GySgt (Ret) Spencer

Good news Daniel. So I guess the 500w is large enough to do the trick on your system?

Exactly what happened to me a year ago. It took me a little while to diagnose it as the cause of my problem but it sounds like you were on top of it all along. Good job Daniel.

Hi Green. How you been Mate? I can't wait to talk to you again and see how you are doing. Take care of yourself Green. Your Friend, Spencer

That kinda looked like a FRIES extraction in reverse. (Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System), without your knowledge or consent. Hilarious!!! (Nice trick/maneuver Ingram)

I always find the comments and stories by friend or foe about Marines and/or the Marine Corps very interesting and informative. The following quotes are from the book, "Condition Red: Destroyer Action In the South Pacific" by Frederick Bell. Bell was a senior officer and CO on a destroyer in the Pacific in World War 2. Chapter "Warriors for the Working Day, page 72 ". . . because we destroyer sailors have seen a lot of them during the past year and we think they're the most magnificent close combat fighters the world has ever known. They go about their work with a matter-of-fact confidence; they possess an esprit de corps that is superb. Of all the warriors I have seen - United Nations and Axis, the United States Marines are the ones that I would want most to have on my side." page 73 "The Japs fight only defensively in the daytime. At night they attempt their bayonet charges and their infiltration tactics. Heretofore this has proved demoralizing to the troops opposing them, but the Marines don't scare. They stay put in their foxholes and fire at anything that moves. It must be very discouraging to the Japanese. They never met first class fighting men before." Chapter, "Christmas, 40 South page 141 "It took only a few hours to embark the Marines who were being evacuated. They had been on that damnable island since August 7th and they were ready to leave. In the four months on Guadalcanal they had seen enough close combat, hand-to-hand fighting, air raids, naval bombardment and just plain hell to last any fighting man the rest of his natural life. There were not many of them; a bare handful, as armies go, but they had left their mark on Japan as no one ever had done before. To speak of these men as heroic, magnificent, would be inadequate as well as meaningless, for descriptive words and phrases have been over-worked in the writings of this war."

Ramadi, 2004, Golf Company, 2/4, 1st Platoon, aka Joker One. The four platoons were assigned Joker 1, 2, 3 and 4. The book, "Joker One, A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood". The book is written by Joker One Actual, Platoon Commander, 1st Lt Campbell. The Marines replaced the Army in Ramadi who the Marines always felt really screwed things up. Hence, the Marines were called in. One Marine battalion for a city of 350,000. After losing Corporal Bolden in an RPG attack, the first fatality of the platoon, Lt Campbell was feeling depressed about Bolden's death. Campbell wrote this in the book talking about his magnificent Marines; "They weren't bitter, they weren't angry, and, unlike me, they weren't trapped in a selfish spiral of recrimination and angst. On some level, my men still retained a beautiful, simple, powerful faith: There was a mission to help a brutalized people, that mission was worth doing, and if someone had to do it, then it might as well be them. And if anyone tried to stop my Marines in pursuit of that mission, then God help them, because my men would do their utmost to kill our enemies stone dead. "My Marines were magnificient, and they saved me that time. ". . . I watched them, and I noticed, perhaps more intently than ever before, all the small wonderful things that made my Marines the best. (long list of examples) "All these things and more that I can't put into words I noticed, but prepared me to finally receive some sort of absolution in the form of the skinny, filthy, wonderful PFC Gabriel Henderson. For whatever reason, Henderson's tender heart kept a close eye on me, and one day, roughly two weeks after Bolding's death, he walked up to me and said out of the blue. "Hey sir. you know that none of the platoon blames you for what happened to Bolding. It's okay sir." I didn't know what to say to that. Henderson broke into a big smile. "Bolding's in heaven now sir, and I know that he's smiling down at us right now, just like he always smiled at us when he was here. He's okay sir. Don't worry sir. He's okay. And someday you will get to see him again sir." I had to turn away to keep from crying. Joker One was a well oiled fighting machine, just like most Marine infantry units. And like so many other books by Marines and Marine Officers, they felt like their men were the best and would walk to the gates of hell for them. It just Marines being Marines, like they've done for over two hundred years!

All Personnel, Part 1 of Op to move from FOB north via vehicles and helo. As always, please "LIKE" in Youtube to increase our channel rating and watch in High Definition.

All Personnel, Part 2 of the Mandingara mission. Gathered Intel and introduced ourselves to the residents, and unfriendly Afghans. As always, "Like" in YouTube and watch in High Definition.

All Personnel, Part 1 of our first patrol to Mandingara. Part 2 to follow. This might be the last in my Gatecrasher series as things are getting very busy here with packing, wrapping up work and getting ready for the movers next week.

All, Securing our FOB. Watch in High Definition and "LIKE" on YouTube. Thanks.

That Map Tool is fantastic

All Personnel, Part 2 of Op Gatecrasher 02-17. As always, watch in High Definition and "LIKE" the video in YouTube.

All Personnel, Op Gatecrasher 02-17. Watch in High Definition and "Like" the video. Sorry to air guys. Didn't get much of you in the video. PS Excuse the mistake with the name on the graphic.

WHAT THE GERMAN'S THOUGHT OF THE AMERICAN FIGHTING MAN AFTER WORLD WAR 1, or THE GREAT WAR (as it was known at that time.) After World War 1, Germans wrote about the war. Here are some of the quotes from Germans who fought or encountered Americans after the war. (And, NO, I wasn't there!) 1. Chief of Staff for General v. Einem, Third German Army “I fought in campaigns against the Russian Army, the Serbian Army, the Roumanian Army, the British Army, the French Army, and the American Army. All told in this war I have participated in more than 80 battles. I have found your American Army the most honorable of all our enemies. You have also been the bravest of our enemies and in fact the only ones who have attacked us seriously in this year’s battles. I therefore honor you, and, now that the war is over, I stand ready, for my part, to accept you as a friend.” 2. Karl Finkl of Bolingen “The prevailing opinion in Germany before our entry into war, was, that American was a money hunting nation, too engrossed in the hunt of the dollar to produce a strong military force. But since our troops have been in action the opinion has changed, and he says that though Germany is at present a defeated nation, he believes that they would be victors in a war with any nation in the world with the exemption of the United States.” 3. Antone Fuhrmann of Mayschoss “There were only a handful of Americans there but they fought like wildmen.” 4. Peter Bertram, shopkeeper of Dernau “I had been told by other soldiers that the American infantryman was reckless to the point of foolishness.” 7. Postal Censorship, April 12, 1919 “Prisoners of war under American jurisdiction continue to send home glowing reports of good treatment. It is clearly deducible that they are more satisfied with their present condition, than they would be at home” 8. M. Walter of Minderlittgen “The attitude of the American officer towards enlisted men is very different than in our army in which officers have always treated their men as cattle.” 9. Michael Simon of Neuerburg “Children have constantly talked of the Americans’ arrival, and pictured them as a band of wild Indians, however, when they troops arrived, we were astonished at their behavior and pleasant attitude toward our people.” 10. Karl Schramem, Landstrumer of Zermullen “The American troops show much more consideration for the private rights of the inhabitants of the village than did the German troops.”

All Personnel, A training mission video from over a month ago. Still trying to get caught up. Don't forget to go to the 4th MRB YouTube Channel. Watch in High Definition and "LIKE" as always.

Simply the Best Promotional Video ever made. Seriously, are you a Hollywood film editor, cause this was awesome.

All Personnel, The exciting conclusion of FTX 03-17, aka Part 2. As always, watch in high definition and click LIKE in YouTube to promote the 4th MRB.

Humorous because there is some truth here!!

Creech, I truly appreciate your encouragement. Thanks very much. Childs probably doesn't realize it, but his briefing during the first part of the video is actually two different audio cuts, in reverse chronological order, I matched together to make one briefing with most of the relevant mission information. I'm not saying Childs can be long winded at times, No, I'm not saying that, but, .... oh, never mind.

All Personnel, Part 1 of 2 part FTX.

Mines OK. You guys have me thinking maybe it's time to get another. They don't even make my model anymore. Maybe after I get to the new house later this year. Some of you guys have awesome keyboards! Mine: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126034

All Personnel, A training video from March. This video is different from most previous videos as the beginning is different and I used a different type of music than you've become accustomed to hearing. I just wanted to be different and change things up!! As always, watch in high definition and "Like" the video in YouTube. Thanks

All, From Hill patrol Training Exercise in March. I've got several in progress videos I'll start working on now that I'm getting a little more free time. As always, watch in HD, and Click "LIKE" in our Youtube channel. It helps get more viewers and subsequently draws more recruits.

This is a copy of a speech by Marine General John Kelly. It is long, but worth reading. I know we play a game together, but in truth, you should be honored to even pretend to be a US Marine. This is a story of two young Marines, and how they died. This is an example of the type of men Marines are, and am honored to be a US Marine. "Everyone should read John Kelly's speech about 2 Marines in the path of a truck bomb" Paul Szoldra,Business Insider 20 hours ago Nine years ago, two US Marines from very different walks of life met for the first time when they were put on guard duty at 7:30 in the morning. Just minutes later, the pair of Marines guarding a gate in Ramadi, Iraq, were staring down a large blue truck packed with 2,000 pounds of explosives. They could have sought cover, like an Iraqi policeman on the scene who ran away and lived. Instead, Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter and Cpl. Jonathan Yale stood their ground. Their split-second choice saved the lives of 50 people. In 2010, then-Lt. Gen. John Kelly — who now serves as Secretary of Homeland Security — told their story to a packed house just four days after he had lost his own son, Robert, to combat in Afghanistan. He spoke of the 9/11 attacks, the enemy that America was fighting, and praised the brave men and women who had volunteered to go overseas since then. Then he moved to the remarkable story of these two Marines, which he told the crowd, showed the "quality of steel in their backs." Here's what he said: Two years ago when I was the Commander of all U.S. and Iraqi forces, in fact, the 22nd of April 2008, two Marine infantry battalions, 1/9 “The Walking Dead,” and 2/8 were switching out in Ramadi. One battalion in the closing days of their deployment going home very soon, the other just starting its seven-month combat tour. Two Marines, Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter, 22 and 20 years old respectively, one from each battalion, were assuming the watch together at the entrance gate of an outpost that contained a makeshift barracks housing 50 Marines. The same broken down ramshackle building was also home to 100 Iraqi police, also my men and our allies in the fight against the terrorists in Ramadi, a city until recently the most dangerous city on earth and owned by Al Qaeda. Yale was a dirt poor mixed-race kid from Virginia with a wife and daughter, and a mother and sister who lived with him and he supported as well. He did this on a yearly salary of less than $23,000. Haerter, on the other hand, was a middle class white kid from Long Island. They were from two completely different worlds. Had they not joined the Marines they would never have met each other, or understood that multiple America’s exist simultaneously depending on one’s race, education level, economic status, and where you might have been born. But they were Marines, combat Marines, forged in the same crucible of Marine training, and because of this bond they were brothers as close, or closer, than if they were born of the same woman. The mission orders they received from the sergeant squad leader I am sure went something like: “Okay you two clowns, stand this post and let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass.” “You clear?” I am also sure Yale and Haerter then rolled their eyes and said in unison something like: “Yes Sergeant,” with just enough attitude that made the point without saying the words, “No kidding sweetheart, we know what we’re doing.” They then relieved two other Marines on watch and took up their post at the entry control point of Joint Security Station Nasser, in the Sophia section of Ramadi, al Anbar, Iraq. A few minutes later a large blue truck turned down the alley way—perhaps 60-70 yards in length—and sped its way through the serpentine of concrete jersey walls. The truck stopped just short of where the two were posted and detonated, killing them both catastrophically. Twenty-four brick masonry houses were damaged or destroyed. A mosque 100 yards away collapsed. The truck’s engine came to rest two hundred yards away knocking most of a house down before it stopped. Our explosive experts reckoned the blast was made of 2,000 pounds of explosives. Two died, and because these two young infantrymen didn’t have it in their DNA to run from danger, they saved 150 of their Iraqi and American brothers-in-arms. When I read the situation report about the incident a few hours after it happened I called the regimental commander for details as something about this struck me as different. Marines dying or being seriously wounded is commonplace in combat. We expect Marines regardless of rank or MOS to stand their ground and do their duty, and even die in the process, if that is what the mission takes. But this just seemed different. The regimental commander had just returned from the site and he agreed, but reported that there were no American witnesses to the event—just Iraqi police. I figured if there was any chance of finding out what actually happened and then to decorate the two Marines to acknowledge their bravery, I’d have to do it as a combat award that requires two eye-witnesses and we figured the bureaucrats back in Washington would never buy Iraqi statements. If it had any chance at all, it had to come under the signature of a general officer. I traveled to Ramadi the next day and spoke individually to a half-dozen Iraqi police all of whom told the same story. The blue truck turned down into the alley and immediately sped up as it made its way through the serpentine. They all said, “We knew immediately what was going on as soon as the two Marines began firing.” The Iraqi police then related that some of them also fired, and then to a man, ran for safety just prior to the explosion. All survived. Many were injured ... some seriously. One of the Iraqis elaborated and with tears welling up said, “They’d run like any normal man would to save his life.” What he didn’t know until then, he said, and what he learned that very instant, was that Marines are not normal. Choking past the emotion he said, “Sir, in the name of God no sane man would have stood there and done what they did.” “No sane man.” “They saved us all.” What we didn’t know at the time, and only learned a couple of days later after I wrote a summary and submitted both Yale and Haerter for posthumous Navy Crosses, was that one of our security cameras, damaged initially in the blast, recorded some of the suicide attack. It happened exactly as the Iraqis had described it. It took exactly six seconds from when the truck entered the alley until it detonated. You can watch the last six seconds of their young lives. Putting myself in their heads I supposed it took about a second for the two Marines to separately come to the same conclusion about what was going on once the truck came into their view at the far end of the alley. Exactly no time to talk it over, or call the sergeant to ask what they should do. Only enough time to take half an instant and think about what the sergeant told them to do only a few minutes before: “ ... let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass.” The two Marines had about five seconds left to live. It took maybe another two seconds for them to present their weapons, take aim, and open up. By this time the truck was half-way through the barriers and gaining speed the whole time. Here, the recording shows a number of Iraqi police, some of whom had fired their AKs, now scattering like the normal and rational men they were—some running right past the Marines. They had three seconds left to live. For about two seconds more, the recording shows the Marines’ weapons firing non-stop...the truck’s windshield exploding into shards of glass as their rounds take it apart and tore in to the body of the son-of-a-bitch who is trying to get past them to kill their brothers—American and Iraqi—bedded down in the barracks totally unaware of the fact that their lives at that moment depended entirely on two Marines standing their ground. If they had been aware, they would have known they were safe ... because two Marines stood between them and a crazed suicide bomber. The recording shows the truck careening to a stop immediately in front of the two Marines. In all of the instantaneous violence Yale and Haerter never hesitated. By all reports and by the recording, they never stepped back. They never even started to step aside. They never even shifted their weight. With their feet spread shoulder width apart, they leaned into the danger, firing as fast as they could work their weapons. They had only one second left to live. The truck explodes. The camera goes blank. Two young men go to their God. Six seconds. Not enough time to think about their families, their country, their flag, or about their lives or their deaths, but more than enough time for two very brave young men to do their duty ... into eternity. That is the kind of people who are on watch all over the world tonight—for you.

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