Article

2006-07-07 Afghanistan

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-07-07 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11135 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Why do the words "Rourke's Drift" spring to mind?

Posted by N guard 2006-07-07 00:20|| 2006-07-07 00:20|| Front Page Top

#2 I've seen the misspelling twice here now, it's Rorke's Drift. It was named after a ferryman named Rorke.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-07-07 00:39|| 2006-07-07 00:39|| Front Page Top

#3 O.K. SORRY....But you don't haveto get SNOTTY about it!

Posted by Hupolump Thavimp3648 2006-07-07 06:37|| 2006-07-07 06:37|| Front Page Top

#4 I always thought Drift referred to a mine (it means to a mine that slants down along a mineral seam) but it also means a ferry. You learn something new every day.

Posted by phil_b">phil_b 2006-07-07 06:41|| http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/]">[http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/] 2006-07-07 06:41|| Front Page Top

#5 Sorry, moose. Its a common misspelling.
Anyway, except for the fact that it was written by an easily intimidated, LLL traitor journalist, it sounds like the cousins are having a grand old time. I wonder if afgan hajjis are any better shots than the iraqui hajjis were?

IIRC, we got to the point where we simply ignored incoming from the terrs, if we were not directly working the counter-battery shoot. On the smaller FOBs, hajji with a mortar usualy missed the base altogether. Pathetic.

Posted by N guard 2006-07-07 07:07|| 2006-07-07 07:07|| Front Page Top

#6 maybe Rorke mispelled it and it should be Rourke? ever thought about that? :-)

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-07-07 08:38|| 2006-07-07 08:38|| Front Page Top

#7 "Why's it us eh? Why us?"

"Because we're 'ere lad! Nobody else. Just us."

Posted by Mike 2006-07-07 08:42|| 2006-07-07 08:42|| Front Page Top

#8 When first under fire an' you're wishful to duck,
Don't look nor take 'eed at the man that is struck,
Be thankful you're livin', and trust to your luck
And march to your front like a soldier.
Front, front, front like a soldier . . .

If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white,
Remember it's ruin to run from a fight:
So take open order, lie down, and sit tight,
And wait for supports like a soldier.
Wait, wait, wait like a soldier . . .

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.

Posted by Oldspook 2006-07-07 09:18|| 2006-07-07 09:18|| Front Page Top

#9 I've seen the misspelling twice here now

I've seen references to ceramic bowling balls from heaven more than once here at RB.

Posted by RD 2006-07-07 09:51|| 2006-07-07 09:51|| Front Page Top

#10 8 vs 1200? Poor taliban are still outclassed and outgunned and out-soldiered.

Posted by DarthVader 2006-07-07 09:55|| 2006-07-07 09:55|| Front Page Top

#11 Damn, #10 DV - Ya' beat me to it! ;-p

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2006-07-07 11:00|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com] 2006-07-07 11:00|| Front Page Top

#12 "Rorke's Drift... It'd take an Irishman to give his name to a rotten stinking middle o' nowhere hole like this."

Pte. Henry Hook

Posted by Steve">Steve 2006-07-07 12:23|| 2006-07-07 12:23|| Front Page Top

#13 RD!
Bad. bad! bad

woof, woof, har, har woof!

Posted by 6 2006-07-07 13:17|| 2006-07-07 13:17|| Front Page Top

#14 Sorry RD, but I'm utterly lost - enlighten me? ;)

Posted by Tony (UK) 2006-07-07 13:28|| 2006-07-07 13:28|| Front Page Top

#15 My only comment is, where's Spectre? This is ideal cannon fodder for him. There are no trees, no "wild game" to distract his all-seeing night vision equipment. We're not trying hard enough over there. Napalm would be nice, too.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2006-07-07 13:33|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2006-07-07 13:33|| Front Page Top

#16 How many somalis did we take out in 93 w/17 (?) people?

Posted by anonymous2u 2006-07-07 15:46|| 2006-07-07 15:46|| Front Page Top

#17 "Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll..."

Rudyard Kipling

Posted by doc 2006-07-07 16:01|| 2006-07-07 16:01|| Front Page Top

#18 Napalm would be nice, too.

Now, now, OP, we haven't had nape in the supply system since 1978. You know that. And we all know why too...

The new, improved JP-8 with Thickener(tm) , on the other hand, we do have. Just do not call it Napalm. And we cannot use it around our allies, because they might get offended.

(begin PAO spin mode)
Its, uh, an improved incindiary. Yes, just another incidiary. Nothing like Napalm at all. No sir, it's a whole different approach to killing the enemy. No, sir DOW chemical had nothing to do with it... (end PAO spin mode)

Posted by N Guard 2006-07-07 16:07|| 2006-07-07 16:07|| Front Page Top

#19 1978...Was it because Mr. James Carter didn't like chemicals? (I've always been fond of dihydrogen monoxide myself, even though it does have to be handled carefully -- can be deadly under the wrong conditions, my father the biochemistry professor always said)

Posted by trailing wife 2006-07-07 17:13|| 2006-07-07 17:13|| Front Page Top

#20 I've always been fond of dihydrogen monoxide myself, even though it does have to be handled carefully

Never touched the stuff, meself (hic!)

Posted by mrp 2006-07-07 19:51|| 2006-07-07 19:51|| Front Page Top

00:12 Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo)
23:50 Broadhead6
23:47 Broadhead6
23:45 Kristine Kid
23:44 Broadhead6
23:42 Frank G
23:37 JosephMendiola
23:26 DanNY
23:24 BA
23:21 Kristine Kid
23:19 JosephMendiola
23:19 BA
23:15 tu3031
23:05 SteveS
23:02 SteveS
22:54 tu3031
22:50 tu3031
22:46 Glenmore
22:45 JosephMendiola
22:39 JosephMendiola
22:33 BA
22:29 JosephMendiola
22:22 Captain America
22:19 Asymmetrical Triangulation