between 1970 and now. guess most, or all, of those who survived the PC crap in 1970 and who made sure that BS didn't happen during their tenure have all retired.  history seems to repeat itself.
keep your rifle clean, your head up, and your a$$ down.

[Old Tusk]

In some ways I think this is worse than Nam. The over arching strategy seems to be hugely flawed. The mission is to provide "space" to stand up a government and an army. This has lead us into a static point defense system around the "spaces" we want to control. The bottom line is that we fell into the nation building trap again. Plus we are building a 10 billion/year army in a country who's total economy is 14 billion/year.

For you guys over there, I will share some advice that an old major gave me before my first mission in Nam. "There is nothing worth dying for here."

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

"There is nothing worth dying for here."

I say this all of the time.  So does everyone else here.

The only exception is American troops.  I'll risk my life for other Americans.  But, definitely not for anything else.

[Old Tusk]

Just make sure that your actions are not foolhardy and you sacrifice your aircraft, yourself, and crew in the attempt.

[old hog]

Ya'll keep up the good work. A lot of people over here in the States are still very proud of you guys. Return safely.