The Neo Con Blogger(TM)

Thanks to Major K for his enlightening post:


About a month ago in an area of Baghdad not far from where I am now a little known engagement took place out in the street between an arhabi sniper team and a group of Soldiers from the Louisiana Army National Guard's 256th Brigade Combat Team. They are appropriately known as the Tiger Brigade, and as someone who as served in the active Army in Airborne and Ranger units before coming to the National Guard, from what I have seen, these guys are pretty damned good. This story is one example. To my knowledge it has not made the MSM, but everyone around here knows about it. I have omitted operational and TTP (Tactics, Techniques and Procedures) details for reasons of operational security:
During a routine patrol in Baghdad, these Soldiers were engaged by a sniper team. Several shots were fired at the patrol. One shot was direct hit center mass of the chest of one Soldier. This Soldier fell, only to rise again immediately (probably cursing quite a bit) and returned fire in the direction of the sniper. It was his lucky day. Underneath his body armor, this Soldier had one heck of a large contusion on his chest, but the bullet did not penetrate. Having identified the location of the sniper, the squad used fire and maneauver to close with the sniper team and capture them, wounding the sniper in the process. Upon securing the location, the same soldier who had been hit in the chest, fell to stabilizing and dressing the wounds of the terrorist who shot him minutes before. After loading the wounded sniper on to a MEDEVAC, they shifted into CSI mode, tagging and bagging all of the evidence of the attack, the weapons used and photographing the scene. All the while they maintained 360 degree security against other attacks. Their battalion section circulated a report on the engagement TTP's so that everyone could learn from it.
What composure. What discipline. What courage. What presence of mind. Being able to be around Soldiers is what keeps me in the Army. I am amazed that I am allowed to wear the same uniform as this guy.