A fire support base (FSB, firebase or FB) is a military encampment designed to provide indirect fireartilleryfire support to infantry operating in areas beyond the normal range of direct fire support from their own base camps. FSBs were originally used by South Korean troops during the Vietnam War (중대전술기지: Company Tactical Base), and U.S. adopted it after South Korean troops proved its usefulness through many battles such as Battle of Tra Binh Dong.

For me, “Firebase Rockford” is a metaphorical construct in my mind that represents a safe place to go while the rest of my life was thrown into chaos, normally by my own actions. It is a defensible position, well armed against anything,and there were many battles fought on its perimeter, some were won, some were lost, and some were actually resolved peacefully. Bridges were burned, blown up, replaced, repaired, or abandoned in place.

This blog, “The Gun Line” was a direct line of communication from the midst of it…

In the beginning, The Gun Line was a place for me to vent my emotions after moving from Southern California to Eastern Washington. I had left behind many friends, and missed the familiar comradeship. It progressed into a portal to an amazing world, the Blogosphere, where I met an amazing array of incredible individuals. Through this blog, I made friendships, was inspired, and found that I could inspire others. As it continued, I wrote of my return to the service, and all of the collateral dynamics involved. I am proud to say that I was involved with some pretty spectacular activities, from the 1st Milblog Conference, the establishment of VALOUR-IT, the wounding and subsequent meteoric rise to fame and glory of Chuck Z., inclusion in the Right and Good Company of Castle Argghhh!, and the list goes on…

I was there as milbloggers went from “just another small minority”, to a bone fide social media and information outlet. I watched as the infrastructure formed, and the rising stars coalesced into prominence.

I took The Gun Line with me to war, and returned…

But, you know, it’s been almost two years since I returned, and I find that I don’t say much to say anymore… Not because I have said everything that needs to be said, but because all of those huge issues that prompted me to reach out to the world have, for the most part, been resolved. I don’t have much to say because I am content with where I am and who I am…

In this metaphorical construct in my mind, I have been slowly dismantling the Firebase. The barbed wire and Hesco barriers have been emptied and removed. The fighting holes and bunker have been filled in.  The building materials that made up the bunkers have been salvaged and donated to the local ville. The native workers have been paid handsomely and sent on their way. The Marston Matting has been pulled up from the helipad, and the soil around the FARP has been re-mediated of contaminants. EOD cleared the last of the UXEs, Foo-Gas and Claymores, and signed off on the site.

The heavy ordnance has been trucked out, and the last of the Little Green Amphibious Monsters DEROSed last week. Godzilla has been PCS’d to another trouble spot. All of the technology is gone.

Now it’s just one guy with a walkie-talkie and a rucksack… I’ll walk what used to be the perimeter, and then take a leisurely stroll down the hill to the temporary LZ.

But there are some folks I’d like to thank before I go.

A vast majority fall into the category of absolutely amazing individuals who have given me inspiration, counsel, sympathy, advise, a good kick in the ass when I really needed it. You probably know who you are.

So here goes… I would like to thank:

Neptunus Lex, who continues to pass on his insight and passion for all things Naval, Aviation, and life-related, and wields his quill with the finesse of a master swordsman.

Fuzzibear Lioness, who distracted me from my own troubles by allowing me to help her with hers, and, in the midst of the darkness, she came up with VALOUR-IT, and how wonderfully it has taken off!

Chuck Z. (and Mrs. Z.) for showing the world what real heroes look like.

To the Denizens of Castle Argghhh:

John, for, well, being John… Thanks Blogpapa. And Beth, because you guys are two halves of a whole.

Dusty, for taking a Thunder Bolt into the very depths of Hell to keep the grunts on the ground alive.

BillT, for sharing the pleasures, and a little of the pain of a Viet Nam chopper pilot. To you and ALL who served there, WELCOME HOME! (Oh, and for helping hatch little Iraqi whirlybirds too!)

Boston Maggie, for Big Sister love, the occasional trip under the bus, and for being the magnificent Force of Nature that you are.

Barb, for being a real friend.

BCR, for being the absolute coolest Rocket Scientist/Nuclear Physics-type person I will EVER know.

Boquisucio, because you’re Puerto Rican…  (Isn’t that enough? Oh, and because you’re the epitome of a gentleman as well!)

Werekitten, for swinging from the chandelier as only YOU can! And Keith, a helluva “old corps” soldier!

Cassandra, for the Words!

Homefront Six, because you’ve been there, done that.

Mary Anne, for the shot in the arm.

Punctilious, for humor above and beyond.

And all of the other Denizens who grace the Halls of Castle Argghhh!

Kodiak Momma Six, for the hand of friendship after the Hell.

Phoenix, for everything.

Mom and Dad, for life and a hell of a ride!

And God, because He Lives!

I’m not vanishing completely, mind you; I’ve got a key to the General Access parts of the Castle, should I come up with anything significant to say, and I monitor the Net on a regular basis.

There. Mission Accomplished! It’s been a most excellent trip!

Firebase Rockford Comm Center, signing off…

I wonder if the Roman Legionnaires of old had the same thoughts during the first stirrings of the chain of events that brought down the Roman Empire…

I read, from a variety of sources, about the chipping away of the foundational ideals upon which this country was built.

Political debate, a hallmark of our domestic system, has degraded into shouting matches brimming with potential violence.

The Rule of Law bends to the demands of a group of people who see said Law as an inconvenience, and are supported by people elected to their positions and charged with the defense of their constituents.

We see organizations “playing the system” within the loopholes of the law, and they are given a pass.

The icons of Americana, the very symbols of our Nation, are being suppressed because of the threat of some backlash from ignorant opponents.

Stereotypes are set in stone, regardless of fact.  The hard decisions are not being made, and another generation steps forward with a false sense of entitlement.

The fight for the almighty dollar has swept away the concept of self-imposed financial and social responsibility.

We’re losing ourselves, and there seems to be only a handful of people interested in stopping the slide into the abyss.

I have a sinking feeling that we are going to see things come to a head, and it isn’t going to be pretty.

On November 10, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of the Continental Congress. Since that date, many thousand men have borne the name Marine. In memory of them, it is fitting that we who are Marines should commemorate the Birthday of our Corps by calling to mind the glories of its long and illustrious history.

The record of our Corps is one which will bear comparison with that of the most famous military organizations in the world’s history. During 90 of the 146 years of it’s existence the Marine Corps has been in action against the nations foes. From the battle of Trenton to the Argonne. Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras of tranquility at home. Generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war in both hemispheres and in every corner of the seven seas that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security.

In every battle and skirmish since the birth of our Corps Marines have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term Marine has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue.

This high name of distinction and soldierly repute we who are Marines today have received from those who preceded us in the Corps. With it we also received from them the eternal spirit which has animated our Corps from generation to generation and has been the distinguishing mark of the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to flourish Marines will be found equal to every emergency in the future as they have been in the past, and the men of our nation will regard us as worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as “Soldiers of the Sea” since the founding of the Corps.

R 021634Z NOV 10
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 041/10
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS//
SUBJ/UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE – 10 NOVEMBER 2010//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  SIXTY YEARS AGO, THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS – AS IT HAS THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY – DEMONSTRATED ITS VITAL ROLE AS AMERICA’S EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN READINESS.  JUST WEEKS AFTER NORTH KOREAN COMMUNIST FORCES CROSSED THE 38TH PARALLEL, THE FIRST MARINE PROVISIONAL BRIGADE LANDED IN SOUTH KOREA, FORMING THE BACKBONE OF THE PERIMETER AROUND THE CITY OF PUSAN.  THE EFFORTS OF THE “FIRE BRIGADE” AT PUSAN ALLOWED FOR THE DARING AMPHIBIOUS LANDING AT INCHON AND SET THE STAGE FOR ONE OF THE MOST SAVAGE CAMPAIGNS IN OUR CORPS’ HISTORY – THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR.  AS WE PAUSE TO CELEBRATE OUR 235TH BIRTHDAY, WE PAY SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO THE MARINES OF THE KOREAN WAR AND RECOGNIZE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR ENDURING LEGACY.
2.  THIS PAST YEAR MARKED THE END OF MARINE CORPS COMBAT OPERATIONS IN IRAQ.  BEGINNING WITH THE INVASION IN MARCH 2003 AND THROUGH THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS OF FIGHTING, OUR CORPS ACQUITTED ITSELF VALIANTLY IN THE ANBAR PROVINCE AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.  LOCATIONS SUCH AS FALLUJAH AND RAMADI HAVE TAKEN THEIR PLACE IN THE ILLUSTRIOUS BATTLE HISTORY OF OUR CORPS.  OUR EFFORTS IN DEFEATING THE INSURGENCY HELPED TO BUILD A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR ALL IRAQIS.
3.  FOR 235 YEARS, AT SEA AND ASHORE, MARINES HAVE SUCCEEDED IN EVERY CLIME AND PLACE … WHERE HARDSHIP AND ADVERSITY HAVE OFTEN BEEN THE COMMON THREAD.  TODAY, IN THE RUGGED MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS OF AFGHANISTAN – AND RECENTLY IN EARTHQUAKE-DAMAGED HAITI … IN FLOOD-RAVAGED PAKISTAN … OR OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA – WE CONTINUE TO PROTECT OUR NATION, JUST AS WE DID 60 YEARS AGO IN KOREA.
4.  TO THE MARINES AND SAILORS DEPLOYED OVERSEAS, TO THOSE TRAINING AND PREPARING FOR THEIR NEXT DEPLOYMENT AND TO THE WARRIORS WHO NO LONGER WEAR OUR UNIFORM … WE HONOR YOUR SELFLESS SERVICE TO THE NATION.  TO OUR LOVED ONES WHO ENDURE THE MANY DIFFICULTIES THAT COME WITH BEING PART OF THE MARINE FAMILY, I WANT TO EXTEND MY SINCEREST THANKS FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE AND ALL YOU CONTINUE TO DO.
5.  HAPPY 235TH BIRTHDAY, MARINES.  JAMES F. AMOS, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//

Happy Birthday Marines!  Semper Fidelis!

Things are picking up, however, in a good way…

Let me bring you up to speed:

As of last month, I qualified for the VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation program – I finally decided what I wanted to be when I grew up: A High School English teacher.  I’m a full-time student at Spokane Falls Community College, pursuing an AA in English.  I’ll continue on at Eastern University for the teaching credentials, and then on to filling young minds with the wonders of the English Language.  Currently, I taking Introduction to Psychology (those people are crazy!), Geography (Where and Why), and Figure Drawing 101 (two hours drawing picture of beautiful women au natural – turns out I’m a pretty good artist!)  And it’s going well!

I am currently under the instruction of Pipe Major William Clark.  After a series of stops and starts, I am finally on my way towards learning the bagpipes in earnest , and the learning process proceeds swimmingly!

Having acquired the 1941 Ford GTB (“Burma Jeep”), I now have two “technicals” – as John would say, the M-37 destined for the frame-up restoration, and the Ford which is far enough gone that modifying it a bit won’t break my heart.  We’ve got a pretty old VFW post, and some of those guys have definitely earned the right to ride in a parade instead of marching, and so I’ll be knocking together some sort of back deck for the Burma Jeep to facilitate this (and who can’t use a 1 1/2 ton utility truck for when the weather goes sideways?

I seem to have gotten “furry” as of late!  My hairstyle is still within Marine Corps regulations – circa 1775, that is.  Most folks who know me remember me when I was in the Guard, sporting a “high/reg” cut.  Well, that ain’t the case how, what with the beard and long hair.  I decided that it was time to explore other options,  stop thinking like a soldier all the time (the whole “If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail” argument.)  So I’m furry, but woe betide anyone who thinks I’m in some sort of rebellion mode “against the man” or some such nonsense.  I am proud of my service, proud of my accomplishments, proud of my comrades, proud of my Country, and there still lurks in my soul the crusty old Sergeant of infantry.  The Fur that I see every morning simply reminds me that I don’t have to think like a soldier all of the time, and I have given myself leave to consider other lines of thought of a less martial nature.

So, that’s the haps.  Have a great day!

Addendum:  Here are the vehicles:

Apparently lying is protected under the First Amendment…

Now, I’m not always the most truthful fellow in the pool. And anytime any of us old warhorses start off a sea story with “Now this happened to me when I was on liberty in Thailand…” folks should start putting one hand on their wallet, and the other on their family jewels, because there’s a whopper inbound… But these are sea stories, anecdotes, tall tales that carry no claim of truthfulness, legal counsel, or historical accuracy…

… But when a fellow lies about having received a decoration, especially a decoration that sways public sentiments to the point where the public is at risk of being made the victim of fraud, on top of the damage done in the public eye towards legitimate holders of the decoration, well, is THAT covered by the law?

I’m not a lawyer, but it seems to me that this country’s laws are starting to do a better job protecting criminals than they do protecting the interests of those who won through personal valor, effort, and/or initiative a decoration while serving the Nation.

I’m just sayin’…

Now, you wouldn’t want to see Dbie in the clutches of THESE guys, would ya?

Click here, and be generous…