John at AMERICAblog has a rumor about the military. Yes! The military! Rumors! Who would have ever guessed!

I can remember reporting for pay to a Company officer on payday, getting my allowance, and after saluting, peeling off to report to the S4 Sgt for the latest rumors. It was a tradition.

Matt Daniels keeps a blog, like 60-odd million other people, and has a pipper.

Last Friday night some military friend(s) of mine got some news. For them its either good or bad news, depending on their point of view. A very few of them will see it as a chance to get closer to the "action". But for most, and unfortunately, its a bit shocking. As for me it's a little earth-shattering - especially since one of them was my replacement when I left the Navy. Quick background... when I was in the military, I was an E-2C Hawkeye Naval Flight Officer. That means I flew around in a radar equipped plane and directed the air-war. That's a VERY watered down description, but it covers the basics. My friends and others that got 'the news' are of varying but similar backgrounds. As with several occupations in the military, they have some extensive EW training (Electronic Warfare). Which sets the stage...

Our friend Jeff Huber used to be a backseater in the Navy, so he probably has heard something about this because many military, especially retirees, are unwilling to disconnect the communication cords when they pull the pin. Jeff writes about the more reputable of his military memories, and some other assorted matters at his blog, as well as at ePluribus Media. We are fortunate that he occasionally graces our pages here, raising the tone and quality by a factor of 10.

Anyway, back to Matt’s story:

t seems that they all fall into a particular category at the moment - they're all on shore duty (after being on sea-duty for several years... it's called 'payback'), and they all have at least one year left at their current duty-station. Life right now is supposed to be focused on family, training others to do what you've done already, and supporting those in the Navy that are currently at sea. But on Friday night, some of them got a phone call - with a twist.

For any of our 8 or 10 readers with no military experience, since the end of WWII the Armed Forces have generally managed their manpower needs by a rotational system: a period of overseas duty, one, two, or three years, followed by an approximately equal period inside the US. The overseas duty can be accompanied, for married personnel, or unaccompanied, depending on your marital status and where you’re posted. Naval personnel out Navy-ing around the world are on unaccompanied tours. So, when you return, you get as much time as you can stand with the wife and children. (joke)

By and large, they're being ordered to supplement the Army and Marines on the ground in Iraq. That in itself isn't that strange, since the current trend has been to try and give the forces that have been on multiple deployments a break by rotating Air Force and Navy personnel into positions that could be easily 'substituted'. But... here's the twist. They're manning up a new unit - made up of a mix of personnel, to become field combat teams in charge of detecting IED's. Improvised Explosive Devices. WTF???

I will pledge loyalty to my Navy brethren - they are capable of doing the tasks they are trained for, and then some. But to take a Naval Aviator, teach him in a couple of months how to fire a rifle and command Army or Marine troops on the ground, and much less put him in some experimental platform to detect and disarm IED's because the Army and Marine experts are tired and out of people?? That's like asking a surgeon to become the coach of an NFL Football team!!

Naval Aviators should have some idea about how to fire a rifle. They learn that in their early training. Yeah, they would need refreshers in maintenance, gun control (hitting the thing you shoot at) and clearing jams. (OOOpps. I forgot. In Mr Bush’s Army, we have the best equipment available, and our weapons never jam, not even that pig of a bitch Ma Deuce .50 cal machine gun, so scratch that one.)

Naval Aviators probably have a pretty good idea about how to command units, although they’re not trained for ground combat. (“Sgt, any quick ideas?” is ALWAYS the right thing to say, Sir.) And if I read the article correctly, they’re going to have some specialists to actually deal with the IEDs.

The argument that they volunteered for it is a non-starter. This sounds like a classic case of a field expedient remedy.

Disclaimer: Matt's title for this situation was such a gimme that I appropriated it my field expedient title.