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Subject: Micro-management
WarNerd    9/10/2010 9:22:13 PM
from The Magellan Star: Pirate Takedown A brief anecdote from those hours we spent at alert-30 in the small confines of that side port that would be our final position before we launched the assault: “Hey sir,” yelled SSgt Homestead who was talking to Capt Doug Verblaauw, the ANGLICO Det OIC managing air up on the bridge wing, “the execute order’s now at the three-star level.” Everyone looked at each other half-suspiciously. Then reports came to us about the pirates onboard. They were armed. They were aggressive. They were pointing their weapons at the warships. They were making demands. They were non-compliant. They refused repeated attempts by the Princeton to surrender. They said they would stay on and fight. “They’ll say go now,” someone said, “won’t they?” We waited and waited. “Hey,” Homestead yelled, “listen up, the decision is now at CENTCOM.” Pause. “General Mattis!” someone said, and the entire platoon ignited in a spontaneous cheer. A second pause. A sergeant remarks, “Man, now it’s gonna take even longer,” he said, jokingly. “Whatcha talking about man, it’s General Mattis! We’re golden.” “No brother, now we’ll have to wait for him to get aboard…you know the General will wanna be with us on this hit.” Everyone laughed and felt relieved…this was going to happen afterall. An hour later, still waiting, we asked each other, “I wonder what the hold up is?” Darkness was less than an hour away, time was running out. Homestead again: “Hey guys, the execute order…” we all pulled our headsets off one of our ears to best hear him, “it’s at the President.” From the platoon: silence. I think it was Staff Sergeant “Big Daddy” Holm who from right behind me captured the mood at that moment when he broke the brief silence with that wonderful and all-encompassing euphemism: “Holy .”
 
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WarNerd       9/10/2010 9:23:51 PM
Link to the article on the USNI blog:   http://blog.usni.org/2010/09/10/the-magellan-star/
 
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newjarheaddean    I here yah   11/10/2010 10:47:11 PM
AHOY,
 
I know (the seals knew) the world was watching and all that, or did they, i.e. would it not be a good idea under such a situation to keep the team in the dark as to the chain of command, like the pilots kept in shelters on alert, no T.V. etc. cant second guess orders. 
 

I'm just wondering though where you think the excitement was coming from? IMO it couldn't have been first kill.

 
G-day!
 
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newjarheaddean    my two cents   11/12/2010 8:30:02 PM
AHOY,
 
promotional boost they knew was in the works with all the Presidential situations and awards, right?
 
however one of the books i read once explained the the SOF was a traditional career ender, they where snake eaters for gods sake. I know you know more than i about all the shift to SOF charge to the front.
 
So IMO we must consider the root course of excitement to me Greed a flaw. 
 
I was considering my proposal of "strip alert" so to speak, SOF, can you imagine being taken out of your holding cell, and airdropped onto a ship and told to kill three fish in a bucket, and then that it was all going to be recorded in the "actual kings truth" files but it had to remain top secret, no "official revealed facts"?
 
you of course would have no access if the government denied etc. 
 
but then theres the unique nature too, three targets, two moving platforms etc. with all the money we spend to train these guys i say that at 40 or what ever yards should have been easy. but they are the three that did it.
 

 
G-day!
 
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newjarheaddean    Okay   11/15/2010 2:54:35 PM
AHOY,
 
i tried that sir, and i get a SP error page. Same with latest link in your last post.
 
I'll get on a e-patrol and see if i can find it on the Machine.http://www.strategypage.com/CuteSoft_Client/CuteEditor/Images/face14.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0" alt="" />

NOTE;

I DO SUPORT THOSE SERVING!

last night while watching 60 minutes I did note that during the troopers dash to over run those carrying his "bub" off, etc.
 
that, this act, was IMO the moment of commitment and just by chance the reason for the brake in the (so called wall of fire). i.e. the base of fire element in your (L) shaped ambush IMO would have only had 3 or 4 members. So trooper said three were carrying off his bub. But 40 feet away was the range mentioned in the kill zone. IMO either the bad actors were bad shots or range est. is wrong.
 
I found the personal drama info apsolutly Hollywood unbelievable, reasoning, tali, statement over radio, "we need to ,get a body" . And then the, trooper who gets taken, "they got him". MAN! you can't make that stuff up.
 
I had my jaw taken off when i was just a kid, right when ems came on line 1973, a doctor was giving a class at station 19 when the call came in, or i would not be here today! everyone thought a dog had attacked me.
 
 

G-day!
 
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