A rather sad and tragic article about our troops 'over there'.

It's not about innocence lost or about becoming men - it's about the truth behind the recruiting poster. And I guess, the truth behind the politics.

Upper Gereshk: The Helmand plan meets tough reality

By John CantlieGereshk Valley, Helmand

After 10 years in Afghanistan, foreign troops can claim successes in the notorious province of Helmand - but a vicious guerrilla war still rages in the Upper Gereshk valley, which US marines are in the process of handing back to British forces.

It has only just turned 07:00 and it's already pushing 35C (95F). The three litres of warm water you drank at dawn have already soaked into your flak vest.

Image via Wikipedia

The patrol advances slowly, inching through poppy fields like their lives depended on it. Suddenly a massive explosion rips through the air less than 50m behind. The Taliban have booby-trapped the right-hand gate of the compound with a grenade and an IED (improvised explosive device) during the night. By chance we exited by the left gate.

"Well good morning to you, too," grunts a marine.

Tough Reality continued

kthanxbai!

Related articles

• Taliban Finds Retreat From Marines More Palatable (waronterrornews.typepad.com)
• Helmand Farmers Look to Bees for the Answer (waronterrornews.typepad.com)
• Afghanistan: Marines and Holy Mass (wdtprs.com)

Living MOH Recipient

After the UK increased the number of living Victoria Cross winners a few years ago the American Military Machine are finally waking up to the fact that they have no sight to the end of a war that has already gone on for 11 years.

There is finally going to be a living recipient of the Medal of Honor.

SSG Sal Giunta, a paratrooper w/ the 173rd Airborne, will be awarded the first Medal of Honor given to a living recipient since the Vietnam War. He earned this by charging a group of Taliban who were trying to make off with a wounded comrade in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. His actions broke the Taliban’s attack and allowed him to regain control of SGT Josh Brennan. He also saved the lives of the many other members of his unit who had been caught in a fixed ambush by the Taliban. Giunta didn’t hesitate one second before advancing on his own to ensure the enemy would never take one of ours, but sadly Josh Brennan was too badly wounded to survive. His cousin PVT Joe Brennan recently graduated airborne school and has joined the same unit proudly carrying on Josh’s memory.

Congratulations SSG Sal Giunta, a grateful nation salutes you.

And you'll never need to buy another drink in a bar. Ever.

kthanxbai!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Honoring SSG Sal Giunta, the First Living Medal of Honor Recipient Since the Vietnam War (biggovernment.com)
• Staff Sergeant Sal Giunta, a Living Medal of Honor Nominee? (themoderatevoice.com)
• Hiawatha soldier may be first living Medal of Honor recipient since Vietnam (gazetteonline.com)

Afghanistan 1st Hand

If you have been wondering about what life is like for troops on the front line in Afghanistan then you need look no further than Michael Yon's excellent blog 'Resurrection'.

Sangin is an active battlefield. To describe missions with other than vague details would present danger to these soldiers and to the next rotation. This is not like the sweep from Kuwait into Iraq, wherein the previous week’s missions were tantamount to ancient history. Here in Sangin it’s a daily brawl over the same terrain and sentiments, morning and night.

A couple minutes after the explosion in the photo above, an Apache flew over to take a look but like so many times, it’s just a mushroom with no known cause. A few days ago, in this area, another RPG was fired at a British helicopter and missed. The area within these photos contains more IEDs than perhaps anywhere else in Afghanistan. The British managed to locate one of the worst places in the country and proceeded to build bases all around.

Some excellent reporting that really should be read by more people. He has archived articles from Iraq and Afghanistan on his website Michael Yon, online magazine.


kthanxbai!