Mr. Wolf's post sums up my feelings about the change in policy in media taking photographs of our fallen at Dover. IAVA's Paul Reickhoff issued this statement about it: “Less than 1% of the American population has served in Iraq or Afghanistan.  There has never been a greater disconnect betwe...

Corporal Seamus sends us this message from April 2004 about Lance Corporal Chance Phelps.  It is the message that Major General John F. Kelly (then a Brigadier) sent to Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl after the General had read LtCol Strobl's trip report which you now know as " Taking Ch...

Bill Faith emailed me and linked to my stuff quite a bit. We never met, but he recognized a crotchety old bastard, like himself, in training. Hearing he was gone I had to check back in and I saw he was deeply happy about his new grand baby. It's sad that he will not be there to watch her grow up, bu...

It has been a year and two days I do believe, since I met DJ the puppy. DJ came into my life just days before my departure to spend Christmas in Iraq last year. The photo above was then, and the photo below is now: DJ came into the lives of Team Blackfive via a request to Gryphon Airlines from Lt. T...

First, go read this piece by the widow of Art Laguna, a retired CW5 and a Blackwater pilot who was killed in Iraq in 2007 supporting an embassy convoy - he was shot down responding to a call for help as the convoy was ambushed. My Husband Was a Blackwater Hero By Marybeth Laguna Sunday, November 30,...

On the 8th of November the angels were crying As they carried his brothers away With the fire raining down and the hell all around There were few men left standing that day Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky 1965, the 8th of November...

I read a lot of articles when I'm not working hard for the Evil Oil and Gas Industry (Yeah I know that's a really boring link....Tough. Buy a motorcycle or quit complaining about drilling in ANWR and off shore of FL and CA). Several caught my eye this week. And Matt has even highlighted some of the ...

What is Memorial Day really about?  While we are busy gearing up for the weekend, I thought I should post this annual reminder about the holiday.  It may surprise some of you. If you are relatively new to Blackfive, you should read this story about a Memorial Day five years ago - Mathew Sc...

Leta at From Cow Pastures to Kosovo has been working with Cheryl and Terry Blaskowski to set up a Welcome Home Party for the paratroopers of 2/503rd when they return from Afghanistan to their home base in Vicenza, Italy.  Leta posts: So many of your have been integral in providing literally TON...

So I want you to know more about Matthew Blaskowski from Part 1 above. There’s a lot that many people know about Sergeant Ski and there’s a bit that most don’t. From Leta at Tanker Brothers: ...Matt was known for being a mentor, for his leadership, loyalty, commitment and humor by all those wh...