Serenity

File under "intelligent conversation." File under "User is now on ignore feature". Another one hand clapper.

Posting of images without direct ties to an event, and or emotive responses contribute nothing to the overall discussion. But hey, this is the internet, and CascadeCLIMBERS.

I've argued privately for a long time about paying CERTAIN troops (Combat arms-Intel) more money, (much more $), making the services extremely selective (not just the special operations forces), and reducing the number of officers. We could probably discuss that for a long time. You can call back individuals with certain skills from IRR (Inactive Reserve), but once a guy retires out, then they don't owe any further obligation. I state once again that the majority of the high end contractors are retirees and in my mind are being paid fairly for the type of consulting work they are being asked to do, in the conditions they do it in, with the level of risk they face. These guys aren't your everyday Joe off the block looking for some GI Bill money, or some cheap thrill. Some of these guys are like the Olympians of warfare. Look at how much we pay pro sports players and what exactly do they contribute overall versus how much they get paid? There are tremendous advantages to being a soldier that contractors do not enjoy, in particular the mission sets. You're not going to see contractors actioning intelligence and conducting raid packages. Contractors are going to be standing around with an aimpoint glued to their foreheads waiting to take a bullet for some guy. Now if you paid them the same pay, which would you rather do? I'd rather be kicking a$$ and taking names. I read somewhere, maybe http://icasualties.org that you are statistically MORE likely to be killed or injured in contracting work.

A majority of contractors are already retired veterans. There is little that would entice them back into a system they have already given a lifetime, several wives, and blood to. The fact that these guys are in their late thirties, early forties with a lifetime of institutional knowledge makes them incredibly valuable, but the hierarchy of the military is based on a model that is no longer attractive to intelligent, and capable individuals who have already provided a lifetime of service to the nation. Paying them good salaries was the only way to entice them back in the fold.

Great pictures! Thanks for posting them.

Some insights into the Waxman hearings on Oct 3, 2007 Although marred by a good deal of political infighting the hearings highlighted a couple of key points: 1. Much of the information that the Members of Congress based their questions on was hopelessly biased, and collapsed in the face of the testimony. A memo the Committee released the day before the testimony included some eye-popping allegations about costs and numbers that just didn't hold water and undermined the quality of questions. Industry critics and sensationalist media too often ignore industry information and then get quoted in Congressional press releases - a recipe for bad policy. For example, left out was the fact that the overwhelming number of contractors in Iraq are Iraqis - the people who one would hope would be doing the security and reconstruction of their country. In fact, as many as 100,000 Iraqis have jobs with private sector companies supporting U.S. policies, it may be the single greatest factor countering the insurgency. Also left out was a more accurate understanding of the numbers doing security work and their nationalities. Only about 2,000 Americans are doing high-level bodyguard work, in addition to 3-5,000 other Westerners and 5-8,000 Third Country Nationals (who are doing mostly doing static and convoy security) - but the bulk of private security is done by Iraqis. Much of this information is widely available for researchers and staffers interested in keeping Congress appraised with accurate information - something that would be helpful when creating laws to enhance the use, oversight and accountability of the industry. 2. Contractors play a critical role - not just in Iraq and Afghanistan, but in Darfur, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Somalia and many other places where international peace and stability operations are underway. Indeed, peacekeeping could not happen without them. Good laws and effective oversight would do much to improve the use of contractors in the future - beyond Iraq. It is rather appalling to see the use of the private sector treated as a political ping pong ball when lots can be done to improve the use, oversight and accountability. Nothing is helped by turning contractor utilization into a partisan issue. The United States has used contractors to vastly enhance U.S. foreign policies in the past, we will do the same in the future. 3. We often point out that U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan are the best supported and supplied military operations in history. Yes, lots can be done to improve them further, and this came out clearly in the testimony, but we should focus on doing those improvements rather than trying to 'throw the baby out with the bathwater.' 3. Accountability of contractors was a key question raised during the hearings and Mr. Prince pointed out that companies are limited by law in the ways they can sanction employees for misbehavior. When an incident happens is incumbent on government agencies to do much of the follow up and to carry out legal proceedings. Congressman David Price of North Carolina has been the key supporter of the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), the primary tool the Department of Justice has to prosecute contractors working for the U.S. government abroad who have been accused of a felony-level crime. This law is being enhanced with the "MEJA Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007" and the International Peace Operations Association fully endorses the bill - see below for the full text of our press release. Our 40+ member companies firmly believe that good oversight and accountability are good for good companies.

Nice cam. Thanks Kevino.

I would say weather is your best predictor of having a successful ski trip. I would error on the side of good to very clear weather, and be prepared for less than ideal ski conditions. Sometimes the snowfield turns into a trap crust/sastrugi field, or gets so windblown it's an ice field. Also be aware of the prevailing tendencies for people to follow the fall lines and end up on glaciers to either side of the main snowfield. Also be aware that the snowfield while relatively crevasse free does produce some small slots near the Muir hut. Have fun!

Pay your bills on time and you shouldn't have too much of a problem. Works better than indignancy. I pay my bills on time. That was the point I was making.

SuckBM, Can you estimate the snow level from where you are at? How does the rest of the Teanaway look?

Uh yeah, it's a war. Ambush Injures Polish Diplomat in Iraq By KIM CURTIS BAGHDAD (AP) — A daring ambush of bombs and gunfire left Poland's ambassador pinned down in a burning vehicle Wednesday before being pulled to safety and airlifted in a rescue mission by the embattled security firm Blackwater USA. At least three people were killed, including a Polish bodyguard. The attack — apparently well planned in one of Baghdad's most secure neighborhoods — raised questions about whether it sought to punish Poland for its contributions to the U.S.-led military force in Iraq. But Poland's prime minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said his nation would not retreat "in the face of terrorists." The diplomatic convoy was hit by three bombs and then attackers opened fire in the Shiite-controlled Karradah district. Polish guards returned fire as the injured ambassador, Gen. Edward Pietrzyk, was pulled from his burning vehicle. At least 10 people, including four Polish security agents, were wounded. U.S. Embassy officials dispatched Blackwater helicopters to evacuate the ambassador and others. Blackwater was not involved in protecting the Polish convoy. Pietrzyk, who was commander of ground forces in Poland before taking the ambassador post in April, suffered minor burns over 20 percent of his body, including his head and right arm and leg, said Polish Charge d'Affaires Waldemar Figaj. "They were waiting for us," Figaj told The Associated Press as he gave details of the attack. Shortly after the assault, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki renewed his government's offensive against Blackwater. "There have been 190 victims of Blackwater ... The kind of accusations leveled against the company means it is not fit to work in Iraq," he told a news conference. It was not known if al-Maliki knew Blackwater rescued the Polish envoy. It also was not clear if the 190 victims represented a new figure arising from an Iraqi investigation or a reference to the 195 incidents involving the U.S. security company outlined in a House report earlier this week. Congress is looking into Blackwater's role in a Sept. 16 shootout that left 11 Iraqis dead in a west Baghdad intersection and other incidents by the Moyock, N.C.-based company, which protects U.S. diplomats and others in Iraq. Diplomatic missions or foreign envoys in Iraq have been attacked at least seven times since the war began, including the July 2005 kidnapping and murder of Egypt's ambassador. Poland, a staunch U.S. ally, contributed combat troops to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and has since led a multinational division south of Baghdad. About 900 Polish troops remain in the country training Iraqi personnel; 21 Poles have died during the conflict. Last year, the Polish government extended its mission in Iraq until the end of 2007, but has made no decision on next year. Pietrzyk was treated at the U.S. military hospital in the fortified Green Zone and later flown to Warsaw. "He is going to be fine," Figaj said. "He is stable, but he needs rest." Two Iraqi passers-by also were killed in the 10 a.m. blasts, according to an Iraqi police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. A Polish security guard, Bartosz Orzechowski, 29, died at the hospital, said Poland's Interior Minister Wladyslaw Stasiak. The slain guard had been employed by the service since 2004. Robert Szaniawski, a spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry, said officials "don't have the reasons for the attack," which destroyed three armored vehicles just a few hundred yards from the Polish Embassy. But Figaj noted that Poland is a "strong U.S. ally and you can make your own conclusions." Polish Foreign Minister Anna Fotyga said officials planned to move the embassy into the Green Zone. "Backing out in the face of terrorists is the worst possible solution and I trust that the Poles, who are a brave nation, will not desert the battle field," said Poland's prime minister, Kaczynski. "We must fight terrorism and that entails a certain risk." U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, issued a joint statement condemning the attack. "Poland has been a strong and steadfast ally here and around the world, and we commend its commitment to a stable and secure Iraq," the statement said. "We stand ready to provide any additional assistance we can." American authorities confiscated an AP Television News videotape that contained scenes of the wounded being evacuated. U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl told AP that Iraqi law make it illegal to photograph or videotape the aftermath of bombings or other attacks

If you guys really want to be indignant, why don't you argue about the privatized outsourcing of your credit ratings to Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Now there is an evil racket designed to suck you dry.

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Murray, That is an inaccurate statement. So many of these posts sound so ignorant to someone who actually knows and understands what is going on, so I'll explain a few things, AGAIN. Blackwater is contracted to TEMPORARILY provide security for Department of State. High threat environments require a unique set of skills. Basically deputizing former military personnel is cost effective, and once again I will mention that no diplomat has been killed while being protected by Blackwater. Blackwater does not train people with the sole purpose of providing them employment funded by the taxpayer. They perform training roles requested by government officials, oversight is provided by government officials, mission sets and ROE's are dictated by government officials with high rankings. If you are paying attention Eric Prince went before a congressional committee yesterday and represented admirably. It's the Federal Law Enforcement Officials IN CHARGE of Blackwater who are in the target sights right now. Bottom line is Blackwater has done a fantastic job at the task they have been assigned. Has it been a perfect run? No, not really, but it's improving all the time. Professionalismship, teamanship...

Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie

There is snow on Snoqualmie Pass all the way down to Mailbox Peak.

I respect your views SC. I see you think about them, and have a heartfelt approach to them. Best to you.

I like it! Looks like you got in right before the weather came in.

If the shoe fits then wear it.

What's funny to me is that some of the posters demonstrating virulent opposition to this advertising, represent a cross section of the population which is least affected or disenfranchised by the war. Yet time and time again, you seem to be the most virulently vocal about it. Coffee house life has been good. You staying warm in that hotspot? It's a good thing that there is in reality like 8 of you who have such little regard for anything other than listening to yourselves posture. The nature of society has changed since the days when barbarians used to swarm over the walls, and raze cities to the ground. At that time the profession of arms was a venerated and honorable profession. I also find it amusing that there seems to be a hint of isolationism in some of the posts made here. As if climbing is some kind of special secret club, that only a few can enter into. The owners of the website have the right to do whatever they want to. I don't always agree with the things they do, but I've learned over time to let them do their thing. You can bitch about it all you want. If someone is inclined to join an organization like Special Forces, which incidentally is a top-notch organization filled with people you probably would have a lot in common with, then good on them. If not, then the advertising has no affect on you whatsoever. Move on, and take a look at the gear advertisers. Support them.

http://blackblawg.blogspot.com/2007/09/next-target-of-anti-war-left.html

Towering intellect? I think you had a typo that should have read "towering ignorance".

tvashtarkatena, everytime you post this is all I see. It's fitting. You can now go back to your one hand clapping for eternity. *** You are SO ignoring this loser ***

BW has never lost a diplomat. I would call that mission accomplishment. The fact that Iraq is a war, that their mission is sensitive, and that they are frequently targeted might account for those types of statistics.

And there it is folks. Us versus Them via Kevbone's interpretation. Your sense of entitlement Kevbone is monumental. The founding fathers would be so proud.