matthewcline

The prettiest sound I ever heard was, as I was stacked up number 1 in Panama getting ready to enter the UESAT Barracks, and right as we got ready to breach the ground floor, ALL 6 GUNS opened up and then began "talken threes". By the time we hit the second floor all we could do was walk over the debri. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

That stucatto beat is something you never want to hear aimed your way. I'll tell ya about the time I got hit in the left wrist by a pig one day (after it punched a wholethrough 3+ feet of sandbags at 500+m's. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Oh yeah? well have I got a bone to pick with him! But not for a about 40+ years. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

You ever tried runnen' with that sum beach in your arms? I'll leave the M-2 on the truck and RUN with the M-60. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Yeah, it is snowing here. What the hell happened to the global warming? I was so looking forward to that in retirement. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

We actually got briefed on Future Airborne Operations the other day. (out here at Campbell of all places). BLUF (Army for - Bottom Line Up Front, go figure another fucken acronym) Airborne is staying. The DOD though it was not needed after WWII, then in Korea we used 'em, in Vietnam we used 'em, in Grenada we used 'em, in Panama we used' em and now in Iraq we used 'em. SO some 4 star said they stay because, after WWII we thought, well you get the point. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

illegals? Legals, OK, but illegals? Wouldn't this be more of the same crap we got now? "Their taking all the good military jobs!" Mat An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Yeah, but you don't make the mistake of grabben' the Barrel with out a glove but one time! Oh the good ole days of "Jump, Hump, Ammo Dump". (T-10, walk for fucken ever arrive at the range and run up and down the 10 click bastard till you shot up 1200 to 2400 rounds a barrel, AKA Jump,Battle March and Shoot Exercise). I was thinken', nope, change my mind, won't miss it! Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Iranians in Iraq is not new. They literally followed us into Najaf, then they came in again for the Pilgrimage they had been denied for SH's entire rule (or a major part of at least). I remember asking my Interpreter, about the crowd and he explained it. Then he started pointing out those who traveled with the crowds who didn't happen to be there for religious reasons. We started putting teams on them and latter caught many in the act of committing Terrorism (or fighting the western infidel, what ever floats your boat). He also took us to a weapons cache of several hundred 105 and 155 Artillery Rounds, all Chem, but not all full (around 50/50). It was very funny after the initial shock and scare watching the NBC NCO use the charcoal decon kits. All I kept hearing (not matter what they said) was "Mammy!". Ironic it took almost 4 years for that to make the news. I know it is not nearly the amount we would have thought, with the work up we all got, but it was some. Add that to the mobile labs, Chem decon Kits, care labs and the "Beds" who said they saw stuff carried by IRG Forces over the border to Syria and Iran. It still seams not enough for all, including the POTUS based on Sundays comments, but it is some form of proof. Enough to justify the last 4 years? Not my call. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

There are a few of us "Older" machine Gunners, Weapons Squad Leaders and Heavy Weapons Platoon SGT's who want a few of the venerable M-60's over the M-240B (same Caliber). The older design seems less finicky in the AO we are operating in (hell we took the M-21 out of Moth Balls, so why not a few more M-60's?) The M-249 (5.56mm and less range) is used as a dismount and fire and maneuver weapon for the lighter equipped Rifle Squads. So we would like to put them (M-60's) on the Gun Trucks as the Second weapons System as apposed to the M-249. The 5.56 just won't punch through much in an Urban AO. Some of our better Rifle Platoons maneuver the Weapons Squad (2 machine guns) just like a Fire Team when needed. I used to maneuver as a Gunner with My Assistant Gunner like the 3rd Fire Team in a Rifle Squad. It came in handy in Hondo in '88. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Beat me to it. One of my guys is being sworn in on the 26th of this month. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

We already pay "membership fees" to a few Gyms here at Campbell, the ones still open during the deployments of course. Hopefully the Army Vice Chief will listen to some concerns next time I see him, the fellows just gave me a new walking stick labeled "shit pot Stir", so I will give it a whirl. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Look at what I wrote, if he TRULY BELIEVED. But we can not sat what is in a mans mind, this isn't a bad Tom Cruise movie. All we have is the Intel items he used for his decision, maybe even from as far back as 90/91 (if not earlier). Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Like I said I met those types of Iranian Diplomats in 2003. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Armed Diplomats, cool new idea I guess. But it is an old one for Iran, I met some of their "Diplomats" in the Summer, Fall and Winter of 03. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Read General Clarck's book about the subject. The weapons would have worked much better if he didn't have to get the President and every other world leaders OK prior to going after targets. They worked real well in the desert on 2 separate conflicts, and have been improved upon since. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Did you see "Rome is Burning" today on ESPN? Oprah got a light bashing for not doing more for Black Americans. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

True as to the "he is shooting so I will shoot back", perspective. After the shooting is done we do our searches and find a Iranian military ID and turn it in. The other scene is just like last week when a tip led the coalition to a hotel room in Irbil (right close to Iran) and they captured 5 Iranian Soldiers, who apparently identified them selves as such. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

We are in no way ready to attack Iran (maybe in DC they are). We should use a better approach to diplomacy this time (have we not learned our lesson?). We can not fight a 3 front war, we just don't have the assets and we won't have the backing. Through the UN process we should keep pushing Iran to back out of Iraq. When their soldiers are caught (like last week) we treat them as any other spy (as, unless Iran had reintroduced the declaration of war against, we are not at war then they are spies or terrorists). If the actively engage the Coalition Troops and are captured or killed they are processed as all the other Insurgents or as spies (it will depend on their mission they got caught on), if killed it won't really matter to much other than the proof of nationality be brought to the UN. If the Iranian Government won't stop sending soldiers directly we should use precision weapons to knock out the garrisons and movement routes in Iran, but only after we have done every thing possible to gain the world support again. That would take a lot of real hard evidence. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

I was figuring since McCain is considered a Moderate in his party and not completely well liked by the same, it would play well with the public. And that would play even better for Joe, hell he left his party and won! But hey I am just your average voter. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

If he truly believed that SH had the WMD's (as he stated on 60 minutes last night) would that take away the "he is lying" argument? Since He (The POTUS), Kerry, Clinton (SEN and Former Pres.) and a whole host of others, at the time they voted in congress, believed that Iraq was a threat and did have the weapons, I think the argument is moot (about the initial invasion). To single out the POTUS (when he and the others saw the same classified material to base their decision on) out of all of the legislative and executive branches, is following straight down party lines and turning a blind eye to the left and right politicians making the same initial mistake. The only Politicians who should remain from blame in the initial decision for Iraq are those who voted NO in the beginning, not changed their minds after the vote was cast. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Look like he had an eye for politics from the beginning. But as he is not a lifelong politician (yet) I would have to go off of his record and see if he has his OWN platform and doesn't blindly follow a party line. I still say a McCain/Lieberman pairing would be unbeatable. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Those are humorous! Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

"That's an interesting analogy. To extend it, though, what do you do after you kick that first nest? Do you keep kicking hornet's nests, or do you go back in your house and wait for them to calm down before you try something else?" Isn't that a text book definition of insanity? An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!

Shouldn't need to turn the pin, and it would not get rid of the underlying problem of a loose closing loop. Matt An Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!!