Badger 6 Signing off the Net

Today I turn 40 years old. This, for what ever reason, seems like the appropriate place to end Badgers Forward.

When I conceived of this blog I imagined something as big a Blackfive except from the war zone. I suppose if you are going to dream, dream big. While this blog never reached that level of readership I think I did a fairly respectable job of gaining a readership and turning out consistent quality writing. I am generally proud of the job I have done with the blog.

Why end it? I was tempted to end it last year when I left Team Badger and Task Force Pathfinder as they all departed theater and I moved from the Ramadi - Falluja corridor to southern Iraq. Mrs. Badger 6 prevailed on me to keep blogging. The blog was simply not as good when I moved away from Command to work on a Brigade Staff. Life has a different flavor between those two jobs and staff work simply made for little good blog fodder. The most interesting things would either have given away future operations or been nothing more than catty. I like to think that I was above the latter and would certainly not engage in the former.

Although I conceived of the blog as a general Milblog, it really evolved into the story of the Soldiers of Company A, 321st Engineer out of Idaho and Utah. To continue blogging under this title and screen name would completely change the nature of the blog and in my view would corrupt the original intent. I want to write about other things besides the war in Iraq, and since I no longer have a front-row view, other venues seem more appropriate.

As I mentioned in the opening, I am proud of Badgers Forward. Milblogging is a new genre, and I think I have been an important part of developing that genre.

I would like to take one last chance to remind you to purchase The Sandbox, the compendium of blog posts to which the Teflon Don and I contributed. Get Sean Michael Flynn's The Fighting 69th and Michael Yon's The Moment of Truth in Iraq. See This is War. Continue to follow Iraq and the War against Islmaofascism at the Long War Journal.

What's next for me? Well, I have been accessed to Active Duty; this summer I will go to school to re-branch and fuse my civilian and military careers. Someday I may return to blogging, but for now I want to focus on MB6, our dogs, and my Army career. I will also occasionally add something at Mudville.

I want to thank Mrs. Badger 6 for her love and support. Blackfive and Bill Roggio for being good blog role models. My Commander in Ramadi for supporting the project even when he was not completely sure it was a good thing. The Readers for showing up everyday to see what was going on from Iraq and all my fellow service members now serving in Iraq. Most importantly I want to thank the men and women who made up Team Badger, it was an honor and a privilege to serve with you on the front line in Iraq. You made a huge difference in the war, and I was glad to be there with you through all the good and the bad. I would not trade the experience for anything. You have my respect, admiration, and friendship. As long as Google keeps blogspot open, this will stand as a memorial to our fallen and a remembrance of our service.


Thank you for reading Badgers Forward.

Badger 6

Out.

Thank you for your cards, letters, and packages

Several weeks ago I asked for some people to send a Soldier some mail. The response was overwhelming and the Solider has received many pieces of mail thanks to the readers of Badgers Forward. He is trying to respond to all of you, but of course he is very busy. He has asked me to pass along his thanks and appreciation. If, for some reason, you do not hear from him please know that your efforts were great appreciated and welcome.


And thank you from Badger 6 too.

The People You Meet

When I was at Fort McCoy I ran into one of the Badgers. He is on his way back with another reserve IED hunting unit. It was great to see him and catch up. I think I violated the Pentagon hugging rules though.

The other young man I met was when I arrived at the Saint Louis airport. He was waiting for me at the end of the jetway, but had evidently just got off the same plane. He had seen me in uniform and was looking for direction to the "military place." He was in fact on his way to Basic Combat Training. We talked for a few minutes as we walked down the concourse. I explained I was returning from Iraq and he was excited to be on the way to becoming a Soldier.

Meeting him seemed to complete the circle. Why? He is on his way to be a Combat Engineer.

Safe In the Arms Of Love

I'm home.

Fort McCoy, Wisconsin

After a long trip, I am safely at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin going through the demobilization process. Home soon.

PZ Clean

We have slapped high-fives on the OBJ; I have tossed out an HC smoke grenade; EXFIL is underway.

In other words . . .

I am out of Iraq and on my way home.

Compare and Contrast

This Individual Ready Reserve Soldier with the one I posted about yesterday.

This Soldier and his wife are clearly less than thrilled and I understand that. If you browse away from this blog thinking I think people should be happy about being called out the IRR, then you are missing the point.

Commentor Trailblazer had different point of view, which, if I read him correctly is that there are more people who could serve on active duty. I don't disagree that it would be a desirable to have more people want to serve in the US Armed Forces, but absent compulsory military service that is not going to happen. I think most people that want to serve in the military do anyway. Those that are deterred by the current war, those that would serve but for the war, are probably not the types we want in the service.

I respect Traillazer's point of view so far as that goes, but I think it is a little condescending to say 18 year olds are not old enough to really understand what the contract says and to say that Army recruiters hide it is simply not true. It is in the document you sign. How can they hide it?

Master Sergeant Brendan O'Connor - Someone You Should Know

None of our heroes who have been awarded the Medal of Honor during the Global War on Terrorism have been alive for the award. It seems the standard is so high one must give their life demonstrating courage.

Fortunately no such absolute standard has been created for our Nation's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

Tomorrow, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Master Sergeant Brendan O'Connor, of the 7th Special Forces Group will receive Distinguished Service Cross.

From CBS News -

The battle raged for two days and nights, with the outmanned force driving back Taliban attacks and U.S. aircraft periodically attacking enemy positions. There were many heroes that day whose courage prevented the unit from being overrun. One of them was U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. 1st Class Abram Hernandez, who climbed a ladder to fire at advancing enemy soldiers trying to capture two wounded U.S. troops and their translator. "Seeing Hernandez propped up at that ridiculous angle was absolutely inspiring," says O’Connor. "Tracer rounds were…whizzing right by our heads. I was [amazed by Hernandez]."

Then O’Connor - shucking his battle armor to lower his profile - slowly crawled toward the wounded men while U.S. Army Special Forces Master Sgt. Thom Maholic warded off another enemy team threatening the rescue by firing from a rooftop. Maholic’s efforts saved the unit but resulted in him taking a bullet in the head. "He died in my arms," says Hernandez.

The two wounded men were rescued; but despite being carried back to safety by O’Connor, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joe Fuerst died of his wounds.

Unable to find reinforcements to come to their rescue, the surrounded soldiers planned an ingenious nighttime escape. They radioed the support aircraft above them to beam an infrared light invisible to the naked eye on a path back to their patrol base. The Green Berets, using their night-vision glasses, could see the beam and led their men to safety, while the aircraft attacked anything moving beyond the infrared beam.

Ford’s unit and their supporting aircraft killed an estimated 120 Taliban fighters during the battle. Maholic was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for saving his unit and the Special Forces firebase near Kandahar was renamed after him.

Later this month, O’Connor will become only the second American to receive the Distinguished Service Cross for valor in Afghanistan. The entire unit was honored at a ceremony at Ft. Bragg late last year, making them the most decorated Special Forces team in any one battle of the Afghan war.

If you are in the Fort Bragg area maybe you can go to post and witness history.

Frankly Opinionated - FBF (Friend of Badgers Forward)

Frankie Cee at the blog Frankly Opinionated has been long time FBF. He has left plenty of comments and last year when I commented that I wanted a hat from the Al Anbar Law School, Frank was one of two people to make them up and send them to me.

He has a shop with MRAP gear, Task Force Pathfinder gear, and Question Your Assumptions gear.

If you want something fun - check him out.