K9 Down

K9 Will
New York State Police, New York
End of Watch: Monday, October 23, 2017
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Age: 3
Gender: M
Tour: 6 months

K9 Will was accidentally shot and killed by his handler while defending himself against an attack by a Pitbull while assisting with a search warrant in the town of Greig.

As officers approached the home, on Woodcreek Road, the Pitbull emerged from the home and charged at K9 Will and his handler. His handler discharged one round, striking the Pitbull. The round then ricocheted off the gravel driveway and struck K9 Will in the stomach.

His handler transported him to a nearby veterinary clinic where he passed away.

K9 Will had served with the New York State Police for six months. He was named after Trooper William Doyle, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on December 14th, 1967

Rest in Peace Will…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

We put bad guys in jail, right....

I find that this country goes through phases in the way it handles crime, from "harder" to "softer." Or in another way, more "law and order" to more "treatment." Earlier this year I authored a piece in the American Thinker entitled "Cops Going Galt." One of the points I made was effective policing must be proactive. And we are seeing the results where federal "oversight" is strangling effective law enforcement.

Now we have the People's Republic of California and their latest and greatest example of trying to not enforce law. From Police Global, a look at the former Golden State...God help us all.

Three Years Ago, California Decided To Go Easy On Crime. The Results Of Their Experiment Are In.

Three years ago, there were some changes made to lessen California’s overpopulation in jails and prisons.

Voters approved Proposition 47, which would loosen law enforcement standards on crime. At the time, it was believed that taking these measures wouldn’t have much impact on crime.

Now, three years later, local law enforcement officials are pointing to that 2014 proposition approval as the reason for the drastic increase in crime in California.

Fox 11 Los Angeles reports that while arrests are down 30 percent since the new law, violent crime is up 40 percent in Los Angeles since Prop 47 went into effect, with many felony crimes downgraded to misdemeanors. That’s pretty significant.

Estimates show that, specifically, the Inland Empire region in California went from 9th in the nation in vehicle thefts to 5th in just a year, from 2015 to 2016.

Riverside police Sgt. Sean Brown noted: “The punishment is very minimal. If nobody goes to jail for committing a crime, what’s to prevent them from committing more crimes?”

Additionally, Ontario police Sgt. Jeff Higbee noted that the laws mean there is “little to no jail time associated with a single theft.”

California Assemblyman Matt Harper further explained that the rise in crime was correlated to the proposition, telling Fox News: “California is certainly having a significant problem with the increase of crime in our state.”

Harper added, “The only thing that’s really showing a difference in terms of how we approach crime and criminals is this change in our law allowing people to be able to go out on the streets, which previously they would have stayed in prison and not be committing crimes. To play these nonviolent offender games [is] a recipe for disaster.”

Those commenting on Fox 11 Los Angeles’ Facebook post about the story had a lot to say, as you’d expect, with comments such as: “You don’t say. Hmmmm I wonder who could have predicted that releasing a bunch of criminals would cause the crime levels to raise…let me think...”

I say "God help us all" because there is an old saying, "You want to see America in twenty years, look at California now." I pray not. If it wasn't for immigration, mainly illegal, California would be loosing population over the last decade. High taxes, deficits, a state debt that cannot be repaid, Sacramento is pushing out producers and coddling consumers. Texas gets in people from California (as does Colorado, Utah and Nevada) because these people cannot take any more. Hopefully the disease knows as liberalism goes no further, but I know better.

More on The Dishonored Dead

A couple of weeks ago I posted on The Dishonored Dead, a grave site in France of the Army's criminals and other soldiers buried "without honor." Well someone posted another link from a man researching these graves, and his post is quite enlightening. Here from EHT, Finding Shame (my search for Dishonor):

October 22, 2017

If you’re familiar with my blogs then you know that they are always about people that were famous or semi-famous back in their day, although most of them are now forgotten people. This one will be different in that it will be about two infamous people from one sad event.

After my last blog I had planned on doing the next one on the aviator Ed Musick. Although the research was complete, I had postponed the writing of it until I could obtain one last piece of information that I felt was necessary.

Recently though, I stumbled upon an article about the cemetery in the picture above. Actually, that picture is of just one section of the cemetery. The name of the cemetery is the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial. It is an American military cemetery located in northern France and over 6,000 Americans who died in the area during the First World War are buried there.

Later on (some time between 1945 and 1949) American soldiers that had been executed during World War Two for heinous crimes were removed from their various prison graveyards around the world and placed here in a separate section called Plot E. There are currently 94 of these men buried there. These soldiers had all been dishonorably discharged prior to being executed and are now known as the dishonorable dead. Plot E is hidden and not on the official maps and guides for the cemetery. No American flag is allowed to be flown there. More good info on Plot E at the Wiki page for it here.

For my blog subjects, I chose one story at random. It concerned a Corporal Ernest Lee Clark and a Private Augustine M Guerra, both of whom were executed for the rape, strangulation and murder of a 15 year old girl named Betty Dorian Pearl Green in Ashford, Kent, England on 22 August 1944. Here are the newspaper items I found first.

The information was very sparse and I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do the research. Most things I saw showed Guerra being 20 years old at the time and from San Antonio, Texas, but nothing else. The military may use the location of place of enlistment as home, or they may use actual birthplace. This meant San Antonio was not definite for my research. As far as Corporal Clark, there was absolutely nothing on him given. I decided to give it a try anyway and began a family tree up on Ancestry...

...Giving up temporarily on Ancestry, I went back to some creative Google searching and discovered a few sites, forums and articles that gave me a small trickle of information. Namely this turned out to be that Clark had been born in Clifton Forge, Virginia and Guerra in Cibolo, Texas. Hopefully I now had enough to get started. I am going to cover Clark first. Considering Guerra’s being Hispanic and the poor records for them during the time-frame involved, I suspected he would be more difficult so I saved him for later. My biggest break came when I found the actual records of the court-martial trials. This also gave me the full story, forensics, testimony and such, including the birth dates and birth places for all three people. I’ll provide a link later in the blog. For now we’ll cover the genealogy.

Ernest Lee Clark was born in Clifton Forge (Alleghany County), Virginia on 10 August 1920, so he had just turned 24 when the crime was committed. His parents were James William Clark and Euna Rosa Pollock. James was born on 22 August 1887 in Virginia, which means the murder was committed on his birthday. Euna was born on 9 April 1894 in Missouri. They had gotten married in Clifton Forge in 1912 and began having their five children. These were Robert Dorman in 1913, Mattie Virginia in 1915, James Jr in 1917, Ernest in 1920, and finally Henry Lewis in 1924.

The first document on Ernest is his appearance with his family in the 1930 Census done on April 22nd. Beginning on line 85, we see James Sr. He’s 41, and he is a plumber with the railroad. Next is Euna, 36 and it shows her parents as being from West Virginia. Their first marriage ages verify their 1912 marriage date. The children are next, with Robert Dorman now 17 and a coner at a rayon plant. Then Mattie, James Jr, Ernest and Henry.

Two years later, on 18 July 1932, Ernest’s mother died from tuberculosis at age 38. Ernest was 11 years old. Less than two years later, on 4 February 1934, Ernest’s father died from acute heart failure at age 46. Ernest was now 13.

The family was all split up after this apparently. By the time of the 1940 Census, the oldest son (Robert) was 26 and living with another family as hired help. I was unable to find Mattie until she got married in 1942. James Jr turned up in the census in one of the local Civilian Conservation Corps camps. Little Henry was just 15 and turned up in the census at the Industrial School and Farm for Homeless Boys and Mountain Children in nearby Covington, Virginia. I wasn’t able to find Ernest in the census.

On 16 Feb 1942 he turned up again when he filled out his WW2 draft card. He is living in Covington with his aunt Nora, who had been married to his father’s brother, Albert before he passed away a few years earlier. It also shows that he is now working at a Naval Ordinance plant in West Virginia. The document also shows he was almost six foot tall and weighed 188 lbs. Draft Card 1 Draft Card 2. A few months later, on 17 September 1942, Ernest enlisted in the Army in Roanoke, Virginia. Eventually he ended up in the Army Air Corps and assigned to the 306th Fighter Control Squadron, based in Ashford, England. This is where we stop for now and cover some odd items about his family and a brief synopsis of his family members’ lives.

Ernest’s mother had five brothers. One of them, William Ernest Pollock, had a wife named Grace Flack. In March of 1937, when she was 34, she suffered an acute heart attack and died. A few months later, in October, William poisoned himself to death with strychnine. Next, James Harry Pollock, worked for the power company in Arlington, Virginia and when he was 51 he was accidentally electrocuted to death there on the job. Another one, Walter Nichols Pollock, at age 29 used a shotgun on himself. His uncle John Hamilton Pollock was killed at age 59 in a homicide with a shotgun. I got into the Clark side also but nothing unusual stood out...

...As I mentioned earlier, I had a hunch Augustine’s tree was going to be more difficult. Unfortunately, I was correct. Unlike Ernest, I was unable to confirm 100% the Army’s info on Augustine’s birth date, birth place, or his date of enlistment. Going by the Army’s records though, Augustine Miranda Guerra was born in Cibolo (Guadalupe County), Texas. His parents appear to have been Demascio Guerra and Vicenta Miranda. Demascio was born in Mexico in about 1882 and Vicenta was born in Texas on 19 Feb 1893. They got married in 1909 and proceeded to add many children to the family, at least 12 by my reckoning, the last two being a set of twins (male and female). These children are Pedro, Pablo, Francisco, Gerarda, Francisca, Pandeta, Demascio Jr, Augustine, Santos, Elisia, Maria and Jose. Although they moved around some, they mainly lived in the San Antonio area for the vast majority of their lives, as did their children. In the 1910 Census Demascio and Vicenta are freshly married with no children. I was unable to locate them in the 1920 Census but found Vicenta and the kids in the 1930 Census in Uvalde, Texas. She is shown as a widow but they are back together for the 1940 Census.

Back to the 1930 Census, she has already borne at least 9 of her children, though not all of them are living. With her are Pedro, Pablo, Gerarda, Pandeta, Demascio Jr, Augustine and Santos. Now here’s the odd one. The following year, on 8 September 1931, Vicenta gave birth to Elisia. Her birth certificate shows that she is illegitimate. No father is listed however. I assume that Vicenta and Demascio were separated for some time (there’s a four year gap between her previous child and Elisia). Regardless, by the time of their 1940 Census they are back together and living in San Antonio. They have Pedro, Demascio Jr, Augustine, Elisia, and Santos with them, too.

This brings us to the synopsis part for Augustine’s family:

I never could find what happened to his father, but his mother died 1 March 1953 in San Antonio from leptomeningitis.
Pablo died in San Antonio in 1973.

Francisco died at age 3 in 1918 from dysentery.

Gerarda married Angel Escamilla and she died in 1981 in San Antonio.

Francisca died at age 18 from some lung ailment in San Antonio.

Demascio Jr married Nora Trinidad and they had at least 7 children. Demascio died in 1970 and Nora just last year, both of them in San Antonio.

Santos died in 1999 in Louisiana.

Maria died in 1935 at the age of 3 months.

Jose died in March of 1990...

...This is it for Augustine until later. Now on to Betty.

Before getting started on Betty, keep in mind that British genealogy is a bit different than American. They heavily use indexes instead of the original records. Indexes have limited information so it’s harder to confirm you have the right person. They also use a lot less exact dates, instead preferring dates in quarter-year. For example, look up a birth and it might be listed as Jan-Feb-Mar 1924. Lastly, the British waiting period for censuses is 100 years, so their latest census available is from 1911. In the US it’s a 72 year wait so the latest available is 1940. With all that being said, let’s get started.

Thanks to the Army trial records, I found Betty’s actual birth date. She was born 1 April 1929 in Ashford, Kent, England to William Ernest Green and Sylvia Alice Kate White. William was born in 1895 in Newington, London, England and Sylvia was born 11 Apr 1902 in Willesborough, Kent, England. They got married in Ashford in 1920 and had three children; John William B in 1921, Edward Albert Frank in 1924, and Betty. At the time of the murder, they were living at 180 New Town Road.

Due to the lack of record-finding there isn’t much I can tell about her family overall so I’ll just add it all here briefly. Her father died in Ashford late in 1966. Her mother didn’t pass away until late in 1990 in nearby Maidstone. As far as her brothers, John got married late in 1949 to Annie Adamson. He died in Maidstone 5 November 1992. Edward got married in Ashford on 11 August 1945 to Doreen Lilian Mary Stoker. I don’t know how many children Edward and Doreen had, but they did have a son named John Andrew that was born in 1955 and died in Ashford in 1997. Edward himself passed away in 1977 in Ashford and Doreen passed away there in 1998.

And now for the crime. Betty had returned home from work at Norman’s Cycle Works about 5:45 pm and left again an hour later. She was wearing a silver cross, a brooch and a hair-slide. She walked with a friend from work named Peggy Blaskett and went to a fair in town, where they met two American soldiers. One named George Williams was with Peggy and one named Eddy was with Betty. The girls later departed alone about 9:45 and headed for home. After splitting up near Peggy’s home, Betty headed for hers. She was about 300 yards from the corner of New Town Road and Black Path when she was spotted by a railroad worker that knew her at about 10:20 pm. He stopped and they talked.

About 7:15 the next morning, another railroad worker noticed something in the old cricket field located near the corner of New Town and Black Path. He called to another employee that was closer to the scene. This employee investigated and found her body. He did not touch the body but contacted police, who arrived within a few minutes. The police took photos of the body and surroundings. They found the cross at her side, the brooch about four feet away and the hair-slide about 24 feet away. Betty’s father identified her about 7:45 that morning and again at 3:15 pm. He also identified the cross, brooch and hair-slide.

When the police had arrived they found that her skirt was lifted up to the waist band, her knickers were raised up to her waist, the left seam was torn, and the crotch was torn away in front. The crotch region and adjacent private parts were exposed and bloodstained. Several hairs from various locations on the body were recovered also.

The body was examined at about 8:30 am by a local medical practitioner, who felt she had been dead from six to twelve hours. An autopsy was later performed and she was determined to be a healthy girl and used to sexual intercourse. There was a single bruise to the right side of her neck which could have been from a thumb and four bruises down the left side of the neck. There was bruising behind the voice box. Death was shown to be from asphyxia. There were many other bruises and scratches and a vaginal swab showed evidence of semen.

Her father had been at the Smith Arms Pub the evening of the murder, which was located about 150 yards from where it occurred. He was later able to identify Augustine as one of two American soldiers that had been at the pub together and had left at about 10:15 pm.

During the trial, according to Ernest, he and Guerra had gotten a pass to leave camp and that they did so that afternoon. They went to a movie and from there to several pubs, where they drank considerably. They ended up at the Smith Arms Pub. From there they went through the Black Path and came near the railroad bridge. Augustine had stopped but they saw a girl approaching and Ernest went over and asked where she was going. She told them home. They talked for about 5 minutes and he asked her to go for a walk. He put his arm around her and proceeded with her towards the gate of the cricket field. He picked her up and carried her through the gate, with Augustine following. After Augustine covered her mouth with his hand she struggled, trying to say something. While this was happening Ernest carried her further onto the field and laid her on the field while she was still struggling. Augustine raised her dress and tore her knickers apart. She started to scream so Ernest covered her mouth while Augustine had raped her. After Augustine finished they swapped places and while Ernest was finishing up he suddenly felt her relax her resistance. Ernest went on to say they felt her heart beating but that she was unconscious. He also said that as they were leaving he went back and checked on her again and her heart was still beating. He figured she had fainted and would be fine after a rest.

Augustine’s account during his trial pretty much corroborates Ernest’s account, with some detail differences that could easily be attributed to two drunk men trying to relate one event from their perspectives.

They were both found guilty and hanged together on 8 January 1945 at Shepton Mallet Prison in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England by brothers Thomas and Albert Pierrepoint. They were initially buried in Plot X of Brookwood Cemetery in Sussex, another Dishonored plot. Later they were moved to the one called Plot E in France. Ernest is buried in grave # 68 and Augustine is buried in grave # 44.

As promised earlier, here is the link to the Army records of the trials. It is in PDF format. You’ll find Ernest’s on page 199 and Augustine’s on page 209. The page numbers are at the top of the page. Army Records

In the end, I’m fairly sure they didn’t mean to kill her. Essentially two young men, far from home, with way too much liquor in them and a night that went horribly wrong. Regardless though, Betty didn’t deserve it and justice was at least served for her to some degree. I had hoped to find out more on her, at least her grave-site, but had no luck with it. Maybe someone in England can help.

Thank you EHT for quite a lot of detail on these men. Again, I would like to, in a future life, tour this site as part of a tour of the European theater of operations. Not America's finest, to say the least, but still part of World War II history.

Officer Down

Police Officer Bernie Domagala
Chicago Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Age: 66
Tour: 7 years
Badge # 8996
Incident Date: 7/14/1988

Police Officer Bernie Domagala succumbed to complications of a gunshot wound sustained on July 14th, 1988, while at the scene of a barricade situation at 7237 S. Stony Island Avenue.

Officer Domagala, who was a member of the Hostage, Barricade, and Terrorist Unit, had responded to the home after the homeowner, a former police officer, had shot a mover who was attempting to evict him. Officer Domagala had taken up a position behind the corner of a nearby garage, approximately 100 feet from the home. As he peeked around the garage's corner, the subject fired one round from a replica Civil War-era pistol, and the round struck Officer Domagala in the forehead.

The subject was charged with attempted murder, but in December 1990 he was found incompetent to stand trial and was committed to the state mental hospital.

The wound caused Officer Domagala to suffer a traumatic brain injury that left him disabled in confined to a rehabilitation center for several years. He underwent numerous brain surgeries and continued to experience severe complications. He passed away on September 5th, 2017.

Officer Domagala had served with the Chicago Police Department for seven years and was assigned to the Gang Crimes South Unit. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Corporal Thomas Hannon
Dover Police Department, Delaware
End of Watch: Friday, September 1, 2017
Age: 42
Tour: 12 years
Badge # 3440
Incident Date: 1/1/2012

Corporal Thomas Hannon succumbed to complications of an injury sustained in 2012 while involved in a foot pursuit.

He suffered a knee injury during the chase that required numerous surgeries. He experienced complications following a surgery that resulted in his condition to worsen. He passed away as a result of the complications on September 1st, 2017.

Corporal Hannon had served with the Dover Police Department for 12 years. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Robert French
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, California
End of Watch: Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Age: 52
Tour: 21 years
Badge # 1162

Deputy Sheriff Bob French was shot and killed outside of the Ramada Inn in the 2600 block of Auburn Boulevard while conducting an auto theft investigation at approximately 10:30 am.

Members of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Auto Theft Task Force had just taken two women into custody following a pursuit of a stolen vehicle they had observed leaving the hotel. Task force investigators returned to the hotel room to search it based on the offender's searchable probation status. As two members of the task force knocked on the room's door and announced themselves a male subject inside opened fire with a rifle, wounding two California Highway Patrol investigators.

The man continued to exchange shots with members of the task force before jumping from the balcony. As he moved from the back to the front of the hotel he continued exchanging shots with officers. Deputy French had responded to the scene and engaged the subject with gunfire as the man attempted to enter another stolen car. One of the man's rounds went through Deputy French's patrol car and a fragment struck him in area not protected by his vest.

Despite being mortally wounded, Deputy French continued to engage the subject to allow other officer seek cover. The man was able to flee in the stolen car, leading officers on a pursuit before crashing. He exchanged shots with officers again before being and taken into custody. The man later died from his wounds sustained during the multiple shootouts.

Deputy French had served with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department for 21 years and was assigned to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Auto Theft Task Force. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, and sister.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

A look at Special Forces operations in Niger.

Long time friend, fellow retired Army officer and bourbon drinker, Colonel Mike Ford, has another great article in Canada Free Press. Enjoy and comments are always welcome.

In Niger—and other African Countries, the United States Uses Smart Power, Economy Of Force.

What I’d like to do here is put our military efforts in Niger (and other locations in Africa) in their proper context and hopefully put to rest accusations of a nefarious, secretive plot to expand US combat operations worldwide. First of all, let’s begin with United States Army Special Forces, the “Green Berets,” the guys doing a lot of the heavy lifting out there. By the way, most of them don’t care for that appellation—“A Beret is a hat, not a Soldier.”

US Army Special Forces, SF for short, have 5 primary missions:

Foreign Internal Defense (FID)

Unconventional Warfare (UW)

Direct Action (DA)

Counter Terrorism (CT)

Special Reconnaissance (SR)

The last three are what most Americans (through movies, TV, and Tom Clancy novels) tend to be familiar with—Special Forces units blowing up the quintessential “critical bridge” (DA), taking out a known terrorist (CT), or locating hidden SCUD launchers for later destruction by our Air Force (SR). Due to space considerations, the above is a highly simplified description—I hope my friends in the Special Forces community will forgive me in that regard.

The real “bread & butter” of Special Forces operations are the FID and UW missions. Foreign Internal Defense or FID (what is now going on in Niger and other parts of Africa) is our effort to support friendly governments without having to deploy massive amounts of conventional or “heavy” forces—Armor, Motorized Infantry & Artillery. Unconventional Warfare (UW) is the mirror image of FID, where SF elements help anti-government (guerrilla) forces overthrow a government hostile to the US, as we did to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The basic Special Forces unit, the “A” Detachment, is composed of 2 Officers and 10 Noncommissioned Officers. These highly skilled, trained, and motivated Soldiers are capable of organizing, equipping, training, and advising or directing indigenous forces up to battalion size. This is what is going on in Niger and other parts of Africa, in support of governments friendly to the US. Multiple “A” Teams, with their supporting headquarters, are assisting friendly governments in fighting ISIS, Al Qaida, and other terrorist organizations, but without the involvement (and cost) of major US Combat Forces. That’s the “what.”

Now to the “why.” Why do we have Army Special Forces Soldiers tramping around Niger—and many other places in Africa? The answer to that comes from the US Military’s Principles of War, derived from principles promoted by 19th Century Prussian Strategist, Carl von Clausewitz. One of the most important of these, especially in these days of tight budgets and even tighter political constraints, is Economy Of Force.

The US Army Field Manual, FM 3.0 (Operations), defines and describes Economy of Force as the ability to:

“Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts. Economy of force is the reciprocal of mass. It requires accepting prudent risk in selected areas to achieve superiority—overwhelming effects—in the decisive operation. Economy of force involves the discriminating employment and distribution of forces. Commanders never leave any element without a purpose. When the time comes to execute, all elements should have tasks to perform.”

Put another way, we can use small elements to “keep a lid” on terrorist operations in Africa, while our “heavy forces” are either engaged in Southwest Asia, performing deterrence missions in South Korea, or Refitting, Re-equipping & Training back in the US for whatever other contingencies that may pop up. Using these small elements of Special Forces to train, advise, and assist Nigeran and other forces belonging to US African Allies, we are also able to avoid much of the political, economic, and human costs associated with deploying Division-sized conventional forces. Understanding that the operational tempo of today’s military has stretched Soldiers (and Sailors, Marines & Airmen too), their families, and their equipment to the breaking point, this type of operation can help ameliorate some of that.

Ultimately, it’s generally better for US taxpayers, relatives of Soldiers, and the Soldiers themselves, to help an ally help himself than to do the work (and shed the blood) for him. That—is the application of—Smart Power.

Now comes the tough part—What is Congress’s role in all of this? That, my friends, is the subject of another article.

Mike Ford is a retired Infantry Colonel who has commanded at Detachment, Company, Battalion and Brigade levels. He has experience in US FID operations in support of Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Turkey.

Officer Down

Sergeant Steve Perez
Houston Police Department, Texas
End of Watch: Sunday, August 27, 2017
Age: 60
Tour: 34 years

Sergeant Steve Perez drowned after his patrol car was caught in floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Sergeant Perez left home at approximately 4:00 a.m. in an attempt to report to his duty station in the downtown area, but was unable to reach it due to impassable roads caused by extreme flooding. He spent more than two hours trying to find a route, but when he could not, he dispatch that he would follow department protocol and report to the nearest station in Kingwood.

As he attempted to reach Kingwood his patrol car was washed away in high water in the area of Hardy Tollway and Beltway 8. His body was recovered by members of Houston Police Department dive team and citizens on August 29th, 2017.

Sergeant Perez had served with the Houston Police Department for 34 years and was just days shy of his 61st birthday. He is survived by his wife, two adult children, and father-in-law.

Sergeant Perez was a graduate of the 210th Session of the FBI National Academy.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Active shooter response in the aftermath of Las Vegas...

As I write this there is still no knowledge of Stephen Paddock's motive in shooting at the people attending the Route 91 Harvest. Paddock was not a criminal (other than a traffic ticket), no mental conditions, unlike Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, he was not reported to the FBI as a possible terrorist. So again, we're looking at why the man decided to murder dozens of people he had no relation to.

But this does make us look at our active shooting response planning and see how to improve and prepare. Ironically I just attended some active shooter training Friday at a hospital I occasionally work security at. We instructed the hospital staff (the staff gets trained on this regularly) and we practiced clearing a hospital wing. Fun and informative.

Policeone has this review of the Vegas shooting and active shooter preparation. A good read for anyone needing to prepare for this distinct possibility.

8 essential truths about MCI response plans in the wake of the Vegas attack

The Las Vegas attack and response are reminders that public safety needs to stick with and execute our plan, not create a new one

There is nothing about the Las Vegas active shooter attack that calls for a new approach. The highly professional and well-executed response of public safety agencies in Las Vegas demonstrates that we're on track, and already working on the things we need to in order to deal with events like these. The Las Vegas attack and response are reminders that we need to stick with and execute our plan, not create a new one.

With this in mind, let’s remind ourselves about the elements of our mass casualty incident (MCI) response plans, along with some essential truths we must not forget while emotions run high:

1. Evil exists

This is no surprise to any police officer. You see evil every day, but the public doesn't, and they certainly don't see it writ large like they did in Las Vegas. The majority of people are still reeling in shock and confusion, and struggling to answer unanswerable questions, yet one thing is crystal clear in the midst of all this fog: Evil exists. You can't wish it away or ignore it. The only thing you can do is be ready to crush it without mercy when it shows up. As a protector of your fellow man, you must accept this truth and prepare yourself physically, mentally and emotionally for that duty. Let it fuel you.

2. Active shooter training pays off

It's vital that you are ready to counter this threat, as a solo officer and as a team member.

If you don't know what you're supposed to do as the first responding officer to an active shooter scene, you need to fix that.

If you don't have rifle-rated armor; a rifle you know how to shoot effectively; a bail-out bag with loaded magazines, first-aid supplies and basic breaching tools immediately available to you when you're on patrol, you need to fix that.

If you don't know how to rapidly clear a building as a member of a hasty contact team that’s hunting the shooter, you need to fix that.

If you're not sure if you're supposed to stop and provide medical aid to someone before the shooter is stopped, you need to fix that.

We will only see an increase in these kinds of attacks in the future, so make sure you are trained, equipped, and mentally and emotionally prepared to deal with them effectively....

Seven years ago (damn time is flying) I posted on my first active shooter training, calling it the best inservice class I've ever taken. I've had training since, but not enough IMHO. But you must be prepared, even if you just review the procedures at the station, to insure you're ready if this day ever comes.

...3. Tactical combat casualty care training is a must

You must understand the basics of how to stop bleeding and open/preserve airways in a tactical environment.

You must have a suitable individual first aid kit (IFAK) on your person, not in your car, and the knowledge and skill to use it.

You must understand how to self-apply a tourniquet or dressing to save your own life.

You must have ready access to a mass casualty kit, with enough supplies to treat multiple casualties and IFAK supplies for yourself.

You must understand how and when to evacuate a casualty.

You must understand that security is a prerequisite to providing medical care....

I carry a tourniquet in my vest pocket and my emergency bag has two more, Israeli bandages, and tampons (don't knock them, they will stop bleeding!). In my area we have ambulances and hospitals close by, including three Level One Trauma Centers. We can take care of you, as long as we can stop the bleeding and get you out.

...4. Public safety integration is key to a successful response

The days of public safety stovepipes are over. Police, fire and EMS must be organized, trained and equipped to operate in an integrated and coordinated manner.

There are no red teams or blue teams any longer – you must move your agency toward a “purple” operational capability in which all public safety specialties understand how they will combine forces and work together during an emergency.

Establish protocols now for casualty collection points, insertion of fire/EMS assets into “warm” or “hot” zones, and dealing with attackers and fire simultaneously. Train together so that personnel from each agency are ready to work together in an emergency.

5. Complex, coordinated attacks (CCAs) are a threat

A single shooter caused all the chaos in Las Vegas. Imagine if there had been another, working in a location across town. If your agency isn't working on ways to address CCAs, then it's time to get serious, because the enemy has been successful with this strategy overseas and we should expect them to employ it on our shores soon. A CCA will significantly strain communications, resources, leadership and logistics, and make it extremely difficult to respond in a coordinated manner. They're coming. Get ready for them now.

See Orlando, Boston, and Las Vegas.

6. Civilians can be a force multiplier

You cannot protect the public by yourself. You need the public to be your ally and an active participant in their own rescue. Educate the public on active shooter protocols and combat casualty care essentials. Help to organize and train them in initial response to fires, natural disasters, and criminal or terror attacks. Teach them the ethical and lawful use of force in self-defense, and support their ability to do so.

There are too many citizens out there for even the largest of police departments to serve in a crisis, so use your skill, experience and resources to turn them into a force multiplier.

The hospital I work at trains its staff regularly on how to respond to an active shooter, "Run, Hide, and Fight!" If you can, run away. If you can't, hide, block the door, etc. Finally, fight the suspect. One thing that has been shown over the years is active shooters are cowards. One they know the game is up, they will take their own life or surrender, but they won't shoot it out. Not recommended, but when it's fight or die, fight. You may get lucky.

7. Law enforcement must take an all-hazards approach

The attacker holds the initiative, and gets to choose the battlefield. You cannot predict what the next attack will look like, nor defend against all possibilities. The enemy is constantly changing his tactics to stay a step ahead of your defenses.

When it becomes too difficult to plan a bomb attack, they use a gun. If a gun won't work, they use a truck, or a knife, or a can of gasoline and a match. If a hardened target is too difficult to hit, they will switch to a soft one.

So, how can you possibly prepare for all these possibilities? Focus on the basics:
Ensure your communications are clear and disciplined, and your networks are protected and redundant;
Ensure you are highly skilled in the use of your issued equipment – guns, medical, rescue, communications, vehicle, etc.;
Wear your vest, and have ready access to a helmet, gloves, plates, a mask, and other essential protective equipment;
Ensure you are ready to fulfill the responsibilities of being an on-scene leader until you are relieved;
Know and understand your tactics. If you are prepared to execute all the duties of your job with the highest level of skill, then you have done everything necessary to be ready for the unexpected and unpredictable.

8. Police officers are role models

Frightened people will agree to surrender their liberty in exchange for promises of security. It's our job to protect and preserve that liberty, not to play a role in its destruction.

There is no amount of regulation or prohibition that will prevent evil from accessing something that can be used as a weapon. There is no amount of surveillance or control that will provide absolute security. There are no laws that will prevent evil from attacking innocents.

In times of crisis, the public looks to law enforcement for leadership, and you must be ready to show them that the way forward is through promoting freedom, not restricting it; that the way forward is through strength and courage, not weakness and fear; that the way forward is to enjoy and live our lives in the full confidence that we are ready to confront and defeat evil when it rises, not to live our lives in the shadows, hoping that it won't notice us. A fearful public needs a strong and courageous role model in a time of darkness. Let that be you!

I salute the public safety professionals that resolved the Las Vegas attack so quickly, and all of you who stand ready to do the same in your communities. There is no place beyond the reach of evil – it can show its face anywhere, anytime. So be ready, be safe, and may God bless all of you.

On the subject of leadership, sergeants will take the lead on this. Your officers/deputies will be looking to you for leadership, what to do. This is not time for "leading from behind" (an oxymoron worse than military intelligence or rap artist) and it's what you wear the stripes for.

About the author

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Mike Wood is an NRA Law Enforcement Division-certified Firearms Instructor and the author of "Newhall Shooting: A Tactical Analysis"...

We have a long way to go back....

I was commissioned in the Army in May 1987 and I entered an army of 16 active duty divisions. My first boss when I was in Korea entered at the end of the Vietnam era, and the Army was in shatters. He told me of some of the Army's issues with gangs and narcotics, and how the barracks were dangerous, "Mike, a staff duty officer did not go into the barracks unless he was armed or had an armed CQ (charge of quarters, basically the guard of a barracks) escort." He lived through the army that went from two million men to 850, 000. Another story was on how he (and other officers) were briefed in the morning at the officer's club that the reductions were over for the time being. "Mike, that afternoon this same man was handing out pink slips."

I wss RIF'ed (Reduction in Force) in 1992, when the Army went from from 850,000 to 550,000. In English, I was let go after the Gulf War, and I entered the reserves, where I served until 2010. But we endured the Clinton years, the time where the dingbat UN Ambassador, Ms. Madeline Halfbright, actually asked then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Colin Powell, "What the purpose of having this great army if we don't use it?" To answer you moron, it's so we never have to use it. If the enemy knows they will get their ass kicked, they don't screw with us.

I've often said, when needing to explain why we have our armed forces, GA Douglas MacArthur said it better than any man in his 1960 address to the United State Military Academy:

...And through all this welter of change and development, your mission remains fixed, determined, inviolable: it is to win our wars....

There was good and bad about the Bush years, but under no circumstances did I believe he hated the service or our mission. But fast forward to the Obama years and what happened there, I look at it and I want to cry. With every abomination (women on submarines, women in infantry and Ranger school, letting in open homosexuals and requiring military chaplains to perform same sex ceremonies, transsexuals, paying for sex-change surgery, etc), I would openly say "Thank God I'm out!" I've looked at disgust at the contempt the Obamaites held our service men in, the closing of the World War II Memorial for craven political points made me grateful I would not see this from inside. When I saw DoD ordering the Army and Marines to put women in infantry, I was hoping for some pushback from the Army. None that I saw, although the Marine Commandant did stand against it openly. And as I recall, was removed early.

Now in reading this article (and looking at this picture) I'm recalling walking out of a sexual harassment class that was hastily called, annoyed at being spoken to like this. One friend, a retired colonel, was also annoyed. He said, "Mike, I can reduce that wasted hour to two words. Be professional." But that hasn't been a major concern of the Department of Defense lately.

I'll make a few comments on this article at the end.

The Rise and Fall of the US Army

By Ray Starmann

Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone is a sign of the times.

Spenser Rapone is a tenfold beacon in the night, a thousand blaring klaxons crying out and telling the nation and the world just how far our glorious army has fallen.

Spenser Rapone is a disgrace to the army, to the famous 10th Mountain Division where he is currently assigned and to the United States of America. His continued presence in the US military is a slap in the face to every grunt, tanker, zoomie, swabbie and gyrene that gave their lives for this country.

Rapone literally came out of the gulag last week, when pictures of him surfaced online, which portrayed him at West Point wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt and holding his cap with a sign inside that read, ‘communism will win.’

The pictures were only the beginning. We learned Rapone is pro-Antifa, was mentored by an Islamist professor at West Point, supports Black Lives Matter, believes General Mattis is a vile, evil ‘f**K, advocates violence against the US government, was kicked out of the 75th Ranger Regiment as an enlisted man, and is currently serving as a platoon leader in the 10th Mountain Division.

In today’s army, Rapone is a shoo-in for chief of staff.

Apparently, one dinosaur at West Point, representing what used to the ethical standards of the academy and the army as a whole, made a formal complaint about Rapone to the authorities at West Point in 2015.

In a signed statement, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Heffington wrote, “From his various online rantings and posts, it appears that DCT Rapone is an avowed Marxist, which is completely out of line with the values of this nation and its Army. Moreover, CDT Rapone’s posts indicate that he hates West Point, the U.S. Army, and indeed this country. One post dated 16 November 2015 states, ‘F*ck this country and its false freedom.’ He also … even implicitly justifies the actions of ISIS and blames the United States for terrorist attacks.”

Heffington continued, “Never in 18 years has any soldier spoken to me or treated me with such extreme disrespect as CDT Rapone did…His utter contempt for my rank and position as an Army officer was blatantly obvious…”

Both the army and West Point each put out statements last week, parroting the fact that Rapone doesn’t represent the values of the US Army in 2017, yada, yada, yada. Just what are the values of the US Army today and why was nothing done about Rapone at West Point or for that matter, at Fort Drum, his current duty station, where it was apparently common knowledge that Rapone is a militant anti-American communist who wishes to sabotage the US military?

The army says Rapone is under investigation.

Whatever…

Spenser Rapone’s investigation, brought to you by the same US Army that claims a 37 year old mommy made it through Ranger School.

Uh huh…

The mommies of Pointe du Hoc…

Perhaps Major General Scott Miller and his merry men from Fort Stockholm Syndrome, Georgia, are in charge of this cluster as well?

Rapone should immediately lose his security clearance and be given a dishonorable discharge at a minimum.

But, I’m betting my former captain’s railroad tracks that nothing, nada, nichts will be done to Rapone, for the main reason the army is saturated with leftists and new age groupies who think that there’s nothing wrong with this guy’s conduct or beliefs and with feather merchants who don’t have the intestinal fortitude to do what is right.

In the Pentagon, moral courage is absent without leave.

Does anyone in the army have the intestinal fortitude to do a Ron Luciano and give Rapone the Kiwi Express right out on the street where the communist SOB belongs?

The army of 2017 is not the army of Patton, MacArthur, Ridgway, Gavin, Collins, Beckwith, Cavazos, Hackworth, Schwarzkopf, Leide, McCaffrey and Waller.

What kind of army is it in 2017; an army that walks on eggshells, that marches to the beat of the PC drummer, that is so focused on fulfilling some social engineering agenda that it has jettisoned common sense and its mission like an empty fuel pod over the Solomon’s.

Spenser Rapone, Bowe Bergdahl, Chelsea Manning – multiple indicators that the merde has hit the ventilateur, that the army has a major problem and that the lean green machine is decaying by the hour.

The army is in a free fall and the situation is even more dire than those dark days in the early and mid- 1970’s, when the army was reeling from a myriad of problems: a hostile public who never understood the sacrifices made in Southeast Asia and the heroism of its soldiers there; from drug problems, criminals gangs and race riots in the barracks.

The army was broken after Vietnam, but most of its senior leaders were stronger than those today, and they upheld the values of the institution. With the help of young officers and NCO’s who had survived Vietnam, they vowed to rebuild the army and create an all-volunteer, highly-motivated, modern force which, if called upon to fight a war, would go all the way and never look back.

General Fred Franks, who commanded VII Corps in the Gulf War and who lost a leg in Cambodia in 1970, referred to an almost religious devotion among the army’s leadership to rebuild it. Franks called it ‘the hot blue flame that burned brightly.’

After Vietnam, the problems in the army were mainly at the bottom, unlike today, where the army and the military is a fish rotting from its head.

In the 1970’s, under leadership from people like Bill DePuy, Shy Meyer, Donn Starry, Glen Otis and Dick Cavazos the army developed a new doctrine for war known as air land battle, and received new equipment most commonly known as the Big Five: the M1 Abrams tank, the Bradley, the Apache, the Blackhawk and the Patriot. The army now had equipment that outclassed most of what the Soviet Army and its Warsaw Pact allies possessed.

Most importantly, the army had a new breed of soldiers; they were volunteers who wanted to serve; they were tough, smart and better paid. Some wanted to make it a career, others wanted to earn enough money to go to college. Some were there for the mere adventure. Under the leadership of Vietnam vet NCO’s; men who knew what went wrong and more importantly, how to insure the mistakes never happened again, the army was reborn.

For 20 years the new US Army trained like a gladiator for its day of reckoning. That day came in 1991, when it destroyed Saddam’s legions in a defeat not seen since Agincourt.

Could the US Army of 2017 win a war like that in 100 Hours?

Not a chance in hell. The army doesn’t have the units, nor does it have the armor and mechanized skills and training anymore, nor does it have the leadership at the top.

General Dick Cavazos used to say the army is filled with killers, fillers and fodder.

It’s safe to say the army’s senior leaders today are mainly fodder.

After Desert Storm, the air was gradually sucked out of the army. By the mid 1990’s many of the men who had helped rebuild it were long gone. Political correctness became the name of the game and good people left the service, attracted to a reduction in force financial incentive and also disgusted by big social changes that were already underway.

A leadership vacuum was created, which left a gigantic gap for leftists, communists and radical feminists to push their agenda on an army that seemed to have lost its mojo.

By the time the Iraq War rolled around, feminists had already pushed women into the air cavalry, into support units that would expose them to danger, into coed basic training at places like Relaxin’ Jackson, while social engineers ensured that sensitivity training and diversity became more important than war fighting.

Any warriors or conservatives still remaining in the army departed sometime during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The army was exhausted from endless rotations to combat zones and led by generals who didn’t hold a candle to those from the past. Even its one general who looked like a bright, shining star, David Petraeus, was found to be lacking in ethics and common sense. Soon, the army would meet its worst enemy, Barack Hussein Obama.

The fall of the US Army went into warp speed during the two Obama administrations. More leftists flooded into the military, intent on destroying the army’s conservative values and replacing them with Hollywood style, Silicon Valley start-up ethics. Aided and abetted by General Martin Dempsey, Secretaries of the Army John McHugh and Eric Fanning, and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed, transgenders were initially authorized to serve, women were allowed to serve in the combat arms and special operations, male ROTC cadets paraded around campuses in red high heels, male soldiers were forced to conduct physical training in pregnancy simulators, breastfeeding and lactation memos were sent out to worldwide commands, women were put through Ranger School under false pretenses, the Bible and Constitution were taught in DoD classes as sexist documents and white privilege training was conducted.

The leftist/feminist destruction of the army continues to this day.

As the army suffers from one leftist/feminist assault after another, as the Spenser Rapone’s freely advocate sabotaging the army and nothing is done about it, one begins to wonder what it was all for; what was the purpose of rebuilding the army, creating a spectacular force, only to allow it to be destroyed by people espousing agendas that are anathema to the army and the nation itself?

The Rise and Fall of the US Army is a tragedy beyond description.

The final act in the Rise and Fall of the US Army has yet to be played out. But, it will be on a distant battlefield.

It will be.

Over the Veterans Day weekend I will be with many fellow veterans at the annual Council of Colonels. Last year we were relieve Mrs. Bill Clinton would never be Commander-in-Chief, although many of us had our reservations with Donald Trump. But all of use have family and friends still wearing the uniform, deploying, and having to deal with the destruction of the last eight years. At least last time (Post-Vietnam) the senior staff was not stocked with holdovers from the group that inflicted the damage and are still working to sabotage our mission. Hopefully we can at least start in the right direction with the Trump-Mattis years.

A new version of the Body Worn Camera (BWC)

Overall I would say the introduction of Body Worn Cameras, and other cameras, has been a net positive for law enforcement. In addition to providing cops with critical criminal evidence, it also has (at least in my agency) led to more officer being cleared in Internal Affairs complaints. Many more investigations are declared "exonerated" (complaint did not happen or did happen and was proper) as opposed to "unfounded" (unable to prove or disprove). And I can recall my first DWI, where the greatest evidence was the video tape at the intoxilyzer station. The jury saw the driver and said, "Looks like a drunk. Acts like a drunk. Sounds like a drunk. That's a drunk."

Now this I must stay I'm a little uneasy with. Perhaps as a supplement to the regular BWC this will be useful, but seeing this would not start until after the weapon is drawn, it will not show things leading up the a possible shooting. But still worth taking a look at.

Under the pistol, takes care of you laser sight and you will need to make another holster for it.

Some police departments show interest in gun-mounted cameras


Some police departments in Minnesota and Arizona plan to test placing cameras on officers’ guns, saying it would give a more unobstructed view of police-involved shootings than body cameras.

A small number of police departments are showing interest in a new type of video camera that can be mounted directly on officers’ guns, saying it may offer a better view of officer-involved shootings than body cameras. Some law enforcement officials and civil rights groups are skeptical.

Among the cons, they point out, is that gun cameras start recording only after weapons are removed from holsters and won’t capture what led to officers drawing their guns, or other interactions with the public. They also say they should be used only as a complement to body cameras.

Besides the better view, supporters say the pros include lower video storage costs because gun cameras record much less often than body cameras and a feature in some models that instantly alerts dispatchers and nearby police via wifi and Bluetooth when officers draw their weapons and may need help...

May also tie up air traffic with alerts, but still, that is a net positive.

Officers’ arms, walls and other objects can get in the way of body cameras, as they did in the New York City Police Department’s fatal shooting of Miguel Richards last month. Officers’ body cameras also may not be turned on, gun camera proponents say.

“It’s kind of cutting-edge technology now,” said Assistant Chief Michael Kovacsev, of the St. Petersburg, Fla., Police Department, which tested gun cameras this year and is also deciding whether to use body cameras.

“One thing about the gun camera is you can actually see what’s going on,” Kovacsev said. “You actually get to see the viewpoint of the officer where the weapon is pointed....”

...The cameras cost around $500, about the same as some body cameras, and mount under the gun barrel. Some also have high-powered lights so officers do not have to hold both a gun and a flashlight...

...There doesn’t appear to be any gun camera footage of a police shooting yet because police agencies have not formally approved use of the cameras, and no shootings happened during trials.

Officials at larger police departments, including New York and Los Angeles, said they have no plans to use gun cameras.

I can understand why NY and LA won't go to this camera right now, money. The number of weapons to be fitted, the cost of the holsters, etc. But this is something to look at, I must say.

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Timothy Braden
Drew County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas
End of Watch: Thursday, August 24, 2017
Age: 29
Tour: 3 years, 6 months

Deputy Sheriff Timothy Braden was killed in a vehicle crash as he pursued a vehicle on Barkada Road, northwest of Monticello, at approximately 1:30 am.

The vehicle fled when Deputy Braden attempted to conduct a traffic stop on it. As the pursuit continued along Barkada Road the subject threw narcotics out of the window. The suspect's vehicle and Deputy Braden's vehicle both went out of control as they rounded a bend and struck objects on the side of the road.

Deputy Braden was transported to Drew Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody and charged with murder, several narcotics charges, and felony fleeing to elude.

Deputy Braden had served with the Drew County Sheriff's Office for only six months and had previously served with the McGehee Police Department for three years. He is survived by his wife and four children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Robert Rumfelt
Lake County Sheriff's Office, California
End of Watch: Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Age: 50
Tour: 12 years
Badge # 453

Deputy Sheriff Rob Rumfelt suffered a fatal heart attack after responding to a fight call involving approximately five people in the 900 block of Boggs Lane, in Lakeport, at approximately 8:00 pm.

One of the subjects resisted arrest and was subsequently tased before being taken into custody. As Deputy Rumfelt drove away from the scene after the arrest he suffered a medical emergency, causing his patrol car to leave the roadway and strike a tree approximately a half-mile away. He was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital where he passed away.

Deputy Rumfelt had served with the Lake County Sheriff's Office for three years and had previously served with the Lakeport Police Department for nine years. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, sister, mother, and father.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Police Officer Matthew Scott Baxter
Kissimmee Police Department, Florida
End of Watch: Friday, August 18, 2017
Age: 27
Tour: 3 years

Sergeant Richard Samuel Howard
Kissimmee Police Department, Florida
End of Watch: Saturday, August 19, 2017
Age: 36
Tour: 10 years


Police Officer Matthew Baxter and Sergeant Sam Howard were shot and killed while responding to reports of three suspicious people in the area of Palmway Street and Cypress Street at approximately 9:30 pm.

They were speaking to the men when a scuffle ensued and both officers shot. Both were transported to Osceola Regional Medical Center where Officer Baxter was pronounced dead. Sergeant Howard passed away the following afternoon.

The subject who shot him was arrested approximately two hours after the shooting by members of the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. Two handguns were found in his possession when he was arrested.

Officer Baxter served with the Kissimmee Police Department for three years. He is survived by his wife and three children

Sergeant Howardwas a U.S Army veteran and had served with the Kissimmee Police Department for 10 years. He is survived by his wife and one child.

Rest in Peace Gentlemen…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Correctional Officer David Torres-Chaparro
Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Puerto Rico
End of Watch: Thursday, August 17, 2017
Tour: 24 years

Correctional Officer David Torres-Chaparro suffered a fatal heart attack while participating in riot control training at the former Industrial Women's Prison in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico.

He began to experience chest pains during the training and was transported to a local hospital where he passed away.

Officer Torres-Chaparro had served with the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for 24 years. He is survived by his wife and one child.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Youngstown

I've often said about Bruce Springsteen, he's not the best singer or instrument player. But like Bob Seger and Billy Joel, damn he can write songs. From The Valley's dark overtones of youthful mistakes and examination of human temptation in I'm on Fire, he's a modern day poet with an incredible muse.

While I was surfing YouTube, I found this live version of Youngstown, looking at a routine theme of his songs, the post industrial age in America. Brooding and heavy, but still awesome. Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff James E. Clark
Quitman County Sheriff's Office, Mississippi
End of Watch: Sunday, August 13, 2017
Age: 50
Tour: 10 years

Deputy Sheriff Jimmy Clark was killed in a vehicle crash while responding to a shooting call.

He was traveling through the Falcon community on Mississippi 3, approximately eight miles north of Marks, when he swerved to avoid two dogs that ran into the roadway.

Deputy Clark had served with the Quitman County Sheriff's Office for two years and had previously served as the chief of the Crowder Police Department. He is survived by his wife and children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Will no one rid us of this meddlesome freak?

Paraphrasing King Henry II's most famous words, I am, to say the least, angry that this waste of sperm is walking the earth free. He doesn't deserve a bullet, that's too dignified. He should be hanged. But as a final "f$%^ you" to the American people, B Hussein Obama let him out 28 years early.

Now this would be almost comical if it wasn't true. Pvt Manning thinks he didn't commit a crime.

Chelsea Manning finds sympathetic crowd in NY, defends actions

Chelsea Manning on Sunday told a crowd at the annual New Yorker Festival in New York that the information she leaked did not expose names of informants.

“These aren’t intelligence documents,” she said. “It’s historical data.”

She went on, "There's nothing sensitive in there, there's no troop movements," she added. "It was a historical record of everything that had happened in Iraq and Afghanistan..."

...She became emotional when asked what she thought the best result had been from her leaking of hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks. "Look, I haven't had time to deal with these questions," she said. "All I've been doing is fighting for my life for the last seven years..."

Manning has made only a few appearances since her release. Last month, Harvard University reversed a decision to name her a visiting fellow after CIA director Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned appearance over the designation, calling Manning an "American traitor."

And Manning tweeted two weeks later that she'd been denied entry into Canada because of her U.S. criminal record...

I spent 23 years in the Army and Army Reserve and I had a Top Secret clearance for most of that time. If I had done a fraction of what this piece of excrement did I would likely still be in ail.

From the Sensitive Compartmented Information Non-Disclosure Agreement:

(U) SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

An Agreement between ______________________________________ and the United States.

1. (U) Intending to be legally bound, I hereby accept the obligations contained in this Agreement in consideration of my being granted access to information or material protected within Special Access Programs, hereinafter referred to in this Agreement as Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). I have been advised that SCI involves or derives from intelligence sources or methods and is classified or is in process of a classification determination under the standards of Executive Order 13526 or other Executive order or statute. I understand and accept that by being granted access to SCI, special confidence and trust shall be placed in me by the United States Government.

2. (U) I hereby acknowledge that I have received a security indoctrination concerning the nature and protection of SCI, including the procedures to be followed in ascertaining whether other persons to whom I contemplate disclosing this information or material have been approved for access to it, and I understand these procedures....

3. (U) I have been advised that the unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized retention, or negligent handling of SCI by me could cause irreparable injury to the United States or be used to advantage by a foreign nation. I hereby agree that I will never divulge anything marked as SCI or that I know to be SCI to anyone who is not authorized to receive it without prior written authorization from the United States Government department or agency (hereinafter Department or Agency) that last authorized my access to SCI. I understand that it is my responsibility to consult with appropriate management authorities in the Department or Agency that last authorized my access to SCI, whether or not I am still employed by or associated with that Department or Agency or a contractor thereof, in order to ensure that I know whether information or material within my knowledge or control that I have reason to believe might be, or related to or derived from SCI, is considered by such Department or Agency to be SCI. I further understand that I am also obligated by law and regulation not to disclose any classified information or material in an unauthorized fashion....

(emphasis mine).

So yes, the traitor knew what he was doing was illegal and did it anyway. So did B Hussein Obama. We've had traitors in the past, but for some reason traitors are honored now, as opposed to being held in the contempt they've earned. Now America's greatest (excuse me while I'm smirk) university wanted to hire this traitor. Alumni, parents, students, this is what you're paying for?

Let's send it to the B Hussein Obama library as a greater. But please, rid us all of this worthless piece of human waste.

K-9 gets early retirement...

Anyone who's worked with a police K-9 knows the four legged officers are not animals, they are partners and part of the handler's family. When the dog retires due to old (8-10 years) age or injury, they generally stay with the handler's family. When the handler retires, they often get to pay for their partner and keep him with the family. Unfortunately the sergeant here didn't retire, but at least his partner will take care of the family.

Family of California Officer Killed by Drunk Driver Can Keep K-9

MODESTO, California -- Modesto officials decided Tuesday that Ike -- a 3-year-old police dog -- can retire and live out his days with the family of his former handler, Sgt. Mike Pershall, who was killed in August by a suspected drunken driver.

The City Council voted 7-0 to sell Ike to the Pershall family for $1.

Police Chief Galen Carroll asked the council essentially to give Ike to the Pershall family. He said in an interview last week that this might not be popular with everyone -- Ike is 3 years old and most K9s work until they are 8 or sometimes even 10 -- but it was the right thing to do.

"It is not a good deal for the Police Department to lose the dog," Carroll said last week. "But there is also the human factor of, you have a wife and two kids who just lost their dad, and that's the family dog. What is the right thing to do?"

Ike is a Belgian Malinois and cost the Police Department $9,137.

But Carroll said there has been an outpouring from community members who are willing to donate toward the department's purchase of its next police dog. Carroll said he also will speak with the Modesto Police Canine Association, which paid for the department's last police dog...

Good to hear the city did right by one of their cops. Enjoy your retirement Ike.

Officer Down

Lieutenant Pilot Henry John "Jay" Cullen, III
Virginia State Police, Virginia
End of Watch: Saturday, August 12, 2017
Age: 48
Tour: 23 years
Badge # 71

Trooper Pilot Berke M. M. Bates
Virginia State Police, Virginia
End of Watch: Saturday, August 12, 2017
Age: 40
Tour: 19 years
Badge # 764
Cause: Aircraft accident

Trooper Pilot Berke Bates and Lieutenant Pilot Jay Cullen were killed when their Bell 407 helicopter crashed into a wooded area in a residential neighborhood on Old Farm Road in Albemarle County, Virginia, at approximately 6:30 pm.

They were in the area to monitor civil unrest that was occurring in Charlottesville, Virginia, during a large protest. The helicopter had just taken off to monitor the Virginia governor's motorcade after he arrived in the area to assess the situation. The helicopter experienced some sort of issue before crashing into the trees and becoming engulfed in flames.

Trooper Bates and Lieutenant Cullen were killed in the crash.

Lieutenant Cullen had served with the Virginia State Police for 23 years and was assigned as the commander of the Aviation Unit. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Trooper Bates had served with the Virginia State Police for 13 years and was assigned to the Aviation Unit. He had previously served with the Florida Highway Patrol for six years. He is survived by his wife and his twin son and daughter. He was killed the day before his 41st birthday.
Lieutenant Cullen had served with the Virginia State Police for 23 years and was assigned as the commander of the Aviation Unit. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Rest in Peace Gentlemen…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Textbook felony stop.

A felony stop is used when you have a vehicle occupied with dangerous passengers (e.g. an armed robbery suspect) or a stolen vehicle. The concept is to place the target vehicle and occupants at a position of complete disadvantage. You use verbal commands to get the driver to exit the vehicles, show he is unarmed and have him walk backwards to the officers. He is then taken into custody, and the process is repeated until the vehicle is emptied.

Two suspects arrested after wild chase in stolen BMW

HOUSTON, TX - Houston police say two people were arrested after a chase in a stolen BMW overnight. HPD officials say it was approximately 2 a.m. when an individual reported their BMW was stolen. Officers then spotted the BMW on Broadway 610. Police attempted a traffic stop, but the driver took off in the car. Officers then chased the vehicle down the loop and onto I-45-Southbound.

At some point on the chase, one of the BMW's tires blew. The driver then exited I-45 and stopped at an Exxon station near Astoria. Officers then began a felony stop and took the driver and passenger into custody. The driver is believed to have a felony warrant for robbery.

This is an excellent example of how to do it. Great work Houston Police!

Someone helped an ignorant old Coonass to understand "bump-firing" a weapon.

In the immediate aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting last week, ignorant politicians, mostly of the Democratic left, led my Mrs. Bill Clinton, immediately opened their mouths and demanded "something" be done. From Mrs. Clinton's Tweeter feed:

The crowd fled at the sound of gunshots.

Imagine the deaths if the shooter had a silencer, which the NRA wants to make easier to get.

Our grief isn't enough. We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to try to stop this from happening again.

Last week I has some initial observation and speculation on the shooting after speaking with two friends. I must say after hearing of the "bump-stock," I had no idea what the hell this thing was. But seeing how quickly politicians, especially Democrats, wanted to ban it, I knew this was symbolism over substance.

My friend SM posted the second video and it shows how to bump-fire a rifle. Basically, instead of placing the stock of the weapon into your shoulder, you leave around a half inch space you leave about one-half inch space between the stock and the shoulder. Then you place your trigger finger in the trigger guard, keep it firmly in a nine o'clock position (assuming right handed shooter), and depress the trigger. The first round goes off, the rifle moves back and recoils forward. Keeping the finger firming in position, the trigger is depressed, the rifle fires again, and the cycle repeats. Gotta say, simple, functional and ingenious. And requires no modification to a semi-automatic rifle.

Here are some examples of the technique:




Some years ago an officer using the "facilities" and in preparation, he hung his pistol, using the trigger guard, on the coat rack. When he went to grab it, he accidentally depressed the trigger and the pistol fired. And it also went on "automatic" fire, in that the pistol kept moving back and forth from the trigger guard and trigger, and only stopped when the weapon ran out of bullet. Thankfully no one was hurt, but I know the man will never hear the end of this.

I've heard multiple reports that Stephen Paddock had these "bump-stocks" on his weapons and I have no idea if that's true. Simply put, unless it comes from the sheriff or other adult supervision of the investigation, I won't give it much credit. But this shows again, if you are motivated, you will make something happen.

Have a great week.