Monday, October 29, 2012

Asskickery of the Week: GROM


 Polish GROM kill 20+ Taliban


The incident took place on the 26th of October. GROM Commandos on a combat patrol with the support of a air-assault unit separate from the Polish Task Force. After landing, the Poles were then attacked by numerically superior Taliban forces in a Complex Ambush.

The Taliban then surrounded the Poles. The exchange of fire lasted over three hours. During the battle, over 20 Taliban fighters were killed and 14 were wounded, among the dead was their commander. Two GROM Soldiers received minor wounds.

I don't know what it is about GROM. They're just fuckin' badasses. 

GROM Operators clearing a cave system in Afghanistan
 http://www.tvn24.pl/trzygodzinna-wymiana-ognia-grom-u-z-talibami-zginelo

Douche-Canoe of the Week: Josh "Tank" Watts

Josh Watts - Obese Douchebag

Stop using your wheelchair as a crutch': Marine who lost legs in Afghanistan forced out of restaurant with his family after cruel taunts from rival football fans


The Moosehead Grill in Charlotte, N.C., played host to some staggering jackassery this past Sunday. Garrett Carnes, a Marine veteran who lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, stopped at the restaurant with his wife Courtney and other family members after attending the Cowboys-Panthers game. Things had grown ugly before Carnes, who was wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey, even got into the restaurant.

Garrett Carnes

Coburn said that when the group reached the front door, the fan was waiting for them.

“He was standing at the door, and he started harassing us because of the Cowboys jerseys,” Coburn said. He said the fan told Garrett Carnes, “Don’t use your wheelchair as a crutch.”

The fan, who did not want to give his name, gave a different account. “Moosehead is a Panthers’ bar,” he said. “When they came, wearing the Cowboys’ jerseys, I started up on them. I asked them if they were Cowboys fans who lived in North Carolina.”


Watts at a Panthers game, wearing pads no less. Extreme douch-baggery

“I’m not going to fight someone in a wheelchair,” the fan said. “I said to him, ‘I’m not fighting you. Get four of your boys, and I’ll fight them.’ According to multiple accounts of the incident, Carnes told the patron – and others who were ridiculing the group for being Cowboys’ fans – that he was a veteran and had lost his legs in Afghanistan.

Carnes, who is still undergoing treatment for his wounds at a Washington-area hospital, is trying to stay out of the dispute, Coburn said. Carnes’ mother, Rhonda, addressed a note to restaurant patrons on Facebook, saying, “Why didn’t any of you stand up for my son and daughter? And to think my son almost died for every single person in that bar, by defending all your freedom.”

 A certain Marine once said - "no better friend, no worse enemy"

 I have a feeling that area Devil Dogs from Lejeune might be out on a Mission... 

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Coping Mechanisms

Becks! The Budweiser of Germany. Why I drink it and so should you.


Over the years I've grown rather fond of this particular beer for some reason. Could be the time I spent in Germany, or it could be due to the fact that its sold by the truckload here at the post liquor store. Probably a combination thereof. 

1.) Becks compliments any meal. Kinda.

2.) For an import its not that expensive, nor is it cheap. Wait...

3.) It has a rather interesting flavor. It's not quite the stout of Guinness or the punch of a Russian Imperial. Can't quite place it. Defiantly unique.

4.) It can be purchased for around $14 a twelve pack. Excellent price for a import in my opinion. These prices aren't applicable to you nasty civilian types.

5.) Goes great at BBQ's, weddings, funerals, christenings, while playing video games, while watching your friends play video games, the second coming, Bar Mitzvahs, more weddings, bachelor parties, at strip joints (not the low-brow ones), birthdays, while at work, at the movies, and a myriad of other activities.

So start drinking right now! That's an order.

I don't have a drinking problem. The Class Six is open 24 hours a day here.

Positions I don't agree with, yet have no say in whatsoever

Overdue: Why It’s Time to End the U.S. Military’s Female Combat Ban

The military was the first major American institution to integrate African Americans. It’s now open to gay and lesbian soldiers. It’s time to let women serve in combat, writes Megan H. MacKenzie.

Today, 214,098 women serve in the U.S. military, representing 14.6 percent of total service members. Hundreds of female soldiers have received a Combat Action Badge, awarded for actively engaging with a hostile enemy. Two women, Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester and Specialist Monica Lin Brown, have been awarded Silver Stars—one of the highest military decorations awarded for valor in combat—for their service in Afghanistan and Iraq.
U.S. Marine Sgt. Michelle Hill from the first battalion 7th Marines Regiment takes part in a patrol in Sangin, Afghanistan, Helmand province on June 6, 2012. (Adek Berry, AFP / Getty Images)

Yet the U.S. military, at least officially, still bans women from serving in direct combat positions. As irregular warfare has become increasingly common in the last few decades, the difference on the ground between front line and support roles is no longer clear. Numerous policy changes have also eroded the division between combat and noncombat positions. More and more military officials recognize the contributions made by female soldiers. Politicians, veterans, and military experts have begun actively lobbying Washington to drop the ban. And a 2011 survey conducted by ABC News and The Washington Post found that 73 percent of Americans support allowing women in combat. But Congress has not budged.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/26/overdue-why-it-s-time-to-end-the-u-s-military-s-female-combat-ban.html 

Medal of Honor: Warfighter Review

 Something terrible this way comes! Unfortunately, that isn't a tag line for a movie.

The newest installment in the MoH franchise isn't very good. In fact it borders on the terrible. The not extravagantly outstanding, but enjoyable Medal of Honor 2010 had quite a lot of things going for it, namely the campaign and associated storyline. It was well told through the eyes of Tier-1 personnel conducting operations which were loosely based upon those during Operation Anaconda. The characters were engrossing and the protracted plot was interesting, it pulled the player into that world, it made you want to experience what was going to happen next.

The campaign in Warfighter is a little different. Really different. And really incoherent. It juts back and forth constantly, from the past to the present, back to the past, and even further into the past, and then right into a mission. Danger Close would like you to believe Warfighter is the story of a operator toeing the line between family and duty, but you learn so little about the man that the attempt rings hollow. The central character is a blank canvas, his back-story nonexistent, and any explanation as to why his wife is constantly pissed off is unknown. Selfish cow should hit up the Class-6 like the rest of the base wives. Of course I'm joking... perhaps.

"Authentic experience" indeed. Hey brah, your Magpul pop-up sights are on backwards.
While there are some intense and memorable moments here and there especially the driving segments, they pale in comparison to a sporadic AI, frequent bugs, and texture popping issues. True, the PC version looks like a BMW compared to its Yugo Console brethren, the visuals are still rather bland in places and texture streaming issues abound.

In today's market of competitive online gaming, my hopes remained optimistic as to the multi-player component. Those were however quickly dashed once I actually launched a session. Upon choosing a server I was greeted with a menu UI that was more awkward and confusing then it should have to be, and before I could even choose my kit, the game had me spawned right into the action. Okay, very well then. I'll just kill someone, die, and try again. I acquired my target, a bush-wookie (sniper), and fired around 15 rounds into him from around 25 meters. Was he killed? No, no he wasn't. He did however turn to face me and with a single round, ended my digital life.

Hmm... Lets try this again, shall we? Prior to spawning I quickly chose weapon customization - You won't fool me again Warfighter. Being that the map I was currently playing on was more of a CQB level, I thought it would behoove of me to pick iron sights or a optic more suited to the environment. Unfortunately however, I was stuck with the ACOG and its magnification level, the other options including iron sights weren't unlocked yet. Wait, I have to unlock iron sights? Shouldn't the unlock process be the other way around?

Take cover, the net-code is terrible!
Not even taking into consideration the questionable rank and progression system. There are serious problems with round registration as the bullets impact or don't impact a character. This is due to the fact that the hit-box in Warfighter is horrendous, and while BF3 suffers from the same ailment, it appears that Danger Close screwed something up... or they didn't care to improve upon it... I don't know. If you're hoping that Hardcore mode would make the game a little more interesting, increasing the lethality, and forcing people to think tactically, think again. All Danger Close has done is to remove certain HUD elements for said mode, negating one of the primary reasons gamers play on more difficult settings.

Verdict

The original Worf-fighter is not pleased.