General still believes in Santa, counterinsurgency

A Coin Conference that almost resulted in an UNFAIR General Officer Letter of Reprimand to a Candid USAR Field Grade Officer

Here is a story you won't believe but it was true. I was at a FOB in Afghanistan where the CMOC (Civil Affairs Military Operations Center) and the base HQ hated each other's guts. I was part of the incoming unit doing the left seat/right seat prior to them leaving (ripping out) The HQ or FOB Commander was a Navy O-5 Helicopter pilot. The CMOC Director was an Army O-5. The Navy O-5 came into our CMOC( the Army O-5 was not there) and I spoke to her. When I said that "the base supports the CMOC" she turned into the Wicked Witch of the West and ripped me a new A-hole disagreeing with me!

After the change of Command, She left and went to Kabul. A Major I knew went to a COIN (Counter-insurgency) conference after spending a few months with us at the CMOC. Our FOB had Italian Speical Forces, Alpine, and Infantry that shared our base but basically did not do much except invite us to their kitchen and work out. These guys even had armored vehicles with 25mm bushmasters and they sat idle.

At the COIN Conference, that Major asked the Italians 'Why don't you fight?' That Navy O-5 ,I mentioned earlier, got wind of this since she was part of the COIN Conference CADRE. She tried to get this Major in trouble and got a General involved. He, this Major, was going to get a General Officer's Letter of reprimand for asking a normal question. (We know that Italy, Spain and some other countries have in their constitution that they can't be in combat). The situation was grim but a retired O-6 working as a contractor on our FOB helped contact the General and submitted to his aide-de-camp the scoop on her and her games at the FOB and how she (The Navy O-6) was starting stuff. The Major did not get a career-ending Reprimand and now he is a LTC 0-5.

Here I am recording Italian Special Forces trying to play a Beastie Boys song on Guitar Hero. I was with the 426th CA BN back then.
https://youtu.be/XTG2kx7uu-M

Crap happens on the FOB ,but this?
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Stephen F. LT Brad McInnis PO1 William "Chip" Nagel 1LT Sandy Annala

SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint COL (Join to see) CSM Charles Hayden CPT Pedro Meza MAJ (Join to see) MAJ David Potter CPT Jack Durish SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas SFC Shirley Whitfield Capt Sabrena Goldman SFC (Join to see) SSG Chris Erickson SFC William Farrell SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL

Thanks for sharing the news PO1 Tony Holland on this eve of Christmas Eve. :-)
Thanks for the heads up LTC (Join to see)

...and a stable, democratic, west-friendly Middle East.

Oh, god, I read what I just wrote. *Drinks self to death*