Tag Archives: war vignettes

Every Form of Contact

Posted on February 23, 2017 by

It seems like my old buddy H.R. McMaster is back in the news, now as our new National Security Adviser.  Here’s hoping my interactions with him now will be different than when I did so in 2005 in Tal’Afar.  I … Continue reading →

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Book-Bound in Sweat and Blood, Replayed in the Theaters in Their Heads

Posted on December 27, 2016 by

I haven’t had time or energy to post much recently as work has been crazy-busy, and we’re putting in a lot of hours. But something recently came to my attention that I could not let rest only in my head, … Continue reading →

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A Special Veterans Day Pages From My Pocket: Post-Deployment Dream List

Posted on November 10, 2016 by

I’ve neglected to write entries for the “Pages From My Pocket” series for several weeks now. Work has been ridiculously stressful and busy, and by the end of a commute and dinner, I grow weary. And then writing becomes hard. And since … Continue reading →

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The Print Shop: Pages From My Pocket

Posted on September 1, 2016 by

In this week’s edition of Pages From My Pocket: The Print Shop There were a lot of anti-Iraq force (AIF) support networks and facilitation cells in Tal’Afar. I remember that there were a lot of ‘shops’. A lot of businesses … Continue reading →

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It’s In The Courtyard: Pages From My Pocket

Posted on August 25, 2016 by

In this week’s edition of Pages From My Pocket: Intel Every soldier is a sensor. That aside, there are a number of ways that battlefield intelligence can be collected. The very nature of our Cavalry Squadron was RTSA: reconnaissance, surveillance, … Continue reading →

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Council Me, Please: Pages From My Pocket

Posted on August 18, 2016 by

In this week’s edition of Pages From My Pocket: Reconciliation This one comes from our time in the Surge. Post-Baghdad the Regiment moved to Ba’qubah in Diyala province. Diyala was where Abu Al Zarqawi had been hiding before the U.S. … Continue reading →

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QRF -This Sux: Pages From My Pocket

Posted on August 11, 2016 by

In this week’s edition of Pages From My Pocket: QRF Ah – QRF; the Quick Reaction Force.  I’ve written a few brief blurbs about being on QRF here and here. But as goes, there are hundreds of other stories about … Continue reading →

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Purple Heart Day — Pacific Paratrooper

Posted on August 7, 2016 by

August 7th is National Purple Heart Day. It doesn’t seem to be a day on calendars, there isn’t a card for it, and there are no cakes – nor should their be, if you ask me. What today is, to … Continue reading →

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Winds of Change: Pages From My Pocket

Posted on August 4, 2016 by

In this first edition of Pages From My Pocket: Change Notes on the changing tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP’s) used by AIF (anti-Iraqi forces) Circa June, 2005. Upon returning from Tal’Afar, but before we moved down to Rawah, we had done … Continue reading →

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Introducing the “Pages From My Pocket” Series

Posted on August 3, 2016 by

I recently spent a weekend overhauling the storage space under the stairs leading down to the basement and furnace room. Doing so allowed me to get rid of some crap I had been keeping stored that was of no real … Continue reading →

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