Showing posts with label Kunar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kunar. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Helping those that have chossen to protect me.
I know the title is not so grabbing but it's the best I can come up with at the moment. Many of you may be surprised by this sudden post but I want to share with you some things that have happened to me in the last week and a half.
I have been able to speak to my Warrior several times during this period and he is sounding good. Gosh he makes my day every time he calls. My sons voice is music to my ears and will always be something I will be looking forward too. Hang in there Alex and get you and your men home.
Many of you know that I am a General Manager for a small Transportation Company and I travel to many of my clients sites. This requires me to drive by Palo Alto V.A hospital. For years I have wanted to reach out and volunteer for the V.A. I have been a little frustrated with the lack of response by the V.A. so I left a message on a very good on-line friends facebook page. She hit me back introducing me to a new friend that has started an organization a few years ago supporting our wounded Warriors. Richard the founder and President of www.Bluestarriders.com came through and will be introducing some of our wounded Warriors to me next weekend.
It pains me to know our guys are putting it all out there and I am not able too. So I am going to try to help these guys the only way I can. Please know that all money that is donated goes right back without admin fees.
If you want to help out, then please visit www.bluestarriders.com and make it happen.
Larry Arnone
AKA Bluestardad
I have been able to speak to my Warrior several times during this period and he is sounding good. Gosh he makes my day every time he calls. My sons voice is music to my ears and will always be something I will be looking forward too. Hang in there Alex and get you and your men home.
Many of you know that I am a General Manager for a small Transportation Company and I travel to many of my clients sites. This requires me to drive by Palo Alto V.A hospital. For years I have wanted to reach out and volunteer for the V.A. I have been a little frustrated with the lack of response by the V.A. so I left a message on a very good on-line friends facebook page. She hit me back introducing me to a new friend that has started an organization a few years ago supporting our wounded Warriors. Richard the founder and President of www.Bluestarriders.com came through and will be introducing some of our wounded Warriors to me next weekend.
It pains me to know our guys are putting it all out there and I am not able too. So I am going to try to help these guys the only way I can. Please know that all money that is donated goes right back without admin fees.
If you want to help out, then please visit www.bluestarriders.com and make it happen.
Larry Arnone
AKA Bluestardad
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
A French Infantrymans perspective of the U.S. Army's warrior
This was shared with me by a parent who had a son deployed with my son in the same Brigade. I had not seen this before and i am glad he shared this, It about brought a proud tear to my eye. Please, enjoy the read as it is a bit long but well worth it. And too the French soldier who shared this writing, Thank you and Gods speed to you.
Larry Arnone
AKA Bluestardad (And I want to keep it that way)
OUT!
A French Infantryman's View of American Soldiers
Written by: host
Subject: French view
Military by Jean-Marc Liotier
American troops in Afghanistan through the eyes of a French OMLT infantryman
The US often hears echoes of worldwide hostility against the application of its foreign policy, but seldom are they reached by the voices of those who experience first hand how close we are to the USA. In spite of contextual political differences and conflicting interests that generate friction, we do share the same fundamental values - and when push comes to shove that is what really counts.
Through the eyes of that French OMLT (Operational Mentoring Liaison Teams) infantryman you can see how strong the bond is on the ground. In contrast with the Americans, the French soldiers don't seem to write much online - or maybe the proportion is the same but we just have less people deployed. Whatever the reason, this is a rare and moving testimony which is why I decided to translate it into English, so that American people can catch a glimpse of the way European soldiers see them.
Not much high philosophy here, just the first hand impressions of a soldier in contact - but that only makes it more authentic.
Here is the original French article, http://omlt3-kdk3.over-blog.com/article-22935665.html and here is my translation :
"We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while - they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army - one that the
movies brought to the public as series showing "ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events". Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day?
Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company. They have a terribly strong American accent - from our point of view the language they speak is not even English. How many times did I have to write down what I wanted to say rather than waste precious minutes trying various pronunciations of a seemingly common word? Whatever state they are from, no two accents are alike and they even admit that in some crisis situations they have difficulties understanding each other.
Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins and creatine (Heh. More like Waffle House and McDonalds) - they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them - we are wimps, even the strongest of us - and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans.
Here we discover America as it is often depicted: their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by promiscuity and the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley. Honor, motherland - everything here reminds of that: the American flag floating in the wind above the outpost, just like the one on the post parcels. Even if recruits often originate from the hearth of American cities and gang territory, no one here has any goal other than to hold high and proud the star spangled banner. Each man knows he can count on the support of a whole people who provides them through the mail all that an American could miss in such a remote front-line location: books, chewing gums, razorblades, Gatorade, toothpaste etc. in such way that every man is aware of how much the American people backs him in his difficult mission.
And that is a first shock to our preconceptions: the American soldier is no individualist. The team, the group, the combat team are the focus of all his attention. And they are impressive warriors! We have not come across bad ones, as strange at it may seem to you when you know how critical French people can be. Even if some of them are a bit on the heavy side, all of them provide us everyday with lessons in infantry know-how. Beyond the wearing of a combat kit that never seem to discomfort them (helmet strap, helmet, combat goggles, rifles etc.) the long hours of watch at the outpost never seem to annoy them in the slightest. On the one square meter wooden tower above the perimeter wall they stand the five consecutive hours in full battle rattle and night vision goggles on top, their sight unmoving in the directions of likely danger. No distractions, no pauses, they are like statues nights and days. At night, all movements are performed in the dark - only a handful of subdued red lights indicate the occasional presence of a soldier on the move. Same with the vehicles whose lights are covered - everything happens in pitch dark even filling the fuel tanks with the Japy pump.
And combat? If you have seen Rambo you have seen it all - always coming to the rescue when one of our teams gets in trouble, and always in the shortest delay. That is one of their tricks: they switch from T-shirt and sandals to combat ready in three minutes. Arriving in contact with the enemy, the way they fight is simple and disconcerting: they just charge! They disembark and assault in stride, they bomb first and ask questions later - which cuts any pussyfooting short.
(This is the main area where I'd like to comment. Anyone with a passing knowledge of Kipling knows the lines from Chant Pagan: 'If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white/remember it's ruin to run from a fight./So take open order, lie down, sit tight/And wait for supports like a soldier./ This, in fact, is the basic philosophy of both British and Continental soldiers. 'In the absence of orders, take a defensive position.' Indeed, virtually every army in the world. The American soldier and Marine, however, are imbued from early in their training with the ethos: In the Absence of Orders: Attack! Where other forces, for good or ill, will wait for precise orders and plans to respond to an attack or any other 'incident', the American force will simply go, counting on firepower and SOP to carry the day.
This is one of the great strengths of the American force in combat and it is something that even our closest allies, such as the Brits and Aussies (that latter being closer by the way) find repeatedly surprising. No wonder it surprises the hell out of our enemies.)
We seldom hear any harsh word, and from 5 AM onwards the camp chores are performed in beautiful order and always with excellent spirit. A passing American helicopter stops near a stranded vehicle just to check that everything is alright; an American combat team will rush to support ours before even knowing how dangerous the mission is - from what we have been given to witness, the American soldier is a beautiful and worthy heir to those who liberated France and Europe.
To those who bestow us with the honor of sharing their combat outposts and who everyday give proof of their military excellence, to those who pay the daily tribute of America's army's deployment on Afghan soil, to those we owned this article, ourselves hoping that we will always remain worthy of them and to always continue hearing them say that we are all the same band of brothers".
Larry Arnone
AKA Bluestardad (And I want to keep it that way)
OUT!
A French Infantryman's View of American Soldiers
Written by: host
Subject: French view
Military by Jean-Marc Liotier
American troops in Afghanistan through the eyes of a French OMLT infantryman
The US often hears echoes of worldwide hostility against the application of its foreign policy, but seldom are they reached by the voices of those who experience first hand how close we are to the USA. In spite of contextual political differences and conflicting interests that generate friction, we do share the same fundamental values - and when push comes to shove that is what really counts.
Through the eyes of that French OMLT (Operational Mentoring Liaison Teams) infantryman you can see how strong the bond is on the ground. In contrast with the Americans, the French soldiers don't seem to write much online - or maybe the proportion is the same but we just have less people deployed. Whatever the reason, this is a rare and moving testimony which is why I decided to translate it into English, so that American people can catch a glimpse of the way European soldiers see them.
Not much high philosophy here, just the first hand impressions of a soldier in contact - but that only makes it more authentic.
Here is the original French article, http://omlt3-kdk3.
"We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while - they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army - one that the
movies brought to the public as series showing "ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events". Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day?
Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company. They have a terribly strong American accent - from our point of view the language they speak is not even English. How many times did I have to write down what I wanted to say rather than waste precious minutes trying various pronunciations of a seemingly common word? Whatever state they are from, no two accents are alike and they even admit that in some crisis situations they have difficulties understanding each other.
Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins and creatine (Heh. More like Waffle House and McDonalds) - they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them - we are wimps, even the strongest of us - and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans.
Here we discover America as it is often depicted: their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by promiscuity and the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley. Honor, motherland - everything here reminds of that: the American flag floating in the wind above the outpost, just like the one on the post parcels. Even if recruits often originate from the hearth of American cities and gang territory, no one here has any goal other than to hold high and proud the star spangled banner. Each man knows he can count on the support of a whole people who provides them through the mail all that an American could miss in such a remote front-line location: books, chewing gums, razorblades, Gatorade, toothpaste etc. in such way that every man is aware of how much the American people backs him in his difficult mission.
And that is a first shock to our preconceptions: the American soldier is no individualist. The team, the group, the combat team are the focus of all his attention. And they are impressive warriors! We have not come across bad ones, as strange at it may seem to you when you know how critical French people can be. Even if some of them are a bit on the heavy side, all of them provide us everyday with lessons in infantry know-how. Beyond the wearing of a combat kit that never seem to discomfort them (helmet strap, helmet, combat goggles, rifles etc.) the long hours of watch at the outpost never seem to annoy them in the slightest. On the one square meter wooden tower above the perimeter wall they stand the five consecutive hours in full battle rattle and night vision goggles on top, their sight unmoving in the directions of likely danger. No distractions, no pauses, they are like statues nights and days. At night, all movements are performed in the dark - only a handful of subdued red lights indicate the occasional presence of a soldier on the move. Same with the vehicles whose lights are covered - everything happens in pitch dark even filling the fuel tanks with the Japy pump.
And combat? If you have seen Rambo you have seen it all - always coming to the rescue when one of our teams gets in trouble, and always in the shortest delay. That is one of their tricks: they switch from T-shirt and sandals to combat ready in three minutes. Arriving in contact with the enemy, the way they fight is simple and disconcerting: they just charge! They disembark and assault in stride, they bomb first and ask questions later - which cuts any pussyfooting short.
(This is the main area where I'd like to comment. Anyone with a passing knowledge of Kipling knows the lines from Chant Pagan: 'If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white/remember it's ruin to run from a fight./So take open order, lie down, sit tight/And wait for supports like a soldier./ This, in fact, is the basic philosophy of both British and Continental soldiers. 'In the absence of orders, take a defensive position.' Indeed, virtually every army in the world. The American soldier and Marine, however, are imbued from early in their training with the ethos: In the Absence of Orders: Attack! Where other forces, for good or ill, will wait for precise orders and plans to respond to an attack or any other 'incident', the American force will simply go, counting on firepower and SOP to carry the day.
This is one of the great strengths of the American force in combat and it is something that even our closest allies, such as the Brits and Aussies (that latter being closer by the way) find repeatedly surprising. No wonder it surprises the hell out of our enemies.)
We seldom hear any harsh word, and from 5 AM onwards the camp chores are performed in beautiful order and always with excellent spirit. A passing American helicopter stops near a stranded vehicle just to check that everything is alright; an American combat team will rush to support ours before even knowing how dangerous the mission is - from what we have been given to witness, the American soldier is a beautiful and worthy heir to those who liberated France and Europe.
To those who bestow us with the honor of sharing their combat outposts and who everyday give proof of their military excellence, to those who pay the daily tribute of America's army's deployment on Afghan soil, to those we owned this article, ourselves hoping that we will always remain worthy of them and to always continue hearing them say that we are all the same band of brothers".
Monday, December 28, 2009
Many, many emails from first timers
I have received over a dozen emails from folks that has either a friend, Son or Daughter and even one from a young lady that is really not sure of her status with her warrior other than they are friends and maybe a little more who knows, but it was that email that has inspired me to post tonight. As our warriors get deeper into their operations the more I will be posting here as most of you know. , this particular email really opened my eyes as I know that the unit moved out with a few new guys.
This post is for all the new families and friends of the Herd.
I have received emails asking what to say and what to send to our new warriors. So for as to what to say here are the rules I employ when speaking to my warrior.
Rule 1. Always ask how they are so you you can gauge the up coming conversation.
2. Show them what you have learned about their unit and how prestigious it is. You can do this by educating yourself here.
www.173abnbde.setaf.army.mil/history.htm
3. Make them proud to be with a unit so respected throughout the Military community.
4. Make sure they know how proud of them.
5. Make sure you tell them how much you love them.
6. Never tell them of the trips to exotic places you are about to go on. (Lesson I just learned not long ago)
8. What they need downrange.
9. Ask who their Battle buddies are. Drop them a letter when you can as well.
10. Don't show your emotions in a negative manner as our job is to help build moral while they are deployed. This way we coach the ultimate warrior to perform at their best, thus getting home safe.
If you need support contact me at larryarnone@gmail.com and I will do my best to help you. These guys are good and I think the unit are going to be hitting some more major Grand slams this time around. Right MSG!
This is Larry Arnone
AKA Bluestardad (and I want to keep it that way
Out
Rule 1. Always ask how they are so you you can gauge the up coming conversation.
2. Show them what you have learned about their unit and how prestigious it is. You can do this by educating yourself here.
www.173abnbde.setaf.army.mil/history.htm
3. Make them proud to be with a unit so respected throughout the Military community.
4. Make sure they know how proud of them.
5. Make sure you tell them how much you love them.
6. Never tell them of the trips to exotic places you are about to go on. (Lesson I just learned not long ago)
8. What they need downrange.
9. Ask who their Battle buddies are. Drop them a letter when you can as well.
10. Don't show your emotions in a negative manner as our job is to help build moral while they are deployed. This way we coach the ultimate warrior to perform at their best, thus getting home safe.
If you need support contact me at larryarnone@gmail.com and I will do my best to help you. These guys are good and I think the unit are going to be hitting some more major Grand slams this time around. Right MSG!
This is Larry Arnone
AKA Bluestardad (and I want to keep it that way
Out
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas to all the families who have warriors deployed.
This is Bluestardad over,
Merry Christmas Dad! Merry Christmas son and to all of your battle buddies. That was the conversation I was privileged to have with my warrior today. It was 0030 hours his time just coming off of guard duty, tired and weary. We chatted about what he needed and about the conditions he is operating under. He is the section leader now and now that they are at the COP they are using that time to train up up some of the new guy's in his section before going back out on patrol. In all he sounded pretty good and upbeat regardless of his minor injury.
I have had several people that have commented on my last posting and I would like to address two of them. Judy, who's son has served with the 173rd on multiple deployments in both Theaters of operations. You are feeling me on that call I got. I can only imagine what you went through.
To J who commented about her newly deployed son with the Herd. First let me tell you that your warrior couldn't be with a better unit in my opinion that performs airborne operations. As a former warrior from above, the 173rd rules the sky's hand over.
First what to send them, Letters is the first thing they need, lot's of them so get his address and give it to his friends family alike. Go to the post office or go on line and order a box of 25 flat rate cartons FOR APO'S as you get to send a larger box and you save $2.00 for each box. Send him things that remind him of home. For instance my warrior played ball for a number of years and loves Sunflower seeds. Only send enough that will last only a few days as you don't want them to hump all the stuff you send all over Afghanistan. Batteries are huge, both A's and D's. J, if you write me at my personal email I can get more in depth depending on his unit and what he does. You can reach out to me that way I can find out what your soldier really needs based on his mission. We also have a awesome support base that you can join but I need to know what exact unit your son is with so I can provide you with the proper info.
Last but not least, whenever your cell phone rings and the ID shows only 4 or 5 nombers, take it. It's your soldier or even a area code you are not familiar with. You can contact me direct at larryarnone@gmail.com. I am always available to my son's brothers parents. I will be happy to provide my cell via email. We have many sites for support and Blogs by our warriors themselves. Stay tough J, you are not alone.
This is Larry Arnone
AKA Bluestardad ( and I want to keep it that way)
San Francisco, Ca
OUT
Merry Christmas Dad! Merry Christmas son and to all of your battle buddies. That was the conversation I was privileged to have with my warrior today. It was 0030 hours his time just coming off of guard duty, tired and weary. We chatted about what he needed and about the conditions he is operating under. He is the section leader now and now that they are at the COP they are using that time to train up up some of the new guy's in his section before going back out on patrol. In all he sounded pretty good and upbeat regardless of his minor injury.
I have had several people that have commented on my last posting and I would like to address two of them. Judy, who's son has served with the 173rd on multiple deployments in both Theaters of operations. You are feeling me on that call I got. I can only imagine what you went through.
To J who commented about her newly deployed son with the Herd. First let me tell you that your warrior couldn't be with a better unit in my opinion that performs airborne operations. As a former warrior from above, the 173rd rules the sky's hand over.
First what to send them, Letters is the first thing they need, lot's of them so get his address and give it to his friends family alike. Go to the post office or go on line and order a box of 25 flat rate cartons FOR APO'S as you get to send a larger box and you save $2.00 for each box. Send him things that remind him of home. For instance my warrior played ball for a number of years and loves Sunflower seeds. Only send enough that will last only a few days as you don't want them to hump all the stuff you send all over Afghanistan. Batteries are huge, both A's and D's. J, if you write me at my personal email I can get more in depth depending on his unit and what he does. You can reach out to me that way I can find out what your soldier really needs based on his mission. We also have a awesome support base that you can join but I need to know what exact unit your son is with so I can provide you with the proper info.
Last but not least, whenever your cell phone rings and the ID shows only 4 or 5 nombers, take it. It's your soldier or even a area code you are not familiar with. You can contact me direct at larryarnone@gmail.com. I am always available to my son's brothers parents. I will be happy to provide my cell via email. We have many sites for support and Blogs by our warriors themselves. Stay tough J, you are not alone.
This is Larry Arnone
AKA Bluestardad ( and I want to keep it that way)
San Francisco, Ca
OUT
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Ring Ring
"This is Blue Star Dad go ahead"
Hey Dad it's me. "Hey Son how are you? I'm good, I am just checking in with you to let you know that my team and I are at the jump off point for our next deployment. (rest of conversation omitted)
That was a week ago and now they are in country waiting to move to their AO. For OPSEC reasons I will not reveal their AO but no matter where their AO will be I know one thing for sure, It is cold so I went to the store to start stocking up on materials for the care packages I will be sending to my warrior. I have to laugh though, the first thing on my list to buy some good old Panty Hose to send for the cold days facing him. At this point I am wondering how many of you are confused as to why I would send Panty Hose to my warrior. Well, many of you may not know this but Panty Hose can really keep you a bit warmer. Yep, cheap, light weight and so much warmer.
So here we go again, another deployment knowing that my son and his fellow warriors will be facing the enemy 24/7 365. Our guy's have it real rough especially after I just reviewed the new R.O.E. that have been established for them. Thanks to a couple of wonderful people that gave me a heads up on the new R.O.E. Cheri and M.S.G., I am with you all the way though out this deployment. Keep your chin up Cheri.
There are some new members on my warriors team that I am not familiar with but if any of you are reading this hit me back with your address so I can send you a package or two. So you know who you are with my Warrior is SGT Arnone with Battle Mortars. That should help some.
I hear there has not been much chatter with the FRG but am sure that will start to change. As I said before there are many new members in the unit but I hope over time many people will be googleing their warriors unit and will stumble onto this Blog. If you do, feel free to drop me an email and we can exchange contact information. Believe me when I say this, it does help being able to communicate during a tough deployment. Also if you are called a brother by my son you are always a son of mine, reach out to me so I know who you are.
I know it has been a very long time since I last posted and I am sorry for that but many of you that follow this Blog already know that I use this Blog as a tool to help vent my frustrations during deployments, we are now deploying and I am back.
I want to take this time to thank some individuals and organizations for all their time and effort in supporting not only OUR unit but all the others as well. Leta (Tankerbabelc) Mary Anne, Uncle Jimbo, Blackfive. A huge thank you to Soldiers Angels Germany and the many Veterans Hospitals serving our military. I also would like to thank I.A.V.A. for their continuing fight to help our veterans.
Digging in,
Blue Star Dad (and I want to keep it that way)
Out
Hey Dad it's me. "Hey Son how are you? I'm good, I am just checking in with you to let you know that my team and I are at the jump off point for our next deployment. (rest of conversation omitted)
That was a week ago and now they are in country waiting to move to their AO. For OPSEC reasons I will not reveal their AO but no matter where their AO will be I know one thing for sure, It is cold so I went to the store to start stocking up on materials for the care packages I will be sending to my warrior. I have to laugh though, the first thing on my list to buy some good old Panty Hose to send for the cold days facing him. At this point I am wondering how many of you are confused as to why I would send Panty Hose to my warrior. Well, many of you may not know this but Panty Hose can really keep you a bit warmer. Yep, cheap, light weight and so much warmer.
So here we go again, another deployment knowing that my son and his fellow warriors will be facing the enemy 24/7 365. Our guy's have it real rough especially after I just reviewed the new R.O.E. that have been established for them. Thanks to a couple of wonderful people that gave me a heads up on the new R.O.E. Cheri and M.S.G., I am with you all the way though out this deployment. Keep your chin up Cheri.
There are some new members on my warriors team that I am not familiar with but if any of you are reading this hit me back with your address so I can send you a package or two. So you know who you are with my Warrior is SGT Arnone with Battle Mortars. That should help some.
I hear there has not been much chatter with the FRG but am sure that will start to change. As I said before there are many new members in the unit but I hope over time many people will be googleing their warriors unit and will stumble onto this Blog. If you do, feel free to drop me an email and we can exchange contact information. Believe me when I say this, it does help being able to communicate during a tough deployment. Also if you are called a brother by my son you are always a son of mine, reach out to me so I know who you are.
I know it has been a very long time since I last posted and I am sorry for that but many of you that follow this Blog already know that I use this Blog as a tool to help vent my frustrations during deployments, we are now deploying and I am back.
I want to take this time to thank some individuals and organizations for all their time and effort in supporting not only OUR unit but all the others as well. Leta (Tankerbabelc) Mary Anne, Uncle Jimbo, Blackfive. A huge thank you to Soldiers Angels Germany and the many Veterans Hospitals serving our military. I also would like to thank I.A.V.A. for their continuing fight to help our veterans.
Digging in,
Blue Star Dad (and I want to keep it that way)
Out
Thursday, May 7, 2009
And then they got into action
Hello all!
I was searching the internet for video's of our guy's (173rd ACBT) hoping to find something new that i have not seen yet and low and behold I came across two. It seems the first one here is an uncut version and then a second that has been edited and posted by Blackfive. I like the later as it has my boy in it scanning with his M-4 which really surprises me as he is the one that usually runs the tube gang under the direction of SSG Upp. Well you decide which one you like so here goes. The unedited can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJHBq8aX-4Q and the one I think is cool is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmEDe-UOGOE
I was searching the internet for video's of our guy's (173rd ACBT) hoping to find something new that i have not seen yet and low and behold I came across two. It seems the first one here is an uncut version and then a second that has been edited and posted by Blackfive. I like the later as it has my boy in it scanning with his M-4 which really surprises me as he is the one that usually runs the tube gang under the direction of SSG Upp. Well you decide which one you like so here goes. The unedited can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJHBq8aX-4Q and the one I think is cool is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmEDe-UOGOE
Monday, January 12, 2009
A recon Marine in Afghanistan
This is a post that a friend sent to me by a Marine in Afghanistan. This soldier definitely has a way with words. I know it has been awhile since I have posted but I want you to know I have not given up and I will not be going anywhere. Our fine soldiers are off in Germany preparing to take the next fight for them to take to the enemy. They have conducted some successful airborne operations recently and I know that my soldier had some hair raising experiences during these jumps. I promise to stay in touch with each of you through this Blog but it just may not be as often as before until the actual deployment begins.
Bluestardad Out!
It's freezing here. I'm sitting on hard, cold dirt between rocks and
shrubs at the base of the Hindu Kush Mountains along the Dar 'yoi Pomir
River watching a hole that leads to a tunnel that leads to a cave. Stake
out, my friend, and no pizza delivery for thousands of miles.
I also glance at the area around me every ten to fifteen seconds
to avoid another scorpion sting. I've actually given up battling the
chiggers and sand fleas, but them scorpions give a jolt like a cattle
prod. Hurts!!. The antidote tastes like transmission fluid
but God bless the Marine Corps for the five vials of it in my pack.
The one truth the Taliban cannot escape is that, believe it or not,
they are human beings, which means they have to eat food and drink water.
That requires couriers and that's where an old bounty hunter like me
comes in handy. I track the couriers, locate the tunnel entrances and
storage facilities, type the info into the handheld, shoot the coordinates
up to the satellite link that tells the air commanders where to drop the
hardware, we bash some heads for a while, then I track and record the new
movement.
It's all about intelligence. We haven't even brought in the snipers
yet. These scurrying rats have no idea what they're in for. We are but
days away from cutting off supply lines and allowing the eradication to
begin.
I dream of bin Laden waking up to find me standing over him with my
boot on his throat as I spit into his face and plunge my nickel plated
Bowie knife through his frontal lobe. But you know me. I'm a romantic.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: This country blows, man.
It's not even a country. There are no roads, there's no infrastructure,
there's no government. This is an inhospitable, rock pit ruled by
Bluestardad Out!
It's freezing here. I'm sitting on hard, cold dirt between rocks and
shrubs at the base of the Hindu Kush Mountains along the Dar 'yoi Pomir
River watching a hole that leads to a tunnel that leads to a cave. Stake
out, my friend, and no pizza delivery for thousands of miles.
I also glance at the area around me every ten to fifteen seconds
to avoid another scorpion sting. I've actually given up battling the
chiggers and sand fleas, but them scorpions give a jolt like a cattle
prod. Hurts!!. The antidote tastes like transmission fluid
but God bless the Marine Corps for the five vials of it in my pack.
The one truth the Taliban cannot escape is that, believe it or not,
they are human beings, which means they have to eat food and drink water.
That requires couriers and that's where an old bounty hunter like me
comes in handy. I track the couriers, locate the tunnel entrances and
storage facilities, type the info into the handheld, shoot the coordinates
up to the satellite link that tells the air commanders where to drop the
hardware, we bash some heads for a while, then I track and record the new
movement.
It's all about intelligence. We haven't even brought in the snipers
yet. These scurrying rats have no idea what they're in for. We are but
days away from cutting off supply lines and allowing the eradication to
begin.
I dream of bin Laden waking up to find me standing over him with my
boot on his throat as I spit into his face and plunge my nickel plated
Bowie knife through his frontal lobe. But you know me. I'm a romantic.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: This country blows, man.
It's not even a country. There are no roads, there's no infrastructure,
there's no government. This is an inhospitable, rock pit ruled by
eleventh century warring tribes. There are no jobs here like we know
jobs.
Afghanistan offers two ways for a man to support his family: join
the opium trade or join the army. That's it. Those are your options. Oh, I
forgot, you can also live in a refugee camp and eat plum-sweetened,
crushed beetle paste and squirt mud like a goose with stomach flu if
that's your idea of a party. But the smell alone of those 'tent cities of the
walking dead' is enough to hurl you into the poppy fields to cheerfully
scrape bulbs for eighteen hours a day.
I've been living with these Tajiks and Uzbeks and Turkmen and even a
couple of Pashtuns for over a month and a h alf now and this much I can
say for sure: These guys, all of 'em, are Huns Actual, living Huns. They
LIVE to fight. It's what they do. It's ALL they do. They have no respect
for anything, not for their families or for each other or for themselves.
They claw at one another as a way of life. They play polo with dead calves
and force their five-year-old sons into human cockfights to defend the
family honor. Huns, roaming packs of savage, heartless beasts who feed on
each other's barbarism Cavemen with AK47's. Then again, maybe I'm just
cranky.
I'm freezing on this stupid hill because my lap warmer is
running out of juice and I can't recharge it until the sun comes up in a
few hours
Oh yeah! You like to write letters, right? Do me a favor, Bizarre.
Write a letter to CNN and tell Wolf and Anderson and that awful,
sneering, pompous Aaron Brown to stop calling the Taliban 'smart.' They
are not smart. I suggest CNN invest in a dictionary because the word they are
looking for is 'cunning.' The Taliban are cunning, like jackals and
hyenas and wolverines. They are sneaky and ruthless and, when confronted,
cowardly. They are hateful, malevolent parasites who create nothing and
destroy everything else. Smart. Pfft. Yeah, they're really smart.
They've spent their entire lives reading only one book (and not a
very good one, as books go) and consider hygiene and indoor plumbing to be
products of the devil. They're still figuring out how to work a Bic
lighter. Talking to a Taliban warrior about improving his quality of life is
like trying to teach an ape how to hold a pen; eventually he just gets
frustrated and sticks you in the eye with it.
OK, enough. Snuffle will be up soon so I have to get back to my
hole. Covering my tracks in the snow takes a lot of practice but I'm good
at it. Please, I tell you and my fellow Americans to turn off the TV sets and
Move on with your lives.
The story line you are getting from CNN and other news agencies is
designed not to deliver truth but rather to keep you
glued to the screen through the commercials. We've got this one under
control The worst thing you guys can do right now is sit around
analyzing what we're doing over here because you have no idea what we're
doing and, really, you don't want to know. We are your military and we are
doing what you sent us here to do.
You wanna help? Buy Bonds, America.
Saucy Jack
Recon Marine in Afghanistan
Semper Fi
Friday, August 15, 2008
Dreams, Phone ringing and a "Hey Dad"
I know I posted last night about my soldiers delay but I wanted to update you all of recent events. I went to bed last night not knowing when my son would arrive in SFO. I did a lot of tossing and turning thinking of him and of the possible changes in his personality. I guess I finally fell asleep around 1 AM. I then remember dreaming that someone was calling me on my home phone, when I realized I wasn't dreaming I bolted for the phone only to miss the call. I saw it was a San Francisco number and when I tried calling back there was no answer. I finally went back to bed and must of fell right back to sleep only to be woken up by my home phone. I grabbed the phone and answered. From the other end I heard "Hey Dad, I'm home" and I rushed the door to greet my returning soldier. That was at 4:50 am so I guess he was able to get the last flight out of JFK. I wasn't expecting him home until around 10:30 AM but hey, who am I to complain right? He is in the shower now and then we will be off to car hunting for him. He's home and I am on cloud nine.
Bluestardad OUT!
Larry Arnone
San Francisco
AKA Bluestar (And I want to keep it that way)
Bluestardad OUT!
Larry Arnone
San Francisco
AKA Bluestar (And I want to keep it that way)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
O.K. the forgotten war has really hit home
In my previous posting I had cut and pasted a fathers letter to friends and family. I am not sure if it was a friend or family member who was ( I'm sure ) trying to be compassionate. Here is the kicker ( You ready for this ) The Title actually read "
Thank You,
Larry Arnone
San Francisco
AKA A BlueStarDad (and I want to keep it that way)
A letter from a Father who's son was shot in Iraq
I changed it to read Afghanistan knowing better as it is obvious in the letter as the Dad is speaking about Chosen Company of the 2nd-503rd 173rd ABCT and the date on the post. I can't believe they confused the country. This kind of stuff just burns my ass. Makes me want to take out an add on the first page of every major newspaper in the country saying "U.S. Forces arrive in AFGHANISTAN for combat operations in retaliation of 9/11/2001 7 YEARS AGO and they are still there". Ahhhhh! I'm still waiting on a wheels up from my boy which reminds me, please remember tomorrow July 31st. Take two minutes of your day and remember a Sky Soldier that fell on this date. 1LT Ben Hall of the United States Army Platoon leader, Destined Company, 2nd-503rd P.I.R. 173rd ABCT Vehicle Patrol Base Serey, Kunar Province, Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan.Thank You,
Larry Arnone
San Francisco
AKA A BlueStarDad (and I want to keep it that way)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
P.T.S.D. and how it can be treated.
I have written about this topic before but feel that you can never make Parents, Loved One and Friends more aware about this. Some soldiers are afraid to ask for help from the Government fearing it could affect their status amongst their Commanders, Battle Buddies and the Government itself. We can eliminate those fears today by simply observing our soldiers when they return from Afghanistan and identifying certain symptoms. You the loved ones will spot them after spending some time with them when they return home. A person who I have become to know through the Blogspheres ( Joanne ) aka http://longislandgirl.vox.com/ has made me aware previously of an organization that helps returning soldiers and families that help them at no charge are are kept completely confidential. If your soldier is in denial or feel they will not accept your observations and advice then contact the organization yourself so they can help you help your soldier understand they may need help. Go to this website to learn how you can help your loved one or friend www.thesoldiersproject.org, . It is always best to catch ANY disorder early on. Don't be afraid or embarrassed as they nor you have control on the onset of this disorder. The war did it to them and it is up to us to reach out and help them with loving hearts.
I beg you, please pass the word about this as it is the least we can do for these returning hero's. This disorder can be worse than being wounded in battle. Last but not least, when your Soldier does return home to you and you greet them at the airport, smile, show them how much you are happy they are home but let them approach you for that hug. They are already a bit freaked out being around thousands of people in an uncontrolled environment.
Enjoy your time with them while they are home, you both deserve it as it has been a difficult deployment for us all. As our soldiers would say "Sky Soldiers"!
I beg you, please pass the word about this as it is the least we can do for these returning hero's. This disorder can be worse than being wounded in battle. Last but not least, when your Soldier does return home to you and you greet them at the airport, smile, show them how much you are happy they are home but let them approach you for that hug. They are already a bit freaked out being around thousands of people in an uncontrolled environment.
Enjoy your time with them while they are home, you both deserve it as it has been a difficult deployment for us all. As our soldiers would say "Sky Soldiers"!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
.Another fine trooper and "Wheels up"
We have all been under incredible duress these last few day's wondering if our soldiers of the 173rd ABCT were involved in the latest tragedy this past weekend. It is now clear who has and to those of you that had loved ones or friends involved my heart goes out to each and everyone of you. I personally am pretty sure that my soldier is O.K. but I do still remain in a state of being on pins and needles until my soldier messages me "Wheels Down" on returning to Italy. A message very much like a mother received last year "wheels up" from her son on deploying to Afghanistan. I will get to that quote in a moment. I was able to speak to another fine soldier from Destined Co. that is currently at Walter Reed having surgery for injury sustained during military operations in the Kunar Province not long ago. SPC Matt Sexton is such a fine soldier and good friend of my own. He was surprised when I called but happy as well. You see, I want to know all those soldiers that my son has called friends. It brings great pleasure in hearing all the missions they were on or even the nights out in Italy. I feel even more closer to my son at a time we are separated while he does something he believes in. In any case, Matt! I hope your recovery is swift and you are able to return to your battle brothers soon.
O.K. on the wheels up part of the posting (deep breathing here) as I sit here typing I find myself so fortunate that my son has only received minor injuries sustained during combat operations where many others have sustained much more serious wounds and unfortunately so many have made the ultimate sacrifice. Lt. Ben Hall notified his family that his aircraft was wheels up on deploying to Afghanistan as a young officer with Destined Co. of the 173rd ABCT. I am speaking of LT. Ben Hall who hailed from a distinguished Military back ground. His sister contacted me today after stumbling across my Blog. It was such great pleasure hearing from her. We are approaching the anniversary of Ben Halls death while serving with his men in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan. His family is so kind which reflects exactly Ben's personality and leadership. Since my son did look up to this Officer and formed a friendship in that they had some awesome conversations on many subjects and has help Alex map out his destiny I ask that all my readers please take two minutes on the 31st of this month and pray for Ben and his family. Can we make this happen people?
Longing for the return of my Son,
Larry Arnone
San Francisco, Ca
AKA A Bluestardad (and I want to keep it that way)
O.K. on the wheels up part of the posting (deep breathing here) as I sit here typing I find myself so fortunate that my son has only received minor injuries sustained during combat operations where many others have sustained much more serious wounds and unfortunately so many have made the ultimate sacrifice. Lt. Ben Hall notified his family that his aircraft was wheels up on deploying to Afghanistan as a young officer with Destined Co. of the 173rd ABCT. I am speaking of LT. Ben Hall who hailed from a distinguished Military back ground. His sister contacted me today after stumbling across my Blog. It was such great pleasure hearing from her. We are approaching the anniversary of Ben Halls death while serving with his men in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan. His family is so kind which reflects exactly Ben's personality and leadership. Since my son did look up to this Officer and formed a friendship in that they had some awesome conversations on many subjects and has help Alex map out his destiny I ask that all my readers please take two minutes on the 31st of this month and pray for Ben and his family. Can we make this happen people?
Longing for the return of my Son,
Larry Arnone
San Francisco, Ca
AKA A Bluestardad (and I want to keep it that way)
Monday, July 14, 2008
Joint al Qaeda and Taliban force behind Kunar base attack
Joint al Qaeda and Taliban force behind Kunar base attack
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| Kunar provincial map. Click to view. |
Yesterday's deadly complex attack on a joint US and Afghan outpost in Kunar province was carried out by a large, mixed force of Taliban, al Qaeda, and allied extremist groups operating eastern Afghanistan.
Sunday's assault occurred just three days after 45 US soldiers, likely from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and 25 Afghan troops established a new combat outpost in the town of Wanat. The troops had little time to learn the lay of the land, establish local contacts, and build an intelligence network. The fortifications were not fully completed, according to initial reports.
A complex attack
The assault was carried out in the early morning of July 13 after the extremist forces, numbering between 200 and 500 fighters, took over a neighboring village. "What they [the Taliban] did was they moved into an adjacent village - which was close to the combat outpost - they basically expelled the villagers and used their houses to attack us," an anonymous senior Afghan defense ministry official told Al Jazeera. Tribesmen in the town stayed behind "and helped the insurgents during the fight," General Mohammad Qasim Jangalbagh, the provincial police chief, told The Associated Press.
The Taliban force then conducted a complex attack, coordinating a ground assault with supporting fires. Approximately 100 enemy fighters were reported to have moved close to the base while under a heavy barrage of machinegun fire, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortars. The fighters advanced on the outpost from three sides.
Taliban fighters breached the outer perimeter of the outpost but were repelled. US troops called in artillery, helicopter, and air support to help beat back the attacking force. Casualties were heavy on both sides, with nine US soldiers and 40 Taliban fighters killed during the assault. Fifteen US and four Afghan soldiers were also wounded in the attack.
An extremist alliance
The assault on the Wanat outpost was conducted by an alliance of extremist groups operating in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to reports. A senior Afghan defense official told Al Jazeera that "various anti-government factions including Taliban, al-Qaeda and the Hezb-i-Islami faction were involved" in the strike.
Tamim Nuristani, who served as governor of Kunar before President Hamid Karzai relieve him of his post for criticizing a US airstrike that is thought to have killed Afghan civilians, said Taliban and Pakistani groups banded together for the attack. "The (attackers) were not only from Nuristan but from other districts," Nuristani said.
"They are not only Taliban. They were (Pakistan-based) Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hezb-i-Islami, Taliban and those people who are dissatisfied with the (Karzai) government after these recent incidents," Nuristani said, intimating the attack was revenge for the US airstrike. "They all came together for this one."
Kunar hosts a major infiltration route and a witches' brew of extremist
Activity in Kunar province has been particularly fierce over the past year. According to an Afghan security report obtained by The Long War Journal, Kunar suffered 963 attacks in 2007, making it the second most active province for insurgents, after Kandahar. The data for 2008 shows the same trend, with Kunar behind only Kandahar in the number of Taliban-related attacks.
US forces have stepped up their presence in Kunar and neighboring Nuristan province since 2005, building remote outposts and bases along established smuggling routes used by insurgent forces. According to one regional report, the US recently finished construction on a vital outpost near the notorious Ghahki Pass, a narrow gorge connecting Pakistan’s Bajaur tribal agency with Kunar province.
The Ghahki Pass has remained a vital extremist infiltration route since the conflict began. In October 2001, more than 1,000 Pakistani jihadists flooded through the narrow canyon into Afghanistan and joined the Taliban in their fight against Coalition forces. Seven years later, the local population remains openly hostile to both the Afghan government and US forces, making it an ideal area for extremist activity to thrive.
A host of Taliban, al Qaeda, and allied extremist groups operate inside Kunar and in the Bajaur tribal agency in neighboring Pakistan. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Younus Khalis's Hezb-i-Islami factions operate in Kunar and in neighboring Bajaur. The Kashmiri-based Lashkar-e-Taiba also operates in the border region. Al Qaeda's senior leadership, including Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri, are thought to shelter in the region.
Bajaur is a strategic command and control hub for al Qaeda. The tribal agency is administered by Faqir Mohammed, the local leader of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM - the Movement for the Implementation of Mohammad's Sharia Law) and the deputy leader of Baitullah Mehsud's unified Pakistani Taliban movement. The TNSM sent thousands of fighters into Afghanistan to fight US forces in 2001 and 2002, and continues to sponsor attacks in Afghanistan.
Pakistan remains a sanctuary for extremist leaders, as raids in early February demonstrated. After capturing Mansoor Dadullah in the southern part of the country, Pakistani security forces arrested several senior al Qaeda and Afghan Taliban commanders from Kunar during raids in Swat and Peshawar.
Pakistan is the Taliban's training ground
The Taliban, al Qaeda, and allied extremist groups, collectively called AQAM or al Qaeda and Allied Movements by various military and intelligence sources, have established their base of operations inside Pakistan’s tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province.
The peace agreements signed between the Pakistani government and the Taliban, which have been ongoing since March 2006, have given AQAM the time and spaced needed to establish a series of camps throughout the Northwest Frontier Province.
Terrorist groups have set up a series of camps throughout the tribal areas and in the settled districts of the Northwest Frontier Province. "More than 100" terror camps of varying sizes and types are currently in operation in the region, a senior US military intelligence official told The Long War Journal. As of the summer of 2007, 29 terror camps were known to be operating in North and South Waziristan alone.
Some camps are devoted to training the Taliban's military arm, some train suicide bombers for attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan, some focus on training the various Kashmiri terror groups, some train al Qaeda operatives for attacks in the West, and one serves as a training ground the Black Guard, the elite bodyguard for Osama bin Laden.
Al Qaeda has also reformed Brigade 055, the infamous military arm of the terror group made up of Arab recruits. The unit is thought to be commanded by Shaikh Khalid Habib al Shami. Brigade 055 fought alongside the Taliban against the Northern Alliance and was decimated during the US invasion of Afghanistan. Several other Arab brigades have been formed, some consisting of former members of Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guards, an intelligence official told The Long War Journal.
Al Qaeda's elite forces were likely involved in the planning and execution of Sunday's sophisticated attack in Kunar.
Sources:
• The Long War Journal: Taliban launch deadly attack on a combat outpost in Afghanistan's Kunar province
• The Long War Journal: Afghan Taliban leaders nabbed in Pakistan
• The Long War Journal: "More than 100 terror camps" in operation in northwestern Pakistan
• Al Jazeera: Taliban fighters storm US base
• The AP: Deadly attack on US base sends worrying signal
• The AP: 9 U.S. soldiers killed in Taliban assault on base
• Program for Culture and Conflict Studies: Kunar Province briefing
Read this and you tell me what may have happened at that lone outpost.
AP IMPACT: Pakistan militants focus on Afghanistan
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — In early June, about 300 fighters from jihadist groups came together for a secret gathering here, in the same city that serves as headquarters to the Pakistani army.
The groups were launched long ago with the army's clandestine support to fight against India in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. But at the meeting, they agreed to resolve their differences and commit more fighters to another front instead: Afghanistan.
"The message was that the jihad in Kashmir is still continuing but it is not the most important right now. Afghanistan is the fighting ground, against the Americans there," said Toor Gul, a leader of the militant group Hezb-ul Mujahedeen,d in an interview at the beginning of July. The groups included the al-Qaida-linked Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, banned by Pakistan and branded terrorists by the U.S., he said.
The U.S. military says militant attacks in eastern Afghanistan have increased 40 percent this year over 2007. And for two straight months, the death toll of foreign troops in Afghanistan has exceeded that of Iraq. On Sunday, nine U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province, the deadliest single attack for the U.S. since June 2005.
Pakistani military and European intelligence officials, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the information is sensitive, confirmed the June meeting and said it was the second such gathering this year. A senior military official described the inability to prevent the meetings as "an intelligence failure."
Despite growing pressure on Pakistan to quell Islamic militancy, jihadist groups within its borders are in fact increasing their cooperation to attack U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, according to interviews with a wide range of militants, intelligence officials, and military officers.
Militants say they operate with minimal interference, and sometimes tacit cooperation, from Pakistani authorities, while diplomats say the country's new government has until now been ineffectual in dealing with a looming threat.
"Where there were embers seven years ago we are now fighting flames," a serving Western general told The Associated Press, referring to both Afghanistan and Pakistan's border regions. He agreed to be interviewed on condition his identity and nationality were not revealed.
A Pentagon report released late last month described a dual terror threat in Afghanistan: the Taliban in the south, and "a more complex, adaptive insurgency" in the east. That fragmented insurgency is made up of groups ranging from al-Qaida-linked Afghan warlords such as Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's radical Hezb-i-Islami group to Pakistani militants such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, the report said.
Hekmatyar's is the strongest rebel group in Afghanistan's Kunar province, where Sunday's deadly ambush occurred. His group has also had close contacts with jihadi groups in Pakistan.
In the past, the Taliban were suspicious of the mujahadeen groups with close associations to the Pakistani military and intelligence. But now Gul, who fights alongside Hekmatyar's men in Kunar province, said they are united in the fight for Afghanistan. He told the AP he had been to Kunar in the last two months but refused to be more specific.
Mark Laity, NATO spokesman in Afghanistan, said Pakistan's new civilian government has reduced its preventive military action and is trying to negotiate peace deals with the militants. He expressed concern that the deals were leading to "increased cross border activity."
The Pakistani government also appears to be loosening its grip on the volatile northwest, where the influence of Islamic extremists is expanding. Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding somewhere along the rugged, lawless Afghan-Pakistan border.
Pakistan's Mohmand and Bajaur tribal areas are emerging as increasingly strong insurgent centers, according to Gul, the militant. His information was corroborated by Pakistani and Western officials. Both those tribal areas are right next door to Afghanistan's Kunar province.
"Before there were special, hidden places for training. But now they are all over Bajaur and Mohmand," he said. "Even in houses there is training going on."
A former minister in President Pervez Musharraf's ousted government, who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals, said insurgents were being paid between 6,000 and 8,000 rupees — the equivalent of $90 and $120 — a month in Mohmand and grain was being collected to feed them. He did not identify the source of the donations but said Pakistan's army and intelligence were aware of them.
Maulvi Abdul Rahman, a Taliban militant and former police officer under the ousted hardline regime, said jihadist sympathizers in the Middle East are sending money to support the insurgents and more Central Asians are coming to fight. Rahman said under a tacit understanding with authorities, militants were free to cross to fight in Afghanistan so long as they do not stage attacks inside Pakistan, which has been assailed by an unprecedented wave of suicide attacks in the past year.
"It is easy for me now. I just go and come. There are army checkposts and now we pass and they don't say anything. Pakistan now understands that the U.S. is dangerous for them," he said. "There is not an article in any agreement that says go to Afghanistan, but it is understood if we want to go to Afghanistan, OK, but leave Pakistan alone.'"
The Taliban appears to have considerable latitude to operate. Last month Baitullah Mehsud, the chief Pakistani Taliban leader, held a news conference attended by dozens of Pakistani journalists in South Waziristan tribal region. Authorities did nothing to stop it, although the Pakistani government and the CIA have accused Mehsud of plotting the December assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.
Journalists who attended said there were no security forces to be seen as a convoy of as many as 20 vehicles passed into the Mehsud's hideout — not far from where the army itself had taken an entourage of foreign journalists just a week earlier.
Tensions in Pakistan's anti-terror alliance with the United States are growing. U.S. airstrikes during a border clash with militants on June 10 killed 11 Pakistani paramilitary troops — the deadliest incident of its kind, prompting a sharp rebuke by Pakistan's army to Washington.
Pakistan's army vehemently denies giving covert aid to militants and points out that 1,087 of its soldiers have died in the tribal regions since 2002 — more than the U.S. military and NATO have lost in Afghanistan.
"If anyone says the army is providing sanctuary, nothing could be further from the truth," army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said. He criticized the U.S. and NATO forces for failing to capture insurgents when they cross into Afghanistan or stop them from coming into Pakistan.
"Is it the responsibility of only one side to stop the border crossings?" he asked.
A senior government official also said Pakistan — which once backed the Taliban but formally abandoned its support after the Sept. 11 attacks on America — has become the scapegoat for U.S. and NATO failures in Afghanistan.
"They don't want to tell their bosses that they've made a mess of it in Afghanistan, where there is no governance, corruption is everywhere and the Afghan government is involved up to the hilt in heroin smuggling, gun running," said the official, who had the authority to speak only if his name was not used. He denied the army was helping militants.
"Maybe one or two individuals are allowing things to happen, but as a policy it makes no sense to me. Just because we were in bed with them once doesn't mean we are today."
However, the Afghan government has directly accused Pakistani intelligence of plotting a recent assassination attempt on President Hamid Karzai and the July 7 bombing outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul that killed at least 58 people.
Such allegations are virtually impossible to substantiate. But retired Pakistani general Talat Masood said the army still treats militants and Afghan rebels as "assets" because of its deep conviction that India is expanding its influence in Afghanistan and using its consulates there to foment an ethnic rebellion in Pakistan's troubled southwest Baluchistan province.
"There are certain (militant) groups that have the full blessing of the army, some to which they are neutral and some they are against," he said.
Although Pakistan has received some $10 billion in mostly military aid since 2001, the army mistrusts the United States — worried it could one day abandon Pakistan and even turn its guns on a country where it has repeatedly voiced concern that al-Qaida's leadership is regrouping.
"They still believe in the same thing — that America will leave them tomorrow," Masood said. "And we'll be left high and dry with India strong, and a hostile government in Afghanistan and that we will have no friends."
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